VALDEZ, ALASKA, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1914. NO. 371.
BATTLE CONTINUES IN BELGIUM
ALLIES REPORT GAINS BUT ADMIT HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE
DRESDEN CORNERED IN THE STRAITS OF MAGELLEN
LONDON AND PARIS FEAR ZEPPELIN RAID IS CERTAIN
POST OFFICE CAN
PAY EXPENSES
First Time In History Mail Depart
ment Self-supporting—Department
Heads Cut Expenses.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15—Postmas
ter General Burleson in his annual
report states that for the first time
in its history the Postoffice Depart
ment is self-supporting and the in
come is as large as the outgo.
The postmaster general is greatly
pleased at the success of the depart
ment under his management.
The House Postal committee has
'introduced a bill to appropriate $325,
000,000 for the operation of the de
partment during the next year. The
committee also .cut salaries to save
$2,000,000 each year.
A policy of retrenchment is now
in force at Washington. All heads
of departments have been ordered to
cut and slash salaries, discharge ex
tra men, cut down operating expen
ses, shut off the waste in supplies
and in fuel and to maintain the
strictest watch over expenditures, as
the government’s income is seriously
effected by the war in Europe and
the consequent loss of tariff revenues.
PRESIDENT GALLS
CABINET MEETING
Panama Situation Is Said To Be
Acute—Japanese Cruisers Blamed
for Violating Neutrality.
WASHINGTON, Dec. v 15.—Presi
dent Wilson today cklled a special
meeting of the cabinet to consider the
report from Col. Goethals regarding
violations of neutrality by belligerent
warships at the Panama canal zone.
The matter is said to be more seri
ous than the press reports at first
indicated. Friction is believed to
have resulted between the command
ers of the Japanese warships and
tbe American officer. The military
commander is anxious that the Navy
department send warships to Colon
and Panama to guard the canal.
Reporters have made every effort
to secure information -regarding the
result of the cabinet meeting hut
without Bucfcess. Several high naval
officers were called to the White
House during the meeting and Secre
tary Bryan was accompanied by the
international law expert of the State
Department.
A number of diplomats called up
on Secretary Bryan shortly after the
meeting but the reporters could se
- cure no information from them.
Just arrived largest assortment of
Christmas ties at Ben Silverman's, tf
Just arrived the most beautiful and
largest assortment of Christmas ties
at Ben Silverman’s. tf
Russians Report Victory At Mlawa and Przasnyz—Russian War Office States
German Invasion Has Ended In Rout of the Kaiser’s Forces—Servians
Again In Belgrade Which They Recapture After Desperate Struggle Last
ing Ten Days—Germans Have Several Lines of Trenches Built In Belgium
and France—Kaiser’s Fleet In Baltic Showing Signs of Coming Activity.
PARIS, Dec. 15.—The allies are
forcing the fighting in Belgium. The
first line of German trenches have
been attacked. The infantry have
been successful in carrying many of
the German trenches and are pushing
the attack with great vigor. The
center of the fighting continues near
Ypres. The Germans have construct
ed second and third lines of de
fense in Belgium. At points the al
lies have forced their way to the
second line and the withdrawal of
the Germans from the third line is
expected shortly. The battle during
the past two days has been the most
desperate of the war. Hand to hand
fighting has been common. The al
lies have taken the offensive and
have carried their way through the
German line, but the cost has been
terrific, as the enemy had planted
many machine guns and their artil
lery was well placed. The Germans
have lost heavily, also several thou
sand prisoners have been taken and
many guns captured. The battle con
tinues without intermission at all
points. The fighting extends from
the North Sea to Alsace and Lor
raine. The British and French war
ships are shelling the German posi
tions near Nieuport.
Germans Preparing To Withdraw In
Belgium.
LONDON, Dec. 15.—The reports
from Gen. French, in command of
the British troops, indicates that the
Germans commanded by the Duke of
Wurttemberg are preparing to with
draw from the first line of defense,
in Belgium. Second and third lines
have been constructed by them with
cement trenches and cement bases
for the big guns.
Russians Report Rout of Germans.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 15—The war of
fice today broke the silence of sever
al days and officially announced that
the German invasion in Poland had
resulted in the complete rout of the
kaiser’s troops, who were now falling
back in disorder all along the line.
The victory at Mlawa ended the
chances of the Germans reaching Po
land, as the rear of the central army
is in danger from the flank attack
of the Russians from the north.
Austria’* Army Weakness.
ROME, Dec. 15.—The newspaper
Stamps has received from Vienna a
second article on the Austrian army,
in which the author analyzes the
cause of its defeats.
First there is, he says, the favorit
ism of the late.Archauxe Francis Fer
dinand, who promoted officers not be
cause of their capacity, but because
they were Czechs, the Rationality of
his wife, or fervent Roman Catholics
and anti-Semetlst, These were the
officers whose soldiers wrote Ironical
ly that “one victory succeeds anoth
er with such rapidity that the army
will soon be back at Vienna or even
Trieste.”
Secondly, there is the confusion
caused by the eleven languages of
the Dual Monarchy. At least two
thirds of a company do not under
stand the German of the command
ing officer, who has to resort to five
or six interpreters. This is especial
ly the case at a time like the pres
ent when there are numbers of fresh
soldiers whose very nationality has
to be ascertained by their officers.
Portugal Will Save Great Britain.
LISBON, Dec. 15.—The people of
Portugal are determined to aid Great
Britain in the present war. Active
aid is to be given at once and sever
al army corps are to be sent to
France on British transports which
are now in this harbor waiting.
Big German Fleet Preparing In Baltic.
COPENHAGEN, Dec. 15.—The Ger
man fleet is becoming more lively in
the Baltic. Scandinavian and Rus
sian dispatches indicate that prepar
ations are being made for striking
a blow at the Russian ports. The
Germans, it is said, even intend to
enter the Gulf of Finland and may
possibly bombard Petrograd.
It is reported here from several
sources that there is a great concen
tration of the German fleet and Ger
man transport steamers along the
Baltic coast. The German warships,
it is said, are being withdrawn from
Kiel to strengthen the Baltic squad
ron operating northward in the Gulf
of Bosnia.
Russians Recapture Przasnyz.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 15.—The Rus
sians operating in north central Po
land yesterday recaptured the city
of Przasnyz, which they lost Satur
day night. The Russians have in
flicted terrible loss upon the Ger
mans ,and have routed them. At
Mlawa the Russians again defeated
the Germans, driving them across the
border. Strong reinforcements have
been sent to the Russians operating
In the north of Poland and this army
is expected to turn south and strike
the German rear, forcing the retire
ment of the Germans from Lodz and
thus relieving Warsaw from threat
ened attack.
Austrians Capture 5,000 Russians.
VIENNA, Dec. 15.—Another sortie
from Przemysl was made yesterday
by the Austrian-German garrison and
was successful; 5,000 Russians were
captured. The Russian line has been
weakened because of the reverses in
Poland and the garrison has taken
the offensive with considerable suc
cess.
Allies Waiting In France.
LONDON, Dec. 15.—The allies will
not press the offensive in France and
Belgium until the Germans are so far
into Poland that they cannot be
quickly brought back and thrown
against the French and British lines.
The allies expect as soon as the Ger
mans are far into Poland that they
will be able to drive the western
army from the sea.
Russians Outplaying Germans.
The Russian commanders are giv
ing battle to the German invaders of
Poland at points wehere railroad com
munications are weak and thus Im
possible to secure German reinforce
ments quickly. This policy has re
sulted in several big gains for the
Russians.
French Claim Superior Artillery.
PARIS, Dec. 15.—The French artil
lery si now superior to the German
at evey point. The new heavy guns
have reached the front and are bet
ter than the Krupp guns. The field
GERMAN WARSHIP
MUST LEAVE GUAM
Converted Cruiser Carmoran Must
Make a Run of It or Be Interned
—Japs Waiting for Her.
WASHINGTON, ^Dec. |15.—Orders
have been sent to the military gov
ernor of the Island of Guam, far out
in the Pacific ocean to immediately
order the commander of the convert
ed cruiser Carmoran to leave the 1s
nd. The only other option given
the commander of the German boat
is to intern. It is reported that sev
eral Japanese warships are waiting
outside the harbor to catch the Ger
man ship should its commander de
cide to make an attempt to escape
and prey upon the commerce of the
allies.
One small American gunboat is in
the harbo? to protect the neutrality
of the island. 1
EXPLOSION WRECKS
JIPIIESE HE
Eight Hundred Miners Imprisoned As
a Result—Thousands Working
To Save the Men.
TOKIO, Dec. 15.—More than 800
miners are imprisoned as a result
of a mine explosion at Fukuoko. The
government has sent troops to aid
In the work of rescue and to super
intend the work. Several thousand
miners are. also working in short
shifts to aid their comrades.
The explosion came during the
night. It is fealred that many of
the miners have been killed. A few
men working on upper levels were
able to escape.
The rescue work was started at
once. The mine has been wrecked.
Chinese noodles and chop suey at
Valdez Cafe after 7 p. m. tf
artillery has always been superior to
that of the Krupp field guns and have
been able to hold back the Germans
although they were equipped wtih the
Krupp howitzers. A general advance
is now predicted all along the line.
French Attacks Repulsed.
BERLIN, Dec. 15.—The French at
tacks upon the German positions
along the- Meuse river and in the Vos
ges mountain passes have all been
repulsed with considerable loss to the
French. The Germans have strong
ly fortified the positions with barb
wire entanglements and cement
trenches and the French assaults
were made at a terrible price in lives.
Germans Checked In Poland.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 15.—The Ger
man invasion in Poland has been
checked. The kaiser’s troops sent
from East Prussia \via Soldau to
threaten Warsaw from the north have
been defeated in two battles and are
now back across the border. The Rus
sians are not pursuing them because
of the superior railroad facilities
along the German frontier, but the
troops have turned south to threat
en the rear of the German troops op
erating between the Warthe and Vis
tula rivers.
- I
New German Baltic Fleet.
PETROGGRAD. Dec. 15.—The 150
naval guns reported as having been
sent from Hamburg to Danzig are
obviously intended for ships building
at Danzig and Elbing. The Germans
have there two dreadnoughts, two
dreadnought cruisers equal to the
British cruiser Lion and a large num
ber of destroyers and submarines of
large size building.
They were to be ready next year,
but since guns have been dispatch
ed it is plain that Germany has ex
pedited their construction in order to
spring another disagreeable surprise
upon the allies. ' •
J
London Fears Air Raid.
LONDON, Dec. 15.—All shop lights
have been ordered extinguished iu
this city at night. Both British and
French authorities have been warn
ed that the German Zeppelins are
ready for an attack. It Is expected
the attack will be made against Lon
don or Paris. Both cities are pre
paring to receive the airships. Aero
planes are in readiness, guns for the
destruction of the high flying Zep
pelins are also planted on high build
ings. The coast patrol has been
doubled to give warning of the ap
proach of the German ships. The peo
ple are In terror. A11 through the
night the city was in darkness. The
suspense is frightful.
Dresden Bottled Up.
At both ends of the Straits of Mh
geilen British ships are waiting for
the Dresden. The Chilen authorities
have ordered the Dresden to leave
port at once and have refused to
give the ship any coal as the Dres
den was coaled at Valparaison less
(Continued on page 3.)
Daniels Investigators Test Matanuska
Coal and Find It Up To Navy
Standard.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15—Secretary
of the Navy Daniels today reported
that the tests made by the depart
ment experts of the Matanuska coal
from Alaska and the tests made ou
the cruiser Maryland showed that the
coal was up to the standard for the
l.avy.
The tests have been exhaustive.
•Laboratory tests have been made, al
so tests under conditions of use on
battleships with forced draft show
ed that the Maryland could make
her contract speed wtih the Alaska
coal and that it is as good for the
navy as any eastern coal.
Alaskans here are greatly pleased
at the report, as it was feared that
should the report of the value of the
Matanuska coal for naval purposes
be adverse, as was that on the Ber
ing river roal, that the railroad in
Alaska would never be constructed.
Many Alaskans here fear that be
cause of the lack of money the gov
ernment may postpone the construc
tion work for a year.
TURKISH SULTAN
AGAINST THE WAR
Was Forced To Enter Through Pres
sure From Young Turks and
German Diplomat
CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. 15—The
Sultan announced today that he was
opposed to the present war with Eng
land, France and Russia and that he
was forced into it by the Young Turk
.party and the strong pressure
brought to bear by the German am
bassador.
The statement indicates much fric
tion and trouble in the government
of Turkey. The Young Turks con
trolling the government insist upon
war and are determined to regain
the lost territory that was taken
taway from the Sultan as a result of
the two unsuccessful wars with Italy
and the Balkan allies. The Sultan,
however, fears that if the allies are
successful he will lose more territory
and be driven fi'om Constantinople.
The friction in the government has
caused the delay In military opera
tions. Some of the followers of the
Sultan are anxious to make peace at
once if good terms can be secured.
Deputy Marshal Karl Armstrong
and wife passed through on the Mar
iposa for Seward, where they will
transfer to the Dora. Mrs. Arm
strong has not fully recovered from
an operation but is greatly Improved.
An 11-pound tumor was removed re
cently.