THE NOME DAILY NUGGET
VOLUME XVII. NO. 36. T«LEPnONF MAIN 4« NOME, ALASKA. WEDNEST\Y, FEB. 7, 1917. TELEPHONE MAIN 4«. Pm„E 26 CENTS
INTERNED VESSELS WERE WRONGFULLY SEIZED
GERMAN REICHSTAG
TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER
AMERICAN RELATIONS
International Nowp Service.
GENEVA, Feb. 7.—A dispatch from
B. rin .‘ tales that* when the reichstag
meets at the German capital on Fob- |
ruary twenty tail'd the relations be
w'een America and Germany will be
given great att ntion.
Tremendous importance Is 3aid by
the Berlin press to attach to the sev
erance of relations between the two
countries. Any further devergence
between the two countries Is not to
bo desired, it Is slated, and it is pos
s hip that the breach will be closed
by the expected action of the reich
| *ta*.
The German papers record the fact,
as showing the German policy, that
I thus far German submarines have
not committrd the overt act which
President Wilson has declared will be
j the signal for him to ask the Ameri
| ican congress to declare war on the
Gv rrnans.
PRESIDENT TO ORDER RELEASE
OF INTERNED SHIPS AND CAUSE
DISAVOWAL OF ACTS BY U. S.
in’ernational New* Service.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.—President
‘Wilson has begun a consideration of
the seizure of Interned German and
Austrian shlp3 in American ports.
It has been announced officially by
th:- administration that such seizures
me not legal and have been made by
local port officials who did not un
derstand tlie meaning of the orders
sent to them or who acted upon
ttr*ir own initiative without due au
thorlty from the federal government.
The president has ordered an In
vestigation into the reports of whole
sale seizures In Puget sound ports, at
Manila, Honolulu, and at other ports
and has declared that if it is found
no local reason existed for the con
fiscation of such ships ho will order
j all these vessels released.
All such seizures which were not
made to prevent inquiry to other
ships or surrounding property will be
promptly disavowed by the govern
ment of the United States and due
amends will be made to Qremany and
Austria.
damage has been done to the
seized vessels so far as is known
by tha American hoarding parties
there 'is not likely to arise a demand
! of monetary indemnity, it is said.
The course of the United States, it
Is thought, after a due consideration
of all the details of the many ill ad
j vised seizures wil be a note to Ger
many and to Austria expressing re
■ 1 m king ap< logj for this in -
| fraction of the international code.
It is stated that the administration
' is greatly chagrlyn 1 by the prema
ture acts of the port officials some of
whom are officers of the navy who
i should have been well informed as to
the laws pertaining to this matter
Advertise In The Nome Nugget
RUMOR THAT GERARD HELD
AT RERUN AS HOSTAGE
I».*«ro»tion»l News Service.
WASHNNOTON. Fob 7-Tl.o .i»t.
d< fnrtment admitted early this morn
ing that Ambassador Gerard had been
retorted to the depatrment a3 being
held in Berlin by the German au
thorities as a hostage until Count
Bet nstorff arrives from America.
This reported action on the part of
Germany is declared by department
cfrtcials to be entirely uncalled for
r.Tid unexpected and can hardly be
ctfdlted. Nevertheless the report Is
arid to be authorl’ative.
Secretary Lansing admitted that the
louttcr io now tietng discuoacd by lifn
ilrpartment and stated that In his
op'nlon the whole matter will be
adjusted satisfactarily wltlhn a very
short time.
He said that he will take action
through the Spanish ambassador at
li-rlin and will demand the reasons
for Buch unprecedented action on the
part of Germany.
He 3ald that the holding of Am
bassadors as hostages was a custom
o' long ago but modern usage had
er’lrcly done away with It. In recent
timer* tho accepted uiMigo la to give
safe conduct to a departing ambas
sador and to treat him with distin
guished courtesy.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.—A cable
dated yesterday at Madrid and re
ce' ved today by the state department
from Ambassador Willard says that
Girard is already out of Germany.
Willard say3 that he had had a
cr ble from Gerard dated at Borne,
Switzerland.
| The department has wired to Wll*
( latd u\ Madrid for o.-ntii mutton and
to Gerard at Berne asking him to
report direct to Washington.
II Is hoped that Gerard has safely
at rived at Herne but It Is surmised that
Willard may have made a mistake
and interpreted wrongly the rccelot
of n message via Berne as being proof
that he had already reached there.
It is expected that the matter will
be cleared up today or tomorrow.
Advertise In The Nome Nugget
i .
SENATE ENDORSES
SEVERANCE OF RELATIONS
OVERWHELMINGLY
—
International News Service.
j WASHINGTON, Fob. 7, .Tho> sen
ate took up tho matter of endorsement
of this country’s severance of diplo
matic relations With Germany.
A heated debate took place In which
the opposition to endorsement was led
' y Senator Works of California.
dust as the senate was about ready |
to vote tho preldent came to the
I i.p. . ...-a made his way to the sen
ate chamber. His presence acted us
a spur to the administration leaders
in the senate and despite efforts by
Works to block proceedings a vote waa
token. *
Seventy eight s n itors voted in
• uvor of r. i. Jorscmcnt with only live
against the resolution.
Tickets for Road Show on sale at
Rose's.
The Nome Bowling Club's alleys ire
row open from noon to midnignt.
Subscribe for 'he Nome Nugget
1 2 no p».r rnnn'h.
LIVELY BLAZE IN
HOLT’S ESTABLISHMENT
CAUSES $5,000 LOSS
8hortly after midnight this morn -1
ing a fire broko out in Holt's general
merchandise establishment on Front j
street and did considerable dam ige i
to the building and stock and might
seriously menaced surrounding build
ing had It not been for the high oftl
Clepcy of the Nome Are department.
/t about 12:30 Fred Bourdon ,.ir.,
wi-s passing al( ng the street at Holt's
place and perceived the Are. He at
•nee turned in an alarm and woke up
Holt whose living apartments arc in
the adjoining building.
The chemical engine was on the
spot In a couple of minutes and
did excellent work in holding the
bh'zc In check until water In the
mnlns wa3 made available by the new
pumping plant. The water was there,
i* was said, In less than four minutes
and two crashing streams were di
rected Into the blazing building.
The Are centered at the top of the
atElrway In a room on the second
Acer. It seem'd to have made good
headway before it was discovered.
From the room In which It seemed to
have originated It spread towards the
rear and also speedily penetrated to
the attic which had been used as a
bunk room.
Owing to the InAammable nature
of the furnishings of the upstairs por
tlc.n of the building, the Are was
fierce while It lasted. Bedding, mat
tresses, chairs, and board partitions
were found to bo all In Aame.
Put the Are department was entire
ly capable of coping with the situa
tion and at one time had four streams
la ue.
Mrs. Holt who ha3 been 111 for some
weeks was allowed to stay In bed by
Mr. Holt until the fire burst through
the walls of the store building and
threatened the house U3ed as a dwel
ling in the upstairs part. When the
time came he removed her to a place
of safety.
A good sized crowd was soon on
hi nd to watch proceedings and vol
unteers were not lacking in helping
the firemen and doing anything else
that had to be done. Mr. Alttmus who
has bod year3 of experience as an
engineer went to the pumping plant
as soon as the alarm sounded to give
ary assistance posslblo to City En
gineer Meyers in case anything should
go wrong. The plant worked beau
tifully, however , and furnished a
stiong head of water.
A curious matter In connection with
t^e fire was that many people living
eicn In the same block did not know
urtil morning that such a thing had
happened ns there was no whistle or
other suitable alarm to give warning
Mr. Holt states his loss to be in the
nr'ghborhood of $5,000. Part of this
Is from Injury to the building but far
the greater portion was caused by
the damage from water. Practically
al' of tbe stock in the store got wet
and some stuff In the warehouse. He
has already made arrangements to
move his stock Into the Alaska Mer
cantile building so that everything
may be properly, dried out. At nine
o'clock this morning he had four or
five men at work making preparations.
(Continued on Page Pour.)
SECRETARY RAKER SAYS GERMANS
HAVE PERFECT RIGHT TO SMASH
THEIR INTERNED SHIPS
International Nows 8ervio*.
WASHINGTON, Feb, 7.—Secretary
of War Baker made an announcement
tl.ifs morning concerning the status of
interned vessels in ports of the United
S*ates.
He declared that the press, public
and many local officials have been
nV sled In this matter during the post
few days and especially declares that
many seizures of German and Aus
trian vessels because of destruction
of their machinery has been unwar
ranted and without authorization by
any federal department.
The war secretary declares the
crews of the interned merchant ves
sels have a perfect right to destroy
' their vessels or smash any part of
the machinery so long as they do not
lnjuro adjacent shipping or the prop
erty rights of Americans.
, In case (the Gorman crew3 were
about to sink their vessels in such a
menner os to block a channel or
'mtnnce the free navigation of shallow
wuter the American authorities would
be empowered by existing harbor reg
ulations to prevent such acts.
The •interned merchant ve3els, he
said, are private property and their
owners or representatives may do
with them what they will. Interned
merchantmen, he declared, are not in
the same category as interned wor
st.ips which may not leave port after
they have been interned.
On being asked as to the significance
of the concerted action of Interned
Clews in dismantling their ships, Sec
retary Baker refused to make any
statement. lie even denied that he
had conceived of these acts as having
anj significance. He said tie is deal
ing only with facts as they arise and
not with future possibilities when
making a statement for the public.
You should keep posted on the war
and international and local news of
the day h\ subscribing fer the Nome
Dalle Nugget, $2.it'd per month.
EUROPEAN
NEUTRALS NOT
TOJREAK OFF
In'; 'national News 3ervloe.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.—According
to Information received from officials
who are on the inside there is no
likelihood of any European neutral
nations Joining with the United States
i-j breaking off relations with Ger
many.
Holland Is precluded from such a
move, It Is aaid, by her proximity to
Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Den
mark will be held back for various
reasons and Spain will be the only
' nation likely to take such action
50 MILLION
VOTED FOR
FORTIFICATIONS
lit'arnational New* Service.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.—Without
debate this afternoon the bouse
adopted the conference report on the
fortifications bill and vo.ed an ap
piopriatlci of sixty millions of dol
lars.
This is tne nrst of the three big
preparedness measures to be ready for
the president's signature. The others
Wdl be passed Boon.
0«II1r« Cards at the Nhm«A Offia*
SUNK WITHOUT
WARNING
International News Servic*.
LONDON, Feb. 7.—Tho admiralty
has announced thnt the British pas
senger liner Port Adelaide which was
vhmnr'inod on Saturday off the Spnn
Ih coast was sunk without warning.
Tve first intimation the officers of the
sh'p had of the presence of the under
water nttucker was when the torpedo
dealt the death blow.
As preparations had been complet
ed to lower tho ship's boats at an
instant’s warning and each passenger
knew his place all hands got away
safely from the doomed vessel and j
this afternoon landed at Vigo, Spain
MUNITION
PLANT
EXPLODES
International News Servic*.
LONDON Fob. 7.—According to a
dispatch received from Amsterdam
thip morning the munition plant at
Sclhaus was destroyed by an explo
sion on Saturday with the los3 of more
than two hundred lives.
Most of the employes were women
and thpy were the chief sufferers in
the disaster.
Lincoln’s Birthday and the Road
Show, Monday next.