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THE SUMTKK WATCHSEAN^ Estsb Consolidated Aug. 2,1 F188T FOB 'VALENCIENNES. JI",B' FIELD MARSHAL HAIG'S MEN BE?VE ALREADY ENTERED CITY. Progress of Allied Forces in Belgium ftuci French Flanders Slowed ntf Somewhat But Appreciable Gains Have Been Made, Some of Much , Importance. The fall of Valenciennes to Field Marshal Haig's forces is imminent. I$e?pite the desperate resistance of %? tio /Germans the British have enter ed, the city on the west, while to the north they have made a deep thrust in the great Raismes forest and are >?'-:&ov4ng' in the direction of Conde, near the angle of the Scheldt. 1 Valenciennes had been in uninter rupted French possession from 16.77 until the onrush of the Germans early ? in the present war led them many miles into France. It is now about to be added to the rapidly growing list of towns, vthe redemption of which has brought rejoicing to the French people. Although the progress of the allied : ? ' forces in Belgian and French Flanders has slowed up somewhat in the face of the stiffening of the lines of rear guards aiding the retreat of the Ger man armies, appreciable gains have been made, some of them of much Importance. .Hollain and, Brueyelles on the Scheldt south of Tournai, are now in the hands of the British and north of Tournai tile village of Froyenne has fc^n cleared of the enemy, who is .withdrawing v towards the Scheldt There'has been sharp fighting for the <ird3sing of this waterway Pont-a Chinz. The Germans are battling hard to keep the allies from out flanking Tournai on the north. Behind the Scheldt the Germans are massed in strength; their ma chine-guns on the east bank are ac tive and are receiving the support of the artillery and trench mortars. y?n the north the Belgians have reached the Lys canal along their entire front and have captured a bridgehead with numbers of the enemy west of Morendre. " An item of great interest appears in the latest announcement by the French war Office concerning opera tions along the Aisne. It says: \[ "The Czecho-Slavs with us retook the village of Terren." *;The. French are still moving active JryVtd the north of Laon and have now the- occupation of Chalandry .Grandlup.. To the southwest ot ?feent tHey have firn?y established ;on?kthe east bank of the Lys River, JjaVifcg- made crossing fat several points, against which the enemy re slated with, determination. , ' ground Le~ Cateau where Ameri . > c?hs % are ; fighting with the British Fourth Army, activity has diminished jgireatly.. The same is true of the AioDerican. sector .northwest of Ver 4tfh, Where the chief activity of the anfcjny has "been the shelling of ? the American lines with mustard a,nd. oth er gas shells, and an air raid, which came hear to achieving the destruc tion, of an American base hospital. .^^The German- reply . to President Wilson is' still the subject of much ctrmment, newspapers and public alike. agreeing that Germany has, by no means adequately- met the desire cf-ihe.president and the allied powers. Official cognizance of the note has hot yet been taken by the United States government. >-Jteanwh?e numerous German pa pers are calling upon the. emperor to eliminate himself from the question and declaring that peace must not be delayed on account of the Hohenzol lerns. Winter unusually late this year, has set in on the front in northern Russia and a prolonged lull is looked for in that territory. HONORS DISTINGUISHED MEN. President Awards Medals to Foch, Joffre, Haig, Pctain, Diaz, Gillian and Pershing. Washington, Oct. 22.?Marshals Foch, Joffre and Haig, and Generals Petain, Diaz. Pershing and Gillian, chief of staff of the Belgian army &.bie awarded the distinguished ser vice medal today by President Wil ton as- commander in chief of the United States army. General Pershing^ was directed by Secretary Baker to act as President VVVsori's representative in presenting <*>e Tnedals to the military leaders of the allies and to express to them the high regard of the people of the Unit ed States and of the American army for the distinguished and patriotic service they haye rendered in the cOtninon cause. Gen. Tasker II. Bliss, former chief of; Staff, and now assigned to the in terallied war council, will represent the. president ia presenting the med al to General Pershing. He has been directed to say that the president awards the medal to the commander of the American expeditionary forces as a token of the gratitude of the American people for his distinguish ed service and in appreciation of the success which the American arms have achieved under his leadership. DE BBS APPEALS HIS CASE. Convicted Socialist Turns to the Su preme Court. Washington, Oct. 22.?Eugene V. Debbs, Socialist party leader, who re cently was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for making disloyal ut- j terances in a speech at Canton. Ohio,! has appealed his case to the Suprme Court. The records in the proceed- j ings were received today and a brief: will be filed later. Debs has been re-j leased on $10,000 bail. ? ?iked April, ?8*0. "Bntami 881. S ANOTHER DRIVE SOON, j EVERY INDICATION OF COM ING BLOW SEEN. Bollard's Second Army Sure to Play Big Part in Future Operations, f Washington, Oct. 22.?Now that the i Germans have been cleared out of j Belgian Flanders and much of north i era France, army officials here are j watching the battle front intently, i many of them with a distinct feeling ! that a new storm of attack may be j j about to break against the enemy.! I There was nothing tonight to indi-1 j cate that this expectancy was found- j j ed on definite information and it j [ picbably grows out of a number of ; j happenings of a minor character in j j themselves but possibly important; links in chain of events soon to be; I disclosed. I Beyond doubt the German retire-1 ! ment, in Belgium has slowed down.; However it is not yet clear whether j ' this is due to the fact that the re- j I renting forces are nearing on the' j whole northern front the line which (frequently has been selected by mili-j : lary critics as the first pausing place I on the way to the Meuse or the bor-' i der, or to the necessities of extending ?allied communication lines the troops ? advance. It is probable, officers say, I that there is necessity for a breath ing spell on both sides. I There is little doubt here that thej ; German army is headed for nothing i j short of the 'Meuse line and that any ! pause will be but temporary to permit i readjustment of the columns and sup ! ply line in order that the same or- j i derly s uence of movements shall: j characterize subsequent retirements. I Several halts of this character may! ! be expected, it was said, as the with i drawal project is carried out. The fact jthat the allied armies are hampered I by extending communication lines j gives oportunity for such halts before Marshal Foch's forces can come up in ! sufficient force to compel a resump j tion of the rearward movement, j The line surrendered by the enemy j from Lille northward to the coast, it ; was pointed out, was far stronger and no longer than that he now stands 1 upon in Belgium.' In addition by the evacuation of Flanders coast he has furnished the allies with means of setting up new and more direct com munication lines, from Englnad via Ostend, Zeebrugge or other Flanders ports. Without question, it is said these avenues of supplying tl ad vancing armies already are being opened to free the longer lines back into France of that burden and coh .sequently . officers can not see any tactical advantage^ gained by the ene my unless he intends to fall back at least to the line of the Meuse. The first stage of the great retreat is. almost complete. The German right i flank has been swung back like a Jgate all the way from Solesmes south of Valenciennes to the Dutch border. 1 South of the pivot, however, there ' Has been little change on the front from the Oise to the Meuse. It has been noted that heavy concentration ?f forces was made by the Germans On the Le Cateau-Oise-Serre front, : and also against the American pres I sure northwest of Verdun. Without ; .question the retenton -of these lines ' Unbroken was vital to the German ' plan of action. Now that the with } drawal in the north has progressed so [.{fully, however, it would cause no sur fcj prise here if a retirement between I the Oise and the Serre were under [taken without delay to rectify the 1 j whole line. j To many officers it seems possible !! that now events have so shaped the j line that a great drive may be under taken calculated to upset the whole I German plan of retirement' ?? ? Already the allied lines have been ; shortened so that considerable forces i must be available for the work par ?ticularly British. The time can not : be far away also when the Ameri : can second army under "General Bui , j lard will be put into play. 1.1 To some observers it seems pos i sitle 'hat wide attack may be made I by the two American armies, both ; j east and west of the Meuse, the i j thrust being aimed at the great rail 1 artery passing through Sedan and j Montmedy. A cooperating French j assault west of the Argonne would ; naturally be a part of su^ a thrust. ' To other officers, however, recent ! French raiding operations in Alsace ' seem to have significance. Apparent ly information' is ?esired as to the : German strength oh that front and as j to the character and. quality of the ?troops here. Such raids invariably j precede offensive operations, al though they rarely disclose by their . locality the exact place of the pro , posal attack. t So far as the German peace ovef ; tares are concerned, army officers : hold that manifestly now is the time j of times for a new and crushing I blow.. With the hopevof early peace being dangled before the eyes of the . war weary German troops, their mor i ale will be at its lowest, it was said, j ; while the allied and American ranks j the round about Germans admission j 'of defeat can only have given new] : zeal for the fight. DEAD BROUGHT HOME. . f I I j Army Chaplains Receive Advices in France. v With the American Army North-' j west of Verdun, Oct 22 (By the As-1 j sociaied Press).?All the American! dead in France will be taken home! after the war. according to orders re-j ceived by the army chaplains. The j grave registration bureau has been working with This in view, but Apth ing definite regarding the futuiMMis-1 position of the dead was kno^^B? I until instructions came to thffl In ins from Washington. & B id Pear not?Det all the ends Thon A!m*t at be thy Country's. Tay God's *i ?MTER, S. C, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1911 President Wilson Closes Correspondence! With Germans By Direct Demand Record of the German Government in This War Necessi tates Extraordinary Safeguards in Dealing With Them1 in Respect to Peace, Therefore Surrender, Not Nego-j lions, Must Be Demanded. Washington, Oct. 23.?President | Wilson has submitted the German I ?plea for an armistice and peace to the j allies, and at the same time has in-j formed Eerlin that there can be no| armistice except upon terms that; ?would make it impossible for Ger-j j many to renew hostilities. j .While consenting to deal further; with tlie present authorities in Ger many, the president has given them this warning: i "If it (the United States) must deal i with the military masters and mon | archical autocrats of Germany now, or if it is likely to have to deal with j them later in regard to the Interna tional obligations of the German em-; pire, it must demand, not peace nego-1 tiations, but surrender. Nothing can! j be gained by leaving this essential j j thing unsaid." \ \ The president's reply to the Ger-. i man noe was handed to the charge | I of the Swiss legation tonight for | ! transmission to the German govern- j ment. > As the note was dispatched, Sec-' jrelary Tumulty at the White House! j gave emphasis to the assurance given! by all members*of the government j j that no interru ption of the military program is contemplated by making; public correspondence between Sec retary Baker and President Wilson ? showing that more than 2,000,000 American soldiers have embarked for the war overseas. j The president's note accedes to- the j request that he take up with the ! allies the proposals of the new spokes j men of the German people, but does j it with notice ^hat virtual surrender ! of the Teutonic armies in- the ' fie\d ; will be the price demanded for'inter ! ruption of the heating now being ad | ministered. j In transmitting the matter to the j allies, the president says he has sug I gested that if they are disposed to ] effect .peace on his terms and. princi i pies now accepted by the present Ger i man authorities, the American and al j lied military advisors be asked if they ? deem such an armistice possible from j a. military point of view to submit i such terms as will fully protect the J interests of the people involved and I insure to the associated governments I the unrestricted power to enforce j peace on the conditions accepted. I The president says he feels he can I not decline to take up the question of an armistice, having received sol emn and explicit assurances of the German government that it accepts j terms of peace enunciated by him; ; that the desire to discuss their ap j plication comes from ministers speak j ing for an overwhelming majority of j the German people, and that the Ger ! man armed forces will observe the ! humane rules of civilized warfare on j land and sea. i The German protests and denials in j response to his statement that an ' armistice could ? not be considered j while the German army and navy jeontinued their atrocities are entirely I ignored in the president's reply, j As to the authority of the new . spokesmen of the German people, the j president speaks as the note says, j "without any attempt to soften what j may seem rash words," and tells th? , men with whom he is dealing And j trough them the German people ; why such extraordinary safeguard j must be demanded before hostilities, can. cease. j Significant and important as the j proposed constitutional changes seem i to be, he declares, it does not appea1 j that the people of a government re sponsible to the German people hai ; yet been worked out, and it is evi dent that the people have means o* commending the acquiescence of thf military authorities. He reminds the Germans that ihe power of the Kin? of Prussia (the kaiser), to control the policy of the empire is unimpaired anc concludes with the warning that, i this power .is to be dealt with the United States and. the allies can de mand nothing but surrender. The statement follows: "The secretary of state makes pub lic the following: - I "Frbm the secjv-ary to the charge i I 'daffairNes ad interim in charge "?of j 1 German^ interests in the United States. \ 'Departnkent of State, October 23 V 191S. "Sir: ^ "I have th^e honor to acknowledge the receipt oNyour note of the 22nd transmitting a communication under date of the 20th\from the Germar government and to^advise you tha' the president has instructed me tc reply thereto as followss^^ "Having received the so^>nji air' explicit assurance of the German^SSy eminent that it unreservedly acce*?C the terms of peace laid down in hi' ] address to the concress of the United States on the sth of January, idjs and the principles of settlement enun ciated in his subsequent addresses, l^rticularly the address of the 27th I September and that it desires to dis cuss the details ot" their application, j and that this wish and purpose ema- j riated not from those who have hith- i erto dictated German policy and con- j ducted the present war on Germany's behalf but from ministers who speak for the majority of the reichstag and for an overwhelming majority of the German peopie and having receiveu also the explicit promise of the present German government that the humane rules of civilized warfare will be observed both on land arid sea and by the German armed forces, the president of the United States feeb that he can not decline to take up with the governments with which the gov ernment of the United States is asso ciated the question of an armistice "He deems it his duty to say again however, that the only armistice he would feel justified in submitting for consideration would be one which ?should leave the United States anc* the powers associated -with her in a position to enforce any arrangements Ithat may be entered into and to make ! a renewal of hostilities on the part I of Germany impossible. The presi j dent has therefore, transmitted hu> \ correspondence with the present Ger liian authorities to the governments with which the government of the United States is associated as a bel ligerent with the suggestion that it those governments are disposed to ef fect peace upon the terms and prin ciples indicated, their military advis j ers and the military advisers of the j United States be asked to -submit to j the governments associated against Germany the necessary terms of such ah avmistice as will:-fully.-protect the interests of the peoples involved and Insure to the associated government: the unrestricted power to safeguard and enforce the details of the peace to'which the German government har agreed, provided they deem such , ar armistice possible from the military point of view. Should such terms ol armistice be suggested, their accept ance by Gernuny will afford the* best concrete evidence of her unequivoca acceptance of the terms and' princi pies of peace from which the whol* action proceeds. /?* >.'? "The president would deem himself lacking in candor did he hot point du in the frankest possible terms the reason why extraordinary safeguards must be demanded.. . Significant and independent as the constitutional changes seem to be which are spok en of by the German foreign secre tary in his note of the ' 20th of Oc tober it does not appear that the peo pie. of a government responsible to The German people has yet been fully worked out or that any guarantees either exist or are in contemplation that the alterations of principles anc of practice now partially agreed up on will be permanent. Moreover, it does not appear that the heart of the present difficulty has been reached ?t may be that future wars have beer brought under the control of the Ger man people, but the present war ha^ not been; and it is with the presen war that we are dealing. It Is evi dent that the German people have nt means of commanding the acquies cence of the military authorities of the empire in the popular will; tha ihe power of the king of Prussia tc control the policy of the empire is un impaired; that the determining initia five still remains with those who havt hitherto been the masters of Germany Feeling \hat the whole peace of th? world depends now on plain speaking and straightforward action, the presi dent deems it his duty to say, with out any attemp: to. soften what ma? seem harsh words, that the nations o the world do not ahd can not trust the word < * those who have hithertc been the T tsters of German policy f.nd to point out once more that ir concluding peace and attempting t< undo the infinite injuries and injus tices of this war the government ot the United States can not deal with any but veritable representtaives o; '.he German people who have beer assured of a genuine constitutiona] standing as the real rulers of Ger many. If it must deal with the mil itary masters and the monarchical au tocrats ?f Germany now, or if it iF likely to have to deal with them late: in regard to the international Obliga tion of the German empire, it raus* ; demand, not negotiations, but surrend- | ?r. Nothing can be gained by leaving] this essential thing unsaid. j "Accept, sir. the renewed assnr- j "nces of my high consideration. (Signed) ??Robert Lansing. j "Mr. Frederick Oederlin, Charge i <i*Affairs of Swit/.erland ad interim j in charge of German interests In the | United States." Approval of 'he president's action c.vas voiced evervwhere among offt \ials. who declared that the note de -.^toded the surrender tipon which AmeWca and the allies insist, and at the saV?o time held up to the German people 1(| picture of their situation in id TTH?'i." THE TRUE 3. ATTACK CONTINUED DAY AND NIGHT IN VALENCIENNES SECTOR. By Hard Fighting They Cross Ecail-j Ion River and Capture Several j Towns?Attack Resumed This Morning. London, Oct. 24.?Sharp fighting continued to a late hour yesterday evening on the front south of Valen ciennes, it is officially announced. Thej British crossed Ecaillon river and j captured Neueville, Salesches and Beaudignes. The German couriter attack late yesterday was repulsed. This morning the attack was resum-1 ed all along the front. -?- f CONTINUED BRITISH. SUCCESS, j Six Thousand Prisoners and Manyj Guns Captured Below Valencien nes. With Allied Armies in France and j Belgium, 4:30 A. M., Oct. 24.?By j Associated Press.)?The British have' taken more than six thousand prison-J ers and many guns in a new attack ! which was begun yesterday morning on the fornt below Valenciennes. Assisted by night bombing air- J planes, the British fought throughout j the night and made steady gains. By using seasaw tactics, which be wildered the Germans, never has the whole line been attacked in all the series of objectives at one time. Tht guns being moved up in relays, nc enemy unit knew where the assult was coming. i CROSS SAMBRE CANAL. French Continue Drive Southeast of Le Catena With Shccess. Paris, Oct. 24.?Southeast of lk Cate?u the French crossed the S?m bre Canal east of Grand -Veriy. it is officially announced. ' The French maintained gains east of the canal ir. spite of strong counter attacks. HUNT FOR STACKERS. Four Hundred "Men Rounded up in Columbia. Columbia, Oct. 23.?The military police of Camp Jackson commenced ? two-day raid here today for draft slacken.,' \*quridihg up' 400 men* of military age who were without iden tiScatioh cards., Only - about five oi these so tr-\ are found, to be actual evaders.: ai . they have .been turned over tb; fiie' federalauthorities. Som4 of these arrested were found to havt their' status, changed. Their deferrec" classification therefore was abrogat ed and they were" placed in class one Thirty-six . men will have to sffend th? night in the cojinty jail, because in vestigation ?f their cases is hot com pleted. . ..." The raid .-started early this morn ing and the- army wagons rolled up to? the county court, house where the rn#n were, concentrated, *^r?ugtiq?' the day loaded, During the round up 100. white men and 300- negroes wer? placed under arrest. tThese we're takec before the/ rcit^ and county local boards: an<$. exaihined. When, it was shown that they. had registered the$ were released. _ r ? lafj&e nurhber of the men came f^om other cities and neglected tc bring thefr registration: cards with therh. Upon satisfactory wires fron their home "boards they \yere released Of the number whose cases were no cleared up and who Have to spend th? night in jail,\ nine ."were white mer and twenty-se ven negroes.' . j % l ? i ii i ! i a way likely tc\ hasten their rise U throw out the A. kaiser and his wai iords completely." \ In congress t^ie expressions o: leaders indicated m divided opinion Senator Hitchcock v^f 'Nebraska chairman of the senat^-iV^"tgnr8^ tions committee, approved the noW in unqualified terms, declaring it call ed for surrender.and would create i political crisis in Germany. On the other hand Senator Lodge of Massa chusetts, Republican leader and rank ing minority member of the foreign J relations committee, expressed regret j that the president had entered upon j any discussion with the German gov ernment and declared any negotia tions should follow a report from General Foch that the German armies had surrendered. All Washington was surprised b> the news that, the note had been sent circulated in the streets by newsboys with extras shortly after.9 o'clock just 11. hours, after the official text of the last German communication had been delivered by Frederick Oederlin,' tht Swiss charge. During-the afternoon it had beer stated authoritatively . that, there would be no aimounceme .t ?? of the president's decision - before tomorrow and the understanding was that ex changes between Washington, Londor. and Paris still were progressing. Abput midday there was a flurry of interest when Secretaries Lansing aad Daniels and General March, chief o! staff, were called to the White House but if the decision was communicat ed then these officials kept the secret well. It was late in the evening when j word that Secretary Lansing would see the newspaper men at 9 o'clock followed a conference between Mr Lansing and Secretary Tumulty. How the note is received by the people t allied countries will bt awaited with the greatest interest So fp as the allied governments are C'/UCk i-nod it is assumed that they have been informed and are in entire accord with the culminating step of the president's policy. Exchanges have been going on since the wire less version of the German reply tc the president was picked up Monday. \ SOUTHRON, EMNtobet ?U* MA VoLXLVII. No. 21, AMERICANS FIGHT B."" PROGRESS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ME?SE REPORTED YESTERDAY. German lines Penetrated at Severs I Points and Important Positions Oc cupied?Fierce Fighting: in The Air. Washington, Oct. 24?.?Continued progress by the Americans east of the Meuse is reported yesterday west of the Meuse. Bantheville was com pletely occupied and the America:^ jine established1 on the ridge north west of the village. Fifteen enemy airplanes anc. one balloon were shot down. Three American balloons were destroyed and six planes failed to re turn- _' GERMANS USING ARTHxLERY? Sole Effort of The Hons is Now to Delay Advance of Americana. - With Americans Northwest of .yer dun, Oct. 24.?American patrols, early today penetrated deeply into the Ger man lines in the region of Grand-Pre and north of Verdun. The enemy, has been using artillery and machine guns freely abong the entire front. There has been .little change in the situa tion since last night. LODGE-FINDS FAULT AGAIN. Hitchcock Praises President's Replf to Germany. Washington, Oct. 23.?Disapproval of President Wilson's course in con tinuing the discussions with the Ger man government and in transmitting the request for an armistice and peace to the allied governments was v?icejL tonight by Senator Lodge, of Massa chusetts, the Republican leader in the senate. Senator Hitchcock, of Ne braska, approved the president's re ply, saying it would create a political crisis in Germany. "The president," said Senator Lodge, "says in his last sentence that if we must deal with the m?itary masters and autocrats of. Germany-we must demand 'not peace negotiations, but surrender.' With this I am in full accord, as I was with the presidents statement of September 27. La the first paragraph, the president says that as the present German gq* ment, which as all the. world, is controlled by t he Kaiser andir military party; represents through, ifcr ministers the majority of. the Reichs tag and an overwhelming major^^^, the German people, feels that hetc?ni" riot decline to take , up with the allied governments the question of an armis tice. - "With this I ant not in accoi the German government described i the first paragraph and that described in the last sentence; are one and the same: " . ? .:~ "My own view is a very simple .one. There is ho German government in-; existence with which I would discuss anything. I deplore at this stage, vtrheh we- are advancing steadily to* a complete victory, any discussion or exchange of notes with the German government. The only thing now is to demand unconditional surrender. ; I would leave that to Marshal Foch and the generals of the armies. When the report that the German army has sur rendered and ceased to exist as an army in being,: then and not until -then, let the Allies and the United States meet and agree what terhia they will impose on Germany to en sure the safety/ of civilization and mankind." . . - Senator Hitchcock made this state* ment: * ? . 14; "In this note the president reaches a logical climax to his correspond ence, with Germany. He places square, ly up to the people of - Germany the is sue of democratizing their govern ment and being accorded a pe?ce of justice or holding on to their military autocracy and submitting to an un conditional surrender. In my opinion' his note will create a political crisis in ermany. I believe the American pecSple will fully indorse the firm standShe has taken, and it is very eft dent thaVythe allied nations are giv ing him thS?ir support An armistice does not seefcp to me probable for some time toRpnie under the circum?! stances." COMMISSION OVEKBULES M'ADOO Assumption Thut HaiT^M Rates are Right and Just is In Washington, Oct. 24.?The Inter State Commerce Commission today asserted its authority to alter freight rates initiated by Director General ^McAdoo, even without an affirmative showing that they-are wrongsanuYan nounced that the railroad administra tion assumption that rates are pre sumed to be right and just is incor* rect. ,. v ? 3IEETING POSTPONED. United Daughters'of Confederacy Will Not Meet November 12. Charleston, Oct. 24.?President General. Miss Mary B. Poppenheim, announced today that the annual con vention of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, set for Louisville November 12 to 16, had been post poned indefinitely on account of in fiuenza. HUNGARY EAGER FOR PEACE. Part -\nstrian Empire Will Appeal t. to Allies for Terms. Pans. Oct. 24.?Hungary intends to appeal direct to the entente govern ments for information on what terms they will grant an armistice and peace to Hungary, it is reported in. political circles at Budapest, accord ing to a 2urich dispatch.