VOliUMK XIII.
- GREECE FEARS THE
FATE OF SERBIA
fr Creek Premier Declares that Dally*
Ing Tactic Adopted In Balkans
by Allies was Fatal.
LONDON, Dec. 24.—The London
Chronicle prints an interview which
Its Athens correspondent secured
from Premier Skoulodis, of Greece,
* in which the Greek statesman de
plores the dallying tactics adopted by
the Allies in dealing with the situa
tion in the Balkans.
The premier believes that the Al
lies made a fatal mistake when they
permitted Serbia to be devastated
and conquered and says it has cost
them the support of Greece. He de
clares that the Greek government will
aot use armed force to prevent the
Bulgarian trobps from invading Mac
^ edonia to at^ok the Allies, who are
bow fort&rtfS ^aloniki.
The Alies haci promised King Pe
ter of Serbia that sufficient troops
would be sent to Serbia to crush the
Bulgarian forces and had prevented
Serbia from attacking Bulgaria be
fore that country had been able to
mobilize its troops. He declares that
Greece at that time was not only will
ing to join with Serbia but was anx
ious to declare war on her ancient
enemy.
The delay of the Allies in sending
troops to the assistance of Serbia has
convinced King Constantine that his
country would meet a like fate if it
is permitted to be drawn into the war.
He will use his efforts to keep Greece
neutral but fears invasion by the
Teutons and Bulgars if concessions
are granted to the Allies, and the de
struction of her coast cities by the
Allies warships if she is forced into
' the war on the side of the central
European powers.
During the past Premier Skoulodis
has been friendly to the Allies and is
credited with having been responsible
in securing the concessions for them
at Saloniki and in convincing King
Constantine that it would be fatal to
Greek independence if the Teutons
dominate the Balkans.
.RUE DESTROYS
j;
7*
Operator Saved Instruments and (s
Doing Business from Tempo
rary Quarters in Cache.
The military telegraph station at
Hogan’s, on the Valdez-Fairhanks
road, was destroyed by fire last night,
and Private Fay Boardman, the oper
ator, and John J. Morgan, a member
of the 14th infantry, had a narrow
escape from being burned to death.
The report as wired to Mout.
Dougherty this morning stated that
the men were awakened at 2 o’clock
^ to find the roof of the building in
flames and despite the fact that the
station was supplied with chemical
extinguishers, it was completely de
stroyed.
Hogan station is one of the oldest
on the line, having been built more
than ten years ago. It is about six
hundred yards distant from the sum
mer road and fpur hundred yards
!ty>m the winter trail.
Ji The operator wired the office here
that they had Baved some of the in
struments and had fixed up tempo
rary quarters in a cache which was
from the flames. The men lost, all
their personal belongings but state
that sufficient provisions were kept
in the caphe to last until supplies
reach tiifm from other stations.
Admiral Evans Due Sunday.
The steamer Admiral Evans of the
Alaska Navigation Company’s
sons, reached Juneau this morning
y«d according to reports received hy
the local Signal Corps office was dls
charging freight there up to a late
hour this afternoon. The steamer
Is expected to reach Valdez sometime
Sunday, as she is due to call at Yak
utat and Katalla on the northbound
trip.
HUMANITY LEAGUE WANTS
THE EMPEROR DEPOSED.
London Dec, 24.—An organization
known as the Humanity League, the
membership of which is composed of
Germans residing outside of the Ger
man empire, have issued a manifesto
denouncing Prussian barbarity and
charging that the insatiable lust of
the German emperor for increased
power caused the war. The league
will atempt to spread its propaganda
among the German soldiers with the
hope that the emperor will be de
posed.
Charged with Having Secured Mili
tary Information Useful to
Some Foreign NatRfc.
NEW YORK, Dec. 24.—Paul Koe
nig, detective in the employ of the
Hamburg-American Steamship com
pany, and Emil Leydendecker, a la
borer, who were arrested last week
on charges of having conspired to dy
namite the Welland canal, have been
indicted by the federal grand jury.
In addition to the charge of conspir
ing to destroy the canal they are
charged with plotting other depreda
tions in Canada in violation of Amer
ican neutrality.
Koenig has also been indicted on
another count. He is charged with
having conspired with Edmunt Jus
tice, a watchman in the employ of the
Hamburg-American company, to ob
tain military information concerning
the United States army.
Following the indictment of the de
fendants the federal prosecuting at
torney stated that sufficient evidence
had been submitted to the grand jury
to warrant the belief that Koenig had j
been acting as a spy for a foreign gov
ernment.
MAJOR DAVIDSON
COMING 10 VALDEZ
New Disbursing Officer for Alaska
Road Commission Expected on
One of the First Boats.
Lieut. L. A. Kunzig, disbursing of
ficer for the Alaska Road commis
sion during the past three years, is
preparing to leave for the States on
one of the first steamers with his
family.
Major Peter W. Davidson, who was
designated by the Secretary of the
War department to succeed to the
position, is reported to have arrived
in Juneau on one of the last steam
ers and is expected in Valdez on one
of the first boats from the south.
Major Davidson is not a stranger
in Alaska as he has spent two years
in the territory, one of which was as
regimental adjutant of the 22nd In
fantry at Fort William H. Seward.
Lieut. Kunzig’s term as a member
of the Road commission expires at
the close of the present year. He
plans to spend his vacation in the
eastern states before rejoining his
regiment which is now stationed at
Vancouver, Washington.
FAIRBANKS LOOKS FOR
HEAVY WINTER TRAVEL.
FAIRBANKS, Dec. 24.—Many
Fairbanks people are making reser
vations on the stages leaving here for
Chitina soon after the beginning' of
the new year and indications point
to a heavy winter travel. Oldtimers
who have been outside for years are
reported as having expressed them
selyes as coming north before spring
to investigate the possibilities of the
Tolovana and other news camps.
Private stages are arranging their
dates so as to connect with steam
ers sailing from Valdez and Cordova
about the middle of January.
H. M. Conrad, who has been em
ployed with the Qranby mine, will
spend Christmas in town.
FORD IS A NERVOUS WRECK
COMING HOME TO AMERICA
, -
WAS TAKEN ACROSS NORWAY AND SWEDEN IN ORDER TO SE
CURE PASSAGE ON FIRST LINER LEAVING FOR NEW YORK
18 REPORTED TO HAVE WORRIED OVER FAILURE OF HIS
PEACE PLANS—MEMBERS OF EXPEDITION ARE IGNORANT OF
HIS PLANS TO BRING PEACE TO EUROPE AND WILL RETURN
TO AMERICA.
BERGEN, Norway, Dec,24.—Hen
ry Ford, the American manufacturer,
who arrived at Christiana last week
with his expedition of peace makers
sailed for home today on the Norwe
gian liner Bergensford, under the
care of a physician. He is reported to
be suffering from a nervous collapse
as a result of the failure of his plan
to bring peace to Europe.
The Ford peace ship, Oscar 11, is
still at Stockholm with the othai
members of the expedition, the lead
er having crossed Norway and Swed
en by rail to this city in order to
sail on the first liner for America.
His physicians have advised complete
rest.
The members of the expedition
were not taken into the complete con
fidence of Ford as to his plans, if he
really had formulated any, to call
the soldiers from the trenches, and
it is belived that all will return to
New York at an early date.
Before sailing for home Ford told
reporters here that many of the wom
en who were delegates from the Am
erican Woman’s Peace association,
would remain in Europe after the
ship Oscar with the other members
of the party had returned to America.
LA GRIPPE CAUSES
HUNDREDS 10 DIE
Hospitals of Philadelphia Crowded
and Many Hying from Lack of
Care—Epidemic General.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 4.—The
city health authorities report that
ten thousand people in Philadelphia
are victims of the la grippe epidemic
which is sweeping over the eastern
states. Hospitals are crowded and
physicians report that many are dy
ing from lack of proper care.
More than five hundred deaths, a
large percentage of which were due
to la grippe, were reported by the po
lice and physicians during the past
week. The ravages of the disease
have seriously affected the holiday
trade as many business houses have
been crippled by their employes be
ing unable to attend to their duties.
Reports from all parts of the state
indicate that la grippe is epidemic
among the children and that hun
dreds of deaths are being reported
dally.
---- -
TEUTONS WILL
INI® GREECE
German Emperor Has Given King
Constantine Assurances that
Independence Respected.
LONDON, Dec. 24.—It is reported
that the Teutons will invade Mace
donia to drive the Allies from Salon
ika The dispatches state that the
campaign will be inaugurated after
Christmas and it is expected that Sa
loniki will be In possession of the
Teutons before January 15.
King Constantine, it is said, has
received assures from Emperor Wil
liam of Germany that the Teutonic
forces will be withdrawn from Greek
soil after expelling the Allies troops
from that country and that Germany
will insist upon the central powers of
Europe respecting the independence
of Greece.
CATHOUIC CHURCH TO
HAVE CHRISTMAS TREE
Father J. T. Corbett will celebrate
Christmas mass In the Catholic
church here tonight and will leave on
the next steamer from the westward
for Cordova, having promised the
members of his church there that he
would be with them on New Year’s.
He is planning a Christmas tree for
the Sunday school scholars when he
returns from Cordova.
COLDEST WEATHER
IN MANY YEARS
Reported that Hundreds' of Russian
and German Troops Have Per
ished from the Cold.
CHRISTIANA, Norway, Dec. 24.—
The northern portions of Europe are
experiencing the eoldest weather on
record for more than 160 years.
Weather reports from government
agents in some parts of Norway show
that 60 degrees below zero has been
experienced m a number of places.
Advices from North Poland are to
the effect that hundreds of the Rus
sian and German troops have been
frozen to death in the trenches and
that long lines of both armies have
been withdrawn to the cities and
towns where shelter is afforded.
The unusually severe weather has
caused many bays on the coast of
Norway to be closed with ice which
have never been known to freeze in
the memory of the oldest inhabitant.
THOUGHT MURDER
MOVIE PICTURE
Los Angeles Officer Witnessed Real
Estate Agent Kill Prominent
I^and Owner in Quarrel.
_ i
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 24.—Follow
ing a quarrel which led to blows over
a real estate transaction at TropiciJ
yesterday, Thomas Miser, a real es
tate agent, shot and killed Bert Rich
ardson, a prominent land owner.
The shooting was witnessed by a
deputy marshal who though he was
witnessing the making of a movie
picture film which would afford a
thrill when the picture was flashed on
the curtains. The officer did not know
that murder had been committed un
til Miser gave up his gun and sur
rendered himself to the law.
federal prisoners will
NOT BE OVERLOOKED
The prisoners in the federal jail
will not be overlooked Christmas as
United States Marshal V. R. Brenne
man will see that they are served
with a dinner such as some of them
have not enjoyed for years. The
menu will Include everything from
turkey with cranberry sauce to nuts.
Christ Scheffer, the cook at the Jail,
has been occupying his spare time for
several days In preparing the big
feed.
DANCE AT THE POST
NEXT MONDAY NIGHT
The Fort Liscum Social club will
give another of its pleasant dances on
Monday evening next, December 27.
All who have received invitations to
former events will be welcomed Mon
day evening. The Post boys were
considerate enough to change their
date when they found that it convict
ed with the entertainment to be given
by the students of the Valdez High
school, which fact will be remember
ed and appreciated by the young peo
ple of Valdez.
JAPANESE LINER
SUBMARINE VICTIM
Was Torpedoed in Eastern Mediter
ranean Hea and Two Hundred
and Eighty Meet Death.
LONDON, Dec. 24.—The new Jap
anese liner, Yasaka Marue, was de
stroyed by a submarine in the Med
iterranean sea, near the entrance of
the Suez canal. The dispatches state
that the ship was torpedoed without
warning and that the passengers and
crew were given no time in which to
leave the vessel and seek places of
safety.
The distress signal of the stricken
Japanese liner was answered by a
French torpedo boat which reached
the scene soon after the vessel had
had gone down, carrying with her two
hundred and eighty of the passen
gers and crew. Ond American pas
senger is among the missing. The tor
pedo boat rescued many of the Japa
nese sailors who were clinging to the
wreckage, which had been thrown
overboard while the ship was sinking.
After discharging the torpedo the
submarine remained on the surface
until the liner showed by her list
that she was doomed when the under
sea craft again disappeared.
MIME CEDIS
PRICE OF COPPER
British Government Contracts for
More than Million Pounds to be
Delivered Next Year.
NEW YORK, Dec. 24.—The predic
tions that the price of copper would
advance to 21 cents per pound before
the close of the present year was ful
filled today when buyers representing
the British government contracted
for one million, two hundred thou
sand pounds of copper at 21 cents
per pound. The contracts call for de
liveries next year. The British or
der was divided among the Anacon
da, America Smelting and the
Tennessee Copper companies.
Producers of copper say there is no
considerable supply of copper stored
anywhere in America and that the
present raise in the price of the me
tal is the natural sequence of an un
certain market. The British govern
ment is gambling on copper quota
tions as were the German purchasers
who contracted for millions of pounds
of copper at 20 cents per pound to be
delivered after the close of the war.
Copper quotations are uncertain
but producers believe that even the
sudden cessation of the European war
will not cause the price of copper to
drop below present quotations as it
will require at least two years at the
present rate of production before the
market is overstocked.
ADMIRAL LINE LEASES
GRAND TRUNK DOCK
SEATTLE, Dec. 24.—Manager
Ringwood, of the Pacific Alaska Nav
igation company, has announced that
his company has leased the new
Grand Trunk Pacific dock here for
the Admiral line. The company’s
headquarters were located in the
Grand Trunk dock building which
was destroyed by fire last summer,
causing the navigation company a
loss of thousands of dollars.
DUTCH HARBOR
SUPPLY BASE
Westward Point Is Said to Be Advan
tageously Ijocated for Supply
Base for Government Work.
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Dec. 24.—
The annual report of the Geodetic
Survey to the department of com
merce reveals the fact that the Gov
ernment wants Dutch Harbor, Alas
ka, as a supply base, and it is believ
ed the establishment of a supply sta
tion there is contemplated as part of
the administration's naval program.
Dutch Harbor Is located on the
eastern side of Amaknak Island, one
of the Fox group, to the westward of
Unalaska passage, and is reported as
being advantageously situated as a
supply base for the Geodetic and Sur
vey vessels and revenue cutters. The
development of the Matanuska coal
fields and the construction of the
government railroad to tidewater
guarantees an unlimited supply of
fuel for the station for naval pur
poses.
The report also urges a continua
tion of the survey work on the Alas
ka coast as a means of providing
greater safety for the growing com
merce of the north. It is stated that
only two vessels will be available for
service during the coming year ow
ing to two of the Geodetic Survey ves
sels having been condemned and or
dered sold.
The new survey boat, the Unalas
ka, which Is now under construction
at Milwaukee is not expected to reach
Alaskan waters before the season of
1917.
FORMER DAWSON MAN
DIES IN SAN FRANCISOO
SEATTLE, Dec. 24.—Frank Clay
ton, a pioneer of the north, and who
was for many years secretary of the
Dawson Board of Trade, died in San
Francisco yesterday from pneumonia.
He was one of the best known north
erners and has made his home in San
Francisco since leaving the Yukon
several years ago.
Forest Reserve Extending from the
Crooked Bridge to Point Beyond
Camp Comfort Created.
The Alaska Road Commission has
received a copy of the presidential or
der withdrawing a tract of land one
mile wide on each side of the Valdes
Fairbanks military trail, and extend
ing from Mile Post No. 3 out from
Valdez to Mile Post No. 12. The ex
ecutive order creates the tract as a
timber reserve for the use of the Alas
ka Road Commisison, and as it is now
in full force and effect the people of
Valdez are warned that those cutting
timber within the boundaries of the
tract are liable to prosecution.
Mile Post No. 3 is located this
side of the Crooked Bridge and wood
cutters will be required to make cer
tain that the places selected for their
activities are at least one mile back
from the road.
The timber land was withdrawn in
order to ensure a supply for timber
for the Road Commission in future
years and to prevent the cutting of
timber near the road as it affords a
protection to the highway from the
streams.
The Camp Comfort homestead la
included in the tract withdrawn bat
the order will not apply as applica
tion for patent has been filed with
the Juneau land office.
Road Work Done at Dawson.
It has been reported from the Can
adian Yukon that much road-repair
ing has been done in Dawson by the
Dominion government. Some roads,
it has been stated, have been widen
ed to 84 feet, others to 30 feet, and
made with a good crown in the cen
ter.