VOL. ‘J. NO. 128.
_ _AND COOK INLET PIONEER_
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1017.
PRICE TEN CENTS
GERMANY DOES NOT DESIRE HOSTILITIES
As War Approaches, United States Keeps Eye on Mexico
NEVER WANTED WAR, NOT SEEKING
• WAR NOW, WITH UNITED STATES,
SAYS CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY
BERLIN, March Ml.-—Chancellor von Bethmami-1 lollweg,1
in a remarkable speech in file reiehstag yesterdav afternoon,
said, in part:
“Germany never had the slightest intention of attacking;
the United States. 'Flu* imperial government never desired wan
with the United States of America and does not desire war i.t
this time. If the United States considers the unrestricted sub
marine warfare, which Germany and her allies are employing
for their defense, warrants a declaration of war against them,
Germany will not have to bear the responsibility for the in
creased bloodshed, which would naturally follow."
The chancellor, despite reports prevalent prior to his
speech, made no reference with respect to a modification of the
diver campaign as against neutral nations. Bather. b» inti I
mated that the imperial government could not abandon such!
a policy, in which its hopes for success in the war largely hung.
Referring to domestic affairs, the chancellor declared that
days of speeches on the part of members of the reichstag had
not convinced him that increased powers on the part of the ele< -
torate could begin now. “It would be a very serious matter,"
he declared, “to decide such a question, while millions of men
are in the trenches, lighting for the preservation of the empire.
It was a question that could well be left until a glorious vie
ton* had been achieved.”
HAS NOT CHANGED SITUATION.
WASHINGTON. March ML—It is the official view of the!
administration officials that the speech of Chancellor von Botli
mann-llollweg has not altered, in the least degree, the situation
as between the United States and Germany. Preparations for
war continue as before.
NOTHING TO BE DESIRED ON THE
RUSSIAN FRONTS, SAY RODSIANKO
LONDON, March Ml.—Members of tin* Russian Duma were
advised by President Kodsianko, in a speech delivered betnre
that body yesterday afternoon, that the government's advices
from i^ll fronts left nothing to be desired.
GERMAN SUBMARINES SINK 55 BRITISH
VESSELS IN FIRST 18 DAYS OF MARCH
LONDON, March Ml.—Thomas J. McNamara, linnm in I sec
retary of the admiralty, announced in the house ot commons
yesterday afternoon that of) British vessels had been sunk by
German submarines during tin* lirst IS days ot tin* month ot
March. The information was revealed at the request ol mem
bers of the commons, who wished light on the diver campaign.
ONE HUNDRED SUBMARINES ARE TO
BE CONSTRUCTED SOON AS POSSIBLE
WASHINGTON, March Ml.—Secretary of the Navy Dan
iels today placed orders for the immediate construction of
100 submarines of the latest design in undersea craft. Orders
were also placed today for a great quantity of diver steel catch
ing nets, used to ensnare the submarines.
NUMBER OF AMERICANS BELIEVED
LOST IN SINKING OF STEAMERS
# -
WASHINGTON, March 111.—American consuls at Liver
pool and Queenstown report to the state department today that
a number of Americans were undoubtedly drowned by the
sinking by German submarines yesterday of the British steam
ers Snowden Range and Crispin. The vessels were stripped
of all detachable brass before being sunk. Details are lacking
as to the crews of the vessels.
DECLINES TO PARDON CAMINETTI.
WASHINGTON, March 31.—President Wilson has writ
ten Mrs. Caminetti, mother of the convicted white slaver, say
ing that though it tears his heart, he cannot grant her appeal
for th^pardon of her son. He said that the law must take its
course.
AS HOUR OF ENTRY INTO WORLD
WAR APPROACHES, UNITED STATES
IS WATCHING MOVES OF MEXICANS
W ASI11 X<!T< >\\ Man'll ,'!1. As tin* hour tor the I'nited
Stales' entry into the world war draws nearer and nearer, Mex ,
leo. more than (iermany. is engaging the attention of the war!
department. President Carranza has never disclosed his in- j
tentions with respect to the proposed (ierman alliance, despitej
a specific request by the American state department for an e\
pression of Mexico's official attitude toward the Zimmermann
scheme. The request lias been ignored, almost insolently ig
nored. This leads the administration officials to view with
suspicion the Mexican attitude, and they are making prepara
tions accordingly.
ALASKA HAS BEEN TRIED IN THE
BALANCE AND HAS BEEN FOUND TO
BE SUFFICIENTLY WORTHY, SAYS LANE
WASHJ X(/T< )X, .March .‘>1. The fiftieth anniversary of
tla* American occupation of Alaska, through purchase from
Russia, was signalized by Secretary of the Interior Lane, in a
statement to tin* press, in which he said:
* “Alaska’s period of trial is over. She has been weighed
in the balance and found sufficiently worthy."
MAYOR GILL, CHIEF BECKINGHAM
AND OTHERS FREED BY TRIAL JURY
SEATTLE!. March dl. Mayor lli (till, t’liief of Police
Iterkini'ham and Detectives l,i*yser. I’oolman, McLennan and
I loom, on trial for the past two weeks on the charge of conspir
ac\ in th<‘ importation of intoxicatimr liquors, were freed by
the trial jury, which returned a verdict at !<:•'!() this forenoon.
'The jury had been out since f>:o0 o’clock last evening. In his
charge to the jury, .Indue Xeterer said that if Mayor (Jill had
taken $4^000 from liillini'sley, as charged by the prosecution,
he was not necessarily trinity of conspiracy.
GERMAN RAIDER EMPLOYS DECEPTIVE
TACTICS TO LURE SHIPS TO DOOM
RIO |)E .1 AXl\lK(), March .‘!1. The French harl< ('am
hramie reached Rio Janeiro Iasi night, having on hoard -1)0
rescued seamen, taken from various steamers and sailing ships
sunk hy a German sea raider off the Trinidad islands. Officers
of the Cambronne say that many sailors from the sunken ships
were drowned. They say the raider Hew a Norwegian Hag,
and when it sighted a ship would signal it to approach. When
a ship obeyed the signal and got within striking distance, the
raider would hoist the German Hag and open fire.
SOCIAL LEADER NOT GUILTY.
DENVER, March HI.—Mrs. Smith, a social leader ol great
wealth, who has been on trial here charged with the murder
of her husband, John Lawrence Smith, has been declared not
guilty by the trial jury.
TO COMPETE WITH STANFORD.
WASHINGTON, March 31.—The Washington university
crew departed this morning, en route to Stanford university,
where it will compete with a crew from the California univer
sity.
AMBASSADOR GIRARD ILL.
NEW YORK, March 31.—Former American Ambassador
to Germany James W. Girard, was stricken seriously ill at his
apartments in the Ritz-Carleton hotel last night.
JAPAN AND MEXICO WOULD HAVE HAD
NO KNOWLEDGE OF GERMAN PROPOSAL
IF ADMINISTRATION HAD KEPT QUIET
A MS 1 1x11.1 ).\M, March .! 1. I)r, von Zimmerman, minister
*•!" J'«>r«-ii«ii relations in the Gorman eahinet, in a speech in the
ieirhstag yesterday, in which lie diseased at considerable
I'-nuth the German proposals to Mexico and Japan, which com
p rollout let I an alliance for warfare against the I’nited States,
said, in part:
".Wither Japan nor .Mexico would have ever heard of the
proposal admittedly made by Germany, if the Washington go\
eminent had, after intercepting the letter of instructions to
German .Minister von Kckhardt at .Mexico City, kept the mat
ter secret, instead ot publishing it broadcast throughout the
world.”
T he foreign minister was inclined to criticise the Ameri
can administration as being dominated by the allied powers,
lie asserted that President Wilson had broken off diplomatic
relations with Germany with extraordinary roughness.
CHICAGOFF MINE ROBBED OF BIG
SUM AND TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED
Jl Xh.\l , March Jl. Michael Sheehan and J. II. Hewitt
were arrested here last night by Federal Agent Gischke, eharg
ed with the robbery of the (TiieagotT mine near Sitka. Kvi
deuce upon which the men were arrested lias 41$! boon revealed.
A ]>reliminary hearing will be held Monday* Details of the
robbery, so far as known in Juneau, are to the effect that earh
I hursday morning, two masked robbers held up and robbed
two men of the ( hicagofl, gagged them and escaped with tCJl),
(Hill in gold bricks. This bullion was under guard at the mine,
awaiting shipmen.t to Juneau.
CAPTAIN BOY-ED CHIEF OF GERMAN
SPY SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES
I ’I 11 I ,A I >1.1.1 ’I I 1 A, March :;i. Secret serVire ;igent> t<>< la\
announced that < aptain Karl Bov I'M, former naval attache of
i lie (lermans, was in this city a> recent as a week ago. This fact
was admitted late toda.v b\ I'Yank Karharino, head of the Phil
adelphia liureau ol investigation into the smuggling plot where
hundreds of pounds of high explosives were taken aboard the
two interned Kerman liners in the navv yard here. The pres
cnee of (’apt. Hoy Kd has given a new elite as to who perhaps
may he the •‘Kerman spy” head in the United States.
MORE STATE MILITIA CALLED TO
THE COLORS BY WAR DEPARTMENT
\\ ASII INK 1 (>X. .March .'11. The war department todav
issued orders, calling out additional regiments of militia in
several states of the union. The names of the regiments were
not revealed. Pile department also ordered the military forces
on the canal zone to he strengthened, and it is possible that tin
state militia, in large part, will he employed in this service.
Batteries K and K, of the Tenth lield artillery, of the t'onneeti
cut national guard, were called into the federal service todav.
PUBLIC SENTIMENT THROUGHOUT THE
NATION AT ONE WITH THE PRESIDENT
WASHINGTON, March Ml. The preponderance of pub
lic opinion, a> revealed by letters and messages forwarded to
the white house from throughout the nation is for a declara
tion that a state of war exists with Germany. This is in line
with the president’s view of the situation.
PRESIDENT AND CABINET HOLD FINAL
SESSION BEFORE CONGRESS CONVENES
WASHINGTON, March Ml.—President Wilson and the
cabinet met in a final session yesterday afternoon, prior to the
convening of the congress in extraordinary session next Tues
day. The president’s message to the congress was read and
approved by the cabinet. Other matters were discussed at
length, but secrecy maintains as to them. There is no hint as
to the character of the president’s message.