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OooBoUdsted Aujc. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. 0., SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. 1917. VoLXLV. No. 11. B gjfjj M OFFENSIVE OBI FIFTEEN MILE FRONT TOWARD BELGIAN COAST. Follow* Meuin Road and Toward Router* and Victory Msassi hjiDin I From Part of Belgium Tbc British renewed the offensive la Flanders early this morning on a front east of Yprea In what will as the battle of Menln The first reports Indlr ated thr.t ware progressing and bad positions, although tho Gsrnsans poured a wicked fire into tho advancing lines from concrete re? doubt* Every elevation and woo da hi chocked with German machine guna While the Brltiah met hard lighting their artillery work, which tho Germans yesterday mentioned as terrific, had made their advance eas? ier Barry reports did not definitely out? line the extent of the front attack. Tho Germans gave the cluo yesterday, however, by saying that artillery firo was Intensive from points five miles south of Dhtmude to the River Dys. a distance of IS miles. Indicates that tho drive la directed toward Roulyers and Courtrai. with the Belgian coast so the ultimate goal of the British. It won reported recently that tho Ger? mans were removing the civil popu? lation from behind their lines on thu front Only artillery activity Is reported on the French front. Paris falls to stats whether the French are par? ticipating in the Flanders drive. Reports that continue to come from the front during the day indi? cated tha British sre progressing. No? table successes were gained during ,1 i tho forenoon, which, if maintained, will prove the grastest achievement of months. The Germans are fight? ing; desperately. London. Sept. 20. ?The British at? tained on a wide front oast of Ypres f.t 6.46 o'clock this morning. General Ida is; reports progress with several voJtunlMo positions already taken. GERMANY HAH NOT REPLIED. Papal Secretary of State Soys Reply of Central Powers to Pope's Peace Proposal Has Not Reached Vatican.! Homo. Wednesday. Sept. 19.?Car? dinal Gasparrl, papal secretary of stste. said tonight that the centrul powers' reply to the pope's peace pro-; posal had not been received at the j vstlcan. He believed It had been held i up because Emperor William went to Riga. TRANSFERRED ON OCTOBER 1ST. Camp Hovlrr Headquarter* Announce* Date for Htilft From Columbia ami Atlanta. Greenville, Sept. 19.?Divisional headquarters at Camp Sevler today announced that tho 4.U00 men from the National Army will not be brought here from the Columbia and Atlanta cantonments until October 1. CR EN HOLM MAKES DENIAL. Former Swedish Attactte at Mexico Oty Says He Was Not Spy for Ger Mexico City. Sept. 10.?Folks Cren holm, the former Swedish legation at tache. In a statement to the Assoeiat ed Press denied that German Mtnlsrer Von Kckhardt offered or promise ! him a decoration or that he furnished tho "German minister with informa? tion gathered amongst the enemies ol hin country In Mexico." DENOUNCE ANTI-TRIST LAW. Repress* ntatltc of Big Bun1im*hn Soys 1-mv Hampering Them In Effort to N il Government. Atlant^ City. Sept. 20.?Vigorous denunciation of the operation of anti trust law wu* hampering efforts Ol business men to aid the government In prosecuting the war were mad" by Alba B. Johnson, president of th L'aldwln Docomotlve Works, before the war convention of business me i here today. MITCHELL WINS NOMINATION New York Mayor Ulna Plurality of Eleven Hundred Vote**. New York, Bept. 20 ?Mayor Mitch ell won th?? ItepuMirun mayoralty nomination In yesterdsy's primary l?y a plurality ?. -*?proxlmntely eleven hundred ove? .viniam M. own net t. More thnn SSVOatj t\v?> thousand \"t< were csst, protest to mm. SWEDEN ACCUSES GERMAN OFFI? CIALS OF ABUSE OF CON? FIDENCE. fit mag language Md to Have Been Used by Swedish Minister at Berlin -?What Will Germany Do to Swcd London, Sept. 20.?A Stockholm dispatch to Reuters Telegraph Com? pany says the Swedish minister at Berlin has been instructed to protest to Germany against the Luxburg-Ar? gentina Incident, it being "confirmed that German officials seriously abused the confidence of Sweden." WEEK'S SHIPPING LOSSES. rght Vessels Above Sixteen Hundred Tons, Twenty Under Destroyed in One Week. London, Sept. 19.?British mer? chant ships of 1.600 tons and over sunk by mine or submarine during the past week numbered eight, according to the admiralty report tonight Twenty ships under 1.600 tons were also sunk, and one fishing vessel. The foregoing number of vessels of more than 1,600 tons is the smallest sunk by mines or submarines in one week since Germany begun her in? tensified submarine campaign last February, but the number under 1,600 tons Is the largest for any week but one since mid-February. The total number of ships sunk is the largest since the week ending Juno 24. The admiralty statement for the week ending September 9 showed 12 British vessels of more than 1,600 sunk by mines or submarines. Thai was the lowest mark since the week ending March 20, when IS vessels of that category were lost. The greates number of vessels under 1,600 tons was the week ending May 5, when 2:i went down. -r AMERICAN STEAMER SUNK. Platuria Torpedoed by German Sub? marine and Eight of Crew Probably Drowned. London, 8ept. 19.-The Ameri? can steamer Platuria was torpedoed by a German submarine on September 16. Forty-five survivors have been landed by the Italian steamer Andrea. The mas'cr of the Platuria and eight of the crew wore drowned. The Platuria was a tank steamship of 3,445 tons gross register, owned by the Standard Oil Company, and wa i formerly known as the Diamant. Sh" left Newport News, Va., in July with cargo of oil for Italian ports and was commanded by Capt. John Leslie. RUSSIA WILL STICK. lias No Intention or Quitting Her Al? lies, Asserts I lakh me tiff. Washington, Sept. 19.?The Russian ambassador, Horln A. Bakhmetiff, will call on Secretary Lansing soon to re? new his assurances of Russia's deter? mination to fight the wur to a finish. The ambassador, it is understood, will say conditions in this country arc im? proving, that there is no doubt all fac? tional difficulties will be arranged and that Russia, united and powerful, will bend her energies to the task of driving out the Gremans and lending aid in substantial form to the allied cause. According to Russians' in Washing? ton, the Russian offensive h??0 stiffen? ed to such a degree that the enemy is not able to make further progress. It is not believed tho Germans will be able to do more than hold their line if Indeed they aro able to do that, with the coming of winter. \ On the Rumanian front the situa? tion Is encouraging for In several places on the battle line, according to late dispatches, the Rumanians and Russians have made substantial ad I van ccs. WAR, CREDITS PASSED. Semite Adopt** Conference Report Without Roll Cull. Washington. Sept. 20.? Conference report on the eleven billion war cred? its bill was adopted by the senate without roll call. Approval by the house and Una! enactment is expected tomorrow. THI'ST INCREASES WAGES. United Stoic* Steel Corporation Will Advninoe Pay Ten IN*r CH*i>t. New York. Sept. 20.?United Stntes steel Corporation today announced n Ion par rent, wage Inereaae, effective October ist, SWEDEN'SJGLHILLEIAA. EXPLANATION OF PERMITTING HERSELF TO BE USED AS TOOL NOT SATISFAC? TORY. Troubles Over Argentine Intrigue Not Ended and United States May De? mand a Plain Statement. Stockholm, Sept. 19.?It Is general- j ly believed here that Sweden's trou? bles over Germany's Argentina in- \ trigue are by no means- ended. The1 main question is whether the United States will be satisfied with the Swedish statement and whether America will not call for a clear and I unequivocal statement to the effect that forwarding American communi? cations in plain language, with the j consent of the governments concern ' cd was not a parallel service to that rendered Germany by Sweden. RECKLESS WITH PISTOL. Miles Carter, One of Automobile ' Party, Fatally shot Saturday Night. Walterboro, Sept. 18.?Miles Car? ter, a highly respected young1 man. met his death Saturday night in up? per Colleton. The young man was to have gone Monday to Clemson Col? lege, where he was a junior. The story of the shooting Is as fol? lows: Saturday night six young mcr. of the Little Swamp section of the county started to Branchville in ai> automobile and were nearing Pine Grove School house when they passet', a buggy beside the road. They clain that some one in the buggy shot as they passed and A. M. Padgett, one of the occupants of the car, is report? ed to have pulled out his pistol and tired. Miles Carter was In the rear seat and a companion noticed that Mr. Carter started as the s1 vas fired. When asked if he were hit yoUng Carter said "Yes." "Where are you shot?" "I don't know," was his re? ply, and these were the last words he ever trpoke. The car was stopped and upon investigation it was found that young Carter was badly injured. <j|Ht was rushed to his home a few miles distant, but nothing oould be done for him and he died Monday morning without having regained cons:ious ness. The shooting occurred between 10 and 11 o'clock Saturday night. A coroner's jury was summoned and Coroner Dopson held the inquest , After examining a number of wit? nesses the jury returned a verdict that the deceased came to his death i from gunshot wounds at the hands of i parties unknown. TRADING WITH ENEMY BILL. j In Form for Final Enactment Next Week. Washington. Sept. 19.?The admin? istration trading with the enemy bill which has passed both bouses-, was placed In form today for final enact , merit not later than tvxt week. Tie. I conferees reached complete agree? ment, with acceptance of virtually all important senate amendments, in? cluding those authorizing the presi? dent to embargo imports, giving him broad power over all foreign in? surance companies and placing the ; entire administration of the bill with IIn his hands. i Amendments were added to de? finitely limit operation of the bill to the term of the war. Included in the final agreement was the substitute amendment providing that the president shall have power to license all foreign language publi? cations or require submission of translation of war ? mment to the postofflce department before publica? tion. There is a provision in the bill for an administrator of seized enem.\ property and one authorizing the use (at prices to be fixed of articles manu J factured from enemy patents. FRENCH VESSELS SUNK. j submarines Destroyed only Two Boats J liast Week. Paris, Sept. 20.?Two French ves? sels of more than sixteen hundred tons were sunk last week. Several were unsuccessfully attacked. SPECIALISTS IN WARFAHE. American Troops in France will Re? ceive Special Training. Washington, Sent, to.?American troops In Prance will be supplied with trained forces for handling lt<|uid fire attacks, Recording to army orders. Mach of the numerous phases of modem lighting will he handled by especially truined men. RENEWED PEACE TALK. KAISER PREPARING PEOPLE ATI HOME FOR ITS RECEP? TION. London Press Believes That German Papers are Forecasting Berlin's Of f6t of Terms. London, Sept. 18.?The crop of so called peace rumors that the German censor is permitting to sprout In lead? ing German newspapers convinces the j London press and public that Berlin | is preparing a maneuver which prob- 1 ably will be made public before the snow flies. A strange thing about the whole ?flair is that the German government as represented by the censor appears to be permitting the newspapers to discuss the matter freely but so far as is known none of the discussions is founded on more substantial au? thority, than the indefinite, "We un? derstand" or "we have received in? formation." The Westminster Gazette quotes the Berlin correspondent of the Koel nische Volks Zeitung as saying that "from an official source there is no truth in the report that Germany in? tends to declare an abandonment of her claims on Belgium." The Ga? zette points out that the message is >[ not necessarily an official denial that ! Germany haE decided to renounce all claims on Belgium. The Evening Standard says: "Tho German censor is permitting German papers to publish reports that Germany is to climb down and renounce any claim to supremacy over Belgium." The Paul Mall Ga? zette adds: "Another step forward has been taken in the carefully engineered peace campaign in Germany." A dispatch to Central News from Amsterdam says: "A careful reading of German pa? pers leads to the belief that reports of a German peace offer were circu I loted simply with the object of mak? ing it easy for the German govern? ment to rally to the attitude of th~ reichstag majority, and the whole thing is an adroit maneuver engi? neered by Dr. von Kuhlman. the Ger? man foreign secretary." The opinion in diplomatic quartan for some time has been that Ger? many would make another peace ] move before cold weather comes. It would not surprise London if Ger many first directed efforts or feeler; to the United States. In fact some quarters expect this move. They are satisfied, however, that the United States, being determined to go on with the war, will not be misled by any German move which either will he designed to bring about a Ger? man peace or so to cloud the atmos? phere as to enable the German gov? ernment to say to tho German peo? ple: "We are willing to make peace bu tho entente allies will have none of it." MOVING RECRUITS TO CAMP. Three Hundred Thousand Young Men Join the Army This Week. Washington, Sept. 18.?Three hun? dred thousand men of the national army are en route or are preparing to leave for the sixteen cantonments today. They are being transported to the camps in special troop trains. Some of the Southern States are un? able to furnish the full forty per cent, quota of white men. The work of mobilizing the recruits is being done with the minimum delay. NEWSPAPER FOR SOLDIERS. Four PafJC Weekly Will be Distribut? ed Five. Washington, Sept. 10.?A four page weekly newspaper devoted en? tirely to cantonment activities and carrying no advertising will be dis? tributed free to soldiers. It will be published as the result of efforts throughout the country. Editors at practically every cantonment site have been enlisted to aid. Three pages will be prepared at the New York Y. M. C. A. headquarters, while the fourth page will be prepared and all press work done by the paper at the cantonment town. President Wil? son has endorsed the plan. WAR CREDITS BILL. House and Senate Beach an Agree? ment. Washington, Sept. ??. The senate and bouse conferees have reached an Agreement ?>n the eleven billion war credits hill, No changes arc pro posed. GREAT NAVAL CONFERENCE. 1 \ EPRESENTATIV ES OF AMERI? CA AND ALLIES TO 3IEET IX PAJRIS. Will Discuss Naval Matters Next Monti)?All Questions of Naval Policy Guarded Jealously ami No Announcement is Probable. Washington, Sept. 19.?Dispatches received here today from Europe dis- i close the fact that a conference is to j be held in Paris early in October at which naval matters of an unstated1 nature are to be taken up by repre? sentatives of the allied governments. I According to an Italian paper usual? ly well informed, the United States is to participate. Officials here would ot comment upon the report further than to say that no "political" conference was in prospect. Since the United States is not at war with Austria, Vice Ad? miral Sims, commanding the Ameri? can naval forces in European waters, probably would not take part in a discussion of measures to support the Italian drive with naval operations in which British and French ships might participate. There is the possibility, however, that means to curb the operation of Austrian and German submarines and open another route to France by way of the Mediterranean for American tioops or supply ships may be in contemplation. In that event the United States might participate in any joint action of the allies regard jess of whether the u-boats were German or Austrian. All questions of naval policy here are guarded jealously s-o no announce? ment concerning the conference is to ! be expected. MAY GIVE UP BELG I I'M. Berlin Paper Hears Persistent Ru | mors to That Effect and Act ? pis Them as Authoritative. Berlin, Sept. lo (via London.?.-? The Pan-German Tages Zeitung, i : chafing under the persistent rumors that Germany has decided to give up Belgium, calls on the government to make an unequivocal declaration of itL* purpose. Von Reventlow's paper i refers to alleged rumors that the j imperial government had concluded i to abandon the idea of maintaining dominion over the territory of the peoples of the former kingdom of I Belgium, and adds that such conolu i sions are said to have been arrived j at by authoritative factors in the j presence of the emperor, declaring: "We desire to emphasize that a I mere semi-official contradiction to ! the effect that no crown council had been in session or that any similarly constituted body had met for the pur? pose would be of no avail and would only contribute to tho existing feel? ing of unrest." WILSON STIRS GERMANS. German Despotism Doomed, Says London Chronicle, Commenting on "Engineered" Protests. London, Sept. 18.?The Chronicle, in a leading editorial under the head "Despotism Doomed," says: "In Germany just now. evidently by preconcerted arrangement, reso? lutions are being passed by all sorts of organizations attacking the Amer? ican president for his scathing stric? tures on autocratic power in Germany which planned this war and In its prosecution has 'stopped at no bar? rier either of law or mercy' . . . This tremendous indictment of the kaiser and bis entourage evidently made a deep impression in Germany. Hence the inspired resolutions of pro tost; hence the kaiser's message pub llahed today . . . And Hinden hurg's contemptuous allusion to the American president. . . . These en? gineered German protests against President Wilson's powerful indict? ment prove that the kaiser. his Junkers and the military car>te know the stream of the tendency against them." GERMANY ISSUES DENIAL. Peace Terms Have Not Been Com? municated lo United Stales. Rerlin, Sept. is.?The German for? eign office In a statement made to the Associated Press today denied Ih 1 stories appearing in Danish and oth? er foreign newspapers thai Germany has Indirectly communicated It* peace terms to Washington or made any effort t<> feel out sentiment the United States. The stutemenl of Matlas Krzberger. 11?, > clerical loader Hint the reply to tin1 l*opc'*i proposal was en route to Home, was al>> d< - nled in official quarters WAR INDUSTRIES HOARD MAS NOT MET SITUATION. Speakers Before Business Men's Con? vention Urge Creation of Munitions Department. Atlantic City, N. J., Sept. 18.?En? tire reorganization of the govern? ment's purchasing system was urged by speakers today before the war convention of American business men. The war industries board re? cently created has failed to meet the situation, it was declared, by the lack of complete authority under the law. Formation of a new government department, similar to the British ministry of munitions, was suggested by Waddill Catchings of New York and others. Mr. Catchings* proposal I was contained in his report as chair f man of a committee on cooperating I with the Council of National Defense named by the Chamber of Commerce ' of the United States-. It carried the 1 recommendation that the government i be given full authority to fix prices '; not only on sales to the government, j but on materials sold to the public I as well. The subject of war prices and the duty of industry in meeting the gov? ernment's war needs occupied the en i tire day. Secretaries Baker and Dane I touched on these topics and declared ? that the war could not be won with? out the fullest cooperation by busi? ness. Industry, Secretary Baker declared, must immediately impose on itself the same sacrifices demanded of the men called into the trenches. Business, he said, deserves no particular praise for foregoing profits in war times, be I cause it owes the same duty to the government every other class owes. I Secretary Lane called on business , men to disprove the saying that ' America has no soul higher than that of money making. ! "You are here to answer," he said, "by announcing that you have made I money, and that you will make money but that you can make war as well, j You are here to show the world that j there is a new American phtlosophy, 'a new day in whidh men are sized up not by what they have but by what they give." In advocating a general war board ? I with the broadest powers, Mr. Catch I j ings declared that competitive buy ! ing between the government and prl i vate industry had produced high ' prices. The power to make purchas ! es, he said, should be taken out of I I the hands of the army and the navy. ? The war industries board, he said, had filled a useful purpose, but was not the proper kind of an organiza? tion. With power to fix all prices, he ' declared, the government should be given authority to decide not only priority of railroad shipment, already j given it, but priority of purchase as between individual manufacturing firms. The shortage of materials, he said, forces out of business not the industry least needed, but the indus? try least able to pay the bill. The advisory committee of the Council of National Defense, Mr. Catchings said, should be actually In the service of the government, its members government officers. Mr. Catchings' suggestions drew idTular proposals from many speak? ers, all of whom declared the present purchasing plan would break down before the war is over. E. P. Albrecht of Philadelphia blamed the whole price situation on the fact that there Is no control over labor prices. Wage increases coming after the govern? ment has made purchases at fixed prices were forcing manufacturing in seme instances to sell their goods at a loss. He presented a resolution to the convention recommending that the government l>e urged immediate? ly to fix a general scale of wages. RIOT IN PHILADELPHIA. RcpuMftrUUS Have Bitter Eight tu Fifth Ward. Philadelphia. Sept. 19.?One police? man was killed, and several hurt In an election riot in the fifth ward, where Republican factions are fight? ing bitterly for control. MORE LOANS TO ALLIES. England Gets Fifty Million and France Twenty Million More. Washington. Sept. 19.?The Unit? ed States has made another loan to K igland of fifty million and to France of twenty million, bringing the loans to the allies up to two bil? lion three hundred and ninety-one million.