” “ ” Member Associated Press SEWARD, ALASKA, MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST 24,19L Member Associated Press_Ten Cents the Copy
W orhl W'alTiiing I lie Countless Hosts Battle for Supremacy ••• Mighty legions of the Bowers Clash in One
Desperate Simple for bile ami Death Japan Declares War~ami Britons Wait German Onslaught Teutons
Caolmr Cities on French Soil ami Austrian Warships Sail to Meet the Foe Russians Invading Prussia
BRITISH AND FRENCH ARE
SIDE BY SIDE IN BATTLE
BERLIN. Aug. 21. A crushing defeat has been in
dicted on the i rench army all along the line and the great
est disaster ol all the war has been visited on the defend
ers of French territory by the Germans according to an
official announcement issued by the German government
today. , ~ -
The German army commanded by the Grand Nuke
Albrecht of W urtemburg has defeated the F rench army in
a tremendous battle at Neutchatel and captured many
guns. Hags and prisoners. Among the prisoners are many
noted F rench generals. The German armies under Gen
eral Kupprecht. the ( rown Prince Wilhelm and Giand
Nuke Albrecht are now pursuing the fleeing French army
and driving it across French territory with avvtul slaugh
ter. The army under Kupprecht captured one hundred
and lit tv French guns at Lunev ille, Blamont and Cirey.
The army commanded by the crown prince pursued the
F rench hey on 1 Longwy and the Germans are now w est ot
the river Meuse in French territory and are advancing on
Maubeuz or Maubege which is defended by a brigade of
British cavalry. The lighting at Maubege is looked for
ward to w ith deep interest as here tor the first time in cen
turies the Germans and the British will meet in a clear cut
tight.
The disaster to the allies is tremendous as they have
been defeated for the whole distance from the Vosges
mountains to Belgium and the Germans are victorious all
along the line. Neutchatel is about <0 miles inward in
French territory from Lorraine and the Vosges mountain
so that the Germans, instead of being pressed back into
Alsace, are in reality conquering the French in their own
country . Lunev ille. where Kupprecht captured the
French guns, is in French territory but not tar from the
Alsace-Lorraine border. The extent and importance of
the disaster can be guaged by the fact that the French are
fleeing along the line tor a distance ot more than two hun
dred miles. From Neufchateau to Longwy is about ninety
miles and all along that distance the three German armies
are officially reported to he pursuing the allied forces.
F rom Longwy to Maubege is about two hundred and titty
miles in a line drawn straight south of the Belgian border
so that if the official information is correct the Germans
are v ictorious now along a whole front of more than three
hundred miles extending all around the north and north
east borders of F rance. They have crossed the Meuse in
French territory and are marching to the westward.
RUSSIANS CRUSH GERMANS
ST. PETERSBURG, Aug. 23.—Grand Duke Nicholas,
commander in chief of the Russian forces on the Prussian
frontier, announces that his army has inflicted a crushing
defeat on the Germans in east Prussia and that the Ger
mans suffered enormous losses and are now in full retreat.
It is assumed here that the Grand Duke will now attempt
to force his way as quickly as possible towards Berlin and
it is hoped by the allies that the Germans will have to take
away some of their forces in Belgium to meet the invading
army of this nation.
PARIS, Aug. 21.—The Russians continue to be victor
ious in their invasion of east Prussia. The Russian line
now extends from Tilsit in the north of the Prussian
peninsula to Inverburg and the invaders are now threat
ening Willenhurg on the south of the peninsula. If the
Russians succeed in reaching the latter place their lines
will extend for more than 150 miles north and south across
German territory. Further in, however, they will meet
formidable fortresses which the Germans had raised for
just such a purpose. The German residents of Willen
berg are now evacuating the city because of the threat
ened occupation of that town by the Russians.
The Grand Duke Nicholas continues to send the most
pleasant reports of the results ol the fighting in that
quarter. The Russian forces from the Polish side have
already penetrated a considerable distance in German
territory towards Soldau.
FRANCE SAYS HOLDING ITS OWN
PARIS, Aug. 24.—The minister for foreign affairs de
clared today that the enemies have now come in contact
all along the line but that no advantage has been gained
by either side of any consequence up to the present time.
This news came before the report of a German victory
or about the same time and the people are inclined to
think that the official reports given out by the German
government are not founded on fact.
In the meantime all Paris is awaiting with the utter
most anxiety the coming of authentic news from the
front.
WHAT ABOUT
THOSE TAXES?
MOST PEOPLE WONDEUIMJ IF
THEY HAVE TO PAY THAT
EKJHT SIMOLEOXS
_______
Most of the working people of this
and the other sections of the territory
are now probably wondering whether
the bill passed by congress recently
will really make it compulsory to pay
the poll taxes for two years. A re
markable fact about it is that the
commissioners of each district is re
quired by the territorial act to supply
the territorial treasurer with a list of
the taxable people in his district each
year in March and that the notice of
taxation must be advertised in a local
paper of general circulation. Neither
of these requirements has been ful
filled by the commissioners of the ter
ritory this year as the law had re
mained inoperative on account of the
blunder of the local legislature, and
it now remains to be seen whether the
bill passed by the national legislature
recently will render these former re
quirements unecessary.
The taxes must he paid each year
between the first Monday in April ami
the first Monday in August so that
they are overdue now and may not be
collectable on that account, but the
congressional bill may also have re
moved that difficulty and word from
the territorial treasurer is now being
awaited.
Michael Degan left on a business
trip last night and will be absent for
some days.
FAMOUS RACER
MEETS DEATH
WISHART FALLS GOING AT A 78
MILK PACK AND IS
SM \SHKP
‘ ‘
KLGIN. III.. Aug. 22.—Spencer
Wishart, the famous automobile rae
j or, was killed today while racing here
in the Klgin national road race. Wis
hart was leading and was traveling at
1 the rate of 78 miles an hour when his
j car crashed into the* fence. When
picked up it was found that his skull :
was fractured, his chest crushed and
his right leg broken. Death was in
stantaneous.
The race was continued and Pc
Palma won it. Wishart would almost
surely have been victor.
___
RKITBL1C \N LKADKR
THWARTS MAJORITY
Prevents Cnnniinous Consent For I in
mediate Consideration of War
Insurance
WASHINGTON. Aug. 22. -Eepub
liean Leader Mann prevented today
unanimous consent for the immediate
consideration of the administration
bill to establish war insurance for
American vessels. His reason for op
posing the measure is not clear and it
is thought to be nothing more than
the desire to thwart the administra
tion.
SEW Mil) PEOPLE LEAVE
FOE THE WESTW Mil)
The following people left on the
Evans last night for the westward:
For Seldovia—A. Iverson. A. C.
Voilmans, W. B. West, McNaught, G.
M. Chambers, C. M. Brosius.
For Iliamna—G. A. Parks.
For Knik—Joe Haseagawa.
For Kodiak—Wm. Pendergast and
L. D. Hibbard.
AUSTRIAN BATTLE FLEET STEAMS SOUTH
ROME, Aug. 24.—That the entire Austrian fleet in the
Adriatic has now left the shores of Austria and is steam
ing south is the news brought to the Italian coast today
by fishermen. The fleet consists ot forty warships <<l asl
classes. These include pre-dreadnaughts and probably
one or two dreadnaughts that have just been finished,
cruisers, torpedo boats, destroyers etc., and all are said
to be maintained in a high state of efficiency.
It is assumed that the destination of this formidable
fighting force is the coast of Dalmatia and principally
Cattaro which has been attacked by French ships from
sea and by the Montenegrins from land. A great battle
between the French Mediterranean squadron and the
Austrian ships is most likely an event of the very-near
future. It is supposed in some quarters that the Aus
trians are bound for some more distant field and may at
tack the French possessions on the African Mediterran
ean coast or may proceed to the Dardanelles and, after se
curing permission from the Turkish government, may
pass through into the Black sea and attack Russia in the
south. The fleet sailed out one alter the other from Pola,
the Austrian naval base on the south coast and has un
doubtedly been well prepared while in Pola for any con
flict that the allies can force in southern waters.
Austria had four dreadnaughts building which were to
be ready at the end of this year but it is now regarded as
likely that they have hastened construction work on those
vessels and that they may be part of the fleet which has
taken to the ocean. If such is the case the fighting power
of this war fleet will be formidable.
LOSSES OVER HUNDRED THOUSAND
ROME, Aug. 24.—The losses to both sides in the gen
eral engagement during the past twenty-four hours have
been estimated at considerably more than one hundred
thousand dead and wounded. The French admit that the
losses on both sides are enormous hut neither they nor the
Germans give any indication as to (he exact number. The
total number engaged along the Franco-Belgian and
Franco-German frontiers is much more than a million
men and it is believed here by military experts who were
through the Turkish-Italian war that not less than a quar
ter of a million men will be either killed or wounded in the
fighting in the next few days.
Both sides are equipped with the latest rifles and great
guns and are doing frightful execution.
PRESIDENT TO
PURCHASE SHIPS
SAYS HE HAS EVERY INTENTION
OE (JETTING 1’. S. GOVERN
MENT TO OWN VESSELS
WASHINGTON. Aug. 2L—Presi
dent Wilson today denied the reports
that he would drop the plan to have ^
the government buy ships to carry on
the commerce of the United States j
with foreign countries.
“Ear from it”, said the president.
“I have every intention of pushing the
plan to a successful termination.”
He further declared that the re- J
ports that In* intended to drop the
idea were started in interested quar-j
tors and had no foundation in fact.
--
TAKING OI T GOOD
MONEY ON REACH
Mike Norton, who was formerly
employed as shift boss at the Prim
rose mine on Porcupine Creek, is at
present placer mining on Kodiak isl
and and according to information re
ceived from there is doing well.
Since spring Mr. Norton has been
taking out about $20 a day and at the
time of writing was about $MU) to
the good over the season’s expanses.
He will continue his operations under
the present methods this season but is
planning on installing a plant next
spring.
WHY IM'NNELL WAS
REALLY SELECTED
Nome and Fairbanks People Were
Pliable to Agree About
Candidate
The information came on the Evans
last night that the real reason for the
nomination of Charles Bunnell as the
democratic candidate for congress is
that the Fairbanks people and the
Nome people had views of their own
and were unable to agree on any of
the other candidates put forward. The
papers have been remarkably silent
concerning the change in the plans
which resulted in the nomination of
Mr. Bunnell. It is saiil that the dis
agreements caused all the delegates
to decide on Bunnell as no district had
any reason for opposing his nomina
tion.
ALL TALKING ABOUT
SEVVARI) OUTSIDE
All the people outside have come to
the conclusion that Seward is the only
place worth talking about as a ter
minal for the government railroad
and T. W. Hawkins, who arrived last
night on the Evans, says that crowds
of people are waiting for definite
news as to the intentions of the gov
ernment before coming here.
Times ;4*e frightfully bad even on
the coast Mr. Hawkins says. No one
would invest thirty cents in anything
owing to the uncertainty caused by
the great European war. On the day
before he left, Mr. Hawkins says, the
banks were declaring that the worst
of the time had passed and that con
fidence would be fully restored soon.
U. S. GOVERNMENT
MAY HAVE A FLEET
Captain McKay and IN lot Hickman
of the Evans say they have heard that
the German owners of the German
Lloyd and Hamburg American steam
ship companies have offered to sell to
the United States government four
great liners which are now held in
United States and South American
ports for four million dollars. Among
the vessels is the famous Vaterland.
Secretary Redfield of the chamber
of commerce is reported to have sent
word to Seattle asking how many men
could be procured in that city to man
the liners if they are taken over.
ARRIVED ON EVANS
The following arrived on the Evans
last night: N. J. Koontz, G. N. Nu
zam, T. W. Hawkins, Herbert Tozier,
F. E. Whelpley and another whose
name is not legible.
\
TRYING TO STIR UP
TROUBLE IN MEXICO
SHIPS WILL CO I'NDKK
I’MTKO STATUS I L \C
Croat Commercial Organizations to
Desert British for American
Begister
—
WAS 111 W.TOX, Aug. 24.—The
Standard Oil company, tho United
States steel trust and the United
Fruit company have notified the Unit
ed States government that all the?r
fleets will be put under the American
flag as the law just passed enables
them to do so. The ships of these
companies, numbering hundreds, have
sailed under the British flag hereto
fore. Several other large ship own
ing companies are also expected to
follow suit so that within a very short
time this country will have a mer
chant marine of its own and one of
large proportions.
(leorge A. Parks, the mineral ex
aminer for the U. S. land department,1
went west last night on the Fvans. j.
WASH IXCJTOX, Aug. 24.—Presi
dent Wilson made a statement today
that people who would profit by trou
ble in .Mexico are now attempting to
stir up trouble between Villa and Car
ranza. He declares however, that
there is no danger of a rupture and
that the present president of Mexico
ami the men who won his victories for
him are inclined to let their personal
disagreements pass away without
bringing more turmoil on the repub
lic.
President Wilson did not mention
any names of people who he believed
were anxious for more trouble but it
is assumed that he meant some weal
thy Americans and American corpor
ations as well as Mexicans.
'I'he news from Mexico City since
the entry of the new president is very
meager. So one knows what has
been done about the followers of
Huerta and it is assumed here that
the United States government has re
ceived assurances from Carranza that
the Huerta people will not be injured.
WORLD'S GREATEST
BATTLE STILL ON
GREAT ISATTLE STILL RAGING
PARIS, Aug. 24.—(Latest).—The general battle is still
raging. The lighting is going on in Upper Alsace, along
the Vosges mountains and along the river Meurthe. At
the same time a great conflict is raging along a vast line
from Mons in Belgium to the Luxemburg frontier. The
French everywhere are taking the offensive with the Brit
ish army co-operating. The allied armies have ranged
against them nearly the entire German army active and
reserve so that the battle can, indeed, be described as the
greatest the world has ever seen.
The Germans are making a tremendous effort against
Namur w hich is resisting vigorously. The Liege forts are
still holding out and the entire Belgian army is concen
trated and entrenched at Antwerp.
This is the position this afternoon of the battling pow
ers and it is not too much to say that the whole world is
watching the awful struggle with bated breath, for on its
result may depend the fate of Europe.
BLOCKADING TSINGTAU
PEKIN, Aug. 21.—'The blockade of Tsingtau, the Ger
man city in its Kiauchau possesion, was begun today by
the Japanese assisted by British, French and Russian
warships. The Germans have refused to surrender and
have even ignored every message of the Japanese govern
ment. It is supposed that the assault on the place w ill be
made when the Japanese troops have been landed in the
possession. In the meantime there will be made an at
tempt to bombard the German forts.
ITALIAN ARMY CONCENTRATING
GENEVA, Aug. 24.—The Kalian army is now concen
trating on (he Austrian frontier and it is assumed that
Italy will declare war against her former allies. She has
increased her army to 800,000 men and that her intentions
are warlike is evident.
NEW YORK, Aug. 24.—The Kalian ships leaving this
port arc refusing to take as passengers Austrians and
Germans who want to go home to tight for their countries.
The captains of the ships say that they are refusing pass
age to the people ol those nationalities on instructions
from the Kalian government and the feeling has been
created that Italy is yet likely to attack her former allies
of the triple alliance.
FRANCE FORGES ONWARD
PARIS, Aug. 23.—That the French army has taken the
offensive in a great battle along the line from Namur to
Charleroi, in Belgium, is the statement made today by the
Petit Parisicn, one of the most influential newspapers in
this country. The paper declares that a great battle is
now raging at that point and that the French troops, in
stead of waiting for attack, have gone in with a vengeance
and have placed the Germans for the first time on the de
fensive.