The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-03-21

aenS German Rescrvists Arc Pass
Ing Through THIS section. :

Ing Through THIS section.
The General southwark. nSovemei,
l'of German reservists has been note,
on trains passing through, atenville
and local railway eenductors' repor
that there have been large ppmbsy,
Of German men "a aearly every 5tral1
that has passed here recently. In Il n
case. have these men been .aecsmpa
MED oy women, secprdlng TO reports
and almost Invariably they have beer
reticent. talking with mo one excep
their companions and then always il
the German tongue. = " ~"
While going to Easlsy one day las
week prominent physician of tn.
city said be noticed about forty Ger.
mans on the train, all Of them grim.
faoed and spilsn. talking among them
selves In German At the tipde. stated
the physician, hs dtd not pay any at.
tention to them nor think the fact OF
their being on the train was in any
way unusual. but upon making the
same trip the next day he again no.
ticed q, number Of GermAn. men. Tn,
coincidence msAe its impression upo,,
his mind. and ns asked the conducto,
what was the mssning Of It. He we.
told that this was, an everyday occur
renee now. that practically every
southbound train ves :.ioadsd with
these Germans who were ON their way
to, Mexico. ,5.i-. -
z The conductor also statsd that these
German passengers rs,v,sd. es = riiio. M
"a ,taus, merely aaswertne questions
put TO them N, monaiSilsssee. One
howsvss' stated the senductsr. was
drawn Into cpnyef,ation ana talked
freely. He s,etss that It ;wss much
against big wiAhes thai be was on his
way 70 Mexico, that ~ didnt'. want to
20 there at all, bat he said he had
been ordered hy the osraaAA author
.tise TO report there and No had to do
IT, When ss'ksd what II HI. dtasegara. /.
ed the srdsr. he seid that be weuld
hs considered q dsasrtsr ~, Gsrmany
and wouid psver hs able to .return 70
the Fathetland. T. ,<@ ~
It was also stated hy the conducscs
that this seseryist told him that they
were anticipating some trouble in get.
ting into Mexteo from the United
States and they were Anxious to learn
whether this goveynmSat was taking
sRy staps 70 prevent them from ,lsay-
lhG tho United states. =: = z
Rumoss .sre Also current that the
uaein railway bridges 81 isis /; section
~ being snarssd by ,seySfMM snt sa !.
cfet service nsn ana mapy St,isr Ore.
cautloas have been taken. hy the gov
prnmert 10 prevent any damase 70
'ach stsaeturss that weuid prevent or
aslsy nobilisatisa OF troops or pro.
riaeaa Reposts ,tsll Of the presence
y several sunpicious characters in
9rsenville during the past ten days
lnd many beliaye that spies have been
letivs n this section. gathering such
aasa as may bs sf pse, Ia the event
'hss mar ia dseiared between the
United States and Germany. -.
RAports have been circulating about
he city oe instances whore It is
thought that spies have been st work.
In ens instance II y said that . man
called at oae Of the local cotton mills
and sslsed 70 be allowed to inspect the
wiring OF the mill. This was done.
and he made . careful inspection ia
all parts Of the mill building. Later
It was learned that no wire inspector
had been sent to ,tbs mill by the corr
cern with whom the self-afirmed In
spector stated hs was connected.
Other stories h&vs also bean heard
on tho streets of; '.spy plots," Many
are quite sksptiesl OF these stories,
contendins that there y Z absolutely
nothing In tho way Of military infor-
nation Of use TO Germany, in. this
section. A Joker. however. In reply TO
such an argument, suggested that
Germany was selecting the mills that
would be converted into munition fac
tories whom the German army reach
Cd GreenyilIe.--Greenville News
SSrians Hnted 1T british Success.