Anrltoraij? Uathj
AND COOK INLET PIONEER
VOL. 2.' NO. 130.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. TUESDAY. APRIL 3, 1917
PRICE TEN CENTS
WAR DECLARATION
President Advocates Vigorous Hostilities Against Germany
PRESIDENT WILSON URGES CONGRESS
TO DECLARE WAR ON GERMANY AND
SAYS JOINING WITH ALLIES NECESSARY
MOMENTOUS RESOLUTION PENDING IN
CONGRESS, WHICH IF PASSED, MEANS
WAR DECLARATION AGAINST TEUTONS!
AMERICAN STEAMER AZTEC. FIRST
ARMED SHIP TO LEAVE FOR FOREIGN
PORT, SUNK BY A GERMAN SUBMARINE
WASHINGTON, April 3.-At 8 o’clock last evening, Presi
dent Wilson appeared before a joint session of the congress and
delivered one of the most historic addresses a president of the
United States has been called upon to make. After a few pre
liminary remarks, in which he called on the congress to recog- j
nize and deal with Germany’s warfare on the United States, the
president said, in part:
“With a profound sense of the solemn ,even tragical char
acter of the step I am taking', and the grave responsibilities
which it involves, but in unhesitating obedience to what I deem
my constitutional duty, I advise that the congress declare that
the recent course of the imperial German government to be in
fact nothing less than war against the government and the peo
ple of the United States; that it formally accept the status of
belligerency which has thus been thrust upon it, and that it take
immediate steps not only to put the country in a more thorough
state of defense, but also to exert all its power and employ all
its resources to bring the government and the German empire
to terms and end the war. ’ ’
The president said that war with Germany would involve
practical co-operation with the governments at war with Ger
many, which comprehended liberal financial credits to the allied
powers. He urged the immediate organization of an army of
500,000 men, chosen upon the principle of universal liability to
service. The president made it clear that no action was being
taken as against the Austrian government and the other nations
allied with Germany.
Jus;J before the president made his address, the news reach
ed Washington that the American steamer Aztec, the first arm
ed ship to depart for a foreign port, had been sunk by a German
submarine, and was being told from mouth to mouth, agitating
the people to the limit. They were well prepared for the presi
dent’s patriotic message, which meets with general approval.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN
RELATIONS APPROVES RESOLUTION
WASHINGTON, April 3.—The senate foreign relations
committee this forepoon approved the administration’s reso
lution, introduced by Flood, unanimously except for Stone, dem
ocrat, and Borah, republican, who was absent. There may be
a few minor changes in the wording, suggested by the senate
committee, but in effect, the resolution will be the same as that
introduced in both houses last night. Senator Hitchcock, who
will handle the resolution on the floor of the senate, immediate
ly upon the adoption of the resolution by the senate committee,
went to the house committee to show the changes in wording
that had been made, so that the resolution may be presented to
the respective houses in the same form. Hitchcock will report
the resolution to the senate this afternoon and hopes to have it
passed this evening. Chairman Flood will seek to push it
through the house without delay.
* PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE SENT ABROAD.
WASHINGTON, April 3.—President Wilson’s address to
a joint session of the congress was sent in full to Germany by
the German official news agency in Washington, for publication
in that country. The text of the message was sent to Great
Britain and a summary was sent around the world to other na
tions.
RESOLUTION GOES TO COMMITTEE.
WASHINGTON, April 3.—The Flood resolution, which
was simultaneously introduced in both houses of congress, fol
lowing the organization of the house, was referred to the re
spective foreign relations committees. It is expected that the
committees will favorably report the resolution this afternoon.
I
WASHINGTON, April 3.—A momentous resolution, which,
it passed by the congress as expected, will put the United States
into a state ol oper warfare with Germany, was presented tc
the house today by < 'ongressinan Flood of \ irginin, chairman of
the committee on foreign relations:
“Whereas, the recent course of the imperial German gov
ernment is nothing less than war against the government and
the people of the United States,
“Be it resolved, by the Congress of the United States, in
extraordinary session assembled, that the state of belligerency
which has been thrust upon the United States is hereby formal
ly declared, and that the president of the United States be,
and he is hereby authorized to take immediate steps not only j
to put the nation in a state of defense, but also to exert all its
power and employ all its resources to carry on war against the
imperial German government, and to bring the conflict to a suc
cessful conclusion.’’
DEMOCRATS, THROUGH AID OF THE
INDEPENDENTS, ORGANIZE THE HOUSE
WASHINGTON, April • >. When the house con veiled in
extraordinary session yesterday noon, it was thought that by
II o’clock the organization would he completed, but the republi
e.ans interposed obstacles to a speedy disposition of business by
demanding roll calls on each minor office, and it was nearly (i
o’clock when formal organization was announced as completed.
The vote for speaker stood: <'Immp ( lark, of .Missouri, demo
crat, elected, 217; Mann, republican floor leader, of Illinois,
2bf>; Gillette, republican, of Massachusetts, 22: I .enroot, pro
gressive, of Michigan, 2.
BLIND CONGRESSMAN OF MINNESOTA
MAKES GREAT PATRIOTIC SPEECH
WASHINGTON, April 2.—The notable speech in vaster-1
day’s session of the house was that made by Congressman!
Xchall, the blind solon from Minnesota, who is an independent
in politics. Preliminary to his brief, but highly patriotic!
speech, Schall led the house in prayer. He then said, in part:
“Today, there should be just one party in the United
States and that party the American party. There is no better
way of standing by the president than by returning his party
to control in the house. I would be little use on the battle held,
with my sightless eyes, but 1 will do my duty toward my coun
try by standing by the president and his party in organizing
this house, with the light that the good God gives me.’’ Schall’s
speech was vigorously applauded on both sides of the house.
PACIFISTS TRY TO START SOMETHING,
BUT POLICE RESERVISTS INTERPOSE
WASHINGTON', April 3.—Two thousand pacifists were
driven from the east portico of the eapitol yesterday afternoon,
after attempting to stage a demonstration. Sergeant-at-Arms
Huggins, of the senate, requested them to go, but only hoots and i
cat calls greeted his request. Hot words followed, and it looked
for a time as if there would be serious trouble, but they were
finally forced to depart upon the arrival of police reservists.
There is no mistaking the foreign accents of most of the paci-j
fists who have come to Washington. There were five clashes,
but nothing in the nature of serious fighting or no particular j
disorders. Some of those in the pacifist crowd persisted in
breaking through the police lines and mounting the steps of the
eapitol building, but were later ejected. The police reservists
kept all persons wearing the pacifist insignia on the move.
SENATOR POMERENE OF OHIO CALLS
PACIFISTS BEST ALLIES TEUTONS HAVE
WASHINGTON, April 3.—Senator Pomerene, of Ohio, a
pronounced advocate of declaring war on Germany, was waited
on by a delegation of pacifists from his home state yesterday af
ternoon. .The doughty solon waxed indignant at the arguments
advanced by the pacifists and hotly declared. “You fellows are
the best allies the Germans have.”
1
NEW YORK, April 3.—The American steamer Aztec, own
ed by the Oriental Navigation Company of New York city, the
lirst armed American ship to sail from an American port, was
sunk yesterday by a German submarine off the coast of France,
according to information reaching- the head office of the com
pany today. The steamer was a freighter and carried a crew
of nearly fifty men, many of whom are believed lost.
PATROL PICKS UP SOME OF CREW.
PARIS, April 3.—The French patrol picked up nineteen
members of the crew of the American steamer Aztec late yester
day afternoon. Twenty-eight members of the crew are missing
and believed lost.
WASHINGTON HEARS NEWS.
WASHINGTON, April 3.—A cablegram from American
Amabassador Sharp at Paris, received by the state department
last night, says that 28 members of the crew of the American
steamer Aztec are missing and believed lost. Sharp says the
Aztec was sunk without warning.
OVER SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS
AVAILABLE IN TERRITORIAL TREASURY
JI XKAI , April ■'!. A supplemental report by Territorial
Treasurer Walstein (i. Smith, made to the Alaska legislature
yesterday, shows an available fund of $025,000 in the territorial
treasury. Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars have been
received from the hi” fishing companies within the last two
weeks, as a result of Attornev-tieneral (Jrigsby’s repudiation
of former Attornex-tfenral Cobb’s agreement with the compa
nies, and his threat to bring suit forthwith to the collect the
surcharge license tax. The companies are seeing the light and
are coming through with the money. Many of the big mining
companies have not paid taxes on last year’s output, and this
money is expected by the treasurer any time now. It is un
officially stated that the Kenneeott mine alone will pay into the
treasury the sum of $125,000.
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN LOSE
LIVES WHEN RED CROSS SHIP SUNK
NEW YORK, April X—One hundred and sixty-seven lives
were lost when the lied Cross hospital ship was sunk by a Ger
man submarine in the English channel March 21, according to
the statement made today by passengers who arrived on the
Cunard liner Carpathia from a British port last night. Two
Canard liners arrived from Europe today.
FEMALE CONGRESSMAN FROM MONTANA
TAKES HER SEAT, WITH DUE CEREMONY
WASHINGTON, April -Following a rather elaborate
prelude participated in by leading suffragettes of the nation.
Miss Jeannette Rankin, representative-elect from Montana,
took her allotted seat in the halls of congress, just before the
session convened in extraordinary session yesterday noon. Es
corted by Congressman Evans of Montana. Miss Rankin march
ed down the aisle to her seat, while every member of the house
and all spectators present stood, incidentally taking a rubber at
the new member of the gentler sex. It was the first time most
of the members saw the female congressman. She made a fav
orable impression.
DEATH KNELL OF HOHENZOLLERNISM.
LONDON, April 3.—The death knell of Hohenzollernism
is the outstanding feature which the London press, without ex
ception, drew from Wilson’s address to the congress. The ad
dress is praised as a high example of patriotism and a lofty ap
peal to the American nation to resent wrongs inflicted by the
German submarine campaign.