VOLUME III. NUMBER 61. CORDOVA, ALASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12 1917 ““—_=
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GERMANY MUST FIRST
NAVY DEPARTMENT IS PLANNING TO PROTECT AMERICAN MERCHANT SHIPS BY PROVIDING THEM WITH GUNS
UNITED STATES
IKES PLAIN
(By Associated Press)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12. — The
United States has replied to Ger
many's proposal of a discussion of
the submarine situation by declin
ing to enter into any negotiation
while the proclamation In favor
of unrestricted warfare remains
effective and until Germany re
stores its pledges in the steamer
Sussex case. Germany proposed
to negotiate for the safety of Am
erican shipping provided the com
mercial blockade of England was
not Interfered with.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12. — The
navy department, while opposed
for military reasons to any pro
ject for convoying American mer
chantmen through the submarine
area, favors furnishing such ships
with guns for their own defence.
The navy has considered a num
ber of old model three to six inch
rifles available for arming mer
chant ships, but not enough for
the conversion of all ships that
it would require In time of war
and also to furnish defensive ar
mament for all merchantmen.
The question of supplying
trained gun crews Is a difficult
one, as there Is objection to
withdrawing men from active
navy service at this time, and also
some question as to what effect
naval gunners would have on the
status of the ships. The French
navy furnished guus to merchant
men, but the gunqsr* were civll
• Urns. , •
WASHINGTON. Feb. 12. — The
government will speedily find a
way whereby American merchant
men, held by fear of German sub
marines, may arm themselves and
resume their sailings. The gov
ernment will not supply guns or
gunners direct or even formally
advise sailings.
President Franklin, of the In
ternational Mercantile Marine,
has formally applied to the navy
department for guns to arm Am
erican liners.
Officials here are still Inclined
to regard the latest offer of Ger
many to discuss means of pre
venting war as an effect to cast
on the United States the appear
ance of being belligerent in its
official attitude. The United
States and German governments
can have no diplomacy dealing
until Germany abandons its pro
gram of unrestricted warfare. All
other advances meanwhile will
only becloud the issue of Ameri
can rights and the German note
may remain unanswered.
Yesterday the total number of
merchant ships submarined was
the smallest since the campaign
begun, and It now looks as
though the ruthless destruction of
vessels has been checkmated.
-•
BY FRANCE TO
TILlSOIl
(By Associated Press)
PARIS, Feb. 12 — The appropriation
of thirty million francs to buy traction'
plows and other motor farm imple
ments was the last act of parliament
in the session of 1916. The object is
to insure the cultivation in 1917 of all
farm land that was non-producing in
1916 or previously by making up in
mechanical appliances for the lack o
farm hands and far mhoraea. Half
of the sum may be applied to the sub
sidizing of local agricultural societies
for the purchase of electrical or other
traction farm implement for the com
mon use of farmera of a commune or
arrondissement.
-♦
Chris Brown, a Greek resident of
Douglas, took a shot at one William
Prentice, while in the fruit store of
Manuel Graff one night recently, but
the shot went wild and Prentice es
caped Injury.
-#
Subscribe for the Times.
i
(By Associated Press)
NEW YORK, Feb. 12. — The Am
erican liner New York has arrived
from Liverpool. She passed through
the danger zone without sighting any
war craft.
CARRANZA ASKS
(By Associated Press)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12. — Car
ranza has sent a note to the United
States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and
all other neutrals, asking them to join
in an agreement prohibiting the ex
port from their countries to the war
ring nations of Europe all foodstuff
and munitions.
CHIISlIlCIT
PISSES
(By Associated Press)
--(in— , rmtKMtrt j<’eb. 12. — Free passes on
hinese railways will be abolished c
• tniS’\ear, if President Li Yuan Hung
approves a recommendation recently
submitted to him by the ministry of
communications.
The recommendation states that the
use of passes has been greatly abused
and results in the loss of four million
dollars, silver, annually to the railway
administration. This is about one
fourth of the deficit of the government
railways in China.
All government officials are now
granted passes, and it is charged that
they also permit their friends to use
them.
-♦
OF EDUCATING
FOREIGNERS
(By United Press)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12. — Repre
sentative Scott, of Pennsylvania, in
a resolution in congress today asked
that federal judges be given power
to suspend sentences of persons con
victed of crime.
The measure was prompted by a
recent supreme court decision, in
which it was held that judges do not
have this power. Scott's bill would
eliminate the danger now facing many
paroled persons of a return to prison
to serve out sentences never enforced.
-«-.
CATHOLIC SUNDAY SCHOOL
ELECTS NEW OFFICERS.
The children of Mary, of the St. Jo
sepch church Sunday school, elected
their officers for the coming term.
John Rosswog was elected president,
Elizabeth O'Loughlin vice-president.
Harry O'Neill secretary-treasurer, Do
rothy Dooley librarian and organist.
Dorothy Dooley, past treasurer, re
ports a balance of $10 In the treasury.
Next week the Sunday school will
be entertained at a little party in
honor of the newly elected officers.
-*
NEW DAVITS ON THE
ADMIRAL EVANS.
Davits for lowering life boats, of
the most improved pattern were In
stalled on the Admiral Evans during
her prolonged stay in Seattle. These
lower straight out from the side of
the ship and are claimed lo be a won
derful Improvement over the old time
davits which turn In the socket.
-«
Residents of Skagway have formed
an Alpine club, with a membership of
thirty.
INTERNED CREWS
STATUS BRINGS
(By Associated Press)
BEHI-IN, Feb. 12. — It Is officially
announced that the foreign ofrice has
inquired at Washington, through tha
Swiss government, regarding the
status of crews interned on German
ships in American ports. Pending an
answer the seventy-two Americans
from the steamer Yarrowdale are be
ing held In Germany.
DISASTERS PLAT
(By Associated Press)
TOKIO, Feb. 12. — A snowstorm,
which covered some sections of the
northern provinces to the depth of
fifteen feet, wrecking some houses
and blocking railway communication;
a tidal wave which demolished a hun
dred houses on the western coast
and wrecked a large number of fish
ing boats; and a fire which destroyed
over 400 houses at Shinagawa, one of
the suburos of Tokio, formed an un
usual series of disasters. About 150
fishermen who were out in their boats
at the time of the tidal wave are miss
ing.
The fire at Shinagawa rendered sev
eral thousand people homeless at 4
o'clock in the morning on the coldest
lay this winter. Destruction of sev
sral hundred houses fn a single fire,
aowever, is not remarkable in Japan,
vhere the tiny wooden houses are al
vays consumed with amazing swift
less. The recent frequency of fires,
aowever, is calling the attention of the
authorities to the necessity of im
uroving means for fire fighting.
-«
ANNUAL SPORTS
(By Associated Press)
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12. — Wil
liam Unmack, chairman of the records
sommlttee of the Pacific Coast Ama
teur Athletic Union branches, has Is
sued his annual sports record book
for the Pacific coast.
Every brunch of athletic activity is
covered and the records are brought
up to January, 1917. The issue is pro
fusely illustrated with photographs of
the Pacific coast champions In the
different lines of sport.
Among the new features is a com
plete record of the results of all in
tercollegiate football games played by
Pacific coast state institutions; all
coast sharpshooting records, both
amateur and professional, and a com
plete summary of past ocean yacht
races from this coast to Honolulu.
Pacific Northwestern, as well as all
California track, field and swimming
records also have been added. This
includes the Hawiian Islands. All the
features contained in last year’s Is
sue has been retained and greatly aug
mented, including many additional Pa
cific coast league baseball individual
and team records.
With the increasing competition on
the Pacific coast among the women
and girl swimmers, Unmack’s annual
pays partlcudar attention to the rec
ords made in the various events by
members of the fair sex. This is a
feature and is one of the most com
prehensive references published.
-♦
GERARD ON HIS WAY.
(By Associated Press)
ZURICH, Feb. 12. — Ambassador
Gerard and his party arrived in Swit
zerland, but the American diplomat
refused to be Interviewed.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12. — The ar
rival of Gerard at Berne has been re
ported to the state department.
-♦
Reports from the lnnoko state that
the camp is a busy one this winter,
more genuine prospecting going on
there than for some time.
PUCE COMET
♦ (By United Press) ♦
♦ LONDON, Feb. 12. — The ♦
♦ announcement in America re- ♦
♦ cently of the appearance of a ♦
♦ new comet has excited Interest ♦
♦ in England. It is regarded as a ♦
♦ peace omen and a prominent ♦
♦ paper suggested that it be ♦
♦ called the "peace comet,” be- ♦
♦ cause the American reports say ♦
♦ it will be visible to the naked ♦
♦ eye during July, 1917, and that •
♦ Is the date when the prophets ♦
♦ say peace will be declared. Dr ♦
♦ A. C. I). Crommelln, a British ♦
♦ astronomer, Is authority for the ♦
♦ statement that the “peace •
♦ comet" will gradually approach ♦
♦ the earth until July, when It ♦
♦ will become faintly visible, but ♦
♦ not a grand spectacle such as ♦
♦ Halley’s comet in 1910. ♦
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
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(By Associated Press)
NE WYORK, Feb. 12. — The cold
est weather of the season is prevail
Ing, the thermometer in the city regis
tering throe above zero this morning,
rhe Hudson river is frozen ■olMUy.
between Tarrytown and Nyack, pe
lestrians in automobiles crossing in
'orty below zero In the vicinity of
Saratoga. i
( By Associated Press)
BOSTON, Feb. 12. — The tempera
ture throughout the New England
states today ranges from twenty-four
legrees below to six above zero.
-•
mm shuw
(By Associated Press)
IOWA CITY, Iowa, Feb. 12. — Su
perior mentality is the compensation
granted a class of forty little crip
ples under treatment In the hospital
at the University of Iowa here, ac
cording to Miss Jane Howarth, head
of the hospital school. Miss Howarth
says that the crippled children make
up for their physical deficiency by an
unusual mental proficiency.
This remarkable progress is consid
ered to be due largely to the indepen
dent reading the children do, for they
attend school only three hours a day,
or about half the time the normal
children spend in the schoolroom. Sci
ence. hygiene and history, as taught
by story books, take much of the little
cripples’ interest.
The work in the school room is sup
plemented with a special kind of phy
sical training, adapted to individual
needs. The dally gymnastic exercises
are an essential part of the treatment
by which experts manage to straight
en bent backs and strengthen wasted
limbs.
'..♦
INFORMATION ABOUT 8HIP8
NOW BEING WITHHELD.
Uncle Sam's law. enacted after the
bomb plots, aimed at shipments for
the allies, which prohibits anyone
from giving out or securing Informa
tion concerning shipments handled by
any common carrier, is being more
rigidly enforced.
Notices have been received by all
representatives of the steamship com
panies that no Information must be
given out concerning shipments which
might in any way be a detriment to
the shipper or consignee.
-•
A number of barrels of liquor con
signed to Juneau liquor dealers were
seized recently In Seattle, while en
route from California, and the Seat
tle police claim they will hold the
goods until ownership Is proved.
EVIDENTLY NOT
PROUD OF ITS
VOTE
♦ (By United Press) +
♦ FARGO, N. D., Feb. 12. — •
♦ This state, which gave its elec- +
♦ toral votes to Woodrow Wilson ♦
♦ can’t find enough people to ♦
♦ march In the North Dakota di- ♦
♦ vision of the Wilson inaugural ♦
♦ parade March 4. The Wilson ♦
♦ League here is seeking men for ♦
♦ the honor, +
4444C4444444444444
BITliMTS
IN ORDER IT
(By Associated Press)
PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 12. — School
teachers throughout the United States
who are coming to the 1917 convention
>f the National (education Association
here July 7-14, will be instructed to
bring their bathing suits, for Port
land plans to throw open half a dozen
swimming resorts along the Willam
ette river here to the delegation, as
one of the several forms of entertain
ment.
Thirty thousand delegates are ex
pected by a Portland Chamber of
Commerce committee in charge of ar
rangements. Already there are plan
ned automobile trips along the scenic
cvtumtiU river highway, •tutnbost
excursions up and down the Willam
ette and Columbia rivers, possible
climbs up snow-tipped Mount Hood,
salmon breakfasts and the like. One
plan on foot is to postpone the annual
Rose Festival from June until the
teachers arrive in July.
, (By United Press)
TOPEKA, Kan., Feb. 12. — Two
members of the state film censorship
hoard rejected a film because a young
woman in her nightie opened the cur
tains of a Pullman berth and peeked
across the aisle at the man she lore*,
The nightie was cut too low, the dis
approving censors said.
PRISONERS ON
PAROLS MAY BE
EXEMPT
(By United Press)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12. — A cam
paign to Americanise, by education,
all foreigners employed in American
Industry and commerce was started
here today at the opening of the Na
tional Conference of Americanisation
Through Education.
Dr. P. P. Claxton, U. S. commission
er of education, called the meeting to
order'and'explained the plan to the
members of the U. 9. bureau of edu
cation, the national committee of one
hundred and the United States Cham
ber of commerce.
-♦
WILLARD 8IGN8 TO
MEET FRED FULTON.
NEW YORK, Feb. 12. — Jess Wil
lard. the heavyweight champion, haa
signed articles for a ten round bout
with Fred Fulton, to be staged in
Madison Square Garden on March 26.
-e
Sixteen residents of Petersburg re
cently made application to the district
court at Juneau for citlsenshlp papers.
-8
Bjorn Gasperson, of the Yes Bay
hatchery, is the inventor of the latest
novelty, a postcard made of fish akin
which is reported to be very neat and
attractive.
REPUBLICANS TO
CONTROL NEXT
SENATE
The now practically complete count
of the territorial canvassing board,
which has been engaged In canvassing
the vote of the territory of Alaska,
shows that the Republican party will
be In control of the next Alaska sen
ate. That is, the next senate will be
composed of five Republicans and
three Democrats. In the house there
will be an even break as far as the old
parties are concerned, for seven rep
resentatives from the ranks of each
were elected, according to the offi
cial count.
There will be one Independent mem
ber of the house, and there Is still one
representative to be voted for. He
will be elected at a special election to
be held In the First division on March
6, to succeed John O. Held, Republi
can, who died since he was elected to
office.
The canvassing board had a hard
time regarding the race for represen
tative In at least two instances in the
Second and Third divisions. It is gen
erally conceded by the Republicans,
however, that when Utica, in the Sec
ond division, is counted, Corrigan, De
mocrat, will be found to have defeated
Reed, Republican, by a very small ma
jority.
The next senate will stand:
Republicans — Heckman. Sunbeck,
Gaustad, Sutherland and Hubbard.
Democrats — Sulxer, Ronan and Al
drich.
The next house will stand:
Republicans — Benson, McCormack,
Allen, Combs, Norland, Day and Mur
ray.
Democrats — nsrajr. Dwty, Cbrrigan.
Burns, Hess, Price and Cannon.
Independent — Snow.
The next session of the legislature,
which convenes in Juneau on March
5, will be quartered in the Goldstein
building
(By Associated Press)
E LPASO, Feb. 12. — Revolutions in
Mexico have deprived this city of
many articles, which before the be
ginning of the revolutions were In
general use here. Mexican cigars,
winter strawberries, lime*, avocado
and drawnwork are some of the things
El Paso has had to do without while
the various factions fought in the In
terior.
The ftrst thing a rebel leader does
when he starts his revolution is to cut
the railroad line to prevent reinforce
ments being sent to the besieged town.
As the Mexican cigars come from Vera
Crux, the strawberries from the semi
tropical country to the south, limes
from Tamaulipas, avocados from Ja
lisco and drawnwork from Aguas Call
entes, these points were stopped from
coming by the suspension of train ser
vice.
-•-.
NEW ADMIRAL STEAMER
TO BE OVERHAULED.
The steamer Admiral Walnwright,
the moat recent addition to the fleet
of the Pacific 8teamshlp Company,
will arrive In Seattle within the next
few days for repairs and rebuilding.
The Walnwright was formerly the
Grace Dollar, and was purchased from
the Dollar Steagiehlp Company, and
it Is expected (list she will be ready
to enter the Alaska service about
March 1. The contract for the re
building of the Walnwright has been
let to the Seattle Construction and
Dry Dock Company at a figure be
tween |3S,00 Sand $40,000. The re
building will consist In decking In
muck of the space on the boat, which
at the present time Is open, and when
the Walnwright enters the Alaska ser
vice she will be greatly altered In ap
pearance The Walnwright) Is 220
feet In length and has a gross tonnage
of 1,227 tons.
-•
Dan Callahan, ex-councilman of
Fairbanks, who is serving time In the
penitentiary oa a statutory charge,
has been granted a new trial by the
circuit court of appeala.
* ” ***- - t
CAUCUS
(By Associated Press)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12. — The De
mocratic senate caucus has approved
the administration revenue bill, with
some slight changes The bill will be
reported soon and its passage pressed.
JUST Flms
ABOUT LOCAL
E. T. Stannard left on today’s train
for KennecotL
L. F. Bates came down from Chltina
on yesterday's train.
Mrs. T. L. Hunter, of Fairbanks, was
an arrival In Cordova on yesterday's
train.
The steamer Admiral Watson is due
from the westward at 4 o'clock tomor
row morning.
Mrs. D. Leahy, of Anchorage, was
an arrival in town today on the steam
er orthwestern.
The members of the Bungalow Club
and their friends will indulge in a
dance at Hegg's hall tonight.
Ths itaajsw NsrtkwMtars )■ Is port
and will sail for Seattle at midnight,
after loading 1,600 tons of copper ore.
This Is Lincoln's birthday, and
some of the patriotic citizens have
flung the stars and stripes to the
breeze.
The first sailing for Nome will be
the steamer Senator from San Fran
cisco May 28. The Umatilla leaves
from Seattle June 1.
Information has been received here
that Clarence Gerald, the well known
Seattle restaurant man, died on Feb
ruary 2, of Bright's disease.
The church workers of the Presby
terian church are planning to serve
the public with some good home cook
ing on the afternoon of Washington’s
birthday.
J. A. Donald, agent for the North
ern Commercial Company at Tanana,
Is here on his way to the states to Join
his wife, who has been visiting there
since last summer.
In accordance with the cuatom of
naming ships after ports In Alaska,
the Alaska Steamship Company will
rechrlsten the Eureka the Ketchikan
and the Stanley Dollars to Skagway.
J. G. Dorsh and John Burns, who
came over from Valdes Saturday, left
on this morning's train with four
horses and a large outfit furnished by
the Blum, O’Neill Company, which will
be freighted from Chitina to John Mil
ter's mining property on Slate creek.
Agent Hedges received a message
from Juneau, stating that tba steamer
Mariposa would be here Tuesday even
ing at 7 o'clock, hut aa the vessel left
Juneau at 6 o'clock Sunday morning it
la evident a mistake haa been made,
aa the boat is due in Cordova tonight.
Don't forget Ihe card party, given
by the Woman’s Guild, at Hegg’s Bun
galow hall, Tuesday evening. Refresh
ments will be served and a pleasant
time for. Carda begin at 8:30. There
will be other amusements; something
for everybody. Come end bring a
friend. Admission SO cants.
This is the last day for tha payment
of the municipal US on personal and
real property, after which a penalty
of five per cent will be collected. The
Ux levy amounts to about $8,500. and
of this amount over $7,000 had been
paid In up to noon. Treasurer H. 1.
O'elll stated that the remainder, or
the bigger part of It, would prohaMy
be paid before the expiration of the
time allowed, which la 8 o'clock to
night.
-♦
Tha Dally Time* keeps you posted
on the latest war happenings.