VOLUME XIV. VALDEZ, ALASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1018. NUMBER 87
» _ ____——— -- -- _ _ — —
FRENCH CITY IS
PILEOF RUNS
Blackened Walla and Smoking Debris
Marks Site of Historic Place
Where Kings Were Crowned
PARIS, April 19.—Rheims, which
has been on Are for a week, from
bombardment by the enemy, is now a
pile of blackened, smoking ruins.
What the flames failed to destroy the
German shells finished. The famous
Mars gate erected by the Remi in hon
or of Caesar and Augustus when Ag
rippa made all roads terminate at the
town is a heap of rubbish. The beau
tiful cathedral, the most famous ar
chitectural triumph of France, built
hundreds of years ago at a tremend
ous cost, has been demolished. The
famou^basilica where Clovis was
baptized by St. Remigius is gone. The
population of the town which retired
at the commencement of the terrific
bombardment, is homeless, and an
other crowning infamy has been add
ed to German achievement.
. Last week the Germans fired more
than 100,000 shells into the very
heart of the city, raking the structures
from one wall to the other. Accord
ing to a Le Matin correspondent the
damage done can never be repaired.
The once proud and prosperous city
has been utterly destroyed.
Hheims, the chief town of this de
partment of the Marne had a popula
tion of about 150,000 and lies !)!)
miles by rail from Paris. The vine
clad hills where the grapes are grown
which produce the famous wines of
this region have been devastated and
the crops trampled into the dirt.
Hheims has been since the Franco
Prussian war surrounded by detach
ed forts that make it a great en
trenched fortification. Eleven of the
old gates of the old regime, that of
Paris, constructed to mark the cor
onation of Louis XIV., were intact
before the bombardment commenced.
The town was modern in many res
pects trams traversing all its princi
pal streets. The spinning and weav
1I1K UI wuoi in uiia ciij cmpiujcu a a,
000 hands and about $12,500,000
worth of raw materials Were manu
factured here yearly. Two thousand
men were employed in the manufac
ture of wines. The city was also fam
our for its biscuits, gingerbread and
dried pears. Machinery and chemical
products were extensively manufac
tured. it was the tenth city in Franco
in point of population. Its antiques
were celebrated throughout the civil
ized world. Tapestries made in 1530
and bestowed upon the blessed Virgin
hung in the great cathedral, the pride
of France. Rheims has beea noted as
the ecclesiastical head of Christian
ity. Jovinius, a barbaric convert, re
pulsed the barbarians who invaded
Rheims in the year 336; but the Van
dals captured the town in 406, slew
St. Nicasus and put the city to fire
and sword. Atflla the leader merci
lessly masacred the inhabitants and
carried thousands into slavery. The
oil of the sacred phial, believed to
have been brought from heaven by a
dove for the baptism of Clovius was
preserved in the Abbey of St. Remi,
and was used to consecrate a long
line of French kings. In 1870-71 the
German took the town and made it
the seat of a German governor gen
eral who impoverished the city by
heavy taxes. Rheims was rich in his
torical memories and yjas a town
when Christ was crucified. It made
history when England was in the
throes of barbarism; its streets have
echoed to the tread of the armed co
horts of Caesar and Atilla, and thei
public buildings were vast storehouses
of antiquity. The city had a magnific
ent library of 100,000 ancient tomes
and was the seat of the academy of
science and art. Its destruction is a
loss to civilization which can never be
replaced, and is only equaled by the
destruction of Alexandria with its
priceless treasures.
* .»■ --
MUST TAKE CARE
OF CLASSIFICATION CARDS
All registrants who are examined
and classified by the Local Board are
given a classification certificate, in the
form of a card, which they are warn
ed to carefully preserve for presenta
tion at any time demanded.
Advertise In the Dally Prospector.
ft
Today's Dispatches Show that Allies
are Holding lines and Advanc
ing at Many Points
PARIS, April 19.—French troops
in the region of Amiens have captur
ed the Necat Wood and made ad
vances against the Germans in several
other sectors, according to reports
given out by the war department to
day. Several heavy German atacks
were repulsed last night, fighting at
many points being unusually severe.
The French threw the Germans hack
in confusion at the intersection of the
railway and the Amiens highway,
their attack failing shortly after it
started.
1 Enemy Owned Plant Constructing
Famous Ignition System to make
.Magnetos for F. S. Planes
WASHINGTON. I). (’.. April 19.—
The enemy owned seven million dol
lar plants of tlie Bosch Magneto Com
pany, at Springfield, Mass., and Plain
field, New Jersey, were taken over by
the government today, under the
alien enemy property act, and will he
used to manufacture American air
plane ignition. The plants are among
the largest in the world and manu
the largest Int -he world and manu
facture a superior product for com
pression engines.
JEANNETTE BANKIN' KEECSEI)
PERMIT TO SPEAK
DEER PODGE, Mont., April 19.—
Jeannete Rankin, member of congress
from this state, was refused permis
sion to speak in this city last night be
cause of her association at Butte Wed
nesday with Industrial Workers of
the World.
BOAT DIE TOMORROW
The steamship Alaska left Anchor
age last night at 9: fit) o'clock and is
expected to reach Valdez tomorrow
any time after 'f o'clock on her way
south. No news has been received of
the steamship Admiral Watson and
the time of her arrival from the
westward is problematical.
SERGT. G. MORINI
Sergt. G. Morini of the Italian Bersa
glleri while on patrol atopped a Ger
man motorcar carrying General von
Berrer, an adjutant and two chauf
feurs. He killed the general with the
first shot and put the soldier-chauffeurs
to flight. The adjutant, a German cap
tain, he captured after a struggle, and
turned him over to the nearest Italian
command, and then joined hie cycle pa
trol for further rear-guard action. He
was wounded later and sent to a hos
pital In Milan. Hie daring feat took
place at the gates of Udine during the
Italian retreat to the Plave.
ENEMY ATTEMPTS
cross ii cm
Ten Divisions of Germans Drive Fur
iously Against British Defenses
at Labasse and St. Venant
BRITISH ARMY, April 19.—Ten
divisions of Germans are driving fur
iously against the British defenses
between Givenchy, Labasse and St.
Venant in an attempt to affect the
crossing of the Labasse canal. The
British are holding their lines well in
flicting heavy losses upon the enemy
according to late reports.
The strenuous assault in this re
gion seems the logical outcome of the
strategic positions in which the Teu
tons And themselves. If they remain
still the allied troops are in a posi
tion to work along their flanks virtu
ally in the open, and that they will
take advantage of the opening for a
successful counter cannot be doubted, j
It is a case of attack or be attacked
and the German mind cannot stand
for the allies to be the aggressor. The
Germans are in the position of the I
man who had hold of the bear's tail, i
If they let go they are liable to be ov-;
ercome, and if they hold on the eon-,
I sequences will be mighty unpleasant, j
—
May Kstabli.sli Trenches
PARIS, April 10.—The possibility
! suggests itself that the Germans flml-j
I ing themselves foiled in their strenu
ous attempts to break thru the allied
lines in the Atniet) sector may decide,
to entrench and settle down to aj
steady siege of the town. That this|
would be unprofitable in view of the
fact that to the rear of the supply de
pot tfco allies have convenient access,
and that the Americans and French
lines Hank the enemy in long parallel
lines, is becoming more apparent to
the German commanders. Their hope
of a decisive offensive is fading, and
the only chance now to profit from
the costly drive is to bold the ground!
gained.
Uritish artillery is doing marvel-1
ous work in destroying the enemy sal
ients and the heavy fire prevents the
enemy from working at entrenching.
'
Moors Do Good Work
LONDON", April 19.—General Du
bois, with a division of Moroccan
rillemen has been doing gallant work.j
These dusky inhabitants of Africa
light desperately and know no fear.
Time after little yesterday the enemy
swept up to their trenches, to he lit
erally wiped out by the deadly rilie
lire of the tribesmen. Their bravery
in the face of odds lias awakened thej
admiration of tlie allied troops.
Quiet in Glanders
PARIS, April 19.—Quiet prevailed
on much of the Flanders front thru
out the forenoon though Kemrael hill
on the northery side of the battle area
is being heavily bombarded this af
ternoon in preparation for fresh as
saults by the Germans.
"WE HOLD
THE BOW WAVES"
General Focli Reports that the Ad
vance has been Stopped—Allies
Satisfied With Outlook
MILAN, Italy, April 9.—“We hold
the Boche waves but that is not suf
ficient; we must do something more/’
Gen. Foch is quoted as saying today
in an interview published by the Cor
riere Della Serra. “Our important re
serves are intact and we are well sat
isfied with the progress of events.”
MRS. VANDERBILT DENIED
USE OF A PRIVATE CAR
- •
WASHINGTON: Mrs. Cornelius
Vanderbilt felt the pinch of war to
day. She was denied a private car by
Director General McAdoo to go from
New York to Spartanburg, S. C.,
where her huaband, Col. Vanderbilt,
la Btatloned. She ottered to pay forty
farea to get an excluaive car, but the
railroad admlnlatratlon ruled that it
would be a waste of fuel and motive
power.
British and FYench Hold Enemy on
Flanders FYont While Ground
Is Gained to the South
LONDON. Friday, April 19.—The
Germans were completely repulsed in
attacks launched yesterday around
Givenchy on the southern side of the
Lys battlefront. Today attacks on the
British lines in the northern part of
the Lys battle sector south of Hum
mel were successfully repulsed.
There is no change in the situa
tion along the entire British front
during the night. While the British
aided by the Fcench reserves are hold
lag their ground on the Flanders
front the French have gained ground
along the Avre, southeast of Amiens,
by heavy counter attacks on a front of
two miles.
This attack, a French communique
said, carried the French to the out
skirts of Casteel.
The situation lias greatly improved
during the past twenty-four hours,
the German forces weakening in their
assaults and lacking the ferocious
driving power of'early attacks.
KING geokgf: absents
TO NEW MAN-POWER RIM.
i
LONDON. April lb. Royal assent;
lias been given to the proposed man l
power hill, and it lias become a law.
The hill provides for drafting all men
from IS to 50 for military service.
MIAN TROOPS |
- REFUSE TO FIGHT
Insist that Facing Allies Means They
Will be* Slaughtered and Fight
Officers Stubbornly
AMSTERDAM. April 1;>. German
troops are refusing to go to the front
according to reports reaching here to- j
day. Further mutiny has developed!
at a German military camp in Rover-i
loo province, and many soldiers have
been shot for insubordination.
When the soldiers were ordered to j
get ready to go to the .west front they
refused to obey their officers, insist- j
ing that to do so meant that they I
would be slaughtered. Enraged by
their actions the officers attempted to
stop the revolt and bloodshed follow
ed. At last accounts the trouble was
still in progress.
ffi _ — -
Jake Hepfinger, proprietor of the
Crystal Baths tonsorlal parlor has
tendered his services to the govern
ment as an ambulance driver for the
Red Cross, and has successfully pass
ed the physical examination. He is
busy today making out his application
9heet and may yet get in a buzz wag
on on the battlefront. Valdezans at
the front who hear some one shout
"next” will know that Jake has ar
rived.
NOT INTERESTED
IN SKY
All Theodore Roosevelt AA’ants Now
Is to Accomplish Certain Tilings
—Not out for Office
NEW YORK, April 19.—"You
know that I am telling you the truth
when I say to you that I am not in
terested in being President of the
United States,” Theodore Roosevelt
leclared today when asked for an in
terview in regard to his attitude in
the next campaign. “The time was
when I wanted office. Today I want
to accomplish certain thinflg and of
Ice and such has not the slightest at
traction for me.”
Big dance tomorrow night at Moose
, .,... ;
ABERDEEN IN PACIFIC
INTERNATIONAL TODAY
SEATTLE: Aberdeen, Wash., was
voted Into the Pacific International
Baseball league at a meeting of club
owners here today. The owners decid
ed to permit a team composed of
Camp Lewis soldiers to play league
teams at Tacoma or at the camp twice
a week. The league will be made up
of six clubs, Seattle, Portland, Ta
coma, Spokane, Vancouver, B. C„ and
Aberdeen.
APRIL 26 IS
JMR1Y DAY
President Issues Proclamation Calling
upon People to “Pledge Anew Fi
nancial Sup|>ort to Nation" ,
WASHINGTON, D. C.. April 19.—
April twenty-sixth has been proclaim
ed “Liberty Day” in a proclamation
issued by the President, who calls up
on every community to hold rallies
and "pledge anew their financial sup
port to sustain the Nation's cause.”
ITALIANS WILL GO
TO WEST FRONT
Premier Orlando .Announces that
Troops Will he Dispatched to
Allies Aid Immediately
KOMK. April 19.—Premier Orian
io announced today to the chamber
yf deputies that Italian troops would
ye dispatched to the French front im
mediately, to render aid to the allied
irms. The announcement was greeted
vith tumultuous cheering by the de
yuties.
The premier said that Italy could
tot remain absent from the battle
ields of France if siie wished to bring
angible proof to tlie allies of her sol
'darity with their cause, lie announc
ed that very soon the colors of the
Italian regiments would fly over tin*
*'ielils of Picardy l.c.-dde those of the
American. Itritish. l-'rencii. Iielei. n
111(1 Portugese.
italian* Now at i font
WASHINGTON. D. t\. April 19.
Italian regiments are already at the
vest front in France and form tiie
•iglit wing of the allied armies tlie
Italian embassy announced today. The
embassy gave out a radio dispatch
!rom the premier saying that the Ital
an regiments would soon be in the
hick of the battle.
N. H. MAYER
N. H. Mayor, recently elected preet*
lent of the Norfolk A Weatem rail*
way, began hie working career at the
ige of eeventeen aa a railway our
reyor. Throe yea re later ho entered
the employ of the Pen nay Ivan la rail
way aa a clerk and roea eteadlly to the
petition of general manager and vice
pretidont of that groat ayetem.
ALLOWANCES FOR
MMIIIES
Government Make* liberal Provisions
to Care for Dejiendents of Men
Enlisted in Army
Uncle Sam will care for the families
of American soldiers at the front in
this war on ft scale of liberality never
approached by any government before
The pay of a soldier is more than
double that ever allotted before—a
soldier gets $33 a month. A French
soldier gets about $6 a month. In the
American civil war a Union soldier
received $13 a month, payable in pap
ier which in August 1864 was worth
| 35 cents on the dollar. A Confederate
I soldier’s paper money salary near the
lend of the war was practically vaiue
: less. He virtually fougnt for his hoard.
The kaiser's soldiers get less than $3
a month.
Blit the American government
■ makes further provision for the de
pendents of its soldiers. Men with
families are obliged to allot at least
$15 a month of their pay to their
families and the government adds the
following amounts:
To a wife with no child, $15.
To a wife with one child, $25.
To a wife and two children, $32.50,
with $5 for each additional child,
if no wife, but one child, $5
If no wife, lint two children, $12.50.
If . o wife, but three children. $20.
If i o wife, lint four children. $30.
with each additional child.
r ui titii'T ti■ 'pt'iitit'iit relatives;
Parents. $lo each.
Hath hi and child. brother, sister, or
parent of one of them other than a
parent already included in the first
class. $5.
In. case of e woman with children:
the same provisions as made for
children of the soldier.
Liberal compensation is made for
dependents of a soldier in case of his
death or total disability. A widow
without children will get $25 a
month.
Finally, a system of insurance is
provided hv which a soldier may in
sun* for tfnv amount up to $10,000
at regular life insurance rates, the
government paying tlie additional
amount for war risks. The amount of
the insurance with interest at 2 1-2
per (i*nt is to be paid in 240- monthly
installments, the amount on a $10,
(•00 policy being $57.50 per month.
■ ■ —
Quartermaster Department Preparing
for Huge Army to be Gathered
by Knd of Year
WASHINGTON. D. C., April 19.—
The 'quartermaster general’s depart
ment is preparing equipment for an
army of 2,500,000 men in the field or
in cantonments by the end of 19IS it
developed today.
That the nation is In the fight in
earnest is evidenced by the extensive
preparations being made to muster
every available man into service.
From now until the end of the war a
steady stream of the nution’s finest .
man power will be launched against
the enemy.
WOMEN INCLUDED IN
ALIEN ENEMY REGISTRATION
WASHINGTON, D. C„ April 19.—
President Wilson today signed a bill
extending the provisions of the es
pionage act to women and requiring
the registration of women alien ene
mies.
IN AGAIN—OUT AGAIN
Douglas Fairbanks will appear at_
the Empress theatre tomorrow night
In & hundred hearty laughs in the
popular comedy, “In Again—Out
Again.” A Hearst aPthe News will al
so be shown.
SaYe food or go on short rations.
Make 12 ounces of bread do where
16 served before.
——n——Mfs a marr t ••'ACVSf’T