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SEWARD, THE GATEWAY TO ALASKA, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, IMS. ._____ -
Yol. 9. No. 72 _ _—_ -- —
BRITAIN ANSWERS U. S. NOTE
PERMITS COPPER SHIPMENTS ON CONDITIONS
TURKS AND GERMANS
REPORT SUCCESSES
Both Claim the Capture ol
Cities in Russian
Territory.
¥
TURKS PUT ON SPEED
LONDON, Jan. 4.—The Turks are increasing their
activities in the Caucasus anil are now unilei taking fai
more important operations in that part of the war theatei.
They are undoubtedly fighting with great valor and stub
borness which may probably be accounted for by the
fact that they believe they are engaged in a holy war.
They claim in today’s dispatches to have captuhed the two
important fortified towns of Sari and Kamysh in Russian
territory but the Russians deny this story and retaliate
with the information that the Turks have been repulsed
with enormous losses. It cannot be questioned that both
sides are losing heavily in that region. The forces on both
sides have been considerably increased and the war for
the possession of the territories in that part of the world
is becoming greater and bloodier every day. The whole
region is covered with deep snow and this _ with the
bitter cold prevailing is causing terrible suffering in both
armies. The Turks have undoubtedly carried the war in
to Russian territory and with Russia’s hands tied in Eu
rope Turkey has a* tremendous advantage.
GERMANS TAKE BERJIMOW
LONDON, Jan. 4.—The claims of the contending
armies in the east are utterly irreconcilable. While the
Germans claim more big successes the Russians deny them
and so far as the people of this city know there is no way
to decide between them. In Poland the Germans have
taken Borjimow which is nearer to Warsaw but even this
is denied in the Petrograd dispatches and the truth can
only be known after some days when the positions of the
forces must become public by the continued reports of
the fighting and where it is taking place. In their denial
of the German story the Russians declare that the Ger
mans have been repulsed with severe losses. It is expected
that the invasion of Hungary by the Russians in force
will begin soon but no one is blind to the fact that a great
invasion of Hungary would take the Russians across the
mountains far from their base and might leave them open
to an attack in the rear by the Germans in Poland if the
latter are successful in their present operations west of
Warsaw.
BRITISH MAKE CONCESSION
WTSHINGTON, Jan. 4.—The British government, in
answer to the note of the United States protesting against
interference with American vessels and cargoes, has not
ified the state department that copper shipments from
this country to well known Italian firms will not be inter
fered with if these shipments are made in Italian ships.
Shipments to well known manufacturers in Sweden and
Holland will not be interrupted. This answer is regarded
as being a concession in part to American opinion but
the fact that Great Britain insists that shipment to
Italian firms must be made in Italian ships is looked upon
as being rather suggestive of want of confidence in Amer
ican ships and the desire of their owners to maintain
neutrality. The matter is apparently not ended yet and
further inter-changes of opinion may be expected.
BELGIANS COME TO U. S.
NEW YORK, Jan. 4—The steamship St. Paul arrived
Sunday bringing from England six families of twenty one
persons as the advance contingent of nearly one hundred
families of Belgian nationality who expect to settle in
the southeastern part of the United States. Itis now al
most a certainty that thousands upon thousands of Bel
gian people will come to this country toseek homes rather
than contiue to live in their over run native land.
PRICE OF PROVISIONS SOAR
CHICAGO, Jan. 4.—The wheat prices today over
topped all previous records since the outbreak of the war.
The May delivery reached a dollar thirty two and three
quarters which is several cents higher than the price
which was quoted in the panicky days immediatly follow
ing the opening of the conflict. The prices of all other
provisions rose with the wheat and it is apparent that this
country is by no means over the danger of hard times
threatening the very poor as a consequence of the war.
CANADA FACES
GREAT STRIKE
THOUSANDS OF RAILROAD EM
PLOYEES REFUSE TO ACCEPT
WAGE REDUCTION.
OTTAWA, Jan. 4.—Fourteen thou
sand employees of the Canadian Paci
fic railroad have refused to acecpt
the proposal to reduce their wages,
thousands of the employees of the
Grand Trunk railroad have also re
fused and if the two great companies
persist in «,ueir intention to reduce the
wages the Dominion will be threaten
ed with a very serious state of affairs.
The loss of business due to the great
European war was regarded by the
directors of the roads as sufficient
grounds for asking the employees to
consent to a reduction until the bus
iness of the country resumes its nor
mal condition. The employees, how
ever, state that the excuse is a flimsy
one and is meant only as the thin
edge of a wedge to bring about gra
dually a lower standard of wages per
manently. The matter is now under
consideration by the unions and the
employers.
WANT TO TAKE UP THE
RURAL CREDIT BILLS.
Congress Considering Advisability ot
Changing Plan to Hold Them Over.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 4.—The presi
dent has received pressing requests
from various parts of the country that
rural credits legislation be taken up
at the present session. Congress is
cosidering the advisability of changing
the plan to put the subject over to
the session next December. Chairman
Glass of the house banking committee
told the president that it is inadvisable
to take up the subject until time has
been allowed for the working out of
the farm loan features of the federal
banking law.
F. W. Small says that many people
of all sorts of business callings are
figuring on coming to Seward »oon to
take a chance as the general opinion
that Seward will be the railroad ter
minal is just as strong as ever.
GIVES GREAT
RICHES AWAY
ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED
THOUSAND FROM GRACE
DODGE.
NEW YORK, Jan. 4.—Miss Grace
Dodge, the philanthropist, has be
queathed one million two hundred
thousand dollars to public and re
ligious institutions. She has given five
hundred thousand dollars to teachers
in Columbia university and the same
amount to the national board of the
Young Women’s Christian association.
During her life she was noted for
many great gifts for purposes of an
elevating nature.
NEW SCHOOL OPENED.
The new school term began today
in the new school building. The board
made full preparations to have the
building ready for the reception of the
children so that everything is in good j
shape notwithstanding all the vicissi
tudes through which that same build
ing has gone.
_
The city council will hold its regu
lar meeting tonight
REPUBLICANS
RAISEA ROW
HOLD UP APPOINTMENT AS
PROTEST AGAINST INCREAS
ED R. R. RATES.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.—The re
nomination of Henry Clay Hall of
Colorado as Interstate Commerce
commissioner was held up by the
Interstate Commerce committee of the
senate today at the request of the re
publican mmbers of the senate. The
reason for this action is explained by
Senator Cummings who declares that
the senators want to know why the
commission reversed itself and grant
ed increased freight rates to the
eastern railroads. In spite of the
rather general endorsement of the in
creases in rates there is a strong body
of opinion opposed to it. The republi
cans are particularly suspicious and
believe that the administration had
much to do with the decision of the
commission to raise the rates.
WICKERSHAM
AGAIN MOVES
CORRESPONDENT OF SEATTLE
PAPER TELLS OF DELE
GATE’S CHANGES.
As to the political affiliations of
Delegate Wickersham there has often
been some doubt. It was reported
some time ago that he was about to
uccome a democrat and, indeed, he
expressed views which were well cal
culated to cause such an opinion, but
the following from the correspondent
at Washington of the Seattle Post
Intelligencer throws a light on the
matter;
“WASHINGTON. Dec. 13.—Again
has the politics of James Wickersham,
delegate from Alaska, been officially
amended. Not long ago there was re
lated in this column the story of how
Mr. Wickersham was first classified in
the congressional directory as a Re
publican, how in the directory issued
at the beginning of the Sixty-third
congress he gave no politics in the
official autobiography, and how South
Trimble, clerk of the house, in his
compilation of an unofficial list of
members of the Sixty-fourth congress,
classified Mr. Wickersham as a Dem
ocrat.
Now comes the congressional direc
tory for the present session. In it
Mr. Wickersham, as before, assigns
himself no politics, but in the list of
the Sixty-fourth congress printed at
the back of the book Mr. Wickersham
is classified by the clerk as a Pro
pressive.
Apparently Mr. Wickersham pro
poses to stand on this last classifica
tion.”
TIMES IS SEARED.
(By The Associated Press.)
LONDON, Jan. 1.—The London
Times has topped the insertion of
code or puzzle advertisements in its
want-ad columns. The" reason, it is
said, is fear that the columns were
being employed for the purpose of
communicating messages to the enemy
in Germany. All the London news
papers go to Germany without being
ten ored but all private mail matter
is subjected to careful scrutiny.
We can do it Job printing of ervsry
description.
i
SHIP PURCHASE
BILL COMES UP
CONGRESS DECIDES TO GO
AHEAD IN SPITE OF FOR
EIGN COUNTRIES.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.—The ad
ministration ship purchase bill was
made unfinished business today by the
senate but was temporarily laid aside
for work on the appropriation bills.
Tho vote to consider the purchase bill
was carried by forty six to twenty
nine. The only democratic senator vot
ing against it was Vardaman. The
bill will now probably be brought up
immediately after the appropriations
have been settled although it is known
that certain foreign governments ob
ject strenuously to such a course by
tho United States owing to the fact
that because of its neutral position in
the present war America can in
crease by purchase its merchant
marine to such an extent as to menace
the superiority of the marine com
merce of other nations when peace
comes again.
PRESIDENT WILL DELIVER
SPEECHES OVER COUNTRY.
Planning Itinerary and Addresses For
a Tour on Way Back From
Frisco Fair.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.—President
Wilson has begun planning speeches
he expects to make on his trip from
San Francisco after the opening of
the Panama exposition. He told cal
lers that he wishes to make some
speeches in different parts of the coun
try and he will later map out a de
finite itinerary.
COME FROM IDITAROD.
Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Weldon have ar
rived from the Iditarod country over
the trail. They register from Dis
covery, Otter creek. Other arrivals
from that camp are Phil J. Eckert and
L. W. Turner.
MCDONALD GETS
A COALPATENT
KATALLA CLAIMANT IS NOW
FULL OWNER OF COAL
MINE.
JUNEAU, Jan. 3.—McDonald the
claimant of a coal claim at Katalla,
has been awarded his final patent and
thus ends a long fight which he put
to secure the ground held by him for
many years. It was charged that the
ground which he had located and the
ground for which he had applied for
a patent were not the same and on
this charge chiefly his claim was held
up. These charges have been dismissed
and the final patent is the further
answer to them. The outcome of this
case leads many to the belief that
other bona fide claimants wil receive
patents quickly from this time for
ward.
Word has been received from the
land office that all the coal claimants
outside the Matanuska and Bering
river fields are now entitled to patents.
The Dora left Unalaska a week ago
yesterday and is expected to arrive
in Seward any old time now.
FRENCH AVIATORS
ATTACK BRUSSELS
Blow Up Zeppelin Shed Ger
mans Were Building Near
That City.
J
DESTROY ZEPPELIN SHED
AMSTERDAM, Jan. 4.—French aviators yesterday
succeeded in dropping bombs near Brussels and in destroy
ing a Zeppelin shed which the Germans had partly built
near that city. Several German soldiers were killed during
the raid. Although this story is published as a triumph on
the part of the Frenchmen it seems to show that the Ger
mans have decided not to retreat as they, would never
start building a Zeppelin shed in a place which they intend
to abandon. It also is taken to mean that the Germans
must be preparing for an air raid on some new territory,
presumably England.
HARD FIGHTING IN ALSACE
BERLIN, Jan. 4—It is officially announced that after
an overwhelming bombardment ot the heights west of
Sonneheim in Alsace the enemy captured and demolished
our trenches on those heights and in connection therewith
captured the village of Steinbach which we stubbornly de
fended in spite of disadvantages under which we labored.
The loss of the heights was regarded so severe by our com
mander in that region that a fierce bayonet assault was
ordered and after a bloody struggle we drove out the
enemy and are once more in possesion. We have not yet
retaken Steinbach, however, but the battle for that place
is now proceeding and our chiefs have no doubt that we
shall retake the village over which the heights have a
commanding position. Our troops in the east have cer
tainly gained very distinct successes over the Russians
and are advancing towards Warsaw slowly but surely.
The taking of the city of Berjimow is regarded as a bril
liant victory. It was the next step in the march on War
saw and the success goes to show that the program of Gen
eral Hindenburg is being carried out without a hitch. It
remains the source of the greatest satisfaction to the peo
ple of this city that every move in the east now is accomp
anied with German triumph and the inability of the Rus
sians to win even one victory against our troops is taken
to show that their opposition is weakening all the time
and that only a little time is required to turn the campaign
against them into an overwhelming triumph. Berlin is
now constantly celebrating victories against them.
ENGLAND CANNOT SUPPORT BELGIANS
LONDON, Jan. 4.—The task of caring for one hun
dred and sixty thousand Belgian refugees is becoming a
serious problem for England. Most of the refugees are
guests of private houses all over the kingdom. Some are at
hotels and boarding houses. It is sure that the private
hosts of those people cannot continue to act for nothing
indefinitely and the government must help. The great
difficulty, however, is that the resources of the govern
ment are taxed already to the limit by the support of re
fugees, interned aliens and war prisoners. It is impossible
to obtain work for the Belgians as the English working
men insist that the English workers have the first claim
for employment. The tremendous expenses of the war
compels the government to request that help be sent for
those Belgians.
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE OPENS
LONDON, Jan. 4.—The London stock exchange re
opened for business today but severe restrictions were
placed on trading to prevent a panic or the selling or un
loading of securities by hostile countries. Few American
securities appeared but whatever were dealt in were
steady. Business is confined strictly to a cash basis.
WET HAMPERS OPERATIONS
LONDON, Jan. 4.—In the western theater the wea
ther is unprecedentedly wet and is preventing important
operations. Extreme difficulty is experienced in mov ing
heavy guns. None of the official bulletins published here
since Saturday has contained news of any operations that
are worthy of notice. It is generally assumed now that
nothing of real consequence may be expected until the
coming of good weather. In Spring one of the sides is
sure to begin the war again in real earnest. The British
public is looking to the east with great hopes as in the
result of the fighting there will depend to a very great ex
tent the methods of the contending parties in France and
Flanders. ....