The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, April 28, 1917, Image 1
ton.
8UMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850.
"Be J>oM and Fear not?Set all the end* Tbou Alma't at be thy Country'*. Thy Ootr? mmA Xr?tl?'?."
Oonflolidated Aur. 3,1881.
SUMTER, S. C, SATURDAY, APRIL 28. 1917.
THE) TRI E SOUTHRON, Establtohed Jua% I
Vol. XLIV. No. 21
WO SINKS SUBMARINE.
?TOOT Orx FIRED BY AMERICAN
HI WAR FINDS ITS MARK.
U-Boat Goes Down When Hit by Shot
?Vom the Mongolia, Armed Mer?
chant Ship?Cape Rico Tolle of Ex?
pect to Associated Press at London.
London, April 25.?Capt. Rice of
the American steamship Mongolia
which has arrived st a British port,
tOld ths Associated Press today tbat
the Mongol ta had rtred the first gun
of ths war for ths United States and
sunk a German submaiins.
The periscope was sighted dead
ahead on the last afternoon of the
voyage. Ths captain gave ths order
for full speed ahsad with tha inten?
tion of ramming the submarine.
Ths perincope disappeared and a
few minutes later reappeared on the
ship ? broadslds. The gunners fired,
hitting the periscope squarely and
throwing up a mountain of water.
Even more pertinent a fact, as re?
gards the i Ulmets fate of the sub
marine, wa.' that ths shsll disap?
peared Immediately after* ths hit was
made. The csptaln stated that a
Shell always ricochets In the water
and can be seen again unless It finds
the mark. Oil also was seen on the
water after ths submarine disap?
peared.
The Mongolia was g >ing at full
Speed end wss a long distance away
when tha spray and foam subsided,
Pat from the bridge ths officers ob?
served the spot through their glasse s
and they ar? confident the subma?
rine was sunk.
Capt Rice outlined the incident
With modesty but could not quite con?
ceal the pride he felt In the achieve
meat of his ship. He paid a high
tribute to the gunners and especially
the manner In which they were
led by the officer who directed
the ?ring of the telling sbot.
"*ot five days and night." said
Oapt. Rice, "I hadn't had my oiothes
eg? asm at kept a big force of look
dnt* en duty all the tlms. It was
I:It o'clock In the afternon of the
Itth that we sighted the submarine.
The officer commanding the gunners
wee with me on the bridge where In
fact we had been the most of the time
throughout the voyage. There was c
base on the sea at the time. We had
Just taken a sounding for we were
getting near shallow water and wo
were looking st the lead when the
first mate cried:
" There's a submarine off the port
bow!'
"Ths submarine was close to ua, too
close In fact for her purposes and
she was submerging again In order to
manoeuvre Into a better position for
torpedoing us when we sighted her.
We saw the periscope go down and
ths swirl of the water. I quickly or?
dered a man st the wheel to put It to
starboard, and we sung the nose of
the ship toward the spot whero the
submarine had been seen.
"We were going full speed alvad
and two minutes nfter we ilrst sighted
t'ns u-boat It emerged again about
1,000 yards off. Its Intention prob?
ably had been to catch us broads'de
on. but when It appeared ,we had the
stern gun trained full on It.
?The lieutenant gave the command
and the big gun boomed. We saw
the periscope shnttered and the shell
and the submarine disappeared.
"I can't speak too highly of the
cool manner In which the lleutemnt
handled his crew of gunners. It v as
a fins exhibition of the efficiency of
American naval men. The lieutenant
knew before the shell struck tho sub?
marine that Its aim was accunte.
There Is no guesswork about it, but
a cass of pure mathematics. Taking
the speed st which the Mongolia was
traveling st the time and the speed
which tho submarine undouMe ||y
would make and computing these fig
aeso with the distances we were from
the submarine when it wns first sight-1
ed and when it appeared tho second
time, it can bo shown that the lieu
tenant bnd his gun sighted to the
Inch And it must be rOseomhored
Jj^hat ths whole affair took only two
minutes.
WL "I assure you we did not stop to
reoiinolter nftor , the incident Ml!
Stemmed away at full speed, for *t
wss not Improbable that thero wns
aaother submarine about. The one I
got undoubtedly had hi?en lying on the
hot
Hem at this spot waiting for tr
tali end enme up wM n it heard
propeller*. I immediately st-nt :l
Wireless me<MMge st ring that n s -
mar Ins had been seen.
"That's about all the story, except?
ing this: The (runner* hnd umnod tho
guns on board the Mongolia and one
which got the submsrlne wss railed
Theodore Roosevelt), so Teddy fired
BIG WEEK FOB SUBMARINES.
FORTY VESSELS OF OVR 1,600
TONS SENT DOWN.
Fifteen Mercliant Craft Under 1,6(M)
Tons and Nine- Fishing Boats De?
stroyed.
London, April 25.?The weekly
statement of vessels sunk as made
public this evening shows that 40 ves?
sels of over 1,600 tons each were sent
to the bottom by mines or subma?
rines.
?'Weekly shipping returns: Arrivals
2,r>86. sailings 2,261.
"Sinkings! by mine or submarine
over 1,600 tons, 40, including two
sunk in the weel. ending April 15;
usder 1,600 tons, 1G. Including ono
sunk in the week ending April t.
"Vessels unsuccessfully attacked
27, including one attacked the week
ending April 8.
"Fishing vessels sun nine, in?
cluding one sunt: the week ending
April 16."
The report shows the greatest num?
ber of merchant, vessels reported
sunk by mine or submarine in both
categories?1,600 tons and over and
under 1,600 tons by the British gov?
ernment since it has issued its weekly
statement of shipping lost.
The previous reports were as fol?
io v/s: /
Over Under
Date. 1,600 tons. 1,600 tons.
February 28 ....16 6
I March 7.14 9
1 March 21.16 8
March 28.18 7
April 4?.18 13
April 11.17 2
April 18 .... ..19 9
The report also shows that more
versels were successful in evading at?
tack, the figures being 27 as aga'.nst
19, the previous high figures during
any week. The arrivals and depar?
tures of steamers from British ports
average fairly well with those of the
preceding weeks.
PEASANTS SEIZING LAND.
Revolutionary Spirit Spreading in Ru?
ral Sections of Russia.
London, April 21.?Petrograd dis?
patches report that the revolutionary
spirit is manifesting itself in the ru-1
ral districts of Rus sia, bringing the
long standing Agrarian troubles to a
bead. Despite the efforts of the food
committees which are seeking to show
the peasants that the land question
[cannot be settled, pending an election
(of u constittient assembly, the peat
ants, especially in Sarutov and Tain
', bov, are forcibly taking land from us
owners.
the first gun of the war aftor all.
Capt. Rice recalled that he came
from Allston, Mass., and that
the encounter with .he submarine oc?
curred on the date when the Bay
State was celebrating the anniversary
of the battle of Lexington.
A RIG SHIP.
Mongolia Ono of Largest Under
American Flag.
New York, April 25.-#-The Ameri?
can steamer Mongolia, a vessel of
13,638 tons, owned by the Interna?
tional Mercantile Marino company,
left an American port for England on
April 7 on her second trip since Ger?
many's submarine declaration of Feb?
ruary 1.
The Mongolia carried a crew of
i Cnlted States navy gunners In ohargC
of a lieutenant. She Is one of the
largest vessels under the American
flag.
The Mongolia was built nt Cam don,
N. J. In 1904 for the Pacific Mall
Steamship company and for I nuin
I her of years was engaged in the Cali?
fornia-Oriental trade. She was pur?
chased by the International Moreen*
'tile Marine In 1915. The Korea and
the Siberia were resold to a Japanese
lino and the Mongolia and Mnm hu
I riR, brought to the Atlantic, entered'
the service of tho Atlintio Transport
line, a subsidiary of the International
Mercantile Marine, and have been
carrying freight only.
April 19, the day on w hich the Mnn- \
golia fired the first shot of the war.
is the anniversary of the battle of
i L*?\ington, when the first shot was
, fired in the American Revolution.
MAKES HO STATEMENT.
Americn Policy to Sny Nothing of
Sinking.
Wnshlngton, April :'S?The polity
of the government Is to make no an?
nouncement or comment upon the'
destruction of a German submarine
by the steamer Mongolia, at this
time.
ALLIES TRUST AMERICA.
Entente Powers Do Not Expect The United
States to Enter Entangling Alliances.
Balfour Says That No Effort Will Be Made to Prevent Amer?
ica Making Separate Peace, as Allies Realize That light
They Are Making is One For Democracy and Destruction
of Prussian Militarism.
? Washington, April 26.?Complete,
understanding of America's attitude
in the war?unreserved cooperation in
the light for democracy against the
German military menace without en?
tangling- political alliances?wasj ex?
pressed by Foreign Minister Ballour.
head of the British war commission,
in a statement today to new.spc.pcr
correspondents.
"I am told," said Mr. Balfour, "that
there are some doubting critics who
seem to think that the object of the
i missions of Great Britain and Franco
I is to inveigle the United States out of
its traditional policy and to entangle
it in a formal alliance, secret or pub?
lic, with European powers. I can not
imagine any rumor with less founda?
tion, nor can I Imagine any polity so
i utterly unnecessary. Our confidence
In the assistance which we are going
to get from this community Is not
based upon such considerations as
those which arise out of formal
treaties."
i The foreign minister's statement
was officially said to have been made
I as a result of his conferences during
; the past few days with President MTil
i son and Secretary Lansing: it (was
j generally regarded as disposing flnal
; ly of suggestions in some quarters
that the United States might bo poked
I to sign a treaty not to make a Sepa?
rate peace. \
This was an eventful day the,
British commissioners, marked by a
hearty welcome to France's illustrious
war commission and the delivery to
Ambassador Spring-Bice of America's
first loan to the allies, $200,000,000.
Mr. Bulfour lunched today with the
Italian ambassador, spent part of
j the afternoon at the treasury depart
; ment with Secretary McAdoo and was
! entertained at dinner at the British
! embassy where a reception attended
j by the diplomatic corps and high
American officials followed,
j The foreign minister received the
newspaper men during the day at the
( residence where he is entertained as
j the guest of the nation.
When the newspaper correspond
| ents had been presented Mr. Balfour
said:
j "Gentlemen: I am very much
j obliged to you for coming here today
and giving me the opportunity of ex?
pressing to you personally, and
through you to the great American
public, how very deeply wc, who be?
long to this mission sent from Britain,
value the kindness, the enthusiasm,
the warmth of welcome which we
have received in this capital city of
the United States. All our hearts
are gratified and touched personally.
We are even more deeply touched by
It as being the outward and visible
manifestation of sympathetic emo?
tion in carrying out and responding
to a great call, which is the real
security for our sii?cess.
"No man who had has the oppor?
tunity which I have enjoyed in the
lust few days of weeing, hearing and
talking to leading members of your
state can for one moment doubt the
? full determination of the American
' people to throw themselves into the
greatest conflict which has ever been
I waged in this world.
"I do not suppose that it is possible
for you?I am sure it would not be
possible for me were I In your shoes?
to realize In detail, in concrete de
, tail, all that that war means to those
1 who have been engaged In it for now
two years and a half. That is a feel?
ing which comes and can only come
by actual experience. We on the
other side of the Atlantic have bean
living in an atmosphere of war since
August. 1914, and you can not move
about the streets, you can not go
about your daily business, even if
your affairs be disassociated with the
war itself, without having evidences
of the wiir brought to your notice
every moment.
"I arrived here on Sunday after?
noon and went out in the evening Mi?
ter dark, and I was struck by a somo?
what unusual feeling which at the
first moment 1 did not analyse, and j
suddenly It came upon me that this!
was the first time for two years inwl !
a half or more In which I hud sef n I
a properly lighted street. There is
not a street in London, there is not a
street in any city of the United King?
dom, in which after dark the whole
community is not wrapped in a gloom
exceeding that which must have ex?
isted before the Invention of gas or
electric lighting.
"But that is a small matter and I
j only mention it because It happened
I to strike me as one of my earliest
experiences in this city.
"Of course, the more tragic side of
war is never and can not ever be ab?
sent from our minds. I saw with re?
gret thiB morning In the newspaper
that the son of Mr. Bonar Law, our
chancellor of the exchequer, was
j wounded and missing in some of the
] operations now going on in Palestine;
, and I Instinctively cast my mind hack
1 to the losses of this war in all circles;
! but as an illustration it seems to me
! impressive. I went over tho Diolan
i cholly list, and, if my memory serves
i me right, out of the small number of
i cabinet ministers, men of cabinet
't rank, who were serving the state
, when the war broke out in August,
1914, one has been killed in action,
four at least have lost sons, and now
Mr. Bonar Law's son is wounded and
missing?not. I hope, lost to us, but
still in a position from which he may
not return to his friends.
I
I "That is the sort of things that
' have happened in quite a small and
I narrowly restricted class of men, but
it is characteristic of what is happen
ing throughout the whole communi
I ty.
I "The condition of France in thnt
j respect is evidently even more full of
sorrow and tragedy than our own, be?
cause we had not a great army, we
had But a small army when war broke
out, whereas the French army was of
the great continental typo, was on a
war footing and was, from the very
inception of military operations. ? a
gaged in sanguinary conulot with the
common enemy.
"We have today coming amoni st
us a mission from France. I doubt not
?indeed I am fuly convinced?that
they will receive a welcome not les:<
warm, not less heartfelt than that
which you have so generously am'
encouragingly extended to us. That
was and certainly will be increased by
the reflection that one member of the
mission is Marshall Joffre, who will go
down through all time as the general
in command of the allied forces, tin*
successful general of the allied forces,
at one of the most critical moments
in the world's history.
"I remember when I was here
there was a book which was given
out in the schools called 'The Fifteen
Decisive Battles of the World.' I do
not know whether they all quite de?
serve that title, but there can be no
doubt or question whatever that among
the decisive battles of the world the
battle of the Marne was most decisive.
It was a turning point In the history
j of mankind and I rejoice that th ?
i hero of that event is today coming
! among us and will join us, the British
Inrtlon, in laying before the people of j
J the United States our gratitude for the ;
sympathy which they have shown and
' are showing, and our warm confidence
I ... I
in the value of the assistance which
they are affording the allied cause.
"Gentlemen, I do not believe that
, the magnitude of that assistance can
by any possibility be exaggerated. T
nm told that there are some doul <;nn
! critics who seem to think that the ob- '
I '
jeet of the mission of France and
Great Britain to tills country is to
inveiylo the United States out of la
traditional policy and to entangle it
in formal alliances, secret or public,
with European powers. I can not
imagine any rumor with less founds
t!on. nor can I imagine a polit y so
utterly unnecessary.
"Our confidence in this assistance]
which we are going to get from this
community Is not based upon ruehj
considerations as those which arise
out of formal treaties Xo tv
could increase the undoubted confi?
dence with which we look to the
United States, who, having come into
the war, are going to see the wa ?*
through. If there is any certainty In |
BATTLE FRONT QUIETER.
fighting ox auras front not
as fierce today.
Germans Sacrifice Thousands of Live*
Trying to Retake Village of Gravillc
?Advance in Mesopotamia Con?
tinues-?Xo Xews from Russian
Army in East.
I London, April 26.?A striking ex
| ample of the German censorship is
afforded by the news that German
I newspapers are not allowed to leave
the country without being passed by
, government officers.
i Wire fences, charged with electric?
ity have been erected on the German
Swiss frontier. Every precaution is
being ta <en to prevent what is trans?
piring in the central powers getting
out.
Except on the French front there
are reported few developments of im- j
portance in the war theatres
The British continue their ad - I
I
Vance in Mesopotamia, but there is!
a curious silence regarding the move?
ment of the Russian armies in Meso?
potamia.
j The fighting last night in the Ar?
ras region seems to have been chiefiy
! in connection with the renewed Ger
I man attempt to recapture the Village |
! of Gavrelle from the British. There I
(the Germans sacrificed thousands of
lives in vain. The Germans also at?
tacked the French on the Aisne. The
i
I French said these attacks failed witl
heavy German losses. Germany an?
nounced that their forces reached
I the eastern bound ry of Gavrelle.
PUBLIC FOOTS BILL.
; Price of Coal to Advance Sixty Cents
a Ton to Paj Minore.
I
New York, April 26.?Coal men es?
timate that wage increase granted last
night to the one hundred and seven?
ty-five thousand miners in the anthra?
cite fields will raise the retail price of
hard coal on an average of sixty con is
a ton.
-
MILLIONS HAVE VOTE.
I
-
Many Women in United States En?
franchised.
_
I
New York, April 24.?With No?
hra ska added to the suffrage column,
it w;ik announced here tonight by the
Leslie Woman Suffrage commission
that the total voting strength of n*o
men in the Fnited Slates now is S,
667,308,
"Of the 41 legislatures that hi
convened, or are scheduled to con?
vent in 1917," a statement said, "ihir
! teen have already taken favorable I ?
jtion; seven have passed presidential
j suffrage: five have passed suffrage;
! six have passed constitutional amen 1
I ment measures."
! human affairs, that is certain.
j "Two years and a half have gone
since the war began, and the groat!
! public on this side of the Atlantic has
I been watching, with deepening inter?
est, the Mood stained drama going
on across the ocean and I am v eil
convinced that as each month hat
passed, so has the conviction grown
I
j among you that after all it is no j
i small or petty interest that is involved 1
j in this war it is no struggle lor so
i many square miles of territory, for
some acquisition, some satisfaction of
small national ambition. It was
nothing short of the full conscious- I
ncss that the liberties of mankind
j are really involved in the issue of this
j struggle that was animating the al
| lied countries.
j ' With such a cause the Amern an
? public has always been In full sym?
pathy and now. after watching it!
1
through all these months, you have
found yourselves impelled to Join in
the great conflict. I feel perfectly
certain that you will throw Into it
all your unequaled resources, all your
powers of invention, of production,
all your man power, all the resources
of that country which has greatc re?
sources than any other count.. In
the world, and already having com?
to that decision, nothing will torn
you from it but success crowning our
|oln1 efforts.
i
"This expresses the sentiment with
Which 1 have bei n animated ever
since I came to this city?my sent I-j
ment of gratitude, my sontlmenet of
hope, l <b> not know that I have
anything of value to add.
"Allow me to thank you most
heartily again f<?r hnvtng come horel
for this brief Interview, and to ex?
press my gratitude for what you hi <
done, ami my Arm confidence that all
of you will. Wielding the great power
you do. exercise it In the convincing
rouse of justice, truth and peace."
SPAIN ISSUES SHARP WARNIKB
SAW THAT TEUTONIC METHOD
OF WARFARE INJURES FRIED?
ET NEUTRALS.
Patience is Now Almost at Breaking
Point Because of Restrictions
Made on Spanish Trade by German
Government, and Unless Different
Course is Adopted, Spain Will Take
Steps to Defend Herself.
Amsterdam (via London), April 25.
?Spain's note to Germany, as given
in a Berlin dispatch, while conveying
a grave warning that the end of
Spanish patience is in sight, also con?
tains a suggestion that a crisis may
be averted through negotiation. The
note says:
"All the repeated attempts of the
Spanish government undertaken with
the intention of safeguarding its
sea traffic and the lives of its sail?
ors have failed in the face of the
imperturbable resolution of the im?
perial government to employ unusual
and violent war measures. It is as?
serted that these measures render im?
possible the economic existence of the
I imperial government's enemies but
simultanously they expose to groat
dangers the existence of friendly neu?
tral powers."
The note then complains of the se
ries of restrictions Germany has im?
posed on Spanish shipping and of the
j sinking of Spanish ships without
! warning. It declares that these meth?
ods render the economic existence of
Spain almost impossible.
The note continues: YAH these
prove that German intentions neither
aim at acknowledging our rights, as
we have demanded repeatedly and
' with justice, nor take into account,
I as they would, the requests of a coun
i try whose friendship, until today, was
I unabated and whose neutrality was
; preserved without wavering.
"If the imperial government per?
sists in declaring that it adheres to
its determination In order to defend
its life it must not be astonished If
Spain, for the same reason, must em?
phasize her right to defend her own
/life. Despite negative replies to its
previous note the Spanish government
I still trusts that the German govern?
ment will earnestly .ppreciate the*
sense and significance of this note and
that in future its measures whi be
guided by regard for the lives of our
seamen and the safety of her ships.
The Spanish government also hopes
; that the imperial government, fully
' appreciating the difficult economic
situation in Spain, will enter into a
discussion with the Spanish govfrn
i
ment regarding measures which may
be taken within the limits of mil'tary
necessities for the mitigation of diffi?
culties which have arisen in Spain."
RAILROAD EXPENSES INCREASE.
Cost of Operating Railroads Grows
Faster Than Income.
Washington. April IB.?The operat?
ing income of the railroads decreased
approximately twenty-two million,
three hundred and thirty-five thous?
and during February despite an in?
crease of two and half million in the
total operating revenues, according to
the monthly summary of reports by
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
On their face the reports tend to sup?
port the railroad arguments that their
expenses have recently increased in
a greater proportion than their oper?
ating revenues.
Rates Increased.
Washington. April IB.?The Inter
State Commerce Commission has per?
mitted the railroads to (lie supplemen?
tal tariffs covering fifteen per cent,
rate advances. The new tariffs are
subject to Investigation, correction,
suspension, tiling only preliminary
consideration of cases, the commis?
sion announced.
HR; STRIKE IX BERUM.
Retried Officially That Quarter >UI
lion laborers Quit Work in EfTort
to Kovurr Peace.
Washington, April It.?Reports to
the State department through official
channels tell oC the strike of a quar?
ter million laborers in Berlin. The
department s;i>s this illustrates the
growth of a desire for peace among
the workmen.
IMKRICAK KCHOOXRR SUNK.
Washington, April 26. -Destruction
Without warning by submarine gas>
!":?? of the American schooner Percy
nirdsall has been reported to the
Btsts department. The time and
place are not announced. A Brl'
patrol boat rescued the surviv