THE ANCHORAGE WEEKLY TIMES
ANCHORAGE PUBLISHING CO., PUBLISHERS.
CHAS. E. HERRON.
President
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ANCHORAGE. ALASKA, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1918,
NO NEED TO DESTROY.
An order issued by the townsite manager yesterday sets forth the
dictum that unless buildings in the former restricted district on the
outskirts of this community shall be removed from this area by July
35, they will be destroped. There is a qualification in this official man
ifesto which says “unless special permission is secured from the town
rite for its remaining.” referring to a building that may be purchased,
presumably.
This whole restricted district proposition in this town has been
handled in a very uncertain and a very unsatisfactory way, we have no
hesitation in assorting. When this government town was established,
it was decreed by those in authority that no houses of ill-repute were to
be tolerated within its sacred confines. Hut just outside the town lim
its. a restricted district was established, or created, or whatever you
may wish to term it. if not with the consent, at least with the knowledge
of the townsite office.
After the habitues of the restricted area had erected their houses,
dug wells, installed an electric lighting system, each spending a con
siderable sum in such improvements, as each cared to make, an order
was issued from the townsite office, or from the land and industrial de
partment. which is the same thing, that the habitues must move to an
other place still further away from the town limits. Hence, those in
the district abandoned by official order had to move their houses to
the other designated area, or abandon them and erect new homes.
The department of justice, presumably as a military measure, is
sued peremptory orders to the United States marshals of the respective
judicial divisions of Alaska, directing that they see to it that all re
stricted districts and all bawdy houses in the territory be closed by July
3, The order from the townsite office comes on the heels of the attor
ney-general \s closing order.
We wish to make it clear that The Times holds no brief for the
former habitues of this restricted area. We do not propose to enter
into a discussion of the abstract question as to whether such places are
necessary, or whether they are not necessary. The point we make is,
that if a restricted district was established w ith the tacit consent of the
land and industrial department—and it could not have been established
without this department's consent—then it is squarely up to this de
partment to give these unfortunate people a “square deal,'’ so as to
eiiauil' IIHMII IU L( \\ UUlliUS 111 IJIU Stilt* U1 Ull il 1U1 1UC1 puiCta Ui
abode, which, be it understood, were erected with the knowledge of
this department, instead of issuing the harsh notice that “the owners
must remove the houses before July 15, or they will be destroyed.'’*
This department gave these people a harsh deal whe'n it compelled
them to move before. The removal did not lessen the evil; it served no
useful purpose whatever. It simply and only put these unfortunate
women to a considerable extra expense.
For what particular purpose does the government wish to employ
this specific area? Heaven knows, there is plenty of unoccupied land
about here to supply all present and prospective uses. Why must these
abodes lx* removed within such a short time. What's the haste! Why
not give the owners a year to remove them, or until the winter season
sets in. so that they can be removed in the only seasonable time of the
jear to haul them about, and that is, when snow is on the ground.
How inharmonious it sounds in these days of strict conservation
fora government official to talk about “destroying'’ buildings just be
cause* they are not removed from a given area within a given time, es
pecially when the land on which they are located is far-removed from
the town limits and has no particular value. These are not the times
to talk about destroying anything that has value; anything that it has
taken hard labor to manufacture and build.
Is the government afraid that these women will seek to re-enter
the segregated area which has been closed, aftei* a time, and again ply
their unholy calling? It occurs to us that there are plenty of deputy
marshals about to see to this, and if not, why let's get some more.
A CURIOUS ANOMALY.
One of the curious anomalies of the present war, which has been i
called the greatest destroyer in the world's history, has been the addi
tion of many thousands of dollars to the national wealth of the United *
States, through the utilization of fish foods which were thrown away i
as worthless until necessity demanded their conservation. Fishing com
munities on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts and even on the inter- i
ior lakes have found their incomes augmented materially by the public i
readiness to eat fish, which formerly was regarded with prejudice ;
through ignorance of the food’s tastiness and nutriment. 1
The radical change which has been wrought by the war in the fish
ing industry is reflected in the Fisheries Service bulletin, published by ,
the bureau of fisheries of the department of commerce. Instead of be
ing confined solely to items concerning salmon, shad, cod and other
fishes which have had a ready sale, the bulletin devotes much space
. also to news concerning the catch of pole flounders, sharks, rays, skates,
carp, grapfish. which formerly rejoiced in the uninviting name of dog
fish. and other types of water food. Regarding the pole flounder, or
gray sole, the bulletin records that it was virtually unknown as food
prior to the fall of 1916. As a result of the bureau’s food conservation
campaign, which taught the value of the flounder and attractive ways
to prepare it, demand for the fish increased until last season there were
35 boats taking flounders to the New England markets. Carp abounds
in interior lakes. An agent of the bureau was sent to St. Louis, Kansas
City, Omaha, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Milwaukee, Chicago and Indian
apolis to stimulate the use of fish. A bulletin containing recipes for
cooking carp was prepared. State commissions of Minnesota, Wiscon
sin and Indiana co-operated in the work. The result was a greatly in
creased demand for carp, which continued to grow in favor as the pub
lic become acquainted with its value. More than 1,300,000 pounds of
carp were sold from Minnesota lakes, and in Milwaukee the weekly
consumption reached 25,000 pounds.
On the Pacific coast there is a growing demand for sharps, rays and
v hales. Sharks sell for 10 to 12 cents a pound. It said to be especially
lelicious when salted or smoked. Numerous canneries have undertaken
o preserve the meat.
ALASKA NEEDS CAPITAL.
r ~
What this great, undeveloped country needs is outside capital for
the development of its potential resources. Wc who have lived in Alas
ka for any length of time know that the latent resource's are here. There
U no question about that. But it requires capital to make these native
resources into producing industries. We have potential wealth in gold,
copper, silver-lead and other mineral and metal products. We have
coal and oil fields of commercial importance. We have the greatest fish
banks in the known world. We have furs in abundances.
But it takes money to develop these resources, and the money must
come, for the most part, from the states. The prospector whose time
is employed in seeking metals or minerals is a poor man, otherwise he
ivould not undergo the hardships incident to his vocation. When he
locates a lode, lead or deposit of metal or mineral, it does him no good
unless he can find means with which to put his discovery on a paying
basis. Indeed, it is a source of expense to him, in the way of keeping
up the annual assessment work required by law, unless he can secure
financial aid to develop his property.
So with the fishing and like industries. The fine food fishes inhab
it the waters of Alaska in great abundance. There is now, and there
will continue to be, a market for all of these products that may be pack
ed and shipped outside. It is a profitable business. But it requires
the expenditure of money to establish the required plants and purchase
the necessary equipment to put such an industry on a producing basis.
We know of no better propositon anywhere than a fish-producing plant
in Alaska. When you produce things that people eat, you are in a bus
iness that is profitable, as a general rule.
The fishing business is good now and it will continue to be good,
because of the shortages of red meats in the states. The vast cattle
ranges of the western states are being cut up in farms and this has nat
urally curtailed to a substantial degree the meat product of the nation.
We see immense opportunities for capital by investing in legitimate
fishing industries in Alaska, and there is no better time to do it than
now, when the nation is crying out for additional food jvroducts.
We have no sympathy with those who howl against capital. We
are not advocating any monopolies, or anything of that sort, but we
•an’t expect capital to come to the country unless it has the assurance
that it will be given a “square deal.” If this country is to gain a pop
ulation of any size at all, its resources must be developed to a far
greater extent than they have in the past. Indeed, this big country has
scarcely been scratched as yet. But it takes money to make them pro
ducers of wealth.
WELL MAY THEY BE AFRAID.
The dispatches today tell us that the German high command fears
the advent on the fighting front in France of the American forces. We
i*an well believe this statement. Of course, the German newspaper
and certain German statesmen have been industriously employed in rid
iculing and scoffing at American entry into the war. But this ridicul
ing and this scoffing may be likened to the actions of the small boy
who whistles in the dark in an effort to keep up his courage. He is
none the less frightened, but .hg makes a noise just the same in an at
tempt to convince himself that he is not scared. But he is scared, just
the same, and the vocal demonstration is but the employment of cam
•ullage.
With the advent of a million American fighting men—and the
best fighting men in the world—on the battle front in France, thing1*
will be different. Just along this line, we are permitted to reproduce,
in part, a letter from an American soldier in France. It follows:
“We had a lot of American engineers with us on the great ad
vance, and they sure distinguished themselves in a way which will not
be forgotten by the Canadians, and they think we are about the most
daring troops going. You won’t hear it in the newspapers, but it was
our Canadians and Australians and American troops which stopped th<*
great advance. We stood like a stone wall, and our losses were heavy.
(References to losses in his division were deleted by censor). This is
ray third wound, and if need be I will take another chance with “Fi
I got a military medal while in France. 1 don't know how L won it.
mt they gave it to me anyway.”
GEORGE WAS DISAPPOINTED.
At the first session of the Alaska legislative assembly*after George
Li. Grigsby had assumed the office of attorney-general of the territory
>y appointment of Governor J. F. A. Strong, he caused a bill to be
ntroduced increasing the yearly salary of the office from five thousand
o seven thousand dollars. George evidently figured that if the gov
ernor of the territory draws a salary of $7,500 a year and the judges of 1
he respective divisions of Alaska draw a similar amount, he, the great j
ittorney genral, should draw, at the very least, the sum of $7,000.
Under the hypnotic influence of the genial George, the lower house
>f the legislature readily assented to the increase. This lower house
ippeared to be prolific with the funds of the people.
But the senate was not subject to the hypnotic influence. The
reen, steady gaze of the attorney-general affected not the members of
he upper house. When this little item proposing the increase in the <
ittorney-general’s salary came up for consideration before the senate, i
Jeorge, with a benign look on his handsome countenance, was at hand,
:o sec tjjat there was no slip, or anything of that sort. But the senators
ippeared to be more careful of the people’s funds. The result was that
hey just eliminated the item with respect to the increase in the attor
ley-general’s salary. Whereupon, George turned to a spectator sitting
Reside him, and said, “There, that knocks me out of eight thousand
iollars of MY money!”—with the accent on the “MY.”
ANCHORAGE DOETH ALL THINGS WELL.
The patriotic demonstration last evening, to honor the hundred
registrants who will depart on the steamer Admiral Farragut, en route
to Fort William H. Seward, there to formally join the United States
army, was a decided success. It was a fitting tribute to the boys who
are to represent Anchorage and the Cook Inlet country in the nation’s
military service.
Following the fine parade of military and civic bodies, including
the registrants, the crowd assembled in the big labor temple, generous
ly donated for the purpose by the Alaska Labor Union, where the for
mal ceremonies were held. A jolly dance brought to a harmonious end
the auspicious occasion.
As a farewell greeting to these boys, on the part of the people, we
ean do nothing better than to say, “God be with you till we meet
again! ’ ’
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 1918.
FAREWELL TO THE BOYS.
Tonight there will be a patriotic demonstration by the people of
Anchorage, to honor the boys who are about to depart to enter the hign
md honorable service of the United States army. They are going to
fight, and to die, if need be, in the sacred cause of freedom and liberty
throughout the inhabited world. They are going in response to the call
>t the great American government, and they go freely and willingly.
Pile greater number of these valiant boys are not native-born citizens
the United States, but they are none the less patriotic on that ac
count. Many of them come from nations that are at war with the
Nuns; some of them come from the countries that are neutral. But no
matter from whence they originally come, they are going to fight the
Huns, and that is sufficient for us. They are to be treated with the
$ame friendly spirit, the same consideration, the same courtesy, that
kve extend to the boys who are of our own llesh and blood, on the high
ground that they are taking the initiatory steps to make a sacrifice—
possibly the supreme sacrifice—in behalf of the United States and in
behalf of our noble fillies who are waging war on the central powers.
The great world war now waging will affect the material for
tunes, in one way or another, of every individual that walks this old
earth. None are immune from its effects; none can escape its respon
sibilities; none can get beyond its influences.
Not for a moment do we dohbt the result; not for a moment do we
shudder at the portent; not for a moment are we oppressed with the
thought of defeat. That word is not in our category. The entry of
the great and powerful republic of the west—the United States—has
settled the ultimate decision, far in the future though it may be. The
cruel enemy may gain a fleeting victory or two before the war is over,
although wre are unwilling to admit that much. But the United States
and our allied arms are going to win this war. Right and justice are % .
going to prevail, as sure as there is a God sitting in judgment in the
heavens above. It is useless to theorize on what might occur should
the Huns be successful in this war, because that w'ould be a tacit admis
sion that there is a possibility of German success. We hold that it is
not even a debatable question, because we have faith to believe that
l ight and justice throughout the world, though delayed for a time, must
eventually prevail.
While we must not for a single moment relax in our efforts to wage
our most powerful fight against the Huns and the allies of the Huns,
signs are not wanting that Austria and Hungary are about to “blow
up,” to employ a figure of speech. There is going to be a revolution in
the dual monarchy ere many moons shall have passed. The peoples of
the dual monarchy are going to destroy, from within, as we are going
to destroy from without, the militaristic powers that are enthroned in
those neighboring countries.
But despite internecine troubles in Austria and Hungary, we must
keep on fighting until terms satisfactory to the United States and to
the entente allies shall have been signed, sealed and delivered. Then
peace will be restored, and not till then.
We shall fight till the fight is done.
“HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE.”
Wo wish that we could employ words almost divine to fittingly
picture the war relief work of one ,good woman of this community, who
is setting an example of whole-hearted devotion to duty that affords
such an inspiration to others of her sex. This noble woman has given
her two sons to the cause—one to the army, the other to the navy. She
is duly represented at the fighting front. But she has not been con
tent with the giving of her own flesh and blood to humanity's cause,
^hc herself is serving the nation, in one of its most useful and helpful
activities. She employs her time in knitting sweaters and socks and
other warm, comfortable wearables for the boys in the trenches and for
the boys who go down to the sea in ships. Her record in production of
knitted goods far surpasses that of any other woman in town. We say
this, not in reflection upon the splendid work of other women, but be
cause we believe such exceptional and efficient service is worthy of the
highest commendation and should be appreciated. It cannot be ade
quately appreciated unless all our people know about it. In making
this observation about Mrs. Dorwin of Anchorage, we are but voicing
the sentiments of the good women who are industriously employed in
lie same line of endeaver and feel that such unusual zeal and such de
motion to the nation's relief work should not go unrecorded.
One poet has said that “Woman is the noblest work of the Cre
ator.” The case under consideration lends credence to the poet's ideal
istic phrase.
THE BOLSHEVIKI PARTY.
All well-wishers of Russia are in hopes that the United States and
he allies may find it advisable to lend aid and encouragement to Alex
ander F. Kerensky, the courageous and able Russian leader who is seek
ing the overthrow of the Bolsheviki rule in that sorely tried and strick
en land, to the end that order may be brought out of chaos, and that
the great nation of Russia may again take its stand along with the
nations that are fighting the central powers.
The dispatches tell us that the Cossack hetmen, Ivorniloff and
[valedines, aided by German troops, have gained possession of the city
)f Moscow, and that the Grand Duke Nicholas has been proclaimed
miperor, with the despicable Lenine as his right hand man, and that
the dreamer Trotzky has fled the scene. How far-reaching this coup
may be, is a matter of conjecture only, in view of the limited informa
tion concerning it. We had been lead to believe that the Cossacks,
Ivorniloff and Kaledines, were bitterly opposed to the Germans. It may
be, however, that they were more bitter against the Bolsheviki party in
Russia and employed the German troops as a means to an end. But this
is roaming in the realm of the imaginary and the conjectural, and has
no specific foundation other than the mere reported opposition of the
I’ossaeks to the Germans. If the Cossacks and the Germans have in
feed formed a coalition, the logical result will be that the new govern
ment in Russia will aid the Germanic cause, if not in men, in war mater
ials and foodstuffs that may be available.
The dispatches again tell us that Prof. Mieloukoff and Guchkoff,
who were prominent in Russian affairs following the revolution, are
heading a counter revolution in Russia. It is believed that they are
working by a pre-arranged plan with Kerensky, their former colleague.
Experience has proved that the Bolsheviki party has failed
miserably in its efforts to “rule” Russia. The leaders seem wholly un
fit and entire incapable of bringing order out of chaos. Conditions have
*rown frpm bad to worse. It is idle to hope for relief from this element.
In this dilemna, the true friends of Russia turn to Kerensky, a man
who enjoys the confidence and the respect of the people of that country,
as the only hope for the salvation of that vast nation, so prolific in re
sources, if adequately developed.