The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 25, 1917, Image 1
fJtJMTim *ATCHMAN, RrfeblUhed April, 1*50.
"Be
and Fear not?Let an ehe ends Thon Ahnet at be thy Country's, Thy God's
Orjnaolldatod Aur. 2, 1881.
SUMTER, 8. C SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1917.
THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Kalahlarhart i
Vol. XLV.
PLANS All? ANNOt'NCKD BY
DEPARTMENT FOR CKNNl'S.
Hfl fati?Tr Hundred Item* of Food
and Supplies In All Repositories.
Washington, Aug. 31.?A nation?
wide food survey, authorised under
the tret of the food (awe recently en?
acted by congress, wi'.l be started Im?
mediately by tho department of ag
rl culture.
1 Plane far the census, announced to
gurht shew that It will cover nearly i
let Items of food snd will include
sepp*tea en the farms, in warehouses
4 ad stores and even the stocks in the
family pantry.
A quick survey will be taken first
<?f the supplies of IS of the principal
turtlotee of diet and probably can be
i?osestated In three or four weeks, to
!>e followed by a complete census af?
ter the crops are gathered. All the
ftgoree will be as of August tl.
Information gathered by the de?
partment win be turned over to the'
feed administration, which will baso
Its operation* largely on the statistics
supplied. After the survey Is finish?
ed monthly reports will be prepared
on the supplies of the principal foods.
The work will be carried on prln-1
ctpalty by the bureau of markets, the
bar saw of crop estimates, tho bureau
Of chess bury and State relations ser?
vice Of the department. Both actual
Inventories and estimates will be em?
ployed. Estimates of the food snd
feed products on farms will be made
for the whole country by the bureau
of crop estimate* through 35,000
picked eooperators In the field.
Information regarding stocks In
wholesale, jobbing, st jrlng, manufac?
turing and other .commercial estab
teahenenta, Including large rental
honeswill be obtained by requesting
fiati each concern a statement of the
etaet amount of each of the various
products held by It.
stocks on hsnd In small retail
will be estimated from Infor?
mation gamed from a detailed sur?
vey of stocke In a number of rep
reanntatlve districts. Stocks In the
hands of all the consumers of the'
country will be estimated similarly
from canvasses of a large number of
representative families.
Tho nearly 100 Items on which sta?
tistics are to be gathered Include
grains and seeds, grsln, food pro?
ducts, dried fruits and nuts, vege?
table fats, sugar, syrups, starch, meat
snd meat products, food products pre
served In tin and other containers,
dairy and related products, fish and
feeds
ENEMIES IN MFXH (>.
Onwns Carrying on Newspaper
Campaign Again** Cnlted HtntcH.
Mexico City, Aug. 12.?The friends
of Germany are carrying on a propa?
ganda against the United States in
certain newspapers here. Their ef?
forts have failed Insofar as Influenc?
ing the educated classes Is concerned,
but the fantastic "?orlos published
have some weight among the lower
types of Mexicans. The German ag?
itators appeal to this * .ass by lurid
stories of bombardment of American
cities, the sinking of allied fleets, the
claim of ultimate victory for the cen?
tral powers. Notable influence Is
exerted by Germans who s|>eak Span?
ien fluently, who come apparently
from central American countries.
NEXT DRAFT IN SPRIN?.
Not Relieved Any More Troops Will
be Called Now.
Washington. Aug. SS.?A full sta
tletleal report of the operations of the
draft law will he prepared as soon
as the first Increment has been mob?
ilised In October. Pending an analy?
sis of what the report discloses, no
Hleiis will he taken toward organising
the second increment. The flrst In?
crement will tax to their capacity the
enmp site*! and training personnel
nnd It Is not believed the second In?
crement will be called before the
spring of 1118.
THE SHIPYARD STRUCK.
Workmen Waiting to Give Mediator
Opportunity to Effect Settlement.
New York. Aug. 11?Although th
shlpyrrd workers voted to make
th* strike general In the New Yor!
*hli>vards, today the men asreed to
*- ntll the United States media
t .rk could make an ? fort to ar
range a settlement. Labor lenderr
asv that twelve thousand workmer
are out now. This number would
have been increased by many thou
SeNmt had the men not waited for a
settlement.
CANADIANS WHIP GERMANS.
FIGHTING MEN FROM WEST WIN
BLOODY BATTLE.
One of Fiercest Hand to Hand Fights
of War l*ulled Off at Lens on Mon?
day Morning.
British Front in France and Bel
glum. Aug. 21. (Tty the Associated
Pross.)?The fierce battle which be?
gan at dawn today on the outskirts
of the city of Lens continued
throughout the day at close quarters
und late this afternoon there was no
diminution In the Intensity of the
struggle #bet ween the attacking Cana?
dians and the Germans.
The Canadians this morning fought
thoir way forward with bombs and
bayonets and occupied important en?
emy defenses north, northwest and
southwest of the heart of the city
( and since then the Germans have
; been sending In wave after wave of
Infantry In desperate couterattacks.
The Canadians have held strongly
and the Germans have suffered very
I heavy casualties, as they must have
expected from the nature of their
counterthrusts, in which no thought
la given to the cost of life.
The striking feature of the battle
lies In the fact that this Germans also
had mas'ed troops for a counterat?
tack at dawn against the newly ac?
quired Canadian positions In the
northwest environs of Lens and had
uetually started their advance when
they were surprised by encountering
the onrushlng Canadians In No Man's
Land. Both offensives had begun at
the same hour but a heavy mist ap?
parently made the Germans unaware
of the Canadian preparations until
the Canadians were upon them with
the bayonets.
Brief but bitter fighting occurred
in No Man's Land. Tho German offi?
cers tried to rally their men but the
enemy Infantry gradually fell back to
their trenches. The Canadians rush?
ed forward and leaping on the para?
pets, hurled masses of bombs down
among great numbers of troops which
had been collected for the attack. Tho
Germans tried to flee through tho
communication trenches but the Ca?
nadians jumped r- on* them with
bayonets and boml -.. killing many.
The Canadians took up new positions
to a depth of several hundred yards
which they are holding against bit?
ter counterattacks.
On the southwest the Canadians
were equally successful after very
heavy fighting in which the British
artillery was brought into play. The
most strenuous fighting late in the
day was proceeding In the center of
tho line west of Lens and on a little
front near the left of the northwest
positions but the whole line was a
seething chaldron.
The Canadians have achieved their
I Immediate objects by drawing their
I lines still closer about the heart of
the city and their goal unless the
i German counterattacks succeed.
By today's attack the Canadians
have trained possession of many rail?
way embankments and colliery sid?
ings which afford excellent positions
for either offensive or defensive ope?
rations.
The Canadians' assault extended
from the northwest of the environs
of the city to positions in the south?
west suburbs and as the Germans
were already advancing to attack
the new Canadian defenses the fight?
ing quickly assumed the character of
one of the most sanguinary conflicts
which this battle scarred theatre has
seen.
A circular line around which the
opposing forces aro now fighting is
drawn close about tho city proper,
where the Germans had fortified
themselves in concrete cellars and
dugouts.
No estimate of casualties or pris?
oners is yet possible but captured
Germans were beginning to arrive
? back of both fronts at an early hour
AIIIPLANES HAID ENGLAND.
# -
Attacks Made Last Night and To?
day.
I^ondon, Aug. 22.?Gorman air?
planes raided the Yorkshire coast last
night and this morning. Ten appear?
ed on Kent coast, dropping bombs on
Dover. Three persons are reported
killed. Little damage was done last
night. Two of the Kent raiders were
brought down. Air raid warning was
sounded In Ijondon this morning, but
one hour later It was announced th.it
all was clear.
Toledo. Aug. 22.?Several persons
are reported dying In hospitals and
twenty to thirty leas seriously Injured
in the wreck of an excursion train on
the Toledo and Ohio Central. One
trainman was killed.
BITTER BATTLE CONTINUES.
ALLIES ARE GIVING GERMANS
NO REST ON WESTERN
I FRONT.
British Renew Drive on the Ypres
Front and Gain Ground?Germans
Making Despcrote Resistance?
French Hohl Positions Gained Near
Verdun.
Another of the rapid succession ef
blows which the allies are striking
on the Franco-Belgian front today
fell on tho Germans in Ypres re?
gion where th* Germans stopped the
drive last woek. At dawn the Turk?
ish advanced over the fiercely con?
gested ground between I^nngemarcu
and Frezenbcrg.
No details of results arc reported,
but the importance of these positions j
is shown by the desperate German i
counterattacks, In which they drove
back an Irish contingent. Sharp
fighting continues about Lens where
Erltish held their positions against
counterattacks and gained more
ground. The Germans succeeded in
gaining a temporary foothold on the
Verdun front, but were driven back
and the French held newly gained
positions. The Teutons were also
repulsed in their attacks on the
Alsne front.
Vienna admits the Italian gains
on the Isonzo.
The Berlin statement savs tho Ger?
mans began offensive on the northern
Russian line Tuesday.
The Germans in their official
statement admit that the French
gained ground in Avocourt wood.
They took the knolls east of that
position on the Verdun front, and
took part of a village on the east bank
of the Meuse. They also said the
British retained possession of the coal
depot near Lens. Rome reports new
successes along the entire Italian
front and a total of thirteen thou?
sand prisoners captured.
NO PORTO RICANS.
Maj. Gen. Kuhn Wire* That No
Troops From Island Will be Sent
to Col umhin.
Florence, Aug. 20.?In response to
a telegram from Gov. Manning to
Congressman J. Willard Ragsdale, of
this city, urging him to protest
against the mobilization of Porto
Rican and negro trooo at Camp
Jackson, nt Columbia, and asking
him to meet him in Washington at
10 o'clock Tuesday morning, to ap?
pear before the Secretary of War to
enter a rigid protest against such
plan, Mr. Ragsdale, who is in Flor?
ence and has been for the past week,
got busy and immediately wired tho
War Department protesting against
this intended mobilization.
Today Mr. Ragsdale received a wire
from Major Gen. Kuhn, president of
the War ''ollege, at Washington, read?
ing "No Porto Rlcans will be en?
camped at Camp Jackson, and any
negroes sent there will be complete?
ly separated, segragated and not form
part of tactical division of white
men."
Upon receipt of this wire, Mr.
Ragsdale wired Gov. Manning the
message, and asked if ho still insisted
upon the meeting in Washington to?
morrow morning. As yet, Mr. Rags?
dale has had no reply from Gov.
Manning, but should he renew his re
uuest Mr. Ragsdale will be in Wash?
ington at 10 o'clock tomorrow morn?
ing "on the Job,'' as he Is bitterly
opposed to the proposed assembling
1 of Porto Rican or negroos at Camp
Jackson or any other camp or can?
tonment in South Carolina or the
j mixing of the races in or under the
1 draft.
LIMIT ON COTTON SPECULATION.
Directors of Now Orleans Exclmngc
Fix Range of Futures nt Three
Cents a Day.
New Orleans, Aug. 21.?Director.*
of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange
, following a meeting lntoj today an?
nounced a new regulation which
1 limits fluctuations in futures prices
Jin any one day to throe cents .1
I pound ahOVa or below the closing bid
price of such month on the preceding
( business session of the exchange. Tho
regulation which will ha in effect
August 2f? is identical to that an?
nounced August If, by the board 0f
managers of the New York Cotton
Kxchange.
Chleago, Aug. 21.?Choice heavy
hoers sold today for twenty dollars
per hundred?three dollars advance
1 in eleven daya. rteeenl government
bacon contracts are OOtnplltodl by
packers on the basis of today's
price.
CUBA HELPS AMERICA.
gives uxitfd states four
seized gkrmax s1i11?s.
President Menocal Turns Vessels j
Over to Minister Gonzales for 1st*
Aga ilist Teutons.
- j
Habana, Cuba, Aug. 21.?At the
presidential palace today, in the pres?
ence of General Marti, secretary of
war and navy, and William E. Gon?
zales, United States minister to Cuba,
President Menocal signed a decree
transferring tc the United States gov?
ernment four large Herrn? steam?
ships?the Havaria, Olivant, Adelheid
and Constantia?of an aggregate ton?
nage of approximately 20,000 tons,
which were seized as prizes of war on
the day Cuba declared war against
Germany.
j The first three named ships are in
Habana harbor, where they have
j been undergoing repairs for several
months. The Constantia is at Cien
fuegos.
The Kadonia, the fifth and smallest
of tho ships seized, is retained as a
transport for army supplies.
It is announced that Minister Con
sales, acting as the representative of
the United Stater, shipping board,
will take poseslon of the ships to?
morrow.
Minister Gonzales when asked the
amount the United States government
was paying Cuba for ther.e ships re?
plied: "Absolutely nothing."
"President Menocal," he continued,
"declined to consider offers to pur?
chase or lease, whether made by gov?
ernments, navigation companies or
individuals. He regarded theso
prizes of war not aS agencies for com
jmereial profits but to be used, as
stiites in his decre, for the common
benefit in aiding to bring the war
against the government of German)
to a prompt and victorious end.
"President Menocal would not sei!
them but he has given them to thr
United States. It is just another il?
lustration of Cuba's generous spirit
and of her earnest purpose to co?
operate with her allies to the full ex?
tent of her power."
EXCELLENT IIAY CROP.
Wheat and Crimson Clover Gin
Good Results.
The State.
Crimson clover ^and wheat grown
together make a fine hay. J. A
Shanklin, manager of the Taylor
plantation Dairy, near Columbia, ob?
tained results this year which show
that these two crops not only pro?
duce good hay but an abundance.
Mr. Shiinklin in cooperation with
J. R. Clark, county farm demonstra?
tion agent, seeded 40 acres of the
Taylor plantation In wheat and crim?
son clover October 1. About the
middle of May, when tho clover was
in full bloom and the wheat in the
dough stage, the hay was harvested.
Seventy tons of field cured hay were
realized and after deducting 20 per
cent for the moisture content the
dry hay amounted to 56 tons.
Mr. Shanklin figures that each ton
stored in the barn cost him $8.19, an
enormous profit at the present prlco
of hay. The cost of producing this
hay, including the preparation of the
land, cost of seed, inoculating ma?
terial for the clover, labor, hauling
and ront on the land, was calculated
to be $4 58.70. Following his hay crop,
Mr. Shanklin seeded corn, and he
?Ays that the corn on this piece of
land speaks for itself. Unless ad?
verse conditions occur this corn |B
erpected to make 12 tons of ensilage
to the acre.
So well Is this man pleased with
the results of his hay crop that he
Intends to seed 200 acres of wheat
and crimson clove, this year for hay.
He says that best results are obtain?
ed from using an early variety of
wheat so that it will be in the dough
stage when the clover is ready to be
cut. The wheat, in addition to mak?
ing a valuable part of the hay, acts
as a support for the clover, thus aid?
ing the mower in cutting, ns the
clover tends to fall on the ground.
The neceslty of Inoculating the clov?
er seed was stressed by Mr. Shanklin.
provided the land hns not grown a
previous crop of crimson clover.
two AVIATORS lost.
One Killed and The Other Captured
by tier mans.
Paris, Aug. 22.?Julian Riddle of
the LaFeyette squadron Is reported
killed in service. Corpor.nl Harold
Willis was brought down Inside the
German lines.
Mr. J, <\ Jervey has returned nf
ter spending the week-ei d in Char?
lotte, N. C.
Pl'ICKTO RICO TR(K)I?S WILL NOT
BJC AT CAMP JACKSON.
Governor and South Carolina Con?
gressmen Oppose Negroes In This
Section.
Washington, Aug. 21.?Governor)
Manning, Senators Tillman and Smith,
Representatives J. W. Ragsdale and
R. S. Whaley, D. R. Cokcr, chairman
of the State Council of Defense; R.
G. Rhett of Charleston, and George
iL. Raker. J. W. Lillard and William
1 Elliott of the Columbia Chamber of
(Commerce conferred with Secretary
Raker today concerning the mobiliza
j tion of negro troops in South Caro?
lina, and the sending of Puerto Rico
troops to that State.
1 After the meeting Governor Man
I ning gave out the following state?
ment:
"Secretary of War Baker met us at
12..10 today and wo discussed the
question of the draft for troops in
South Carolina, especially with refer
I ence to the negro troops. The Pucr
j to Rican troops will not be sent to
South Carolina nor will the white
and negro troops he mixed. The
matter was fully discussed from the
standpoint of the best interests of all
the troops, white and colored, and the
best way to handle the proposition.
Secretary Baker assured us that he
j would take under serious considera?
tion all that was said and would en
jdravor to decide tho questions involv
i ed so as servo tho welfare of all
j partier. concerned. If any negro
Itroops are sent to South Carolina.
1 they will under tho long established
policy of the war department be
kept entirely separate from tho
white troops.
I "At the opening of the meeting he
announced that the Puerto Rican
1 troops would not be sent to Camp
i
; Jackson at Columbia."
> Puerto Rican negroes, the delega?
tion contendod, were unused to the
: Southern view of the negro question,
? i and should be mobilized elsewhere
? ! Senator Tillmap asked that in view
of the fact that Cuba has offered the
United States a training ground or
the Inland, the Puerto Rican troops
I be encamped there.
;j Southern senators said they felt
! confident the racial problem in the
j training of negro troops would be
i solved without friction. Some sympa
I thtze with the protests of the South
, I Carolina delegation, while others bc
: lieve the South is the best place for
training the negroes.
'It certainly would be a mistake to
j send negroes from Northern States
j into the South f ,i training," said
, Senator McKellar of Tennessee, mom
' ber of the military affairs committee.
"Of course, the negro and white
troops should and. i understand, will
be trained separately. I think there
are many communities in the South
which would not object to selection
as camps for training tho negro con?
tingent."
Senator Hardwiek of Georgia said
negroes from other States should not
be sent to any community which ob?
jects.
"It might cause serious trouble in
some cases to send in large numbers
of strange negroes." ho said. "Many
are to be trainod near Atlanta, how?
ever, and I have not heard of any
serious objection."
Senator Pankhead of Alabama, de?
claring separate training camps
should he established for white and
negro troops, said he did not be?
lieve much objection would come
from tho South against negro train?
ing camps there.
COAL PRICES REDUCED.
j Chicago's Coal Bill Cut Down $.10,000,.
000.
ChiCngO, Aug. 22.?The Consumers
Coal Company, said to be one of the
largest retail coal concerns in the
world, today announced a cut in the
price of soft coal of a dollar to a dol?
lar and eighty cents per ton, effective
immediately. This is in line with the
price fixed by the president. Other
dealers are expected to do the same,
thereby cutting Chicago's coal bill
thirty million dollars a year.
_
BRITISH STEAMER ASHORE.
Large Passenger Ship in Dangerous
Position Off New England Const.
Atlantic Port, Aug. 22.?The Brit?
ish steamship City of Lahore, with
fifty-three pasongors from an oriental
port, grounded off the New England
coast in a heavy fog. A coast guard
cutter has gone to take olT the pas?
sengers if neeessary.
The steamer was floated without
assistance and proceeded
SMITH ANSWERS LOOSE.
DENIES CENTRAL POWERS (.ET
SOUTHERN COTTON.
South Carolina Senator Says Cry
Originates With Mills Which Want
Iaw Prices.
Washington, Aug. 21? In reply to
a statement by Senator Lodge of
Massachusetts, in the course of a
speech he made a few days ago, that
American cotton was being received
by Germany from neutral countries
and Italy, Senator Smith of South
Carolina today sought to show by sta?
tistics furnished by :he bureau of the
census that it was a mistake. By
j computation of the exports to foreign
l ports. Senator Smith informed the
senate, he found that the supply of
cotton furnished the allies and neu?
tral countries from August 1, 1916,
to August I, 1917, was not in excess
of the amount exported prior to the
war.
That there was some excess in ex?
portation in the two years interven?
ing bet veen the outbreak of the Eu?
ropean war and America's entrance,
was shown to be due to the fact
that America was not involved at
that time and was shipping in all she
could get through the blockade.
He declared that 4,000,000 bales
less are being exported from this
country to Europe now than when the
war began and introduced figures
I showing that with but few exceptions
the importation of cotton by Euro?
pean countries is below normal.
Senator Smith said figures recently
introduced in the senate by Senator
Lodge giving the amount of cotton
being received at various foreign
ports are entirely wrong and "mis?
leading and emanate from tho mill
sections of New England."
The South Carolina senator admlt
? ted that American cotton had been
permitted to reach Germany and Aus
. tria at the beginning of the war but
? declared that for four months prior
, to the United States' entrance into
, the struggle until the present no cot
r ton has been permitted to reach the
> enemy.
i "The consumption of Amcricnn cot
j ton has outstripped production," Scn
!ator Smith continued. "The, surplus
^accumulated in 1913 and 1914 has
Jbeen consumed and the world is fac
i ing a cotton shortage. There Is not
a normal supply for America and her
[ allies.
"The neutral? are not getting as
? much cotton now as they did before
j the war with all the demand for ex
j ports and the high prices. What in?
centive would there be for them to
distribute contraband into Germany
when they can get high prices else?
where?"
It wns stated by Senator Smith
that the present high prices were due
to tho fact that in 1915 and 1916 a
small crop was made and that the
consumption was much greater than
the production. This ured up the
surplus from the preceding years and
now the world was facing a cotton
famine. He stated that he was
afraid the cry for an embargo on cot?
ton was due to the fact that if the
foreign market was closed, there
would be a greater amount for the
American manufacturers and that
necessarily, according to supply and
demand, the price would go down.
This would benefit the mills, he de?
clared, where the cry for an em?
bargo originated.
Senator Smith said that if the
South thought for one minute that
by virtue of the fact that cotton be?
ing exported was aiding the nation's
enemies, she would be the first to
clamor for an embargo. He said that
be did not want the manufacturer to
be paid in still greater profits by the
insinuation that the South was not
patriotic, but was selllsbly trying to
j keep her markets open.
INCOME TAX 1M>ik;ers.
Government lias Proof of I'rand to
Extent of Throe Hundred Million.
Washington. Aug. 22.?Senator
. wis declared in the senate today
that the treasury department had
proofs that the wealthy had defraud?
ed the government out of three hun?
dred million of income ISTCS,
JAP MISSION \T WASHINGTON.
They Will Occupy Home of Perry
llelmont.
Washington, Aug. 22.?The Japa?
nese mission has arrived from San
Francisco, the landing port. The of?
ficial residence Of the mission will bo
the home of Penv Ib lmont, a grand?
son of commodore Perry, whose
\ isit to Japan resulted in opening
that country to foreigners.