The largest eirealatioc
«rf any newspaper In the
2nd. 3rd. -fth Divisions of
Alaska
“ALASKA’S HOME NEWSPAPER”
"Hje Seward Weekly Gate
way It the best J«-j>aj*e
Weekly in the Territory
of Alaska
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEWARD, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1931.
VOLUME XXVII. NUMBER 261.
PRICE TEN CENTS
Republicans Discharge
First Guns in Battle
For Political Crown
SEWARD REPUBLICAN CLUB IS PATCHING UP
FENCES TO HOLD HERD OF VOTERS TO BE
ROUNDED UP BY INTENSIVE ORGANIZATION
THROUGHOUT THIRD DIVISION — PLATFORM
AND MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEES SELECTED
—G.O.P. WILL MEET AGAIN NEXT WEEK
Sixteen stalwarts of the Republican party gathered
at the Elks-Legion hall at 8 o'clock last evening for the
purpose of pepping up the Seward Republican Club, and
preparing to pick up the gauntlet cast by the Democratic
Divisional Convention Tuesday evening, December 8.
The meeting was a preliminary to another, to be held
Wednesday evening, December 16, in Odd Fellows hall,
when the final touches will be put upon the organization,
and when it is planned to launch an opposition, the like of
which, say the G.O.P., has not been for many moons.
Membership Drive
In furtherance of these plans,
President Leon Urbach named a
committee of three to begin a drive
to ferret out every Republican
found hybernating within the con
„ fines of Seward and have them
present at Wednesday night’s meet
ing. Capt. O. A. Johanson was se
lected to take the wheel of this
gospel barge and steer it thru the
shoals of Democratic intrigue and
obstruction. Shipped as first and
second wates are Mrs. Jennie Paul
son, Harold Sogn, A1 Peel and Cole
McDougal—a hard crew to match,
when Captain Johanson’s skill and
experience is weighed and it is re
membered that Mrs. Paulson was
secretary of the Republican Club in
< the last Territorial campaign and
gave a good account of herself. Mr.
Peel is an able wheel-horse of the
party. Mr. McDougal boasts prow
ess as an organizer, and Mr. Sogn
as very popular with the younger
benedicts.
Seek Ladies Aid
But, President Urbach is not con
tent to halt with his main batter
ies set up and ready for action. He
wants the ladies to step into the
fray and share the honors. There
fore, he club voted to delegate to
him discretionary powers whereby
he may name a purely feminine
committee to ride herd on the re
calcitrants. Thus, in the prelimin- I
ary jockeying at the post, the G. I
O. P. put one over on the Bourbons
—there was not a single feminine
face to grace the proceedings of
the party at its convention Decem
ber 8.
Surprises Loom
This is not the only surprise in
the bag of tricks the Republican
Club promises to spring in the
forthcoming campaign. Hitherto,
these biennial affairs have lacked
enthusiasm and pep, lac-organiza
lion and lethargy born of a cock
sureness engendered by the re
peated victories of the party in Ter
ritorial elections. It will be re
membered that the last time the
Bourbons were allowed to be
“among those present,” was when
Tommy Riggs graced the guberna
torial chair and George Grigsby
pleaded Alaska’s cause as Horatio
to his party as Delegate to Con
gress. This was some 12 y^ars ago.
Ray Sounds Key-Note
Attorney L. V. Ray sounded the
key-note of the meeting last night
when he said it was the duty of
every Republican to stand square
ly behind President Hoover. Mr.
Ray believed that the time was
never more propitious now that the
President was under the fire of his
political enemies. “It is when a
man needs support that it should
be given,” said Mr. Ray, “and I
suggest this club send word back
to Washington that the Republi
cans of this division stand behind
him."
This observation was received
writh enthusiasm by those present.
Secretary Resigns
| With President Leon Urbach in
l the chair, and holding a letter of
| resignation from Mrs. Paulson as
secretary, Attorney E. P. Harwood
was asked to serve as temporary
secretary.
The minutes of the meeting of
November 20, 1927, were read, ac
cepted and the club then proceeded
to outline preparations for a com
plete rejuvenation and solidifying
of Republican forces in the Third
Division. In furtherance of this
plan, a letter from the Anchorage
Republican Club was read, sug
gesting that each precinct take
vigorous action for the closest co
operation in solidifying forces and
by an interchange, to come into a
closely-knit Divisional organization.
Equitable Distribution
On suggestion of Mr. Ray, a ten
tative distribution of delegates was
accepted as a base for gathering
forces for a Divisional convention
to be held in Seward on or about
the 10th of January. Under prev
ious allotments of delegates a total
of 50 was allowed for, distributed
between Anchorage, with the great-!
er population; Cordova, second;
Seward, third; Valdez, fourth; Sel
dovia, fifth, and Kodiak, sixth, giv
ing at least five to Seldovia and
two to Kodiak.
On this question the secretary
was instructed to address early
communications to the various pre
cincts asking that steps be taken
for immediate organization.
l?l
Platform Committee
To expedite action, President Ur
bach named a committee consist
ing of Attorney L. V. Ray, R. D.
Sullivan and Attorney J. L. Reed,
to draft suggestions for a platform
to be taken up at the meeting Wed
nesday, December 16.
It was explained, in launching
ithe drive for membership in the
club, that such affiliation did not
obligate the member financially
and that all contributions would be
voluntary.
At the next meeting two vacan
cies on the executive board will be
filled, cause by the absence of Gus
Borgen and R. J. McKenna.
Meet Again December 16
In anticipation of a large gath
ering on December 16, the meeting
will be held in Odd Fellows hall.
In speaking of the opposition to
President Hoover, it was pointed
out that the President fell heir to
what had been started by the
Democrats and had conscientiously
worked for the solution of the mul
tiple problems arising out of the
war.
Captain Johanson spoke warmly
in commendation of Mr. Hoover’s
'reduction of armaments program
and other acts meeting what he
characterized as the wishes and
desires of his party.
Will Submit Names
On motion of Elwyn S’wetmann,!
seconded by R. D. Sullivan, sug- j
gesting adjournment to December1
16, Mr. Swetmann embodied the ob
servation that in the interim be-|
tween now and the meeting, those
who have names of candidates for
the Territorial House in mind, be j
prepared to submit them at the
meeting for endorsation, leaving
the question of Territorial Senator:
open for the Divisional convention'
on January 10.
It is assumed that the date and,
place for the convention -will be
satisfactory to other populous
points because of the central loca
tion of Seward.
Those in attendance at last
night’s meeting were: President
Leon Urbach, Jack Renner, Elwyn
Swetmann, Harold Sogn, H. E. Bal
derston, A. Peel, Cole McDougal, C.
M. Brosius, R. D. Sullivan, Attor
ney E. P. Harwood, Charles Lech
ner, Attorney L. V. Ray, Henry
Thody, Capt. O. 4* Johanson, W. W.
Ward, Attorney J. L. Reed, and the
press.
Two Appointed Today
President Urbach named the fol
lowing two local business men as
members of the Executive Board of
the Seward Republican Club: Carl
E. Orlander and Joe Badger. These'
gentlemen succeed Gus Borgen and
R. J. McKanna.
LENZ AND JACOBY LEAD
NEW YORK, Dec. 12. (#)—In the;
Lenz-Jacoby vs. Mr. and Mrs. Ely
Culbertson contract bridge contest
playoff of 150 rubbers of this city,
Lenz and Jacoby were leading last
night at the end of the 15th rub
ber playoff with 2,025 points. The
contest is drawing nation and
world wide interest.
“GEODUCKS” CONVICTED
TACOMA, Dec. 12. (/P)—Grahar
| Johnson and Jones Sticklers, for
mer Seattle prohibition depart
: ment employees, arrested on charg
es of participating in the operatioi
of a giant $60,000 distillery at Gra
ham, near here, were convicted b;
:a Federal Court grand jury Frida;
; of conspiracy to violate the prohi
jbition laws and operating a distil
j lery without due process of the law
IesmWts
I IT LIBERTY ONLY
FOR I FEW m
THREE RECAPTURED EARLY;
OTHER THREE KILLED
THEMSELES
LEAVENWORTH, Kas., Dec. 12
! (7P)—Three of the six prisoners
who escaped from the Federal pris
'on here yesterday morning by ab
! ducting Warden Thomas White,
were recaptured after a gun right
! yesterday afternoon and returned
j to the penitentiary. The other three
I are reported to have been surround
ed at a place near the Bell school
house, eight miles west of here.
The latter three are said to be be
sieged by a posse of soldiers and
civilian officers.
An ambulance brought two
wounded guards from the school
house battle. It is reported that
Assistant Deputy Warden James
Galvin, a prison guard, was wound
ed by one of the convicts. Galvin
was wounded when he escaped
the convicts as they were changing
automobiles but did not escape un
scathed as one of the convicts shot
at him and Galvin received a bad
arm wound and several body
wounds.
Galvin’s arm was injured to such
an extent that it was found neces
sary to have it amputated. Galvin
is in a serious condition and has
been returned here.
A later message from the Bell
school area said that the three other
prisoners who were still at large
and who were holding off an armed
posse are said to have shot them
selves rather than face recapture.
They shot themselves in the farm
house where they held the owners
captive and as a posse of 500 per
sons rained shots and tear gas
bombs at the farm house.
WRIM01L RACKET
KILLER FOUND GUILTY
CLARKESBURG, W. Va- Dec. 11.
(/P)—Harry F. Powers, was con
victed of murder in the first de
cree for the “matrimonial racket”
slaying of Mrs. Dorothy Pressler
Lemke at Northboro, Massachu
setts. Mrs. Pressler was a divorcee.
The verdict carries the manda
tory sentence of hanging.
The jury deliberated one hour
and 55 minutes.
Powers was accused of five kill
ings but was tried on only one
rnunt. Powers chewed gum calmi
as the verdict was read and he
showed no emotion. Arguments
were made for a new trial Sat
urday.
BROAD PURPOSE OF PROGRAM
TO RESTORE OLD JOB IN
STEAD CREATING NEW
\ -
| WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 12.
IW—-Every shoulder is wanted at the
j wheel by President Herbert Hoover
: enacting, on a non-partisan ba -
I sis, his 12-point entire domestic
■ program for economic recovery.
I “The broad purpose of this pro
i gram is to restore the old job rather
| than to create a made-job; help
| workers at the desk as well as at
! the bench; restore the buying pow
| er for farmers’ products; turn the
processes of liquidation and defla -
tion, and start the country forward
all along the line,” were points
strongly stressed by the nation's
executive.
The program included “a reduc
tion of Federal expenditure and
calls for a temporary tax increase.
“United local unemployment re
lief; continued part time employ
ment; strengthened Federal land
banks; credit assistance to home
owners; a partial return of depos
its, in closed; banks enlargement
of .the Federal Reserve discount
limits; aid to railroads; new bank
ing law to safeguard deposits; a,nd
a credit safeguard to banks; main
tenance of individual initiative,
and to impose more responsibility
on the individual community,”
were other points of his program.
mm urn um
REFUSES WAGE CUT
CHICAGO, Dec. 12. (JP)—Organ
ized railway labor refused Friday
to accept the immediate and vol
untary wage cuts as suggested by
the railroads but proposed instead
that the railway laborers and the
railroads enter into further nego
tiations to discuss the situation.
It was reported that the men
would enter into a compromise at
a conference with road officials at
which conference labor is deter
mined to exact some sort of an.
agreement regarding the spreading
of work, preferably through a six
hour day before accepting the pro
posed wage cuts.
Railroad heads have already
frowned upon this proposal of labor.
TRAWLER CREW MISSING
OSLO, Norway, Dec. 12. <A»)—
Eleven British seamen, members of
the crew of the German trawler
Venus, which sank off the Norweg
ian coast, are reported as missing
with Commander Captain Visn&e
rot and a German member of the
crew.
TERRIBLE condition
MAALOEY, Norway, Dec. 12. </P)—
A raft bearing two desperate and
half-frozen seamen with the bodies
of four of their comrades drifted
ashore near here from a German
steamer which grounded and sank
quickly.
Local Fire Department members
met last night in the fire hall for
the purpose of discussing plans for
the Annual Firemen’s Masquerade
Ball on New Year’s Eve.