GERMAN NOTE ANNOUNCING POLICY OF
' UNRESTRICTED SEA WARFARE AND
BARRED ZONES TO LEAD TO BREAK
IN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS.
WAR WILL FOLLOW.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—The situation between the
United States and Germany, growing out of the German
note with respect to indiscriminate submarine warfare, is
extremely grave. The government is formulating a defi
C nite plan of action. Complete severance of diplomatic rela
tions with Germany, whu* will be tantamount to war, will
be the reply of the UnitseTSlatei totbt German note.
c
THE GERMAN NOTE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—Count von Bernstorff, Ger
man ambassador to the United States, yesterday aftenxoon
handed Secretary of State Lansing a note in which Ger
many serves notice on the United States that because Kai
ser Wilhelm has failed to open peace negotiations with the
allied powers, he would open an unrestricted warfare on
* the seas. “ Germany imperial German govern
ment, “is therfore forced to do away with all restrictions
which, until now have been impressed upon the use of its
fighting means at sea.”
This note means that the German government will en
ter into an indiscriminate submarine warfare, despite the
warnings of the United States and other neutral nations
that rights of neutrals must be respected. It means, in the
opinion of those close to the administration, that this coun
try will be forced to enter the world war.
r.
GERMANY ESTABLSHES BARRED ZONE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—Further details of the Ger
man note to the United States reveal that German has arbi
|
trarily created a barred zone, from which all neutral ship
ping is warned not to enter, on pain of suffering the pen
alties of a belligerent. This barred zone is created under
what is termed a “German area of unrestricted sea defense
measure,’’ and becames effective this day-February 1. The
barred zone comprehends the waters adjacent to Great
Britain, France, Italy and all other entente allies,
i
PRESIDENT STUDIES GERMAN NOTE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—President Wilson remained
alone in his study until 11 o’dock last night, with the Ger
man note before him. He saw no one, but employed the tel
ephone a great deal. He arose atsG o’clock this morning
and hastened to his desk.
WILL SERIOUSLY AFFECT SHIPPING.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.—The efect of the German deda
J| ration of a sea blockade will he jfclt in every pert oh the
Atlantic coast, according to the o^inion of shipping circles
in New York. _ ' '
STOCK MARKET AFFECTED.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.—The opening prices in the stock
market today showed big losses, due to the German note.
; St cells dropped from 11 to 13 points and are still dropping.
’ . BRITISH TO MAKE REPRISALS.
LONDON, Feb. 1.—The British foreign office has re
quested the United States government to notify the Ger
man government that England will make reprisals if Ger
many attempts to carry out its threat to sink hospital ships
in certain prescribed areas
GERMAN FREIGHTER SUNK.
CHARLESTON, S. C., Feb. 1.—The German freighter
Lieben Fels, which has been interned here since the begin
ning of the war, began sinking this morning. The master
refused the aid of tugboats. Marine men believe the ves
sel was scuttled.
LONDON, Feb. 1.—Walter Hume Long, secretary of state
for the colonies in Premier Lloyd-George’s cabinet, in a speech
here last night, said, in part: “We have acquired possession of
different German colonies in various parts of the world as a
consequence of this war. Let no man think that these territor
ies will ever return to Germanic rule. ” ,
COLD WEATHER IN FRANCE.
PARIS, Feb. 1.—France is experiencing the coldest wea
ther that has occurred since the winter of 1902-3. The extreme
conditions are interfering with war activities.
n EM) SUPPLIES
SEATTLE, Feb. 1.—Bids were
opened today for 1,300 tons of steel
rails for the Nenana-Fairbanks divi
sion of the government railway pro
ject in Alaska. Howard P. Curtis,
general storekeeper for the Nenana
Fairbanks division, reached Seattle
today, to confer with Purchasing
I
Agent Dole as to the methods of pur
chase and transportation of supplies
that will be needed this season at
the Nenana end of construction. W.
B. Reaburn, superintendent of trans
portation in the same division of the
work, is here to look after the ship
ment of the supplies and- euipment.
WOMAN HAS
DIFFICULT TRIP:
Mrs. Anna Morgan arrived in An
chorage yesterday afternoon from
Ruby and is stopping at the Crescent.
Mrs. Morgan was driven over the trail
by Hans Hansen with his famous
dog team consisting of ten McKenzie
river huskies. Hans put up with
Skookum Johnson and is known
throughout the northland as an in
trepid dog musher of territory fame.
Mrs. Morgan reports the trail in very
bad condition from Yukon to Rainy
Pass and that they had considerable
difficulty in making that part of the
trip. Many times, she said, she was
forced to walk for quite a distance in
snow up to her waist while the driver
broke the trail. She said that the
mail teams were also experiencing a
record winter and the drivers were
handicapped by loss of dogs from
frozen feet due to the extreme cold
weather. The, snow is very deep on
the other side of the pass and the
mail carriers were hiring the native
Indians to break the trail, paying as
high as $15.00 per day for the serv
ices.
Mrs. Morgan met Marshal Charles
and his wife near the pass and they
were also in trouble, as Ensor, the
VALDEZ, Jan 31.—Mr. Meyer Blum
received word from Seattle today that
the will of Mr. Samuel Blum, who met
death accidentally Saturday, had been
opened and probated. The executors
named in the will are W. Eckstein of
the Schwabacher Grocery company of
Seattle; Leo Schwabacher, of the same
firm; Mrs. Samuel Blum, and Meyer
Blum of Valdez. The value of Mr.
Blum’s estate was not given.
driver and owner of the dog team, had
lost four dogs and was going slow,
as he could not buy any more dogs
for love or money. It was a case of
“misery loves company” and both
Mrs. Charles and Mrs. Morgan vowed
that they would never take the trail
trip again, no matter how enthusias
tic they were about Anchorage. Mrs.
Morgan left Ruby the 6th day of De
cember and only reached Anchorage
yesterday afternoon. She leaves to
morrow for Seward and the outside
and says she intends to return to
Ruby in the spring but will take the
river route. Mrs. Morgan is a suc
cessful business woman of Ruby and
reports Ruby and the surrounding
country in a very prosperous condi
tion.
ihmsie in
BLL FOR ALASKA IS
ruse By senate
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—The senate yesterday passed
; the Jones bill, which provides for making Alaska a prohibition
| territory. The bill is drastic in its provisions and will make
Alaska as “dry as a bone.” It prohibits the manufacture or
' sale of intoxicating liquors in the territory and also the trans
portation of such liquors from the states to, the territory. The
j bill has not passed the house as yet, but it is freely predicted
: that it will pass without serious opposition.
I - : - i T ■ ' . '
| . . WILL PASS THE HOUSE. -
• WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—It is believed here that the Alas
! ka prohibiton bill, which passed the senate yesterday, will pass
j the house, if it gets to a vote before March 4, the date of the
| expiration of the present congress. One of the provisions of
! the bill as passed by the upper house is that anyone may swear
i out a search warrant to search any premises for liquor; another
is that no property rights in alcoholic beverages is recognized.
The hill provides a maximum penalty for violation of the law
of one year in jail and a fine of $1,000. Under the bill, the law
becomes effective January 1, 1918. District courts are permit
ted to grant liquor licenses, on a pro rata basis, to January 1,
1918. The Alaska legislative assembly is given authority to
pass additional legislation to aid in the enforcement of the law.
i ___
NOTE—It is believed that the so-called Jones bill is in
reality the Wickersham bill. It is probable that the delegate
requested Senator Jones to introduce the measure in the upper
house.
SEATTLE, Feb. 1.—Up to 1:30 o’clock yesterday after
noon, the offers of cash assistance tendered to Seattle by out
side financial institutions, in case of need, aggregated several
hundred million dollars. This ready offer of help is greatly
relieving the situation, although yesterday was a dark day in
Seattle, in some respects, in that big runs were made on two of
file foremost banks in the city—the Scandinavian-American
and the People’s Savings—both of which are regarded as per
fectly safe and sound institutions. There were slight runs on
other sound institutions—such as the National Bank of Com
merce, and the Dexter-Horton bank. There have been no runs
on the Seattle National bank, the Union Savings and Trust Co.
bank or the Bank pf California.
FEDERAL RESER’^B BANK TO RESCUE.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1.—Sixtv-eight million dollars in
cash was offered by the federal reserve bank in San Francisco
to Seattle banks, in case of need.
SITUATION IS CLEARED.
SEATTLE, Feb. 1.—The Seattle clearing house announced
this morning that it will stand behind every bank that is open
for business in Seattle today. This means that there will not
be another bank closing, regardless of runs.
SMALL BANK CLOSES.
SEATTLE, Feb. 1.—The Fremont State bank of Fremont
closed its doors yesterday, following a run that depleted its
cash resources. Remsburg & Dixon are the owners of the insti
tution. %