PRESIDENT
HUNDREDS ARE IN BIG BLAZE
CONSCRIPTION CERTAIN TO
RE ADOPTED RY CONGRESS
WASHINGTON. D. C.. April 10.—
President Wilson this morning sum
moned Chairman Dent of the House
Military Committee to the White
House, where a long conference was
leld on ways and means of raisins
'he million or more men that will be
required to fill the ranks of the army,
-'or the first time the President came
' ut flatly in favor of selective con
cription, staling that voluntary en
istments are not coming in sufbcient
lumbers to warrant the belief that
-uflicient men can be obtained this
>’ay. I'lie President adocates the con
cription of single men between cer
tain ages, to be hereafter fixed. He
states that the need for men is urgent,
and that every day’s delay will cost
the cou.itry heavily. There is no dot bt
but that a measure embodying the
President’s recommendations will be
introduced within a few days and will
be passed by both Houses without
< pposirion.
Officials Favor.
WASHINGTON. D. C.. April 10.
Secretary of War Baker. Chief of
Staff Scott ana Judge Advocate Gen
eral Crowder appeared before the
House Committee on military affairs
and urged the passage of a bill pro
viding for selective conscription to,
the number of two million men.
APPROPRIATIONS
BEFORE SENATE
\KMY AXI> Sl'XDHY C'lYlli BIU.X
Measures Passed by House Now lu
^ Senate—Financial Measures Occu
pying Attention of Statesmen—Will
Raise Huge Sum for War.
WASHINGTON, 1). C., April 10.—
administration members of the Ways
.-,.nd Means Committee of the House
.ire planning on introducing in the
mmediate future resolutions author
zing the government to issue bonds
or the purpose of raising funds to
, arry on the war. In the Senate the
Army Appropriation bill and the Sun
dry Civil Appropriation bill, passed
•y the House, are now up for consid
eration, and will probably be passed
-vtthin a day or two.
New tax legislation is also planned,
whereby it is expected to raise one
,*nd three-quarter billions. It is fig
ured that at least three and one-half
billions will be required by the army
and navy. Of the five billions propos
d to be raised immediately three bil
.ions will be loaned to the Entente Al
lies and two billions will be used to
cover the early expenses incurred by
:he United States entry into the war.
AUSTRIAN SHIPS
ORDERED SEIZED
FIVE TAKEN AT NEW YORK
Immediately Following Severance of
Diplomatic Relations Orders Are
Issued for Seizure of Interned Mer
chant Vessels.
NEW YORK, April 10.—Acting un
der authority from Washington, the
federal officials here last evening
-eized five Austrian merchant vessels
4 which have been interned here during
the European war. The orders for
the seizure of the vessels followed
promptly upon the advices from
i Berne that the Austrian government
had officially severed relations with
ihe United States.
j.' L. Gates returned last evening
from a trip down the Sound.
Paul Capris came up from the Cliff
mine yesterday for a visit in town.
'FORMER ALASKA
| STEAMER SURK
■ i ...
TORPEDOED IN MEDITERRANEAN
Steamship Seward, Formerly Owned
by tlie Alaska Steamship Company,
Rut lader Owned by Harrison Min
is Sent to the Bottom.
PARIS, April 10.—The American
(steamer Seward was torpedoed and
sunk yesterday in the Mediterranean,
by a German or Austrian submarine,
witiiout warning. The crew succeed
ed in launching the small boats and
were later picked up and safely land
ed in Spain. This is the first Ameri
ican vessel sunk since the United
| States entered the war.
Former Alaskan Liner,
j SEATTLE. April 10.—The steamer
Seward, reported from Paris as hav
ing been torpedoed and sunk in the
Mediterranean by a German subma
rine, was formerly owned by the Alas
ka Steamship line, and was named for
the town of Seward. She was engag
ed in the Seattle-Alaska trade for sev
eral years, but President Baxter of
the Alaska Steamship Company stated
this morning that she had been sold
by the company last May to the
Trade Steamship Co., and was later
sold by that company to the Harrison
line. The Seward was a steel steamer
of 3,390 tons, fitted for handling
freight only. She was 279.2 feet
long, 42.1 feet beam and 32.3 feet
depth of hold. She was built in Se
attle in 1907.
i
KAISER’S PORTRAIT
DESTROYED BY VANDALS
ST. LOUIS. Mo.. April 10.—Forc
ing their way into the clubhouse of
the Socialer Sangerchor. a German so
ciety in the western part of the city,
a crowd of anti-Germanists slashed
with knies a valuable painting of
Kaiser Wilhelm and tore into ribbons
a large silk German flag, destroyed
various Teutonic tissue paper em
with knives a valuable painting of
the club.
The raid took place during the
early hours this morning, according
to a complaint made to the police by
officers of the society.
Watson Sails North
SEATTLE, April 10.—The steamer
Admiral Watson sailed from here last
night with a capacity cargo and a
large number of passengers. The pas
sengers booked for Valdez were A.
McDonald and Tom McDonald.
Dr. J. A. Silverman left on the Ad
miral Evans, where he will appear as
a witness in the district court.
AUSTRIAN EMBASSY
i Austrian Legation, Requests Secre
tary of State to Return Passports—
; Austria Formally Breaks.
1 WASHINGTON, 0. April 9.—
i Baron Zweidnick. charge d'affaires of
; the, Austrian embassy here, this morit
. ing demanded of Secretary of State
Lansing the return of the passports of
ithe members of the legation, and wilt
i leave for home within a few days.
Minister Stoval at Berne, wires that
Austria officially broke diplomatic re
lations with the United States the day
following the departure of Ambassa
dor Uenfield.
WOULD SEIZE
, _
TO FINANCK WAK I'RKI'AKATIONS
I Congressman From State of Wash
ington Fathers Measure for Con
scription «»f Swollen Fortunes—
Additional Naval Cutlets.
WASHINGTON. D. l\. April !*.
j Congressman Padgett of Tennessee,
I chairman of the House Committee on
i Naval Aftairs, introduced a bill in the
j House this morning providing for the
i appointment by each senator anti con
gressman of an additional candidate
I for the Naval Academy at Anapolis.
Congressman Dill of Washington
fathers a hill providing for the con
scription of enormous incomes and de
manding voluntary contributions front
Itiiose with swollen fortunes toward
the three billions to be raised toward
financing the war.
URGES PASSKE
OF ARMY BILL
I -
i
SINDRY CIVIL BILL KKPORTK.D
I -
Senator From Oregon Makes Impas
sioned Plea lor Immediate Passage
| of Appropriation. Bill—Additional
I
Coast Ciuard Ships,
WASHINGTON, D. C„ April 9.—
! Senator Chamberlain of Oregon, in an
I address before the Senate last even
j ing urged the immediate passage of
the army appropriation bill. The Sen
• ate passed, practically without discus
sion. a bill making it a felony to de
stroy war materials, and imposing
upon conviction of this offense, a fine
ol not more than $10,000 or both
•such fine and imprisonment.
I The Senate Committee this morning
reported favorably on the Sundry Civ
il Appropriation bill, to which had
been added in committee an increase
of a million and one-half dollars for
additional coast-guard ships to patrol
jthe Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
■ - — * • 1 1 ■■■■ — —
Clerk of the Court Arthur Lang re
turned to Cordova on the. Evans and
will remain there during the remain
der of the term of court.
BRITISH TAKE
ARRAS SALIENT
OAPTL RK NL’MBKROK PRISON KRS
[Army L'nder General Haig Advances
Along a Twelve Mile front and
Penetrates German l<ines to Depth
of Two to Three Miles.
LONDON. April 10.—The British
offensive on the Somme front is stBI
Attended with success. Yesterday
the army under Gen. Haig advanced
along a 12-mile front, and penetrated
the German lines to a depth of from
two to three miles, capturing the im
portant Arras salient. The t'audiau
regiments stormed the strong Ger
man position on Vimy ridge, driving
out tho oefenders and capturing live
thousand prisoners.
\l (OISi)l\<J TO PICKS. GO.MPKICs!
_ !
Labor Council Adopts a Kesolution j
Declaring No Strikes Will He Called j
During the Continuance of War j
With Germany.
i
WASHINGTON, I). (’.. April 10. j
President Samuel Gompers of the |
American Federation of Labor, head-1
ing the labor divisions of the Council i
for National Preparedness, today an-j
nounced a no-strike program during
the war. The labor council unani
mously adopted a strong resolution
freeing the United States from all
danger of labor troubles during the
continuance of the war. This resolu
tion is similar to the one adopted by
the labor organizations in England
at the beginning of the European
war.
john ran
NOT GUILTY
ILLEGALLY KILLING EUR ANIMAL
—
Jury In District Court at Cordova Be
turns Verdict in Favor Defendant—
Personal Injury Case Before Court
Today.
COKDOVA. April 10.—ill the dis
trict court yesterday the case of the
United States vs. John McCrary,
charged with killing fur bearing ant
j mats during the season when the kill*
| ing of such animals is not authorized
was tried and the jury returned a
verdict of not guilty.
This morning the case of Bush vs.
The Copper River & Northwestern
I railroad, an action for damages due
to personal injuries, came up for trial,
and is now in progress.
I GERMAN BREAD RATION
WILL BE CUT DOWN
_—
AMSTERDAM, April 10. — The
(bread ration in Germany will be di
minished one-fourth beginning April
15. owing to the scarcity of wheat,
according to a dispatch from Berlin
in the Weses Zeitung of Bremen.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION WRECKS
BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS
I
PHILADELPHIA. April 10. — Three
explosions occurred this morning at
10 o'clock in the shrapnel factory of
the Baldwin Locomotive works on
Broad Street in this city. The explo
sions followed each other closely
wrecking thj plant and setting the
iuins on tire. Fifty persons were
killed and fully three hundred wound
ed by tlie explosions, and it is expect
ed that a number of others are bur
ied in tlie ruins.
The entire tire department of of
the city was called tint to light the
contlagration. hut the intermittent ex
plosion? rendered work of the fire
fighters particularly hazardous. Near
by dwellings were badly shattered by
the explosions and dying pieces of
metal. Hundreds of rescuers are at
work searching the ruins for victims.
Investigation into the cause of the
catastrophe leads to the belief the
explosions were the result of a delib
crate attempt to destroy the plant,
and is believed to have been accom
plished by Carman sympathizers.
Casualties Beach 150.
PHILADELPHIA. April 10 —Lat
est reports from the scene of the ex
plosion in the Baldwin Locomotive
Works are tha* the list of casualties
is far greater titan at first announced.
It is now stated that fully 150 persons
Itave been killed and the list of injur
ed reaches nearly five hundreds. No
doubt remains that the explosion wan
. \
caused from the outside and was uu.'
doubtedly the work of German sytn
pathiz**rs.
Van Kell (iiven IJfe Sentence. J
OLYMPIA. April 10. John Van
Dell, convicted of first degree murde
in the superior court Friday evening
for the slaying of the late E. \V. Oi
| son. chairman of the industrial insur
lance commission, was Saturday aft*-'.
I noon sentenced by Judge J. K
| Mitchell to life imprisonment in tin
I state penitentiary. Van Dell accept
ed the court’s sentence with the saint
Imperturable culm that has charade:
li/.etl his demeanor since his arrest.
('uni in ins Improves.
NEW YOLK. April In. -The int
proved condition of Senator Cunuuin
of Iowa today permitted him to leave,
the hospital, where he was take ;
after he collapsed at the Kepuhlicar|
club on Saturday during an addresses
defending iiis stand on the armed ship
bill. The Senator took a train for^
Washington stating that he was need-:;*
ed there during the nation's crisis.
Illinois Was Insured.
WASHINGTON. D. (’.. April 10.—I
The American steamer Illinois, sunk}
yesterday by a German submarine,
was insured by the government's war
risk bureau for S2T>0,000. The gov-'
ernment had issued no insurance on
the City of Memphis or the Vigilaticit
DELEGATE IS
OjUHE JOB
Kl^ZKK IS <»KTTIX(« KKSl I.TS j
Post master <\ .1. Todd Deceived .Ad
vices Thai .Amount .Allowed for
Clerk Hire Has Keen liaised Thru
Kfforts of Delegate.
Postmaster C. J. Todd received ad
vices this morning that through the
efforts of Delegate Sulzer the postof
fice department had granted an in
crease in the allowance for clerk hire
in the local postoffice. Since his term
of office commenced, and for several
months under his predecessor, the al
lowance for clerk hire in the Valdez
office was cut so low that it was prac
tically impossible to secure the neces
sary clerks for the amount allowed.
As a consequence Mr. Todd has been
paying the additional compensation
to the clerks out of his own pocket,
that the service might be efficiently
maintained. The increase took effect
on April 1. Delegate Sulzer is also
working to secure a new postoffice
building for Valdez and with excel
lent prospects of success.
Sl'K REPORTED
NEAR NEW YORK
WASHINGTON. D. C.. April 10.—
Reports'from unofficial sources tell
ing of submarines off Montauk Point,
N. Y., were said today to have been
received by the navy department. The
same reports were given to naval
commanders of shore stations in the
vicinity and the department under
stands that whatever precautions may
be necessary to guard against sub
marine attacks have been taken bv
them.
— iii ■—> iii..
"“Wra." Deitrick left on the Evans for
Cordova after spending several weeks
in town.
BRAZIL LIKELY
DECLARE WAR;
EXPECTED OCCUR THIS WEE1\|
Deckled Revival of Puu-Aniericauiixn i
Among Southern Republics and.
Many Are Expected to Take Sides
With United States.
j
WASHINGTON. D. C\, April 10 —
Advices received from South America
indicate that several of the South
American republics will soon make
formal declarations of war against
Germany. The entrance of the United
States into the struggle has materially
stiffened the resolution of Brazil to
likewise declare war against Germany
and her early entrance on the side of
the United States is expected. Thou
sands of Germans are preparing to
leave Rio de Janeiro, anticipating an
early declaration of war. It is also
reported that the Brazilian govern
ment is preparing to seize forty Ger
man merchant ships interned in Bra
zilian harbors. There has been a de
cided reawakening of Pan-American
ism among the South American coun
tries. and it is certain that many of
them will side with the United States.
FORMER l. S. MARSHAL
NOW CAPTAIN IN ARMY
A personal letter from George J.
Love, received on the last boat, states
that his brother, Henry K. Love, for
merly United States Marshal for this
division, recently passed an examina
tion for a captaincy at Chicago, and
is now Captain Love of the regular
army.
BRAZIL RECOGNIZES THE
NEW RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
UIO DE JANEIRO. Brazil. April
10.—The Brazilian government today
formally recognized the new Russian
[government.