The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, April 24, 1918, Image 6
LIBERTY DAY NAMED.
FB KMIDKNT'K Plt< Hi. AM ATM > N
< Kl.lM 1'IN>N FVKItY (OM.
M1M1V TO HOLD IC X1.
IJKS AND I I I Ix.l
ANKW FINANCIAL
AID.
I t?ti to Add New Impetus to lloml
Drive? With \ erapalgu AlmoHt Half
Over Hobat-rlptlons Amounting to
thrrr {till?on Italian* Iteporttnl.
Washington, April 18?Friday,
April tt. will be Liberty Day through?
out ths United state* under a proc?
lamation iMued tonight by President
Wilson, calling on citizens of every
eemrnuntty to hold liberty loun rai?
ling and "liberally pledge anew their
tlag.nclal support to sustain the na?
tion's cause."
patriotic demonstrations similar
to those on the opening day of the
campaign will be held April 26 and
IPs day devoted to giving the race to?
ward the three billion dollars war
credit a new impetus for the final
week.. Now. with the loan campaign
almost half over. $1.089,730.900 sub?
scriptions have been reportod to the
treasury, or $131.811,650 representing
yesterday's business, and commit?
tees In every district have received
orders to make extraordinary efforts
|0 father in pledges , faster in the
hopes of meeting Secretary McAdoo's
reeposs to the third liberty loan ex
tlQA of the thres-bllllon-dollar mini?
mum.
President Wilson's Liberty Day
proclamation follows:
"By the President of the United
states of America?A proclamation:
"An enemy who hoe grossly abused
tke power of the organized govern?
ment, and who seeks to dominate the
world by the might of the sword, chal?
lenges the rights of America and the
liberty and life of all the free na?
tions of the earth. Our brave sons
are facing the tire of battle In defense
of honor and rights of America and
the liberty of'nations. To sustain
them and to assist our gallant asso
ctetee In ths war a generous and pa?
triotic people have been called upon
to subscribe to the third liberty loan.
"Now. therefore, I, Woodrow Wil?
sen, president of the United States of
America, do appoint Friday, the
iweoty-slxth day of April, one thou?
sand nine hundred and eighteen, as
Liberty Day. On the afternoon of
Up** day I request the people of the
t'nltsd States to assemble in their re?
spective communities and liberally
pledge anew their financial support to
sustain the nation's cause. Patriotic
demonstration* should he held in ev?
ery ch>. town and hamlet throughout
the land, under the general direction
of the Secretary of the Treasury and
ths immediate direction of the liberty
loan committee organized by the fed
eral reserve banks. Let the nation's
reepoes to the third liberty loun ?x
prsss li unmistakable terms the de?
termination of America to fight for
peace, the permanent peace of justice.
"For the purpose of participating
In Liberty Day celebrations, all em?
ployes* of the federal government
throughout the country whose ser
sieee can be spared may be excused
at 13 o'clock noon Friday, the 2?ith of
April.
' fn witness whereof I have haiSSSS
to < set my hand und cuused tho seal
of the t'nited States to be affixed.
* !>?!.? in the Dtntrlet of Columbia
this eighteenth day of April, in the
yOfir o' our Ijord one thousand nine
hundred und eighteen, and of the in?
dependence of the t-nited States of
America one hundred and forty-sec?
ond.
(Signed) Woodrow Wilson.
"By the President.
"Robert Lunsing, Secretary of
Stats."
St. 1 SSjil today still headed the roll
of districts arranged in order of pet -
renUge of quotas subscribed, und the
New York district, the greatest actual
contributor, fell to seventh plat e in
percentages. The district records irt
ss follows
District. Subscription.
*t Ix>uls.$11,100,011
Dallas. || Hi ifQ
Chicago. 110,040,000
Minneapolis.iihiijii,.
Kansas City. 41?. 111,006
Boston. 91.770.Ton
New York.111,140,011
San Francisco. TO.I44 ||l
Philadelphia. 11,074 Ml
ilevelsnd. nun
Richmond . 2 7. at 1,001
Atlanta . . 7."?; I,HQ
Nationul head'iuartei s tod i s took
etepe to gather definite hguics on
subscriptions bs Slates and bj BJttM
arranged an <>r-dim: la population
(Losses. In the hope pj stimulating in
terciiy < <oup- tition sHirtM the bal?
ance of the i .impulgn.
Sunday. Apul II, will be d.w.ted hv
thousands of preachers to WB4H ial
liberty loan sermons
Particular IgJtSpaat was displavedi
'oday In the aehievemenls f?t' the St.
Louis banner district. Aikanses is
? ?fond in (he dlstiiet, with a per?
GERMANS USING RESERVES.
CONTI NIK TO SACRIFICE SOL
1)1 KHK RECKLESSLY.
Correspondent at British Headquai -
tfm Says Sit nation Now Is One of
sheer Endurance.
Ottawa, April 18.?"The enemy ap?
parently is drawing: on fresh re?
serves," says a dispatch received here
tonight from Reuter's correspondent
at British headquarters in France.
"In the course of the great hattle
more than :i0 enemy divisions have
so far appeared and it Is certain the
German command is exploiting every
success hy the most prodigal expen?
diture of man power and not counting
the cost.
"In the great German attack of
yesterday our troops fought with
Homeric valor against tremendous
numerical odds. They are lighting in
the same Irresistible manner in the
hattle between Givenchy' Forest and
Nleppe.
"For nearly a week the German
gains in the battle of Flanders have
been limited to the smallest extent. It
has been a terribly costly advance at
certain points.
"The attempt to break through the
Belgian front south of the Houtholst
Forest probably was Inspired by the
1 discovery of our withdrawal from the
Passchendaele region.
"The attack has been repeated to?
day, the/enemy doubtless being mor?
tified at being deflated by about half
hia own number.
"Apparently the tanks, armored
cars and cavalry have not been in ac?
tion on either side. We now are
down to a sheer contest for man
power, a swaying, ceaseless attack
and repulse with the vital issue car?
ried in the anxious problem of wheth?
er our powers of endurance can wear
down the repeated bull rushes ol
vastly superior numbers before a de?
cision is reached. x
"At the moment the prospect as?
suredly Justifies confidence in this re?
spect. The appearance of French bat?
talions and batteries of 75s In the
ranks of the army whjch the Ger?
mans are counting on cutting ofl
from the allies can not be pleasing
to the enemy."
DH. R. B. RHETT CAPTURED.
Relative* of Beloved Charleston Phy?
sician Hears That lie Was Taker
March 20.
Charleston. April 18.?Notification
wag received here today by relative?
that Dr. It. Barnwell Rhett, a young
ph\slclan generally known and belov?
ed here, and a son of the late Dr
Datnwell Rhett, has been captured bj
the Germans on March 29, while at*
t-ruling to the wounded at the front
Th?fl were no more details given, tht
letter notifying relatives having bee
wiitten by the colonel commanding
the British unit to which Dr. Rheil
vaa attached. So far as is known, lu
is the first Charlestonian captured bj
the Huns in the great war. Dr
Khett has been several months ir
France, most of this time being speni
with British forces, in field and bas(
hospital work, and in trench first ait!
duty. Dr. Rhett has written homt
frequently in the past weeks, and toll
Interesting detuils of his life at tht
front. He wuh graduated from the
Mt dical College of South Carolina lr
I'Jl 4 and not long after opened prac?
tice In this city, later being assoclatet
with Dr. May hank. Dr. Bhett enter?
ed army service last year and prompt
ly went to France. He attached him
self to a British unit. The fact thai
he has been with the British at the
front recently explains readily hov?
duty would mean his capture whllt
attending wounded, with the linei
Constantly shifting as they are.
ITALIANS IN BATTLE.
I'm inter Orlando Aiiimmiihth Thai
Troops Have Been Sent to Era im?.
Home. Thursday, April IS.?Pre?
mier Orlando announced In the *ham
bOf Of deputies today that Italian
,troops would be dispatched to the b;it
tlo from! In France, The announce*
moat w.ts received with ? storm of np
I'l.iUttO.
Molding Right Wing.
Waehlnffon, April It, ?Italian reg?
iment! are already In France, and
tor in the right wing of the aOled
si mies, the Italian embassy on
nounood today,
GERM ANA BOMBARD COAST.
Amsterdam, April It.?-German tor*
!>? 'i<? craft bom horded tin* coast be*
tweon Dunkirk and Nlettporti behind
Ins allied lines in Flanders, yesterday
morning, esyi an official statement
from Berlin today.
centagi ol 78 and sales of 114,608,?
ttt,
\ew Rngland is believed In lead
all districts in Ihe number of Indlvld?
ual subscribers, of e/hom 142,1100
t. iva boon i tpoi ted. I
PRAISES U-BOAT RECORD.
vox CAPELLE DECLARES Brit?
ish CLAIMS OF submarines
destroyed exagger
ated.
Refer* Lighting to America's Ton-'
nage Program?Minimize* Work of
I . S. Ships.
??????
Amsterdam, April 18.?Vice Admit**
1 von Capelle, German minister of
he navy, discussing submarine war
are before the main committee of the
Reichstag, declared that the new
.'-boat construction exceeded the loss?
es and that the effectiveness of. the
submarines had increased, lie quot?
ed figures to prove his contention that
he U-boat sinkings were thrice or
six-fold the tonnage of the new Brit?
ish construction.
The minister declared that the j
American destroyers, "which had been
so much talked about, "had failed in
their object, and he is quoted by the
seml-oliieial Wolff Bureau, of Berlin,
as saying with reference to; ship?
building:
"For the carrying out of America's
giant paper program America must
first lay down the ship yards. "After
grodlgious promises America in 1917
built 750,000 gross register tons of
seagoing ships. The large mercantile
fleet placed on order. America does
not want for the war, but for the
postbellum period, when the shipping!
program having been in the mean?
time carried out, America will become
England's world freight carrier."
During the discussion of naval esti?
mates Admiral von Cappelle, refer?
ring to the submarine war, said that
statistical tonnage calculations now
are virtually superfluous, as the visible
successes of the U-boat spoke clear?
ly enough.
"The robbery of Dutch tonnage,
whereby Anglo-Saxons had Incurred
the worst kind of odium for decades
to come, he said, "was the best proof
of hpw far the shipping schedule al?
ready had gone with the Western
powers. To the sinkings must be
. added, the admiral declared, the big
wear and tear iri ships and the enor?
mous increase in marine accidents,
which Sir John Ellerman, in the Brit?
ish shipping chamber recently had cal?
culated to be three times the amount
of peace losses.
t Admiral von Capelle described aa a
base calumny the statement mate*by
?tr Eric Gethles, first lord of " the
British admiralty, that German {"U
. boat crews were unwilling to put to
, sea, and said the assertions of Brit?
ish statesmen that there had been ex?
traordinarily big losses of U-boats
, were very greatly exaggerated.
Admiral von Capelle declared the
new U-boat construction exceeded the
losses and had increased both quan
titatively and qualitatively. He add
, ed:
. "We also can continue absolutely to
reckon on the military achievements
, hitherto attained. Whether Lloyd
George can continue the naval war
. with prospects of success depends not
i on his skill, but on the position of
t the U-boat as against shipbuilding."
I Speaking with reference to ship
building by England to repair the
j losses, Admiral von Capelle said that
. In the middle of 1917 there was talk
t of three million tons in olllcial quar
tori In England; then Lloyd George
dropped to two millions and now, uc
I cording to Mr. Bonar Law, the output
is 1.1GO.00O tons.
As against therefore about 100,000
tons monthly put into service there
I were sinkings of 600,000 tons, or six
k fold.
In brief, continued the admiral, if
the figures, given were regarded as
too favorable, and new construction
was assumed to be at the rate of
150,000 tons monthly, that is 50 per
cent higher, and the sinking reduced
to 4 50.000, then the sinkings would
I still be thrloe as large as th,e new
construction.
"Another thing must be taken Into
consideration," he went on. "Hence?
forth, every ship Blink strikes at g vi
1 tal nerve of our opponents. For when
only absolutely necessary cargoes of
foodstuffs and war necessities can bt
transported, even the loss of a small
ship has quite a different significance
as compared with the beginning o?*
the U-boat."
Admiral von Capelle admitted that
Germany's opponents have had some
aucceaa with their nntl-sjubmarlne
measures, but he declared tnis success
at no time had any decisive Influence
on the U-boat war. and according to
human reckoning, would not In tin
future.
The American deatroyera which had
been so much talked about, had tail?
ed The convoy system, which, it was
true, offered ships a certain protection
had, on the other hand, the great dis?
advantage of reducing their trans
pott ea liabilities.
The German Commanders were spe?
cially trained for attacking convoys.
and not a day passed hut one or
more ships were struck out of the
convoys Experienced oommandere
ALLIES REGAIN CONFIDENCE.
WASHINGTON MILITARY MEN
EXPECT GEN. POCH TO AT?
TACK.
l-rnnaii Drive Having railed With
Tremendous Ix>ss Allies Should Now
Re in Position to Turn the Tables
on Tlicni.
Washington, April 19.?Events on
the Western hattle front are shaping!
themselves, olllcers here believe not
only for defeat of the German drive
but for a counter offensive by General
Foch's armies that may open the road
to an allied military victory.
A wave of Optimism swept today
over not only American officials but
also the military men of the allied
missions in Washington. Some of
them think it v.i'l be some days yet
before General Fo h can complete his
troop dispositions tor a great thrust
at the enemy but others look for word
that he has struck at any time.
The news from the battle front
was distinctly cheering. The British
lines in the hard stricken Flanders
front were holding firmly. French re
enforcements had arrived there, mak?
ing practically certain that the Ger?
man drive toward the channel ports
from that direction has been defeated.
At the same time official announce?
ment came from Rome that Italian
troops were already pouring into
France to share in the crucial strug?
gle there. This added to the optimism
for it means that the fighting men of
France, Italy, Great Britain, Bel
glum, Portugal and the American
units are being massed under one
I leader for a mighty blow when the
time comes.
There were many indications todiy
of Increased pressure toward getting
American troops over seas in time to
share fully in the battles this summer
upon which may rest the final issue.
Secretary Baker conferred for sev?
eral hours with President Wilson, the
regular cabinet meeting bing can?
celled to clear the way for the con?
ference, which had to do with both
immediate and future steps for ac?
celerating American participation i:
the struggle. It was the first oppor?
tunity Mr. Baker has had to present
fully to the commander in chief hh
report on his trip along the fighting
lines. At his office later Mr. Baker
conferred with Lord Reading, Britisli
ambassador. The subject of their con?
versation was not stated but It !?
known to have concerned expedit?
ing the movement of American troop.1
to the theater of war.
As to the plan of expediting of win
prepartions on this side, Mr. Bakct
would make no comment. He said hr
was not ready to make any announce
ment as to the aviation program ot
organization. The report has beer
current for many days that William
C. Potter, now in charge of signal
corps production, will be elevated tc
a post, with similar duties. It WOJ
rumored today, too, that Henry ForO
might be selected to handle airplane
production much in the way thai
Charles M. Schwab had been place
in charge of ship building.
From reports of the battle program
officers pointed to the appearance c!
French reinforcements in the north?
ern sector of the Flanders line as in?
dicating more than a defensive meas?
ure. The troops must have facet
hard days of marching to reach the?:
post, but it was said that had tht
movement been only to back up tht
British lines, it would have been mort
logieal and quicker for them to hav*
gone into the south, relieving Britisl
divisions to support their comrades ir
Flanders. Many observers are mort
inclined to view the French front from
Montdidier to the south and east 01
the logical position from which tc
launch counterblows. No one hert
professes to have been able to fathom
General Foch's plans.
TWO PROMOTIONS MADE.
It Is Now Captain Reiser and Major
Johnson.
Columbia, April L'u ? Two promo
tlom were announced at Camp .lack
son yesterday through the headquar?
ters olfiee of the division. One of the
promotions WM that of Lieut. Irvine
F. Reiser, formerly of this city, to a
Captain of artillery, with the ex?
act location yet to be assigned. A
telegram was also received from the
Waahlngton office stating thai Capt,
Herbert Lyman Johnson has been ap?
pointed a major and would be assign?
ed to the Eighty-first Division. Both
of the appointments were accepted by
the officers Immediately and will be
assigned later.
Captain Belser, while a native of
Clarendon county, has been a resident
of this city for several years and was
junior partner of the local firm of
Melton A: Belser. He is a graduate ol
the University <>f South Carolina nod
of Oxford, England, He nlso attend
ed the training camp at Plattsburg.
N. Y.
managed to sink from three to four
ships In succession belonging to the
same convoy.
DANIELS SPEAKS IN BOSTON.
TELLS YANKEES THAT Hl XS
CANNOT WIN THE WAR.
Temporary SiU'cess by Germans Only
Inspire Allies to continue to Eight
For Democracy?No Ix.kt up Until
Victory Has BOOH Won.
Boston, April 19.?These "tem?
porary succeses" of the Germans on
i the Western front mark their last
desperate stroke and whether it suc?
ceeds or fails does not mean a final
triumph for Germany, Secretary Dan?
iels told the thousands of young men
who greeted him at the Harvard ra?
dio school today.
The great school which has sprung
Jup at Harvard University to turn out
hundreds of skilled radio operators
for the navy was only one of the
scores of places visited by the secre?
tary as he was caught up in the swirl
of this city's celebration of the State
holiday commemorating the battle of
Concord and Lexington.
"Standing in this homo of history
on the anniversary of Concord and
Lexington, where the embattled farm?
ers fired 'the shot heard around the
world' he said to the boys at the radio
school, 'we have borne to us from
acrcss the seas the roar of guns in
which Americans are lighting another
battle for liberty even more momen?
tous than the struggle of the colonies
for independence.
"For half a century the military
despots of Germany have been de?
veloping their plot. They have plant?
ed spies in every land and planted
their outposts in the uttermost parts
of the earth. By a generation of
propaganda they had poisoned the
' minds of their countrymen and in
: stilled them with the idea that the
? Germans were destined to inherit the
? earth, and that no other peoples had
any rights a German must needs
respect or regard.
"At the same time Germany was
? sending her scientists to America, sht
? also sent her skulking spies. Behind
i protestations of friendliness, we know
? that Germany was plotting the ex?
ploitation of other nations. Her ed
? ucators were teaching the doctrines
L that justitied autocracies. Her scien
i tists were concocting poison gas. Her
I statesmen were studying the weakness
? of her neighbors, conspiring to seize
i the territory.
"While other nations were pursuing
i the path of peace, she had forged the
? mightiest military machine the world
? has ever seen. Can we wonder that
when the kaiser decided 'the day* had
? come that he expected speedy victory?
p But even those who fathomed the
? purpose of the Prussians could hard
- ly have brought themselves to believe
? that any civilized nations would have
l decended to the depth of cruelty that
i marked the passage of the Hun
! I across Belgium and into France.
> I "The Hamos that burned Louvaln
? blazed up from the fires of hate that
l have been kindled in the German
i heart. But that fire will never be al
[ lowed to consume the earth. The
I people themselves will not forever be
misled.
s "The might of militarism may pre
l vail for a time, but right and human
- ity must triumph in the end. The
. forces of the allies have suffered not
. a few reverses. But these temporary
l successes no matter how great they
? may be, do tnot mean that the ene
> my will win in the end. It is his last
> desperate stroke. He must strike now,
> before America can throw her full
> strength into the fray or he can noi
i win at all. All Germany know that
i it is the supreme effort. But wheth
? er it succeeds or fails, it does not
i mean a final triumph for Germany.
; "For America and the nations silled
> with her will never lay down their
> arms until this menace to the world
i is removed. No matter how long it
may take; no matter how great the
sacrifice in blood and treasure, we will
never sheathe the sword until auto?
cracy is put out of business. Fright
? fulness can not affright us: defeat
here or there can but strengthen ou>"
determination. Democracy shall tri?
umph and the light of liberty shall
shine throughout the earth.
The secretary viewed a parade of
men from the national army, naval
reserve, Radio School Battalion and
State Guard.
RH DIMS COMPLETELY DESTROY
ED.
City in Entities for a Week?Now Rut
a Heap of Ashes.
Paris, April 19.?Rheims, which
has been burning for a week is now
nothing but a mass of smoking ruins
I >uring the past week the Germans
fired more than one hundred thou?
sand shells into the city, according t<>
tiu? correspondent of Le Matin.
Plumes from the burning bulldlngi
have seen by aviators sixty to seventy
miles away.
l-'uii DeFrance, Martlnloue, Thurs?
day, April is. Bllghl earthquake
shocks have been fell here for the hist
five days, beginning at noon Sunday.
NEW LAW NEEDED.
CONGRESS CALLED OX TO PASS
LEGISLATION' TO II AX OLE
SPIES.
Answers by Uetaf?Senate Military
CDinmittW POStSJCSSee Action on
Hill to Oourtmnrtial Disloyal Per?
sons.
Washington, April 10.?Immediate
enactment of legislation to enable
the military authorities to deal di?
rectly with spies and German propa?
gandists was urged before the senate
military committee today as the only
way to curb lynch law against dis?
loyalty and e emy agitation. Repre?
sentatives of Hie army and navy intel?
ligence departments and other wit?
nesses told the committee that the
situation is seiious and can not be
handled und< i existing laws.
The testinu ny was given in con?
nection with Senator Chamberlain's
till which would transfer from civil
courts to military courts martial trials
of all persor1- charged with violating
the espionage act. After the hearing,
the committee postponed action until
next week.
While the till was being considered
by the committee oppositiofi was de?
veloping in trie senate. Senator Borah
declared the bill if passed would be
unconstitutional.
Delay of the civil courts in prose?
cuting cases involving the espionage
and other acts intended to stop Ger?
man propaganda and seditious utter?
ances were criticised by Norman H.
White of Broo!vline, Mass., and Col.
R. H. Van Deman, both connected
with the military intelligence section.
They declared that summary justice
under military tribunals would do
much to allay feeling that now exists
throughout the country against enemy
aliens owing to the government's de?
lay in prosecuting those working in
support of Germany.
Twenty thousand aliens In New
York alone. Mr. White said, have re?
fused to give their finger prints to the
federal authorities as required by law
and no effort is being made to com?
pel them. There are also hundreds
of cases, he asserted, in which heroin
is being sold American soldiers by
Germans arid others.
The Chamberlain bill was Indorsed
by Captain McCauley, assistant direc?
tor of the naval intelligence depart?
ment, whp declared that threats of
trial by courtmartial would deter
many persons from committing acts
which they would not hesitate to do
if they were sure only trial by jury
would follow. Despite the united
efforts of the department of justice
and the army and naval intelli?
gence forces, he admitted little pro?
gress is being made against spies an 1
propaganda. Judge John F. McGee
of Minneapolis, Minn., a member of
the powerful public safety commis?
sion organized by citizens of that
State to a;d the government in the
prosecution of the war. declared tho
departmen' of justice's efforts have
been a "g'aastly failure" in Minnesota
and that the I. W. W. is not half as
dangerous as the non-partisan league
members, whom he characterizes as
traitors.
A development today in connection
with the Chamberlain bill was the
resignation of Charles Warren of Bos?
ton, as assistant attorney general. His
retirement is said to have been caused
by his advocacy of this bill, and his
criticisms of civil processes of jus?
tice in war times. lie is said to have
assisted |n drafting the measure.
The department of justice is repre?
sented as believing that the drastic
measures proposed in the Chamber?
lain bill are entirely unnecessary if
congress w ill enact adequate laws to
permit the department and its agents
to prosecute persons for disloyalty,
sabotage and other enemy activity
under federal statutes.
HTNS WANT MONEY.
Raped to Demand Indemnities Prom
Allies.
Amsterdam, April io.?flonaany
Intends d? mending indemnities fro?n
her enent es, according to Prince
Friedrich Vllhdm of Prussia, son of
the late Prince Albrecht, regent of
Brunawfck, as quoted by the Cologne
Volke Zeit mg. In a speech at Bres?
lau, says this newspaper, Prime
Pried rich Wilhelm said:
" The on ii?cs' rejection of the hau l
<d' peace . ustilies us in demanding
financial and economic indemnities.
Such inde unities are nsosssnry for
our economic development.''
SOUTH TO BE INDEPENDENT.
Planling s iflicient Foodstuffs for Own
t >c and Cotton as Surplus.
Washington, April it.?Southern
farmers are planting sufficient food
si nits to make them independent of
all outside purchases, and will devote
the remainder of their soil to raising
as much COttOU as can be made with
the labor available, according to re
porta made today to the Southern
i 'otton As oclation.