The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, October 05, 1918, Image 6

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MURDER OF* AMERICAN SOL DIERS BY HUNS WILL BE MET WITH REPRISAL. 5 The Use of Shot Guns is Not Con trary to Laws of War and Protest ' Coining from People Who Have Conducted a War of Atrocity is . Unworthy of Consideration. Washington, Sept. 30.?The Amer ican government in reply to Ger siany's threat to execute America prisoners* of war found in possessioi *f shotguns, today gave notice that il Gernaany carries out any such threa . auitable reprisals will be taken. ; Secretary Lansing's reply made public today declared that the us< of shotgtths is sanctioned by Th< ff:'iHague conventions, and that in com' * parieon with- other weapons now use< ' m' hioderh warfare the shotguns use< by Amereian troops can not be th< subject of legitimate or reasonabl? protest "Iff the German government shouh ?""carry out its threat in a single in stance," says Secretary Lansing's re ply, "it will be the right and duty o 'the United States to make such re ' prisaLs as will best protect the Amer jP^ '^h" forces, and notice is hereby giv ?n of the intention of the govemmen ot the United States to make such re prisals." "After acknowledging receipt of th< i morandum submitted through th< - Swiss legation, communicating th< Qerinian protest, Secretary Lansim "In reply to the GermaJt protest the government of the United State; has to say that the Provisions of Th< ' ^Bstgue convention cited in the pro tpsf, does hot in its opinion 'forbid th( use of thia kind of weapon. More oyer, in view of the history of th< ihptgun as a weapon of warfare, anc iU\v$ew of the well known effects o -its present use, in the light of a com -p^ritjbn ?f it with other weapons ap proved by "warfare, the shotgun nov in use by the American army, car n^t ^ be the subject of legitimate 01 reasonable protest. ;"v;?j?he government of the Unites States notes the threat,.of the Ger l?fOp government to execute everj prisoner of war found to have in h? - possession shotguns or shotgun am ' munition. Notwithstanding this threai ? inasmuch as the weapon is lawful anc '2ifc|y be rightfully used, its use wiii nfy'be abandoned by the Americar arntjr. Moreover, if the German gov ernment should carry out its threats ;Inr a single instance it will be the right and duty of the government ol -the-United' States to make such re . prisals as will' best protect the Amer icdn, forces, -ahd notice is hereby griv en ?of the intention of the govern ment-;of: the United States to mak? sgc& ;renr1saTs.** ? ? The protest of the German govern ment; submitted through the Swiss ad interim is * as follows: fe German government protest* the use of shotguns by the ^American army and - calls attention to the law ol every prisoner found to have in his possession such ijunsr or ammunition belonging there to forfeits his life. This protest is based upon article 23* (E) of The Hague convention respecting laws and eustoms of war on land. Reply by cable is requested before October 1, 2918;" ^ The article of the Hague conven tion oh which Germany based its pro test was that forbidding the employ ment of "arms, projectiles or mater ^culated to carse "unnecessary suffering : OffleiaJs^ftttL^he prohibition is- di rected not againl^?^ency in killing wounding or injuring;tiiShgruelty and terrorism. Within such jrohihite^ category, they said, falls \i.cblorj^ gas, ??flammenwerfers" or saw<t||?th bayonets used by the Germans. ?The shotgun, it was contended, is exactly analogous to sharpnel shells discharging a multitude of small bul lets or a machine gun discharging a spray of pointed bullets. Officials said that nine bullets are used in each cartridge in the shotgun and that the only instances where a shotgun projectile causes .more in jury to any one enemy soldier than- would * a nit by ? riflle bullet- are instances where the enemy soldier had, ap preached so ?l?se to the shooter that he is struck by' more than one bullet. This, like the effect of the dispersing of'bullets from "a shrapnel shell, it is argued, is permissible either in behalf ; of the greater effectiveness or as an "unavoidable incident of the use of ? small scattering projectiles for the necessary purpose of increasing the likelihood of killing a number of enemies. So far as is known here, shotguns have been employed by American ^troops In France only in police work and in repelling trench raids. Officers say they have been very effective in meeting enemy attacks because they furnish a scattering fire at point blank range and the roar of them alone is very hard on the mor als' of the troops against whom they are used. " There is a possibility, it was said, that shotguns have been used in mop ping up captured trenches, but they hare not been extensively distributed to the troops abroad nor do they sup plant any other weapon. They are viewed by some officers as an answer to the German gas grenades and name throwers, use of which is specifically forbidden by the general ly recognized rules of warfare. _ |bs- tact that according to Wj?t (Kreigsrecht') ever BIG FORCE SURRENDERS: Ten Thousand Turks Quit Fighting. London, Sept. 30.?A Turkish force of 10,000 men has surrendered to the British In Palestine, according to an official announcement made this even ing. DRAFT DRAWING COMPLETED. Order Numbers of Thirteen Million Registrants Assigned. 'Washington, Oct 1.?The drawing] Of the order numbers for thirteen million draft registrants was com pleted, at S "o'clock this morning, hours ahead of schedule. . The last number was 12734. 1 H?H ALLIANCE BUSTED. SURRENDER ' OF BULGARIA CHANGES ASPECT OF WAR. Way Opened for Attack on Austria? Turkey is Isolated and Will Soon ? be Crushed Unless Example of Bul > garia is Followed?Rescue of Rou ? mania From Huns One Possibility. Bulgaria is definitely out of the war ? and Turkey virtually cut off from ? communication with her allies and 1 her armies in Palestine almost an 1 nihilated, likely soon will be forced f to sue for a cessation of hostilities fc against her. Meanwhile the entente allied forces ? from Belgium to Verdun on six bat 2 tie fronts are registering victory after 3 victory over the Teutonic arms and - the enemy front almost everywhere is ? crumbling, notwithstanding the des 1 perate resistance that is being offer s ed on various sectors. ? Seeing eventual defeat staring her in the face through the swift prog ? resses of the Serbian, Italian, Brit " tsh, Greek and French troops in the " reclaiming of Serbia and the invasion f of Bulgarian territory, the Bulgars ' begged for an armistice, reserving to " themselves no conditions. All the ter ? ritory now held by King Ferdinand's 1 men is to be evacuated; the Bul ? garian army is to be immediately de mobilized and all means of transport 2 inside the kingdom, even along the 5 Danube, is to be given over into allied 5 hands. ?] Thus in addition to the isolation of Turkey the back door to a direct in ? vasion of Austria-Hungary is flung 5 wide open to the allies and doubtless - the time is not far distant when an " advantage of the full will be taken 5 to the new avenue through which the - enemy can be reached. With the de 2 bade of Servia and Bulgaria complete ? the Austro-Hungarlans in Albania f soon will be put to the test and when " their evacuation to their own borders \ is accomplished the allies will have 7 welded an iron semi-circle about the 1 central powers from the Black Sea to ? the North Sea. Viewing the situation in all its as 1 pects the success of the great offen ? sive in Belgium and France; the blot 1 ting out of the war zone in the Bal 3 kans; the cutting off the Turks from ? intercourse with Germany, and Aus t tria-Hungary, except by the long route 1 through the Caucasus and Southern 1 Russia and the steady gains that are 1 being made by the allies in making ? Russia once more a factor in the J struggle?the darkest days of the war J seemingly are faced by the Austro \ Hungarians. Although it had been officially an ? nounced that hostilities against the ? Bulgarians ceased at noon Monday, ? the French official communication of ? Monday night said French cavalry had entered Uskub', one of the most im ? portant communication centers in Ser " bia. It is not improbable, therefore, that the French are nill hard after i the Germans who are known to have ! been fighting with the Bulgarians in i this region acting as rear guards. On all the sectors under attack from Belgian Flanders to the region of Verdun the German front is grad ually bending back under the violence of the attacks of'the British, Amer ican, French and Belgians. In Bel gium the advance of the troops of King Albert and of Field Marshal Haig have proceeded so deeply east ward that. Germany's submarines on the North Sea are in jeopardy through the'impending cutting of the lines of communication behind them. The famous Messines-Wytschaete ridge has been captured and the al lied guns dominate the plains beyond. Both Menin and Roulers, import ani^fallr?ad junction points for the J*Aply of the German armies north i fnd south, are virtually in the hands of the British and Belgians, and seem ingly soon 'must fall. From Cambrai to St. (^uentin fh"& British and Americans again have de livered sttjccessful hard smashes against the . German strong points all along the front, including the remain ing portions of the old Hindenburg line. The Germans here are offering most strenuous resistance and xa counterattacks are compelling the British on one or two sectors to with draw for slight distances. The Brit ish are ip the process of cleaning up: the town of Cambrai, having pene trated its suburbs from the northeast and southwest. ' In the region of St. Quentin, where i the Americans arc fighting with the British, the old Hindenburg line has been cut and penetr .ted to a depth of three miles over a front of eight miles. In conjunction with the operations of the French northeast of Soissons, the Germans have begun the evacua tion of the Chemin-des-Dames, the French now hold half of this famous defensive position. Likewise, there is an indication that the enemy intends to give up the remaining positions held by him along the Vesle to Rheims. In ?Champagne the French troops west of the Argonne forest every where are pressing forward and likewise to the east of this position the Americans are moving northward in unison. Already the big forest is virtually outflanked and apparently soon will .be made a part of the Franco-American line. From the St. *Mihiel sector the Americans are heavily bombarding enemy troop trains which are being hurried to the front. Reports from Amsterdam are to the effect that Emperor William has ac cepted the resignations of Count von Hertling and Admiral von Hintze, re spectively imperial German chancel lor and foreign minister. FERDINAND WAS TERRIFIED. Fear of Revolution and Lack of Sup port from Germany Caused Sur render of Bulgaria, Paris. Oct. 1.?It was the fear of revolution at home and the failure of Germany and Austria to send him the military force he required that in duced King Ferdinand, of Bulgaria, to turn to the entente for help, ac cording to the American consul gen eral at Sofia (Dominick Murphy), as quoted in a dispatch to the Matin from | Saloniki. MBU1 DM?. ALLIED ARMIES SWEEPING THE TURKS NORTHWARD OUT OF | PALESTINE. Capture of Damascus, Which Seems Certain, Will Break Turkish Power in That Region. Paris, Oct. 1,?General Allenby's troops are now only two and a half miles from Etmascus and the French cavalry is alvancjng beyond Bey fout, according to a report received by the Echo De Paris. VICTORY IN AIR. French Aviators Destroyed Twenty Five Hun Flyers Monday.. Paris, Monday, Sept. 30?Twenty five German airplanes were destroyed by French aviators today, the war. of fice reported tonight. Bombing squadrons dropped twenty-six tons of bombe on convoys and concentration points behind the enemy front. ARMY CUT IN TWO. Serbians Win Great Victory Over Bul gare Sunday. London, Oct. 1.?In the region east of Veles the Serbians on "Sunday se verely defeated the Bulgarians near Charevo, six miles from the Bulgar ian border. The Serbian official state ment of Mondaj reports that the Bul garian forces were cut into two parts. ?skub was occupied by the French cavalry on Sunday. TERMS GRANTED BULGARIA. Every Allied Demand Met in Armis tice Granted?Armies Quit Fight and Store AU Guns. London, Sept. 30.?The armistice concluded with Bulgaria by the en tente allies is a purely military con vention and contains no provisions of a political character. Bulgaria agrees to evacuate all the territory she now occupies in Greece and Serbia, to demobilize her army immediately, and surrender all means of transportation to the alhas. Bulgaria also"~will surrender her boats and control of navigation of the Danube and conceds to the allies free passage through Bulgaria for th>. development of military operations. All Bulgarian arms and ammuni tion are to be stored under the con trol of the allies, to whom is con ceded the right to occupy all im portant strategic points. The Assocated Press learns thai the military occupation of Bulgarin will be entrusted to British, French and Italian forces and the evacuated portions of Greece and Serbian re spectively to Greek and Serbiar troops. The armistice means a complete military surrender and Bulgaria ceases to be a belligerent. All ques tSohs of territorial rearrangements ir the Balkans was purposely omittec from the convention. The.allies made no stipulation con cerning King Ferdinand, his positior being considered an internal matter one for the Bulgarians themselves to deal .with. The armistice will remain in opera tion until a final general peace i.< concluded. FRENCH MENACE HUN 2ND LINE Gourand's Advance in Champagne Nearing Vital Point. : With the French Armies in Cham pagne, Sept. 30?(By Associated Press.)?(2 P. M.)?Gen Mangin'i troops continued their advances thb morning on the Chemin des Dames while on the right Gen. Berthelot at tacked, crossing the Vesle river at Goulet farm. He took the village of Legrand Hameau and advanced near ly two miies north of Les Venteaux and reached the southern edge of the village of Mohtigny. Berthelot's at tack appeared likely to derange the German plans and hasten the retire ment. South of St. Quentin the enemy delivered fierce counter attacks in a vain effort to recapture Hill 88. The reaction on the front of Gen. Gour aud's army was also very violent in the neighborhood of Saint Mariea Py. The diminished resistance'in front of Gen. Magin's troops confirms the fact that the enemjr is making a systematic retirement. This retreat to which the Germans are endeav oring to give essential elasticity by vigorous inermittent defenses here and there, seems likely to extend. The rapid succession of heavy blows the Allies have dealt from the sea to the Meuse have not only greatly shaken the Hjndenburg line, but have brought j the fighting at some points close enough to the secondary line of de fense to make that also look precar ious. Threatened at Cambrai and Le Cat el et this line may furnish a tem porary solid support from the region of Soissons to the valley of the Aire. but north of the Argonne, where it joins the Hindenburg line the ad vance of Gen. Gouraud's men in liai son with the Americans has given the Germans such worry that they are hurryi tg up reserves and counter at tacks '\ the greatest energy. It is . . re that they may be ex pected to make their most desperate stand, to protect the eventual retire ment of the forces to the west and defend the. Briey basin and the Stenay Cap, which is a vital route of com munication for them if they are un able to hold the line of the Meuse from their present position in the north. VICTORY STIRS NATION. Success in France Inspires People to Buy Liberty Bonds. Washington, Oct. 1.?Tho successes of the American and Allied forces in France is being reflected in the Liber ty loan campaign. This opinion wasi expressed by treasury officials today! as newspaper reports were receive showing that many communities iuf the country last night at the closeJhf the third day of the drive had jpftjb scribed greater sums than thaJfrtqtaY pledges for the third loan, f * / LUMBER Building Materials lime, lath, brick, cement, siding, ceiling, . plaster, shingles, flooring, mouldings, fire clay, fire 8rick, rough lumber, roofing paper hay, Feed corn, a oats, StuftS hulls, tankage, middlings, rice flour, wheat bran, sugar feed, meat scrap, chicken feed, oyster shell, seed oats and rye, cotton seed meal BOOTH & McLEOD, inc. Phones: Office 10; Yard 631. Sumter, S. C. Swat the Kaiser. Buy War Savings Stamps and Liberty Bonds, KAISER MAKES APPEAL BEGS GERMANS TO GIVE BLOOD AND WEALTH TO LAST BREATH. His Plea is For German Nation to Save Him and His House from Pun ishment for Their Crimes Against Humanity. London, Oct. 1.?Emperor Wil liam, in a message to the Fatherland party, is quoted in an.Amsterdam dis patch to the Exchange Telegraph as saying, "I have the confident hope that the whole German people in these most serious times will resolutely gather around me and give their blood and wealth until the last breath for the defense of the Fatherland against-; shameful enemy plans. Suchj a unanimous resolve to exist will i and must, with God's help succeed in j breaking the enemy's-will to war and j secure for the Fatherland the peace i it is worthy of among the peoples of; the world." CHARITIES BOARD SECRETARY, j - The Rev. G. Croft Williams of Char, leston Succeeds Albeit S. John stone. Charleston, Sept. 30.?The Rev. G. Croft Williams, ->ector of St. John's j Episcopal chapel nere, and promi-j nent in welfare work, announced to day that he had accepted the posi tion of secretary to .the State board of charities and corrections, to suc ceed Albert S. Johnstone, resigned, and would take up his duties on No vember 1. Mr. Williams is known I over South Carolina for his activities along the very lines he w.ill follow as secretary of the board and will make an excellent man for the board. He has been rector of St. John's chapel for a number of years. He is chair man of the civilian relief committee of the Charleston Red Cross and also chairman of the home service sec tion. His departure from Charleston will be a source of regret, but it is felt that he can serve his State best in his new position. AS TO COTTON PRICES. Senator Smith Comments on Page Brand Statement. Washington, Sept. 30.?Comment ing on the published statement of Thomas Walker Page and Charles J. Brand, representatives of the yuvern ment who will have charge oi the distribution of raw cotton, who de clare that it is not the purpose to fix prices, Senator E. D. Smith, of South Carolina, who has consistently opposed price fixing and never was convinced that it would he attempted, makes the following observations: "The statement issued by Messrs. Page and Brand expresses the con clusion of all the numerous confer ences and interviews by those inter ested. "The representatives of the farm ers from every cotton growing State held numerous meetings in my office during the past week and with a wonderful conservation and grasp of the subject formulated their ideas and then laid them before the ad ministration, with the result as an nounced today by Messrs. Page and Brand. "I, as chairman of the Senate com ' mittee. conferred with them, the President, and the board- appointed by the President, and from first to last emphasized the disastrous result that would follow arbitrary price fix ing, especially with regard to the present crop. "After weeks of nerve racking, strenuous work the cotton situation seems to be satisfactorily adjusted. ASST. ADJUTANT GENERAL. Isadorc Ussury. of Elko, Succeed.* Major Frost. Columbia, Sept. 30.?Governor Manning this afternoon appointed Isadore Ussery, of Elko. Barnwell County, as assistant to the adjutant general to succeed Major .lohn D Frost, who hns :i commission in the United States army. The appointment made on the rec- j ommondation of W. W. Moore, the adjutant general, carries the title ol -m-ijor and inspector general of the State Militia. Major Ussury is :i graduate of the Citidel. class of 1914 and was a cadet lieutenant in his senior year. He has applied for ad mission into the. United States army several times, hut was refused be caus of physicuT disqualifications. ITS IN BERLIN. PEACE DEMONSTRATION HELD ON SUNDAY FOLLOWED BY CONFLICT. Mob Assembled in Front of Bulgarian Legation and Cheered for Peace? Police Failed to Control Crowd. London, Oct. 1.?A peace demon stration took place in Berlin Satur day, according to the news received today. Cheering crowds assembled in front of the Bulgarian legation, necessitating police intervention. The lioters, according to information, got1 the upper hand of the authorities and committed excesses. A number of statues in Berlin squares were de- < stroyed. WANTED TO GET A HUN. A Wounded Boy Soldier Who \Vanted to Cct Back to the Front. Paris. Sept. 15 (By Mail)?"I don't want any rest; I want to get a shot at the fellow that killed our trumpeter. Can't you fix me up right away and mark me for duty? I want to get me a Hun." The youthful American soldier from a New England factory town gazed appealingly up into the face of the doctor, while a Y. M. C. A. man lighted a cigarette and handed it to htm. The doctor shook his head after he had examined two gaping wounds on the lad's back where pieces of shran ncl had torn their way into the flesh. '?You must, get a nice long rest first," he said, "You are lucky for you will be sent to a base hospital and given everything you want." A big shell broke overhead and the dim candle flickered and almost went out. As it brightened again the lad's disappointment was painly notice able. "Where did you get it?" asked the doctor. "Down in the wheatfield," replied the boy. "I fell flat on my face when I heard the shell coming and it's lucky that I did, for the trumpeter, wasn't quick enough and it tore him j all to pieces. Damn them, he was the best kid in the company/' The Hun generals, who boast of their "shock" troops well might learn a lesson from this American boy, says E. A. Batchelor, well known magazine writer, who tells this story. Mr. Batchelor is in Paris after a trip to the front. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIA TION.* It Has Done Effective Work for The Army at Home and Overseas. Ask the average citizen about the American Library Association and he is more than liable to look at you with inquiry written all over his face. But-nevertheless his lack of knowl edge of this organization does not al ter the fact that it is doing and has been doing sonic of the most effective work in maintaining the morale of the fighting men in France and pro viding means of wholesome mental recreation for the boys who are jad ed and worn after long periods in the trenches. The province of the American Lib rary Association is extensive to the utmost degree. It covers all fields of military activity with its opera tions and extends its iniluence to all battle fronts. It places libraries on warships, transports and cargo vessels in the service of the government. It main tains library service for military hos pitals. The Library War Service seeks to place in the hands of every member of our fighting forces the book he needs when he wants it. whether he wishes to read for recreation or to tit himself to be a better fighter, a bet-' ter American, or to help him win suc cess after the war. The American Library Association has built, equipped and now operates forty-three libraries of 30.000 vol umes at large camps. 300 at smaller ?amps or posts. 14-8 at naval and ma rine stations and has 3f>0 libraries and branches at sea. It supplies books and magazines for the Rod Cross, Y. M. C. A., Knight sol" Columbus. Y. W. C. A.. Jewish Welfare Board, War Camp Community Service and the Salvation Army. More than 1,500 branch li bararies have been established in huts, canteens, club roms and hos Less houses. CENTER OF INTEREST. VITAL MOVES BEING MADE OX WESTERN FRONT. Even Collapse of Bulgaria Does Not Distract Attention of Official Wash ington From iWar Maps Showing Splendid Progress of Americans and Allies in France. Washington, Sept. 30.~The un qualified capitulation of Bulgaria great as the effect is certain to be on the wh?le course of the war, did not ! serve today to distract the attention I of army officials for a moment from the vital moves being made in the great game on the Western front. The outstanding event of the day there was the swift forward rush of the Belgian and British forces In Flanders. Observers here again saw more than a hint of weakening morale in the German ranks due probably to the fact that poorer troops had been 1 assigned to this sector of the front which long had been quiet. There was plain evidence also that the ene? my was taken completely by surprise. To support the wavering line,, dis patches indicate, that only tired out divisions from father south were available. The result was shown inj the astonishing progress made by both the Belgians and General Plum ers Second British army. . Even the penetration of Cambrai and the certainty of its complete oc-' cupation by the British at any mo ment was overshadowed to * officers here by-the development of the north ern flank of the Lille-Roubaix-Ter coing triangle by General-Blum eris^ troops. A strategic coup appears to have been achieved in this zone of the great battle which almost beyond question will drop the triangle of towns into the laps of the Allied j armies without the necessity of costly frontal attack. Roulers was reached in the hands of the Belgians and Men in about to fall to the British. The advanced lines are therefore already east of the triangle to the north and have severed the German commu nication system on that side and brought the remaining lines under, gunfire. This Lille sector is the most con gested region of the whole battle line. Situated in the famous coal re- - gion, the three towns almost merge into each other while before them Armentieres stands as an outwork protected from the south particularly by roads, railways and numerous ca nals and water lines which make the advance of troops against a stubborn foe extremely difficult. The maneuver executed by Marshal Foch appears to follow closely the one he has tried successfully on other fronts. Instead of hitting at the weak point the Belgian thrust masked by an attack over the whole line to the North Sea and aided by the British fleet suddenly concentrat ed on perhaps the strongest natural harrier north of Ypres-Houthulst for est. The wood was cleared in fierce fighting the Belgian line moved for ward quickly and the British to the south began an oblique drive along the old Hindenburg line defense which has taken them past the Lille tri angle with a rush leaving that north ern pivot of the whole German de fense system in a rapidly deepening pocket. Probably this explains the fact that the British' lines from southwest of Douai to the juncture with the second army somewhere west of Ar mentieres has been quiescent through out the bitter fighting on both sides. Incidentally the Cambrai drive is carrying forward the southern jaw of a pincer movement that probably will squeeze the enemy out of Lille in time even if the Belgian-British ef fort in the north does not do it un aided. HUN TROOPS REACH SOFIA. Bremen Paper Says Bulgars Greeted Them Enthusiastically. Amsterdam, Sept. 30.?German troops arrived at Sofia Friday night, according to a Berlin telegram to the Weser Zeitung, of Bremen, which says: "They were received with great enthusiasm by the population." Vienna newspapers received here announced the arrival of Austria Hungarian troops at Sofia. Want Fountain Pens. Two thousand fountain pens are be ing shipped from the United States in answer to an imperative call from - the Y. M. C. A. headquarters in Prance.