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Stye fofttd)tttmt gnu Bmttyr^u. WIK SCOTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. "Be Jail wad Peer not?Bet ?0 (be enae Thon A Won't at br thy Country'*, Tfcy God'? end Trmtfcm." TUE TUTE SOt ION, EewMlaiuyt ?m \ I fee Oopsolldated Aug. g, 1881. SDMTER, 8. C, SA^u^RDAY, FEBRUARY 10. 1917. \ ^"^t.ttt, tja m. ' GERARD HEU TONER. AMERICAN AMBASSADOR AND CONSULS DETAINED SlY GER MANY. Demand That Guarantee* be Given for Safety of Ambassador von Bern? storff end German* in United states Before American* are Helens eo> An Ontrageoaa Reflection on the Good Fmith of the United states and en Intuit to the American Peo? ple. ? ?. Washington. Feb. 8.?Ambassador Oererd, American consuls and the American eailora brought in by tho pruts ship Yarrowdale will be held by Germany until assurances are receiv? ed of Ambassador von Bernstorff s safe conduct and the safety of Oer man ships in American ports. Word was received today from Franco formally granting safe conduct for Ambassador von Bernstorff and suite and similar action la awaited from Great Britain. State department officials are In cilned to minimise the importance of the detention of Ambassador Gerard, because It le believed it has arisen largely from misunderstanding and win soon be straightened out. It is eaid that. sensat onal reports are current In Germany that German shine have been confiscated and their crews aetued and that pending confir? mation of these reports Germany has detained Ambassador Gerard, who is still in Berlin and not at Berne, Swttserland, as was thought possible yssfsrday. Sends News or Detention. London Peb. 8.?A Copenhagen dis? patch quotes the newspaper Politiken as saying that Germany will requin guarantees /that Ambassador Bern sitiefC ?nd the men on German ships ts) American ports will bo permitted the United States before al Garar1 and oth> .The m ? tSefe Conduct from England. London. Feb. 8.?Dispatches report? ing that Ambassador Gerard and all Americans are being held ns hostages by Germany eclipsed all other news today. It le believed here that there will be no Insuperable objections raised by the allies to granting safe conduct to Ambassador von Bernstorff, but It is unlikely It will be granted to a large number of Germans. TO INVESTIGATE SHORTAGE. Governor Advises Legislature to Ex. nailnr Into at State Peniten? tiary. Columbia, Feb. 7.?Gov. Manning tonight sent to the general assembly a message In regard to tho alleged shortage of $20,000 upon the Stato penitentiary books, calling attention to the concurrent resolution Introduced yesterday. The governor transmitted the rec? ords of his office. The situation re? sults from the failure of a Lexington bunk in which penitentiary funds were on deposit. The governor calls attention to affidavits submitted tC him by the superintendent, made by business man going to show that the bank was believed to be sound and the governor states that the affida? vit* are on file subject to the inspec? tion of such committee as may be appointed by the legislature. "1 recommend," concludes the gov? ernor, "that > ?- honorable body make such invt utlon and iMnlry ss you may deem advisable, ami give mich direction to the attorney gen? eral as you may deem necessary In protect the Interests of the State, re? direct that the amount of los.j b?> written off the books of the penlten tlary. Buenos Ay.***, Feb. 7.?The Aryror. tins government this evening handed to the German minister Its reply |o Germany's notification of the new sone of naval warfare established by that country. The Argentine note de? clared the government regrets thv the German emperor has thougbt fit to adopt men uircs gg extreme an I that Argentina will conform Its con? duct an always to the principles Md fundamental rules of lnternnti> law. Jacksonville, Peb. 8.?It Is eetlmat ed from reports reaching hero that the crop dumnso In Florida from th ? *ov*re cold of Saturday. Sunday an' Monday will probably amount to mil? lions. It Is estimated that 75 per von'. of the vegetable crop was killed. A ' SCSJgSjej, on the trees r.re said tg kilted und many trees damaged. , SIXTY SHIPS SUNK. U-BOAT WARF A UK PLAYS HAVOC WITH SHIPPING. Seven Dnys of Murine Frightfulness HeaiiN Harvest of Sixty Ships of Ag? gregate Tonnase of 120.000?One American Ship Among the Number. New York. Fob. 8.?Sixty ships have been sunk by submarines or mines since the new German program I became effective an February 1st. ac ; cording to careful compilations made here. With fifteen ' ships lost since Tuesday, the total tonnage reaches nearly one hundred and twenty thou? sand. The Housatonlc is the only American ship reported sunk thus far. THIRTEEN STILL MISSING. Official Reports Show That Thirteen Probably Perished When California Was Torpedoed. New York, Feb. 8.?Official advices that the British liner, California was torpedoed without warning have been received by the Anchor line, with the names of thirteen passengers, none of , them Americans, who are reported missing. SUNK WITHOUT WARNING. i California Was Tor|?e<loed About Ten O'clock Wednesday Morning. j Washington. Feb. 8.?The latest rc ' ports on the destruction of the pas? senger steamer California received at i the State department from Consul ! Frost at Queenstown, puts the num? ber of survivors at one hundred and sixty-two, the missing at forty-one. The report says the ship was tor? pedoed without warning Wednesday \ morning; about 10 o'clock. Other re? ports from Consul Frosct say the British ship Eavestone was also de? stroyed without warnlag. This point i had not boon oleared up by previous adrftetg> ?.?/..???. ii?lilMnB j i TwtttiVK ONERS IN B-ANGER. . j Now York, Feb. 8.?Nine pas? senger liners owned by the entente . powers, two American and one Hol? land are today on the high seas be twoen New York and Europe. All but I the two American and one Dutch ship. ; are bound east within the danger zone. I In addition three British shps from I Now York are due to arrive, but aro not reported. COULDN'T WORK OLD TRICK. How Savoy Missed (Jetting Hornstorf!"> Autograph. Washington. Feb. 7.- -Eddie Savoy, j the veteran messenger of the State j department, did not have the distin? guished "pleasure" I of carrying Am? bassador Bernstorff's passports to him, ; as Savoy expected, according to pro j vious custom. Assistant Solicitor ' Woolsey did the carrying this time. Hence Savoy did not have the chance to work his celebrated "beg for your autograph" trick. In the old days, when Savoy would carry such more or leas embarrassing meFsages, he would tear off a piece of the en? velope and respectfully beg the favor that the ambassador, or minister, as the case Might be, would give him (Savoy) a memento inscribing his a" J.raph upon that bit of paper. Tin n the "foxy" messenger would take the i signature back to the secretary of 1 state as conclusive proof that the J passports had been delivered as in? tended. COLD KILLS WEEVILS. 1 Millions of the Cotton Pest Frozen in Georgia, Says 'Hampton Farm AgOM j Spartanbnrg, Feb. C.?J, G. Law ton, farm demonstration agent Ol Hampton county, who wai a visitor in the city yesterday, while talking of the boll weevil. ga\?? as his opln ion that the advance of tho InsSi I had been materially affected by the cold wave that has passed over Geor gnV The cold \v:ive. he sa >'.?*, ha:; killed millions of the weevils and had hindered their program across |h< borders of South Carolina. Mr. LgWtoCJ comes from a part ol this State that is only twenty mil distant from the boll wo? vil district and the" farmers of his section, he ays, welcome anything to keep this pest away from their farms. "The farmers of Hampton Colin*: know that the boll weevil will reach them about tho lust part of tie summer and they ate doing everything possible to meet the situation," sail the farm demonstration agtnt, "They now have over f?00 acres in peanut and many of tho farmers are growln soy beans, while others will go into cattle and hog raising." Vessel Torpedoed Off Coast of Ireland Without Warning. ,< Fwfsr Sinking of Passenger Liner May Bring Further Action From President Wilson?Action is Taken as Indication That Germany Will Stop at frothing to Garry Out Its Announ? ced Plans. Washington, Feb. 7?The s|eday strear! of reports telling of thteJbe struction of merchant ships by&jHB* man submarines was brought 1 |Fa clima:c tonight by \ cablegram tBBfcg state department from Consul ? at Queenstown announcing thatEl British passenger jr Californtl^gay been torpedoed \w.nout warninflMjm that an American citizen was <&9mg' the survivors. . R*. Whether tl is will prove to bflfce overt act to drive the United" jjBea, ! into war no one would atterrJt to say tonight. President Wilson,fifto ? must make the decision, had rMj*ed when the news came and otnflJS?IJid not wake him. I^ite in the a ft e ?Km he had been informed of a mAagc from Consul Frost telling of t&Hlk ing of the California, but glvJ?rno details as to the warning or thewse ence of Americans. BT The president undoubtedly V&^Kfedt for complete report* on th#' .dfJf^Bht' i before determining whether tMHpe ? has come for him to go to ceinl to ask authority to "use any ^t9B>s : that may be necessary for the^l| tion of our seamen and our jPlfl The consul's first report was "one death and HQ hospiui I amonp the more tbar 200 pJj board the liner. The aecoiraj no information concerning cflH except that the survivors wer? at Queenstown tonlgjht, ?nj^HH -belna- John ?. lM~6f *mW*wllity Ala., the only American known to have been aboard and that some still wore missing including two women and several children. Lee is supposed to have been a member of the crew, as his name does not appear on the pas? senger list made public. The fact that the American escaped 1 lessened in a degree the excitosment created by the news, but onjy in a degree. More than a score of mer? chant craft have been sent to the bot? tom in the war zone within the past 24 hours, and 50 or more since the Corman proclamation of ruthless war? fare on the seas went into effect laVt Thursday. It is realized that If no citizen of the United States was j among the vie ims, merely was a fortunate accident and that it can be only a matter of hours before Ameri? cans are caught in such wholesale de? struction. The California, which was bound from New York for Glasgow, is the first big passenger steamer to be de? stroyed since the Arabia was tor? pedoed months ago. Her sinking has about swept away the last lingering hope here that Germany after all would permit passenger carriers to escape in an effort to avoid driving the United States to hostilites. Tho message from Consul Frost came at the close of another day de? voted to energetic preparations for the war regarded as virtualy inevitable and to guarding against any act by the United States which might pre? cipitate hostilities. The most important step taken was the sending of telegrams by Secretary Lansing formally notifying American ship owners that the state depart? ment could not advise as to whether their vessels should sail on voyages through the war zone, but at thr same time stating that the rights of American vessels to traverse all part of the hitfh seas are the same as they were prior to the issuance of the Ger? man declaration, and that a neutral vessel may take any necessary mcar 11 res to prevent or resent attack if they believe it is liable to be attacked unlawfully. This in effect, Informed American owners that they are at liberty to am their ships if they desire and sen<l them to sea prepared to resist Ger? man nptfression. The text of Mr Lansing's message was not made pub? He here for thn reason, it was official' ly explained, tbat It was sent in re spouse to inquiries and the govern? ment desired to avoid making a for? mal announcement on the subject. Formal Indorsement of the break inn off of relations with (lermany Was uiven by the senate after a the hours' debate on Senator Stone's resolution expressing approval of President WW son's action. Tbe resolution WS adoptsd by a vote of 78 to r?, two Democrats and three Uepublicans, I who made the fight against it, stand j ing alone in opposition when the roll wa3 called. With the California the immediate 'issue, officials were deeply Impressed by the complete thoroughness of the German undersea campaign and its promise, on the figures of the last two days, of carrying out Germany's ;threat to isolate England completely. [Lloyd's reports received here show a total of 56,600 tons for two days, or ^destruction at the rate of 850,000 a finonth. (V German naval experts have said it Would be necessary to cut off 1,000, 000 a month completely to isola: .England. If the present rate of 850, 0D0 destroyed is maintained it is sug gested that the balance will be more I than made up by the enormoie ! amount of neutral shipping held ir port. " Hereafter the government will seel; to hove kept secret the fact of do parture of vessels for the war zone The treasury department has pre VfOusly issued strict instruction against publications of manifests and IO^Kery effort will be made from now ?d. to allow as little information as . fusible to And its way to German suj^narlne commanders, e statement to shippers was sent i tp all who had previously re? ed a ruling by department and ring vessels. Among others It 1 went to the ' Standard Oil compahy, whose offices had ordered all their huge oil carrying fleet to hold to port. Whether the implied invitation given shippers to arm if they see fit will cause that policy to be adopted 13 un? known but Information at the navy department shows that guns are avail able in practically all navy yards an'J that gunners could be quickly pro? vided. Passengers who intended to sail to Europe are referred by the state de? partment to officials of the lines on which they are to sail on the basis that such officials can, if they wish show them the opinion rendered by the department as to their right to sail and explain to them any meas? ures that may be taken for their safety. It is understood from this that the department will issue no fur? ther statement. The Austrian situation seemed mon hopeless today than at any time since the German declaration. Char?. Zwicdliney called at the departmen* but no details were given out etthei as to his visit or as to whether infoi mation explanatory of the Austriai note has been received from Vienn" An interview cabled from there, how ever, indicated Austria's total adhesion to the German policy and about dis? pelled what little hope remained f? a modus vivendi that would prevent i severance and allow the United States still to care for the great prise camps over which she has assumed guardianship. J That most of the neutral world Wn I j line up behind this country at least j I to the extent of vigorously protest! m against the German campaign became evident today with reports that Spain* Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Brazil Bolivia and probably other Latin \merican countries would publish Uieir replies shortly. While it is not believed that any of fhese nations, particularly the Euro peans contiguous to Germany, wi!" formally sever relations, as this coun try has done, their protest is valued is a means of moral condemnation. After consultation with the presi? dent. Secretary Baker issued a state? ment pointing out that Gorman ship?8 it Panama and the Philippine island had not been seized, as has been re ported, and that nothing would b ?lone by the American authority which might i?e considered as ques tioning their ownership. Because o' the disabling of some of the ships powever, precautionary measure have been adopted. spokesmen of the administrate ? went to great pains to emphasize that the American government will follow the letter of the law in dealing with lerman subjects and property In th ITnltSd States and no oftlcia 1 Of tl1 government have been autht Ised 1 take any steps in violation of tin ZIMMERMAN SAYS IIIS COUNTRY SHARKS WILSON'S WISH TO AVERT WAR. Glad to Note Iii it Sonic "Words of Xon-hostile Character"?Regrets Brooch of Relations by the Vailed States. London, Feb. 6.?A wireless dis? patch received today quotes the over? seas News Agency of Berlin to the effect that Foreign Secretary Zimmer? man declared in an interview that Germany joined with President Wil? son in the wish that there may be no conflict and that the German gov? ernment, after minute examination of the president's speech to congress, ap? preciates "those words of non-hos? tile character." REGRETS BREAKIXG OF FRIEND SJpP. Germany Sorry United States Has Severed Relations, Foreign Secre? tary Declares. Berlin, Sunday, I^eb. 4 (by Wireless to Sayville), (Delayed).?Although late this afternoon no official confirm? ation had reached Berlin that rela? tions with the United States had been broken off, the text of President Wil? son's address to congress remoxeda'l doubt in the minds of the general public as well as In the official world as to the exactness, of earlier private information. Foreign Secretary Zim? merman made the following state? ment to the Overseas News agency: "We regret this measure taken by President Wilson, all the more since against all traditions and all inter? national law we are cut off from all direct communication and regular in? tercourse with the trans-Atlantic world. Wc also remember that Amer? ican diplomats during the last mot ths and years of the war have cared for German interests by proxy, in several "The text of the president's mes? sage has therefore been examined most minutely. Having no real rea? son for hostility to the United States, remembering the traditional friend? ship which has existed between the countries practically from the Brat days of the United States, we nat? urally appreciate the words of a rather non-hostile character which, among others of a different chars - ter, are found in that message as transmitted by Reuters. In them President Wilson gives assurances that he wishes no 'hostile conflict' with Germany and I can add that we ap? preciate this and other paragraphs in the message, joining In this respect with President Wilson's note. "While we think to a certain ex? tent that we can see by what rea? sons the United Sttaes government was prompted to its present attitude, on the other hand we expect that President Wilson to the same extent may recognize the reasons which prompted us to make our decision." INSURANCE 1TGHT ENDS. Bills to Bring Withdrawing Compa? nies Back to State Pass the House. Columbia, Feb. 7.?Four of the seven bills to bring the fire insurance companies back into South Carolin I passed their final reading in the house of representatives this after? noon and were sent to the senate. Five of the senate Insurance bills were re? ceived in the house today. There was no fight on the measure repealing the "valued property law." The house refused to kill the bill on second reading last night by a vote of H to 21 and refused to recommit to lay, the vote being 77 to 50. The pas ^auo to the senate was achieved by a ballot of ,r?S to 5:J. All the measures passed by both the house and the sen ?to were recommended by the com? mission appointed by Gov. Manning and all the amendments suggested by the insurance companies were adopt ed. The insurance companies never pro? posed to return t<> the State if the bills are not passed by the general as? sembly, and the indications now point to the successful termination of the insurance dispute, as the \ast major? ity Of the members of the legislature are desirous of the companies return? ing. policy. Even should war come, Ger? man residents will be treated with the utmost consideration. it is under stod thai the government virtually has determined to observe the terms if the old Prussian-American treaty >f 1SJS, under winch the citizens of each country in the territory of the other would he given nine months In which to dispose of their personal and real property and leave the country. Win. AMERICA NEUTRAL. BELLIGERENTS HOPE UNITED STATES WILL KEEP OUT OF WAR. Those in Washington Incline to Be? lieve That for This Country to Re? main Out of Conflict Would be Best for All Concerned?Need Munitions Most. Washington, Feb. 6.?Entente dip? lomats here frankly express their hope that the United States will not actually enter the war. Several of the allies' representa? tives let it be known today that they entertained a growing fear that. Ger? many deliberately precipitated a break with this country in order to bold American munitions and supplies here, thus cutting off imports to the en? tente, probably more effectively than any single step that the central pow? ers could take. Immensely gratified over the break I with Germany and the moral con i demnation thereby implied, the dip ' lomats have been surprised at the en \ ergy which the American govern , ment has shown in laying out ita plans for eventualities and do not con? ceal their fear that military precau? tion may force the United States to I keep at home at least a considerable ' part of supplies now going abroad. I Such an outcome, they say, would more than compensate for a mere break in relations from the German viewpoint. Even if the United States should un \ dertake to arm and equip an army for ; operations in Europe, it would require ; nearly a year of training, it is go* j clared. In the meantime the entente I spokesmen point out that all the ef? fort and energy that this country might be putting forth towards the military defeat of Germany would go into channels that could not lead to that end, unless the war were pro ._.. _ _ . _ , ? ?... ~V v. _ .. ' . . .' ' _ t rom this c^ pBePWent* * in case of actual war is the guarding of American trade channels, including the American end of tho route to Europe and the section do'vn through the Caribbean, especially to? wards the Tampico oil fields. A great and unrestricted submarine campaign would make this a matter of first importance and provide a heavy task for the American naval forces. SHORTAGE AT PENITENTIARY. State Accountant in Audit of Books Discovers Lack ot $20,537.65 in Funds. Columbia, Feb. 7.?The house of representatives yesterday accepted, without debate, a resolution calling upon the attorney general to investi? gate a shortage of $2o,537.G5 shown in the accounts of the State penitentiary. The resolution was offered by Repre? sentative Crum of Bamberg. The annual report of the State bank examiner includes the following from W. W. Bradley, State auditor: "In auditing the State penitentiary I found an unaccounted balance of $20, 537.65. This is carried on the books of the penitentiary as a memorandum, and I called attention to it in my last report as such." The report further recommends that the matter be in? vestigated, and the resolution yester? day authorized the attorney general to report his investigation and conclu? sion to the next general assembly. The resolution says in part: "That the at? torney general is hereby requested to inquire into and investigate the alleg? ed shortage and if he deems necessary bring suit in the name of the State o recover said amount, or such amount as he shall And to be due the State." LAKE CITY SELLS CATTLE . Second Venture Proves Great Suc? cess. T*ike City. Feb. 7.?The second sale Of cattle and hogs of Lake City was a mod satisfactory one from every Viewpoint. The buyers were pleased with the types offered and the prices paid were highly satisfactory to the producers. Hogs sold as high as I.SS With a large per cent, of the sale bringing this nrlce and the beef cat? tle that were ready for butchering brought I l-'J cents. Through the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce a boys' pig club has been organized and In the near future there Srtll be Offered a carload of thoroughbred pigs and a car of grade cattle for breeding purposes. The interest in cattle raising is to be judged by the attendance at these sales then cer? tainly this community is awake to the advantage offered by cattle rais? ing.