Newspaper Page Text
<M!RTY.NINTH YEAR.
DO ACTION
PLANNED AGAINST
THDS. E JAIATSDN
WASHINGTON, D. C., August 4.
Federajjtroops may be sent into Okla
homa and other states to quell atiti
draft demonstrations which recently
have assumed growing proportions.
Department of justice officials inves
tigating disorders in the South and
elsewhere, announced that all persons
resisting the draft law would be hunt
ed down and brought to justice, no
matter at what cost.
The possibility of sending federal
troops into sections where anti-draft
agitators are busy was discussed today
at conferences between officials of the
justice and war departments. It is
probable that a decision will be
reached in this respect within the next
twenty-four hours.
Officials here think it hardly likely,
however, that troops will be sent into
any section until it becomes apparent
that the civil authorities are unable to
cope with the situation. The next few
days, it was thought, would determine
this. The intention to deal quickly
and severely with all persons spread
ing dissension in whatever localities
against the draft law was expressed by
officials of the two departments con
cerned.
Watching Every Move.
WASHINGTON, D. C., August 4.
The United States government through
the department of justice, it has been
learned here, is preparing to take im
mediate action in whatever drastic
form may be necessary to quell
Thomas E. Watson in Georgia, and
others opposed to the army draft laws.
Reports of a dangerous character have
reached the Washington authorities
from Georgia, North Carolina and else
where, information being that open re
bellion has broken out in the moun
tain sections, federal officials being
threatened with death if they persist
in securing army recruits.
So far as the Georgia end of the mat
ter is concerned it is probable that
much of the spirit of opposition to the
draft law is due to Senator T. W.
Hardwick, for army draft speeches
and utterances, and his opposition to
the Wilson administration’s methods of
raising an army, and to Watson for
his magazine articles.
Here is what the department of jus
tice is said to be considering:
One—Anti-draft meetings in Geor
gia and the collection by Thomas E.
Watson cf a fund to fight the conscrip
ts n law. Watson's “Jeffersonian,” now
in possession of the department con
tains a number of inflammatory utter
ances urging resistance to the draft.
Two —Activity of agents of the I. W.
W. in'southern California; there are
instances in that state of draft resist
ance.
Three —Despoliation of lumber in
Washington state whose forests are
supplying the spruce for the manufac
ture of aeroplanes. Spikes have beef
found driven through carefully selected
timbers, making their use impossible.
Four —Sporadic outbursts against the
draft in certain sections of Texas.
Leniency Period at End.
It may be asserted that the depart
ment of justice is prepared to adopt
strict measures to put an end to re
bellion against the draft laws. Acer
tain leniency has been shown so far i
in the hope that the country generally ,
would awaken to the crisis and the ,
■b draft would proceed uninterruptedly
without favor.
If the outbreaks in North Carolina
and Georgia are permitted to go unno
ticed, it is realized there is danger of
spread of the movement. <
An issue of Watson’s paper sent to ■
the attorney general shows his collec- i
tions are being made at Watson’s in-j
stance to test the conscription law in 11
the supreme court: t
Watson says: i
“There is power which can say to i
crazy congressmen ‘halt’; there is a i
power which can say to a white house p
autocrat, ‘thus far shalt thou go an 1 ■ ]
no further.’ The federal judiciary is p
that power, and we must appeal to it.
"I advise the conscripts to await the!
decision of the United States supreme p
court, and not be clubbed by fear of
e— ' - -..-J-.-— l . . - - -
THE NEWS WHILE IT IS NEWS-COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL AND TELEGRAPHIC SERVICE—THE HOME PAPER PAR EXCELLENCE
HIE AMERICUS TIMES-RECORDER
SLAYER OF SILLS
CHARGED WITH MURDER
ALBANY, Ga., August 4. —Major
Johnson, charged with the murder of
Walter Sills, was given a committal
hearing before Judge J. R. deGraffen
reid yesterday afternoon and was
bound over to Superior court without
bond
Johnson shot Sills in the former’s
room Friday evening of last week, Sills
was shot seven times with an auto
matic pistol. Johnson claims self-de
fense, saying that Sills went to his
room to renew a difficulty of a few
hours before, in which Sills was the
aggressor
-- I- ■ .
VIGTOHY MUST BE
COMPLETE SAYS
BRITISH PREMIER
LONDON, August 4.—David Lloyd
■George, the British premier, in the
presence of a distinguished gathering
representative of all parties which
met this afternoon in Queens Hall to
mark the third anniversary of the
declaration of war, reiterated the aims
for which the Entente Allies were fight
ing and indicated the only conditions
under which they would consent to a
suspension of hostilities with the Cen
tral Powers.
In the course of his speech Premier
Lloyd George said:
“Victory must be so complete that
cur national liberty never again shall
be challenged.
“Russia learned that an army with
out discipline is a rabble.
“There are some here who want to
set up committees for the British army
and direct the conduct of the war. We
cannot allow a sectional organization
to direct the war, or to dictate the
terms of peace. The allies as a whole
made war, and the nation as a whole
must make peoce.”
The British prime minister said he
did not trust the German peace talk.
“Neither the kaiser or the chancellor,”
hr declared, “has yet said he would be
satisfied with German soil. They talk
glibly about peace, but stammer over
the word restoration. Before we have
a peace conference, they must learn
to use the word restoration. So far
they have not learned even the first
letter of the alphabet.”
buried mm
i
i
The funeral of Benjamin L. Methvin,
who died at the Naval Training School
at Portsmouth, Va., on Wednesday I
morning, wac held Saturday morning
at eleven o’clock at Pleasant Grove
church in the 28th District, Rev. Paul
Ellis, pastor of First Methodist church,
officiating. The young man was bur
ied in his naval uniform.
The Americus recruiting station was
closed out of respect to the deceased, <
and A. M. Fertile, recruiting officer, 1
attended the funeral services. Inter- 1
i
ment was made in the family burial (
ground.
<
I
conscription into enlistment. Once you i
volunteer and sign up you can be sent 1
anywhere and the law can’t help you.” 1
This open rebellion to the govern- i
ment’s plan for raising men for the t
army will not be tolerated much longer, s
it is believed, and it is not improbable t
that Watson may meet with action con~
siderably stronger than merely having i
his magazine kept from the mails, if 5
|he persists in his attacks on the ad- e
ministration, j
What may be done for Senator Hard- j
I wick’s part in it is not known, as i
! senate membership would protect him, t
.probably, frthn harsh treatment. t
A PAPER FOR ALL THE PEOPLE
AMERICUS, GEORGIA, SUNDAY MORNING AUGUST 5, 1917
MEMBERSDFU.S.
MISSION RETURN
FROM PETROGRAD
A PACIFIC PORT. August 4.—The
American mission to Russia, headed by |
Elihu Root; landed here late last I
night. No official statement on the !
work of the mission to Russia was j
made public. Mr. Root declared that
he had nothing to say beyond the fact
that the party had been hospitably re
ceived in every Russian city visited.
From the Russian revolution will be
evolved a stable government, according
t? James Duncan, ice president of the
American Federation of Labor. Its es
tablishment is retarded, he declared,
that the radical, so-called reformers,
who have returned to Russia from ,
i I
I the United States.
Charles Edward Russell said the 1
task of new Russia was greatly handi- >
capped by German influences and the ,
ceaseless activity of the German pro- .
pagandists.
“Most of the trouble, however, has
been caused by Russians naturalizdJ '
as Americans, who have returned to i
Russia since the outbreak of the revc- j
lution,” he said, and addtd that Rus- ]
sians from the United States spread
the report throughout the country that
America had entered the war from sor
did reasons. ’
“These propagandists,” he continued, <
“who pretend to have an intimate 1
knowledge of American conditions and
American motives inform their native
countrymen that the government of the *
United States is more oppressive than
the old regime at Petrograd.” i
He declared that the extremists of ,
the socialist party were demanding the (
immediate institution of a socialist
commonwealth regardless of the men- '
ace of German militarism, but that 1
most of the socialists were coming to j
understand that the world must be :
safe for democracy before there can be <
any sound progress toward social bet
terment Declaring that the socialist
party in America is in the hands of 1
German propagandists, Mr Russell i
made his first answer to his expulsion ,
from that party.
Rear Admiral James H. Glennon, on
his arrival, learned of the death of his|'
son which occurred three weeks ago. P
Wireless messages carrying the news j
were directed to him, but failed to ,
reach their destination.
I,
RETURN FROM TRIP ;<
THROUGH NORTHEAST STATES ,
/ ' ’
/ Mr. and Mrs. George W. Bagley, of i
DeSoto, have returned from an ex- i 1
tended tour through the northern and '
eastern states, visiting Niagara Falls, ■ t
Buffalo, N. Y., New York City, thejj
White Mountains of New Hampshire I (
and Washingtofi, D. C. They report •
business conditions exceptionally good;'
in the north and the pleasure resorts ’
doing an enoimous business. . t
MIL PARTI TO
s
ARRIVE MIW
1
The Sumter county (S. C.) 801 l .
Weevil Commission, which is to make
an extended tour of Georgia and Ala- 1 1
bama investigating boll weevil condi- 1
tions and methods of fighting the pest, i
has changed its itinerary, according ;
to information reaching the Americus
ar.d Sumter County Chamber of Com
s
merce.
The original itinerary called for the 1
arrival of the party in this city on <
the afternoon of August 7 but under f
the present arrangements the com
mission will arrive in Americus on
the morning of August 11 to spend a
short time looking over the crops in s
this section. i
The party is to be composed of about
50 merchants, farmers and bankers of
Sumter county. South Carolina, who s
are starting on this tour to gather all
possible information concerning the t
practical methods of fighting the weev- r
ii, so that when the pest arrives in s
their section of the state next year s
they may be in better condition to c
4 4 4 4 44444444
♦ TWO HUNDRED MINERS 4
4 ENTOMBED IN KENTUCKY 4
♦ 4
♦ CLAY, Ky., August 4. —Two ♦
♦ hundred miners are entombed in 4
♦ Mine No. 7 of the West Kentucky 4
♦ Coal Company here as a result of 4
4 an explosion of gas at 7:0 this ’
’ ♦ morning. Three men have been 4
i 4 rescued. Smoke is emerging from 4
I 4 the mine. v
!*4*444444444
DRAFT NOTICES
COME BACK BUT
ARE SENT AGAIN
Sixteen notifications cards sent out
i by the Sumter county exemption board
have been returned by the postal au
thorities, who have been unable to find
the authorities to whom the cards were
addressed. Three of the cards bore
the names of white men, while the re
maining thirteen were negroes. The
notices were readdressed, additional
information secured and the cards re
mailed yesterday in a second attempt
to find the rightful addresses.
The draft regulations provide that
exemption boards shall notify the draft
ed men to appear for examination, but
the failure of a man to receive such
a notice doe", not constitute an ex
cuse for not appearing for examination.
The burden is placed on the regis
trant to keep himself informed as to
his order of liability for service and
the posting of the list of men to be
summoned on the first call is consid
ered by the federal authorities to of
fer sufficient facilities to the drafted
men to inform themselves as to the
date on which they are to be examined.
The list of the first call men has been
posted in the office of the clerk of the
exemption board and is accessible to
the public.
Therefore, even if a man fails to re
ceive his notification card informing
him that he has been summoned for
■examination on the first call, he is
supposed to have consulted the posted
[list and found out whether or not he
is called. Men who fail to appear for
’examination are. under the ruling cf
the AVar Department posted as eligible l
for service and are not allowed the |
■right of claiming exemption
The local exemption board expects!
i
tj encounter a shortage of certain
blank forms which are used in filing I
exemption claims, etc., and it is pro-1
bable that typewritten forms will be !
used for this purpose in the event that i
the printed supply sent from Washing
ton, D. C. is exhausted.
The Sumter county exemption board
wiiVon Tuesday morning at 8 o’clock’
begin the examination of the 500 men!
summoned on the first call to secure}
the necessary 187 men constituting the'
quota for this county. The first 167,
men will be examined on Tuesday, the
second 167 on Wednesday, and on!
Thursday 166 men will undergo the!
physical tests given by Drs. R. E. Cato,'
P. A. Smith and Dr. I), . Mayes, exam
ining physicians for the exemption'
board.
Men registered in this county but re
siding in other counties, may be exam
ined by the exemption board of the
county of their residence, upon order!
from the home board. Blanks for this
purpose are to be secured and forward
ed to the home board, which will is
sue the necessary order for the exam
ination.
f
solve the problem
It is planned to show the visitor!
through various districts of this com
munity where the weevil has been sub
sections where the damage has been i
serious on account of lax methods of
combatting the pest
’ MERCHANT SHIPS
M OVER BI
SHIPPING BOARD
»
WASHINGTON, D. C., August 4.
I The emergency fleet corporation today
requisitioned all merchant vessels of
I more than 2,500 tons now building in
American ship yards. Double and tri
ple labor shifts will be put in the
yards to speed construction.
There are building in the country's
yards about 700 ships totalling more
than 1,500,000 in tonnage, most of it
contracted for by foreign firms. The
completed American vessels will be
retained by the shipping board for
operation, while final disposition of
: the foreign craft will be left to nego
tiations between the United States
and the governments concerned.
No announcement was made as to
1 the amount of tonnage taken over, but
' the shipping board’s records show
■ that about 700 vessels or nearly 2,000,-
. 000 tons of all classes are building
As fast as the yards are cleared of
their present construction, they will be
put to work on the great fleet the gov-
■ eminent will build. The yards were or
: dered to enter into no more contracts
o- commitments for private construc
tion and to begin no new work on
contracts already made without first
obtaining permission of the fleet
corporation.
Compensation for the construction
. seized will be determined later. Much
o’ the tonnage building is for British
and Norwegian account. Its final dis
position will be left to negotiations
• with the governments concerned, al-
I though the president has the power to
, retain it if the tonnage is needed by the
United States. The British govern
ment, it is understood, is willing to re
linquish to this country all its tonnage
I building here. The American ships re-
■ qnisitioned will be kept for operation
by the shippinb board.
F. W. HORNE AND FAMILY
GO TO RESIDE AT BALL GROUND
i -
E. W. Horne and family, who have
made their residence in Americus for
the past four years, coming here from
Fairburn, Ga., have moved to Ball
ground, Ga., north of Atlanta, where
Mr. Horne has accepted a position with
the Consumers Marble Works. Since
ir the employ of the Schneider Mar
his residence here Mr. Horne has been
| ble Company. Mr. and Mrs. Horne
| have many friends in Americus who
' regret to see them leave, but will wish
| for them much happiness and presper-
■ ity in their new home.
AMERICUS MAN 15
BIT ST Tffl IWSI
F. G. Beavers of this city had an al-
I most miraculous escape from death
!<v serious injury Friday night about
17:30 o’clock when he was run down
by a Ford car and while lying in a '
dazed condition was hit by another au
to. Although sustaining severe bruis
es, Mr. Beavers suffered no broken
, benes.
The accident occurred on Cotton ave-'
. nue near Forsyth street during the}
| rainstorm Friday night. Mr. Beavers I
■ attempted to cross Cotton avenue, I
holding his umbrella against the windi
and had almost reached the opposite j
curb, when he was struck by the fen-1
der and left front wheel of a j
Ford car which had turned the corner
■ at a rapid speed and was running down
Cotton avenue. Mr. Beavers was
thrown violently for several feet across
the street and while in a dazed condi
tion was endeavoring to regain Ids
feet, when the second car, driven by
Roney Stallings, came up Cotton ave
nue and struck him, hurling him to
the ground again.
As the second car passed over his
body, he grasped the front axle and
was dragged for several feet before
the machine could be brought to a
stop. He was finally assisted to his
feet and was brought to his rooms
at Mrs. ,J. W. Stallings’ on Church
j TWO TRAINS OPERATED
i 8Y G.F. & AJESTERDAY
BAINBRIDGE, Ga., August 4.—Two
I passenger trains were run on the G„ F.
& A. today and both were manned by
I union labor. The management an
nounced that they are confident of fill
ing all places within a few days, and
. of not having to go out of organized
f labor to do so.
f The men who resigned seemed to
! be taking the matter good naturedly.
. The road announced this morning they
3 would take the men back at the old
terms and give them preference over
3 other union men, many of whom are
| said to be seeking jobs on the road.
t
RUSSIANS TURN
ON PURSUERS IN
BBlaK SKIRMISH
f
PETROGRAD, August 4.—North of
■ Hussiatyn, on the Russo-Galician fron-
■ tier, the Austro-German rear guards
5 have been driven from their positions
' on the eastern bank of the river Zbrocz
1 says the official statement issued to
' day by the Russian war department.
: Forty-three prisoners were taken and
seven machine guns were captured.
1 Between the rivers Dneister and
Pruth and in the Carpathians, the
1 Russian troops still are retiring to
’ the eastward.
! The Russian war office statement
' says that a battle between Russians
’ and Teutons is racing to the northeast
! of Kimpolung in southern Bukowina.
‘ The Austro-Germans have occupied the
‘ town of Dorna_AVatra.
1 While there has been no renewal of
■ the smashing offensive on a large scale
1 inaugurated by the Anglo-French in
Flanders on Tuesday, the incessant
pressure on the German lines is be
ginning to tell in the further yielding
of ground.
The British have again established
themselves in the village of St. Julian
which they lost during a German
counter attacq closely following the
initial dash. The French in turn mov
ed ahead in their sector making fur
ther progress west of the Cabaret of
Kortekeer.
To the south on the Arras battle
front the British have renewed their
grip on their old line, completing last
night the recapture of the positions the
Germans took from them Thursday
night an Infantry Hill east of Monche
LePreaux.
FIRiU BALL SOLD
IT 11 CENTS mil)!
The first bale of the 1917 cotton!
crop to be marketed in Sumter county!
was knocked down at public auction,
late Friday afternoon to Floyd P. |
I Jones, of the Leslie Warehouse Com-j
I'
pany, for 50*cents per pound. The bale!.
was brought to Leslie Friday after-[
noon by C. W. Westbrook, a prominent j
farmer residing near DeSoto and was |
immediately sinned, after which the!
public auction occurred. |
I It weighed 415 rounds and graded/
I
i middling. |
Last year the first bale to be mar- j
'fitted in Sumter county was brought
't< Americus on August Ist. Leslie got
■
its first bale last year on August 6th.,
j The price of 50 cents per pound is a
I record figure for first bales in this,
section of the state and thus far this'
season has not been suri a:-sed in Geor
gia, the nearest approach to this price
being 40 cents per pound paid at the
Savannah Cotton exchange when the
first bale of the season was brought in
by a farmer residing near the Florida
line. }
street.
The Ford car which struck him first
was driven by a Dawson man whose
identity has not been fully established,
although the number of the machine
was taken by a witnesses of the ac
cident.
, DEW RULINGS ON
EXEMPTIONS PUT
BABB OP HIGHER
l
NV ASHINGTON, D. C., August 4. — A
( ruling just issued by the postoffice de
partment shows that department offi
’ cials will make few requests for the
! exemption of postal employes from
. military service. Postmasters are in
j structed not to ask for exemption for
carriers or labbrers or for clerks in
second class offices below the SI,OOO
brade, or any above these grades un
less they are qualified distributors of
mail
The ruling is the first formal action
by an executive department in com
ance with President Wilson's order
directing that department officials in
dicate exemptions and that the require
ments of indespenstbility be rididly
enforced, as generally construed the
postal rulings shows the purpose of
the administration to put the Govern
ment department foremost in freeing
valuable employees for war service.
Mail Carrlesrs Not Exempt.
Th entire mail carriers force, num
-1 bering thousands of men, of whom a
! considerable percentage are within the
; draft age limit, is excluded from ex
emption unless the physical reasons
■ or because they have dependent fam
ilies. Every portion of the country is
reached by the ruling as even the ru
ral carriers are included.
The department’s ruling in regard to
clerks leaves railway and mail clerks
within the exemption classes, as they
are highly specialized distributors. '
1 Provost Marshal-General Crowder
took steps today to reduce the number
■ of exemptions because of dependent
' families Instructions were sent to the
Governors of all States pointing out
that the minimum pay of soldiers is
now S3O a month, and that local boards
must consider whether a man’s depen
dents could not be supported on that
amount. The telegram follows:
Can Provide for Dependents.
“Please call attention to local boards
to the fact that a soldier’s pay is not
less than S3O a month and that all
clothing, subsistence, medical treat
ment and housing are furnished him.
Under the law he may allot any portion
o! his pay to a dependent. Many sol
diers receiving S3O a month are easily
able to allot $25 to the support of de
pendents. In case of death in line of
duty the Government will pay to the
beneficiary designated by the soldier
six months pay.
“Section 4 of the selectice service
ace provides that those on a status
with respect to persons dependent upon
them for support, which renders their
exclusion or discharge advisable may
be discharged, but does not require
that they shall be discharged in all
such cases. The discretion of local
I boards is invoked by this provision
■ and such boards may well take the
I facts recited above into consideration
■in deciding claims for discharge due
'll dependency with a view to deter
mining whether as a matter of fact the
I person, claiming such discharge will
! not be in as good or better position
Ito support his dependents after selec
tion for military service than he was
before. If such is the ease, of course,
the discharge should not be granted.”
Many Knotty Problems.
Government officials generally are
.beginning to take up the individual
questions that arise where Government
I employees are called for service. Sec
retary Daniels said today that knotty
problems were arising in the Navy
Department as to what individuals in
the clerical navy draughtsmen, are
skilled workers at the navy yards arv>
absolutely indispensable.
General Crowder has suggested to
the Governors that each assemble the
full membership of all district boards
i.i his State for a general conference
to insure uniform proceedings regard
ing appeals. The Governors were
asked also to appoint an official in
each local districe to file appeals.
County attorneys were suggested.
4444'v , 4444444’
7r. NV FATHER FORECAST. 4
A- >
4 PARTLY CLOUDY TODAY ♦
4 AND TONIGHT WITH PROBA- -
4- BLE SHOWERS. <•■
NUMBER 185.