The Cordova Daily Times
VOLUME TWO. NUMBER 374. (,'<) KIh»ya, ALASKA, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRT AR1 27, 1916. PRICE II A’( ENTS,
GERMANS LIKELY TO CAPTURE VERDUN
' KAISER DIRECTING FIGHT; GREAT LOSS OF MEN
BERLIN. Fel). 2il. — The war offire
officially announced this afternoon
that a considerable advance bad been
^ made by the German troops north of
Verdun, in the region east of the
Meuse. Emperor William is at the
front, and is personally exhorting the
German soldiers to greater efforts.
The hills southwest of the village of
I.ouvient and the fortified positions
east of the same village have been
laken by storm. On the plains of the
Woevre the French resistance has
been broken along the entire front
to a point near Marphoville, south of
the high road from Paris to Metz. The
Germans are pursuing the retreating
forees. In the Champagne district,
further west, the French troops have
commenced a strong offensive against
the German positions south of St.
Marhany. and have, succeeded in pene
trating the German first Tine of tren
— . —
du'- for a distance of two hundred and
fifty yards. The announcement made
yesterday that the French village of
Champs NVuville had been captured
was found today to have been a mis
take, based upon erroneous informa
tion.
PARIS, Fell. 2fi. — The French war
office issued an official communique
today, announcing thnt the Teuton
forces north of Verdun, under com
mand of the crown prince, were con
tinuing their violent attacks on the
French positions. The statement says
that the Germans are attacking in
force with great recklessness, and
with utter disregard for human life,
their losses having been enormous,
charging as ihey have in the face of
a tremendous machine gun fire, and
hearing down the French soldiers in
the trenches by sheer weight of mini
icrs. The sacrifice* which the Her- i
i
nans are paying for their successes I
lave been uuparallelel in the pres -
[■nt war. The heaviest Teuton attack i
was centered in the region of Beau j
inont, east of the Meuse, but it failed
in this section, notwithstanding re
peated charges by the German infan
try, and the tremendous slaughter
that the kaiser's soldiers were com
pelled to endure. Thousands of at
tacking Germans were moved down
here, but their lines were filled up hv l
fresh .reserves, who only suffered the
same fate as their predecessors. While
the French have been able to inflict
these great losses on the enemy, they
have not been able to withstand tlie
tremendous attack at all points of the j
line, being forced to Tetreat Vo new
positions. Despite this retiring move-j
ment, which is admitted in official and
parliamentary circles to be of a seri-j
ms nature, the war office claims that i
here is no cause yet for disquietude !
The Germans kept up incessant at- j
aeks all day yesterday on the French !
Inca, which although unbroken, was;
compelled to rectify its front as a
Treasure of prudence. The left wtng|
if the French army was pierced at
['humps Neiiville. and the right wing
ilso was pierced south of the village
if Ornes. The new front which the
French have taken nortli of Verdun
is barely six miles long, and extends
jlong the heights north of the city,
offering strategical advantage, and an
ideal defensive position, which can
hardly lie taken against the strong
forces which General Joffre has as
sembled to resist 1he expected attack.
The crown prince is hurling his masses
In close formation against the French
line in this narrow space, hut the line
is holding out. The Preach express
istonishment at the persistence of flic
German commanders in face of the al I
nost unbelievable losses that the Ten
ions have sustained. The French mil !
tary observers, writing for the lead
ng Paris journals, are confident that
the cit y of Verdun is in no danger of I
being captured, and they say that!
a counter offensive may he expected!
at this point, to be launched at the'
precise and decisive moment. That !
the French commanders are simply,
hiding their time to drive hack tli i
invaders is the prevailing opinion. A1
battalion officer who has but just ar- 1
rived from the battlefield, states that
the Germans have not as yet gained
any positive advantage despite the
enormous losses they have sustained,'
and despite the continued ferocity of
their attacks. <
—
BERLIN, Feb. -*!. — The war office ,
I
■•sued an official bulletin today, do
ailing further successes for the Ten
on arms in the fighting north of the
ortified French city of Verdun. The
ierinana believe that Verdun is in im
linent danger of capture, as the of
ieial bulletin claims the fall of Fort
louamont, one of the main fortificat
ions defending the city, which is only
our miles northeast of the city itself,
■'ort Douainont is one of the twenty
our forts encircling Verdun, and Is
list north of the railroad running
■ast front North Verdun, and is about
.If* miles from Paris.
PARIS, Fell, 2*5. — It is said uriof
icially that Verdun is being assailed
iv hordes of German troops from three
listinct sides. The attack is bring
nade simultaneously from the riorth
■ast, the cast and from the southeast.
V
—
The Juneau land office lias received
a nolice of (lie action of the general
land office in approving for patent |
four applications by the Katalla coni
pany for land on the Copper river in
V the vicinity of Chitina, applications to
make soldier's additional homestead
entry.
The total area embraced in the four
surveys applied for is fifty-nine acres
ami in connection with the action of
the commissioner of the general land,
office it is stated. “As the four sur
veys constitute a single body of land
containing less than ICO acres, the
question of the reserve space inter
vening between the claims does not
I arise. No more than 160 acres shall
be entered in a single body by script !
* * * and between any such claims
aggregating tnore than 160 acres there
must be the space of eighty rods.”
SEDER TREATY
•LISBON, Feb. 26. — The Portuguese
government has recently requistioned
all of the Oerman and Austrian ships
which are interned in Portuguese har
A-hors. The premier today told the
* I louse deputies that attempts had
been made to damage seven of these
ships, and that explosives had been
found on the North German Lloyd
steamer E'uelow. The premier, in the
course of his address to the deputies,
said that the best interests of Portu
gal would be served by cancelling the
existing treaty with Germany. He
said that Portugal was prepared for
♦ all eventualities, and that the gov
ernment had considered this step
thoroughly before deciding to requi
sition the boats.
-:o:
Attorney R. E. Capers left on the
boat last night for Valdez, to attend
the district court, which is in session
there.
-:o:
Malcolm Brock went to Valdez on
the steamer Northwestern on a short
business trip.
The Cordova Chamber of Commerce
has sent a communication to Post
master General Burleson, In reference
to the demoralized condition of the
local postoffice, due to recommenda
tions made by Inspector Neil after Ills
visit to Alaska last summer. He not
inly succeeded in haring the clerical
force at Cordova reduced, but also
was instrumental in having the wages
d those remaining cot down, so that
efficient help can no longer lie em
ployed. The Chamber thoroughly in
vestigated the matter, and through a
special committee, consisting of At
orney K. K. Capers and Malcolm
Brock, the following facts were laid
ipt'ore the department at Washington:
During the summer of last year In
specter P. J. Neil visited the various
postoffices along the Alaska coast.
and shortly thereafter, us the result -of
his reconi mentlti t ions, the clerical
foives in (iractically all offices was
cui down to such an extest as in large
mensure (o paralyze the service. The
Cordova Chamber of Commerce, tally
believing in the fairness of the head1
of the postofficxi department, has in
structed tlie undersigned committee ti,
draft tliis letter respectfully directing
the attention sf the department toj
tlie real conditions which exist in tin-,
postal service as tlie result it Mr.'
Neil's visit. This letter will hare re
lation solely to Cue situation at the Vo
cal oi l ice. although it is the informa
tion of the Chamber that similar, or
worse, conditions prevail at Seward,
Valdez and other places.
It is to he observed that .Mr. Nefi
visited Cordova during the summer
season, at which time of the year
business o1 all kinds, and particularly
i lie business of hatKQLng mail, is at
Its lowest ebb. Had the inspector
visited this office during the busy sea
son, the chamber dws not feel he
would have made the recommends
lions which he did make, even though
lie was (as we believe) much misled
by his zeaiKiusness in rotting expenses.
The suggestion is eametly made, in
■onnectior. with the matter of -Aepart
mental economy, that the salary al
lowed to the only regular clerk pro
tided for tine Cordova office is wholly
inadequate, arid falls far short of com
paring fawsirably with the salaries
paid for clerical aid In other lines.
The monthly sum paid to the local
•lerk is eighty-three dollars. We can
■eadily understand that officials not
j conversant with conditions of living
here may readily enough rail to ap
1 preriate the fact that rents, clothing,
hoard and other necessaries of life
are materially higher than in the
Stases. Ordinary labor is better paid
than the postal clerk, and the delivery
hoy who brings groceries to the citi
zens' doors is able to command a bet
ter wage Ilian is lie.
We take it that it is hardly neces
sary to call tin' attention of the de
partment to the large sums of money
paid annually by the government for
the handling of the interior mail pass
i i
; ing through Cordova. We shall as-i
same that iho department, which1
makes these contracts, is fullv ap i
I i
I prised thers-of. But. what may not be
j so well known to the department is,1
Continued on Pago Three.
RUSSIANS STILL
CROWDING TOT
TURKS
PETROGRAD. Pel). 2G. — It was
innounced by the war office today j
hat the advancing Russian troops in j
Persia had occupied the important j
•ity of Kermanshah, the Turks and
Vrabs not having been able to assem- j
hie their disordered forces after thei
lefeat administered when the moun- j
ain passes were carried. The Rus
dons are In full command of the sitn
ition, and will press their advantage,
rhe advance guard of the Russian
orces is now only 150 miles from
\ut-el-Amara. where the British army
inder General Townsend is surround
ed by Turkish troops. These British
roops, who were repulsed in their
iscent of the river Tigris for the pur
pose of attacking Bagdad, are still
lolding out, although the British re-j
ief force, under General Aylmer, is.
dill 23 miles away from the city, anil
leems to have been definitely halted '
jy the Turkish forces. That the Rus h
dan forces .in Kermanshah will ad j
. ance to the relief of General Town i
lend seems assured. The enemy in i
his section has apparently been de- 1
prived of all power of making serious i
•esistauce. and the Russians will soon i
be marching on the Kut from the east.
—-:o.
Everybody has the Empress habit, i
f *
MAKE MAE OF i
X . ■- ' - 1
■
EL PASO, Feb. 20. — General Villa,
.vitli a band of four hundred men. was. j
reported yesterday at the town of i
’asas Grande. Villa was well stocked 1
sith supplies, all his meu being [
mounted and well armed. He had •’
previously ransacked several adjoin- 1
ng towns, taking what provisions and 1
niscellaneous supplies which wrere 1
veeded. He also burned a ranch house 1
ind other buildings. The Inhabitants
>f Casas Grande made no resistance
o the Mexican rebel, and he per
ormed no acts of violence.
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TREASURER’S BOND INCREASED.
Territorial Treasurer Walstein (1
Smith has filed a supplemental bond
vith Governor J. F. A. Strong for
150,000. The treasurer Is already un
ler bonds of $100,000, but under sec
ion 4, chapter 77, session one, laws
if 1913, which provides that any time
he amount in the treasury shall am- I
>unt to three-fourths of the amount s
if the bond, the additional bond or j I
lalf the original amount must be*
iled. The bond was fired to (
neet the requirements of the law. t
--:o:- t
The Evans brought up a crew of,!'
uen for the mannery at Yatkutat. |r
IflLLA SfJO Mi
WELL ARMED
WASHINGTON. Feb. 26. — The
douse military committee today voted
n favor of increasing the standing
irmy of the United States to a total
if 137.000 enlisted men and officers,
t is thought that this increase will
;ecure sufficient votes in Congress to
tdmit of the enactment of such a
neasure. The Democrats on the eom
nittee supported the proposition, and
t also received Republican votes.
-; o.
1
i a l a ■ .
WASHINGTON. Feb. 26. — The
'niteil States has instructed Ambus
ador Rage to make inquiries of the
ititisii government for the details re-J
nrding the removal of thirty-eight
ermans, Austrians and Turks from
ve American steamship China, in
slatic waters, and demand the re
tase of tho prisoners If they were ar
jsted on tile high seas.
ALLIED
EMC
HOME. Feb. 26. — It was announced
unofficially today that all of the allied
troops in Albania had evacuated that
country. The Italians have abandoned
their proposed stand against the ad
vancing Austrians, and the Serbian
troops and Montenegrins, who had re
treated into Albania, are being trans
ported to Saloniki to take part in the
coining allied offensive against the
Teuton-Bulgarlan forces along the
Uievgeli-Doiran line.
_ n
HOME. Feb. 26. — The unofficial -
statement that all of the allied troops j •'
had left Albania was partly confirmed "
by the government this afternoon. ja
when an official announcement was ^
made that the Italian troops had eva- d
cuated the seaport of Durazzo. The s
public refuses to believe, however.
that the allies have entirely quit the j °
Albanian zone of warfare, for it is j °
still thought that the Italian troops J d
are in Avlona. and the government ih
lias always heretofore intimated that, ^
Avlona would be retained. Large j
bodies of troops have been sent there. **
ind considerable work done towards
fortifying the city. Avlona is of the
jreatest importance to the Italians, st
is it dominates one side of the en b<
ranee to the Adriatic sea. ! fr
J
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2G. — Senator
Iamilton Lewis, of Illinois, the Demo
•ratie whip, announced today lhat
’resident Wilson was willing for the
Senate to consider the resolution in
roduced by Senator Gore, of Okla
toina. at any time. The resolution
•ailed upon the government to issue
ifficial warning to American citizens
isainst riding on the merchant ships
if any of the Kuropean nations en
caged in the present war. when such
nerchantment were armed. The reso
ution was introduced yesterday and
vas refused immediate consideration
iccaiise Senator Brandegee, of Con
lectieut, a Republican, objected. Sett
itor Lewis stated that a canvas of the
enators had been taken, and it was
iow assured that the resolution would
ie defeated if brought to a vote. The
’resident is opposed to the passage of
udt a resolution, while the pacifists
n Congress, aided by Bryan, are
trough urging its passage.
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USE IN PIES
CAUSES ILLS
VIENNA. Feb. 2ti. — Tbe scarcity
f rubber elastic lias caused all the
arter factories iu Austria-Hungary
) close down, as well as most of
lose in Germany. Elastic garters
nd supporters are no longer to be
id. except where, here, and there, a
ealer has some stock left on his
lelves. Elastic strings, which could
> bought before the war at the rate
three dollars for 200 pounds, now
>st from eighteen to twenty-four
illars for the same quantity, and are
ird to get even at those prices,
bread has gone up from 10 cents to
'. and dyestuffs have also doubled
price.
-:o:
The steamer Northwestern did not
il for Valdez until after midnight,
■ing in port thirty hours discharging'
eight.