Kaiser’s Perfidy and Instructions to Bemstorff Published
^ C0“,;“AL
nF THF I vsx 1 COPPER
°* THE LAST FISH
FRONTIER and _ II ^A IJ
THE ALASKA EVENING POST
Volume XL Number 87 _SEWAKI), ALASKA, THURSDAY, MARCH 1,1917_Ten Cents the Copy
WAR ALLIANCE OF
JAPAN AND MEXICO
WAS GERMAN PLAN
WASHINGTON, Thursday, March 1. — Germany’s
utter perlidy in her dealings with the United States and
details of how she attempted to inviove America in war
with Japan and Mexico, in connection with her submarine
campaign, should we object to it, were made public today
bv permission of the state department.
On January 11), Germany in planning unrestricted
warfare, proposed art alliance with Mexico and Japan, to
make war on the United States should we decide not to
remain neutral.
Here follows an exact copy of the instructions to Am
bassador Bernstortf as transmitted to him in code by
Foreign Minister Zimmerman, with authority of the Im-j
perial German government and the kaiser:
Berlin, January 19, 1917.
Bernstorff:
On first February we intend begin submarine
warfare unrestricted. In spite this our intention
to endeavor keep neutral United States of
America. If this attempt is not successful we
propose alliance on following basis with Mexico:
That we shall make war together and to
gether make peace.
We shall give general financial support and it
is understood that Mexico is to reconquer lost
territory in New Mexico, Texas and Arizona.
Details are left to you for settlement.
You are instructed to inform president of
Mexico above in greatest confidence as soon as it
is certain that there will be an outbreak of war
with United States and suggest that president of
Mexico on his own initiative should communicate
with Japan, suggesting adherence at once to this
plan, and at same time oiler to mediate between
Germany and Japan.
Please call to attention of president of
Mexico that employment ruthless submarine war
fare now promises to compel England to make
peace in few months.
(Signed) ZIMMERMAN.
A copy of Foreign Minister Zimmerman’s instruc
tions to Ambassador Bernstorff and to German Minister
von Eckhardt in Mexico City is in the hands of President
Wilson.
Japan through Mexico was urged to abandon her
allies and join in the attack on the United States.
Mexico for her reward was to receive general finan
cial support from Germany in her war to reconquer Texas,
New Mexico and Arizona, menttioned in the instruction to
Bernstorlf as "lost territory," and to share in the victori
ous peace terms which Germany contemplated imposing
upon her foes.
Details were left to Minister Eckhardt, who by the
instructions, signed at Berlin on January 19, was directed
to propose the alliance with Mexico to Carranza and to
suggest that Mexico seek to bring Japan into the plot.
These instructions were actually transmitted to Mini
ster von Eckhardt by Ambassador Bernstorff, while the
ambassador was still here, after the break with Germany.
It is pointed out that Bernstorff, in spite of his ac
tions is now on his way home to Germany under a safe
conduct, obtained from his enemies, by American officials
against whom he was caught plotting a >var.
Germany pictured to Mexico by broad intimation that
England and the entente allies were defeated and that
Germany and her allies were triumphant, and would ob
tain a world dominion by the instrument of “unrestricted
submarine warfare."
UNITED STATES AGENTS BLOCK SCHEME
WASHINGTON, Thursday, March 1. — Revelations
of Germany’s plot to unite Mexico and Japan with her for
an attack on the United States have stirred the capital to
its depths. The greatest credit is given the state depart
men for its generalship in out-maneuvering the diplomats
ARMY BILL I
i ROAD FUND j
I RESTORED!
SENATE ADDS ALASKA
APPROPRIATION, CUT
OFF IN THE HOUSE)
WASHINGTON, Thursday,
March 1.—The senate committee
on military affairs has added
$37,500,000 to the army appropri
ation bill, including the $500,000
fund for the Alaska road commis
sion, for the construction of roads
and trails.
A. B. DELEGATES
TO GRAND CAMP j
ARE ELECTED
An election of delegates to the j
grand camp of the Arctic Brother- (
hood, was held at the meeting called
last night.
k Camp Seward, No. ?1, will be rep
i
resented by Senator John Roruin and
W. P. Henry, while Attorney L. V.
Ray and Calvin M. Brosius were
named as delegates at large.
The grand camp will meet on March
! (>, at Juneau. Senator Ronan being
I already there will probably receive
the proxies of the other delegates un
less some of them decide to go on the
next boat.
POSTALir
AND BONE-DRY
j CLAUSE A “GO”
WASHINGTON, March 1. — Con
, ferees who have the postal appropria
1 tion bill under advisement have finally
agreed upon the report, virtually as
! suring the passage of the Reed “bone
dry" amendment, barring the ship
ment of liquor into prohibition states.
of the kaiser, and to the American agents who piocuied
a copy of the Zimmerman instructions.
Lansing has authorized the statement that he did not
believe that Japan had any knowledge of the plot and that
he felt confident that Mexico would not be a party to any
i such agreement. , . , ,
It is intimated on high authority that Zimmerman s
I letter never reached President Carranza, and being intei
cepted it was never passed on to Japan.
Lansing stated that “so far as the German plot is con
cerned we know that it is in every way true, but we can
not make public all of the details by which we came into
possession of the Zimmerman cable for fear of endanger
ing lives of our informants.”
---—
ASK FOR DETAILS
j WASHINGTON, Thursday, March
1._Favorable report was ordered this
afternoon by the foreign relations
committee, on a resolution introduced
by Senator Lodge at the convening of
the senate, calling on the president to
: furnish information compatible with
with public interest regarding the
Zimmerman note.
The committee 'struck out a provi
sion in which Lodge asked that the
senate call on the president for in
formation as to when the Zimmerman
letter came into the possession of the
United States.
URGE RETALIATION
STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Cal.,
Thursday, March 1. — Ninety-eight
students of the university have sent
a join'; telegram to President Wilson,
urging him to retaliate and avenge
the sinking of the liners Lusitinia and
Laconia.
- ■» ■■ 1
Ed. Crawford and wife left Port
land, Oregon, today enroute to Rew
ard.
Tumagain Arm
Work
Be Pushed on Both Ends
v _
Work along Turnagain arm is to be pushed
from both ends this summer, according to an an
nouncement just made by the Alaskan engineer
ing commission.
No particular point will be disignated as the
goal from either end, each district engineer hav
ing instructions to do as much as possible and co
operate in the matter of distribution of supplies.
Advices from Seattle this morning state that
bids were called for today for 12,000,000 teet o!
bridge timbers and heavy construction lumber in
addition to 1,000,000 already ordered for the Sew
ard division and contracts previously let for ma
terial for other divisions. Details as to the desti
nation of the latest order were not given out.
No further statement has been made as to
the time by which the line between Seward and
Anchorage will be completed but it is evident
from preliminary preparations that the work will
be driven ahead at the fastest gait possible.
Reports from along the line show that snow
conditions are favorable and that the line can be
opened as soon after the bridges on this end are
rebuilt as occasion may demand.
WICK WINS VOTE OF
CANVASSING BOARD
JUNEAU, Thursday, March 1 — 1
Disregarding the ruling of Atty. Gen
eral Grigsby that the Australian bal
lot law is mandatory and votes lrom
certain precincts were not legal, the
canvassing board voted today to count
all ballots and give the certificate of
election to Wickersham for delegate.
Governor Strong and Secretary
Davidson voted “aye” and Collector of
Customs Pugh “no” on the question,
agreeing not to issue the certificate of
election until tomorrow and thus per
mit initiation of injunction proceed
ings. _
The official count is, Wickersham 6,
490, Sulzer 6,459. Wickersham's
plurality 31.
ALAMEOA HAS
HUNDRED AND
TWENTY THREE
The Alameda sailed from Seattle
today, with the following passen
gers for Seward:
Frank Parrish, R. Brown;. Adolph
Sankela, E. Makila, A. Eide and wife,
John Noon and wife, Ed. Maki,
Adophs Sari, S. Amkila, F. Smith,
Frank Kern, C. Shatia, 0. Nichovich,
Wuko Klaech, J. Loranger, J. Jarde,
F. Boyd, J. Ownes, F. Haney, W.
Mayfield, Gregor Klein, Carl Tydeck,
Lester Johnson, Arthur Qurgeon,
Paul Drouin, Nels Telnas, Besso Bek
off, D. Temiraeff, Harry Haloff, Clar
ence Fey, Peter Daly, W. James and
wife, Gene Toboloff, Charles Gerhart,
S. Gates, and eighty-two steerage.
. — _ ■
SIX MEMBERS
OFI.W.W. TURN
ON FELLOWS
---
EVERETT, Wash., Thursday, Mar.
1.—Half a dozen of the 74 I. W. W.
I members who will be tried Monday
for murder in connection with the
' Everett riots, have turned *Ute’s evi
; dence.
I
GERMANS
A \NDON
BAPAUME
RETIREMENT ON WEST
MAYBE A PLAN TO
DRAW FIELD BATTLE
PARIS, Thursday, March 1.—(ier
man troops are falling back today to
a line behind Bapaume, the goal of the
tremendous attacks launched by the
British forces in the west, according
to reports from aeroplane scouts.
The fall of Bapaume is imminent
but so far no advance has been made,
the allies taking great care to avoid
being led into a trap while following
up this retreat, which is apparent:**
being made for strategic purposes.
SEE CHANGE OF CAMPAIGN
GENEVA, Thursday, March I.—Al
though the withdrawal of German
forces on the Ancre and Bapaume
sectors may signify the abandonment
of tactically unfavorable projections
of the German line at this point, an
other explanation is offered by Ameri
cans who just come to Switzerland
after a prolonged stay at Berlin.
They say that the Germans realize
that vast quantities of ammunition
have been prepared to blow them out
of their trenches, and that the present
retirement may be the beginning of a
regrouping of the Teutonic forces in
the west with the intention of bring
ing on a decisive “open field engage
ment to settle the fate of the war.
Such a plan would, if carried out,
make useless vast preparations by the
allies for a continuation of trench
warfare and would force them to
hastily organize methods of field
transport to keep moving batteries
i supplied with ammunition.
COMMISSION
NAMES NEW
STOREKEEPER
W. S. Kennedy of the accounting
department has been appointed store
keeper for the Seward division of the
U. S. R. R. to succeed Clyde D. Moy
er, who has been transferred to the
Anchorage division.
I BOATS AMD TRAINS
The Northwestern is due tonight at
II o’clock.
The Alameda sailed from Seattle
toil ay for Seward and way ports.
The Admfral Watson is due in Cor
dova today.
! The train left yesterday morning
for Mile 40 at 8:30 o’clock.