Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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WITTER WATCHMAN, Ertabfehcd Aprta I860. ?*? ImH hod Fe*r not?DM aB (be ende Hum AinaVt at be thy Country's, Thy God's and TmtO/s.' TBS TR?B SOUTHRON. OeeeoUdated Aua.?, 1881. SUMTER, 8. 0.. SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 1917. Vol. XL1V. No. 49. um or mm. OAlUt AM EXPECTED IN IN At Gl'. BAL STAGE, mttU li (>ften*4vo Between Lyn Hirer asxl Borotugho Resulut hi Fatly Cose roeoau rate With Laie? Carry Oss> and Take Yllhi;c?. British Front In France and Del July II (by the Aesoc and i).?Aa epoch making offers'\e. by the British and French the German lines between the Riser Ljra and Beeglngho at Jayb eak. has, with few exception*, accoini lish ed a I that had been planned far the ?rat day of this battle which. In Its tar!) all fas gives promise of >elng the pastes* conflict of tbs war. R(?Owaly r peeking, the British pen? etrated positions held by Crown Prtnoe Hopp recht of Bavaria between fionlngho and Waren ton and at the time of ths riling of this dispatch were la peseeesion of the first three lines of toe German trenches at moot points throughout front Reports received a the French troops, which are attacking over the sHfacolt territory between DU nude ?ad a paint near Boeslnghe, say that they have forced their way across this studded and partly Inundated and captured the first twc lines B German trenches. The caeuidtles of ths sntente allies have been surprisingly light and the rass of the men continues at the pitch. The conta 1 between the British and French armies has seen constant and excellent. Late todsy It was reported that the Qsi wiaaa have begun a heavy counter attack at the point where the entente allied farces join. The German front line trenches, whsah had seen torn to pieces by the try bombardment, offered llt but once the allied had penetrated beyond them set with fleree resistance at petals. Directly east of Zilie and again a little to the north lllgsli 'liwiiiii li held up heavy machine gun lira but only irfly. for ths troops charged the rasa ed lead and .forced from their positions li Again at a redoubt which was strongly hsld In the Oerman line and dsftedsd by concrete fortifications, the British were brought to a stand by saat hlns gun fire. But they charged with bayonets and dislodged the Ger? mans. One of ths most striking and spec taeeiar evoats of the day'a fighting eeevrred at the so-called Msnlr tun as!, a great underground fortification constructed by ths Germsns or the Mania road opposite Hoogs. Ths Brit? ish preliminary bombardment had forced the Oer mans to hold the trench Una thinly here, and the Brit? ish dlvtstoo which was to stuck at dawn lay out all night In shell holes within II yards of the Oerman line waiting for the signal to advance. When the time arrived for the charge ?ad ths British gunners had dropped a protecting barrage on the German front trench ahead of the British troops. It was seen that the Germans had taken to their heels and were Boeing. The British seeing their prey escaping, went mad and charged di? rectly through their own barrage, fortunately without heavy casualties. The Msaln tunnel, which was expected ?o be occupied by several hundred Get-mans, was found to be held by only 41. the rest having retreated. It was only at the second line that the British met resistance ami here, after sharp hand to hand fighting, they forced the Germans sgaln to withdraw. No cheek has yet been made on the number of Oerman prisoners csptured but they are flowing In a steady stream hack of the British lines. Many of thou* captured at Menln tunnel end other point* are mere boy* The tanks again played a promi? nent part In the openlns of the bat? tle, and report from all sections ol the British front say their work h i been most aatlsfsctory. l**r*u num? bers of the** monsters were employed and In many case* pursued their de? structive snd uneheckahle way to a distance fsr within the Oerman lines Further Information obtained fron Oer. isn prisoners cone ming the ?f ferts of the Brltlah praliminurv bom bar Im?; ? Indicated that the ef feet of this unparalleled *xi>endltur of mutltlons was diaastrou* in th extreme both In damage and to th morale of the German troop* Wlttl la the past few days six Bavarian di visions were withdrawn from the lln and replar.v l by fresh .mops baegg they were so thoroughly demoralise by the Inferno of fire which ihev had undergone. Photographs taken by HITS WEAKEST POINT. WAR EXPERTS SEE CHANCE IN COASTAL ATTACK. If It Falls. Campaign Must Revert to War of Attrition, With Victory Far Off. Washington. July 31.-?The British French assault on the German right bank has made a profound Impression here because in the Judgment of many American army officers It is directed at the most vulnerable point on the en? tire German front Complete suc? cess for ths allies, sweeping the Ger? man lino bock from the sea along the entire Belgian coast, would be an im? mediate answer to ths u-boat warfare. Tho main North Sea bases for u-boat operations would be stamped out. Be? hind that achievement then would stand ths possibility that the entire German line In France could be en? dangered by a flank attack. Reporte from London or the front were still too meagre tonight to dis? close the full scope of the new oper? ations, Some observers here were in cllnd to believe, however, that un? less tr-3 drive hi supplemented by na? val cooperation, with a landing behind the present Oerman front, complete success Is not to be expected. The discussion here brought out strongly the fact that many American officers who have studlod the situa? tion bellevo the German right flank offers the only real opportunity to bring the struggle to decisive Issue In a single campaign. Short of that, they can foresee only a continuing repetition of the deadly business of frontal attack, which in time would wear down the German resistance since the allied powers have the greater resources In men and sup pits. How long the wearing down process would require, no official Is willing to suggest, however, and it Is pointed out that If u-boat activity Is not sharply checked, time will work strongly against the allies. Recent German operations have produoed the Impression among some observers that tho assault upon the right flank has been expected by the German general stall. The surprise attack some time ago upon a small sector of the British fropt, which swept the allies back beyond the Yser canal, materially strengthened that sector for the Germans. In renewed Gorman ussaults upon the Verdun front observers have read also an attempt to prevent an allied concentration upon the right flam:. In diplomatic quarters, however, tho Verdun attacks are coupled also with tho German advance In Gallcla to fur? nish the stage setting for the renewal of peace suggestions. The possibilities of tho new offensive produced the suggestion today that If the allied front could be extended to the Dutch frontier, the Netherlands government might Join the allies. Re? cent reports from neutral sources have Indicated that the Germans feated some such action by their little neigh? bor. In that connection It has been noted that numerous small German steamers lying In Dutch waters since the outbreak of the war have been captured or destroyed recently while attempting to return to Germany and that several divisions of German troops hsve been reported ma-jsed along the Dutch frontier. Some officers strongly believe a great part of the German success heretofore has been due to tho fact that the allies have been forced to ac? cept the type of warfare which the Gorman high command elected. When tho Gormans early in tho war fell back to the Alsno and dug them? selves In, the allies followed JOJtt and the opportunity for field operations was quickly lost. The game was mapped out as the German staff w su? ed It to be played. There are officers who believe that with the allies' greater forces and more powerful artillery, they now could bo certain of fairly quick sue cosa If trench fighting could be aban? doned for tho shift and strategy of field operations. CORPORATION TAX REDUCED. Senate? Pi nance Committee Handles Undivided Surplus Gently. Washington, Aug. 2.- The tax on corporation's undivided surplus was reduced from fifteen to ten per cent by the senate tlnunce committee. aviators back of the German lines nhow that there was scarcely a SQUarc yard of territory along t heb f out which was not devastated by the Iii?:' explosive*. It Is small wonder, then that the c.erntans were holding their front line thinly and Were swept back when finally the time arrived for the allied Infantry to do Its work. HOLD FLANDERS LINE. ? ALMES MAKE GOOD THEIR GAINS IN BELGIUM. Bad Weather Hampers Offt *ivc Op? eration*, but Allies Will Continue Battle as Soon as Big Guns Can be Brought up?Believed to Bo Effort to Turn German Flank. The British and French are busy consolidating the ground In Flanders and In beating off counter attacks by Germans inth e wide territory, they gained yesterday, while torrential 9a ins hamper offensive operations. The new line is from two to two and a-half miles ahead of the old positions and includes ten towns. The logical supposition is that the battle will be continued as soon as the heavy guns can be brought up. Allied capitals believe the battle may last for weeks or even months. It is believed the plan is to attempt to drive a wedge deep enough into the German lines to force their retire? ment on a large front. This threatens German submarine bases on the Bel? gian coast. The importance of this Is reflected in the furious counter at? tacks of the Teutons. , The Germans attacked on a front between Avocourt and Hill 304, but were stopped when they reached the advanced lines. BATTLE IN MUD. Fight in Flanders Confined to Artil? lery Fire. British Front, Aug. 1.?A heavy rain which hau continued since last night has transformed the Flanders battle ground into a sea of mud. forcing a comparative lull in the fighting. The Germans heavily bombarded tho po? sitions they lost yesterday. The Brit? ish poured shells Into the new German positions. The airmen aro helpless in tho storm. SHIP BUILDERS WANTED. Enlistment Curds fpr Ship Bp Ilde r> Reserve. The ship builders' reserve cards are now ready and are being circulated that all may sign who will; no one has to sign who does not want to. The cards read: 1 hereby volunteer to work on ships that are being built for the govern? ment, if called upon. Date of signature . Name.1. Occupation. Address ..... I. Ago. These cards are In the hands of the Labor Committee and the Central Committee and the Chamber of Com? merce. The members of the Labor Conunitte arc Messrs. E. L. Wlther spoon, F. W. Carr and Dan McKiever. Tho central committee consists of H. R. VanDoventer, J. M. Harby, T. H. Siddall. E. L. Withcrspoon and H. A. Moses. The desire Is to have them signed by carpenters, plumbers, me? chanics and painters. The United States is at war, and to push the war successfully there must be at hand ample means of trans? portation. This means "ships, more ships and yet more ships." To buil< ships labor is needed, needed in great? er proportion by many times than is now employed at the ship yards. The policy of the UnPed States is not to draw enough labor from any one place to hurt conditions at that place, but to draw In small numbers from all over the land. Therefore it is asking each town to make a card in Jdex of its workers who are vllling t' ! go if caled upon so that if they are needed places can be offered to a fe? rnen from all points. COTTON CROP ESTIMATE. Government Predicts a Crop of Near? ly Twelve Million Bales. j Washington, Aug. 1.?The depart? ment of agriculture estimates the cot? ton production at eleven million, nine hundred and forty-nine thousand bales, based on the condition on July 25th of 70.3. The South Caro? lina conditon Is 74, Georgia 69 and Florida 80. NEGRO TROOPS NOT WANTED. - Nieb?lls Secures Change in Guard Plans for Spurtunhiirg. Washington, July 31.--No negro troops from New York will be sent to the Hpartanhurg camp as originally arranged. Realising that such a plan WOOld probably not work out to the best advantage, Congressman Sam J. Nteholls took up this motter with the war department when he heard that this was to be done and today re? ceived assurances that the negro p ?I diets would he sent elsewhere. HARD ON SHIRKERS. MERE MARRIAGE NOT CONSID? ERED SUFFICIENT. Provost Marshal General Explains Exaet Status of Hurry-up War Bridegrooms. Washington, July 31.?Hasty mar? riages made since July 20, the date of the army draft drawing, in an ef? fort to escape conscription through the claims of a dependent wife will not be considered ground for dis? charge unless the wife is actually de? pendent on the husband's daily labor, j Prompted by reports from many eitles of marriage license bureaus be? sieged by men included in the first draft call, Provost Marshal General Crowder today ruled that "marriage is not itself a valid ground for mak? ing claim for discharge." Dependency is a matter of fact, not of law, General Crowder pointed out. "A man whose wife is mainly de? pendent on his daily labor for sup? port," he said, "may claim exemp? tion on that ground. Only the exemp? tion board can determine this fact. Where dependency is claimed and circumstances show a marriage hastilv consummated since July 20 by a man whose number is high on the avail? able list, the actual fact of dependency must be closely scrutinized." "Moreover," General Crowder de? clared, "women who marry men mere? ly to aid them to be slackers are li able to prosecution under the draft act." \ In his ruling General Crowder ad? hered strictly to President Wilson's draft regulations which draw no dis? tinction between a dependent wife ac? quired before or after the drawing. Secretary Baker, however, advocated refusing exempton to any man mar? ried after the drawing, saying the draft should bo considered a prior claim, but this course will not be fol? lowed. / Fears of some officials that delay In obtaining materials and sufficient la? bor, for National Army cantonments would postpone the mobilisation long past September 1, were dissipated to? day by an announcement by Secretary Baker that 78 per cent, of the canton? ment material la now on tho ground and that reports indicate everything will be in readiness, or nearly so, in another month. LABOR AGITATOR LYNCHED. Leader of I. W. W. Troubles in Orgcmi Hanged to Trestle. Douglas. Arizona, Aug. 1.?Frank Little, a member of the executue. commission of the Industrial Workers of the World and the labor trouble leader in Arizona, was taken from his lodging house by masked men and hanged to a trestle. He was a force? ful speaker and Is understood to have had the confidence of William D. Haywood. On his body was found a note saying: "First and last, take warning. Others take notice Vigil? antes." YOUNG MEN MARRIED. Record Broken at New York Bu? reau. New York, July 31.?The record for marriages at the marriage license bu? reau was broken here today, when 161 ceremonies were performed, the bride? groom in almost every instance being j of military age. The number of marriage licenses is? sued was 294, considerably under the expectations of clerks when they saw long lines of young men and women waiting for the bureau to open tills morning. The reduced number was due to the action of Thomas D. Mc? Carthy, United States marshal, and a force of deputies, who appeared early in the day and compelled every man of draft age who .could not show his registration card to leave the build - AMERICAN STEAMED SUNK. Submarine Destroys Ship En Boute tanas Now York to QueeiiMown. London, Aug. 1.?The American steamship Motano was sunk by ? sub? marine yesterday. Twenty-seven of the crew have landed. The Motano i Was of twenty-seven hundred tons gross. She sailed from New Yon. July 2 for Queenstown. The crew numbered thirty-four. in the absence of J. Roy Pennell, State highway engineer, who is cap? tain of Company A. Engineers Battal? ion, National Guard of South Cam Una, the State highway commission yesterday appointed F. II. Wurrej now assistant to Copt. Pennell, i netlng State highway engineer, and Ii. T. Browne ami Edward MeCrady, acting assistant engineers. TRAINING GAMP NEWS. YOUNG OFFICERS AT FORT OGLE THORPE NEAR END OF COURSE. All Arc on Edge Awaiting Announce? ment of List of Commissions Award? ed?Training Will Conclude With an Eight Day Hike. Special to The Dally Item. Camp Warden McLean. Fort Ogle thorpe, Ga., July 30.?The past week, two weeks, in fact, have been filled with speculation among the candi? dates in the training camp as to their chances of securing commissions, and with the calling of men before the company commanders this morning, and the rumor that all men to be dis? missed will be given discharges be? fore the hike starts on Thursday for a practise march of eight days across the State of Georgia, the speculation j and rumors have more than doubled. Nothing definite will be known of "who will get what" until the A. P. announces the appointments on Au? gust 15th. In the meantime there will continue to be much unrest and uneasiness among the candidates. According to the reports In the lo? cal papers, two majors, fifteen cap? tains, sixteen first lieutenants, fifteen second ieutenants, will be appointed from each company and other men to total of one hundred and three. Prac? tically every man who has shown that he Is efficient, or whom the company officers consider so, will be given a j commission on the reserve waiting I list. This is for infantry. The artil? lery appointments will be about the same as in the infantry, while in tho one cavalry troop the percentage of ! appointments will probably bo a lit? tle higher. j Rivaling in interest the recom | mendations for commissions, is the j eight-day hike which commences on ; Thursday. The march will be under J war conditions, except that there will be only a simulated enemy, j During the past two weeks the can ' didates have been going before the ex? am ining board, all the examinations, which were mere casual glances and a few informal questions from the board members, being completed on Friday. The recommendations will probably go in this week, from here i I to Charleston to be approved by the , department commander, and thence to Washington for issue of commis sions. The hike ends on August 9th, and camp will probably end about the i j 14th, when the candidates, or most ol ?them will go home for a short fur lough, before going into active ser vice. Along with the examination by th< board, the companies have been sent 'up for a special examination of lung I and heart by the surgeons. Only a ; very few of the men were held up on j thiB examination, as they had pre? viously been examined, and this was merely a confirmation of the former examination. Considerable time has been spent in studying and the practise of trench warfare methods of late, build? ing, revetting and the methods of at? tack and defense. Along this line, a very interesting talk was made by Major Wood of the English army on fighting at tho front, especially the use of the bayonet. Maj. Wood was j a visitor to camp the past week with Gen. Wood, who also came to the camp for a couple of days. The form? er Is an American, an officer in the English army and had served in I France, where he was wounded. The weather has been exceedingly hot of late, but It has been cool enough for good sleeping every night, and the men are keeping in excellent health. I The Bumter contingent in camp Is as uncertain, if not a little bit more so, as any one else about what com? missions, if any, they will get. Some of them complain of the system op? erated In their companies, by which they have had no chance. One or two of them are somewhat discour? aged, but all arc still hoping. Their friends will know as soon as they, through the papers, of their appoint? ments. The challenge of the Sumter Volley Ball team, extended sometime ago. was accepted by a Virginia team and a match staged during the past week. The Sumter team were easy winners, the men on it being Wen? dell I^evi. Joe Chandler, Iajuis Bryan and Irvine Richardson, with T. D. Raven el, Jr.t u. O. Purdy, Jr.. end (leo. i>. Levy, as subs. No other teams have accepted the challenge. FLOUR Mil.I. PROBE. Washington, Aug. 2. The Federal Trade Commission begins nest week :i flour milling investigation as pari of the general food Insutry. BATTLE WITH SUBMARINES. . S. DESTROYERS ATTACK U BOATS AND PUT THEM TO FLIGHT IN SHORT ,4 ORDER. One Submarine Was Bold. But When l nie Sam's Gunners Got Her Range She I) vcJ Quickly. American Naval Base in British Waters, July 31?By the Associated Press).?American destroyers today reported to have engaged two subma? rines simultaneously six miles dis? tant, causing both of them to speed away and submerge without tiring a shot?typical of the behavior of sub? marines w ien they see destroyers. One of taem had just sunk a steam? er by gunlire and the second was at? tacking a merchantman when the dettroyers opened fire. The second submarine, which is described as a super-type, almost as long as a de? stroyer, raced off and submerged at the first shots, but the other, which had sunk the steamer, displayed unus? ual boldness, remaining up several minutes, while the destroyer dropped shells aroi. nd her. Only when a shell a plashed within 25 yards of the sub? marine did she submerge, according to the crew of the steamer, who watched the attack from a small boat close by, and who were later rescued by the de? stroyers and brought here. A Freneh tanker bound for Ameri? ca limped into port today, with a 30 foot hole in her bow as a result of a fight with a submarine. The tanker was twice attacked. In the first at? tack, early in the voyage, she easily beat off the submarine and reached & point 400 miles toward America. She w as then attacked by another subma? rine, the shells of which, despite the stout resistance of the tanker's gun? ners, shattered the pilot house, smash? ing the compass and tore a gaping hole below the water line. The tanker began to settle and the crew aban? doned the ship, the submarine dlsapv-? pearing. The crew rowed away In a rough se; . but later, surprised that the tanker did not sink, returned to her and managed without bearinga to bring her to port. ANOTHER GERMAN TRICK RE? VEALED. Elf- to Force Physical Rejection Exposed. New York, July 31.?Evidence that young men were plotting to evade conscription by the use of a heart stimulation which would cause their rejection by medical exs miners was laid before Francis G. Caffey, United States district attorney, by Roscoe S. Conkling, deputy attorney general, representing the New York adjutant general. An immediate investigation wae ordered. Mr. Conkling obtained the informa? tion from a man whose name he with? held, but who told him that a physl sian of pronounced pro-German sym? pathies had arranged to treat two j young men with the drug previous to their examination by the draft ex? emption board of their district. The names of other young men who are believed to have received offers of the same treatment also were given to Mr. Conkling. Dr. Karl Osterhaus of the bureau of information for medical examiners in Mr. Conkling's office, said it would be an easy matter to detect the presence of the drug and that tests would bo applied in every case of unusual heart activity. Louis Berger, who signed himself as treasurer of the New York Vege? tarian Society, today wrote to Mr. Conkling asking whether members of the organization would be exempt from conscription because of con? scientious scruples against war. He wrote that members of the societv were opposed to killing any living thing. "Perhaps if yon would devote a lit? tle more time to trying to be real 'Americans and be willing to sacrifice a little bit toward defending the hon? or of this country." Mr. Conkllog wrote in reply, "instead of worrying Shout vegetarian societies and exemp? tions at ttiis particular time, you .might sleep better at night and have the feeliiiR you had done something worth while." WILD COTTON MARKET. Futures .lumpe?! Cent and ?-quarter on fiovemnicnt lteport. New York, Auk:. I.?The govern? ment cotton report giving the crop condlton as seventy and three-tenths caused a .jump of one hundred and fifteen to twenty-five points. Even the hulls were surprised as they be? lieved the condition to be much high? er. Profil taking caused reaction of almost half of the gain.