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--1 The Gateway
The Gateway to thc
to *he Kenai, Knik, Broad Pass
Great Coal Fields of Go|d Fje|ds
Matanuska I _ L_—-_
ptim icnirn nm V FYGFPT SUNDAY LARGEST ALASKAN CIRCULA I ION
MEMBER \SS(K I VTKD PRESS___PUBLISHED DAI1A EXCEPT SUNDAY __ ■■■—-------—---. . _~
Vol. No. :>l SEWARD, THE GATEWAY TO ALASKA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, ____l>n Cent> the C«py
SERVIANS ROUT AUSTRIANS WITH BIG LOSSES
JAPANESE NAVAL SQUADRON IS
SEARCHING FOR GERMANS
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WARSAW WILL FALL
LONDON, Dec. 11.—One dispatch received from
Petrograd this morning states that the Germans are
now only fifteen miles from the city of Warsaw and
another dispatch from the same source states that the
Russian government is warning the people that the aban
donment of Warsaw must not be taken as a decisive \ic
tory for the Germans but must be regarded as a strategic
move on the part of the Russians. I his news leads the
people here to the belief that Warsaw is about to fall and,
needless to say, the belief is a bitter one The capture of
the great city will give the Germans a splendid position in
which they can easily defend themselves during the winter
as the river V istula will afford their line a strong bar
rier against attack. Warsaw is fortified but the Germans
are said to be descending from East Prussia in the north
so that the city is threatened with being surrounded, a
fact which may compel the Russians to abandon it. W ar
tion of nearly seven hundred thousand. Petrograd de
saw was formerly the capital of Poland and nas * p ;
dares that the Russians are now holding in check the
German forces that are pushing down towards Warsaw
from East Prussia but as the Russian center is undoubted
ly retreating its hardly to be expected that they can hold
the Germans long on their flank. It has been learned that
after the capture of Lodz the Germans pushed to the
northeast along the railroad to Lowicz and towards the
former Polish capital. Their advance is carried out with
the same rapidity that marked their advance in Belgium
at the beginning of the war. Otherwise they could never
have reached Warsaw so quickly.
RUSSIANS CLAIM SOME SUCCESSES
LONDON, Dec. 11.—While the Russians no longer
deny that they have been compelled to retreat in Poland
they assert that the tide of battle is running in their favor
south of Cracow where the combined Austro-German
armies are trying to move northward evidently with the
intention to threaten the Russian left and take the whole
Russian army in a trap . It is unquestionably a situation
which may be regarded as a crisis xor the Russian armies.
Should the Austro-German forces succeed in that quarter
the Russians may be compelled to retire all along the line
and go on the defensive for the winter and so enable the
Germans to detach powerful forces for service in France
and Belgium while also enabling the Austrians to throw
greater strength against the Servians. The chief ad
vantage which the Germans now enjoy and which was
not in their favor in the first advance on Warsaw is that
the country is frozen and the roads have been hardened
to permit quick movements of military and other branches
of the sendee.
AUSTRIANS ROUTED
NISH, Servia, Dec. 11.—The Servians are now vigor
ously pursuing the retreating Austrian army which has
been overwhelmingly defeated in northwestern Servia.
Twenty two thousand Austrians were captured in the bat
tle and in the retreat immediately following as well as
great quantities of supplies and ammunition. The victory
is the most glorious one in the history of Servian arms and
the retreat has become practically a rout. The govern
ment officials here believe that the invaders will now be
driven completely out of Servian territory and that the
dangers threatening the freedom of this country have
been removed.
LONDON CONFIRMS
LONDON, Dec. 11.—The rout of the Austrians in
Servia and the steady advance of the Germans in Rus
sian Poland are the two chief features of the war news
received in this city this morning. It is apparent that the
Servians have won a magnificent triumph which may re
sult in clearing their country of the invader and in the
total collapse of the Austrian plans in that part of the
theater of war. The battle took place in the northwestern
part of Servia to which the Austrians had penetrated un
til the Servians received reinforeements from some source
which still remain a mystery and were able to check the
Austrian advance.
FROM GOTHAM TO GERMANY
NEW YORK, Dc. 11.—The American steamer El
Monte sailed today from this port for Bremen, Germany,,
with a cargo of cotton. She is the first ship to sail direct
from this country to a German port since the outbreak of
of the war. Cotton has not been declared countraband but
it is feared by some that theBritish warships will insist
on examining her for contraband and that some disagre
able occurrence may take place.
JAPANESE IN SEARCH
TOKIO, Dec. 11.—A squadron of Japanese warships
is now making a strenuous search for the German convert-.
ed cruiser Prince Eitel Frederich off the coast of Chile,
i It has been stated here that Japanese vessels took part in
the battle in which the Germans were defeated but no
statement of the nature is given officially. The Prince
Eitel Frederich and Dresden are the only German ships
i supposed to be in that part of the world and they will
soon be rounded up. The sinking of the Dresden was re
ported yesterday but the news has not been confirmed.
■ i
j NOTHING FROM THE WEST
PARIS, Dec. 11.—No information of an official nature
was given out this morning regarding the operations in
France and Belgium. The attention of the people is now
almost entirely given to the progress of the war in Rus
sian Poland. President Poincare and the members of the
cabinet are almost constantly in conference but are giving
out no statements.
It remains the general opinion that a general forward
movement of the allies will take place as soon as the
proper positions have been secured from which to make
the effort.
SAME OLD STORY IN FRANCE
PARIS, Dec. 11.—The official announcement made
this afternoon by the French authorities contains nothing
that could be called new. It states that the enemy was
active yesterday in the vicinity of Ypres where three Ger
1 man attacks were repulsed. One of the important French
line of trenches was reached by the enemy but no other
success on the part of the Germans is recorded. The
French troops continue to make progress in the direction
of the enemy's lines in several quarters. Artillery engage
ments occurred in the region of Arras and in the \ osges
and also in the vicinity of Varrenne and the heights of the
| Meuse. The French advanced their trenches in the
Argonne but the change in the relative situations of the
opposing forces is very little.
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GERMANY DESPAIRS OF DRESDEN
I BERLIN, Dec. 11.—The official story of the naval
battle in which the German vessels were lost was issued
today. It tells about the same story as had been received
from other sources but the German government has evi
dently not received any news direct from any of the Ger
commander. The report expresses the belief of the author
ities that there is no likelihood of the escape of the cruiser
Dresden which managed to get out of the battle without
being sunk. The official information about the operations
in Europe is most favorable to the German armies which
are reported to be successful to some extent in the west
| and brilliantly successful in the east.
KAISER IMPROVES
LONDON, Dc. 11.—News from Berlin today states
that the condition of the Emperor Wilhelm is improved
but that he is still confined to his room. Every item of
news about the kaiser is received with the greatest inter
est here as well as in all other parts of the world as he is
undoubtedly the most prominent personality on earth for
the time being. His name has about the same associations
in the British mind as that of Napoleon must have had at
the time of his threatened invasion of this country. The
recruits which are being trained in the British islands will
probably not be sent to the continent until spring except
in sufficient numbers to keep the British army at the
front at its full strength. In spring hundreds of thousands
of men will be ready for transportation and the greatest
army that ever left Britain’s shore will be poured into
France.
LONDON DENIES DEFEAT
LONDON, Dec. 11.—An official denial has been pub
lished of the report of a British reverse at the hands of
the Turks east of the Suez canal. This report had it that
a force of British Egyptian troops had engaged the ad
vance of the Turkish army about thirty miles from the
canal and had been forced to withdraw across the canal
itself into Egyptian territory leaving the east bank of the
canal in Turkish possession. Rumors have been afloat here
of attempts on the part of the Germans and Turks to stir
up disturbances in India andEgypt but no official state
ment to that effect has been given out.
RIGGS TALKS TO THE
UNIVERSITY auURDOUGHS.
Young Seward Man Writes Gateway
Quoting What the Commis
sioner Said.
Ralph M. Pederson a bright boy who
is now attending the University of
Washington, sends the following com
munication of the expressed opinion
of Commissioner Riggs;
“SEATTLE, Wash., Nov.—“There
j aro two great routes to the interior of
Alaska, the Copper and Suaitna
rivers,” said Lieut. Thomas D. Riggs,
jr., of the Alaska railroad commission,
to the Uniovrsity of Washington,
Sourdoughs recently.
“Some of these days both of these
routes will have to be built,” he con
inuetl. “At present the Copper river
route has the largest developed mines,
but the Susitna route has the same
possibilities in undeveloped mines.
“The proposed railroad I think will
pay expenses from the start. The
Matanuska coal which has just been
tested by the cruiser Maryland has
stood all the chemical requirements
for navy purposes. This would mean
300,000 tons yearly for the Pacific
Coast. Besides this, Fairbanks would
ship 40,000 tons annually.
SEVERAL COMING OVER
TRAIL FROM IDITAROD.
Two Came Yesterday And About
Twenty More Will Come About
Time Of Next Mail.
William Hyland and William Heit
man arrived last evening from the
Iditarod with the mail team. Mr.
Heitman is the dredge manager for
the Guggenheim dredge in the interior
camp. Elgin Vaughn who brought the
mail in says that seven or eight men
are coming just ahead of the next
mail and eight or ten travellers are
coming behind it. A recent arrival
from the interior is Amos Noig of
Fairbanks. The trails were bad dur
ing the last mail trip but the two men
who arrived last evening made the
journey in tw’enty days.
RIGGS SEEMED TO FAVOR
SEWARD FOR RAILROAD.
It is stated in a letter which arrived
from Seattle yesterday that Commis
sioner Thomas Riggs of the Alaska
Railroad commission intimated in
a speech in that city that Seward will
be the terminal. The letter is written
by Conrad Freeding, formerly terri
torial senator, Freeding says that
after listening to the speech of Riggs
“It looks like Seward.”
H. C. HALL LOSES TOES.
H. C. Hall is the name of the man
who was brought in last evening suf
fering from frozen feet. He left this
place for Portage Bay to meet a party
but on arrival at that place he found
the party had left for Port Wells. He
then returned but at Spencer glacier
he stepped into water hidden by the
snow. He was compelled to walk 16
miles to Kern creek with his feet
freezing and he is now in the care of
Dr. Romig who says he will lose most
of the great toe on the right foot and
parts of the smaller toes of the same
foot. He will also lose some of the
toes of the left foot.
A Gateway correspondent writes
that Sam Dumbolton, the champion
cross countiy runner of Alaska, is at
tending the University of Washington.
Mr. Dumbolton is from Fairbanks.
In a four and a quarter mile run re
cently he made second place for the j
Freshman team. He had practised
very little before the race.
Job printing of every description at
The Gateway.
INCREASE OF ARMY AND
NAVY STIEL AGITATING
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.—Secre
j tary Daniels of the navy stated today
! that he knows the Pacific coast is not
; as well protected as the Atlantic coast
but the department had not contract
ed for the building of dreadnaughts
on the Pacific coast because there are
no yards on the Pacific large enough
for the work. He further stated that
the general opinion now is that the
Atlantic fleet should not be divided for
the purpose of sending warships to
the Pacific as the division would
cause a dangerous weakening of the
power of the fleet should trouble arise
with a strong naval power.
His statement was made in con
nection with agitation which has
arisen over the question of the pre
paredness of the United States for
war.
Mr Daniels expressed the hope that
later there will be provided for the
Pacific coast full naval protection.
He was examined today before the
house committee on military affairs
but the statement given above was
made for the public from his office.
Before the committee he declared that
the United States should never again
acquire a foot of foreign territory and
the knowledge by other powers that
this country intended no aggression
would go very far towards insuring
peace. He expressed the opinion that
every navy yard in the country on
both coasts should be prepared to be
able to build warships so that in case
the ships were required there would
be no hitch in the work of construc
tion. He advocated the construction
of submarines but he emphasized the
value of dreadnaughts in spite of the
statements made by naval authorities
that' the day of the big ships had
passed.
AMMONS STILL DOUBTFUL
OF COLORADO PEACE.
Requests President Wilson to Keep
Federal Troops Still in the State.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.—Gover
nor Amnions of Colorado has request
ed President Wilson to hold the fed
eral troops for a time yet in the coal
mine districts of the state as he fears
that all danger has not yet disappear
ed although the strike is apparently
ended. The president is very desirous
of withdrawing the troops but he will
communicate further with Ammons.
PROSPECTOR GETS SAME
STORY AS ALASKAN.
In a copy of the Valdez Prospector
just to hand it is seen that the paper
got a telegram from Washington simi
lar to the telegram received by the
Cordova Alaska which stated that the
secretary of the interior would ask for
$500,000 to buy the Alaska Northern
railroad and to build to the Mata
nuska. The Prospector states its
doubt about the story as the report
of the commission is not ready, just
as this paper expressed its doubt. The
Prospector and the Alaskan probably
have the same correspondent.
EVANS AT CORDOVA.
The Admiral Evans was due to
reach Cordova this afternoon at 2
o’clock according to advices received
by the agent, Wayne Blue.
The Mining World pays the Gate
way the compliment of taking all its
Alaska mining news from this paper
for its issues of November 21 and 28.
There was one other place mentioned,
but Seward got the bulk of the notice.
. GARDNER ATTACKS PRESIDENT
FOR OPPOSING WAR PLANS.
Is Determined to Force the Country
to Increase Army And Navy
If Possible.
Representative Gardner today as
sailed the president and members of
.he cabinet for opposing his plans for
an investigation of the condition of
ihe United States with respect to its
preparedness for defense. He spoke in
.he bitterest terms and went so far as
to declare that the president and his
advisors were acting in a manner
which in the light of present events
in Europe was most dangerous. The
question still continues to occupy an
immense amount of attention through
out the country.
SAYS PHILIPPINE BILL
SHOULD COME UP NOW.
Chairman Hitchcock Says the Matter
Should Be Disposed of This Session.
WASHINGTON Dec. 11.—Chair
man Hitchcock of the senate Philip
pine committo told the committee
today that the Philippine indepen
dence bill should be brought up and
disposed of at the present session of
congress. The opinion here is that
the matter will be brought up and that
the islands will receive their autonomy
as such autonomy would be calculat
ed to save the islands from aggression
should this country ever be embroil
ed with a Pacific power. It is admit
ted that if the Filipinos do receive
self government this country will still
be morally bound to defend them from
interference on the part of some
other power but when the Philippines
are once independent, it is assumed,
no other power can very well find an
excuse for attacking them.
SERENO PAYNE DIED
SUDDENLY LAST NIGHT.
Former Republican House Leader and
Author of Tariff Bill Is No More.
WASHINGTON Dec. 11.—Con
gressman Sereno Payne, formerly re
publican house leader and author of
the tariff bill, died here suddenly last
night. The news of his death came as
shock to his colleagues and to the
public generally as no one had pre
viously heard that he was ailing. Mr.
Payne was born at Hamilton, N. Y.,
June 26 1843. After occupying several
political positions he was elected to
the Forty eight congress and to every
congress since that time.
COMMERCIAL CLUB COMPLIES
WITH MR. EDES’ REQUEST.
Held Very Fine Meeting Last Night
At Which Plans Were Adopted.
The commercial club held a special
meeting last night to take action on
the request of Commissioner Edes for
a full report of the resources of Kenai
Peninsula. The meeting was attended
by many of the most prominent people
of the city and district who decided
to act at once on the matter . Frank
Cotter was selected to secure all the
data and prepare the report with the
help of every member of the club but
if anyone else can provide facts they
will be carefully considered. Needless
! to say the club will send only the most
1 conservative report with absolute
facts that can be borne out by in
vestigation.