WASHINGTON, June 1.—There is
almost no trace of the horrors of war
in Plane News, a newspaper edited
and printed by soldiers of the Ameri
can Experitionar.v force in France.
The war anniversary issue, dated “On
Active Service, April (5, 1918,” re
ceived here .recently, tells of min
strels and vaudeville, symphony con
certs and literary contests, and the
little every-day complaints of the
men of the aviation corps.
For those Americans back home
who grow weary in well doing, the
newspaper is one grand tonic of op
timism. Stretching across the top
of the first of the paper’s four pages
is the paraphrase of Secretary Red
field’s famous letter to his bureau
chiefs:
“Forget how things were done be
fore the war. Eliminate red tape.
We must learn with the Germans
that the war won’t wait. Delay is the
kaiser’s ally.”
The corps is proud of what has
been accomplished in the first yeai of
war. Prominence is given in the
paper to an official communication
from Brigadier General B. D. l*ou
Jois, chief of the air service, to Lieu
tenant Colonel Walter G. Kilner, com
manding officer ot the post, saying
that the progress made has met with
high approval from both Secretary
Baker, whose picture, sketched by an
army artist, appears on another page,
and General Pershing. An article
reviewing the tremendous expansion
of the signal corps, appears under the
signature of Cadet William B. Stone,
of Kansas City, Mo., formerly of the
San Francisco and Chicago offices of
The Associated Press, in which he
quotes :i high officer as declaring
confidently:
“When the American airplanes are
ready for the front, we will have pi
lots to drive them.
But it is with the recreation of the
students and pilots that the paper is
chiefly concerned. William Janau
shek, of New York, doing Y. M. C. A.
work with the army, organized a
minstrel show among the aviation
cadets which was pronounced without
an equal among A. E. F. shows.
From rag-time the paper turns to
concertos for diversion. A 75-piece
symphony oK-hestra is being organ
ized under the leadership of Lieuten
ant Von Ezdorf. When music palls,
there is wrestling, with trophies for
the champions. For the less brawny,
literary contests are provided with
prizes for the funniest poem and the
funniest story dealing with army
life.
Professional players also are in
France to help the hoys in their fight
by giving them wholesome amuse
ment. Elsie Jar,is was booked to
appear twice at the main “Y.”
Then there are numerous informal
notes about some of the personnel,
which perhaps never were intended
to percolate back to the states. Un
der the caption of “What a Uniform
can do,” the exploits of “Harvey.
48th,” are recounted. It is alleged
that he receives thirteen letters daily
and openly boasts that he has a girl
in Columbus, San Antonio, Arkansas
City, St. Louis. Toledo, Cleveland,
Erie, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse,
New York Brooklyn and I-. For
some reason, the name of the last
town was camouflaged by dashes.
“The Height of Misfortune” has
been found by the camp paragrapher.
He records: “An officer and a cadet
in this post, correspond with the same
girl hack home, and said officer cen
sors the cadet’s mail.”
The tragedy of war has found the
reflection, however, in the midst of
the merrymaking. Touched by the
sufferings of the people among whom
they are living, the boys have adopt
ed several French war orphans.
Chronicling the fact that “Plane
News” has adopted an orphan,” the
paper says: “The boys, from the
skipper right down to the printer’s
devil, have contributed to the support
•of the little French ‘demoiselle.’ ”
The managing editor of “Plane
News” is Captain F. Kearney.
APPOINTMENTS DELAYED.
JUNEAU, June 3.—The governor’s
office anounces that no appointments
have as yet been made to fill the va
cancies caused by the resignations of
Game Warden Ericson, in the Anchor
age district, and Game Warden
Aldrich in the Nom<? district. The
governor expects to announce the ap
pointments in a few days. There are
numerous applicants for the positions.
Probably there is nothing that em
barrasses a sporty young man sa
much as to have a mother who tries
to dress that way.
MOSCOW, May 31.—Peasant oppo-l
I sition to the invasion of Ukraine by j
I Germans daily grows more serious.!
| The peasant population in various!
parts of Ukraine are destroying for-:
jests, burning buildings and hindering j
in every possible way the Germans j
from commandeering food products:
I for import to German and Austria-;
i Hungary. Poltavia appears to be j
the center of the revolt. The peas-1
j ants are armying themselves to offer j
resistance and have already organized
detachments of fighting men, well j
j armed with machine guns and otherj
necessary equipment. The German ■
troops on the scene are employing
j artillery to put down the rioting. I
The German commander has sent for;
reinforcements, admitting his inabil-!
icy to handle the serious situation
with the present force.
WANTED UKRAINE PRODUCTS.
AMSTERDAM, May 29.—The im
perial vice-chancellor, Freidrich von
Payer, speaking before the main com- J
mittee of the reichstag yesterday, at
tempted to justify Germany’s use of
the iron hand in Ukraine during the
past few days, where, he declared,
prominent Ukrainians, under the ti
tle of the committee of safety, had
been caught planning the assassina
tion of all German officers.
“The Germans entered the Uk
raine,” said the vice-chancellor, “at
; the express wish of the Ukrainian
government for the purpose of re
storing order. But there were also
other grounds. We had a lively in
terest in getting foodstuffs as speed
ily as possible. The general idea
then was that great quantities of
foodstuffs could be procured in the
Ukraine, and the Ukrainians under
took to deliver at least 1,000.000 tons
by August 1. The Rada, however,
had no means of insisting on the de
livery of the grain by the population.
The Germans, therefore, had to con
cern themselves with obtaining deliv
! cries in accordance with the treaty.
“Our activity in this direction has
been to a certain extent a source of
discontent. The recent organization
of the Ukrainian government has
i nothing to do with the decree issued
bv General von Eichhorn (command
♦
: er of the German army group in Rus
sia) relative to the sowing of crops,
nor with the arrest of members of
, the government.
“This reorganization is purely a
Ukrainian affair with which we are
not concerned. The Rada has recent
ly lost ground, to an increasing ex
■ tent. It undoubtedly had the merit
| of having created the Ukrainian state
land giving it peace. But stubborn
| adherence to communistic theories
that have gained no sympathy among
1 the peasant population, which is at
tached to the soil, seems to have
! been principally responsible for
bringing about its end.
“The field sowing decree was issued
because opposition to the proposed
land expropriation created the dan
I ger that a great part of the soil
would remain uncultivated and that
the Ukraine thereby would be unable
to fulfill her obligations toward us.
“The interests of our people, there
fore were at stake. The Ukrainian
government was powerless to fulfill
its obligations. Moreover, the decree
was not addressed to the Ukrainian
people, but to the German military
authorities.
“Measures have now been taken
that in all affairs of political import
I since our military commanders must
| only act in collaboration with the
j German minister.”
WAR MAY END WITH
WILSON IN EUROPE
PARIS, May 31.—A visitto Europe
by President Wilson “as our supreme
war lord for peace by victory" may
bring the final decision in the war,
says Paul Hyacinthe Loyson, editor of
the Rights of Man, in a statement
prepared for the Associated Press con
cerning the American labor delegation
which has just completed its visit to
France.
M. Loyson attaches the greatest im
portance to the moral support given
| by America to France, and states that
the action of the socialists, who as
sured the Americans they would have
no part in an international socialist
conference in which representatives
of enemy countries participated, was
of deepest signficance. He calls it
the greatest political event in Europe
since the Russian revolution.
COURT ADJOURNS TOMORROW.
VALDEZ, May 31.—The term of
the district court adjourns tomorrow.
Judge Brown will soon after depart
on a trip to the states.
NEW YORK, May 31.—With the
excellent war-time, showing, made by
the college athletes at the Pennsyl
vania relay carnival, as a basis for
optimism, followers of track and field
sports are predicting interesting com
petition at the intercollegiate cham
pionships to be held at Philadelphia,
at the end of the month. While it is
recognized that there is little proba
bility of record entries or perform
ances it is expected that the cards
and contests will compare favorably
with the I. C. A. A. A. A. games of
the past, when the present unusual
and unsettled conditions are taken
into consideration.
Although the entries have not been
closed as yet, it is generally under
stood that the largest number will
probably come from the University of
Pennsylvania; the University of
Pittsburg and Cornell university,
with a lesser number from a major
ity of the other members of the as
sociation. At the present time twen
ty-eight colleges and universities hold
membership in the I. C. A. A. A. A.,
including the two Pacific Coast insti
tutions, California and Stanford. It
is not expected that either of these
universities will be represented at the
coming games. As a result there will
be an absence of intersectional com
petition unless Michigan should elect
to enter a team, which appears un
likely in view of the Wolverines’ re
entry into the western conference.
If the performances at the Univer
sity of Pennsylvania relays can be
taken as a criterion it appears cer
tain that while the various contests
will be close, there will be few exist
ing marks in danger. Among the col
lege squads there are some athletes
of exceptional ability, such as Dres
ser, the two miler of Cornell and My
ers. pole vaulter of Dartmouth, but it
is doubtful if there will be enough
high-class opposition to force per
formers of this type to extend them
selves to the limit necessary to bet
ter the existing times or distances of
the intercollegiate association.
There has also been some discus
sion as to the feasibility of permit
ting freshmen to compete at the big
meet in order to increase the size of
the fields but such a move is not
likely to eventuate. While there is
nothing in the rules of the 1. C. A. A.
A. A., to prevent the entry of a
freshman, providing he has not won
a place in an open competition pre
vious to or during his freshman year,
a large majority of the colleges have
a self-imposed freshmen rule which
bars the first year students from com
peting on ’varsity teams and it is not
at all likely that the bars will be let
down at this time.
This is particularly true as athletic
activity and training have been con
siderably curtailed at all the colleges
and it is doubtful if the average
freshman athlete has been able to de
vote the necessary time for the in
tensive training which would be re
quired before the trainer would dare
risk his entry among the older and
better prepared competitors.
In fact the war and the resultant
college changes have placed an entire
ly new aspect upon the college ath
letics and competition. There is not
a single institution in any part of the
country which has the time to devote
to sport, or the number of candidates
which under normal conditions vie
for places upon the various teams.
This is fully illustrated in the case of
the University of Pennsylvania which
has been an adrent advocate of the
continuation of sport even under the
restrictions and handicaps that pre
vail.
The position of Pennsylvania can
be gathered from a recent statement
of the department of physical educa
tion. showing the number of under
graduates actively engaged in some
form of athletics has been reduced in
almost every branch of sport. The
exceptions are swimming, soccer and
rifle practice.
In 1017 there were 3,371 students
engaged in some form of athletics
recognized by the university. This
year the number is reduced to 2,362.
Football, baseball, track events, row
ing and basketball, the so-called ma
jor sports, all show a decided falling
off, the greatest drop being basket
ball, in which the number was more
than cut in half.
The gymnastic team was the hard
est hit this year, the number dropping
from nineteen to three. Of the real
sports, soccer and swimming both
showed considerable increase, while
the rifle club, as might have been ex
pected, nearly doubled. Golf nearly
held its own, but comparatively few
students engage in this sport.
The wages of sin may be paid in
money or in alimony.
EYE_SIGHT
WASHINGTON, D. C., May 31.—
The gas-cloud, the bayonet thragt, and
the bullet wound have caused many a
repetition in the war of the familiar
story of the “Light that Failed.” But
among the thousands of combatants
whose blindness will ever through
their lives prove a poignant sacrifice
is one who almost miraculously has
recovered his sight. And, as an in
spiring sequel to the story of his
physical rehabilitation, the victim has
announced his intention of going back
to the trenches.
It was in the fierce fighting before
Gallipoli in 1915 that Thomas Skeyhill,
a singnaller in the Anzac forces, Avas
instantly blinded by the blast of an
exploding shell. Following a terrific
bombardment from the Franco-British
fleets that succeeded in silencing the
Turkish forts at the entrance to the
Dardaneles, thousands of Irish, Aus
tralians and New Zearlanders with
British and French troops landed in
an effort to sweep past the defenses of
the Peninsula and take Constanti
nople.
The world knows the story. For
nearly a year the allies forces strove
valiantly to take defenses that proved
impregnable. Thousands of lives were
sacrificed, and many bodies were
maimed by the withering fire that
came from the foe’s positions on the
hilltops. It was in December, 1915,
just about a month before the allies
carried out their splendidly successful
evacuation that the light was taken
from Skeyhill's eyes.
Months of service had given Skey
hill a deep insight into the motives
that had induced has comrades to sac
rifice gladly their lives. Incapacitated
for further fighting, he sought to
preach the gospel of the allied effort
| from the platform and through the
press. Although barely over his ma
jority—he enlisted at the age of nine
teen—he soon became known as a
powerfully effective lecturer. His
speeches were instrumental in rallying
hosts of Australia's manpower to the
colors, and his verse, published under
ihe title of “Soldiers’ Songs of Anzac”
caused him to be popularly known
through the Antipodes as the “blind
soldier poet.”
Recently he left Australia where his
name has became a household word,
to come to America for a series of lec
tures in the interests of the Red Cross.
His first addresses at San Francisco
I were heard by more than 150,000 peo
ple. He met with similar successes in
Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver and fin
ally in the national capital.
Although suffering from his phys
ical disabilites, Skeyhill announced
his intention of inaugurating an in
dividual drive with the object of rais
ing a million dollars for the Red Cross.
He had been afflicted with violent
headaches for more than a month. In
San Francisco he had been obliged to
go to a hospital, in Reno he had Med
nearly to death from hemorrages, and
in Washington he suffered greatly
from pains in his neck.
A Washington specilist found that
the vertebrae at the base of SkeybiTs
neck had been dislocated in three
places, presumably by the shock that
had blinded him. A simple osteopathic
operation was undertaken, and as the
vertebrae were snapped back into
positon the sight returned to the
soldier’s eyes. It was explained by
the physician that the displaced bone
had impaired blood circulation and
nerve connections with the eye center?
of the brain.
As the realization came to Skeyhill
that the darkness that had hung over
him for more than two years had been
dispeled, he became seized with an
ecstatic joy that nearly unhinged his
mind. His mind became a blank con
cerning the years that had elapsed
since his injury, and he imagined him
self back in the bayonet charge in
which he had been wounded. His con
dition became so acute that he was re
moved to a hospital, but after a
night’s sleep he regained his mental
poise.
Skeyhill immediately after the oper
ation was able to see objects with per
fect clarity, but for several days was
afflicted with color blindness. This
rapidly is disappearing, and his sight
is expected to be as good as ever in a
short tme. His case is believed to be
the first in which a complete cure of
shell-shock has been effected.
The soldier-poet will complete his
work in the Red Cross drive, and then
will try to rejoin his Anzac comrades
in the trenches overseas.
VISCOUNT ASTOR IS FINED.
LONDON, June 3.—Viscount Astor
has been fined $50 for “causing petrol
to be used unlawfully.” The chauffeur
• of his care was fined $10.
SLUTER, REED
T,
VALDEZ, May 31.—The returns
thus far filed in the district clerk’s
office show that H. A. Slater, of Cor
dova; J. M. Murray, of McCarthy; J.
L. Reed, of Valdez, and J. Lindley i
Green, of Seward, have been nominat- j
ed by the republicans for candidates
of the lower house in the Alaska leg
islative assembly in the Third judicial
division. The votes stand in the order
given. Green is ten votes ahead of |
Arthur Thompson of Anchorage.
For road commissioner in this divi-1
sion, the indications point to the nom- j
ination of James L. Galen of Cordova j
over Harvey L. Sullivan and Edward j
Wood, both of Valdez. Galen leads ;
Sullivan by nine votes.
Nine precincts in the division have j
not been heard from, namely: Chog- j
giung, Nushagak and Naknek, in the !
Bristol bay region; McDougal, in the |
Cache creek country; Nelilchik, on I
Cook inlet, and Ilamna. It is feared
that most of these precincts held no
primary election and that the results
as above noted will not be changed by
the complete returns. v
HONOLULU JUDGE KICKS
OUT RECALCITRANT JURORS
HONOLULU, June 1.—Eight petit
jurors in the United States district
court in this city who were engaged
in the trial of the case of Mrs. Alesa
Bolton, accused of having sold liquor
to soldiers in uniform, were summari
ly discharged by United States Judge
Horace W. Vaughn yesterday as un
fit to service.
Judge Vaughn’s drastic action was
taken when the jury, which had heard
the evidence and arguments, came
into court and reported it was unable
to agree. The judge asked how the
vote stood. Eight for acquittal to
four for conviction, the foremen re
plied.
Judge Vaughn then demanded the
names of the eight jurors who had
voted for acquittal, and they were
furnished by the foreman. The court"
promptly ordered that these men be
dismissed from service on the petit
jury.
“I want to say to these jurors that
this is a perfectly clear case,” said
Judge Vaughn. “You have allowed
the defendant’s attorney to influence
you against the government, and I
won’t have men of that kind on my
jury.”
Judge Vaughn’s summary action
created a sensation in Honolulu, as
several of the jurors whom he dis
charged are men prominent in social
and commercial life in the city.
SUSITNA MAKES GOOD
RECORD IN DONATIONS
SUSITNA, June 1. — The white
population of Susitna consists of
about twelve people. . The post office
shows the sale of $1,844.85 war certi
ficate stamps and one liberty bond
sale of $500, besides other contribu
tions during the winter. Red Cross
donations during the recent drive
were as follows: John J. Kelly, Mrs.
W. A. Johnson, William Dennison,
Melvin Severson, Chris Hansen and
Mike Murphy each gave a dollar;
Katherine G. Kane and Loretta Gran
ahan each contributed $1.50, and the
natives of the village donated $5.
K. G. Iv.
WOMEN STUDENTS IN
GERMANY INCREASE
AMSTERDAM, June 3.—The num
ber of women students at the great
German universities has increased
about one-third during the war. At
the eleven Prussian universities the
number of women is now 3,290, as
compared wfith 2,300 in 1914.
SELL CLAIMS FOR $25,000.
IDITAROD, May 31.—B. Smith and
Frank Lott have sold their claims in
the Good News bay region to Curley
Smith and Joe Jean for $25,000. The
gold creek in that district was discov
eerd by an Eskimo named Walterman,
for whom the creek is named. He
took out $13,000 in a few months.
CAMOUFLAGE.
When skinny woman stoops to folly
I And stuffs her stocking calves with
hay,
She finds out to her melancholy
That horses follow her each day.
—(Luke McLuke).)
When horses are so greatly tempted,
What soul is there to say them
neigh ?
And jassacks too, are not exempted—
They often follow with their bray.
—(Walton (Ga.) Tribune.)
LINCOLN, England, May 1 —
(Correspondence of the Associated
Press.)—King George’s first inspec
tion of American airmen in training
was made this week at a British aero
drome near here, where a squadron
of American aviators is working with
British pilots. One of the young
British officers at this camp is
Prince Albert, and the King and
Queen Mary had run down from Lon
don to see how their airman son was
getting on.
During the inspection on the par
ade ground the king spoke with sev
eral of the American officers. The
aerodrome is a finishing school for
pilots of both airplanes and balloons.
Pilots go there after passing through
their preliminary course, and are
taught to loop, roll and dive, and to
become expert in the many other
varieties of aerobatics which a^e the
mark of the expert flying man.
Later they complete their educa
tion writh courses on meteorology and
the theory of flight, and finally pass
on to a gunnery school and qualify
for the rank of lieutenant. In sum
mer, if the weather is favorable, the
recruit can go throught the full pro
gram in about ten weeks.
The king and queen, in the course
of about an hour, saw machines and
buildings and apparatus none of
which was dreamed of three years
ago. Special attention was given to
a giant Handley-Page machine which
rested on a tarmac at the edge of the
aerodrome.
The king, after donning a linen
duster, climbed into the pilot’s seat
and the mechanism was explained to
him by British and American offi
cers.
RED CROSS WAR FUND
DANCE AT MATANUSKA
A very successful dance was given
at the agricultural experiment station
by the Matanuska Red Cross on last
Saturday evening, under the direction
of Miss Lindley Welch, chairman of
the finance committee. The big living
room was cleared for dancing and card
tables were ai’rangea in the other
rooms.
Supper was served at midnight and
following this the work and needs of
the Red Cross were briefly presented
by Mrs. F. E. Rader who was in charge
of the drive for Matanuska. Two pairs
of socks were auctioned, one being
contributed by Miss Welch and one by
Mr. Martin Lickwald.
Mr. James St. Clair acted as floor
manager and autcioneer and the music
! was furnished by a five-piece or
’ chestra.
The total proceeds of the drive—
seventy-eight dollars was turned in to
Chairman Sidney Anderson on Tues
! day.
PROFESSIONAL CARDS
DR. A. W. LUEDERS
DISEASES OF
Men and Women.
626 4th Ave. - - Anchorage
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Notary Public.
Bolte Bldg. - Anchorage, Alaska
L. V. RAY
LAWYERS
Lathrop Bldg., Anchorage, Ala
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CIGARS, TOBACCO AND
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