Food—-The Weapon that will Win the War—Help to Save It
VOLUME NO. 2
The Nenana News
NENANA, ALASKA SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, +916. WHOLE NUMBER >9
BRITISH WHI5
Hit KAISER HARD
LONDON, Jan. 26.—The war of
fice has issued an announcement in
which the British public is informed
of an unusually successful raid un
dertaken by British airmen along
the Western front. Three import
ant railway stations behind the Ger
man lines were bombarded at an
early hour this morning and another
big attack was made west of Cam
brai, a large amount of German war
munitions and supplies having been
destroyed at that point. A total of
300 bombs were dropped and seven
German airplanes were brought down
during the raid.
LAND SHARKS HAMPER
PROGRESS OF NATION
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 26.—
In a statement made before the
house merchant marine committee
yesterday afternoon, Admiral Bowles
asserted that the country is being de- j
prived of hundreds of thousands of
tons of needed shipping by the action
of real estate speculators, who are
buying up all the available land and
houses in the immediate vicinity of j
shipyards engaged in building vessels
for the government. Bowles urged !
a favorable report on the shipping j
board’s housing bill, which provides ]
for the acquisition of houses for the I
exclusive use of workers employed
| in the shipyards.
RELATIONS WITH JAPAN
MADE CLEAR BY MISSION
" TOKYO, Jan. 26.—Viscount Mo
lono, foreign minister, has informed
the Japanese parliament that the (
Japanese mission to America reached
a satisfactory understanding with
the United States with regard to
military co-operation in war matters.
Japan, he said, has made and is mak
ing every effort to aid the Allies to
secure a satisfactory peace with the
Central powers.
MEXICANS SCATTERED
BY BORDER SOLDIERS
EL PASO, Jan. 26.—Forty armed
Mexicans crossed the Rio Grande at
a late hour last night, landing on the
American side of the river near the
southern edge of the city. Police
and soldiers were immediately dis- j
patched to the scene and the in- j
vaders were chased back before they
had time to do any damage. One
of the American soldiers was slight
ly wounded during the chase, but it
is not known of any of the Mexicans
being hit. Patrols were sent north
and south of the city along the
river to guard against another attack
I but the bandits did not again at
tempt to cross the river.
GERMANS DESTROY
NEWARK PROPERTY
NEWARK, N. J., Jan. 26.—Prop
erty valued at more than a million
dollars was destroyed by fire at an
early hour this morning and the fed
eral authorities are now searching
for the men believed to have been
responsible for the fire. There is
every evidence to indicate that Ger
man agents are guilty of the act.
The property destroyed included a
number of oil barges, freight cars
and pier warehouses close to the
plant of the Submarine Boat cor
poration and storehouses of the
quartermaster’s department of the
army.
HANOVER SAS OUTSIDE
SHOWS THE WAR SPIRIT
“You people up there in Alaska
don’t know that the country is at
war’ is the way Charles Hanover de
scribes the stirring martial scenes
which awaited his gaze upon his ar
rival at Seattle several weeks ago.
In a letter addressed to Victor
Durand, the former Nenanaite de
clares that the Outside air is filled
with the war spirit and everywhere
there is evidence that the nation
is making stupendous preparations
to engage in the world struggle for
liberty.
* Mr. Hanover tells of autoing over
* to Camp Lewis with his wife and
of the stirring scenes they saw there.
He estimates that there were fully
75,000 people at the training camp,
most of whom were in uniform.
Uniformed men are also much in
evidence in the coast cities and war
is the chief topic of conversation
in every quarter.
Mr. Hanover does not state what
his plans are, but that he is still in
terested in the North is indicated
by a request to be kept posted re
garding developments in Interior
Alaska. It is understood that the
Hanovers recently disposed of their
timber land near Seattle for a sub
stantial sum and fiat they are plan
ning a trip to Honolulu before look
ing for a place to settle down. No
mention is made of this, however,
in the letter to Mr. Durand.
ALLIES ARE ASSURED
CARS ARE AVAILABLE
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 26.—
Secretary McAdoo has assured rep
resentatives of the Allied nations
that an adequate number of freight
cars can be furnished for the trans
portation of foodstuffs purchased
by the Allies in this country. The
secretary states that freight is now
moving more regularly and that
within a short time the congestion
will be entirely relieved.
WOULD RETRY CASE
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Jan. 26.—
Strong pressure is being brought to
bear on President Wilson to induce
him to use his influence with the
California authorities to bring about
a retrial of the Thomas Mooney case.
Mooney stands convicted on the
charge of complicity in the San Fran
cisco bomb plots.
There is keen disappointment
among the registrants of Nenana and
other Interior towns, as the result
of the order received yesterday an
nouncing that the government had
changed its mind about permitting
the voluntary induction into the
army of Interior Alaskans subject to
draft.
Immediately following the an
nouncement that enlistments might
be made locally and the enlisted
men furnished transportation to Fort
McDowell, several Nenana regis
trants availed themselves of the op
portunity to enroll as volunteers,
among them being R. R. Douse, Har
old Anderson and Nick Larson.
Others expected to enlist, but now
it will be impossible for them to do
so, the government having decided
that the cost of transportation to the
Outside is too great at his season
of the year.
A similar situation confronts Fair
banks, where quite a number of
young men volunteered. They are
! still hopeful of getting into the
I army, however, by the voluntary in
duction route, and it is possible
that the citizens of the upper town
j will supply the necessary funds to
get the men to the coast, from which
point it is hoped the government will
take them to Fort McDowell. They
are planning to raise a detachment
| of fifty recruits, who are to start
training immediately.
The telegram from Governor
j Strong, which brought dismay to
those desirous of enlisting, was re
ceived from Juneau yesterday by
' Chairman Curtis, of the local ex
emption board, and reads 3s follows:
“H. P. Curtis, Board 19:—
“You are instructed that provi
sions of my telegram of January 7
and my telegram of January 21,
relative to voluntary induction under
Section 150, insofar as they apply
to your board, are revoked, for the
reason that the expense of sending
men out before the open season is
too great,
(Signed) “STRONG,
Governor.”
With regard to the Engineer regi
ment, application for enlistment in
which was made by a number of
Nenanaites this month, nothing de
finite will be known for another
ten days, word having been received
from Major Mears yesterday to that
effect.
RUMANIANS START
BATTLE ON SLAVS
LONDON, Jan. 26.—Advices re
ceived in this city from Petrograd
late this afternoon state that a large
force of Rumanian troops have sur
rounded Kishinev, where they have
engaged the Bolsheviki forces in |
battle. The reports indicate that
the Rumanians are advancing stead- ;
ily and that the capture of the en j
tire Russian defending force is in i
imminent danger.
GERMANS ARE AT WORK
ON CANADIAN PLANTS
—
TORONTO, Jan. 26.—A serious 1
fire is raging at Peterboro, the |
great Canadian manufacturing town |
94 miles northwest of this city Be
yond the fact that the fire started
at an early hour this morning and
spread so rapidly that it was soon
beyond the control of the fire de
partment, no details of the conflag
I ration are obtainable, owing to the
i fact that the wire communication
has been interrupted. The reports
indicate that the fire was of in
! cendiary origin.
CLUB TO CONSIDER
ENLARGEMENT PLAN
i A matter of much importance to
the Commercial club and to the
town of Nenana will be considered
by the members of the club at the
regular weekly meeting of the or
ganization tomorrow afternoon, and
possibly definite action will be taken.
If the proposition receives favorable
consideration, Nenana will soon have
a combined commercial and social
club, with permanent club rooms
I conveniently located, similar to those
found in nearly all Alaskan towns.
A committee was appointed two
weks ago to scan the town for suit
able quarters and to secure other
data relative to the establishment
of such a club and their report will
; be submitted tomorrow for consider
ation of the club as a whole.
| At the last meeting of the club
membership applications were re
ceived from E. J. Hu^macher, W. L.
Packard and J. Russel Walle and
the names of the applicants were en
rolled a smembers.
The committee appointed at a pre
vious meeting to arrange for a more
frequent first class mail service be
tween Nenana and Fairbanks, re
ported that arrangements had been
made with the Gibson and Robinson
autos to carry mail each way each
trip. This insures Nenana a better
mail service than the town has en
j joyed at any previous time. The
Koland stage will continue to carry
the second class mail and such first
I class mail as may be awaiting at
the time of the departure of the
stage.
The matter of the endorsement of
a local candidate for the office of
game warden, to succeed R. S. Mc
Donald, who has been appointed
United States commissioner, was
brought to the attention of the club
and a committee was appointed to
recommend a candidate to the club.
This committee, it is understood, will
recommend Steve Foster, who al
ready has the endorsement of the
Council of Defense.
Townsite Manager F. S. Ryus call
ed the attention of the members
; to the unsightly appearance of num
erous back yards throughout the
town and asked the co-operation in
| the clean-up campaign which has al
ready been inaugurated by the town
! site management.
The dog nuisance was discussed
at length, but nothing definite was
done in the matter, neither the club
nor the townsite office having au
thority to take action against those
who permit their dogs to run at
large.
The meeting tomorrow, will be held
as usual, at the office of Commis
sioner Burns, the hour being three
o’clock.
Bobby Sheldon, veteran auto stage
man of Alaska, arrived in town this
week with Tom Gibson. He is au
thority for the statement that many
Fairbanksans are offering to wager
that the war will be over within
sixty days.
WILSON SAYS ALLIES
ARE IN NEED OF FOOD
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 26.—
In a proclamation to be issued from
the White House tonight, President
Wilson will inform the American
public that the food situation in
Europe has assumed so serious an
aspect that he deems it necessary
to request Americans to practice
food conservation on a much more
intensive plan than heretofore. |
Reports received from England
and elsewhere abroad indicate that
the Allies are very hard pressed for
food—that supplies from the United
States are not arriving in sufficient
quantities to relieve the situation
and that actual famine will result
unless drastic measures are taken
immediately to supply the needs of
America’s fighting allies. In order
to do this, the president will point
out in his proclamation, it will be
necessary for Americans to further
reduce home consumption to a very
considerable extent.
ARE OUT OF WAR
DECLARES CHIEF
PETROGRAD, Jan. 26.—Major
General Bonchbruvits, chief of staff
of the Russian army, paints a gloomy
picture of conditions among the
Russian soldiers on the various
i fronts. In his report to the com
mander in chief of the Slav forces,
he states that the army organization
is utterly demoralized and that the
maintenance of discipline is impos
sible. At many points on the west
Russian front, the line is entirely
open and it is impossible to force
reserves to relieve the men in the
trenches at other points. In some
sections, fortified positions have been
destroyed and along the entire front,
Russian troops are deserting in
masses. Fraternizing with German
soldiers is everywhere in evidence.
INDUSTRIALS ACTIVE
IN LUMBER DISTRICT
ST. PAUL. Jan. 26.—Fifty Min
j nesota National Guardsmen have
been dispatched to the northwest
lumber district to avert a threatened
strike among the lumbermen, who
are planning to quit work on the
first of February. The trouble is
the result of agitation and the dis
tribution of I. VV. W. literature.
MORE SOLDIERS DIE
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 26.—
| General Pershing: has advised the
war department of the death of
j eleven more of his soldiers in France
! from natural causes,
i_
AMERICAN RED CROSS
IS HELPING BELGIUM
HAVRE, Jan. 26.—The Belgian
government has been advised by the
American Red Cross society that the
i sum of two million francs has been
: placed at the disposal of King Albert
i for the relief of Belgian sufferers.
SPANISH WOMEN RIOT;
WANT CHEAPER FOODS
MADRID, Jan. 26.—Reports re
ceived in this city today state that
serious disorders have occurred in
Barcelona as the result of the high
cost of food stuffs. Women are re
ported to have started the rioting,
which has assumed such proportions
that the authorites are now unable to
cope with the situation.
--
STRIKE IN WARSAW
LONDON, Jan. 26.—Bolsheviki
newspapers are spreading the news
of a great strike which has just
started in Warsaw. Much is said
also of the demonstrations which are
reported to have occurred in Austria
Hungary in favor of peace.
WILL WATCH PURCHASES
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 26.—
Edward R. Stetinius, of the J. P.
Morgan office force, has been ap
pointed surveyor-general to super
vise all army purchases.
WILL EXPEL AGITATORS
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 26.—The
question of expelling Industrial
Workers from the ranks of the United
Mine Workers is being considered
at the annual convention of the
Mine Workers, now in session in this
city.
NEW SLAV CONGRESS
MAY NOT PAY DEBTS
PETROGRAD, Jan. 26.—The all
Russian congress which was called
into being by the Bolsheviki as the
law giving body of Russia, an
nounced today that it had given its
approval to a repudiation of the
debts of the Russian government.
This action is not final, however,
since the decision has not been de-1
finitely accepted by the Lenine
Trotsky government.
OFFICIAL DROPS DEAD
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26—
Frank J. Gould, surveyor general of
the department of the interior, with
headquarters in this city, dropped
dead in front of his offices this
morning.
GERMANS LOSE TWO BOATS
CONSTANTINOPLE, Jan. 26
Two German destroyers are reported
to have been sunk as the result of
encountering mines in a German
mine field. The boats went down
late yesterday afternoon.
MAY LOSE POWER
AMSTERDAM, Jan. 26.—Phillip
Scheidemann, president of the Demo
cratic party in Germany, declared
today, in answering the speech of
Chancellor von Hertling, that the
military leaders of the empire must
beware. He said that if they in
sisted upon restoring peace between
Germany and Russia, they would be
hurled from power in short order.
I ENGINE REPAIRED;
WORK IS RESUMED
The big main line locomotive, No.
270, one of the three engines of the
Alaska Engineering commission in
the roundhouse at the time that
structure was destroyed by fire on
i January 15, has been repaired and
•was placed in operation again this
morning, hauling supplies to the end
of the line and assisting in the con
struction work south of Nenana.
All piping, woodwork, babbitt bear
ings and springs were replaced and
the big engine is now practically in
as good condition for operation as it
was before the fire. The general
appearance of the engine, of course,
was not improved by the fire, but
officials of the commission make
the reassuring statement that the
disaster is not going to cause the
delay in construction which was at
first anticipated.
There was no loss of time doing
the work and the results obtained
are very complimentary to Mechani
cal Foreman, J. R. Lamb, who had
the work in charge. During the time
that repairs were being made, the
engine was temporarily housed in
a large tent, erected near the ruins
of the roundhouse.
The Brown hoist has been doing
duty as a freighter between head
quarters and the end of the line
since the fire, but its limited haul
ing capacity and lack of speed
necessitated a considerable curtail
ment of operations.
The plant of Hilty, Durand & Jun
kins, on Cleary creek, was sold un
der the hammer yesterday at Fair
banks, the property being bought
in by A1 Hilty. The action is said
to have resulted from a disagree
ment among the partners.
DIPLOMATS AVER
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 26.—
No advance toward peace is believed
in local diplomatic circles to have
resulted from the speeches of Chan
cellor von Hertling and the Austrian
foreign minister, concerning the war
aims of the Central powers. Offi
cials of the administration freely ex
press the view that the speeches were
deliberately planned for international
consumption, for the puropse of
planting the seed of discord among
the Allies by suggesting separate
negotiations and appealing to the
sympathies of the Socialist element.
Notwithstanding this view, the in
ternationl situation looms large, of
ficials admitting the belief that im
portant events are developing behind
the strict censorship. Mention is
made of the German chancellor’s ad
mission that the Russian peace ne
gotiations are moving unsatisfac
torily and his further statement that
he still hopes for early peace with
the Slav nation. Mention is also
made of the withdrawal of Austro
German troops from Northern Italy,
coupled with the admitted heavy re
inforcements on the Western front,
and of the marked apparant increase
in Austrian peace sentiment, with
out annexation: or indemnities.
Then there is the invitation of Pre
mier George, asking Irish leaders
to confer on the Irish question, and
the new Allied war council, about
ready to convene at Paris.
Advices received from Amsterdam
this afternoon tell of disorders at
Berlin and elsewhere in Germany
during the past two days, the rioters
clammoring loudly for peace. Pet
rograd dispatches declare that Aus
tria is ready to conclude a separate
peace without the consent of Ger
many.
Another report, received from Ber
lin, tells of the commencement of
fighting at many points along the
Western front, indicating that the
Germans are maneuvering for their
big drive.
FINNS WARN RUSSIA
TO STOP SHIPMENTS
HELSINFORS, Jan. 26.—The Fin
nish senate has sent an ultimatum
to Russia, warning: that nation to
prevent the further shipment of
arms to Finnish rioters, who are
causing disturbances at various
points throughout Finland.
BRITISH WORKERS TOLD
OF THREATENED FAMINE
NOTTINGHAM, Jan. 26.—In an
address made before the Labor con
ference here today, W. C. Anderson,
member of the house of commons,
stated that the threat of famine is
hanging over Europe at the present
time, and that food must be con
served to the utmost during the
coming year. Mr. Anderson claims
that the industrial situation is men
aced by this danger and urged that
immediate steps be taken to avert it.
LITTLE FALLS BANK ROBBED
VADER, Wash., Jan. 26.—A lone
thief, wearing overalls, slugged and
tied A. N. Cheney, cashier of the
Little Falls State bank here, and es
caped with six thousand dollars.
Fred Keel ,of the Totatlinika, was
in town on business during the early
part of the week.