Territorial Council For The Defense Has Been Appointed
By Governor J. F. A. Strong; Read Sunday’s Paper
| ^EAT^ J . | j MA’^NUSKA
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1.. THE ALASKA EVENINGJPOST_
SEWARD, ALASKA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1917 TEN CENTS PER COPY
Volume XL Number 1^8. ■ ■ ■ 1 .. " 1 —
GERMANS LAUNCH
MASSED ATTACKS
OVER WIDE FRONT
LONDON, Dec. 13.—The British forces have met
and repulsed the first German massed attacks on the "es
tern front, the first general movement in several da\s.
The Germans attacked over the military front east of
Boullecourt. and then started a heavy bombardment with
artillery along the line between Boullecourt andpres,
the longest line of attack during the present war. At
tacks were also made in the • hampagne region and east
of Rheims.
The official report says that every attack was repuls
ed satisfactorily. Field Marshal Haig and all his com
manders have been waiting for the massed attacks and no
part of the British line was permitted to be found short ol
men or munitions. Huge guns were dispatched to all j
fronts to meet the expected assault of the Teuton forces.
PARIS REPORTS GENERAL ARTILLERYING
PARIS, Dec. 13.—The official statement of the war
department issued this afternoon says that general artil
lerying by the Germans were begun on all western front,
lines early this morning and are still continued. No break
in the lines have developed. The French and British
forces are today maintaining a strong defensive.
AMERICAN ENGINEERS ARE THANKED
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, Dec.
13.—Field Marshal Douglas Haig sent Major General!
John J. Pershing a letter of thanks for the assistance be
ing given by the American engineers. Special thanks j
are made for the valuable services rendered the English
around .VIouzeacoirt on November 30th. Held Marshal
Haig saul that the “Americans conducted themselves gal
lantlv.”
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RUMOR THAT HAIG WILL SOON RESIGN j
LONDON, Dec. 13—Rumors of the pending resigna
tion of Field Marshal Haig and General Sir William Rob- j
ertson, Chief of Staff, are rife in London. The changes
are said to be due to the formation of the new allied war
council. Fears are expressed in the local press that the;
new council will be a triumph of the politician over the
military strategist.
VIVA AMERICA
AND PRESIDENT
ITALIANS YELL
ROME, Dec. 13. — A great demon
stration occurred in Parliament this
forenoon when Premier Orlando men
tioned America’s declaration of war
with Austria. Every member in the
House arose and applauded, the gal
leries joining in, all shouting “Viva!
America and President Wilson and
the Great American people.”
Premier Orlando was making a re
port to the Parliament members re
garding the allied conference which
was held in France during the past
week. The Premier spoke encourag
ingly of the war outlook and then
said:
“America has now joined in war
upon Austria and the German gov
ernment is further involved. With
the United States further pressed in
to the war, Italy, as well as the Ger
man people themselves, know that
only defeat stares the Teutons in their
faces.”
GEN. KORNILOFF j
WOUNDED-GAINS;
OF BOLSHEVIKI
LONDON, Dec. 13. — Various and
conflicting reports were received here
today regarding the Russian situation.
One report has it that General Korni
lofT has been wounded and his forces
WAR DEPARTMENT
INVESTIGATION IS
jBEING CONDUCTED
defeated by the Bolsheviki.
It is also reported that the Cos
sacks revolution is expected to fail
and the Cossacks will join the Bol
sheviki. The Bolsheviki is expected
to capture all military post of Gen.
Korniloff.
One IVtrograd correspondent of the
London Times says that the BolsLe
viki is gaining ground in Russia be
cause using the strong UUnd.
One dispatch this afternoon, from
Bolsheviki sources, stated that the
Siberians have declared in favor of a
Monarchy.
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TEUTON LOSSES
STOP ATTACK ON
ITOLIAN FRONT
Oilicial W ar Statement Issued By
Italian Government Report a
Bitter Defeat Upon Germans
and Austros at Bretna
IS QUIET' ON OTHER FRONTS
ROME, Dec. 13. — The Teuton
forces renewed their attacks east of
Bretna yesterday noon, says the offi
cial report issued today by the War
Department. Because of the great
losses inflicted by the Italian artil
lery and the infantry, the Germans
and Austrians abandoned efforts to
break the line about midnight.
The official statement says there
arc no other reports of progress in
the Italian war available.
STEAMER filVEN
BOMBARDMENT
8 MEN KILLED
German Submarine Shells a Spanish
Steamer Off the Coast of Spain
Without Any Warning—Protest
Is Made to the Germans
AFFAIR CALLED UNWARRANTED
MADRID, Dec. 13. — The Spanish
steamer Claudeo was bombarded yes
terday off the Spanish Coast by a
German submarine and eight mem
bers of the crew were killed. The
steamer was badly damaged and
limped into a coast port this fore
noon, reporting the trouble. The
Captain said that the German sub
marine opened fire upon him without
any warning and suddenly slopped
when the Spanish flag was run up
to the masthead. Flags are painted
on both sides of the stearner and
there was no excuse for the shelling.
The Spanish government is pre
paring an energetic protest to the
German government regarding ihe
unwarranted affair.
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SEATTLE, Dec. 13. — Steamer Ad
miral Evans has postponed her sail
ing and will sail tomorrow for Alas
ka points, including Kodiak.
Equipping of Armed Forces of the
United States Is Being Probed
By Military Commission
Appointed By Senate
BLAME IN DELAYS ARE GIVEN
Major General Crozier Says Congress
Responsible for Shortcomings of
War Department—Senators do
Much Cross Examining
■■
WASHINGTON, Do. 13. — The
Senate Military commission began an.
investigation of the War Depart-1
ment’s work in equipping the fighting j
forces late yesterday afternoon. The i
first move in the congressional in- i
quiry was into tlio general conduct
of the war. Major General crozier,
Chief of the Ordnance, said that one
of the early obstacles was owing to
tiie military policy defined in the na-i
tional defense act of nineteen sexteen.
He said that the contemplated force
of a million men to be raised in five
years was the original program but
the uncontemplated participation into
the war compressed the five year pro
gram into one year.
Beginning the investigation this
| forenoon, the Senate committee asked
j General Crozier to give specific ex- j
i planation of delays in supplying arms
and equipment to the soldiers.
Senator Chamberlain said yester
day that Crozier had blamed the labor
situation and also Congress for the
■ delays.
Senator Hitchcock asked: “Why do
Americans have to use the French ar
i tillery, although we have been in the j
war for nine months? Why are our,
soldiers without clothing and equip
ment when asked?”
Gen. Crozier reiterated that ob- (
j stinate senators and congressmen,!
j who delayed war matters were res
ponsible.
“You must remember,” said Gen.
Crozier, “that we have been in the
war nine months, but we were not
prepared even at that time to enter
it. You gentlemen know who of you
1 delayed war measures. The Presi
j dent asked time and time again for
| preparedness measures and you turn
I ed them down. Now you ask why
1 we have not accomplished in nine
months, what it has taken other na
I tions nine years to prepare for. In
the short time alloted no other na
tion on the face of the earth could
have accomplished what we have. Our
factories have been working overtime
and everybody, nearly, has put his
shoulder to the wheel, to help. Don’t
blame the war machinery, blame your
selves, but at that we are in a splen
did way now and if you would stop
listening to jingoism ann pro-uemiun
talk, gentlemen, you would know
where we are at. Don’t argue now
but help in every way possible and
stop your disputes.”
This afternoon Gen. Crozier at
tempted to lay some blame upon Sec
retary of War Baker, but did not
make much of an impresison. He said
that if machine guns had been order
ed earlier all troops in France would
now have them. Many troops have
also been delayed in being sent to
France because of the lack of modern
rifles.
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STRANGE VESSEL
BEING OPERATED
ON A NEW LANE
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13.—From various sources
information has been received here of a suspected Ger
man raider upon the Pacific Coast.
Steamer Paloona arrived here last night and the of
ficers said that thev believed the steamer Maverick is now
being operated as a German raider along the coast of
Alaska.
Captain Fred Jebsen, now a German submarine offi
cer, formerlv owned the Maverick. This is the steamer
which the United States officials claimed smuggled arms
from the United States into India to further the revolu
tion there which was started against British rule. Much
of this smuggling evidence was brought out here recently
during the case against certain German officials indicted
for inciting the revolution, several of whom nitued a plea
of guilty last week.
The officers of the steamer Paloona state that a
strange vessel shot off sky rockets three nights ago, then
approached the steamer and kept her searchlights playing
upon her for over half an hour. When the lights were
turned off the captain of the Paloona flashed his powerful
searchlight upon the vessel and he is positive in his state
ments made today to the United States authorities that
the stranger was the Maverick.
The liner Manow, which arrived in port this morning
reported to tlie Federal authorities similar experiences
with the strange vessel four days ago. The officers stat
ed that the vessel was the Maverick without a doubt and
this statement was made before the officers were aware
of the experiences of the paloona.
Two days ago a Japanese liner reached Seattle and
the officers reported that while off Dutch Harbor a
strange vessel kept circling around the liner on a radius
of three miles. The name of the steamer had been oblit
erated. This was also reported to the Federal authori
ties. A Russian steamer two weeks ago sent a wireless
report that a strange vessel was following it. The Rus
sian vessel was loaded with munitions outbound for Vlad
ivostok.
Capt. Jebsen, formerly of the Jebsen Steamship Co.,
operating lumber boats on the Pacific several years ago,
caused much excitement at the outbreak of the war by
suddenly leaving San Francisco, his headquarters. It
was stated at the time that he was a German agent and all
efforts of the United States to capture him failed. About
six months after his disappearance letters were intercep
ted at San Francisco which showed that he was then
aboard a German submarine operating off the coast of
England.
WILL ACQUIRE ARMY
FOR BRITAIN RAILROADS
LONDON, Dec. 13. — It will re- ^
quire approximately $150,000,000 to
reconstruct or strengthen 15,000 miles
of roads in Great Britain after the
war, in order to enable them to carry
the growing motor traffic, says an of
ficial estimate.
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NO FISH QUOTATIONS
KETCHIKAN, Dec. 13. — There
were no fish quotations made here to
, I
day.
SALVATION ARMY
WILL OPERATE ON
FRENCH SOIL SOON
NEW YORK, Dec. 13. — Fifty new
huts will be built by the Salvation
Army in American camps in France,
each to cost $6,000.
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ECCLES IS ILL
SEATTLE, Dec. 13. — President
S. W. Ec:les, of the Alaska Steam
ship company, is seriously ill in an
eastern city according to reports re
ceived here.