The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, February 27, 1918, Image 2
EIST NEEDS FOOD.
WILL COrFfTOlhK FOR SIXTY
DAYS DECLARES ADMIN
ISTKATOIt HOOVER.
Railroad < ()iMr-**t?on Resprnwrthtr for
OoBdiUoti BreJaght About by Fan.
asw ee Move Food htunV?Oidy s?
Itu Urn Must be Movement to F.x
c la* ion of AM Else.
Washington, Fob. 21.?The eastern
part of the UaUed Stabs faces a
food shortage likely to continue for
the next fO days.
In making this disclosure tonight
food Administrator Hoover declared
that the situation Is the n ost critical
in the country's history f.nd that in
men)/ of the large consulting areas
reserve food stores are at the point
of exhaustion.
Tha whole blame is put by the food
administrator on railroad congestion,
which he says also has thrown the
food administration far behind in Its
program for feeding the allies. The
enly solution, he sees, is a greatly in
created railroad movement of food
Muff- even to the exclusion of much
ether commodities.
"It was very evident tonight that
the railroad administration is inclined
to recent Mr. Hoover's blame of the
railroads, and Director McAdoo de?
clared he was ready to provide every
transportation facility for expediting
food movement. The railroad admin?
istration, he said, suggested that
farmers be urged to release their
grain holdings that large numbers of
available cars might be utilised in
moving the crop.
Cereals exports to the allies. Mr.
Hoover statement says, will be 65,
000.000 bushels short on March 1,
and meat shipments also are far short
of the amounts promised.
Inability to move the crops. Mr
Hoover sete forth, has suspended the
law of supply and demand and has
created % price margin between pro
j
ducer and consumer wider than It
ver was before.
A large part of the corn crop is
about to spoil because It Is not mov
ulg to the terminale for drying. The
percentage of soft corn In last year's
op. sll of which must be dried if It
1? AO be saved. Is the largest ever
know p. Estimates place the amount
at high as i.OOO.OOU.000 bushels.
The cost of grains for feeding live
stock has Increased to such an ex?
tent by reason, of transportation diffi?
culties, Mr. Hoover says, that feeders
are confronted with the prospect of
seridus losses. Dslrying Interests, too.
be declares, sre hard hit.
Potatoes, the food administrator
declares, are spoiling In the produce
?re* hands, while consumers have
been supplied only from summer gar?
den crope and stores carried over.
Mr. Hoover's statement follows:
"In response to many inquiries 1
beg to say It le true that since the
first of December we have fallen fai
behind our agreed food program with
the allies. By the end of Februan
we will be ehort 45.000,000 bushels In
cereal products which we undertook
as our share of their suppl es. We wit.
also be short an amount of meat and
pork products that we wore to de
liver. This deficiency Is due solely to
the railway congestion stn< e that date
The railway directorate since coining
Into coatrol on January 1 has made
efforts to find a remedy but during
the month of January the weather
was insuperable and although prog
ress has been made since the fifth o
February, the situation is the accu?
mulation of three months' delaye.
The next SO days will be the most
critical period in our food history.
The simple fact is that the problem
geea far deeper than supplies to the
allies. During the last three month*
we have fallen far behind in move?
ment of foodstuffs from the farms tc
the consumer and storage centers
I p to the first of February less thnn
IVO per cent of the normal ratio o!
com has been moved; lees than ?'
per cent of the oats and less than 60
psr cent of the potatoes. From No?
vember 1 to January I we were shori
in the usual movement of grain ami
srain product* into the terminals by
over 12?.000 car loads?over 120.
. bushels und this fui ther ag
"Furthermor? this ye ar \v?> ha\e t.i
the terminals.
'Tuthermore. this year we have tin
largest percentage or soft corn It
Man) \enrs and though we heW
fgOjsjf I trog ol i '?m. a considerable
portion of the soft corn will be lost
by spoiling unless it ran he moved in
the next ?rt dnys to the drying terml
nsls. The least smouM of gram thai
must he loaded for the next 00 days
le eight million bushels per day?
?ind we have not vet attained that
freest thsn this will solve neither the
allied nor our domestic situation.
"We had snout 1.10.000 carloads of
pot .foes November 1 which should
|*SA*J been moved from the prim-ip.
producing renters nod up to the firs
of Fehrtinrv We ha.I moved shorn
Jd.SrtO enrlonde while we should have
moved over fln.ooo M 'his period Th
result IS thsjt pot iloes uro piled U
tpdiling in the producer* hands an
the consuming centers have only been
supplied by virtue of the summer gar?
dens and other stores carried over
from last year. There is a great deal
of live stock which has been ready
for the market for some time but is
still held In the farmers' hand
through Inability to secure transpor?
tation. These cattle are eating their
heads off without increasing then
meat value and are only adding to
the costs of the farmer and coiisum
ing the grain.
'The effect of this delayed move?
ment has been many fold:
"First, to jeopardize the safety of a
great deal of the soft corn and per?
ishables such as potatoes.
"Second, The stricture in flow of
distribution lias entirely disturbed the
j price conditions in the country by
'practically suspending the law of sup
( plv and demand. Th? margins be?
tween the farmer and the consumer
In many commodities were never wid?
er than they are today because the
consuming trades are undersupplied
and the farmers compete for trans?
portation. Prices of tho coarse grains
have reached unheard of levels, while
the limited transportation bed dimin?
ished the farmers' returns.
"Third. The cost of grains for feed?
ing live stock has so increased to the
feeders of finished cattle that they
face serious losses. The costs of the
dairying industries have necessarily
greatly increased.
"Fourth. Through the large con?
suming areas we have been living off
reserves through the period of scant
supplies. These reserves r.re in many
sections approaching exhaustion.
"5. We have been unable to trans?
port to seaboard the necessary food?
stuffs for the allies. This has not
been due so much to the actual ina?
bility of the railways giving priority
to foodstuffs for allied shipping as it
has to bringing products from the
farms to the terminal market?, where
it can be aggregated, prepared and
purchased by the allies
* The economic ramifications of this
wholo delay in the movement of the
national harvest are almost countless
and they present the most critical of
situations of which no solution ex?
ists but a continued expansion of tin
efforts of the railroad administration i
in the movement of foodstuffs- IK ev?
ery direction to the exclusion of
much other commerce of the country.
Considerable progress has been made
in the last 10 days, but continued
rises in the price of cereal commodi?
ties and the failure to secure sutli
clent surplus over immediately do?
mestic consumption to feed the allies
are evidence that there is still a de?
ficiency In food can* and that they
need still further to be increased.
"Comparisons of the movement
from day to day during the last few
days with movements of similar peri?
ods last year rcllect the efforts being;
made by railroad directorate. We
have, however, a long accumulation
to be gotten over wihin the next f,n
days. The situation calls for even
cooperation of the publu?through
the quick loading of cars, loading
them to capacity, and discharging
them quickly?and in every way re?
ducing the immediate tax on th?
railways. Cooperation can be givt n
by reduction in consumption of ponv
and local stores to the Inclusion SO
far us may be of transported articles
If every Interest cooperates we shall
supply the allies and remedy the dis?
tribution of our domestic supplies for
our farms ore full of foodstuffs.
No effort is being spared to inov?
allied food as fast as it can he ac
cumulated in the Interior and toda>
the railroad directorate is arranging
special trains to carry meat ami
packing house products from Chic i
go to load the waiting ships."
Your Neighbor's Chickens.
Sometimes you live near enough to j
be bothered by your neibhbors chick?
ens. Remember these things:
1. Killing the invading fowl is us
jally unsuccessful.
I, Quarrelling about them is un- 1
successful.
3. Fnduring is unsuccessful.
4. An attractive nest in winch the
neighbor's hen is enticed to lay Is
successful; >ou get the eggs. tie
neighbor gets wise.
I, A lively young dog can b<
trained to put fear in the heart of
i heps.
I, Protec t your plsnts as far ?UJ
gejSSJMe with wire netting.
7. Catch every hen that comes in.
Keep it and give It to the neighbor
only when he comes for It; kindly,
gently and with smiles; some day he
will g??t ashamed of himself. Tie
Progressive Farmer.
nOHTlMQ U <\\t c\M s.
Offensive Resumed by Turk** Agalnsl
Russians.
London. Feb. 23.?The. Turkish
army in the Caucasus has begun of
fensive. erfcteh started before the en
ptration of the erratet tee, the oorre
spondent of the Kxchnnue Telegrapl
Company wires from the wester
Russian srmv beadqiia?te s. Th.
Turk* have occupied Platans.
SOUTH CAROLINA POLITICS.
Present l?ny Candidates Passed In
Kovlow.
Anderson Daily Mail.
For twenty years past there has
never been s political campaign In
South Carolina, culminating In a pri?
mary election for national, state and
county officers, thai was based on
clear-cut issues on principles for the
betterment of our civil government
and the administration of our civil
affairs In a way to enforce the demo?
cratic principle oT "equal rights to
all and special privileges to none."
Campaigns for governor and Btat
officers, for the state legislature and
county officers, as well as congress?
men and United States senators, have
ail been run on the specious pleas ol
Ihe demagogue, framed in catchy
phrases to tic.;le the ears of the un?
thinking and ignorant and to pandei
to their narrowest prejudices and
most primitive selfish interests. The
cotton mill vote" lias been segregat?
ed and blarneyed and flattered during
?pme campaigns until it has seemed
as if there was no voters in the State
worthy of notice, except the cotton
mill operatives. The farmer also
comes in for some notice, bui. tin
professional politician expects him to
be satisfied with little?and he gen?
erally is. "Negro domination" may
be thrown at him as a scare, or he
may be promised lower taxes or bet?
ter country schools, but nothing VCrY_
definite or understandable la given
him to think about and he goes right
along voting for the man who can
talk the loudest and longest and make
the biggest promises as- to some
Vague and indefinite good to come.
And then secret fraternal orders have
been so freely and brazenly ridden by
ofTice-seekers that it can hardly be
claimed as a credit to belong to an:
of them, especially if In public life
But why go on encountering the
tricks in trade of the oftice-seekin
politician? They are plainly vlslbb
to all observers of the weaknesses
and foibles of the passing humai
show. For many years it has beei
getting more and more so that the
man who has* an honest pride in hb
character and standing hesitates, and
generally refuses, to go into a poli?
tical contest with a demagogue, with
all his reckless promises and utter
disregard of any duty to fulfill them.
Without a well-defined party to
back him, or well-detlned issues on
;ueetions of governmental methods
which would appeal to the minds and
Ideals of the voters of the state, a
man who Is ambitious to "stive his
country" in public office is necessari?
ly forced to build up a personal fol?
lowing and a compact and effective
organization of his personal backers.
His election to ofllce depends on the
effectiveness of his organization and
his ability to get widespread newspa?
per advertising, preferably free or
paid for in promises. His issues are
inything ami everything, no matter
how hackneyed or fallacious, that will
Inflame thS prejudices, Hatter the
pride, tickle the ears or please tin
fancy Of the voters. His whtde sue
cess depends on binding hie political
friends, who have similar or Identi?
cal purposes ami Interests, to his po?
litical fortunes, and if elected, his re
wards of appointments to oflice and
other political quid pro quo are giv?
en with the future in view ami in oi?
lier to solidify and add to his politi?
cal backing.
Such are the methods used in thi:
Slate for the last twenty years b\
BUCOeSSful candidates for any Office
of any degree, Measures for the bet?
terment of our civil government and
bringing the efficiency of methods in
public business tip tO n parity with
that demanded in private and corpora?
tion management. are only side is?
sues, subject to spasmodic attempts
at enactment or enforcement, more
as a camouflage to blind and keep ai
rest the public mind than anything
else.
lly using such methods for man)
rears in the legislature In making
?everal state campaigns, In activity
In socrel faternal orders and in oth?
er similar ways, assisted by a combi?
nation ot extraordinary circum
stances, Mr. Blease succeeded in be
am elected governor In 1910 am;
holding lhal position for tour years
i he slogan of his administration win
, l stand by my friends," whether In
the penitentiary or out. which he did
and he Will go down in history as th
i
most powerful and consistent frien
thai convicted criminals ever ha
among the officials of South Caro
Una.
His four years In the governor'i
office was taken up with bickering*
and fussei with other officials of nl
degrees from the secretary or wn
:md governors of neighboring state
il >wn through the whole category o
Htate officials lo the mo I obscur*
notary public. No measure to bette
our State e.o\ erninew Was advocate*
Of enacted by him or his friends dur
? hi* ofhcial enreer e\eepi the Stat
'WUrehOUM law, and that Was du
solely to the efforts and work of Jno.
L. MoLaurlri,
Governor Manning, considering the
difference in the training and en
vironment of the two men, succeed -
od in winning the governorship by
?Inj the name methodi and pollute*
used by Mr. Iiloase, and he spent
about as many yean in building uj
l\\a following and working publicity
schemes to achieve his ambition. Thi
Manning administration has ben.
as strictly personally partisan and as
?.arrow in advocating measures o'
progressive policy, as was the Ble;:s>
administration. In fact, so far as the
ordinary citizen can see or feel, then
has been little difference between th
two.
Of course (lover nor Manning
should be given credit for acting
thoroughly in harmony with the
:< derai administration in the work
of doing our part in the war against
Germany, even if he has made his
appointments to office with charac?
teristic partisanship, If Blease had
been governor during the time the
United States has been at war our
imagination fails to picture the mess
into which the affairs of this State
would be plunged by this time.
Blease cared nothing for the dig?
nity of the ofliee of governor or the
good name of the State in the public
mind. We must do Manning the
credit of doing what he could, from
his viewpoint, to maintain them both.
The fact of the matter is, Manning
nay be said to be as good as any of
the governors produced by a politi
r. .\\.tcm rased on personal parti?
sanship and lilease among the worst,
or. B* he In hard to get along With
Officially* he might be put in a class
by himself.
When Bleaae was elected governor,
he and his coterie of friends, who
had backed him and were interested
in his success for their own sakes,
immediately began to solidify and
weld themselves into a political
ring," both for present benefits and
what could be obtained in the future.
When they thought they had won
sufficient strength with the public
they named themselves the "Reform"
party and brazenly claimed direct de?
scent from that Reform party which
swept over South Carolina, from
mountains to seaboard, In the early
nineties.
The Reform party of twenty-five
years ago was a direct product of the
Farmers' Alliance and was based on
. platform of wise and effective prin?
ciples of democratic government,
which are now nearly all incorpora*.
I d in Federal or State laws. It is true
that Tillman has so persistently,
vociferously and continuously assort?
ed that it was his ability, manage?
ment and strength that achieved the
results of those days, until it is al
uiost universally spoken and thougm
Jl as the "Tillman" movement, but
the truth is, Tillman was only one
among many able and earnest men
who were working for a better ana
more efficient democratic govern?
ment.
The Blease "Reform" party of to?
day, has no valid claim of descent
from the former, either in personnel
or principles. It is centered in and
solely dependent on lilease and
Dleasc's personality. There is nothing
? Ise to it. It's only strength is the
desire ol its leaders lor the power
and emolument BOf public service anJ
its great weakness is the utter lack
Of willingness to sacrifice their time,
money and work for educating the
public on collect' principles in civil
government.
To analyse some recent events will
give a clear view of the depth of fu?
tility into which partisan politics in
South Carolina has sunk. For several
years the Blease party has done ev?
erything possible to rope John L. Mc
Laurin and bind him to their party,
so that they could have the benefit
ol his acknowledged ability as a pro?
ducer of political ideas and his bold
aggressiveness In political affairs.
Last fall there was a persistent and
concerted effort by Blease leaders to
bring McLaurin out as the acknowl?
edged candidate of their party for
governor, despite the long standing
claims for that honor made by Rich?
ards, Stuckey, Peoples and perhaps
others. The Dally Mall warned them
it the time that they were monkey?
ing with a dangerous proposition,
that McLaurin during his whole po
litlcnl life, hud never been known to
stand hitched and submit tamely b>
being harnessed and driven by a po?
litico1 ring no matter how powerful
they were.
During December of i?.st year some
letters, signed by n number of men
to give them a semblance of being
representative, were sent to Mr. Me
I Uiurln asking him to bo a candidate
I for governor ??f South Carolina on tin
Idease party ticket and he promism
I,, give an answer in January, which
he did.
That answer Utterly Shd emphati?
cally repudiated Wense as a candi?
date for the United States senate and
made Mcl^aurin's position on both
national and State politics very clear
laud his statement created great con?
sternation In the Blease camp. The
party having no principles or policy
except Blease, eliminating hitn as a
candidate would leave it h:gh and
dry, orphaned and homeless and
without a prop to lean on.
The Blease party has tried many
different times to hold State and
county conventions, but theve meet?
ings never amounted to mors than
caucuses of political friends. Such a
meeting was held in Columbia in
.January, which. from reports, was
almost solely attended by officehold
( rs from the legislature and else?
where. This caucus, while held os?
tensibly to select a candidate for
governor, finally agreed on nothing,
neither platform nor candidates, ex?
cept to support Blease for the United
States senate.
It must have been that this meet?
ing felt some uneasiness as to the
: newer McLaurin would give to the
request made of him to run for gov?
ernor. Believing in politic! "pre?
paredness" the meeting evidently
sought a goat with which to come
hack at McLaurin and repudiate him,
if his answer proved unfavorable or
offensive. And it was both.
This goat turned out to be four
members of the Anderson county
delegation in the legislature. We
don't know who wrote the letter of
repudiation to McLaurin which was
signed by the Anderson solon?.
whether it was written by one of thei
agners, or whether it emanated from
the literary bureau of the Blease
party, which is more likely. But it
hOWed such an utter lack of politi?
cal wisdom or knowledge of the
characteristics of the man they were
dealing with, that it becomes worthy
of note in passing for its silly fu?
tility in accomplishing the purposes
sought. The letter itself and Mc
Lnurin's reply to it gives ample ex
position of the party ideals and hold:;
that party up to the disgusted ridi?
cule of the average citizen.
So the matter stands at present
VVc haven't the slightest idea of what
the developments of the next few
months may be. But one thing is
c< rtaln and that is the seriousness ol
ou?- war situation is becoming more
end more fully realized every day
and we believe that the people wil!
;ose patience with personal politi?
cians and their petty politics and sc
thoroughly repuditae them in the
election of next August that they wiU
never be able to come hack.
If a man of ability, honesty and
irtegrity of character, with progres?
sive ideas of the needs of an efficient
modern government, filled with a love
of our country and of humanity
?hould go before the people of South
Carolina this summer as a candidate
for governor we believe he would
sweep the State and certainly defeat
ilie avowed candidates who are in the
bold at this time. The wish, however,
may be father to the thought, and
we confess that the prospect does not
look very encouraging.
We look with confidence to the end
of this terrible war and the coming
again of the day of peace, as the day
of doom for the political demagogue.
Our young men in fighting their coun?
try's battles, in their camp life and
in their sendee for right and justice
to all people on foreign soil, are be?
ing immensely broadened and deep?
ened In their views and characters.
Patriotism will have a deeper and
more sacred meaning to them, civil
government will be better appreciat
< d and understood in its purpose and
use for themselves and their families
and Christian civilization will have a
greater and higher significance. The
soldier of his country, who has pro?
tected and defended it with his life,
will demand a new deal and the pa?
cifist, petty political demagogue will
receive scant consideration at his
hands.
SPANISH STEAMER TORPEDOKI).
(icrnian Submarine Sinks Ship Load?
ed With Cork.
Madrid, Friday. Feb. 2 2.?The Span?
ish steamer Mar Caspio has been
sunk by a submarine, on route to New
York with a cargo of cork. The crew
were saved by the Spanish steamer
Claudio Lopes Y Lopez, which was
also stopped by s subrnar'ne, but la?
ter allowed to proceed after much ar?
gument. The submarine wanted to
sink the latter because it carried cars
consigned to tho Spanish Northern
Railroad, which is partly French own?
ed.
INCREASE COTTON FREIGHTS.
Steamship Lines Ask Fifty Per Cent
Advance from Southern l*orts.
Washington. Feb. 23.?Increases
ranging up to 11 fty per cent, in some
cases in rates on cotton from South
Atlantic ami Gulf ports to New York
and Boston, are asked of the Inter?
state Commerce Commission by the
Malloiy and Clyde Steamship Lines.
The Clyde Line asks an increase from
twenty to thirty cents per hundred on
upland cotton from Oeorge.own. S.
C. lo New York. On Sea Island from
Charleston. Jacksonville and Bruns?
wick they ask for forty cents to New
York and forty-five cents to Bogtott.
ST/ATE-WIDE HIGHWAYS,
? r n \.\ I <
State Highway Fw*rJiieer Murray Ex?
plains the (ommiselon Plan for
Financing ami Building Necessary
Bridges.
Mr. C. W. Cofleld, Secretary and Gen?
eral Manager, South Carolina State
Automobile Association, Greenville,
S. C.
Dear Sir: I am in receipt of your
letter of the 16th inst asking for in?
formation regarding the plan propos?
ed by this commission for construct?
ing several important, bridges in the
State and inquiring how your asso?
ciation can ?-e of service in further?
ing this mov lent.
In reply I wish to say that we ap?
preciate your interest in this matter,
and expect your association to bo
01" much assistance to the road im?
provement program throughout th*
State. This has been the history of
live automobile associations every?
where, since they are the only or?
ganizations through which the ever
increasing number of automobile own?
ers can express themselves unitedly.
And it has been the case in nearly all
States that road improvement has
either originated from, or has been
supported by the automobile owners.
As tot he plan recommended to the
general assembly for the construc?
tion of the bridges, I will say that It
was evolved by the commission after
our investigations had shown that
there can be no really State-wide road
system completed in this State Until
these bridges are built. .Also, the
cost was found to be such that th?
thinly populated counties adjacent to
these points eould not finance the
bridges albne. And even If they
csuld it would not be fair to ask
two or three adjacent eounties to
strain themselves to the utmost to
build bridges and then have to neglect
their roads when other counties sbare
the benefits of the bridges. The plan
suggested by the commission for fin?
ancing these bridges is to take forty
per cent of the total license fees now
collected for the registration ot mo?
tor vehicles, which is at present re?
turned to the counties for local road
work, and set it aside for a period of
five years as a State-wide bridge
fund. This fund would be supple?
mented by the counties adjacent to
the bridges and by a portion of the
federal aid funds allotted to this
State.
Several prominent and Influential
men in both the house and the sen?
ate expressed themselves as favorable
to the proposition, saying that it Seem?
ed to them the fairest method orHL-?
anclng these bridges. But if this plen
is ever to become effective It will have
to receive the intelligent support of
all the people who will be bSnfltted.
That will include not only the man
who lives within two miles of a pro?
posed bridge, but also the automobile
owners in all sections of the State.
So, it seems to me that when the
majority of automobile owners In
South Carolina are united in an or?
ganization looking towards the pro?
tection^ of its members and the bet?
terment of traveling conditions In the
State, they will realize the necessity
for these bridges as well as improved
roads, and will express themselves
through the proper channels to se?
cure their construction.
Very truly yours, '
P. H. Murray,
Acting State Highway Engineer.
PROPAGANDA IK ?lEXICO.
German Books and Business Firms
Supplying Large Sums for Gorman
Minister.
Mexico City, Feb. 20 (Correspond?
ence of The Associated Press)?Ger?
mans in Mexico, especially at the
capital, are supplying H. von Eck?
hardt, the German minister here,
with the sinews of war for ths exten?
sive propaganda campaign that is be?
ing carried on by the legation, both
through newspapers and private
agents. There has been much specu?
lation as to what means the German
minister used to secure funds to main?
tain the large legation, his sumptuous
home and the Teutonic propaganda
since he was cut off from the fath?
erland, but it is now learned that
German banks, business houses and
individuals are buyirtg his notes on
the Imperial government
The claim has been advanced re?
peatedly that Von Eckhardt, depriv?
ed of the use of neutral diplomatic
wires in communicating with his gov?
ernment, was keeping in touch with
the Berlin foreign office through let?
ters carried on Spanish ships to the
gulf of Biscay, whence they were sent
by submarine to Berlin. It Wfta stat?
ed that he was being supplied with
funds via this route, but the enormous
sums being spent by the legation
seemed to make this claim untenable.
Despite denial by the Spanish line
involved, it is believed here, that von
Fckhardfs letters are bejng carried
on its ships, that messages from the
legation, sent in plain envelopes to
reliable addresses in Spain, ultimate?
ly find their w.,v to Berlin, bv way
of .Switzerland or *ome other route