| TiHE iDITARCD PIONEER
■
Published Every Saturday Morning at Idftarod, Alaska
s CHARLES A. DERRY, Editor No. 20
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THEODORE ROOSEVELT
There are those who will see in Roosevelt’s offer j
to raise a volunteer division of troops for service m
Europe only a desire to occupy a place on the war
stage where the full glare of the limelight may re
veal him to the world as “the” great American. But
this will be a rather unjust impression. That the
energetic Colonel loves the glare of publicity and is
an adept in the business of keeping himself in a con
spicuous position will not be denied. But this is
not all. Like the successful advertiser m the mer
cantile world, he has “the goods” to display to back
up his public announcements. He has persistently
and energetically taken the stand that America s
place in the great world struggle is by the side ol i
the nations which are fighting to eliminate militarism j
and autocracy from the field of international politics j
as a menace to the peace of the world. The United
States having declared for war, it was but natural j
that Roosevelt, ever willing to follow words with j
action, should endeavor to do his part, and even j
more, in the great struggle for the maintenance of j
his and the country’s ideals. If that part should hap- j
pen to be a conspicuous one, so much the more j
would it be to his liking. He may not be a great |
military leader, and it is even probable that he has |
net the military knowledge and training necessary j
to entitle him to high command in such a smuggle as j
that in which we are now engaged. But one thing |
is certain. Invested with such a command as he has j
asked, he will give a good account of himself, and
will devote his utmost energy and intelligence to the j
task imposed upon hnn. It will not detract in the j
least from his usefulness that his every action will
be accompanied bv the blare of trumpets and the j
heroic efforts of the special correspondents.
It is evident that the national legislature feels that
the great enthusiasm, which Roosevelt can command
is a factor which should be used to the utmost ad-1
vantage. His preferment may be distasteful to the J
military establishment; but it should be remembered
that the army is but a branch of the public service,;
and must bow, as all other component parts of the J
republic and individual citizens must bow, to what
is considered by the legislative and executive de- \
partments to be for the best interest of the nation. I
Roosevelt’s expedition will create enthusiasm,
which is a valuable asset in war times.
THE YARROWDALE PRISONERS
The dispatches last week announced that the 127 j
Americans who were taken prisoner by German raid
ers in the South Atlantic and conveyed to Germany j
on the Yarrowdale were still being detained. It:
will be remembered that shortly before the out-,
break of war between the United States and the ;
kaiser’s government it was announced that these j
prisoners were to be immediately released, the date!
set being March 7.
Aside from the broken promise, the history of
the case of these prisoners is not in the least credit-!
able to Germany. Of course in the first instance Ger- j
many had no right to hold these Americans prisoner. j
The United States was not at war, and these citizens j
were presumably traveling on lawful business. It j
was the duty of the Germans to land them at a neu-1
tral port and allow of their return to the United J
States. Instead they were conveyed to Germany i
and compelled to undergo severe hardships and in- j
convenience. Four of these prisoners arrived at!
Copenhagen on March 2, after having been held for j
three months. They were Dr. John Davis, Colum-;
bus, Miss.; Orville Me Kim, Watertown, N. Y.; Dr.
H. D. Snyder, Norfolk, Va.; Richard Zabriskie, En
glewood, N. J. The four men were practically des
titute. Their story is related in a news dispatch of
that date as follows:
The nien reached here with only the clothes they stood in. j
They owe their release before the remainder of the Americans who
vere on the Yarrowdale to the fact that, as physicians or veterin
arians they ranked as officers and were confined in the officers'
•amp at Karlsruhe. The horse tenders and sailors, who com
>osed the bulk of the American captives, are still held in “quar
inline” at the prison camp for enlisted men at Dulekn.
The four men left the camp at Karlsruhe on February 27, and
traveled direct to Warnemuende under escort, where, after being
-objected to the usual frontier search, they were put aboard a
Danish ferry and left to shift for themselves. The Danish police
look charge of them upon their arrival in Denmark, provided
them with quarters for the night in a hotel at Gjedxer, and gave
them the first hearty meal they had enjoyed since landing in Ger
many in December. The next morning the Danish authorities
provided railroad transportation to Copenhagen. Ancient sea
practice makes seamen stranded in a foreign port the guests of
the consul of the power under whose flag the lost .ship sailed.
United States Consul General Winslow was compelled, therefore,
tu refer the pa-ssless, paperless and moneyless wanderers to his
British colleague. The British consul provided hotel accommoda
tions pending an investigation as to the men's identity. He
pointed out that, as fur as any identification was concerned, the
four men might, be German spies.
Few more dramatic tides have been brought forth by the war
than the story of adventure, hardshi pantl peril at sea, short com
mens on land, and the new danger from the skv which was related
by these four American professional men. Snapped up by the
German raider in mid-ocean, they cruised around for days while
the commerce destroyer was gathering further prizes. Then they
made the voyage in the Yarrowdale to Swinemuende under such
conditions that they expected the ship's seams to open and the
vessel to sink beneath them at any moment. They lived for more
than two months in prison camps in Germany on the meager prison
fare provided by the German government, without food parcels
width lighten the conditions of existence of other prisoners of
war. They passed through four airplane attacks on Karlsruhe,
during which bombs intended for the railroad station rained on
hi .-id,.,; of their camp. To cap the climax, they were ignorant
until the last whether they were prisoners of war or neutial- in
detention, whether the government was doing anything to obtain
their release, or whether the United States had not already en
tered the war.
To add to their anxieties, their fellow- Americans from the Yar
rowdale at the time when they left them at the Neustrelitz earn])
to be transferred with other officers from the captured steamers, j
were in a state of complete destitution. They were insufficiently
clothed, several having been without shoes or overclothing during
the severe December cold, and all were weakening unner ihc enact j
of these conditions, although they were subsequently remedied
when Ambassador Gerard finally succeeded in locating them in
the pris -n camp at Dulmeu.
The condition of mans of the Americans, including horse ban i
.diets from the Georgia, was deplorable, they said. The horse ban
bl-Ts had been accustomed to work on the lower dec's, winch
were half awash, in hare feet and in underclothes. They e.uicrt i
the boats in this condition. Thre-e Americans went without shoes
in ihe snow for almost a month before footwear was -upi-h -i
them. Repeated attempts were made to communicate with the
American embassy, but none of the messages reached Mr. Gerard. .
The four doctors were almost starving when they arrived at
Karlsruhe. There they found the insufficient rations of Neti
stro-lpz wire succeeded hv a steadily diminishing diet, which dur
ing the last fortnight of their stay consisted, they say. only of a
plat, . f thin soup, a pound of bread and half a pound of potatoes
daily. Or. Snyder says he lost thirty pounds and others about
!LS much. Tin y were allowed monthly pay of <K) murks, of which.
was deducted for rations, leaving li marks to pay for coffee,
tea and tobacco.
These Americans are unable to give a list ot tle-ir countrymen
from ihe Yarrowdale. Every scrap of paper .including passports,
was taken from them. 'Ihe Atuereans who have reached Uopen
hagen say that the German raider was the Puehme, commanded
hv Lieutenant Berg.
<*• —
By the inauguration of prohibition in Alaska next year t.’ie
territory will lose upward of $131,000 annually in revenue. But
this should not reuse alarm. This sum, together with tmmv Bme
tis at amount added, came nut of the pockets of Alaskans for a
commodity that is now conceded to be worse than useless.
-^-_
President .1. G. llibhen of Princeton University is a pacifist
with a turn for logic, lie said at a recent mass meeting in New
York. ‘'I am here tonight as a ■ a -iii-t. I believe in peace ul any
price, and tire ['rice at the < resent tune ■,< wav
The shipping of the United States engaged in foreign commerce
iu. If) 15 was US'1.000 toils; the total dome-tic and f reign was
S.380.429 tons. The total tonnage of mercantile shinping of
Japan for the same year was I.S60,fI9.
RUSSIA'S REVOLUTION
(New York World'
Liberalism has been making extraordinary strides in Russia
since the beginning of the war, to the coiisierriJi‘...'ii '.f im oM
regime. It was to check the liberal movement that the Russian
autocracy, which is pro-German at heart, began ;t< negotiati n.s
with Berlin for a separate peace and gave bs support to (he tier
man sugge-iion of an ultimate ahiance of Germane. Austria Ilr.n
gary, Russia and Japan to maintain the principles of absolutt
government. The liberal elements in Russia which had pre
viously been the peace elements were thus maneuvered into be
coming the war parts', and it was through their ettort.s that the
iuirigues for a separate p ace with Germany were smothered.
The army has followed the liberal leaders in the cans’ of de
mocracy. At the time of the Sturmcr ineidrni, when the eon
sr-iraev of the two autocracies was aim,id a .-ueefo- it i- stated
on unpuestionable authority that an ultmiatum wci.; from the
army to Petrograd demanding that the duma be recognized forth
with as the spokesman of the Russian people. Ihe mandate could
net be disregarded. Stunner was compelled to retire and the plot
for a separate peace was stifled.
In every democratic country there will lx? the fervent hope
that the movement is so well organized this time, and that all
the other circumstances are so favorable, that defeat s impossible.
The importance to mankind in general of a free Russia is beyond
estimate.
-«
Germany’s food dictator says the responsibility for short food
crops in that country fulls upon the Lord. Meaning to say the
partnership has been dissolved?—Macon Telegraph.
--♦---—
The information that those deported Belgians are happy and
contented would be more convincing if it came from them.
Southern Lumberman.
—-*
The kaiser says the war must go on. At last he and the allies
seem to have been able to agree on at least one important point.
Chicago Herald. _
Peace comes roaring onward with all the meteoric iush of an
invalid snail with a ball and chain attached to his tail.—Kansas
City Star._
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TWENTY MILLION MEN
COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE
FOR UNITED STATES ARMY
The available organized land forces of the
United States amount to. approximately
205,000 officers and men, made up of 125,
(j()0 regulars and 140,000 national guards
men, including both those still in the fed
eral service and those under state control.
The exact figures are known only to the
war department at Washington, but recent
reports give a close idea of what the or
ganizations represent in lighting strength.
In his last annual report Secretary of War
Baker stated that the actual strength of
the regular army on June 30, 1910, includ
ing the Philippine scouts, was 107,041 offi
cers and men. In the year beginning July
1 last, by the national defense art of June |
3, 1910, the army was to be increased to |
138,897 officers and men, divided as fol- }
lows:
Infantry, 38 regiments. 51.224
Cavalry. 17 regiments. 17,357
Field artillery, 9 regiments. 7,881
Iangineers, 3 regiments and 1
mounted company . 2.198
Const artillery corps. 21,123 j
Staff corps and departments. 19.224 j
Philippine scouts . 5.73d |
Miscellaneous. 13.857 J
Total strength, including medical
department 138,897 i
Kecruiling at low ldd
Exceptional difficulties have been found ,
in carrying out this program for increasing [
the army. On account of the remarkable |
activity of the country, recruiting is and I
has been since the increase was authorized |
at a very low ebb. It is therefore prob
able that the estimate of 125,000 as the
strength of the regular army errs on the
,-ide of optimism, and 115,000 may be closer
the true figure.
The strength of the national guard in
federal service on September 30 last was
13.3,737 officers anil men. The United
States marine corps is independent of both
army and navy, and its small strength
should perhaps be added to that of the two
main services when estimating the total
organized belligerent power of the nation.
The authorized strength of the corps is
15,627 officers and men of oil classifications,
and the ranks are nearly full.
Vast Unorganized Forces
While tin- present organized f >rce- are
minute,1 the re.i-i ve nun power of the
United S'a'.es is mere vast than that of
any white nation except Russia. Accord
ing to the census of 1910, since when the
increase has been great, the reserve militia
of the United States, by which is meant
:he males aged between 13 and 4-1 years,
n it included in the organized forces,
amounted to 20,533,347 men. This total
does not include the men of the insular
posse .-ions, except Hawaii. These could
produce another 2.000,000 men of military
age.
France is said now to have one person of
every six in her population serving in the
army or navy. If the United '■bates am!
her insular possessions ever made such an
offer', taking the present population n=
112.000 000, the President w. old have at
his disposal no less th m 13.660 066 men.
This is pn buhly unto men than Germany.
■Austria-Hungary Bulgaria and Turkey to
gether have in the field today.
Various schemes for aryiy reserve bodies
were incorporated in the national defense
aiof last ye; r, but these provisions have
tab been in force long enough to produce
results of importance. For instance, of
50.000 reserve officers provided for, a total
of less than 500 has been commissioned.
Army urganization
The commander in chief of the army (as
of the navy also) is the President of the
United States. His representative, who
carries out his wishes, is the secretary of
war, Newton D. Baker.
The directing force of the army is the
general staff. Major General Hugh L. Scott
is now chief of staff, and his assistant is
Major General Tasker H. Bliss. Grouped
about them in Washington are army experts
of various ranks, who are supposed to do
the thinking about general problems for
the whole army. Should the United States
send a military expedition abroad, the
commander would undoubtedly be. one of
the seven active major generals. These are
given below, with their present headquar
ters :
Leonard Wood, Eastern department, Gov
ernor's Island, New York.
J. Franklin Bell, Western department,
San Francisco (just transferred East).
Thomas H. Barry, Central department,
.Chicago.
J. J. Pershing, Southern department, Fort
Sam Houston, Texas.
Hugh L. Scott, chief of staff, general
'staff, Washington.
Tasker H. Bliss, general staff, Washing
ton.—Seward Gateway.
--
WHAT TERRITORY LOSES
IN REVENUE FROM SALOONS
Saloons in Alaska paid into the funds of
the territory and into the treasuries of in
corporated towns the sum of 8131,549.47
for annual license fees during the year end
ing June 30, 1917, according to a tabula
tion of the figures issued by the governor's
office for the benefit of the committee on !
education of the house, of representatives.
The table shows that- the First division
led in the amount paid in by more than
811,000 over the Fourth division, which was
second. The town of Juneau received the
greatest amount of any city in the terri
tory', this being $19,500. Fairbanks was
second, and received $14,415.
From all divisions the total sum of $105,
634.45 was received from the liquor business
in the incorporated towns, ail of which went
to the city councils to use as they saw fit.
The territory, outside of incorporated
towns, paid the sum of $25,915.02 into the
treasury. The latter amount was placed
in the Alaska fund and distributed, giving
65 per cent to the construction of roads
and trails, 25 per cent for the use of
schools outside of incorporated towns, and
10 per cent for the relief of indigents.
The returns by divisions were as fol
lows:
Incorporated Outside of
Towns Towns ,
First .$ 53,619.45 .
Second . 9,000.00 $ 3,583.33
Third . 18,000.00 5,000.00
Fourth . 24.915.00 17,331.69
Totals .$105,634.45 $25,915.02
CONCEITED PACIFIST FLAYED
BY MAJOR GENERAL WOOD
--
Major General Wood, stirred by a criti- |
ci. t:i of cumpul-. ry military service in arm
address at a banquet of the Kconomic Club
in New York recently, turned on the
speaker. Rev. Adolf A. Berk*, widely known
as a 1 -cturer on educational topics, and
declared that the doctrines lie preached
“meant the murder of our sous and the
dish *nor of our women."
General Wood had addro.'Oed the diners
earlier in the evening. He asked for a
second hearing after Dr. Berle had arraigned
the advocates of compulsory military serv
ice and asserted that with three months’
training lie “could hold Ids own with any
army officer in the field.”
Dr. Herb had said that preparedness had
been “harped upon by every secretary of
war for thirty years.” arid added that he
saw no reason to become hysterical and at
tempt to organize an army in fit"; pen min
utes larger th:-n tin* Prussian army before
the war, which required 100 year.-' to per
fect.
General Wood'.- reappearance brought the
diners to their feet with cheers.
“Of course we want volunteer service,
just as we wain voluntary morality, just
as we wan; everything that i.~ good,” as
serted General Wood, “but none- but a fool
expects to get it.”
General Wood appealed to the women
present by saying: “The preceding speech
is full i f those principles which insure the
useless sacrifice of life the death of your
sons. It is a wicked and absurd doctrine,
full of untruths and falsehoods.”
Then, turning ' ■ I)r. Berle, General Wood
declared: “We have boys who are willing
to serve; we are willing to die. But I hope
we are better prepared to die than you are.”
Mayor Mitchel and a number of others
crowded around General Wood and shook
hands when he finished and the diners
cheered again.
A NOVELIST’S DEFINITION
OF WHAT IS TRUE RICHES
In my adventures through existence I
met not h ng since a man who had a good
conscience, a good wife, a moderate for
tune. a very fine tast • in the arts and some
skill in iiiie art. A fell vs, it seemed, en
tirely after my own mind, and one who
surely should be reasonably content.
But in the course of conversation it ap
peared that in his opinion the world, in
cluding himself, had gone wrong. He saw
weakness and vanity in most human crea
tures, and little else in them. And in him
self he saw slow degeneration. He held iii
hope of improvement. He said he was con
demited to futility. And after a while hu
let. slip the dreadful word “neurasthenia.’
He knew that he was neurasthenic, and hi
was. I told him that neurasthenia wi‘
susceptible to treatment, but he shook his
head; he would not admit it; he would
never admit it. His profoundest conviction
was that, with all his exterior advantages,
he was done for in a declining world. We
talked much, and he talked admirably,
about the arts, and then he departed, carry
ing his tragic woe and futility to somebody
else,
I sympathized deeply with his wife, whom
I did not know. But certainly I sympa
thized still more deeply with him.
I could not help thinking how “poor" he
was; and by comparison how “rich” I was
in the possession of a rather common qual
ity that he had lost. He believed neither
in himself nor in the world. I never ques
tioned my belief. It never occurred to me
to ask, "What’s the U39?” My belief had
been, so far, unshaken, and promised to
remain so.
And I saw suddenly that such belief
in one's self, in the general decency of
the world, in the usefulness of one’s aetivi
ties in the world—otherwise a sane, right
attitude toward fdl phenomena—I saw that
this was the very basis of riches, and that
without it nobody could by any chance bo
called rich, but should, indeed, be colled
poor
Of course my acquaintance was mentally
sick, and his malady was fully developed.
He was exceptional. Nevertheless we all
of us have in us the microbes of his malady,
and he who wants to be rich has got to
maintain his mental apparatus in such a
state that those microbes never have the
opportunity to prosper. Arnold Benue!! ii;
Woman’s Home Companion.
A.
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MteMgau, lSS! Alaska, 19 19
Kentucky, 1891
George Woodruff Albrecht
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
I01TAR0D, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney of Idftarod
E. M. STANTON
Attorney at Law
! Offree: Corner Willow and Second Sts.
Mitarxl Pioneer Building
CHAS. E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
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Appointment
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