The Cordova Daily Times
VOLUME ONE. NUMBER 209. CORDOVA, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1915. PRICE TEN CENTS.
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FOUR BATTLESHIPS SAIL FOR MEXICO
* SITUATION IN REGARD TO FOREIGNERS IS EXTREMELY GRAVE
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11—Secretary of the Navy Daniels
has ordered the battleships New Hampshire and Connecticut
to proceed at once to southern waters, presumably to Mexico.
The destination of the vessels will be announced later. The
New Hampshire and the Louisana are both now out of Newport,
J R. I., eighteen hours bound south with sealed orders. The
Connecticut is in Havti. Daniels told the press representatives
that the situation at Vera Cruz might not require the presence
of battleships to protect the lives tof he foreign residents. The
object of sending the ships away was, according to the secre
tary, because conditions in southern waters required the pres
ence of greater naval forces than are there at present.
NEW YORK, Aug. 11—Another meeting of the Latin
American diplomats who recently decided upon a plan of action
in respect to Mexico, was held today, with Secretary Lansing
, present. The South American statesmen considered the situa
| tion as regards to foreigners in Mexico extremely grave, and
the matter was gone into in alj its details. Lansing assured the
other members of the conference that the United States had al
ready ordered battleships to Mexico for the purpose of looking
after the lives and safety of all foreign residents.
BROW NS\ ILLE, Aug. 11—More border fighting occurred
today, although details have not been received here, and it is
not known if there were any casualities. Fifty Mexicans eti
gaged in a running fight this morning with a body of Americans
composed of a detachment of soldiers, re-enforced by a posse of
civilians. The skirmish took place about twelve miles from
Harlingen.
CORNISH, N. H., Aug. 11—President Wilson left his sum
mer home here today, and returned to the White House for the
purpose of holding a cabinet meeting Friday for the considera
tion of the Mexican situation. Other official business demands
the attention of the chief executive, but the Mexican crisis is the
most pressing matter. It is believed that the action to be taken
by the Latin American conference will not be long delayed.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11—The State Department an
nounced' today that quiet had once more been restored in Vera
Cruz. The military authorities took steps to prevent the street
speakers from their efforts to inflame the populace against the
foreigners and the situation seems to be held well in hand by
the Carranza officials.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11—General Carranza has tele
graphed a lengthy message to Secretary of State Robert Lan
sing, notifying him that the Mexican people will view with ex
treme displeasure any attempt by outside influences, whether
private or national, to frustrate the impending success of Car
ranza’s armed forces. The note from the Mexican leader plain
ly signifies that Carranza will not abide by any plan of ecu ring
l'oaco in Mexico determined upon by the recent Pan-American
conference. Carranza has also wired a protest to the Latin
American powers, who participated in the conference, objecting
to their interference with the affairs of his country. There
are fourteen thousand American troops already on the Mexican
border, and preparations are being made to send additional
forces to aid in checking the brigandage that is extending over
a wide extent of the border.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11—The State Department in an
official statement issued today on the Mexican situation, says
that dispatches have been received from General Funston,
leader of the American border forces, in which he reports that
the recent brigandage and guerilla fighting against the Ameri
cans in Cameron, Star and Hidalgo counties of Texas, was
caused by an organization of Texans, who seem determined to
stir up trouble between the United States and its southern
neighbor. Funston says that this band of Texans has its
headquarters in Brownsville, and that a political fund has been
collected for the purpose of paying the Mexicans who are en
gaged in this brigandage. The heads of the trouble are Ameri
cans and are not Mexicans. The scheme was to have these
bandit gangs, rob an attack each other, and it was not contem
plated that they would attack Americans, or battle with the
American soldiers on the border. Secretary of War Garrison
telegraphed to Funston today that he would send all the troops
available into Mexico if Fighting Fred needed them. Funston
had'not asked for troops in his message to the department.
FOREST MONEY IS
JUNEAU, Aug. 11—Judge Jennings
today handed down an opinion which
disposes of the recipts of the national
forests of Alaska, which were turned
over to the territory, and over the dis
position of which there has been con
siderable difference of opinion. The
court’s ruling means that the money
will be equally divided between the
four judicial divisions of Alaska.
The law which provides that twenty
five per cent of the receipts from na
tional forests shall be expended in the
county or counties in which the forests
are situated caused all the trouble. In
the territorial legislature the delegates
from the other divisions contended
that there are no counties in Alaska
and ordered the money divided in four
equal parts. The delegates from
Southeastern Alaska were not satisfied
contending that for this purpose the
First Division is the same as a county,
and hence appealed to the courts.
Judge Jennings sustained the de
murrers of the territory, in the suit
brought by the representatives of the
First Division, to prevent the pay
ment of road moneys in the four divi
sions of Alaska. In an opinion on the
road money case the court refuse to
declare constitutional the action of
the legislature in dividing forest re
serve moneys.
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MARPOSA AT 9 P. M.
NORTHWESTERN 10 A.M.
ku _
V
The steamer Mariposa is due in Cor
dova 9 o’clock tonight, and will likely
have but one day's mail, as the Ad
miral Watson sailed from Seattle at
least twenty-four hours ahead of her.
The Watson left Juneau at 1 o’clock
this morning and will be here early
Friday morning.
The steamer Northwestern will
reach here tomorrow morning at 10
o’clock and sail for Juneau and Seat
tle two hours later.
The Admiral Evans is to the west
ward, but nothing definite is known
as to when she will return here.
mn i
LONDON, Aug. 11—The vigorous attempt now being made
by the allies is attracting the attention of the various bellig
erent nations, and the Teuton allies recognizing the importance
ol the movement will use every endeavor to get supplies and re
enforcements into Turkey. In the meantime, the Anglo-French
troops are hammering away at the Turkish positions night and
day, and are slowly gaining ground. The present operations,
it is thought, while on a large scale, arc only a forerunner of
the gigantic movements of troops that is about to take place
on the Gallipoli peninsula. Yesterday the first signs of this
movement became apparent when the allies landed' a fresh con
tingent o fsoldiers north of the Gulf of Saros. The landing of
the troops was rushed and they surprised the small Turkish
garrison in the vicinity and' routed them, the landing being pro
tected by gunfire from the ships of the fleet. Another large
body of troops was landed north of Gabatepe, while on the south
end of the peninsula, which has seen most of the fighting to
date, the offensive lias been resumed by the allies, heavy artil
lery fire being directed' upon the Turkish trenches preparatory
to a charge. It is reported here on good authority, coming
from Athens, that that Field Marshal Sanders, the German
general in command of the Turkish forces at the Dardanelles,
has been replaced by Grand Duke Meclenberg. Official news
from the theatre of war on the peninsula is lacking today, the
war office being silent on the matter, but press dispatches arc
being received here reporting the strong offensive and claiming
that the allies are gaining ground.
LONDON, Aug. 11—The German attack o ntlie fort ress of
Kovno, is gradually prevailing, and the Teutons are creeping
nearer to the Russian positions. The Slavs have made all pos
sible preparations toevacuate their positions here in case it
should' develop that they would be unable to retain the fortress.
The Germans so far have withdrawn no troops from Poland,
strong efforts being made to inflict a crushing defeat upon the
retiring Russians. These efforts have so far been unavailing,
but the military observers deduce from the continuity of the
German operations, that the Teutons are still hopeful of destroy
ing the usefulness of the Russian armies, and they believe that
the safety of the retiring Muscovites is still imperilled.
CONSTNTINOPLE, Aug. 11—The Turkish official state
ment issued this morning tells of the landing of fifty thousand
new troops on the Gallipoli peninsula by the allies. The state
ment assert that the landing was hotly opposed by the Ottoman
troops, and that heavy losses were inflicted on the Anglo
French. The statement does not give the place of the landing,
but it is evident that the allies are preparing for offensive
operations upon a large scale. The Turks are using all their
available resources in an effort to present a strong resistence to
the allies. The allied troops at the lower end of the peninsula
have made some slight gains the last few days, but nothing
important.
BERLIN, Ang. 11—The official statement issued by the
war office today claims tlrat the German armies are still press
ing the Russians back and capturing important positions on tin
fighting line in Poland. The latest Slav fortification to yield
to tin* Teuton rush is the fortress of Benamaminow, east of Novo
Georgievsk.
LONDON, Aug. 11—The waroffice today announced that
the German submarines hail torpedoed and sunk nine more
British ships. The largest was the steamer Oakwood, forty
three hundred tons, the others ranging from smaller steam ves
sels down to fishing trawlers. As far as can be learned there
were no casualities among the crews of the boats.
PARIS, Aug. 11—The courtmartial of the 15th military
region of France will soon try Hermann Hochel, of Hamburg,
director of tin* T nion Sulphur Co., for espionage in France,
jit is tin* first case in which the public has been furnished with
precise details of the alleged German military preparations in
France before the war.
Hochel, who will be tried by default, having left France
fourteen days before Germany declared' war, is charged with
having built concrete gun foundations in his works in France,
and with having constructed along an important line of rail
road, installations destined to facilitate an auracious coup by
enemies of France. This, it is said, was prevented by the min
ute precautions taken by the French military authorities as
soon as the mobilization was forseen.
Hochel is also charged with having intrigued to prevent
the importatio nof sulphur into France from Louisiana and
Sicily in order to hamper the production of ammunition by
French arsenals.
LONDON, Aug. 11—While the prize court has dealt with
the cases of many American ships which have been seized by
the British navy, a large number still are detained in British
ports. Many annoyances, and much expense have resulted to
the owners of the ships from the Crown procedure incidental to
their detention. The port authorities have demanded consid
erable sums for pilot fees, and in one case a thousand dollars for
dock fees.
The American skipper would protest that he should not
pay for a pilot he had not wanted, who had' detained him and
brought him into port against the skipper’s protests; that he
should not pay for keeping his ship at the dock when he was
not keeping her there, and did not want to stay there. But the
answer is invariable that pilot fees and docking fees must be
paid or serious forfeitures result and rather than incur more
serious obligations, these pilot, dock and other charges are
paid, although they are for detention which the ship has not
sought.
About the only American skipper who has escaped these
charges is one who had the good' fortune to be deaf. When the
port officials threatened him with dire consequences if he did
not pay for the pilot who detained him and brought him into
port, he shook his head and did not hear. It was the same with
the dock fees—lie did not hear them. And this skipper, master
ot the Neelies, .5,000 tons, from New York, after more* such ex
periences than any other American sailor, including tin* sink
ing of a barge in the Thames for which he was libeled for 10,000
pounds, is now sailing the sea with a free ship due to his good
fortune in being deaf to all exactions.
ENGLAND SHIPS
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NEW YORK, Aug. 11—A special
train carying fifty-two millions in gold
arrived here from Halifax, N. S. The
train was guarded by forty armed
men, and the precious consingment
was billed to J. P. Morgan & Co. The
shipment was brought to Halifax from
London on a British battleship, and
was convoyed by a fleet of torpedo
boat destroyers. The money will be
used to reenforce the British credit
and improve the exchange situation
between this country and England
which has been put out of Joint be
cause of the tremendous balance in
favor of the United States due to the
large orders for war supplies placed
in America. This shipment is con
sidered to be but one of the many that
will be brought to this country before
the present war ends, and will event
ually result in malting the United
States pre-eminent as the money pow
er of the world.
FIRSET THROUGH TRAIN
LEAVE HERE SATURDAY
The track of the Copper River &
Northwestern railway is now clear to
Mile 93, and the first train will leave
here Saturday morning. Temporary
repairs are being made to the Gihina
bridge and it is expected that they
will be completed so that the first
shipment of copper ore from Kenne
cott can be made either Monday or
Tuesday. The steamer Mariposa is
bringing about 175,000 feet of lumber
for bridge work and another shipment
will arrive on the freighter Seward.
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COLLIER PROMETHUS BE
HERE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER
The collier Promethus, which will
make extensive repairs to the Whit
shed navy wireless station and bring
much of the material for the erection
of the new plant at Mile 13 is due in
Cordova about September 15, to re
main here two months.
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All the Real News In the Times.