" VQL 10 VALDEZ, ALASKA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1914. NO. 367.
DRESDEN AND NURNBERG SUNK
TWO MORE GERMAN SHIPS ARE SENT TO THE BOTTOM
GERMAN FLEET WAS OUTNUMBERED BY BRITISH SHIPS
BATTLE IN POLAND CONTINUES; LOWICZ IS DESTROYED
KEEPWARSHIPS
FROM NEW WORLD
Is Plan of the Pan-American Nations
Which Suffer Because of Euro
pean War.
WASHINGTON, Dec. IQ.—A con
ference was held yesterday by Sec
retary of State W. 3. Bryan and the
representatives of twenty American
republics to arrange if possible with
the belligerents in the present war to
have them' agree that the steamship
lanes of travel between North and
South America shall be free from
warships of all nations.
The Pan-American nations are anx
ious to have business conditions re
sumed in South America as the finan
cial depression threatened ruin for
all the smaller countries. It is hoped
to have the belligerents agree to keep
their warships from the American
waters and all of them operate on
the high seas many miles from the
lanes of travel.
The plan has been suggested to the
representatives here of England,
France, Russia, Germany and Austria,
and it is hoped that it will be ap
proved by the nations at war.
FROM EUROPE
Ambassador To France Filled Oner
ous Position With Great Honor
To Diplomatic Corps.
NEW YORK, Dec. 10.—Former U.
S. Ambassador to France Myron T.
Herrick returned to this city yes
terday on the French steamer Roch
ambeau. Mr. Herrick has received
from the French government the dec
oration of the Legion of Honor for
his services to the republic and to
the Americans during the first four
months of the war.
Former Representative Sharp, of
Elyria, O., has assumed the office.
He was confirmed in July and was
expected to take the position on Aug.
1, but the sudden outbreak of the
war made it necessary that Mr.
Herrick remain and for some months
the United States has been in the
position of having two ambassadors
to France.
AIN BECOMES
MININGJIRECTOB
PHOENIX, Ariz., Dec. 10.—Falcon
Joslin, the Fairbanks railroad own
er and largely Interested in mining
in Alaska, has been elected a di
rector of the Mining Congress of the
United States.
German Fleet Tried To Avoid Battle But Were Forced To Engage British—
Nurnberg and Dresden Were Chased for Two Days By British Before Fi
nally Engaged—Russians Finally Admit Loss of Lodz—Germans From East
Prussia Also Advancing Towards Warsaw—Nish Reports a Great Victory
for Servians When Kolubara River Positions Were Retaken.
BUENOS AYRES, Argentina, Dec.
10.—The British fleet succeeded In
overtaking the German cruisers Dres
den and Nurnberg off Cape S. An
tonio this afternoon and sunk both of
the boats. ,The Germans were seek
ing shelter from the British but were
overhauled before they could reach
this port and were sunk.
Germans Tried Reach Neutral Port
The commanders of the two Ger
man ships have been seeking safety
from the British since Tuesday, when
they fled rom the battle off the
Falkland Islands when the Scharn
horst, Gneisenau and Leipzig were
sunk. For two days and nights thei
British cruisers have been trailing the
German boats, never allowing them
out of sight. The long days greatly
aided the British, who dispatched the
fastest cruisers of the South Amer
ican fleet to follow the Germans.
Germans Outnumbered.
The German fleet was outnumber
ed In the battle at Falkland Islands
oft Tuesday and the Nurnberg and
Dresden were also outnumbered and
outranged in the battle near this
port. The Germans tried to avoid
the battle, but their ships were foul
from long journeys and inability to
go to drydock and the British boats
were therefore finally able to over
take them and force the battle.
Heavy Loss of Life.
The reports received here are to
the effect that Admiral Spee and 2,
000 German sailors have been drown
ed. The five ships sunk and three
merchant vessels used by the Ger
mans as convoys and colliers have
been sunk besides several captured.
The British loss is unknown.
London Goes Wild;
LONDON, Dec. 10.—The people are
wild here today at the success of Ad
miral Studee and his fleet in the en
gagement with the German fleet oft
Falkland Islands and the success in
forcing the Nurnberg and Dresden
to battle. The victory has taken the
’sting from the defeat of Admiral
Craddock on Nov. 1. The people are
demanding more details of the bat
tle. The admiralty, however, has no
details and is depending largely upon
the press dispatches for its own news.
A request has been sent to Admiral
Studee for the details of the fight.
Attack Warsaw From East Prussia.
LONDON, Dec. 10.—The Germans
have sent a second army from East
Prussia towards Warsaw. This army
is being hurled at the flank of the
Russian positions and may turn the
battle against Grand Duke Nicholas.
The new army was secured from cen
tral Germany and the East Prussian
trenches have not been weakened.
The Russians are in a dangerous po
sition and must retire at once unless
ptrong reinforcements are sent to
guard the north flank of the Russian
center.
Allies Continue Offensive.
PARIS, Dec. 10.—The allies contin
ue the offensive all along the line.
The artillery duels are in progress
with occasional infantry dashes. The
allies have been successful at sever
al points and have broken down the
first line of German defense.
Six British Against Five German
Ships.
BUENOS AYRES, Dec. 10.—The
reports here of the engagement at
Falkland Islands show that six Brit
ish ships were engaged with five Ger
man vessels.
Germans for Christmas Peace.
BERLIN, Dec. 10.—Germany in
principal is willing to grant the truce
for three weeks desired by the Pope
during Christmas week. The Ger
mans do not abject in principal to
the request provided certain condi
tions are agreed to b ythe allies.
Germans Raided Dover.
NEW YORK, Dec. 10.—The Brit
ish authorities suppressed the news
of a raid by German aerial scouts up
on Dover, the channel port of Eng
land. A number of people were kill
ed by the dropping of bombs from
the German airships, none of them,
however, were in the military ser
vice of the empire, but were non
combatants. The allies are bitter at
the constant efforts to terrorize the
people through German air raids.
The British, French and Russians
have so far sent airships only against
fortified towns in Germany, although
it were easy to attack many cities in
the empire and kill civilians.
Kaiser Coughing Badly.
AMSTERDAM, Dec. 10—The kaiser
is coughing badly and is in a serious
condition is the report reaching here
today from Berlin.
British Capture Turkish Force.
LONDON, Dec. 10.—The entire
Turkish force in Southeastern Tur
key, at the head of the Persian Sea,
has been captured by the British.
The city of Korna, on the Bagdad
railroad, was surrounded and the
Turkish force captured. The victory
gives to the allies the control of the
FLETCHER WANTS
A BIGGER NAVY
Insists That U. S. Is Not Able With
Present Fighting Force To En
gage Strong Nation.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.—Rear Ad
miral Frank F. Fletcher, who was
a witness before the Senate Military
Affairs Committee today, told the
committee that the United States is
totally unprepared for war at this time
with a first-class power. On land and
sea the American fighting force is
inferior to any of the powers and it
would require several years of con
stant endeavor to bring the fighting
force to the standard it should be in
order to give the United States pro
tection from foreign aggression.
The rear admiral insisted that the
navy should be greatly strengthened
so that it could provide protection
from invasion while the army was
being organized. “A strong, powerful,
efficient navy would give to the mili
tary authorities the time needed to
prepare and properly organize land
fighting forces and without the navy
the country would be crushed before
an opportunity to organize and equip
the immense reserve fighting strength
of the nation was given the United
States by the power or powers with
which we might be at war,” said the
admiral.
C. R. Davidson, who has lived on.
his homestead near Fairbanks for six
years, has applied for a patent. He
has 40 per cent, of the land under
cultivation.
EDISON WORKS
IRE DESTROYED
Supposedly Fireproof Buildings Are
Burned—Loss Is $7,000,000 and
Only $2,000,000 Insurance.
WEST ORANGE, N. J„ Dec. 10.—
The big concrete fireproof Edison
plant in this city was destroyed by
fire today. The fire started as a re
sult of an explosion. The loss is
$7,000,000. The insurance is $2,000,
000, making a net loss of $5,000,000.
The personal laboratory of Thos.
A. Edison, the inventor, was saved
by) the firemen after a desperate
fight with explosives and chemicals
which were stored in the nearby
buildings.
Fire machines from surrounding
towns, from Jersey City, Hoboken,
Newark, and New York, were sent to
the scene to aid the small fire fight
ing force maintained by West Or
ange.
As a result of the fire 3,000 people
will be out of employment. The
buildings will be rebuilt at once.
■It was thought that the buildings
could not burn, as they were made of
reinforced concrete and the large
number of firewalls In the big struc
tures were expected to hold the
flames within the rooms in which it
might originate and prevent it spread
ingjflfet the explosion shattered sev
era!Hr the walls and allowed the fire
to spread.
Had the explosion occurred during
the day when the many men and
women are employed in the factor
ies the loss of life would have been
appalling.
southern end of the railroad and
places them in possession of one of
the richest provinces in Asia Minor.
Kaiser’s Illness Suppressed.
It is believed here that the news
of the illness of the German kaiser
Was suppressed by the Berlin auth
orities until all danger was over, and
that the emperor is now able to be
out again or will be shortly. It is
also believed that were - he serious
ly ill the news would have been kept
from the public.
Russians Admit Evacuation Lodz.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 10.—The war
office admits the evacuation of the
Polish city of Lodz and the retire
ment towards Warsaw. The retire
ment is made for strategic reasons.
Terrific Fighting At Lowicz.
For the past fortnight the Germans
have subjected the city of Lowicz to
a terrific artillery bombardment.
They have done much damage to the
town but have been unable to pass
the entrenchments of the infantry.
Servians Retake Kolubara River Po
sitions.
NISH, Dec. 10.—The Servians have
recaptured all the positions on the
Kolubara river. The Austrians have
been driven back with heavy loss.
The attack was made unexpectedly
by the Servians when the Austrians
believed they were not strong enough
to hazarjf a general engagement.
More Treasures for Us.
LONDON, Dec. 10—According to art
dealers, many well-known families
here will be forced at the conclu
sion of the war to get rid of art ob
jects of great value. The heirs of
some prominent families have been
killed in battle, and it is believed
that this will mean the dispersal of
some famous collections. Speaking of
this, a dealer said today that for a
long time after the war art dealers
wo’—d have to look to America and
Its millionaires for the disposal of
works of art.
It was said at Christie’s today that
no auction sales had been planned for
months to come. Dealers seen here
said they had no commissions from
Americans for purchases of aft ob
jects at present.
Says Postmark Is Forged.
' NORTHERN FRANCE, Dec. 10.—
It is said that letters of German
soldiers fighting in the western thea
tre of war are sent to theif wives
In Germany with a special Paris post
mark. The Petit Calaisien makes the
following announcement, on which it
says is reliable authority:
“The German postal service on the
field has fabricated a special post
mark on which is inscribed ‘Paris.’
Although Paris has not been reach
ed, the postmark is In use, and Ger
man families are thrilled with pride
when they receive the letters and
postcards bearing it.”
Germany Conserves Food.
ROTTERDAM, Dec. 10.—To obtain
exact information as to the food sup
(Contlnnea on page 2.)
JAPS TO KEEP
Foreign Minister Says He Never
Promised U. S. Not To Keep
the Islands.
TOKIO, Dec. 10.—The Japanese
foreign minister in addressing Parlia
ment yesterday stated that the Ja
panese government had not promised
to the United States that Japan would
surrender the German islands captur
ed by the Japanese navy during the
present war with Germany.
The announcement was received
with great cheering by the members
of parliament and the papers of this
city all comment favorably upon the
announcement by the government
that it had not agreed with the
American government not to retain
any islands which might be taken
from Germany.
The islands mentioned are the
Marshall group, the Marianne or La
drone group and the Caroline group,
all of them lying in an easterly di
rection from the Philippines and be
tween that group and the United
States.
REDFIELD WANTS
MORE LIGHTS
Insists That Navigation Along the
Alaska Coast Is Dangerous, and
Wants Wire Drag Net.
WASHINGTON, Dec 10.—Secretary
Redfield, of the Department of Com
merce, severely Indicts the congress
of the United States for its failure
10 provide proper guides for navigat
ing the coast of Alaska. The secre
tary also stated that it is a disgrace
to send inspectors out in unseaworthy
survey boats.
Many rocks along the Alaskan coast
are also uncharted because of the
failure of congress to provide funds
for a wire drag.
The secretary will endeavor to se
cure a large appropriation at this
session of congress in order to mark
the coast with lights and buoys.
011 mm
DIRECTED STRIKE
DENVER, Colo., Dec. 10.—Presi
dent Welborn of the Colorado Fuel
Co. admits having received a 10,000
word message from J. D. Rockefeller,
Jr., giving Instructions on how to
handle the strike. The head of the
coal company was determined that
the strike be won or the mines clos
d down indefinitely.
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