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-—-—r THE WEATHER The Great Feb-26: Max*39, Min*32—4 p*m*38 Calm—Cloudy. A | A^K A M Feb. 27: Max. 41, Min. 33—4 p. m. 36 Liffht N. Wind—Clear. DAILY - ____ LARGEST ALASKAN CIRCULATION ADVERTISEMENTS BRING RESULTS ■ - - ~ — -* Ten Cents the Copy Vo) No <„ Seward, Alaska, Monday, February 28, 1916. ---— LATEST FROM GREAT BATTLE FOR POSSESSION OF VERDIN GERMANS START OFFENSIVE PARIS, Feb. 25.—The expected offensive of the Ger-| mans on the western front has begun and one of the most sanguinary battles ot the war is now proceeding aiound the fortified city of Verdun. This city is on the river Meuse in northeastern France, not far from the German, border. In the German invasion at the beginning of the war this fortification stopped the enemy but they sue-; ceeded in advancing beyond it on two sides so that ever since they have had a semicircle drawn around it. The cause of the present offensive evidently is to take Verdun which is regarded as the chief blockading point of the defense of Paris. It is admitted by the war office that the enemy has taken two miles of our entrenched positions and have advanced closer to the city’s immediate forti fications. The semi-circular battle line extends for twen ty-five miles with our forces fighting from the inner side. The official communications are to the effect that the struggle is sanguinary. The positions lost to us were sub jected to a terrific bombardment which smashed every thing in the country for miles around. Then came tre mendous charges by infantry when the trenches of the French had been made untenable by the artillery and it is fully admitted that the Germans now occupy positions evacuated by our troops. KAISER NEAR BATTLE PARIS, Feb. 25.—The kaiser has arrived at the scene of the great struggle around Verdun and is said to be per sonally directing the movement of the troops in conjunc tion with his generals. It has been guessed for some days that a great offensive would be launched by the enemy and it is now clear that his attacks on the western end of the line was meant to draw allied forces from Verdun and its neighborhood, the chief object of the German attack. During all the night last night the Germans kept up an in cessant artillery fire. They used bombs which exploded near the ground and illuminated our trenches to direct their artillery fire. These bombs are of a new kind and shed a brilliant light on exploding. FRENCH REINFORCE LONDON. Feb. 2G.—A semi-official statement was issued today to the effect that the French are now rushing trainloads of troops westward to reinforce the army struggling to save Verdun, and the belief is expressed that the German offensive will be staved before the city weakens. LULL TAKES PLACE PARIS. Feb. 2G.—Last night showed a lull in the Ger man attack on Verdun for the Ill'st time in four days, but it is regarded as certain that the offensive will be con tinued and that the enemy is now preparing for a more terrific attack than ever. The military leaders expect the attack to last for two weeks. GERMAN Y CLAIMS SUCCESS BERLIN. Feb. 2G.—The war office has posted a short bulletin announcing the beginning of a great offensive movement against Verdun with the purpose of capturing that city and so opening the way for another advance on Paris. The attack so far is declared to be thoroughly successful and it is announced that our troops have cap tured several important French positions and are within a few miles of the citv. V PEOPLE LEAVE VERDUN AMSTERDAM, Feb. 25.—The best veteran German troops are engaged in the attack on Verdun and the com mander is said to be the crown prince. It is also stated that the Germans have succeeded in gaining a position which gives them command of the chief defenses of the city and that the citizens are leaving Verdun in the fear that the bombardment will begin soon. Ten thousand French troops are reported captured when the villages of Beaufort and Chambettes were occupied by the Teutons. FAREWELL MESSAGE LONDON, Feb. 25.—The farewell message of a Ger man commander of the Zeppelin that sank in the North Sea some days ago has been found in a bottle. It was a message to the wife and family when the commander found that his doom was sealed. BRITISH SHIP SUNK LONDON, Feb. 25.—The British steamer Dinlo has been torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean. SINK TURKS IN BOSPHORUS LONDON, Feb. 25.—Allied submarines are reported to have entered the Bosphorus and sunk several Turkish ships in sight of Constantinople which is said to be in a panic as a result. (Note:—The following special cable to the Gateway arrived yesterday, Sunday, at Valdez and is the very latest to be received here.) PARIS, Feb. 27.—via Valdez.— The German attack has reached with in five miles of the city of Verdun and the French government admits con tinued gains on the part of the enemy. The temporary lull in the fighting has given away to a more terrific assault then ever. The Ger mans have brought up immense re inforcements and are pressing with tremendous energy. (LONDON ANXIOUS) LONDON, via Valdez, Feb. 27.— London is anxiously awaiting the re sult of the great German drive on Verdun. It is feared that if Verdun is lost the French will not have time to fortify positions at the rear and that the Teutons may be able to break the allied lines, so compelling a gen eral retreat along the whole line to cover the flanks. The struggle is rag ing with renewed force, according to the latest dispatches. (RIOTS IN BERLIN) AMSTERDAM, via Valdez, Feb. 27.—The cit> of Berlin is now in the throes of fieice and bloody rioting as the result of the rise in the price of food. It is *eported that a hundred have been killed in attacks by the cavalry. WASHINGTON, Feb. 27. —Am bassador Page has been instructed to inquire of the British foreign oiTice regarding the removal of 38 Germans from American steamers in Asiatic waters. This government demands their release at once. WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.—The or ganization of Trainmen has protested to President Wilson against the use of soldiers in the engine and train service on the government railroad at Panama. PORTLAND, Maine, Feb. 27.— A snow storm has obstructed the range marks and has forced the sus pension o fthe gun test on the great warship Pennsylvania. LONDON, Feb. 27.—Survivors of the ships which have recently been sunk by the German raiders declare that the chief raider carriers seven inch guns and has a crew of three hundred. CHICAGO, Feb. 27.—An oflicer and an apprentice seaman were drowned last evening at the naval training sta tion here. EIGHT POSTOFFICES IN ALASKA BE BANKS WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—Eight postofflces in Alaska have been desig nated as postal savings depositories by the postmaster general, namely at Fairbanks, Juneau, Douglas, Tread well, Skagway, Wrangell, Ketchikan and Petersburg. It is expected that other towns will be designated as postal depositories later. TRAIN ARRIVED The train arrived Saturday night bringing mail. Derick Lane was a passenger on her. NOTHING CAME ON R. R. MONEY SUPPOSE WE SHALL GET FIRST\ NEWS FROM WEARS AT ANCHORAGE. Nothing positive arrived today about the signing of the emergency appropriation bill by the president but it is assumed that the bill has been signed, as stated, and that the fact is not believed worthy of men tion by the correspondents as the money had been made sure. 'Hie rep resentatives of the Commission heard nothing this morning but it is likely that the notification that the money is available would go first to Commis sioner Mears. The Valdez Prospector' writes to the Gateway, the letter be ing dated Feb. 24, that it had heard nothing about the matter up to that time. FILES ANSWER IN THE BADE- MANTELI. CASE In the case of Mantell vs. Bade, L. L. James, Jr., filed last Saturday an answer to the complaint of the plain tiff, denying the allegation of a co partnership and setting up the entire ownership in Mr. Bade personally. CABLESHIP IS COMING NORTH Direct Communication Between Val dez and Seattle will Soon Be Restored—Seward Isolated. SEATTLE, Feb. 23.—The govern ment cableship Burnside sailed for Alaska last night to repair the breaks in the cable which have interrupted direct service during the past few weeks, and completely isolated Sew ard and Anchorage. The Burnside was in drydock when the breaks oc curred and has been delayed in tak ing her departure for the North. The Burnside will first repair the cable direct to Valdez which is re ported to have parted near Sitka, where many miles of new cable was laid last summer. In the event that the break occurred in the old cable the Burnside is equipped to renew' the cable in the section where the inter ruptions most frequently occur.— Valdez Prospector. MAY COMPEL PRESIDENT NOT TO SEND ULTIMATUM TO NATIONS WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.—A reso lution was introduced in the senate today to prevent the president from sending an ultimatum to any Euro pean power or from severing the re lations of this country with any other. The resolution is regarded as having a tremendous bearing on the future diplomatic power of any president. The resolution of Gore to prevent Americans from traveling in belli gerent armed ships is also now be fore the senate. ❖ ❖❖*♦❖**•>❖** ❖ SWEET YOUNG NOME * ❖ LADY PASSES AWAY •> ❖ - * Mrs. Dan Jones, of Nome, died at Zanesville, Ohio, a few weeks ago, according to a letter deceived this morning by the Gateway. Mrs. Jones was formerly Miss Jessie Slifer, a most popular young school teacher of Nome. She was married about two years ago to Mr. Jones, the superin tendent for the Alaska Hoad Commis sion in the Second division. In ad dition to her wide circle of friends in Alaska she also was in Panama dur ing the construction of the canal and there she was acquainted with Lieut. Mears and his family and many others who are now with the Engi neering Commission. Scores of peo ple in Seward knew the young lady and it was only on the last boat a member of the Gateway staff received a letter from her. SAM SILVERMAN SAID TO BE BLACKMAILED Advices from Seattle say that Sam Silverman of Seward is one of many who have been blackmailed by a gang which operated all over the country. A man named Sichler, two women named Isabella Clark and Lillian Pat terson, and others have been arrested. The photographs of Silverman and others are said to have been taken while he was in a house where the, women were and to which he had probably been decoyed. His photo and those of the others were publish ed in New York papers. TAKE FRENCH PRISONERS BERLIN, Feb. 26.—It is announced that during the fighting for the possession of Verdun thousands of French prisoners have been captured and that tk<' losses of the enemy have been terrible. BRYAN SUPPORTS GORE WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.—William Jennings Bryan is supporting the effort of Senator Gore to prevent Ameri cans from traveling on armed merchantmen of the belli gerent nations but President Wilson has come out in a strong declaration against the passage of the bill. The president declares that the bill seeks to embarrass him when he has stated that Americans should be free to travel as they wished and how they wished. BACHELLORS CALLED TO COLORS LONDON, Feb. 23.—The proclamation notifying un married men that they are liable to a call to the colors has been posted all over the country. The men are given until March 3 to enlist voluntarily. After that time they will be conscripted. ANOTHER WAR FUND LONDON, Feb. 23.—Parliament yesterday authoriz ed the flotation of another loan of two billions. 1 his brings the total loans for the war up to ten billions. Lloyd George states that the establishment of a govern ment munitions factory had reduced the expense of manu facturing munitions by two millions a week. RUSSIANS ATTACK LONDON, Feb. 23.—Advices from Petrograd are to the effect that the Russians are now waging a solid offen sive all the way from the Baltic to Roumania. The Ger mans are reported to have been forced back near D\ insk and part of the Austrian army which evacuated Czer nowitz is said to be in a serious position. TAKE FRENCH TRENCHES BERLIN, Feb. 23.—The war office announces that 800 meters of the Femch trenches have been captured east of Souchez. « m ■ imii ii ■ 1 ■— NO JAP ARMY FOR EUROPE TOKIO, Feb. 25.—General Oku, formerly minister of war, denied in parliament.yesterday that Japan will send an army to aid Russia but he declared that this govern ment will continue to supply the Russians with munitions of wrar. He made the startling statement that Japanese warships have been sent to the Mediterranean to aid the B ritish to defend the Suez canal. FRENCH ADMIT DEFEATS AND TEUTONS APPROACHING VERDUN GERMANS STILL GAINING LONDON, Feb. 26.—Advices from Paris last night, •warding the German attack on Verdun are most dis quieting. It is admitted that the French have beefl forced to withdraw still further and that the enemy has captur ed several villages and positions formerly held by us. I he Teutons are now reported to be within six miles of the outer fortifications of the city itself and it is feared that the evacuation of some of those fortifications will be found necessary. The fighting is believed to be the bloodiest of the war. The French admit a loss of twenty thousand men a day. Hand to hand fighting took place in some of the villages and fierce bayonet work was the rule in many cases. The Germans probably suffered very much more than the French owing to the fact that they were on the; offensive. The Teuton losses are estimated at a hundred and fifty thousand. The struggle is still proceeding with the Germans charging recklessly almost under the eyes of the emperor himself. The wounded are being brought to Paris and other towns in thousands and the hospitals of the capital are filled. GERMANS CLOSE TO VERDUN | LONDON, Feb. 26.—The latest advices from Paris indicate that the German rush on Verdun has gained further ground and that the Teutons are now only some; five miles from the city itself. The contest is still raging j with terrific fury and an awful loss of life. CUT OFF TURKS PETROGRAD, Feb. 23.—It is announced that the Grand Duke Nicholas has cut the communication of the Turks in Asia Minor and that the capture of the Turkish garrison of the city of Trebizond is imminent. THREE GERMAN ATTACKS PARIS, Feb. 25.—The Germans are attacking in three different places as part of a general offensive. Besides the attack on Verdun they are also attacking in Artois and Flanders and it is believed to be the last effort of the Teutons to break the allied lines. Our troops are reported to be holding firm almost everywhere. APPAM CASE REPEATED LONDON, Feb. 25.—The British liner Westburn has been captured by German raiders and taken to Santa Cruz in the Spanish Canary islands as a prize of war just as the Appam was seized and taken to a l nited States port It is supposed that the Moewe which captured the Appam also captured the Westburn but some are inclined to think the capture was effected by the Ponga which was recently sighted by a British cruiser off the Madeira islands. On board the Westburn when she was taken in to Santa Cruz were the members of the German prize crew ami two hundred passengers who had been taken off other ships which have recently been captured by the same or other German raiders. The Westburn is reported to have been taken off the Canary islands and the British government believes the German raideis have a base in one of the Spanish possessions in that group. Madrid will be asked to investigate. CANADIANS RAISE MORE MEN TORONTO, Feb. 24.—Three new Canadian batallions are now ready to enter training for the front. In addition to this there is an American batallion. The members of the American force have objected to being led by Cana dian officers and they will be permitted to select their own from this time forward.