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^Wannamaker Advises Farmers That Prices are Going Much -H Higher .1 ?? LOOKS FOR HIGHEST PRICE ][': . SINCE CIVIL WAR Condition of Dry Goods Market Is Such That Cotton is Bound to Advance. ' Columbia, May 22.?"Information which I have received during1 the ; past few days convince me that cot ton will shortly be bringing the highest price since the civil war," declared J. Skottowe Wannamaker, president of the American Cotton As sociation, on his return today from yew Orleans where he has been since the meeting of the association in that -city last'week. "We have a naked world to clothe and the dry goods shelves are empty. I have looked into . the ; dry goods situation and know whereof I speak. Cotton is obliged to advance. There may be a slight pe riod of reaction but it will be for a few days and the market is sure to go to heights unknown in a very short time." Mr. Wannamaker, who was chosen president of the American Cotton As sociation by an; unanimous vote, says, that the association is planning a cam- ] paign of education and information j on the cost of production of cotton.' He declares that the world has an idea that cotton can be produced for almost nothing and that the south ern cotton farmers can grow only cot ; ton. ' N "The South Carolina Cotton As "aociation has already opened the eyes ^ " X>f 'many people," said Mr. Wanna -.-imaksr. "I was told by men from* New York that if it had not been for the South Carolina Cotton Association ? cotton would today be selling for 11 1-2 cents. One man from New York told me today that there were several "broke" cotton bears in New York to day as a result of the work of the as sociation of this State." ?*-Chairman Wannamaker found "hundreds of telegrams and letters -awaiting his attention when he ar rived today. He is-besieged with in ' vit?tions to speak, the invitations com ing1 "all the way from Dallas, Texas, to New York City. He regrets that ? h'e will be unable to accept all of them hut says business pressure will com tfer'him to decline many .of them. ? Mr Wannamaker is hopeful tha the headquarters of the American Cotton Association will be located*in Columbia. * Atlanta, Memphis, Dallas, Columbia and Birmingham are all af ter them. He is of the opinion, how ever, that this city will be chosen. -' Regarding the headquarters of the export corporation, Mr. Wannamaker says that New Orleans, Memphis, Dal las, Houston, Wilmington and Savan nah are contenders. There win be a meeting of the executive committee of this corporation at New Orleans next Tuesday. ' Chairman Wannamaker was very emphatic in his advice to the cotton producers to hold their cotton. "I am convinced," he said, "after seeing tel egrams from dry goods houses and users of raw cotton that the market' is going to advance. The longer these people postpone buying cotton the higher the price they will have to pay for it. The farmer must not sell his j birthright for a mess of pottage. That is what he is doing when he sells his j cotton now." ? "The South has the cotton," said j Mr. Wannamaker, "the world has to | have it The Southern cotton farm er can name his own price if he will j just do so." Mr. Wannamaker said that the American Cotton Association was very badly in need of funds. Several contributions have been re ceived he said, but more more money is needed. Boys Come Home Twenty-seven Thousand Reach New York i New York, May 22?Twenty-seven thousand troops of the American ex peditionary forces stepped ashore here today from eight transports, which had brought them home from France. This is the greatest number! of doughboys to debark at this port.j on any one day. Virtually all States! were represented among the arrivals. Aside fom the casual companies, the v units, comprised parts of the Twenty-1 eighth, Twenty-ninth. Thirty-second. I Thirty-third. Forty-first, Seventy eighth. Eighty-second. Eighty-third and Eighty-ninth Divisions, the first five made up of former State National 'Guard organizations. Chief interest attached to the Leviathan and Imperator?the former because it carried nearly one-half of all the troops arriving today and the latter for the reason that her appear ance here was the first since prior to the war. Both vessels, the two largest steamships in the world, were once; Germany's crack merchant marine; liners, and they made the present ! voyage almost side by side from Brest to New York. The other troops car riers docking were the cruisers Seat tle and Charleston and the steamships) Yale, Manchuria, Ohioan and Mexi-j can. -/Z._ Washington. May 23.?The senate! today passed without debate or amendment the deficiency appropria tion bill adopted yesterday by the; house carrying forty-five million dol-' ars for war risk allotments to fam- J ilies of soldiers and sailors and for? dependents of civil war veterans. The! measure now" goes to the president, I COTTON WANT BY RUSS American Cotton Association in Receipt of Inquiry From Soviet Government THEY WANT,HALF MILLION BALES Chairman Wannamaker Says He Has Sensational Information On Dry Goods Situation Columbia, May 22.?The Russian soviet government; is anxious to purchase 500,000 bales of American cotton at the very earliest possible moment, according to a telegram re ceived yesterday by J. Skottowe Wan t namaker, president of the American Cotton Association. In a statement given out last night Mr. Wannamaker i said that the inquiry regarding the possibility of securing this -cotton jhad come from a man in New York ;city, signing himself as A. A. Heller land designating himself as the com mercial representative in the United I States and the purchasing agent of j the soviet government of Russia. Ac ! cording to Mr. Heller the Russians are anxious to start up the big cottcn mills at Moscow at once. That he has information regarding the dry goods situation which he has collected at great expense during the past few days and which if divulged would causo a sensation was a state ment made by Mr. Wannamaker last night. This information has been col lected from both manufacturers and the dry goods dealers, says Mr. Wan namaker, and shows that the dry goods shelves qf Europe are bare and that they are partially bare in this country- "Europe is naked and our own country is only half clothed," he added. "I have undoubted facts in my pos session showing tha't but for the ma nipulation of the markets by the speculators and gamblers cotton would have brought 75 cents a pound last fall," said Mr. Wannamaker. "Mill men have told me recently that they could give 65 cents per pound basis middling for cotton now and make money. There is sure to be a big ad vance in the price of cotton. It may not come immediately although you see what it did to day and what it has been doing for the past few weeks. The Southern farmer has the situa tion in his own hand. He has the cotton now and the naked world must get it from him to cloth itself." Mr. Wannamaker urged the farmers i to hold their cotton for a full price plus interest and plus the mistreat ment and abuse of many years. He said that the order from Russia shows that the European countries are plan ning to start their mills up again and when this is dene the demand for cot ton is going to be so great that the price is going to go beyond all pre vious bounds. Regarding the order from Russia it is stated that this was probably in tended to be turned over to' the big cotton export corporation now in pro cess of organization. Officers of the "tatter have not yet been chosen but will be at an early date. Chairman Wannamaker said yester day that he had urged the farmers last fall to hold their cotton and those who have held thus far are probaby very thankful that they have done so. T now urge them to hold on a while longer," he said. "I understand that I great quantities of cotton have been Isold for July delivery. This is sure to force the market up because the I houses doing the selling will have to get the cotton somewhere and they are going to have to pay a handsome price for it." Letters are being sent to every member of congress explaining the cotton situation, says Mr. Wannamak er. He believes that much of the mis treatment of the South and feeling ?against this section among the mem bers of congress has resulted from I ignorance of the conditions surround ing the production of cotton. Tt is Mr. Wannamaker's belief that the campaign of education which the American Cotton Association is j launching will prove of very great benefit. j ''There are many people north of, the Mason and Dixon line who do not ! know that cotton has to be handled ! by the human hand from the time it | opens in the boll until the cloth is: made. The man that handles it is entitled to a living: is entitled to j have a home to live in. schools to send j his children to and is entitled to wages which will enable him to give these children advantages. We are setting,1 forth the fact in our letters to the people of the North that this has not! been possible with prices which the .rotton farmers have gotten during the j past few years." Plan to Tighten Blockade _ i Allies Ask Switzerland if She Would Agree to Such Step Berne, May 22.?(By the Associated | Press).?It is confirmed that the Al-: lied and associated governments have ! addressed a question to the Swiss gov- \ ernment as to whether it would be willing and ready to take measures! fo ra severer blockade against Ger many should cicumstances require i*. It is believed here that this step is preparatory to action, should Ger many refuse to sign,the treaty. The publication of the question has made a painful impression in Switz erland and is commented upon wide ly in the press as an infringement of the right and independence of small countries. Uniform Bids Submitted by All The Big Corporations For Steel Rails RAILS BOUGHT UNDER PROTEST Director General Hines Feels That Railroads Have Been Forced to Pay too Much Washing-ton, May 23.?Uniform bids based on the prices agreed upon be tween representatives of the steel interests and the recently dissolved industrial board have been submitted by six steel companies in response tc the railroad administration's request for bids on open hearth rails. Director General Hines announced tonight that he had placed orders with these companies for 200,000 tons of rails, but that he had done so "un der protest" and with "emphatic dis approval of the prices and the man ner in which they were established.' A uniform price of $47 a ton for open hearth rails, which Director General Hines says was "in strict ac cordance with the prices approve:' by the industrial board," was sub mitted to the railroad administration by the Carnegie Steel Company, the Illinois Steel Company and the Ten nessee Coal and Iron Company, all subsidiaries of the United States Stee1 Corporation, and by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, the Bethlehem Steel Company and the Lackawanna Steel Company. After his failure to induce repre sentatives of the steel interests at a final conference in New York several weeks ago to reduce the prices es tablished in their agreement with the industrial board, Director General Hines announced that in the public interest he would request competitive bids on the steel requirements of the railroad administration which is the largest buyer of steel in the country. T/hc bids announced tonight were submitted in response to the director j general's reques. In his recent opinion holding th? price agreement plan of the industrial board "to be unauthorized by law," Attorney General Palmer declared that under the anti-trust laws price fixing agreements were illegal and I that such agreement might be "brought about through an informa' meeting of the minds as well as: through formal contracts." Mr. Pal mer also held it to be an established legal principle that "the puchaser of government supplies shall be gov erned by the competitive system." I Director General Hines in his state ment tonight announcing the bids charged that the action of the six steel companies in submitting uni j form bids was taken under the leader ! ship of the United States Steel Cor j poration. Explaining the position taken by the railroad administration in placing orders with the steel companies Mr. Hines said: "When the industrial board ap-? proved the prices proposed by the steel interests it became at once ap parent to me and I so indicated in various discussions with representa tives of the government that that ap proval would encourage the steel in ? terests to stand together on those j prices even though governmental ap proval was withheld. I felt however, j that even so. it would be far more in j the public interest for the government i to withhold approval and if necessary ! pay such prices, for the time being. } under protest rather than endorse the j prices, and that toe. for the entire calendar year, as was proposed by the j industrial board and thereby given an j official sanction to prices which were j unreasonably high and which would j merely serve as a starting point for j still higher prices later on. "The result has been in exact ac cordance with this forecast. Six of j the leading steel interests, in response j to the railroad administration's re ! quest for bids for stel rails, have sub ; mitted bios which arc uniform in all j respects as to prices and conditions I of manufacture and are in strict ac cordance with the prices proposed to jand approved by the industrial board. In view of the immediate need for 200,000 tons of steel rails, orders have been placed at the prices, but j with emphatic disapproval of the prices and the manner in which they have been established. "That action of these six steel com panies in making uniform bids was taken under the leadership of the United States Steel Corporation is clear from the fact tb.-;?. immediately! after the railroad administration an nounced finally that it would not ap prove the prices fixed by the industrial j board. Judge Gary, from the steel cor poration took the initiative in an nouncing publicly that the steel cor p< r.-'tion was strictly maintaining the prices approved by the industrial j board and that it seemed to him that would be the attitude of other man ufad urors" Mr; Mines then reviewed figures showing, he said, the "heavy profits" j of the steel companies in recent i years, in support of his contention j that the rails prices quoted were un-1 reasonable. "It is important to remember" said j Mr. Hines in conclusion "that the! present poicy of the steel interests in adhering to high prices on the groun ! that present costs necessitate them is]; a policy 1ir.it does not work both 11 ways, it is a policy to keep prices!1 from going lower as business in-1? creases and costs diminish." ? Paris. May L'3?The council of four ? this morning discussed the military 1 terms and th<- clauses relative to pris- . oners of war. which will be incorpor- . a ted in>the treaty with Austria. i Johnson, Lodge and Sherman Open the Attack in the Senate DEMOCRATS MAKE A HOT DEFENSE j World Peace To Be Made a Foot-, ball by Self Seeking Politi cians. Washington, May 23.?The peace treaty with its league of nations j covenant was debated for three hours in the . senate today and at adjourn ment the resolution which furnished the vehicle for the discussion weui over as unfinished business to come up again when the senate reconven ed Monday. The resolution merely calls on the state department to furnish the senate with the complete text of the treaty, but as the debate progressed 'discus sion shifted to the merits of the league and treaty themselves. A dozen sena tors, including the leaders on both sides, were drawn into the discussion and sharp exchanges presaged the ! bitterness of the fight when the treaty actually comes for ratification. Opponents .of the treaty in its pres ent form lined up generally for the resolution and those supporting the treaty draft led the opposition. There was no attempt to reach a. vote, how ever, and some senators predicted it would be several days before the pre liminary skirmish of the treaty ffgh' would comg to a decision. The leaders both for and against apparently are feeling their way carefully. Senator Johnson of California. Re publican author of the resolution started the debate today with a short speech charging that the treaty sup porters had '"something to conceal." This assertion drew an indignant reply from Senator Hitchcock, rank ing Democrat of the foreign relations committee, who declared the president was following well established prece dent in keeping the treaty text in confidence and that for the senate tc request him to do otherwise would be a "gross breach of international pro prieties." Republican Leader Lodge, prospec tive chairman of the foreign relation? committee, replied to Mr. Hitchcock declaring there was no impropriety ir the resolution unless it were improper to "call attention to the new method of 'open covenants openly arrived ?it.' " Every shopkeeper in Germany, sale1 the Massachusetts senator, was read ing the treaty as made public at Per j bn. yet the senate was provided onh j within a "worthless" official abstract A charge that the Republican" were attempting to make the treaty a nartisan question was made by Sena tor Robinson of Arkansas. Democrat, who cited as evidence the telegram ?ent by Mr. Lodge some weeks ago tc Republican senators asking them ao1 to discuss the revised league of na tions covenant pending a party con ference. The Republican leader rc tcrted that the precautionary telegram had no such purpose, and that "not a word" of discussion cf the treaty had passed in any of the conference of Republican senators. In the course of the senate a bitter attack on th\o league covenant and on President Wilson's course in the peace conference was made by Senator Sherman of Illinois. Republican, who ; earlier in the day had presented a res ' olution declaring it the sense of the ??enate that the treaty and the cove nant shoubi be considered separately! when they come up for ratification. At Sherman's request his resolution! went over and will be called up for! debate probably next week. How long the discussion started by Senator Johnson's resolution is to con-j tinue could not be predicted by either side tonight. During the <\a.y Sena tor Robinson gave notice that he ex pected to address Che senate at great er length on Monday in support of the treaty and Senator Reed of Missouri. Democrat, who is understood to op pose it. also announced that he would speak on the subject at Monday's ses sion. Many other, senators are known to be pi-eparing addresses. Poles Capture Lutsk They Continue Their Victorious Campaign Against Ukrainians London. May 24.?Polish troops have captured Lutsk, northeast of Lemberg, from the Ukranians, ac cording to a Berlin dispatch, taking two thousand prisoners and many] guns. American Railroaders j In Russia! They Are Rendering Valuable Service in Archangel Region -Archangel. Friday. May i?::.?Amer can railroad troops are playing im- I portant part in the rapid advance of! the allies southward along the rail roads. Artillery continues active but ! no serious fighting is reported. Paris. May 24.?The treaty to be | presented to Austria will be consider-; ed at the plenary peace conferenccon Tuesday and laid before the Austrian i ilelegation. probably Wednesday. Aus tria's army is to be reduced to 15.000 j men Virtually all military suoplies will be surrendered or destroyed and ' further military production abolished. I A.11 warships will be surrendered and < Austria's position as a naval power * terminated, < BUILDING MATERIAL ''VWV-mf W Build Now Production depends on Construction U. S. Dept. of Labor W. B. Wilson Secretary I Plough and dressed lumber, brick, lime, cement, plaster shingles; in fact everything for the builder. BOOTH & McLEOD, INC LONDON MAIL TO GIVE PRIZE To Devote $50,000 to Next of Ein if Hawker and Grieve Are Lost CONTEST HOWEVER IS STILL OPEN Money Will Be Divided in Pro portion the Aviators Had Al ready Agreed Upon. London. May 23.?The Daily Mail announces that it intends, if Hawker and Grieve lost their lives in attempt ing to fly across the Atlantic to devote fifty thousand dollars to their next of kin in the proportions that Hawker and Grieve had already agreed to di vide the prize This disposition will not interfere with the contest, which is still open. Answer of Germany Awaited As Time is Marked at Versail les Peace Congress on Part of Allies With Regard to Dele gates from Berlin Treaty For Signatures of Austrians is Being Prepared. While time is virtually being marked by the peace congress at Versailles with regard to Germany, with the allied and associated powers awaiting the coming of next Thurs , day, when the Germans pre to make known their answer to the allied de mands for peace, the council of four daily is at work deciding Questions which have arisen through the pre sentation of notes by the German plenipotentiaries. Protest against the Saare Valley award and the question of reparations by Germany were dis cussed by the cour.cii Thursday and a reply was returned to Versailles by the allies of the note dealing with the repatriaion of German war prisoners Indications are that German prisoners guilty of crimes will be held for trial and punished. Prior to the receipt of the German reply, it is expected that the Aus trians will be handed the peace treaty they are expected to sign. The belief in Paris is that this will occur early next week. Meanwhile the Turkish and Bulgarian peace delegates have arrived in Switzerland, where they i are ;waiting a summons to France! by the peace congress. There has been some friction in the [ council of four owing to the Italians; having recently landed troops inj Asiatic Turkey without notice to the! allies. The United States, Great Brit- j a in and France requested of Italy the I reason for this move. During a session of the council. | which was attended by the Greek premier, M. Venizelos, Signer Orlando Italian premier, entered and was ask ed by President Wilson if his reply was ready. Orlando demanded the withdrawal of Venizelos before he re- J plied notwithstanding the insistence! of President Wilson that the Greek ! i iiplor ;at remain. Venizelos finally j withdrew and the. council later ex-j pressed its regret to him. Opposition continues in Germany to the signing of the peace treaty while? everywhere in the zone of occupation! the allied and -American troops are | ready to advance into the former cm- j pire if this step should become neces-j sary. Large numbers of American | motor trucks have been moved into the occupied area east of the Rhine for use in an emergency. American j military officers h;ive wanied the j burgomasters in tin- territory controll ed by the Americans that they will be ; held responsible for acts of violence against American troops or attempts1 to destroy American properly. It is h reported thai recently the Germans!? have shown considerable arrogance); towards the American troops. V Word has reached M. Clemenceau.p president of the peace conference from jg the Sinn Fein leaders in Ireland that h Ireland desires recognition and that ? i she will decline to be bound by agree-'t ments affecting her entered into by j the British delegates. ; : To Fly To Brazil f French Aviator Will Attempt to j Cross Atlantic Paris. May 24.?Lieut. Roga. the 1 French aviator, is expected to begin 1 i flight from Paris to Morocco and c thence from Dakar to Brazil if ccn-.r tiiions are favorable, i KAHN TO SPEAK ! BEFORE HOUSE I Will Givp. Results of His Two j ? j Months Investigation of Amer ican Expeditionary Army DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL OF ARMY FROM FRANCE j Chairman of- House Military j Committee says, Americans j Will Receive Great Surprise I When They Study Peace f1 Treaty; \ Washington, May 23.?-The'.' early [ withdrawal of the entire Ameiinan ! army from Europe will be demanded Jby Representative Kahn, chairman of ! the house military committee, when : he speaks before the house on his j two months' investigation of condi j tions in the American expeditionary. I Representative Kahn returned vto j Washington today and immediately j began organizing a committee. Amer | ican troops, Kahn said he found, > ; liked neither the French nor the British troops and he related there j was no doubt but both the latter ! were beaten when the American I army stepped in. Kahn announced j he would press for publication the j full terms of the peace treaty imme j dlately, and the published summary, 'which he declared was far different I from the treaty'itself, and he predict - ! ed the American people would "re i ceive a great many surprises when 1 they study it carefully." Sights Airplane In Mid Ocean Cable Ship Sights Red Light of Airplane Which May Have Been Hawker London, May 23.?The cable ship Faraday reports that the lookout sighted the red light of an airplane, early Monday morning, apparently half way between England and New Foundland in the course which would have been followed by Hawker. Submits Memorandum To Wilson Henry Mongenthau Recommends II S. Become Mandatory for Constantinople Paris. May 23.?Henry Mergen thau, former American ambassador to Turkey, has submitted a memorandum to President Wilson concerning the. proposal of the United States to be come a mandatory for Constantinople; , It is understood he favors the inclu sion of Constantinople, Andatolia and Armenia under one mandate as being advantageous for administration pur peses by combining the large section of northern Asia Minor under a cen tral administration. Probes Seed Sales Columbia, May 22.?Referring to two letters of E. W. Dabbs with ref erence to the sale of cotton seed at less than the stabilized price, it seems proper to say that the food adminis tration has investigated every report of sales at less than the stabilized price and will continue to do so as long as it exists. With reference to the sales at Olanta, the sales referred Lo by .Mr. Dabbs were investigated promptly after they were called to >ur attention and a detailed report forwarded to the division of enforce ment of the food administration at Washington with recommendation for prompt and vigorous handling. The food administration in this >tate is maintaining the stabilized >rice of cotton seed with all the legal >owers it has. and all sales at less ban the stabilized price of $71 for ?ar load lots and $68 for wagon seed ire investigated and reported to Washington with proper recommenda ion. The stabilized prices are for tound and mature seed, and a circular egulating sales of unsound and im nature seed has been sent to the rade. Our estimate is that not more than : per cent .of the seed in South Car lina is unmarketed. William Elliott, 'ood Administrator for South Caro lina. Washington, May 23.?An attempt .as made to demolish the American egation building at San Jose, Costa iica. Monday night by a bomb, ac ording to State department advices eceived today. Only slight damage j reported,