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Pab?sbed Wednesday and Saturday - ?BY? OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY SUMTEK, S. a i terms: i fl.50 per annum?in advance. Advertisements. Ose Square first insertion .. Every subsequent insertion.. .. .50 Contracts for three months, or longer will se made at reduced rates. 411 communications which sub serve private interests will be charged for as advertisements. - Obituaries and tributes of respect Will he charged for. The Suxater Watchman was found ed in 1850 and the True Southron t? S8S6. Tho Watchman and Southroi now has the combined circulation anc influence of Seth of the old papers and is manifestly the best advertisix medium in Sumter. GIRLS WANTED OX FARMS. The Woman's Land Army of Amer ica is not to be demobilized. On the contrary it is seeking many more re cruits. The national director of the organization, appointed by the gov ernment, is organizing branches of the farmerette army in the States that need it most. Through these branches many women and girls will be placed on farms this coming sum mer, in units and in smaller groups. -Last summer many colleges sent units of student workers to the farms as an emergency measure. The young women made good. Farmers want more of them in the coming season. And the girls themselves en joyed the work, became interested in agriculture and wish to receive fur ther training in this work. There are many women working J^t seasonal trades who either are idle during the summer, living on Jsmall savings, or work at odd jobs. fjThe college women, too, have nearly three months which many of them would rather spend in some useful [occupation than as purely pleasure ? ^cations. The land army offers both [groups of young women a chance tcf make a living wage during the farm [er's busiest season. If working and living conditions are properly looked after, the land rmy should become more popular a? (knowledge of its possibilities spreads. e physical exercise in the open |air. should do a good deal to refresh-' minds and bodies wearied by study,' Lndoor life and sedentary work. JTST A LITTLE PEACE JOKE. "When the war drew to a close, it was he who began alone the tasi: ol ?making peace. He had nearly com pleted the work when his colleagues [appeared in Paris, and by incautious words broke the web so carefully spun-?Finally, boldly disregarding gehe instructions of congress, he emerged from all complications with a trumphant peace." No, dear reader, this is not a eulogy )f Woodrow Wilson, written by some udent admirer and supporter. It is x tribute paid by Senator Lodge of Vfassachusetts- :to Benjamin; Franklin'] ?or the part Franklin played in winl .ng up the Revolutionary war. And *n view of Senator Lodge's well kno;vn itiitude toward the League of Na tions, it certainly sounds like a joke an somebody. "SELF DETERMINATION*' FOR IRELAND. The Irish problem is forced upon the attention of the American peo ple again, as the result of a conven :ion of the Friends of Irish Freedom held in Phils-delphia, and the wide Spread propaganda of which that has {been a . part. The spokesmen for Irish freedom new have a specially strong appeal, since they ask all Americans to apply to Ireland the jame rule that America stands for in he Paris peace conference, the "self-j letermination of peoples." This point has been ably presented by Cardinal Gibbons and many other leading Irish-Americans. They urge the American public to appeal to the ^Paris conference, asking it "to recog nize the right of the people of Ire land to select for themselves without interference from any other people, the form of government under which in future they shall live." p Most Americans would gladly help ) Ireland, if they could. There will be, no doubt, much American influence brought to bear at Paris, along the line desired. The task, however, is a difficult one?made difficult by the Irish people themselves. In the case of every other small nationality whose claims are present ed at the peace conference, there is comparativly little difference of opin ion among the people concerned. hTe nation knows what it wants, and is organized to get ti. "Self-determi nation" therefore becomes fairly sim ple. But the Paris conference may inquire, how is self-determination tr be applied to Ireland? There was an experiment in thai direction made during the past year The British government invited at political, religious and business fac tions of Ireland to get together an. agree on a plan of home rule, vn tually promising to endorse any sys tern they might evolve, short of ab solute independence. The convention met. and debated for months, and nothing came'of it. South Ireland and North Ireland could not ngree. If the people of Ireland could not Ian year "select for themselves, with out interference from any other peo ple, the form of ' government under which in future they shall live," how can they be expected to do so this year or next year? The peace conference, even if it proves willing to discuss the matter over the head of the British govern ment, will hardly want to concern itself with the "self-determination" of South Ireland or North Ireland, of Catholic Ireland or Protestant Ire land. It could only deal with Ireland as a whole. If the Irish expect effective support from America, they ought to get to gether first and do some real self determining. ? These closing debates in the Unit heel States .senate have contributed j vastly to the sum of human ignor ! ance. _ WITH THE WORLD, OR AGAINST IT. Those who advocate ? return to old-fashioned American isolation are I willing, it seems, tc let the rest of the world go to the dogs, provided Amer ica remains safe, i The trouble is, that if the rest of the world goes to the dogs America will not remain safe. For good cr ill the world now and henceforth is all bound up together. The present war should be enough evidence to i any clear-headed man that what af fects one nation affects all. If the United States does not play Its part?a manly, part?in the recon struction of the world, the rest of the world may actually go to the dogs. ?haos in Europe and elsewhere would be infinitely more costly and disas trous to America than any expense 1 md danger we might incur in co- ( >perating wSth Europe to establish a j' jew order. - 1 And whether in chaos or order, a t Europe that is not with us, hereafter, ?rill certainly be against us. If we 1 refuse now to play a consistent part, i making good our fine promises, we i shall, have the enmity of all the I tvorld ? instead ? of the-world's friend- ( ship. If the other powers succeeded r in setting up their own League of < Nations after we pulled out. that < League would be a league against America. t That would mean that the United ? States would have to arm against ? the whole world. Is that what the opponents of th? ( present League plan Nwant? PROPER FOOD NECESSARY. During the period of reconstruc tion which will follow the closing of ; the saloons it is most important that . the women of this country shall un- s derstand the value of proper food in combatting the craving for liquor. It : is a serious thing suddenly to deprive any individual of the alcoholic stim ulant to which he is accustomed, but this can be done safely and with a minimum of discomfort if he is given the right things to eat. This, of course, is excepting cases of such ad vanced alcoholism as. will demand the services of a physician. Instruction in proper diet to meet this emergency should be given by experts at the churches, the schools, the Red Cross centers, the "Y's"; at women's clubs and at community centers in the slums. The individuals and organizations responsible for the closing of the saloon have here a duty to perform. And no foolish mistake should be made about it. This information is goinp: to be needed just as badly on the avenue as in the alley, by :the rich as by the poor, i There is this difference, however. The rich, having learned the way. have the means to follow it. The poor, confronted by the same prob lem, may be shown the possibilities in proper feeding and taught the kinds of food to use. but they may lack the money with which to buy. In such cases the more fortunate must reach out, recognizing a com mon cause, and see that the less for tunate have not only the instruction as to diet but the means for follow ing the instruction when they get it. J THE COTTTON SITUATION. The average man in this Section j looks at the cotton situation from the viewpoint of a cotton grower, of a merchant or other business man who is dependent upon the cotton ; farmer for business, or that of a cot j ton buyer who is busy or idle as the [cotton market is active or stagnated, lit is informing to obtain the opinion ? of a cotton manufacturer, whose in | terests are generally supposed t<? be rentbeiy antagonistic to that of the [cotton producer, and who is believed ito make it his chief aim in life to keep the price of cotton as low as pos sible. The following letter received ithis week by a local cotton buyer gives 1 ! the views of a successful cotton mill jman, the president of three mills in jth? upper part of this State. The writ er of this letter is personally known j to the editor of this paper and what ^ ever he says can be accepted with the utmost confidence. His positive state 's! en t that the "only way to save the ! South is to work the curtailment of I acreage earnestly and to secure sign !ups all over the South," should be re j ceived with due consideration by every farmer. The crisis that the cotton farmers are facing means disaster not only to the cotton producer but to ev ery other industry in the South. A ! big cotton crop this year means noth- I ing-short of financial ruin to millions, of men who are today reasonably prosperous and independent. The] drastic reduction of the cotton acre age and the production of food crops, so that the farmers may be measur ably independent of the cotton crop, is the only avenue of escape, i The letter is as follows: ?'We have your wire on cotton, but business is so absolutely dead, and not having sold anything this year and everything seems io be marking time, we are not inclined to buy cot-? ton at any price, "It looks like a complete shut down until something is doing. "We believe that the only way to save the South is to work the curtailment of acerage earnestly and to secure sign ups all over the South. "The farmers, generally, are dis posed to think that the mills want cheap cotton, but such is not the case, as we always make more money out of high price cotton. The conditions i that make high price cotton make good demands for our products." Funds For Campaign j _ j i Money Needed to Carry on Fight j for Cotton Farmers _ The prosperity and success of the South depends upon the success of : che farmer. Hard times for him mean hard times for all. < Today the commercial life of the South is most seriously ' threatened, i The very foundation of our main i lcpe for good business and legitiznate jain is in peril. j < There is a remedy. "We must ap- f >ly it. '< Cotton must be produced only to < neet the requirements of world con- 1 sumption. Less acreage must be 1 planted and more food and feed ; ;rops produced. t Cotton farmers from Virginia to 11 Texas realize the absolute necessity of this as never before. The people .? of the cotton states have accordingly some together and are today engaged ;c upon the biggest piece of work ever j undertaken by any people. What it *i means to you and to every business 1 interest in the South cannot be esti- ' mated. We can no longer produce 1 cotton recklessly as heretofore; the i cost is too great for che farmer, for 1 the merchant, for the banker, in ; fact for every one. t The farmers of the whole South ^ ire gong to cut acreage, and are go- r ing to stick. They are going to ^ plant one-third less cotton this year ( than last, and 'are going to use less fertilizer on cotton and more on food and feed crops. Organized, united, concerted effort, properly directed, throughout the cot ton States, will bring it about. In this fight for the first time all the various business interests of the South have united with the farmer. We need your financial assistance. May we ask for a. liberal contribu tion from you personally and from each business, bank, corporation, or mill in which you are interested. The. call is urgent. The cause is worthy. Time is short. Quick ac tion is essential. Your State committee is spending money rapidly but judiciously, for haste is ?vital. Make your checks payable to Julien C. Rogers, Assistant Treasurer for such amounts as are in keeping with your interest and the importance of your business. Every farmer signing the reduc tion pledge?and all will sign?is ex pected to pay ten cents per acre for each acre of cotton he will plant. Here is your opportunity to help the farmer, and through helping him to help yourself. We hope to receive your remit tance by return mail. Thanking you in advance, we are, yours for u5 cents cotton, a one third reduction in acreage, and the commercial independence of the South. Gov. It. A. Cooper, , J. S. Wannamaker, j J. IL Claffey, R. M. Mixson, Jno. T. Mackey, B. F. McLeod, W. W. Long, T. J. Britt, T. G. McLeod, Committee. HOLDERS OF LIBERTY BONDS are advised to hold them. If you must sell, deal only with respon sible bankers. We Buy and Sell LIBERTY BONDS All Issues and Denominations Write us if interested. TRUST COMPANY OF GEORGIA Capital and Surplus, $2,000,000 Member Federal Reserve Syatern ATLANTA, GA. .Ii: HARBY & CO., Inc. COTTON AMI FERTILIZES EMUITS If you have cotton to sell, see us, it will pay you. If you have fertilizer or fertilizer materials to buy it will pay you^ to see us before you buy, Cash or approved collateral. 9 West Liberty Street "Beware of Enemy Dope" Texas in Line on Acreage Reduc tion. Columbia, Parch 3.?The South Carolina Cotton Association today is sued the following: Some concern was felt today at the State central headquarters of-the cot ton association -when telephone messages came inquiring about a newspaper report of a few days ngo to the effect that- the senate of the State of Texas was "opposed" to acre age reduction. As a matter of fact the item was an injustice to .the farmers' movement, for the senate of the State of Texas passed upon a bill unfavor ably because the bill was unconstitu tional. The State senate of South Carolina likewise voted down a bill to the same effect. Delegates returning from the cotton eongress in .New Orleans recently brought the report that Texas would '?tick. The fact that Texas is sticking and will continue to stick seems to be worrying Wall Street. Saturday Commissioner B. Harris wired Fred Davis, Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Texas, and received :he following replj* Monday: "Statement Texas will not reduce gotten without foundation. We have i large territory to cover with natur ally some few locai difficulties, but campaign which will last till May is Drogressmg nicely. You can deny em phatically there has been displayed j any disposition of consequence | igainst cotton acreage reduction. Be-: cvare of enemy dope." "That is a pretty good slogan," j said Chairman J. S. Wannamaker; Monday night. "Beware of enemy! lope." They have been telling us a I jreat many things that will be dis-! Droved. The rumors about dissatis faction in Texas are all bunkum, j rhere are persons in Texas whose | business will be hurt, just as there ire in South Carolina, persons who iavc. something to sell to the farmer tnd are now going abroad knocking :he movement in our own State.. Be vare the dope.' Mr. Wannamaker has reports di-' t ; rect from authentic centers in New J York that the interests there are con ! vinced that the cut in acreage will ; be carried out. They predict this upon j several reasons, one being1 a shortage : of finances, another being a short 1 nge. of labor and the third being the ! determination of the farmers them | selves. i The best news that Mr. Wanna i maker has had recently comes from i Sir Charles McCarrel, the noted British cotton expert, who has come r,:n in a public statement declaring that so far as dry goods is concerned . it will be five years before the mills of England can catch up with the trade. They are sure to get good ; prices for their goods. "And yet," ! says Mr. Wannamajcer, "certain in terests would have us believe that the j spinners are over-stocked both with cotton and with goods. Beware the ienemy dope." .CORN < L I B, REPORT. j prize Winner* for Year 1918 An i nonnced. j - I Clemson College, March 4.?Mr. L. jl>. Baker, Supervising Agent of Boys' !CIub work, has announced the prize {winners in the State Contest of the } Boys' Corn Clubs. i H. H. Eleaser, of Bichland county, j was first State prize winner, having I produced 177 3-4 bushels of corn on jan acre at a total cost of $32.15, this I being an average cost of lSc per 'bushel. His net profit, allowing $2 per bushel for corn, was $323.35, which entitled hin: to the first prize, a solid gold watch, valued at $50, of fered by the W. H. Mixon Seed Com pany, of Charleston. I Earle Hayes, of Dillon county, was second prize winner, having produced 95 1-2 bushels of corn on an acre at a total cost of $21.05, this being at a j cost of 22.?e per bushel. His net J profit, allowing $2 per bushel for; corn, was ?169.37, which entitled him j to the second State prize, three Warf Saving Stamps, value $15.00 offered) by the National Loan & Exchange j Bank of Columbia. Laymon Harmon, of Lexington j county, was third State prize winner, j having produced 62 1-2 bushels ofj corn on an acre at an expense of! i $14.54, this being at a cost of 23 1-4' 'per bushel. His net profit was $10.46, [which entitled him to the third prize, I a pair of gold cuff buttons offered by ! Sylvan Brothers, of Columbia. HOXEY. . * - i A limited quantity of Extracted ; Hone:' on hand which I am disposing lot" at 50 cents per quart?$2.00 per I gallon, on draught. If you will need i any before next summer don't delay j getting what you want while I have i it. i Send your jar or can to 320 W. j Hampton Ave. X. G. OSTEEN. _____ Revised. Prices on Bees. Since 1 advertised Bees for sa!e at $8.50 for a hive, I have received new price list of Bee Supplies, and find the hive with inside fixtures such jas I use will now cost $9.50 without ! the bees and honey stores. Therefore j i withdraw my former offer; but as j 1 have more than I have spare time jto attend to, I will sell a few hives of j bees for $10.00 each. The hives are standard movable frame pattern, either new or srood as new. Don't de lay if you want bees, as it will soon be too late to move them. N. G. OSTEEN, , 320 W. Kampton Ave., Sumter, S. C. Archangel, Tuesday, March 4.?Af ter artillery preparation the Bolshe viki launched an infantry attack yes terday against the allied positions on the right bank of the Vaga river. They were repulsed with considerable losses. FOR. SALE?300 bushels slip shuck ed corn. See L. C. Tisdale, Mayes ville, S. C, R. 2. BEESWAX WANTEB?Any quantity large or small. Am paying best cash price. See me if you nor*** any. N. G. Osteen._- ' ' ?' " FOR SALE?F. O. B. ears, Camp Jackson, stable manure; very little straw. Car load lots only. Cfetenl' cal and Fertilizer value rated vary high by elemson college. A. A. Strauss, Sumter, S. C. Is your farm help scarce and high? Why not grow the same size crop on smaller acreage WITH *s TRADE MARK REGISTERED. ORDER NOW AND AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT F. S. ROYSTER GUANO COMPANY Norfolk, Va. Richmond, Va. Tarboro, N. C. Charlotte, N. C. Washington, N. C. Columbia, S. C. Sparenburg, S. C. Atlanta, Ga. Macon, Ga. Columbus, Ga* Montgomery, Ala Baltimore, Md. Toledo, 0.