Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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KB IHK State Chairman of State Preparedness Com? mission Calls for "Service For All." Slate Must Rais? Much More Food Stuffs and Waste Must Be Checked?Meetings to Be Held Throughout State During Week to Arouse Farmers to Crisis Which Confronts Them ?Program of Action Outlined by State Committee, Which Is Actively at Work. Sei ilco for all? Thie message will ba carried to timaaands of South Carolinians this wash by a battery of two score speak? er* representing the South Carolina ptsnaradpsss commission. Already aacaeeefu) meetings have Shen held at Spartan burg and Orangeburg. Begin Bias; tomorrow several meetings will ha held each day and the entire State will ba reached. David R. Coker. chairman of the pf spa redness commission, waa busy | yesterday at headquarters in The Slate building, tuning up the State organisation preparatory to the bin drive this week More food crops are being urged and every man, wo* sans and child will be urged to save. A spirit of thrift must be created to am at the new economic conditions which have been brought about by the war and the consequent drain Upon the world's supply of food, i Raturday Chairman Coker held eoarerencee with the newspaper men of the State and a committee repro saattng the negroes. The Stats preparedness commission j le faceting with cooperation on every hand. Thousands of persons have altered their services. Instruction? are being sent out and the State is to bo organised on a sound and sans heals Nothing new or radical la to be advocated la agriculture. Appeals wHt also be made to the city folk to giant gardens and cut down the cost of Irving. Many mm niters in South Carolina wtN today deliver sermons calling .agon the people to cooperate In the movement for more food end econ? omy. Instruction? to the chairman of ths county preparedness committees were aaat out yesterday by Mr. Coker. The chairmen are urged to report their names and addresses to State head quarters immediately after appoint? ment. It Is also urged that the names M0f county committees be eent In at once. The following letter of instruction i was sent to the countv chairmen: Tt> the Chairman of Each County Committee for Civic Preparedness Dear Sir: The commission and tho campaign committee for civic pre? paredness hsld a Joint meeting In Co? lombia on the 10th inst., at which a day for Inaugurating in your county a campaign movement for civic pre parednees for war was designated and speakers representing the State organisation were selected. The farm demonstration dopart ment of the national government will furnish an agricultural speaker In ad? dition, and it would be well for you to aaeure the services of one or more local speakers for short talks. Tea will be expected to advertise this meeting and et ?uro the largest poaatble attendance and contribute In every way to its enthusiastic succeec. After the county meeting the Speakers representing the State or? ganisation will meet with you for a conference as to your plans for a vigorous countywlds campaign. Tou wilt be expected to hold, in tho shortest possible time, meetings In every church end school houso In the county, eecure the best possible speakers for arousing effective en? thusiasm snd cooperation at these meetings; you will be expected to secure the hearty cooporatlon of every available sgency?churches, schools, boards of tisde, farmers' as? sociations, benevolent sssoclatlons. labor unions, women's clubs, etc.? for your campaign. Your campaign must bring to the whole people a realisation of the fact that the world le faclni; s fsmine- thst the success? ful prosecution of this war depends fully ss much upon the production and conservation of food m the United K'ates as It does upon any military act ton which can be taken by this country. The people must be mnde to realise that the duty of responding to the call of our nation and State for ths production and conservation of foodstuffs le just as partlotlc, and under preeent circumstances will prove just as effective from u mili? tary standpoint, as actual service with arms. The State commission for civic pre naredneoo sugsests the following Pro? gramms, which msy oe modified by the Judgment of your committee to suit varying conditions In the dlffor ent sections of th<> State. First .urge the Immediate planfrr of such crops as will la the shortest possible time furnish food for man and beast, and thus stop the drain upon the depleted national food re serveo which our States is now mak? ing;. The duty of every family to plant and cultivate a garden must to stressed. The following vegetables are suggested: Sweeet potatoes (plants can be se? cured at once at about $2 per 1,000). Two hundred plants, planted 18 Inches apart in four foot rows on good soil, should produce six to ten bushels by July 15 or August 1. A single garden row each of okra tomatoes, snap beans, pole beans J should be planted now and duplicated a month later. Garden corn, squashes and the va? rious greens are all easy to grow and should be planted Ik succession In quantity according to the size of the garden, properly worked and fer? tilised. One-eighth of an acre v ii: supply the average family with an abundance and great variety of vege? tables during the entire summer ar.< fall. Land owners should urge then croppers and merchants their custom era to plant gardenu and the seed should be furnished to those who no unable to buy. Every farmer should be urged to I plant at least one-quarter of an acre each of sorghum and early yellow dent corn (Learning variety sugges' ed) per horse or cow owned, and this will furnish ample feed In July am' August. Every farmer should put in at least one acre of uweet potatoes per horse, and land owners should construct potato houses, built accord lng to government specifications, for curing and storing thb crop for tneh tenants . Cow peas and soy beans should he liberally planted for human and an - mal food. Early varieties of cow p< planted at once will furnish delictou green peas in eight or ten weeks. Every farmer should be Induced to Increase his acreage of field corn and early velvet beans should be planted not later than May 1 In every acre of corn. They will not reduce the com yield and may be expected to produce 15 to 80 bushels per acre of a splen? did nitrogenous food. Bulletins on velvet beans, potato houses, etc., will be furnished by the farm demonstration agents In each ] county. The merchants of your county nr < be made to realise that their coopera tlon Is absolutely necessary for th< success of this campaign. Unless sup? plies of the necessary seed and ot cans and Jars for canning are avail? able, much of the effect of our work will be neutralised. Wholehearted cooperation from all the people, In fact, Is vital If the State is to do the neeeasary and patriotic work whl i the national and State authority | have called on us for. There Is a great shortage of so. kinds of seeds, and the merchants may be unable to secure a full as sortment of those recommended Substitutions, however, can usually be made without seriously affecting the programme. The two most effective agencies which may be used for our campal-i are the churches and the schools. Oov. Manning has asked all the ministers In South Carolina to take up and advocate in their sermons, food production and conservation, it would be well to hold a meeting of the county teachers' associations (both white and colored) and urge th teachers to enter wholeheartedly Into the work. Patriotic songti should be frequently sung by the schools, short talks on the war and the national situation should be given and the pa trlotlsm of the children should he stimulated in every possible WSV Tt must be made plain to each ch>' ' that he has a part In the Programm, for national preparedness for Wur. We suggest that a aoclety be form? I in each achool called the "Volunte??? Service league," Into which shall lit enrolled all children who will volun teer for the! production and conserve tlon of foodatuffs. Each member ol thla society should pledge himself <> heraelf to cultivate a small garden O" corn patch or to help (so in iny hou- : per week) In the cultivation of th< home vegetable garden or Innttentio to the live stock on the farm or raise a pig or some chlckers. In addition to this they Shonhl pledge themselves not to wasde crumb of food and to use their in tin DUTY OF FARMERS PLAIN. SAME IN UNITED STATES AS IN BRITAIN. Lloyd George'* Words to English Can bo Applied to American Planters, Wasington, April 16.?Dr. Bever? ly T. Galloway, assistant to the secre? tary of agriculture, and in charge of the department's emergency measures for dealing with the agricultural sit? uation, issued the following statement today: "The following letter issued by the British premier, David Lloyd George, while addressed to the people of Eng ? land, conveys advice distinctly appli? cable to the United States and which should be heeded by every one who can do anything to produce or save food from waste: " 'Downing Street, Whitehall, S. W., "March 6, 1917. M 'We have now reached a crisis in the war when to insure victory, the heroism of our armies at the front must be backed by the self sacrifice r.nd tireless labor of every one at home. To this end the production of each quarter of wheat and oats, and of each bushel of potatoes is of vital importance. The work of the next few weeks must decide the harvest of the year; and in the nation's inter? est I urge you, at whatever personal sacrifice, to overcome all obstacles, to throw your fullest energies into the work, and to influence and en? courage all who assist you, so that every possible acre shall be sown. ?' 'The Imperative demands of the wai have made It impossible to avoid calling upon men fit for active service, even though skilled in farming. As far as possible this is being r^ct by bringing on to the land nu and women from other industries. They can not be expected to do work equn.1 to that of men expert in agriculture: but there is no time for delay and the government is confident that 'armers will at once step forward and do all in their power to utilize their services to the best advantage. " .'The farmers of this country can defeat the German submarine. and when, they do so they destroy the Last hope of the Prussian. 44 'Yours faithfuly, (Signed) " 'D. Lloyd George." AVSTR1AN PEACE TERMS. Willing to End War if II um ilia tin Conditions arc Not Imposed. Berne, Switzerland, April 16. Peace and spring weather are what the Austrian and Hungarian people most desire. During his long stay in Vienna, whence he has just come, the Associated Press correspondent ob? served every indication that the gov? ernment and people are willing to ac? cept any peace proposal leaving Aus tro-Hungarian territory intact and making no claims for war indemnity. At the same time the monarchy and people rather continue fighting than accept humiliating terms. Demands on the monarchy's economic and hu? man resources have almost reached the limit of bearableness. The peo pel are hoping that spring will has? ten the crops. ?nce to stop all food waste in their homes. They should be made to un? derstand that now, when the nation needs every ounce of surplus .food for war purposes, it is nothing le;<.s ?ban criminal to throw away pro isions of any kind. It Is a common sight around most of the school houses of the State to see children tat halt of their lunches and dump the rest on the ground. No more food should be prepared for the family or brought to school than can be entirely consumed. If this were done, probably 25 per cent, of the food consumption of the State would stop. Your committee should cooperate with the negro preachers and teach? ers to secure the adoption of this nrogramme. Without their help)our ?ampuign can be but partially suc? cessful. Meetings should be arranged *t negro churches and school houses <nd white speakers should be furnish? ed wherever desirable. In some counties it will be necessary for you to appoint subcommittees in different townships in order to make your campaign most effective. This should he done wherever it is necessary. The effectiveness of this campaign for civic preparedness for war will de? pend almost entirely on the work of the county committees. The com? mission can do little except start the .ampaign and furnish you with a few speakers, some literature and some advice. We are goin^r to count on the patriotism and unselfish service of your committee to make a con? spicuous success of your county cani peiaTn to the end that your people w'H do their full duty to the State and notion at this crisis. Very truly yours, David R. Coker, Ohalrmnn South Carolina Commission for Civic Preparedness for War. MUSTERING FOR GUARD DUTY. FIRST INFANTRY AGAIN EN? CAMPED AT STYX. Regiment Will be Again in Federal Service by Evening of Today?Has Almost Total Peace Strength. Columbia, April 17.?The First regiment, National Guard of South Carolina, 1,249 officers and men strong, almost maximum peace strength, arrived yesterday at Camp Moore, near Styx in Lexington county, on four special trains and will be ready for federal duty "somewhere in South Carolina" by tonight. The mus? tering officers began the work of ex? amining and mustering the companies I into the federal service. The work is being done under pressure and will be completed some time tonight. Tho officers and men T.ere in fit condition The regiment is under command of Lieut. Col. P. K. MeCully, Jr., of An? derson. The tented city on the Lexington hills began to rise early in the after? noon and by nightfall every tent had been erected and the camp placed in order. It was said yesterday Mhat about 150 more men will arrive today at camp. The maximum peace strength of the regiment is 1,440. Lieut. Col. LaRoy S. Upton, Thir? tieth infantry, U. S. A., has been as? signed by the war department as chief mustering officer for the regiment. He will be assisted by Capt. Richard R. Pickering, U. S. A., Maj. Francis M. C. Usher of tho medical corps and Capt. LeRoy Dun bar of tho medical corps. The following is the strength of the various units in enlisted men: Com? pany A, 130; Company B, 10.1; Com? pany C. 79; Company D, 82; Com? pany E, 95; Company F, 86; Com - pang G, 71; Company H. 9C; Com? pany I, 64; Company K, 83; Company L, 75; Company M, 104; headquar? ters company, 32; supply company, 23; machine gun company, 53; sani? tary detachment, 22. The total enlist* ed strength Is 1,198 mon. There are 61 officers. I It was announced that no leaves of absence will be allowed. THE SUBMARINE BLOCK* ABE. ? German U-Boat Fires on Unit? ed States Destroyer Off New York Harbor. (By Associated Press.) Washington, April 17.?A German submarine today fired on United States destroyer Smith about one hundred miles south of New York. The tor? pedo missed the destroyer and the submarine disappeared. The presence of an enemy sub? marine in American waters is believed to indicate that the threatened German submarine blockade of Atlantic ports has begun. ?+tooooo???o?oooooooo?oo< GERMANY STARTS WAR. Presence of Submarines in American Wrater Shows That Germany Means to Bring the War to Us. Washington, D. C, April 17. This might merely foreshadow sporadic oemmerce raids. The subma? rine attack is Germany's llrst recog? nition of the state of war declared by the United States. It was stated Germany that no aggressive stepf would be taken against the United States. Practically no American offi? cial believed this. Steps have already been taken to protect coast cities from attacks of submarines in case of I German blockade of the Atlantic coast which may have been announced, but not received here on account of tho difficulty of communication. Thi? would be expected by Germany to r? suit in ?caring away neutral shipping through the destruction of merchant lleets carrying food and supplies tC the United States' allies. WILL WELCOME SUGGESTIONS. Government Desires Individual Ad? vice 01 to Method of Floatlm Great War Loan. Washington, April 17.?Secretary McAdoo informed the advisory coun? cil of the Federal Reserve Board comprising the big bunking interest of the country, including J. P. Mor? gan, that the government would we' come individual suggestions for floar .ng the five billion war bond issue. Washington, April K'>.?The hou* i today adopted without change tin conference report on the general de? ficiency appropriation bill which in? clude! $100,000.000 for war uses ;>? the president sees fit. The bill n< goes to the president for signature 5he house adjourned until Wednca ay. "SERVICE FOR ALL." MASS MEETING IX THE INTEREST OF CIVIC PREPAREDNESS HELD IN COURT HOUSE. Earnest and Impressive Addresses De? livered by Rev. Hugh Murehison and Prof. W. 11. Barton?The Need of The Hour is Food Preparedness in the South to Ward off Hardship anil Hunger from Our Own People and to Enable the South to Contribute its Share Toward Winning the World War That is Now Being Waged in the Defence of Liberty and Hu? manity. A representative body of citizens of all sections of Sumter county?rep? resentative of all businesses and pro fesions, particularly of farmers, but disappointingly small in numbers? gathered in the Court House at 11 o'clock this morning: to attend the civic preparedness meeting:, called by tho State committee. Mr. A. C. Phelps, chairman of the Sumter coun? ty committee of public safety presid? ed over the meeting and introduced the speakers. The meeting was open? ed with an invocation by Rev. W. E Thayer. The speakers of the day. representing the State Committee were Rev. Hugh R. Murehison, of Lancaster and Prof. W. H. Barton, of Clenison College. Mr. Murehison delivered a most stir? ring and earnest address, the keynote of which was "Service for All" for humanity's sake, as a patriotic duty and as a surety for personal. State and national protection in a world gone mad with war, blood lust and famine He laid great stress upon the need, the desperate, immediate need, of thorough, widspread cooperation between all the forces controlled and directed by the leaders of each and every community to arose farmers and allied interests to the danger that confronts the South and the nation of a shortage of food that wiil mean hunger ond destitution to millions i<" this country and to the other millions in Europe who are fighting the bat? tle for liberty and humanity. He quoted statistics from the latest and highest authorities demonstrating that the world is not only short of food, but that unless there are boun? tiful harvests this fall the world will face famine within the next twelve months. He showed that the South is not self-supporting, that with the de? mand for food from Europe and for the great army that the United States is now preparing to organize, there will be little food that the other sec? tions can spare for the South and that little will command such high nrices that all the cotton that the South can produce will be swallowed up and the people of the South will still be hungry. The only hope, the only salvation for the South is the fertile soil and the God-given oppor? tunity of the crop growing season now it hand to Increase many times the acreage devoted to food crops and thus produce food for themselves and a surplus to help feed the hungry of other lands. The opportunity to do this Is not only duty but in tho situa? tion a patriotic privilege that men who love their country and would do something for humanity cannot and will not neglect, if the true gravity of the situation is but brought home to them. Mr. Murehison congratulated Sum? ter county on the work that had been undertaken by the committee of public safety, saying that the organization of township committees and the holding of meetings in all sections of the coun? ty was directly in line with the plans of the State committee of civic pre oaredness, and that he was most heartily gratified and encouraged by the reports of hard work and public spirited co-operation that he had re? ceived concerning the progress of the work in Sumter county. Prof. W. H. Barton made a forcible talk on crop rotation, soil building and the conservation of the fertility of farm land. He asserted that the robbing of the soil of its fertility by ignorant and wasteful methods was the certain ai l inevitable means of 'mpoverishing the people and that was followed by the downfall of the nation, He discussed practical meth? ods of farming and the means to be adopted to conserve and increase the natural fertility of the soil, while at 'he same time deriving a comfortable living from the farm. He urged that more food crops be planted now and hat they bo liberally fertilized and properly cultivated. Both addresses WOI ) listened to with the closesi attention and it was evident that the earnestness of Ok speakers and the impressive facta -hat their message contained made a deep Impression. Every man 111 Sumter county would be the better had be attended the meeting today. After the adjournment of the mass noeting, Mr. Murehison and Prof. Tiarton went to the High School where they spoke to the hoys and girls of the *lty schools. An address was also de ivared by Prof. W. II. Hand who wa? rn the city visiting the High School. BATTLE OF FRANCE. FIGHTING IX PROGRESS OX FROXT OF HUNDRED AXD FIFTY MILES. British and French Hammering at Hindenburo; Ljne ^Vith Great Sue cess^?If They Succeed in Rolling up German Line Great Retirement Will be Forced ? Germans Lost One Hundred Thousand Yesterday. New York, April 17.?Along a hun? dred and fifty mile front the French1 and British are pushing back the Germans in a titantic struggle for the mastery of the western front. Striking after the British had been hammering the Germans in the Arras region to bits for a week, the French struck along a twenty-five mile front along the Aisne river and carried the Ger? man positions for an average depth of two to two and a-half miles. The French captured more than ten thou? sand Germans and maintained posses? sion of all the ground they won, de? spite COWater attacks. The German total casualties during the last twenty-four hours is estimat? ed at one hundred thousand. Both Pritish and French head? quarters indicate that bad weather 5* hampering their opcratior.3. Nev? ertheless the British advanced to with? in two and a-half miles of Lecatele, where they threaten to cut the main line of communication between St. Quentin and Combrai. The French are apparently seeking to isolate the important railway cen? ter of Laon and turn the southern end of the Hindenburg line. The British have already pierced the northern end. The joint British and French opera? tion is apparently aimed at rolling up the present German front and compel the retirement of the Ger? mans on a greater scale than yet wit nesed on the western front. The French operations in the Champagne and Alsace-Lorraine dis? trict is also apparently worth watch? ing. The British have advanced up the Tigris seventy miles northwTest of Bagdad where another battle Is ap? parently impending. The German statement says the battle along the Aisne is one of the greatest of the world. It asserts that great French attempts were repulsed yesterday, the French losing two thousand prisoners. Fighting con? tinued today. HOUSE AGAINST OOXSCRIPTIOX. Military Committee Vote* to Report Bill Recommending Try out of Vol? unteer System. Washington, April 18.?The oppon? ents of selective conscription got the upper hand in the house military com? mittee which voted twelve to eight to have the new arm* bill carry a pro? vision to first try to raise "he new force by enlisting volunteers The senate militriry committee ap? proved the administration bill, In? cluding the conscription feature ten to seven. President Wilson went to the capitol for conferences with con? gressional leaders on the army bill and other measures. The senate com mitttee amended the bill so as to bar liquor from all camps where the new army will be trained, and also to ex? empt persons engaged in agriculture and war industries from army service. The president told the senators he could consent to no compromise on the conscription feature of the meas? ure. PASSEXGER STEAMER SUNK. Karmala Driven Ashore Xea** Spczin, Italy and Torpedoed?Passengers Saved. New York, April If.?The British passenger steamship Karmala of eight thousand, nine hundred tons, was driven on a reef and sunk on March 17th, near Hp Sill. Italy, after being shelled and torpedoed by a German submarine, according to two Ameri? cans who were among her hundred and ninety passengers-, who have ar? rived here. All aboard were saved. LOSES LIFE IX STREAM. Paul Twltt'y of Cainden Drowned Wlu!e Swimming at Mill Bank Cluh Cainden. April 17.?P'ul Twitty, lrt year old son of Mrs. Ella Twitty of Camden, was drowned at 4:30 o'clock this afternoon while swim? ming with boys at the Mill Bank Swimming club. He was regarded as a good swimmer and had crossed the pond. While returning be is supposed to have been stricken with cramps. The news was oommuni eated to Camden at once and hun? dreds of persons went to the scene of tho tragedy, working until dark in a vain effort to find the body. The search will be resumed tomorrow moning. The death of Paul Twitty has cast a gloom over the entire community. He was very popular and took a high stand in his school duties both in literary and athletic efforts.