The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, April 20, 1918, Image 1
IHK STJMTEK WATCHMAN, Katab I
Oocsolidated Aur. 2, ll
MUSH COUMTER ATTACKS.
WAJgHINGTON MILITARY OFFI
CIAUI VI KW THK yphk8 sit
v ATI ON WITH BOMB
AITHKH1 nsion
Any (further German Swwmsos Might
N?| i viM iinUou of i*w Tot -
rll?V > .
Washington. April 17.?For the mo
dient the German drive at the British
Una haa looallsed on the aector run
nlng from Railleul around to the
eastward of Yprea, and military men
her* ate watching with enger inter-1
eat the British counter attacks on this l
?narrow front, where further enemy
successes probably would mean the
evacuation of a large stretch of ter
rieary.
?Wh'le the British official statement
?hat the IIiim east of Yprea had been
withdrawn and readjusted on a new
front did not give the position of the
new line. It is known that the general
trend of the British lines on this
northern flank of the great battle Is
represented by almost a right angle,
"froops which faced due east only a
week ago now are fighting on a front
that extends In a general eaat and
west direction, and they are facing
stouth. From the lines to the east
of Tpree the British have been swung
hack on a twelve-mile front, with the
Ypres positions as the hinge of the
mevsment. That hinge forms a broad
salient Into the German lines, which
they are trying to flatten out.
? Should the German effort fall It Is
believed that here the British will be
left in a Strong strategic position. By
a counter attack from Ypres they
might reconquer all the ground lost
in this northern extension of the bat?
tle front. ;
Press dispatches noted today the
gswwtng fury of bombardment a?ong
the whole Una No explanation of the
gar-pose of the gun fire was made. It
a as regarded here, however, aa pos?
sibly significant. The Allied com
sgaa der-In-chief. Oen. Foch. may
he*a ordered the bombardment pre?
liminary to a counter stroke.
"Where was nothta*' Otherwise In (he
day's dispatches, however* to indicate
that a counter blow was coming.
Many officers were doubtful that shch
a mova eohld be attempted along the
British front until the Ypres situation
has been stabilised. The menace at
that point is too immediate, they be?
lieve, to permit the employment of
reeervea. as they might be needed to
get their comrades out of a perilous
situation If a wide retirement became
necessary.
There was very little effort to dis?
guise the fact that the Ypres situa?
tion Is viewed with apprehension. The
fact that a readjustment of the Brit?
ish line to the east was made neces?
sary was regsrded as proof that the
position had been shaken under the
weight of the German attack.
None of the statements, Allied or
German, earry any explanation of the
events they report, which show tho
significance attached to them.
THE hush crisis.
Nationalists Preparing to Resist Con
script hm?Pari lament Working for
Honte It ale
London. April 17.?While the Nat?
ionalists of Ireland are preparing to
resist conscription, the rest of the
United kingdom Is more Interested In
the home rule bill that the govern?
ment announced It would Introduc
and pass or fall In the attempt. It .Is
understood the hill takes the form of
s measure amending the government
of Irelsnd oct. tho operation of which
wss suspended for the period of the
war
LIBERTY LOAN GROWING.
Official Report* Show Total Just Short
Of Billion.
f -
Washington. April 17.?Rubserir -
tl'?ns to the Liberty Loan shown In
treasure reports today totalled $931,
Negroes In Southern Oeor
gls are reported to be buying gen
srously, many subscribing for five
hundred dollars each. The reports o,"
th* Georgia women's committee SM
also encouraging.
IUI I ION MARK PASSFI?.
Libert* I*mmi Subscriptions Si III
Growing.
Washington. April |H. New sub
sitipHons totalling ssM hundred ssesa
millions reported |SJ MM IrSaSttFI IS
day s?nt the total Utterly loan pledget
? p to oni? billion, gjft] th e million, fiv
i . Ired gfu sight thane iad gslton
*ed April, 1M0.
?81.
ALLIES HOLDING WELL
BATTLE CONTINUES \VTTH GROW
ING INTENSITY.
Berlin Glut.as tho Capture of Poelca
pello and I>angemarck at Amu*?
Gen. Halg's Army Took the offen?
sive and Drove tho Germans Out of
the British Trenches.
Out of the chaos of the tremendous
battle along the Lys river, south and
southwest of Ypres, the thunder o?
which may be heard forty or fifty
miles away, there have come during
the past day reports which are more
encouraging to the Aljled powers. The
British not only have all the ground
which they were defending on Tues
Iday, but have struck back so power
I fully that Mcteren and part of Wyt
schaete were retaken and held for a
time. Only after heavy attacks did
the British retire again from the yll
luges.
The most disturbing news has been
a report from Berlin that Poelcapelle
adn Langemarck, north of Ypres,
have been Jtaken by the Germans, and
the admission from London that the
Pritlsh have retired from certain of
their lines in the Ypres salient. The
tetlrement here was expected, for the
advance of the Germans at Neuve,
Kgliae and Ballleul left the positions
m front of Ypres open to a flank at?
tack. It is officially stated that the
retirement was orderly and It Is prob?
able that It will have more of a sen?
timental than a strategic effect. Just
how far the British lines have been
withdrawn Is not known.
The battle, now In Its ninth day,
has deepened In Intensity at many
points along the curved front from
Messlnes ridge to Meteren. There
have been reports that the Germans
have occupied the village of St. Elol,
Which lies less than three miles south
of Ypres, but these have not been
:conArmed. It alao was said that
they have taken positions on the
south slope of Mount Kemmel. Thin
also has not been confirmed.
On all the remainder of the front
S?m Maeataes ridge aouthweetward
e Germans have flung themselves
against the granite wall of the Brit?
ish defense. Official and semi-official
dispatches have told of the frightful
losses Inflicted upon the attacking
masses of troops.
On the southern side of the salient
there have been engagements of
some magnitude, especially east of
Robecq, five miles northwest of Be
thune, where the Germans were
caught by the British artillery fire and
acattered.
The line In front of Arras has again
been the scene of fighting, but here
tho British took the offensive and
drove the Germans out of British
trenches.
In the Picardy sector there haa
been lively artillery engagements be?
tween the Sorr.me and Oise rivers
Farther south only raiding opera?
tions have been going on.
The Turks announce that they have
taken tho city of Batum, on the east?
ern shore of the Black sea. They re?
port strenuous fighting before tho
Russian defenders finally were driven
out.
The Macedonian front has again be?
come active. Greek and British troops
have advanced and driven the Teu?
tonic allies from seven towns along
the Struma river, on the eastern end
of the line. French forces have also
been active In this theater of the war.
ONE ITALIAN SHIP SUNK.
German Submarines Obtain Small Re?
sult* l4tst Week.
Rome. April 18.?One steamship or
over fifteen hundred tons, and two
sailing veaaels were sunk by German
mines or submarines during the past
week.
One small French Ship.
Purls, April 18.?During the week
ended April 13th German submarines
failed to sink any French ship of over
sixteen hundred tons. One ship un?
der that tonnage fell a prey to the
enemy.
Earl Derby Appointed.
London. April 18.?The official an?
nouncement was made toady that
Karl Derby had been appointed am?
bassador to France, succeeding land
llerie. Viscount Milner becomes hic
rotary for war, and I Austin t'hiim
berlain I member of the war cabinet
Washington. April It. ah Import?
nit units ol the Russian Baltic Heel
? raped when ihs Osrmani occupied
llslatngfora, official dispatches recolv
i?i today state,
*A IW not?Dot an tbe ends Ttaon
SUMTER, 8. 0., SATtJj
r
SUMTER LE
First County in Soul
Honor Flag in Lil
Sumter county hat put it act
once again. The Qamecock Count)
heads the Mst In South Carolina
oversubscription of the quota allot
the county in, the Third Liberty
This is not a mere claim or assurdpa
tldn, but an official statement. A teWpfl
gram received today by Chairman HI
J. McLaurin, Jr., of the ?um'tsJ
County Liberty Loan Committee fronq
the Federal Reserve Bank, Rlchmi
Va., contained the official notiflcat
that Sumter county was the first pU1
in South Carolina to be awarded
Honor Flag for having exceeded |
subscriptions the quota allotted
county vin the Third Liberty Loanjj
Sumter county was allotted
000 and the amount already subset
ed exceeds this sum by several th?
sand dollars?in fact the subscl
tions are getting well along toi
the half million that was fixed as
goal immediately after the great mi
meeting in the Opera House Satui
mm
SUPPORT THE ML
SECRETARY BAKER
FROM BATTLE FRONT
OS PEOPLE,
**0 gQfVwur. setnsy^pr?s>_ s?
Bonds and Give the Government
Support In Every Other Way;
Washington. April 17.?Secretary
Baker today called on the American
people for renewed support of the
war. He expected to see president
Wilson some time today to report
'it*) ' 1 '? '' '''
his observations abroad.
"The big thing for America to do is
to support the war, support it finan?
cially with firm belief in our
cause. The right arm of America is
in France, bared and ready to strike.
The rest of the body is here and we
must support that arm. This support
should include subscriptions to Liber?
ty loans, as well as the moral support
of high confidence," he said.
SPY HAS STORE IN COLUMBIA.
John Meyer, Head of Military Sales
CoM Relieved to Be Secret Agent.
Columbia, April 16.?The arrest of
lohn Meyer of New York by federal
officials recently, suspected with bs
lng connected with the German intel?
ligence department, and operating in j
this country for the purpose of get?
ting information about cantonments
and training camps, intimately touch?
es Columbia, where a branch of the
corporation of which Meyer is a Joint
OrSjantSSr with Charles Sol Savery
the Military Sales Corporation?is lo?
cated. Meyer was arested March 1C
and Sol Savery, according to informa?
tion reaching Columbia, has been ap?
prehended by the French government.
He sailed for France on the Touraine
on March 14, it is understood.
The branch of tho Military Sales
Corporation here is located on Lady
street and was opened shortly after
the commencement of the work on
Camp Jackson. Sol-Sa\ei-y spent a
good portion of his time in Columbia
during the early days of the store. He
left Columbia, supposedly for France,
during January, this year, his wife
and daughter having departed six
weeks previous to this time.
Hans FeliHH, also arrested withj
Meyer, but later released because of i
lack of evidence, was also In Colum- j
MS during September and October.
Tbe young man now in charge of
the Columbia branch of the Military
Bales Corporation, when seen today,
said that lie did not know of the al
legOd pro-German SOtlvltles of his
employers
When arrested Meyer Is said tot
have ha.I in his possession considera?
ble Information about Southern
camps
jtrofr
1
4
,ft be Uij Country'*. Thy God's SJ
Y, APRIL 20. 1918.
CAROLINA.
Carolina to Receive
Loan Campaign.
Mril 6th at the opening of the cam-1
The committees are still at
irk and the subscriptions are still I
dng in, ,but there are still hun
ids, perhaps a thousand, of men
women in the county who are
lie to buy a bond or several bonds.
have not bought even one fifty
liar baby bond. To these people
appeal is made to show their loy
to the country that shelters them
giving it the support that it needs
asks. Sumter county has done a
le better than the minimum asked
but we should not be content un
we have done the best we are able
do and all that we can do. The
lecock County is now at the head
the list of counties, and the ef
rt should be made to keep it there
leading all the other counties by
purchase of bonds in proportion to
means. If every person in the
ity will do his share we can put it
ir and stay at the top of the list
>yal and patriotic counties.
55 TORN TIOE. ^
:LE OF FLANDERS HAGEM
WITH INCREDIBLE INTEN?
SITY.
tic is Going in Favor of British
Moot Terrific Struggle of TUq Whole
War.
London, April 17.?The battle In
Flanders Is raging today with incred?
ible Intensity, Reuters Correspondent
at. British headquarters reports. He
says the latest reports Indicate that
the battle is going in favor of the
British.
Notwithstanding repeated desperate
attacks the Germans have gained no
further ground since Tuesday morn?
ing and apparently have lost some.
In his three years experience in the
war zone the correspondent says he
had never heard such terrific, con?
tinuous general tire as since Tuesday
afternoon and when he filed the dis?
patch this morning.
BRITISH SCORE SOME SUCCESSES.
Meieren Recaptured From Germans?
Germans Driven From Trench*1*
South of Arras?Successful Counter?
attack Near Wytschaets.
London, April 17.?The British have
recaptured Meteren, on the northern
battle front, it is announced officially.
The British positions before YD reo
have been withdrawn to a new line
South of Arras the Germans have been
driven from the British trenches the;
had penetrated. The British haw
made a successful counterattack ir.
the neighborhood of Wytschaetes. Ro?
peatcd German attacks north of Ball?
leul were repulsed, the Germans suf?
fering heavy losses.
GERMANS EXTEND LINES.
Further Advances Made In the North
?Huns Hold Southern slopes of
Mount Kemmel.
London, April 17.?According to
an Exchange Telegraph dispatch from
Paris, the Germans have advanced
from Wytaohaete as far as Steloi, and
also have a grip on the southern
slopes of Mount Kemmel.
COAL FOR RAILROADS.
Agreement Reached Between Fuel
Administration ami Railroads.
Washington, April 18.?Railroads
hereafter will purchase eoal .it full
market price and ears will be evenly
distributed to all mines, under an
Igreemi hi by the railroad and fuel
ndmlntstrntlons. The plan was accept*
sd after Presldenl Wilson Intervened
to settle differences be wean fuel ad?
ministrator Qarfleld and John Bkelton
Williams, director of purchases foi
the railroad administration.
BELGIANS BEAT Gu Ml
YSER LINE VIOLENTLY ATTAC K?
ED ON FOUR MILE FRONT.
Belgians Drive Germans Back After,
('illuming Six Hundred Prisoners.
With British Army, April 18.?
German efforts to drive in the front
of the allies from the coast extended
yesterday to the Yser region held by
the Belgians. After an all night
bombardment the Germans attacked
on a four mile front between Lange
marck and Klpa. The Germans gain?
ed a footing In the Belgian's advanc?
ed trenches, but were thrown out af?
ter a hard fight. The Belgians tooK
six hundred prisoners, including
many officers. t
TAKE NO MAN'S LAND.
American Troops Patrol German
Front Without Resistance.
With the American Army, France,
Wednesday, April 18.?American
troops in the Lorraine sector are tak?
ing over No Man's Land. Patrolling
parties make almost nightly visits to
the German wire entanglements with?
out resistance.
AMERICANS AID FRENCH.
Our Boys Drive Oat Huns From
French Trenches.
With the American Army, France,
Wednesday, April 18.?Twice in 24
hours an American company has as?
sisted the French in a neighboring
sector to regain trenches temporarily
taken by the Germans. The company
was led by its captain, who took the
troops over the top in the face of vi?
olent machine guns fire and drove out
the enemy, inflicting heavy nan ages
FLANDERS BATTLE CONTINUES.
Borltish and Germans Fight Desper?
ately for High Ground.
London, April .18.?Southeast of
Kemmel hill the Germans messed
back the British line slightly, but the
^?^S^^^^?!g^i?rr^8^^^5^fen^iMrt|^B^^
ing the night there was no charge in
the British front.
In the Bailleul sector three at?
tacks by the Germans before noon
yesterday were repulsed.
The Germans were heavily bom
! bardlng the British position between
j Laon and Robec at dawn today.
GERMAN ATTACK REPULSED.
French on Aisne Front Break Strong
Assault.
Paris, April 18.?After a prelim?
inary bombardment strong German
detachments attempted to advance
last night near Corbeny, on the Aisne
front. The attack was broken up by
French fire, it is officially announced.
HOLD LINES THROUGH NIGHT.
British Sustain Shock of Fresh Ger?
man Divisions.
With British Army in France, April
IS.?Germans brought up fresh di?
visions for the hard thrusts' they
made yesterday. Although the British
were unable to hold Wytschaete and
Meteren, which had been retaken by
British counter attack, they beat off
the enemy elsewhere. The British
maintained their line throughout the
night.
FRENCH IN BATTLE.
Heavily Engaged on the Northern
Battle Front.
Ottawa, April 18.?The French are
heavily in action on the northern bat?
tle front, siys a Reuter's dispatch
from London today.
HUNGARIAN CABINET QUITS.
Dtsetnndon Over Reform Bill Causes
Resignation.
Amsterdam. April 18.?The Hun?
garian ministry has resigned, a dis?
patch from Budapest reports.
A Copenhagen dispatch last night
said the cabinet dissension over the
suffrage reform bill was causing trou?
ble.
GEORGIA TRAIN WRECKED.
Dixie Flyer l?'?t Traek at Vlnlngs.
Georgia.
Atlanta. April 18.?Several mem?
bers of the crew were injured, and
the passengers shaken up when the
Dixie Flyer, from Chicago to .Jack?
sonville, was- wrecked at Vlnlnga On.,
I
th's morning. .Most of the train left t
the mils and narrowly escaped s
plunge down a steep embankment.,
Spreading of the rails is believed to
have caused the wreck.
8OCTHB0 ?, SMMS^Wl tail tmm.
Vol. XLVI. No. 19.
STfltVlH i FOR HAZEBROUGK.
BOSS OF i AILLKl 1/ WAS NOT UN?
EXPECTED, BECAUSE OF TER
RIMC GERMAN AS
SAUITTS. 4
Story of Fiji of Town?Attempts of
Huns to Advance South and West
of Batik ll Are Repulsed.
With the British Army in France.
April 16?<3y the Associated Press.)
?Bailleul, eight and a half miles east
of Hazebrc uck, in Flanders, was cap?
tured and occupied by the Germans
last evening, when the enemy also
seized Le Ilevetzberg ridge, east of the
town. As a result the British pulled
their lines back northward somewhat
to positions running east and west a>
little abc - Bailleul and LeRevetz
berg.
Fighting Is continuing in this sec?
tor with U^e Germans trying to push
westward toward the railway center
of Hazebr,jck.
The loss of Bailleul was not unex?
pected for its strategical value could
not com pi isate for the Uvea it would
cost to re iln it in the face of the
terrible or laughts the Germans would
be able tc bring against it.
Bast nlgnt's attack was preceded by
a very heavy bombardment from Ger?
man guns of all calibers. After this
intense preparation the enemy flung
into the line the Alpine corps, the
117th German division and the 11th
Bavarian division and bore down on
the defending positions along the front
from Mon. Deli lie, high ground just
southeast of Bailleul, to Crucifix Cor?
ner, an ele ation on the Ballleul-Neuve
Egllse highway, about 2,000 yards
west of the latter place.
Desperc .e fighting ensued, but the
battle-we* <y defenders, despite their
gullant rcrisfance were uable to with?
stand the shock from overwhelming
numbers Of fresh troops. Slowly the
Brltsh Uno fell back, but unbroken
and in good order, until they reached
their pre > mt positions, where they
held.
About V'.e time the Germans surged
? ^mmt i mi a" T,
j south wesi or Bailleul, ' .usf ofjWU
the north ast corner of the forest of
Nieppe. Tl ese drives were preceded by
heavy Mlrenwcrfer preparation!*. One
attack w;. 3 driven back by artillery
Are before the opposing Infantry came
to close quarters, but the other mate?
rialized.
The Germans hurled themselves
against th British furiously, but with?
out avail for the line held and the
attacking troops were forced " o fall
back. The attack in the Pallleul sector
had been boiling all day and had been
expected to break at any moment. The
j Germans continued to pour northwest?
ward along the roads leading to Es
taires and again the British flying;
corps did great work. The intrepid fly?
ers kept up an unceasing machine gun
and bombing warfare against the en
j emy transport and troops, flying* at
very low altitude.
._-i .
??*^?? ? .????????
OFFENSIVE AGAINST ITALY.
__?
German and Austro-Hungarian News?
papers Continue to Tell Of Ap?
proach" j Great Effort.
________
Geneva. April 17 (By the Associat?
ed Press) ?The latest German and
Austro-Hitrtgarian newspapers re?
ceived her i continued to speak of the
coming Tc iton offensive against Italy.
The most serious note comes from
the Vossisr he Zeitung of Berlin, which
says:
"During the spring Switzerland
will see her neutrality exposed to the
greatest and hardest proofs especial?
ly when Austro-German troops pass
from the defensive."
COTTON PRICES DROP.
.Market Smashed Today by Rumor of
rrtnfl Filing? Down Eight Dollars
a Rale.
New Y< rk, April IS.?Another
smash occurred in the cotton market
today. Fr ees dropped about eight
dollars a bale. The break is attribut?
ed chiefly to renewed reports of price
fixing in t' cotton goods trade.
MIBNER SUCCEEDS EARB
DERBY.
Viscount Mihier Appointed Secretary
Of State for War.
Paris. A| ril 18.?Viscount Milner
has been appointed secretary of State
lor war m tue British cabinet, accord?
ing to Ijo M i tin, and Karl Derby, SrhO
has been w r minister, will come to
Paris as am -assador in place of Lord
Bertie, who retiree, the paper says.