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3?cb2isbe? Wednesday and Saturday OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY SOEEER,S. 0. ; ~ tarns: 81.50 per annum?in advance. Advertisements. On? Square first insertion .. ..$1.00 Every subsequent insertion.. .. .60 Contracts for three months, or longer win be made at reduced rates. All communications which sub , serve private interests will be charged ; for as a dvert isements. Obituaries and tributes of respect iriU be charged for. The- Sumter Watchman was found %? 4q ist d and the True Southron in . 1s66. T? .6 Watchman and Southron now has the combined circulation and influence of both of the old papers, arid is manifestly the best advertising medium in Sumter. CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRIES. The attitude toward congressional investigation said to have been assum ed by the War Department is the only one consistent either with the interests of the nation or of the administration whose acts are questioned. Secretary Baker is quoted as saying: "Of course congress is going to in vestigate the management of the war. Congress not only should conduct such an investigation, but -Congress would be derelict in its duty if it did not. investigate. Where billions of dol iars. have been expended, there can be no objection to the most exhaustive sort of investigation and auditing of accounts." Orders have been given, according ly, that all employees of the depart ment shall co-operate fully and promptly with * the probers. It is even announcea^that for some time the department has been collecting and preparing data to -facilitate the big inquiry. It will be fortunate if this policy is followed in every department whose work-is subjected to scrutiny by the majority in Congress. It will be for tunate, too, if the investigation com mittees, where they find such a sit uation, will go about their task in an equally frank spirit. In any event, little is to be gained either by con cealment or distortion. Facts will out. Perodical investigations of this sort nrfe ^really one of the .big benefits in cident to the American two-party system %of government. Each party knows that, sooner or. later, it will be^ relegated to a minority role and called upon for an 'accounting. It ? is weh for everybody; concerned to ac cept the logic of the case, and have as Jittle unpleasantness ? about the matter ?s possible. METHOD ISM AND THE DRAMA. One of the greatest surprises of this surprising age is the fact that the Methodist church has taken the drama into its fold. It has not arriv-i ed-.at?the stage where it recommends, tife;'diversions thought necessary inj some circles for the tired business! man, b^it has taken' the opposite couTse of making dramatic art serve its. own ?teaching. j$ a great centenary exposition aad world rally of Methodism held in Co lumbus, O., a pageant has been staged in a- coliseum seating 8,600 people. The play was based, in form, on the old "nymulity" plays. Action, solo and chorus were used, and the story, was that of a bewildered 2011I, called "The Wayfarer," who was finally con-; rinced that God's purpose rules the worjd. This seems like the right angle from which to view art and life. Art is always the attempt to express and interpret life. It succeeds according as the interpretation is sound. To deny the right to exist of any form of art simply because its working out has been unsuccessful in the wrong hands is like trying to sweep back the tides. There are King Canutes in ev ery iand and every generation, but the tide continues to come in according to its own great laws. To adapt an art-form to the needs of any great purpose or time is a constructive thing. If there is indeed a divine purpose running through all life, moulding it according to law, and the -Methodists wish to prove it, they could choose no* better vehicle than the drama, which appeals at once to eye, to ear and to understanding. THE AIR SERVICE. Congress is fortunately adopting a more liberal policy with regard to avi ation. The house, voting an appro priation of only $15,000,000 for the naval air service next year, has rais ed, the amount to $35,000,000. It was made clear that the navy could not get along on less than $35,000,000, un less it were to eliminate all pro gressive, experimental, constructive effort ??nd simply continue its present equipment and stand pat on present achievement. Now similar steps may be taken with the army air appropriation. The bouse committee has cut that down to $15,000,000. The original estimate of $86,000,000 seems small enough, when compared with those of the 'other powers. Great Britain is plan i?ng to spend $'*tO$,eoo,?04 on aviation next year. The federal aviation service was long enough a disgrace to the coun try. It has only lately attained a strength and effectiveness in which Americans can take any, pride or sat isfaction. The nation, while naturally not disposed to spend money on air planes at a war-time rate, realizes the value of maintaining and develop ing this new mode of transportation, jcor purposes of war and peace alike, and is willing to pay any reasonable j j price. A "billion-dollar wheat crop" used to be the American farmer's dream of opulence. And now, just figure up what 1,200,000,000 bushels of wheat are worth at $2.2B a bushel. FEDERATION AXD LEAGUE. It would hardly be accurate to characterize the Federation of Labor vote on the League of Nations as a straw showing which way the wind blows. It looks more like a straw stack in a tornado. There is no mis taking the fact and its significance. ? The vote cast at the Atlantic City convention in bettalf of 'She more than 30,00*0 local unions represented was 29,750 in favor of the covenant as it stamis, and only 420 against it. That Is 70 to one. It cannot be argued logically that this indicates the actual ratio of pub lic opinion on the subject. The un ions were strongly influenced by the favorable provisions incorporated in the peace treaty in behalf of labor. But with all due allowances made for this and other determining* factors, it looks like a pretty clear indication of the way the "plain people" feel about the matter. That vote registers the sentiment of 3,000,000 workers, representing di rectly, with their ; families,. perhaps 15,000,000 people, and indirectly rep resenting many millions more. It seems likely that unorganized labor in general will follow the lead of the Federation. Here is the biggest block of definite sentiment that has yet appeared in America xon either side of the con troversy. Opponents nf the League may well doubt whether they can muster any weight of hostile senti ment sufficient to counteract It MEXICAN, SORENESS. .. Mexico is sore . becat-se American troops went across the Rio Grande river and drove off a lot of revolution ary bandits who were spattering deadly bullets into El Paso. That is to say, the Mexican government is sore. And that, in turn, is to say that President Carrarza is sore. The United States can stand it, be cause that is the habitual state of mind of Carranza and those associat ed with him in his so-called govern ment. The United States can stand it even if it represents the sentiment of the Mexican people in general. Those ignorant masses have been taught to hate and fear the Yankees. A long course of unprecedented toler ance and humility on the part of the United States does not seem to have lessened their hatred much, nor im proved their undertsanding. Such be ing the case, it is probably well to in ! still into them a wholesome fear of our military power and effective ness. Prompt action in every crisis, and stern punishment for every offense committed against American life, right or property, will tend to make the border safe from raids and re-, store peace within Mexico. It will give the Mexicans, public officials and! peons alike, mere espect for the Gringos. And L.e. . in time, they may come to understand the honesty and friendship of the United States, and behave themselves decently. FOOD COMPETITION. There may be some good reason, either economic or military, for the government refusing to place on the market the vast quantities of food stuffs purchased for the army and now held in storage because they are not needed. There may be some good reason why they should be sold abroad, as the packing interests de sire, rather than sold here at home to American consumers. But no rea son has yet been presented to con vince the American consumers that they have not a perfectly good right to buy that food. There is no desire to withhold fro.n hungry Europeans anything they need to sustain life until their own har vests provide for their needs. There is no desire, either, to hurt any legi timate business interest in this coun try. But the present situation seems unjust, and if continued may develop into a scandal. Everybody knows that food prices in the United States are oppressive. Nearly everybody is convinced that they are far higher than they ought to be, and that the principal reason for it is the exc??ssive profits taken by big interests that have a grip on the nation's main food staples. The middlemen and the retailers, too, are probably doing their share of the gouging, and in many case more than their share. It does look, some times, as if there were a great, silent conspiracy all along the line to pile j up abnormal profits at the expense of j the helpless consumer. Nothing could' deal a more effective blow at this illegitimate profit-taking than the pouring into the market of a large amount of beef, pork, flour, butter, eggs, etc., such as is held by the war department. This would im mediately restore competition in a field where there has-been, for some time, a virtual monopoly. Every body connected with the food indus try would be immediately deprived of any artificial pretext for maintaining ecccessive prices. Accordingly, prices would sink to a more tolerable level. And once reduced, with the bountiful American harvests coming on, they ! would probably stay down. NORMAL EMPLOYMENT. Some of the big industrial centers are reporting a shortage of? labor. One of the United States Employment Bu reau superintendents says: "We have more jobs than we have applicants. Unemployment at this time is cer tainly as low as in normal time?. We have a particular demand for com mon and semi-skilled labor. There are jobs awaiting men in almost ev ery line. Formerly we had the men, but no jobs. Conditions are now re versed." Such conditions probably exist to a much larger extent than most people unfamiliar with the labor parket would believe. So much has been said about dull times that the degree of industrial depression has been ex aggerated all along in the public mind. Strangely enough, conditions seem to have been improving almost without the public knowing anything about it . Two things tend especially to les sen unemployment at this time. One is the demand for farm labor, to har vest the big crops. The other is the growing emigration of alien work men. To these must be added the increasing absorption of labor as va rious industries, little by little, re turn to about normal production. The electric fan certainly has the palm leaf beaten for efficiency. That is, if the owner knows enough to use it for blowing the cool air into a room,; or the hot air out, instead of merely stirring the same dead air around and around. ' * * * No*one man, no one legislative body, no one party, is going to settle the fate of the League of Nations. The people will decide. And the wise statesmen will avoid committing him self irretrievably until he hears from ; them. FALL IRISH POTATOES. Preparation, Planting and Cultiva- , tion. ! Clemson College, June 24.?As the time approaches for the second crop of Irish potatoes, land should be se lected and prepared thoroughly, so that when planting time comes in i July, everything will be in. readiness. A rich sandy loam is preferable, but i almost any well drained soil will grow potatoes, if the land is well prepared I and fertilized. i Thorough preparation consists^ of . deep turning followed by harrowing [ until a completely pulverized seed bed is formed. Rows or deep fur- \ rows should then be laid off 3 to 3 1-2 i feet apart and well thrown out with a turn or shovel plow. j Thorough barnyard manure and , commercial fertilizers are recom- ' mended, but the former must be i well rotted and judiciously used; otherwise, scab and similar diseases I may result. In the use of com- i mercial fertilizer, a complete mix- ' ture containing an excess of potash ( should be applied. Because of the shortage of potash, the element of I plant food most needed in excess in | potato production, liberal applica tions of well rotted barnyard ma- I nure will be found to be very ef- i fective, in helping to reduce this shortage, and to correct the physical { condition of the soil. Barnyard manure should be ap- \ plied broadcast, 8 to 10 tons per i acre, and thoroughly disced into the soil. In the use of commercial fer- ( tilizer, apply in the drill, using 800 to 1,000 pounds per acre, and ' thoroughly mix with the so"1; other- t wise, a poor stand may bf obtaiaed as the result of the contact of fer- ( tilizer and tubers. i Preparatory to planting, reopen ' the furrows and drop the tubers or t parts of tubers 14 to 16 inches apart in the drill covering to a depth of ( 3 to 6 inches, depending upon the < character of the soil?heavier soils ' planted more shallow than lighter ( soils. Packing the soil about the tubers, either by stepping directly A upon the tuber when dropped, or by a use of a light roller following cov ering, insures a much better stand. ( If tubers of the spring crop of . the current year are used for plant- \ ing the second, or fall crop, "sprout- t ing," preparatory to planting will bo very helpful in obtaining a stand. ( This may be done by drying the tu- d bers 10 to 14 days and spreading ' upon the ground in a cool shaded i place, covered with straw to a depth of 3 to 6 inches and watering ( sufficiently to saturate the straw i but by no means such as to cause " the tubers to become drenched. j Frequent shallow cultivation, eith- . er by harrowing across or with the I HARBY & CO., Inc. COTTON AHO FERTILIZER 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 rows, should be giv? : at intervals of one week, or as . uon after each rain as soil conditions will permit, until a good stand is obtained; after which, such as may be necessary to keep the crop in a high state of cul tivation. Under normal conditions, from 90 to 110 days from planting will be required to make the crop. Flour Dealers' License Sale of Flour Regulated By Gov ernment New York, June 24.?Julius Barnes, United . States wheat director, an nounced tonight that President Wilson has signed a proclamation putting un der license of the wheat director per sons, firm, corporations and associa tions dealing in wheat, wheat flour, or baking products manufactured either wholly or partly from wheat flour. The only exceptions are farmers and small bakers. The proclamation, which goes into effect July 15, applies 'to the "busi ness of storing or distributing wheat, or manufacturing, storing or distribut ing wheat flour" as well as to the manufacture of bread or other bakers' products either wholly or partly from wheat flour. The exceptions are listed as follows: "(a) Bakers and manufacturers of bakery products whose consumption of flour in the manufacture of such products, is in the aggregate less than 50 barrels per month. "(b) Retailers and farmers or co operative associations' of farmers or other persons with respect to the pro ducts of any farm or other land owned, leased or cultivated by them." Common carriers are required to get on or before July 15 a license from Mr. Barnes "in such form, under such conditions and, under such rules and regulations governing the conduct of the business as he may from time to time prescribe." Blank forms to be used in apply-1 ing for jjuch licenses may be ob tained by the zone agents of the grain corporation in Baltimore, Chicago, Calveston, Minneapolis, Kansas City. New Orleans, On- . Philadelphia,! Portland, Ore., St. .uis, San Fran-1 Cisco, Buffalo and Duluth. After the] applications have been filled out they ? must be sent to the wheat director at Washington. The proclamation states that "any person, firm, corporation or associa tion other than those herein before excepted who shall engage in or car-1 jry on any business above specified af jter July 15 without first securing the j license, or shall carry on any such j business when such license is sus I pended or after such license is re voked will be liable to the penalties 'prescribed by law." Cotton Market LOCAL. P. G. BOWMAN, Cotton Bujer. (Corrected Daily at 12 o'clock Noon). Good Middling 32 1-4. Strict Middling 31 3-4. j Middling Si 1-4. j Strict Low Middling 24 3-4. ,-. NEW YORK COTTON MARKET. Yes'td'y? Open High Low Close Close Oct 32.94 33.78 32.77 33.74 32.74 Dec . 32.87 33.70 32.72 33.66 32.70 Mch ..32.55 33.35 32.25 33.25 32.30 CROP REPORT. ! Synopsis of Weather and Crop Condi j tions in South Carolina for The I Week Ending June 24. I Columbia, June 25.?Cotton, on the j whole, has made seasonable growth j during the past week and is in good I to excellent condition. The dry weath j er was favorable for cultivation, and fields are free from grass. Blooming is-rgeneral in southern portions, and scattered "blooms are appearing in , the central counties. Corn, through i out the State, is in rather poor con dition. Much of it is "firing" and tacseling prematurely, .especially in the uplands. There is considerable complaint of insects in northern and central counties. Tobacco is fair to good, with some very good. Grain has been practically all housed. The peach and apple crops are reported very light in northern counties. Gar den and truck crops are looking well. Copious rains would improve practically all crops. ALBANIA WANTS ONLY LIBERTY. Tirana, Albania, May 5 (By Mail)? Albania desires nothing from the Peace Conference except its liberty. It wants neither mandates nor pro | tectorates but simply self-government. jThe simple mountaineers trust the ! soldiers of no nation and the presence I of foreign uniforms in their mountain ! fastnesses serves only to goad the pi into revolt against the invader._ . The only uniform which is welcom ed is the American. Albanians as sociate the American uniform, wbeth j er it be that of ar. army officer of the Hoover Food Mission or the American Red Cross, with charity and the help-' ing hand. They put the broadest terpretation upon the entry of * American Red Cross into their coUn try and see in it a sign that ?meri will back them up in their claims To independence. The harvest of 1918 fortunately was very abundant in Albania thus the country escaped a serio shortage of food. However, the n of medical help and of clothing.<fe universal. The mountain people have-, practically speaking no doctors and no medicines. When they are taken siek they lie down on the dirt floors of their houses and are covered with blankets by their friends, there either to recover or die. Tuberculosis, and malaria are the commonest diseases. There is much malnutrition from im proper feeding, especially among the children. Although they have no trust in; their own physicians the natives will j swallow without hesitation any kind of a phi or draught from an Ameri ; can Red Cross doctor or nurse. Amer | ican doctors and nurses are welcom jed into Mohammedan homes where [other Christians would not be admit ted. Mohammedan women submit to operations by American doctors where ! before they lay down and died rath er than have a foreigner touch them. Albanian mountaineers carry their children on donSey back for hundreds-; of miles over the mountains to this'' nearest American Red Cross station. In short, Albanians have implicit con fidence in Americans. SALESMAN" WANTED?To solicit or ders for lubricating oils, greases and paints. Salary ^pr commission. Address The Lennox Oil & Paint : Co., Cleveland, O._ '" ?'ri FOR SALE?Or will trade for dry cattle several Jersey heifers or^ young cows with young calves. B. W Dabbs, Mayesville, S. C. R. L. BEEHIVES AND SUPPLIES?I have lately received a few Georgia made hives and fxjames?8 and 10 frame size. Also on hand sections and foundation for comb honey. N. G. Osteen, 320 W. Hampton Ave. BEESWAX WANTED-?Any quantity large or smalL Am paying best cash price. See me if you have any. N. G. Osteen. Just Received. Priced at from $1.25 T0 $3.00 Also a New Line of georgette WAISTS In All Colors at $6.00 to $7.50 An Attractive Showing of CREPE DE CHENE WAISTS Exceptional Values at $3.50 to $5.00 Additions to our waist stock are being received nearly every day. Dainty waists, the latest models and newest effects will al ways be found in our waist department. Shaw & McCollum Mercantile Co*