The Cordova Daily Times
Member of Associated Press—Day and Night Telegraphic Service
W)!.. III. NO. 269 CORDOVA, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1918 PRICE TEN CENTS
ALLIES HALTING DASH OF HONS
NOTABLE SLACKENING OF ENEMY’S MAD ADVANCE
BATTLE CONTINUES VIOLENTLY GERMANS SAY ARE FIGHTING
ALONG THE WHOLE FRONTIER WAY TOWARD THE MARNE
Battle Undiminished in Violence -
PARIS, May 31.—An official state- i
mdnt issued yesterday says that the
French have prevented enemy prog
ress in the western outskirts of Sois- <
sons. To the south tin* French sol
idly hold the left hank of the Prise ]
river. I
The Hermans are multiplying their i
efforts in the direction of Villo Tarde
nois. |
The battle continued all day jester- (
day with undiininished violence along t
the whole front. On the right and to i
me northwest of Rheims the French ]
are holding their positions. :
Nineteen German airplanes have i
been destroyed and twenty-three
brought down.
Reserves Slacken Advance (
As regards the situation between
Rheims and Soisonns, the official (
statement says that as the reserves t
come into play the balance will be t
restored. .Tlie German march was y
laekened by the arrival of the first
eserves.
German Center Repulsed
Today's official French statement
ays that violent attacks on the
Wlette river have forced the allied
eft flank hack. Near Soissons and
urther south the German attack was
epulsed in the center.
The Germans advanced slightly
mrth of the Marne. The French
•ountersittnckod and recaptured the
own of Thillois, west of Rheims, but
ailed in tlie Ailette region. The
Tench retired on the north of liter
ncourt and Kpagny. seven miles
tort Invest of Soissons.
German Rush Southward
The Paris newspapers sav that T.e
harmel, two miles north of the
•lame, is the extreme point of the
iermnn advance. The Germans con
inued their rush southward. Neither
he Chateau Thierry nor Dorman has
et fallen.
-WITH TIIK WHITISH AUMY IN
FRANCK, May III. Herman airmen .
have bombed another big hospital <
Many of the medical workers were
among the killed and wounded.
The hospital caught fire after a t
large section of the building had been
demolished by bombs.
A few of the women nurses were
among the slain.
The bodies of nurses, patients ami
attendants have been buried.
---«
The steamship Alaska is due from
Seattle at f>:Hi o’clock this afternoon.
ALKXAXDUIA, Vii., May l'resi
ent Wilson yesterday lent a hand in
riving the first rivet in the keel of
hat will he the steamship “Gunston
fall." of Ik ten tons register. She is j
i he a freighter, liuilt for the slop
ing board.
The President pressed the trigger of
pneumatic riveter until the rivet
as beaten into shape.
-»
Parties who made reservation of
eats for Saturday night’s show must
ill for them before tomorrow at noon
r they will be resold.
German Hordes Engaged
LONDON, May Ml.—Forty German
divisions are engaged in the Aisne1
battle, and forty more are in reserve,
according to a Reuter's dispatch. Jt :
reports that Soissons was taken by
the Germans on Wednesday.
Rheims Is Doomed
The abandonment of Rheims
seems inevitable. The Germans are
nearing the Marne and the Paris j
Chalons railroad, which is the main
system of communication between!
Paris and Verdun. The German drive
is slackening.
German Claim of Many Prisoners
liKRLIN, May 31.- An official
statement issued yesterday says that
Grecyaumont, Justigny and Cuffies,
suburbs of Soissons, have been cap
tured by the Germans. It is asserted
thai ihe number of prisoners taken
lias been increased to 35,Ofu*.
War material, including a uuicb.-t
of large French gulls, have also been
captured by the Germans.
“To the sout ti of Keros Tardenois,"
says tin- statement, “we are lighting
our way toward tin* Marne."
Today carpenters are engaged in re
moving the awning in front of the
Northwestern Hardware store and II
(’. Feldman contemplates making a
number of improvements to Ins place
of business.
-——-♦
A train arrived this afternoon from
( hitina.
I’.\K1S. May :! I 'I'he bombardment
if Paris by the big German gun was
resumed on Wednesday last, A shell
hit one of the Paris churches.
As tin' llritish were asked by the
Germans not to bombard Cologne on
Wednesday, it being the feast of Cor
pus Christi the officials say that the
least that could he expected was that
Germany would have the same, for
bearance toward Paris as they asked
for Cologne.
’Pbe bombardment was kept up in
termittently all day, and was resumed
at sunset.
Removing the Kiddies
The removal of children from Paris,
was begun yesterday morning, when a
thousand of them were taken to a va
cation colony in central France. This
is the first action taken under the
plan of removing the children front
the possibility of harm from the long
range German gun striking school
houses; as a church was struck on
Good Friday.
TO REPORT ON JUNE U
WASHINGTON, 41 ay :H. It is of
ficially announced that 280,000 men
called under the selective draft law
have been ordered to report for duty
on June 24.
WHOLE nlilES HIE
ASPHIXI1TED B> HUMS
LONDON, May 31.—A dispatch says
that the Germans, in reprisal for the
peasant disorders in the Ukraine,
have drenched several villages with
gas and asphyxiated whole communi
ties.
-«
Nels McCrary and wife of Chitina
arrived in town today.
Possible Resumption of Push Down the
Oise River Suggested in Dispatch
The summary of the war situation
issued last night by the Associated
Press says:
"Slowly but surely the plunge ot
the German crown prince's armies is
being halted. While the German mo
mentum lias not been spent, there was
a notable slackening during the day
The chief efforts of the Germans is;
now being devoted to widening the I
gap torn in the positions between
Pimm and lirimont.
“The French have fallen back from
the limits of Soissons, and the fighting
has taken on the familiar aspect ot
the invasion of France in 1 f* 14.
"After breaking the French and
British defensive positions, but not
the allied line, the Germans are again
moving their forces out into a fan
shaped figure. The situation, while
extremely serious, has not assumed
tiie critical aspect of the fighting in
.March."
May Be Drive Toward Paris
Today's summary says:
"In keeping the Teuton center ad
ducing steadily but more slowly to
ward the Marne, the Germans simul
taneously struck the allies’ left flank
along the Ailette river, and drove the
allies back* The allied line now runs
from Soissons through Kpagnv and
lllerancourt to the Oise river, eight
miles west of Xoyon.
The present offensive suggests the
possibility of a resumption by the Ger
mans of the drive down the Oise val
id toward Paris. The allies checked
a similar drive in March.
WASHINGTON, May 31. Secretary
Me \(loo last night issued a statement
in which he reminded the railroad
employes of the country that they
were now employes of the United1
States, in time of war, and that a
strike means a blow at the govern
ment and the hampering of trans
portation, which is essential to the
protection of the hundreds of thou
sands of Americans on the buttle
fronts.
Secretary McAdoo also sent tele
grams to the heads of all labor unions
having shopmen among their mem
bers, saying the government cannot
be coerced or intimidated. He called
upon thpm to remain at their duties
and to rely upon him and the new
board on railroad wages and' working
conditions for a just consideration of
their claims.
-*
SPANISH SHIP SHELLED
BY GERMAN SUBMARINE
WASHINGTON, May 31.—The
Spanish steamship Maria Pia has
been shelled by a German submarine
and her captain and several of her
passengers have been killed.' The ves
sel later reached Spain.
-«
Frank Keenan, assisted by Baby
Slater, the talented child actress, will
present “(The Crab” at the Empress
theater tonight. This is a strong bill
and you cannot afford to miss see
ing it. ■
AMERICANS REPULSE
ATTACKS OF ENEMY
WASHINGTON, May 31.-—General I
Pershing’s communique of May 2!) an-]
nounces the failure of the enemy to]
break through the American lines. A
raiding party of fifty men was re
pulsed with the loss of ten dead and
four wounded. The American casual-!
ties were slight.'
Last evening’s communique of the
American commander reported the I
complete repulse of further enemy at
tacks upon the new American posi
tions near Cantigny, and that the]
fighting continued active around Can
tigny and in Lorraine.
Fail to Budge Americans
WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES
IN FRANCE, May 31.—The Germans
\
used tanks in counter-attacking on
the Americans at Cantigny. The.
American artillery opened a heavy
fire when the German infantry showed
itself, and the German tanks and in
fantrymen were driven back in dis
order.
The Americans have not budged
since they captured Cantigny.
Northwest of Tool the Americans
successfully raided the German lines
last night.
Airplane Downed
After sharp fighting the Americans
repulsed four German attacks at Can
tigny yesterday. American aviators
havJ brought down another German
airplane northwest of Toul.
SKATTLK. May 111. Tin* Post-In
telligencer's special correspondent at
Washington, under date of yesterday,
telegraphs that .1. .1, Finnigun, an at
torney of Seward, has been appointed
captain in the judge advocate's de
partment to assist Governor Riggs of
Alaska in the administration of tin*
selective draft measures.
The appointment was made at the
request of Governor Riggs. Mr. Finni
gan will succeed Captain Hunt.
--«
LOCAL BOAT OWNERS
ORGANIZE YACHT CLUB
The Cordova Yacht Club was or
ganized yesterday and the following
members elected as officers until fur
ther notice: Commodore, A. .1 Mac
Connell": Vice-Commodore, George
Mosser: Secretary. Bert (tiles; Trea
surer, Will Clayson. The club started
off with the following members;
C. L. Hale, Dave Phillips, W. Ur
quhart, C. K. Rogers. R. E. Hegg,
Henry Mallard, B. Mellison, George
Kennedy, M. Ilolben. Dr. Council, F.
Haef, E. Games, Claric Byers, E. Har
wood. W. Hillery, Xels Hawkins^i.
James Lyon, A. Foster, tleorge Bow
man. There will be a meeting at the
office of the Cordova Power Company
at 9:ltd tonight to arrange for the
first club outing and also to admit
new members. All boat owners are
invited to attend
--—•
Deputy Marshal Joseph Feaster of
Chitina brought several prisoners to
town on this afternoon’s train.
Yesterday Memorial day was fitting
ly observed in Cordova, there being a
general suspension of business. At "
o'clock in the afternoon the Liberty
flag pole was appropriately dedicated
in the presence of a large outpouring
of people. The Home Cuards formed
in front of Magic ball and marched to
the corner of First street and l> av
enue. where they stood at att.nliott
while the Situs and Stripe. w,-r, un
furled to the breeze. In a Vein elo
quent and patriotic addn - <;, (>rge
fliilev dedicated the flag iiole. |{e
referrd to the origin oi Decoration
I>ny and what it metuit. paid a slow
ing tribute to Cordova's dralt quota
who would soon lie entering tit* set'
vice of Cnde Sam and in closing
presented the pole to the city as a
monument of the excellent show ing its
citizens made in the pnrchas, of
Third Liberty Loan bonds Mayor \\
It- 1 lillety, in a few well chosen words,
accepted the gift on behalf of the
city.
Immediately after the ceremony ex
ercises were conducted at Mmpress
theater, where a large crowd had as
sembled Mayor llillerx presided and
ihe following interesting program as
rendered:
"Star-Spangled Banner." In chorus
and audience.
Solo. "Blue and the Cray," by Miss
F.inma Shepard.
t horns. “Hattie Cry of Freedom/’
by children.
Solo. “Tile Vacant i hair ' In Mrs
Harry Kerr.
i.mcoins C.ettysburg A.Icii!.•
Mrs. \. .1 McConnell
Solo. ‘'Marseillaise." by Mrs T \
1 lubber!
Address and prayer. Rev. K P
Zeigler.
Buet. “Memorial Day." Miss Frances
Fraisure and Frank Hums.
Solo. “A Prayer for Our Nation."
by Miss Ruth Barrett
Chorus, “Alaska. My Alaska.”
“My Country, ’Tis of Thee,” chorus
and audience.
Solo. “Recessional." by Mrs A .T.
McConnell.
-*
So great yesterday was the de
mand for reserved seats for the min
strel and vaudeville show to be given
by the Fort l.iseum Red Cross chap
ter at the Empress Theater Satur
day night that the original eight rows
were sold during the afternoon and
an additional row added Of these
latter only a few seats remain