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PRESIDENT WANTS BACKING CONGRESS
INSISTS GERMANY MUST RECOGNIZE OUR RIGHTS
Special by Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, March 4. — The
idministration leaders in the House
Jecided not to insist on a vote today
in the resolution warning Americans
o keep off of armed ships of the Eu
ropean belligerents. The rules com
mittee met this afternoon to frame a
rule to tatile the resolution, but the
idministration forces plan to disap
prove of this procedure, and claim
hey can win out by a substantial ma
jority. Congressman Kitchin, raajor
ty leader, has notified the members
>f the House that no vote will be
:aken until Thursday at the earliest.
William Jennings Bryan arrived to
lay and will deliver a lecture here to
night. The administration leaders are
speculating as to whether Bryan’s
coming will cause a delay in voting on
:he armed ships issue in the House.
Bryan, however, denies that his visit
s in any way connected with this'
question, <an<l says that he intends
leaving the city late tonight.
The rules committee, after tieing in
session for a long time, adjourned un
til Monday, without taking any action.
WASHINGTON, March 4. It is
authoritatively stated among the ad
ministration officials that the ques
tion of a possible break in the friendly
relations between the United States
and Germany was discussed at length
by Ambassador Hernstorff and Secre
tary Lansing last January. The Ger
man ambassador asked Lansing what
the probable result would be if Ger
many failed to meet with the demands
of the United States in regard to the
4 I
warfare practiced by the U boats, a?
well as comply with the requests ol
this government regarding the sink
ing of the Lusitania. The secretary
replied that in that case this country
would probably be forced to sever
diplomatic relations with Germany
The ambassador questioned the wis
ilom of this course, as he said in cast
of that happening there would remair
no diplomatic agency for curbing tilt
enthusiasm of the Teuton submarine
commanders. The German submer
sibles could not then be held in check
'and circumstances were practical!]
certain to arise which would probablj
lead to hostilities. The German am
bassador insisted that the Berlin for
eign office were stretching all point!
| to prevent such a contingency, anc
cited the modifications in the subma
rlne program since the war started
which were all inaugurated in ordei
to show- the United States that Ger
many wished to retain the good regarc
of America.
WASHINGTON, March 4. — Th<
news of Bryan’s arrival caused a flur
ry on the floor of the House. Bailey
Bryan's close friend, met the fortnei
secretary of state and said they dis
cussed the warning resolution. Bai
ley insists that Bryan is taking no ac
live part in the matter, but the ad
ministration leaders are worried.
WASHINGTON, March 4. — Presi
dent Wilson told the leaders of Con
gress yesterday that the resignation
of William Jennings Bryan as secre
tary of state had greatly embarras
sed the pending submarine negotia
tions with Germany, and had done
much to delay the successful culmin
ation of the negotiations. He said
that it took months of hard wort
thereafter to convince the Berlin for
eign office that this country was ir
earnest in her announced position af
to submarine warfare. The President
mentioned this to show his belief ir
the idea that if Congress should now
refuse to support the administrator
by the passage of a resolution warn
ing Americans off the armed mer
chantmen of the belligerents, it would
serve only to further weaken the po
sition of the United States in the Ru
ropean chancellories.
WORK WIRELESS
’ PLANT BEGINS
IN APRIL
A report was received from the
westward a few days ago that the
people of Seward, through their com
mercial bodies, were making strenu
ous efforts to induce the government
to transfer the wireless station
planned for Mile 13, on the railroad,
to Seward. The site on the Copper
river flats had already been selected
by the government, and while It was
thought that the Seward people would
fail in their efforts to divert the sta
tion from Cordova, the executive com
mittee of the Chamber of Commerce
met and considered the matter As a
result of the meeting a night letter
was sent to Donald A. McKenzie at
Washington, asking him to look into
the matter for the Chamber and ad
. vise what the situation was. I’resi
/ dent Hazelet, of the Chamber, re
ceived the following message from Mr.
McKenzie today: “Captain Bullard
starts work Cordova station April; no
change contemplated." Captain Bul
lard is the head of the navy wireless
department, and it is gratifying to <
know that the officials will proceed j
with their work here. The Chamber
. of Commerce has once more given
V evidence of their watchfulness in ail (
matters pertaining to the best inter-!
ests of Cordova.
WILL INCREASE
v II. S. ARMY TO
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WASHINGTON, March 4. — Tliej
army bill favorably reported by the
Senate military committee, increases |
the peace strength of the regular army .
to 178,000 men, and federalizes the j
national guard, with a peace fooling!
of 217,000. It also creates a large
volunteer comparable continental1
arinv, proposed by former Secretary j
Garrison, which provides for reserve
systems of regulars and guardsmen
until short term enlistments with
colors. It also provides for spreading
the reserve engineers, doctors, me
chanics and other civilian supporters!
into fighting troops.
J .. -
mm wilsbn
t WILL RESIGN
—
WASHINGTON, March 4. — When ]
Secretary Tumulty’s attention wasj
called to a story appearing in certain |
newspapers that President Wilson had,
resigned, or intended resigning, he ‘
said: "The American papers that'
would publish a story of that kind in |
& a situation like the one now confront ]
tug America has dishonored itseli."
I
Special by Associated Press.
PARIS, March 4. — The war office
issued an official communique yester
day, stating that the German forces
north of Verdun had renewed their at
tacks on the French positions, the
fighting beginning on Thursday. The
•enter of the fray was at the village
)f Douamont. which witnessed several [
tremendous attacks by the Teutons, j
but the enemy’s efforts resulted in ;
nothing but enormous losses of their
awn soldiers. The fighting is still
going on in the village, and is of a ‘
most ferocious character. It is almost
impossible to believe the stories of
the numbers of killed and wounded
that are seeping through from the
front. The French war office is un
communicate on this subject, but
they reiterate their confidence in their
ability to prevent the Teutons from
breaking through the lines. The vil
lage of Vaux was also attacked on
Thursday by the German.s but they
were compelled to retire,. . leaving
large numbers of dead upon the bat
tlefield. The bombardment of the
French trenches and forts stirrounding
Verdun is continuing with great in
tensity. particularly so in the Woevre
district. The French have checked
the German advance by keeping a con
stant curtain of fire in front of their
lines, which it is impossible for the
Teutons to penetrate without being
annihilated. Much German activity
is also noted in the vicinity of Melan
loiirj and near llaucourt.
PARIS, March 4. — It is officially
announced that the bombardment con
tinned actively last night In various
sections of the region around Verdun.
This was not followed by any actions
of tiie infantry. At Ksparges the
French prevented the German troops
from occupying the crater made by an
explosion of a German mine. The
customary artillery fire continued
along the remainder of the front.
BURLIN'. March 4. — The war of
fice announced officially today that
the Germans had cleared the village
of Douamont of French troops, and
liaij succeeded in advancing their lines
west and south of the village, and
had almost encircled an armored for
in this vicinity.
BERLIN, March 4. — The war of
flee announced yesterday that th<
Germans had captured over a thou
sand French soldiers, and a numbei
of heavy guns in the fighting arounr
Verdun on Thursday.
BERLIN, March 4. — The allie:
were repulsed in their effort to tak<
Douamont.
PARIS, March 4. — Minister o
War Gallieni has told the cotnmissioi
on military affairs of the Chamber o:
Deputies that he is satisfied with tin
situation at Verdun.
SWEDEN WARNS CITIZENS
AGAINST ARMED SHIPS
STOCKHOLM. March 4. A warn
ing has been issued to Swedish citi
zens against embarking on armed mer
chantmen.
RUSSIANS TAKE
ENTIRE II
REM
_
PKTROGRA1), March 4. — The en
tire Van region is now under the con
irol of the Russians, and by their suc
cess they have succeeded in separat
ing two Turkish forts, operating in
the regions of Mush and Urumiab.
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Last night at 9:30 o’clock William
Henry Graves and Celia Tillman were
united in Marriage by United States
Commissioner Medley. The ceremony j
was performed at their new home over |
Fred’s restaurant.
-:o.
The break in the cable between'
Valdez and Seward was repaired yes
terday at noon, und the Burnside is!
now on her way south to fix the cable j
between Sitka and Seattle, and ex- i
pects to complete its work by Mon
iay night. !i
READY TO BEGIN
ACTIVE IRK
Orders have been placed by the lo
cal officials of the Alaskan engineer
ng commission for all material ne
cessary in (he proposed emergency
•ailroad work out of Seward, which
will be commenced immediately after
;lie $”,000,000 emergency appropria
ion becomes available.
These orders cover bridge timbers
(nd other materials for the Resurrec
;ion river bridge, complete equipment
'or the first unit of a standard long
listance telephone line, which will be
extended through to Fairbanks as the
railroad work progresses, and the
•ailroad supplies necessary for ex
pending the terminal yards at Seward.
"We will have that steam shovel's
lose into the ground before you look
'or anything to be doing,” said It. J.
IVeir. engineer in charge. "The
ihovel is practically ready for use, and
he Browning locomotive crane will be
•eady as soon as a missing part,
which could not be located by the car
•ier, has been made. The machine
ihop crew is at work on it now.”
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ZURICH, March 4. — The German
tewspapers published a wireless from
iVashington, emphasizing the gravity
>f the German-American situation.
BRITISH PRESS
j LIKES ACTION
!
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LONDON, March 4. — There are
j few things short of actual military vie
tory that could have given the Brit
ish press greater satisfaction than
President Wilson’s victory in the Sen
ate by defeating the resolution warn
ing Americans not to travel on armed
merchant ships.
FRANKFORT, March 4. — The
Bourse, which invariably reflects the
views affecting German high finance,
yesterday ended in a condition of
panic.
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“A Fool There Was," adapted from
Rudyard Kipling's "The Vampire,”
will be shown at the Km press Theatre
Tuesday evening.
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(’. N. Bring, piano tuner from Sew
lard, is in town for a week. Call him
| at up Smith’s lodging house if your
piano is out of tune.
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Omar Patten, one of the pioneer li
quor men of Alaska, and who worked
in Cordova for a long time, recently
left Juneau for Spokane, to receive
expert medical attention. Patten has
been suffering for some time from a
nervous breakdown, and has frequent
ly been in the hispital during the past
year.
KETCHIKAN BOY COES T(
WEST POINT
WASHINGTON, March 4. — Dele
gate Wickersham has had Dennini
Stuphen, of Ketchikan, appointed ;
cadet to the West Point academy.
LAUNCH ADRIFT INIiG ICE
FLOE
('apt. S. P. Schafer left Seldovif
with the launch Onward about thirty
days ago, with a cargo and four pas
sengers for Anchorage, A few days
out they got caught in an ice floe and
storm, and as the boat sprung a leak
the entire cargo was lost. After drift
ing about in tlie ice for a couple ol
weeks the passengers got ashore and
were compelled to walk a hundred and
fifty miles over an unknown trail and
in forty below zero weather before
they reached Anchorage. On the way
they found one of the government
scows which was lost last fall, and
reported the fact to the commission,
who started a crew of men out to se
cure the scow, but refused to furnish
any assistance for Oapt. Schafer.
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Claud Dech. an old time printer in
thfc north, passed through Cordova on
his way to Seward on the steamer
Watson.
Yesterday morning Henry Adler,
who was employed by the Carlisle
Packing Company, met with an accl
dent at the dock. He was knocked
from the piledriver by a piece of lum
ber and in falling hud his wrist broken.
THESE IRE BUST
BITS IT THE
* ' T s u ';■>:»«_
1
The Cordova dock is just"about the
busiest waterfront throughout the
length and breadth of Alaska these
days, and it is but an augury of what
the conditions here wllf he this sum
mer. The Carlisle Packing Company
is making records in the erection of
their wharves and buildings on the
north end of the dock, and an old
timer said today that the scene had
not been equalled for industry and life
since the construction days on the
railroad. The size of the new plant
can now be gleaned, as the piling is
well in. and it stretches out in a broad
i expanse from the present dock to the
shore line. Two of the company
houses are almost completed on the
shore, and others are in course of
erection. The energy and industry
displayed is a tribute to Manager
Hawkinson, and to the loyalty of his
employees.
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The steamer Admiral Watson ar
rived in Cordova about ft o'clock last
night with forty-two passengers and
a big batch of mail for here. The
passengers were:
For Cordova — Tom Buckley. Paul
Hemrisch, Miss Elsie Morse, Iver Per
son, J. J. Pratt. .1. F. Tuttle. R. F.
McPherson, Dorothy Rainey, Diva
Dale, R. W. Howes. A W. Williams.
M. Brettman. J. M. Bailey. J. L.
Murphy, F. L. McNeil. P. Paulson. Cius
Wilson, X. C. Vestal, and twenty-two
! steerage.
For Valdez — Matt Regan, C. F.
Brown, and two steerage.
For Seward — W. M. Bristol. J. I.
1 Hanawald, Sam Campbell, J. W. Black,
F C. Peterson. Mildred Hemharn.
Judge S. O. Marford, Mrs. S. E. Aston,
H. J. Shepard, F. J. Peterson. F. P.
Jensen, C. F. Wylde, Mrs. I,. White,
Tom Plunkett, c. If. Dech, and twenty
six steerage.
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TESTIFIES FAVOR
WASHINGTON. March I. — Kd
I ward McMullen, a Boston lawyer, and
a member of the same legal firm of
! which Brandeis is the senior partner,
| testified before the Senate sub com
mittee today. He contradicted con
siderable of the testimony given by
the late accusers of the President's
juppoiutee to the supreme bench, and
‘ generally gave evidence defending
]Mr. Brandeis.
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C. H. Wylde. of Fairbanks and vi
cinity, was a passenger for Seward on
the steamer Watson.