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V OLUME XIV. VALDEZ, ALASKA, SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17, 1017 NUMBER 41
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NO GUNS FOR
AMERICAN SHIPS
LINERS STILL UNPROTECTED
Meainers of the'.American Line .Arc
Held Up Awaiting Guns and Gun
nera—Navy Department Has Taken
No Steps to Furnish.
NEW YORK, Feb. 17.—So far the
Navy department has made no defi
nite reply to the request of the Amer
ican shipping concerns for protection
tor their vessels. It has been inti
mated that the government will not
consider the convoying of merchant
men by American warships but may
supply the mwith guns and gunners
from the navy. The navy department
has as yet made no provision for sup
plying the American liners St. Louis,
St. Paul, Kroonland and New York
with guns, although these vessels are
awaiting such equipment before sail
ing, and have been tried up for some
time.
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GERMANY RELEASES
AMERICANSAILDRS
. v I »l INI STR ATION IS PLEASED
(iei mimv Sends Oflielal Notice of Re
lease of Americans Brought to Ger
many on < aptured Steamer Yiir
rowdale.
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Feb. 17.—
Administration officials are much
pl^fsed over the action of Berlin in
releasing the Americans captured on
vessels sunk by the German com
merce raider in the South Atlantic
and brought to Germany on the Yar
rowdale, official notice of which was
sent to the State Department yester
day afternoon. Observers, however,
assert that the United States cannot
escape war with Germany unless that
country halts its submarine campaign,
as sooner or later an American ves
sel is bound to be submarined with
the result that war will be declared.
It is certain that President Wilson
will deliver an address before con
gress on the country’s foreign rela
tions before the present session of
Congress adjourns. Today he made
routine visits to the War, State and
Navy departments.
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GERMANY EXPLAINS
REPRISAL MEASURES
BERLIN, Feb. 17.—The measures
of reprisal which, as was announced
recently, are to be carried out against
French prisoners of war were ex
plained in the following official an
nouncement made here yesterday:
“According to reliable reports,
German officers have been submitted
to unworthy treatment, contrary to
international law, by the French
chief command in order to compel
them to make declarations of military
importance. At certain prisoner’s de
pots, such as the Citadel of Amiens,
officers are placed in solitary con
finement for as long as a fortnight
> and subjected permanently to severe
trials. When they decline the make
the declarations they are threatened
and even punished by solitary con
finement on bread and water for thr;e
days. Officers receive the rations of
soldiers, are not permitted to lea^c
their cells, sleep on straw placed on
plank beds, and are not treated in
proper fashion in any respect.
“As a measure of reprisal the Ger
man chief command has ordered that
all French officers and non-commis
sioned Lieutenants who are made
prisoner in the luture shall be treated
jp the same fashion until further no
tice.
INDIANA WILL ABOLISH
CONTRACT PRISON LABOR
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Feb. 17.—
The contract labor system in In
diana prisons will be abolished. The
trustees of the institutions have
decided that at the expiration of the
present contracts a new for mof em
ployment will be instituted.
SAILORS TO RECOV ER
AIRPLANE IN DESERT
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 17.—An attempt
to recover the military airplane
abandoned by Lieut. Col. H. G. Bishop
and Lieut. W. A. Robertson. January
10, in the Sonora desert near the
headwaters of the Gulf of California,
will be made by bluejackets of the
cruiser New Orleans, it became known
today. Col. VV. A. Glassford, aviation
school commandant, recommended *.o
the war department that this method
of recovering the lost plane be adopt
ed. The war department approved
the plan and authorized Col. Glass
ford to confer with Admiral W. B.
Caperton.
IMOTT ■
SECURE RINDS
FOR THE BRITISH WAR FEND
Extensive Campaign On Last Day to
Bring Out Every Available Shilling
Is Exacted to Produce Half Bil
lion Pounds.
LONDON, Feb. 17.—A tremendous
effort is being made on this, the last
day of the subscriptions to the war
fund, to bring out every available
chilling. Workers are busy through
out the entire country soliciting the
people to put every penny available
possible into the fund, and the adver
tising campaign is most extensive. It
is expected the returns will exceed
the half billion pounds needed.
TURKEY TO TIGHT
ME END
TO RETAIN CONSTANTINOPLE
New Premier In Address to Chamber
of Deputies Says Will Never Sur
render Golden Horn—House Passes
t'nanimous Vote of Confidence.
LONDON', Feb. 17.—A dispatch re
ceived here from Constantinople
through a neutral source states that i
the new Grand Vizier in an address
before the Chamber of Deputies de
clared that Turkey would fight to the
last ditch to retain Constantinople.
The House passed a unanimous vote
of confidence in the ministry.
Last Dance Before Lent.
The Moose dance tonight will be
the Uat dance before Lent, so don’t
miss it. Lunch will be served at mid
night and a big time will be had
by all who attend.
KEITH NEVILLE.
Governor of Stato of Nebraska
la Only Thirty-three Years Old.
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FUNSTON READY
FORRAIOERS
IS NOT WORRIED BY THREATS
American Commander Along the
Mexican Border Says Salazar and
His Band Will Meet With a Warm
Reception If They Cross IJne.
SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 17.—General
Funston, commander of the American
forces along the Mexican border, in an
interview this morning stated that
the threat of the Mexican bandit com
mander Salazar to raid American ter
ritory along the border was not caus
ing him the slightest worry. He said
the troops had the situation well in
hand and that if the bandits crossed
the line they would meet with a warm
reception.
NO GERMANS
BEING HELD
REPORTS SECRETARY WILSON
Says Investigation Reveals Fact That
No Germans Are Being Detained
Unless Charged With Crime—AH
Others Free.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Peb. 17.—
Secretary of Labor Wilson announced
this morning that a thorough investi
gation reveals that iio German sea
men, of the crews of the interned Ger
man steamers throughout the coun
try, are being held by the United
States unless they are being held un
der the charge of having committed
crimes. All those members of the
crews against whom no charges have
been brought are at liberty.
VON BEHNSTOHFF
ARRIVES HALIFAX
STEAMER UNDER STRONG GUARD
Reported May Be Held for a Week—
Also Stated That Von Igel and
Tauscher May Be Detained on a
Charge of Plotting Blow Up Canal
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Feb. 17.—
The Scandinavian-American liner
Frederik VII arrived here this morn
ing, carrying Count Von Bernstorff,
the former German ambassador ti
the United States. The vessel was
immediately boarded by a small army
of inspectors to guard her and the
German officials aboard from any pos
sible attack.
It is semi-officially announced that
the vessel may be held here for u
week, and it is also said that Wolff
von Igel and Hans Tauscher, passen
gers on the steamer, may be detained ,
on the charge of being implicated in
the plot to blow up the Welland canal
last summer. ,
FRENCH DEPUTIES DISCUSSING
BALKANS IN SECRET SESSION
PARIS, Feb. 17.—The Chamber o'
Deputies held a secret session todav
lasting four hours. The session will
be resumed tomorrow.
The Chamber decided this morning
by a vote of 298 to 187 to hold the 1
secret session. The calendar was call- 1
ed for discussion of interpellations 1
on the present situation of the ex- 1
pedltlonary corps in Macedonia and
the developments at Athens on Dec. 1
1-2. !
Premier Briand, at last week’s ses
sion, promised to give the Chamber :
nn explanation and all details in :
these connections.
Locaiioh^notices, both quartz and
placer, for sale at the Prospector of- ]
Bee. j:
WOMEN WANTED
1 INJ5ENALS
8,000 WORKER* ARK NEEDED
Secretary of War Baker Announces
That Women Will Be Employed In
'
Munition Works—Have Been Suc
cessful In England.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 17.
Secretary of War Baker announced
this morning that two thousand work
ers were needed in the United States
arsenals and that women would be
employed in the machine shops. This
course has been adopted because of i
the success attained by women in this
branch of industry in England, where,
to a large extent they have replaced
the men in many branches of the in
dustry.
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TO PROTECT U. 8. CONSULATE
Rinnoml at Havana That Marines
Had Been I-a mled at Santiago and
Oriente to Police American Offices !
—Consul Sends Denial.
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HAVANA. Feb. 17.—It is reported
rhat American marines have been
landed from warships at Santiago to
protect the American legation there
in the event of a clash between the
government troops and the revolu
tionists and that another detachment j
lias been landed in Oriente province
for a similar purpose. A communi
cation from the American consulate
it Sautiago. however, denies the re
port. and states that no marines have
tieen landed at that place
HIGH OFFICIALS
ISSUED ORDERS
ro DISABLE SHIPS’ ENGINES
: aptain of Interned German Vessel
Testifies That Officer High In Ger
man Embassy Gave Orders to Dis
able Machinery.
I
BOSTON, Feb. 17.—Capt. PollacK,
>f the interned German steamship
Kronprinzessen Cecelia, today testi
ied at a hearing in the federal court
>n a petition for the sale of the ves
sel, that a high official of the German
jmbassy ordered the disablement of
he machinery of the vessel in orde.
;o prevent its uses in the event it was
.eized by the United States govern
nent. He said that he had received
he orders at Hoboken and telegraph
ed them to the chief engineer, whi
lid the work of disabling the engines.
Be refused to give the name of the
ligh official who gave the orders to
Usable the ship for fear that he would
>e charged with treason when he re
urned to Germany.
UIWITION EXPORTS
BREAK ALL RECORDS
WASHINGTON. D. C.. Feb. 17.—
kVar munition exports from the Unit
d States to the European Allies since
he war began have approached $ 1
>00,000,000 in value. Figures com
>iled by the Bureau of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce show that the
leavieat month's shipments of war
supplies went forward in November
ast, when the total was more than
580.000. 000. In the two and a half
ears of the war this country has
hipped across the ovean cartridges
alued at $85,000,000, gunpowder
allied at $350,000,000. other ex
doaives $475,000,000. and firearms
160.000. 000.
WEATHER CONTINUES WARM
ALONG TRAIL TO INTERIOR
Every station between Valdez and
Fairbanks reports above zero weather
this morning, Fairbanks leading with
22 above, Donnelly next with 20 and
Richardson and Wortman with IS
above. Tonsina reports the coldest
with 8 above Paxson and Teikhell
with 10 above and McCarty and Ho
gan following with 12 above. All the
other stations leport temperatures of
from 11 to 16 above. The maximui
temperature in Valdez during the 12
hours ending at 7 o'clock this morn
ing was 25 and the minimum 13
above zero. Salcha, Hogan, Gulkana.
Tonsina, Tetkhc.ll, Beaver Dam, Sum
rnit and Wortman report snow falling.
IEUWSHIPS
RESUME SAILING
WILL MAKE HALIFAX PORT
Reported IJners Will Be Convoyed by
British Warships Through Danger
Zone and Will Also Keep Belgians
Supplied.
NEW YORK. Feb. 17.—The neu
tral steamers held up in this aud
other ports along the Atlantic coast,
are making preparations to resume
their regular sailings, stopping at
Halifax. Nova Scotia, as the western
terminus of their run, from which
port they will be convoyed by British
warships. By this means it is hoped
to keep the Belgian non-combatants
supplied with food.
HUIWSLEY
VISITS CACHE
DRAWS DOWN $90,000.00 CASH
Seattle Bootlegger Shadowed l>> San
Francisco Reporter and Wherea
bouts of lll-Gotteu Bains Art* lo
cated.
SAN FRANCISCO. Feb. 17.—A
newspaper reporter in this city who
has been shadowing Logan Billings
ley, the Seattle bootlegger, declares
that Billingsley yesterday withdrew
from a safety deposit vault in the city
the sum of $90,000, which he had
hidden there. Billingsley testified in
Seattle that he had expended the enor
mous profits derived from hts opera
tions in that city in buying protection
and all attempts to locate the money
he was believed to have “salted” has
been futile until the reporter discov
ared his cache yesterday.
f . ^ - ^ .
WELDON H. WELLS.
Confessed to 8hooting Mona
Simon In a Columbua (O.) Hotal.
REVOLT SPREADS
CLASHES OCCUR NEAR HAVANA
Cuban Minister R«|M>rts to tbe State
Department That Revolutionists
Apiiear to He Plentifully Supplied
With Arms and Ammunition.
WASHINGTON. D. C.. Feb. 17. -
The Cuban Minister here, William E.
Gonzales, has reported to Secretary of
State Lansing that the revolution in
Cuba is spreading rapidly. The rev
olutionists apparently have plenty of
arms and ammunition and clashes
with the government troops have oc
curred right on the outskirts of Ha
vana. The situation is considered
very grave. The State Department
has made no statement regarding the
situation or the attitude the United
States will take toward the revolution
lsts, but Secretary of War Baker is
outspoken in his opinion that Cuba
should be left to solve her own diffi
culties.
I
III THE CAPITOL
ALASKA DKLKGATK IS I.XVOLYKD
Alleged Letter Read Before House
Committee by Delegate Had Been
Changed to Suit Purpose—Carbon
Copy on l-'ile Contradicts.
WASHINGTON. D. (\. Feb. 17
A caudal of some magnitude has de
veloped in connection with the Alaska
Prohibition measure, in which Dele
gate Wickersham, of Alaska, plays an
unenviable part. In urging the Dry
measure introduced by himself before
the House, and particularly Section
35 of that measure, by the provisions
of which all funds received from li
censes in Alaska should be turned into
the Territorial Treasury, thus depriv
ing the Alaska Road Commission of
a large sum annually, the Delegate
is alleged to have quoted from a let
ter purported to have been written by
former Secretary of War Garrison ap
proving this action.
This was traced back by interested
parties and carbon copies of the let
ter on file in the War Department di
rectly contradicts the interpretation
given by the Delegate before the
Committee, and the charge is made
that the letter had been deliberately
altered to suit the occasion.
Delegate Wickersham denies any
knowledge of the change in the letter,
but Secretary of War Baker' is not
inclined to believe him.
It is alleged that Delegate Wicker
sham complained to the War Depart
ment that Col. Richardson, the chair
man of the Alaska Road Commission
was guilty of improper conduct in op
posing his (Wickersham’s) re-elec
tion, and to this is credited the re
port circulated that Richardson was
slated to leave the board.
It is now reported that the Dele
gate’s stock is away below par with
the War Department.
BOLLING RESIGNS FROM
FIRM OF CONNOLLY & CO.
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Feb. 17.—
As a result of the leak probe and his
alleged connection with the prema
ture escape of the German peace note
.William Bolling, brother-in-law of the
President, who was connected with
the brokerage concern of Connolly ac
Company of this city, has been forced
to sever his connection with that con
cern.
ELKUS SUBMITS BRIEF
REPORT TURKISH POSITION
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WASHINGTON, D. C.. Feb. 17.—
United $tates Ambassador Elkus./ at
Constantinople, in response to orders
from the State Department to inves
tigate and report on the attitude of
Turkey on the submarine question,
has submitted to the Department a
brief report. The nature of the re
port has not been made public.