V0L 10 VALDEZ, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1914. NO. 819
GERMANS SWEEPING TO THE COAST
BELGIUM IS ALMOST CLEARED OF TROOPS OF ALLIED ARMIES
KAISER’S ARMY REPORTED TO HAVE GUN THAT SHOOTS 28 MILES
BIG BATTLE IS IMMINENT ALONG BELGIUM-FRENCH BORDER
Sec'y- Lane Is Opposed To Buying
Cordova Road, At Least Until Re
port of Engineers Is Made.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.—Secretary
Lane of the Interior department, to
whom the Morgan interests yesterday
offered the Cordova railroad for sale
or lease to the United States govern
ment, told the representatives Of the
big banking firm that he could not
consider acquiring existing lines un
til the engineers now in the field had
made their report.
It is persistently reported here that
the Morgan and Guggenheim inter
ests, owners of the railroad, have had
a serious disagreement regarding the
management of the Alaska Syndicate
and that in consequence the Morgans
will retire from any connection with
the road and will refuse to finance
the winter operations.
The losses to the owners have been
enormous and it is doubtful if the
road can be kept open during a se
vere winter and the /different fac
tions are divided as to the advisabil
ity of maintaining a service this com
ing winter.
JOHNSON SAYS
WICK DREW BILL
Charges Alaska Delegate Requested
Introduction of Bill Saving Non
resident Claim Owners.
JUNEAU, Oct. 14.—Congressman
Albert Johnson, over his own sig
nature in a letter sent from Wash
ington under date of October 2nd, and
just received in this city and now on
public view, states as follows: “The
bill to suspend assessment work on
mining claims in Alaska for the year
1914 was written by Judge Wicker
sham. We undertook what was best
for all concerned.
(Signed) “ALBERT JOHNSON."
Judge Wickersham has found since
his arrival in Alaska that his bill is
unpopular and with promptness as
serted that Congressman Johnson had
introduced it and that he himself had
nothing to do with the matter.
Johnson, however, insists that as
Judge Wickersham was about to leave
for the north to campaign, he had
requested that the Washington con
gressman introduce the measure.
_
LOCAL BREVITIES.
J. J. Godfrey and wife came up to
'Cordova on the Alameda.
Delegate Wlckersham and Charles
Day left for Cordova this morning.
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Carvey return
ed to Valdez on the steamer Alameda
after spending the summer In the In
terior.
F. B. Tracy, general agent of the
Alaska Steamship Company; is mak
ing the round trip to the westward
on the Alameda.
The Ladles' Aid will meet at the
home of Mrs. Hemple Thursday af
ternoon, October 16, at 2 o'clock: Ev
eryone cordlalj^lnvlted.
Miss V. Carlson, who has been on
a visit to the states, returned yester
day to Valdez. Miss Carlson had In
tended to visit her old .home In Swe
den, but the war prevented the com
pletion of her contemplated trip, so
she returned after a visit to little
Sweden—St. Paul, Minnesota.
Germans Are Preparing To Use Big Howitzers Against Belfort—Kaiser’s Troops Being Massed To
Turn Allies Left—Antwerp To Be Kept By Germans If They Are Successful—Italy May Come
In Also Fearing German Aggression After Present War—Russians Have Lost Much Ground In
Galicia—Big Battles Soon To Be Fought In Poland—Prussians Are Nearing Warsaw.
LONDON, Oct. 14.—Gloomy is the
outlook from the seat of war. The
Germans.are advancing to the sea and
have swept Belgium almost clear of
the allies troops. The Britlsh-Bel
gian and French troops are entrench
ed north of Dunkirk and are waiting
the approach of the enemy. Ant
werp has been made a Prussian city.
The Germans are also preparing for
an attack upon Belfort near the Swiss
border and the fort depended upon
to protect the allies right. The big
howitzers used at Antwerp and also
forts with success are to be taken
to Belfort and many of them are al
ready en route to that point.
Little News From Russia.
The reports from Russia today are
not as alarming as they were last
night, although the Russians do not
deny the fact that they have met with
a check in Galicia and that they have
been forced to retire. The biggest
battle of the war is expected short
ly in Poland and upon it will depend
the winter’s campaign. If the Ger
mans are successful the Russians will
merely try to hold them back until
winter and then recuperate and pre
pare for the spring campaign, while,
if successful, the invasion of Germany
starts.
Germans Will Try Turn Right.
The Germans are reported as mass
ing a large force of men in Alsace
and are preparing to turn the allies’
left. If the big German guns can re
duce the border forts the allies are
doomed.
Italy May Come Into the Fight With
Allies.
The Italian government is expected
to join the allies, fearing the success
of the Germans, in which event Italy
would be wiped off the map, and it
is expected that the invasion of Aus
tria will start shortly. Reports have
been received at Rome that the Ger
man kaiser has threatened to destroy
Italy if he is successful, because of
the failure of the Italians to come in
to the tight against the allied nations.
German Trophies In London.
LONDON, Oct. 14.—Many persons
in London today crowded about the
window of a business concern in the
Strand in which was exhibited the cap
■of a German soldier, as well as sev
eral Held artillery cartridges. These
German trophies, together with a
Krupp gun captured by the first bat
talion of the Lincolnshire regiment,
.which was placed in the courtyard of
I the war office yesterday, are the first
| to be shown in London.
Several newspapers published a
story today that the kaiser had lost
his pocketbook at Nancy in his hurry
to get away from the French, and
when some newsboys with an inven
tive turn of mind digested the yarn
they started a report that the pock
etbook was In the show window with
the other trophies, which caused
greatly increased interest. The gun
shown at the war office was built
by the Krupps in 1898 and rebuilt ten
years later.
England Guard* It* Wool.
LONDON, Oct. 14.—Wool brokers
of England have formed a league to
prevent the purchase of wools suitable
for army requirements by neutrals on
behalf of Germany. There have been
heavy purchases of Yorkshires on be
half of firm* in neutral territory who
were known to have business rela
tions with Germany. This has arous
:ed suspicion and brokers now have
organised to ascertain the ultimate
destination of the wool before any un
usual order even Is considered.
General Botha Urges Loyalty.
LONDON, Oct. 14.—A dispatch to
the Reuter’s Telegram Company from
Cape Town says that in a speech be
fore 6,000 persons at the town of
Bank, In the Transvaal, General Louis
Botha, premie* of the Union of South
\
Africa, urged loyalty to the British
Empire. The policy of neutrality was
absolute nonsense, he said, pointing
out that if a German warship came
to Durban and imposed a levy of $25,
000,000 on them it would help the
people very little to say that they
were neutral. General Botha said tnat
because of sincere love for his peo
ple he wished to put the position truly
before them. There were only two
courses open, first, loyalty and help,
second, disloyalty and treason. There
was no middle course.
The German tortoise, General Bo
tha went on to say, had for once
stuck its head too far out and was
in grave danger of being trodden up
on. He justified the sending of South
Africans to support the imperial gov
ernment. He had information, he said,
regarding German ambitions concern
ing South Africa which would make
the hair of his hearers stand on end.
The fact of the matter was, he assert
ed, that the German Emperor desir
ed to go down to posterity as a sec
ond Napoleon. Incidentally, he also
wanted a place to send Germany's sur
plus population, and South Africa ap
pealed to him as a suitable place. The
speech was received by the Boers with
cheers, and a resolution of confidence
in General Botha was carried by ac
clamation.
Portugal To Come In.
LONDON, Oct. 14.—Portugal is to
join the allies and mobilization or
ders are to be issued in a few days
and the entire army of 250,000 men
and reserves is to be taken to Prance
to help the allies to check the Ger
mans. The Portuguese fear that the
success of the Germans would mean
the destruction of all the smaller
countries in Europe and so have elect
ed to join with England and Prance.
Many Spaniard* Still Want To Help
England.
Prom Madrid reports are received
Indicating that many prominent Span
iards are still urging that the Spanish
government in the war, fearing, like
Portugal, that the success of the Ger
mans would mean the destruction of
the kingdom.
Battle Imminent In Poland.
LONDON, Oct. 14—The Germans
are advancing upon the Vistula river
and a great battle is expected with
in a few hours. The battle will take
place between Sandomlr and Ivango
rod.
Germans On Offensive.
The Germans are taking the offen
sive on both frontiers. The Russians
are being attacked all along the line,
while in Belgium and France their
offensive is exceptionally heavy and
is being continued with unparalleled
vigor.
Occupy All of Poland.
The Germans have by their offen
sive movement captured and now oc
cupy all of Poland west of the Vis
tula river with the exception of War
saw.
Holland Neutrality To Be Respected
The German government has ad
vised the Netherlands that they were
prepared to respect the neutrality
of the Scheldt river and would not
attempt to occupy the forts at the
mouth of the river.
German* Sending Guns To Boers.
The German forces in German
Southwest Africa are arming the
Boers, who are quite anxious to fight
the British and willing to start a
revolution to do so. The number of
guns, however, stored in the German
colony is small and likewise after the
Boer war all guns in the colonies
were taken by the British and the
Boer rebellion will not assume the
proportions that the Boer war of 1901
did, as the evolutionists are poorly
armed and furthermore under the sys
tem of government given to the col
onies in South Africa many former
opponents of the British are now
strongly for the empire and the Boers
are not a unit in this revolution, as
they were thirteen years ago.
Germans Continue Advance.
DUNKIRK, Prance, Oct. 14.—The
remorseless German advance contin
ues towards the coast and the allies
are preparing to receive them. The
ground selected for the battle is flat
and huge entrenchments have been
erected and the lighting of a battle
under the conditions elected means a
terrible loss of life.
Germans Want Refugees Back.
ROTTERDAM,’* Oct. 14.—The Ger
mans now in control of Antwerp have
issued orders to all Belgians now in
the territory controlled by them, and
who live in Antwerp, but have fled
from the city, to return at once. To
all refugees from the cily, hut outside
of the jurisdiction of the army, an
invitation to return has been extend
ed, as the Germans intend to oc
cupy the city and retain it after the
war if they are successful.
German Minister Leaves Portugal
MADRID, Oct. 14.—The German
minister to Portugal is en route here
from Lisbon, as the preparations for
mobilizing the Portuguese army has
started and it is expected the declar
ation of war will be given today.
Antwerp a Prussian City.
ANTWERP, Oct. 14. The city em
ployes of this city have been forced
to swear allegiance to Germany, and
the Germans today mado a Prussian
province of Belgium. All houses must
keep their lights burning, inust ad
mit German soldiers at all hours, must
leave their doors open and are not
allowed, on the streets after 8 o'clock
at night. Refugees are returning and
many shops have been reopened.
Germans Near the Coast
PARIS, Oct. 14.—The Germans are
near the coast this afternoon and a
battle is imminent. The allies are
entrenched and prepared for them.
The last reports indicated that the
Germans were within twenty miles
of the coast.
Krupps Have Another Surprise.
NEW YORK, Oct. 14.—Adolph Gall,
a German-American who is connected
with the Edison laboratory at Orange,
N. J., as engineer In the inventing
department, returned yesterday from
Germany and states that the German
army will spring another surprise for
BUNNELL GETS
BIG WELCOME
Skagway Give* Regular Democratic
Nominee a Big Reception—Tanner
Working for Valdez Man.
SKAGWAY, Oct. 14.—Charles E.
Bunnell arrived from the Interior yes
terday and was met by a committee
iat the train and escorted to his ho
tel and In the evening he addressed
the largest crowd ever gathered in
Elks ball. Mr. Bunnell spoke of the
lieeds of the Interior, how a central
power plant was needed to develop
that district and how it was being
blocked by the Northern Commercial
Company, which owns the power
plant In Fairbanks. He also told of
the need for better roads and more
of them In the interior so that the
country might be made more accessi
ble for the tqlner and prospector.
.He asked for better protection for the
fisheries, which are being depleted by
the fish barons protected by James
Wlckersham’s organic act, and also
gave to the Democratic administra
tion the credit for the many construct
ive measures passed during the past
year. ,
Mr: Bunnell was given a rousing re
ception and great enthusiasm was
shown for the regular Democratic
candidate.
The Democratic candidate Is as
sured of a big vote In Skagway, al
though Wlckersham has heretofore
carried the town.
Senator Tanner, one of the lnfluen-'
■ tlal men In this community, and here
tofore a Wlckersham supporter, is out
tooth and nail for Mr. Bunnell as the
next delegate to congress.
BALL RECEIPTS
WERE VERY LOW
BOSTON, Oct. 14.—The receipts for
the championship ball games played
here and in Philadelphia totaled $226,
000, while in 1912 the receipts were
$490,000. In 1913 the gate receipt*
were $325,980, the series going five
games. In 1912 the series went eight
games, one of which was a tie. The
gate receipts for this season are the
lowest for many years.
1DMIR1L U
ON WH NORTH
SEATTLE,^ Oct. 14.—The steamer
Admiral Watson, of the Admiral Line,
left here on Monday night at 9 o’clock
tor Valdes with the following passen
gers for Fort Liscum: Peter Duncan,
Mathew Morgan.
PRESIDENT FEARS
WAR WITH MEXICO
Asks Governor Hunt of Arizona Not
To 8end 8tate Troops To Border,
As Would Cause War.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.—President
Wilson has wired to Governor Hunt
of Arizona not to send state militia
men to the Mexican border, as it
might precipitate a war. The gover
nor has replied by stating that the
situation was extremely critical and
that unless the federal government
was prepared to protect citizens of
Arizona from being shot by the Mex
icans across the border and also pre
pared to patrol the border and stop
the marauding bands of Mexican reb
els from entering the state, stealing
cattle and horses and shooting inof
fensive ranchmen, he would have to
act.
The news from Mexico City today
is the most alarming that has come
for several weeks, and It Is now cer
tain that American troops must in
terfere and establish order In Mexico.
Orders for the mobilization of war
supplies at southern ports has been
given, according to reliable Informa
tion and the battleships are coaling
and preparing for a speedy cruise to
Vera Cruz.
the allies and that the Krupps have
even larger howitzers than those used
with such telling effect at Antwerp,
Namur, Liege and Maubeuge. The new
gun is twenty inches across the
mouth, while the older ones were on
ly 11.2 inches and had a range ot
seven miles, while the new gun has
a range of twenty-five miles. The
army officers here do not believe that
any gun that can be transported to
the battlefields will shoot twenty-five
miles, although it is known that the
big coast defense guns at Sandy Hook
have a range of twenty-five miles, but
they are tremendously heavy and
could not be used for field work.
Germans Preparing for Winter Cam
paign.
ROTTERDAM. Oct. 14.—The Ger
mans are pushing forward with the
utmost vigor their preparations for a
winter campaign. Until recently, ap
parently. they had not conceived of
such an eventuality. In the last few
weeks, however, they have learned
much. All the high-class shops that
formerly did nothing but make the
best fur garments for ladies are bus
ily engaged in the manufacture of
sheepskin clothing for the soldiers.
No fewer than 150,000 fur coats have
been delivered, presumably for the use
of officers, and 2,000,000 sheep and
lamb skins have been bought by the
government for winter garments for
the men. Considerable difficulty has
been experienced in procuring these
skins, as Austria and the Balkans,
whence most of them come, already
have forbidden their export, but these
difficulties have. It Is said, been over
come by the purchase of all skins
bought for glovemaking, and the men
who are ordinarily employed in the
glove industry have been withdrawn
from the ranks, and now are working
day and night to provide those in
the field with skin clothing. For the
cavalry special leather leg protect
ors are being made out of leather in
tended for gloves. In Belgium an
epidemic has broken out among the
German cavalry horses. In the Den
der Valley a thousand horses became
affected and after three days had to
be destroyed.
German Warships Install Big Guns.
COPENHAGEN. Oct. (14.—Travel
ers arriving from the Kiel Canal say
that the Germans are busy placing on
the armored cruisers and dread
noughts new ordnance, which the
Krupp works has been experiment
ing with for two years. The canal is
described as being crowded with war
ships, including the largest battle
ships. The arsenals are busy day
and night, and dong trains arrive con
tinuously with immense guns for the
ships. The Germans are reported as
asserting that the whole fleet will
soon be ready to fight.
If the Krupps had their way Ger
many’s dreadnoughts would all be
provided with bed plates for placing
on board ship their famous siege how
itzers. These howitzers, as far as
authentic records show, fire 11.2-inch
shells. These weapons are the same
as were used to reduce the forts at
Liege. Nam|ur, Maubeuge and Ant
werp.
Although from an engineering point
of view there Is no obstacle to plac
ing a howitzer weighing twenty-eight
tons on board a German dreadnought,
its firing would be a matter that gun
ners would view differently. This
would be an experiment that might
revolutionize naval warfare.
Previous tests of high-angle firing
by high power howitzers on shipboard
have not been successful. In the civ
il war the mortar was employed on
floats In the running of the New Or
leans blockade, but aside from this
experience, high-angle firing has nev
er been popular with the gunners of
any navy.
Southern Members Introduce Bill To
Sell $250,000,000 Bonds and Buy
Cotton With It.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14—Southern
members of congress today introduc
ed a bill in congress providing for
an issue of bonds totaling $250,000,
000 with which the government must
immediately buy cotton and hold it
until the war in Europe is over or
'until they can market the cotton with
out any great loss.
It is expected a s’rong light will be
made against the passage of the bill,
as the copper interests desire the gov
ernment to buy copper until the war
is over. The silver interests have
already succeeded in selling millions
of ounces of stiver to the Treasury
department and various manufactur
ing interests want the government to
buy the output of the mills so that
the men employed in them may be
kept at work.
Northern members assert tljat the
cotton of the south is being stored
and held at government expense, as
millions of treasury funds are being
used to loan the farmers the money
to carry the crops.
EHDEN SIIILIR
TO THE MiUMA
Latter Ravaged Shipping for Nearly
Two Year* Before Meet
ing Fate.
The chase of the Emden should be
of special interest if only because of
general wonder as to whether he
feats of the Alabama can be repeat
ed after fifty years. Undoubtedly, the
Emden has the heels of most if not
all of the British ships in Indian wa
ters, for she makes twenty-four knots
end Is one of Germany's finest armor
ed cruisers. Her speed must decrease,
however, the longer sno ts kepi from
docking. There are, of course far
more British warships available for
the chase than there were Federal
ships for the pursuit of tne Alabama.
None the less, searching for a 3hip
In a body of water like the Indian
Ocean la no easier than a hunt for
a needle In a haystack. This is evi
denced by the fact that not a single
one of the dozen loose German cruis
ers either In the Atlantic or the Pa
cific has been caught by the British.
Somehow or other, by skillful work,
they have kept the seas, with no coal
mg stations or colonies to run into,
at least on the Atlantic. Yet they
have been provisioned and coated. It
must be said, however, that they have
not Individually created as much ha
voc as had been expected, when one
considers the vast Russian. French
and English traffic of the high seas,
of which so much was caught un
awares by the sudden outbreak of
war. It la interesting to recall that
the Alabama was a boat of only 1,040
tons, 210 feet long, with SOO borse
power, and stowage for only 350 tons
of coal, with a speed under steam
alone of twelve knots—a dwarf ship
beside the Emden, wi’th her 3,600
tons, her 15,000-horse power, her ar
mored aides, and her wireless to help
her. Tet, with British aid, the Ala
bama kept the seas for twenty-two
months, cruising all over the world
and accounting for northern merch
antmen and their cargoes valued at
37,060,203.76.
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