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America's Fire Loss Careless Smokers Responsible for More Than Fifteen Million Damages. New York, Jan. 7.?Careless smok ers and users of matches were respon sble for $15,724,556 of the total loss of $60,466,054 worth of property by "preventable fires" in the United States during 1918, according to members of the Fire Marshals' As sociation " of North America who are holding a two days' conference here with the National Board of Fire Un derwriters beginning today. Figures showing that the United States leads the world in property de struction by fire were given in the opening session, the damage per capita being stated as $2.10 annually in this country as compared with 49 cents n France, 33 cents in England. 28 cents in Germany, 25 cents in Italy- and Austria, 15 cents in Swit zerland and 11 cents in Holland. ' Hbmer Rutledge, of Lansing, Mich igan; fire marshal of that state, dis cussed "The Arson Trust" and show ed how incendiaries had burned ?. $8,121,816 worth of property in one ; year during the war, exclusive of the maiiy other millions destroyed in directly by explosions. Ole O. Roe, of Des Moines. ''fire marshal of Iowa. ii> an address on?"Pyromania," said edu cation was one of the most efficient means of combatting this evil. F. R. ? Morgaridge of New York, formerly assistant fire marshal of Indiana, said most * firebugs were adolescent boys and girls.vHe advocated proper home and school training. JJespite the fact that the United States was at war and that enemy agents were active, twenty states re ported a slight decrease in the num ber of cases of arson. While it was announced; as a fact that in the first nine months after America drew the sword $48,000,000 worth of war in dustries* Went up in smoke, in only ten per cent, of these cases was there even suspicion of spy-work. "Care lessness" was des gnated as the big gest firebug of all. One grain elevator fire alone destroyed enough wheat to make a year's supply of bread for 200.000 soldiers. Many fires at first attributed to Ger man spies and pyromaniacs were found, upon investigation, to be due to other causes. One notable instance was a spectacular and costly water front fire in Brooklyn, the Dow's Storesr in which a vast quantity of grain intended for shipment to the Allies was destroyed. It was discov ered that the blaze was the result of a dust explosion caused by a spark either from friction or static electri city. Another conspicious instance was the Baltimore pier fire which at first was positively ascribed to pro German plotters. Rigid investigation by Federal agents, according to fire marshals, definitely determined its non-incendiary origin. " Following a reference to the Mor gan, N. J. disaster in which nearly . .one hundred lives were lost and $20, ' "IpO.OQO damage done, delegates spoke j&t the work accomplished the past .'year by the fire prevention section of <he War Industries Board. This bu reau, it was stated, had inspected more than 2,000 large plants valued at over $10,000,000,000 and in a large ^percentage of cases the "safety" rec omendations of its volunteer dollar a^year engineers were carried out. It was stated that fire prevention methods adopted for the sixteen large army cantonments throughout the United States had proyed most ef fective although these camps consist ed of wooden buildings. Hazards were reduced to the minimum by proper watchfulness, water protec Vtibn, isolation, conduiting, and en forcement of regulations in regard to ismoking and the use of matches nad Rights v .H. C. Brearly, one of the speakers, jSjSiid New York City was in imminent j>eril of a great conflagration when !o*n November 7, after the erroneous ^report of the German surrender, a -?storm" of paper was thrown from jtfie windows of business buildings -littering the streets to a depth of sev Veral inches and many miles of ticker ijt?pe covering telegraph and telephone wires constituted a fire hazard of the Nth power. Fire Chief Kenlon of New oYrk City declared that if a ser Jo.us blaze had started at that time, 'or on November 11, four days later when the scenes of pandemonium were repeated, ail New York might ;have been laid in ashes. The fire de partments would have been crippled also, he said, by the crowds of traffic congestion in the streets. As one of ?the delegates expressed it. ' Thus was ^invited the greatest loss of life and .property, perhaps, in American his tory." London, Jan. 7.?The port of Iiis* -was captured at noon January 4th by Bolshevik forces, according to a Rus sian wireless message received today. WOOD'S ANNIVERSARY Seed Catalog Gives the fullest and most, up-to-date information, not j only about Seeds that can be planted to advantage, but also about crops that prom ise to give the largest profits during the coming year. OUR 40 YEARS' EXPERIENCE, and an equipment that is unsur passed in this country, give us un equalled advantages for supplying THE BEST OF Farm and Garden Seeds Write for Catalog and Prices of GRASS and CLOVER 8EEDS, SEED OATS, SEED CORN and SEED POTATOES. Catalog Mailed Free on Request. T. W. Wood & Sons, SSCDSmCN, - Richmond, Va. For the Best of Gardens, PLANT WOOD'S SEEDS. Two Heroic Italians Story of the Destruction of Aus trian Battleship in Pola Harbor. Rome, Dec. 15 (Correspondence of the Associated Press)?It was by swimming into Pola harbor and steer ing two small submarine motors tow ing bombs that two Italian naval of ficers destroyed the Austrian dread nought Viribus Unitis just before the | signing of the armistice between Italy and Austria. The swimmers were, in the water nine hours and had to pene ! tr?te four barriers across the harbor j entrance, two of which were compos I ed of steel submarine nets. After they ihad attached their bomb to the side j of the dreadnought, they were cap i tured and taken on boai'd the vessel i and were there when the warship j was blown up. They escaped without injury and have returned to Rome to tell of their exploit which is characterized as one of the most daring and success ful in the history of naval warfare. Only the fact that the Viribus Unitis had been destroyed by Italian naval forces previously had been made renown but now the details have been given out by the Italian admiralty, i The officers who thus sent to the I bottom a 20.000-ton ship, one of the i most powerful in the Austrian navy, were Lieut. Raffaele Paoiucci and Ma Ijor Raffaele Rossetti. The attack was j delivered on the morning of Novem ber 1, 1918. To tow the bombs into Pola harbor, I the two Italians invented small com | pressed air motors to which were at j tached bombs. For six months the 'two naval men practiced in long dis I tance swimming. The Italian Ad miralty gave them the use of a mo tor boat. Reaching the harbor entrant at nightfall, the two daring men started on their expedition swimming beside their little motors and steering them. To escape detection by sentries on a wooden pier across the harbor mouth. Paoiucci and Rosetti had hats shaped like bottles, and the sentry saw, nothing but a couple of bottles being tossed about by the waves. When his back was turned they advanced and safely passed the first barrier. After infinite labor they fought their way through the steel nets and the Austrian fleet lay before them. Reaching the side of the Viribus Uni tis, they attached the bomb to her hull beneath the ladder which led to v her deck and timed the bomb to ex plode at 6.30 a. m. By this time they were exhausted, having been in the water more than nin>, hours. As they were leaving, they were discovered and taken on board the dreadnought. At first they refused to answer the questions asked them by Admiral Voucovich. " At 6.15, however, they told the admiral what they had* done and he gave the order to abandon ship. Paoiucci ask ed the admiral if he and his friend might also try to save themselves and he shook hands saying, "You are brave men and deserve to live." They plunged into the water and swam away, but ten minutes later the ad miral began to suspect the bomb story and sent a launch to bring them back. They were made co walk up the ladder under which they had set the bomb which was due to explode in two minutes. The ladder was crowded with sailors returning to their ship. "Run. Run for your lives,' shouted Paoiucci, struggling to reach the deck before the explosion took place. He and Rossetti had reached the deck and ran to the stern of the dreadnought when a terrific explosion rent the air and a column of water 300 feet high shot upward. Admiral Voucovich again gave them permis sion to save themselves, and they had been swimming away from the ship five minutes when they heard another explosion and saw that the j other bomb which had been left adrift j had been carried by the current along J side the large Austrian liner Wien j and had there exploded, j The Viribus Unitis was then lying \on her side, but suddenly the huge [ship turned bottom upward and Lieut. Paoiucci saw Admiral Voucovich scramble upward and stand with folded arms on the keel, ready to go down with his vessel. Major Rossetti and Lieut. Paoiucci were recaptured and taken on board another Austrian warship where they were kept prisoners until the armis j tice was signed and an Italian war I ship entered the harbor. Then a I launch was sent for the two heroes ;and they were sent on a destroyer to j Venice where the people gave them [a vociferous welcome. AFFAIRS IX MESOPOTAMIA. j England and France Signed Treaty Early in War. Paris, Jan. 6.?Supervision of the affairs of Mesopotamia after the con clusion of peace was assigned to Great Britain by a treaty concluded ! between France and England con j cerning the future of Asia-Minor early : in the war. Existence of this treaty) jonly recently has become known l^.tb-j j licly. j Under its terms Fiance was to as jsume direction of the destinies of ; Syria. Lebanon and Armenia-Minor (that part of Armenia to the west of the Euphrates'*. Palestine was to j be under international protection. ! while Mesopotamia and portions of ; the Arabian peninsula were to be un I der the supervision of Great Britain, j j It was settled that the largest pos- j rsible autonomy would be asured to! ! the races and peoples in these coun- I jtries and an economical administra-! ; tion ami equality of rights also were j agreed to. What disposition the peace confer-1 ence will make of this and other i secret treaties is a much discussed j question in Paris. - Washington. Jan. 7.?This is Mc-I Adoo's last day in Washington, as! director general of the railroads. He planned to leave tonight for Santa' Barbara. California for a vacation, j Owing to President Wi!sonrs delay in! naming the new director. Mr. McAdoo will continue 10 supervise the rail-j roads. < LABOR CRISIS AT NEW YORK Strike of Harbor Workers Brings Traffic to a Stand still i i j - I THREAT OF GOVERNMENT WITHOUT EFFECT !Boat Owners Precipitated Strike i I By Refusing to Arbitrate j With Employes. New York, Jan. 9.?With approxi mately 15,000 men affected, the strike of harbor workers and others in affiliation began this morning. The strike leaders announced that ferry boats, steam lighters, tow boats, coal barges, grain boats and other harbor craft are at a standstill. The strike, which was called despite threats of the government to operate harbor with sailors and soldiers, was ordered yesterday after the\refusal of the Boat Owners' Association to ar bitrate the dispute over eight hour wages. The strikers say the tie up brings New York to a crisis regarding food and coal, and will affect the milk sit uation which is already serious. The crews of one hundred and fifty railway tugs joined the strike thus enforcing the suspension of all marine operations of the railroad ad ministration. In all. twelve hundred railroad craft are idle. Chamber of Commerce Notes. Mr. A. C. Phelps, chairman of the Sumter Chamber of Commerce central committee on proposed me morial to the deceased heroes of the present war from Sumter county, con ferred with the officers and directors of the commercial organization a few days ago regarding the plans of the central committee. Sub-committees are being arranged, and plans are be ing formed so that at the appropriate time this memorial will be erected. The two committees representing the Sumter County Council of Defense, and the Sumter Chamber of Com merce on the proposed amalgamation of those two bodies into a Sumter County Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, with representation on the executive committee from the ru ral districts from every township in the county, and several directors from the rural districts, will meet tomor row afternoon at 4 o'clock to discuss this proposition. Messrs. H. A. Moses, E. W. Dabbs, and S. A. Harvin, represent the Coun cil of Defense, while vice presidents E. S. Booth, W. Percy Smith, and di rector J. Frank Williams, with Presi dent A. C. Phelps represent the Chamber of Commerce, j The amalgamation of the farmers, I country merchants, and every rural interest with the business and pro fessional, interests of Sumter to work together for the common good of the entire .county is the object of the pro posed consolidation. It is hoped to have hundreds of farmers and coun try merchants join the consolidated county organization. In this way a permanent county organization with regular headquarters, machinery, and all time paid management and assist ants will be maintained to look after the varied interests of the entire coun ty. Dr. M. S. Kirk, of Hagood, has sub scribed fifteen dollars for the county health survey and rural visiting nurse fund. This is another profes sional endorsement of the survey and nurse feature of the twelve months' campaign of education. Considerable interest in the ap proaching election of directors and officers of the Sumter. Chamber of Commerce, and the annual meeting of that body on January 21st is man ifested. J The Chamber of Commerce is a very busy place these days with hun dreds of farmers coming in for tobac co seed, . and also making application for government nitrate of sod--. Re construction or "after war" campaigns are being planned also, and there are frequent consultations of department of agriculture, C'lemson College, and railway agricultural and live stock and boll weevil experts and agents at | the commercial organizations quar ters, and meetings of farmers com mittees. Plans for the building of the second tobacco warehouse are under way, jand other matters to help fight the J boll weevil, get the farmers into line I to hold cotton for higher prices, j planting of food and feed stuff crops. I increasing the number of hogs, poul try, beef and dairy cattle, etc.. con jsultations of business men and farm ers, keep the commercial organization ! rooms pretty well filled these days. ^Letter From France. The following letter from Sergt. D. G. Lenoir, 105th Ammunition Train. A. E. F., under date of November 24, j has just been received: My Dearest Papa: Today over here is Father's Fay, and all the boys are writing to their fathers, so I am going to write you this morning before I do anything else. We have been having beaut ful weather ever since the armistice w *nt into effect, although it is pretty < ?ld and there is a heavy frost every ni( rn iner. We are now billeted in the village of Ambly. on the Mouse river, ab >ut I half way between Verdun and St. li hiel. When we first came to :he front we were landed at Toul, ?.?n(\\ took part in the St. Mihiel drive, and then were transferred to the Ar gonne front and were in that big drive from the time it started (Sop- ; tember 20th) until the armistice lie- ] gan. The hardest and bitterest fight ing of the war took place in the Ar Twenty Years of Stomach Trouble An Uuenviable Record of Misery Due to Modern Plague and Health Destroyer. Imagine suffering for twenty years with stomach trouble. Imagine not I being able to enjoy a single meal in all that time. Wouldn't you be hap py if after all those years you finally discovered a medicine that relieved your troubles? Wouldn't you just be ready to offer up a prayer of thanks giving and joy to Heaven for the new found health? This, in substance, has been the re- i markable experience of a lady well known right here in this section. Here are some- of the things she says in effect in her signed statement: "For twenty years I have been troubled with dyspepsia. I could not eat or enjoy a single meal. Usually threw up breakfast. I was terribly I constipated and my liver was all out ! of order. Headaches added no my suf | fering and I was at a loss t^ know I what to do. "A friend recently called my atten tion to the newspaper stories about the new herb medicine Dreco, and I decided to try it and see if perhaps this medicine could bring me relief. It did I have taken two bottles of Dreco and already I am able to eat almost anything without pains after wards. I think it is wonderful tb,e way this medicine works on the stom ach, live** and bowels. I am now feeling fine and am most grateful for I what Dreco has done for me." ? (Signet.: Mrs. Fannie Greer, Poe Mills, S. C Note: Dreco is now dispensed by modem drug stores everywhere. It is inexpensive, easy to get and pleasant to take. It is particularly recom mended in Sumter by Sibert's Drug Store.?Advt. Tar Heel Legislature Most Important Question Be fore Session is Prohibition. ? _ Raleigh, N. C Jan. 8.?The bien nial meeting of the North Carolina legislature convened, here today for a session of sixty days. Both upper and lower houses are controlled by large Democratic majorities. Among the more important mat ters to be considered at this term is the question of ratifying the national prohibition amendment. The North tCarolina Anti-Saloon League is urg ing that a new department be cre ated in the State government to be known as Commissioner of Prohibi tion and clothed with power to:-en force laws in this State. An ouster law also is asked by the Anti-Saloon League. Machinery for putting into opera tion two amendments to the State constitution, ratified by the voters last November, will be worked out by the legislators. One of the amendments guarantees a public school term ol not less than six months a year' and the other exempts from taxation notes and mortgages given for loans to be used in the purchase and erection ol homes or for farm lands. Paris, Jan. 9.?President Wilson's conference with the premiers, of France, Great Britain and Italy, scheduled for today, will probably not begin until early next week as Lloyd George was delayed in arriving. There will be informal meetings of Presi dent-Wilson and the French and Ital ian foreign ministers to clear up much preliminary work. It is doubtful now if the meeting of premiers, as one of which President Wijson will rank, will do more than reach a broad general agreement be fore Mr. Wilson returns to the Unit ed. States. - . ? C3?aiW .UHMUBIIIII?!! Mil ?[????IB?? gonne drive. Being nearest to Ger man territory*- the Germans held it with their best troops. Our business was to keep our artillery supplied with shells, and we did it. Although sometimes they were advancing so fast that we could scarcely keep track of them. Many times we had to take the trucks over roads made almost impassable by shell holes. And many times we were under constant shell fire, but the ammunition had to go up no matter what the conditions were. Most of our work was done at night, and we- could have no lights under any circumstances, but during the big drives we worked day and night. On one occasion I was in charge of a section of trucks for three days arrd two nights with nothing to eat or drink, no sleep, under shell-fire most of the time, and working hard the en tire time, hauling ammunition up to the battery positions. And to add to all of this it rained the entire time we were out. That is only one instance of what we had to go through, so you see we had no cinch. The ammunition train over, here is a very important branch of the service, because, without us it would be almost impossible to get the l shells up to the guns. 55t. Pierre has written you of our trip over via Montreal, Halifax and Liverpool, etc.. so will not bore you with that again. But he did not tell you that we were attacked by a sub marine. The chasers, however, were soon after it. and sank it without much trouble, after firing five depth bombs. For the last three or four nights we slept with our clothes on. and j wer dared to move an inch witho i our life preservers. We certainly have been through terrible hardships over here, but I wouldn't take anything in the world for our experiences. Too much praise ean'l be possible for the boys, for they never flinched at anything no matter what their task was. Of course it would be useless for mo to write details in this letter, for it would take so long, and I can save that part until I come home. T will close here Papa, wishing you rill a merry, merry Xmas and a hap py New Year. i ? Your devoted son. David. 1 Cotton Market LOCAL. P. G. BOWMAN, Cotton Buyer. (Corrected Daily at 12 o'clock Noon). Good Middling 28 1-4. Strict Middling '28.' Middling 27 3-4. Strict Low Middling 26 1-4. Jan Mch May July NEW YORK COTTON MARKET. Yes'dys Open High Low Close Close 28.90 28.90 28.60 28.60 28.33 .27.25 26.35 26.11 26.18 25.85 .26.20 26.35 26.11 26.18 25.85 .25^50 26.65 25.40 25,51 25.15 Looking to America Tokio, Dec. 15 (Correspondence of j The Associated Press)?If Japan de I sires to become industrially strong she shouJdTshape her. future policy in accordance ~wltu. that of the United States, declares E. Uehara, a former member of Parliament,} in an article in a Japanese magazine. Mr. Uehara attempts to explode the theory that Japan must acquire territory in order to develop herself "from an industrial standpoint Instead, he proposes in dustrial cooperation with the United States. ? have no doubt," hie wrties, "that the conclusion of peace w^l And the United States in a position to lead the world in the matter ?f thought-as well as in economics. It woulcf tieTefore be the height of unwisdom for Ja pan to shape her^ future policy other wise than in aecordance with the pol icy of the UnitedI StatesI Not only the Pacific question but almost all of Ja pan's international questions such as those regarding Chiria^ Russia. Can ada, Australia, "South" Ainerica and India are impossible of solution with out the support of the TJnitea States.*' Subscribe to The Daify Item. Only 10c per week, delivered. No. 10670. REPORT OF THE CONDITION OF .... - Reserve District N<* ft The National Bank of Sumter, At Sumter, in The State of South Carolina, at The Close of Bsslnesa on December 31, 191?. RESOURCES. 1. a Loans and discounts, including redisco u n t s (except those shown in b and c).$965,648.67 Total loans.965,648.67 Deduct: d Notes and bills rediscounted (other than bank acceptances sold) (see Item 57a). 129,308.88 836,339.79 2. Overdrafts, secured, none; unsecured. 3,535.45 5. U. S. bonds (other than Liberty Bonds, but in cluding U. S. Certificates of indebtedness): a U. S. bonds deposited to secure circulation (par - value). 125,000.00 d. U. S. bonds aad certificates of indebted n e s s pledged as collateral for State or other deposits or bills payable. 40,000.00 f U. S. bonds and certificates of indebted n e s s owned and unpledged. 20,000.00 185,000.0? 6. Liberty loan bonds: a Liberty Loan bonds, 3 1-2, 4, and 4 1-4 per cent, unpledged. I,250i00 d Liberty Loan Bonds, 3 1-2, 4 and 4 1-4 per. cent, pledged to secure State or other de- ' posits or bills payable. 20,000.00 e Payments actually <nade on Liberty 4 1-4 per cent bonds of the Fourth Liberty Loan owned 10,000.00 7. Bonds, securities, etc. (other than U. S.): e Securities other than U. S. bonds (not includ ing stocks) owned unpledged. 3,500.00 Total bonds, securities, etc., other than U. S. ..' 9. Stock of Federal Reserve Bank (50 per cent, of subscription) ... a Value of banking house, owned and unin cumbered. 55,000.00 Equity in banking house... Furniture and fixtures. Real estate owned other than banking house, . Lawful reserve with Federal Reserve Bank.... Cash in vault and net amounts due from nat ional banks. Net amounts due from banks, bankers and trust ' companies other than included in Items 13, 14 or 15. Exchanges for clearing house. Total of Items 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 . 56,386.15 Checks on banks located outside of city or town of reporting bank and other cash items ? 44,758.85 Redemption fund: with U. S. Treasurer and ie from U. S. Treasurer.? ? . ? ? ... ... 6,260.00 . fax Savings Certificates^ and Thrift Stamps ac tually owned *. 987.80 Other assets, if any: War Savings and Thrift stamps for sale. ,421.00 10 11. 12. 13. 15. 16. 17 19 20 22 31,250.01 3,500.00 7,500.00 55,000.00 10,000.00? 20,260.00* 41,032i58 36,913.94 ? 4,965.00 14,507.21 Total... $1,302.171.62 27. 30. 32. 33. 42. 45 46 51 LIABILITIES: 24. Capital stock paid in. 25. Surplus fund. ... ., 26 a Undivided profits... .. $47,548.71 b Less current e:-_;enses, interest, and taxes paid 34,871.83 Interest and discount collected or credited, in advance of maturity and not earned (approxi mate) .;. Circulating notes outstanding.' . > Net amounts due to National banks. Net amounts due to banks, bankers, and trust companies (other than included in items 31 or 32) .. .. . Total of items 32 and 33 . 45,707.97 Demand deposits (other than bank deposits) sub ject to Reserve (deposits payable within 30 days): Individual deposits subject to check.... Certificates of deposit due in less than 30 days (other than for money borrowed). Certified checks. Cashier's checks outstanding. Dividends unpaid. Total demand deposits (other than bank de posits) subject to Reserve, Items 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41.. :. 537,994.66 Time deposits subject to reserve (payable after 30 days, or subject to 30 days or more notice, and postal savings): Certificates of deposit (other than for money borrowed). Other time deposits. Total of time deposits subject to Reserve, Items 42, 43, 44, and 45 . 252,081.47 . United States deposits (other than postal sav ings) : a War loan deposit account. Bills payable, with Federal Reserve Bank - 34. 85. 36. 37. 40. 200,000.0? .60,000.00 12,676.?? 4,710.?4 125,000.00 30,218.98 15,489.01 4172,579.3?. 40.944.93 1,983.35 14,487.01 8,000.00 60,818.40 191,263.07 14,069.6? 60,000.0? Total. $1,302.171.62 57. a Liabilities for rediscounts, including those with Federal Reserve Bank (see Item Id) .. .. v 129,308.38 Total contingent liabilities (57 a, b. and c) . 129,308.88 STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, ^ounty of Sumter, ss. I, W. J. Crowson, Jr., Cashier oi the above named bank, do solemnly swear that the abov?. statement is true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Subscribed and sworn to before 3eo. C. Warren. W. J. CROWSON, JR., Cashier. me this 7th day of January, 1919. Notary Public. Correct Attest: BARTOW WALSH, ? J. P. BOOTH. R. B. RELSER, Luiectors.