The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, July 17, 1918, Image 1
TIIK SI MTVII WATCHMAN', K*tah*?r-<l April, 1850. "Bo frUN u
"consolidated1 An*. 2,1881. I
HUNS BElilN BIG OFFENSIVE
Attack Launched on American Lines
at Chateau Thierry
The Great Drive Began at Daylight After
Night of Violent Bombardment on a
Front of Nearly Fifty Miles.
With the American Arinf Oll the (
Marne. July 15.?The Germans at
'i ts light launched a violent utt.i? K
against the Xunniean forces west of
Chateau-Thierry, especially near the
Villa?? of Vaux. The attack Oagnc u
after a violent hoinbnniiuent will*
high explosive shellH ami peas
Muoughout the night.
The Americans took shelter Wher?
ever available, but when the ijerrnan
infantry appeared, the Americans!
?warmed out and met them with ma?
chine sunn. The Americans all wore
gas mask*.
The latest reports received from
the front aay that the Americans are
holding their own.
Heavy ?hella from German naval
gun* are falling far behind the battle
line, many falling in the city of
Meaux. twenty-five miles behind
t'huteau-Thlerry. In many of these
towna the Herman Are consists of pro- {
Jet tiles from ten and twelve inch im - |
vat guna.
With the American Army on the '
Marne. July 16.?The Americans de?
livered a counter attack at St. Aux. j
und drove off the Oil IUI IIB. It is re-'
ported thaf the Americans advanced
??.heir own lines several hundred yards,
jut this la not yet confirmed.
In the attack on the Marne front j
the Hermans threw many bridges i
ucross the river and are passing over
amb-r a withering fire from the ar- I
Miery The Herman progress is
being stayed by machine guns, the .
French and Americans resisting to'
the utmost. At the first crossing the
American machine gunners and In?
fantrymen fought and died where the\
Stood, the other forces withdrew
strategically as the enemy attacked
from east of Hhateau-Thiertf to east
of Dorn,ans, making main ei
About noon the Americans launch?
ed s counter attach neat Con de fie
poets ;.t otovog e'eloek from east of
Rheims aaid that Hermans his ?
made no progress.
p 111-riMs M ahhonnf..
c.i pgBJgaj \tta< k on fifty Mile Trout.
Paris. July l.V The Hermans
launched a new offensive last eight
between Uhelma and tne Argonne,
on a front of about II miles The
French are meeting the attack with
energy, and the battle continues with
tse utmost fury.
hiti nsii si itpitist: hi ns.
Attaek In Flanders Kuoerds on Short
I tout.
l?ondon, Julv l?It ia olllclallv an?
nounced that the British hopfoeodj
their positions east of Amiens hod
night and in a surprise attack In tin
Dlekebusche sector of Flanders on a
two thousand viol front were suc?
cessful.
FAMINE l\ Itoi MANIA.
I opulatlon suffering for Food and
t'rops I all.
Paris. July 12.?Itoumanla's peas?
ant population Is In a most precarious
condition from lack of food and
clothing Reports reaching the A0S0
? ited Press Inda ife that all crops I
this year are failures.
TMtMM. l<> MM Eft,
Trot/k\ Tell* geweU Thai Troryw an*
?lolnlug rntente.
Moscow. Julv is. Itolshevikl Min
later of War and Marine Trotsky told
tin ill-Russian S<?\ ??us conference that
news from the front shows that unity
among Hocelt troops have suffered as
the result of Anglo-French propa
g.mda. part of the troops having de
s. ? r? d to the enemy."
I I I I I M llOMIt < liNsl VM INORI.I
Half Ton of Itombs l>r ?p|M d on the
Turku l**t Sunday.
1 r?ndon. July 12.?Aerial contin?
gents seting with the Brttlall navy
dropped h half ton of bombs on Coa
ptantinople fni | iii the ridmki ills
announced today.
HUN DRIVE CHECKED
tlKRCE BATTLKfl in PROGRESS
i: \si and \vi:st or
Hill ims.
\mcricnn Troops IMnj Great Part?
Iticak Down Violent Attack ol' Kne
my Near V tu*?Sixty-live Miles in
I Iglitlng I : U?t?
iy Associated Dress.
The expected renewal of the Ger
BMI offensive in France has begun.
Fierce battles are in progress on both
sub s of the famous cathedral city of
Kbeiios. which .-iiu-f the last offensive
alonK the Maine has stood ttie apex
of a sharp sulient into the German
line.
\\ ? st of Ithelms the (Jermans with
the pressure of large number of
troops, the unleashing of which wan
preceded by a veritable hail of high
explosives and gas -hells, have been
enabled to cross the Marne ut several
plae?'s. Kant of the city. however,
they have been held for the smallest
gains by the tenaeious resistance of
tin- defenders of the line. Altogeth?
er the two battle fronts aggregate
SB nt ?"? miles in length.
American troops are fighting vali?
antly on the sectors they have been
holding and at two points have met
with notable success. At Vaux they
not only broke down a violent attack
by the enemy but drore him back
several hundred yards and only re?
turned to their former positions when
the advance of the Germans south?
east of ('bateau-Thierry SOT OSS the
Marne made the reoccupation of their
trenches of strategic value.
fctonf the Marne between the town
Of POSOO) and the River Surmelln.
where the Germans erossed tin
Maine, the American! in a strong
counterattack forced back tin- enemy
to tie- right bank af Stream. At oth?
er points along tin- river they used to
the greatest advantage their machine
guns against enemy elements which
were crossing the river on pontoon
bridges, killing and wounding many
of them. In the counterattack near
lossoy between 1.000 and 1,500 Ger?
mans were made prisoner by the
Americans.
The captured' contingents included
a complete brigade stall. The French
general in command on this sector
sent a congratulatory message to the
general in command of the American
troops. The Germans in addition to
their tremendous expenditure of ex?
plosives and gas shells used numbers
of tanks against the lines of tho de?
ft nders and also opened with numer?
ous naval guns a bombardment of
towns and cities far behind the battle
line, groaning upon them shells from
1 <? to 1 ?_' Inch pieces.
Tin- details of the strategic scheme
the Germans have in view have not
rot ta rn untold, d it seems ap?
parent, however, that the main ob
lectlre in tin flrat stages of the of?
fensiv?- is the throwing of their lines
southward on both sides of Rhetme,
enveloping that city ami forcing its
capitulation. The gaining of the
Nouthern bang of the Maine and the
straightening out eastward of their
tattle hm> toward Verdun also may
i e in th?- program of the German high
command. Sin e ess in these move
menti would be of great strategic
value to the Geilnaus if it is intended
by them ultimately to attempt to drlv
on to Paris.
While the (Jermans are makmi:
their drive in the south the British
iround Tpreearc pecking away at the
German lines with BUCeeaS as regards
the gnlnlni al grouad and the taking
ot prisoners; tin- French and Italians
in Albania are keeping up their spec*
lacular drive against the Austrlam*
and tin- Prench and Italians In the
mountain region ot tin- Italian the?
ater dally ;<i?' harassing 'be enemy
ui'h patrol attacks ol considerable
vlolener and bombardments. In Pal
saline Turkish and German troops
penetrated British positions north of
b 11, ho. init almost Immediately wen
ajet led With the loas of more than |Qfl
id Fear not?Dm an Use ends Tbon All
BUMTER, S. On WEDN
TAKE OVER WIRES,
CONGRESS GRANTS REQUEST
OF PRESIDENT WILSON.
House Resolution Passed by the Up?
per Rody Without Single Amend?
ment.
Washington, July 13.?Congress to?
night granted President Wilson's re?
nnest for authority to take over and
operate telegraph, telephone, cable
and radio lines. By a vote of 4<; I
Ifl?the minority, all Republicans.? j
the Senate adpOted, without amend?
ment, the house resolution granting
BUeh power for the period of the war.
The resolution will be signed by
presiding officers of the senate and
house and transmitted to the presi?
dent Monday.
All attempts to amend or modify the
administration measure, which pass?
ed the house July f> by a vote of 221
to 4. were defeated at a session last?
ing until I o'clock tonight. Amend?
ments by Senator Watson, of Indiana,
to except telephones and press wires
from the resolution were defeated,
respectively 41 to 20 and 39 to 21. Ai
amendment by Senator ("lore, of Okla?
homa, Democrat, to limit action re?
garding telephones to long distance
wires, was voted down, while an
amendment by Senator Reed, of Mis?
souri, designed to insure unrestricted
public use of facilities was twice re?
jected.
men made prisoner, including 25<>
I ] ermans.
British and American troops now
ure in control of the entire Murman
coast in Northern Russia, according to
unofficial advices. It Is through this
territory that it is hoped ultimately
to lend aid to Rusisa by way of the
Arctic Ocean. In violent fighting with
the BolahOVlk troops in Middle Russia,
Csecho-Slovaks forces have captured
the Important city of Kazan which
lies on the Volga Rlyer, 430 miles east
ol Moscow.
ATTACK HELD UP.
W hole Front East of Rheims Stands
Firm Five Hours After Launching
Of Drive and Although Drive West
ol City Was MOfO Successful It too
Fell Short.
'London, July 15.?The great Ger?
man attack was definite!) held up on
the Whole front cast of Rheims, live
hours after it was launched, accord?
ing to the latest advices reaching
Don<ej?n and the only ground gains
worth mentioning were in the neigh?
borhood of the Souain Road and
Prunay where they succeeding in pen?
etrating for about one ' and one-hair
miles on a narrow front. At both
these points the French initiated
strong counterattacks late in the
morning.
. On the front west of Rheims the
Hermans had rather more success but
the only important gain to their
credit for the morning's work was the
creasing of the Marne and a zone little
more than a mile beyond on a front
of about ten miles. The Marne in
this district is only a small river; it is
shallow and can easily be crossed In
the early morning mists. Its loss to
the allies, however, deprives them of
a fairly valuable defensive landmark.
The battle began with a wholesale
bombardment inaugurated about mid?
night along the whole front from
Chateau-Thierry to Massignes except
for a narrow sector around Rheims.
This Intensified bombardment of the
French lines with the usual accom?
paniment of trench mortars by the
aeetori also was reinforced by a loim
range bombermdment of back anas
<>n a seile greater than ever hereto?
fore attempted. This back area
bombardment was systematically di
reeted along the line of Chalons,
Montmlrail and La Forte Sous Jouanr
rov, Tin- map shows that this line is
located from 12 to 18 miles behind
the (Trench front. This is evidence
what long range guns of the most
powerful ami far reaching variety
roust have been used in numbers more
than ever before.
The bombardment lasted until 1.30
o'clock, Then came the German at
lack launched at dawn under tin
cover of the morning mists which ore
particularly heavy in the Maine val?
ley, The French communications
however, were well maintained
through the morninn and news of
Herman penetrations here end there
1 irne through prompt!) to tin- gener?
ul staff, enabling proper disposition of
the reserves to be made rapid!) and
ii ecu rat t iv
The general view of the nu n who
watched the progress of the battle
from afat was that the Germans have
lost some of their punch since thel
9
tns't at be thy Country's, Thy Ood's I
ESDAY, JULY 17, 19U
?HB?! QUITS THE RAGE.
MARLBORO STATESMAN KEK1XG
DEFEAT INEVITABLE WITH- '
DRAWS.
Says That There in No Reason lor
! Dragging Himself Around the State
Trying to Help Pepole Who Do Not
Wish to Be Helped.
The Item has received for publi?
cation the foiling letter, written from
! Richmond, Va., dated July 11:
To My Friends: 1 see no good to
be accomplished by my remaining in
the campaign and desire to release
you from such obligation you may
feel as to my support.
1 am discouraged that my purposes
seem so sadly misunderstood and my
motives so wilfully misrepresented.
What is the use when only 18 min?
utes are allowed to present great is
! sues '.'
I did not offer as a candidate be
{cause of any personal ambition. My
desire was to serve. Primarily, it was
my hope to unite a conservative ele?
ment in both factions upon a pro?
gram for building a system of finance
based upon cotton, which would ren?
der our section forever rich and inde?
pendent.
I have given ten years of my life
and spent much of my means in
spreading the propaganda. Its fruits
are visible on every hand, but I de?
spair of ever making faction ridden
South Carolina a leader in a great
movement of this kind and shall
marke no further attempt so to do.
Let me state the proposition clearly:
Section 13 of the federal reserve act
provides not only for the discount of
note ssecured by receipts for cotton
j on storage, but also for discounting
securities, whore the proceeds are to
j enter into the production of the crop.
! This means that a note secured by
j rent or a crop mortgage can be dis
I counted at the federal reserve bank.
I It is done now, but not for farmers,
tew of them know these facts. All
that we need is the machinery and it
can be more easily provided thar
fhe present system, which 1 present?
ed after the failure of the Wade plan
j The warehouse is merely a funda?
mental Incident in a system of fin
ance. The real basis is the oonversior
of all securities which represent cot?
ton either made or to be 'made Into
fluid assets S/hlch will pass current
in the money markets. When you dc
this the marketing question will logi
j eally solve itself and it can never b?
solved except by the firm establish
J ment of a system of credits, when
the pound of cotton is the unit, and a.'
good in one man's hands as another's
i It will never be done by voluntary or?
ganizations; it can only conje through
the government, and to secure thai
I political control is necessary.
However, as the people are more in?
terested in other matters, I see nc
reason for dragging myself around
the State in a vain effort to help peo?
ple who do not wish to be helped.
Doing a side show to a third class
country circus does not appeal to me.
John Lowndes Mcl.aurln.
DISPATCHED TO SI11EHXA.
? British Troops Sent to Assist Russians
Against Rolsheviki's.
London, July 13.?British reinforce?
ments 'have been despatched to Si?
beria, according to otlicial information
received here today, to assist the Rus?
sian and Czecho-Slovaks in guardinu
allied stores from th<? Bolsheviks, act?
ing with Herman prisoners who are
reported to lie advancing upon
Vladivostok.
last big attempt, for nowhere did the
present attack gain the sweeping suc?
cess which their previous efforts yield?
ed them.
By mldaftemoon the entente mili?
tary experts wen- feeling optimistic,
although the danger was not yet over.
Rut it was evident that the first big
rush had failed to yield the Germans
anything like the results which
might have been expected. One l ea -
BOnahle probability is that the attack
this time had no element of surprise,
for General Poch knew of the Ger?
man intention days in advance and
the French made their plans for it
last week.
Bven in the main region where the
Germans made their most important
nain they hive not reached the high
ground south ot the Maine which Is
strategically very important.
In their previous attack the Oer?
mans used one division to each mile
of front, hence it is estimated they
are using at least 10 divisions in the I
present operations, which would mean
between 7UU,0uu and 300,000 men.
ibJ Tratfc't,*1 THE TRUI
THREE CORPS ORGANIZED.
AM El U CAN AHMV IN FRANCE
TAKING SHAPE.
Million, One Hundred Thousand Men
Now Overseas? Alabama, Georgia
and Tennessee Troops Compose The
Second Corps.
Washington, July 13.?The number
Of American troops overseas and en
; route aboard ship, has passed the mil?
lion and hundred thousand mark,
Chief of Staff General March told the
eenate military committee members
today. This represents more than
ninety thousand increase since last
week.
Three army corps of two hundred
and twenty-five thousand to 250
thousand men each, have been
dellnitely organized from the Ameri?
can divisions in France, Gen. March
announced at the weekly conference
with newspaper men. Major General
Hunter Liggett is temporary com?
mander of the first army. Com
l manders for the secon;-1. and third
have not been designated.
The first army includes the Rainbow
Division in addition to one other Nat?
ional Army division, and three of the
National Guard. The second army in?
cludes the Eighty-second National
Army division, composed of Alabama.
Georgia and Tennessee troops. The
i] third is composed mostly of eastern
and northern men.
i The commanders named for the
army corps are only temporary, for
the present, Gen. March says. Ap
: polntments as lieutenant generals of
those selected for permanent detail
. i will be made after they have had ex
I perience in handling corps units.
} The most important developments
;jof the week, Gen. March said were in
i Albania. There is no indication at tho
. war department when the next Qer
? j man thrust on the West front will
! come.
VNLICKY AIR HAIDERS.
I American squadron rtf Bonaners
i j Come to Grief In (iermany.
I
Washington, July 12.-? The German
announcement today says that the
j sixth plane of the American squadron
1 which attempted to bomb Coblenz had
i
; been shot down left doubt as to the
fate of the occupants, but it was be?
lieved here the men in the other live
' I machines reported yesterday from
Berlin as being in German hands
were captured uninjured.
The Rerlin statement yesterday said
the five machines fell into German
hands and their failure to return was
reported today by General Pershing's
communique, officers here believe
the five planes wer?- toned to land
either by a storm or because they
ran out of gasoline and it was assum?
ed the flyers landed their machines
American aviators have carried out
1 a number of raids behind the Oer
1 man line, but this is the first time a
raiding expedition has met with fail?
ure so far as reports here show.
VON HLNRENRl RG DRADT
Latest Report Is Tliat He Died After
Quarrel With Kaiser.
i Amsterdam i July 13.?Field Mar?
shall von Hindenburg is dead, ac?
cording to the newspaper Les Nouvel
les. His death is said to have occurred
after a stormy interview with the Ger
I man emperor at great headquarters
I at Spa concerning the German offen?
sive toward Paris. He died, it is said,
from congestion of the brain. The
interview which is said to have occur?
red May 16th was followed by an ap
popletic stroke, which ultimately rc-|
suited in death.
FIVE PLANES 1/OST.
Germana Say t rews of American Ma?
chines Prisoners of War.
Rerlin. via London. July 11.?Five
American airplanes of a squadron of
six, which st.m<??! out to raid coblenz.
fell into the hands of the Germane
according to the announcement from
general headquarters today. The
crews were taken prisoners.
The texl of the statement reads:
"Throughout Thursday there w;c
moderate lighting activity which re?
vived frequently in the evening. A
strong advance by the enemy north
enst of Beth?ne was repulsed.
"There, has been lively artillery ac?
tivity between the Alane ami Ihe
Marne. Partial attacks launched l>\
the enemy from the forest of Ytllers
Cotterets pressed back our posts In
the Saviers region.
"Five American airplanes of a
squadron of six, Intending a raid on
Coblenz, fell in our bands ThUrsda)
The crews were taken prisoners."
c southron, Fetshtlshool Jane, ?M?
VoLXLVI. No. 44.
1ST OUTLAW LIQUOR.
LIQUOR TRAFFIC INTERFERES
WITH COAL PRODUCTION.
Safety of Country Depends Upon
Elimination of Drunkenness and
Increased Output of Coal.
Washington, July 12.?Immediate:
nationwide prohibition is absolutely
necessary if the extra 100,000,000 tons
of coal a year needed by the country
i in its war on Germany is to be mined,
\ Fuel Administrator GatHald has been
informed by the National Coal Asso?
ciation, representing bituminousop
j erators producing 400,000,000 tons of
1 coal annually. Dr. Garfield is under?
stood to have laid the association's
recommendation before President Wil?
son for his consideration.
In a statement tonight the associa
(tion said in the opinion of a special
i committee of its members from vir?
tually all coal producing sections Of
! the country which has investigated
the question 'the country can not
have both boo/.e and sufficient coal
! this winter."
"The liquor traffic," said the state?
ment, "is curta ling coal production
and the time has come to eliminate it
if there is to be the substantial in
! crease in coal output the war pro
' gram d inlands.
"The National Coal Association Is
i informed that the conclusion not only
j is the judgment of the operators but
'is incurred in by Frank Farrington,
president of the United Mine Workers
j of America, for the State of Illinois."
A summary of the report of the as?
sociation's special committee said:
"Basing its opinion entirely on eco
| nomic and patriotic grounds, the com
t mittee unanimously and unqualifiedly
j believes that national prohibition for
J the period of the war is absolutely
! necessary to make effective this or any
i ? j
1 other plan for increased coal produc?
tion. /
"A comparison of records of produc
| tion of mines in wet and dry territory
furnishes ample proof of the need of
1 prohibition."
A. R, Hamilton, chairman of the
committee, made this supplemental
statement:
I "The committee feels that the
drinking evil has become so rampant
' in the mining communities that Its
complete elimination is fundamental?
ly necessary in the effort to speed up
the mines sufficiently to get the 100,
000.000 additional tons of coal this
country will require this year. It is
now up to congress to make a clean
cut choice between booze for the min?
ing communities and coal for the war
. and the public."
CALL FROM CROWDER.
State Must Finnish Twenty-five Men
for Limited Service?Go to Wash?
ington State.
Washington, July 12.?Provost
Marshal General Orowder today is?
sued a call for 3,(00 more men from
3s States to produce spruce wood in
! the forests of the Northwest for air?
planes From Class 1 only men who
are qualified for special or limited
service will be accepted. They as well
as registrants in the second, third and
fourth classes qualified for general
[military service may volunteer until
July 23. but after that date sufficient
men will be selected from Class 1 to
make up any deticiency in a State's
quota. The men are to entrain July
19 for Vancouver Barracks, Wash?
ington.
The allotments by States include:
Alabama 35; Florida IS; Georgia 60,
and South Carolina 25.
Y. M. C. A. MEN CONVICTED.
Tried for Attempting to Evade Cen?
sorship Regulations.
Paris. July 11.?Two American Y.
M. C. A. workers have been found
guilty and sentenced to confinement
by a general eourt-martial on charges
Of attempting to evade censorship
regulations for receiving parcels, let?
ters and photographs for delivery to
relatives and friends in America of
members of the American expedition?
ary force. On their release they will
be sent back to the United States.
- . . , ? u
WON T RETAIN BELGIUM.
r
(?cumins Make Another Statement
to Intention.
Copenhagen. July ?Chancellor
ton Bertling in the course of a speech
to the Reichstag main committee on
Thursdav denied that Germany in
ended to retain Belgium. "The pres?
ent possession Of Belgium means that
,ve have a pawn for future negotla
ions," he said.
? M ?