Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TBK StTMTEK W ATCH&EAX, Estahl OoDSoiidated Aug. 2,1 SENSATION IN NAVAL Cid Bribery and Graft Charged in Personnel of Third Naval District. MONEY PAID FOR ASSIGN MENTS AND PROMOTIONS Secretary States That Arrests Have Been Made and One Man Courtmartialed. New York, Feb. 18.?Arrests on charges of bribery and graft in the personnel of the Third naval district have been made following an investi gation ordered by Secretary Daniels, the New York livening Post says to ?ay. The Post quotes Secretary Daniels as saying that the investigation indi cates that "money was paid for as signments and promotions in the service." It is charged that a system of bribery of minor officials of the dis trict, with particular reference to the naval reserve force, has been op ei-afing. The investigation by the secretary of ihc navy was ordered, it was said., after W had consulted with Pear Ad miral Nathaniel R. Usher, in com mand of the district, who is described as preferring that any investigation that was undertaken should be by some one outside of the. district. The investigator is a member of the staff of the judge advocate's office in Wash ington. Secretary Daniels is ouotcd as fol-. lows: "I have learned that arrests have been made and that one man has been tried by courtmartial. The court con victed him and he has asked for a re view of the facts . . . Knowledge of .this situation in the Third naval dis trict *irst came to me through the re- i view of another case in the judge ad-1 vecate's office . . . No knowledge, of the state of affairs existing had j before that time come to the atten-: tion of Admiral Usher, for, if it had.: he would certainly have bejrun an in- j vostigation immediately on his own j iriatiVe He approved our course in j s^ralng- a -special investigator to his | district and he is just as anxious asj any one else that the entire case be; sifted to the bottom." The bribery charges are set forth as consisting of the acceptance for! enlistment of physically unfit men j upon false records; the assignment of men for duties far removed from war zone and actual sea service; thei transfer of men from one district to another in order to escape sea ser vice; permission to men to continue their busines sactivities while attend- : ing to their naval duties for only an fiour or two a day. and the passing of men' for early discharge after the xigning of the armistice. Rear Admiral Usher refused to discuss the case this afternoon, stat ing that all information must come from the secretary of the navy who ordered the investigation. Secretary Daniels is further quoted as saying that when he first became aware of the situation he issued in structions holding up all discharges from the Third district, later modify ing them so that no man could he dis charged unless his application receiv ed the indorsement of the special in vestigator. This was done, he explain ed, to prevent any of the men 'Impli cated from getting back into civil life before* being brought to trial by courtmartial. The Evening Post says it is report ed that "approximately $1)00,000 was expended in pajment for special fa vors granted to individuals in the ser vice." Many men. it is declared, were ap parently admitted to the navy and the naval reserve in order to escape . being drafted into the army. The physical standards for the 'navy and the naval reserve were higher than for the army, it is explained in this connection, and some men who were found physically unfitted for service in the navy or naval reserve were nevertheless admitted when they made payments of money. Rmmors of the condition in the ?Third district, says The Post, had spread throughout the navy until vir tually every officer, even those re turning from overseas, had some "smattering" of the facts. Officers, especially those of the na val reserve, have expressed the hope that the investigation will go to the roots of the matter in'order that all the guilty may be exposed ;ind sus picion removed from the innocent, continued The Post, adding that some officers feared that the influence of some of the men who are believed to have received favors might prove Strong enough to prevent a complete expose. None of the 10,00n officers and men at the Bay Ride barracks used as a "receiving ship" for the Third naval district, has been placed under ar rest, according to the officrr of the day on duty tonight. He added that no one at the barracks was even undor investigation. Washington, Feb. 18.?Secretary Daniels said today that he understood one arrest had been made and that several persons were being detained in the Third naval district as a result f a^ >r?Tosti?-at;on he h^d ordered of complaints that promotions and as signments carrying shore duty ap k&ed April, 1850. "Be Jost l 881; SI heaTlT shot by crank Five Shots Fired, Two Taking Effect in Back and Shoulder. WOUNDS ARE BELIEVED NOT TO BE SERIOUS Attack Occurred as Premier Was Leaving * Home for War I Office. Paris, Fob. 15.?Georges Clemon ceau. France's aged biu vigorous pre mier, was shot at and slightly wound ed, this morning as he was entering his automobile. Five shots were fired by the assassin and it was first re ported that the premier was wound ed in the head. It developed later, however, ihat the wounds were in the back and shoulder, and he is appar l ently not dangerously hurt. The shooting occurred as the premier was leaving his home for the war office. The assassin was an ordinary looking main, dressed as a workman. He was arrested. Wounds Not Serious Only Danger is From Clemen ceau's Great Age. Paris, Feb. 29.?Premier Clemen ceau's wound is not regarded as dan gerous in itself, but it is felt there might be serious consequences consid ering his agel About 11 o'clock, how ever, it was officially announced that he Was not seriously wounded. Po liceman Goursatt was wounded by a stray shot. He said J\.?. Clemenc au rushed his assailant and grappled him. Kis assailant was Emile Cottin, 25 years old,-born at Creil. The po lice, however, do not believe the pa pers he posseses are his and are in clined to think him a Russian. Copenhagen, Feb. 20.?Spartacan forces are bombarding the town of rlottcrop in Westphalia with ai'tii lery. according to a message received hpi*p from Muerstcr. Assiscfnce to the defenders of Rotterop -is--being sent from Muenster. pare ally had been sold during the war. The secretary said he had received no report on the inquiry from Rear Admiral Fsher, commandant of the district, who he said had been given full authority to take whatever ac tion he deemed necessary. Detroit. Feb. IS;.?Senator-elect Truman K. Xewberry, who up to sev eral months-ago served as command er of the Brooklyn navy yard, with the rank of lieutenant commander, declined to comment on the reported arrest of naval reservists of the Third naval district on charges of bribery and graft. Apparently Secretary Daniels had ordered the investigation after his discharge, Mr. Newberry said, and he knew nothing of the charges of the inquiry. It was reported tonight, that the man referred to by Secretary Daniels as having already been tried by court martial was a lieutenant, senior grade, who had served here as a medical examiner. The lieutenant, it was said, was convicted on a charge of accepting a bribe for transferring a man to the aviation section and his dismissal recommended. Secretary Daniels, it was said, disapproved the finding and ordered a new trial by courtmartial which resulted in the officer's convic tion and sentence to three years' im prisonment. . Another lieutenant, it is said, is heldi iJ1 the brig of the training ship Granite State here awaiting a court martial. A yeoman under arrest, it was said, prosoerod so well during the period of alleged grafting that he was en abled on one occasion to give a "very small" party to a Broadway theatrical favorite at a cost of $:>n0. The former medical examiner's ar rest, it was said, was the result of the work of Joseph Whitehead. a member of the naval intelligence de partment who was formerly station ed- at Boston. Whitehead is the son of Mrs. Kelly Evans, a wealthy New Yorker who formerly lived in Atlanta. Another report was to the effect that seven officers and 4<"> yeomen were under arrest in connection with the alleged grafting and that the name of high naval oncer of the district had been brought into Jhe ease as :i suspected '"man higher up." This officer, it was reported has deposited in banks in Xew York and other cities since the I'nited States entered the w.-ir sums aggregating $250,000. * Two Officers Arrested Secretary Daniels Orders Court martial Trial at Once. Washington. Feb. 19.?The court martial of two naval officers in con nection with the charges of bribery and ?raft in The thiro naval district has been ordered by Secretary Dan iels. It was announced today that (here is sufficient evidence to war rant trials immediately. Secretary Daniels said at least two other cases are developing. No names were made public. md Fear not?Det all tbe ends Thon AI UMTEE, S. C, SATURD j Armistice Was Sought by High Command of Army and Terms Accepted by Hindenburg. Ierzrer^er tells the facts to assembly j - i ! j Surrender of German Army Was Not Brought About by Inter nal Trouble in Germany.' i ________ i Weimar, Thursday, Feb. 13.?Ma { thias Erzberger of the German ar j mistice commission told the national ; assembly today the entire history of ; the armistice negotiations from, the ! c-iii" they began last fall. He deelar ! ed it was Prince Maximilan who ap~ { proached the eniente because of the: j 'iron compud:don of the high military j command for peace," and it was Gen. von Hindenburg who demanded and authorized the signing of the first terms. i I Hans Still Obstinate ?-? j German Press Criticise the League of Nations. j Ferlin. Tuesday, Feb. 18.?The pro ;ect for a league of nations now be fore the Paris peace conference has I evoked sharp criticism in the Ger j man press generally. Demands are ! made by some newspapers that Ger j many refuse to have anything to do i with such a league. I England Decides to Bring Her j Troops Out and America Will Do Likewise. i I J J -. - [SENATORS ARE PLEASED I WITH CHANGE IN POLICY i ? I To Facilitate Withdrawal Eng I land Will Send 2,400 Rein i forcements and America Two i Companies of Engineers. *_ j Washington; Feb. 17.?American and Allied troop:- operating in North j Russia will' be withdrawn at "the [earliest possible moment weather con ! ditions in the spring will permit;" to [ facilitate this movement and to im j prove lines of communication for the supplying of the forces that have pen i ctrated -'mo the country President Wilson has approved the sending of 'two additional companies of American ! railway troops to Archangel, j This information, cabled to the war j department by Gen. Tasker H. Bliss fat Paris by direction of the president. \ was transmitted today to Chairmen Chamhetiain and Dent of the senate and hourc military committees by Secretary Baker. The announcement j brought expressions of approval from several senators, including Senator Johnson ca' California. Republican. ! who has been pressing his resolution providing for a declaration by the [senate in favor of withdrawal of the; j American forces. j Gen. Bliss also informed Secretary j Baker that Great Britain had decided 'to send 2,400 additional soldiers to j Archangel to reinforce the army in [North Russia. In this connection Gen. I hilss said the'British military author ities felt no apprehension over the' military situation in North Russia. j The New Citadel ; Legislature Makes Appropria tion for Bigger Military Academy. Columbia, Feb. 18.- The house of ! representatives today passed, with 'seven dissenting votes, ik^ bill pro viding for a re-w South Carolina mili tary academy at Charleston and ap propriating Sioo.ooo n year for three years and the proceeds from the jale j of the present site and buildings for 'he construction of the new- institu tion, which will be erected on Ashley ! River, on a sit'- given by the city of Charleston. Washington. Feb. 20.?Col. Stew art, commanding the American troops in northern Russa cabled tbe war i department today: "The alarmist re ports on the condition of the troops in northern Russia are not warranted by the facts. The health of the command is excellent." Col. Stewart said. The sick and wounded are well care dfor and "the allied com mand is capable oJ taking care <>f it self against the whole Bolshevik army/' Tase]. Fed). It).?German troops on the Lithuanian front surprised the jBolsheviki and captured the town of Murawjevo Saturday, according to a! 'report received here from Libau. ms't st toe t&7 Country's. Vbj (*>d'B a AY, FEBRUARY 22, 19 . Opening Gun Fired in Senate on the League of I Nations. - ' SIMILAR TO SOVIET GOVERNMENT IN RUSSIA i. _ ? President Wilson's Home Com ing Will Force Vicious Parti ' san Fight on His Ideals. ; Washington. Feb. 19.?Tn the first ! prepared address on the league of na tions delivered in the senate since the constitution of the proposed league [was published, senator Poindexter to day declared the entrance -of the ? United States into the league would ? mean the surrender of American I rights, privileges and sovereignty, i abandonment of the Monroe doctrine . and the violation of the constitution. ; The constitution of the league he as ; sorted. :s conflicting, indefinite, un derlain and the machinery it proposes ! is sot up "similar to the soviet gov ? ernment of Russia.' i Daylight Saving Law' Congress Asked to Repeal Clock Switching Scheme. 1 Washington, Feb. 19.?Bills to re peal '.he daylight saving law were in : troduced in the house today and re ! -.'erred to the interstate commerce I committee. Refuses to Attend Conference at White House on League of Nations. I NOTHING CAN MAKE HIM AGREE WITH WILSON Blind Partisans of Reactionary Faction of Republican Party Will Fight Wilson and Demo cracy to Bitter End. : Washington, Feb. 18.?Senator Bo j rah. of Idaho, has asked to be ox i cused from attending the White I Kouse dinne rat which President Wil son will discuss with the members of: ; the congressional foreign relations j committee the constitution of the pro- j posed league of nations. In letters to Secretary Tumulty) i Senator Borah said it was the custom j to hold in confidence information re-j ceived at such featherings and he was! i not willing to be bound to silence on I hsuch an important, subject, concerning! ! which he and the president disagreed j fundamentally. i He added that nothing could make j him agree with the league's constitu j tion as it now stands. j Senator Poindexter formally gave! notice today that he expected to J .' peak tomorrow on the league of na- ! tions. Senator Borah has planned: to deliver an address Thursday. j Vardaman Attacks President Wilson Pro-German Senator at His Old; Tactics. Washington, Feb. IS.?A discussion; of the league of nations developed, unexpectedly in the senate today.; Senator Vardaman of Mississippi, de-j dared the league unconstitutional and | criticised President Wilson for asking congress to remain silent on the sub- j joe until he returned to Washington, j lie spoke only a few minutes and [ there was no other discussion. Exempt Public Money Officials Not Required to Pay In come Tax. Washington. Feb. 10.?Officials and! employees of a State, county, cii> j or other political subdivision wil1 noi be required to pay income tax on j their public compensation Cor 19lS, j the internal revenue bureau an-1 nounced today in answer t<> hundreds of Inquiries. They need not even count this income from public sources , in ? eciding whether to make a. re- , turn, although income from any pri- i vale source is taxable. This exemp- ? tioh applies to governors. State exocu-j: tive?. legislators, judges and local of- : ficials or employees, including police. , - !t does te.it. however include officers or employees of the federal govern-?< ment. | Odessa. Thursday. Feb. 13.?The anti-Bolshevik army of Gen. Denikin.'j lias reached the Caspian Sea after an | ^ advance of three hundred and fifty ? **ersts He captured 21.000 prisoners. , i y.5 guns and 8 armored trains. 1 s THE TR?I H9. COTTON MEETING NNEWOKLEANS Plans Formulated to Hold. Cot ton and Reduce Acreage Throughout South. PLEDGES TO BE OBTAINED FROM ALL FARMERS ;AU Growers and Producers in I United States Will Be Called ; on to Act in Concert. i _ 1 Now Orleans, Feb. 18.?A program i for the reduction of the 1919 acreage i planted to cotton and the holding of i t he present crop for higher prices was embodied in resolutions passed at the j closing session today of the confer ence of bankers, merchants and - farmers from all of the cotton pro ducing States. The salient features ; of the resolution are: \ 1. Reduction of the 1919 cotton ' acreage by one-third as compared [with 1918. 2. A pledge not to sell any part j of the present crop for other than ["remunerative prices" and to hold .this crop until the demand calls for it j at such prices. ? 3. Formation of State cotton acre i age reduction associations whose I business it will be to obtain written {pledges to carry out the first two i provisions from every cotton growe: < and cotton producer in . the United i I States. 4. To brand any man who refuses : to cooperate as "'so lacking in public ' spirit as to forfeit the confidence of :' the community in which he lives." I 5. A future convention of cotton . producers before which a detailed re ? oort of the progress of the plans out lined above is to be made by every ; cotton growing State. The resolutions which were drawr ] up by a committee composed of a I banker, farmer and merchant, from j eacli of the cotton ' growing States. ; her?ded by Former Oov. Richard I. i Manning of h?outh Carolina as chair i man. further declared that "the ac i cumulation of large stocks of cotton ! in the hands of farmers and mer i ^honts of the South and the drastic j decline in the price to figures below j the cost of prodUs^tion. due to past I war trade disorganization, to the [scarcity of ocean tonnage, to the re ! strictions oh trade imposed by foreign ^nations. . . . have precipitated upon ;'the cotton producing, mercantile and 'banking interests of the South a crisis I fraught with grave menace to the j present welfare of the section as wel1 Las to the future prosperity thereof." The convention was adjourned sub ject to the call of Governor Pleasant >? Louisiana, i The resolution follows: j "Resolved, first. That this,, conven tion hereby declares that at this i juncture a reduction of at least bne | third of the 1918 cotton acreage and the planting of largely increased food ; crops is imperatively necessary for! the present welfare and future pros- i perity of the South, and this conven- j tion and the several farmer, mer-j chant and banker members thereof; hereby pledge themselves in their several capacities through their own actions and through their determined ! influence to produce the desired end. j "Second. That this convention de-j clares that if the foregoing acreage! reduction platform is carried out| there will be no necessity to sell anyj part of the present crop for other: than remunerative prices, and the( convention hereby pledges itself and1 its members and affiliations not to j sacrifice the present crop but to hold She same until demand calls for it at such prices. "Third. That the farmers, mer- j chants and bankers of the South j should organise their forces and in-' fluence to the end that the acreage j reduction and holding campaign shall | be carried vigorously into every coun- I ty and every subdivision thereof in j every cotton growing State, that in | furtherance of this intensive cam--' paign those States which are already ! organized should earnestly prosecute1 the work so well begun, and those States which as yet are not organized.; should proceed at once to marshall j their forces and in so doing should! utilize the machinery of the State j Councils of Defense where available j and the State and county agents of i the agricultural and educational de-? partraonts of such Stales, that in all, counties in which public organization! meetings have not been already held. ! such, meetings should be held on Sat- j urday. February 22. for the purpose j | of ratifying the acreage reduction and cotton holding movement and secur- , ing rhr- written pledges of all con-; comof?. and it is recommended that', said day or such days as may be ap pointed shall be declared a holiday: and all stores in such meeting place [ be closed. : "Fourth. That, any man who be-! cause his neighbors and the cotton! producers generally are reducing cot- 1 ton acreage sh.-ill for selfish ends * undertake to profit through such ! general action by increasing his own.' icreage or by refusing to reduce the j :am?. such man shall be deemed so m racking in public spirit and good citizenship as to forfeit the confidence t rnd support of the community in r cvhich he lives. e ^Fifth. That the several State or- a sanitations in charge of the move-! f ?nent should in the near future, at t > time and place to be designated by ' he chairman of this convention, i a ;end delegates to a meetinj called by'n D SOOTEROJ?, SitabSBbel 9vaa^ Vol. XLVIII. NO. 3. COTTON ACREAGE REDUCTION PLAN j Reports Indicate That Farmers Will Support Movement and Sign the Pjedge. j ORGANIZATION OF STATE IS TO BE PUSHED [ '_ I Friday, February' 28th, Has Been Named as Pledge Day? I County Meeting Saturday. Columbia. Fob. 19.?The move { mont to gett he farmers of the State ! to pledge themselves to reduce their : I cotton acreage 33 per cent this year. {has taken headway. Farmers from jail over the State are reporting that, v they and their neighbors will sign ! the pledge. F. Jarroii Grier, chairman of the : county organization in Greenwood states that 90 per cent of the farmers n that county will sign'the pledge, j and will stick to it. "W. B. Ballew, of ! Laurens county, reports that the armers of that section, comprising several counties, are determined to follow the leadership of men who have studied the situation. They are. also clamoring for cheaper fertilizers\ ^r no fertilizers at all. Governor Cooper's office today re ceived a dispatch from Governor R. I. Mannng who was chairman of the South Carolina delegation in the ' great cotton conference in New Or I leans. Governor Manning urged. j that Saturday of this week be the { day fo rthe assembling of the citi I zens in mass meetings over the State. Governor Cooper had already named the 2Sth as the day, and this day will be observed. However,, it is i advised that the county committees';' might be assembled Saturday- and: make the preliminary arrangements, for "Pledge Reduction Day.' The list of committees in charge of the ; work in the several counties-will be published Friday . morning. The i members will be notified through the press. . . j.. The enthusiasm with which the an nouncement has been received 'shows. that the people of the State are ready to accept the result .of -jthe, confer ence that was held here on "the l?th* f; rand that the acreage will be reduced f\ is encouraging to hear from New Orleans that in this action. South Carolina is followed by all other I States. I Conditions in Germany j American Officer Reports That Food Supply is Almost Exhausted. j Paris.' Feb. 19.?Captain "Walte* [ Gherardi, of the United States navy* : who has- been in Germany studying ! economic - and general conditions has returned to Paris and reports that'^e found much unemployment through out the country and a restless condi-" tion containing a threat igainfit peace in the immediate future. . He says^ Germany's food supplies cannot jast longer than next month, leaving" a great gap to be filled before the harvest. The German army, he says, has shrunk to insignificant figures aid is no longer formidable. Huns Protest Strongly New Armistiee Terms Have .Aroused Anger of Germans? Weimar, Feb. 19.?Telegrams - of protest against the signing of the new armistice are pouring into the national assembly. One from Berlin demands that a period of national mourning be ordered. Falls to Death Arcadia, Fia., Feb. 18.?Second Lieut. Daniel Crawford, a student aviator officer, was instantly killed by a fall from his airplane at Carlstrom Field here this morning. Lieutenant Crawford's plane was at a height of about 1,000 feet when in some man ner the belt by which he was strap ped in to the seat of the plane be came unfastened while he was exe cuting a "dip" and he fell out.. The body will be sent to his home, .Co lumbia. S. C. lie was about 25 years of age. Count Rantzau Recosiders Withdraws Resignation and Con tinues as Foreign Minister. Copenhagen. Feb. is.?Count von Brockdorff Rantzau has decided to retan the portfolio as secretary for foreign affairs, according- to a dis >atch from the Weimar foreign cor espondent of the Politiken. He reach k1 ibis decision because the govern ment has expressed confidence in l i! >i. he said chairman for the purpose of oporting upon the work accomplish d and considering the formation of permanent organization of the armers. merchants and bankers of he South dedicated to the purpose if securing f?r :h" cotton producer just return upon his investment of aoney or toil." ' _ - _