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A Southern
Newspaper for
Southern People
FORTY-f 'ST YEAR.—NO. 114.
1 ANDERSONVILLE VANDAL COURTMARTIALED
FA.9ED SKODA
GUN WORKS TO
GO, AUSTRIA’S
TERMS TO SAY
Terms Probably to be Presented to
Vienna Delegation Wed
nesday, Sa” Paris.
- - ■—
GERMAN NOTE ON LABOR IS
IGNORED BY COUNCIL OF 4
Military Terms of Treaty With Aus
tria Reported to be Similar
to German Pact.
PARIS, May 15.—(8y Associated
Press.) —The Council of Four has de
clined to consider the note from
Count Brockdorff-Rantzau, relative to
the international labor legislation.
SKODA GUN WORKS
MUST BE DISMANTLED.
PARIS, May 15.—(8y Associated
Press.)—The Austrian peace terms
probably will be presented to the Aus
trian delegation Wednesday. It is un
derstood they will require the disman
tling of the famous Skoda gun works,
among other armament plants.
The Council of Four this morning
discussed with its military advisors
the military terms of the treaty. It is
understood these are similar to the
terms in the German treay.
Philadelphia Greets
the Returning 28th
PHILADELPHIA, May 15.—(8y As
sociated Press.—The city and state
today formally welcomed home the |
men of the Twenty-Eighth division, I
composed largely of Pennsylvania |
guardsmen.
It is estimated that at least 2,000,-
000 people saw the parade and the
greeting given the soldiers was the
most enthusiastic ever extended by
this city.
Fosdick Will be
Official of League
WASHINGTON, May 15. —(By Asso
ciated Press.)—Raymond B. Fosdick,
chairman of the commispion on train
ing camp activities during the war,
will be one of the prominent Ameri
can officials in the League of Na
tions, when the league is organ', ted, it
was learned today.
Wilson’s Message
to be Very Brief
PARIS, May 15. —(By Associated
p ress .)—President Wilson has advis
ed the cable companies that his mes
sage to the forthcoming special ses
sion of congress will not be more than
a few- hundred words in length, ena
bling it to be cabled probably on the
day of delivery.
U. S. DIRIGIBLE FLIES 25
HRS. TO NEW FOUNDLAND COAST.
ST. JOHNS, May 15.—(8y Associat
ed Press.)—The dirigible C-5 arrived
here today from Mauntauk, N. Y., as-
r being in the air hours
forty-five minutes.
The few and machine stood the
trip well and the dirigible was ready
for the flight across the Atlantic, Com
mander Coil said as he stepped from
the basket.
| THE COTTONM ARKETj
LOCAL SPOT.
Good Middling 28 1-2 cents.
NEW YORK FUTURES.
PreV.
Close Open High Low Close
May .28.55 28.55 29.00 28.55 28.95
July .27.14 27.10 27.60 27.10 27.58
Oct. .25.45 25.40 25.99 24.50 25.97
Dec. .25.00 25.00 25.45 25.00 25.52
Capt. Fryat’s Grave in Bruges
i1
This is the grave of Captain F ryat, master of the S. S. Brussels, who
was executed by the Germans beca use he attempted to ram a German
submarine. The grave was not ma rked with a cross at first but after the
German evacuation was marked by the English, (c) Underwood & Under
wood.
NEXT SESSION OF
P.O.S.OFA.GOES
TO FITZGERALD
Endoresement of the Americaniza
tion bill in congress, as introduced by
Senator Hoke Smith and Representa
tive Bankhead, and killed by the ad
journment of congress before it had
been reached, was voiced by the state
convention of the Patriotic Order
Sons of America in a set of resolu
tions passed before adjournment yes
terday. The next state convention was
awarded to Fitzgerald.
The resolutions follow:
Whereas, There remain in the Uni
ted States eight and a half million
persons who cannot read American
newspapers, magazines or handbills or
even the placards that seek to warn
them against danger to life and limb,
and —
“Wheseas, The problem of reaching
them by printed matter in the English
language is still- before the Nation,
and —
“Whereas, Expert testimony has
shown that literacy would add at least
$5 a week to the average earning
power of such labor —two billion dol
lars annually to the income of the
nation, and —
“Whereas To meet this situation the
Americanization bill was introduced in
the last Congress by Senator Hoke
Smith and Representative Bankhead,
it was favorably reported by the com- j
mittee in both houses to which it was ■
referred but the adjoudnment came
before it became a law, Now
“Therefore. Be it resolved, by the
State Camp Patriotic Order Sons of
America, this day assembled at Am
,ericus. Georgia, tl|at we do most
heartily endorse said Americanization
bill and urge upon our representatives
in congress and the senate the vital
importance of its passage at the next
session of the legislativb bodies of
the United States government.
"Respectfully submitted,
"J. E. SHEPPARD,'
“G. I WILLIAMS,
“T. M. A. FINCH,
“Committee on resolutions.
The evening and final session of the
state camp was preceded bj- a barbe
cue supper in the convention hall
which was declared to have been “the
best barbecue ever served in the state
of Georgia.”
The delegates were profuse in their
expressions of thanks for the hospi
tality shown them. They were espe
cially leased with the reception given
them at Souther Field by Colonel Ra
der and his staff, and greatly enjoyed
the program of aerial thrills put on
by the flyers for their benefit and en
tertainment.
Forecast?
For Georgia: Fair tonight; Friday
partly cloudy, probably followed by
showers. ; i
PUBLISHED IN THE HEART OF DIXIE
AMERICUS. GEORGIA, THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MAY lb. HI9
JAPAN DECIDES
ON CHANGES IN
RULING KOREA
TOKIO, May 15. —(By Associated
Press.) —The privy council met today
under the presidency of the emperor,
and decided upon a partial revision of
the organic system of the Korean gov
ernment.
5 Mules Killed by
Train; sl,6ooAsked
Five tine mules, killed by a Cen
tral of Georgai passenger train near
Andersonville Sunday night, represent
a loss of $1,600 sustained by W. A.
Joyner, whose fine farm is located in
the vicinity of the accident. The train
which struck the mules was delayed
some time by the accident, the engine
being derailed, but no other damage
was done. The railroad authorities
are now in consultation with Mr.
Joyner, it is stated, and the loss
sustained will be adjusted at an early
date.
11 Ships to Handle
Dixie Ports’ Trade
WASHINGTON, May 15. - (By /asso
ciated Press.) —Five German ships,
seized when the United States enter
ed the war, will be allocated for ser
vice in the South America i trade out
of New Orleans.
Six additional ships will be ailottel
to the South Atlantic Maritime asso
ciation, giving it a fleet of 7 ships for
South American trade out of Savan
nah, Charleston, Wilmington, Bruns
wick and Jacksonville.
it was stated additional vessels will
be assigned as business is developed.
New Schooner Burns;
One Missing, 7 Hurt
MONTIVEDIO, Uruguay, May 14. —
(Wednesday)—(By Associated Press.)
—The new American five-masted
American schooned City of Mobile;
which arrived March 28, burned here
this afternoon. One of the crew is
missing and seven are injured. The
loss is estimated at $500,000.
BANK STATEMENTS (ALLED.
WASINGTON, May 15.—(8y Aso
ciated.f —The comptroller of the cur
rency today called for a statement of
condition of the national banks at the
close of business May 12.
5 MILL SPECIAL
LEVYTO COVER
SCHOOL NEEDS
BESIDES DEBTS
Agreement Reached by Council Com
mittee and Board Not to Ask
Additional 2 Mills
; FEAR JEOPARDIZING OF WHOLE
SCHEME OF PAYING OBLIGATIONS
Teachers Must Have More Money,
Says Dykes; Closing of Schools
One Alternative Faced
I An agreement has been entered into
between the finance committee of the
city council, and the special commit-
. tee of the school board appointed to
negotiate with the council, that the
extra tw»-mill tax which the school
board proposed recently to council be
added to the city’s 5-miil special tax
bill in the legislature at the coming
session, shall not be asked, but the
school’s present needs will be met
by the council out of the money to be
raised by the 5-mill special levy. It
is possible that this agreement may
be reported to the council tonight.
Although the wisdom of both spec
ial levies was believed in both by mem
bers of the city council and the
school board, after considerable delib
eration it was thought unwise to ask
< for both special levies at this time,
and it was feared by Mayor Sheppard
and others that the extra two-mill bill
might jeopardize the city’s 5-mill pro
• posal, and that nothing should be un
dertaken that would in any manner
endanger its passage, since it is de
signed to liquidate in a period of five
years SIOO,OOO of city floating in
debtedness. which is now due and
payable.
To Meet Both Needs.
As announced by Mayor Sheppard at
the time the financing program was
adopted by the council, the 5-mill levy
was expected to be ample for paying
off this SIOO,OOO of indebtedness in
the specified time, meeting all inter
est requirements and leaving a small
surplus. It was expected to raise $25,-
000 the first year, and increase slight
ly each year with the growth of the
city and increased property values.
After closer calculation the city offi
cials determined that the sum needed
by the board of education —some $5,500
to $6,000 this year—might safely be
spared from the fund to be raised by
the special levy and still leave a suffi
cient fund to liquidate the city’s in
debtedness according to program,
which arrangement was satisfactory
to the board of education.
It was stated in this connection that
because the originally prepared bill
as recommended by the city council
specified that the money raised by the
’special levy should be used for no
other purpose whatsoever, except the
payment of outstanding floating in
debtedness This will have to be
amended under this new program, so
as not to preclude the school appro
priation from it.
Board Up Against It.
"The board of education is simply
up against it.” said W. W. Dykes,
i chairman of the teachers' committee
of the board, today in discussing the
school emergency. "We face the pos
sibility of either having no schools
at all next season or operating with
inefficient teachers who will mean a
lower standard of schools than we
have had heretofore.
"The fact is. judging by the pres
ent cost of living, we are not paying
living wages. We have lately been pre
paring for the election of teachers
for the coming year, and have discov-
I ered that many of our present teachers
' are not applicants for reappointment.
IWe have discovered that other cit-
I ies, where arrangements have been
made to increase teachers' wages for
the coming term to something near
er what they should be are already
dickering with our best teachers.
“We read in the newspapers this
week that the teachers of Atlanta had
joined a labor union. They were
driven to it for their own protec
tion because they could not get a
living wage otherwise.
First Request for More.
“There is one important thing that
I would like the people of Americus
to understand, and that is that this
(Continued on Page Five.)
CITiZENS READY
WITH SIOO,OOO
FOR FINANCING
OF AUDITORIUM
Fiank Lanier Asks City Attorney to
Find a Way for City to Enter
Agreement
WOULD LET TOTAL BE PAID
BACK AT $5,000 PER YEAR
Proposal to Be Reported to Council;
Tonight-Lane to Seek Solution
of Legal Difficulties
I
I
“The men of Americus ai e ready <
right now to build a city auditorium
putting up probably SIOO,OOO or what
ever is needed, and turn it over to the
city. AU they ask in return is that
the city guarantee 6 per cent, on the
investment and pay them back the
money in 20 yearly installments, which
would be so small that it would never
be missed.”
Frank Lanier was addressing City-
Attorney Lane at an informal confer
ence at the Chamber of Commerce yes
terday afternoon between the mem
bers of the chamber’s auditorium com
mittee. of which Mr. Lanier is acting
chairman, members of the city coun
cil and a number of other interested
officials and citizens. He went on:
“From offers already received there
is not the slightest doubt in the world
that the amusement franchise on the
building could be sold for enough to
produce at least $6,000 a year, which
would provide the 6 per cent, guaran
teed interest. This would leave only
the principal, of say, $5,000 per year,
for the city to pay, and at the end of
20 years the building would be paid
i for and the money never missed, all
I the time having earned its own inter-
I est. The money can be raised in
short order, and it is up to the city
officials, if they desire a city auditor
ium. to find away by which such an
arrangement or agreement can be ef
fected.
Greatest Need of City.
“I believe that an auditorium is the
first and greatest need of Americus
today. Last night I lay aw-ake for
several hours, after the Chamber of
Commerce meeting, trying to figure
out some way to realize it. I came to
the conclusion that this was the best
and most likely way. We simply must
have the auditorium. I believe, too.
that it must be a municipal affair,
and that is the only way I can see to
accomplish it.”
Mr. Lanier’s proposal brought on a
general discussion. The attorneys
present, including Mr. Lane, W. W.
Dykes, E. A. Nisbet, and Geo. R. Ellis,
admitted that there were legal difficul
ties that would have to be overcome
before such a scheme could be car
ried out. but the final off-hand opin
ion of all of them was that a solution
probably could be found. It became
apparent that, in order for the city to
enter into an arrangement, the build
ing would have to be designated as a
combination city hall and auditorium.l
constructed ostensibly for the meet
ing of municipal needs. It was agreed
that this could be easily arranged.
Bonds a Problem.
The problem of bonding the city to
reimburse the men financing the pro
ject is one that might possibly be
worked out, it was thought, although
serious difficulties lie in the way of
this. The chief of these obstacles is
the constitutional limitation on muni
cipal bond issues, the city being al
ready within about 50,000 of the limit.
It was said, however, that increased
tax values and the possible early re
tirement of some of the outstanding
bonds might increase the amount
which could be issued to possibly $85,-
000. This would still leave a deficit
which, it was suggested might be pro
vided by a gentlemen's agreement
between the city and the men financing
the project.
Mr. Lanier declared that he would
be very glad to have a vote of the peo- i
pie on the subject. “I have never
seen a project,” said he, “upon which ■
the people seemed to be so unanim- 1
ous as this auditorium proposal. 11
haven’t heard a single expresison
against it, and I believe there is no
chance of anything but an overwhelm
ing vote for it.”
Possible sites were discussed. The
Speer corner, at Jackson and Church,
Dr. Burrows Holds
Reunion With Old
Church Comrade
A TLANTA, May 15.—Dr. J. B.
Gambrel, of Fort Worth Tex.. <
) presiding officer at the annual con-
< vention of Southern Baptists here, >
; and Dr. Lansing Burrows, of Am- >
? ericus, former president, are old (
> comrades in arms enjoying their an .
; nual reunion here. Standing side by i
s side year after year, these venera- ?
< ble men have fought the religious ,
? battles of their denomination with ’>
; the same cqprage and fidelity they <
showed on the field of Virginia in
S the army of General Lee. They are (
) bosom companion friends of a life
( time: their comradeship is pointed )
? to with pride by the younger mem- j
J bers of the convention as a thing (
: lovely out and beyond the usual i
J tie of friendship.
,• Dr. Gambrel wear a jeweled pin <
presented to him by the.convention i’
’ in 1906 in token of the love in j
which he is held and the appre- \
ciation of the church for his faith-.)
ful services. Dr. Bnrrrows has j
been in active service of the church 5
\ and state for sixty years and still J
( retains his youthful vigor. It is <
stated by close friends that Dr. j
Gambrell captured 125 yankees, ?
single handed in one of the battles i
J of the civil war. <
bulletin
ATLANTIC
FLIGHT ON
TREPASSY, New Foundland. May 15
—(By Associated Press.) —The U. S.
Navy seaplanes NCI and NC3 left this
evening for the Azores on their trans-
Atlantic flight, the NCI getting off at
5:34 and the NC3 at 5:52 New Found
land time.
NEW OFFICERS
ARE INSTALLED
BY ROTARIANS
New officers of the Americus Rotary
club were elected and installed at the
regular weekly luncheon today in the
Windsor Hotel. They are as follows:
W. W. Dykes, president; JJ. E.
Hightower, vice-president; Joseph E.
Johnson, secretary; John Sheffield,
treasurer; Dave R. Andrews, sergeant
at arms.
The board of directors are: W. W.
Dykes. J. E. Hightower. Joseph E.
Johnson. John Sheffield, W. E. Taylor,
Arthur Rylander and Lovelace Eve.
Rotarian George Ellis expressed his
thanks to the Rotary club for the as
sistance the club members gave him
in the Victory loan. "If I did not
feel that Sumter county would have
gone over the top regardless of who
helped or who did not, I would say to;
you that but for you Rotarians ‘ the
loan would have failed here.’’ Mr. El
lis said. “To a man you laid one
side your business and rallied to me.
doing everything that men could do
and it is to you that a large part of
the credit and honor should go.”
Units of 31st to
Reach U.S. May 24
WASHINGTON, May 15.—(8y Asso-I
dated Press.)—The headquarters de- I
tachment, hospital and ambulance •
units and the ahimunition train of the
Thirty-First division, made up ofl
Georgia. Florida and Alabama troops. I
are aboard the transport Santa T?re>a,
which is due in New York May 24. it ;
was announced today.
the Masonic lot at Lee and Church, i
and several others were* suggested, I
but there was no intimatfflty that any
particular site was vital, or even im
portant.
At the conclusion of the discussion
Mr. Um agreed to lay the whole
proposal before the city council to
nighj, and to begin work himself as
city attorney in an effort to find a
plan whereby the proposal may be
legally carried out.
HOME
EDITION
PRICE FIVE CENTS
SOUTHER FIELD
PROBE NAMES
3 IMPLICATED
IN DESECRATION
Lieut. Lackey. Recently Discharged,
His Brother, and Private Mc-
Anally Accused
h
jI SENTENCE OF PRIVATE TO BE
ANNOUNCED, SAYS STATEMENT
’ Affair Denounced and Disclaimed by
Officers and Men of Air
Post
The following statement, authorized
! by Lieut. Col. Rader and signed by
Lieut. Floyd A. Wilson, personnel ad
; jutant, was given out at Souther Field
; at 4 o’clock this afternoon relative to
; the findings of the post commission
> investigating the Andersonville monu
ment desecration. It was stated that
a courtmartial was in session at that
I hour to try Private McAnally, one of
i the accused, and that the penalty to be
' fixed would be announced Friday: The
: statement:
“By authority of Lieutenant Col
onel Rader, commanding officer at
Souther Field, Georgia, a board of
officers consisting of Major E. S.
Schofield, Lieutenant Walter L.
Sutter and Lieutenant Floyd A_
Wilson convened at Souther Field
for the purpose of investigating
the defacing of the Wirz monu
ment at Andersonville. The find
ing of the board implicated Myron
E. Lackey, a recently discharged
officer, and Harrold Lackey, dis
charged enlisted man, aided by
Private McAnally, now i n the ser
vice at Souther Field.
Immediately upon the finding of
the board a special courtmartial
was convened for the trial of Pri
vate McAnally. The sentence has
not been made public. Ti e other
offenders are now civilians in
California. The whole act was one
of michieveousness and not of
malice.”
“An act of dastardly vandalism that
is both regretted and disclaimed by
i the officers and men of Souther Field,”
I was the characterization Lieut. Col.
Ira R. Rader, commanding officer, to
day, in speaking of the action of un
, known parties in desecrating the Wirz
monument at. Andersonville Tuesday
night.
The offense was first reported to the
military authorities at the field by
Town Marshal Williams, of Anderson
ville. Wednesday, when an investiga
tion. which is still under way, was
commenced. Marshal Williams re
ported to the military authorities that
he had traced a car in which the van
: dais probably had ridden from the
monument to Souther Field. '
This resulted in Colonel Rader or
dering a preliminary investigation to
establish the whereabouts of every
car assigned to the flying field on the
I previous night, and today it was an
nounced positively that no military
■ car was used by the alleged vandals.
It was said, however, that a car be-
j longing to a civilian and left in cus
tody of an attache of the field, was
found with paint spots upon the seat,
and this car has been seized and is
being held by the authorities there.
This car. it is said, is the property of
the event the evidence adduced before
I the investigation commission is suffi
t cient to warrant preferring charges,
: I will further consult with the civil
authorities, and they will in all prob
ability be given their option as to
whether or not the accused shall be
I tried before military or civil courts.
"I do not desire to be quoted as indi
eating either the guilt or innocence of
anyone in connection with the crime,”
he added, “but I want to say that such
| an act is one of dastardly vandalism,
' and is both regretted and disclaimed
by the officers and men of Souther
i Field. I want the people of Americus
and Sumter county as well as those of
Georgia and the South to know and
understand that the officers and meo
of the post here fully appreciate ths
‘ cordial relations now existing between
> the two communities, and it is the
■ urgent desire of all here that thes»
> pleasant relations be not interrupted
1 or in the least altered by the unlawful
: ■
Continued on Page 6.