i
-\ j^|| GOLD, COAL
l LAND COPPER
♦ OF THE LAST ANI) FISH
^ THE ALASKA EVENING POST_ _
XT t T. SEWARD, ALASKA. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1917 Ten Cents the Copy
\ olume XL Number SI____L___;----—-—
ARM NEUTRALITY IS
ASKED OF CONGRESS
IY PRESIDENT WILSON
*%
AMERICAN MERCHANTMEN TO SAIL SEAS EQUIP
PED M ITH GUNS SUFFICIENT TO RESIST SUBS
AND COMMERCE DESTROYERS OF GERMANY
WASHINGTON. Monday. Feb. 26. — President Wil
son appeared before a joint session of congress again to
day and asked permission to arm American merchant ves
sels; to establish armed neutrality, and for full and im
mediate assurrance that he may exercise such authority
as he deems necessary in handling the German-American
situation.
The president said, in part:
"I am for friendliness and peace and mean to preserve
it for America as long as I am able. 1 desire to emphasize
the fact that I neither ask nor contemplate taking any
step which might bring war through the action of this
country.
• War can only come through the act of Germany.
•'No course of my choosing will lead to war.
“War can only come through wilful acts of aggres
sion by ohters.”
He added in almost the next sentence that we must
defend our people and emphasized that while he might al
ready havt* full jower to take what steps he may deem
necessary, he desired congress, by its own vote to show
that it is behind him in whatever course may be decided
as the most effective.
He continued: "It would be foolish to deny that the
situation is fraught with the gravest possibilities and
dangers. No thoughtful man can fail to see the necessity
for definite action' may come at any time, if we are in
fact, and not in words, merely to defend our elementary
rights as a neutral nation.
“I have spoken of our commerce and legitimate er
rands of our people on the seas, but you will not be mis
led as to my main thought. It is not material interests
merely that'we are thinking about, but rather the funda
mentals of human rights, chiefly of which is the right to
life itself.
“I am thinking not only of the rights of Americans
to go and come about their proper business by way of the
sea, but also something much deeper, much more funda
mental than that. I am thinking of those rights of hu
manity without which there is no civilization.”
Immediately after the president had finished speak
ing and had left the capital, Chairman Flood called a meet
ing of the house committee on foreign affairs to draft a
bill incorporating the legislation necessary to give the
president the powers he asked and it was the unanimous
opinion of all in both houses that the measure would pass
without a single contrary vote.
AMERICAN LINERS WILL BE ARMED
NEW YORK, Monday, Feb. 26.—The American line
ships will be armed at once under regulations set forth by
the president, and will resume sendee to European ports.
The guns will be of sufficient number and size to fight off
fleet submarines and raiders. •
Trained gun pointers and naval gunners will be in
cluded in the cimplement of each ship.
ASK $6,000,000 TO AID
NEEDY IN UNITED STATES
m ■■ ■■■ ■ ■
WASHINGTON, Monday, Feb. 26.— So serious is
the food situation in eastern sections of the country be
coming that Sen. Borah introduced today a measure ap
propriating $6,000,000 to be expended as the president
may direct to relieve existing conditions.
‘ It was announced that the president might call an
extra session of the senate to confirm appointments which
cannot be made until after he is inaugurated for the
second term.
GERMAN ARMY ABANDONS EIGHT MILES
OF TREHCHES; BRITISH REGAIN “KUT”
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN P’RANCE, Mon
day, Feb. 26.—Under cover of a dense fog yesterday, the
Germans carried out the greatest retirement they have
made on the western front in two years; abandoning a
sector of trenches north of the Somme, eight miles in.
length and from two to three miles in depth.
Early morning raiders encountered no resistance and
the British swept forward, taking Pys, Serre, Miraumont
and Petit Miraumont. At Butte de Warlencourt, great
gullies were found filled deep with bones of the dead,
killed fn previous battles.
Many of the more complicated underground works
were blown up by the defenders before retreating and al
SEWARD LOOKS
BEST, SO SELLS
INLET_ STORE
Frank Cotter Picks Seward
After Giving Both
Towns Try-Out
Frank J. Cotter, proprietor of The
Miners’ Store has just returned from I
Anchorage, where he has born for the
past month in the interests oi hit
business. Cotter spoke of conditions
in the inlet camp as follows:
“Anchorage is enjoying a good
winter and there is something doing
there all the time. Business taken as
a whole is fairly good, but I am of
the opinion that the camp is overdone
in practically every line. There are
more grocery stores, more restaur
ants, more clothing stores, and more
blind pigs than the pay roll of the
camp will support.
“After a careful size up of the two
places I decided to close out my An
chorage branch and in the future* will
confine my business activities to Sew
ard alone as I look on this place a.*'
the permanent town. I am unable to
see where Anchorage is ever going to
lie as good as it was last summer and
cannot see where it will ever be as
good again.
‘’The government has completed
their building both as to public build
ings and residences, the population
has done the same, the streets are
finished, the water works and electric
light plants are completed, and the
construction work is getting further
and further away on both sides of the
camp. This is of course getting the
money farther away from the town
and I fail to see what the camp has in
the way of resources that is going to
make it a permanent town. Looking
at it in this manner I decided to get
out while I could and have come back
to Seward to stay. My business ven
ture there has been profitable and
I have enjoyed by stay there but
Seward looks best to me and for that
reason I have decided to devote my
entire time to this place.
Nate White arrived from Hope last
night, on business.
THE WEATHER
Yesterday.
Maximum . 38
Minimum .
Current . 33
Weather .*. Clear
Wind. . North
WEATHER TOMORROW
Fair and cooler.
REP. COOMBS
HERE OH WAV
TO LEGISLATURE
—
Council’s Member Makes
Long Trip by Sled
In (lood Time
__
»
Representative Nate H. Coombs ol
Council, reached Seward yesterday
after an overland trip of 40 days via
iditarod, enroute to Juneau to attend
the legislature. He came by dog team
to Mile 40 and then sent the team
back to Anchorage to await his re
turn next fall.
Coombs was a member of the last
legislature and expressed himself this
morning as both satisfied and amused
i at the outcome of the measure impos
✓
ing a tax on the salmon canneries.
‘When we were passing the bill the
lobbyists for the fish packers said it!
was alright and very line. As soon |
as it was passed they hit all the wires |
to Washington to stop its going into j
effect. We realize that they figured
the law would be knocked out as un
consitutional. It is evident that they
i
were not acting in good faith and I
am perfectly willing to add a little
to their taxes, which are so low now
as to be almost nominal, considering
the profits they reap from Alaska’s
resources every year.’'
Rep. Coombs brings words that the
bodv of Conrad Freeding, who was
i *
lost in a blizzard near Nome has never
i been found, although it was reported j
found at one time.
| ‘Rep. “Scotty" Allen left Nome five j
. days before I left Council," said
Coombs, “but I understand he went
by way of Chitina and Cordova.
‘This trail looked best +o me, and
! I found good going all the way.
Rep. Thomas Price of Anchorage
(not George as stated by error) left
for Juneau on the Alaska after a stay
l here of several days.
--i
I ________________
BOATS AND TRAINS
I ___ _____
The Admiral Watson sailed from
Seattle yesterday.
The Alaska sailed south at 6 o’clock
- Saturday evening.
Th^ train left this morning at 8:30
for Mile 40.
TRAILS
Trails good with a temperature of
zero at Mile 52, 10 below at Mile 34 i
l
and 10 above at Mile 71.
— -
| The dance given Saturday night bv
the Arctic Brotherhood was enjoyeck
by a good sized crowd.
f i
though a great deal of equipment, munitions and other
supplies were left behind, most of the more important
munitions and shell depots had been removed prior to the
retreat.
GREAT VICTORY IN MESOPOTAMIA
LONDON, Monday, Feb. 2(5. — There is a great re
joicing today among those who have relatives with the
British armies in the east, over the news that Kutelamara,
scene of Gen. Townsend’s disaster is again in British
hands.
The defenses at “Kut” fell before British charges
Sunday. Kutelamara was defended valiantly by the army
under Townsend after it was defeated at the gates of
Bagdad by traitorous Arabs and cut off in its retreat
down the Tigris. The army sent to relieve Townsend suf
fered defeat and was forced to surrender.
eight aeroplanes downed
BERLIN, Monday, Feb. 26.—Eight aeroplanes of the
Entente allies were shot down yesterday on the western
front.
CUNARO UN 1 LACONIA
TORPEDOED; RESCUE 278
QUEENSTOWN, Monday, Feb. 26. — Two hundred
and seventy-eight passengers and crew survived the loss
of the Cunard liner Laconia, 18,000 tons, which was tor
pedoed off the Irish coast at 10:50 o’clock Sunday night,
according to information gathered by Wesley 1 rost.
Details are lacking but it is known that some are
missing and at least one is dead.
Frost telegraphed the American embassy ai London
at once that ten Americans known to be aboard were
among those rescued. r
The Laconia was enroute from New tork to Liver
pool, and was thoroughly aware of the danger. Every
>ffort was made to dodge the submarine blockaders and
it is believed that it was only by a chance shot that the suc
cessful submarine was able to bag the big ship.
NO WARNING GIVEN
LONDON, Monday, Feb. 26.—The Admiralty stated
officially today that the liner Laconia had been torpedoed
without warning.
HOLLAND IS IN SERIOUS
PLIGHT FROM BLOCKADE
THE HAGUE, Monday, Feb. 26.—Actual starvation
is staring Holland in the face as the result of the torpedo
ing of seven steamers last week. These vessels were
laden mostlv with stock feed and as a result most ol
Holland’s cattle will have to be slaughtered, no emerg
ency supply being available. The stopping of ordinary
commerce to a great degree for two years has cut down
the supply of saltpeter for fertilizing and the crops are
threatened. . 4
SNOW SLIDE IS FATAL FOR 15 MEN
BOISE, Idaho, Monday, Feb. 26.—Fifteen men were
killed and 15 seriously injured last night in a great snow
slide, which destroyed the bunkhouse and compressor
house of the Ninth Star mine at Hailey, Idaho.
YOUNG GOULD KILLED WHILE HUNTING
■ - *
BRUNSWICK, Me., Monday, Feb. 26—Edwin Gould,
: Jr., aged 23, son of the New York capitalist, was killed to
day while hunting on Jekly island. He struck a coon over
the head with the butt of his gun, and the weapon was