THE CHITINA LEADER
CHITINA, ALASKA
Entered as second-class matter. November 12. 1910, at the postofHce at
Chltina. Alaska, under the Act of Conbress of March 2, 1879.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Tuesday by
HARRY G. STEEL, Editor and Proprietor.
Office: Hotel Chitina Building.
Cordova Office: Daily Times.
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given. Official publication for legal advertisements pertaining to mineral lands of
the Copper River District.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, JULY 13, 1915.
WHAT THE MATTER IS
It is long since we have seen or heard anyone seriously
advocating the return to the silver standard for our govern
ment. We thought the matter had been decided forever in
favor of gold. That some people still fail to see the light is
apparent from the following article written by a westerner who
usually understands the wishes of the people. The argument
is refreshing and worth while.
Some of the great metropolitan journals once a week
publish the views of prominent merchants, manufacturers and
leading men in finances on the business conditions of the
country. The struggle seems to be to impress the masses that
times are either good or are just going to be, but the statements
as a rule are filled with ifs and buts and whereases.
There is no use to disguise the truth or to try to deceive
ourselves.
The fact that there is such a struggle to make a good show
ing is proof that the showing is not good.
This is so apparent that we are prompted to say something.
If a farmer with his year’s crop of grain on hand was
obliged to measure it all in a single bushel measure made of red
cedar, it would be slow work.
If cedar was hard to obtain, but white ash was plenty and
it should be decreed that white ash measures would answer all
purposes the same as red cedar, the farmer’s work would be
greatly quickened, and he would doubtless engage his next
neighbor who needed work to help him. »
Now if congress on meeting would order 2,000,000 ounces
of silver to be purchased monthly and include in the bill a
clause that should the price advance to one dollar per ounce,
then silver should be monetized at that ratio and have equal
recognition with gold, within sixty days after the measure took
effect', what is now a commodity would become a measure of
values and our trade would be unrestricted with all Spanisli
America and the Orient from which our products are now
indirectly excluded through the foolish and wicked legislation
of 1893, and business would have such a thrill as it has not felt
for twenty years.
Again, if a fanner had a superb harvest ripening and the
poor, hungry stock of his neighbor was gathered lowing out
side his fences and the farmer’s employees should go out and
tear down his fences and let into his field the herd, the verdict
would be that those employees had gone daft.
It would not help things if the spokesmen of the employees
should mount one section of the fence that had not been torn
down and proclaim that no such delicious freedom had been
given the hungry stock before since the other old fence was
tom down in 1846.
Now, the employes of our Uncle Samuel in Washingtotn
tore his fence down a year ago last summer, and a great host
of Uncle Sam’s children lived on short rations all last winter.
Does it not look as though it would be wise to put up the bars
again?
Again, there was a merchant once who had a fine stock of
goods, but he declared that he could not afford to keep a
delivery wagon and so hired his brother merchants to deliver
his goods.
After a while it was pointed out to him that it was costing
him much more to have his goods delivered than it would to
own his own delivery wagon, and, moreover, the drivers of his
nieghbor’s wagons were always running down his goods to sell
the goods of their employers. His only answer was: “You
would have me go to the expense of buying a horse and wagon,
hiring a driver that would steal himself rich from my goods,
and making me feed the horse and have him shod?”
There was no use to try to reason with him, for he was
obsessed with the idea that if he bought a horse and wagon
and hired a driver, that driver would steal him blind.
But one night a fire consumed' the stable where his neigh
bor’s horses and wagons were kept and since tlym the merchant
can no longer sell his goods or buy the stock that he needs for
he has no conveyances either to bring the stock in or deliver
what he might sell.
But to save his face he once a week has the village paper
publish that his business is fine. If congress would come to
gether and double the real measure of values in our country,
rebuild the fences around our grain fields and start delivery
wagons for our goods to our neighbors in Europe, Asia and
Spanish-America, the change that would at once come would’
make it unnecessary to repeat the filtion weekly that our trade
conditions are fine and' improving.
-:o:
All the war prophets seem to have fallen down. If you
wish to be really amused you need only get some' periodical
about six months old and read some of the predictions made
by so-called military experts. Some of the men whose names
were supposed to stand for all knowledge in martial matters
look positively childish in their forecasts in the light of
present events. Human knowledge in any of its branches is
mighty limited.
v
-:o:
It is an undoubted' source of contentment to the Russians,
who have fallen back upon the Bug river, to know that it, too,
runs north.
^ THE COMMERCIAL CLUB AGAIN
Cordovans have frequently expressed surprise and indig
nation over the manner in which the Seattle Commercial club
continually seeks to injure Alaska. Some years ago it was
the only organization backing Gilford Pinchot and lately it
interjected' itself into the railroad terminal question, going out
of its way to lie about Cordova and the Copper River route.
Now it is attacking one of the greatest industries in its
own city, ship building.
The Railway and Marine News prints a resolution intro
duced in the Commercial Club asking the government to erect
a ship building plant at Seattle, and sluringly referring to the
private ship yards now there. Commenting on this resolution
the magazine says: *
“How much better it would have been for this commercial
organization to have passed a resolution commending the
twenty or more shipbuilding plants, both large and small,
whose marine railways reach the waters of Puget Sound and
Elliott Bay, and solicit all the Congressmen and Senators for
their aid in giving to these many industrial developers and pay
roll upbuilders support in securing a portion of the contracts
awarded.
“There is just one thing that the shipbuilding industry of
Seattle should do. It should appoint a committee consisting
of its representatives from Ballard to Georgetown to make the
rounds of the financial and business interests of the city of
Seattle with the idea of getting up a strong protest against
the action of the Commercial Club of Seattle. Every railroad
man, steamship man and dock owner would certainly be the
first to join with the shipbuilders, although the majority of
memberships of thoses classes have been withdrawn from the
organization.
“Now is the time to take action and the Commercial Club
should be notified at once that any such resolution as the one
quoted above is a direct blow aimed at one of the pioneer
industries of Puget Sound and distinctly an industry which has
done more than almost any other thing to build up local
commerce in this city, to say nothing of the tremendous
amounts these interests have paid in the city of Seattle for
payrolls, supplies and taxes.”
The business men and Alaskans are withdrawing from the
Commercial Club which is not surprising, when it is considered
that the club is often found working against Seattle’s best
interests.
_ *
--,v •
' CAN GOLIATH WARD OFF DAVID?
Judging from the signs at Washington, the coming
problem as related to the building of battleships for the United
States navy is to be not the calibre of their guns and the thick
ness of their armor above water, but how to protect their hulls
from the attacks of the submarine. The progress of the Euro
pean war thus far shows how vastly important that problem is.
While not a great many battleships have been sunk by
torpedoes, we know that they easily can be, and the knowledge
is disquieting.
A little while ago our naval experts thought that triple
bottoms would be a defense against torpedoes, and so the
Pennsylvania, the Arizona, the California, the Mississippi and
the Idaho have or will have such construction. But it is now
seen that no existing submarine can run under the bottom of a
battleship and fire a torpedo upward at her. It is the sides
that need the protecting. Can that be done sufficiently?
In a week or two there are to be some experiments in
Chesapeake Bay which, it is hoped, will throw some light on the
matter. One of these experiments will include an under-water
attack upon a caisson built to resemble the section of one of
the proposed new American dreadnoughts, with a new arrange
ment of hull-skins and bulkhead protection against torpedoes.
This caisson is being constructed at the navy yard at Norfolk.
It will represent not an entire dreadnought, but only a portion
of the armored section of such a vessel. It will not only mount
protective armor, but will have four or five protective walls
and other features that are not disclosed because they are
regarded by experts of the navy department as highly con
fidential. Then this caisson will be subjected to under-water
attack, representing the epxlosion caused by the contact of a
torpedo with the side of the dreadnought. Pending these
experiments, as well as a possible great conflict in the North
Sea, in which submarines may play their part on a scale never
known before, the plans for our own huge superdreadnoughts,
unnamed as yet, but authorized by Congress this year as Nos.
43 and 44, are being delayed. Everything depends on the
design of the hull now, and our naval constructors want to
learn all they can about hulls and torpedo-fire before the
vessels are built.
Can Goliath ward off the attack of David? That is the
supremely important question that is now filling the minds of
all the naval students of the world. May it not happen that
marvellously inventive America, which gave the workable
submarine to the navies, will yet find the defense against the
terror of the under-seas?—Boston Post.
-— ,u •
Doth it not appear, Esau, that the war will be over, and
all our trade opportunities lost, before we have reached the end
of drastic legislation, prosecutions and persecutions of busi
ness, and general “uplift?” Wliat nation ever did have such
an opening? What nation ever failed so signally in grasping
a great prize?
-:o?
The United States supreme court reopened the Harvester
trust case for a rehearing of arguments, without request from
either the government or the company. It will be remembered
that the court was divided when the ruling against the com
pany was made. 'Perhaps the court has seen a new light since
disposing of the steel trust case in favor of the trust. The
ordinary layman who does not know a tecum from a habeas
has great difficulty in reconciling the two decisions.
- »o • ■ ■ - ■ -
Germany has paid $45,000 for five Spaniards shot by mis
take in Liege. This is at the rate of $9,000 each, and may be
an inkling to Villa and’ Carranza of what it’s going to cost
them, maybe, for the several scores of Americans shot in Mexico.
However, an American, generally speaking, is worth more than
$9,000. We know some that are not, but no names will be
mentioned.
- -:o:- ^ **
It makes all the difference in the world whether one
clamors for the right of free speech or free screech.
-:o:-.
The mayor of Aberdeen advises the W. C. T. U. that it is
not necessary to provide a substitute for the saloon. He thinks
-:o:
The government will now expend $26,80(1,000 in building
400 miles of railroad in Alaska with a view to opening u^) to
use the Alaskan coal fields. We need good coal on the Pacific
coast more than any other mineral resource. It is a basis of
efficiency. The employment of a large number of men with the
government as paymaster, should go far to improve labor condll
tions on the coast in the near future.—Plaindealer.
--:o:
We do not at all mind a discussion of the Lemberg situa
tion. It’s the only word in Galician nomenclature that we can
pronounce in public without a blush of boyish embarrassment.
---:o:
Another battlefield which the Lord seems to have forgotten
is that Olympic church in which rival factions are trying to
sing each other out. What fools us mortals be! ^
-:o:-—*
The Russians haven’t learned since the Japanese warj
Their ammunition then was scarce and inefficient. It remains
Iso.
-»-:o:
Let it be known to all dynamiters that Andrew Carnegie,
desiring to die poor, does not wish to be blown np for some
weeks yet.
-:o:
Enough powder was shot off in Cordova the last two days
to seriously endanger President Wilson’s proclamation of
neutrality.
-:o:
After Atlanta got her near-beer saloons closed, tlie danger
of lynching the governor of prohibition Georgia diminished.
--:o:—
NOT IMPROVING MUCH
Of recent years we have heard a great deal froqj
sociologists and others about the general improvement of man
kind in its relations to other human beings and the dumb
beasts; how mercy and humanity had taken the place of cruelty
and vengefulness; how the whole world was growing better and
more tolerant. And that was all true—until this colossus of
wars came.
What a record of ‘*frightfulness” since that first day of
August, 1914. Women and children killed deliberately and'
remorselessly by a submarine’s torpedo. And now comes an
awful agony of death inflicted upon a foe by means of poison
ous gases. Is there any limit to the horrible in this contest?
May not the poisoning of a city’s water supply be regarded as
meritorious by a hostile? Or the setting loose of dreadful
disease germs?
Have we, then, improved in 50 years! In answer to this
query comes an anecdote that has recently been going the
round's concerning General Longstreet’s feeling about what h%
conceived to be the decencies and proprieties of war. In 1862,
during the peninsular campaign, so the story runs, when the
Union troops were advancing on Richmond, General Rains, who
commanded the rearguard of Longstreet’s corps on its with
drawal from Yorktown, proposed to plant a number of explosive
shells in the road along which the the army of the Potomac was
expected to advance. General Longstreet, when the proposal
was brought to his attention, forbade its execution on the
ground that he did not “recognize it as a proper or effective
method of war.” The case was carried' to the Confederate
secretary of war, who upheld Longstreet’s decision.
The picture of the fine old Confederate fighter balking at
such a comparatively mild form of military reprisal as that
would hardly be treated respectfully in Europe today. He had
Aveak scruples. He did not believe that even a country “fight
ing for existence” Avas justified in committing any sort of
horrors. .
Yes, the Avorld has changed for the better in many ways*
We treat animals more mercifully, for instance. Our prisons
are less dreadful. But our wars are worse; there is no blinking
that fact. f
-;0:
It’s a joyous tiling to live in war times. Kali! Rail! All
is excitement, and the newspaper is in great demand. Education
goes on apace. The more that are killed, the more rapid the
education. Doesn’t that statement engage your mental
processes? Here’s the argument in more detail for those who
didn’t get it the first time: The steel trust’s orders are 1,000
tons a day higher than they were a year ago and the exports
are 250,000 tons a month; the heavier the demand from the war
area, the greater Mr. Carnegie’s dividends, and the more
libraries, and libraries educate.
-:0\ :- *
The Standard Oil Company is said to be storing crude on
and its recent cut in gasoline prices is alleged to have been
made for the purpose of cheapening the crude product. There
is more crude above ground than ever before. The Standard is
getting hold of as much of it as possible, expecting a consider
able increase in price with the close of the war. Having almost
unlimited finances, it can afford to invest and wait. Those who
desire a slippery gamble may buy a barrel and let it slide for a
few months.
-:o:
England is adding 50,000 to the navy While the adding is
good. But England cannot piously tell us that Germany should
be subtracting from her militarism as long as England con
tinues to enlarge her navalism. +
-.-;0;
Maybe you have noticed that when the Russians are driven
out of a place they usually announce that it was of no
“strategic importance” anyway.
-:o:
The observation of the “devil” is that the man who
suddenly gets mad at his habit and throAvs his pipe out of the
Avindow is the tobacconist’s best customer.
'■iA,' ' M