Halites Hathj Prosjrerttfr
> _ _____-_—________
^ x~ VALDEZ, ALASKA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1616 NUMHER 4»
Him MAY
GET INTO WAR
•Officials at Msbon fear that Teutonic
Governments will Declare War
Owing to Seizure of Ships.
LISBON, Feb. 26.—It is feared
here that the German and Austrian
governments will declare war on Por
tugal because of the seizure of the in
terned Teutonic merchantmen here
by Capt. Gero, commander of the na
naval division. '
The German and Austrian ambas
sadors have entered protests against
s. the seizure of the ships and have sent
a complete report of the affair to
their governments. They are also re
ported as preparing to leave Lisbon
and it is believed that diplomatic re
lations will be severed immediately.
Capt. Gero has offered the explan
ation that navy department officials
had received warning that a concert
ed jjftovement was to have been made
b> the interned vessels to dash for
the open sea without the formality of
securing their release from the port
’ officials
WILSON REFUSES
CHANGE ATTITUDE
Speaker Clark Hays United States
Wilt Take Chances tliat Ger
many Will Postpone Policy.
'■ - | ■ •- ' '•>» rJ
WASHINGTON. D. C.. Feb. 26.—
'.Following a conference at the White
House last night between President
Wilson, Speaker Clark. Representa
tive Kitchen and Chairman Flood of
the House Foreign committee, the an
nouncement was made that there was
still a dispute between President Wil
son and Congress regarding the Teu
tonic situation.
Speaker Clark has issued a state
ment in which ho says that President
Wil3on nas refused to budge from
.his present attitude and emphatically
declares-.that Germany and Austria
must recognize the right of every
American citizen to travel when and
Whew&hey ptease.
TJle speaker’s statement says that
ao action will be taken by congress
uftia! tpe reply of the German gov
ernment is received in answer to the
protest of the State department re
garding the Teutonic policy of sink
ing graced merchantmen! unwarned.
“I think congress will bp. safe, in
taking chances that .the answer of
Germany will at least postpone,the
threatened performance until April
1, or at least until the middle of
March,” said Mr, Clark after the con
i fereuce with the president.
It is rumored that confidential ad
vices have been received from Berlin
that the German government will not
put its submarine policy into effect
on March 1 as announced, but will
give the United State? more time in
which to pass legislation providing
for the safety of its citizens.
During the discussion, of the Teu
tonic policy at the conference Speak
er Clark told President Wilson that
*if the resolutions providing for warn
ing Americans traveling on armed
* Merchantmen, to which the president
is opposed, was forced to a vote that
it would pass with a majority of two
to one.
TO BRING INSANE MAN
OUT FROM ANCHORAGE
V. S. Deputy Marshal and Joe
Spenard will leave on the first steam
er (Apr the Westward tonight for Se
wsM en .route for Anchorage. They
will make the trip over the long win
ter trail to bring an unfortunate
man who was recently adjudged in
sane before. Commissioner David
court at Anchorage. Both Messrs.
Dowling and Spenard are good must
ers and the trip will have no terrors
for them. The insane man will be ta
ken to the Morningside sanitarium
and Spenard will accompany Dowling
to the states as a guard tor the un
foTtnnate man.
Is Negotiating with Japan for Three
Warships which Were Ijost Dur
ing the Busso-Jap War.
TOKIO, Feb. 26.—The negotia
tions between the Russian and Japa
nese governments for the purchase of
three Russian warships which were
captured by Japan during the Russo
Japanese war, is progressing favor
ably and Russia may again be repre
sented among the nations having
fleets on the Pacific.
The warships which the Russian
government is desirous of purchasing
were captured in the harbor at Port
Arthur when it was surrendered to
the Japanese and they have since
farmed a part of the Japanese fleet,
and were recently used in transport
ing the Russian gold from Vladivos
tok across the Pacific to Vancouver,.
B. C
we NEWS CAUSE
OF MANY FIGHTS
Ttme.s Corner in Seattle is Scene of
Stabbing When Austrian Goes
on the Rampage.
I
SEATTLE Feb. 2®.—*'The news
that the Germans have again assum
ed the offensive on the western fron
tier near Verdun has caused intense
interest among foreigners here. The
crowds before the Times bulletin
boards frequently block the street to
pedestrians while engaged in animat
ed discussions of tho right and wrong
of the war and the merits of the vari
ous nations as fighters.
During an argument Thursday eve
ning an Austrian, who had been
taunted because he. had not returned
to Europe to fight for his Fatherland,
attacked his tormentors with a knife.
Bystanders o.verpewer the former
Subject of Emperor Franz Joseph, but
not before he had badly slashed three
men with his knife.
The Times bulletins have been the
cause of frequent fights among the
crowds which congregate there and
Ohief of Police Griffith will detail ex
tra patrols for that corner.
Believe They Have Arrested Man for
Whom Nation-wide Search was
Being Made by Police
( TAMPA. Feb. 26.—The police of
this city believe that & man who was
arrested on the streets of Tampa yes
terday is none other than Grant Ly
man, who is wanted by the federal of
ficials on the charge of using the
mails to defraud investors In mining
Stocks.
The man arrested answers the de
scription of the defaulter In every
particular but has denied that he is
the man whom the authorities accuse
Of having secured Owe hundred thou
sand dollars through mail frauds and
defalcation.
PREDICTS GASpIiJNK WILL
GO TO 40 CENTS A GALLON
; DALLAS, TEXAS.—¥■ N. Baker,
oil operator, predicts that the price
of gasoline wil raise to 40 cents in
the near future and an advance of
86 to 60 per cent, for all the oil by
products. Mr. Baker states that the
oil wells in Oklahoma and Texas
have falloo ofF In production from
35 to 50 per cent.
GERMAN TROOPS CAPTURE MANY FRENCH
VILLAGES CLOSE TO THE FORTS OF VERDUN
' * ' ~ I
SENATOR OORE’S RESOLUTION
WOULD EMBARRASS WILSDN
PRESIDENT WILSON IS STRONGLY OPPOSED TO CONGRESSIONAL
ACTION TO PREVENT AMERICANS FROM TRAVELING ON ARM
ED MERCHANTMEN OF BELLIGERENT NATIONS—SENATE BE
LIEVES THAT IF ATTITUDE IS PERSISTED IN THAT BREAK
WITH GERMANY WILL RESULT AND WAR SURE TO FOLLOW—
ADMIRAL SAYS ONE BATTLESHIP COULD WHIP OUR ENTIRE
PACIFIC FLEET.
f
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 26.—
Despite determined opposition on the
part of Congress President Wilson re
mains unshaken in his fight against
congressional action designed to pre
vent American citizens from travel
ing on armed merchantmen of bellig
erent nations.
President Wilson has declared that
if the resolution introduced in the
Senate by Senator Gore of Oklahoma
prevails that it would embarrass him
in his stand that American citizens
were free to travel on the seas on any
merchant vessel at any time and
know that their government would
uphold their rights to do so at ari#’i
cost.
Many senators have expressed the
belief that should President Wilson
persist in his determination to force
the German and Austrian govern
ments to rescind their announced
policy of' treating armed merchant
men as warships that diplomatic re
lations will be severed between the
United States and the Teutonic gov
ernments which must ultimately lead
to war.
While the members of the Senate
and Presiuo.... ,, iison were discussing
the rights of American citizens to
travel where they pleased and on any !
merchantman, even should it be nec
essary to resort to force ,to maintain !
that right, the story of the unprepar- ;
edncss of the United States for war |
was being told. Testifying before |
the House committee on naval affairs
Admiral Winslow yesterday told the]
committee that in the event the Uni- I
ted States should become involved in j
wafr that the American navy would bo!
practically useless. He asserted that;
onp powerful battleship such as1;
Grfeat Britain had built since the be- 11
gilding of hostilities in Europe would
be. able to whip the entire Pacific j;
fledt of the American navy. |;
Brytp has entered the fight to se-:
euro top’ passage of the resolution in ' i
the senate instructing the president <
to warn American citizens from, tray
eling on armed merchantmen of the ■'
belligerent nations and has sent tele- j |
grams to many congressmen support- ! ■
ing the movement to keep Americans ; <
off the ships which will be attacked j
by Teutonic submarines.
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MIN ROBBERY
ON NORTH COAST
Bandits Compel Trainmen to Kim j
Mail and Express Cars to Rav- J
endale and Loot Mails.
■
9EATTLB, Feb. 26.—One of the
most daring train robberies, ever per
trated to this, state took place on
Thursday night when two masked
bandits with revolvers forced the en
gineer and tremen of toe eastbound
North Coast limited to detach toe
mail and express, cars from the rest
of the train south of Auburn.
Keeping the trainmen covered by
revolvers the robbers them compell
ed them tp run the mail and express
cars to Ravensdale where they loot
ed the registered mail sacks and at
tempted to dynamite the safe in the
express car. The safe resisted their
efforts to blow it open With dynamite
and the robbers then took possession
of the engine, which they abandon
ed near Auburn.
When the news of the robbery
reached here a special, train was im
mediately sent out with the sheriff
and a posse of deputies with blood
hounds but up to a late hour last
night no trace of the bandits had
been found.
It is reported that the mail carried'
a very heavy registered mail from'
the Orient, but the authorities have
declined to place any value on the
amount of lobt secured by the rob
bers,
Dr. E. C. Dalton to Leave.
Dr. E. C> Oalten will be an outgo
ing passenger on the. Admiral Evans
when that steamer returns from the
westward as he has been called to {
Pasadena where his father is very ill.
He has been granted-a leave of ab
sence by the War department and
plans to return to Valdes before the!
beginning of April. |
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Prospector Ads bring results.
MORE GERMAN
VESSELS SEIZED
Eight Steamships Which Were In
terned at Cape Verde Islands
Seized by Portuguese.
CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. Feb. 26,
The- Portuguese government hah
seized eight German steamers which
were interned in the harbor here and
Portuguese naval officers have been
placed in charge of the vessels. :
Tfhe German consul has entered a
vigorous protest against the- unwar
ranted seizure of the German steam
ers and claim that the action ia in vio
lation of all international law by a
supposedly friendly nation.
The officers and members of the
German crews of the interned steam
ships have been sent ashore and
while they have not been arrested as
prisoners of war they are required to
repo* l to the Portuguese authorities.
The Portuguese naval officers say
that in seizing the German ships they
are acting on auvices from Lisbon
that the German ships wou.u attempt
to make a dash for the open sea to
dcome ramers of commerce and that
a protest had been made by the Brit
ish and French governments.
SIGNAIi CORPS OFFICER
ON THE NORTHWESTERN
Capt; Robert Nolan, who cornea to
Valdez to aneoeed Lieut. C. A. Dough
arty as officer in charge ol the coaBti
division of the government military
cable and telegraph system, will art
rive on the steamer Northwestern .
this evening, accompanied by Mrs.; :
Nolan. Capt. Nolan was station*# at
3an Francisco before being detailed;
by the War Department to the Slg-i
cal Corps with headquarters at Val
les.
WANTED:—Work by hour or day.
Phor-e 133. Mary Nixon. Arctic Ho
et. 3t
FRENCH TROOPS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RESIST THE ONSLAUGHT
OF THE GERMANS AND SIX FRENCH VILLAGES HAVE BEEN
CAPTURED BY TEUTONS—OFFICIAL DISPATCHES FROM VER
DUN ADMIT THAT CASUALTIES HA&O BEEN VERY HEAVY—
TURKISH TROOPS DEFEAT BRITISH IN MESOPOTAMIA AND AT
TACK AGAINST CITY OF PRHALIA IS BEING ABANDONED.
LONDON, Feb. 26.—Advices from
Paris received during the night re
garding the German onslaught
against the French troops east of
Verdan are of a nature to cause
grave apprehension that the fortified
city which has resisted repeated as
saults of the enemy Is doomed to fall
Into their hands.
Paris reports say dispatches from
Verdun are to the effect that the
French troops have been forced to
further withdraw and that the Ger
man troops are now within six miles
jf the outer forts guarding the city.
During the German onslaught of the
aast two days the French villages of
Haumont, Baufort, Herbedoes. Samo
gneiix. Brand and Ornes have been
captured by the Germans.
Terrific Lons of Lire.
PARIS, Feb 26.—Official dis
latches from the French army head
1 Harters at Verdun state that tlie cas
ualties have been frightful since the
Jerman offensive began two days ago.
Hie fighting in the villages was close
tnd the opposing troops repeatedly
net in bayonet charges in the streets,
hospital trains have been bringing
he wounded of tjte- first day's fight
ug and the hospitals of Paris and
lurrcundlng villages are crowded,
riie number of wounded in the hos
titals here has been equalled only
when the battles of the Marne and
Ypres were fought and it i3 reported
that the French casualties were twen
ty tlicnisand each day.
Turks Defeat British.
CONSTANTINOPLE)Feb. 26. — Of
ficial advices from eastern Asia Min
or say that the British troops which
attacked the Turkish city of Pehalia,
Mesopotamia, have been repulsed
with heSvy losses. The enemy troops
are reported as withdrawing and it
is believed that all danger of the city
being captured lias passed for the
time being. The fighting is reported
to have raged for several days and
must have resulted in enormous
losses to the attacking forces.
Reinforcements for Verdun.
LONDON', Fob. 20.—Dispatches
from Paris state that troop trains
have been passing eastward en route
to Verdun during the past twenty
four hours and that the reserve
forces have been brought up from the
training camps. The train move
ments indicate that the seasoned vet
erans of the campaign in northern
France are being sent to stem the tide
of German troops approaching Ver
dun and that fresh troops have been
sent to the trenches where littlo
fighting has taken place since the
German offensive began.
TRYING TO SAVE
FISH INDUSTRY
Ketckikan Man is Putting up Strong
Fight at National Capital and
Wants Tax Imposed.
WASHINGTON. D. C. Feb. 26.—
H. G. Strong, of Ketchikan, who is
laboring here in the interest of the
fresh flsh industry of Alaska, has
evolved a plan which he believes will
meet the conditions which threaten,
to turn the Alaska freeh flsh business
oxer to the Canadians. Strong is urg
ing a tax of two cents per pound on
all shipments of fresh halibut or
shipped Into the United States from
a foreign territory.. ,,
The plan wilt include the rescind
ing oft be bonding privileges rapidly
passing into the hands of dealers at
Prince Rupert and will result in the
loss of millions of dollars annually
to American fishing interests. He has
been promised the support of Senator
Poindexter of Washington, Repre
seuatlvo Gardner and Senator Lodge
of Masaechusetts, and believes that
his proposed measure will find favor
before congress.
Mr. Strong has admitted t int the
New England Fish company, one of
the most powerful fishing concerns
in America, and which has establish
ed cold storage plants at Prince Ru
pert, is fighting against the bonding
privileges rescinded as their plant
in the Canadian city was built at a
cost of several million dollars.
ADMIRAL RVAN9 DUB
CORDOVA « TONIGHT
The steamer Admiral Evans re
ported from Katalla this afternoon
that ahe would reach Cordova at S
o’clock this evening and would sail
soon afterwards for Valdes. The pas
sengers on the steamer for Valdes
ace: Mrs. J. H. Harvey, Miss E. Ro
gers, Jack Crail, Tom Dillion, George
Dean, Joseph Conway, and five steer-1
age passengers. The steamer is ex-1
pected to arrive hem shout mid-;
night. 1
MOW Ell
OF BUMLERS
8am Silverman’s Picture Appeared
Among Those who had been
Mulcted by the Swindlers.
SEATTLE, Feb. 26.—Sam I. Si!
verman, the well known Alaska min
ing man who is now in New York,
has been named by the sheriff as.
one of the many victims who were
fleeced out of large sums of money
by the Sichler blackmailing gang
which operated in the Pacific Coast
cities.
The police have secured evidence
showing that the blackmailers not
only operated in Seattle and Port
land but that they plied their ne
farious calling in San Francisco a«*
Los Angelos. Sichler, who is assert
ed by the police to have been the or
ganizer of the gang, has been arrest
ed with several ether members et
the gang. Isabella Clark, who man
ipulated the Los Angeles operations
of the swindlers has been arested.
Lillian Patterson, of San Francisco,
who fled to Montreal, has been ap
prehended there and is making ».
fight against being extradited.
The sheriff is in possession of
scores of photographs of the victims
of the swindlers showing.them in com
promising positions. The pictures of
the Alaskan mining man, the sheriff
says, was taken by Sichler who oper
ated a camera from a closet in one
of the homes used by the women
members of the gang.
TO MAKE TRIP AROUND
WORLD IN HYDROPLANE
SAN FRANCISCO. Feb. 26.—Por
ter Adams, the American aviator who
has established a record for long-dis
tance flights, has announced that he
Is planning to make a trip around the
world with a hydroplane He be
lieves that the trip can be made with
perfect safety and says he has ar
ranged his course so that he will net
tie short of fuel at any isolated part
»f the world.
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Fancy Stationery at the v'alde*
Drug Store. *