THE NENANA NEWS
Application ma de October 30, 1916, at the Postoffice at Nenana, Alaska, ior
entry as second-class mail matter under the act ot March 2, 1879, by The Ne
nana Printing Company.
Published Weekly by The Nenana Printing Company
Day of Publication Saturday Edited by R. G. Southworth.
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Nenana, Alaska, March 24, 1917
Notwithstanding the fact that
the Alaskan Engineering commis
sion will spend much less money
in the Nenana-Fairbanks division
this summer than was expected
earlier in the year, there is the
promise that conditions locally will
not be so bad as seemed likely
following the adjournment of con
gress. Sufficient work will be
done by the Commission to insure
a very substantial payroll during
the next few months, and there is
the probability that the closing
months of the working season will
be crowded with building activity.
There is also the possibility that
the local merchants will be de
pended upon for supplies to a
greater extent than would have
been the case had more money
been made available for Outside
purchases at the commencement
of the season. The expenditures
will be sufficient, in any case, to
tide the town over until it is pos
sible for the Commission to obtain
additional funds from congress.
Having been created by the Al
askan Engineering commission, the
town of Nenana at present depends
very largely for its prosperity upon
the activities of the Commission.
The greater the amount of work
done by the Commission in this
division, the greater the prosperity
of the town, and vice versa.
But there is such a thing as
having too much prosperity. In
the case of Nenana, at least, too
much prosperity would be almost
as hurtful to the town as too little
of if. Had the original elaborate
plans of the Commission been car
ied out the town would have found
itself unprepared to handle the
business which would have devel
oped before the opening of naviga
tion. And, attracted by boom
conditions, a flood of new business
enterprises would have arrived
with the first boats, causing an
unnatural inflation of property val
ues and reducing the chances of
business success to a minimum.
The town will be the healthier
for having enjoyed a steady, perm
anent growth. There is a future
for Nenana, but it cannot be merged
with the present or helped in any
material way by boom conditions. {
- j
Should Colonel Roosevelt go to j
Europe at the head of an expedi
tionary force of his own creation,
bis departure should be followed
promptly by the deportation of
those foreign agitators whose pres
ence in the United States has been
a constant menace since the com
mencement of the European strug
gle. The meeting of the two
forces on European soil might not
influence the outcome of the war,
but it would help a lot to preserve
order within the United States.
Of course the action of Secre
tary Lane had nothing to do with
that supreme court decision on the
Adamson eight-hour law. Bat in
withholding their decision until
after the railway managers had
consented to grant the demands of
their employees for a shorter work
ing day, the men who preside over
the nation as a tribunal of last re
sort invited criticism and gave the
seed of suspicion opportunity to
take deeper root in the hearts of
the American public.
The expected has happened.
The railroad managers have de
manded permission to boost pas
senger and freight rates, claiming
that compliance with the Adamson
eight-hour law will increase oper
ating expenses fifty million annual
ly—and incidentally leaving a pro
fit of only nine hundred and fifty
million.
•The fact that the typewritten
ballots used in Choggiung and
Nushagak precincts, which gave
Wickersham a majority of some
thirty votes, bore only the names
of Wickersham, Frame and other
Wickersham candidates, furnishes
strong evidence of the existence of
a Wickersham-Frame-up.
It is one thing to be declared
elected by a district judge, and
quite another to obtain recognition
in congress. If possession counts
for anything, Wickersham still has
a shade the best of it
The czar 'is out Long live the
new Russia. And may the rela
tions between that country and the
United States continue to be as
friendly as they have been in the
past _
Reports from Mexico indicate
that Carranza is awaiting a favor
able opportunity to stage another
one of those exhibitions of Mexi
can ingratitude.
A Portland navigation company has
been organized and will enter the Alas
tan trade during the early spring with
one steamship.
PROGRESS OF THE BIG STRUGGLE IN EUROPE
'
MONDAY
Petrograd: The Turkish forces are re
ported to be falling back before the
new Russian offensive which is becoming
manifest '.long the entire Eastern lront.
Washington: The state department is
in receipt of a message from Carranza in
which the Mexican chief Suggests the
cutting off of supplies to the Allies as a
means of shortening the war. His sug-1
gestion has been rejected, however.
Washington: Secretary Daniels today |
ordered all naval commandants at shore i
stations and all recruiting officers to be !
prepared to enlist women for actual ser- !
vice in the nuvv department. In case of
emergency they will be given shore dutv. :
Washington: An official statement is- >
sued this morning says that the navy de
partment is oil the point of commandeer
ing a number of American munition fac
tories which have refused to speed up on
their production, and will make public
the names of the owners that their lack !
of patriotism may be known to all.
Washington: Informal negotiations
were begun this morning between the
governments of the United States, Great
Britain and France for the establishment
of a sea lane across the Atlantic ocean, to
be used for the shipping of munitions.
The lane will be patrolled by swift cruis
ers to keep it cleared of German U-boats.
Washington: It is held in State depart!
ilient circles that the sinking of the three
American merchantmen by U-boats yes
terday is a virtual declaration of war by
the kaiser: and that a state of war actual-.
lv exists between the United States and I
Germany which will no doubt be precip- J
itated into an open struggle when the j
first of the armed merchantmen meets a j
German U-boat.
Washington: Ten of fourteen German j
sailors of interned German liners in Phil- j
adelphia made their escape in a sensa-1
tional dash for liberty last nite, and are j
i as yet unapprehended. The remaining ;
tour were placed in the prison barracks j
in the Philadelphia navy yard by Com
madore Russell, commander in charge of
the Yard, upon instructions from the de
partment of war.
Queenstown: American Consul Frost
is of the opinion that the captain and
nine of the crew of the American vessel
City of Memphis, sunk near here yester
day, are prisoners aboard the submarine
that sank her, and this opinion was
strengthened this morning by receipt of
news of the finding of the captain's gig,
in which he and the nine others left the
vessel before she was torpedoed. The gig
I was riding dry and was empty, ejfcept
iug a few oilskins and a tin box contain
ing the captain’s ship’s papers. Signs of
a hasty departure from the gig are evi
dent, and these facts incline Consul Frost
to the conviction that the missing men
have not beeu taken aboard some vessel.
TUESDAY
Pekin: Chinese troops are now occu
pying the German concessions in the for
eign quarters of Tientsin and Hankow.
Berlin: An attack on London by Zep
plins was made last night, and after a
bombardment lasting an hour and a half
the aircraft returned to their base without
mishap.
New York: Twenty-six mail bags con
signed to the state department ami to the
British embassy, which arrived on the
Saxonia today, were found to have been
opened and their contents rifled.
Paris: Within the next forty-eight
hours the two French departments of i
Oise and A:sue will undoubtedly be in
the hands of French and British troops,
as indicated by the advances already ac
complished.
London: Grand Duke Michael has ac
cepted the throne of Russia with the con
sent ot the people. He has called a ple
bescite to establish a new form of govern
ment and new fundamental laws.
Washington: The president late today
ordered the expenditure of one hundred
and fifty million dollars to speed up naval
construction, and also authorized the
suspension of the Adamson 8-hour law
on naval construction work, with pay
ment of time and one-half for overtime.
Washington: Germany’s challenge of
war, in the form of the sinking of three
American lioats yesterday, is now in the
president's hands. The boats sunk were
the City of Memphis, Vigilancii and Il
linois. The first two were returning to
the United States in ballast, and the oth
er had a small non-contraband cargo, and
these facts undeniably constitute their
sinking as an overt act It is stated in
semi-official circles that a state of war
exists between the United States and
Germany, and only lacks a formal dec
laration bv the president to be formally
established. Secretary Lansing refuses
to make any statement to the press, say
ing that the situation is too serious for
discussion at this time.
I
London: The Allied victory in the
Somme sector is complete, but the of
fensive in that sector continues. Bau
pautne, Combles and Feronne are in the
hands of the British. More than 1000
square miles of territory have been taken
from the Germans since July first on the
western front, most of which is attribut
able to the British forces.
Washington: General Sherwood of
Ohio, a pacificist, and one of the few
members of the house who opposed the
armed neutrality measure, this morning
urged the president to call a session of
congress to declare war on Germany, and
has declared his willingness to resign his
seat in congress and take up arms against
the kaiser.
Washington: A dispatch from Consul
Frost at (jueenstown to the state depart
ment states that the captain, bosun and
eight of the crew of the City of Memphis
are missing, and either have been picked
up by another vessel or are prisoners 011
the submarine that sunk their boat, as
the balance of the crew, who have been
interviewed by Consul Frost, state that
the entire crew got awav in small boats
before the vessel was torpeiloe<l. The
fate of the crews of the Illinois and Yig
iloncia is still unknown.
WEDNESDAY
Petrograd: Russian troops have ad
vanced entirely across Turkey in pursuit
of the retreating Turkish army.
Washington: Bids have been issued
for two hundred submarine chasers. Keels
for sixty are already laid in the New
York ship yard.
Washington: Many government offic
ials are expressing the belief that tier
many will not wait for America's declar
ation of war, but will begin offensive op
erations at once.
Wasliingtou: It is declared that it is
not the intention of the American^ gov
ernment to send armed forces to Iiurope
in the event of war.
Paris: Rapid progress is being made
by the Allies on the Western front. Ten
villages have been captured during the
past twenty-four hours.
Juneau: Both branches of the terri
torial legislature have approved the reso
lution indorsing Governor Strong for re
appointment as governor of Alaska.
London: An unconfirmed rumor is
afloat in financial circles here that a rev
olution has broken out among the people
of Germany against the government.
London: The French government
this morning entered into business nego
tiations with the new Russian govern
ment, which is taken as a formal recog
nition of the new government.
Washington: The president has issued
a call for a special session of congress on
April second to secure authority to de
clare a state of war between this country
and Germany,
Petrograd: An attempt was made last
nite to assassinate A. F. Kerenski, newlv
appointed minister of justice. He is re
ported as being conscious, and is expect
in other sections of Alaska and
in the States who are as much
interested in Nenana and the
development of Interior Alaska
as you are.
Why not have The Nenana News mailed
to some of these friends? Save a lot of letter
writing and help build up the community in
which you live.
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