Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

?VMTER WATCHMAN. EatAb Consolidated Auk. a, 1 WHD6ES OVER THE SANTEE. 11F< <>MM1 \ h \ i loNN KRst IT AT i o\i i 1:1 \< i: of i>i:i.f i \irs nu \t fix>rfn< i Hrtdgee at I < nu.r-. and Ptnckncy's? These Landing* Are Knvorrd by OwfrrtiKr?Henolutions Atloptrd. Charleston. Dec. 21.? The meeting of representatives from the sevral OOMntles abutting on or ndjacent to the Santee river, called at the hV ?tones of ihs Charleston Chamber of Commerce to meet In Florence yes? terday, resulted In steps being for mulatedr making practical the carry? ing out of the recent recommenda? tion of the state Htghwaj Commie* Sion that two bridges he built span? ning the Santee river. A meeting was held about a month ago in Co? lombia at which the claims of several sites along the Santee river were put forth. Advocates of each section recited the advantages to accrue from that site, the State Highway Com mansion giving duo weight to tbe argumenta presented. HlssrjTH Ferry, near McClellanvllle. Lenud's Ferry, near the Seaboard Air Una crossing. Murray's Landing, near the erossing of the Atlantic Coast Una aj.d Pinckney's Landing, near Far lere, or Ht. Paul's, in Orange burg county, were all forcibly pre? sented. Tbe commission after due deliberation announced Its recom? mendation that steps be taken to build two bridges, one at Lenud's and the other at Pinckney's Landing There was no doubt as to the desir? ability of Murray's Landing site both as to convenience and central loca? tion, but the swampy approaches and span of the river bed. etc., en? tailed an expense which was almost, prohibitive, the cost of the bridge at Murray's Landing being almost as fauch ae the combined expense of the bridge at Lenud's and Pinckney's Landing. T)?s work of the State Highway Commission for the lime at leasr ceased when It made Its recommen? dation and gave out the facts and ^gjfret regarding the distances ant enpeltsee of the several sites. It wa* therefore up to some agency to get the several counties to cooperate in some way to realise the finances nec? essary to build the two bridges and it was for this purpose that tbe Charles? ton Chamber of Commerce called to? gether representatives of the eeverai seen ties Time is quite a factor just now a* legislation will be required by the State legislature when It msets nsxt month, and before this legislation is proposed local senti? ment must b?> crystallzed and the several legislative delegations in? formed of tbe wlsheu of their con? stituents. Fnless s meeting such as was held yesterday had been called It Is prob? able that the whole project would have reached n > crisis by the date of meeting of bat legislature and would have failed et accomplishment, for the coming year at least. The meeting In Florence yesterd iy waa presided over by Mr. A. V. Snoll. Of Charleston, and the whole mut? ter was thoroughly ventilated. On motion of Mr Wilson O. Harvey, committee of one member from each county represented was appointed t< take the whole Situation under con? sideration and to report back to the meeting plans and policies for then adoption. A recess wss taken while Ibis conindtee held ? spirited session, threebing out lo< ?! differences and difficulties. untangling knot-, ml overcoming real or I .mend obstacles When the meeting reconvene! Chairman Harvey submitted the fol? lowing recommendation made by th?? committee, which was adopted unanl moualy: "Resolved that Senator Hagar Hlnkler of I harlestnn. be requested to prepare the necessary legislation looking to the formation of a torn mission, to he known ;n tbe Snntee river bridge commission, whl h com mission shall bg Intrust, d wi h SUOh -liplea and responsibilities and | ffl era essential to cooperating with thI Slate Highway Commission and |0 aid in the construction of the bn< get spanning the Santee nv< t Resolved that a committee of three representatives from each c< tin ty be appointed. which committee shall be charsed with shmul.it in<: public sentiment in favoi Ol the OOfl struction of the Santee river StidgSS and to devise mean* for the raisinf of the quota to be turn Iahe I bv the county to the bridge fund. Thin committee to take the giattSff up with the coumv ksjfceaaitvs delegatkMi ? i that they will gS apprised of the Wiehes of their constituents in the JttVd April, 1850. "Be fast s 881. BUM matter of the building of the bridges I "Resolved that this gathering of representatives of the counties in the ?astern section of South Carolina give their approval to the proposed span? ning of the Pee Dee river by the con struction of a bridge under the direc? tion of the State Highway Commis? sion, with the aid of the counties di? rectly and Indirectly interested, and pledge their support to such a project when a feasible plan has been for? mulated. "Resolved that a committee consist? ing of A. V. Snell. W. H. Andrews and J. L. Rarringer be appointed to adjust any matters arising In the carrying out of any of the plans and purposes outlined in the foregoing resolutions or which may become necessary to aid in the construction of tho bridges gor nee the Rentes rkr* gj and that the committee also have charge of suggesting tentative figures which would seem to bo the reason? able and proper proportion of the several counties (n fund of $180,00 ? necessary for the construction of tho sold bridges." BefOfS ndoptlOn of this report en? quiries wer?? made as to how the amounts which this special commit? tee had in mini*- should be raised by each county and Chairman Harvey announced the following as being tho quotas which had been considered: Cost of the bridge at Pinck ney Landing.$154,000 Cost of the bridge at Le nau's Landing. 173,000 Total.$327.000 One half being^furnished by the Htato Highway Com mlss!on would leave to be rained by the several coun? ties about.$163,000 Added for contingencies at suggestion of State High? way Commission. 17,000 Total to be raised, about. $180,000 Apportionment as follows to coun? ties: Clarendon.$35,000 Dorchester. 5.00" Georgetown. 15,000 Williamsburg. 15,000 Charleston. 25,000 Florence. 15.000 Sumter. 15,000 Darlington. 5,000 Lee. n.orm Orangeburg. 25,000 Berkeley. 10,000 Rlchland. 10.000 Calhoun. 5,000 Harry. 1.000 Marion. 2,000 Dillon. 2.000 Marlboro. 2,000 Chesterfield. 1.000 This provides for an excess* of $13, |< ', but this will be absorbed pos? sibly by deflections of some of the counties. It will bo seen that the figures are not excessive. All present at the meeting marveled how readily the two bridges could b.i acquired If each county would fa", in and do its part in proportion to tha advantages to accrue. Mr. Snell's executive com? mittee will take these llgures under revision and then submit them to the chairman of each of the county committees and endeavor to gel the wh de mattter upon a working basis. Tim Charleston delegation, consisting of A. V. Snell, James W. Martin, William Oaillajd and Wilson Q. II . rvev. worked hard to bring about the results which were obtained. The advocate of Murray's landing had to bo reconciled and sotne of the rep? resentatives were Insistent that the Pee Dee bridge matter be incorporat? ed In any consideration of the Ban? fe l bridge*. A patriotic spirit pre? vailed, however, and concessions were made on all sides, resulting in action being taken which will probab? ly insure the construction of the two Santee bridges within the next year. The presence of State Highway ICngi i ncer Murray was appreciated as he furnished valuable Information. Th absence of representatives from Orangeburg and Clarendon counties, which strongly supported the Plnck nsy landing bridge, was regretted, but I bei I Interest was cared for by the representatives from Charleston and eisvwh. re, who worked unselfishly for' results, taking broad and comprehen Sive risers On tin- whole matter. nil LEWIS MACfllNE dl X, Manufacturer Tells of ('ovcrnmcnt'^ Refusal to Aocept Hun. Washington. Dec. 18, - The govern msnt's reluctance to adopt the Leu Is machine- gun was described ot length today by I B, Doric, the man ufacturlng head of the Ravage Arms Companyi ihe American makers, when testifying before the senate I. il t. i\, committee's investigation of tie- shoiiaip- in mmy Ktipplies. Dd Fear not?Cat all Uta ends Thon AID [TER, S. 0., WE?NESD, ARGENTINES ARE AROUSED. ieofle in streets of buenos aires ( all for ac tion. BfCUltWII or Mob Menace German Property Shouting "Long Live Re? public" and "Death to President Irigoyen"?Congress to Demand Explanation From GtiieenincHl_ 03 - ?3 - rc Buenos Alrea, Doc. 21.?As the re? sult of the publication of the tele? grams sent by Count von Luxburg, | the former German minister to the j I'cilin foreign olllce. it again has been necessary to call out mounted patrols to disperse crowds of people Who demand a rupture of relations v 1th Germany. The mob, which was Bhoutlrig "Long live the republic" and "Death 'to Pr?sident Krlgoyen" wee dispersed gfler a tight With the mounted pollne iin the Calle Florida. Heavy guards again have been placed over the property owned bv Hermans In the city and mounted men ulso are guarding the ulilce Of tip | newspaper I^i Union, for which Count volt tattxburg obtained a subsidy In political circles certainty is o pressed that congress will demand e^-' planations from the government garding tho state of affairs as- expos? ed by the von Luxburg telegramfi. The general belief is that the publl gallon Of the documents will lead to new demands for tho severing of relations with Germany, con? gress having already refused t'> nanction the budget appropriation fdr ] continuing the Argentine legation In lierlin, which was insisted on by tne organization of President Irlgoyern Street comment indicates that tile public is not satisfied with the got ernment's statement which accompi - nled the publication of the von Ltn - burg; telegrams. The newspaper La Patria Degli Ita - iani, in commenting on the publics,-, tion by the Argentine government of the secret diplomatic telegrams <j)f Count von Luxburg, the former Ger? man minister to Argentine says: "We would like to believe tho gov? ernment's note introducing the tele? grams but its words- of today do not agree with the facts of yesterday. The government answers the telegram with simple affirmations and without proofs. No one can deny tho facts of the last months." The newspaper then summarises the evidence in the affair among which is: ? "Count von Luxburg ataurod Oar many of President Irlgoyen's friend? ship, which has been continued by hi: patience In awaiting the Toro note until August *; von Luxburg speaks of tho agreement with Irigoyen in which it was Bpeoifled that no more Argen-j tine ships should sail for the war zone and it is a fact that since August 28 the government has impeded and1 often refused clearing any vessel car? rying the Argentine Hag and nothing more has been said of the Oriana sink? ing. "It also iw true that in October this i R-ovcrnment proclaimed its friendship for Spain and Japan, as predicted by von Luxburg on August 18. If the I telegrams are false von Luxburg at least duined the events which later happened. "Argentina tried to prevent the visit of the Americnn squadron and the public wondered why Von Luxburg explains to his government the re? pugnance of Irigoyen toward Ameri-t cans ami the English, Fenian doj BagUlsr went to Bolivia and Chile ap? parently on a visit of courtesy but j von Luxburg explains that 'friend I Seguier' was embodied with ample powers to arrange a secret agreement against tho United States. ' Von liUXburg now is without au? thority from both Germany and Ar? gentina, although Germany gave him confidential instructions after those most notorious telegrams, and Argen? tina, after giving him his passports, permits him to remain undisturbed in this country. "Why? His friends say it is be? cause Argentina knows that he can reveal further scandals when he; reaches Berlin, This contradiction between the words of the govern? ment today and its acts of yesterday perplex US." WON'T KNFKL TO KAISER. FolshcvlUi Trotsky Bays Russians Still Ready to Fight. Petrograd Dec 22.- Bolshevik! j Foreign Minister- Trot/ky. in address? in? the council of soldiers and work* men declared thai it the German sin? peror offered "offensive" peace terms the Russians would fighl against It MWs dldnt' overthrow esarlsm toi kneel before the Kaiser," hs cried. net at be thy Country's, Thy God's a aY, DECEMBER 26, 10 ARMY SUPPLY INQUIRY. CLOTHING NOT SHORT, DE? CLARES GEN. SHARPE, Early Trouble Caused by Calling More Men Than Supplies Would Outfit. Washington, Dec. 21.?Clothing, ( shoes and food supplies for the Amer- j lean army were investigated today by! the senate military committee, turn? ing its general inquiry into war preparations to the quatrermaster general's department. It was do-1 veloped that millions of dollars were spent just before the United States entered the war to provide for the great army since raised. Major Gen. Sharpe. quartermaster general, now a member of the new war board lor an hour of the time answered confidential questions bo hind closed doors. Except for over? coats and a few other winter gar? ments, of which he stated, complete stocks will be in camp December 31, tho general declared there is no clothing shortage. Shoes, also, Gen. Shape said, have beeh provided in ample quantities per capita, but the average drafted man of the national army hos proved to be so much larger physically than the regulars and guardsmen with whom the department haw had to deal in tho past that many of the shoes and overcoats as well have proved useless. Manufacture of the smaller sizes have been stopped, but the situation re? sulted in some hardships for the draft soldiers before it could be cor? rected. Of food Gen. Sharpe stated, and the committoemen assented it has been ample and of fine quality. No com? plaints regarding food, he said, had been received. Committee members stated tonight that investigation of questions relat? ed to the quartermaster General's of eflc had only begun with today's hearing. Cantonment locations and contracts, sanitation, the relation of the winter clothing shortage to re? cent disease epidemics and transporta? tion of the army by rail and water an' subjects to be taken up later. Further Inquiry was postponod over Christmas, however. Gen. Sharpe being excused until next Wednesday. Tomorrow the committee will return briefly to ordnance problems by ex? amining Col. Isaac Lewis, inventor of tho Lewis machine gun. Gen. Sharpe told in detail of the vast task of supplying the expanded war army. He said he authorized thirty-day service equipment for 1, 000,000 men in June. Orders aggre? gating many millions of dollars were placed before the war without au? thorization of a dollar by congress. By December 31, the general said complete Kupplies for 1,078,000 men would be on hand. Explaining how the supply situa? tion delayed the draft, he toid of the department's desire to call out all of the v?*? 000 men in Soptember, until he . 4 would be impossible to equip ->m. He recommended an initial call of 100,000 men; more than 300,000 were called, although the de? partment knew clothing supplies would be somewhat short. Reporte reaching the committee o men freezing their ears at Camp Cus ter, Mich., and of shortages of wlnte: overcoats, other clothing and shoes at both Camp Custer and '"amp Lee Virginia, caused the general to say he would inquire into conditions immedi? ately by telegraph. The part played by the advisory commission of the Council of Nation? al Defense in the letting of army contracts was rigidly inquired into by the committee. Some of the senators insisted that the quartermaster gen? eral virtually has been denuded of power in placing contracts or fixing prices, but Gen. Sharpe said this was not true, and that civilian commit-1 tees to cooperate were absolutely es- i sential. He suggested modification of the present plan along lines similar to the English system. There was much questioning about "red tape" In the war department. Gen. Sharpe said he had suggested changes to Secretary linker to secure "modern business methods " Regarding the present army ration, which Qen. Sharpe said, costs -t" cents a day, as compared with cents before the war. he declared that its success in building up men to "go over the top" has been dem onstrated, and he protested against agitation from the surgeon general's Office for reduction of its meat and lUgar content to save monov. Washington, Dec. 22. -Hoover's ap? pearance as a witness was postponed today and the beet sut;ar producers IVere called instead. mi Trau**" TH E TRTJ1 H7. LUXBERG'S PLOTS EXPOSED. WASHINGTON (JIVES OUT STORY SHEDDING LIGHT UPON UN ' EXPLAINED ACTIVITIES OF LATINS. Tells of Attempt to Make Secret Alignment of South American Conn tries Against United State?. Washington, Dec. 20.?Through a long series of telegrams exchanged by the notorious Count Luxburg. for? mer German charge in Argentine aim the Berlin foreign office, the State department tonight disclosed further facts about German diplomatic trick? ery and at the same time shed light upon some hitherto unexpla'r.ed ac? tivities of certain Let: n-A meriea n statesmen. Luxburg, In one of life messages, datod August 1, reported that Pres? ident Iroygen of Argentine at la*t had made.up bis mind, to conclude a secret agreement with Chile and Bo? livia for protection against North America "before the eonfereraw idea lie taken up again." T!i?j "conference idea" is assumed to have been the plan for a Latin-American neutrality ; conference, strongly supported by Carransa, of Mexico, and much dis jcussed in some of th" South Ameri ' can countries, while the proposed se j cret agreement may explain repcrtl that have come from Buenos Airer recently of President Iroygen's pro posals for a league of South Ameri can nations. in Latin-American diplomatic quarters here it is regarded as ccr tain that the disclosures will icsull (very quickly In an Argentine declara? tion of war against Germany. Con? gress and a majority of the peoph favored this step when the America! 'government published the t Bpurim Vsrssnkt (sink without a trace, message of Luxburg, and it is believ ed that the president's oppos/itioi will now be swept away, If II is no withdrawn. The messages given out today wen made public by the State departuten in agreement with the Argentine gov eminent, which, in an accompanyinj statement by its foreign minister says "the inaccuracies" of the Get man diplomats' reports are so sur prising that no epithet will fit them, i The tirst of Luxburg's Intercepts! ' messages were transmitted to Berlil by the Swedish legation at Buenc Aires in its diplomatic code, an< publication of that tact by Secretar: Lansing not only threw Argentlm , into a turmoil, resulting In the dis? missal of the charge, but precipitate a crisis In Sweden. No explanation ii given of the means by which the latei i I messages were sent. All of the correspondence was ex? changed during July, August and ear i ly irt September, and most of it deal ! with the negotiation** then in prog? ress over the sinking of the Argentlm ships by German submarines. Before the messages foil into the hands ol the American government Germany \ virtually had settled the matter b> I agreeing to pay indemnity and tc treat Argentine ships according tc international law. Secret reports now reveal that Argentine on its- side wa* to keep its ships out of danger by not allowing them to sail for the wai zone, an easy task in view of the fact that she had almost no shipping loft Throughout the message Luxburg dwells upon his dilliculties with the I foreign minister and upon his influ? ence With the president. Finally he WOS Conducting negotiations directly with the president. How far President Iroygen's pro? ject for an anti-North American al? liance went the correspondence does not develop. It merely says that he made up his mind to conclude the agreement with Bolivia and Chile, "a mutual rapprochement for protection vis-a-vis North America" being the purpose as described. In the con? cluding telegram of the scries, how eve)-, Luxburg, addressing an unnam? ed person in Santiago, Chile, proba? bly the German minister there, says that as long as Chile is neutral. Germany alter the war Will be able to carry out her South Amer? ican policy just as well as if not more easily in opposition to an "Infatuated and misguided Argentina as with Ar? gentina on her side." This apparently w.us written when the likelihood ot the president hold? ing Argentina out of the war appear? ed to be fading. Ambassador Maim, of Argentina, declined tonight to make any com? ment up on the matter, further than to nay thai the statement of the for? eign minister covered the situation. ii?> was advised of the purpose of the Tinted States and his government to make the messages public here ami ? SOUTHRON, Est? dlabed Juan, ? Vol.XL?. No. 38. supplies m Ml QU ARTERM ASTEI t GENERAL BE? FORE SEN AT J: COMMITTEE. Discussion of Ordnance Shortage Closed With Testimony of Manu? facturer and RJIle Expert. Washington, D?- 20.?The senate j military committ.e today virtually '? completed its inquiry into the army ordnance shortage, paving the way for the beginning tomorrow of the next phase of it* investigation, that j of clothing, supplies, transportation contracts and cantonments, j Quartermaster General Sharps, who recently was relieved of his du? ties so as to devote his time to work in the war department'a new war council, will be tilled to the stand. The committee expect to question him specifically on the relation of the clothing shortage to the disease epi? demic iii some of the training camps. Contracts for army cantonment and camps, their locations and sanitary Iconditions, transportation of troops and supplies hot on land and sea :.n<i many related questions also Vflfl be given prottliw ice in the oxatuina , tion of Genoral Sharpe. lie is ex? pected to oeeang the stand all day tomorrow. The committee plans to wind up the ordnance inquiry Satur . day with the examination of CoL Isaac Lewis, inventor of 'he Lewis machine gun. More testimony .regarding delays I in rifle and machine gun production . was given today by a private ord Jnance manufacturer and a civilian t J rifle expert. B. W. M. Hanson, general manag? et SC of tbe Colts arms Company, told 3;the committee that the new modified . American Enlle 1 rifle and Amerl ' can ammunition are at least equal to I German rifles arc! ammunition and su? perior to any u^ed by the allies. He agreed with other private ordnance makers who have been before the eommitee that t ie new Browning ma iI chine sun 13 the best in existence and 11 that the Lewie gun is being bought only because t ie new weapons are _ net yet available. .%! Although rifle production was held . up the department's decision to modi . fy the British Enfleld weapon, Mr. Hanson said, the delay was much 1 more than compensated by the se I 1; curing of a g -.tly superior arm. , Efforts tewai d higher standards of \ interchangeable parts in the Enfleld p rifles. Fred H. Colvin, a rifle expert, l| testified, caused three months delay _|in their production. He also declar \ od that during the period of nego? tiation and inueclslon men in a pri r rate plant ha\;ng a government con? tract played ^hookers and cards, while their pav went on at govern? ment expense. QUEBEC WOULD SECEDE. French Canadians Would Go To Ex? treme to Escape Conscription. r I Quebec. Dec. 21.?Proposals that Quebec province secede from the ^ i confederation of Canadian provinces were expressed in a motion introduc ^ ed in the provincial legislative assem bly today by J. NT. Francoseur, deputy tor Lotbiniere. Quebec was the only j province that voted against con criptli n in the recent election. MORE MENINGITIS REPORTED. Ten X( w Cases at Camp Jackson To? day. Columbia, F- \ 21.?Ten new cases of meningitis r srs reported at Camp [Jackson today One death from meningitis in iv?e city is alee report? ed. at Buenos Airei simultaneously. Count Luxburg still is in Argentina although safe conduct was secured for him long ago a d there has been fre qu in announc nents of his plans ol sailing for a lorth European coun? try. The last 1 ?port received hers concerning him said he was under? going treatment in a sanitarium for a nervous disorder, ARGENTINA FOR AVAR. Latest RovdrtUotSi of German Trick cry Will Turn the Scale. Washington. ?db. 21.?A declara? tion of war ar. nst Germany by Ar? gentina is regarded as almost cer? tain in Latin- \merican diplomatic ein des. as the result of the new evi <lcm.es of Qerman trickery, disclosed rimulanoously ir Washington and Buenos Aires last ntgfct by the pub? lic.-; tton of anoth >r series of telegrams tb.ii passed 1m wen the notorious Count Luxburg and the Berlin for? eign olllee. ,