The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 21, 1917, Image 1
m a n
MJUfHK ?ATCHMAN, EnUblUbod April, 1SS0.
"Ba toM and Fear not?Urn an (be end* Thon Almet at be thi Country'*. JW Ood'a and Tntt'l'
TUB TB?K SOUTHKON. FateMtihad Jane, I tea.
Consolidated Aug. 2,1881.
SUMTER. S. C., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21. 1917.
VoLXLIV. No. 10.
MSTEI ORDERS RESCINDED.
Or ODOOHB REGIMENT
DI FEDERAL SERVICE
won MHOi in
f strcctioxs.
With Stoicism?-Work
op anil Discharging
Had JMt Begun When
Were Rcwlved?Men
to Camp.
Msunhta. March It.?Mustering out
of mm Second South Carolina Infan?
try, lately returned from seven
duty on the Mexican fron
was abruptly suspended early
whan the process had
hardly begun, oa receipt of orders
Crasn the Department of the East, dl
rooting that the organisation be heb
i tat Statu quo pending further Instruc
? tsbno. Only the sanitary detachment
hsd been discharged from the federal
whan the orders arrived.
OsL Holmes B. Sprihvs, command
summoned his officers Into confer?
ence yesterday morning and Informed
tham that the mustering officer. Capt.
J. si. Graham. U. 8. A., had been di?
rected to suspend the mustering out
process until further orders. Shortly
afterward Col. Springs made the same
1 announcement to the assembled regt
sm?at OtBeers and men took the tid?
ings) stoically If not cheerfully; there
' Was no dissembling the disappoint?
ment felt, especially as all had been
looking forward to a return to their
homos today or at latest tomorrow
night; but many experiences at the
bolder had taught the soldiers that
hops deferred does not necessarily
make the heart sick, and the readi?
ness that military service develops, to
boar steadily what must be borne any.
way. enabled the guardsmen to con?
front creditably the uncertain future.
The orders received stipulated that no
leaves or furloughs be granted for the
presset, but the hope was entertain
J ad that If there was to be an Indefl
( nlft waiting at the mobilisation camp,
insauhments would be allowed to go
homo for short visits, the groups
" ohaitglng until all should havs had op?
portunity to visit briefly the homes
thoy left last June.
Oet Sprints quoted to his officers
ns follows the telegraphic orders to
Cape Graham: "Suspend muster out
Of all National Guard organisation*
until receipt of further Instruct*ens'.
, Utilise Intervening time to the fullest
I Sorte?t toward completing as far ns
details incidental to muster
The dispatch directed the mus?
tering officer to make suitable pro
vision for the provisioning of the regi?
ment and cited army orders which
forbid the granting of leaves or fur?
loughs In stich circumstances.
Rumor had It yesterday that officers
Of the First South Carolina Infantry,
mustered out of the f?deral service
roeentlv, after a tour of border duty,
had. been notified to hold themselves
In tssdlneas for a call to the colors.
No ?ich notification had reached the
OttVo of the adjutxnt general, through
which such messages would be trans?
mitted. Lieut. Col. P. K. McCully of
Anderson, commanding the regiment,
said over the long distance telephone
mot alght that he had received no In
4 ttaaatlon that a call to the colors was
Imminent Col. R. M. Dlythe of Green?
ville, who commanded the regiment
in Texas, resigned some months ago
Nine men of the Second regiment
who were ill, none seriously, were
taken yesterday to the post hospital
at Pert Moultrie. Charleston, by
Private Walter Cheyne. Jr., of the
sanitary dstachment. The men wore
suffering from minor troubles. In
the party were: Thomas S. Glover,
Company A; John W. Richardson,
Baxter E. Ward. Henry Dotterer and
George Muckenfuss, Company B; Wil?
lis R. Hutto. Company F; W. X
Orsen. Company H; John II. Ham,
Company I. and Donald Domihi, Com?
pany K. Another soldi'r, Private
Robert M. Means, is also 111. He Is a
patlsnt st the Baptist hospital in Co?
lumbia.
Only absolutely necessary' work was
In progress at ramp yesterday. No
religious service was held. The regi?
mental chaplain. Lieut. John Mo
ftween. Jr . of Dillon, was mustered
out of the federal service some time
< a?<> Hundreds of relatives and friend -
visited the soldiers
Lieut. Col. J. B. AlliHon, who re?
mained In Texas when the regiment
left and who was on detached aorvh e
as Inspector for the Rl Paso district,
was to have been mustered out in
Dl Paso at the same time the rogl
Ihent was being mustered out at Co
y I amble. Messages wero sent to him
? yeett r lay Informing him of the chant
sd eondtttons. Hs Is very popu'ur
wltb the regiment end the fiecond
96oth Csrdina would wish to have
BIG RAILROADS YIELD.
OFFICIALS MAKE COMPLETE SUR?
RENDER GRANTING DEMANDS
OF BROTHERHOODS.
_^ j
Railroad Strike Called Off This Morn
Ing and A dam son Lew Becomes Ef -
f'vtlve? Men Now Work on Basis
of Eight Hour Day?It will Cost
Railroads $60,000,000 Annually?
Crisis With Germany Influenced the
Railroad* to Yield.
New York. March 1?.?The rail
road strike has been avortod. Yield?
ing to the appeal of President Wilson
and facing the probability of the
country's entrance into the world war,
the railroads this morning granted
the demands of the four brotherhoods
for a basic eight hour day. The
brotherhoods thereupon called off the
strike. What is regarded as the com?
plete surrender of the railroads
will cost them approximately sixl>
million dollars yearly. Three hundred
thousand men will profit by this con?
cession, which puts the Adamson lav
Into effect Irrespective of the su?
preme court's action. The crisis re?
sulting from the sinking of three
American ships was the prime factor
In Influencing tho railroad officials to
yield to the demands of their em?
ployee
Railroad managers and brother?
hood chiefs confer here tomorrow
over back pay, as agreement is re?
troactive, beginning January 1.
REGIMENT IS MUSTERED
OUT.
War Department Rescinds
Order Holding Militia In
Service.
Special to The Dally Item*
Columbia. March 19.?The
war department this afternoon
at 2 o'clock ordered a contin?
uance of the mustering out of
the Second regiment, which
was halted temporarily yes?
terday.
The four Charleston com?
panies, comprising the first bat?
talion, it was announced, will
be mustered out tonight or
early tomorrow. They will leave
for Carleston tomorrow. The
machine gun company was
mustered out this afternoon.
??e?eee?eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeei
GERMAN LINES BROKEN.
Greatest Military Movement Since
lint tic of the Marne.
New York, March 19.?The greatest
military movement on the Franco
Belgian front since the battle on the
Marne is still In full swin ? *vlth the
Oermans on the retreat on a front of
nearly one hundred miles. Military
observers think the retreat will not
stop vhort of the powerfully fortified
line extending from Lille to St.
Quentln.
him with it in any further service.
Physical examinations of the regi?
ments have been completed. Little
more than some paper work remains
to be done toward preparing for mus?
ter >ut.
Speculation as to the interpretation
to be put upon the orders retaining
the Second regiment in service of
course was general at camp last even?
ing. Officers and men took the sit?
uation the more calmly because they
left El Paso with the Impression that
strong probability existed of tholr
seeing further duty in the near
future. Some of them attributed
yesterday's orders to the imminence
of a general strike on the railroads,
but this was not the majority opin?
ion. A theory brought from the border
was that such further work as the
regiment would likely be called on
to do would be in the vicinity of
Delaware or Chesapeake bays or in
guarding munitions plants. Another
explanation which met favor in some
quartern was that the war department,
in view of the aspect of German
Amertcan relations, desired to move
regular army regiments now strung
along the Rio Grande to the OOasU
where they would bo available foi
emergencies, and wished to replace
them with National Guard units. It
is the conviction of the returned mi! I -
tiamen that a strong force must be
permanently maintained along thrt
Mexican frontier. One phase In which
company commanders arc Interested
is the likelillhood that In the event of
nnr the National Guard units would
be recruited immediately to full war
I strength.
THREE AMERICAN SHIPS SUNK
CITY OP MEMPHIS, ILLINOIS AND
VIGILANCIA SENT TO
BOTTOM.
Ono Sunk by Shell Fire anil Another
Torpedoed Without Warning?
Steamer of Ocean Steamship Com?
pany Traveling; in Ballast From
London to New York?Thirteen
Members of Crew Missing.
London, March 18.?The sinking of
the American steamships City of
Memphis, Illinois and Vigilancia was
announced today. Fourteen men from
the Vigilancia are missing, as are
some of the men from the City of
Memphis. The crew of the Illinois
was landed safely.
The City of Memphis, in ballast
from Cardiff for New York was sunk
by gunfire. The second officer and 15
men of the crew have been landed.
A patrol boat has gone in search of
the other members of the crew. The
Illinois, from London for Port Arthur,
Texas, in ballast, was sunk at 8
o'clock this morning.
The Vigilancia was torpedoed with?
out warning. The submarine did not
appear. The captain, first and second
mates, first, second and third engi?
neers and 23 men of the crew have
been landed at the Scllly islands. The
fourth engineer and 13 men are mis?
sing.
NO CHANGE IN ATTITUDE.
Delays in Mustering Out National
Guardsmen Due to Local Condi?
tions.
Washington, March 19.?It was au?
thoritatively stated at the war de?
partment that the delays in mustering
out National Guardsmen are the re?
sult of local conditions and not on
account of a change in the attitude
of the government.
FEAST POK YAKHOWDALE MEN.
Mrs. McOormick Makes 44Bowery"
Lads Quite Happy.
Zurich, Switzerland, (Via Paris),
March 17?Plans for the continued
Journey of tho fifty-nine Americans
comprising the Yarrowdale contingent
en route from Ge.many lo tho United
States, were changed at tho last mo?
ment, it being decided just before the
time sei.for their departure that they
would leave at noon today direct fo,
Spain by way of Lyons. The change
was decided upon on receipt of ad?
vices from tho Spanish authorities
that they, like the French, were will?
ing to do everything possible to facili?
tate the return of the men to America
and would honor the "seamen's iden?
tification certificates" with which the
Yarrowdaler8 are provided in lieu of
passports. A trip to Paris therefore
was rendered unnecessary.
The Yarrowdalers, each clad in a
brand new outfit, aroused the ultra
fashionable hotel Baur Au Lac from
its well-bred lethargy yesterday when
they filed into its Imposing lobby. They
had been invited to "tea" by Mrs.
Harold McCormick?an entertainment
however, that proved far more sub?
stantial than the ordinary afternoon
event The hostess had provided mu
s.v and a repast that approximated a
full-sized meal.
Tho sailors, the majority of whom
call "the Bowery" home, were in?
clined to be embarrassed at the outset,
but Mrs. McMormick, aided by Consul
General Keene, soon put them at their
ease. Mrs. McCormick gave the sailors
their new clothes and also presented
each one with fifty francs pocket
money.
ADAMSON LAW UPHELD.
Supreme Court Declares Eight Hour
Law is Constitutional.
Washington, March 19.?The su?
preme court held the Adamson eight
hour law constitutional.
The court's decision, which held
tho entire Adamson law constitutional,
was live to four, Justices Day, Pitney,
MeKeynolds and Vandcvanter dis?
senting. Chief Justice White said
the law is both an eight hour act and
a wage fixing statute.
SAVED NATIONAL RESOURCES.
Hydro Electric Power Ooa&pantCfl
Ousted i n mm National Forests.
Washington, March lt.?In sustain?
ing tho Injunctions ousting Utah
hydro-electric power companies from
federal forest resrvatlons, the supreme
court upheld the federal and limited
State sovereignty in developing tho
resource:; of Western public land
States.
K1NARD CHOSE1 NPRESIDENT.
TEACHERS (JO HOME AFTER
SUCCESSFUL ANNUAL CON?
VENTION IN COLUMBIA.
Strongly Indorse President Wilson?
State Certification, Old Age Insur?
ance, Indefinite Terms Items of
Suggested Legislation?Commit tee
to Designate Meeting Fluoe.
Columbia, March 18.?The 45th an?
nual meeting of the South Carolina
Teachers* association was brought to
a conclusion with the buslnes3 session
yesterday morning at 10 o'clock,
when officers for the year were elect?
ed and many other matters of routine
assignment disposed of. James P.
Kinard, Ph. D., superintendent of the
Newberry city schools, was made pres?
ident; D. P. Kinard of Dillon and
Mrs. E. S. Watkins of Columbia, vice
presidents. R. C. Burts of Rock Hill
and W. S. Black of Lexington were
re-elected secretary and treasurer, re?
spectively.
No place of meeting next year was
designated. This will be determined
by the excutivo committee next fall.
Neither was the silver trophy cup for
attendance awarded. This will be given
to that county which had the largest
percentage of its teachers in attend?
ance. Three counties have all their
teachers enrolled but neither of these
had all its tachers in Columbia. The
counties were Dillon, Dorchester and
York. Officers of the association will
make the award as soon as the win?
ner can be determined.
Before adjournment had been taken
yesterday, the association went on
record as indorsing the admirable
statesmanship of Woodrow Wilson
and the resolution adopted will be
forwarded to Washington. It reads:
"Resolved; that the South Carolina
Teachers' association place itself on
record as indorsing President Wood
row Wilson for the splendid states?
manship exhibited in handling the
complicated problems arising from
the present world unrest and that we
stand ready to serve our country in
any capacity deemed expedient."
A resolution was also adopted, call
ing upon the legislature to pass a
Statewide compulsory school attend?
ance law, with proper and necessary
exemptions, which conditions justify
and with adequate machinery for en?
forcement. Greetings were sent to
the beloved -?r. Edward S. Joynes
professor emeritus of modern lan?
guages at tho University of South
Carolina and a brilliant force in tho
teaching profession for many years
This was introduced by A. R. Banks,
himself one of tho better known and
more experienced of South Carolina
teachers.
The association also formerly in?
dorsed the proposed State board of ex?
aminers, which would do much to ef?
fect a standardization of teachers.
Old age insurance, pensions and an?
nuities for teachers were also favor?
ed. It was also advocated that
teachers bo elected for an indefinite
period, rather than for the customary
single term. The legislative commit?
tee wa* urged to press for action by
the general assembly which would
provide a salary for tho State super?
intendent of education commensurate
with the dignity and importance of
the office.
Resolutions of regret for the re?
moval by death of five South Caro?
lina teachers during the year were
adopted. These related to the deaths
of the late Davis Jeffries of Union,
J. C. Richardson of Sumter, the Rev.
J. M. Mitchell of Columbia, Benjamin
F. Bailey of Horrell Hill and the la?
mented W. K. T?te, several years
supervisor of elementary rural school*
in South Carolina. Each of these
had been an active force in the
teaching profession and the resolu?
tions were adopted with bowed head*
yesterday morning.
Before adjournment had been taken
yesterday, the executive committee,
consisting of one member from each
congressional district, was appointed
The members are: First district,
George Harris Webber, Summerville;
second. T. K. Crane, Allendalc; third.
R. B. Cheatham, Abbeville; fourth
J. L. Mann, Greenville; fifth, John
B. Carroll. York; sixth, Power W.
Bethen, Con way; seventh, A. J.
Thackston, Orangeburg.
ZEPPELINS RAID LONDON.
Berlin Announces Stic<vssftil Attack
on British Capital.
Berlin, March 19.?It Is Officially
announced that several Zeppelins
have made an hour and a-half at?
tack on London, dropping a large
number of bombs successfully, and
returning safely.
GOVERNOR BjjB COME HERE
It. I. MANNING UNABLE TO BE
ONE OF THOSE TO WELCO.tE
RETURN OF BOYS TO
SUMTER FROM
BORDER.
Expresses His Keen Regret at His
Inability to Be Present, but Does
Not Forget the Important Duty
Which the Guardsmen Have Done
for Their Country?Says CitiZicns
Must Not Let Them Suffer by Rea?
son of Their Absence.
The following letter has been re?
ceived from Gov. R. I. Manning by
the committee appointed to arrange
a proper welcome for the members of
the Sumter Light Infantry on their
return, Gov. Manning having been
asked to be one of the speakers on
the occasion of the welcome recep?
tion:
My Dear Mr. Osteen:
I deeply appreciate your invitation
to join with the other home folks in
extending a welcome to our Sumter
boys, who will return next week from
a service of patriotism and sacrifice
on the Mexican border.
I must be out of the State during
the first few days of next week on
important official business, and fear
that I will not be able to return in
time to avail myself of the pleasure of
once more attending a real Sumter
home-coming welcome.
These men have rendered a service
to their State and Nation, and they
richly deserve the "well done" of
our people. Every Sumter citizen
feels proud of the record of these
men who last June, in response to the
call of duty, laid down their person?
al affairs and without regard to the
future, left home and loved ones to
fight, and, if need be, die in defense
of the honor of their country. They
have made sacrifices and undergone
hardships. Out from these hard?
ships they have emerged stronger
and better men and better prepared
for the work necessary in the pro?
gress and upbuilding of our great
city, county, State and nation.
They must not suffer by reason of
this service. Many of them, when
answering the call last summer, left
good positions. Are these positions
now open to these men who are now
better prepared to fill them than when
they left? Citizens of Sumter have
never failed to do their duty when
called upon. These men did their
duty. What will we do for them?
We must not fail now. I stand ready
to do my share in whatever way my
assistance is needed. I only regret that
I am deprived of the pleasure of be?
ing present and expressing personally
my deep appreciation of the services
our boys have rendered and my pride
in the record made by this highly ef?
ficient organization.
Good luck and God bless all of
them,
Yours sincerely,
Richard L Manning,
Governor.
P. S. Should I find that I can get
back from Washington by the day of
their return you will let me be there
to Join in the welcome and permit
me to say a few words to them.
AGGRESSIVE ACTION SOON.
President Wilson Will Take Means to
Protect American Shipping.
Washington, March 19.?New and
aggressive action to protect American
shipping appears to be certain as the
result of yesterday's sinking of three
unarmed American merchantmen,
with the possible loss of American
lives. Calling congress to meet be?
fore April 16th loomed up as the
strongest probability, although Presi?
dent Wilson is understood to be con?
sidering two other courses.
With American ships already being
armed the most probable step ap?
peared to be an active campaign to
clear submarines from the shipping
lanes. There appeared to be no plan
to have the United States enter the
war in the sense that the European
nations have entered it.
FOOD PRICES REDUCED.
New Russian Government Takes Hold
of Situation With Firm Hand.
Petrograd. March 19.?One of the
first acts of the new government wa>
the appointment of a food price com?
mission, which has lowered prices
from 20 to 50 per cent already.
London, March IS.- -The earl)
granting of home rule for Finland is
to be the policy of the new Russian
government, according to Kcutcr':
correspondent in Finland.
BERLIN CLAIMS TRIUMPH.
ADMIRALTY ANNOUNCES DE?
STRUCTION OF SHIPPING.
Merchant Sl?p Tonnage of 781,500
Said to Have Been Sunk by Sub*
marines in February.
Berlin, March 16 (by Wireless to
Sayville, March 10).?Merchant ships
of an aggregate tonnage of 781,600
were destroyed in February aa a re?
sult of the war measure of the cen?
tral powers, the admiralty announced
today.
The statement follows:
"In February 363 merchant ships of
an aggregate gross tonnage of 781,600
j were lost by the war measures of the
; central powers. Among them were
292 hostile ships with an aggregate
gross tonnage of 644,000 and 76
neutral ships of an aggregate gross
tonnage of 137,500. Among the
neutral ships 61 were sunk by sub?
marines, which is 16.5 per cent, of
the total in February as compared
with 29 per cent., the average of neu?
tral losses in the last four months."
There is a wide disparity between
the official German figures of the
destruction of shipping in February
the first, month of unrestricted sub?
marine warfare, and the figures giv?
en out in England. It was said au?
thoritatively in London ..larch 3 that
in February German submarines sent
to the bottom in round numbers 490,
000 tons of shipping. No mention
was made of ships destroyed by mine.
THE SPLIT COMMISSION.
McMaster Defines His Policy in Light
of Attorney General's Opinion.
Columbia, March 18.?Fitz Hugh
McMaster, insurance commissioner,
makes the following announcement:
"The construction of the resident
agents' act of 1915, which provides
that 'agents licensed under the in?
surance laws of this State may write
insurance at the request of other
agents or brokers and allow said
agents or brokers not exceeding one
half of the commissions which they
receive on the business written/ In
connection with section 2704 of the
code, providing that 'before doing
business in this State for any in?
surance company or association each
agent shall procure from the insur?
ance commissioner a license, for
which he shall pay one-half dollar
as an annual department license fee,'
and consideration being given to the
whole law of agency in this State,
having been referred to the attorney
general and he having given me an
opinion that 'the evident purpose of
the law is to prevent agents dividing
their commissions with any one ex?
cept other agents authorized to write
the same class of business,' this is
to rule that it is illegal for agents
licensed for fidelity and surety com?
panies to divide commisions on
fidelity and surety business with
agents licensed for fire companies but
not licensed for a fidelity and surety
company. And in like manner the
principle applies to all other lines ex?
cept life insurance. Life insurance
is not embraced within the resident
agents' act and there is no provision
of law wlneroby one life agent may
divide commissions with another life
agent unless both agents be licensed
for the same company. In other
words, a licensed insurance agent
must hold a license for each com?
pany from which he receives com?
missions."
MANY CASES TRIED.
- )
Clarendon Court Spends Busy Day.
Manning, March 17.?The court of
general sessions for this county ad?
journed here sine die yesterday.
The criminal docket was left in a very
satisfactory shape. Out of 4S cases
open for trial on Monday morning
when court convened, there are but
sight being carried over to next court.
Judge Memminger returns home to?
night, and will return here next Mon?
day to open the court of common
pleas, which is scheduled under the
law for one week, but which wdl
hardly last that long, as there is but
little civil work ready for disposition
here next week. While a number of
convictions were had during the crim?
inal court, there was but one motion
for a new trial argued at the con?
clusion of jury work, and so far as
at present known, no appeal at all to
the higher court.
New York, March 19.?Twenty-six
mail bags addressed to Washington
and the British embassy were found
rifled aboard the Cunardcr Saxonia,
which arrived today.