13 VALDEZ, ALA8KA, SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 1915. , NO. 54.
LINER BURKING
ON THE ATLANTIC
** Steamers Are Racing To Assistance of
La Touraine Six Hundred
Miles Out To Sea.
LONDON, March 6.—The French
liner La Touraine, of the French line
from New York to Havre, Is report
ed on fire and five steamers are rac
ing to meet her and rescue the pas
sengers. The liner was six hundred
miles off the coast of Ireland when
the alarm was sent out by wireless
but it was believed that the fire could
be confined until assistance reached
her.
La Touraine has eighty-four pas
sengers and a full crew numbering
more than one hundred. She carries
five thousand cases of ammunition
destined for the French army among
her cargo but the wireless message
stated that the fire originated In a
distant part of the hold from where
the ammunition was stored.
It is feared that the French liner
is the victim of German sympathizers
who may have been able to escape the
vigilance of the American customs
officials in New York, and have fired
the vessel in the hopes of destroying
the ammunition.
s
PAY POSTAGE
Government Starts Suit To Collect On
Steal Which Threatened To
Wreck Lodge.
WASHINGTON, March 6.—The gov
ernment has started suit against the
United States Beet Sugar industry
for $57,000 postage due on pampfflets
which were fraudulently sent through
the mails on Senator Lodge’s congres
sional frank. The matter has been
under negotiation for a long time but
the sugar kings who proflted by the
sharp practice have refused to pay
and the government has now resor+ed
to the courts in an effort to collect
its just dues.
The "postage steal” as the deal was
known throughout the country, cre
ated a sensation and for a time
threatened to Impair the political for
tunes of Senator Lodge, ' who was
made the unvfititing tool of the agents
of the Sugar Trust. During the discus
sion on the tariff Senator Lodge, who
was opposed to any reduction of tar
iff, delivered a speech in the Senate
which was regarded as a classic.
Senator Lodge asked leave to In
sert figures in the speech when
printed in the Congressional Record
although the figures had not been
read in the Senate. This is a usual
custom and was granted. The figures
had been prepared for Senator Lodge
by an agent of the Sugar Trust and
the matter which appeared in the
Congressional Record was slightly
changed, making it an advertising
pamphlet for the trust. Millions of
copies were printed at the govern
ment printing office at the govern
ment’s expense and sent broadcast
over the country free of postage. The
government printing office employes
believed the pamphlets were being
sent out at the request of Senator
Lodge as a campaign against the
reduction of the tariff, especially on
sugar.
Emergency Currency.
A little over $38,000,000 emergency
currency, or a fraction less than 10
per cent, of the total amount issued,
remains outstanding, according to the
Treasury Department at Washington.
The total amount of additional cur
rency Issued under the Aldrich-Vree
Jand act was $384,669,006. The
amount of this currency retired to
date is $3461472,647.
The Prospector office for Job work, !
9'
AMMUNITION SHIP SUNK IN OSTEND HARBOR
BERLIN, March 6—A German sub
marine torpedoed a French steamer
loaded with ammunition from Eng
land and believed to be destined for
use by Kitchener’s new army, in the
harbor at Ostend, on the French
coast. The torpedo caused the am
munition to explode with such ter
rific force that not only was the
steamer blown to pieces but the
wharf where she was unloading was
blown to pieces. It is believed that
| hundreds of persons lost their lives
by the double explosion.
Reports Are Conflicting.
LONDON, March 6.—Reports from
Paris, Berlin and Petrograd are very
conflicting in regard to the fighting
during the past twenty-four hours.
The night report from Paris claims
French successes in Lorraine near the
border, in the Champagne country, in
the Argonne district and near Perthes,
while the Berlin reports state that
attacks of the French were easily re
pulsed. The fighting on the western
battle line is regarded as unimport
ant and both sides are apparently
waiting the outcome of the struggle
in the east.
Long Eastern Battle Line.
Dispatches from both Petrograd and
Berlin Indicate that a tremendous of
fensive movement has been started
by Russia extending from the Baltic
on the north through Poland, Galicia
MEMBERS GETTING
DOWN TO BUSINESS
JUNEAU, March 6.—Sunday, March
27, has been designated by the mem
bers of the Alaska legislature as
memorial day for the late member
of the senate, Elwood Bruner, of
Nome.
Representatives Day, of Valdez, and
Gaustad, of Fairbanks, have introduc
ed bills to amend chapter 69 of the
laws passed during the first legisla
ture.
The appointment of the committee
on rules is the special order of the
house today.
CITY TO PROVIDE
PUBLIC DEFENDER
Accused Person* Unable To Hire At
torneys Will Have Case Defend
ed By the City.
PORTLAND, Ore., March 6.—The
Portland city council has passed an
ordinance creating the office of Pub
lic Defender, an official whose duty
will be to defend accused persons
who are unable to secure the ser
vices of attorneys to defend them be
fore the courts.
The system of having a defender as
well as a prosecutor has been tried
out in Los Angeles and a number of
other cities and has been found to
work to advantage in securing jus
tice to all concerned. It- has long
been a recognized fact that while the
law was represented by the ablest
counsel to prosecute for alleged vio
lations 'hat the accysed, if poor, was
handicapped in securing counsel and
was generally represented by a minor
legal light appointed by the court.
Japan and War Munitions.
"With no prospect of the termina
tion of the war in the near future,
experts are agreed in making a
gloomy forecast of business condi
tions during the year," writes the
Japan Mall of that country’s finan
ces; “the only redeeming feature is
believed to be the sale abroad of
arms and ammunitions manufactured
in this country. The amount sold
since the outbreak of^he war is be
lieved to have already reached forty
million yen, and the orders now in
hand are expected soon to realize the
same amount."
GERMAN SUBMARINE DESTROYS VES8EL LOADED WITH AMMUNI
TION FOR KITCHENER’S NEW ARMY —REPORTS CONCERNING
ENGAGEMENTS ON WESTERN BATTLE LINE CONFLICTING
TREMENDOUS RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE UNDER WAY FROM BALTIC
TO BORDER OF RUMANIA—AUSTRIAN ARMY IN BUKOWINA BAT
TLING TO PREVENT RUSSIAN CAPTURE OF STRATEGIC POSI
TION IN CARPATHIANS.
and Bukowina to the borders of Ru
mania. Petrograd reports gains
along the entire line except at Stryi
pass, in the Carpathians, where the
Russian advance has been checked
by the Austrian-German wing and in
North Poland, where the Germans are
heavily entrenched.
Heavy Fighting Along Vistula.
The Russian forces advancing north
west from Plock along the Vistula
iriver are reported to have captured
the German first four lines of
trenches and inflicted heavy losses.
British military experts dipress sat
isfaction over the outcome of the
campaign in the east during the past
week.
Russian Advance Checked.
PETROGRAD, March 6—The Rus
sian army advancing on East Prus
NO RELIEF FOR
MEXICO CITY
Gen. Obregon Refuses To Permit of
Foreigners Aiding Starving
Populace of City.
WASHINGTON. March 6.—The sit
uation in Mexico City is regarded as
extremely critical owing to General
Obregon, representing Provisional
President Carranza, having refused to
accept a fund raised by foreign resi
dents to provide for the starving na
tives of the city.
Gen. Obregon has declared that he
will accept no assistance from for
eigners nor will he acecpt any sug
gestions from them. The natives are
starving and are looting the stores
and residences of foreigners as well
as those of natives. The railroads
leading from the city have been tak
en over by Gen. Obregon and are em
ployed on official business only.
The foreigners in Mexico City sug
gested to Gen. Carranza in Vera Cruz
that he permit of an allied relief ex
pedition to Mexico City In order that
non-combatants might be saved from
starvation and pestilence as the city
water works have been put out of
commission and fever is threatened.
Carranza reefrred the foreign diplo
mats to Gen. Obregon, who, he de
clared, had his permission to burn
the city if he wished, as he was in
supreme command there.
AT EXPOSITION
SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.—The
attendance at the exposition passed
the million mark Friday afternoon.
Of this number more than four hun
dred thousand attended on February
•20th, the opening day.
Weather Report.
Valdez, March 5, 1915.
Barometric pressure .29,664
Temperature a 7t p. m. 28
Maximum temperature. 33
Minimum temperature . 18
Mean temperature . 25 1-2
Cloudy air, wind northeast 4 miles.
The Alaska Coal Oil company, of
Portland, Ore., which is drilling for
oil about eight miles from Katalla,
are down a depth of 700 feet and
are reported to have an excellent oil
showing.
sia from Grodno have been checked
by the Germans at Osowiec and Aug
ostowe, both of the cities having been
strongly fortified by the Germans. Mi
nor engagements have taken place but
no decisive attempt to take the Ger
man positions has been made.
Russians On Offensive.
A strong Russian army is advanc
ing steadily northward from Przas
nysz and Plock toward Thorn on the
Vistula river. The German positions
are well fortified and progress in the
advance is slow.
Germans Defeated At Skierniewice.
The Russians have regained the
country southeast of Skierniewice and
are in control of the railroad leading
to Lowice on the railroad supplying
the German troops occupying posi
tions between Posen and Warsaw.
RAILROAD DEWS
ILL GUESSWORK
Associated and American Press Send
Contradictory Reports Out
From Washington.
SEATTLE, March 6.—Press dis
patches from Washington concerning
the status of the Alaska railroad are
very conflicting. The Associated
Press reiterates the statement that
•the report of the engineering commis
sion was delivered to President Wil
son more than a week ago and that
he will decide the route at an early
date.
The American Press Association on
Thursday, March 4, reported that the
report of the engineering commission
had been made to Secretary Lane af
ter his return from San Francisco
and that he would consider the re
port for a few days before taking it
up with President Wilson.
The advocates of the different
routes still have cause for hope that
•their choice will not be overlooked.
There is no discounting the fact that
the impression prevails In New York
that Seward will be the choice of
President Wilson and that the rail
road will go from Resurrection Bay
unless Secretary Lane and the en
gineers report show decided advan
tages by other routes.
RAISING FUND TO
DEFEND SCHMIDT
SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.—The
San Francisco Building and Trades
Council has undertaken to provide
funds to defend Caplan Schmidt, who
was arrested in New York charged
with being implicated in the dynamit
ing of the Los Angeles Times when
nearly a score of persons lost their
lives.
Schmidt was formerly a labor or
ganizer here and was instrumental in
waging a fight against the street rail
way companies which resulted In
some of the roads being taken over
by the municipal government. He is
charged with having transported ex
plosives without a permit.
H. R. Lincoln, who established
one of the first drug stores in Fair
banks and was later connected with
a drug store in Valdez, was killed in
an automobile accident in San Fran
cisco recently. * ' •J
Battling for Skizget Pass.
PETROGRAD, March 6.—Heavy
fighting is reported from East Galicia
where the Russians are attempting to
capture the railroad at Skizget pass.
Should the pass be captured the Aus
trian army operating in Bukowina will
be cut off from its base of supplies
I in Austria and at the mercy of the
Russians.
Russian Attacks Slackening
BERLIN, March 6.—Advices from
Vienna state that desperate fighting
has occurred in East Galicia but that
the attacks of the Russians are slack
ening and that the Austrians are pre
paring to assume the offensive. The
Austrian army in Bukowina has been
reinforced and have checked the ad
vance of the Russians at Skizget pass,
the capture of which would isolate
the Bukowina army from the main
Austrian line of communication.
Austrians Evacuate Czernowitz.
PETROGRAD. March 6.—The Aus
trian army which met defeat in East
ern Galicia through the brilliant strat
egy of the Russian general, has evac
uated the city of Czernowitz and are
retreating toward the Carpathian
pass leading into Hungary. The Rus
sians are pursuing the retreating Aus
trians and are capturing large num
bers of the troops.
HEAVY EXPORTS
OF THIS COTTON
GALVESTON, March 6—The cotton
exports from this port during the
month of February amounted to twen
ty-four million pounds. The exports
include the shipments made on a
number of vessels destined for Brem
en, all of which have been seized by
British cruisers.
It is estimated by shippers that
fully fifty per cent, of the vessels car
rying the cotton are now approaching
the military zone and news of their
arrivals are being awaited with inter
est.
MRUS PI
RUINOUS INTEREST
Low Freight Ratee In Weat Impaired
Credit of Roada Declarea
the Managera.
CHICAGO, March 6.—Representa
tives of the western railroads appear
ing before the Interstate Commerce
Commission hearings in regard to the
railroads west of the Mississipi being
permitted to increase their freight
rates, brought out a new phase of
the question yesterday.
The managers of several roads de
clared that the present low rates had
served to injure the credit of the
railroads and had compelled them to
pay ruinous rates of interest. The
earnings of the roads were not suffi
cient to permit of the bondholders re
ceiving a fair return on their invest
ments and maintain the equipment up
to standard.
Annual reports of the Pressed
Steel Car company since 1907 were
submitted showing that the western
roads had ordered less than fifty per
cent, of the number of new freight
cars which were required in the sev
en years preceding that time.
Dr. Dalton received a telegram
from -Copper Center last night stat
ing that Archie Brown, stableman for
the N. C. Co. stage line, was seriously
ill. The symptoms that were describ
ed Indicated acute apendicitis, and a
telegram was sent outlining the treat
ment.
Sneak thieves are reported to be
busy In Cordova despite the fact that
the police recently made a cleanup in
the town of suspicious characters.
BANK ROBBERS
RUN TO EARTH
Two Men Arrested In Chicago for
Robbery Committed On Coast
In the Fall of 1911.
CHICAGO, March 6.—Two men, be
lieved to be part of the gang of ban
dits who robbed the New Westmin
ster bank, in British Columbia, were
arrested here today. The bank was
robbed in September, 1911, and $317,
000 was secured by the robbers. A
large portion of the bank’s cash was
recovered under a sidewalk near the
bank where it had been secreted by
the thieves.
Canadian detectives have been trail
ing the two men for months and dur
ing that time have crossed the con
tinent several times but it was not
until they arrived In Chicago that evi
dence directly connecting them with
the bank robbery could be secured.
The men were apprehended by Chi
cago police officials and the Canadian
authorities have already asked for re
quisitions to take the suspects to
British Columbia for trial. One mem
ber of the gang, who was also cap
tured in Chicago nearly two years
ago, was convicted and is now serv
ing a sentence for the crime.
PRINCETON TO HAVE
Regarded As Part of a Plan To Train
Officers and Men for Future
Emergency.
PRINCETON, March 6.—The presi
dent of Princeton College believes
that students of all colleges should
receive military training which would
•enable them to be useful to army of
ficers should occasion arise when the
United States would require a large
army to be mobilized on short no
tice, and a course of military instruc
tion under retired army officers will
be started at Princeton on April 1.
The president declares that aside
from the fact that the United States
would be woefully short of officers
should a big army be required that
the military training and exercises
will be highly beneficial for the stu
dents. It is believed that nearly all
colleges will adopt the same course
as Princeton and it is hoped the gov
ernment will avail itself of the plan
of keeping competent retired officers
as instructors at government expense.
Ragtime Not Immortal!
Modern ragtime was soundly scored
and old familiar songs were lauded
in a talk given by Mrs. Rose Morgan,
of Columbia University, to the peo
ple attending Farmers’ Week at the
Ohio State University.
“Today there is a popular song call
ed ‘Tipperary,’” said Mrs. Morgan
“But it is not nearly so popular as it*
was two months ago. It hasn’t the
material to last, and it will go witt
the rest.” Mrs. Morgan comparer
this song with the standard Irisl
song, “Killarney,” and “The Girl
Left Behind Me,” saying that thi;
last song was two centuries old, ani
“Tipperary” only two months old.
“We made a test in a university
in New York, and, out of ninety-fou
teachers, there were only six wh.
knew ‘America,’ our national song,
continued Mrs. Morgan, in telling €
the ignorance of Americans of the;
national anthem.
Mrs. Morgan named five Americaj
songs which are best known abroa.
They are "Old Kentucky Home,” "Oj
Black Joe,” "Nellie Was a Lady
“Old Dog Tray,” and “Suwanee RJ-,V
er.” „
Mrs. Morgan advocated the cul • ;* -'
vation or the habit of singing the b<
old songs. “They are built on tj
truth and will never die,’’ she said
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