Copper Ore Shipments From Cordova Alone Are Over $2,000,000 Each Month
1 ! The Cordova Daily Times I »:%?»
VOLUME ONE. NUMBER 188. CORDOVA, ALASKA, FRIDAY, .JULY 16, 1915. PRICE TEN CENTS
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LANSING AND BERNSTORFF HAVE TALK
TRYING TO ADJUST SUBMARINE DIFFICULTY
Special to The Times By Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, D. C., July 16.—Vou Hern
storfT and Lansing had a long conference in the
latter’s private office this morning. Lansing
informed the German ambassador that he was unable
at this time to tell him just what course the United
States intended to pursue, as the matter largely
rested with the president who would not return to
the White House until next week. The details of
the next note would not be known until then, even
by the cabinet.
The Secretary of State listened with great
interest to BernstorfT’s explanation of the purpose of |
the German government to satisfy public opinion iit |
Germany on the submarine warfare question, and at,
tin* same time to maintain friendly relations with,
tin* United States. The ambassador assured' the
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lecretary that lie was personally convinced that
-here would he no repetition of the Lusitania
tragedy. He said that the submarine commanders
had been instructed by the German admiralty to
exercise extreme precaution to avoid all incidents
likely to inflame the public opinion of the United
States.
Von BernstorfT especially urged upon Lansing,
the advisability of the United States taking advan
(age of the intimation in the last reply from Berlin,
that Germany would' be willing to have the entire
question of the freedom of the seas mediated with
Great Britain through the American government,
riiis suggestion is particularly pieusing to the admin
istration as it would solve several vexing questions
with one process. The trouble with England over
llie detention of cargoes consigned to neutral conn
tries, and the right of the allies to forbid the export
of foodstuffs from America into Germany, could lie
settled by such mediation as well as the submarine
warfare muddle.
This suggestion of mediation would' no doubt be
acceptable to the United States provided that Ger
many would give assurances to this government that
during the pendency of the negotiations American
lives and vessels would be safe from attack, and sub
jected to no danger bv Germany’s submersibles.
After tin1 conference BemstorfT expressed himself as
being very optimistic about the successful deter
mination of the problem of the submarines, and said
that both Germany and the United' States were con
vinced that each was sincerely trying to avoid a
break in their relations. Immediately after the con
ferenee the ambassador sent a long wireless message
to the foreign office at Berlin, containing a report
of the interview with the secretary.
T
The last legislature passed a law
providing that municipalities might
tax itinerant merchants. This was
done as the present law on the subject
was entirely inadequate, city ordi
nances providing for such taxes being
void as not within the powers of the
cities in Alaska under the Code. The
matter was brought to the attention of
the legislature, and it needed no urg
ing to make the members see the
necessity of remedying the situation.
Accordingly H. II. 84 was Introduced
and passed, being signed by Governor
Strong April 28. The law is as fol
lows:
Section 1. That the Common Coun
cil of any incorporated town within
the Territory of Alaska, in addition to
the powers to impose taxes now
granted by law for the purpose of pro
viding revenue for municipal purposes,
is hereby granted the power to pro
vide, by ordinance, that any itinerant
merchant before doing business with
in such incorporated town, must first
procure a license in the manner pro
vided by the city ordinance, and pay
for such license such sum ns the Coun
cil, by ordinance, may prescribe for
each month that such itinerant mer
chant does business within such in
coroorated town.
Sec. 2. The Common Council of
any incorporated town requiring, by
ordinance, that the license mentioned
in Section 1 of this act, must first be
procured beofre any itinerant mer
chant is permitted to do business
within such incorporated town, may
also provide, by ordinance, that any
person violating any of the provisions
of this act, upon conviction, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and
the Common Council may provide a
punishment for such misdemeanor by
fine or imprisonment or both.
Sec. 3. An itinerant merchant, in
the meaning of this act, is a person
who has no fixed place of business and
brings into incorporated towns of
Alaska, commodities, merchandise, or
agricultural products not maunfac
tured or produced by himself, or
bankrupt stock of goods, for the pur
pose of selling any of the above men
tioned articles, commodities, or prod
ucts, in competition with merchants
proper, engaged permanently in busi
ness and residents and taxpayers in
the town where their business is car
ried on.
The law becomes effective on July
29, and already the Common Council
of Cordova have had the matter under
consideration. There can be no doubt
about the passage of an ordinance by
the local council which will tax itiner
ant merchants, for all the members
are in favor of it. The present ordi
nance is void, but as soon as the law
becomes effective a new ordinance wilt
be introduced. The only delay will be
due to the fact that it takes five cou.n
cllmen to pass an ordinance, and
there are only three in town now.
Bartley Howard will return on the
next boat from the south, and Edgar
Davis will ttlso return within a short
time from the Hot Springs at Sitka
When he returns the matter will with
out question be put into law and
placed upon the city ordinance book.
The Juneau City Council is contem
plating a similar action, and like Cor
dova they are only waiting for July
29 to come round before introducing
the ordinance. It is more than likely
that all the other cities in Alaska will
take similar actions.
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JuBt received a new shipment of
STYLEPLUS Clothes at S. BLUM &
Co.
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All the Heal News in the Times.
n r: [ t
THE BALTIC PRINCES
PETKOGRAD, July 16.—The Russian official
statement issued this afternoon states that re-en
forcements have been sent to the German armies
operating in the Russian Baltic provinces of Cour
land and' Kovno. The heavy attack commenced by
the Germans immediately followed the arrival of Un
reserves. The Russians are offering stubborn resist
ance to the Teutons and so far have succeeded in
holding all the important strategic positions.
RUSSIAN WARSHIP SINKS
A GERMAN SUBMARINE
VARNA, July 16.—Yesterday the Russian war
ships in the Black Sea attacked and sunk the German
submarine No. 51. This is the submersible that only
recently made the voyage from Germany to Con
stantinople by way of the Mediterranean, success
fully passing through the Straits of Gibraltar and
eluding the allied fleet at the entrance to the
Dardanelles.
AUSTRO-GERMANS Tit
POSTIONS FROM SLAVS
ROTH ENDS OF LINE
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BERLIN, July 16.—The Germans have crushed
the Russian troops along the Windau river north of
Koltinyani in Courland, inflicting heavy losses upon
the Slavs, and capturing important positions. Before
the Germans made the final charge a veritable hail
of shells was directed upon the Russians from the
artillery of the Teutons. In the far east of the battle
line the Austrians have resumed the offnesive and
succeeded in crossing the Dniester river at Uceiebis
kupie on the Russian border, at a point where the
Austrian crown lands in Galicia, Bukowina and the
Russian province of Besserabia meet.
SOLDIERS ToiODEN TO
USE LIQUOR IN PARIS
PARIS, July 16.—General Gallieni, the military
governor of Paris has issued a decree forbidding the
purchase by or sale to soldiers or officers of any
alcoholic beverages whatsoever. The new decree
makes it a crime punishable with heavy penalties for
a civilian or other person to furnish a soldier with
liquor, and correspondingly heavy |>enalties are
meted out to the soldier who takes the liquor. The
decree is issued under the power of the governor as
supreme ruler of Paris during the present emergency.
FRENCH RECAPTURE HILL :
LOST EARLY IN WEEK
PARIS, July 16.—The official communique
issued by the French war office this morning
announces the recapture of the bill known as 2Sf> in
the Argonne Forest which the Germans took by
storm early in the present week. The attack by the
French was made at dawn after the French 7bs had
shelled the German positions for several hours, and
the Germans in the trenches were unable to with
stand the fury of tin* attack, losing many machine
guns, and a large number of prisoners were* taken.
The situation along this portion of the front is now
the same as it was before the recent series of heavy
German attacks, which seemed to be indicating a
big movement in the direction of Verdun.
LONDON, July 16.—From advices received
from IVtrograd -today it is apparent that the Rus
sians are not alarmed over Hindenburg’s new drive
at ,T arsaw from the Baltic provinces. The Russian
gen il staff says that much severe frontal fighting
nu..,i take place before Warsaw can be surrounded'
by the combined armies of Hindenberg and Maek
ensen. In this city the military observers do not
takes so kindly to the situation as the Russians and
a considerable element of uneasiness is being mani
fested by the English, as they feel that the loss of
Warsaw would be a severe injury to the cause of the
allies.
G ON INCREASE
rau-iiny
_
ZURICH, July 16.—The Austrian minister of
the interior announces that there were 800 cases of
Asiatic cholera in the empire on July 12. The disease
is spreading fast as the report says that on July 8
there were but 77 cases. Most of the new cases are
occurring among the prisoners of war in Galicia.
LONDON, July 16.—The British war office offi
cially announced today that the British forces
operating against the German colonies in Africa had
occupied the town of Kguandere, which is an impor
tant center in the Cameroons. The fight for the
possession of the town was not severe, the Germans
retiring after the British artillery secured the proper
range.
BLOWN UP DUTSIDF.
L()U1K\ TLLF, .Inly 16. The superintendent of
the United Safety Fowder Company, whose plant
near this city was blown up last week killing four
employees and wounding many ot hers, made a public
statement today in which he said that he believed
the explosion was caused by outside agencies. An
exhaustive investigation is being made in an attempt
to discover the real causes of the catastrophe, and if
caused by outsiders, who the perpetrators were. The
plant has been leased to a Canadian company which
has been manufacturing explosives for tin* British
war department.
ENGLISH COAL MINERS .
STILL DUT BN STRIKE
LONDON, July 16.—The coal miners in South
Wales who went on strike yesterday are still out, and
so far tin' government has made no attempt to
enforce the provisions of the Munitions Act which
has been applied to tin* strikers by royal decree. The
government is bending all possible efforts to bring
the two forces together, and prevent any long or
serious curtailment of the output of the mines. From
persons in authority it is learned' that a satisfactory
adjustment is soon expected.
ROMM REFUSES TO
ALLOW SHIPMENTS OT
BERLIN, July 1(1.—The Socialist journal \’or
waerts says that Rouiuania has emphatically refused
to comply with Germany’s demand that she allow
weapons and ammunition to traverse Roumania on
the way to Turkey. From the tone of the article it
is probable that the dispute may grow into a casus
belli between the two countries.
\\ ASHTNGTON, Julv Hi- Yesterday a message
was sent to German Ambassador Von BernstorIT by
Secretary of State Lansing, asking the former to
cull at the State Department this morning as some
matter of importance between Germany and the
United' States had arisen necessitating an informal
conference. The anibsasador arrived at the State
Department this morning about 10 o’clock and was
immediately ushered into the Secretary’s private*
office.
LONDON, July 16.—The cabinet announced
today that measures were under consideration which
would restrict the shipments of cotton to neutral
countries. ,The idea has been growing that large
quantities <if American cotton shipped to the Soundi
navian countries are being sent into Germany and
user! for ^he manufacture of gun powder. What
steps the (government proposes have not been made
Mayor Henry A. Slater, of Cordova
received a telegram this afternoon
from Governor J. F. A. Strong, of
Alaska, In reply to the message sent
the governor offering him the cour
tesies of Cordova, and informing the
mayor that he would send a wire from
Valdez stating how long he would re
main In Cordova. The governor may
decide to remain over a boat in Val
dez on account of the (Ire, and offer
his assistant in remedying the damage
done. The course of committee ap
pointed by the Chamber to receive the
governor wil 1 not be determined upon
until the wire from Valdez is received.
VALDEZ BEGINS
VALDEZ, July 1C.—The work of
clearing away the ruins of the great
fire that swept through this city yes
terday has commenced. All the avail
able labor in town has been put on *
the job of taking the charred rem
nants of the buildings, loading them
upon wagons and dumping them into
the bay. Lumber has been tele
graphed for, and as soon as it arrives
the work of rebuilding will commence.
Sam Blum arrived from Cordova on
the Evans yesterday and announced
that his store building and the build
ing of the First Bank of Valdez would
be rebuilt at once of cement, being
the first cement buildings to be
erected in Valdez. The Daily Pros
pector is issuing by means of a job
press and wrapping paper but a new
plant has been telegraphed for and
will leave Seattle on the next boat.
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WASHINGTON, D. C.. July 16—To
day will witness the first passage
through the Panama Canal of the big
battleships of the American navy. The
canal will be put to its first test as an
agency in making the Pacific and
Atlantic fleets one homogenous unit.
Tthe battleships Missouri and Ohio,
carrying the Annapolis cadets to the
(exposition at San Francisco, wilt
enter the canal today and cross into
the Pacific Ocean. The occasion will
be made a gala event by the canal
officials and the naval authorities on
the ships.
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The train scheduled to leave for
Chltina this morning was held over
until tomorrow owing to the high
water In the river having loosened
some of the bents in the small bridge
known as f*7 R The warm weather
has Increased the water in the Copper
Ktver to n higher level than it has
been for years. The river is fed by
glaciers, and warm weather does mctK>
to raise the water than heavy rains.
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