The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, October 20, 1917, Image 1
|e
thk BCMTKR u Alt HMAV, Establ
Oorsolidated Au*. 2, 1
FRENCH ACHIEVE SUCCESS.
om\Sl\K IN FLANUKKS OVT
STANDING FKATTRK OF WEKK
Bj Broadening the Yprcn Ft nut Tho
Open ihr Way for Operation* or
.arger Bodies of Trm'iw?T> plus. >
Fire Worries Genua 11 a.
_
Washington, Oct. 17.?The Frenca
oueceoses In Flanders broadening
the great wedge the allies are driving
Into the Merman line*. Is described
as the outstanding feature of ttv
week ending October 13th In the re
view Issued by the war department.
The Tpree front was previously too
narrow to permit of the proper move
meat of large bodies of '.roops, but
this trouble has been eliminated by
the French advance.
Reports show great concern of the
Oer man high command over he n ? v
"typhoon" lire r,: ich Is compelling
the Germans to change their tactic.ii
poettlona to escape the rain of shells.
MKWS AT ?1KACKY.
Good Crop* Thin Year and (rood
Sennoii for Harvesting.
wlaacky, Oct. 16.?I am glad to
report favorably from this section.
Wo have had excellent seasons for
gattierlng our crops, and made good
U*e of them torn and has .11
about all harvested, and If tho
woo her continues as It now is Dm
cotton will soon be gathered, as there
in very little top crops. Our cotton
crop will be above the average, and
with the present prices of all tho
farm products our farmers will be in
sxcedent conditon to begin another
year I am glad to see the spirit o'
paying up old debts. We arc payln ;
60 and some 7S cents per hundred for
picking cotton, and the colored folk>
are having- a sood time.
A letter from my boy at Camp
Jackson states that tho soldiers are
kindly treited. well fed and cloth
ad. and that he liken the soldler Ufr
better and better every nay. preisen
the people of Columbia for their at?
tentions and kindness when they visit
tr s rity.
Mr. J. C. Scott, after si ?Mitling* the
summer In Henderson, hu ?? returmvl
and will be? at the home of his daugh
ter. Mrs. W. W. McCutchen for soi.ie
time. His health was much Improv?
ed from the trip.
The annual conference of the Meth?
odist Church will hold Its sessions ii
the Dlshopvtlle Methodist church th>
latter part of November. This will In
the first t me that our beautiful lit
tie town has attempted to entertalr
a body of this sise. Our slstei
churches show a very liberal spirit lr
helping us entertain the delegates
w.ilch Mh ?w? the fraternal feeling:
that exist among us.
Rev. Mr. Benson, pastor of the I'.;uj
tUt church of lllehopville. has resiesT
ed his pastoral relationship with tha
church to become pastor of the Bap?
tist church of Camden We hate t?
soe Mr Benson leave, as tie woa ver>
I -pul r
Meews. R. M. Cooper, Sr. and Jr
are having their homes lighted ??>
electrl it Dr. Alford has been en
joying thin luxury for sometime.
Mr. and Mr*. Rurkett. after a pleas?
ant bridal tour, have returned to their
home in Ht Charles, where he hi en?
gaged In bunineae.
Tour paper comes very Irregul irl
Homefhmg km wrong somewhere. 1
feel disappointed when The I^etn fall
to reach ma at x N p m.
<OAf. MINI s TO CLONl .
(?prrsttMrn i latm They Cannot Grant
DcmaiMln.
Hprlngflel I. Od 17 The latest
estimates aie that sixty coal mines In
Illinois will clone as a lesult of the
strike. The operators say they cm
not grant the miners' demands unless
the fuel administrator allow them to
charge more for |fcg .,-r;.ut.
1 mm \< .<> <o\i, FAMINE.
Strike Will I'nrnh/c Hm-Iim ^ of < it>
Chicago. Oct. 17.?t'nlesn the gatll
strike Is sett ed within ten days bus
Inean In <'h<cago will be paralysed
sold Fred I pnam, urenldent ol the
largeet coil company In the city Chi
eago ban only ten days nupplv aV-ui
and no more coining, h- Hal I
Washington. Oct. 17 ?It Is practi?
cally certain that the I'nlted States
will t>e represented at the conference
of nations at war with Germany
which will probubly ho held in Paris
Secretary lousing authorised a state
men* that it bud t?e?m .!?*?? i? i?*?r to have
the ranf?renc* und that the Balled
State? im conshbiing psrtlcipntlosj,
Is lu d April, i860.
"Be laMi
881. SI
HIIITISII COMMANDER SAYS
THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL
TO REPORT.
Hut Weather CondltoiiH Have Improv?
ed In Plunder? and Time 1? Rl|?e for
Another Big Drive?-German At
tacKs Repulsed by French.
All Important Infantry lighting In
the West Is confined to German at?
tacks on the Alane, in the Champagne
and in the Verdun regions, all of i
which were repulsed by the French.
There Is promise of a speedy re?
newal of the Flanders attack, how?
ever. Gen. Halg's message today
said: "Nothing of special interest to
report," which is practically the same
statement sent heretofore when the
Hrttsh opened a heavy bhnburdment
preparatory to a new drive. The
weather Is better in Flanders and
undoubtedly the British aviators have
an opportunity to get the ranges. The
mud is also drying.
Germany's admissions that several
Macedonian villages have boen "ced?
ed" to the allies may mean that the
large allied armies In that section
are finally taking the aggressive. This
may be to forestall a Bulgarian at?
tack In connection with which some
believe Emperor William went to the
Balkans.
Petrograd reports no communica?
tions with Russian forces on Oezcl
Island.
The rapidly working German na?
val and military machine has succeed?
ed in taking all of Oesel Islands, Ber?
lin reports. A German dreadnaught
struck a mine and made for the coast
after an explosion. Its fate is un?
known.
U-BOAT WARFARE FAILS.
Norwegian Shipping Authority As?
sort* That Allies Have Made Good
Defense.
-
Chistlana, Oct. 16.?The German
plans for destroying t*he world's com?
merce have failed, says the Nor?
wegian Shipping Magazine, which
a dan that "there im no great dang'.r
of the disappearance of merchant
?hips from the aeas hy reason of tor?
pedoing for at least ten years."
The article Is accompanied by I
chart showing 1 he curve of English
and French losses for four months.
March to June. "The allies- have ev
*ry reason to ba of good courage
nrhen they look back on these re?
sults.".says the writer, "and they may
fiwalt the future u-boat war with con
i fldence. The chart curves show fa
- rorable results for England, and this
may be ascribed partly to the arm?
ing of merchant ships." He believes
?i that the story of 1915-16 will be re?
peated, that "the u-boats will be crip?
pled unless or until the Central Pow
i
? ers can find new Inventions which will
t mako them powerful enough to gam
the upper hand again."
Another reason for this favors hie
result, says the writer, is the fact
that when the u-boat war started in
March. Germany sent out every u
boat she could muster, good, bad,
snd Indifferent, and the Englls-h de?
fense, which was ready, "reaped a
rich harvest and crippled the dftri?
gorous enemy for the ensuing
months." Failure of the submarine
war also is attributed In part to faul?
ty construction of the latest German
u-boat.
SHELTER FOR PUBLIC,
lb n Mi <.o\crnment Will Compel the
Owners of llomh I'roof shelters \n
I )pon Them.
London. ( >ct. 17 ? Bomb proof shel?
ters nre being card huh xed by ?h<
gOl iniioMit. which has decided to
compel owners of su?*h protection to
open them to the public when nSOSS
?ar>.
NO MORE EMERGENCY OFITt I P.s
Gen till** ihis'Ntopix-d Commission
in.: Army OsafeMI no'ii Ohrtl Life.
Washington. Oct. 17.?General
Hlls* has abruptly stopped the pnu
tire of eotn in i.ssi on i ng OfllOSri from
Ptrll lit' "ltd ? ;i 11 i li - them into fcCtl/C
BjSnrl e before they are actually nee. I
?<l. Hs hldlontsd that the practif
had "V\ ? out of bounds.
II
oppose. WAR CREI>IT.
Let man Socialists Will Vote Against
New IsWaV
Amsterdam, Oct. 17.?A Germa'i
Roelallst newspaper says the Boclni
have derided to vote against the
new s/ar credit ??f ten billion marks,
which 11 t<? be suhmtttec! t?? the reich
iHag in De. ember, unless Chaacelloi
I Mn I. islls ret igns.
nd Fear not?Dot an the en da Thon At
?MTER, 8. C, SAT OBI
AFFAIRS jjj CHINA.
EACH OF TWO FACTIONS CLAIM)
TO BE THE LEGAL GOVERN?
MENT.
Rival Governments Keep up a Con?
tinual Wrangle Over Which Is The
Legal ami Constitutional Authority
In the Republic?Feng Kuo Chang
Has the Upper Hand ut Pekln.
Pekin. Sept. 1 (Correspondence Wt
The Associated Press)?Constltutlj?i
ahty is the wall behind which ceeer,
tending factions in China are taking
refuge. Premier Tuan Chi-Jui insists
that the republic which he re-estab?
lished In Peking with Vice President
Feng Kuo-chang at its head, iw the
constitutional government of China.
The so-called parliament at Canton
consisting of fifty or sixty members
of the dissolved parliament insists
that it Is the constitutional govern?
ment of China, and that Li Yuan
hung still is the president.
The "constitutionalists," now active
in south China under the direction ot
Sun Yat Sen, have contested every Im?
portant change In the central govern
ment during the last few months
! and denounced it as unconstitution?
al. They say U Yuan-hung had no
right to dissolve parliament, and that
there certainly Is nothing in the Nan?
king provisional constitution which
justified such action.
Consequently, according to their
line of reasoning. Feng Kuo-chang Is
neither the legal president nor the le?
gal acting president of China.
There is some doubt as to what
. Feng Kuo-chang's own contention Is
as to his legal status. While he has
permitted all foreign legations to be
j presented to him as president and
signs official documents as president,
he Is represented to provincial author?
ities as being only acting president. It
Is believed that Fen/? Kuo-chang is un?
doubtedly anxious to be elected pres
! ldent by a parliament legally constl
? tuted, or constituted as legally as It b
possible to do so under the present Un?
settled conditions in China. He ha*
held out against the plan of his SMThl ?
net to have a national council fojjjeaed
?with five members from each provi?
nce to act as a parliament.
I Feng Kuo-chang heads a de facto
government which actually exists in
Peking, and has the support of nine?
teen provinces and the recognition ol
all important foreign powers. There?
fore .the efforts of the opposition in
the south to oppose the Peking gov?
ernment and deny Its legal existence,
thus far seem futile.
WANTS KAISER'S TERMS.
-
' Czernln Calls on Michaelis to Make
Statement but Is Given a Vague An?
swer.
-
London. Oct. 15.?The Deuteln
Tages Zentung of Merlin, as quoted In
an Exchange Telegraph dispatch fron:
Amsterdam, says that Count Czernin
Austro-Hungarian foreign minister
recently requested the (Jerman chan
ccllor. Dr. Michaelis, to state Ger?
many's peace terms, urging that Ger?
many make concessions In the west
Count Czernln received a vague re?
ply, whereupon he stated that he
could no longer negotiate with Dr.
Michaelis .inasmuch as the chancelloi
made vague statements when clear
nes.s and franknes were imperativel",
necessary.
These statements of The Taget Zei
tung are not denied, the dispatch
odds, and have caused a great .sensa
lion, being particularly illustrative o
tho fervent desire for peace on th
part of Austria.
ON HOARD OF CENSORSHIP.
m _
War and Navy Ihpnrtiucnt Represen?
tatives Nunied.
Washington. Oct. If..?War ami
navy department representatives on
th* board of live authorised by tin
president to censor outgoing mall
cable, radio and telegraphic commu?
nication, were appointed today, They
are Major Cen. Frank Mclntyrc.
ohlef <?f the insular Affairs Bureau,
und Lieut. Commander Chas. Belknap,
who have been acting consort foi
their respective departments for some
time, other members of the board
are to be n lined ley the pOStofllce, WtW
department ami George Creel, chair?
man on public informal Ion,
NANCY BOMBED BY GERMANS.
ten Killed and Forty Wounded in
I TOUCll Town.
Palis, Oct. 17 Ten were killed
ami folly wounded by n German raid
on Nancy last night. Twenty-five
German airplanes were destroyed oi
forced to land Monday and Tuesday
Baft at be thy Country's, Thy God'a i
>AY, OCTOBER 20, 191'
TAX DODGERS DETECTED.
MUNITION MAKERS DEFRAUD
GOVERNMENT OUT OF $17,
000,000.
Escaped Special Tax by Marking; Off!
Total Cost of Plants as Deprecia?
tion, Claiming They Will be Value?
less After tlie War.
? -
Washington, Oct. 17.?Internal rev?
enue agents >epe*t that the evasion
te special tax of twelve and one
per cent, on munitions manu
jrers has so far totaled seventeen
and a-half million dollars of which
more than ten million will be recov?
ered. One method used to report
munition taxes was to charge off a
large percentage, sometimes all of the
plant valuation, under the head of
depreciation. Manufacturers maintain
that the plans wil be worthless after
the war.
NOT ENOUGH GRAIN.
Xo Time for Boasting on Crops, for
the Gada In Grain Yields Still
I/eaves Our Production Far Below
1015.
Despite the optimistic reports- as to
the great increase in grain crops, ex?
cepting wheat, this year over last
year, the total production of wheat
and corn for 1916 and 1917 is 490,
800,000 bushels short of the total pro?
duction of the two preceding years of
1914 and 1915, and this, too, not?
withstanding a gain in population of
about 2,000,000 people a year and the
great increase in demand by reason
of the European war.
The total production of wheat and
corn in 1914 and 1915 was- 7.581,
300,000 bushels, as compared with
the total for 1916 and 1917 of 7,093,
500,000 bushels. Here ir a vacuum
of nearly 600,000,000 bushels created
In the last two years as compared
with the two preceding years, which
of necessity spells- shortage in food
and feed, which can only be made up
j in part by the Increase In oats' and
i potatoes.
The estimated quantity of the prin?
cipal grains?wheat, corn, outs, rye
buckwheat, rice. etc.?produced in
1917 amounts to 5,858,400,000 bush?
els, which IS 1,052,500,000 bushel;
more than was raised last year; but
as there was a decrease of 1,204,700,
000 bushels in 1916 from 1915, we arc
still 152,200,000 bushels short o.
i making up last year's grain shortage
The total estimated production o'
grain and principal foodstuffs thil
year will reach over 6,633,000,000
bushels, but this is less by 116.700.00C
bushels than the production of 1915.
We have raised a large food crop thi.s
year, but in proportion to the world's
demand it will barely tide us over
until the next harvest, when we will
be compelled, as far ius Is given to
the power of man. to make a great
increase over our present production
Thus, while boasting about the in?
crease over 1916, let us not forge'
that, despite the urgent call upon th
farmers of the nation to do their ut?
most, our production of these grain
and other foodstuffs is actually 116.
; 700,000 bushels short of the yield o.
1915, while population has increased
by about 4,000,000 and Europe's de?
mand! have enormously increased.?
From Manufacturers Record, Oct.
u.
IMPROVED MFE BOATS.
?
, Norway Enforces Stringent Rules on
Ships In War /one.
Christ lanla, Oct. 17.?New and
stringent regulations come into force
I shortly in regard to live-saving ap
j pliances to be used on Norwegian
ships traversing the war zones.
; Each lifeboat must be half cover?
ed with waterproof cloth as a shelter,
and must be provided with oil-skins
, for the crew, with signal lights, a
hand pump, and ample supplies o:
\ bread, meat and water.
j Each ship must carry an extra boat
of at least 10B cubic feet, und large
enough to take the whole crew. This
boat must contain air chambers and
have a cork belt around it. Either
this boat or on*' of the regular life
I <<;its must be supplied with a motor
together with fuel for two days and > |
tow rope.
Passenger boats must have ten cu
bi?- feet of lit'? boat room for each pel
s??n on board.
- -. i
Petrograd) Oct. 17.? The generals I
arrested for participation in the Kor
nlloff affair mi their departure fron.
Berdltehev were compelled to walk j
three miles to the railroad station,!
While they Were jeered. pelted an,1
threatened by r mob of several thou?
sand. They barely escaped nliv<
When the mob fired on the train, I
iM Troth's."
TECK TRUE
7.
sue fob imrtti punt.
WILL MANUFACTURE AMMONIA
AND NITRIC ACID ON TEN
N ES SEE RIVER.
After War Excess Pro^wcts Over
Munitions R/equli-eincnts " ^'111 Be
Sold to Make Fcrdttaar.
Washington, Oct. 16.?Sheffield,
Ala., as a site for one of the nitrate
plants for Wlit<)*r oangreSs appropriat?
ed $20,000,000, was announced today
by the war department.
The site is on the Tennesee River,
near Slusclc, Shoals. The plant is to
manufacture ammonia and nitric acid.
Agreement has been reached be?
tween the government and owners of
the; fand as to^he price to be paid for
the site.
\ The secretary of war authorized the
following announcement regarding the
location of the government nitrate
plant:
"The secretary of war announces
that the president has approved the
location at Sheffield, Ala,, of the ini?
tial ammonta and nitric acid plants
to be constructed with a portion of
the $20,000,000 appropriated for ni?
trate supply by the national dofense
act, providing a suitable site be there
obtained at a reasonable price. As
satisfactory prices have now been
agreed upon for the transfer of the
! several parcels of lands Involved, the
location of these initial plants at Shef?
field may now be regarded as assured.
"Sheffield. Ala., is located on ths
Tennesee River Just below Muscle
Shoals and Is near to the phosphate
beds of Central Tenness-ee. On the
j site selected there are several sub
jstantlal steel buildings which can be
I utilized with a saving of expense and
; of time.
j "These initial plants were planned
with a view to determining the best
and most economical process of
nitrogen fixation. Enough land Is be?
ing acquired to permit of large ex
l pans-ion?by the same or by other
i processes?in case such expansion at
[ the same place shall be decided upon.
These plants will produce material of
much value in the manufacture of
munitions for the war. After the W?r
any excess of their products over the
munitions* requirements may be sold
for use In fertilizer."
NEW JAPANESE WARSHIPS.
An Ambitious Program to Strength?
en Navy Under Way.
Tokio, Sept. 20 (Correspondence of
The Associated Press)?The construc?
tion of six new destroyers for the pur?
pose of naval repletion at a cost of
$6,000,000 is- to be started shortly and
the work will be expedited to com?
plete them within the present fisca
year ending April next. The destroy?
ers will all be of middle size and be
named the Nara, Kuwa, Tsubaki,
Maki, Keyaki. and Enokl respectively.
The building of the following bat?
tleships, cruisers and destroyers is to
begin soon at the navy dockyards
and at shipbuilding yards at Xaga
, saki.
Battleship Mutsu. I Negate type)
with a displacement of 32,0(10 tons;
Cruiser Tania, with a displacement of
7,800 tons; Cruiser Kuma, with a dis?
placement of 3,500 tons, and first
class destroyers Kawakaze, Minekaze
and Sawakazc, each of about 1,200
tons.
The battleship Mutsu will carry
the largest and most powerful main ,
gun ever mounted on any battleship
of the Japanese navy, and the cruiser j
Tams will be the largest warship of
the kind in the Japanese navy. The
first class destroyer Kawakaze. which
will be one of the largest destroyers
In the Japanese navy, is the substitu-|
tute for the destroyer of the same
name which was built in France after
the outbreak of the European war
land was sold later to an entente pow
! er.
' Resides these warships a big special
I service ship with a displacement of'
j 12,000 tons and five submarines, each
(displacing Tan tons, will be built at
the Kure navy dockyard.
SWEDISH MAIL HEUsEI).
British Embassy Holding Diplomatic
Mall Pouches.
Washington. Oct It!. The Swedish
minister conferred with Secretary
Lansing today regarding Swedish dip?
lomatic mail pouches being removed
from'a steamer hy British and held at
the British embassy here. The United
States knows nothing officially of it.
The British offered to release the
pouches if Sweden would consenl t<>
dt sc lose their commits. The pouehe
were seised after the trgentlnn :md
Mexico disclosure of Swedish com
pllclty in < lerman in! i Igu
; southron, ?SSSS '???> ?i?
VoLXLV. No. 19.
PLOTTERS ON ?IL
CONSPIRED TO FOMENT REVO?
LUTION IN INDIAN EMPIRE.
(Hindu Witness Says German Deader*
Directed Plot From Berlin and Was
Paid WTell for His Participation.
Chicago, Oct. 16.?Trial of Gustav
H. Jacobson, Albert Wende, George
Boehm and Heramba La Gupta,
charged with conspiring to foment a
revolution in India, was begun todi.y
before Federal Judge I>andis. Baron
Gurt von Beiswitz, former German
consul in Chicago, was indicted with
the others but is now in Germany.
Jacobson is a wealthy Chicago real
estate deal t.
Assistant United States District At?
torney Joseph Fleming in his opening,
address s;.id that the government
would show that the alleged plotters
received their instruction from Berlin
by code caolegrams. The entire plot,
he said, was conceived in Berlin when
the India national council was form?
ed in the German capital in ItII to
overthrown Eritish rule in India and
force the allies to withdraw troops
from the French and Belgium battle
fronts to India.
Attorney Fleming declared that
Baron von Reischwitz in May, 1915,
paid $20.00 ) to Albert H. Wehde to
instigate a rebellion in India. The
government's attorney also said that
$20,000 was paid by the German con?
sul in Chicago to another mm in
furtherance of the conspiracy. Later
Boehm, according to District Attorn?
ey Fleming, received $1,500 from von
Beiswitz and immediately left for In?
dia.
The detailed story of the activities
of the alleged conspirators in San
Francisco, Honolulu, Siam and Chi?
cago and their subsequent arrest by
the United States government w&sde?
scribed by Mr. Fleming In closing.
John Singh, a Hindu, the first wit?
ness for the government, said he was
in South America when he first be?
came interested in the alleged plot
He went to Italy and later to Berlin,
where he al tended meetings of the
German leaders directing the Indian
revolution propaganda.
The witness said he was given f 1,
000 in Berlin to come to the United
States. In New York he met Wehde
and La Gupti and later came to Chi?
cago, where he conferred with Baron
i
von Reiswit"., Jacobson, Boehm snd
others interested in the alleged con?
spiracy. Sinjh said he went to Slam
with Boehm, Wehde and von RelswltZ.
At San Francisco he received $800
from trie German consul.
He visited Amoy, China, where he
received a package of letters bearing
on the alleged plot from the German
consul there. Later he went to Ma?
nila and finally reached Siam.
GERMAN TO CROPS SHORT.
Situation in Austria Even Worse Than
In Germany.
London, Oct. 14.?The Press Asso?
ciation from a reliable source, pub?
lishes an eeomonic review of the con?
ditions of the Central Powers, in the
course of which it says that as a re?
sult of a special investigation or?
dered by the German chancellor of
the 1917 harvest, it is estimated that
the yield will Iks 40 per cent lower
than in normal years for wheat, and
4 5 per cent, lower for rye, oats, and
barley. The total harvest of wheat
and rye amounts of 7,500,000 tons,
compared to 132,000,00?) tons in 1913.
The shortage will be party compen?
sated from th ? Rumanian graneries.
The reviewer considers that the
food situation in Germany during the
coming winter will depend mainly on
the results of the potato harvest.
The situation in Austria-Hungary,
it is declare^!, is worse than in Bar
many.
L A POLLE PTE PROBE POST?
PONED,
Washington, Oct. 17.?The I^a Fol
lette Investigation has been postpon?
ed until November 2?ith when wit?
nesses will he heard. Chairmsn
Pomerene denied that the tempor?
ary postponem ?nt carried any signifi?
cance. I ^
Indians Buy IUismIii
Washington, Oct. 15. ?Secretary
Lansing has authorised Indian Com
misloner Sells to invest $3,000,000 of
the funds of the Five Civilised Tribes
in i per cent. Liberty bonds, it Is
expected that the Oklahoma Indians
outside the five tri bei V/ill Mibscribe
.< i ,000,000 more.
A large part of their money comes
from oil land royalties, from which
ihe Indians have accumulated a fund
of $6,000,000,