The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, September 4, 1939, Page 1

- EXTRAIEXTRA! THE DAILY ALASKA VOL. LIV., NO. 8198 — “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” A | A I MPIR | 4 ro— | JUNEAU, ALASKA, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1939. MEMBER AS \()(l/\ Fhl) }’Rbs PRICH 491 !P\' (‘,u TS 3 NATIONS DRIVE ON GERMANY BRITISH LINER TORPEDOED; SENT DOWN SUBMARINE; Fatal Blow_STruck Craft Which Has 1400 Pas- sengers Aboard 505 CALL GIVES FIRST WORD, GREAT DISASTER Heavy Loss of Life Feared as Vessel Is Hit Dur- ing Night BULLETIN—BELFAST, Sept. 4. — Radio messages received here early this morning state that nearly all passengers and crew members have been saved from the torpedoed British steamer Athenia. The dead are those killed as the result of the exploding torpedo. LONDON, Sept. 4.—The Brit- ish Admiralty announces that the Cunard-White Star linet Athenia has been torpedoed, presumably by a German sub- marine, 200 miles east of the Hebrides Islands. The liner was bound from Glasgow to Mon- treal with 1400 passengers and crew aboard. Most of the pas- sengers are Canadians although there are 300 Americans aboard returning home. The first word of the disaster was when the Athenia flashed out the SOS and that she had been torpedoed and was sinking fast. It is believed all aboard have been lost. PRESIDENT NOTIFIED SHIP SUNK ROOSEVELT TELLS AMERICA BY GERMAN NATION WILL BE NEUTRAL; NO PEACEBLACKOUTS HERE WASHING TON, Sept. 4.— President Roosevelt, speaking to | “the whole of America,” in a nationwide radio broadcast last night, said: “As long as it re- mains within my power to pre- vent, there will be no blackout of peace in the United States.” President Roosevelt, speaking | in the wake of England’s and France's entrance into war with | Germany, further said: “It is impossible to predict the future, but nevertheless, this nation will remain a neutral nation. The President added: “How- ever, T can not ask every Amer- ijcan to remain neutral in thought as well. Even a neutral has the right to take account of the facts. Even a neutral can- not be asked to close his mind on his conscience. “I have said, not once, but many times, that I have seen war, and I hate war. I say that, again, and again.” Further, the President in- formed the nation he had pre- pared a proclamation relative to American neutrality, but did not disclose the date on which the proclamation will be given out. The President blamed the use of force for the unfortunate in- ternational situation of recent years. He said the United States had consistently thrown its weight on the side of peace. He added: “And it seems to be clear, even at the outbreak of this great war, that the influ- ence of America should be con- sistent in seeking for humanity a final peace which will elim- inate, as far as it is possible to do so, the continued use of force between nations.” The Presi- dent said that the outbreak of war anywhere endangers peace everywhere, He pointed out that every word coming through the air and every ship sailing the sea brought the effects of the European war into American homes. Said Mr. Roosevelt: “The overwhelming masses of our people seek peace—peace at home and the kind of peace in other lands which will not jeo- pardize peace at home.” DUCE ASKED FOR STAND; WAR INTENT Reported bd—l;s;olini Given 24 Hours' Notice by London, Paris | AIR FLEET HEADS FOR NAZI SOIL Dutch Sees Hig High Flying| Craft Go Over, Fly- ing Eastward Profest fo Boys |Under 18 Being |Sent to War Front LONDON, Sept. 4. — Appeals have been made to the British Army officials not to send boys under 18 years of age to the war front. NAZI FEELS ATTACKSON WEST FRONT France Flings Forces Inio Action fo Relieve Polish Armies | | | ' NEGOTIATING WITH JAPAN Goes Into Conference with Moscow Heads 'EDEN, CHURCHILL REENTER CABINET {Heavy Flghhng Is Taking! ‘ Place on Pomorze Fromii in Corridor (By Associated Press) After twenty years of silence the western front echoed anew today to By ated Press) Russia remains in the roster of neutral nation: but nevertheless kept an attentive ear coc ked to the | sound of cannon beyond her Eur- opean frontier where she is bound | the sound of warring guns as Great }Britain, France and Poland made | war on Germany. This morning, the tiny Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, wedged be- | tween France and Germany, heard | the ominous of battle reminiscent of 1914, soon after dawn. In an official statement on the sinking of the British liner Athenia by a German Churchill, First Lord of the British Admiralty, said the ship was tor- pedoed “without the sightest warn- ing.” A reportedly | all 1400 of the passengers, including 1311 Americans, except a few pe }sons killed in the torpedo explo- sion. France opened broad drives on| | Germpany by land, sea and air, the War Ministry announced, without | disclosing exactly the theatre of | | | sounds 50 rescue fleet saved torpedo, Winston | | eign Commisar Molotoff. | President Roosevelt wrestled | problems of American neutrality af- | | ter making a solemn personal pledge | lin a radio speech to the nation to WASHINGTON, Sept. 4—Stephen | Early, Secretary to President Roose- | velt, said here that the torpedoed| LONDON, Sept 4.—It was unof- Athenia was carrying mostly Canad- ficially reported in diplomatic quart- ians, and few Americans, according | ers here last night that Italy had to a dispatch received from London | ‘ been given “twenty-four hours no-, by President Roosevelt. The President’s official report, re- tice” to declare its position in the | ceived immediately after the tor- | current conflict. : pedoing, said the ship was rapidly | The news source, who declined to sinking. | be quoted, said the British Govern- Early said: “I would like to poim‘ ment is believed to have sent Pre- out that, according to official in- Mier Mussolini a demand that with- formation, the ship had come from |in the 24 hours allotted time, he Glasgow to Liverpool, and was | declare himself on the British- bound for Canada, bringing refugees French-Polish side, or the side of hostilities, designed to relieve Ger- man pressure on Poland. Reports circulating in the French Chamber of Deputies, said the| | French offensive was concentrated in the Belfort region where famed Burgundy is the gate to a valley that cuts transversely across the Rhine, not far from the Swiss fron- | tier, directly into Germany. BN R NAZI BOMB FOR AMSTERDAM, Sept. 4—Military | | observers here reported last night | seeing a “large fleet” of high fl)mg\ | aircraft over The Netherlands. The planes were flying at an ex- | tremely high altitude so that their| nationality was not learned. Observers said the noise of en- gines was first heard from a west- erly point of the compass and | dwindled out in the east, giving rise\ to belief the planes were flying to- | wards Germany. On the supposition the planes home.” Hitler. Early also said to newsmen: “Point It was further understood that Mussolini had been informed he this matter out to show that there was ro possibility the ship was car- rying any munitions or anything of that kind.” Secretary Early said the report was received in the White House with obvious horror, especially when it was learned there were reportedly nearly two hundred Americans aboard the sunken craft. “cannot remain neutral.” Mussolini is still an unknown equation in diplomatic figuring of the balance of power. He has called | up reserve classes of soldiers to place | him close to, if not fully, at com- plete mobilization. Previous indications of Musso- | lini's position gave rise to belief he | was seeking at least temporary neu- | trality. STATE DEPT, INFORMED WASHINGTON, Sept. 4.—Ambas- sador Kennedy cabled the State De- partment from London this morn- ing that the British Admiralty is| as yet unable to determine whether the Athenia has sunk immediately. | The American Ambassador also re- - eee EXTRAGUARDS AT SHIP PLANT | ed vigorous protests to both Paris EMBASSY OF U. S. WSHINGTON, Sept, 4.~-Official dispatches received by the State D partment said American Amba dor Biddle and his family were in the American Embassy residence near Warsaw when a German bomb struck in the Embas grounds. Later dispatches confirm the report | that none of the Ambassador’s fam- | ily were imund - e AMERICANS JAM FRENCH STEAMER were either British, or possibly | French, The Netherlands dispatch- and London, asking that hereafter the nentrality of The Netherlands | must be respected. - - e, Public Amusement Places Are Ordered Closed in England II)NI)UN Sept. 4—Following the | ce of the proclamation that (;rml Britain is at war with Ger- many, orders were issued by the| PARIS, Sept 4—The liner Ile de| New York | reconstruct, ported that more than 200 Amer- icans were on board. Previously 101 United States citizens were re- ported to have boarded the Athenia | at Liverpool. Kennedy said another 100 had boarded the ship at Glas- gow Scotland, and that ten more (bonfinuea on Page Four) Lgnvm nment closing all theatres and CAMDEN, Nv J,, Sept. 4.—Extra | public amusement places until furth- guards have been placed on duty at | er notice. the New York Shipbuilding Corpora- | At the time Britons same were ‘ broke out aboard the destroyer tend- | numbers, and not to walk in groups er Preairie, under construction here.| on the streets. The precaution was Officials, however, deny that sabo- | taken as a safeguard against pos- tage is suspected, 1'.|ble air raids by enemy planes. | tion yards after an unexplained fire warned not to congregate in large | France has sailed for | carrying 1,000 Americans ward. Many hundreds of Americans left. behind. | The steamer offices report emer- are home- | gency sleeping accommodations were | have been called to the already taxed beyond limit on the|announcement is made the country U.S.S.R. IS DECLARATION OF WARIS MADE BY GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE ON GERMANY N ippon ese Ambassador LONDON, Sept. 4.—British Prime | is | Minister Neville Chamberlain Sun day morning, in a brief statemen that will go down in history, pro- claimed that Great Britain is at war with Germany after expiration of | the British ultimatum to Germany o withdraw her troops from Poland. The deadline expired Sunday morn- ing at 2 o'clock (Pacific Coast | Standard time). “You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me. The actions of this | man Hitler shows convincingly that |'he will never do otherwise than use force in the attempt-of his will, | consequently we are at war with Ger- by non-aggression pacts with Ger- many and Poland Reports came out of Moscow | that negotiations are under way for settlement of the Soviet Un- ion’s own undeclared war with Ja- pan. Soviet-Japanese War The negotiations were said to have gotten unofficially under way Ambassador and For- ‘ the today when called Japar on Premier Nations charted courses they hope will keep | dnd in cons them out of war, as did the Scan-|— dinavian countries and other smal- ler powers. Roosevelt's Problem Meanwhile, in the United States, with | prevent a blackout of peace in the United States. Invocation of the neutrality act | is expected to be held up until af- ter a special bing meeting. New British binet One of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s first acts af-| ter declaring war on Hitler, was to | his cabinet, Winston Churchill back to his old World War post as First Lord of the Admiralty. Former Foreign Secretary thony Eden was also called the Government as the An- into Dominion’s Secretary. Eden’s Task Eden’s task will be to hold the| firm bonds of loyalty to Britain | | emanating from even the remotest | corners of the royal lion’s far-| flung empire, most components of which have already indicated sup- | port for the mother country The Canadian Parliament pected to act Thursday, with im- | is ex- mediate entrance into the war with | Great Britain a foregone conclus- ion, Germans took the news of Great | Britain’s and nee's des ions of war on Germany calmly as a German communique reported ad- vances on Polish fronts, Poland reported severe fighting on lal of her war sections, with | | particularly heavy engagements of both land and air for taking place in the Pomorze sector in the Polish Corridor. - e CALLED TO COLORS RIGA, Latvia, Sept. 4.—More men |Te de France, will remain neutral, ors and | | | | | Friday many. I am certain right will pre- vail.” The Prime Minister made his fate- ful message in a fifteen-minute ad- dress from his residence, No. 10 Downing Street, which was broad- cast and wildly cheered throughout gland. Prime Minister Chamberlain further said: “This morning the British Am-| bassador to Germany, in Berlin, handed to the German Government | a final note stating that unless we | heard from them at 11 o'clock, Brit- ish time, that they were preparing at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war exist between us. “I have to tell you now that no| in Southeastern Europe | such undertaking has been received quen(c this wunuy Turklsh War Vessels Gel "Home' Order ISTANBUL, Turkey, Sept. ranean have been ordered to return | to home ports and prepare for war bringing | duties. - e 'GERMAN BOMBS KILL 1500 IN POLISH TOWNS Official Count Fmds Nazis Guilty of Breaking Agreement PARIS, Sept. 4—A communique from the Polish Embassy said Ger- man planes killed 1500 civilians in and Saturday bombings in Poland The Embas id this figure Wu. evidence of Germany's violation of their agreement to confine bombing to military objectives. R SCHOOLS ARE TO OPEN TOMORROW Both the grade will open tomorrow. and high schools would | | 4—| | Turkish warships in the Mediter- | NATIONALS ABROAD lm o '“' =¥ ordered by at war with Germany. You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long uggle to win peace has failed. Yet, I cannot believe that there is | anything more, or anything differ- ent that I could have done that would have been more successful. “Up to the very last it would | have been possible to arrange a peaceful and honorable settlement between Germany and Poland, but Hitler would not have it. He had evidently made up his mind to at- tack Poland, whatever happened and altheugh he now-says he put. forth reasonable proposals which were re- jected by the Poles, it is not a true statement.” Immediately afterwards, orders were issued for mobilization of the | man power of Great Britain. Later in the day, officially signed the declaration of | war proclamation. | FRANCE DECLARES WAR | PARIS, Sept. 4—France has join- ed Great Britain in war against | memany the official declaration | | being made Sunday night at 7 o'clock. The French Government an- | nounced that Germany refused to give a satisfactory answer to withdrawal | | France's ultimatum for of the Reich troops from Poland, automatically putting France at war with Germany. INDUSTRIAL CENTER HAS BEEN TAKEN‘ City of Czestowchowa Cap- | tured by Nazis- Fires Set ; BERLIN, Sept. 4. — The city of tochowa, close to the Upper Sil- | esian industrial rgion, has been cap- ‘tm'cd by German forces, according | POLES MAKE NEW GAINS: TAKE HEART British and French Launch Combined Forces Against Hitler JOHN BULL SENDS OUT NAVY CORDON Mussolini B—elieved Press- ed fo Enfer Europe’s Conflict (By Associated Press) The combined forces of Oreai Britain, France and Poland werd King George | Making war today on Germany The first maritime casuolty in the new European conflict wa . ported in the case of the British liner Athenia, which was t loed and sunk off Herbrides Island, th of Scotland during last night. Nearly all of the vessel's 1400 passengers, 311 of them Americans, ‘| were reported saved. Master of the ill-fated craft re- | ported the only casualties suffered were those of persons killed or wounded by the explosion that re« | sulted when the torpedo struek Swift war measures were put into effect when France announced that her “entire land, naval and air forces” have begun action against the Germans. Naval Blockade Great Britain imposed a naval blockade immediately after Prime YMxnmer Chamberlain had declared | the empire in a state of war vm.h Oerxnany Hitler ordered his legions to hold the western wall of Nazi fortifica= tions facing France, then departed to join his eastern troops as if dis= dainrul of the British-French threat, Hitler’s eastern troops struck fi Poland four days ago. Berlin. g | substantial advances have |on three Polish fronts. Poland’s Courage S Heartened by the entry of £ | Britain and France into the | her allies, Pcland’s was by elaim official | Liuted into German tory north of Breslau. | to official Nazi announcement. A police commy said, howe The communique said Germany’s | ever, that Polish had with= | troops advanced swiftly at all points | drawn from C; in southe | in the attack. west Pohnd 7 | The town is in flames at last re- ports, fires set by the defenseless| The n(flclal ':ol news agency | citizens, declared that between 1. | An important railway center on|and 1700 po had been killed o the Warsaw route to Vienna, the | wounded in German air raids | city is famed for the Black Madon-~ | na, which annually attracts 200,000 pilgrims > AMERICAN SHIPS 'ARE T0 BE SENT FOR WASHINGTON, Sept. 4—Within | he last 24 hours, 34 ships have been the Federal Maritime '(rmmm fon assigned to the emer- | gency service in removing Amerigan | citizens from the war zones. Doors will be | estimated that 20,000 passenger ac- It is open at 10 o'clock and registration | commodations have been provided | by the order, i will start then, on Polish ‘cities Jacking mill significance or concentrations. The villa of United States Am sador Anthony Drexell B a suburb of Warsaw, was d in an air raid yesterday, envoy and his family escaped W hurt, i Ttaly remained neutral, were freely voiced predict to preserve peutrality lo conflict involving his m Hitler. o DUBLIN, Sept 4. p) blackout has been X c night. All reseryes : reported for duty. ey A ‘L;—-