AND COOK INLET PIONEER
VOL. 2. N. 113.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1917.
PRICE TEN CENTS.
AMERICAN LINER ALONQUIN SUNK
WITHOUT WARNING BY SUBMARINE;
MAY PROVE EXPECTED OVERT ACT
LONDON, March 14.—The American liner Alonquin was
torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine off the coast of
Ireland yesterday. No warning was given and the submarine
refused to lend assistance in saving the crew, although it is be
lieved that all have reached shore in safety. This is the im
port of an official dispatch sent by American Consul Stephens
of Plymouth, to American Ambassador Page in London. The
Alonquin sailed from New York, en route to Liverpool, Febru
ary 20. It was a big freighter and laden with foodstuffs for
the allies.
, GERMAN FORCES IN SOUTH AFRICA
AT MERCY OF THE BRITISH TROOPS
LONDON, March 14.—Lieutenant-General Smuts, com
, mander of the British expedition -against the German forces in
South Africa, arrived in London last night, to accept a position
’ ' privy counsellor. General Smuts, in an interview today, said
•eN campaign against the Germans in South Africa will be
-virtually ended, after the rainy season in March and April.
The German forces will be obliged to surrender, or enter Portu
gese territory, where the Portugese are ready to deal with
them.
V _
BRITISH FORCES IN FRANCE GAIN
STRONG POSITIONS FROM GERMANS
LONDON, March 14.—The British forces in France, un
der the command of General Haig, drove the German troops
from their main defensive system west of Baupaume, on a
fmnt thngg and a hi*C wide, ..yesterday, according to itiP
official announcement “today of the British war office. The
British troops drove through Loupert wood and seized the vil
lage of Grevillers, says the report.
* GERMANY ’RENEWS EFFORTS TO HAVE
TREATY WITH UNITED STATES AMENDED
WASHINGTON, March 13.—Germany renewed her efforts
today to have the United States sign a protocol amending the
Prussian-American treaty of 1780, so as to exempt all Germans
in the United States from arrest or interference, during any
period of a war, and reserving to all German ships in Ameri
can ports, in the event of hostilities, a safe conductance to home
ports. As the proposal is decidedly one-sided, the United
States will probably take no favorable action.
'fCHlNA SEVERS RELATIONS WITH
GERMANY AND TAKES DRASTIC ACTION
WASHINGTON, March 14.—The Chinese republic has
severed diplomatic relations with Germany and immediately
following the official announcement took possession of all Ger
man merchant ships in the harbor at Shanghai, placed their
crews under arrest and took them ashore, and placed armed
guards on the seized ships. Similar action will be taken in all
ports of China.
, EVIDENCE AGAINST MAYORGILL
ACCUMULATES AS WITNESSES APPEAR
SEATTLE, March 14.—Logan Billingsley completed his
testimony early yesterday afternoon, but ipay be recalled later
in the trial. The testimony of five witnesses was offered by
the government in support of the charge that Billingsley gave
Mayor Gill a bribe was read into the record, the defense ad
mitting that if the witnesses were called, they would so testi
ly. Sergeant Putnam, of the dry squad, an officer who lias
- thus far succeeded in escaping suspicion, followed Billingsley
on the witness stand. Putnam testified that Chief of Police
Beckiugliam had forced him to give up papers seized in the
raid on the Billingsley day-and-night drug store. The witness1
said that these papers wex-e later returned to Billingsley by
the mayoi\ Prosecuting Attorney Lundin, who succeeded Put
nam on the stand, swore that Gill and Beckingham blocked his
efforts to secure possession of these same papei’s.
HOME-DESTROYER FATALLY SHOT.
^ ROANOKE, Va., March 14.—Prof. Charles E. Vawter, of
CP the Virginia Polytechnic institi\tion, shot and fatally wounded
4 Stockton Heth, Jr.,, a student, as the latter was leaving Mrs.
Vawter’s room, clad in his pajamas.
w
E. A. SIMS, ALASKA CANNERYMAN,
TAKEN CAPTIVE BY CUBAN REBELS,
BUT RELEASED BY PROVING IDENTITY
SEATTLE, March 14.—Edgar A. Sims, wealthy cannery
man of Puget Sound and Alaska, former member of the Wash
ington legislature and prominent in republican politics of the
commonwealth; Mrs. Sims and J. D. O’Connell, an eastern cap
italist, are being held prisoners in C’amaguey City, Cuba, hav
ing been taken captive by Cuban rebels, according to private
advices received in Seattle yesterday afternoon. Sims had
recently bonded his extensive cannery interests on Puget sound
and in Alaska, and had planned to go to the Argentine republic
or some other southern clime, to acquire a big plantation. It
was while investigating the resources of Cuba that he and his
prospective colleague in the enterprise, O’Connell, were taken
captive.
AMERICANS RELEASED.
PORT TOWNSEND, March 14.—A wire received in Port
Townsend, the home of Edgar A. Sims, says that he has been
released from custody. The release came when he was able
to prove to the rebels that his visit to Cuba had no political
significance; that he was merely seeking a possible investment.
CRAZED MAN GOES GUNNING FOR
GOVERNOR LISTER OF WASHINGTON
OLYMPIA, Wash., March 14.—Yesterday afternoon an
unidentified armed man chased Governor Lister out of the ex
ecutive office and at the time this.message was sent, 3 o’clock
p. m., still holds the office, while the county sheriff and town
police are on watch at all doors and entrances. The man rush
ed into the governor’s outer office, which is occupied by Irwin
W. Ziegaus, private secretary. Ziegaus sought to prevent him
from seeing the governor, who was in his private office. Draw
ing a pistol out of a small meal sack he was ctirrying, the man
covered the pi’ivate secretary with his weapon, and shouted,
“I’ll have this out with the governor.’’ The governor heard
the threat and went into the vault, adjoining the private office.
The intruder got past the secretary and entered the private of
fice, while the governer came out through the vault door into the
outer office and hastened to the office of the state auditor,
where he remained during the turmoil.
MAN SURRENDERS HIMSELF.
OLYMPIA, March 14.—The man who forcibly entered the
governor’s office this afternoon surrendered himself to A. W.
Calder, a legislative employee, saying he was afraid he would
be shot by the offieei*s and that his only protection lay in sur
render. His name is not known. He is thought to be insane.
PRESIDENT NAMES MEMBERS OF
THE NEW TARIFF COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, March 14.—President Wilson today sent
to the senate for confirmation the names of the members of the
tariff commission, provided for by a recent act of the congress.
The president’s selections are: Prof. Frank W. Taussig, of
Harvard university, chairman; former Congressman William
W. Kent, of California; Congressman David D. Lewis, of Mary
land; Daniel C. Roper, of South Carolina; E. P. Costigan, of
Colorado, and W. S. Culbertson, of Kansas. The commission is
non-partisan in character and will make a comprehensive study
of the tariff question. The appointees are well versed with
respect to tariff issues. *
SENATE WILL PROBABLY DRAW LOTS
TO SETTLE DEADLOCK PREVAILING
JUNEAU, March 14.—The senate went into secret caucus
at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon and failed to re-open the doors
until 6 o’clock in the evening, when an adjournment was taken
until 10 o’clock today. The senators failed to reach an agree
ment with respect to the deadlock, which has been on for nine
days, or since the opening of the session. A crowd of 100 peo
ple waited in the corridors, while the solous were in secret
session, in the prospect that an agreement would be reached,
but they were doomed to disappointment. It is known, howev
er, that it has about been decided to settle the deadlock by
drawing lots. Senator Sutherland insists that the'democrats
present their slate before the drawing begins. It is expected
that the deadlock will be settled today.
DR. HYDE MUST FACE TRIAL.
KANSAS CITY, March 12.—Judge Porterfield refuses to
dismiss the murder charge against the notorious Dr. Hyde, al
leged murderer of his millionaire father-in-law, Col. Swope.
It is alleged that Dr. Hyde injected disease germs into liis
1'ather-in-law, in the hope of gaining control of his vast for
tune. The trial is set to begin April 9.
DUCHESS OF CONNAUGHT VERY LOW.
LONDON, March 13.—The Duchess of Connaught is very
low and it is not believed she can recover. Relatives are be
ing summoned to the bedside.
COL. ROOSEVELT ADDS IRE NAME
OF PROF. DAVID STARR JORDAN,
OF STANFORD, TO ANANIAS LIST
SEATTLE, March 14.—Writing to A. A. Sheldon, a
widely known progressive dead or of the state of Washington,
and referring to the attack nrade on him by Prof. David Starr
Jordan, former president of Stanford university in California,
in a speech made in Portland, Oregon, recently, Col. Roosevelt
said, in part:
“ Jordan is merely lying about me. I don’t mind his
doings. That what I mind is his ceaseless efforts to debauch
the country' with his inane pacificist talk.”
In his Portland address, Jordan declared that jingoes of
the type of Roosevelt were doing their best to get this nation
into war with Germany. The California professor is touring
the country, in an effort to keep peace.
INTERNED GERMAN SAILORS MAKE
THEMSELVES OBNOXIOUS TO QUAKERS
WASHINGTON, March 14.—On the grounds that they
constitute a distinct menace to the city, the mayor of Philadel
phia has requested Secretary of the Navy Daniels to remove
German sailors on interned German ships lying in the harbor.
The mayor says that there is bitter resentment in Philadelphia
against the Teuton sailors, because of their outspoken hostili
ty to the United States, and declares he can no longer be held
responsible for their safety. Daniels has the matter under ad
visment and wires the mayor that he will probably remove the
obnoxious sailors, so as to insure their safety from civilian at
tack.
FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND RAILWAY
MEN READY TO STRIKE AT COMMAND
WASHINGTON, March 14.—Four hundred thousand rail
way employes, members of the four big brotherhoods, are in
readiness to strike Saturday evening, unless'notified to the con
trarv*by-the presidents of their respective organizations. The
conference over the eight-hour day problem between the rail
way managers and representatives of the employes will be held
tomorrow. Th strike depends upon the result of this confer
ence.
ALLIES DESTROY OR CAPTURE SIXTY
SUBMARINES IN MONTH AND A HALF
WASHINGTON, March 14.—Sixty German submarines
have been destroyed or captured by the allied powers from Jan
uary 1 to February 15, according to allied official reports. Re
ports which reach the American state department from consu
lar agents in Great Britain are to the effect that the submarine
menace is not so dangerous or serious as first supposed. The
employment of British warships to convoy passenger and
freight steamers through the barred zone is believed to be a
solution of the problem.
BERNSTORFF IN FULL ACCORD WITH
FRAMEUP AGAINST THE UNITED STATES
COPENHAGEN, March 14.—Count von Bernstorff, form
er Gennan ambassador to the United States, departed for Ber
lin this morning. In an interview before lie departed, Bern
storff said he heartily approved of Germany’s course in mak
ing overtures to Mexico and Japan, to enter into an alliance
with Germany and wage war on the United States.
JOHNSON TO APPOINT CHESTER ROWELL
U. S. SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA
WASHINGTON, March 13.—The capital is shocked at
the announcement that Governor Hiram Johnson, of California,
member-elect of the United States senate from that state, has
resigned the senatorship and will retain the gubernatorial
chair. It is said that he plans to appoint his henchman, Ches
ter II. Rowell, a politician and chairman of the republican state
central committee of California, as United States senator.
Johnson hopes to gain the presidential nomination on the re
publican ticket in 1920 and is laying his fences early in the
game. His appointment of Rowell, a man of but average abil
ity, is made on the theory that he fears that a big man in the
senate from California might hazard his chances for the nom
ination. Johnson is the man whom the republicans blame for
the defeat of Candidate Hughes.
LODGE OPPOSES COLOMBIA TREATY.
WASHINGTON, March 14.—Senator Lodge, ranking re
publican member of the foreign relations committee, declares
he will oppose the ratification of the Colombian treaty, on the
grounds that he does not wish to see the United States black
mailed out of $25,000,000.