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AND COOK INLET PIONEER
VOL. 2. NO. 97. ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22,1917. PRICE TEN CENTS.
ONLY A MIRACLE CAN PREVENT WAR
Washington Officials Admit Gravity of Foreign Situation
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS TO BE
BROKEN OFF BETWEEN UNITED
STATES AND AUSTRIA-HUNGARY
AMSTERDAM, Feb. 22.—1The Frankfurter Zeitung learns
from Berlin that the American memorandum presented by
American Ambassador Penfield to the Austrian foreign office
at Vienna leaves no doubt whatever but that a break in diplo
matic relations between the United States and Austria-Hungary
will follow.
FIRST LORD OF ADMIRALTY AD TS
SUBMARINE MENACE IS RY GRAVE
LONDON, Feb. 22.—In ^ speech in the house of commons
yesterday, First Lord of the Admiralty Carson declared that the
(xerman submarine menace was becoming grave and serious and
that it was no longer advisable to conceal the facts from the
public. He told of the efforts of the admiralty to combat the
menace and said good progress was being made, but frankly
stated that still greater efforts would have to be employed.
ENGLAND HAS POTENTIAL FLEET
FIGHTING THE GERMAN DIVERS
f
k NEW YORK, Feb. 22.—England’s anti-submarine fleet,
outside of the regular naval vessels, consists of 4,000 private
yachts, whalers and fishing craft, manned by 60,000 men, and
this potential force has already destroyed or taken captive 200
German submarines, says Alfred Noyes, the English poet, in an
interview with an American newspaper correspondent vester
flflV
►
SWEDISH STEAMSHIP SUNK BY
SUBMARINE OFF SPANISH COAST
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.—The Swedish steamship Kkog
land, with five Americans on board, was sunk by a German sub
marine yesterday, off the Spanish coast, according to an official
report made to the state department by American Consul-Gen
eral Hurst, stationed at Barcelona. The crew was given but
ten minutes to leave the steamer and take to the boats, but all
got away in safety, reports the consul.
s. WIVES OF STRIKERS PRECIPITATE
RIOT AND BLOODSHED IS RESULT
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 22.—A riot precipitated by the
wives of the striking employees of the Frankling Sugar Refin
ing company in Philadelphia last night, resulted in the killing
of one man and the serious injury of nine others. The women
gathered about the huge plant of the sugar refinery and began
a demonstration. A large force of special policemen responded
.to the call of the refining company officials, and upon the arri
val of the officers the clash occurred.
TRAIN BEARING RUSSIAN TROOPS
WRECKED IN NORTHERN ROUMANIA
BERLIN, Feb. 22.—(By wireless to Savville)—Moscow
newspapers, describing the wreck of a train bearing Russian
troops ,that occurred recently in northern Roumania, state that
500 soldiers were killed outright in the wreck and that hun
dreds of others were killed in the explosion of munitions that
followed.
POTATOES SELLING FOR $75 PER
* TON, BEST BRINGING $85 A TON
SEATTLE, Feb. 22.—In the local market, potatoes are sell
ing at $75 the ton. The best grades sell as high as $85 the ton.
Indications are that prices will go even higher than now, until
new crops become available for use.
ONLY MIRACLE CAN PREVENT WAR i
BETWEEN UNITED STATES AND i
GERMANY, IS OFFICIAL BELIEF
—
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.—Washington officials no longer
disguise the fact that the German situation daily grows graver,
and that if the German government has not given orders to the
German submarines not to commit overt acts, only a miracle ■
can keep this nation from declaring war on the Teutonic powers. <
The administration, while hoping for peace, is making- every
preparation for war, and if hostilities do come in the very near •
future, the United States will be fairly well prepared for any
emergency that may arise. The work of protecting the harbors
on the Atlantic coast from possible submarine attacks is going ■
n day and night. Submarines in numbers are in course of con
struction and will be ready for use within a month. The army
and naval forces are being augmented by enlistments of men.
Vast quantities of munitions of war are being manufactured,
, much of it ready for delivery. Commissary supplies are being ,
assembled. The instant the declaration of war is made by the
United States against Germany, the navy and the army will
| be ready for any service required of them. The administration
Ts encouraged by the patriotic attitude of the people generally.
One of the very encouraging pieces of information comes from
the great German-American society, which unqualifiedly places
itself on record as for the United States, expressing its will
ingness to supply men and means to the cause of the nation.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.— The
president today nominated J. F. Ward
er as postmaster at Ketchikan, Alas
ka.
BUSINESS BRISK AT KNIK
DUE TO THROUGH TRAVEL
Alex Frazier drove over from Knik
yesterday and is stopping with Skoo
kum Johnson. He reports business
brisk in Knik and an unusual amount
of travel on account of the rush into
Tolstoi and the activity along the gov
ernment railroad north of the town.
| Ira Brow'n is tearing down the old R.
; R. restaurant and will put in a branch
eating and rooming house at Wassil
! la. Clark Davis also expects to go
; into business in the new town.
Alex says that most of the choice
i homesteads in the neighborhood of
I Knik have been taken up and the
j
; farmers have taken advantage of the
i mild winter and made great progress
in clearing the land.
From a social standpoint too, Knik
is in the limelight and the ladies of
the town recently gave a genuine smo
ker for ladies only, at which it is re
ported several interesting athletic
stunts were pulled off. Guards were
stationed around the building to keep
. away the curious men folks, who re
taliated the next week by giving a
j smoker of their own and excluded the
ladies.
Alex will remain in Anchorage sev
eral days to transact business before
continuing his journey to Seward, en
route to Seattle where he goes to pur
chase the necessary machinery to
work his holdings in the vicinity of
Marshall City that he intends to de
velop this season.
OPENS OFFICE
I
SEATTLE, Feb. 22.—Announcement
lias been made from the local head
quarters of the Alaskan Engineering :
Commission to the effect that a 1
branch office of the Commission will '
be opened at Portland. Joseph Hittin- 1
ger will be placed in charge of the new 1
office.
SINCLAIR TAKES LEASE <
ON CACHE CREEK CLAIM '
M. W. Sinclair came over from
| Knik yesterday to attend the Masonic
i dance and will remain in the city the
| balance of the week as a guest of
I the Crescent.
i Mr. Sinclair is one of the best post- j1
ed placer miners in Alaska and has |1
had many years’ experience in the in- j'
terior but at the present time is in- ]
terested in some valuable property on '
Willow creek in the Cache creek pla- !
cer district. He spent last season in |
thoroughly going over the ground ^
and recently procured a lease on eight '
claims on Willow creek from John
Rice, of Seward. Mr. Sinclair has let
the contract to freight in his sum
mer’s supply of provisions and min-'
ing equipment from McDougal and j
will leave for the property within the j
next two weeks to prepare for active j
work this summer. He anticipates a
prosperous season for the Cache creek I
operators and says that there will be ^
great activity in that district this sea
son.
The eight families occupying the
apartment house at the Perseverance (
mine near Juneau, which was built j
from the former compressor house, j
have been ordered to move out on ac- (
count of snow slides. <
JNE-THIRD OF STATES OF THE
UNION I I BECOME BONE DRY
UNDER ACT OF NATIONAL CONGRESS
WASHINGTON’. Feb. li'J.—The senate amendment to the
instill hill, which prohibits the shipment of liquor into stated
hat have prohibition laws, was accepted by the house yester
lay afternoon. The amendment will make absolutely dry states
■lit of those that now permit tin* shipment of limited quanti
les of liquor for personal uses. The law will become effective
fitly 1, and will have the effect of making bone dry one third of
he United States.
SEATTLE CONCERN BEGINS WORK
ON SUBMARINES FOR UNCLE SAM
SEATTLE, Feb. 2'J.—The Seattle Construction and Dry
Jock company yesterday afternoon launched work on subma
rines for the United States navy. The concern has contracts
iggregating a half million dollars. A big crowd was invited to
he yards, when the work was inaugurated. Day and night
•rows will be on the'job until the divers are completed.
AMERICAN SAILORS, HELD HOSTAGE
BY GERMANY, HAVE BEEN FREED
AMSTERDAM. Kelt. 22.—A dispatch from Berlin again
dates that the American sailors, taken to Germany on the prize
■team ship Varrowdale, have been released. The United States
mule a demand for the release of the sailors, which called forth
lie assertion that they have been released.
COMMISSION ORDERS MILLION FEET
OF LUMBER FOR THE RAILROAD WORK
SEATTLE, Feb. 22.—The Alaskan Engineering Cominis -
:ion has placed orders for a million feet of lumber, principally
mdge timbers for the trestles on the Alaska Northern railway,
he bridge spanning the Susitna river and trestles in the Mut
muska and Susitna valley sections of the railway work. The
ug Barra Uonta, towing barges, will leave for Seward March
4, with the initial shipment.
5AN JUAN F H COMPANY TOE ECT
LARGE ANT ON RESURR CTION BAY
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.—Chairman Edes, of the Alaskan
Engineering Commission, announces that the Commission has
lecided to lease to the San Juan Fish & Packing company of
Seattle, 300 feet of the water front at Seward, on which the
company is to expend $150,000 in the erection of a cold storage
ilant and facilities for handling catches of the fishing fleet
>pe rating off the coast. The lease will run for a period of 20
.ears.
IAPAN PROPOSES TO ARMTTS
MERCHANTMEN AGAINST DIVERS
T< >Klo, Japan. Felt. 22.—The Japanese admiralty plans to
mil Japanese merchant ships plying from Japan to Atlantic
ind Mediterranean ports, as a means of defense against enemy
iubmariues, according to an official announcement made today.
NATIONAL BANKS OF IKE COUNTRY
MAKE GREAT PROFITS DURING 1916
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.—The comptroller of the curren
cy, in an official report just issued, says that the earnings of
he national banks in the United States for the year 1916 ag
gregated a total of $600,000,000. This is the largest earnings
>f national banks in one year since the banking system was in
lugurated in this country.