JAPAN INCREASES
STRENGTH OF
ARMT
TOKIO, July 22 — Having received
authority from the Diet, the govern
ment is already making preparations
for the creation of two additional divi
sions in the army. They will be lo
cated in Korea, one at Seoul or
Pingyang and' the other at Ranan.
This strengthening of the army, which
has been a thorny political question
for several years, is a great victory
for the army influences of which
Marshall Prince Yam&gata is the
head. The announcement by Count
Okuma, the premier, and General Oka,
minister of war, that the increase was
but the beginning of a plan to create
a military force of twenty-five divi
sions was really made ten years ago
and is supposed to have had the sanc
tion of Emperor Mutsuhito. Just
when the plan was to be carried out
was not fixed but the recent announce
ment of the ministers is interpreted
to mean that the work will go forward.
The present Japanese army includes
eighteen regular divisions and one
division of household guards.
The pending increase has been justi
fied by Count Okuma on the ground
that the actual conditions in the
world do not permit Japan to neglect
her defense program. On the other
hand, the expansion of Japanese in
fluence in Southern Manchuria and in
Eastern-Inner Mongolia which was em
phasized by the recent treaties with
China constitutes another justification,
from the Japanese standpoint, for
strengthening the land forces.
Everybody realizes that the in
crease means an extra burden upon
the people but no protest is heard. The
matter having been decided by the
Diet, is accepted by the people at
large as a necessary step in the de
velopment of their country and as an
assurance that Japan may be able to
hold her place as a victorious, first
class power n case of attack. More
over the great war has aroused the
leaders of Japanese thought to the
conviction that Japan must be strong
if she would maintain her place in
the world and that her future in the
Far East does not permit any back
ward step in military power or
prowess.
The creation of two army divisions
will require the expenditure of about
12.000. 000 yen ($6,000,000) from the
national treasury extended over seven
years and beginning with the expendi
ture of 477,000 yen in the current
year. The yearly outlay will increase
until it becomes 3,000,000 yen in 1918.
Then it falls until in 1921 it reaches
402.000 yen.
7n addition, the sum of about
30.000. 000 yen will be required to main
tain the two divisions pending the
completion of their organization. The
amounts to be disbursed range from
241.000 yen in 1915 to 7,000,000 yen in
1921. After 1921 the amount required
for the maintainance of the divisions
is estimated at about 7,000,000 yen a
year.
Governor-General Terauchi has al
ways considered the extra forces
necessary for the safety of the coun
try and it is largely through his per
severance that the present expansion
has been brought about.
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SHORTAGE FOOD
PANAMA, July 22.—An investiga
tion ordered by Lieut. Col. Chester
Harding, U. S. A., acting governor of
the Panama Canal has developed the
information that no more than 30
' days’ supplies of foodstuffs are avail
able in the Republic of Panama ana
the Canal Zone. The results of the
investigation have been compiled into
a lengthy tabulated report which has
been sent to the War Department at
o^'ashington.
Most of the available supplies are
stored in the two cities of Panama
and Colon. The stores available in
the provincial districts are estimated
sufficient for the interior population
for perhaps six months. This is due
to the fact that the merchants in the
interior order larger quantities of
staples than do the city merchants
because of the lack of transportation.
The report also brought out the Infor
mation that there are probably 400,
000 head of cattle within the borders
of the country but that they would not
be immediately available owing to the
difficulties of transportation to the
canal cities.
The investigation was made with
the view of ascertaining just how long
the available food supplies would last
in case of trouble between the United
States and some foreign power which
might be able to prevent the impor
tation of food stuffs into the Panama
Republic and thus the Canal Zone.
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LONDON, July 22. — Enormous
quantities of foodstuffs are pouring
into Germany through Switzerland,
according to M. Jacques Dhur, a
French expert in international law.
It seems that a convention ratified
between France and Switzerland on
July 26. 1914. provides that in case of
war, France shall supply the federal
government of Switzerland with 300,
000 tons of cereals a year. According
to M. Dhur, 100 trucks, each loaded
with between twelve and fifteen tons
of cereals, cross the French frontier
every day for the Comavian station at
Geneva, while in ordinary times the
monthly exports did not exceed 4,00f'
or 5,000 tons. At the same time enorm
ous quantities of potatoes, beans, oil,
and other vegetable products are
passing into Switzerland via Pon
tarlier.
To prevent commerce in contraband,
all merchandise is forwarded to a par
ticular department or province of the
Swiss Confederation. M. Dubr, in his
investigations of this distribution,
found that a considerable proportion
of the supplies went to Augst, close
to the frontier point where the Ger
man and Swiss railway systems are
linked up.
After a discussion of various alleged
methods of smuggling supplies througn
to Germany, M. Duhr adds that Ger
many has also been able to revictual
herself plentifully through Italy. Mer
chandise was sent from an Italian
port to Switzerland, and on its way
to Chisso, between the Swiss and the
Italian customs, the word “Transit”
was added to its label. In this way
hundreds of trains of rice and other
products have reached Germany The
Gothard line, by its charter, is bound
to give favored treatment to goods
passing between Germany anl Italy,
and these foods were conveyed in con
cealed trucks. The line become so
congested that the Federal Railwfiys
had to make use of the Simplon sys
!tem.
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WARNING ISSUED
TO BRITISH FIRMS
LONDON, July 22—The British
government, through the Board of
Trade, has warned all British commer
cial firms that they will be expected
to exercise the most scrupulous care
in the transaction of their business
abroad, during the period of the war,
so as to avoid any likelihood of mak
ing themselves agents for the supply
of goods to hostile countries. “It is
inadvisable,” says the official circular,
“that any new accounts should be
opened by any British trader in neu
tral countries without the fullest in
quiries as to the character of the busi
ness proposed to him.”
The circular explains that traders in
neutral countries are in many cases
engaged either directly or indirectly
in trade with the enemies of the
Entente allies. British firms, there
fore, “must survey with great caution
every opening for business which is
offered them by neutral importers or
exporters.” It is added that “the
proclamations relating to trading with
the enemy cover indirect trading
through neutral agents, and careless
ness in transacting neutral business
may involve tracers in the severe
penalties attaching to trading with
the enemy.”
TEACHERS MUST
UNDERGO AN
Governor Strong will shortly an
nounce his appointment of the first
assistant superintendent of public in
struction who is to hold office until
the first day of March, 1919, and until
his successor is elected and qualified
unless he is sooner removed by the
governor for cause.
After this first term has been com
pleted the office will be filled at the
time of the regular election for Dele
gate to Congress, which is to be held
in 1918, the assistant superintendent
of public instruction will be elected
for a term of four years_..and receive
a salary of $3,000, payable in equal
monthy installments. A bond of $2,
000 will be required of the person
appointed to the office for the first
term, and also by the persons elected
to the position in the future.
The assistant superintendent is to
have supervision over all matters per
taining to the public schools in
incorporated, and all schools ou^de
the limits of incorporated towns^und
will require annual reports from all
presidents, superintendents or princi
pals of educational institutions
throughout the territory.
Another duty of the assistant super
intendent will be to issue certificates
which shall be known as a First
Grade certificate, valid for five years;
a Second Grade certificate, valid for
three years; and a Third Grade certifi
catae, valid for one year. These cer
tificates will be renewable. The time
for examination incidental to the
granting of certificates has as yet not
been set, and is left to the discretion
of the Superintendent. A fee of five
dollars will be charged each appli
cant for a certificate.
Owing to the fact that the assist
ant superintendent’s duties will de
mand his visiting the various schools
throughout the territory he will be
allowed an amount not to exceed $2,
000 per year for traveling expenses.
This amount is to be appropriated by
the Territorial Legislature.
Reviewing the copper situation in
the United States at the recent close
of the fiscal year, the Geological Sur
vey shows a general improvement
over conditions prevailing during the
early part of the year.
At the beginning of the year 1915
according to the report, most of the
large copper producing companies of
the United States had for nearly five
months, been operating on a 50 to 60
per cent basis and probably none were
producing at normal capacity. A con
siderable proportion of the smaller
producers had shut down their plants,
where this could be done without
great loss. Developments and im
provements had been generally sus
pended. Copper was selling below 13
cents a pound and had been consider
ably lower. Wages had been reduced
in most of the camps and many men
had been either laid off or were em
ployed only part time.
Soon after the first of the year,
however, there was a notable improve
ment in the demand for copper and
the price has rather steadily advanced
from below' 13 cents to about 20 cents
a pound, the highest price reached
since 1907. With the increase in de
mand and the advance in price there
has been a corresponding steady in
crease in the production of the metal
and at the present time most of the
larger producers have brought their
output to normal, while many of the
smaller producers have resumed op
erations. The output of copper also
has probably nearly or quite reached
the normal. Wages have been raised
in the camps where reduction had
taken place and the industry in gen
eral is in a highly prosperous condi
tion.
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PLANNING REBUILD
DESTROYED TOWNS
KOENIGSBERG, ujly 12.—Every
town of importance in East Prussia
that has suffered at the devastating
hand of the Russians has decided to
incorporate a municipal garden sec
tion in its plans for rebuilding.
Many of the destroyed towns are so
completely ruined that it is going to
be necessary to raze what little is
left and construct the whole com
munity anew. This makes it emi
nently feasible to apportion off a sec
tion that can be devoted to the desir
able city garden feature.
Many of the communities also are
planning for a series of municipally
constructed and owned houses for
workmen, single home structures with
two, three and four rooms, which can
ultimately be purchased by their accu
pants on the familiar easy-payment
plan.
Plans of this character are already
well advanced in Gerdauen, Tapiau,
Ortelsburg, Lyck and other communi
ties, and additional municipalities are
preparing to follow suit.
mo sms leme
SEITTIE OK SOM
There will be two steamers sailing
from Seattle for Cordova on Sunday
next. The steamer Mariposa, which
struck an uncharted rock on its
southbound trip this side of Ketchi
kan, will leave at 10 o'clock in the
morning, via the regular ports north
bound, going as far as Seward only.
On her return southbound she will
sail direct from Cordova to Seattle,
via the outside passage.
The Alameda will leave at 9 o'clock
that evening from Seattle; going as
far as Anchorage, making the regular
ports north and southbound.
tin lineT expert
IHIIS IT KITILLI
George W. Evans, consulting engi
neer for the government arrived at
Katallsf this morning on the steamer
Watson, to conduct the survey of the
government coal land allotments in
the Bering river fields. Later he will
proceed to the Matanuska and other
fields and perform similar work.
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JUNE INKS AMERICA'S
GREATEST COPPER MONTH
The month of June surpassed all
previous records in the matter of cop
per sales. It is estimated in the
trade that contracts involving over
200,000,000 pounds of copper were
entered into during that month, a
very large proportion of which was
sold at or better than 20 cents.
One of the largest producers says
that stocks of copper at refinery
points are still very Iqw and that pro
duction by no means is up to capacity,
although, of course, the output is
increasing every month now that
smelter material is arriving in larger
quantities. The bulk of the heavy
copper business in June was for ac
count of American manufacturers
having war orders in hand.—Boston
News Bureau.
NATIVES HIKE COLD
IN MODERN DRESS
LONDON, July 22.—The British at
tempt to civilize the natives of the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands, in the
Pacific Ocean, by teaching them to
dress in a modified European fashion,
has been detrimental from a stand
point of health, and the Colonial Office
now announces that it is doing its best
to get the natives back into their for
mer habitis. The old method of rub
bing the body, bare, save for a kilt of
leaves, with cocoanut oil, was the best
protection against the chills, and the
cotton smock for women and cotton
trousers and shirt for men are there
fore condemned as responsible for an
increased tuberculosis rat®.
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FAMOUS CATHEDRAL
IS NOW IN RUINS
BOULOGNE, July 22.—The recent
repeated bombardments of Rheims
have completed the destruction of the
cathedral, and practically nothing is
left of the building but the scilhouette.
The state has collected all tapestries,
fragments of statues and windows
broken by the bombardments and de
posited them in a place of safety.
EXPRESS RATES
CAN NOW BE
WASHINGTON, D. C., July 22.—
After prolonged hearings the Inter
state Commerce Commission has de
cided that the revenues of the princi
pal express companies in the United
States are inadequate. The Commis
sion accordingly has modified its for
mer orders concerning the rates the
companies could charge, and now al
lows them to secure additional in
come, in proportion to the cost of
operation. The three principal com
panies affected are: the American,
Adams and Wells, Fargo Express
Companies.
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STATE DEPT. RECOGNIZES
TWO NEW CONSULS IN U. S.
The governor's office has been ad
vised of the recognition by the State
Department of Eric William Carleton
as vice consul of Sweden at Nome,
Alaska, and of Hippolyte Chas. Julien
Neltner as consul general of France
at San Francisco, for the states of
Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and
Utah, as well as the territoriaes of
Alaska and Hawaii.
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SMALL PERCENTAGE
STEAMERS TORPEDOED
LONDON, July 22.—The Admiralty’s
report shows that from the time the
submarine blockade was declared on
February 18 until June 20, the Ger
mans were able to sink 73 British mer
chant ships. In the last week re
ported, seven ships were torpedoed.
The same week, 1,347 overseas steam
ers of all nationalities arrived at and
departed from British ports.
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ATTEMPTS ESCAPE
IN GARBAGE CAN
LONDON, July 22.—An attempt by
a German prisoner to escape by con
cealing himself in a can of garbage
was discovered at Leigh this week.
A farmer who buys all the food
refuse of the camp was carting away
a number of cans. The unusual
weight of one of them aroused his
suspicions. He removed a quantity of
cabbage leaves and found a German
soldier beneath.
A German named Schmidt w-as shot
and killed at Leigh a week ago while
trying to escape.
NEW LEAD UNCOVERED
AT FAMOUS CLIFF MINE
A new lead, richer and bigger than
any before found on tCffiehl ‘J
any before found on the Cliff claims,
has been uncovered by Red Ellis on
the property. Jack Whalen, who
came up last night from the property,
reports that the lead has been found
above the old workings and traced for
several hundred feet. The lead is 22
inches wide and carries free gold of
high value. The new lead was uncov
ered while building a trail up the
mountain side.
Miners working on the property
claim that the Cliff will soon be pro
ducing more gold than at any time in
the history of the property. The big
mill, left by the former owners under
the terms of the contract with Red
Ellis and his associates, will be put in
operation at once and the rich ore
milled.
The prospects for mining develop
ment about Valdez has never been bet
ter. More men are prospecting in the
hills this year than ever and the for
mer discoveries are being opened.—
Valdez Prospector.
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NEW ROAD COMMISSION
OFFICER WAS AT NOME
Major Peter W. Davidson, who will
take the place of Lieutenant Kunzig,
on the Alaska Roaod Commission on
October 1 was formerly stationed
with his regiment at Eagle and
Nome, Alaska. He was later married
to Mrs. Hanks, formerly wife of Fred
Hanks, of Nome. Colonel Richardson
says he Is a splendid offlecr and al
ways wished to get back to this ter
ritory. He graduated from West
Point in the early nineties.
Our former townsman, John G.
Scurry, father of Mrs. W. W. Coun
cil, of Cordova, died in Seattle last
week, where he has been a resident
since 1871. Although Mr. Scurry had
been ill for nearly a year, he herioc
aily fought off the inevitable and had
only permitted himself to be confined
to his bed for a week.
Mr. Scurry was born September 21,
1845, in Lynchburg, Va., and was edu
cated at the University of Virginia
and the Johns Hopkins University. He
served four years in the Confederate
army, ni the Eleventh Virginia regi
ment of Pickett's division. Long
street’s corps, from Bull Run to
Appomattox.
He made the original location of the
Southern Pacific Railway over the
Mojave desert under General Dodge
and was one of the original group of
locating engineers of the first trans
continental railroad of the Union
Pacific.
He located the Northern Pacific
through the State of Washington and
laid out the townsite of Tacoma for
the same company.- He was chief engi
neer of the old Seattle, Lake Shore &
Eastern Railway and located and laid
out the historic old Columbia St
Puget Sound Railroad.
Mr. Scurry was cashier and manager
of the old Renton mine under Charies
H. Burnett, and also casnier anu man
ager of the Northern Pacific under
construction west of Spokane in 1S83.
He was city engineer of Seattle under
the administration of Robert Moran
as mayor, which included the stormy
days of the Seattle fire, and made the
original plans for the present Seattle
water system and under his adminis
tration the work was inaugurated.
He located the Alaska Central Rail
road (the present government line)
and was engaged on the reconnais
sance work of the Copper River &
Northwestern, the last 15 years of his
life having been largely spent in
Alaska. He also was associated with
the location and reconnaissance work
of the Western Pacific, the Grand
Trunk Pacific and of the Chicago, Mil
waukee & St. Paul Railway in the
Olympic Peninsula.
Mr. Scurry was of an unassuming
and somewhat retiring nature, but he
was a man of sterling worth and high
character. He enjoyed the respect of
all the old-timers who knew him. He
could not countenance sham or pre
tense and was himself a real man, de
voted to his family and always a loyal
friend of Seattle and the Northwest.
Mr. Scurry located in Seattle in
1871 and later married Miss Nellie M.
Terry, daughter of one of the early
pioneers. Mrs. Scurry survives him
and also the following children: Mat
thew E. Scurry of Seattle, Charles T.
Scurry of Aberdeen and Mrs. W. W.
Council of Cordova, and Mrs. A. Van
Vechten of Seattle.
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mem of way denied
The Juneau land office has received
an order from the Commissioner can
celling four applications made by the
Alaska Midland Railroad company for
a right of way from Haines to the
Interior by way of the Chilkoot val
ley. The ground for cancellation is
the failure of the company to file a
map of the definite location within the
time required by the statute.
John Rosene of Seattle is president
of the company. When the company
filed its application for these claims
the filing was made by the Alaska
Midland Railroad Company. This
same company, it seems has filed its
articles of incorporation under the
name of the Alaska Midland Railway
Company, but the law has not been
complied with under either caption.
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Rough on Old-Timers
They say that a roster of the em
ployes of the railroad commission at
Anchorage reads like the roll call of a
regiment of Serbian reserves. A re
cent letter from the new town asserts
that a plain American has to beg for
work enough to earn the the price to
get a plate of beans.—Douglas News.