VOL 10 VALDEZ, ALASKA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1914. NO. 350.
GERMANS CRUSH CZAR’S ARMY
50,000 RUSSIAN CASUALTIES IN BIG POLAND BATTLE
GERMANS SHELL CITY OF LIBAU; DO GREAT DAMAGE
JAPANESE TO CEDE MARSHAL ISLANDS TO AUSTRALIA
INCREASE TAXES
BRITISH PEOPLE
Tax On Incomes Is Doubled—Middle
Classes Must Pay One Month’s
Wages a Year.
LiONDON, Nov. 119.—The govern^
ment announced today that the in
come tax would be doubled. The
parliament has passed the new tax
raising measure. All incomes of the
middle classes have been taxed dou
ble the rate charged prior to the war,
which means that on incomes above
i$800 a year one month’s-salary each
year must be paid to the government
with which to carry on the war.
The great burden of financing the
war will fall upon Great Britain and
the government will place itself in
a position to finance Russia, Servia,
Japan and any of the other nations
with which England is now or will be
allied, so that the war may be brought
to a victorious end for the allies.
BIG SUBMARINES
Said To Be Four Times the Size of
Existing Craft—Can Cruise
Forty Days.
LONDON, Nov. 19—The Daily
Mail’s Copenhagen correspondent
says it is reported from Hamburg that
two giant submarines are making
trial trips at the mouth of the Elbe.
They are said to be four times
the size of any existing submarines
and to bew able to keep at sea for
forty days without having to replen
ish or even join mother ships.
At the outbreak of the war Ger
many was credited with having 30
submarines, of which 24 were kept
in commission during 1913.
The latest known series, beginning
with U 21, are 213 feet long, with a
beam of 20 feet, and have three tor
pedo tubes and two guns mounted
forward. Details of these vessels are
not obtainable owing to the secrecy
that shrouded their construction, but
it is known that they have a surface
speed of 17 knots and an under-water
speed of about 12. Their average
cruising speed will not exceed ten
knots, and this gives them a cruis
ing range of about 1,000 miles under
their own fuel. They can remain
submerged about ten hours.
Weather Report.
Valdez, Nov. 18, 1914.
Barometric pressure .28,964
Temperature at 7 p. m. 31
Maximum temperature . 39
Minimum temperature . 31
Mean temperature . 35
Preciptation. 1.47
Cloudy air, wind northeast 6 miles.
Snow and rain at night and from
6 a. m. to 7 p. m.
Subscribe for the Prospector.
Germans Threaten Imprisonment To British In Germany In Retaliation—Berlin
Celebrates Great Victory of General Hindenberg In Poland—British Naval
Losses To Date Are 220 Officers and 3,500 Men Exclusive of Those Lost
In Battle At Valparaiso—Allies Lines At Ypres Withstand German Attacks.
_
LONDON, Nov. 19.—The Russians
have been defeated in Poland, losing
50,000 men. The people of the Ger
man capital are celebrating the vic
tory over the Russian troops. Gener
al Hindenberg is the popular hero of
the nation and has again shown his
ability to outgeneral the Russian
forces.
Russian Losses Heavy.
The Russian losses are reported at
fully 50,000 killed, wounded and miss
ing. The German casualties are re
ported as light.
Czar Admits Defeat.
PETROGRAD, Nov. 19.—The war
office admits the defeat of the army
in Poland by the Germans, who had
concentrated the first line of the kai
ser’s army to oppose the victorious
Russians. The losses are admitted at
50,000 men. Much bitterness is shown
here towards the French and English
for failure to take the offensive all
along the western line and cause a
division strong enough to relieve the
pressure on the Russian center and
prevent the movement of troops from
France to Russia.
Exposure Killino Many.
LONDON, Nov. 19.—The war office
states today that the intense cold,
snows and constant military opera
tions In the open and with trenches
filled with water, is causing great
havoc in both the opposing armies.
Medical experts claim that exposure
is responsible for more deaths than
bullets.
Austria Calls Out More Reserves.
VIENNA, Nov. 19.—The Emperor
has called out all reservists in the
Austrian empire who left the colors
from 1870 to 1890. This practically
calls to the army every man able
to carry a gun. The Empire is to
make a supreme effort to throw off
the Russian invaders, who threaten
Hungary from Galicia.
Franze Joseph Gives to War Fund.
Emperor Franze Joseph has con
tributed 11,000,000 of his personal
funds to the national war fund. No
bles and peasants are giving freely to
the Empire to carry on the war
against Russia.
Germans Bombard Russian City.
COPENHAGEN, Nov. 19.—The Ger
man fleet today bombarded the Rus
sian Baltic seaport of Libau. For
four hours they shelled the Russian
city, doing much damage. The forts
replied to the German warships, but
were unable to reach the kaiser's war
ships, which have guns with a great
er range than those mounted in the
forts.
Kaiser Would Crush Russia.
PETROGRAD, Nov. 19.—The kaiser
has taken the flower of the German
army from the French border and has
concentrated it on the Poland fron
tier with the Intention of staking all
upon one great battle with the sol
diers of the czar. A11 the second re
serves formerly used In East Prus
sia and Poland have been replaced
with veterans of the German cam
paign In Belgium and France.
General Staff Confident.
•In spite of the news of the con
centration of the picked corps of the
kaiser’s empire to fight the Russians,
the general staff is confident of vic
tory. The Russians have been send
ing more Siberian troops to Poland
to reinforce the army under Grand
Duke Nicholas, who is in supreme
command of the Rusisans. The Si
berian troops are considered the best
in the Russian army and have won
most of the victories against the Ger
mans.
Several Days Before Battle Be
Fought.
The military experts believe it will
be several days before the big battle
will be fought, but the German net
work of military railroads gives the
advantage to the kaiser, who can con
centrate his forces more quickly than
can the Grand Duke.
Belgian Levy for German Troops.
BERLIN, Nov. 19.—The govern
ment has announced that each Ger
man soldier will receive $1.00 of the
Belgian levy, which was forced from
all cities in the captured country.
The Brussels people are still paying
the $100,000,000 indemnity at the rate
of $9,000,000 each week. Antwerp,
Ghent, Liege and all other Belgian
towns are paying each week to the
Germans and of this money the kai
ser’s army is to receive $1.00 to each
man, the balance to be used for mil
itary operations against the Belgians
and the allies.
Japs Don’t Want Captured Islands.
LONDON, Nov. 19.—The Japanese
'government has Informed the British
foreign office that the Marshall Is
lands and other former German is
lands in the Pacific ocean now held
by Japan having been occupied by
Japan in order to destroy the Ger
man naval bases, will be turned over
to Australia. The Japanese people
have no desire to extend the limits
of the empire eastward, but will in
sist upon the right to dominate the
^affairs of the East, especially of that
part of the East near Japan.
Washington Satisfied Japan Will
Keep Promises.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19.—The
news from London that Japan intend
ed to cede to Australia the captured
German islands in the Pacific did not
cause any surprise here among dip
lomats. Japan notified the American
State department at the outbreak of
hostilities that the empire did not
seek territorial aggrandizement but
desired only to force Getmany from
China.
■
Heavy British Naval Losses.
LONDON, Nov. 19.—The admiralty
announces today that the losses in
the navy since the opening of hostili
ties, exclusive of the battle of Val
paraiso, are 220 officers and 3,500
men. The sinking of the three cruis
ers in the North Sea by the German
submarine U-9 accounts for most of
the losses. The Valparaiso losses
will not be known until an official
report is received.
Germans Defeated At Ypres.
The report from the battle front
indicates that the German offensive
has been broken near Ypres, where
repeated attacks made upon the al
lies trenches have been driven back
with great loss. It is admitted that
the Germans captured the first line
of trenches, the men returning to the
second line by means of cross trench
es, which are now built by the allies
following the example of the Ger
mans, but the kaiser’s men could not
hold the line as the artillery fire was
heavy, forcing the evacuation of the
trenches and a bayonet charge com
pleted the rout.
Desperate Night Attacks.
The Germans all through the night
made desperate attacks upon the
British positions, but were unable to
break the line. The new powerful
SAYS PRESIDENT
Chief Executive of United States Pre
dicts Bright Future for Busi
ness In United States.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19.—In a let
/
ter to Secretary McAdoo, of the
Treasury department. President Wil
son predicts a bright business future
for the United States as a result of
the new legislation passed by con
gress. The reserve banks are ex
pected to make possible the financ
ing of business enterprises and also
to aid the moving of crops by plac
ing money in the hands of the small
banks when needed.
The letter has been made public
by the secretary, who also predicts a
wave of prosperity will sweep over
the United States.
U. 5. WILL ACCEPT
Turkish Commander Which Fired On
U. S. Warship At Smyrna Did
Not Intend Hostility .
—
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19—Secretary
Daniels, of the Navy department, in
a statement made public today, says
that the Turkish commander at
Smyrna did not intend a hostile act
when he fired at the launch from the
American battle cruiser Tennessee,
which was flying, the American flag
and desired to reach shore to aid a
number of Americans and also for
eigners who are waiting an opportun
ity to leave the Turkish port.
The matter is expected to be set
tled by the apology of the Turks to
the American commander and no sa
lute to the flag will be required as
was demanded of Mexico.
searchlights of the British force were
used with telling effect, blinding the
advancing troops, who were cut down
by the artillery fire directed with the
aid of the beams of light.
Easy To Get Ranges.
The allies now often drop back, en
ticing the Germans to advance, the
artillery officers first securing the ex
act range of the abandoned trenches,
which are smothered with the fire of
the field guns when occupied by the
enemy.
Germany and England Threaten Re
prisals.
LONDON, Nov. 19.—The Daily
Chronicle makes the following semi
official announcement on a matter
which has been the subject of con
siderable discussion for some time
past:
“In view of the action taken by the
German forces in Belgium and France
of removing as prisoners of war all
persons who are liable to military ser
vice, his Majesty’s government have
given instructions that all enemy re
servists on board neutral vessels
should be made prisoners of war.
"Although this course was render
ed necessary, in its vital interests, It
is the wish of the government that it
shall be carried out with as little in
convenience as possible to neutral
shipping.
“The decision is only the sequel
to the action which the Germans
themselves are taking with regard to
persons of military age, and its im
portance is evident from the fact that
there are vast numbers of German
and Austrian reservists in Various
neutral countries only waiting an ear
ly opportunity to join their colors.”
Must Liberate Germans.
BERLIN, Nov. 19.—Gottlieb von
Jagow, minister of foreign affairs, in
a telegram to the Dresden Anzeiger,
announces reprisals on British sub
jects in Germany for. the imprison
ment of German civilians in England
in the event that the British govern
ment does not accede without delay
to the German request for the libera
tion of the Germans. This is import-,
ant, as numerous British subjects are
living in Dresden.
Russian Center Far Advanced.
PETROGRAD, Nov. 19.—The Rus
sian center is now 200 miles in ad
vance of the wings of the army.
When the kaiser’s troops retired from
Warsaw the Russian advance was so
rapid that the ends of the line in
East Prussia and Galicia were un
able to keep up with the center, where
the Cossacks were driving the re
tiring Germans and threatened to
turn the retreat into a rout.
Center Must Now Wait.
The Russian center must now wait
until the operations in East Prussia
have been carried on to a successful
conclusion and also the Galicia wing
of the army will have .ended the
military power of the Austrian em
pire by crushing the garrison at
Przemysl and clearing the Austrians
from the Carpathians.
Germans Holding Masuraln Lakes.
The Germans are retreating in the
Gumbinnen and Augerburg sections,
but still hold the Masurain Lakes reg
(Contlnnea on page 2.)
Reach Philadelphia After Long and
Harrowing Trip—Supply of
Food Exhausted.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 19.—A
large freighter arrived here today
from Africa bringing a ship load of
wild animals for the menageries and
zoo gardens of the United States. The
steamer had a long passage and the
supply of meats for the animals be
came exhausted. The wild beasts be
came enraged and made life miser
able for the sailors. Several of the
animals escaped and drove the men
to the rigging for safety until they
could be shot, but finally the cap
tain of the ship ordered that the
big bears be killed to feed the bal
ance of the beasts and he was able
thus to keep them alive until he
reached this port.
The crew were glad to turn the
wild animals over to the owners.
BRITAIN WOULD
SEIZE ALL COPPER
American Copper Interests Assert
That Industry Will Be Ruined and
Thousands Made Idle.
LONDON, Nov. 19.—Lord Asquith
has announced that England will con
sider shipments of copper as contra
band of war and steamers carrying
copper shipments are to be detain
ed and the copper seized. This ac
tion was taken following the receiv
ing of information here that ship
ments of copper to Holland and Italy
were being transshipped to Germany
for use in the manufacture of arma
ment.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19.—The an
nouncement by Lord Asquith that
copper in any form would be seized
as contraband of war caused much
comment here. It is said by govern
ment officials that if Great Britain
persists in the listing of copper
among the things contraband that
the American copper mines will be
closed and many mine owners ruin
ed.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19.—Colon
el Jackling, largely interested in
Utah copper mines, In an interview
here today, stated that the announce
ment of Lord Asquith that copper
would be treated as contraband
means that 800,000,000 pounds less of
copper would he mined each year in
the United States during the war.
The reduction of the copper output
by 800,000,000 pounds, valued at
$144,000,000 will cripple the mine
owners! according to Colonel Jack
ling, who predicts that all the mines
in the United States would be closed
within a year unless the war In Eu
rope Is ended.