The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, December 23, 1916, Image 1
vUatchma
onthrom.
WATCHMAN, mmmmmmmmmt AprU, 1U4,
4Be Sum and Fear not?l?et an tbe ende
Ooneolldated Auk. 8, 1881.
sumter, 8. c, sat
at be thy Country'*, Tbj God's Md TrMfc'i."
r, december 23, 1916.
THE TRUE SOUTHRON, FsnsMiahfrd Jand> 12WL
Vol. XLIII. No. 37.
REJECTS PEACE PROPOSALS
Lloyd-George intf nitial Speech as Pre?
mier Annotinces His Policy
of Government.
Says That FnHnfe Will not Change from Former Stand Until
Germany Promise* i4Complete Restitution, Full Repara?
tion and Effectual Guarantee" of End of Prussianism.
Berlin Offer Regarded as Admission of Weakness by Brit
ieh^Openinx Left for Further Overtures and Discussion
in Future.
London, Dec. lt.?The announoo
mhnu in the house of commons today
by David Lloyd-George, the new pre?
mier, that the fli-et act of his adminis?
tration was the rejection of the pro?
posed of the central powers for a
paa<e conference constitutsd ons of
the moat momentous scenes which
the oldest parliamentary veterans had
ever witnessed. I
The new premier declared tlu.t be?
fore the slllee could give favorable
consideration to such an Invitation
thsy must know that Germany was
prepared to "accede to the allies'
terms, giving compute restitution, full
reparation and effectual guarantees,"
and to enter a conference upon the
Invitation of Germany proclaiming
herself victorious, without any knowl?
edge of her proposals, would be ' put?
ting par heads into a noose with the
end Of the rope In Germany's hands."
Mr. Lleyd-Ooorge asserted that at
the mosnertt German) was penning the
note, assuring her convictions aa to
the rights of other nations, ahs was
dra.Tglng Boigtans. Into slavery. He
snnounoed that ths note presented
tawoufth Washington contained no pro
flfiooaje Of terms, but waa a paraphraso
Of ghsmcellor von Bethmarm-Iloll
wof* *eee? and that the allies had
osfaotitsly poa^odod ^ /?frjft.A.?1;.
flf AequUh. the former premier;
Oseooued air. Lloyd-Goo rge's declara?
tion with oven stronger words and al?
most tit the same monent Earl Cur
San war informing the lords that the
government would enter no confer?
ence that did not guaiantee for Eu?
rope tho free and Independent exis?
tence of nationa great and small. Tho
Marquis of Crewo affirmed the ap?
proval of the members of the late
govern ment.
The day waa a doubly Important one
for th i commons because tho new
premier unfolded a programme for
wide reaching war measures and Mr.
Aaqutfn closed the last chapter of
nine roars of leadership with an ac
counting of hla war stewardship.
The principal feature of Mr. Lloyd
George s programme Is a measure for
natlom I service, matching Germany's
latest ucherae. whereby every citizen
will be llablo for enrollment to per?
form Mirk for which the authorities
consider him best equipped.
Arthur Neville Chamberlain, mayor
of Birmingham and a member of tho
Ifamous family, whose enrgy and bus?
iness capacity are rated high, will be
director of the national service with
civil and military directors responsible
to him. i amm
The premier prefaced his review
of the f it nation by 'the statement that
Britons did their best In time of dan?
ger, that the country should be told
unpleasant facts and that he wot Id
give net a dark but a stern view of
the outlook.
Rising In the house a gsj minutes
after 4 o'clock, the prime minister
said:
"I appesr before the house today
with the most terrible responsibility
that can fall upon the shoulders of
any living man aa chief adviser of the
crown in the most gigantic war In
which this country was ever engaged,
a war upon the events of which Its
destiny dependa. It Is the greatest
war ever waged: the burdens are the
heaviest that have been cast upen
thla or any other country and the Is?
sues the gravest that have been at?
tached to any conflict In which hu?
manity was ever Involved.
"The responsibilities of the new
government have been suddenly ac
c ?ntuated by the declaration made b
th'> Grrman chancellor. The state?
ment made by him In the reichen::
has b^en followed by a note presem
bv the I'nlted Htates without note .?:
comment. The answer given by this
government will be given n full ac?
cord with all our allies.
\Hturwllv there has been an Inter
change of views, not upon the not.?,
I?ereu*e It has onlv recently arrived,
but upon the speech which Impelled
it, and as the note itself is practically
only a reproduction or a paraphrase
of the speech, the subject matter of
the note Itself has been discussed in?
formally between the allies. I am
glad to be able to state that we each
separately and Independently arrived
at identical conclusions.
"I am very glad that the first an?
swer given to the statement of the
German chancellor was given by
Prance and Russia. They have the
unquestionable right to give the first
answer to such an invitation. The
enemy is still on their soil and thoir
sacrifices have been the greater.
"The answer they have given has
already appeared In the papers and 1
simply stand here to give clear and
definite support to the statements they
have already made.
"Any man or set of men who wan- |
tonly or without sufficient cause pro
longed a terrible conflict like this
would have on his soul a crime that j
Oceans could not cleanse.
"On the other hand, It is equally
true that any man or set of men who
from a sense of weariness or despair
abandoned tho struggle without
achieving the high purposes for which
we entered it, would be guilty of the
costliest act of poltroonery ever per?
petrated by any, statesman. I should
WtJflpi* iwtmi lUilunjiii1 i
*"We accepted this, war for an ob?
ject, and a world object, and the war
wHl end when the object Is attained'
under Ood. I hope it will never end
until that time.'
"Are we likely to achieve the object
by accepting the Invitations of the
German chancellor? What are tho
proposals? There are none.
"To enter, on, the invitation of Ger?
many, proclaiming herself victorious
without any knowledge of what pro?
posals she proposes to make, into a
conference is to put our heads into
a noose with the rope end in the
hands of Germany.
'This country is not altogether
without experience in these matters.'
This is not the first time we have
fought a groat military despotism
overshadowing Europe and it won't be
the first time we have helped to over?
throw a military despotism. Wo have
an uncomfortable historical memory
of these things and can recall one of
the gi-entest of these despots, whose
favorite device was to appear In the
garb of an angel of peace, either when
he wished time to assimilate his con?
quests or to reorganize his forces for
fresh contest: or secondly, when his
subjects sliowed symptoms o? fatigue
and war-weariness, an appeal was
always made in the name of human?
ity. He demanded an end to the
bloodshed at which he professed him?
self horrified, although he himself
was mainly responsible.
"Our ancestors were taken in once,
and bitterly they and Europe rued it
Tho time was dovoted to reorganizing
his forces for deadlier attack than
ever upon the liberties of Europe.
"Examples of this kind cause us
to regard this note with a consider?
able measure of reminiscent disquiet.
I ''We feel that we ought to know,
before we give favorable consideration
to such an invitation that Germany
is prepared to accept terms on which
It Is possible peace can be obtalnod
and maintained in Europe. Those
terms have been repeatedly stated by
all the leading statesmen of the allies.
They have l>een stated repeatedly
here and outside. To quote the lead?
ing of the house last week:
I " 'Reparation and guarantee aguinst
repetition, so there ?hall be no mis?
take, and it Is important that there
should he no mistake in a matter of
life or death to millions."
"Let me repent?Complete restitu?
tion, full reparation and effectual
gun ra litres.
"|)id the German Chancellor use a
single; phrase to indicate that he was
prepared to accept such a peace?
Was there a hint of restitution 1 W;is
there n sumrestlon of reparation? Was
there an implication of any security
for the future, that this outrage on
civilization would not agslu be por
LIGENSES YIELD REUE
CHIEF GAME WARDEN'S
LECTIONS INCREASING.
Wardens are Instructed to He Wi
fill Against Violations of
Laws During Holidays.
Columbia, Dec. 20.?"If the
cembee collections increase in
Jsame proportion that collections
increased during the other mont
tho year, this department will
in this year between $50,000 and
000," said A. A. Richardson, c
game warden, yesterday. When
Richardson took up tho work
March, 1913, only $1,900 had
taken in by the department the
ceding year, Since that time se
al game laws have been enacted
the number of deputies has been
creased. Mr. Richardson said y
day that although 13 new
have come under the hunter
law within the last year, and
though the number of arrests and
victions has necessarily incre
there has been manifested by the
pie a greater respect for law.
cember 1 Mr. Richardson's b
showed a revenue three times gre?
than the revenue shown December^!
1915. "This increase," said Mr. Riojj
ardson, "is due to better organfifi
tion." I 1
Orders have been sent by Mr. Riet
ardson to his deputies throughout m
State, urging the closest possible sU|
velllsnce of every nook of territol
during the holiday season and reqojj
ing dally reports to the office at (I
lumbia. _ ">|
petrated at the first profitable oppej
tunity? vj
"The very sifbstance and style^
tho speech constituted a denial^
peace on the only terms on wfefi
peaco is possible. He is not eyi
conscious now that Germany has cos
mitted e.ny offense against the rigs
of free nations. Listen to this fro
the note: '-'jyL&arfw
KS
convictlo#?iat respect of the 'rights
of other nations is not in any de?
gree incompatible with their own
rights and legitimate interests.'
"When did they discover this?
When wan' respect for the rights of
other nations In Belgium and Servla?
That was self-defense, menaced, lj
suppose by the overwhelming armies I
of Belgium. I suppose the Germans
had been intimidated Into Invading'
Belgian cities and villages, into mas
sacreing thousands of the inhabitants,
old and young; to carry off' the
survivors Into bondage. Yea, and they
were carrying them into slavery at
the very moment when ?"Is note was
being written about their v ..swerv?
ing conviction as to the respect due
to the rights of other nations.
"Are these outrages the legitimate
interest:* of Germany? We must
know. If excuses of this kind for
palpable crimes can be put forward
two and a half years after exposure
by the grim facts, is there any guar?
antee that similar subterfuges will
not he usod in tho future to over?
throw any treaty of peace you may
enter into with Prussian militarism?
"The note and speech prove that
they have not yet learned the alpha*
bet of respect for the rights of oth?
ers. \
"Without reparation peace is im?
possible. Are all these outrages
against humanity on land and sea
to be liquidated by a few pious
phrases about humanity? Germany
leaves us to exact the damage for all
future violence committed after the
war. We must exact it now, so as
not to leave such a grim inheritance
to our children.
"Much as we all long for peace,
deeply as we are horrified with war,
this note and speech, which heralded
it, do not afford us much encourage?
ment to hope for an honorable and
lasting peace,
"What hope is given in tho speech
that the whole root and cause of this
great bitterness, the arrogant spirit
of the Prussian military caste, will not
be as dominant as ever, if we patch
up peace now? The very speech in
which these peace suggestions are
made resounds to the boast of Prus?
sian military tr.amphs. If. is a long
paen over the victory of von Hlnden
burg.
"We must keep a stadfast eye
upon the purpose for which we enter?
ed the war; otherwise the great sac
rlACOS we have been making will be
in vnltt, The German note states that
it was for the defense of their ex?
istence and tho freedom of national
development that the central powers
Were constrained to take up Arms.
Such phrases are Intended to delude
the German nation into supporting
the designs of tho Prussian military
ISS TO BUILD STORE.
>NTRACT FOR BUILDING WAS
AWARDED YESTKRDAY TO
J. M. HAK?Y.
Five and Ten Cent Store to lie
Erected on Comer of Main and
Caldwell Street, Work Commencing
Once?Will be Two Stories High
-and Cost Will bo $28,000.
II Kress & Company of New York
oaterday awarded the contract for a
tiding in this city to be erected on
rtr lot at the corner of Main and
ildwell streets, work to commence
once. The contract was awarded
to J. M. Harby of Sumter, the lowest
adder for the job. The building
Srhen completed will cost approximae
?r $28,000.
u The structure will be a two story
?brick building with basement. The
?front will be of plate glass and Dixie
jjtexture brick, to be furnished by the
pointer Brick Works. A change in the
[kind of brick to be used was allowed
in the specifications at the last mo
bent, the architect being so much
[pleased with the nature of the brick
made here. The side will be of Dixie
texture brick.
The contract for the new structure
was let yesterday by Mr. Seamorc
tBurrell, architect for Kress & Com
I*
pany, who has been traveling about
sfor several months inspecting build?
ings being erected by the company
and letting contracts for others. He
^haa just completed a tour through
taxas and Florida and goes from here
Greenville, where Kress & Company
ire erecting a new building. The work
rill commence at once, Mr. Harby
lied this morning, either this week
?r at least before the first of the year,
le contract calls for the completion |
the building by June 1st.
Tphe coming of Kress & Company to
imter will be a good toning for the
and community and the erection
le now building is one more step
ryelQRjaent of the city.
iff
[ging in his left aSIWir" HO went to
i Dr. T. It. CaretBOjsJ^he extracted
therefrom a needle. Sir. Bturgm has
no idea how it got into his shoulder
or when.?Rock Record.
caste. Who ever wished to put an end
to their national existence or freedom
of development? We welcomed their
development so long it waa on the
path of peace.
"The allies entered this war to de?
fend Europe against the aggression of
Prussian military domination and,
having begun it, they must insist
that the only end Is the most complete
effective guarantee against the pos?
sibility of that caste ever again dis?
turbing the peace of Europe. Prus?
sia since she got into the hands of
that caste has been a bad neighbor,
arrogant, threatening, bullying, shift?
ing her boundaries at her will and
taking one fair field after/ another
from her weaker neighbors and add?
ing them to her own dominions.
"With her belt ostenstatiously full
of weapons of offense and ready at a
moment's notice to use them, she has
always been an unpleasant, disturb?
ing neighbor in Europe. She got
thoroughly on the nerves of Europe;
there was no peace near where she
dwelt. It is difficult for those who
are fortunate enough to live thou?
sands of miles away to understand
what it has meant to those who live
near.
"Even here, with the protection of
the broad seas botween us, we know
what a disturbing factor the Prussians
were with their constant naval men?
ace. But we can hardly realize what
it meant to France and Russia. Sev?
eral times there were threats directed
against them, even within the life?
time of this generation, which pre?
sented the alternative of war or humil?
iation. There were many of us who
hoped that the Internal intluence in
Germany would be strong enough to
check and ultimately to eliminate it.
"Now that this great war has been
forced by the Prussian leaders it
would be folly not to see to It that
this swashbuckling through the streets
of Europe and this disturbance of
peaceful citizens was dealt with here
and now as tho most serious of?
fense, against the law of nations.
"We will wait until we hear what
terms and guarantees the German gov?
ernment offer other than those, better j
than those, surer than those, which
she so lightly broke. And meanwhile
we shall put our trust in our unbrok?
en army rather than in broken faith.
"For tho moment l do not think
It would bo advisable for me to add
anything upon this particular invita?
tion. A formal reply will be deliver?
ed by the allies in the course of the
neat few days."
If MOVE 1 GOOD IK
L. D. Jennings Proposes That Legislature a
Pass Act Allowing Townships to *
Vote on Bond Issues. /
- o /
Chamber of Commerce Rally at Claremont Hotel is Lar <
Attended aad Proves Occasion for Interesting Ta.^ -
Messrs Belser, Reardon and Williams Tell What Organi?
zation Has Done During Past Year?Boll Weevil Danger
Emphasized ?To Send Men to See Ravages?Subscriptions
Taken for $900?Good Supper Served.
The Chamber of Commerte rally at
the Claremont Hotel Tuesday night
was a most successful occasion from
the various angles at which it may
bo viewed. There was a good attend?
ance, a good supper was served, and
a number of* matters of much interest
and concern to the future welfare and
development of Sumter, city and
county, were discussed. The speakers
made enlightening talks and none of
them spoke to long, as is sometimes
the case at these Chamber of Com
merce gatherings.
Perhaps the most interesting, and
certainly the most radical, step pro?
posed was the resolution offered by
Mayor L#. D. Jennings in the interest
of building permanent roads in the
county > Mayor Jennings is an earn?
est advocate of good roads and now
that he has secured permanent streets
for Sumter, he wishes the work ex?
tended beyond the city limits.
His resolution, which was unani?
mously indorsed by those present, was
that the Sumter County legislative
delegation be Instructed to have an
act passed at the coming .seas on of
tho legislature allowing each town?
ship, upon petition of 20 per cent, of
the qualified voters of the county, to
vote on the issue of bonds to build
|fjjjgj|A?|ent roads in the county, the
> pave<
a certain per cejjffc* of the taxable
property in theifewnship, V> be de?
cided by a board appointed for the
purpose.
Mr. Jennings madeljh strong argu
ment in favor of, hisj'rwiolution, con?
demning the old systgm of building
sand-clay roads, wht(*jB6had to be re?
built every year, as aruseless expense,
and misplacement oX?*~*noney which
might go for permanent roads. He
argued for a tax on. automobiles,
based on their power, the money to
go to build permanent roads. He
stated that the automobile owners
would willingly pay this tax, as they
would more than save the. same
amount in the wear and tear on their
machines. The roads did not have to
be built wide, but they should extend
from one edge of the county to the
other, he stated. If they were voted
in one township, and permanent
roads secured, other townships would
fall in line. ?The bonds could bo paid
in 20 or 30 years, he stated.
During the course of the meeting,
besides the permanent roads proposi?
tion, a full time county healta officer,
the work of the Chamber of Com?
merce during the past year and the
work before it in aiding the farmers
to prepare and meet the advancing
boll weevil, the threatened menace
of the boll weevil and steps to warn
I the farmers to prepare in time to
! meet it, the building up of a good city
j and many other matters of equal in
jtercst and importance were discussed,
j A subscription was taken to place
j the Chamber of Commerce on a soun
i der linancial basis and approximately
$900 was pledged by the hundred and
three persons present. This amount
Will be supplemented by what can be
raised by a canvas of the business
men not at the meeting and the busi?
ness houses not represented. The ef?
fort Is to secure $2,500 a year for the
support of the organization, which
was given unanimous indorsement as
a necessity for tho community. It
was shown that the expenses of the
organization were approximately $200
a month and that for the past lew
years the body had been carrying a
deficit of several hundred dollars
each year.
The meeting was called to order
shortly hefore !> o'clock in the dining
room of the Claremont. where all
were invited to supper. A well pre?
pared and bountiful supper was plac?
ed on the tables and everybody seem?
ed to enjoy the repast. Just previous
to and during supper music was fur?
nished by J, K. King & Co. from one
of their large Edison machines. At
tbe (lose of the supper, the meeting
was opened by a she rt statement by
President Belser of the Chamber *<(
< 'ommerce.
Mr. Belser referred t<? the hotel in
which they had met as being secured
by the Chamber of Commerce. He
referred to the Tobacco Warehouse
and the Sumter Roller Mills as enter?
prises, fostered by the Chamber of
j Commerce, which would prove of
immeasurable value when the boll
j weevil arrived. Stock raising was an
j industry which was being encouraged
in every way possible by the organiza?
tion, and it would be a necessity on
the arrival of the boll weevil. He
stated that the Chamber of Commerce
neded new life and should be re-or
Iganized. He asked that the recom?
mendation of the directors that the ?
I election of directors and officers in
I January instead of in March, as
I heretofore, be adopted.
Mr. Belser referred to the County
Fair as an offspring of the Chamber
of Commerce, carried to a successful
[consummation by Messrs. Williamson
I and Tisdale, with the Chamber of
1 Commerce looking after much of the
detail work. He stated that the body
was Hsrtill hammering on the Sumter
Olanta-Shiloh railway and it was
hoped to secure this in time. Efforts
were being put forth to secure electric
current produced by water power and
the Chamber of Commerce had the
matter up with both the Southern
Power Company and the Parr Shoals
.Company. If the companies could b*
- *--^-^^^^.^<M*+>e*mm
rent could be secured to operate fac?
tories, and work supplied, to iftore
men and women, a factor which
would become very important when
the boll weevil drove many residents
of the country to the city for employ?
ment.
He then made a statement of the
condition of the finances of the Cham?
ber of Commerce and asked the in?
dorsement and hearty support of the
business men of Sumter and Sumter
county, for whom the organization
was working.
Mr. E. I. Reardon was called upon,
and he told of what he had been do?
ing in the past year in endeavoring
with Mr. Williams and Miss Lenj^pp
to encourage the raising of grain and
j live stock, and bringing the farmers
to realize the danger which was com?
ing and to prepare for it by diversifi?
cation. He referred to the pessimistic
spirit which had grasped many of
Sumter's citizens two years ago, Out
which had brought only groundless
fears, and proposed to continue to
encourage a spirit of optimism among
farmers and merchants. He referred
to the good offices of the bankers
and merchants in aidmg in averting
what might have been a panic two
years ago. After the storm last sum?
mer he had secured seed to distribute
among the storm sufferers and a gov?
ernment fund to be expended among
them in work on the roads. He said
that the Greater American Shows had
been secured quarters here for the
winter, when they would turn loose
considerable money among the mer
chants. * t|l!
Mr. J. Frank Williams gave his
view of the Chamber of Commerce
from a farmer's standpoint and as one
working for the farmers' interest. He
jsaid the organization was active in
disseminating information, that it was
conveniently located and that it had
cooperated with him in every way re?
quested and desired In aiding to or?
ganize the farmers against and warn?
ing them of the boll weevil menace
He referred to the County Fair and
cotton grader as secured through the
organization.
He stated that its chief object now
was to secure marketing facilities for
grains and stock which were produced
on the farms. He said it should see
to tho regulation of prices ao that
the producer and consumer should
n
both be fairly treated.
Mr. A. C Phelps thought the Cham?
ber of Commerce was essential to a
progressive community as were
churches and schools. It needed hot
air and finances to run it. This one
seemed to have plenty of hot air. but
w;is short on finances, which he
thought should be gladly supplied by
tin' buslneas men of Sumter. He
aid that while it worked for tho