The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, December 29, 1917, Image 1
StJMTKK WATCHMAN. Fatab
Oocsolidated Aur. u,1
WAR IN ITALY.
Al'STRO-GEHMANS sKEK TO
DOMINATE ITALIAN PLAIN*.
Vtltth Recapture of Asolono Position*
Bias's Men Take New Heart for Fu
tare Battle*.
With the French Armies In North?
ern Italy. Saturday. Dec. 2S (By th?
Associated Press.?Unexpectedly balk?
ed In their march towards the plain
by the loss of the Monte Asolone po?
sitions within |4 hours after tin ?>
had captured them, the Austro-Oer
man forces are concentrating heavily,
according to all availale reports, north
and northeast of this important ap?
proach to dominating Monte Grappa.
A new and unprecedented vigorous
onslaught on the barriers to the plains
Is expected soon, not only at Grappa
but on the Aslago plateaus and pos
sibly the lower Plave.
Although expert opinion appears to
bo approaching unanimity that the
Austrlans have given up hope of
breaking through the Italian line at
present, so far as to force another
great retreat, all available Informa?
tion indicates the enemy wants to ac?
complish another big success by cap?
turing all peaks commanding the
plain and would vastly prefer a po?
sition st the northern limit of the
plain, st least where climatic condi?
tions would fsvor his troops.
Even a cursory visit to the Grappa
sector, however. Is sufficient to reveal
convincingly how very fnr the enemy
Is from accomplishing this objective
and how formidable the Italian posi?
tions are. backed up by a rejuvenated
army, thoroughly reorganizod and re
quipped and whose spirit was shown
by the counterattack In which he cap?
tured the great Asolone positions. Im?
mediately after the regaining of the
Asolone heights the correspondent
found it possible to proceed to a van
tags point slightly south and west of
Grappa, which at the time was being
viciously bombarded with shapnel by
the enemy who had lost it a few
hours before. Had the enemy been
able to hold It and conquered Monte
Cooston. this key position would have
n seriously menaced.
Their rebuff at this important point,
however, drove the Austro-German
forces not only at a considerable dis?
tance from the plain they are seeking
but makes their progress toward it '
extremely difficult. now that the
wsethsr conditions are severe.
A single day spent with the Italian
I
forces on this mountain section serves
to show convincingly what a stupen?
dous task the Austro-German invac' -
srs have. While German shrapnel
was viciously peppering the lost Aso?
lone heights, countless light and
heavy it illan batteries, honeycombing
and dotting the two adjoining moun?
tains, were hammering the enemy
unceasingly. Every path in the
mountainside disgorged troops work?
ing under the socslled rotation sys?
tem, by which the enemy men in
the ftrnt lines, after serving there for
some days, fall hack Into the reserve,
being relieved by reserves and then
gradually working their way forward
to the first line again.
At many points- lay piles of ammu?
nition and the way here and the ?<??
was almost impassable by reason ts
the batteries that were making their
m*< ? Mamies of troops lay wilting
to relieve the first line fighters?
troops obviously cheerful, well fed
end confident that the reconquer* of
a great part of the Asolone posltlo is
had brought to n final halt the Aus?
tro-German progress towards the
plain.
The concentrations on the Aslage,
plateau and along the lower Piave.
while perhaps numericaly less im?
portant than those In the Grnp;>a re?
gion, aro admittedly for the same pur?
pose, according to the admissions of
prisoners, who say the condition of
their troops is terrible and they must
at all costs secure a line on the plain
and control the Brenta and Plave
valleys so that they will not have to
endure the winter In the mountains.
"We must secure these things at
whatever prlos and sacrifice may be
necessary." were the words in which
Austrlans summed up the sitiatlon.
The prisoners, virtually wlthou'. ex?
ception" predict that "the end of this
year will be marked by "fjrious
battles which, will last a fortnight."
B \TTLE.K IN AIR.
French Have iH-stroyrd Eighteen
German Machine*.
Paris. Dec. 24.?Intense aerial ac?
tivity is reported by ths war ofllce
Ir th?- MOres of ? hnndr. d combats in
the air dor In* t he pavt few da; m. tb
French brought down elghteer Ger
mane machines.
lied April, mo.
"Be Just m
881. 8U
SUGAR FAMINE UNBROKEN.
SHORTAGE DtB TO MOVEMENT
OF SI G AR FROM AMERICA
TO Fl ROPE.
Hoover DeOSSfOl Without Price Fix?
ing; by Agreement Sugar Would he
Silling for 25 Cents Pound.
Washington, Dec. 25.?Food Admin-:
i.strator Hoover's statement on the
?UgOf situation, which he tried un
BOOC l fully to get before the senato
- ommittee investigating the sugar
shortage, woe made public tonight by
the White House, it attributes the
shortage there to the heavy move
meat of sugar fron the Westorn
Hemisphere to Europe, and asserts
that without the fixing of prices by
agreement sugar would have been
selling for twenty-five or thirty cents
a pound, and more than two hundred
million dollars probably would have
1 een profiteered from the American
people by this time.
The statement contain* the food ad?
ministrator's reply to charges made
before the committee by Clau.v
Spreckels, president of the Federal
Refining Company, that the sugar
situutlon was mismanaged and sets
forth in detail the administration's
efforts to keep sugar prices down.
While supplying large quantities to the
ullies.
The committee, of which Senator
Reed is chairman, not only had re-,
fused to make the statement a part
of the Congressional Record, but has
declined thus far to permit Mr.
Hoover to take the stand to answer
Mr. Spreckels' charges.
When the hearing is resumed Fri
duy. however, it Is understood Mr.
Hoover will be permitted to tell hi*
story.
At the outset the statement presents
the world situation as It existed prior
to the European war. The allies then
produced much of their own supplies
and purchased the remainder from
Germany. Before the war they took
only 000,000 tons annually from tho
Western Hemisphere. This year they
have taken 1,400,000 tons.
"That," says the food administra?
tor, "is the cause of the sugar short?
age, and nothing Msg,*1
The statement says the food admin?
istration has handled the situation
with a view to sustilning the morale
of France and England, where \h?
sugar ration has been extremely low
for months, and at the same time pro
venting a Jump in price to twenty or
twenty-five cents a pound here.
EXPLOSION KIIXS TWO.
Men Killed by tins Explosion in Ma
con Hotel.
Macon Ga., Dec. 24.?The explo?
sion of a gas pine in the basement of
the Hotel Dempsey early today fi -
tally Injured Policeman John Alex?
ander and John A. Truman, proprie?
tor of a pool room. The explosion
wan the result of a fire starting In
the pool room. Both men were or.
the sidewalk in front of the hotel.
They were blown high fn the air.
SWS NO FLOI'R SHORTAGE.
Frank P. Carey Reports Big Supplies
in Storage.
\.inneapolis. Dec. 24.?Frank L>
Carey? representative of tho food ad?
ministration's grain corporation, who
returned today from New York,
where members of 1 the corporation
have been in conference, declared in
answer to reports of a Hour shortage
that there is breadstuff supplies in
storage and on market now sufficient
to answer the needs of tho entire
country for five months.
Mr. Carey also announced that ap?
proximately 1,000,000 bushels 0(
wheat from the Pacific coast has been
ordered shipped here for use of local
flour mills.
SHORTAGE OF CLOTHING IN NAT?
IONAL ARMY.
Army to be Supplied from Local
Sources.
Washington, Dec. 26.?Aroused by
reports of a shortage of clothing in
the National Army eampti the senate
military committee today adopted a
resolution requesting the secretary of
war to immediately ascertain condi?
tions by wire and supply all deficient
troops by suspending departmental
routine, if necessary by direct pur?
chases front sources near the camps.
Petrograd, Dec. 2d.?The Bolshe?
vlkl government has decided to send
rspesssnta tress to all countries, bei?
llgerents s/otl si neutral? to furth?
er their propaganda Of International?
ism. Two Million rubles have bOOfl
appropriated for this purpose.
od Pear not?riet all the ends Thou Ain
BITER, 8. C, SAToRDA
WATCHING ALL AGITATORS.
I. W, W., BOLSHEVIKI AND IRISH
AGITATORS MAY BK SKICK?
ING WORLD-WIDE UP?
HEAVAL.
Shilka Incident One of Many Cnsea
Which Have Aroused Asents' Sus-1
picion.
Washington, Dec. 25.?Evidence
has been uncovered by government
agents indicating that American In?
dustrial Workers of the World, Rus?
sian Bolshevikl, Irish agitators, and
revolutionists in various countries at
war with Germany may be seeking to
k\y the foundations of an elaborate
world-wide plan to overthrow existing
social orders.
This was admitted today by offi?
cials here Including news of a discov
try of a quantity of rifles, revolvers
und ammunition on the Russian
freighter Shilka. which has just ar?
rived at a Pacific port manned by a
mutinous Bolshevik! crew. Govern?
ment agents suspect that the guns
and munitions were intended for the ^
Industrial Workers of the World in j
this country.
The Shilka incident is only one of!
many cases which lead officials to be?
lieve the connection between plotter.'
in several of the allied countries may j
bo more tangible than the indefinite
link of moral sympathy. Certain
Irih agitators and Industrial Workers
of the World leaders recently have
gone from the United States to Rus?
sia, after being in close touch with
each other here, and reports have
been received that Bolshevik! organ?
izers would con.e to America before
i I
long to spread thoir doctrine of di?
rect action for communal organiza
jtion.
No objection will be raised by the
government to any agitation which
does not in*eretere with the progress
of the war, officials declare. Officials ,
do not intend to use ^the war ex?
igencies as an excuse for suppressing
free trpech. except in so far as it
I I
leads to hampering the government in
ihe fight against the Central powers.
This basis of judgment, however, is
recognized as broad, and will permit
drastic action against foreign agents
whose conduct directly or indirectly
fosters Cermany's war alms.
AelOU will be particularly swID
officials say. when armed resistar.ee
to the law is threatened and when
other material forces are employed by
the agitators. Customs Inspectioi
j will serve to prevent importation of
arms and the close supervision of the
[crews of incoming and outgoing ves?
sels is expected to make impossible
traffic of communications on a large
SOSis intended to foster revoluntionary
activity. There still are means of
importing money into the United
States, but government agents can
, trace remitanoes and keep a watch?
ful eyo on suspicious expenditures.
Although prosecutions of Indus?
trial Workers of the World have been
vigorous officials have evidence
which they claim shows that the
Bienaee of this organization, believ?
ed to be supported largely by Ger?
man money, remains strong. Fur?
ther action against the agitators is
i forecast. This will be hastened if it
is f( and that the band is Working
With Russian Bolshsvlkl leaders to
I bring about a premature peace in
IGermany's behalf or hamper opera?
tions of the war.
Extreme care is being taken by this
government to avoid antagonizing the
Bolshevikl movement in Russia de
i spite the international irritation it
, has caused. American officials do
not care to appear to resist the de
, velopment of democratic ideals even
j if it assumes the form of extreme
and chaotic socialism reported hi
Russia under the new regime.
! RUSSIAN ASSEMBLY CALLED!
_
Soc'al Revolutionaries Will Hold
Mooting in Bellum? of Bolsheviki.
London. Dec. 20.?The Social rev?
olutionary minority in the constitu
? ut assembly has decided to convoke
that body on January 2d, according
to a Petrograd dispatch to the Times,
although the Bolsheviki government
has said it was determined to pre?
vent the meeting of the assembly in?
dependent of its sanction.
Conllrmation has been received of
the reports that Stockholm will be
the scene of the continuation of the
Busso-German peaoe negotiations.
starting early In January.
Ohio Congressman Dead.
Akron. ( duo, Dec, 24.?Represent?
ative D. R. Dathrlek of the Four?
teenth district died at his home hern,
I last night. '
ist at be thy Country'*, fhj God's a
Y, DECEMBER 29. 191
ENTIRE FAMILY PERISH.
FLAMES CAUSE HORRIBLE!
CHRISTMAS KVK TRACERY
FEW MILES FROM
GREENWOOD.
Neighbor Hears Cries, But His Ef?
forts to Save Victims Entrapped in
Burning Home Fail.
Greenwood, Dec. 23.?Mrs. J. Lam?
bert Whitman and her six children,
aged from three to thirteen years,
wore burned to death last night at
1
midnight In their country home four
miles west of Greenwood. This hor?
rible tragedy on Christmas brought ti
Greenwood a sadness that was very
noted.
Mrs. Whitman and her six children
had presumably made their prepara?
tions for Christmas, and the father
was in town. A neighbor, Mr. J. H
Davis, one of the cotton weighers
here, was late getting home, and had
just arrived in his yard when he saw
the fire. Hastily putting his horso
back in harness, he rushed down the
road to the house. Although the
building was blazing from every side,
lie could still hear the cries of the
unfortunate inside. Wrapping his
laprobe about him, he attempted to
enter time and again, but was driven
back by the flames. The cries in?
creased, and this morning all that was
left of seven beings of the day be?
fore was a charred heap of bones.
The frame of the mother was
clearly apparent, lying across a bed,
where she had possibly tried to rescue
some of the children and had fallen
overcome by smoke.
The charred remains have been
brought here and are in the R. W.
Blytha undertaking establishment. To?
morrow they will be started to Due
West in a single coffln and buried that
way at the former home of the moth?
er. The oldest child, a young boy.
was' away from home on a visit. Hti
and the father survive out of a fauiih
of nine. The house was known an
the Ryokard place, just beyond Salak
and was one of the landmarks of that
section of the country, where Mr
Wultnian had lived only one year
working a crop on the place this year
j _ _ _
STEFANSSEX ARRIVES AT FOR!
YUKON.
Intrepid Explorer and Party Safe?
First News of Thorn in Mnn>
Mouths.
Ottawa. Dec. 20.?Vilhjalmur Ste
fasien, the noted Arctic explorer
who was last heard from in a letter
written in 1916. has arrived with his
party at Fort Yukon, according to
word received by the naval depart?
ment.
URGED TO ENLIST IN NATIONAL
ARMY'.
' Greek Government Will Reward all
Greek Citizens Who Will Serve
Uncle Sam.
Washington, Dec. 26.?Greece
; wants her citizens in the United Btatei
, to enlist in the American army, ac
' cording to a note from the Greek
government that was delivered to the
State department today. Not only will
she suspend punishments which ordi?
narily follow the enlistment of
'Creeks with a foreign power, but she
; will reward them for the supporting
I of American arms.
MORE COAL NEEDED.
-
Production Has Increased But Con?
sumption* is Greater.
Washington, Dec. 26.?The war de?
mands for bituminous coal have been
greater than the mines could meet,
although the increase in production
tills year has been normal, fuel
Administrator Garfleld testified. He
said the administration is laying
greater emphasis on the stimulation
of production rather than regulating
prices. Dr. Garfleld said he knew big
: profits were being made, but believed
it necessary to stimulate production.
HI NT TAKES OVER OFFICE.
Campbell Surrenders the Governor?
ship of Arizona.
Phoenix. Ariz.. Dec. 2T?.?Thomas
E. Campbell turned over the gover?
norship of Arizona to Gov. George
W. P. Hunt today in obedience to the
mandate of the State Supreme Court.
Which found that Gov. Hunt was the
legally elected governor by a plurality
of forty-three votes.
The ceremony was without fea?
ture.
Hunt's lirst official act was to ten
dor to Campbell n place on the St it >
tax commission. Mr. Campbell de?
clined,
onthi
7
AMERICA AIDS KALEDINES.
TROTSKY CHARGES RED CROSS i
WITH HELPING ENEMY.
Ambassador Francis Says Neither I
United State** nor Society is Help?
ing Counter-revolution.
Petrograd, Saturday, Dec. 22.?Leon
Trotsky, the Bolsheviki foreign min- !
ister, at a meeting of the revolution?
ary organizations assembled in con?
gress today, read documents and tel- J i
?grams which he declared contained I
evidence the Americans were helping
General Kaledinee, leader of the Don
Cossacks.
I "Last night." said Trotzky, "we
found that American agents in Rus?
sia were participating in the Kale
dines movement. We arrested Colonel
Kolpashnlkoff, attached to the Amer?
ican mission to Roumania, who was I
trying to get a train load of automo- j
biles, clothing and supplies to Rostov.
Among the documents was a letter J
I from David R. Francis (American
ambassador to Russia), requesting
that the train be given free passage
I as it was bound for the mission at
Jassy.
"One letter from Colonel Anderson
(head of the American Red Cross
mission to Roumania) to Kolpashni
koif said that if money were needed
Ambassador Francis was ready to
advance 100,000 rubles on the ac
j count of the Red Cross. We think
that the American ambasador must
break his silence now.
' Since the revolution he has been
the most ^ilent diplomat in Petrograd
Evidently he belongs to the Bls
mt rck school in which it was taught
that silence is golden. He must ex
, plain his connection with this con?
spiracy.
"We will tell all the ambassadors.
If you think that with the help
of American gold, under the guise of
the holy mission of the Red Cross,
lyou can support Kaledines you ar?
i mistaken. If you think that you are
no longer the representative of Amer?
ica but private adventurers the heavy
hand of the revolution will reach out
, after you.' "
"I desire to let the representatives
of all the foreign powers know that
! we are not so blind as to allow our
i feet to be trampled on. In the affair
I of Tchiteherin and Petroff we have
? ! already had occasion to show the Brit -
? ish ambassador that the revolution?
ary government is not lacking in dig?
nity aad pride and that we are not
acting under the influence of the
AngloAmertean bourgeoise, but have
? a pure principle for which we will
i j conquer or perish."
? The audienco cheered these utter?
ances wildly. Mme. Alexandra Ko',
lanta, Bolsheviki minister of public
weifaro. moved then that the meet
i ing send legeates to France and Eng?
land "to light the torch of a world
revolution."
I Raymond Robins, head of the per?
manent American Red Cross mission
to Russia, on hearing of the arrest
'of Kolpashnlkoff, prior to Trotsky's
II speech, offered to explain the matter
to the Bolsheviki leader, but Trotzky
refused to hear him unless he came
, as the representtaive of the embassy.
Ambassador Francis in a statement
to the Russian press declares that the
embassy and the Red Cross are in
no way involved in counter-revolu?
tion. He says that Kolpashnikoff re?
ceived no funds from the embassy.
CANADA CUTS OUT LIQUOR IN?
DUSTRY.
, Importation Is Prohibited and Manu?
facture Will be Stopped.
Ottawa, Dec. 22.?Importation of
intoxicating liquors into Canada, af
! ter Monday next is prohibited and
their manufacture will be prohibited
alter a ?lato to be determined later,
Premier Borden officially announced
today.
The premier said there would be an
investigation and consideration of the
situation in the liquor industry before
the date for prohibition of manufac?
ture is decided upon.
The ban will remain in force dur?
ing the war and for one year after
conclusion of peace.
A DEMOCRATIC PEACE.
Trotr.ky Explains to French Ambas?
sador Alms of the Bolshevikl.
Paris. Sunday. Dec. 23.?Leon
Trotsky, the Bolsheviki foreign min?
ister, according to a note issued by
the J lavas Agency, called on French
Ambassador Nouleni at Petrograd.
and explained that the Bolshevikl
wished tel keep to the principle of a
"Democratic peace." leaving to the
peoples the right to dispose of thom
< selves,
ran.
SOUTHRON, ?MMWi '?>*? 1 *
Vol. XJ-V. No. 39.
BRITISH NIVAL CHANGE.
\dmiral jellico DISPLACED
by vice admiral wemyss.
Sliakc up Uic Result of Public Dis?
satisfaction With Management of
Navy and Continued German Raids.
London, Dec. ?f.?Vice Admiral Sir
Itosslyn Wemyss has been appointed
first sea lord In succession to Ad?
miral Sir John R. Jellicoe, according
to an official announcement issued
this evening.
Admiral Jellico has been elevated
to the peerage in recognition of his
very distinguished service. The hope
is expressed that; his experience may
be utilized later In another important
post.
The translation of Sir John R. Jel
licoei to the honorable eclipse of a
scat in the bouse of lords and the
promotion of the second sea lord to
his place, briefly announced in an
official communication tonight, will
convey- but one interpretation to the
mind of the general public in view of
the strong criticisms for a long time
passed upon t; e admiralty, which
culminated in eep disappointment
and dissatisfact >n at the impunity in
which German .alders recently again
sank a British :onvoy.
The official announcement says
nothing of Ad niral Jellicoe having
for any reason desired to resign his
appointment but merely announces
his replacement, by Vice Admiral
"Wemyss and Ue bestowal of a peer?
age "in recognition of his very dis?
tinguished services."
Admiral Jelltroe, who had perform?
ed notable serv ce in the British na?
vy as commanier of the Atlantic
and Home He s and also as second
sea lord, was made supreme com?
mander of the home fleet at the out
j break of the war. In the summer
(following the Jutland battle he was
appointed first sea lord, turning over
command of the grand fleet to Vice
Admiral Sir David Beatty. Jellicoe
is 58 years old.
Vice AdmirtU Wemyss became sec?
ond sea lord of the admiralty in Au?
gust of the p/esent year. Although
little known le the British public.
Wemyss has always borne the repu
. tation of beir.f a fighter of the first a
; order. He won commendation for the^
, part he took in the Jutland battk
Wemyss was made'a rear admiral/
1912. He represents the old arj
cratic element in the navy.
MAY HAVE BEEN SP
Charles H. Ft lg Relieved
Been Attempting to Send
tion to Germany.
El Paso, Doe. 22.?Charles H.
Feig was shot and killed by United
States army puirols when he attempt?
ed to cross the river to Mexico here
late today. I ?ig, it is believed, was
a German spy who sought to trans
; mit military iv formation to Germany
through Mexico. When his papers
were examined a note book, drawings
and ground p>ms of troop camps.
Fort Bliss am other fortifications
j near here were found. He carried ft
: camera.
Feige was ki led after he had crosa
j ed the boundary line on what is
known as Little Island, formed by a
bend in the Rio Grande. Three
, border guards ired shots at him with
j pistols. His- body was beooght to th*?
American side In a wagon by a Mex?
ican woman. Charts found in his
possession showed the loratron of in
, ternational boundary monuments,
i wireless towers and other military in?
formation. RIs clothing bore the
markings of New York clothing
stores.
GERMAN SOCIALISTS ARRESTED.
Three Hundred Seized by Military
Putty and Imprisoned Christmas
Eve.
London, Dec. 27.?More than three
hudnred members of the German mi?
nority Socialist party were arrested
on Christmas Eve by the German
military authorities, according to a
Zurich dispatch given out today by
the wiroles press.
Birmingham. Dec. 26.?W. d.
Wynne and his son Alfred are dead
and his wife and another son and
Miss Turner were injured when an
Atlanta. Birm< ;ham & Atlantic train
struck their automobile today at
< 'wonion cross!"tg.
Petrograd, Dec. 26.?An American!
Red Cross tra n left hero yesterday
with the approval of the Bolsheviki,
carrying all its original supplies ex?
cept automobiles.
-u_j