VLQ? Aim m
AND COOK INLET PIONEER
rtafei
V0L.2. NO. 110.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, SATURDAY, MARCH 10,1917.
PRICE TEN CENTS.
•: „ ■
ARMED NEUTRALITY IN UNITED STATES
IS PROCLAIMED BY PRESIDENT WILSON,
IN MANIFESTO ANNOUNCED AT CAPITAL
WASHINGTON, March 10.—President Wilson today is
sued a proclamation declaring the United States in a state of
armed neutrality and issued orders directing Secretary of the
Navy Daniels to see to the arming of American vessels, to pro
tect them from attacks from German submarines. In the proc
lamation, the president calls an extra session of the congress,
which he declared, is for the purpose of having the support and
the counsel of the legislative branch of the government in all
v. ^natters pertaining to the defense of the merchant marine of the
nation.
NAVY SECRETARY ISSUES APPEAL,
following the issuance of the presidential proclamation es
tablishing a state of armed neutrality, Secretary of the Navy
Daniel^ issued an appeal to the press of the nation not to pub
lish the details of the arming of American vessels or news of the
arrival or departure of American ships. Radio stations were
ordered to suspend the reporting of vessels on the high seas.
INAUGURAL DATE MAY BE CHANGED
FROM MARCH 4 TO LATE IN APRIL
WASHINGTON,**NTarch TO.—The next session of the con
gross will be asked to pass a .constitutional amendment chang
ing the date of the inauguration.of the president and vice-pres
ident frpm the fourth day of March to the last Thursday in
April. President Wilson is among those advocating the change
in inaugural dates. It is pointed out that March weather in
Washington is the most disagreeable of any time in the year.
It is cold, rainy and generally inclement. Public exercises sub
ject the participants to an exposure that can be avoided by ad
vancing thAdate until late in April, when sunshine usually pre
vails. The president is confined to his rooms now because of a
severe cold contracted on inauguration day.
PRESIDENT WILSON TO CALL EXTRA
SESSION OF CONGRESS APRIL 16
I WASHINGTON, March 10.—President Wilson has decided
to call an extra session of the congress, to convene April 16.
He also announces that he is free alone to arm American mer
chantmen to protect them against the German submarines,
which are operating in violation of international law. The sec
retary of the navy has been directed to proceed with the policy
of arming and manning American steamers plying to European
ports. President Wilson decided to call an extra session, as
soon as he learned that the senate had changed its rules so that
business could be done. There are important appropriation
bills, that passed the house, and remain unpassed in the senate,
because of the La Follette filibuster. It is to put through these
highly important apropriation bills, including the sundry civil
bill, that the congress will be reassembled.
Nearly all of the Alaska appropriations are included in the
sundry civil bill. When it became apparent that the filibuster
would prevent the passage of the sundry civil bill, friends of
the Alaska railway project pushed through a I’esolution making
$3,000,000 immediately available for the work.
ADVISE PRESIDENT HE H£S POWER.
WASHINGTON, March 10.—Both Secretary of State Lan
sing and Attorney-General Gregory have prepared formal opin
ions advising President Wilson that he has full authority to j
arm merchant ships against submarine attacks.
GERMAN NAVAL OFFICER ARRESTED
AT LOS ANGELES AS AN ALLEGED SPY
_ i
LOS ANGELES, March 10.—Captain Alfred Fritzen, an
officer in the German navy, was taken into custody late last
night, on the charge of being a german spy. He was arrested
at the home of Frank S. Hart, president of the Southern Cali
fornia Music company. Gritzen is suspected of being implicat
C1 in several plots directed against the United States govem
ent. He is supposed to be concerned in an effort to get Mex
ico to take up arms and ally herself with Germany, in the event
of hostilities between the United States and Germany.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
❖ FIRST STEAMER SAILS FROM SEATTLE ^
^ FOR ANCHORAGE ON FIRST OF APRIL ^
❖ - ❖
♦ SEATTLE, March 10.—The steamer Admiral Far- ^
♦ ragut, of the Admiral line, the first passenger steamer ^
♦ to sail for Anchorage this season, will depart from here ^
♦ April 1, instead of April 9, as previously announced. ^
^ Advices from the Anchorage agent of the line is to the ♦
^ effect that the ice is practically out of Cook inlet. ^
♦ ^
LOGAN BILLINGSLEY TESTIFIES
HE GAVE MAYOR GILL OF SEATTLE
$4,000 BRIBE FOR PROTECTION
SEATTLE, March 10.—Logan Billingsley, self-confessed
bootlegger and star witness for the federal government in the
prosecution of Mayor Hi Gill, Chief of Police Charles W. Beck
ingham and former Sheriff Robert Hodge, on trial here for con
spiracy to evade the liquor laws of the state of Washington,
gave the big audience that crowded into Federal Judge Neter
er’s courtroom many thrills in liis testimony that continued all
day yesterday. People leaned forward to catch every word
when the bootlegger, in the afternoon session, told the trial jury
that he had paid Mayor Gill $4,000 in currency on the forenoon
of August 30. Billingsley’s statement was a dramatic climax to
a long line of sensational testimony that tended to show the
*ft.T*#>tne68 of the Seattle police department, with the mayor as
the leader, of the corrupt , ring. The "bootlegger testified that
;tjhe money was paid to the mayor in the office of Chief of Po
lice Beckingham, who had full knowledge of the transaction.
“I took the bills out of my pocket and laid them on the desk in
front of the mayor,” said the witness. “He picked them up
,and put them in his pocket.” The witness said that the money
was paid to the mayor at the time of the now famous compro
mise with the bootleggers, when their papers, which were seiz
ed by the police in their raid on the Billingsley night-and-dav
drug store, were returned to them. Billingsley testified that
after he had given the money to the mayor, Chief of Police
Beckingham came into the room and told the mayor that if all
of the correspondence was returned, there might be trouble.
“The mayor,” Billingsley declared, “told me to take the pa
pers away and to destroy them.” The chief of police, Bil
lingsley testified, suggested that only part of them be de
stroyed. “To hell with that,” the witness testified the mayor
shouted, “take the papers and get to hell out of here.” The
witness continued: “The chief of police, I think, reminded the
mayor that Prosecuting Attorney Lundin had subpoenaed the
papers.” Whereupon Gill said, according to Billingsley, “To
hell with Lundin; take the papers and get to hell out of here.”
In his testimony in the forenoon Billingsley declared that
he had paid Police Detectives Peyser, Poolman, McLennan and
Doom seven hundred dollars, on the basis of $10 for each barrel
of whiskey they discovered coming in to him. He said he slip
ped many barrels by them, and thus saved the bribery fee.
BILLINGSLEY BRINGS IN MATTHEWS.
SEATTLE, March 10.—In closing his testimony for the
prosecution in the Gill-Beckingham-Hodge case this forenoon,
Logan Billingsley told how Rev. Dr. Matthews, pastor of the
First Presbyterian church in Seattle, had summoned him and
threatened that if he refused to reveal how he had bribed
Mayor Gill, he would send him to the penitentiary. He said
Matthews told him he knew that he (Billingsley) had paid May
or Gill $7,500. Billingsley is now being cross-examined by the
attorneys for the defense.
TRIAL OF INDUSTRIAL WORKERS AT
SEATTLE ATTRACTS WIDE ATTENTION
SEATTLE, March 10.—The trial of the 70 odd members
of the Industrial Workers of the World, charged with murder
for complicity in riots in Everett, in which half a dozen citi
zens were killed, is attracting wide-spread attention. Labor
publications throughout the United States and Canada have
special representatives in attendance and the court room is
thronged with an attentive audience, that watches every move.
Judge Ronald is presiding. The prosecution is presenting its
side of the case.
’ AMERICAN AMBASSADOR DIES.
TOKIO, Japan, March 10.—American Ambassador Guthrie
died suddenly last night, suffering from a stroke of apoplexy.
TURKISH TROOPS, MAKING STAND
BEFORE BAGDAD, BUT FACE DEFEAT
BY GEN. MAUDE’S BRITISH FORCES
LONDON, March 10.—A great battle is progressing be
tween British troops and Turkish troops before the city of Bag
dad today. The Turks concentrated their entire forces in Asia
Minor before Bagdad, upon the approach of the British troops
under General Maude, and will make an effort to hold the city
fit all costs. While the British troops are largely outnumbered
by the Turks, it is expected that our forces will achieve a most
decisive victory. The capture of Bagdad will open the road to
Constantinople, the Turkish capital, and will demoralize the
Turkish army in Asia-Minor. The British operations in that
zone have served to prevent the sending of Turkish reinforce
ments to the aid of their Teutonic allies in other zones. The
battle before Bagdad began this morning. It is expected to
iast several days. A heavy bombardment is being directed by
the British against the Turkish positions.
LONDON PAPER CLAIMS BRITISH VICTORY.
LONDON, March 10.;—The Chronicle, in an extra edition
today noon, claims that the British troops have practically cap
tured the city of Bagdad. The Turks are also reported as flee
ing from the Russians in various points in western Persia.
TURK ARMY MAY BE CUT OFF.
PETROGRAD, March 10.—Russian advances from the east
and British successes near Bagdad have imperiled a large part
of the Turkish army, which is now threatened with being cut
I off from the main Turkish- forces, it is officially announced in
Petrograd today.
AMERICAN SAILORS INTERNED IN
GERMANY RELEASED; ON WAY HOME
BERLIN, March 10.—The American sailors who arrived
here on the prize steamer Yarrowdale and who have been in
terned since the vessel’s arrival in a German port, were released
yesterday, by order of the German government, and are today
en route to the Swiss frontier, on their way to the United States.
EFFORTS AT COMPROMISE FAIL AND
SENATE STILL REMAINS DEADLOCKED
JUNEATJ, March 10.—The sixth day of the senatorial
deadlock finds the situation unchanged, except that Hubbard,
Sutherland and Gaustad are voting for Ileckman for president,
while Temporary President Heckman is voting for Hubbard.
Honan, Sundbeck, Sulzer and Aldrich stand firm for Aldrich.
Eighteen roll calls have been taken. Senator Ronan
suggested a compromise, giving Aldrich the presidency; Will
iam H. Eddy, republican, of Nome, the secretaryship; James
Baxter, democrat, of Juneau, for sergeant-at-arms, and leaving
the assistant secretary and messenger to be named by the
Wickershamites. This compromise was offered at a public cau
cus last night, but brought no response. At this caucus, all
the senators aired their grievances and two generations of Alas
ka polities was threshed out. Hubbard suggested that if the
republican member, referring to Captain Sunbeek, of Nome,
would work with the Wickershamites, a solution of the problem
would be quickly found. But Sundbeck refused to be con
vinced, alleging perfidy on the part of the Wickershamites, and
declaring he would refuse to work with them on anything. He
charged them with double-crossing in planning a secret bal
lot. Aldrich, democrat, moved ,gn adjournment in order to go
into secret caucus, but the secret caucus brought no result.
The governor will probably read his message to the house
this afternoon.
Representative Sowerby assumed his seat in the house to
day, taking the oath before Judge Jennings of the district court,
who attended the session of the house.
SEVERAL PARTICIPANTS KILLED IN
RIOT IN ANCIENT CAPITAL OF INCAS
LIMA, Peril, March 10.—Serious rioting broke out yester
day at Cuzco, the capital of the ancient empire of th8 Incas.
Several participants were killed, according to advices received
here today. The riot is the outgrowth of the resignation of
several ministers of the Peruvian cabinet and the assassination
of three members of the chamber of deputies. The situation in
other Peruvian cities is serious and a general revolution is
feared by the govemmnt.