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Tells of His Plans to Attend the; Peace Conference as a Par amount Duty. MAJOR PART OF ADDRESS DEVOTED TO HOME ISSUES After the War Problems Are of the Greatest Importance and Situation Calls for the Best and Most Patriotic Service ol Congressmen. Washington. Dec. 2.?Congress in }oint session today heard President Wilson formally state his purpose to attend the peace conference, and give his views on the part the government should" play in deaiing with after the war problems. Democrats of the house received ' the announcement with cheers in which some senators joined; the Re publicans were silent almost through ?/ out the address except when the pres ident referred to the valor and effi ciency of America's soldiers and men tioned the names of Pershing and * Sims. Threatened interruptions by members who disapprove of the trip and of the president's failure to in clude a senator among the peace dele gates, however, did net materialize. During the first hour of the new : session, Senator Cummins of Iowa, Republican, introduced a resolution to send a committee of eight senators to Paris to keep the senate advised of the progress cf the peace conference H&and in the house- Representative Rod enbury of Illinois, Republican, had of fered a resolution proposing that the vice president, take over the execu tive functions upon the departure of Mr. Wilson from the country. Senator Sherman of Illinois. Republican, an nounced later that he would submit tomorrow a resolution similar to that of Representative Rodenbury, except that it would declare the office of the president vacant. The president's annual address was read before a crowd that filled floon and gaHeries. He reviewed at length the country's accomplishments in the war, paying tribute to the armed forces and to loyal workers at home. Among other things he disclosed that he thinks the problem of readjust ment is taking care of itself without government aid. "It is surprising," he said, "how fast the progress of return to a peace footing has moved, in the three weeks since the fighting stopped. It promis '''^es to outrun any inquiry that may be instituted and any aid that may be offered. It will not be easy to direct it any better than it will direct it-. ?elf-j0i.TflC,\rjry Jtmsi ness man is '*"s"8j?2[u:ck initiative." Of the railroad question, Mr. Wil son said he had no solution to offer. He said he was ready to return the lines to private control whenever a satisfactory arrangement was offered to prevent a return to the old sys tems under private management with out modification and asked congress to study the subject. Recommendations included a're newed appeal for woman suffrage in ?recognition of woman's work in the war; a request for early and fax^or able action on the unratified Colom bian treaty and a suggestion that au thority should be given the war trade board or some other body to* continue control for a time over exports. The president concluded with the announcement of his forthcoming trip ?overseas. lie said since the associat ed governments had accepted princi ples enunciated by him *as the basis . ; for peace, and reasonably desired his "personal counsel in their interpreta tion, he regarded it as his paramount duty to go. Through cables and wire less, he added, he- would keep in c!ose touch with all that gees on on this side, "and you will know all that I do." He appealed for the encourage ment and added strength of united support from congress. There was no debate in either house on the president's trip to France. The only reference to it in the house was made by Representa tive Mann of Illinois, the Republican leader, after the president had deliv ered his annual address at the joint session in the house chamber. "I am not objecting to the presi dent going abroad." said the Repub lican leader, "but I think wise gen tlemen on the majority side of the house ought to be able to inform congress what course is to be pursued when matters come before us. Is there any way by which we may make into law anything put through congress before the president re turns?" There was no reply to the question, and after the unimportant bill then under discussion was passed Repre senative Kitchin of North Carolina, the Democratic leader, moved ad journment until tomorrow. After the president spoke, the sen ate was in session only a short while. At the opening of its session, how ever. Senator Sherman of Illinois ask ed that a newspaper article regarding plans for the personal comfort of President Wilson and his party on the trip abroad be read. Sen ator Phelan of California objected, but on a viva voce vote the senate ordered " the article read. Sedy Baker Explains Unreported Casualty Lists Are Composed of Slightly Wounded. Washington, Dee. 3.?Secretary of War Baker apearing before the sen ate military committee to explain the delay in completing the publication of American casualties, said hej thought most of those unreported j were the slightly Injured, and these,1 lists would come by mail. 1 President Will Be Guest of the I 'French Nation Throughout His* Stay in France. TO BE RECEIVED AT BREST I WITH HIGHEST HONORS I I j |Brig# Gen. William W. Harts! Will Have Entire Direction of j Arrangements for the Visit j of President Wilson. Paris, Dec. 2.?Brig. Gen. William W. Harts, military aide to President * j Wilson at the White House until Aug j ust last when he joined the Ameri { can forces at the front, has been giv I en enfire direction of r.he arrange i ments :for the arrival and visit here I of the president, and of the material ! requirements of the American dele j gates to the peace congress, both at J Paris and at Versailles. Plans are be | ing rapidly worked out in cooperation j with the French authorities, j President W'ilson will be the guest of the French nation from the mo I ment he steps on French soil and its wishes will take precedence concern ing the details of his entertainment. Other heads of the nations have come as military chiefs but the president's visit will be distinctly an event of state. The squadron of American dread noughts and destroyers which will go to sea to meet the ship carrying Pres I ident Wilson with its escorting war j ships, will take its course for a ren dezvous fixed for the two fleets on the ! high seas and at a designated/ point I of longitude and latitude, i It is expected the president with the united fleets, will arrive at Brest on the afte;noon of December 11. Admiral Mayo who has returned to the United States will command the squadron 'across the Atlantic. The admiral's flag will fly from the battleship Pennsylvania, American troops will take part in I the visit of the president as escorts I and guards of honor, but their parti ? cipation will be subject to the wishes of the French government. General Pershing has given orders that all the officers and men required be placed at the service of those in charge of the arrangements. Extensive plans are being made for the sessions of the American dele gates at Versailles. * The first greetings to President Wil son will be extended by Foreign Min ister Pichon and Georges Leygues, the minister of marine, at Brest. Oppor tunity will be given the populace of Brest for a public demonstration of welcome. As Brest is ten hours' journey from Paris the president's departure will be timed so that he will reach the capital at 2 o'clock on the afternoon of December 12, according to the present arrangements. These may be changed, however, in order to avoid train travel by night. In the latter case, a stop will be made by^the party between Brest and Paris so that the arrival will occur at the designated hour in the early afternoon, when the whole populace will have an opportunity to join in the welcome to the national guest. It is expected that the presidential train instead of arriving at the Mont parnasse station, the usual terminus, will be switched to arrive at the Dau I phine station, at the entrance of the i magnificent avenue. Bois de Boulogne, j The highest military and civil honors will be accorded the president, with French cuirassiers forming his per sonal escort and French mounted lancers and infantrymen Inning both sides of the avenue. Should the plan for the arrival at th; Dauphine station be cr,rri?*d out j the route for the procession will be i around the Arc de Trioumpho through ' j the Champs Elysees, and thence to the! j mansion cf Prince Murat, t here Pres i ident and Mrs. Wilson will reside, j President Poincare will meet Pres j ident Wilson at the station and the j two executives will ride together j through the avenues. Later they will j exchange visits. Paris. Dec. 2 (British Wir'' ss).? j The American naval base -at T est to j day gave orders for a flotilla of If. j torpedo boat destroyers to sail for i the Azore Islands, there to await the ! passage of the fleet accompanying I President Wilson to Europe. j Casualties Reported j Thirtieth Division Sustained a Heavy Loss in France. _ Washngton. Dec. 2.?In a state I ment to Chritie Benet of Columbia j today. Gen. Peyton C. March, chief j of staff, said that up to November 1, Jin killed in action cr died of wounds, j j the Eighty-first division had lost four i officers and 49. men while the Thir i tieth division lost 28 officers and 1. j 070 men. These figures do' not in ' elude the artillery forces of either di ! vision. I General March told the committee j that Gen. Pershing was selecting the I ! units for the occupational force I comprising about a million and a i quarter men, and that all other Amcr I ican soldiers in France would be \ brought home as rapidly as shipping became available. Has Renounced Nothing ?______ Former Crown Prince By Impli cation Asserts Claim to Throne of Germnay. Oosterland, Dec. 3.?"1 have not re nounced anything, and I have not signed any document whatever," the former German crown prince declared to the correspondent of the Associat ed Press today. William Hohenzollern Not Re-I garded a.s An Ordinary* Po- I litical Criminal Refugee. DEMAND FOR SURRENDER TO BE MADE BY ALLIES |His Status Considered Analo-j gous to That of Pirate or; Slave Traded and Not Entitled Sanctuary in Any Country. London, Dec. 3.?The demand for the surrender of Former German Em- j peror William will be submitted to the Netherlands government .in the name of the allied cabinets, according to The Express. The views of France and Ita'y ''. : vc j been fully communicated to the FJrit- j ish government and President Wilson [ has also made suggestion^ relative to the procedure to be followed in the j case. The opinion is held that Hoi land will not put obstacles in the way J of his extradition. She will not bej asked to deliver William under the or- f dinary extradition laws, but his status; will be considered analogous to that of a pirate or slave trader, who is not regarded as entitled to sanctuary in any country. DEATH TOlL FROM INFLUENZA The Board of Health Compiles! Satistics for the Month of October. [THIRTY-FIVE HUNDRED DIED DURING THE MONTH This List Does Not Include Fa | talities at the Army Camps?| No Report is Received- From Camp Wadsworth. Columbia, Dec. 2.?According to the-.report of the bureau of vital , sta tistics of the State board of health, 3. 591 people died in South Carolina from influenza and its effects during the month of October. During the same month. Camp Jackson suffered severely from the disease, the death-: reported being 354. Camp Sevier at Greenville for the same month reports 329 deaths from influenza and subse quent .diseases. So that during thr month of October, 4,274 persons died in South Carolina as a result of the influenza epidemic. This does not in- j elude the deaths at Camp Wadsworth which report has not been sent in j yet. The statistics compiled show that 1,375 whites died of the disease while 2,216 negroes passed away. Richland and Charleston counties reported the largest number of deaths. Report by Counties. The report by counties is as fol lows: County. Whites. Negroes. Abbeville. 16 2* Aiken. 22 33 Anderson. 82 4 2 Bamberg. 4 2s Barnwell .. . 3 23 j Beaufort. 7 191 Berkeley. 3 45 Calhoun. 4 64 Charleston. 156 209 Cherokee. 2fi 14 Chester . . . . -. 2 22 I Chesterfield. 15 - IS ! Clarendon. 15 123 j Colleton.f. 4 S I Darlington. 2d 63 j Dillon. 12 S [Dorchester. 6 16 Edgefield.1 r> Fairfleld. 3 24 Florence. 41 9S Georgetown . 23 3* Greenville.14 S 55 Greenwood. 4 2 fi": Hampton. 13 21 TTorry. 2tf 4 7 Jasper. 11 Kershaw .. .-. 16 27 Lancaster. 50 45 Laurens. 38 4 2 Dee.,. 12 37 Lexington. 3S 4 4 Marion. 12 -30 Marlboro . 44 fit: McCormick. 3 24 Newberry. 34 82 Oconee. 37 7 Orangeburg . IS ft} Pickens.I. 3r> ?19 Riehland.1.14t 202 j Sal u da. 1 Spartanburg. fi3 42 iSumter. 2' 116 Union. 0 S Williamsburg . 21 1211 York. 6S 62 - Total for counties ..1,375 2,216 Total for State for whites and blacks.3.501 Total October deaths at Camp Sevier.329 j Total at Camp Jackson..35 I j Total for entire State, not fn cluding Camp Wadsworth. . . .4.274 j Return of Wounded They Will be Sent to Hospitals Nearest Their Homes. Washington, Dec. 3.?The plans un do which :ill wounded men returning from France will go to hospitals with in three hur.Jred miles of the homes of their nearest relatives were an-j nounccd today by the war depart- j _5.?+ ? i ment. All Documents in Brussels and Berlin Burned to Conceal Criminal Acts. SEEKING TO EVADE RE SPONSIBILITY FOR WAR Socialist Member of Reichstag Makes Charge Against Offi cials of German Foreign Of fice That They Destroyed Evi dence oi Their Guilt. Paris. Dec. 3.? The German foreign office destroyed by fire all the dam aging documents in the archives of the German general government, at Brus sels and destroyed all documents in Berlin which might be useful in plac ing the responsibility for war on the German government, Herr Mciken buhr. a former Socialist member of the Reichstag declared in a speech at Berlin, according to advices received here. A good many of the Red Cross pledges made in the drive last spring are past due and unpaid. Drop in at the Sumter Trust Co. and see Mr. Ed munds. RIGHT OR WRON THEY FIND FAULT Republicans Criticise President j Wilson's Address to Congress I on Peace Conference. ! _ i JOE CANNON THE ONLY G. 0. P. LEADER PLEASED ! Champ Clark Straddled the j Fence by Dealing in Gerterali | ties As Usual and Reid of Mis I souri Was Another Democrat I Who Joined in Republican I Chorus. \ Washington, Dec. 2.?Comment for j publication on the president's address I was not so general at the capitol to ! day as usw.il. Senator Martin, Domo [ cratic leader; Senator Lodge, Repub ! lican leader; Senator Hitchcock, j chairman of the foreign relations [ committee, all refrained from mak j ing statements. Some senators did comment, how ever. Representative Kitchin of North Carolina, Democratic leader, said: i "The president's message was a j great address and his explanation about his trip ought to satisfy his j critics." I Representative Mann of Illinois, Ro ! publican leader: "The most impoi t j ant phase of the messagetwas on rail roads, about which he gave no recom I mendationsv Next in importance was the entire failure to take the congress or the country into his confidence as j to his trip abroad to the peace con ference." I Speaker Clark: "It was a fin< speech." ! Representative Longworth of Ohio. Republican: "It is not the president's strongest effort. It is Interesting to 'observe that congress is going to be permitted to <lo some thinking of i'. ; own on the railroad question." Representative Kahn of California, Republican: "The president asks congress for its united support. Con gress will be much fairer. 1 am afraid, in that reespect than the president himself has been. Senator Walsh of Montana. Demo crat: "As usual, the president pre sented with remarkable clarity the outstanding features of congressional consideration. I am one of those who believe the president is acting in ae cordance with duty in attending thei peace conference^" Senator Reed of Missouri. Demo crat: "There were many admirable things in the message. But 1 utterly disagree with the president that the American boys were fighting to main tain his 14 principles of peace. They were lighting to lick the Germans, and the 14 principles, in fact, wen- not] announced until long after we were ir. j the war. Also I think there is no no- j cessity or call for the president's per-! sonal attendance at the peace confer- I ence." Senator Calder, Republican, of New! York, said the president failed to con vince him in the message "that his I going to Europe was necessary/' Representative Cannon of Illinois.] Republican: "I was pleased with the J message. It. followed the constitu tional plan of giving to the congress I information of the state of the Union [ and left the information with orders for it to consider in connection with j its legislatve dutes." ', Senator Johnson of California, Re- i publican: "The deserved tribute to! our fighting men found a sympathet ic echo with us. But the remainder of the president's address was in- ' tensely disappointing. The president j leaves us without an administrative ! program for reconstruction or definite }* American policies as to peace terms.:' The American people, have the right to know both." The plan to build a thousand miles' of good roads in South Carolina is ] fine, except that the entire burden | ? should not be placed upon the auto- j: mobile owners. Why not let the land-! owners who will be more directly!: benefited by the enhancement in.' i value of their property than an y < other class pay a part of the cost? ' HOME COMING TROOPS ARRIV i I First Contingent of Over-Seas I Veterans Land at New York. MA?RETANIA BRINGS 4,000 INTO THE PORT Welcomed Home By. Mayor Ky lan and Thousands of Cheer-; ing People Who Thronged the ; W^ter Front on Both Sides of the Harbor. Now York, Dec. 2.?New York, em-I barkation port of many hundred thou-j sands of American troops bound for war, heard today the first cheers of, home coming men of the victorious army?more than 4,000 of.them from , almost every State in the Union?j who joined in a shout that carried j across the waters and into the streets, of downtown Manhattan when their transput, the Mauritania, passed the; Statue Liberty. With Mayor Hylan, j a reception committee, accompanied by the police band aboard, the soldier freighted liner steame'd up the bay between lines cf harbor craft with the flags of America' and the allies Hying . and with whistles shrieking a wcl i come. Battery Park and piers on the .Manhattan and New Jersey shores j were thronged as the Mauretania I moved up to her pier on the North River. At the same time, without cheers or an official welcome of any sort. 1,000 wounded soldiers, returned by way of hospitals in France from the ! trenches where they gripped with the j foe and helped to crush him, were being moved ashore from the troop (ship Northern Pacific at Hobofccn. I They were hurried to hospitals in !lo I boken, Jersey City and Staten Isla.id. To safeguard the public against pos sible infectious diseases, the troops from both transports were isolated as they came ashore. Both the well and ! wounded will be denied close contact j with relatives or friends until after I they have undergone medical exami I nations in camp or hospitals. The j units from the Mauretania. all from j training fields in England, will be j mustered out at Camp Mills. Families i of the wounded will be notified with { in a few days of their whereabouts and permitted to s< e them. ; Than!:fulness at getting home was I the prevailing spirit among the j wounded troops. Man}' Lore more j than one wound, but few would talk j of the incidents of battle that had ! sent them on stretchers from Euro j pean trenches. j At the piers military discipline suc ceeded the freedom that had brought officers ana men side by side to the rails for the fiwst view of "Little Old New York." Units were ouickly form ed and after ho: refreshments had been given served by Red Cress ! workers the contingents marched 'aboard ferry boats which conveyed j them to Long Island trains, j With the exception of a few hun dred men, the troops from the Maure | tania were in .aviation squadrons. In a letter informing Mayor Hylan ! that a parade of the coming soldiers would not be permitted, Major Gener j al Bell, commanding the department ! of the East, declared that "on the [ unanimous recommendation of the j federal health authorities" the gov I ernment had decided to keep return i ing troops from contact with the pub ] lie "until they have undergone a san itation process." Th? senior army officer aboard the [Mauretania was Col. H. C. Pratt cf 1 the air service. W<- unded men brought on the Northern Pacific, it was announced, [included members of the Fifty-fourth, Infantry. Tenth Engineers, Sixth Field 'Artillery, two machine gun, two ma rine, one cavalry and one quarter-: master units. Passengers on the Northern Pacific included Frederick R. Keppel, third i assistant secretary of war. in charge of army morale, and :>7 army officers, among them Brig. 'Gen. Thomas H.' Itees and Brig. Gen. Charles I. Mar-' tin. - Object to Pardon South Carolina Congressmen Receive Letters From Constit- i uents Opposing Appeal of Paul Wierse. j _ j Washington. Dec. 2.?Members of the. flouth Carolina delegation in con gress today received letters from persons in various parts o'f the State advising them that they had learned of the proceedings on the part of Paul Wierse of Charleston to secure par-! don from the president for Iiis part in the sinking of the German ship Liebenfels in the harbor of Charles ton several months a-^o and begging them to use their- best efforts to pre- i vent such action as is contemplated.; In addition to this, it was learned to day that the matter has been taken up with the attorney general of the. ( United States by members of the del-i( egation. who will insist that the Iawi, be allowed to take its course. , _i ! I Republicans Blocking President's Plans * _ ; c Senator Knox, Republican, In troduces Resolution to Post- s pone League of Nations. 1 Washington. Pee. 3.?The post-1 )onement until after the peace confer- i ?nee of all Questions regarding form- c ing a league of nations and ?nyIg ?sweeping chances" in ancient inter-, i lational laws regarding the freedom IC >f the seas is proposed in a resolu- c ion introduced today by Senator! 1 ?Inox, former secretary of State. 1 i ?ol. Vincent and Col. Mixter Named in Hughes' Report Receives Clemency. ACCUSED OF SQUANDER ING AIRPLANE FUNDS Attorney General Advises That Charges Be Dismissed As Both Omers Acted in Good Faith and at Most Waste of Money Was Error of Judg ment. Washington, Dec. 3.?Lieut. Col. J. G. Vincent and George W. Mixter, army officers named by Charles E. Hughes in his report on the aircraft investigation as having been guilty of transacting business with private concerns in which they were finan cially interested, have been pardoned by President Wilson. This announcement was made to night at the White House: "It was announced at the executive offices today that the president had pardoned Li'-ut. Col. George W. Mix ter and Lieut. Coi. J. G. Vincent, whom the recent report on aircraft production showed to be technically , guilty because of a breach of statutes, be cause he entirely; concurs in the views of the attorney general with.re- . gard to these two cases. He believes 'that the two gentlemen concerned were entirely innocent of any im proper or selfish, intention, that their guilt was only technical and that their services to the government, which have been of the. highest value and of the most disinterested sort, deserve a most cordial recognition." i Xo action against either Colonel j Vincent or Colonel Mixter has been 'taken by the department of justice and the granting of full pardons to, them was recommended to the presi dent' by Attorney General Gregory, who took up their cases in separate letters to the president. These let ters were made public tonight. Colonel Vincent was vice president of the Packard Motor Car Company and was one of the designers of the Liberty motor. ?'When that motor had been de :signed," said Mr. Gregory's letter to the president, "the Packard Com pany tendered Mr. Vincent and its engineering staff and facilities such service as might be necessary to test out and develop the design for pro duction. The authorities authorized Mr. Vincent to build a required num ber of models and experimental mo tors and, he directed his company to do the work, he was commissioned in the signal corps, resigning as an offi cer of the Packard Company, but re aming the ownership of his stock. His offense is that he acted for the ovemment in connection with set ing the compensation to be paid the Packard Company for this --work. There is no evidence that he did^not act in entire good faith, or that any advantage was taken of the govern ment. The production of the Liberty motor was one of the great achieve ments in connection with the war. Colonel Vincent rendered valuable service in designing and perfecting it. "In view of all the circumstances, S recommend that a full and com plete pardon be granted for the of ; fense. as I believe it was unwittingly .. committed." Mr. Hughes' report said Colonel Mixter Owned 25 shares of stock of 'the Curtis Aeroplane and Motor [Corporation valued at $2,100, while I he acted for the government in supervising inspection and produc- ? tion at this company's plant. This was held by both. Mr. Hughes and Mr. Gregory to violate the law. "Lieutenant Colonel Mixter," said iMr. Gregory's letter to the president, "testified that he had formally own ?ed a small amount of both common land perferred stock in the company referred to. That at the time he .was icommissioned he had sold the com mon stock and overlooked the fact that he still owned the preferred. Then- is ' nothing in the evidence warranting the conclusion that Lieu-* tenant Colonel Mixter did not act in entire good faith. "Lieutenant Colonel Mixter has performed efficient service for the government and at a substantial sac rifice. I believe that the offense was unwittingly committed and recom mend that he be granted a pardon." Honors for Pollock _? Carolina Particularly Favored in Committee Assignments. Washington, Dec. 3.?Senator W. P. Pol leek, of South Carolina, has been assigned to the chairmanship of the committee on national banks and plac ed on the great appropriations com mittee, the most important in the sen ate. Hu has been told by Senator Martin of Virginia, majority leader, that no new Senator ever had better committee assignments. Senator Mar tin and Senator Pollock's fathers were warm personal friends. Senator Pollock presided over the senate during a part of today's ses sion. Chilean Army Called Reserves of Five Districts Are Summoned. Santiago, Chile. Dec. 2.?The Chil ean army reserves from the districts >f Iquique, Serena, Antofagasta, Taca md Copiapo, who were released from service in 1917 and liJlS, have been ?ecalled to the colors. The naval commanders in all parts )f the republic are reported to have >een called to Santiago, for a naval lonference today. A larg number of Peruvians are aid to have engaged passage on the teamship Crubama, which leaves this )on next Friday. London. Tuesday, Dec. 3.?All na ions represented at the inter-allied ' onference here today may be re ;arded as in agreement with the pol cy of Lloyd George on compelling Jermany to pay to the limit of her a parity and for bringing to trial hose responsible for the outrages on Lumanity.