$7,955.25 Last Year--WW5 TIE ICt PI& CHW&~$/0,M0 This Year
THE NENANA NEWS
VOLUME IV
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS NENANA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, MAY. 8. 1923
NUMBER 448
ENGLAND OBJECTS TO SOVIET ACTIONS
NOTE THREATENS BREAK WITH RUSSIAN REGIME
IDAHO CITIZENS DRIVE WOBBLIES ACROSS STATE LINE
RAID BY CHINESE BANDITS
ANGERS POWERS OF WORLD
PEKING, May S—Reports which
#re trickling slowly from the Shan
tung border at Lincheng, where up
wards of 150 foreigners were taken
captive by Chinese bandits on Sun
day, indicates that a number of
Americans are in peril. The bandits
made an attack on an express train,
several thousand taking part in the
raid, and nearly all the passengers
were taken captive. The women
among them were later released or
escaped.
Situation Menacing
WASHINGTON, D. C. May 8—
Minister Schurman has reported to
the state department from China
regarding the capture of Americans
by the Chinese bandits, and the sit
uation apparently is regarded as
menacing the good relations be
tween the United States and China.
It is understood that Schurman
already has made representations
on his own responsibility to the
Chinese government and it is ex
pected the state department will
instruct him to pursue a most vig
orous course in an effort to secure
the release of the prisoners un
harmed. His report to the state
department is based on information
received from an American who
was present when the bandits at
tacked the train.
May U*e Troop*
WASHINGTON7, D. C. May S—
Action by American troops to re
lieve American captives in China
was discussed at a conference held
yesterday between Secretary of
State Hughes and Acting Secretary
Davis, of the war department. Da
vis announced that his repartment
stands ready to back up with arm
ed forces any decision that may be
reached by the state department oi
the council of foreign ambassadors
at Peking.
The state department announced
yesterday that the Government is
prepared to make vigorous demands
for restitution in the form of suit
able apologies and indemnity should
any American be harmed by the
bandits. It will be demanded in any
case that those responsible for the
attack should be punished and more
effective steps taken in the future
to protect Americans.
Eight American* Held
SHANGHAI, May 8—The Such
ow train bandits are still holding
fifteen foreigners, including eighi
Americans, according to the official
list compiled today. Two foreign
ers were killed during the attack
one of them being an America?
whose identity has not been ascer
tained, and Charles Rolham, a Bri
tish subject. Robert Scripps, th<
American publisher, who wa:
thought to have been among thosi
taken prisoner, was on anothei
train and has arrived safely a
Peking. All of the women wh;
were captured by the bandits hav<
either been released or have escap
ed.
Minister* Get Bu*y
WASHINGTON, D. C. May 8—
The council of ministers at Pekin?
has decided to make urgent repre
sentations to the Chinese govern
ment and to recommend that pun
itive measures be taken to secur<
1
BRITISH SUBJECTS IN RUSSIA
WARNED OF POSSIBLE CRISIS
the release of the foreigners still
held captive.
The Captive*
SHANGHAI, May 8—The follow
ing is the complete list of foreign
' ers held captive by the bandits:
Americans: Major Roland Pinger.
Manila: Roland Pinger, Jr.. Major
j Robert Allen, Manila, formerly of
• Tacoma; Robert Allen, Jr., Leon
Friedman, Shanghai; J. B. Howell,
editor of Weekly Review. Shanghai.
| Lee Solomon and A. Henry, Shan
ghai.
Cbevlar Musso. Italian; Elias T.
Spahiere. Englishman; Emil Gens
burger. Frenchman; Manuel Verea.
Mexican; F. W. Pratt, nationality
unknown.
John B. Rowell was formerly
engaged in newspaper work in II
J linois and Missouri.
After Newspaper Party
TOLEDO. May 8—Mrs. N. D.
j Cochran, wife of the former edi
tor of the Toledo News-Bee, has re
! ceived word from the headquarters
|of the Scripps McRea newspapei
: syndicate that her husband and
j daughter Dorothy are among the
captives. The communication stated
that all eight members of the
Scripps party, who set out recent
ly for a tour of the Orient on the
Scripps private yacht, were cap
' tured by the bandits.
Relief Train Arrives
TIENTSEN, May 8—A reliei
train with a party of foreigner;
who escaped from the bandits ar
rived here yesterday.Among those
arriving were Mrs. Robert Aller
i and Mrs. Finger, who told a graphic
tale of adventure. The bandit;
started .firing before the train hac
stopped, and smashed the window;
| with hatchets after the train hac
; come to a standstill. Some of the
passengers escaped by hiding in the
long grass, but more than twentj
were carried off, including six worn
en.
An unconfirmed leport says tha'
K. Nagai. governor general of the
Japanese colony on the Island oj
| Sakhalien, and another Japanese oi
j prominence were mong those ta
ken captive.
The steel gang which is engagec
i in standardizing the track betweei
North Nenana and Fairbanks, ha;
| reached Happy station and a “Y’
is being put in there now so tha
' the trains may be turned pendinj
the completion of the standarc
| gauge work to Fairbanks. The pas
sengers leaving Fairbanks thi
morning for Nenana and the coas
jwere transferred at Happy.
i There will be a regular meetini
j of the city council tonight at th
i telephone exchange building.
R. S. Donaldson, manager of th;
Healy River Coal Corporation, cam
’ in from Suntrana Sunday ar.d wil
go to Fairbanks this afternoon oi
a brief business trip.
MOSCOW, May 8—British Re
presentative Robert Hodghon has
handed Maxim Litvinoff. assistant
commissair of foreign affairs a long
note reviewing numerous British
complaints against Soviet Russia.
The note is couched in such strong
terms that it may bring Russo-Bri
tish relations to an issue.
Anticipating a break in rela
tions the British mission recently
warned all British subjects in Rus
sia to be prepared to leave the 1
country on short notice.
Churchman Unfrocked
The All-Russian church conclave
has adopted a resolution unfrocking
the Most Reverend Dr. Tikhon, for- j
mer patriarch and formerly con
nected with the Russian church in'
Alaska. He is at present in prison j
awaiting trial on a charge of op
posing the soviet regime.
TOURISTS TO GET CHANCE ,1
TO VISIT COAST VOLCANO
Through arrangements being made i
at Anchorage by Captain Nick Gai- j 1
kema, Norse seaman and one of the
few persons who have visited the 1
| valley of Ten Thousand Smokes this i
marvelous volcanic region will be <
made accessible to hardy tourists 1
next Summer. Captain Gaikema has 1
i
picked up a trail that will admit of
access to the region, including Mt.
Gaikema. in a distance of some
thirty miles says the C-ordova Times <
i The trail was laid out last Sum- !
mer when Captain Gaikema pene
trated the valley with a view to ■
scouting the region and selecting
both a route and headquarters for
hardy tourists who wish to view the
i
phenomena of thousands of fumer
oles and smoking volcanoes. On the
trip Captain Gaikema is said to
have braved death a thousand times
in threading his way through the
■ treacherous hadean labyrinth. He
walked over lava bridges and cav
erns when the sound of footsteps
on the thin covering echoed far be- ‘
low. At night he camped on moun
tain slopes where the rock was too
warm for comfort while icy winds
bathed his frame.
In considering the Valley of the
Ten Thousand Smokes, Captain Gai
kema recommends it only to the j
most hardy tourists, those capable
of carrying their blankets and pro
visions on their backs and climbing
along a rough country where nature
must be appealed to for shelter.
During the Summer, staunch gas
oline boats will be used between An- ,
chorage and Snug bay, off the Kat
mai volcano, whence adventurers i
will penetrate the valley afoot.
BANDITS RAID TWO BANKS
KANSAS CITY May 5—Five ban
dits raided two banks at Buchner,!
nearby yesterday and escaped with
$6,000 in cash and registered Lib
erty bonds valued at $25,000.
MURDERER CUTS THROAT
‘ MARSHFIELD, Ore., May 5—L. W.
Peare, under sentence to be hanged >
June 2 for the murder of his wife
and a neighbor, cut his throat yes
j terday and is thought to be dying... j
Archdeacon IJ-ederick B. Dranc ,
left for Minto yesterday to make a ■
survey of conditions among the na
tives in that locality. Most of the
Minto natives have had the flu and
I reports coming from there state
i that several cases
have developed.
of pneumonia
LAILWAY PROMOTER TALKS
ENCOURAGING OF HYDER
C. F. Caldwell, president of the
iroposed Portland Canal Railroad
,nd Terminal Company, and also
argely concerned in mining opera
ions in the Portland Canal Mining
listrict who was in Seattle recently,
old The Alaska Weekly representa
ive that negotiations for the fin
incing of the system were progress
rg favorably in London, and he e\
iressed the confident belief that
•onstruction work would be corn
deled and the road in active opera
ion before the end of *he present
rear. The railroad will be built from
dyder. the coast terminus, up the
Salmon River Valley, a distance of
ome twenty miles to the “49"
nine. In. time, if developments war
rant, the road will be built fioin
lyder, to the well known Ground
dog coal mine, in Canadian tern
ary, being an extension of fifty
niles from the present projected in
erior terminus. The road work is
lot difficult, said Mr. Caldwell, as
i water grade with a gravel for
■oad bed is available
There is enough tonnage develop
ed at this time to fully justify the
luilding of the railroad, with a
<Teat prospective tonnage an al
most assured fact, due to the ex
tensive, encouraging developments
low well under way and in prospect
this season, At this time such well
cnown mines as the B. C. Silver,
Alaska Premier, Big Missouri, Fish
Cr -ek Mining Company’s mines, In
dian, Unicorn. Titan, Daly Alaska
and the “49”, already are on a pro
ducing basis. A charter for the rail
road has been granted by the gov
ernment. Thirteen miles of the pro
jected line will be in American
territory, the remaining seven miles
being on the Canadian side.
“I expect to see one of the big
est mining booms in the Portland
Canal mining district in the near
future that has happened since the
days of Leadville, said Mr. Caldw’ell
“I admit, that I am an optimist
about the Portland Canal district,”
he said. “I have been financially
interested in this district for some
time past, and the encouraging de
velopments that have taken place
are in harmony with my expressed
expectations when I first inspected
the camp.”
John R. Winn, pioneer Juneau
attorney, returned to Alaska recent
ly to wind up his business affairs
preparatory to locating permanently
at Venice, California.
METAL TRADE WORKERS ARE
STRIKING IN SPIRIT CITY
SEATTLE. May 8,—Approximat
ly three thousand metal trade
workers of this city went out on'
strike yesterday w'hen their em
ployers refused to grant a demand
for a flat increase in wages of ten
cents an hour.
Two thousand workers employed
in non-union shops are not affected
by the walkout.
ICE MOVES AT FAIRBANKS
WATER RISING AT NENANA
The official breakup occurred at
Fairbanks this morning at 10:35
and a general movement of ice is
expected to occur in Chena slough j
shortly. The water level stands at1
about four feet eight inches.
Reports from the upper Yukon
state that the river ir. open from
Whitehorse to Lake Lebarge and
that the lake ice is rotting fast,
with every indication of the early
opening of the lake. The river is
open for 100 miles north of the
lake and the channel is clear at
Carmacks. Yukon crossing and Sel
kirk. The Pelly river is open for
| 50 miles and the ice has moved out
at the mouth of the Stewart river,
but the Yukon ice is still solid at
| that point and at Ogilvie.
The breakup in the Klondike riv
! er occurred on Sunday and the ice
i is rotting fast at Dawson, with the
! water rising fast. It is expected
■ that the ice will move at Dawson
! this week, probably on Friday.
A report received from Dawson
today states that late mushers ar
i riving there over the river ice tell
i of thrilling experiences. F. C. Dun
j lap, Fred Gattis and J. Gudmund
| son, who made the trip from Fair
; banks, broke through the ice sev
' eral times.
The water in the Tanana river in
- front of Xenana is rising steadily
: and the ice is reported to have
i broken away from the north bank
: of the river just below the bridge,
| the movement being attributed to
the blasting recently on that side
of the river. The water is higher
now than it was last year when the
ice moved and oldtimers look for
j the breakup to occur at any mo
; ment.
Final arrangements for recording
the official time were completed by
the Ice Pool committee several days
| ago and everything is in readiness
I now for ice to move. The move
ment of the flag on the river ice
I will stop the official chronometer
in the power house and ring a
i gong to attract the attention of the
j fireman on duty, who will immed
iately give the long blast of the
power house whistle to let the pub
lic know the breakup is on.
Everyone is looking forward to a
lively breakup, the ice being unu
sually thick and the water high
and rising steadily.
Engineer J. J. Kestly went to
Fairbanks yesterday.
MEN RETURNING TO WORK
LUMBER CAMPS RESUMING
SEATTLE:. May 8—The I. W. W.
strike in the Washington woods ia
virtually ended, nearly all of the
strikers having: returned to then
work in the various camps. The
men have announced, however, that
they are returning to work with
the understanding that another
strike will be staged during the
summer.
Run Wobblie* Out
BONNERS FERRY, Idaho, May
8—An officially organized citizen's
committee seized 25 alleged wob
blies yesterday and deported them
across the Montana line, ten miles
distant. The men promised never to
come back.
The committee was composed of
200 business men and Veterans and
employes of the Bonners Ferry
Lumber Company and was organ
ized for the purpose of preventing
the wobblies from making Bonners
Ferry the Northern Idaho head
quarters of their organization.
MUST SHOW HARDING
WASHINGTON, D. C., May 8—
President Harding told a delega
tion from the South, which visited
him at the White House yesterday
for the purpose of protesthig a
gainst the revision of the vegetable
oil schedule in the tariff act. that
in acting under the flexible pro
vision of the Law he would modify
rates, “only on the most striking
evidence showing such change to
be necessary.”
GIBBONS POSTS FORFEIT
CHICAGO, May 8—Eddie Kane,
manager for Tom Gibbons, who is
to fight Jack Demsey at Shelby on
July fourth, has posted $25,000 to
insure the appearance of Gibbons.
Dempsey will train at Great Falls
and Gibbons at Billings. Work will
start on the stadium tomorrow to
prepare it for the reception of
40,000 fight fans.
FRENCH AIRMAN WINS
STINGLEVART, France, May S
|—Georges Barto, French aviator,
won the 25.000 franc prize yester
day when he crossed the English
channel and returned here in a
plane carrying a motor of less
than 15 horespower.
WANT BORAH AS CANDIDATE
NEW YORK, May 8—The exe
cutive committee of the Committee
of Forty-eight has adopted a resol
ution calling upon Senator Borah
to enter the presidential race as
| a progressive candidate. J. A- H.
Hopkins has been named chairman
of the campaign committee.
QUAKE IS RECORDED
j SEATTLE, May 5—The seismo
graph at the University of Wash
ington recorded a severe earthquake
yesterday, the location- of the dis
I turbance being a distance about
2,100 miles, opposite possibly the
Aleutian islands or off Hawai..
—
Those interested in the movement
to. organize a band will meet at
ithe old fire hall this evening for
; practice and for a discussion of
■ plans for the summer. About ten
j players have been lined up and it
| is hoped that as many more will
join the organization.