* ” ( GOLD, COAL
A COPPER
^ AND FISH
FRONTIER H '-V
L THE ALASKA EVENING POST
Volume XL Number 73 SEWARD, ALASKA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1917._Ten Cents the Copy
$ NDS NOTE TO U. $.
BY SWITZERLAND TO
PREVENTHOSTILITIES
WASHINGTON, Saturday, Feb. 10.—Germany is un
derstood here to have addressed to the United States a
communication suggesting that the t\\*o governments dis
cuss ways and means of preventing actual war between
the two powers.
While information regarding the channel through
which the communication was addressed is lacking, it is
probable that it is being forwarded by the governmnet of
Switzerland as the Swiss are in charge of German diplo
matic affairs here.
Germany is understood to have made it clear that al
though diplomatic relations have been broken she greatly
desires that peace shall be maintained.
Foundation for a belief in Germany’s desire to main
tain friendly relations as long as possible is seen in the
fact that although she has inflicted fearful losses, she has
not prosecuted “unrestricted submarine warfare" to the
degree of frightfulness which was at first anticipated,
some of the submarine commanders going out of their
way to prevent needless loss of life after obeying their or
ders to shoot without warning within the forbidden zone.
EXCUSE OFFERED FOR DETENTION
AMSTERDAM, Saturday, Feb. 10. — The German
under-secretary for foreign affairs is quoted today as say
ing that American Ambassador Gerard was held because
the United States would not. for a time, permit Ambas
sador Bernstorff to cable the Imperial government that he
had received his passports.
GERARD AND STAFF LEAVE BERLIN
WASHINGTON, Saturday, Feb. 10.—According to a
dispatch received today at the Swiss legation, Amabassa
dor Gerard will leave Berlin this evening for Zurich,
Switzerland with his entire staff. Fifty American citi
zens who have decided to leave Germany will accompany
the party.
BUT FORD WILL CLOSE PEACE BUREAU
THE HAGUE, Saturday, Feb. 10.—Evidence of the
drift of affairs in the United States toward war is seen in
the announcement that Henry Ford’s peace bureau at ihe
Hague tribunal will be closed.
COUNCIL FOR NATIONAL
DEFENC: KEEPS RIGHT
ONWITHJO ILIZATION
WASHINGTON, Saturday, Feb. 10.—In the offices of
the secretary of war, there was held today a meeting of
the Council for National Defense, which includes the ma
jority of the cabinet members and is modeled after the
type of the European war councils.
The purpose of the meeting was to speed up the “in
dustrial mobilization” of the country so that the manu
facturing establishments now engaged in turning out pro
ducts for peaceful purposes may divert their output to
war munitions with the least possible delay in event of
hostilities.
The “civilian advisory commission” to the council,
h.eaded by Daniel Willard, president of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad was called to meet Monday and to press
plans for the co-ordination of all industrial and com
mercial resources throughout the country as a step
against disorder which might occur in the emergency of
war.
REPORT FAVORS UNIVERSAL TRAINING
WASHINGTON, Saturday, Feb. 10.—The bill for uni
versal military training was favorably reported to the
senate today by the committee on military affaire.
10.000 NAVAJO BRAVES READY
SALT LAKE CITY, Saturday, Feb. 10. — In case of
conflict with Germany, 10.000 navajo Indians will take the
“warpath” in defense of the United States, according to
a message received today by Gov. Bamberger from the
tribal chiefs at Moticello, Utah.
TIPPERARY NOT
SUCH A “LONG
WAY” AS KENAI
Took Four Months For
i
Reply to Reach Here
From the Inlet
9
Reply to a letter to tlie island or
Mauritius, the Falklands, Zululand,
Fiji, or Borneo can be had as quickly
as a registered letter sent to Kenai
less than 75 miles distant from Sew
ard. This fact was demonstrated
yesterday when the lirm of Morford
% •
& Finnegan received a legal instru
ment from Emil Berg at Kenai, which
was mailed to him in October with in
structions to rush an answer.
October, November, December,
January, February, and the “rushed”
answer arrived.
Atty. Finnegan says he could have
done much better had he started in
and broken a new trail over the hills
from the head of the bay and taken
the letter in person.
The letter has to do with a suit
brought by Emil Berg against the
Columbia Salmon company for $8,000
as the result of a case brought
against Berg by the company last
year which was won by him after a j
trial here.
It is suggested by the attorneys
that those interested in the proposal
of the forestry department to open up
a trail down the river from Roosevelt
to Kenai, clip this story out for re
ference.
CONTRACT FOR j
FIFTY-POUND
RAILS IS LET
- I
SEATTLE, Saturday, Feb. 10.— I
Contracts were let by Purchasing'
Agent Dole for the Alaskan engineer-j
ing commission today for 1,300 tons
of 50-pound rails for the Nenana
Fairbanks division of the government
railroad in Alaska. The rails were
purchased on the basis of delivery at
the mills in Chicago for $.‘^8 per ton.
BANKS AND THIS
PAPER TO OBSERVE
LINCOLN’S DAY
I
Celebrations suitable to the observ-1
ance of Lincoln’s birthday will be held
Monday, Feb. 12th, at the schools.
The banks will be closed and there
will be no publication of the Gate
way.
Announcement is made, however,
that in event of news of unusual im
portance, an extra edition will be
issued.
Sam Jensen has returned from Mile
20. |
WAR WARNING
SOUNDED DY
EX-PRES. TAFT
Next Explosion Will be
World Wide, no Room
For Neutrals
NEW YORK, Saturday, Feb. 10.—
“We have been facing war and now
we are on the brink of it," was the
solemn spoken declaration made yes
terday by Taft in a speech at the
Hotel Astor.
In his address on the present situa
tion Taft spoke ironically of the
American people “sitting back in
rocking chairs when the great Euro
pean conflict came."
His endorsement of compulsory
military training brought forth loud
applause.
“Call it conscription if you will but
we need it," exclaimed the speaker.
Taft also took occasion to call at
tention to the peril in the far east,
of which he is particularly aware
through his close connection with
oriental affairs while governor gener- ■
al of the Philippines.
“It is believed that we Americans •
have cause to fear a menace from the
Far East," he suid. “We own the
Hawaiin islands and the largest ele
ment of their population is 70,000
Japanese, many of whom have served
in the Japanese army. We have a;
force of 5,000 men in the islands.
Taft concluded with the following
reference to the relation of the U. S.
to Asia.
“In the Philippines we have 8,000,
%
000 people who owe their allegiance
to the United States and to whom we
owe protection. They are under the
eaves of Asia and they therefore
make us an Assiatic power.
“Next comes our relation with!
i
China and Japan. We yearn for
Chinese and Japanese trade but not
Chinese and Japanese people. Trie
Japanese don’t like that.
“President Wilson says in the next |
war we will not be neutral. That is
probably true. In the next war the
explosion will be world wide and
there will be no room for neutrals.*’
NO CHANGE IN j
INAUGURATION j
SAY OFFICIALS
""
WASHINGTON. Saturday, *'eb. 10. t
—Formal announcement was made
yesterday that in spite of the foreign
situation, public inauguration cere- j
monies on March 5th, will be held a*>j
planned.
These ceremonies will be made as
impressive as possible, “In order to
afford an opportunity for a perfectly
spontaneous exhibition of the patri
otic feelings of the country.
REBUILDING -
OF BRIDGES
STARTS MAR. 1
_
Distribution of Material
Will Begin Monday, Fill
ing in Three Trestles
—
Preparations are being made now
for active operations in regard to the
reconstruction of all bridges this side
of Mile 40 commencing on March 1.
On Monday trains will commence
the distribution of bridge timbers al
ready in the material yard, to points
between Mile 24 and Mile 40.
The skid pile driver will be taken
to Mile 40 and will commence work
ing this way on the first of the month.
Operations of trains beyond Mile
24 will be discontinued during these
operations and then trains will be run
only to Mile 20 while the pile driver
is busy in between that point and
Mile 24.
In the meantime the steam shovel
is in operation at Mile Nine, filling in
trestles 20, 21 and 22, so that by the
end of March the line will be ready
for heavy traffic to Mile 40 and tim
bers for the re-construction of bridges
beyond that point ordered at Seattle
yesterday will then be distributed.
Mr. and Mrs. A. Kosness will leavr
the first of March for the new camp
at Tolstoi. _
FINE RECORD
BEING MADE.
ON DIVISION
Accidents Are Few and Far
Between in Work of
Reconstruction
Officials on this division of the
government railroad are being com
plimented by late arrivals on t^e fine
record made in regard to accident*
resulting from operation and con
struction.
The endless string of serious in
juries often attendant upon big con
struction work has been conspicuous
by its absence. ’
So far no serious accidents and very
few trivial accidents have occurred
in the operating department and the
number of injuries have been confin
ed to a few bruises.
In the construction end two serious
injuries have resulted; the loss of an
arm by one man as the result of a
premature blast, and a leg by another
as the result of compound fracture.
Other injuries noted include those
which might happen to anyone in
ordinary life.
One of the accidents noted above,
the premature blast, did not occur in
the reconstruction work hut on the
new work along Turnagain arm on
which over 200 men have been em
ployed during the winter.
SUDDEN DECREASE IN
SU MARIN I WARFARE
LONDON, Saturday, Feb. 10. — Diver activities on
the part of tiie enemy decreased rapidly Friday, only six
vessels of a total tonnage of 10,000 being sunk. All of the
crews were saved with the exception of four sailors. Of
ciie vessels sunk four were Norwegian.
A torpedo boat destroyer of the “official" type struck
a mine during the night and 40 members of the crew were
lost.
LATE CABLES
TONG WAR ON ANWAY
SEATTLE, Saturday, Feb. 10—Harry Wong, 2-1, son
of a pioneer Chinese family was shot and killed this morn
ing by a tong gunman.
CHANGE OF VENUE
EVERETT, Saturday, Feb. 7.—Members of the I. W.
W. held here on a charge of murder as a result of the
i iots at the dock have been granted a change of venue to
Seattle. Judge Ronald presided.
bomb conspirator convicted
SAN FRANCISCO, Saturday, Feb. 10. — John
Mooney, one of the men under arrest on the charge of be
ing implicated in the bomb outrage perpetrated during the
preparedness parade last year, was found guilty of mur
‘ler in the first degree today._
SAYS DEUTSCHLAND ONE OF FLEET OF 85
CAPTURED SUBS IN ONE BRITISH PORT
PITTSBURG, Saturday, Feb. 10.—Positive declara
tion that the German under-sea freighter, Deutschland
has been captured by the British was made by Nicholas
Murray Butler today.
“I have positive knowledge,” he said, “that the sub-'
marine Deutschland is one of 85 German submarines held
in one British port. I know that the British have taken
not less than 200 German submarines since the start of
hostilities.”
GUN FIRE MOST EFFECTIVE AGAINST SUBS |
NEW YORK, Saturday, Feb. 10.— Although figures;
to show the number of submarines destroyed by the En
tente allies and the means used to accomplish their de
struction are unavailable owing to rigid censorship on
war activities, it was learned here today from an authori
ative source that “gunfire” has been the most effective
method.
Three divers are known to h^ve been destroyed in one
day recently by shots directed from the deck guns of war
ships and auxiliary vessels.
BOATS AND TRAINS!
____
The Admiral Watson sailed from
Valdez at 5:30 this morning.
The Mariposa is due in Juneau to
day.
The Northwestern left Cordova at
6 o’clock this morning.
The train left this morning at 8:30
for Mile 40.
The Admiral Watson is due at 2
I o’clock tomorrow morning.
THE WEATHER
Yesterday.
Maximum . 39
Minimum . 33
Current . 34
Weather . Cloudy
Wind . South
WEATHER TOMORROW
Unsettled with increasing
winds.
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