The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 22, 1917, Image 6
I TOPE'S PEACE TERMS.
as Made by Pontiff Include Return of Invaded Ter
gad Colonies and Settlemsnt of Vexed Questions
Ol Nationality at Conference of Nations After
Hostilities End.
loa ten Aug. II (By the Associat?
ed Frets).?The foreign office to?
night hwuod the French text of the
letter from the pope to the king in
nl iiotisj a copy of his appeal to the
heads of the belligerent peoples.
The text follows:
"Tear Majesty: The Holy Father,
anxious te do everything he can In
trdef to put an end to the conflict
which for the last three years has
ravaged ft so civilised world, has de
tided to tubmlt to the leaders of tho
belligerent, peoples concrete peace
proposals exposed In a document
which I have the honor to attach to
this letter. May Ood grant that
words of Hta Holiness will this time
produce the desired effect for the
good of the whole of humanity.
"The Holy flee, not having dlplo
saaile relations with the French gov?
ernment er with the government of
Italy or the United States. I very
respectfully beg your majesty to be
good enough to have handed a copy
of Hta Malinese' appeal to the pres?
ident of the United Slates, 1 also beg
to add II other copies which I re?
quest your majesty to be good enough
to hand lo the loaders of the nations
frteadty to the allies, with the excep?
tion, however, of Rossis. Belgium
and Brasil, to whom the document
has been eent direct.
"la expressing to your majesty my
sincere taaaks for this extreme kind
neos I am hsppy to take the oppor?
tunity te offer yon the homage or
eesjtlment. a very profound respect
with which I have the honor to sign
myself your majesty's very humbb
sad devoted servsnt.
(Signed) "Oasparrl"
The appeal follows:
"To tho Leaders of the Belligerent
Peoples:
"Since the beginning of our pontifi?
cate the horrors of a terrible war let
looee on Europe we have in view
above everything three things to pre?
serve: Perfect Impartiality toward"
all belligerents ss Is suitable for Him
who Is the Common Fsther and who
loves all His children with equal af?
fection; continually to attempt to d<
all the good pooslble and that with
out exception of person, without dis?
tinction of nationality or religion a*
lo dictated to us by the universe1
law of charity which the supreme
Spiritual charge has confided to u:
with Christ, and. finally as our paci?
fic mission also requires to omit noth?
ing as long ts It was In our power
which might contrlbutH to hasten thr
end of this calamity by trying to lead
people and their leaders to more
moderate resolution to hasten a se?
rene deliberation of s peace Just and
durable.
"Whoever hae followed our work
during theo? three painful year:
which have Just passed has been ab|<
easily to recognlso that If we had al?
ways remained faithful to our re
solvs of absolute Impartiality and te
our attitude of benevolence we hav?
not ceased to exhort the peoples an?
the belligerent brothers again to be
come brethren although publicity ha
not been given to all that we havt
done to attain this very noble aim.
Towiirds the end of the first year
of the war wo addressed to the na?
tions In conflict most lovely exhor?
tations, snd more we. Indicated th<
part to be followed to arrive at s
stabls and honorable peace for all
Unfortunately our appeal whs not
heard and the war continued deeper
atety for another two yearn with al'
Its horrors. It became even mor<
eruel a ad extended over the earth
over the Ma and in the air and on<
saw desolation and death descend up?
on the cities without defense, upon
peaceful villages and on their Inno?
cent population, snd now one can
imagine how the sufferings of al'
would be increased and aggravated if
other months, or worse still, othe
years are about to bo added to this
sangulr arv trlennlum.
"Is this civilised world to be noth?
ing more than a field of death? And
Europe so glorious and so flourish?
ing! Is it going, aa If stricken by a
universal madness, to run to the
abyss and lend Its hand to Its own
sulclds '
"la such a terrible situation and In
the presence of a mennee so serious
we who have no particular political
aim. w 10 do not listen to signs or to
ths Interests of sny ol the belliger?
ent powers, but sre tuiely compelled
by a sentiment of our supreme duty
ss to the Common Father of the
faithful, by the solicitation of our
chlldrsn who Implore our intervention
snd our pacifying work.
"Throuxh the voice even of hu?
manity snd of reason we once more
emit the cry of peaco nnd we renew
a pressing appeal to those who hold'
in their hands the destinies of na?
tions. But in order no longer to
speak in general terms as tho circum?
stances had counseled us in the past
wo now wish to make a more con?
crete and practical proposal and to
invite the governments of the bellig?
erents to come to an agreement up?
on the following points which seem
to be a basis of a Just and durable
peace), leaving to them the task of
analysing and completing them.
"First of all the fundamental point*
must he that the material force of
arms be substituted by the moral
force of right from which shall arise
a fair agreement by all for the sim?
ultaneous and reciprocal diminution
of armaments according to the rule*
and guarantees to be established, lr.
a measure necessary and sufficient
for the maintenance of public ordei
in each State. Then In the substitu?
tion for armies the institution of ar
bitration with Its high pacifying
function, according to the rules to b
laid down and tho penaltlee to be
imposed on a state which would re?
fuse either to submit a nation?'
question to arbitration or to accep
its decision.
"Once the supremacy of right luv
thus been established all obstacles t<
the means of communication of th<
peoples would disappear by aasurlw
by rules to be fixed later, the tru?
liberty and community of the sea?
which would contribute to the nu?
merous causes of conflict and would
also open to all new sources of pros
perlty and progress.
"As to the damages to be repaired
and as to the war expenses, we se<
no other means of solving the quo*
tlon than by submitting as a genera'
principle the complete and reciproca
oondonatlon which would be justified
moreover by the Immense benefit V
be derived from disarmament s<
much so that no one will uncierstam
the continuation of a similar carnag
solely for reasons of an economic or
der.
"For certain esses there exist par?
ticular reasons, and they would be ds
llberated upon with justice and equity
but these pacific agreements with tin
Immense advantages to be derived
from them are not possible without a
reciprocal restitution of the territory
at present occupied.
"Consequently on the part of Oer
many the complete evacuation of Bel?
gium with the guarantee of her ful
political, military and economic In
dependence towards It.
"The evacuation of French terri
tory. On the part of other heiliger
ent parties; similar restitution of th'
German colonies.
"As regards the territorial qucs
tlons, as for example those whlci
have arisen between Italy and Aus
trla and between Germany and Franc
there Is reason to hope that In con
slderatlon of the immense advan
tages of a durable peace with dls
armament, the parties In conflict
would wish to examine them with I
conciliatory disposition, taking Intc
consideration as we have said form
erly the aspirations of the pcoplcf
and the special interests and of the
general welfare of the great human
society.
"Tho same spirit of equity and
Justice ought to be followed hi the
examination of other territorial and
political questions notably those re
latlve to Armenia and the Balkan
states and territories making a part
of the ancient kingdom of Poland
whose noble and historical traditions
and sufferings which It has endur?
ed, especially during the present war.
ought to conciliate the sympathies of
nations.
"Huoh are the principal bases
whereupon we believe the future re?
organisation of the peoples ought to
tie quilt. They are of a nature to
render impossible the return of sim?
ilar conflicts and to prepare a solu?
tion of the economic questions so
Important for the future and for Ihe
material well being of all belligerent
states.
"Therefore, in presenting to you,
who direct at this hour the destinies
of the belligerent nations, we are
animated to see them accepted and to
see thus the conclusions at an early
date of the terrible struggle which
more and more Appears a useless
massacre.
"The world recognizes that tho
honor of the armies of both sides is
safe. Incline your ears therefore to
our prayer. Accept the fraternal in?
vitation of the Divine Redeemer, the
Prince of Peace. Reflect on your
very grave responsibility before (Sod
und before man.
"On your decision depend the re
TRAITORS IN THE WEST.
no attempt to minimize
strike danger.
Quick und Vigorous Action to Be
Tukcn Against i. W. W. Louden*.
Washington, Aug. 16.?Grave men?
ace to industries whose continuation
at high speed is deemed vital to the
prosecution of the war is seen by
officials here in the growing activi?
ties of Industrial "Workers of the
World leaders on the Pacific coast
and in the Far Northwest. The
movement apparently is nearlng its
maximum and the full scope of its
powers is not minimized here. A
pretontious program calling for
strikes, lockouts and general disturb?
ances over seven States, or about
one-fourth of the area of the coun?
try, has been brought to the atten
ion of the department of Justico by
scores of expert field investigators
now in the affected territory.
Swift and drastic action to check
the movement in so far as it would
cripple industries or curtail produc?
tion of commodities necessary for
war is planned by department of
justice officials. In many instances,
however, the department labors un?
der the handicap of being unable to
proceed until an overt act has been
performed. ?
Prosecution of strike leaders, justi?
fied in the opinion of the department
on charges of conspiracy or under the
espionage act, is contemplated in
special eases but no general prosecu?
tion of the I. W. W. leaders is ex?
pected.
The entire movement, culminating
yesterday in the declaration of James
Rowan, district leader of the organi?
sation, that a general strike would
be called August 20 in Washington.
Oregon, Montana and Idaho unless
certain demands were 'implied with,
is regarded by many officials as being
political and not a labor movement.
Instructions have been sent to field
workers to determine as far as can
be done whether the threatened
strike is part of a program deliberate?
ly designed to hamper the govern?
ment in the prosecution of the war.
District attorneys in the four States
affected, as well as in California, Ari?
zona and New Mexico, have boon in?
structed to devote unceasing attention
to the situation and to institute pros?
ecutions promptly where justified.
Officials here were much interested
today in Rowan's demand for a ten
hour day In the harvest fields. Any
organized movement, it was said,
tending to prevent or delay the har?
vesting of the country's crops in any
section would come clearly within
the class of subjects with which the
president was authorized by congress
In the war resolution to deal with
summarily. Another industry which
has already been affected to some ex?
tent by activities traceable to I. W.
W. sympathizers is spruce logging in
Washington. At one stage of the la?
bor disturbances the government's
great program of aircraft construc?
tion, expected to bo menaced by the
situation in this industry, has been
restored more nearly to normal with?
in the past few days. A third Indus?
try which might be seriously affected
by general I. W. W. strikes, it is said,
Is copper mining" In Montana. The
government Is following this ituation
closely.
The president's personal investiga?
tor. Chief Justice Covlngton of the
supreme court of the District of Co?
lumbia, may visit the Northwest and
the Pacific Coast to study the sltua
tlon.
MAJOR gen. MTVAMj succeeds
gen. wood.
General John ltuckmnn Will Com?
mand Southern 1>cpartmciit.
Washington, Aug. 18.?Major (Jen.
W. p. Duvall has been appointed
commander of the Southeastern de?
partment, succeeding Major General
Wood. Brigadier General John
Ruckman will command the Southern
department.
No Tax on Checks or Drafts.
Washington. Aug. 18.?The senate
by a vote of 38 to 22 eliminated the
house provision in war tax I>i 11 pro?
viding one cent stamp tax on bank
checks, drafts and certificates of de?
posit.
?-?-r.
pose and the joy of innumerable fami
lies, the life of thousands of yoUM
people; in a word the happiness of a
people for whom it is your absolute
duty to obtain their welfare.
"May the Ijord inspire your de?
cision In conformity to His very holy
will. May (Jod grant that while
meriting the applause of your eon
temporaries you will also obtain In
the future generations a splendid
name of pacificators.
"As for us closely united In prayer
and In penitence with all those faith?
ful souls whloh sigh for peace we
implore for you the light and coun?
sel of the Divine Spirit.
(Signed) "BenedTet.
"At the Vatican, August 1."
_ < I
SHAKE UP IN ARMY.
DEPARTMENT COMMANDERS
CALLED INTO FIELD.
Gen. Leonard Wood Transferred te
Command of Nutional Guard Di
vision at Fort Riley, Kan.
Washington. Aug. If,?Thirty-two
major generals are assigned in a war
department order made public to
night to command the National Guard
and National Army divisions of th<
war armies. On the list are all the
present regular department com?
manders, including MaJ. Gen. Leon?
ard Wood, ranking otllcer of the ser?
vice, who now arc called upon for
duty In the field and probably at the
front in France.
General Wood, commanding the
Southeastern Department, is to be
transferred to command the Eighty
ninth Division, Camp Funston, For,
ftiley, Kan.
Both the National Guard majoi
generals nominated Tuesday by the
president?Joh i F. O'Ryan of New
York and Char'es If. Clement of
Pennsylvania?art placed at th
heads of divisions lu their branch
with some regular army brigadiers
under them.
The order also assigns brigadiers oC
both regulars and guardsmen to
command the brigades of each di?
vision, and a colonel or lieutenant
colonel to serve as chief of staff un?
der each of the major generals. AY
are directed to report not later than
August 25 if practicable. Successor?
to the department commanders in
their present posts have not been
named.
In a note appended to the order,
it is stated that the order of desig?
nation of the division bears no rela?
tion to the order in which they will
go to the front. A warning Is add?
ed that shifts and changes in the of?
ficers personnel of the divisions an
to bo expected. One change appar?
ently has been made since the list
was made up. Maj. Gen. Francis J.
Kearnan is assigned to command the
Thirty-second National Guard divis?
ion whereas that officer, in an order
issued yesterday, was temporarily
designated as chief of the new divis?
ion of embarkation of the) general
staff, in charge of all transportation
GEN. WOOD SURPRISED.
Commander of Southeastern Deport?
ment Had No Intimation of Trans?
fer.
Charleston, Aug. 17.?Major Gen
?Leonard Wood, United States army,
commanding officer of the Southeast?
ern Department, will be transferred
to command of the Eighty-ninth Na?
tional Guard division at Camp Funs
ton, Port Riley, Kansas.
H? will be accompanied there by
Lieut. Col. Charles E. Kilbourne, his
present chief of staff, and his per?
sonal aides de camp. Capt. J. C. H.
Lee, Capt. S. M. Williams and First
Lieut. Russell A. Osmun.
The order comes like a bolt out of
the blue sky and it is evident that of?
ficers of tho army arc sharply sur?
prised. They have had absolutely no
intimation that Gen. Wood would be
relieved of his duties here.
Gon. Wood came to Charleston
soon after the creation of the South?
eastern Department. This grand di?
vision of tho army has been organis?
ed under his personal supervision. He
has manifested a strong interest in
the choice of sites for the canton?
ments.
The recent order that department?
al commanders would not have juris?
diction over army training camps was
a distinct surprise to Gen. Wood, but
It did not suggest any further change
in his employment.
Gen. Wood was in his office on the
eighth floor of the People's building
last night when a reporter for the
News and Courier Interviewed him
on the change. He was genuinely
surprised at the transfer.
"My relief comes as u very great
surpri.se," he said. "I am very norry
Indeed to leave the South. My recep?
tion here has been cordial and friend?
ly beyond words. I 'have found the
people keenly responsive to tho move?
ment for preparedness and looked
forward with great pleasure to the
duties incident to training the troops
in this section of the country.
"I do not know who is to be the
commander of this department and
know nothing whatever of the plans
for this department. 1 have no com?
ment to make on the order. 1 shall
be prepared to move to my new sta?
tion when l am ordered to do so."
Gen. Wood has manifested a grow?
ing interest in the South. On his
tours of inspection he has improved
the opportunity of making strong ad?
dresses urging preparedness. He has
kept in personal tomb with the
prom-ess of the several officers' train?
ing camps In the South. He h;is fol?
lowed closely the building of the can?
tonments for the regular army, the
National Guard and the national
army, the latter to be supplied as tin
result of selective conscription.
At tins time it is not known who
FIGHTING jjj FRANCE.
GERMANS ATTEMPT TO REGAIN
LOST TRENCHES FROM
FRENCH AND BRIT?
ISH.
Bloody Battles in Narrow Limits Rc
suit in Repulse of German*?Mule
(.round Gained but Loss or laiv
Reentry*
The Germans lost no time in try?
ing to regain the territory lost in the
entente drive yesterday, but without
permanent result. They not only at?
tacked on two Belgium sectors, but
made a thrust on the AJsns front
and near Verdun. They gained tem?
porary footholds against the British
In Belgium and the French on the
Aisne, but were driven out and the
lines reestablished. Their efforts to
regain lost ground on Steenbekcrve
were completely repulsed, Paris re?
ports, as were attacks near Verdun
Gen. Korniloff, the Russian com?
mander In chief stated that the Rus?
sian morale had been greatly
strengthened by recent < nergetie
measures. He predicted operations
on a vast scale on the 'Rumanian
front.
RAILROAD PRESIDENT URGES
CURTAILMENT OF SERVICE.
Says a Few Hours Delay is Insignifi?
cant When Life of Nation is at
Stake.
Norfolk, Aug. 18.?Southeastern
railroads arc urged to enlist the co?
operation of all their employes, in?
forming them of the public necessity
of curtailing the service in the nat?
ional interest, in a letter from W.
G. Harahan, president of the Sea?
board. After saying that it was nec?
essary to eliminate trains ho conclud?
ed by saying "How insignificant are a
few hours of delay when the very
Ufa of the nation is in the balance.'
will leave this department in addition
to den. Wood, Col. Kilbcurne, Capt.
Lee, Capt. Williams and Lieut Os
mun.
Army otflcers here were very murh
surprised last night at tl e order
transferring Gen. Wood to command
of a National Guard division. They
were discussing the matter among
themselves, though not for publica?
tion.
It is felt that some of the officers
now attached to headquarters will
be transferred, other officers of the
same grade to be assigned with the
now commanding officer of the de?
partment.
At present three major generals
arc assigned to headquarters of the
Southeastern Department: Major
Gen. Leonard Wood, commanding of?
ficer; Major Gen. John W. Ru -krnan,
commandant of the South Atlantic
coast artillery department, and Major
Gen. Frederic D. Evans, adjutant
general of the department.
Officers have been speculating on
the duty to be given Gen. Ruckman
and Gen. Kvans, not suspecting that
Gen. Wood's sphere of activities was
about to be changed radically by tho
War Department.
Gen. Wood Is the senior officer of
the line of the American army. He
came to Charleston early in May
from Governor's Island. Now York,
where he had served a tour as com?
manding officer of the Eastern De?
partment, at the time by far the most
important division of the army. Be?
fore his detail to the Eastern Depart
ment, he had served as chief of stiff,
in Washington.
Gen. Wood was in the medical
corps of the army when he became
colonel of the famous Rough Riders,
a volunteer cavalry regiment, in the
war with Spain. He was relieved of
duty with the regiment to become
military governor of Cuba. After the
war 'he was accepted in fie regular
army as a brigadier general and soon
afterward was promoted to major
general in the establishment.
Gen. Wood for several years has
been preaching preparedness over
the country and continued his efforts
at this after coming to the South?
eastern Department. He was known
as "the apostle of preparedness." No
Officer In the American army is bet?
ter known to tho people at large and
Gen. Wood has become associated in
the American mind with the move?
ment for adequate national defense.
While the despatches last ni^ht
gave no intimation of the date when
the transfer Will be made effective, it
was repotted that Ge'n. Wood would
probably be ordered to report at Fort
Kiloy about August 2.*?, tomorrow
Week. This would mean that the of?
ficers affected by tlie new orders will
have to bestir themselves in winding
up the affairs here and in making
ready to take over their duties at the
new post.
Gen. Wood had Intended lo leave
last night for Washington to attend
:< meeting of the Hammond Radio
Poard, he said. but his plans were
changed and it Is likely that he will
leave Sunday for the National Capi?
tal.
important ALTERATIONS MADE
IN AKMV INITS?FA HO
ROPEAN PLAN I SKI).
i'ompunv Hereafter to Consist of 250
Men and Six Officers; Division of
19,000.
Washington, Aug. 10.?Complete
reorganization of all branches of tho
American army to conform with Eu?
ropean countries, as recommended
by Major General Pentling; is pro?
vided for in army orders revealing
that th*. recently announced divislon
ei reorganization plan is to be car?
ried down into the regiments and
companies.
The administrative unit of the in?
fantry arm hereafter will be a com?
pany with 250 enlisted men and gig
commissioner officers, in place of
something over 109 men and three
officers. The company will be divided
into four platnoons, each in command
of a lieutenant. There will be two
captains as lirst and seeond in com?
mand, one first lieutenant and three
sVcond lieutenants. Reports of tho
review of American troops in France
yesterday show that this plan already
has been carried out in General Pcr
shing's forces.
The object of assigning two cap?
tains to each company, it is under?
stood, is to provide against disor?
ganization of the unit through the
loss of its commander. The second
captain, under the European system,
does not go into battle line with the
company, if his senfor is present. He
is held as a reserve to reorganize the
company if necessary. Under the new
plan each regiment will have three
battalions of four companies, making
a total of 3,000 men. Supplemented
by the regimental headquarters, sup?
ply and machine gun organizations,
the strength of the new regiments
will be brought up to approximately
3,600 men as against little more than
2,000 in existing war strength regi?
ment*.
The unit organization of the field
artillery and other arms of the ser?
vice has not been changed.
As a result of reducing the number
of regiments in a division, the di?
vision instead of 23.000 men will to?
tal hereafter about 19,000 men, 15,
000 of them infantry. 1
The advantages of the system in
additon to the better adaptation of
the divisional unit to trench warfare
lies chiefly in the reduction in over?
head expense. One colonel and his
regimental staff, including his three
battalion commanders, now will han?
dle 3,600 men instead of a little more
than 2,000'.
Today's orders show that provis?
ion has been made for organization
of 32 new Infantry divisions in addi?
tion to the regular divisions out of
troops already called to the colors,
including the first increment of 687,
000 drafted men. A system of nu?
merical designations has been worked
out under which any division number
below 26 will be regulars; between
26 and 73 National Guard and 76
and above National Army. Regular
infantry brigadt j will be numbered
from 1 to 50, inclusive; National
Guard from 51 to 150 and National
Army from 151 up. Regulsr regi?
ments will be numbered from 1 to
100, National Guard from 101 to 300
and National Army from 301 up.
Assignments of brigade, regimental
or other numerical designation will
be in accordance with the numerical
order of divisions with the result that
any person familiar with the system
will know that the three hundred
and thirty-fifth infantry, for in?
stance, is attached to the one hun?
dred and sixty-seventh brigade of
the eighty-fourth infantry division
and that it is composed of National
Army troops, while the three hun?
dredth infantry regiment. by the
same process would be in the one
hundred and fiftieth brigade and the
seventy-lift h division, composed of
National Guard troops.
The department approved today
collar itgnla to designate the three
elements of the army. Regulars will
wear the standard 1*. S. mongram:
National Guardsmen will wear a sim?
ilar monogram with the initials N. G.
superimposed ami National Army
men will have the initials N. A.
superimposed on the U. S.
PRESIDENT PREPARES FOR AC?
TION ON POOD SITCATION.
Exorbitant Profits Now Doing Reaped
by Dealers.
Washington, Aug. 18.?President
Wilson went to the food administra?
tion department for a personal con?
ference with Herl ert Hoover and la?
ter went to the federal trade commis?
sion. It is believed he discussed the
roal situation and the extent to
which be would assume powers of
control and of distribution and the
extent to which they could fix prices
or operate mines and sell to the
public. The trade commission has
completed an Investigation which, it
is reported, show exorbitant profits
ate being reaped.