The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, May 26, 1917, Image 3
tK HUI IT Uli
; iKlBlr IT WmL
i ttORT RA ft CUB VIEW OF THE
CT TRAINING THE
9OCA>0?I OF THE SEA.
*aw*, Tteiwsjjsiii mm* Eu
?*? ?*e Outstanding Char
at >dse MctJ?ods Used to
. grsstoaus law lies Wao Go Down to
taW Sap as Warah'p* and Form the
?*# 1$m at Def-*ec Against En
*Wio May Try to Invade Our
I
'jfb* the tatted fltates Atlantic
Mar It ?The big ships of the
POWOrfUl fleet sver under the
flag, when visited by a cor
t of the Associated Presii,
arrangement with the Com
on rubh< Information, were
day and night to bring about
Seat of Germany on the sea.
for battle, they are spending
waiting perlol turning out sailor
fleet, temporarily. Is a great
of war. Already It Is turn
owe one of Ha finished products?
who ear fight. They are serv
tne guns on American armed
it shlpa. Its other product?
who ean run the great merchant
the United States will use to
the allies?will be ready as soon
tee ships.
FHe-mch guns, the Kind prlnclpal
I against submarines, are there
hundreds. On the decks groat
house long fourteen and
-lech rides, three or two to a
On high platforms guns used
defense against airplanes point
be sky. Bran is always shining,
always polished, paint is always
desks are i.lways white with
men behind the guns have lost
lee In the war?they were
Orews on merchantmen sunk by
submarines. And other shlp
Sjow are on <lut> aboard the de
operating with the British
French fleeUt. The men with
ens Atlantic fleet are working to pre
pare themselves to avenge the kill
* hag of their mates.
?ore's what happened the other
day. A crew was practicing with a
five-inch gun. A bluejacket about
seventeen?he still had down on his
ohm?was pointing He grasped
lee on a broad brass wheel; his
SUM "Itesdy at a rubber cup at
the end of a long sight, through
which he saw the target. His duty
Was to seep the k? > on the target so
It might be fired any time.
Around this beat dless youth were
other guns crews ready to
when his crew had completed Its
The breach snapped open, the load
thrown home, the breach was
hurled back In place and then a buz
ser, .operated from the tire control
station, sounded; there was a flash,
a roar, the hiss of a projectile speed?
ing through the air and the louder
suss of compressed air blowing smoke
set of the gun. Miles away the pro?
jectile struck the target.
"Guess that's bad,'* said an old
ssan-o'-war's man looking on admir?
ingly at the third shot, as tbe gunV
crew got the range and the pillar of
white water leaped into the air.
"Hew would that do for Frltzy?
sajppoee that had been a submarine
I
The buser. the roar of the gun and
the hiss of sir interrupted him
. " Another hit! Ooo whiskers t ha tin
shoot In? I
On the after deck latest arrivals
aboard the ship were set to work that
Hb and every other day. in fact, up
the loading machines. They con
prlnclpally of a breach and block
and s slide that csrties away dummy
projectiles and powder bags.
Officers with stop watches In their
bands set one crew after another to
work; the Idea being to develop ex?
treme loading speed by competition.
The newest members of the ships'
companies work for days at these
lending machines. The next step in
their trulning <unle? them to the
guns. But they are not yet reudy to
?re the regular charges. One pound
that go off with a sharp crack,
lashed on top of the big guns and
erews go through all the motions
of firing, but instead of a big shell, n
Ittels one weighing a pound speeds for
the target when the buszer sounds
or when the turret captains in charge
ef the bigger rlftee yell Fire."
After a period of firing with the
sob-caliber arrangement the cre*vs
get down to real battle practice. There
are few busier places than a turret in
action. Con steol walls are a I!
around, and s steel roof Is just above
the heeds of the gunners. The point?
ers sit far forward, underneath the
barrels of the guns, little seats like
those on a motor cycle are the-.e for
these and on every ?nie are instru?
ments* As the turret begins to (Ire
s lift, bearing the huge projectile,
bangs up from below, great bags of
powder slid from the magazines into
a loses brass trough. Husky blue
saw ?owdcfi Into another
brau? trough that Is slipped into posi?
tion at the gigantic breach. The pro?
jectile, almost ae large as a man,
meanwhile ha* been rolled into the
trough, a long automatic rammer has
Jumped from the rear and shoved It
into the barrel. The powder bags aro
driven home, a man at the breach
swings a lever, a ton of steel swings
up with a hiss of compressed air. The
breach block turns and locks, a bui
ser sounds, the charge is ignited and
with a rush of air the guns recoil
a bo-t a yard and then jump back
Into position. There is a loud "swish
?swish" as the guns come back and
then go forward. Inside the tur?
ret not much more than that is
heard. w
Outside, it is much different. There
Is a flash, a roar, a ring of smoke
and the loud whistle of the projectile
rushing through the air. So great 2s
the concussion that every man out?
side has cotton or some other sub?
stance In his ears to save his ear
drums from being broken.
Fifteen seconds from "commence
firing" to "fire" is considered pretty
good time for the big guns in the
navy. They have new guns' crews in
training now who never saw salt wa?
ter until three weeks ago who are do?
ing the thing easily in sixteen sec?
onds.
Some nights the ships of the fleet
cruise In waters nearby for night bat?
tle practice. Other nights they are
anchored in the base waters, where
crews are drilled at torpedo defense.
The guns are manned and dummy
torpedoes and submarines are picked
up by the searchlights and theoreti?
cally destroyed.
The fleet has gained efficiency in
torpedo defense. They toll a story in
the ward rooms of an American sub?
marine which decided to change its
anchorage without giving notice. The
Meet is dark after a certain hour at
night. Not a light shows, but the
watch is Intensely alert.
One of the deck officers saw the
submarine outline itself and a gun
quickly was trained. The submarine
was hailed, but the men on it failed
to hear. The fact that the submer?
sible was running behind the patrols
was the only thing that saved it. A
five-inch gun probably would have
?blown it to pieces if the maneuver had
taken place on the other side of the
net. Now submarines don't move
around like that at night. It was
dangerous business.
Eefore the fleet is darkened, the
ships lying in every direction present
an Inspiring spectacle. Lights, os of
a city, show everywhere. Blinker
signals flash on and off?signalling hi
the dots and dashes of the Morse
code. Long fingers of white from
searchlights shoot up into the sky?
on and off?on and off?signalling;
also with dots and dashes.
Other searchlight beams pick up
boats that approach them, some Il?
luminate a landing wharf. Away 111
the distance searchlights of the pa?
trol boats flash on every now and
th??m; sweep the waters to discover
that what might have been a peris?
cope if only a white cap. Then they
fheker out again.. From the shore, at
night, boats passing anywhere in the
neighborhood suddenly find them?
selves in the glare of searchlights.
While the guns' crews are being
trained on some of the ships, aboard
others are being trained men to run
the hundred or more German vessels
the United States will operate as soon
us repairs are made to their engines,
and the fleet of merchantpien being
built to carry food and supplies to the
allies. The fleet is training engineers,
electricians?men to till every posi?
tion. The Atlantic Fleet is confident
thai it will bo able to supply a full
complement for every .ship for navy
is getting men now faster than ever
before, and if the officers are proud
of their ships, the guns on the decks
and the power of the engines in
tbolr hulls, they are doubly proud of
the spirit of the new men who are
eusntpg into the navy. A ranking
oltlcer said:
"These new men have come into
the na\j to fight and they want to
get into the thick of it. We are turn?
ing out guns' crews every day and
every" duy we get orders for more,
in three months from now many
hundreds of guns' crews will have
left the fleet for places where they
may sink German submarines or
cheerfully give up their lives trying
And theso hoys?for most of them
are no more than that?can shoot."
A large majority of the new men In
the fleet, their officers said, have come
from farms, especially In the Middle
West. <>n any ship may he fotind
youths who until the war began were
foHc vlng tho plows.
' In tliis fleet," said one of the >l
fleers, "more than ninety per cent
of the men are native-born Ameri?
cans. There are few foreign-born
men here." ?
On any ship may be heard the drawl
of a South Carolinian or a Georgian,
the N>w Yorkese of the East Side;
the twang that is New England's, tne
rising Intonation of western Pennsyl?
vania and tho tone that only comes
I from west ol Chicago. So fuel is tilt
ITALIANS jjjj GAINS.
VICTORIOUS D1UVE AGAINST
AUSTRIAN* CARRY THEM
TO SKA.
Comparatively Quiet on French
Front?French I'.cpulac German
Counter Attacks?Eighty Thousand
Germans Capture 1 in May.
Major Gen. F. B. Maurice, chief di?
rector of British military operations
told the Associated Press that the
Italian offensive has entered into the
second stage with new and import?
ant gains between Gotizia and sea.
Home ofllcially announced later that
the Italians broke through the Aus?
trian lines from Castagnavizza to the
sea yesterday, capturing more than
nine thousand prisoners and several
towns.
The military operations in France
are In a state of\ comparative quiet.
On the Vauclcre piateau, however,
the French repulsed German counter
attacks. The Paris war office an?
nounced that the French have cap?
tured eighty thousand, six hundred
unwounded German prisoners thus far
in May.
The Italian offensive is striking
down the coast toward Triest. In
breaking the entire Austrian line from
Castagnavissa to the Adriatic the
Italians covered a front of five miles.
The route of advanco Hfc3 over Carso
plentern and directly menaces Triest.
Homo reported that a hundred and
thirty airplanes dropped ten tons of
bombs on the Austrian:,.
\ -
1 SEVERAL/ IN TROUBLE.
Washington, May 23.?The numbor
of Americans being detained in Ger?
many is shown by official records to
be greater than w&3 believed.
The protest to Berlin sent yesterday
through Spain was based on specific
information regarding the detention
of two Americans at Antwerp, but
general reports indicate that several
Americans in different parts of the
territory now controlled by Germany
are being prevented from leaving.
enlisted personnel of the navy grow?
ing that there is no room for the new
men at the training stations ashore.
A man enlists one day in Kentucky
and three flays later finds himself at
a loading machine on the deck of a
dreadnaught.
Many ships have aboard them the
naval militia from the various States.
Some of the militia are pronounced
good sailors.
On nearly every ship arc men who
used to be in the navy and who have
gone back to their old, and usually
low, ranks because their county
needs them. They arc regular offi?
cers.
On one of the ships is a Wall Street
broker. He graduated from Annapol?
is many years ago, resigned and la?
ter came back into the service dur?
ing the Spanish-Americfin war. He
commanded the Hist in several flghtf
in;Cuban waters and knows how U
feels to be under fire.
"The Navy Needs You" was tht
sign that got me back this time," sale!
he. "When I read that sign I knew
it meant me and 1 fixed it right off sc
I could come back. 1 left the navy
at, the close of the Spanish-American
war and have been in the brokerage
business In New York ever since."
On another ship is a little man with
gray hair?a grandfather?who wears
the uniform of an ensign.
"I resigned from the navy many
years ago," he said. "1 have grand?
children now. When we went to war
with Germany I knew the navy need
ed trained men and I offered myself.
They accepted me and here I am with
the junior officers. I suppose I am
the only grandfather ensign in the
navy."
The "grandfather ensign" is just a*
anxious to fight as the newest recrui;
at the loading niiichines, and he If
capable, too.
They've got a slight attack of spy
scare in the navy. Officers said that
it w.is quits possible there were Ger?
mans on the ships. The spy who Is
caught is very likely to find himself
looking into the business ends of the
rifles of a firing squad. Every now
ami then suspicions of the officer*
and men are aroused and a quiet in?
vestigation is conducted. Bluejackets
are suspicious of anything unusual
One now recruit brought suspicion
against himself because he carried
aboard ship with him a geometry
bok.
A magSSlne writer unlisted to gain
flrSl band Information about the life
of an enlisted man. He had an agree?
ment with the navy department
through which he was to get out of
the navy in a couple of weeks and
enlisted ai a yoeman. His second
day on the ship he started to look
around and finally appeared in the
boiler room. The firemen chased him
out and one of the coal passers in?
formed the boatswain, adding, "A
yoeman has no business in the boiler
room. If he comes down there UKuin
?the sneaking spy?I'll brain bin;
with a shovel. That ought to save i.
filing squad a lot of trouble."
WAR TAX PASSED.
RUVEHDb measure adopted
by overwhelming ma?
jority.
Washington, May 23.?The war
revenue bill, framed to bring into the
treasury in,S00,000,000 through new
taxation during the coming year, pass?
ed the blouse by a vote of 329 to 70
late today in almost the same form
that it was presented by the ways
and means committee two weeks ago.
All the opposing votes were cast by
Republicans, although there are many
Democrats strongly opposed to cer?
tain sections of the measure. Virtual
redrafting of the bill in the senate is
regarded as certain. Material changes
already are contemplated by the sen?
ate finance committee as a result of
public hearings held during the long
debate in the house. Final passage
probably can not be accomplished in
less than a month.
Outstanding features of the bill are
the greatly increased income, inheri?
tance, excess profits, liquor and cigar
and tobacco taxes, virtual abolition of
the present customs free list and a 10
per cent, addition to existing tariffs,
new taxes on manufactures, amuse?
ments, clubs, public utilities and in?
surance, a far reaching stamp tax and
a greatly increased mail matter rate
based on the parcel post zone system.
In only four particulars does the
present measure differ substantially
from the original draft. Surtaxes on
lucomes above $10,000 have been in?
creased about one-fourth above the
committee schedule. Several articles,
including print paper and pulp and
gold and silver, slated for a 10 per
cent, duty, have been kept on the
free list. Slight reductions In the
second class mall matter rate have
been made. A proposed 5 per cent,
tax on all advertising except news?
paper and periodical is limited.
Attacks on the bill in the senate will
c-antrc around the excess profits, in?
come and manufactures tax and the
second class mail rate increase sec?
tions. Business men generally are
protesting vigorously against the taxes
and virtually every publisher in th*
country is opposing the increased mail
rate. In a final effort to rally all his
party votes, Democratic Leader
Kitrhin declared that he had been in?
formed personally by President Wil?
son today that he did not desire
changes in the bill in the senate as
had been currently reported. Mr.
Xitehin also appealed earnestly to al1
members to supply the president with
money to carry on the war.
"I would feel like a miserable cow?
ard," he said, "to impose a burden
on my children and my childrens'
children to pay for something for
which they were not responsible and
yet refuse to take out of my pockets
money for my share of the burden."
Republican Leader Mann insisted
that the bill would raise too large an
amount of money by direct and Im?
mediate taxes.
"This bill approaches killing the
gose that lays the golden egg," he
said. 'Indeed, I am afraid we arc
killing that goose today."
Mr. Mann placed every possible ob?
struction in the way of the measure
thenceforth, even insisting on a roil
call on motion to recommit. It was
deefated 246 to 161.
A fight on behalf of automobile
manufacturers, won temporarily yes?
terday by Representative Doremus of
Michigan, was lost today. After
amending in the committee of the
whole a paragraph fixing a B per cent,
tax on automobile manufacturers so
that only those earning a profit of
$5,000 and 8 per cent, would be af?
fected, the house, by a vote of 233 to
174, reversed itself and the original
paragraph granting no exemptions
was restored.
The house voted down, 345 to 60, a
motion to strike out the increase in
the Lenroot income tax surtax amend*'
mcKt which, it is estimtaed. will be
productive ol $06,000,000 additional
revenue.
An unsuccessful effort also was
made to eliminate the committee sec?
ond class mail matter rate section,
which would increase on March 1,
next, the present flat rate of 1 cent
a pound to a graduated scale ranging
from 1 1-2 cents a pound in the first
zone to 6 cents a pound in the eighth.
Two other graduated scales with fur?
ther increases in rates would go into
effect on July 1. next, and November
1, respectively. The vote sustaining
the committee was 256 to 150.
Mr. Kitrhin voluntarily struck from
the bill the proposed 5 per cent, tax
on advertising. It had beeil left in
tlie measure for use In case of de?
feat of the second class mall matter
proposal, to carry an amendment to
tax newspaper advertising.
I/ondon, May 24.?Lord Robert
Cecil, minister of blockade, announc?
ed to the house of commons that a
considerable number of light Japanese
naval craft have arrived to cooper?
ate with the allies. a dispatch from
Pnrls Friday said that the Japanese
guaboats arrived at Marseilles.
MY POOL BUYING.
PLANS MAKING FOR COORDINA?
TION OF PURCHASES.
K\{>ni(lituiv or Ten Billion Dollars a
Year to Bo in Single Official's
Hands.
Washington, May 23.?A Pro?
gramme under which the American
government virtually would pool its
purchasing, for the sake of attaining
maximum efficiency with that of all
the allies, construct a buying ma?
chine into which hundreds of ex?
perts in many lines would fit as cog?
wheels and place one man m charge
of the whole gigantic enterprise, is
under consideration and fast assum?
ing definite outline.
This man would be the world's su
perbuyer. Into his hands the nations
at war with Germany would place
approximately $10,000,000,000 a year,
a store of money exceeding the fabled
fortunes of the ancient Incas and with
no parallel in modern history.
So far has the program progress?
ed that the officials entrusted with its
execution already have a definite idea
as to whom they will choose. While
no final decision has been reached as
to whether one man or a small com?
mission shall be ehosen, indications
are that it will be one man and that
his selection will be announced with?
in the next fortnight.
C-eat Britain, France, Russia, Italy,
Japan and Belgium will sign an
agreement making the plan effective
as soon as the tremendous amount of
detail can be adjusted. At present
the programme hinges on the extent
to which the United States will par?
ticipate.
Plans are being formulated under
which the needs of the American
army and navy would be placed in
the hands of the commission. Here
tofote, the navy has been supplied
by its own buyers and the army sim?
ilarly has been furnished everything
it requires, from brass buttons to
heavy artillery, through the war de?
partment.
The army and navy, experts esti?
mate, will spend approximately $3,
500,000,000 during the first year of
war. The allies will spend approx?
imately $6,000,000,000 a year, more if
American credit and American pro?
ducers can make it possible to make
them spend more. To eliminate du?
plication of export and competitiv
bidding, it is proposed to bring al'
these vast purchases under the direc?
tion of a single organization.
To do this the war department and
the navy department would have to
surrender, in theory?but not. In fact,
officials say?a part of tneir purchas?
ing prerogatives.
The mechanism of the organization
would consist primarily of a directing
head and subdivisions or bureaus
each in charge of purchases of cer?
tain commodities. As advisers, the
organization would r robably consult
financial and other experts.
The bureau In charge of foodstuffs
purchases would rank among the
most important of the subdivisions.
Present plans call for placing re?
sponsibility for all such purchases in
the hands of a man known the world
over for his ability along this line.
To him would be given the task of
coordinating American food equitably
among the allies and of keeping such
close check upon production and out?
go that there would be no shortage
of necessities among the American
people themselves. To assist this bu?
reau head there would bo an army
of expert buyers, familiar with Ameri?
can markets.
Equally important would be the
munitions bureau. To this subdivi?
sion would fall the work of coordi?
nating the allies' and America's de?
mands for munitions. Experts from
the army and navy probably would
play an important part in this bureau.
They would be assisted by a large
field force to keep a close record of
output, producing ability of American
munitions plants and the needs of
American military and naval estab?
lishments, which, of course, would
tako precedence over the needs of
the allies.
The world's greatest clothing buyer
would have charge of another subdi?
vision of the organization; a separate
bureau probably would be devoted to
the purchase of coal and oil for fuel;
another to railway equipment and
another to many other groups of
military necessaries.
Much of the labor at present being
done by the allies* organiatlons and
the council of national defense would
pass automatically to the control of
the purchasing commission. Officials
regard it as likely that the new com?
mission will take over many duties of
the council, including those of keep?
ing in close touch with transportation
facilities.
Meantime the purchases of the
allies in this country are progressing
about as usual with the important ad?
dition that the government already is
keeping in close touch with the man?
ner in whjc.h they are spending money
loaned them and in some cases actual?
ly directing how It shall be spent.
BRITISH TRANSPORT SUNK.
GERMAN SUBMARINE SENDS BIG
TROOP SHIP TO BOTTOM. .
Transylvania Was Ship of More Than
11,000 Tons?Formerly on New
York -Mediterranean L?m>?Four
Hundred and Thirteen Persons Lost.
London, May 24.?The British
transport Transylvania was torpedoed
In the Mediterranean sea on May
4th with the loss of four hundred and
thirteen persons. The official state?
ment gives the following lossee:
Twenty-nine army1 officers, three hun?
dred seventy-three of other ranks.
Lieutenants S. Brcmnell, commander
of the ship, one other officer and
nine of the crew. The Transylvania
was of more than fourteen thousand
tons, formerly of the anchor Line,
and was built for the New York
Mediterranean trade.
Survivors in Italy.
New York, May 24.?the Anchor
liner Transylvania was sunk off tho
French-Italian coast it has been learn?
ed here. The survivors were taken
to Saona, Italy. The Transylvania's
I last appearance in the Lnitod States
was when the Lusitania was sunk.
The Trnsylvania sailed, nevertheless,
ariiving safely at Greenock, Scotlard,
FRENCH LINER SUNK.
Paris. May 24.?French liner Son
tay, of more than seven thousand
tons, en route for Marseilles from
Saloniki, was submarined on April
16th with the loss of forty-five 11* os.
Memphis, May 22.?Eli Persons, a
negro who confessed to the murder
of Antoniette Rappael. a school girl*
near here, several weeks ago, was
burned to death at the scene of the
crime this morning. More than a
thousand witnessed the lynching.
Absentees Register by Mail.
Though very positive in terms, the
regulations to effect registration for
the selective draft June 6, are rea?
sonable in their provisions, relative
to absentees. The place of registra?
tion is the domiciliary precinct, but
adequate provision is made for en?
forced absence. The burden rests on
each individual between 21 and 30
yenrs, inclusive, to see that regis?
tration certificates are entered at his
domiciliary precinct on registration
day. Absentees may procure regis?
tration blanks from the office of the
county clerk of every county or the
city clerk of cities of 30,000 popula?
tion or more. K
"Upon application by you, your
card will be made out by the clerk,
turned over to you and by you It must
be mailed in time to reach your
domiciliary precinct by the day set
for registration."
Eligibles whose permanent homes
are in cities of 30,000 or more, may
direct the registration card in care
of the mayor. A self-addressed enve?
lope should be enclosed with the reg?
istration card for the return of the
registration certificate. Failure to get
this certificate may cause serious em?
barrassment.
Persons in training camps, schools
or colleges or other institutions may
register under the above provisions
for absentees. "However, for their
convenience, the county clerk or
clerks of cities of 30,000 or more are
authorized to deputize a competent
person to certify to the registration
cards of non-residonts in such insti?
tutions and to furnish a sufficient
supply of cards to do so. It must be
borne in mind that such registration
must be made a sufficient length of
time before the date set by the pres?
ident for registration to enable such
student to mail the card. The burden
of registration in his own domiciliary
precinct is on every man; and per?
sons must see to it at their peril that
their registration cards are in the
hands of the registrar of their
domiciliary precinct at the time pre?
scribed in the president's proclama?
tion.
Persons who, an account of sick?
ness, arc unable to present them?
selves for registration on the day set
by the president, will cause some com?
petent person to apply to the county
or city clerk for a copy of the card
and lor authority to fill it out. If
sa*'::*ed that .he case is bona fide,
the clerk will deputise the person ap?
plying for the card to make out the
card. The card will then be mailed
by the sick person or delivered by his
agent to the registrar of the sick per?
son's precinct. The sick person will
inclose a self-addressed envelope for
a registration certificate.
Thus, in the case of Russia, American
government officials are seeking to
place advantageously orders for 500
locomotives and 10,000 cars.
Plans for the commission cast an
interesting sidelight upon the pros?
pective needs of the allies and pre?
vious purchasing methods. Statistics
tell In many formidable tabulations,
often startling In their import, of the
obligations given by foreign govern?
ments here and of the parrhanss
made.