WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.—One of
the first questions to be decided by
President Wilson in the events of a
war with Germany would be whether
this country should wage a separate
campaign or co-operate with the mili
tary and naval forces of the allies.
Although officials of the state, war
and navy departments are unusually
reticent regarding their war plans, it
may be said with authority that it
is improbable in any event that the
United States will actively join the
allies in their present military oper
ations. v<
It was declared today that the aim
of the United States government
was to compel recognition of and
'protection for the rights of neutrals,
and that its object would be obscur
ed by actively participating in the
war on the side of the allies.
In addition, participation in the al
lied campaign would mean the send
ing of a military expedition to one
of the fronts in Europe and it is
extremely unlikely that such a move
would meet with popular approval in
this country or acceptable to the al
^ ies. The military situation on the
^Eastern and Western fronts, accord
ing to the understanding of offic
ials here, is satisfactory and no ad
ditional men are needed.
First Probable Step.
Probably the first step in the plan
of the campaign of the United States
against Germany under ordinary cir
cumstances would be the establish
ment of a line of speedy cruising
war vessels several hundred miles
out fn the Atlantic ocean along a
line running from Halifax to a point
eastward of Porto Rico and thence
southeast toward the coast of Bra
zil.
In case of a war-with a European
naval power the existing war plans
devised by the naval college in co
operation with the general board of
the navy, call for the presence of the
Atlantic battleship fleet at some con
venient point within the cruising line
where the fleet’s full strength can
be thrown against an enemy fleet.
Of course under existing condi
tions it would be manifestly impos
sible for the German government to
send a fleet of vessels to American
shores and the existing plans as to
cruising vessels would probably be
modified so as to permit the scouting
vessels to accompany the fleet.
Atlantic Fleet Not Moved.
No action, however, has been ta
.en toward moving the Atlantic fleet
from its present winter base at Guan
tanamo, where it is engaged in tac
tical maneuvers and exercises. It was
declared by a high official of the
navy that no orders had been sent to
the fleet to come northward, in spite
of the censorship established several
days ago over the movements of naval
vessels.
This shutting down of the lid on
naval movements, it was stated, was
primarily for the purpose of prevent
ing the visits of war vessels and aux
iliaries to navy yards becoming made
known.
The visit of the U-53 to Newport,
R. I., last summer and her return to
her home port after sinking several
merchant vessels off the New England
coast, however, was a shock to naval
officials, who had previously believed
that the American coast would be im
mune from operations of submarines
because of the long distance from
their bases in Germany.
The cruise of the U-53 and her re
turn without taking on any fuel oil
or other supplies proved that the At
lantic coast would n rt be safe ft om
German submarines.
Protection of the Panama canal
would be accomplished by the use
of a flotialla of submarines at each
end of the canal, which would be
able to keep a hostile fleet from ap
proaching within 100 miles of the
H^terway. It is hourly becoming
evident thaat the United States has an
extensive coast line to protect and
yet is not supplied with the types of
vessels best adapted to the purpose.
As a number of our ships are still
virtually out of commission for want
of men, one of the first tasks will
be to make good the shortage. This
cannot be done over night. The rais
ing and training of seamen for modem
fighting ships is a much longer and
more arduous task than raising and
training men for the army. It is re
called that the late William Mahan put
the case clearly many years ago when
he said:
How Mahan Put It.
“Take an entirely fresh man: a bat
tleship can be built and put in commis
sion before he becomes a trained "man
of-war s-man, and a torpedo boat can
be built ready for service before, to
use the old sea phrase, ‘the hayseed is
out of his hair.’ ”
The United States is therefore fac
ing its unprepared condition not acad
emically, but practically. As the lack
of thousands of men detracts from the
apparent strength of the fleet, so, it is
pointed out, the fleet is further handi
capped by manifest shortages in sun
dry essential units. These must be
supplied before the country will have
a well-balanced and efficient fighting
force at sea.
For the rest, say the experts, it is
idle to guess at the part the navy
would be called upon to play apart
from coast defense.
Whatever the plans were afoot
several months ago for the consoli
dation of the Utah and Kennecott
Copper corporations have been aban
doned, says the Boston News Bu
reau just received in Juneau. When
the subject was first broached, en
gineers under Col. D. C. Jackling
were put to work figuring out a pos
sible basis of consolidation with the
result that a ratio of 2 2-10 shares
of Kennecott for one share of Utah
was arrived at.
But there were some complica
tions, not the least of which was
the fact that New Jersey, the legal
domicile of the Utah Copper Co., was
also the home of the “Seven Sis
ters” laws which did not favor a
combination such as was planned.
There was also to be considered the
fact that some of the large holders of
Utah Copper stock did not look with
favor upon the merger and would have
vigorously opposed it in the courts.
In view of the abandonment of the
merger, the recent buying of Utah
Copper chares by Harry Content—re
garded as a Guggenheim broker—has
caused considerable comment. During
the past few weeks Content is credited
with purchasing at least 25,000 shares
of Utah. If this buying is for the
Guggenheims, it may be preliminary
to a further addition of Utah Copper
to the Kennecott treasury. These
holdings now will amount to 400,000
shares, while the Guggenheims per
sonally are credited with owning 200,
000 shares in addition. With the Ken
necott holdings and their individual
ownership of Utah, the Guggenheims
would seem to have further fortified
their position in Utah Copper af
fairs.
It will be recalled that when the
Kennecott-Utah merger was first be
ing considered the Guggenheims de
sired that the Chile Copper company
should enter the consolidaation. For
some reason, however, Chile was very
quickly dropped from the discussion.
Most of our fair women have drifted
away from cooking, but the Two Girls
still retain the old custom. Mother’s
cooking is the best. 551
Diamonds,watches, gold nugget jew
elry- Walter A Lord, near Harmony
theatre. 438
FOR SALE
Crescent Hotel, cor. Fourth
and C. Also 24x130 feet adjoin
ing hotel. See owners, F. W.
Redwood & Co
BUTTLE OF
THE TOWELS
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.—If Harry
Stevens, who owns the peanut privi
leges at American baseball parks,
lived in Pekin, he would surely own
the cold towel franchise at the thea
tres.
When we entered 'theatre No. 1—
the largest playhouse in the Chinese
capital—it was an unusually hot night
and we were fascinated watching a
battle apparently going on in all parts
of the auditorium and boxes. Almost
everybody was throwing a towel at a
nearby boy, while other active youths
were hurling towels at persons in
seats.
The mystery was soon explained.
Selling cold towels to enable patrons
to mop their faces is a recognized in
dustry in,a Chinese theatre.
Passing through the theatre were a
large number of other boys with bas
kets of grapes, nuts and candies of all
kinds, the principal patrons of which
were women and children. The Chi
nese start eating soon after arising
and rarely stop until late at night.
The flat rails of the boxes were piled
high with sweetmeats and fruit. We
did not have seats, but were invited
into a box containing a mother, her
daughter and several grandchildren,
all of whom were smoking. They not
only shared their seats but also what
they had to eat.
Men and women do not sit together
in the boxes, and as a rule, the com
panies consist exclusively of men ac
tors, or exclusively of women. The
proceedings on the stage consist large
ly of battle scenes, popular probably
because the Chinese love peace in pri
vate life. Remarkably elaborate cos
tuming and frequent changes of cos
tume attract Western attention. No
one pays much attention to what is
transpiring on the stage, except to ad
mire each change of mandarin gown
and to applaud the result of the bat
tle. The more exciting the conflict
the louder the noise of the discordant
instruments of the orchestra.
In Japan each city has a section
known as Theatre street,' every build
ing being a playhouse. Above each
theatre is a painting a la Barnum &
Bailey sideshow of a thriller to at
tract attention of passers-by.
The spectators squat on haunches in
stocking feet. After being driven out
of several movie theatres by the noise
and listening to the chorus-actors at a
table on the side of the stage reciting
their parts in the picture—we were
fortunate enough to see a farce with
the Japanese actors in Western
clothes. The principal characters were
four women who, rebelling at the tyr
anny of their husbands, first turned on
them with tongue lashings and then
threw furniture at them. The Janan
ese women in the audience, submissive
and timid as the result of generations
of training, screamed with laughter
at the action of the shrews, but took
it for granted when in the last act
each one of the quartette got on her
knees and apologized to her husband.
The most exciting play we saw in
Japan was “The Cat,” the principal
actor of which—garbed as a monster
feline—bounded away from his ene
mies up a tight rope at the side of the
stage and held the audience spell
bound as he did acrobatic feats far
above the heads of the audience, pre
tending at intervals to fall, but always
catching himself just in time by his
toes.
Phone 48-Y for car, day or night.
Wood and coal a specialty. Universal
Taxi and Transfer. 126
Maps of Alaska for Sale. Robarts.
TAXIS
MESSENGERS, TRANSFER
• PHONE 89R.
CITY AUTO SERVICE.
Office: Next to Labor Tetnple
For Billiards and Pool, Peterson's.
HOPEFUL VIEW.
TOKEN OE DATS
NORFOLK, Va.—Speaking on the
“Industrial Reconstruction” before the
Southern Commercial congress Wed
nesday evening, Secretary of Com
merce William C. Redfield said: “I
assume the subject means those ad
justments to peace conditions which
will be necessary in Europe when the
war closes and the changes required
in American education, law, finance,
commerce and industry to meet the
new circumstances. A foreign iron
master is reported to have said that
the economic production of an enemy
country was in large measure annihi
lated. This may be rather a hostile
hope than a fact, but until the end
shall come who knows what the pro
ductive condition of those districts
which are or may be the seats of war
is to be ?
“The interest in the war debts of
each combatant approaches if it does
not pass the former entire national
budget. Is that process ended? If
not, how far will it go? What amount
is required for industrial reconstruc
tion as things are now ? What amount
may be required for this^use after the
war shall have gone on one or per
haps two years more? Is it not true
that the burden which we know ex
ists now must be borne out of a di
minished power to pay ? Is it not cer
tainly true that if the coming year or
two bring heavier burdens they must
be carried by shoulders less able to
bear them than now they are? In oth
er words, is not the war so long as
it lasts and to the extent to which it
goes, a cause of constantly decreas
ing economic power? Does not every
successive month mean just so much
economic loss, so much less competing
power in the world’s markets? Re
member that the soldiers of Europe
are the artisans of Europe. The men
have been called from every walk of
life into the field. Only such have
been reserved for industry as are ne
cessary to keep the volume of war
supplies flowing. The places of the
others are being taken by boys or old
men and by women. More than a
year ago 52 per cent of the trades
unionists of Germany were in her ar
mies. The same is probably true of
other countries. The losses have
been appalling. We shall not be far
wrong if we suppose that each of sev
eral powers has lost in killed or maim
ed men a million ofj)er children. How
many more are to be slain or maimed
we do not know, but just so far as this
proceeds the industries of those coun
tries are weakened.
“The waste of life and the drain
on credit are serious economic losses,
anti, with other necessary conse
quences of war, they form a handicap
upon the future years. It will take
the labor of many men many months
to restore the manifold ravages of
war. Yet there are some who argue
as if the nations thus weakened and
bereft will be stronger in the econom
ic contest than they were before. One
speaks of ‘terrible business conditions’
to follow the war. One tells of a
‘disciplined Europe’ and warns against
the extraordinary productive power
which is to arise out of the losses
already incurred, now going on and to
continue for an unknown time and
to an unforseen extent. -Some say
that under the circumstances we have
described, foreign industries in coun
tries at war are storing up goods now
with which, so goes the phrase, to
‘flood our markets’ when the war shall
end. We have caused careful inquiry
to be made through our foreign serv
ice, and can find no facts which jus
tify such statements. It seems more
reasonable to believe that the reverse
is true, that so far as possible every
industry whose product can be used
to sustain the armies is producing
war material. We know that in Great
Britain 4,000 factories are busy in this
way. We have every reason to think
it true of the other belligerents.
“It is reasonable to suppose that
foreign industries as a whole will
have to make a sharper readjustment
RECREATION
Bowling Alleys and Pool Parlors
YOUNG VIKING R. HEGSTROM
Next to Harmony Theatre.
PLUMBING AND HEATING
Full Line of Plumbing Supplies, Pipes and Fittings. <
PROMPT ATTENTION TO ALL ORDERS.
T. W. KENNEDY,
E St. Bet. 3rd and 4th. Next to Hotel Anchorage j
City Drug Store j
THE REXALL STORE.
Dr. K. A. KYVIG, Owner. 5th and C jj
The Best and Purest Drugs and the Most Reasonable in e
the City. -
Victor Phonographs $15.00, $25.00, $50.00.
On Time Payments.
PIONEER HOT
KNIK, ALASKA
DOGS FOR SALE : : : GOOD DOG STABLES
Plenty Dog Feed on Hand for Interior Travelers.
Dried Salmon, Tallow and Cracklins.
P. M. MAYHILL, Prop.
of products from war goods to peace
goods than is to be the case with us.
Consider what a manufacturer in one
of the central powers not engaged in
war work would face if he' undertook
to make up goods for stock today on
any considerable scale for the Ameri
can or any other export market. He
would manufacture at high rates of
wages under war conditions, with
higher than normal costs, with some
of his trained supervising and work
ing staff in the armies, and with every
material enhanced in price; perhaps
with some supply cut off. He must
pile up the goods so made at a time
when credit is costly and taxes are
advancing, for sale at a future time
which may be distant—he cannot tell
when it will be—and in markets whose
current movements he may not know
and of whose future conditions no one
can tell him. He may not be able to
say whether the styles, designs, col
ors, dimensions and other elements of
the goods he makes will suit when the
unknown future day shall arrive when
he can offer them for sale. Nor wiil
he know whether in the Interval indus
tries shall not have sprung up in
the place where he would soil that will
make the vending of his product there
impossible.
“There is the best of reason for
knowing that in at least four import
ant respects the end of the war will
mean large calls on us for supplies
which now for one or another reason
we are prevented from furnishing.
The demands will be for foodstuffs of
many kinds, for agricultural machin
ery, for lumber in many forms, and
for credits in the way of loans and
investments. We may expect, how
ever, that in the general field of man
ufactures we shall later find strong
competition in the world's markets,
probably a competition of developing
strength backed by powerful govern
ment aid.
“Our future depends largely on the
use we make of our present and that
use will show if we can stand the test
which prosperity brings and will tell
whether we merit its continuance. If
we do not use the hour of prosperity
to prepare like industrial athletes for
the days of stress, we shall not be de
serving of victory should the struggle
| come.
! “If I were asked the message which
i at the end of over 30 years’ connection
with industry I would leave as a sign
post for the future path, It would be
this: Educate young people for the
work of the world; make industry the
servant of science; know costs and the
causes of costs; stop wasting.”
The Arrah Wanna
Gold Mining Co.
Is Now Located in Its New Offices
ROOM 2, MASONIC BUILDING
And Offers to the People of Anchorage, and Vicinity
25,000 Shares of Stock
AT
25 cents Per Share
FOR THE NEXT THIRTY DAYS.
We Solicit Investigation. Also will be pleased to furnish
any information you may wish to know about
the Willow Creek District. Office Hours: Ten
A. M. to Ten P. M.