Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Mmtinow - talks business _ Discussion of Treaty Assumes a More Practical Com- / ?|s plexion v BOUTICAL PROGRAM HAS BEEN WORKED OUT McCumber and Lenroot Draft ing Compromise Reserva tions It&j ? ?mg* \ "Washington, Sept. 8.?Marked indi ? nations of a compromise in the sen ate controversy over reservations to The ;2eagrue of nations covenant came today from both Democratic and Re publican sources after Republican Leader Lodge had announced that the* peace treaty would be reported to the Senate Wednesday and probably taken up for consideration next Mon day. Probably the, most important devel opment of the day was a statement to the-senate by Senator Simmons of Nor?h -Carolina, prominent in admin istration leadership, 'declaring- "some concessions in the way-of reservations "wfli'have to be made: to secure its ratification." Although "utterly" op posing some of -the Lodge reserva tions, Senator Simmons said he was suggesting a compromise on "conser vative reservations of an interpreta tive ^character." ". .Republican senators continued ef forts* to compose differences over a preservation to Article 10 of the league covenant. Senators McCu'mber, North Dakota, and. Lenr oot, ^Wisconsin, were said to have drafted substitute reser vations which were discussed private ly today in lengthy cloak room con princes. lengthy cloak room conferences. . ;,Seriator Poindexter,. Republican, Washington, in a two hours' address in'the senate today replied to state ments of President Wilson in his speech making tour. Several Republi 'can * senators made arrangements for speeches in several Western cities in rfcPly to the presidnt, while Senator Harding, Ohio, and others, prepared tc ?reply soon to Mr. - Wilson from the ?Serrate'floor. '^Referring to the president's chal lenge to league opponents to "put up ytr:lshutJ up," Senator: Poindexter said "the ^bstlttue for the league offered ?Ibiy fts"sopponents was the declaration ;6i4&dependehce and Lincoln's govern -tnent* J'by and for the people." Jr. reply rtp" ' the president's' declaration th^Jf the' league would '-end use ol *j^^erj^an soldiers abroad, Mr. 5cPc^~dexter called attention to the sending of American troops to Siberia j s??bT the reported plans: to send others -tc^ .Siberia and Armenia. /v/Wkh interest centered in the reser vation controversy considerable sig nificance' was attached by senators tc . Senator Simmons' formal statement, although he disclaimed privately that lie. spoke for the president. He ex ^afnfed that he gave only his personal "View of the senate situation and this explanation was supported by Sena tor^ ffitchcock^ Nebraska, minority leader'pf the foreign relations com niittee, who said that President Wil sofi's position on reservations, even of av-^mild" variety, had not yet been made known. Republican leaders, however, hailed Senator Simmons' ?t?tetnent as a frank confession (hat thetreaty can not be ratified without reservations. ;r:*1ajn in/favor of and will gladly vote for the treaty and the league tccvenant as it was originally present ed by the president, without amend ment or resemtion, ?' said he. "I a^ree with the president . . . that it contains nothing that would jeopar dise American interests. It should be ratified without further delay. . .'^However, after a thorough study ?f-.vthe situation in the senate I am convinced that some concessions in the* way of reservations will have to be made to secure its ratification and so believing I have recently discussed 5Witii a number of my colleagues the advisability of reaching some com promise between those who are in favor of the treaty without reserva tions-and those who are in favor of it 'with conservative reservations of an Interpretative character. "I am utterly opposed, however, to trie' reservations proposed by the for eign: relations committee. Some of these* reservations would radically change the scope and character of the instrument emasculating some of the main provisions of the league and which would call for reconsideration of the peace conference." -:. - SOUTH CAROLINA BORROWS $22,800 : a 1 " ? COlunnihia, Sept. 8.?The borrowing 1 committee 'of the State, consisting of the -governor, the State treasurer and* ^comptroller general, have borrowed $22,800: from local Columbia banks to" defray the expenses of the reor ganization of the National Guard. This is the amount stipulated by the adjiutant general's office out of the conditional appropriation of $65.000 made by the last general assembly. The money is borrowed, at a reason able rate of interest. STRIKERS VIOLAT ING UNION RULES * ?? &| v ?_ ' =S*?fitbn, Sept. 10.?John L. Lewis, acting president of the Mine Work 'GBSi.jpi 'America, wired from Cleveland that if twenty-six thousand "union m?n iprfjto return to work he will send representatives here to convince the Strikers they are" violating union rules. v ? ' ? y [HAS ASKS 50c FOR HER COTTON Committee Named at New Or leans to Fix Price on Staple MANY PLANS SUBMIT TED FOR HOLDING President Wannamaker De Clares'That Cotton Is Selling Below Cost New' Orleans Sept. 8.?Five hun dred delegates, representing ten lead ing cotton Sates, gathered in the Grunewald assembly room, heard President JJ S. Wannamaker open the meeting of the American Cotton As sociation this morning by reading a personal letter from President Wilson in which he commended its "excel lent purpose," and said, "I confident ly look for helpful results from it." President Wannamaker laundhed at once into organization and called on each State to appoint two mem bers on 'several important commit tees. Welcoming adresses were made by Mayor Behrman, Governor Pleas ant, of Louisiana, and others and in replying in an eloquent address, after which he was compelled to rise and respond to continued applause, Thps. J. Shackelford of Athens, Ga., chair man of the finance committee, declar ed that ''whoever solves the prob lem of a fair price for cotton has solved all the problems of the South.'* Commissioner of Agriculture, J. J. Brown, of Georgia, was named by President Wannamaker chairman of the committee on recommending a minimum price for cotton. This com mittee will report Tuesday morning and predictions vary as to the figure that will be fixed. Georgia delegates are talking 37 1-2 cents, while Texas is shooting as high as 50 cents. Dis cussion in this committee is expected to be quite warm. Governor Hugh M. Dorsey and Sen ator Hoke Smith came in on the morning train and both were cordial ly received. Senator Smith, a char ter member of the association, spoke at the afternoon session and gave some good suggestions in connection with organization. Governor Dorsey, by special invitation, will preside at 'air sessions of the association Tues day. In a " keynote speech, President Wannamaker said he proposed to send a commission direct from this meet ing to President Wilson to ask him to call a meeting of representative bankers, merchants and producers in Washington, from all sections of the country, to devise ways and means of extending the needed "European cred its to prevent calamity. This committee has been named, with John S. Holder, of Georgia, as chairman. President Wannamaker declared, cotton is today selling be low the cost ' of production, and quoted figures prepared by W. W. Morrison, of New Orleans, showing that it cost 34.5.6 per pound average, ; to grow this season's crop; and that if cotton today were selling at the same relative value as other products, it would be bringing 48.06 cents a pound. He showed Europe must have prompt credits to avoid calam ity and is willing to take American cotton at a fair .price. The association he said, is pushing a bill in congress to require the department of agricul ture to make periodic reports on acreage aoandonment. as this is a vital factor in determining the sup ply. Another law sought is to provide for the designation in the South of "warehouses of delivery" so that pur chasers of future contracts can de mand delivery at southern ware houses. L. D. Jennings of South Carolina, introduced a resolution pledging all delegates present to use their best efforts to establish in every cotton county in the South a corporation to take care of distress cotton. A spe cial committee was named to. devise plans for carrying out the purposes of this resolution. L. S. Tomlinson, of j North Carolina, was appointed chair man of the committee on permanent organization. Many letters and telegrams were read, among them being one from R H. Fletcher, of Fo' wth, Ca., read at the afternoon se :on, in which he said: "Cotton is going down every day Europe is not able to buy. I will have about 100 bales this fall. I will sell half of my cotton through the American Cotton Association to for eign spinners on one year's credit. Get everyone who is able to do this and we can whip the fight. The half we keep at home : will be worth as much as the entire crop." There were many other telegrams along similar lines; some declaring cotton should bring 50 cents or more, and others suggesting the prompt exchange of American cotton for German potash. Following Senator Smith this after noon, speeches were also made by Editor D. D. Moore, of the Times Picayune; Col. W. B. Thompson, of New Orleans, "and Philip C. Wads worth, of New York, an authority on the handling and compression of cot ton. A special committee will be sent to Washington to confer with W. P. Harding, chairman of the federal re serve board, to take up the matter of reviving and establishing an export financing corporation to handle ex port cotton. j POSSE CAPTURES ACCUSED NEGRO Athens. Sept. 10.?Ohe Cox, the ne gro accused of murdering a farmer's wifo has been capture by a posse and feeling against him is high. austria signs peace treaty; * i _ j Dr. Karl Renner, In Behalf of j Austria, Accepts Terms De clared By Conference FRANK POLK SIGNED FOR AMERICAN POST! 'Premier Clemenceau Presided at j Session of Conference Which -Lasted One Hour _ St. Germain, Sept. 10.?Dr. Karl Renner, head of the Austrian peace delegation signed the treaty this morning, followed by Frank Polk, who signed for the United States. A flurry was caused when Paderew ski, the Polish premier, entered the room. Premier Clemenceau presided and the session lasted an hour. COTTON SEED MARKET GOOD Mr. McLaurin Sees Movement Against Buyers I thoroughly agree with Captain Claffy in his open letter expressing dissatisfaction with the cotton seed situation. I think, however, that the real motive inspiring the mills is not so much the price of seed as the de termination to get rid of independent buyers and absolutely control the cot ton seed market. The conference is camouflaged behind "price fixing." The object of the mills is to elimi nate 'the independent buyer and' then they can parcel out territory and control price of both seed and meal. it is the independent buyer who injects life into the seed market. Cut him out and you destroy all compe tition, leaving the farmer at the mercy of the mills who will fix the price of his seed and give him no voice in fixing the price of their meal. It means an immediate return to the conditions of last winter when there was no market for car seed. ? The mills will speed up their ginneries, which, together with wagon seed, will enable them to run at $3 less than car lots. ' We sell many seed to mills outside of the State, these will be [forced to Withdraw or enter into this "gentleman's agreement." The farm er does not keep posted on the pro ducts of seed/ the independent buyer does, and for that reason is a "thorn in the flesh." If the price fixing com mittee does not remain in constant session how can it make accurate and prompt changes in prices? If the price on seed products ad vances the mills can buy seed at pre vailing prices. If, however, the price of products should decline, the mills can withdraw from the seed market. Does not this give the mills both ends of the rope and the middle, too? If there is a joker in the deck, who put him there? "What the farmer needs is a competitive market, not a bunch of self-constituted guardians. I know of. one firm of independent buyers who have already contracted for seed and placed them with a mill at $83.33 per ton. If this independent mill can pay ^$1.2r, per bushel, what about the oil mill trust? If this mill has sold for future delivery its prod ucts on the above basis is it not fair to presume that other mills have done the same thing? The government fixed the contract price last year at $1.02 per bushel for seed and $r>3.25 per ton for meal. Nov.', is it not a fact that as soon as the government re strictiens were removed meal was ad vanced to $65 per ton while there was no advance in the price of seed? Furthermore, why did this confer ence fix the price of seed and leave the price of meal unfixed? Pardon, a few postbellum reflec tions. There is now in progress a con solidation .of manufacturing indus tries on a scale never known before. If unchecked this will pile up un dreamed of wealth to the prejudice cf the producer and the consumer. The interest on tremendous war debts must be paid by labor and the pro duction of raw material. Labor is or ganized and can protect itself. The | producer of raw material, is unorgan ized and at the mercy of both capital and labor. I lost, faith 20 years ago in the effectiveness of voluntary or ganizations for farmers. It lacks the J cohesive force. I advocated the. State 1 warehouse system in South Carolina and I believe that the farmers in ev ery agricultural State should seize the reins of political power and prot?ct themselves through their State gov ernment. What chance have the un organized and ignorant scattered through rural districts against cor porate greed backed by unlimited capitul and expert financial strategy. Look at the price of cotton as an il lustation. The principles upon which the State warehouse system is found ed is the solution of the problem. They have sidetracked it, but The farmers will be taught by distress, they learn naughfl from prosperity. When they are educated to go to the I ballot box and establish for them selves through their State govern ment a comprehensive system back ed by law for the financing and mar keting of their crops, they; will come into their own and not until then. John L. McLaurin. Eennettsville. JOHN MITCHELL PASSES AWAY Xew York. Sept. 9.?John Mitchell, former president of the United Mine Workers of America and one of the most widely known labor leaders in the Cnited States, died at 5 o'elock this afternoon at the Post Graduate Hospital. He was only -19 years old. Men Decided to Walk Out Be fore End of Month As Had Been Arranged WILSON'S EFFORT FOR COMPROMISE FAILED Union Representatives Refuse to Accept Suggestion For Postponement of Strike Washington,, Sept. 10.?Regardless ! of the request of Preside-::'. Wilson j that they take no action pending the j coining industrial conference, repre sentatives of organized workers in the ! steel industry late today called a j strike, effective September 22. to com ! pel recognition of their unions and I of the principle of collective bar gaining by the ? ited States Steel Corporation. The executive council of 24 unions I represented them among the workers made known their decision in an an nouncement issued after they had re quested the president by telegraph for a "more definite statement" as to the possibilities of arranging a conference with steel corporation officials and af tor they had received a reply from the j president asking that they withhold I action until after the industrial con j fcrence. The president's telegram was } not made public by th^ union heads. but its context became known in j Washington tcr.ight through press dis ! patches. In their statement the cxecu I rive council merely said they had not been advised "that the efforts of the president had been any more success ful" than the efforts of the men. Union officials firmly refused to in dulge in any speculation regarding the extent of the strike. Though a declaration attributed to Judge Gary of the steel corporation, that the steel workers were not more than 10 per cent, organized was ridiculed as erroneous. The steel corporation was said to employ about 202.000 per sons and the entire industry nearly \ ,400,000. In some places, it was said, JLh^e men are 95 per cent, organized, a.id at virtually all miils organizers have been active for weeks and still are working to obtain recruits for the unions. This campaign of organization un ion officials has been opposed vigor ousl2?' by the mill owners, who were said to have adopted every possible method to defeat it. Claims were ' made that at least 100.000 men in the Pittsburgh district, 100,000 in the Chicago district and 50,000' in scat tered areas employed by "independ ents" as welLas by the steel corpor ation had been brought into the union and would answer the call by drop ping their tools. In addition, union officials said the strike would have wide ramifications by its effect on other industries. Evidence of the bitterness in the relations between the unions and the steel mills was seen in allegations made in the statement by the union heads announcing the strike. Seven union members -nd organizers, the statement sai< iad been killed recently by the "armed guards and thugs" employed by the companies. On Eoard President Wilson's Spe cial Train, Sept. 10.?President Wil son today, through Secretary Tumul ty, sent a telegram to Samuel Gomp ers urging the' steel men to postpone their threatened action until after the forthcoming industrial conference is held at Washington. At the same time he telegraphed Louis Erownlow, president of the board of commissioners of the Dis trict of Columbia, asking him to post pone action against me police of Washington. D. C.Nwho recently join ed a union affiliated with the Ameri can Federation of Labor and who were ordered to give up their affilia tion by today under pain of dismissal, until after the industrial conference. The two telegrams follow: "Hon. Samuel Gompers, President of the American P'ederation of Labor. Washington, D. C. "In view of the difficulty of ar ranging any present satisfactory me diation with regard to the steel sit uation, the president desires to urge upon the steel men thro'ugh you th ? wisdom and desirability of postponing action of any kind until after the forthcoming industrial conference at Washington. (Signed) "J. P. Tumulty." "Hon. Louis Brownlow. Commission er of the District of Columbia, Washington, D. C. "The president suggests the great advisability of postponing any issu*1 regarding the police situation until; after the forthcoming industrial con-I ference at Washington and hopes that the postponement can be effected. I (Signed) "J. P. Tumulty." TELLS OF DANGER OF BOLSHEVISM Billings. Sept. 11.?President Wil-? son declared the spirit of unrest in j this country was connected with the j disturbances abroad. especially inj Russia and that agents of Russia and I agitators had come here spreading j propaganda, and their efforts would j he defeated, he said, b van early rati fication of the treaty and an accept- \ ance of the league of nations which j guarantee-, to all people the territory upon; which they live. Me character- i ized as "pitiful' 'those Trying to de- } feat the treaty. Should the treaty fail in America he said it would be impos sible to get together again the ele ments necessary to make a new set tlement and that the league would not prevent all wars but ten p<jr cent! insurance was better than none. \ LUMBER PAINT ARE YOU GOING TO BUILD? We sell everything for any building BOOTH & McLEOD, Inc. 1 BUILDING MATERIAL BUILDERS' HARDWARE [ALLIANCE WILL BREED WAR j Senate Foreign Committee Char acterizes League of Nations as Such j REPORT IS SENT TO THE SENATE TODAY I Four Reservations Are Made Declaring Nations Would Take Us On Own Terms Washington, Sept. 10.?Character izing the league, of nations as an al liance which will bneed war. the ma jority report of the senate foreign committee was reported to the sen ate today. . lteport contains four res .ervations concerning the Monroe Doctrine, Shantung, the right cf the United States ,to withdraw uncondi tionally and the refusal of the United States to preserve the territorial in tegrity of any other country. It is asserted that the purpose of the pro posed reservations was to preserve American rights and sovereignty. The report denounced the attempt to frighten the unthinking by sug gesting that if the senate adopts the amendments the United States may be excluded from fhe league and de clared that such a thing would not; happen, that the other nations would j take us? on our own terms, for with out us the league is a wreck and all! the gains from a victorious peace would be imperilled. GONZALES AMBAS- j SADOR TO PERU Senate Foreign Committee To-j day Confirms His Nomi nation i Washington, Sept. 10.?The senate foreign committee voted to confirm! the nomination of William Gonzales. j as ambassador to Peru. PRICE OF COTTON j Covention Sets Temporary Min-; imum to Guide Farmers ? New Orleans. Sept. 9.?After the j American Cotton Association at the: closing session here lite today agreed j unanimously .upon a" scale of tem-j porary minimum prices from 36 cents j for September to 4 0 cents for May, an | uproar over a resolution for the in- j dcrsement of President Wilson's tour! of the league of nations and for urg-; ing the senate to ratify immediately the peace treaty ensued in which the proposal to set aside the two-third rule which would allow a vote was defeated 4 6 to 41. The meeting got beyond the con-/ trol of Governor Dorsey of Georgia, j who presided, and in the*, uproar he j repeatedly pounded the gavel for or der. j Only a temporary minimum price j I on cotton j was fixed by the cotton j i conference today in adopting the re- ! j port of the committee which recom mended this action because the price "could not be based upon the supply and demand." and that "until the peace covenant has been confirmed j the European markets will he limited, j this condition practically eliminating [all competitive buying." The temporary minimum price adopted "until conditions warrant a ( j higher minimum" was: I September 36 cents, October 36 1-2. November 37, December 37 1-2. Jan uary 38. February 3S 1-2. March 39. . April 39 1-2. May 4 0. j Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia de- . I nounced the federal census bureau's ( 'present system of compiling cotton t statistics which he said was that of ( using estimates of The Cotton Gazette < of Liverpool; the Liverpool Cotton , Association and the report of Secre-L tary Hester of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange. Senator Smith said U would introduce a bill in congress re-L quiring the department to give the j ( number of bales of cotton ginned and j ] "not an estimate" of how many hadU been ginned. j : TREMENDOUS COT- |< TON WASTE j' -. Farmers Lose Thirty Million s [X Dollars Annually s i? Washington. Sept. 9.?Southern cot ton raisers are losing thirty million j dollars annually from weather dam- I ^ age to bales left in the open, the de-: p partment of agriculture announced to- j ( day. _ .j_x 'o LEAGUE MEETING CANT BE HELD First Session of World Parlia ment Postponed By Sen ate Delay MUST WAIT ON RATI FICATION OF TREATY Will Be Held in London or Pari* j Unless United States Ratifies I Covenant N / ~ -: Washington, Sept. 8;?It now isrvir ! t?ally certain that the first meeting of j the league of nations will not be held [ in Washington in October as origm | ally planned. The exact date depends upon the I action of. the United States senate in I regard to the ratification of the i treaty containing the covenant which j creates the league. Should the sen j ate ratify the treaty in time to per ' mit delegates to arrive for a meet ' ing in November, it probably will be 'held then, but if the discussion is j much protracted, ~.he meeting time is i expected to go over until the first of ! the year, some time in ' January in i 1920. There probably could be no I meeting in December because of cir cumstances which might make it in ! convenient for some of the foreign [ delegates to come at that time. ! The first meeting of the league council, however, can be called any time after three of the principal pow ers have, ratified the treaty. It is ex pected to be held immediately after such ratification. Unless the senate has ratified the treaty by that time, the United States would not be rep resented at the meeting, which would be held in Paris or in London. Ger many already has ratified and France is expected by some observers to ratify some time during September. Italy generally is expected to be the r.e.xit in line and Japan and is expect ed to act during the next three months. Great Britain has enacted legislation carrying the treaty into ef fect but has not formally ratified it, prohably waiting until after the Ca nadian parliament now in session has acted. The situation as to ratification by lesser powers and the large number of neutrals which signed the treaty is not clear in Washington. Presi dent Wiison recently told senators of the foreign relations committee that he had no official information on that phase of the -subject. TAKE ACTION ON GREAT STRIKE United Brotherhood of Rail way Employes Convention in Detroit Detroit. Sept. 8.?Definite action by the end of this week on the threaten ed strike is expected of the conven tion of United Brotherhood of Main tenance of Way Employees and rail way shop leaders, /which opened its sessions here today with more than 2.000 delegates from the United States, . Canada and Panama Canal Zone pres ent. The membership has already voted power to the executive committee to call a continent-wide strike of the 600,000 men in these crafts unless wage demands and working agree ments asked of the railway adminis tration of the United States and the Canadian government are granted. On Friday the convention, after ? hearing the report of the national committee which presented the de mands" of the brotherhood to Walker D. Hines. director general of railroads, will discuss the wage question from jvery angle, including-its relationship, to living costs and likely will take de cisive action on the proposed strike. Sentiment of the convention is over whelming in favor of the walkout unless the demands are granted. Answers from the railroad admin ?tration to the demands presented is expected by Friday, in fact, the del egates anticipated today that Mr. FUnes. who adresses the convention EVednesday, will then state the admin stration's stand. The men are firm n their determination, brotherhood ?flicers state, not to accept compro uise. Hammond. Ind.. Sept 9.?Five trikers were killed and fifteen wound >d in a battle today between a thou ;and former employes of the Stand ird Steel Company and the police. Glasgow, Sept. 10.?By an over vhelming vote the trades union con rress in session here adopted a res )lution favoring the nationalization if coal mines.