(Hire Halte Satitr Jlrnaprrta
VALDEZ, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1914. NO 384
VOL. 10.
AUSTRIAN DEFEAT IS AD fflTTED
BERLIN SURE IT WILL NOT EFFECT POLAND CAMPAIGN
ARTILLERY DUEL CONTINUES ALONG THE AISNE RIVER
RUSSIANS REPORT GERMAN DEFEAT ON POLAND LINE
#
WOT TO GET
MORE MORE)
Congressmen Insist Upon Two Battle
ships and Ten Submarines—
Million for Aviation.
■
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.—The nav
al appropriation bill is ready for the
consideration of congress. The new
bill as drafted by the Naval Commit
tee of the House carries an appro
priation of $1,000,000 for the purpose
of developing aviation in the navy
and for the purpose of increasing the
staff of aviators.
The committee will insist upon the
construction of two dreadnoughts and
fen submarines, besides a number of
cruisers and torpedo boats.
The total of the navy appropria
tion as fixed by the committee is in
excess of the $142,393,217, as firs;,
provided by the administration lead
ers.
BRITISH GRAB
NEUTRAL VESSELS
Twelve Danish and Norwegian Ships
Loaded With Chicago Meat
Are Seized.
CHICAGO, Dec. 30.—Twelve Nor
wegian and Danish vessels with car
goes of Chicago meats valued at
$6,500,000 have been seized by the
British government The report of
the seizure reached here today. The
cargoes of meat were consigned to
neutral merchants in Holland an l
Denmark. The shippers insist that
the goods were sold in good faith
to the merchants in * neutral country
and should not be interfered with.
The twelve vessels have been tak
en into British ports during the past
six weeks. The shippers have made
a protest to the Department of State
and ask that the vessels be immedi
ately released and that the British
pay damages for the detention of the
ships and cargo.
FURNITURE WORTH
MILLION DOLLARS
NEW YORK, Dec 30.—The apprais
ers of the household furniture of J.
P. Morgan, the banker, who died on
March 31, 1913, reported that the
household furniture was valued at
$1,000,000. This does not include the
value of the art collection, which has
been valued at $10,000,000.
It is doubtful if the city will re
ceive the big art collection, as the
will of the financier left the disposi
tion of the collection to the son, J.
P. Morgan, Jr., who is inclined to
sell the collection.
Petrograd Announces Kaiser’s Men Unable To Cross Nida Or Pilica Rivers and
Must Abandon Frontal Attacks To Take Warsaw—Austrian Defeat By
Czar’s Troops Worse Than First Reported--Austrian War Office Says Mon
tenegrin Army Defeated—Heavy Rains Still Delay Fighting In Flanders.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 30—The Austri
an army in Western Galicia number
ing 200,000 men have been complete
ly routed and are retiring in disorder
towards Hungary; 15,000 men were
captured yesterday and many more
picked up during the night. The
Austrians abandoned many guns
which were left along the roads.
Russians Still Block Germans.
LONDON, Dec. 30.—The Russian
forces along the Bzura and Pilica riv
ers are holding the Germans, who
have made many desperate attacks on
the Russian line in an effort to aid
the Austrians in Galiojai, who are
being crushed by the czar’s troops.
The Germans have made no progress
in Poland although they have lost
thousands of men in vain assaults
upon the Russian trenches.
Russians Harrass Austrians.
The main Russian attack is now
centered upon the Austrian wing of
the German army, and thi3 wing has
been routed. Gen. Dankl, command
ing the Austrian forces, is trying to
reform his men and the Russians are
harrassing the retreating Austrians in
an effort to prevent the reforming of
the army. They are striving to make
the Austrian rout complete.
Heavy Fighting In Alsace.
PARIS, Dec. 30—The bulletin is
sued this morning by the war office,
states that heavy lighting has taken
place in Alsace. The muddy condition
in Flanders has prevented active
fighting in that section and the Al
lies are pushing the Alsace cam
paign.
Great Slaughter Along Bzura River.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 30.—The Ger
man attacks along the Bzura river
which were resumed yesterday have
been in vain. The loss to the forces
commanded by Gen. von Mackenson
have been heavy. The Bzura river
is filled with German dead. The Rus
sian line has been content to hold its
present position while the Russian
forces operating in Galicia complete
the work of crushing the Austrian
right. The German attacks have been
stubborn but unsuccessful.
Sweden Wants Our Coal.
STOCKHOLM, Dec. 30.—The Swed
ish state railways have Invited tend
ers from America for 130,000 tons of
coal, to be delivered early next year.
This is the first time American coal
has been allowed to compete for
Swedish state requirements.
French Report German Repulse In
Vosges.
PARIS, Dec. 30.—The war office
states that the German assaults up
(Contlnuea on page 2.)
WILSON DEMANDS PROTECTION FOR SHIPPING
LONDON, Dec. 30—President Wil
son’s note to Secretary Grey of the
British foreign office protesting
against the seizure of American ships
and their detention in British ports
came as a great surprise to the Brit
ish government and to the people,
who had supposed that all differences
between the two countries had been
adjusted.
All the papers comment upon Pres
ident Wilson’s course and fear that
it will lead to complications, as Great
Britain has paid for all cargoes seized
even when they were clearly intended
for Germany. The right of the al
lied nations controlling the sea to
prevent the shipment of contraband
of war from the United States to a
neutral country, from which country
the contraband is to be reshipped to
Germany or Austria, will be insisted
upon. The papers all counsel the
government to be firm but to use tact
and if possible find a peaceful settle
ment of the trouble that will be last
ing and not break out again during
the war.
No official answer has been made
by the British foreign office, but semi
official newspapers indicate that the
Allies will insist upon the right to
prevent shipments of contraband of
war to neutral countries unless a
guarantee is given that the goods will
not be reshipped to the enemies of
the Allies.
It is pointed out that in but few
cases have the British stopped Amer
ican ships and searched them for
contraband, but that rubber has been
found listed as gum, having been
shipped from America to Holland or
(Continued on page 2.)
KNOTTY PROBLEM
UP TO BOTIN
Germany Notifies State Department
She Must Be Consulted About
Belgian Consul.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.—The Ger
man government through its ambas
sador here, Count von Bernstorff, has
notified Secretary' of Sta*e W. J. Bry
an that hereafter all consuls holding
positions in Belgium must be satis
factory to the German foreign office.
The official communication to the
Secretary of State i3 taken to indicate
that the German Empire will annex
the Belgium country and that the
announcement of today is a' fore
runner of the formal annexation no
tice which will follow.
E. Havenith, the Belgian minister,
has filed a formal protest against the
recognition of the German contention
that Belgium is a conquered nation
and cites the fact that Belginas still
hold part of the country and still
maintain a strong resistance to the
invading troops.
What action the American secre
tary will take is not known, but it
is believed that the German conten
tion will not be recognized until Bel
gium is a conquered nation.
Ray Millard arrived in town last
evening from the Granite mine and
will return tomorrow.
WOULD SAVE STOCK
FROM SLAUGHTER
Nebraska Farmers Refuse Good
Offers for Horses Wanted
for the War
PAIRBURY, Neb., Dec. 30.—The
farmers of Jefferson county have re
fused to sell horses to agents of the
belligerent powers of Europe for use
in the armies. This action was tak
en following a meeting of the farm
ers grange. The farmers do not in
tend to send the stock they have rais
ed to Prance to be slaughtered. The
military men buying for the British
and French governments admit that
few of the horses live 30 days after
they reach the front.
The farmers hope to extend the
scope of the organization to include
horse owners in all parts of the Unit
ed States.
It is estimated here that 250,000
head of stock have already been pur
chased in the United States for ship
ment to Europe and a large part have
already left for Prance.
NEW YORK, ifec 30.—The agents
and buyers here for the allied nations
only laughed when told that Jefferson
county farmers would refuse to sell
horses to agents of the belligerents
They stated that so far very few
had refused the big prices offered and
they expected to purchase all the
horses needed for the armies.’
Since War Started British Loss To
tals $11,5000,000—Emden Did
Greatest Damage.
s
LONDON, Dec. 30.—The loss to the
British merchant marine since the
war started has been 54 vessels,
which, with their cargoes, totaled a
value of $11,600,000. This announce
ment was made today by the admir
alty. The German cruiser Emden
did by far me greatest damage to
the British ships, while the cruiser
Karlsruhe was second, having caught
and suplf several of the big British
liners operating In the South Ameri
can trade.
The loss, however, is considered
slight in comparison to the huge to
tal of ships which have been on the
high seas since the war started. The
captures by the British warships of
German vessels is many times the
loss. It is proposed now that the ad
miralty repay the owners of the lost
boats from the proceeds of the steam
ers sold by the prize courts.
With the destruction of the German
fleet commanded by Admiral Spee
the British believe all danger is past.
The Dresden and Karlsruhe are still
at liberty but have been forced to
keep in hiding.
Prescriptions carerully compound
ed at Valdez Drug Co. tf
GOVERNMENT
SHIPS NEEDED
Cabinet Members Insist That Rates
Are High for Trans-Atlantic
Freight Shipments^
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.—Secre
tary Redfleld of the Department of
Commerce, and Secretary McAdoo of
the Treasury Department, reported
to President Wilson today that the
number of American vessels was in
adequate to handle the volume of
business offered for shipment across
the Atlantic ocean.
Exorbitant rates are now being
charged by the American ship own
ers and the foreign steamship lines
which are operating from American
ports to Europe.
The cabinet members both advo
cate the passage of a bill appropriat
ing $40,000,000 for the government
purchase of steamers and the opera
tion of a government line from the
United States to Europe. The admin
istration is determined to push the
bill through this congress and is ex
erting every effort for that purpose.
All Masons are invited to be pres
ent at the installation of officers this
evening at 8 p m. A. E. Grigsby,
W. M.
A two-reel side-splitting comedy at
the Orpheum tonight. Don’t miss this
one.
Executions of Federal Prisoners De
manded By Zapata, But Guitt
erez Objects.
MEXICO CITY, Dec. 30.—The re
port has reached here that 7,000 Car
ranza troops have deserted the former
provisional president and have gone
over to Villa. The announcement was
greeted with great satisfaction by the
people who went to the palace and
cheered the new government.
Provisional President Guitterez is
still trying to prevent the execution
of captive federal soldiers by court
martial. Gen. Zapata, however, in
sists that all federal troops be shot
when caught.
A large force of troops are now in
readiness to be sent towards Vera
Cruz to take the coast city from Car
ranza.
5101 SWEEPS
BRITISH ISLES
Many Lives and Much Property Lost
—All Shipping In the Region
In Great Danger
LONDON, Dec. 30.—A terrific snow
storm and heavy gale swept over
England and Ireland last night, doing
great damage In both countries. Many
lives were lost, especialy along the
coast and a property damage amount
ing to many millions of dollars has
been reported.
As far as can be learned the British
fleet patrolling the coast have not
lost a vessel excepting the destroyers
lost on the Scottish coast. The big
battleships have all been reported and
are safe.
SALEM’S MAYOR
LOSESJIS JOB
SALEM, Mass., Dec. 30.—Mayor
John F. Burley, of this city, has been
recalled. This is the first public of
ficial in the New England states to
be recalled. Mayor Burley has held
the position ror six years, but
charges of graft and police protection
for vice with big profits upon all city
work and contracts made by insiders,
caused his administration to lose pub
lic support and finally to be turned
out when a determined effort at a
recall was made by his opponents.
Charles J. Jones, former traffic
manager of the Alaska Steamship
Co., and later general freight and
passenger agent of the Southern Pa
cific railroad, with headquarters at
San Francisco, died recently.