The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, January 02, 1918, Image 6
C" m TERMS INSINCERE.
tmonmALH attract only
passing intkkkkt among
waahlngton ofictals.
Will Not Enter Into Anj
Where the People Hate
Mi ftnjr.
Washington. Dee. 37.?Germany's
te the Russian Bolshevlki
through the Austro-Hungs
fSisj foreign minister, for a basis of
have attracted little more than
Piter set here, chiefly because
Skjft attitude of the United States gov
it has not changed in any de
since President Wilson solemly
t^ld ocagreee that word of the present
fillers of Germany could not be ac?
etate* for anything worth while.
f Moreover, officisls here think the
conditions imposed by the Teu
plenlpotentlarles itamp their
of no annexation and no in
Itlee as insincere.
< There Is a disposition to fesl thar
vho object of the German plenlpoten
sfrnss la simply to protrsct the nego
nations as long as possible without
ally expectation of sn immediate peace
ment with the double purpose of
the German people to believe
fjteir government really is desirous of
shaking peace, and of gaining time for
tie further strengthening of the Ger
saan lines in ths west.
One condition regarded as impossi
|>|a for ths present at least, is that th
adherence of all the belligerents must
m secured to the peace the Germans
ao? trying to make with Russia be
|>*? it can become effective. This is
accompanied by a demand for the re
teiin of the German colonies now in
n<ea*salon of Russia's slUes.
#. It can be stated authoritatively that
m%9 position of the American govern
faent has not changed In any respect
With regard to Its determination to
Osier Into no agreement with a gov
Cement which doee not represent the
ee will of the governed people. This
tp>u)d dispose of any hope the Ger
Maas might have that the Russians
Mold induce America to subscribe to
the peace treaty which they are now
typing to arrange. As for the Ger?
ft en colonies, the American govern*
?tnt has never recorded itself on the
? eject, and IJoyd George recentlj
itsjl?red that was a subject for the
fcisjtee conference.
CALLED AFTKH FIIRRt ARY
Made Affects Rrdanos of Viral
Draft Quota.
' Columbia, Dee. 17.?The additional
It per eentum of the first draft will
ket be called to the colors until after
bbruarv IS of next year, according
?o a telegram received by the office
If the governor from Provost Mar
WmU General Crowder today. De
Seiendes In the other four increments
should be made up from the men al
ry selected for service and report
teak to the local boards by the
district exemption boards, according
|s> the interpretation given the tele?
gram by the draft authorities, until
Classification of class one is complet?
ed. The wire fellows:
"It has been decided that there will
ie no more formal calls for deferred
in tags of the preeent quota be?
fore February IB. While boards
mid. until they have enough men
dry classified In class one, send
ird promptly men selected under
the old regulations to make up de
flelencte* In calls already made, the
result of this decision will be that we
thnll be abls to give the benefit of the
bow Classification system to all men
whose order numbers are so late as
.W place them within deferred per
^itagee of the present call. Calls
1. however, be made very shortly
gnder the provisions of section 149,
for the special elate) of men there
mentioned. For the sake of compos?
ing the public mind, and for the con?
venience of registrants, this informa?
tion ought to be given wide dissemi?
nation.'?
# In another telegram to the governor
Provost Marshal General Crowder has
lhstructsd that the district boards re
thra ths records In the various casir,
ionsldsred under the old regulations
.0 the local board having Jurisdiction
fh this way ths local boards will be
rt}ade offices of record.
* PEACE OONFERKNCK RECTOS.
n Negotiation* Adjourn
1 'mil January Ith.
Petrograd, Thursday. Dee. u7. ?
The delegates to the peace conference
st Breot-Lltovsk have agreed to a
eon days; rsesss in the peaoe negotia?
tions, which will bs resumed Jannar)
Ith at a place not yet determtm <l
An armistice Is reported to hi
b*?a reached between the Bolsheviki
forces and the troops of Gen. Kalt
dines st Rostov, with a neutral g0JM
between the opposing lines.
Washington. Der. 28.?Pres dent
Wilson is today oollbmthsl his sixty
first birthday There was no special
ceremony at the Whle House because
of the rush of work.
FREIGHT BY SHORT ROUTE.
INDIVIDUAL RAILROADS X(<T
CONSIDERED NO A.
Now Plan of Operation Sure to Re?
sult in IiunuM'il Efficiency iu
Transportation.
Washington, Dec. 27.?Under the
traffic pooling plan to be worked out
by Secretary McAdoo as director gen?
eral of railroads freight will move
over the shortest and most convenient
routes regardless of the individual in?
terests of the roads. Since earnings
ss well as facilities would be pooled
this system cai be pursued to un ex?
treme limit, officials pointed out to?
day, without endangering the revenues
of any line, learnings will be pooled
and paid out on the basis of pre-war
returns regardless of how much
frslght a railroad actually moves.
Railroad experts admit there is a
great loss of efficiency in competition.
Freight is often billed over a particu?
lar line when it might be handled
much more expeditiously over anoth?
er. A shipper has had a right to ship
bis freight as he pleases but under
government operation and traffic pool,
ing it matters not which road gets
his freight it will move over the line
or lines best able to handle it. Two
railroads running between New York
and Chicago for instance might cross I
at some point in between. Under
the ordinary system freight given to I
one road in New York would pro?
ceed all the way over that line. Un?
der the new plan it might be divert?
ed to the other road at the crossing
point if the other road from the cross?
ing into Chicago offered at the time
better faclllies for moving.
While admitting th xt competition
slows up traffic In a situation such as
exists at present, railroad men point
to the fact that competition has
brought all the improvements in rail?
road facilities such as the airbrake
and other devices. But during the war
even they admit the Invention of new
appliances is far less important than
the moving of freight.
Under the government pooling plan
a railroad with its linos congested
will not be given more freight to
handle if it appears it may add to
the congestion.
Interestate commerce commission
officials will work with Secretary Mc?
Adoo in a comprehensive operating
plan.
WILLIAM ELLIOTT FOOD ADMIN?
ISTRATOR.
Hoover Announced Appointment by
President.
Columbia, Dec. 28.?-William Elliott
is in the employment of the federal
government. He has been appointed
federal food administrator for South
Carolina to succeed David R. Coker
resigned.
His salary is $1 a year.
In other words, when Herbert
Hoover, yesterday evening teleghaph
ed to Mr. Elliott: "It gives me pleas
ure to inform you that the president
has today approved your appoint
ment as federal food administrate
for South Carolina to succeed D. R
Coker," he meant to congratulate th*
State and country upon the willing
and self-sacrificing service which Mr
Elliott Is to give.
Mr. Ellltt is a very busy man. Be
sides having a large private law prac?
tice he is the general counsel for the
Columbia Railway, Gas & Electric
Company, the Pacific Mills, the Union
Buffalo Mills Company, the Pan
Shoals Power Company and a number
of smaller cotton mills.
It is needless to say that Mr. El?
liott will give to the food ad min ist ra
tlon the same excellent business man?
agement that he gives to all other
concerns with which he is connected.
With the American Army in France,
Thursday, Dec. 27.?A corporal o*
the American engineers was killed
and one private wounded on Christ?
mas Evo when a German shell drop?
ped near a party working in th?
trenches on a section of tho French
front.
Washington. Dec. 28.?As the first
practical btep in the government's op?
eration of the railroads, which began
at noon today Mr. McAdoo has drafted
all railroad war boards into the fed?
eral Horvlce to work out plans of uni?
fied operation.
With American Army In Franc e, i
Thursday, Dec. 27.?During a recent
moonlight night German aviators
dropped bombs near a certain town
and two American privates, camped
in 1 wood, were killed.
I'i'ih, DOC. 2S.?Franc.? will not ac
peace based on conditions before
?M w,tr, Foreign Minister Plchon de?
clared in replying in the Chamber of
i" puttee yesterday to the peace terms
of the (Vntral Powers outlined to
Russia. H#. asserted that Germany la
endeavonmr to invlove France in tl>
negotiations with tbe Bolsln vlkl. but
the war will k<> eg whether or nOt
Russia made u separat?. p?.ae... '
TAX OFFICERS MEET.
commission MEET with aud?
ITORS and ASSESSORS.
Governor Shows Tlutt State Stands
Ixmcst In Per Capita Payments for
Taxation.
Columbia, Dec. 28.?The first meet- ?
j
Inj of the convention of the auditors
of the State and chairmen of the
county boards of equalization was held
last night in the court house. Adv
dresses by Gov. R. I. Manning, Sena?
tor Alan S. Johnstone of Newberry and
others featured the program. The
meeting is held for the purpose of
breeding a spirit between the tax com?
mission and the auditors and the tax
assessors of the different counties of
the State and create uniformity in as?
sessing property of the State. The
'meeting adjourned at 10.30 o'clock to
reconvene today at 9.30.
After the meeting had been called
to order A. W. Jones of the tax com?
mission, chairman, welcomed the
visitors in an address in which he
set forth the purpose for which the
tax commission was created. He
stressed the wide differences between
the assessments of the various coun?
ties on practically the same property,
and asked that all auditors of the
State cooperate with the commission in
an effort to regulate the irregularities,
reiterating the statement that only in
this way would the State be doing its
greatest service.
Governor Manning in his address
stated that the creation of the tax
commission was his pet hobby, and
that it was brought into being for
the distinct purpose of doing away
with the old board of equalization am:
1 to eliminate the vast differences in
the tax assessment of past yeai's. The
governor referred to the war as one
for justice, humanity and freedom
and that it would necessitate the rais?
ing of more money in the future than
ever before, and that the State, wore
it to be a progressive State, woulu
need more money ythan ever, and thai
"no citizen, however poor he might be
suffer his State to go backward in
any respect." Ho also made mention
of the statement of the surveyors who
some time ago offered to make a sur
vey of the State and take their salary
from the money received for taxes on
lands not now on the books which
the survey would put there.
The governor also stated that if b
Statewide policy of making all assess?
ments on a basis of 50 per cent, were
adopted, only 30 per cent, would fee*
an increase while 60 per cent, would
either be lowered or not touched at
all. He called attention to the far.
ihat this State stood next to last in
the amount of revenue that is pal
by the people with $1.86 per capit1
and stood absolutely last in amdunt
of money spent with $1.94. In the
United States the revenue received per
capita averages $4.67, while the aver
age spent by all States for purposes o
government was $5.10. He also stress?
ed the need of lowering the levy and
increasing the assessment by puttin,.
land on the tax books that was not re
turned. '
Senator Johnstone of Newberry said
that the principal mistake of the oh
board was that they considered them?
selves as county officials while under
the system used they were State
agents. The old plan was that aftfi
the returns had been received from
the several counties the board from
the entire sva*o rnet and arranged as?
sessment;*. Jnot taking into considers
ment was not wanted in one county it
was needed in another, and for this
reason the unequal assessments were
placed. He stated that the harm was
not done when one county aeeepte?.
the return of mules at $28, but when
another county received them at $97
because by this means the Irregulari?
ties were created. In reference to th?
State survey which was mentioned b>
Governor Manning, the senator stat?
ed that the leglslaure had not voteu
to pass this act because they wanted
more time to think over it and study
it.
The biggest trouble about tho ir?
regular taxation, stated Senator John
stone, was the fact.
J. D. Durham of the tax commission
spoke at some length of the great
need of cooperation and the fact that
the board were seldom furnished with
sufficient data from which to mako
the returns.
E. R. Buckingham, chairman o1
the board of Alken county, said that
tho peopfe of his county felt that th
commission had not done right when
it had reduced the baf.is for assess
Went of the mills from 50 to 28 per
cent, and left farm lands at the high?
er figure, but if it was the law Alken
would abide by it.
W. <; s. o'Shiclds of Spartanburg
talked for a few minutes on tho effi?
ciency that eras necessary in placing
all data before the board and the ad
Vlsabtllty of not letting property hold
erg mail in their returns.
Th?? meeting today will oonclude
tb<? convention.
that while an asues-s
STATE POLITICS FORECASTED.
SOME THINGS THAT MAY AM)
MAY NOT HAPPEN BEFORE
ANOTHER YEAR
GOES BY,
The Candidates so Eni- 1? The Field I
?What Some of Them Stand for
and Who They Stand With in State
Politics.
Columbia, Dec. 21.?The near ad?
vent of the second session of the
Seventy-secodn general assembly,
which meets here on Tuesday, . Jan?
uary 8, has revived discussion of the
probable political situation next
summer.
Political prophesy Is always dan?
gerous; at no time more so than a;
the present. The great war in which
America is enga: 9Ji is rapidly up?
turning former standards, and those
of this State are passing through the
leavening process. However, one in?
controvertible premise may be laid
down. No one opposed to this war px
to the administration in its efforts to?
ward a victorious conclusion of this
war need offer for political prefer?
ment in South Carolina with hope ot
success. ,
Each politician has to reckon with
one factor; perhaps before the next
campaign the American troops In
France will have offered valorous and
heroic fight to the Germans, and out
of such engagement there might have
arisen a South Carolinian, exalted b>
daring and sacrifice, incapacitated by
injury for further service. Should he
come back to his home State and of?
fer for election to almost any office,
there is little chance for him being
defeated by the "stay-at-homes'." Out
of this arises a prediction: The sol?
diers fighting the battles of democracy
on Europe's ensanguined fields will
be the future rulers of the United
States, South Carolina among them
The politicians of the present may af
well prepare themselves for the over?
turning of their order.
No man in South Carolina at the
present time offering for office can
predict his election a year from now;
but the relative strength of candi?
dates, announced and prospective, at
this time can be fairly accurately
guaged.
Cole L. Blease, who has announced
definitely for the United States sen?
ate, is not as strong as he was when
he ran for governor in 1916, and was
defeated. However, he is not "dead"
by any means, as some would per?
force believe. He is alive enough to
be in a second race should the pri?
mary bo held at this time. Either
Senator Tillm?ri."wh?, ft seems assur?
ed, will run If his health permits, or
Congressman A. F. Lever, who un?
doubtedly will be in the race if the
senior senator does not make it, can
defeat the titular leader of the so
called "reform party." The ex-gov?
ernor's speeches at Pomaria and Fil?
bert estranged some of his most
powerful lieutenants, and consequent?
ly weakened him with the rank and
file of the minority faction.
Col. Nat B. Dial, of Laurens, is def
initely announc?d for the senatorial
toga, and he has considerable
strength. Although the Laurens man
has entered the race as a non-parti?
san candidate, yet he can be aligned
with the anti-Blea8e faction. He* as?
suredly will make a strong fight
against Senator Tllman, should th?
senior senator run. Col. Dial will un?
doubtedly get all the intonsely bit
tor anti-Tillmanites of the '90's who
will not vote for Tillman and who
arc as strongly opposed to Blease
This vote, along with a considerable
personal following, will make him a
formidable candidate.
Among those who have been sug
gested as other possible candidates.,
but who have made no announcement
are: R. Goodwyn Rhett, of Charles?
ton; L. D. Jennings, of Sumter; W. P
Pollock, of Cheraw. and Dr. George
B. Cromer, of Newberry. Latterly,
however, Dr. Cromer's name has beer
repeatedly mentioned as a candidate
to oppose Congressman Fred H. Dom
inick, of the Third district. It hav
been said that the perennial candi
date, John T. Duncan, of Columbia
will announce for the senate instead
of governor this year.
W. Jasp. Talbert, of McCormiek
who has definitely announced for the
senate, is a strong Blease partisai
and bitter political enemy of Senatoj
Tillman.
There are five candidates definite^
announced for governor and two ii
perspective. Robert A. Cooper, of
Laurens, stated some time ago that
he will make the race, and he Mandl
the. best chance of being elected, al?
though Lieut. Gov, A. J. Bethea has
gained strength and is looming up
These two men are strongly anti
Blease, and one of them will go into
the second race with a Blease can
dldate. Attorney General Thomas' H
Peoples and W. A. Btuckey, of Bish
opville. have been aligned with the
Mease faction, are the only ones of
that faction so far definitely an
nounced for governor, but Major John
<*5. RlohardS, chairman of the Stat
Railroad Commission, will undouhl
ARMY SUPPLY SYSTEM.
CRITICISM OF AVAR DEPART?
MENT CONTINUES IN CON?
GRESS.
Members of Senate Military Committee
Not Salislied With Soldiers" Cloth?
ing ami Equipment.
Washington. Dec. 27.?Criticism uS
the system of the war department ana
council of national defense in secur?
ing clothing and other supplies fo
! the army was sharply renewed h
j members of the senate military com?
mittee today during further examina?
tion of Maj. Gen. Henry G. Sharpe.
quartermaster general.
General Sharpe said his approval of
j contracts negotiated by the council',
supplies committee was to an extend
perfunctory and none had ever been
\ disapproved. He defended the estab
j lishment of the civilian committee.,
however, as a necessity because of the
j enormous task involved in handliiifj
war orders for the expanding army
Shortages of winter clothing, Genera!
Sharpe attributed largely to belated
deliveries on account of garment mate
ers' strikes and lack of special ma?
chinery in private factories and to the
decision to send American soldiers t
France enrlier than originally planned.
Orders to clothe more than 1,960.
000 men have been given, Genera.
Sharpe stated, and early next year i'
'is expected to have on hand enough
jfer 1,300.000.
Steps taken by Secretary Baker be
. fore the American war declaration to
secure clothing for a large army were
again recounted by General Sharpe.
On April 4, two da\'3 before the War?
the secretary authorized emergency'
contracts to clothe 600,000 men and
contracts were let in the open market
without advertising. For another
' GOO,000 men contracts were let in May.
Questions relating to cantonment
construction contractors were asked
by the committee, but General Sharpe
said all cantonment matters had been
handled by General Dittell. The latter
and his assistants are to be called
soon.
Tomorrow the committee expects to
hear, probably in executive session,
Maj. G<5n. W. M. Wright and Maj.
Gen. Camps, Doniphan and Bowie, re?
spectively, regarding their recent in?
spection of Gen. Pershing's expedi?
tion and their own camp experiences.
edly be in the race, and strong pres
sure is being made on John L. Mc
Laurln, of Bennettsville, former Unit?
ed States senator, by his friends hi
Anderson county to enter the con
test. It is expected that he will of?
fer. John Madison DesChamps, of
Columbia, who can be classed as anti
Blease, has definitely entered the
race. Mr. DesChamps was in the race
for governor last year.
Of the Blease candidates so far an
nounced, Attorney General Peeple-a
apparently has the edge on the other
so-called "reformers." If the pri?
mary were held now he undoubtedly
would go into the second contest witn
an anti-Blease man. Mr. Stuckey.
however, will make a strong race;
he has announced that he will pitch
his campaign as the leader of the ag
gricultural and labor elements of the
State. He promises to make the fight
interesting, ho asserts. John G.
Richards, so far unannounced, is
the choice of some of the leaders of
the Blease faction and they will un?
doubtedly prevail on him to make
the race, and will endeavor to make
him the standard-bearer of the self
etyled "reformers." John L. Mc
f.aurin, say politicians who are
studying the situation, is gaining
ground in the Piedmont section, par
Lieu larly tince Lowndes J. Frowning,
of Union, who himself was a candi?
date for governor in "914, has en?
dorsed him.
Proctor Bonham, Senator from
Greenville county, some months a:;o
vas spoken of as a possible guber?
natorial candidate, but lately this tal*
his subsided. Should Senator Bou
ham enter the race he would offer
? oniplications for the other aspirants;
he is not only extremely popular In
the Piedmont section of the State
where he served a number of terms
as solicitor of the Thirteenth Judicial
Circuit, but he is a "stump" speaker
of experience, ability and magnetism.
He would draw votes from both po
j litical factions.
Claud N. Sapp, assistant attorne
general, a Blease partisan, has an?
nounced to succeed Thomas H. Pee
pfof as attorney general. Robinson P.
94 arson, a member of the house from
Bain well county, who has been op
nosed to the minority side of the po?
litical fence, but not an extreme fac
tlonallat* also has announced. It is
understood that Bam M. Wolff, form?
erly a member of the house from An?
derson county, will make the race.
The name of Samuel T. Dan ham. mas
ter of Spartanburg county, also has
been prominently mention?i for at?
torney genral.
George w. Wlghtman, of saiuda,
who was defeated last year by Wil?
liam Banks Dove for secretary of
State, has announced that he will op
WAIL POOCH STOLEN, <j
SHIPMENT OF MOXE\ FAILS TO
REACH COLI Yi tin.
Fifty Thousand Ikdlar Disappears
Between Richmond Bank an.? Cm
] umbiu.
Richmond, Va., Dec. .7.?A pouch
containing $50,000 sent y the federal
reserve bank of Richmond to a bank
in Columbia, S. C, disappeared in
transit last Saturday aud is believed
to have been stolen. Deteciivcs are
now at work in several cities endeav?
oring to find the pouch and the per?
son who got possession of it.
Just where the pouch was taken
from the train is not i'.nown. Detec
i tives and bank officer i have not
I .
divulged the name of the railway
over which the money was sent. Post
office authorities could throw little
light on the case this afternoon other
than to say that the money is believed
to have disappeared afUr it left Rich?
mond, there being nc clue to its
whereabouts, governn-?nt inspectors
having been detailed to look for it
as soon as it became known the
pouch was lost.
George J. Seay, governor of the
federal reserve bank, ?va3 not in his
office this afternoon when inquiry
was made concerning the missing
pouch, but other offic - in the bank
would neither confirir nor deny the
disappearance.
The money was of small denomi?
nations, being $5 and $10 notes. It
was sent from the federal reserve
bank in Richmond, Va., December
17, to the National loan and Ex?
change Bank of Columbia and was
transmitted over the Seaboard Air
Line Railway. The package was're?
ceipted for in Hamlet. N. C, the last
transfer en route. When the mail
pouch was received at the Columbia
postofflce, the package of money was
missing. No other packages of ma?
terial value were in thu pouch. Blame
has not yet been fixed on any ?ar?
ticular individual.
ALLIES PEACE TERMS.
Lloyd George Tells L, bor Conference
Declaration Oan Be Made Only by
Joint Action.
London, Dec. 28.?Lloyd George in
a letter sent to the 1. bor conference,
said a statement on war aimes could
only be made In agreement with
Great Britain's allies. The question
of issuing a fresh joint declaration, he
added, is being constantly kept in
view by the allied governments.
_Thejacjhj^ejnejftlj^; pUrpOBftfl fOT
which the allies are Jghting is essen -
lal to the future freedom and peace
of mankind, Premier Lloyd George
said in the lecter whi h he sent today
to the labor conference. The state?
ment is regarded as the British an?
swer to the German i eace offer.
DEATHS IN CAMP.
Washington, Dec. 28.?Deaths from
j disease in National A . my camps dur
jing the week ending December 21st
were one hundred and eighteen,
against ninety-sever. the previous
wek in the National Guards and one
hundred and twenty, against one hun
! di ed and sixty-ifive, iccording to the
report published tod y. It says that
many new cases of ; aeumonia have
developed in camp Wheler, Macon,
Ga., and Camp Cov. i r, Texas. Measles
are spreading in can ps Gordon, Tra?
vis and Pike.
_
Petrograd. Thurs< iy. Dec. 27.?
Soldier.s acting under the/ orders of
finance commisioner Menshinisky, to*
day seized all privat banks in Petro?
grad, including the branch of the
National City Bank of New York.
Manager B. R. Stev : ns was arrested,
and detained a short time. Many
mank directors were arrested.
Chicago, Dec. 28.?A number of
i
persons are reported to have been
killed in an explosion at a blast fur?
nace plant of the Inland Steel Com?
pany. Indiana Harb r. Indiana, today
when the plant caught'fire. The en?
tire plant is threatened with destruc?
tion.
Washington, Dec. 29.?There will
be no general revision of coke prices
for 191S. Fuel Administrator Gar
lleld today issued order continuing in
force the prices fixed last Septem?
ber.
pose Mr. Dove for the same office
next year.
Edward C. Elmore, formerly chief
clerk for the comptroller general,
has announced thr.*: he will oppose
Comptroller Gener u Carlton W.
Sawyer next year.
Junius T. Liles, of Orangeburg,
chairman of the v .<.ys and means
committee of the he-use, has made a
conditional announcement for lieu?
tenant governor. It li understood that
Dr. E. C. L. Adams, of Columbia
who unsuccessfully opposed the re?
election of Lieut. Cov. A. J. Bethea
last year, again Will make the race.
?-W. J. Cormack i< News and Coup?
ler.