The Alaska daily empire., 1916-05-25
U. S. BOUGHT ALASKA TO REPAY RUSSIANS
 FOR CIVIL WAR AID
Special correapondence.l

lcnttlu ANiNNakNhANHNN.f
 WASHINGTON. May 16.-"Murder will out" and so will State secrets and inside stories Of international dealings buried deep in the archives of the State Department and known only to select few who were con- cerned In the negotiations.
 For instance. when the United States paid Russia S7,2OO,OOO for o barren waste of ice and rocks now called Alaska, which few years previous had been on the market for S1. .4OO.O0 the world gasped, com mented. nearly drove Secretary of State Seward into decline with severe criticism. and then promptly forgot the incident. And later, when it was discovered that the United States had purchased a yeritable treasure chest of all minerals for what now proved to be mere pit tance, there was less reason to in- quire into the incident.
 But here's the real story. printed now for the first time. of how the United States paid Russia $6,O00OOO to keep England from recognizing the Southern Confederacy. during the darkest days of the Civil War.
 A large bank in a metropolitan community is human clearing house. In Washington lt Is liable to be a clearing house through which pass State as well as less important secrets. 4 bank president in Wash ington who commands the confidence og his clients. and who Is a good listener" is liable to learn not only the inside" of national politics, but of international politics as we'll.
 Glover Handed Alaskan Check
 Charles c. Glover. president of the Riggs National Bank. a few years ago noticed an eldery man Of mill tary bearing apparently undecided as to what window In the Riggs lobby would best serve his purposes. Mir. Glover offered Go assist him. and found him to be one of his clients. Gen. Simpson. first Military Governor of Alaska. The conversation which ensued turned to Alaska. and Simp- son said that he had seen service there
 Well" said Glover. "I had some thing to do with the Alaska pur- chase in small way. About the time the negotiations were complet- ed. Mir. Riggs. the cashier of the bank. came to my desk and handed me a treasury warrant.
 "Glover,' he said, take care of this warrant in your cash until 1t is called for
 q turned the warrant over and looked at the amount: it was for $7 100000. the purchase price of Al asSa. It was made payable to the Russian Minister in the United States. and ultimately s7OOO.OOO was forwarded to Russia through New York. The remaining $2OO,OOO went to the Minister"
 Well" rejoined Simpson. per haps I can tell you an interesting story of just what was involved in that S7.2OO.OO0 warrant. After the Civil War I went west to take full charge of several territories and lat. CT was ordered to Alaska as first military governor of Alaska When I boarded the tran for San Francisco Senator Dawes of Massachusetts was on board. and l met him and travel. ed some distance in his company.
 "Of course the subject of Alaska came up. and he told me this story:
 Prior to the outbreak of the Civil War arrangements virtually had been completed for the purchase os Alaska from Russia for about ST. 100000. The Civil War intervened and negotiations necessarily were suspended
 "'Now. 1t Is @ we'll authenticated fact that at one time Great Britain was on the bring of recognizing the Southern Confederacy. The publish ed letters and papers of that period show lt. Also. about that time a powerful Russian fleet appeared off New York harbor In friendly demon stration, and second Russian fleet showed up at San Francisco, and ol- most immediately danger of British