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THE AMERICUS TIMES-RECORDER •THIRTY-NINTH year. I PATRIOTIC MASS MEETING WILL BE HELD HERE ON IUIONDM NIGHT Walter T. Colquitt of Atlanta To Be The Principal Speaker RETURNS FROM NATION'S CAPITAL WITH MESSAGE Special Program Arranged For Gathering et First Meth odist Church On .Monday night citizens of Ameri cus will be given an opportunity to receive first-hand information regard ing the situation in which the nation finds itself at this time, with reference to the world -war. At a great pa triotic mass meeting to be held in the First Methodist church at 8 o’clock, Walter T. Colquitt, of Atlanta, who has just returned from Washington, D. C., will deliver an address in which he ■will set forth the exact conditions fac ed by the nation's executives, having been called to the capital to partici pate in a conference on preparedness in various lines of activity. A former federal judge of this state, Mr. Colquitt is one of the best known Georgians. His acquaintance with men and affairs at Washington give him a peculiarly accurate conception of what now confronts the nation in the way of military and economic preparation for the conflict with Germany. He is the son of the late Alfred H. Colquitt, who was a major general in the Confederate army and who was later governor of Georgia and a United States senator. Judge Colquitt comes to Americus at the instigation of the Americus and Sumter County Chapter of the Red Ctoss, and his address touching on the vital facts problems which must be solved, if the war is to be concluded with success to our arms, should be of utmost interest to the citizens of this section. It is intended that not. only the resi dents of Americus, but of the entire county, shall be given an opportunity to hear Judge Colquitt, and every dis trict will be visit by a special commit tee distributing posters, etc., an nouncing the big mass meeting and in viting the residents to attend. The program for the meeting Mon day night is as follows: Invocation - • .Rev. James B. Lawrence ‘ America” Assembly Ti troduction of Speaker..E. A. Nisbet Address... Walter T. Colquitt, Atlanta "Star Spangled Banner” Assembly Benediction. OEfiTH CLAIMS ONE OF OLOESTJESIDENTS The death of Mrs. Malissa Jennings aged 74 years, of Plains, occurred on Thursday at the home of her son, J. \V. Jennings, of Douglas, Ga.. where she had been visiting. The remains were brought back to Plains on Friday and at 4:30 that af ternoon the funeral was held at St. Luke’s cemetery, at Bottsford, Web ster county, Rev. C. A. Phillips offi ciating. The arrangements were in charge of Ross Dean. Mrs. Jennings was one of the oldest residents of Sumter county, having spent 49 years of her life here. Os a lovable Christian character, she was highly esteemed by a host of war" friends who knew her as a woman of high ideals and principles. She is survived by six sons, J. W. Jennings, of Douvlas, Ga.; B. T. Jen nings, of Winter Haven, Fla.; M. M Jennings, L. E. Jennings and P. D. Jennings, of Plains. 4 WEATHER FORECAST. ♦ ♦ ♦ FAIR TODAY with continued ♦ •* coolness. HUGE LOAN TOTAL GROWS AS LATE RETURNSJRRIIIE WASHINGTON, D. C., June 16.—50 overwhelming was the country’s re sponse to the Liberty loan that officials were unable tonight to check more than an approximate of the huge total. Only one reserve district. Atlanta, has completed its work of tabulating the totals. Estimates from the other eleven districts sent the probable ag gregate for the country rising to new high levels. The totals of figures that have actu ally been tabulated in New York, Bos ton, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland and San Francisco —where with the exception of Atlanta the work of compiling the totals is still in pro g-tss—and of official estimates of to tals in the other districts show a sub scription of at least $2,815,500,000, rep resenting only a portion of the full amount. Estimates of all districts, including the official tabulated returns from At lanta, sent the prospective total to $2,- 051.000,000. These figures include sl,- .■',0.000 subscribed in the Philippines but did sot include any of the subscrip tions sent direct to the treasury here, of which no estimate has been made public. Indications are that the final re turns will not be available before Monday. Even then there probably will be only an approximate idea as to the total number of subscribers. What is regarded as one of the most remarkable showings came from the navy department. The department and the ships took an estimated total of $3,000,000. Atlanta’s Total $55,582,000. ATLANTA Ga., June 16. —Total sub scriptions to the Liberty loan in the Atlanta federal reserve district were $58,582,000, according to revised fig ures late today, and which may yet be slightly changed. SPANISH THRONE TOTTERING FROM POPULAR UNREST I LONDON, June 16. —The upheaval caused by the great war which has already hurled two monarchs from their thrones now menaces the anc ient throne of Spain. The utmost ex ertions of the Spanish censors have tailed to completely suppress the re ports o fgrave happenings. From what little is known, the Spanish army is taking the lead in the revolutionary movement which is further accelerated by the food scarcity and industrial un rest. Rumors of revolt have been current for several months and at the end o' May it was announced that the con stitutional guarantees would be sus pended while the government prohib ited all public manifestations in respect to international questions. This was followed by an outbreak at Barcelona on June 1, the seriousness of which was indicated by the fact that the soldiers sided with the revolters and imprisoned a number of their officers. The exact pact which the issues of; the war play in the Spanish crisis is difficult to determine. The masses of the people have been generally credited with being strongly pro-ally in senti ment while the aristocracy leaned to ward the side of Germany. At the sae time the demand for internal re form and other domestic questions have apparently had a leading role in . the growing unrest. RECRUITING OFFICE FOR AMERICUS LIGHT INFANTRY IS NOW OPEN IN THIS Cl IY—THE NATION CALLS A PAPER 10 R ALL THE PEOPLE AMERICUS, GEORGIA, SUNDAY MORNING JUNE 17, 1917 CRIMINAL CALENDAR OF GIT! COURT ARRANGED Judge W. M. Harper yesterday morning set the criminal calendar of the City Court which convenes for the regular June term on Monday morn ing. No regular session of the court will be held this week, on account of the annual convention of the Georgia County Officers’ Association which opens in this city on Wednesday. On Saturday morning the civil calendar for the term will be arranged. Indi cations are that the criminal business at this term will consume about one week. WILL INTRODUCE BILL TO ABOLISH CITY COURT 1321 Bills are to be introduced at the coming session of the state legislature providing that the City Court of Sum ter county shall be abolished in Jan uary, 1921, and that the Solicitor of the City Court shall draw a flat salary of $1,60q during his present term of office, which expires on December 31, 1920. It will also be provided in one of these measures that the judge of the City Court, during the remainder of his present term, may practice law in other courts of justice. Under the present statute, the judge of the City Court is prohibited from handling an» general law practice. A conference was held this morning at the court house by the county com missioners, representatives of the Americus Bar Association and the leg islative delegation from Sumter county in the general assembly this year. At tending the conference were Arthur Rylander, T. B. Hooks. Neal A. Ray, R. S. Oliver, W. A. Dodson, J. E. Sheppard, W. W. Dykes, R. L. Maynard, Senator-elect M. B. Council and Repre sentatives-elect Ed Timmerman, Sr. and Stephen Pace. The grand jury at the November term of the Superior Court recommend, ed in its presentments that the City Court be abolished, substituting four terms of the Superior Court to handle the business usually transacted in the lower tribunal. The investigating body also recommended that the Solicitor of the City Court be placed on a salary I rather than on the fee system as at I present obtaining. It is understood that the Sumter county delegation is solidly supporting the bill providing for the changes in the judicial system as previously des cribed. The Americus Bar Association at a recent meeting selected a com mittee to consult with the county com - missioners and legislative delegation regarding the proposed changes, and the result of the conference yesterday morning is understood to meet with the approval of the committee. NEGRO FINED FOR TRYING ID PUT UP SLOE MACHINES Gordon Moses, a negro claiming to hail from Atlanta, yesterday morning entered a plea of guilty to the charge of operating slot machines in places of business in this city. One machine had already been installed and several more were in readiness at the rail road depot waiting to be erected. Judge Harper sentenced him to pay a fine of slso or spend 8 months on the gang. ♦ FOOD CONTROL BILL ♦ ♦ REPORTED TO SENATE ♦ ♦ WASHINGTON, D. C.. June 16. ♦ ♦ —Following President Wilson’s ♦ ♦ request for immediate action on ♦ the food control bill, the meas- ♦ ♦ ure was today reported to the ♦ ♦ senate without committee recom- ♦ ♦ mendation. and may be reached ♦ ♦ Monday. ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ WILL GO AFTER FUNDS FOR FAIR WITHOUT_ DELAY At a meeting of the stockholders of the Third Agricultural District Fair held Friday night in the offices of the Chamber of Commerce, it was decided to inaugurate a movement during the present week for the purpose of secur ing the necessary $4,000 with which to complete the preparations for the big exposition in Americus this fall. The absolute necessity of raising this fund was thoroughly explained by the offic ers of the association and the impossi bility of holding a fair unless this money can be secured, was forcibly impressed by the directors who have thus far handled the affairs of the organization. On Monday afternoon the directors of the fair will hold a conference for the purpose of thoroughly threshing out various phases of the proposition and formulating definite plans where by the $4,000 balance may be secured. The officials plan to raise the fund this week, but if it appears that the citizens of Americus and Sumter ccunty are not willing to co-operate in I utting on the big exposition here this toll, then the whole project will be dropped as far as the present organ ization is concerned. The entire membership board of Directors, whose term of office expired recently, but who have been holding over until the annual election, were re elected by the stockholders, The mem bers of the board are L. G. Council, J. S. Poole, Frank Lanier, Frank P. Har rold, Carr S. Glover. L. A. Morgan and Crawford Wheatley. , The directors, after their election last night, retired for a few moments and on returning to the meeting, an nounced that they had elected G. R. Ellis as president of the association and Frank Lanier as vice-president. Lee Hudson was re-elected treasurer. Various phases of the situation were discussed, it being brought out that the failure of many persons who sub subscribed for stock to pay their pledges, is the cause of the present stringency in the financial affairs of the organization. The untenable posi tion of these parties was explained and every effort will be made to collect > these long overdue pledges. GERMAN! MAKES OFFER HF PEACE TO NEW RUSSIA i STOCKHOLM. June 16. (Via London) i The Social Demokraten says Ger- ' many has made an offer of peace to- Russia through a number of the Swiss ■federal council. | The Social Demokraten today pub- I lishes the translation of a telegram. | said to have been sent in cipher from 'the political department of the Swiss, i federal council to E. Odier, the Swiss minister at Petrograd. It is dated I Betne, June 5, and says: “Hoffman, a member of the federal council, authorizes you to make to Grimm, ta Russian socialist professor who returned to Russia from Switzer land after the revolution) the follow ing oral communication: - ” ‘Gerany will not undertake an of-1 fensive so long as an arrangement with Russia seems possible. After con i versations with an important person; age. I am convinced that Germany aims ala peace with Russia honorable to* both parties, with intimate economic i and commercial relations and financial support to place Russia once more on her feet. No interference in the do mestic affairs of Russia. An entente cordiale on Poland, Lithuania and Courland, in view of the relationship between the peoples. Restitution of the occupied provinces, and Russia on the other hand, to give back to Austria the provinces which she has been abl - to take." GINNING GLOB SHOWS HEMHBMPHOGHESS The members of the Sumter County Canning club are entering into the work this season with a boundless en thusiasm, according to Miss Rowena Long, home economics agent for Sum ter county. The agitation for home gardens has resulted in enlisting sixty members in the movement, so that there are now sixty flourishing gardens tended by canning club members throughout the county. From these gardens will come the vegetables that will be canned under Miss Long’s direction, and within a short time actual canning operations will have begun along this line. At this time the members are busy putting up fruits and berries. Miss Ruth Salter, of the New Point Canning club, has tomatoes in abund ance in her home garden, and will shortly begin to preserve them, only waiting on the delivery of cans re cently ordered. Several other niem brs are anticipating record output-; this season and the prospects for a most successful season with the Sum ter County Canning club are exceed ingly bright. Plain Statement of Facts as to Third District Fair A canvass of Americus and Sumter County discloses the fact that our people are unanimously in favor of holding the Third District Fair and want it to be a great success, but it is further disclosed that some have not contributed what they could to that end. It is admitted that an Agricultural Fair is of great educational value under normal conditions, and much more valuable under the present war conditions which have so increased the demands for all kinds of agri cultural products, that President Wilson has issued a proclamation to the effect that it is the patriotic duty of every one to contribute what he can towards increasing the yield bf all food and all feed products. But, patriotic duty is not the only incentivi to a larger yield for the present high prices for crops of all kinds make it very profitable to grow them. The people of this section have an opportunity to serve their coun try and at the same time to increase their wealth. The fertile lands of Sumter County and this section produce much wealth annually but the present yield, great as it is, is not one half of what it would be under proper methods of cultivation. Any citizen of the county is willing to do something to help double the wealth produced in the county annually, and the best way for him to contribute to this increase of wealth, is to help the fair. Such an increase of wealth will add greatly to the com fort and the happiness, as well as to the prosperity of our people. Increased wealth means increase 1 opportunity, and prosperity for every one. One should not help the fair simply to receive a personal or selfish benefit, but as a public spirit d contribution to community wel fare. As a citizen in a civilized communtiy, one cannot live for self alone, but organized society protects his life, his liberty and his property, and in return he must serve his natiin. his State and his community. As a matter of fact, men are little, and mean to the degree that they are sel fish, and try to live for self alone; they are good citizens to the degree that they are unselfish, and try to serve humanity. Certain public spirited citizens of Americus and Sumter County have spent much of their valuable time in promoting the Third District Fair by soliciting stock subscriptions, serving as Directors, and some by serving as officers of the same, witho i pay, except that they were and are anxious to serve their community. Others, who receive the same bene fits from our community life, and who are to receive the same benefits from the fair, and who should be inspired and moved by the same mot ive. have, for some reason, neglected their duty, and have not done their part. They owe it to the community to do their full part, and we trust that this duty will not longer be neg evted. Seine, who are able to sub scribe for stock, have not done so, and in failing to do so. have failed to do their duty; some who subscribed for stock, have not paid for it. and no doubt this failure on their part to pay for it has been due to the fact that they have not given the matter proper consideration. By subscrib ing for the stock, they assumed the responsibility of paying for it, and nothing will excuse payment, except inability. Besides, we are quite sure that those who subseribde for stock and have not paid for it, have over looked the fact that they have not only overlooked complying with their’ written obligation, but their derelictim of duty has made it hard for those who have paid, and who have been toiling ardently and ceaselessly for the success of the fair, and have even made it embarassing to the officers who are serving tjieir community by serving the fair. As a matter of fact, these who subscribed for stock and have not paid for it. though we are charitable enough to believe that they have not thought of the matter ser iously, have made it impossible for the officers and directors to make progress towards putting on a first-class fair. These parties who sub scribed for stock are expected to pay Cite same in full during next week, for it is absolutely necessary to collect these unpaid subscriptions before the fair can be properly arranged and held. If the fair is not what it should be. or if for any reason it should not be held, the failure is and will be chargable directly to these subscribers who have not paid their stock subscription. This article is written for the purpose of trying to be plain and for the purpose of trying to place the responsibility for delays and failures on those who are its cause. At the same time, we express confidence in the people ot Americus and Sumter County, and desire to say that we be lieve that by bringing this to the attention of those who have not done their duty, they will promptly discharge their duty by subscribing for stock and paying for it where they have made no subscriptions, and by paying their subscriptions where they have subscribed for stock. But, please remember that this must be done and must be done at once, and that money must be paid or payment satisfactorily arranged before Sat urday, June 23rd, 1917. G. R. ELLIS. President Third District Fair. J. W. SHEFFIELD, SR. VICTIM OF ACCIDENT John W. Sheffild, Jr., left on Friday night for Jacksonville, called there by a telegram from the attending physic ian stating that his father, J. W Sheffield, Sr., had suffered a slight fracture of his arm, caused by a fall. Mr. Sheffield left by automobile about a w-eek ago for Florida in company with Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sheffield, Frank Sheffield, Jr., and Mrs. Henry Collier of Atlanta. The party went first to White Springs and Mr. Shef field, not caring to make the trip down the east coast, left them at Jacksonville. No details have been received as to how the accident occuf red. While not necessarily serious, his triends naturally feel apprehensive, because of Mr. Sheffield’s advanced age, he 1 being in his eighty-sixth year AMERICUS LODGE OF ELKS TAKES SI,OOO LIBERTY BONDS The Americus Lodge of Elks No 752 has subscribed for SI,OOO of the “Liberty bonds,” in response to the appeal made by President Wilson for the popular support of the great war loan. RED GROSS WEEK OPENS MONDAY THROUGHOUT U.S. On Monday morning the Americus , and Sumter County Chapter of the Red Cross will “go over the top” in the new offensive which is to be start ■ ed throughout the land to raise SIOO,- i 000,000 to be used in the Red Cross work across the seas for the Amer ican troops that will shortly be fight ing in the trenches. Every Red Cross chapter in ths United States will participate in the general campaign during the week of June 18-25 and every section of the country is expected to do its share to ward furnishing the funds necessary to supply help for the fighting men soon to be sent against the German forces on the western front. Canvassing committees were ap pointed Saturday morning at a con ference of members of the local Re.l Cross chapter and the city will be di vided into districts which will be thoroughly covered by the ladies who have the work of soliciting funds in charge. Many business houses of Americus have signified their desire to help the cause by donating 5 per cent of the cash sales on one day during the campaign to the Red Cross fund. The following concerns will co-operate in this manner: MONDAY, June 18th—Sparks Gro cery Co., Morgan’s Market. Ansley’s. Rylander Shoe Co., Allison Furniture Co., J. W. Harris Hdwe. Co., Prather- Ansley Drug Co. TUESDAY, June 19th —Buchanan Grocery Co., Church well’s, Sherlock’s j Market. Gyles-Andrews Furniture Co., I Hooks Pharmacy, Buchanan Hard ware Co. WEDNESDAY, June 20th-Gatewood Grocery Co., D. Pearlman, Sheffield Hardware Co., Murray’s Pharmacy, Acme Sanitary Market, Thomas L. Bell. THURSDAY, June 21st—Arthur Mize Gro. Co., J. W. Josey, Howell's Pharmacy. FRIDAY, June 22nd—Pinkston Co . Hightower’s Book Store, W. H. C. Dudley, E. J. Walker, Millinery, Al cazar Theatre. MONDAY, June 25th —W. A. Joyner, Tillman & Brown. The executive committee of the Americus and Sumter County Chapter makes the following statement regard ing the situation that must be met at the present time: "We hope the people of Americus will rise to the occasion, and astound even themselves by the size of their contribution to the Red Cross War Fund." ‘ The main idea at the back of the plans of the plains cf the American I Bed Cross to stir the I'nited States to 'a heartfelt realization or debt and duty, to raise $100,000,000 more rapid ly than that amount jyas ever collect j eo by voluntary subscription, to assem ■ ble the best trained talent that Amer ica possesses, to assemble the great stores of supplies and provide the ships, and then to start to Europe, es ' pecially f£> our French and Russian friends, a stream of help that will never cease to flow, an unending rich current of material and moral aid.” “Excuse and evasions won’t do. If people will meet the situation with that spirit we will have our wall of granite in no time, put life and heart into our shaken Allies, do a tremend ous work before our armies begin to fight, and so deliver a tremendous punch, straight from the American shoulder, at German military power The man who grumbles at taxes and at the call to subscribe will do well to keep in mind the thought that if France and Russia and England break down he will be paying everything he ha’s to German tax collectors for the rest of his natural life. That’s all there is to it. That's precisely the way matters stand.” NO MORE GERMAN TO KE TAI’GHT IN XENIA M HOLS XENIA. O. : June 16.—Spanish and French language will replace German in Xenia’s public schools at the open ing of the next term, it was an nounced here today. 1 ’ NUMBER 144.