The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 28, 1917, Image 1
PP? tramOl WATCHMAN, lVahrlahed April, 1860.
"Be
and Fear not?Dec all the ends Thou Almut at he thy Country'*, Thy God'e aad Truth'*.'
OeaeolfcUted Aua. e. I88i.
SUMTER, S. C, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28. 1917.
TUB TKtJK 80?THKON, FmMMlK Inj, MM.
Vol. XIjIV. No. 12.
MIES II OSE FUME
tUDBCAL MEASURES FOR
dOEOUK? GERMAN DEPRE?
DATIONS.
WIB be Taken a#
Declares Stete oi
Two Conn
Is Cxpeeted Imme
Oouioalag Osajsjenji
Lined up for Wer.
March It.?The Amer
lean levemment ha* decided upon
measure* to be put Into ef
following the expected declara
tloa ay congress April 3 that a state
Off war exists between the United
Hates and Germany.
Tally appreciating Germany's policy
SJt acting first and talking afterwards.
Hie government has determined t<
pear Mid against every possible em et
Bread question* Involved were dls
eueeed today at a long cabinet meet
i bag to wrloa beads of departments
?anted reports oa preparations ai
reedy made and ethers contemplated.)
P Stelle are being taken np betweeen
it Wilson and individual cabl
Mejjpretfaily the government appar?
ently aae decided that since Germany
g} paakbag war upon the United States
rata less killing of American*
destruction of their ships, the ts
eue meet be met with steps mucb
mare far reaching than mere attempts
UP protect Individual merchant craft.
If anything fa ahead to prevent this
It Is not foreeeaea.
Ofjeg a state of war Is declared to
aggressive measures are ex?
te be1 taken.
As outlined after today's cabinet
the preparations of the gov
are not to be for a ehorl
or a war marked by hslfway
Nothing Is to b* taken fur
A complete programme has
M** paapared ae that everything done
4tt ?Waarrled eat In a systematic
measure of Americar
la the war is not ex
panted It be revealed until after the
preetdent addresses congress and un?
til public sentiment crystal tses.
0e far a* Is known no political al?
liance with tho entente alllse le cor
tesaptatsd although military ae well
ae naval cooperation Is possible and
the government will bs unsparing In
bath money and supplies fur the al
The president bos not yst written
kee address although he has given
K preliminary consideration and has
a general idea of what he will pro
He le expected to be specific and to
moke clear that the American govnrn
moat and people have no qusrrel with
the German people, but can not tol?
erate the acts of the German govern?
ment.
Whether an army will be sent
abroad Is one of the questions to b*
left to the future. R would take
many month* to train an army for
euch service and many things may
happen In that period. But this po.
?ability le being taken Into considera?
tion sad the government proposes to
be ready for it as soon as practicable
Detailed plans requiring congres
actlon are expected to be com?
plete when congress meets April i
Prior to that time the Democratic
and Republican leaders of the senat?
and house will be bore and will hold
conferences with the president nnd
members of hie cabinet. Speak
Clark and Representative Kitchln re?
turned to Washington today from th<
peseta.
The council of national defence nnd
Its advisory committee have been call?
ed to meet tomorrow morning. Tb<
council with the advisory committee
of men prom lent In almost every line
of endeavor Is expected to play an Im
portent part In the conduct of n
leal warfare. Through 't and through
MltlduAia and organi nous many
proffers of help and cooperation hnvi
I corns from all parts of the country
The mensure* decided upon are ml)
Hary, naval. Industrial and flnancbn
They are understood to be most com?
prehensive. All are receiving the per?
sonal attention of the presldont.
The army plans have not been fully
drawn, but a portion of them may
become evident at any time. Some
are contingent upon action by con
grass Their first object will be full
fa protect the United State? again*'
any contingency.
The navy programme, aside from
the actual movements of exlstln
thtp*. contemplates the building of
vessel* of all classes Just as rapidlv
eg taw ro sol arose of the nation will
perealt aad the mennlng of them ns
Jhet it they are constructed. Beers
AGREE ON ABAMSOH ACT.
RAILWAYS AND BROTHERHOOD
TOUCH COMMON GROUND.
Arrangements Made for Settling of
JPaj Questions to Secure Prompt Ac?
tion.
New York, March 23.?Railroad
managers and representtaives of the
fovr trainmen's brotherhoods have
agreed upon a tentative basis for the
application of the Adamson law, it
wan announced tonight by Elisha Lee,
cht.lrman of the national conference
committee of railway managers. The
agreement, it was said, covers the j
greater part of the wage schedules in
order that the increased wages ac?
cruing to the employes since January
1 may be paid as quickly as possible.
"A number of minor points," said
Mr. Lee, "are still to be decided and
a further conference will be held
some time in April. If any difference
arines as to the application of the
law they will be referred to a Joint
board of eight?four to be appointed
by the national conference commit?
tee of the railways and four by the
brotherhoods."
New Albany, Ind., March 24.?
Forty-three deaths, approximately one.
hundred injured, of whom ten are
expected to die, and a million dol?
lars damage, according to unofficial
records, resulted from yesterday's
storm here. National Guardsmen ave
on duty In the city.
tary Daniel will confer with private
builder tomorrow.
Ti e industrial plans now boing co?
ordinated by the council of nations!
defense include the mobilization ol
skilled and unskilled labo* lor tho
manufacture of munitons in a.- large
quantities as possible and also for the
continuance of all necessary Indus?
trie*.
Secretary Wilson in cooperation
with the council of national defon. e
has these plans well under way.
Just how much money will be asked
of congress has not been revealed. A
movement Is well undor way for fur
nlshicg the entente allies wlthv an
enormous loan, either in the form of
credit? or money.
It also is understood that the sup?
ply of munitions for tho allies will be
augmented, rather than diminished.
After the cabinet meeting the presi?
dent saw Gov. McCall of Mai.sachuseV.'j
for an hour and was told of prelimi?
nary preparations taken by New Eng?
land State? and offered complete co?
operation. The Massachusetts legis?
lature has appropriated $1,000,000
which Gov. McCall said would be
spent largely to prepare the State's
National Guard for quirk service. He
will see Secretary linker tomorrow.
Conferences on the legislative pro-,
gramme will begin at the capital early
next week. Secretary McAdoo, Rep?
resentative Kitchln and Representa?
tive Hull are expected to talk over
tho fiscal situation before Wedncadu/,
the tentative date set for a meeting
of the Democratic members of rh<
ways and means committee, the reve?
nue raising body of the house.
Various measures for providing ad?
ditional revenue are being consider?
ed including the possibility of resort
to additional taxes on whiskey, tobac?
co and other articles.
A mass of data relating to lncsme
taxes has been prepared by experts
showing the effect of various possible
extensions of the law.
Suggestions placed before the pres?
ident today Included the possibility
?of floating a loan of $5,000,000,000
for the entente nations. The proposal
made by Gov. Harding of the federal
rUttee board in a recent speech at
New York that the government lend
the allies $1,000,000,000 was thought
to be Inadequate by somo of the
president's advisers.
The banks of the country, it was
pointed out, are in a position of
strength today never before approx?
imated In their history. The latest
report of tho comptroller of the cur?
rency shows the resources of the fed?
eral reserve system to be greater than
thefee of all the chief belligerents
combined.
Nearly all the huge accretions of
money that have poured Into the
country during the two and one-half
years of war could be made available
for use In war, whether expended by
this government or by other govcr r
ments engaged In lighting a common
enemy.
Thus while an American army of
sufficient size to conduct aggroselv?
warfare has not yet been raised an 1
would have to be trained and equip
ped, American dollars, it WUS pointed
out, need no training ami are abun?
dant.
1 NOT HEEDS IN.
Secretary Daniels Issues Personal Ap
peal to Patriotic Young Americans.
(By Telegraph to Sumter Dally Item.)
Washington, March 25?
Editor Sumter Daily Item:
The president last night signed an executive order directing that
the authorized enlisted strength of the navy be increased to eighty
seven thousand. He has been authorized by congress, in case of
emergency, to direct such increase in enlistment. New ships and
ships in reserve are being fully commissioned as rapidly as pos*
slide and the need is imperative for a larger enlistment to man
them. There has been a net increase of over six thousand, five
hundred in the enlistment since congress recently authorized an in?
crease, but many more are needed, and needed now.
Will you not emphasize thtg need by giving special prominence
Monday on the first page of your paper, the president's order,
and also by making an editorial appeal for new recruits for the
navy.
The navy o/fers exceptional advantages to young men of stuff
and ambition to sei /e in the firit line for national defense. In
this emergency you have the opportunity and the privilege of per?
forming this public service.jand I am confidently appealing
to you for your cordial and helpful cooperation.
v ; JOSEPHUS DANIELS.
1
FOURTEEN REGIMENTS SUM?
MONED TO DUTY.
Necessity for Police I'rotcction More
National Than Local so President
Acts.
Washington, March 25.?Calling
Into the federal service of 14 regi?
ments of the National Guard for police
protection purposes was announced
today by the war department. The
Second Virginia regiment was in?
cluded in the call, and A and B com?
panies of the First Georgia regime?'
will not be mustered out. J
The department issues this state?
ment I
"Many States have deemed it ad-!
viaablo to call out the National Guard
for police purposes or protection. As
the necessity for such steps arises
from Issues which are more national
than local, it has been deemed advis?
able by the president to call intoj
federal service for (the above men?
tioned purposes the following organi?
zations of the National Guards: Massa?
chusetts Second and N. ith regiments;
Pennsylvania, First and Third regi?
ments; Maryland, Fourth regiment;
District of Columbia First separate
battalion; Virginia B., First regi?
ment; Connecticut First regment;
New York Second and Seventy-first
regiments; New Jersey First and Fifth
regiments; Delaware First battalion.
First regiment.
"The following organizations which
aro now in the federal service will
not be mustered out: 13th Pennsyl?
vania; A. & B. compancs of the Frst
Georgia."
BEGIN GUARD DUTY.
Six Virginia Companies Ordered Out.
Richmond, Va., March 25.?Six
companies of the Virginia Nationr '
Guard were ordered on duty this af?
ternoon by Gov. Henry C. Stuart to
guard important State and munition
utilities and large munitions and
shipbuilding plants. The First bat?
talion. Pllft infantry and Company A.
engineers, of Richmond, and Company
C, Fourth infantry, Newport News,
were on duty tonight. Adjt. Gen. W.
W, Sale issued instructions also for
the Second Virginia infantry to pre?
pare to reenter the federal service,
following orders from the war de
I partment.
MOVED TO ATLANTA.
Interned Gorman Sailors Tiansfcrn d
From Phlladclpldu to Fort Mc
Plierson ami <>glethori>e.
Philadelphia, Pa.. March 20.?Sev?
en hUHdfed Interned Geilnaus, com*
posing the crews of the raiders
Kronprinz Wilhelm and Prinz Eitel
Frederich Wilhelm started today, un?
der heavy guard, for Ports McPher
son and Oglethorpe, near Atlanta.
Qa.
SI NK BY SUBMARINE.
German Admiralty Reports Great De
struct I on Dtiiimr Last Ten Dnys.
Berlin, March 2C?The admiralty
today announced that in the last few
days twenty-flvo more steamers,
fourten sailing vessels and thirty-sev?
en trawlers, aggregating eighty thou?
sand gros^toiis, have been sunk.
KAISER MAY ABDICATE.
OB IS OBSESSED BY THOUGHT
THAT HE IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR WAR.
lib Feels That He is Menaced by The
Crown Prince, by the Pan-German
Junkers and the People of Ger
many Who arc Starring.
Paris, March 24.?The abdicatioi
of the German emperor is forecast by
a former German magistrate, wh<
wrote the celebrated book, "J-Ac?
cuse."
In an Interview published in
Oeuvre he says:
"The Kaiser is obsessed by th
the ught that he is responsible for th
war, a thought which poisons hi?
whole existence. He feels menace
by three enemies at home.
"First the Crown Prince, who
really responsible for the war; sec?
ond the Junker Pan-German party
third, by the people, not the Social?
ists, but the people who are starving."
REFUSES TO REAFFIRM TEAT
IES.
Violations of Treaties and Disregard
of International Law Given by Unit
cd States as Reason for Her Ac
tion.
Washington, March 26.?Germany^
"clear violations" of treaties o
1799, 1828 and her "disregard of the
cxnons of international courtesy" an
aligned by the United States as rea
sons for her refusal to reaffirm oi
extend the treaties, as Germany has
requested. The refusal was mad
publics today and discloses the fact
trat the United States is seriously
considering whether Germany's con?
duct has not in effect abrogated the
treaties. j
The United States refusal also
motions Germany's sinking of the
American sailing ship William H.
Pry a, the sinking of ships of other
notions carrying .Americans or Amer
I
lean property without warning, or al?
lowing time to safeguard lives. It
also refers to Germany's detention of
American citizens since the breaking
of diplomatic relations and says that
while these are not violation of treat?
ies, It Is a disregard of reciprocal
liberty and intercourse between the
two countries, which Indicates Ger?
many's purpose in ctise of war to dis?
regard the liberty of action provided
in the treaties.
LEAVES FOR N. G. MEETING.
South Carolina Delegation to National
Convention Off.
Columbia, March 2T?.?Adjt. Gen
W. W. Moore, Col. Holmes B, Springs,
of Georgetown; Major H. E. Raines,
of Charleston; Major A. Moultrie
Brallsford, of Mulins; Mayor W. F.
Robertson, Copt. W. D, Workman and
Capt. G. I ley ward Mahon, Jr., of
Greenville, left tonight for New Yor'c
to attend the meeting of the National
Gtinrd Association as tho representa?
tives from this State.
Philadelphia. Pa., March 2fi.?Har?
old Ellis Yarnall, aged 51, secretary
and treasurer of the Midland Valley
railroad and prominent socially, died
today from a bullet wound received
last night while defending his wife
from a negro burglar. ^?
UTE WAR BULLETINS.
ALLIES PRESSING HARD ON
GERMAN LINES IN FRANCE.
Germans Appear to Have Despaired of
Holding Line at LoFere and Have
Flooded The City?Bloody Battles
With Rear Guard?Germans Mass?
ing Troops on Russian Front.
New York, March 24.?The French
official statement indicates increased
peril to the German line running
through Cambrai, St. Quentin, Lafero
and Laon. The French are contin?
uing strong pressure on the line from
St. Quentin to the Aisne river and
have reached the Oise river directly
north of LaFere at several points. Ap?
parently they control the high groun-3
and command the city with their
guns. That Germans are despairing
holding the ci{y is indicated by the
announcement they have opened the
sluice gates and flooded the city. The
French and British are advancing
their forces and both the German
rear guards, battling vainly on both
sides of the rivers Somme and Oise,
and the entente have suffered heavy
losses.
The Germans announce the repulse
yesterday of French attacks against
German outposts west of Lafere and
along the Aillette lowlands; also near
Neuville and Margival. The Russian
statement says the Germans are con?
centrating great quantities of mu?
nitions, supplies and men at the
northern end of the Russian front.
Germany announces the storming
of Russian positions in Roumania or
a ridge between Solymtar and
Czobanos valleys, and the capture o;
five hundred men. The Russians ad?
mit their withdrawal for a third of
a mile hefore German attacks In Rou?
mania betweeen the rivers Silcha aiv'
Chuanlch. Russia also announce?;
the capture from the Turks of the
Persian town of Kerind, forty miles
from the Mesopotamian border. The
dispatch says the pursuit of the
Turks continues.
R. R. MUST GIVE UP VESSELS.
First Decision Under Panama Canal
Act Made by United States Supreme
Court.
Washington, March 26.?In the first
case brought under the Panama Canal
act, requiring railroads to dispose of
their steamship interests, the su?
preme court has decided that the
Lehigh Valley Railroad must relin?
quish Its Great Lakes Steamship
transportation line operating between
Buffalo, Chicago and Milwaukee.
MAY WITHDRAW FROM RACE.
Mann Says He Will not Oppose Clark,
If House Is Organized on Non-Par?
tisan Lines.
Washington, March 26.?Republi?
can Leader Mann upon return from
Haiti said he was willing to withdraw
from the race for the speakership in
the interest of unity, if the house
could be organized on bi-partisan and
non-partisan lines.
RUSSIANS WANT REPUBLIC.
Central Commit toe Has Voted for Re?
publican Government for Rus.
London, March 24.?The central
committee and parliamentary repre?
sentatives of the constitutional, or
Democratic party, at Petrograd, have
voted in favor of the Republican form
of government, according to a Petro?
grad dispatch.
ST. LOUIS RAN BLOCKADE.
First Armed American Liner Passed
Safely Through Submarine Zone.
Washington, March 26.?The Amer?
ican liner St. Louis, the ilrst armed
American ship to cross the Atlantic,
han arrived safely at her destination,
Secretary Daniels announced today.
St. LoUis Sailed March 17.
New York, March 26.?The St.
Louie left her American port on
March 17th, carrying thirty-one pas?
sengers, of whom 11 were Amer?
icans and a crew of three hundred
and t inety-four, of whom one hun?
dred and thirty-one were Americans.
Columbia, March 23.?The question
of securing a lower rate on soy beans
will be considered at a hearing to be
held before the railroad commission
April 1. The petition for the hearing
was filed by the South Carolina Cotton
Seed Crusuure' association. The asso?
ciation is encouraging the production
of soy beans and every effort Will be
made to have the present rate reduc?
ed. I
sla.
FARM LOAN BANK PLANS.
MAXIMUM INDIVIDUAL LOAN
MAY BE INCREASED.
Von Engelken Says Columbia Bank
Expects to Lend Ten Million Dol?
lars Within Twelve Months.
Columbia, March 26.?F. J. H. von
Engelken, president of the Columbia
Federal Land bank, having returned
from Washington, where he attended
a conference of the presidents of the
12 federal land banks, with Secre?
tary McAdoo and the members of the
federal farm loan board, expressed
gratification over the fact that this
conference had fixed a flat rate of 5
per cent., applying to all parts of the
United States. Me declared that this
interest would prove a great boon to
the farmers of the Southeastern
States and predicted that within a
year the Columbia Federal Land
bank will have made loans aggregat?
ing $10,000,000.
Mr. von Engelken also announced
that the conference of bank presi?
dents passed a resolution requesting
congress to increase Uie limit of the
loans permitted to an individual bor?
rower from $10,000 to $25,000. He
expressed the hope that the special
.session of congrc?ss soon to convene
would make this change for the large
borrowers of the Columbia bank dis?
trict.
In order that more funds may be
available for investment in farm loan
bonds and in turn made available
to lend to farmers of this dis?
trict, Mr. von Engelken urged that
the legislatures of North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia and Florida
immediately pass laws making farm
loan bonds approved investments for
trust funds, insurance companies and
savings banks.
Mr. von Engelken announced that
the bonds issued by the 12 federal
land banks would be placed on the
market at 4 1-2 per cent., but would
probably be sold at a premium. Bte
expressed gratification over the fact
that the federal farm loan boarcfr has
anticipated that at least $100,00d,00#
of these bonds will be issued during
the coming year and is making ar?
rangements which will assure a ready
market for (them. All of this money
will be made available to the farmers
of the United States at 5 per cent.
To borrow from these federal land
banks, farmers are required to or?
ganize themselves into groups con?
taining at least ten farmer-borrowers
ard each group asking for at least
520,000 of Joans. The Columbia Fed
??ral Land bank is now prepared to
furnish a blank form of articles of
association to make the organization
of these groups simple and easy. Oth?
er necessjary blanks will also be fur?
nished on application.
Farmers ars permitted to borrow
up to 50 per cent, of the appraised
value of the land, pins 20 per cent,
of the value of the permanent insured
improvements. Loans are to be made
at 5 per cent, and must be retired
on the amortization plan, which
means repayment of fixed annual pay?
ments throughout the period of the
loan. The loan may run from flve to
10 years at the option of the borrow?
er. The object of these long time
loans is to enable the farmer to meet
these small annual payments out of
the increased earnings of the land,
made possible by the investment of
the borrowed money.
This new banking system is purely
cooperative. It is for the sole , use
of farmers and prospective farmers.
Farmers will eventually own all of
the stock of the federal land banks,
and they will elect the officers of
these banks. The. Is no opportunity
for individual profit in the entire sys?
tem.
The preliminary organization of na?
tional farm loan associations has
progressed to a degree far beyond the
expectations of the federal farm loan
board at Washington and everything
points to the unqualified success of
this new enterprise.
MORE TROOPS MOBILIZED.
President Wilson Issues Orders to Na?
tional Guardsmen.
Washington, March 26.?Twenty
additional complete infantry regi?
ments and five additional separate
battalions of National Guard troops
were today ordered into service for
the protection of property in the event
of possible internal disorders. These
troops have been called out in 18
western and middle western States,
and were not included in the orders
issued Sunday. The war department
will not disclose the specific indus?
tries or other points to be guarded
and the newspapers will be asked not
to publish any Information.