The Cordova Daily Times
VOLUME TWO. NUMBER 419. CORDOVA, ALASKA, THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 20, 1916. PRICE TEN CENTS,
■PRESIDENT ADDRESSES CONGRESS
.. . — i i - - • " ' - ■ .
HIS LAST WORD ON QUESTION
Special by Associated Press.
WASHINGTON. April 19. — Whei
President Wilson addressed the join
session of Congress regarding the
state of this country's diplomatic re
lations with Germany, he faced e
packed house, every member of botl
houses who was in the city and abl«
to attend being present. When tlx
president arose at the right of th«
speaker's rostrum, the interest wai
intense, and not a sound could b<
heard throughout the great hall. H«
was listened to attentively, and ap
plause interrupted him only once* un
til he had finished, when the entir<
assemblage cheered the chief execu
tive, all the members and spectator.1
standing. The demonstration testi
fied to the loyalty and patriotism o
Congress, and the bodies will un
doubtedly stand unitely behind Wilsoi
and the cabinet in any foreign crisis
which may arise over the submarim
controversy.
Wilson did not read his message tc
Germany, but discussed it frankly
saying that he had told the Berlii
diplomats that the United States wai
firm in its demands that the illega
warfare on merchant ships carrying
American citizens be discontinued
Wilson said that he had given Ger
many in this last message, irrevocable
notification that the United States
would break off diplomatic relations
with Berlin if the illegal submarine
campaign was persisted In by Ger
many.
in his talk the president asked Con
gress to take no action on the matter
but simply Informed the members of
the accumulation of facts which the
state department had collected which
■ proved that the previous assurances
given by Germany were being vio
lated by the submarine commanders
of the Teuton navy, despite the earn
i est protests of the United States. He
1 said that after arriving at an agree
ment, limiting the scope of the sub
marines' activity, their use in the
i present European war has been con
tinued apparently unrestricted, and
with renewed activity in contravention
of all the laws of nations and the rules
of humanity. In concluding, he said
that the final continuance of friendly
relations between this government
and Germany depended solely upon
Germany’s conduct and her reply to
the note. Words and promises alone
would no longer suffice. Germany
must show by her actions that the
lives of neutrals, exercising their
' rights by traveling on the merchant
ships of a belligerent will not unneees
< sarily be put in peril.
j WASHINGTON, April 19. — The
! most important quotation from the
president's address to the joint session
of Congress on the submarine crisis
I witli Germany is as follows: ‘‘1 have
! deemed it my duly to say to the Ger
man government that if it still ad
herea in its purpose to prosecute a
relentless and indiscriminate war on
the merchant shipping of the enemies,
that the government of the United
States is at last forced to the conclu
sion that there is but one course which
it can pursue. Unless the German,
government should now immediately!
declare, and at once put into effect its!
abandonment of Its present methods
of warfare against passenger and
freight carrying vessels, this govern
ment can have no choice but to sever
diplomatic relations altogether."
Washington, April is. — when
the president concluded his address
to Congress, with the expression of
a hope that Germany would so act as
to avert a regrettable break with the
United States, the body broke into
cheers. Wilson spoke just fifteen
minutes, being only once interrupted
by applause, and the members re
fleeted the gravity of the situation in
the earnest attention with which they
listened to the chief executive's re
marks. On concluding, the first rip
ple of applause started on the Demo
• ratio side of the House, but the Re
publican members joined at once. The
Democrats rose in their seats and soon
tlie entire membership was standing j
and cheering, accompanied by the]
people in the galleries, where all avail ]
able space was occupied.
WASHINGTON, April 19. — The!
president's note to Germany, warning |
tDo Berlin foreign office that all dip j
lcmatic relations between the two
countries will he severed unless the
submarine attacks on merchant ves
sels carrying American citizens lie at
once stopped, amounts practically to
an ultimatum, although the note sets
j no time in which a reply will be re
ceived. On the contrary, it demands
an immediate answer. Wilson eon
ferred at the White House today with
Senator Stone, of Missouri, Senatoi
Lodge, of Massachusetts, and Kepre
sentatlve Cooper, of Wisconsin, thf
ranking Republican and Democratic
members of the foreign affairs com
inittees of the Senate and the House
Lodge and Cooper are Republicans.
WASHINGTON, April lit. — The
reason why the president went before
Congress to consult the legislators or
the state of the nation's relations with
Germany over the submarine contro
versy was that while as president hf
has authority to break off diplomatic
relations with foreign countries, Con
gress alone has the power to declare
war. There has been only one in
stance in modern history when f
breaking off of diplomatic relation!
was not followed by a declaration ol
war.
WASHINGTON. Vpril IS. — Secre
tary Lansing informed Bernstorf
this afternoon that he- would be roach
tomorrow te) discuss the submarine
question with the ambassador. The
cabinet has brought together all the
loose ends of the matter, anil the Am
erican policy has been definitely set
tied upon.
WASHINGTON. April lit. — The
president's note to Germany over the
submarine controversy will be com
posed of five thousand words, and wil
be- given to the public late this after
noon.
NEW YORK, April 19. — Interest
in college track and field athletics
continues to increase among the east
ern universities, and the coming sea
son promises to surpass all previous
records, both in number of meets and
stars who will compete. While there
is no unusual incentive for special
training, as would have been the case
had not the European war caused the
abandonment of the Olympic games,
larger squads of candidates are trying
for places on the teams than In many
years.
Reports from the coaches of a num
ber of the leading eastern institutions
all agree that the material, both in
quality and quantity, is considerably
above the average standard, and that
a number of records are likely to be
broken during the coming competitive
season. While the belated winter has
delayed the beginning of outdoor
J raining in some cases, the coaches
* expect to overcome this handicap and
send their charges to the mark in the
big meets prepared for the hardest
kind of competition.
That the struggle for points anti
prizes will be unusually keen this sea
son is shown by the number and class
of entries already assured for the
^principal meets. The University of
* jfennsylvania relay games, which real
ly open the Easter track season, has
attracted a larger entry than ever be
fore; many teams coming from the
south and west. More colleges will
compete in the intercollegiate cham
pionship meet at Cambridge late in
May than in any year since the asso
ciation was formed in 1876. Stanford
and California will represent the far
west, and Michigan the middle west,
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STOCK MARKET
l__
NEW YORK, April 19. — The stock
market opened weak today, all of the j
leading stocks which have gained the j
title of war stocks showing losses
from their recent high quotations.
Bethlehem Steel fell off nineteen
points. The unusually heavy selling
by the traders on the local exchange
was largely augmented by floods of
{selling orders received by telegraph
pNfeom Interior points.
GERMAN PIRATE
GETS A LIFE
»• TERM
WILMINGTON, Del., April 19. —
Urnest Schiller, the German who
stowed away on the British ship Ma
toppo when she left New York, bound
for Russia with a cargo of railroad
rjpplies and war munitions, over
powered the master, destroyed the
wireless and terrorized the crew, plead
guilty in the United States court here
today to a charge of piracy, and was
sentenced to life imprisonment. He 1
will be at once taken to tile federal
penitentiary at Atlanta, Ga.
WOLFE VONIGLE
NEW YORK, April 19. — Wolfe
Vonigle, formerly private secretary to
Captain Von Papen. the recalled mili
tary attache of the German embassy
at Washington, was arrested in this
city today by secret agents of the
department of justice. Papers, said
to be of an incriminating nature in
regard to German plots against mu
nition factories in the United Stales,
connecting Von Papen, and perhaps
other members of the official staff of
the German embassy, are said to have
been found on Vonigle.
WASHINGTON. April 19. — Von
Beriistorl'f, the German ambassador,
called at the state department today
and officially demanded the return of
file papers seized by the agents of the
department of justice in New York
from Wolfa, Vonigle. private secretary
to Von Papen.
NEW YORK. April 19. — It is
claimed on good authority that the
officers have succeeded in identifying
Vonigle with the conspiracy to blow
lip the Welland canal. News of the
formal demand made on the state de
partment for the release of Vonigle
has been received here, but the de
partment of justice has decided (o
hold the accused man until the state
department specifically demands his
release. The release is asked for on
the ground that Vonigle is connected
with the diplomatic force of Germany
in this country, and therefore not sub
ject to arrest on ordinary process. The
department of justice contends that
the crime with which Vonigle is
charged was committed a year before
. A
■V--.
he became attached to the German
embassy as private secretary to Von
Papen, and that therefore he is not
subject to the ordinary privileges of
exemption from arrest afforded diplo
matic representatives from abroad.
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NEW YORK, April 19. — It was of
ficially announced late this afternoon
that the papers taken from Vonigle
would not be restored to him or the
German embassy, nor would the prose
cution in the United States court be
dropped. ,
NEW YORK,.April 19. — All of the
papers seized on Vonigle have been
forwarded to the department of justice
at Washington.
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LONDON. April 19. — It is gen-j
erally believed that the rock which I
has split the present cabinet open is j
the question of conscription. The
matter has been a thorn iti the sides
of the government for months, the
majority of the members favoring
conscription, but a powerful minority
opposing this remedy. What the re
sult will be is difficult to forecast, but
wise political observers, conversant
and familiar with the vagaries of Brit
ish politics, feel sure that Asquith
will weather the storm and that his
fertile bruin will find some method
of reconciling the conflicting opinions
now causing dissension among the
members.
LONDON, April 19. — Premier Her
bert Asquith addressed the House of
Commons today and informed the
members that there still remained
some material points of disagreement
between the members of the coalition
cabinet in regard to certain phases
of thfe conduct of the war, and unless
they could be healed that the tnevl-;
table result would be the break up of!
the present government. Asquith was
reticent as to what the disagreement
was over, but the situation is undoubt
edly serious and vitally affecting the i
future policies of the nation.
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SNOW GOING FAST.
Engineer in charge Weir made a
trip of inspection over the government
railroad to Mile 34, and reports the
snow going off the ground fast in
Kenai basin, and that actiVe work can
be commenced soon. The commission
will reconstruct the telephone line
through to Mile 71. putting in standard
six-pin cross arms and new poles.
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WASHINGTON, April lit. — William
M. Ingraham, a former mayor of Port
land, Maine, was today appointed as
sistant secretary of war by President
Wilson, to succeed former Assistant
Secretary Breckenridge. who resigned
when his chief, Garrison, quit the job.
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CHRISTENSON TRANSFERRED.
A. Christenson, who Is at the present
time in Washington. I>. C„ has trans
ferred his services as chief of field
division of the general land office,
with headquarters at Juneau, to the
Alaskan engineering commission, with
headquarters at Seward. The transfer
became effecive on March 24.
The general land office at Juneau
is now in charge of M. W. Prasclt, who
has been designated acting chief of
field division by the commissioner of
the general land office, pending the
appointment of a successor to Mr.
Christenson. [
LOCAL SITUATION
REMAINS TOE
SAME
A special meeting of the Cordova
Longshoremen's Union was held at 3
o’clock yesterday afternoon for the
purpose of considering a cablegram
received yesterday morning from Gor
don J. Kelley, vice-president of the
International Longshoremen's Associ
ation. The cablegram was as follows:
Seattle, Wash., April 19, 1916.
E. K. Irving,
Longshoremen's Union,
Cordova, Alaska.
Interviewed Baxter, Pearson, Ring
wood, and advise that you Interview
local representatives and ascertain
terms they will grant if you resume
work and jointly refer all questions
of final adjustment to our convention
iind Seattle employers. Place this
telegram before men and inform me
of attitude if you see employers.
GORDON J. KELLY.
After the cablegram had been read
in meeting, the longshoremen decided
to appoint a committee of three mem
bers to interview Superintendent
Caleb Corser, of the Copper River &
Northwestern railway. The commit
tee promptly called up Mr. Corser over
the telephone in an effort to arrange
tor an Interview. Mr. Corser informed
he committee that he could not recog
nize them except as individuals. The
committee returned before the meet
ng adjourned and reported that Su
perlntendent Corser refused to rerog
lixe them as representatives of the
tnlon. The longshoremen then voted
o continue on strike. This is the
present status of the situation, accord
tig to E. K. Irving, secretary and act
or; delcrnte of the Cordctn L.
hortmen’s i'r.lcn.
j
jj/k
POLICY
CHIHUAHUA CITY. April 19. —
General Guiterrez. the Carranza mili
tary governor of the state of Chihua
hua. announced on good information
today that the published report of the
death of the outlaw Villa was nut a
rumor, without any real foundation.
It is thought here that the Mexican
authorities are raiding shipments of
supplies which are being sent forward
to the American troops under Por
shing.
WASHINGTON. April 19. — Secre
tary of War Bilker today sent General
Hugh Scott, chief of the general staff
of the army, to San Antonio to get
»»xplioit information on the Mexican
1 situation and the condition of the
Pershing expeditionary force. Scott
will report to the secretary after con
ferring with General Funston, and his
report will assist in determining the
course which the government will
pursue in Mexico. The officials of the
department are hesitant about order
ing any radical change in the status
of the expedition in the face of Gen
eral Carranza's request to recall the
troops. The German situation is com
plicating the question somewhat, and
the Mexican policy will not be defi
nitely settled until tile Kuropeati mud
dle (ins cleared. At present it is ab
solutely impossible to forecast the at
titude of the administration concern
ing General Pershing’s expedition.
FORD CARRIE5
• I ' * *1
OMAHA, April 19. — Henry Ford
carried the Nebraska primary election
held today, and won the Republican
endorsement for presidential nomina
[tion at the coining Chicago convention
next June. Another interesting fea
ture of the primaries was the defeat
of the Bryan candidates by the Demo
crats. William J. Barman, a candidate
for delegate to the Democratic na
tional convention, who was opposed
by the ex-secretary of state, was
elected. Present United States Sen
ator Hitchcock was renominated to
succeed himself. Bryan's brother,
Charles, who was seeking the Demo
cratic nomination for governor, was
defeated.
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ARMY MEASURE
: SENATE
WASHINGTON, April 19. — The
Senate today passed the army reor
ganization bill, fathered by Senator
Chamberlain, of Oregon. The meas
ure provides for a regular army and
reserve forces totalling one million
men. The measure is a substitute for
the army bill passed by the House,
and the whole question will now go
to a conference committee for adjust
mer? Uto Senate bill differing mater
.ti'.y trout the one adopted by the
lower body.