Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

UtatctitnMt quo tan. MIRER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1SSO. Consolidated Aur. 9,1881. "Bo Just and Fear not?Dot ?11 the ende Thon Alme't ut be thy Country's, Thy God's and Trmth's." THE TRUE SO CT I IKON, Established Jans, 1 STJMTER, 8. 0., SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1917. VoLXLIV. No. 27. Mit IH WM ZONE. IlWfTKD STATE? TORPEDO BOATS PATROLLING SUBMARINE SONS. ft** News Coasts by Way of Queens trete? But Secretary of the Daniel? Makes Official state that Destroyer Flotilla Has on Duty Mneo May 4. own. May 1C.?A squadron American torpedo boat destroyers aafely crossed the Atlantic und patrolling the seas in war ?ervice. American navy s actuul entry Into sons has alreudy been pro? of a brush between a de? ar and a Oerntan underwater according to an announcement British admiralty, but the re of It has not been made public, destroyer squadron arrived in ?wn alter an uneventful voy scroas the Atlantic but almost ira? tely after a formal exchange of with the British naval offl put to sea again for the hard that is before It ,crowd of several hundred persons, of them carrying tiny American limed the water front and cheer destroyers fron? the moment first sighted the flotilla until >hed the dock. The crowd cheer aJlJL again when a few moments later JK American senior officer came ^aabore to greet the British senior of faoar and Wesley Frost, the American ? eoasu), who had come down to the dock to welcome the flotilla. Every fJtmg was done in a simple, business manner. There 1 was an entire of of forma lit v. The, commander ol the British ?ttlla was waiting on hoard his ship sent wireless greetings to the American units a* soon as they hove In Sjght. steaming in ??. long line into the harbor. Alter the exchange of shore greet (tog* and' the British commander hud congratulated the American officers on their safe voyage. Its asked: fWhoe> miU ynw *W rsiwy-for trmrh neeir-V I HWe oan start at onoe," theAmerl ean eommander replied promptly. T?ls response, so characteristically American, surprised the British com? mander who said he had not ex? pected the Americans would be ready to begin work on this aide so soon after their long voyage. When he had recovered from his surprise, how? ever, he made a short tour of the destroy era ani admitted that tho American tar* looked prepared. "Tea," replied the Amerlcun com? mender, "we made preparations on the way over. That is why we are nady " The equipment on board the de etryere waa found to be In excellent condition and remarkably well suited to the requirements on this side of lbs ocean. Is fact, <t was said by the Britts'i officer that the only thing lacking in t the equipment of the American sailor* waa heavier clothing. It appears that the Amerir ins were wearing clothing light for the varying conditions of weather they will encounter in ?hese waters. This, however, was quickly provided for. After the formalities had ended and the needs of the men were at? tended to the American ships at once put to sea. the men from captains to ordinary seamen looking In the pink at condition and apparently enthusias? tic for their task. TO HELP ALLIES. Daniels Announces Purpose of United States Navy. Washington. May 16.?Formal an? nouncement that American destroyers manned by picked crews have carried the nag into the war zones of Europe , and are operating against Gorman submarine? with Lrltish and French War vessels was made tonight by See \ rotary Daniels after the news had come from London. The number and nsnifs of the vcmcI* were not dls Cjeejed. It was clear, however, that the fighting power of the nation WSJ to be exerted to th?- utmost to ? flip out the u-bout menace. The secretary's statement In part follows: "United States naval vessels have *?en operating with the allied naval f<?rcc? In european waters since May A number of destroyers sailed from American port* In the latter part of April and all arrival at their deetinn tU*j| without accident or delay of an' kind "The United State* vessel* are tin der the command of Uear Admiral S'mi*. who went to Knxlund and 1 -race several weeks ago, to arrange fur artlvs oooperatloii between the I CIH'T STOP HUES. RECKLESS SACRIFICE OF LIFE BY GERMANS FAIL TO CHECK AD? VANCE ON HINDENBERG LINE. Ebb mid Flow or Battle During Lust Few Days With Attendant Slaugh? ter has Resulted < ? Net Gain for the British and French?Germans Have Made Numerous Terrific Counter Attacks on Both French ami British Without Stopping Their Advance. The Gerrtmn* although resisting with a reckless loss of life have fuile<l to stop the British advance on the Hlndenhurg line. London today of? ficially announced that the British have made more progress at Bulle court and have reached the western end of the village. On the French end of the front I terrific German attacks also failed. Paris reported that three heavy as? saults north of Raffaux Mill and three northeast of Bruye-en-Layoi.no.* have heen repulsed. The seeming ebb and Mow of the battle in the past few days has been a net gain for the Allies. Italians have sprung on offensive, made considoruble advance in the di? rection of Trlest. Oen. Cadorno, ap? pears to be planning a great flanking movement against the Carso plateau which is the natural defense of Triest. Vienna admits Italian gains, hut claims that many attacks were re? pulsed and that they have captured two thousand prisoners. RUSSIAN CRISIS SETTLED. Government Policy Approved by Rep? resentatives of Workmen and Sol dlers. ______ i . Petrograd, May 17.?The cabinet crisis may be considered settled. The declaration of the government's policy has been accepted by the represen? tatives of the Council of Workmen's and Soldiers1- delegates, with merely eofl al alterations and will be sign ad without delay. With A. F. Kerensky. who is already war minister, six mem? bers of radical groups will be In the cabinet. In addition to Kerensky the Socialists and Populists will bo rep? resented by M. T. Chemoff and M. Pechonoff, the Social democrats by M. Skobeloff, vice president of the Workmen's Council and M. Malanto vltch. A third Is still to be chosen. Generals Alevleff, Dragomiroff. Gurko and Rrusslloff. who arc here for a military conference declared that a coalition government is essential to restore army discipline. THE FIREMEN'S TOURNAMENT. Orangeburg Wins Grand Hose Race? New berry Second. Spartanbur?. May 16.?The second day of the State firemen's tournament ended this afternoon with the comple? tion of the grand hose race. Orange burg won flist place in this raec and the prlne of $200. Newberry won second place and the $ 1 2f pr ize. Third place was not awarded. The firemen's tournament opened this morning with a grand parade which ended at the court house where a concert was given. Officers for the following year have been elected as follows: President. Ixjuis Behrens of Charleston; first vice president. A. Theme of Florence; second vice president, D. H. Hun singer of Spartnnburg; secretary, R. S. Hood of Sumter; treasurer. T. 0, Flowers of Iloek Hill; statistician, C. .1. Ltry of Andrews. The next meeting of the associa? tion will be held in Blshopville. The business sessions of the convention elosed yesterday and 'io races will be completed tomorrow. MANY PRISONERS TAKEN. Germany Captures liargc Number of English nnd French Soldiers. Berlin, May 17- So far during May. suys the ofllelal war ollice state? ment, the Germans on the. western front have euptured |?S#d Knglish ?Ad 27,000 French prisoners, ?i up naval forces of the United States and those of the other nations at war with Germany. Plans formulated after reports from Rear Admiral Sims made as a result of his conferences with tin i llrltlsh nnd French admiralties are now being effeetuated. "It bus heen the purpose of the United States navy to give the largest ' serf of assistanee to the other revelries nt war with Germany that i oeneletent with the full and com- ! ?let*. prote< lion of our own coasts and territorial Wuter*." FIGHTING THE SUBMARINE. ENGLAND SHROUDS HER METH? ODS AND ACHIEVEMENTS WITH VEIL OF SEC? RECY. The Rattle for the Safety of The Seas is Being 1-Ymght with Skill ami Dar? ing and When the Full Story Can he Told at the Close of the War the WoHd Will Marvel. Washington, May 1?.?Without minimizing in any degree the fright? ful seriousness of German''' - subma? rine warfare, there is a ray o*>hope and encouragement in the reasons for secrecy on the part of Great Britain concerning just what is being accom? plished in ctalking these snakea of the sea. In a communication to the National Geographic Society, Sydney Brooks, the English journalist, gives some of the strategic reasons for! si lience relative to the success with which the British admiralty is meet? ing in baRging this nefarious game. A part of the communication is issued as the follov ing bulletin by the So? ciety: "Just as Great Britain never ad? vertises the feats of her armies, so she allows the world to think that the Prussians are having it pretty much their own way with their submarines. As a matter of fact, the German sub? marines have scored very few legiti? mate successes?by which I mean successes that conform to the usages of civilized warfare. It must be nearly two years since they sank a British man-of-war of any importance. "As pirates preying upon fishing smacks, trawlers, Atlantic liners, and the merchantmen of all nations, they have added a new and infamous chap? ter to naval history. Otherwise it is, I believe, the opinion of most naval men that in German har Is the sub? marine has proved disappointingly in? effective. "People, I remember, were thrown into a state of quite unbalanced ad? miration when the Deutschland ap? peared in American waters. It was spoken of as one of the most remark* able, achievements of the war Fev stopped to remember?even Indeed If they ever knew?that the war was only a few months old when ten Brit? ish submarines crossed the Atlantic from Halifax to the British Isles?the first submarines in naval history tu make the journey under their own power. "While we publish the number of vessels sunk by Prussian submarines we say not a word about the u-boats \Miose careers are brought to a sud? den Stop? T do not know how manv of them we have caught, sunk, or de? stroyed. It may be ISO; it may be 200; it may be 220. They come out an dthey do not return, and there is no one in Germany, and perhaps not half r dozen people in England, who know what becomes of them. "The reasons for our secrecy must be tolerdbly obvious to anyone who thinks the matter over. All that the Germans are able to Infer from the failure of any given ?-boat to return to port is that somehow or other it has been lest. But how or where they cannot tell. "It may have been through some error of structure or design?a thoueht to send a chill down the spine of every admiralty official. It may have been through a mistake in navi? gation. It may have been through one or other of the endless and con? stantly changing devices that British ingenuity has evolved and brought into play against the new piracy. It may. too, have happened near the German coast or after the u-boat had reached Its appointed station. They cannot tell. "They are faced with a blank wall of possibilities that they have no means of verifying. Weeks must often elapse before they can be sure that a submarine which they thought was Operating in a certain area had really perished, and that another boat should be dispatched to take its place. "Sometimes, however, the veil of mystery is partially lifted. Some? times a Herman u-boat is towed up the Thames, moored to the embank? ment, and from $75,000 to $100,000 collected for some naval charity by throwing It open to the public. Some? times if you are dining with a naval offlosr you will hear wondrous tales of submarines netted, bombed by aero? planes eVSn when they are well be? low the surface, hunted and CSUght by destroyers, induced by one ruse after another to show themselves where they oan he got at. "Sometimes, too, in a British porl the men of the merchant marina will tell you of Homeric combats that Would have warmed the heart of Nel? son and Farrap.ut and made Draiee CONSIDERATION OF WAR BUDG? ET FEATURED BY REVERE CRITICISM. DefeMe Council Turgct?Amednmciit Adopted Declaring Powers of Coun? cil Shall Not lie Considered En lurked Because of War. Washington. May 16.?in beginning | consideration today of the $3,390?000,- I 000 Aar budget the senate devoted' the eitire session to sweeping erit icism of the executive branch of the government. BeldORl has the cham? ber been the scene oi* such vehement attacks, continued for five hours be? hind closed doors and renewed after tbe doors were opened. [ No progress was made on the bill, 1 but with the outburst of indignation i out of the way, senate leaders thought passage of the huge war appropria? tion measure would not be long de- I lay ed. I The Council of Xaiional Defense, I I composed of cabinet officers, its civil? ian advisory committee and the gov? ernment shipping board were special targets of senatorial wrath and Pres? ident Wilson himself was sharply crit? icised. The council was charged with ueurpalion of authority and with un? lawfully delegating power to the ad? visory board. The shipping board was at*ailec. for alleged interference with private shipbuilders and for insisting upon it:i wooden ship program. The president was attacked for alleged lack of cooperation and consultation with congress. The upshot of the entire discussion was adoption of an amendment by iSenator Sterling, of South Dakota, I setting forth that the powers of the I Council of National Defense shall not I be cons dered enlarged because of war conditions. A section of the bill ap? propriating $500,000 for the defense council was the basis for the debate. Rcpubli<*an leader Mann consented 1 to an executive session, suggested by j Senator Weeks, of Massachusetts, be? cause the whole bill involved discus? sion of confidential military questions. \ Five hi Urs afterward the doors were opened because Republican senators, j including Lodge. Norris and Brandc gee suggested it was not proper that such statements as had been heard 'should be made without cognizance of j the public without opportunity for those alleged to offer defense. COTTON CONSUMPTION GREATER. Total for April Amount to 082*903 Running Bales Against ."?151,7 II in 191?. Washington, May 16.?Cotton, ex? clusive of linters. consumed during April amounted to 55*?,303 running bales, compared with 531,714 during April, 1916. Linters consumed during April were 69,236 bales compared v.ith 71,1116 in April of last year. SUBMARINE'S TOLL REDUCED. Only Eighteen l*argo Vessels Sunk During Week. London, May 16.?Eighteen Britten merchant vessels of more than 1,600 tons wen; sunk during the past week, says the official summary of shipping losses issjed today. Five merchant rente!! of less than 1,600 tons were sunk, together with three fishing ves? sels. The foregoing statement shows the I losses for the week cut considerably j more than half as regards the num? ber of vessels sunk, last week's re? port showing 02 vessels, as compared with 26 in the current statement. In large vessels the reported decline was from 24 to 18. TORPEDOED NEAR GENOA. American steamer lliloiiian Sunk in Mcditciancan by Submarine. New Yoik, May 17.?The American steamship Hilonlan is reported to have been torpedoed and sunk off Genoa with a loss of four members of the crew, according to acablsgram to the owners, the Universal Transpor? tation company. The Hilonlan was unarmed. and Frobisher gasp and stare. "But these nrc mere haphazard personal gleanings. No one knows the full extent of the harvest or how *t has been gather. -I In. Mut we do know enough or nny rate we think wo do to feel fail I, confident thai 11>? - Gerinnns can attempt noth? ing cun in\. nt nothing that we runnol llnd the means of countering; an.l that confidence has been rather more than Juetlfled by all that has happened since February 1." BLEASEITES HOLD CAUCUS. DISGRUNTLED LEADERS DE? NOUNCE SCAN NINO AND WOODROW WILSON. Allege That Governor Shows Partial? ity in Making Military Appoint? ments and Th.it President is Re? sponsible for America Being in War. Columbia, May 14.?Alleged dis-| elimination by Gov. Manning against members of the so-called "Reform Party of South Carolina," in the rec? ommendations for officers of the State's two regiments, was made the basis for much caustic criticism of the chief executive, t' * passage of U set of condemnatory resolutions, and the appointment of a committee of live members to go to Washington and lay the grievances of the faction be? fore the secretary of war, at a meet? ing of '100 or more representatives of the party here this afternoon. The meeting was called by Cole L. Blaaae, Ksq., of this city. The com? mittee which will go to Washington , I consists of cole L. Blaaae, chairman; IW. A. Stuekey of l^ee county; B. R. I Buckingham, of Aiken: Dr. Olin Saw j yer, mayor of Georgetown, and James P. Carey, Jr., of Pickens. Under in ! structions of the meeting the com j mittee will tell the secretary of war j that their faction has been grossly j neglected in the officering of regi j ments and that the governor's action I in refusing to create a third regiment j for the State is strongly resented. I The meeting, which was called to ' "consider the ci isis caused by the world war," incidentally branched into a discussion of plans for the campaign ? of next summer. Mr. Bleaso. in the last of three speeches, declared that the winning of the "political war of j 1918" was almost as important as the defeating of Germany. Members pres I ent were warned by him not to go to sleep, but to see that their faction is represented at meetings next April 1 when the clubs are organized. ? J The real "kick" aganist Governor j Manning is based on an aliened trip i to Washington, at which the governor I Is said to have urged the adoption ! of conscription machinery for this State which differs from that provid? ed for other States, the difference be? ing, it is claimed, that whereas in other States the board consists of the sheriff, the clerk of court and the county physician, in South Carolina i the board's members are the judge of I probate, the clerk of court and a chairman named by the governor. The ghost of the past summer's election was disinterred in this con? vention, which Was called to consider j its part in the war, and the familiar ? charges that the votes of the people I were not fairly counted were freely repeated. The convention was particularly bit? ter in its assertions that Bleaseites were not permitted to attend the of? ficers' training camp ut Fort Ogle jthorpe, though it was not demonstrat? ed just how the I nger of the govern? or was used in this manoeuver. Jas. P. Carey, Jr., of Pickens, stated that j he had been rejected after being told by the olficer who made the examina? tion that he was the kind of man the j government Wanted. John P. Grace, of Charleston, de? nounced the action of congress in de? claring war and indulged in a round of criticism of President Wilson for breaking his "implied pre-election contract" to keep the country out of war. Mr. Blease strongly indorsed Mr. Grace's stand. He thought the United States "hod no business in this war." The resolutions adopted follow: "Whereas, insinuations and aceusa Itions have been made by men high In authority in South Carolina to the war department at Washington, ques? tioning the loyally of the Reform faction of the Democratic party of this State, and intimating that the members of thai faction are not pa? triotic and loyal t<? the government of the United States a ?f South Caro? lina, and are and have been putting obstacles hi the way Of raising South Carolina's quota of soldiers to consti? tute the nrni) now l?eing organised; and, ??Whereas, as n result of such re? ports and insinuations, members of the Reform faction have been grossly discriminated against; and. Whereas, we hereby declare thai such insinuations and accusations are unjust and Incorrect; now, therefore, bo it, "Resolved, That vv disapprove of the manner in which the hoards of conscription have been selected for this State, "Resolved, That we disapprove of PREPARING TO MUSTER LARGE NUMBER FOR EXPEDITION TO FRANCE. Reported That He Has Had Agents at Work in South for Weeks Engaged in Preliminary Recruiting Work Among Negroes. Washington. May 15.?If the in? formation that reached this city to? day to the effect that Col. Theodore Roosevelt, through negro men in the South, is preparing to muster enough men of that race to recruit his ex? peditionary forces and that the gov? ernment is contemplating temporary ? amps tor their mobilization at cer? tain cities in the South is correct, this situation coupled with the fact that those cities where it is proposed to encamp the negroes do not want them may force the war department to draw the color line. H. Lb Johnson of Atlanta, who was formerly register of deeds of the Dis? trict of Columbia under both the . Roosevelt and Taft administrations and who is perhaps one of the fore? most negroes in the United States Slnee the death of Hooker Washing? ton, is at the head of the movement to recruit the Roosevelt volunteers from among the negro men of the country, and especially from the South, where the white element is i none too strong for Teddy. Johnson, who is a keen observer j of events, is said to have taken a j census of negroes in the South and to have become well satisfied that Within a few days he will be able to sign up enough men of his race to i fully recruit the Roosevelt division, 1 In the event the president signs the .army bill with the Roosevelt pro i vision incorporated. I Johnson began his Roosevelt move | ment in Georgia and it has spread, it j is said, through Alabama, Mississippi. South Carolina and the other States of the South until there is fear that great havoc will be wrought the farming interests as soon as the ne? groes begin their hci'ira to join the new division.' Hundreds of them in bunches are said to have already no titled hnson that they are willing to quit the farms, the turpentine an-t naval stores industry and the rice fields of the South to join with Roosevelt. They have received just enough information about the scheme and tlie exploits of the negroes who wore at the San Juan light in the Spanish-American war, together with the fact that they look upon Roose? velt as the greatest man the world j ever did or ev er will produce?even greater than Lincoln himself?a. modem Moses to lead them out of the wilderness to make them ready to go. It is expected that if the president signs the military bill with the Roosevelt amendment strong peti? tions will be presented to him in? volving two sides to the question: First, the depletion of the farm lands by the organization of the force, and, secondly, the opposition of the many ritici in the South to having camps of negroes located near them. ? The latter side of the matter is al? ready being seriously considered here and should the war department de? cide tentatively upon a plan for the mobilization of the negro men in Columbia. Greenville, Macon, Atlanta or elsewhere in the South against what is believed to be for the best interests of those sections, the presi? dent will doubtlessly be promptly ad? vised that such act loa is not wanted nnd he will be asked to direct the war department to chinge its plans. Should the camps 1c* established, it is expected that thousands of negroes would flock to them to enroll under the Roosevelt banner. TO PREVENT EXTORTION. Washington, May it.?Secretary Houston, In reply to inquiries, stated that the government if given power to Ha maximum food.prices will do so only in case of emergencies to break up corners and prevent extortion. He said a minimum price hed been sug gCSted for the purpose of stimulating product Ion. I be effort which is mow being made to deprive the ?iti:<a"S of the State of n third region ivt of Infantry, which would give to the State ? brigade commanded hj its own ofheera, and thereby r< ducc Ihc number who are t<? '?e drafted und? r the army bill. "Resolved, That a committee of live be appointed to go to Whehlngtoa and to place before the authorities of the United States the true status in South < *:i rollna*"