Ualiez Baity Prospector
VOLUME XIV. VALDEZ, ALASKA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1917 NUMBER 28
WAR WITH GERMANY POSSIBLE
VON BERNSTORFF BE GIVEN PASSPORT
CONNELLY ADMITS
NOTE TO HUTTON
REGARDING WILSON’S ACTIONS
New York Broker States Information
W'as Not I'sed and That Break In
Market Was Due to Statement of
Secretary Lansing.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.—Francis
Connelly of the firm of Connelly &
cijtipany, brokers in Washington, ad
mits notifying Hutton & Co. of the
r President’s move the day before the
peace note was made public. Hutton
who was a witness before the investi
gating committee yesterday afternoon
and again this morning, asserts that
the information was not used and had
nothing to do with the heavy break
in the market. He says that the
statement made by Secretary of State
Lansing that the country was on the
verge of war was responsible for the
flurry in the market.
BIG GOLD DREDGE
BREAKS ALL RECORDS
The spectacle of a ponderous gold
dredge, perfect dreadnaught of the
Arctic, churning incessantly in icy
waters and turning up daily and
washing perfectly thousands of cubic
:alWs of auriferous gravels, may be
seen in the Klondyke valley, seven
r miles from Dawson. The big machine
is the Canadian Klondyke Company’s
mammoth dredge No. 2, the largest
in the world. The dredge has been
working without interruption since
repairs on her were completed and
she started up last fall. During the
last winter the big ship has been sub
mitted to the severest test respecting
temperature ever recorded in the his
tory of the world. During four days
the thermometer at the dredge rcgis
4 tered 56 to 66 degrees below zero,
Fahrenheit. During that period no
more time was lost than on ordinary
days. The remarkable performance
of No. 2 in this instance no doubt will
be a matter of great interest to the
dredge men the world over and will
be of great encouragement to others
a who look on the North as a possible
field for exploitation.
Band Dance Saturday Night.
The members of the newly organ
ized Moose band will hold a big dance
in their hall in Valdez Saturday eve
ning, February 3. Excellent music
has been arranged for and it is hoped
the citizens who desire to see Valdez
with a first-class band will give the
* boys their patronage.
Evans Passes Juneau.
The steamer Admiral Evans pass
ed Juneau northbound, at 3 o’clock
yesterday afternoon, and is expected
to reach here late Friday night of
early Saturday morning.
Will Farm In London.
LONDON, Feb. 1.—The scarcity of
food stuffs has led the board of agri
culture to empower local authorities
to use vacant building land for food
crops. r
Apart from public gardens and
parks there are 14,000 acres of idle
land in London, and experience has
shown that London land is capable of
producing at war prices well over
^ $600 worth of food per acre. So great
" is the public interest in the scheme
that the Vacant Land society is being
snowed under by applications from
every kind of persons, many of them
“land-hungry” countrymen settled in
London.
Alaska Due Midnight.
The steamer Alaska arrived in
Cordova yesterday evening and is
^ scheduled to leave there for Valdez
at 6 o’clock this evening, which will
bring her here in the neighborhood
-cf midnight.
REPUBLICANS OPPOSE
TABLING RESOLUTION
WASHINGTON. D. C., Feb. 1.—
The Republicans in the Senate are
solidly opposing the tabling of the
Cummins' resolution providing for
the intermittent discussion in the
Senate of the President’s speech be
fore that body on the foreign rela
tions of the country. Senators Lodge
and Borah are expected to speak it;
behalf of the resolution.
COL SQUIER
TO CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER
_
General Scriven Retires After Forty
Years of Active Service and Is
Succeeded by Ranking Colonel of
the Signal Corps.
Advices received today by Captain
Robert M. Nolan, officer in charge of
this division of the Alaska Military
Cable and Telegraph system, states
that Brigadier General George P.
Scriven, Chief Signal officer of the U.
S. army, has been retired, aftei a
service of 42 years in the army, at
the age of 63 years, the order eject
ing the retirement becoming effective J
today. He is succeeded by Col. Geo.
O. Squier, the ranking Colonel of
the Signal Corps. While holding the
rank of Captain he commanded the
eableship Burnside when that vessel
laid the Philippine cable, in 1900 to
1902. Ho was appointed military at
tache at the United States embassy at
London in 1912, from which place
he was recently recalled. Col. Squier
is of a very inventive turn of mind,
and has devoted much time to elec
trical research. He is now engaged
in perfecting an apparatus permitting
the use of the Morse code and sound
instruments on cable lines instead af
the present tape recording instru
ments.
CONSPIRATORS DENY
PLANNED TO KILL GEORGE
LONDON, Feb. 1.—Mrs. Alice M. j
Wheedon, her two daughters and
eon-in-law Alfred Mason, arrested j
yesterday on the charge of conspiring
to murder Premier Lloyd George,
were arraigned today. The defend
ants denied their guilt, but refused to'
make any statement.
GIRL, FOLLOWING FASHION
CHARGED WITH INSANITY
KANSAS CITY, Feb. 1.—“If all
young women followed the dictates of
fashion to the letter there would be
few out of the asylums,” was the way
a sanity commission put it when it
ordered the liberation of Margarec
♦
Wagner, seventeen years old, who
was held on complaint of her mother.
The latter thot the girl insane be
cause, despite the cold weather sho
wore decollette gowns and shor*
skirts. The daughter’s deference
was, “All the other girls dress that
way.”
40,000 WILL MARCH
INAUGURAL PARADE
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 1.—
Arrangements for the Inaugural pa
rade have been practically completed.
It is estimated that forty thousand
marchers will be in line. The parade
will be under the leadership of Gen.
Scott.
BRITISH CASUALTIES
NEARLY 4,000 PER DAY
LONDON, Feb. 1.—A list issued by
the war office today gives the total
list of British casualties on all fronts
during the month of December as
12,214 officers and men.
SEATTLE BANKS
H9EHHUK
TO MEET DEMANDS DEPOSITORS
Federal Reserve Rank in San Fran
cisco Tenders the Sum of H808.000,
OOO to Seattle Institutions If They
Need Assistance.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1.—The
Federal Reserve bank in this city lias
offered the banks of Seattle the sum
of $68,000,000 if needed to meat
their obligations to their depositors.
The amount will be immediately
available if called for by the Seattle
institutions.
ALASKA’S IMG NEED IS
ROADS, SAYS RICHARDSON
WASHINGTON, D. C., Keb. 1.—
The real need of Alaska is roads, is
the declaration of Col. W. P. Rich
ardson, of the United States a my
and president of the Alaska roud
commission, before the house com
mittee on military affairs recently.
Without roads there can "be no ade
quate development of this great, rich
American territory and development
is badly needed. Every one knows
I of Alaska's riches, Col. Richardson
!said, but to gel at these riches for
the benefit of the people of the Uni
ted States roads must he built to
them.
j “They have unloaded this ;ol> of
road building on me,” said the Col
onel, referring to his presidency of
the Alaska road commission, “and I
can’t do it without money." He,
therefore, asked the military a (Tail s
committee to report an appropriation
of $500,000 for good roads in Alisha.
That was the amount appropriated by
congress last year. Col. Richardson
urged the necessity of knowirg on
what he can depend each year so ..hat
his commission can go ahead o.i a
comprehensive plan of road building
instead of having to do it piecemeal
as had to be done before. Notwith
standing that fact, he pointed out
the 410 miles of the Valdez-Fair
banks road, the longest road In Alas
ka, which, he said, automobiles can
traverse the entire distance in the
summer time.
Col. Richardson spoke of a light
snow.
“What do you call a light *now up
in that country?” asked Representa
tive McKellar of Tennessee.
“Oh, about seven feet.” replied the
Colonel, who spends most of his time
in the frozen territory.
“Then what would you call a real
heavy snow?” asked Mr. McKellar,
as the committee laughed.
“Well, in the interior we some
times have from 16 to 20 feet and on
the coast sometimes as high as 70
feet during the winter ”
“The roads now under construc
tion leadr to the mining district.”
said Col. Richardson. “The most im
portant thing to do is to build more
wagon roads and trails. Every man
in Alaska will tell the committee the
same thing. We have over 40,000
white people up there. We are pay
ing day laborers from $2.50 to $5 a
cay and we are making great im
provements, if Congress will only go
ahead as we did last year. Without
good roads the $35,040.000 which
Congress appropriated for a railroad
in Alaska would not develep any
thing."
Colonel Richardson asked the com
mittee for $300,000 for the mammoth
bridge over the Oastineau channel,
connecting Juneau with Douglas isl
and, with $100,000 immediately
available and authority to proceed
with the work, and the remaining
$200,000 at the next session.
A man of many parts ought to be
pretty well put together.
WELL KNOWN ENGINEER
18 WEDDED IN ’FRISCO
Private advices received here state
that Louis A. Levensaler, the well
known mining engineer, was married
on January 24, at the home of his
sister in San Francisco, to Mrs. Pol
lock of Seattle and that the happy
couple are now on a honeymoon trip
through Southern California. |
The groom is probably one of the1;
best known mining engineers in tne i
northwest, and particularly in Alcs
ka, where for a number of years he
represented the Morgan-Guggenheim
interests. In this section he is par
ticularly well known, having visited
here on numerous occasions, and m
fact made this city his headquarters
for some time. He has a host of
friends throughout the country who
will unite in wishing a happy and
prosperous voyage over the sea of
matrimony.
I DONNELLY GRABS RECORD
FOR LOW TEMPER ATI'RE
I
- I
This morning’s report from the in-1
terior shows that Salclia, which so far
this winter has held the record for
low temperature, has yielded place to
Donnelly, which reports 66 degrees
below zero. Fairbanks shows a drop
of 19 degrees to 4 6 below zero, but
Calcha reports a raise of 1 4 degrees, j
Richardson 21 degrees, McCarty 2:i j
degrees. McCallum shows a drop m !
temperature of 13 degrees to 58 be
low zero, and Paxson a drop of 4 te
grees to 40 below. Hogan remains
stationary at 35 below. Gulkana.
Copper Center. Tonsina and Teikheli
show a drop of 36, 51, 40 and 25 de
grees respectively the thermomc’er
registering 56 below at Gulkana and
Copper Center, 58 below at Tonsil,a.
and 45 below at Teikheli. Beaver
Dam, Thompson Pass and Wortmai:
report a drop of 8, 13 and 7 degrees
respectively. The report of the me
teorological observer here shows the
thermometer went to 8 below last
night and was 6 below at 7 o’clock
this morning.
GERMANY INVITES EXILED
BEIAIIANS BACK TO HOMES
BERLIN, Feb. 1.—Germany has
notified Holland that Belgian work
men deported from the province of
Antwerp will be given the option of
returning to their homes in Belgium,
and, if unable to find work there,
of removing to Holland or returning
to Germany. This step is taken in
consequence of Holland’s represent v
tions based on the invitation of the
military governor of Antwerp in Oct
ober, 1914, addressed to Belgian fugi
fives in Holland.
The military governor assures the
fugitives that if they returned they
would not be drafted for forced la
bor for Germany. The German
communication explains that these as
surances were given under quite dif
ferent circumstances from the present
and under the expectation that the
war would be a matter of months
only, but that Germany has decided
to acknowledge and respect them.
“BONE DRY” ALASKA BILL
BEEN PASSED BY HOI SK
WASHINGTON, D. 0., Feb l.
Yesterday the prohibition bill intro
duced in the House by Delegate
Wickersham of Alaska, providing for
an absolutely “Bone Dry” territory
pfter January 1, 1918, was passed by
the House. The measure is one of
the most stringent ever drawn for any
state or territory and if passed and
enforced will make It impossible to
obtain liquor of any kind in the ter
ritory. The bill as passed prohibits
the sale or use of alcoholic medi
cines, tonics, beverages, and drug
stores, barber shops, painters, and
others where alcohol forms the basis
of their stocks. It will be necessary
for any person using alcohol in any
| shape or form to secure a permit, the
permit must be sent out and return
with the order, and must be shown
| to Inspectors when required.
Subscribe far the Prospector.
GERMANY WARNS NEUTRALS
RUTHLESS SUR. CAMPAIGN
WASHINGTON. D. C.. Feb. 1.—
i The semi-officlally announced plau of
Germany to draw a cordon of subma
rines about the British Isles, begin
ning February 1, and waging the
most relentless war against British or
neutral shipping or leaving British
ports, was officially confirmed last
evening when the German Ambassa
dor, Count von Bernstorff, handed to
Secretary of State Lansing the Ger
man reply to President WiIson's
speech, identical to that handed to
Gerard and the other neutral diplo
mats in Berlin. The note states: that
the peace proposals made by Ger
many have been rejected in their eit
tirety oy tne nmienie Allies, leaving
no opportunity for the establishment
of negotiations for peace. This leaves
but one path for the Central Powers
to pursue, and that is to wage warfare
on land and sea until the Entente
Powers shall be brought to a realiza
tion that Germany and her allies will
continue the war to a victorious con
elusion, and dictate terms of peace
which shall forever establish the su
premacy of Germany in Europe and
insure the freedom of the seas to all
nations.
In this connection Germany warns
the United States and the other neu
tral nations that every restriction has
been removed against the use of ev
ery and all implements of warfare on
both land and sea. The United States
is requested to warn the owners and
masters of all American ships .igainst
entering the restricted zones, as well
as warn American passengers from
traveling on ships destined or sailing
from ports within the restricted area.
Germany lays the failure of the
proposed negotiations for peace to
her adversaries lust for conquest. Th
note expresses complete accordancs
of Germany with the sentiments and
aims set forth by the President in hi3
lecent speech before the United States
Senate The note also urges the Uni
ted States to co-operate in impicas
ing Germany’s adversaries of the in
humanity of the food blockade which
has been maintained against Ger
many and which now compels Ger
many to adopt the same ruthless
means of reprisal.
Hospital Ships Not Immune.
BERLIN, Feb. 1.—Germany has
notified the Entente Powers that
within certain districts in the North
Sea and the English channel hospital
ships will not be immune from attcck
by German submarines, but will be
sunk the same as any other vessel of
war or commerce. This determina
tion has been reached by the German
government because of the misuse by
the British government of the Red
Cross insignia, which has been ii«ed
to cover the transportation of troops
and munitions in many instances.
Reprisals Are Certain.
LONDON. Feb. 1.—The Foreign
Office has requested the United States
through its ambassadors, to notify
Germany and her allies that reprisals
will certainly follow in the event Ger
many carries out her threat to sink
hospital ships.
May Mean Diplomatic Break.
WASHINGTON. D. C., Feb. 1.—
Officials here declare the carrying out
of Germany’s projected unrestricted
warfare on land and sea will mean
a complete severance of diplomatic
relations between Germany and the
United States. Secretary of State
Lansing refused to discuss the mat
ter this morning with newspaper men,
and held a lengthy conference with
President Wilson, presumably upon
the German note.
'
Would Welcome Freedom Ireland.
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Feb. 1.—
In her note to the United States re
garding her submarine campaign,
Germany states that she would wel
come the freedom of Ireland and In
dia from English domination, and
asks the assistance of neutral nations
to that end.
Expects Severance
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. I.—
Officials of the German embassy
here admitted this morning to rep
resentatives of the press that they
expected a severance of relations
with the United States, and are now
awaiting the action of the United
States government. A high official
of the embassy stated that Germany
in the Sussex negotiations retained
the right to change her mind regard
ing attacks on vessels under changed
conditions, and hopes the United
States will remember this point.
Wilson and Lansing Confer
WASHINGTON, D. C. Feb. 1.
| President Wilson and Secretary of
; State Lansing held a conference of
about an hour this morning, follow
ing which it was announced that the
position of the United States relative
to the European struggle was the
gravest since the outbreak of the
war. and that steps were being formu
lated toward a complete severance of
diplomatic relations with Germany.
President W'ilson rose at 6 o’clock,
and was visited at 7 o'clock by Col.
House, the President’s personal rep
resentative, who remained closeted
with him for some time. Secretar>
Lansing is very grave and silent, re
fusing all interviews with members
of the press.
Stock Exchange in Panic.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.—The great
est consternation prevailed on the
opening of the Stock Exchange this
morning, excited by the German note
to the United States. Stocks simply
dropped with a dull thud, the open
ing prices being from one to thirteen
points below last night’s closing, and
the downward trend has been main
tained throughout the morning trad
ing. United States Steel dropped to
below par for the first time in months
under pressure of selling orders. The
cotton market was completely demor
alized, breaking 373 points.
Must Give Passport Today.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.—The New
York World, the leading administra
tion newspaper in this city, declares
the German ambassador Von Eern
storff must be given his passport to
day.
Wheat Takes a Tumble.
CHICAGO, Feb. 1.—The crisis ij
foreign affairs precipitated by the
German note of warning to neutrals
caused a panic on the Board of
Trade, wheat dropping eleven points
and other grains following suit. Miy
wheat sold this morning at $1.60 and
;July at $1.38.
Gross Extension of Rights.
CONCORD, N. H„ Feb. 1.—In ai.
address before the members of the
State Senate and House of Represen
tatives this morning. ex-President
Taft stated that the submarine policy
adopted by Germany, notice of which
was conveyed to the United States by
Ambassador von Bernstorff last even
ing, is a grossly unwarranted exten
sion of the rights of Blockade on the
part of Germany, and must bring
forth the combined protest of the
Deutral powers, and possibly embroil
the whole world in the Europeai.
struggle.
Gerard Silent.
BERLIN, Feb. 1.—United States
Ambassador Gerard in this city his
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