VOL. 10. ____ ——
TERRIFIC BATTLE IN POLAND
GERMANS CONTINUE ATTACKS TOWARD WARSAW
AUSTRIANS REPORT DEFEAT OF RUSSIANS IN GALICIA
. WESTERN BATTLE LINE OBSERVED CHRISTMAS TRUCE
CHESS MEETS
DECEMBER 29TH
Prohibition Vote Delayed Adjourn
ment—Suffrage Vote Forces Re
convening At Early Date.
A WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.—Con
gress adjourned on Thursday over the
holidays and will meet again on De
cember 29. It had been expected to
take a longer vacation but the vote
on the prohibition amendment delay
ed adjournment.
The vote to amend the constitution
to provide for the granting of uni
versal suffrage for women, which
comes up upon reconvening, forces
the members of congress to get busy
and dispose of the bill.
The women are here in force to
lobby the bill through. It is, how
ever, doubtful if they can secure any
where near the vote necessary to
have it passed. The congressmen,
however, would have liked to avoided
the vote, as they must put them
selves on record and the women have
organized a black list and will fight
the re-election of all members of con
>. gress who refuse to aid them in the
effort to have the right of suffrage
granted to men and women alike.
ARGENTINA WHEAT
READY FOR EXPORT
41
Government Allows Shipments To
Foreign Countries—Insiders
Make Big Profit.
BUENOS AYRES, Dec 26—The pro
hibition against the exporting cf
wheat from Argentina has been abol
ished. The government has found
that the supply of wheat is more than
enough to care for the local consump
tion and also allow for the export
ing of large quantities to Europe.
Wheat has been selling at a low
price while the export prohibition was
in force but has taken a big jump
since the announcement. Insiders are
said to have purchased heavily while
d the price was low and will reap a
big harvest of gold by the advance.
It is charged that government agents
P and officials are members of the pool
which has been purchasing wheat the
past few weeks.
;A dozen British ships have been
loading today and will clear immedi
ately with full cargoes of wheat.
Shipping has been resumed with Eu
rope since the defeat of the German
fleet A number of British warships,
however, are still patrolling the coast
watching for the German cruisers still
reported on the high seas.
Orptieum Tonight
*‘Big> Hearted Jim” in two reels is
a picture that you will enjoy. Also
a comedy, ‘‘The Tender Hearted Sher
is Iff,” is a scream joker.
Germany Is Short of Grain—Sea Battle Reported Off Valparaiso With One
British Cruiser Engaging Two German Boats—Russians Report That Unless
Hindenberg Is Able To Receive Reinforcements From Soldau He Will Be
Forced To Retire From About Warsaw—British and German Airmen
Battle At High Altitude Over Mouth of River Thames.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 26.—The Ger
mans are making a desperate at
tempt to reach Warsaw. Gen. Hinden
berg continues to send troops against
the Russian trenches in massed for
mation in an effort to break down the
opposition by weight of numbers. His
losses as a result have been terrific.
The Rawa and Bazura rivers are cov
ered with dead. The sacrifice of men
has been in vain as the gain has been
slight.
Hindenberg Needs Reinforcements.
That Gen. Hindenberg needs rein
forcements is evident by the contin
ued attempts of the Germans to fight
their way south from Mlawa to join
with the German army at Soocha
czew. The Russians block the way
and continue to interpose an army be
tween the two German forces. The
fight near Mlawa has been the most
desperate of the war. Thousands and
thousands of men on both sides have
been killed. The key to the Poland
situation lies at Mlawa and conse
quently the fighting has been desper
ate about that place.
German Line Along Pilica River.
Along the Pilica river, south of
Warsaw, the German positions are
being assaulted by the Russians. The
grand duke is desirous to pierce this
front so as to cut off the advanced
part of the German line. The suc
cess of the attempt has not been re
ported.
German Attacks From Sochaczew To
Skieriewicz.
The main German attacks are di
rected against the Russian line ex
tending from Schaczew to Skierie
wicz. Along this line the fighting
has been constant. Day and night
the opposing forces have assaulted
the different positions. The loss has
been heavy. The Germans have lost
fully 200,000 men in the past month
in the Poland fighting. The Russian
losses are estimated at half the Ger
man loss.
May Abandon Warsaw Campaign.
Military experts here predict that
with the failure of the German army
from West Poland to join Hinden
berg’s forces at Sochaczew by way
of Mlawa and the inability of his
army to break down the Russian line
defending Warsaw that he will be
forced to retire and give up his third
attempt to take Warsaw. Any re
treat In the face of the big Russian
army would be disastrous.
Heavy Fighting In Galicia.
VIENNA, Dec. 26.—The Austrian
troops have defeated the Russians
in Galicia after some severe fight
ing in which both armies lost many
men. The Russians have been driven
towards Lisko. The Russian forces
operating in Galicia against Cracow
have been forced far fro mthat fort
ress and almost all of western Ga
licia is clear of the invaders.
Naval Battle Off Chile.
VALPARAISO, Chile, Dec. 26.—It
is reported here by incoming steam
ers that a naval battle is in progress
16 miles off this city between two
German cruisers and a British war
ship. It is believed that the Dresden
and the Prinz Eitel Friedrich are the
two German boats, but the name of
•itisher is unknown. The Dres
den is a light fast cruiser, while the
Prinz Eitel Friedrich is a converted
cruiser and was at one time in the
North German Lloyd fleet. She is
a fast boat and could escape with
ease from most British warships.
This fact is taken here to indicate
that the two German boats have en
gaged a smaller British cruiser and
will escape before the big Japanese
ships off this coast can reach the
scene of the battle.
Germans Short of Grain.
BERLIN, Dec. 26—The people
have been warned by the government
not to waste grain as a shortage has
been discovered. Grain is not to be
fed to cattle or horses but must be
$aved for human consumption. All
the neutral countries which surround
Germany and Austria have stopped
the export of grain into Austria and
Germany.
Battle In Air Near London.
LONDON, Dec. 26.—Two British air
scouts on duty at the mouth of the
mouth of the Thames river to watch
for German airmen, who threaten to
bombard the city, fought with a Ger
man air scout and drove the invader
back to Germany. The battle took
place a mile in the air. Hundreds of
shots were fired by both sides. No
body was hurt. The German was so
busy piloting his ship and shooting at
his. adversaries that he did not have
time to drop any bombs. Thousands
of people witnessed the battle in the
clouds. The British air scouts receiv
ed a great welcome when they re
I
turned from the chase of the German (
airship far out on the North Sea.
No Fighting In West.
PARIS, Dec. 26.—The cannon were
silent all along the battle line in
France and Belgium yesterday. The
truce arranged by the commanders
was strictly kept. In a few places
the opposing generals could not agree
to a truce and fired upon one an
other, but the commanding officers
refused to allow a forward movement
and consequently the engagements
were few and far between.
Christmas Food for Soldiers.
From all parts of the republic
Christmas baskets were sent to the
trenches and every soldier was given
a fine Christmas dinner. The women
of the nation have been working for
weeks gathering the best possible
foods for the soldiers. The postoffiee
department has made a super-human
effort to see that all were delivered
to the regiments and the transports
have been busy taking packages to
the trenches.
England Pays for Scarborough Loss.
LONDON, Dec. 26.—The govern
ment will pay for the property de
stroyed at Scarborough by the bom
bardment by German ships. The cab
inet has ordered an appraisement
made and will immediately pay the
damage. The admiralty is confident
that the few incidents of bambord
ment of coast cities by the Germans
will not cost the government very
much as the German fleet will be
kept intact behind the coast forts un
(Continued on page 2.)
CHILD BURNED
PLAYING SANTA
Dress Caught Fire From Candles On
Tree—Suffered Greatly Before
Relieved By Death.
CHICAGO, Dec. 26.—Verno Olson,
an 11-year-old child of this city, was
[burned to death Christmas night
while playing Santa Claus for the
benefit of her younger sisters anil
brothers. The child’s dress caught
fire from a lighted candle on the tree
and before the parents could reach
her and smother the flames in a
blanket she was so badly burned that
i death followed a number of hours lat
er after the most terrible pains which
the doctors could not alleviate.
LOCAL BREVITIES.
H. G. Smith left for Shoup bay this
morning.
Olaf Olson is in town from down
the bay and will leave next Monday
for Shoup bay.
NO MONEY FOR
BIG JAP ARMY
Parliament Insists That Present
Force Is Strong Enough for
Protection.
TOKIO, Japan, Dec. 26.—The bill
to increase the military appropriation
has been defeated. The members of
parliament insist that the burden of
taxes imposed upon the people for
the present army Is large enough and
that no Immediate need has been
shown by the government for a larg
er army than now maintained.
The government is anxious to have
a larger appropriation because of the
present uncertainty in European af
fairs which may involve Japan at
any time into a war In Europe. It is
certain that should Germany and
Austria win that Japan will have a
hard fight with the winner:
The members of parliament, how
ever, Insist that the Japanese navy
Is all the protection needed against
Europe at this time now that Ger
many has been driven from China.
BUYING BONDS
Netherlands Issues $110,000,000 Bonds
To Carry On Government’s
Preparations for War.
THE HAGUE, Dec. 26—Queen Wil
helmina of Holland announced today
that she would personally take ?1.
000,000 worth of government bonds
which are to be sold to provide funds
with which to carry on the prepar
ations for war and also to care for
refugees from Holland.
The army has been brought up to
its full strength and new equipment
purchased. The people are expecting
that they will not be involved in the
present conflict but all are support
ing the government’s efforts to be
prepared In the event that Holland’s
neutrality Is violated by any of the
belligerents.
The new bond Issue will be placed
on the market in a few days and
will be offered to the people in small
lots sp that It may be taken by pop
ular subscription.
IMIS CHICKEN
FOR JAIL BIRDS
Walla Walla Penitentiary Inmates
Get a Fine Christmas Feed—
Thirty-five Pardoned.
WALLA WALLA, Dec. 26.—The
convicts of the Walla Walla state
penitentiary were given a chicken
dinner yesterday. The warden order
ed that one of the best dinners pro
cruable should be served. A Christ
mas entertainment was also held In
the penitentiary.
Thirty-five convicts of this prison
were released yesterday, having been
pardoned by Gov. Lester after the
pardon board had Investigated their
cases.
LOCAL BREVITIES
“Big Hearted Jim" In two reels at
the Orpheum tonight.
J. H. Beaurman came up from the
Granite mine to spend a few days in
Valdez.
MAIL CARRIER
FROZEN 10 DEAIR
Tried To Deliver Christmas Pack
ages—Exhausted and Dies While
Family Await His Return.
CHEYBOGAN, Mich., Dec 26.—Jos
eph White, a mail carrier, was frozen
to death on Christmas morning when
trying to reach an island on Lake
Huron. He had a number of Christ
mas packages for the residents on
the island and although it was in
tensely cold and the carrier was al
most exhausted as a result of the
heavy work of the past few weeks
when big parcels have been arriv'ng
for local people he wished to deliv
er the Christmas gifts to the people
on the island and started across.
His body was found late in the af
ternoon when a searching party went
out to locate the missing carrier,
whose family were waiting his return
before they sat down to the Christ
mas feast. The snowstorm which
started shortly after he left the shore
had bewildered WTiite and he walk
ed about in a circle until exhaust
ed and then lay down and had been
frozen to death with his arms filled
with Christmas toys for the little
folks on the island.
U. S. GUNBOAT
BEADY TO FIGHT
Commander Cleared Ship for Action
At Tripoli When Consul Is
Held a Prisoner.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.—The re
port has reached here that the Amer
ican gunboat stationed on the Med
iterranean Sea to protect American
subjects had threatened to bombard
the city of Tripoli unless the Ameri
can consul at that place was imme
diately released. The threat of the
American commander followed the de
tention of the American consul an.i
the rtihsal of the authorities of the
city to grant his immediate release.
It is reported here that the trouble
has been avoided and that the Ameri
can consul has been allowed to leave
the city. The administration is
greatly worried regarding the situa
tion and may withdraw all the war
ships in Europe or else send a larg
er fleet which can properly protect
American representatives.
Tripoli is a coast city of Northern
Africa and is part of the African
province taken from Turkey by the
Italians in the war of two years ago.
The government is Italian and thus
the trouble seems to have been be
tween the Italian officials and the
American consular representative.
No details of the trouble have been
made public and only the vague re
port of the threat of a bombardment
has been given to the press.