The Cordova Daily Times
You MK T\V<>. NUMBER 378. CORDOVA, ALASKA, FRIDAY MORNINd, MARCH 3, 1916. PRICE TEN CENTS.
SENATOR SAYS PRESIDENT WANTS WAR
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■fecial by Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, March 2. — The
latest assurances from the Berlin
foreign office on the submarine war
fare situation, which were presented
to Secretary Lansing by Ambassador
Bernstorff. are not so broad or com
prehensive as the Washington gov
ernment would desire. No further ac
tion will be taken by the Wilson ad
ministration. however, until the gov
ernment is certain that any action
taken by It will not be embarrassed
by conflicting resolutions by Congress.
The assurances reiterated by Germany
in its latest note are less complete
than those originally given as a res
sult of the Lusitania negotiations. The
pending Lusitania agreement will not
now be acceptable to the United
States, as it is far from satisfying the
demands of this country.
Both Speaker Champ Clark, of the
I House, and majority leader Congress
man Kitchin. from North Carolina, af
ter criticising the President’s attitude
concerning Americans traveling on
merchant vessels of the belligerents,
said that no action would be initiated
in tlie lower house of Congress direct
ly opposing the President. When
asked about the prospect of an ad
verse vote against the President's
stand in favor of the right of neutrals
to ride on such vessels, Kitchin re
plied: "The habit of obedience has
been developed to a very high degree
in Congress.” Kitchin is strongly op
posed to the preparedness program of
the administration, and equally in
favor of warning American travellers
on the high seas, but his reply is
taken as an indication that the House
would stand by the President.
Wilson conferred with the leaders
in both Houses yesterday, and told
them, that the foreign situation was
no more serious today titan it was
several weeks ago, but that in his
opinion action should he quickly
taken to show the world that the Am
erican government was not divided
Speaker Clark, i.n being questioned
declined in say how he would vote if
the matter came up in the House. The
j Democratic leaders have drafted a re
solution, which will probably be con
sidered in the House, proposing that
Congress express its full confidence
in the foreign policy of the adminis
tration, particularly referring to the
armed merchantmen controversy with
the Teutonic powers, and recognizing
that the matter is fundamentally one
of executive and not legislative con
cern.
WASHINGTON, March 2, The
administration forces are lining up for
a vote today on the resolution con
eerning Wilson’s policy In regard to
armed merchantmen, in the Senate
the leaders are confident that Senator
Gore’s resolution, calling for the gov
ernment to officially warn Americans
off the merchant ships of the Euro
pean belligerents, will lie defeated.
During the debate Senator Stone, of
Missouri, told the Senate that he dis
agreed with the President on the sub
ject. President Wilson lias requested
House Leader Mann, of Illinois, to
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discover tile attitude of the Republi
can members on the armed ship is
sue. Wilson said that lie intended to
place the issue squarely before the
Republicans, in an effort to enlist
their support. Mann is with the Pre
sident In his stand.
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WASHINGTON, March 2. — I’resi
dent Wilson told Chairman Flood, of
the House foreign affairs committee,
that lie would consider no compromise
Son the armed merchantmen issue. He
i asked that the House place itself on
record in regard to warning Ameri
can travelers of the armed merchant
men of (lie belligerents. Flood told
the reporters that some resolution.
; whose wording would be acceptable
to Wilson, would be agreed upon by
I the House foreign committee today
and submitted to the body for ap
proval.
WASHINGTON. March 2. — It is
expected that President Wilson will
issue a formal denial of the charges
made against him in Senator Gore’s
speech, in which the latter quoted
him in reference to his attitude on the
European war situation.
WASHINGTON, March i. — Senator |
Gore, speaking on his resolution call
ing on the government to warn Am
erican travelers off armed merchant
vessels, said today that the impelling
reason for his introduction of the re
solution was a report he had received
that President Wilson had told cer
tain congressmen that war between
tiie United States and Germany might
not be an unfortunate thing, as it
would no doubt result in the advance
ment of civilization by ending the war
before midsummer. Senator Stone, of
Missouri, replied to Gore, defending
the intimation that he was one of the
senators who had spread such a re
port, and vehemently denied the state
ments of fhe Oklahoma senator.
WASHINGTON. March 2. - It is
practically certain that Congress will
support President Wilson in his sub
marine stand. Assurances to this ef
fect were given to the chief executive
yesterday by Chairman Flood, of the
House committee on foreign affairs,
who consulted Wilson, and recommen
ded changes In the resolution intro
duced in the Senate by Senators Stone
and Kern.
WASHINGTON, March 2. — The re
sult of Germany's new submarine cam
paign is being awaited with grave
concern by the officials of the gov
ernment.
WASHINGTON. March 2. — The
President conferred with the leaders
of Congress yesterday. dismissing
plans for ending the controversy which
lias arisen in both Houses over Am
ericans riding on armed merchant
vessels of the Kuropean belligerents.
It is proposed that, the matter be
brought to a vote and defeated, as
Wilson by this action seeks to con
vince Germany and Austria that the
American Congress stands behind his
foreign policy. The actions of cer
tain members in criticising the admin
istration stand is felt to be rather
embarrassing to Wilson in the con
duct of the pending negotiations.
The employees at the Bonanza and
Jumbo mines at Kennecott have asked
for an increase in their pay, the re
quest being made to Superintendent
Seagrave by a committee of two from
eacli mine.
On March 1 the Kennecott Copper
Corporation voluntarily gave the men
4 an increase of five per cent in their
Y wages, but they now ask for fifty
cents a day more for all classes of
labor, and it is reported that the com
pany has been given until March 10
to make their decision. At present
machine men are paid $3 per day and
board, and helpers $2.50 and board.
T I ^
I OF
CHICAGO. March 2. — Indictments
charging bribery, the acceptance of a
4 bribe and conspiracy to commit brib
^,-ry were voted hv the federal grand
jury in connection with the Matanus
ka coal land cases in Alaska, tried
here three years ago. The true bills
returned are against A. O. Frost, one
of the defendants in the above action;
C. W. Bourke, a member of the jury
that acquitted Frost; and Attorney
Bert Wing, said to have been an out
sider not connected with the defence
A* of the land fraud cases.
moooji In bonds to
BE BETIBED
WASHINGTON, March 2. — The
first step in the creation of an elas
tic currency was taken by Secretarj
* of the Treasury McAdoo today, wher
he announced the retirement of lhirt>
million of two per cent bonds, to lit
accomplished this year.
FRENCH DIE IN TRENCHES
RATHER THAN SURRENDER
Special by Associated Press.
PARIS, March 2. — Last night there
was an intermittent bombardment of
the French positions along the front;
north of Verdun and on the plains of
the Woevre. Nothing important was1
developed, and the artillery fire was
i fruitless, the French guns not bother
ing to reply. It was announced that
the French losses in the recent bat
tle were high, due to the severe na
ture of the fighting, much of which
was hand to hand, the French troops
dying in their trenches rather than
retreat or surrender. The German
losses have been estimated at over a
hundred and twenty-five thousand.
The French war correspondents, and
the public are much mystified at the
continued pause of the German at
tacks around Verdun. The only solu
tion offered is that the Germans are
resting, bringing up additional forces
preparatory to a new attack when the
severe fighting of the past week will
he renewed. Commander in Chief
Joffre is fully prepared for all eventu
alities, ami confident that the Ger
mans will lose in their efforts to
crush the French lines at Verdun.
Only the local reserves were used by
the French commanders in the late
fighing. the great mass of the French
reserves being not called upon, and
they are now remaining intact and
ready for whatever use Joffre may de
cree for them, whether they be need
ed to repulse further Teuton attacks
or be used in a great counter attack
when the opportune moment arrives.
The French express supreme confi
dence in Joffre's ability to cope with
the situation, and in the morale of
the soldiers.
PARIS, March 2. — Military experts
itn their daily diagnosis of the war for
ithe leading French journals, state
unanimously that the situation around
Verdun is now well in hand. They
claim that there is no possibility of
the Germans breaking through the
French lines, and the war office bul
j letins also announce that everything
is satisfactory. What fighting is now
going on is centered on the north-1
eastern portion of the stronghold,!
where the Hermans are making strong:
efforts to rescue General Brandenberg:
and his Herman troops, who are!
cooped up in the ruined casements of)
Fort Douamont. The Herman opera-1
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tions southeast of Verdun have been
' interrupted and the experts believe
that it is just preliminary to a Teu
ton attempt to assail the French po
sitions on the heights of the Meuse. I
If an attack is made here it w ill be j
I directed through two small gaps,!
(through a heavily wooded section. I
'which are protected by Fort Taven-1
nes and Fort Rohzeller. It is evident
that both sides are profiting by the
present period of comparative quiet
to renew their forces and replenish
the supplies of ammunition.
PARIS. March 1’. — The war office
announced officially today that the
: French made large sacrifices of men j
without success in their counter at
tacks. made when they tried to recap
ture Fort Douamont.
BKK1.1N, March 2. — The official
German statement concerning the op
orations of the troops at the front, is
sued this morning, contains no men
tion of any doings north of V-rdun
which has been the scene of severe
fighting for the past week. It is taken
to mean that hostilities on a large
scale have ceased, probably for the
purpose of bringing up additional
troops and replacing the immense
quantities of shells and small arms
ammunition that has been shot away
PARIS, March 2. — The war office
in its official communique, issued yes
terday afternoon, reported that prac
tically no fighting was going on north
of Verdun. The same situation is re
ported from the plains of Woevre. both
sides contenting themselves with
minor engagements, nothing of ini
portance being accomplished.
DEPARTMENT TD
WASHINOTON. March 2. — All nr
rangements have been completed for
sending a committee to Alaska with
a view to investigating the labor con
ditions on the new government rail
i road building from Anchorage to the
Matanuska coal fields. The committee
will be composed of members and em
ployees of the department of labor,
land will start north from Seattle on
the first available steamer going to
| Seward, and from there over the trail
to the head of Cook Inlet. The com
mittee will report to Secretary Wil
son, of the department of commerce
land labor, and upon the result of their
investigation will depend the adjust
i ment of the disputes with the men for
* increased wages.
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WASHINGTON, .March 2. — Affi
davits have been received by the slate
department from members of the crew
of the American oil-tanker Petrolite,
which contradict the contentions of j
the Austrian government concerning'
.the attack on their ship by an Aus-1
trian submarine in the Mediterranean!
sea. The affidavits confirm the ori
ginal information received by the state
department, and will form the basis
of new demands upon the Austrian
government for reparation and apolo
gies because of an unwarranted at
tack on a neutral vessel.
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Empress tonight. Big attraction.
DISSENSION IN
ITALY
HOME, March 2. — It is unauthori
tatlvely stated that there is consider
able dissension among the members
Df the Italian cabinet. Premier Sal
andra has not been able to get proper
cohesion among his colleagues, and a
reorganization, following the resigna
tion of the premier, is thought likely.
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WATSON DUE IN CORDOVA THIS
EVENING.
The steamer Admiral Watson, which
met with a mishap at a Seattle dock
several months ago. and has been
thoroughly renovated, left Juneau at
i o’clock yesterday morning, and is
due in Cordova early this evening.
NEW YORK, March 2. — The suit
which waa brought by the new admin
istration in charge of the New York,
New Haven & Hartford railroad
igainst certain of the old directors to
recover allegel illegal profits taken by
:he directors when tlie road purchased
:he Boston ti Maine, was brought to
1 sudden end today through compro
nise. The defendants were several in
lumber, the chief ones being John U
Ballard and Charles Mellen, former
(resident of the road. The defend
nits paid the company a million and
i quarter in settlement.
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You can rely on the news being cor
•ect when you see it in the Times.
GERMANY ISSUES
ULTIMATUM TO
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MADRID, March 2. — Germany has
I presented an ultimatum to the Portu
guese government, demanding that the
German merchant ships, interned in
i Portuguese ports, which have been
[requisitioned by the Portuguese gov
ernment. be restored to their former
I status within forty-eight hours. Fail
ing to meet this demand the ultimatum
practically says that war will he de
clared by Germany upon Portugal. It
is thought here that the Portuguese
government will refuse to accede to
the request of the Berlin foreign of
fice.
BERLIN, March 2. — Germany is
expected to recall her minister to Por
tugal at once unless that country com
plies with the German ultimatum con
cerning the requisitioning of the in
terned German ships in Portugal's
harbors, Austria is preparing to take
similar action.
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TACOMA. March 2. — The internal
I revenue office in this city reported to
day that the number of persons pav
ing an income tax, wtiose home was
'in Alaska, showed a large increase
over preceding years, thereby testi
fying to the increased prosperity in
the northern territory.
BATH HOUSE JOHN WINS
IN CHICAGO
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CHICAGO, March 2. — At the elec
tions in this city yesterday, aldermen
opposed to Mayor Thompson were
elected in six of the nine wards. Bath
House John was unopposed for re
election as a Democrat in his district
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