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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1919)
10 THE MORNING OREGON! AN, THURSDAY, DECE3IBER 4, 1919. V I ESTABLISHED BY HEN R V L. P1TTOCK. Published bv The Oregonian Publishing Co.. 1S5 Sixth Street, Portland. Oregon. C. A. MOKDF.X, E. B. P1PKR. Manager. Euitor. The Oregonian is a member of the Asso ciated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for puojlca tfon of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper ana also the local r.ews published herein. Ail risfhts of republication of special dispatcnes herein are also reserved. Bubscriptiou Rate Invariably In advance. (By "Mail.) Daily. Sunday Included, one year '?!!? Daily, Sunday included, six months .... -o Ialiy, Sunday Included, three months. . .s.-a Daily, Sunday included, one month .... . Daily, without fcunctay, one yeai Daily, without Sunday, one year Daily, without Sunday, six months .. Daily, without Sunday, one month Weekly, one year Sunday, one year tiunday and weekly (By Carrier.) Dally, Sunday Included, one year . . . . Daily. Sunday Included, three month! D&i.y, Sunday Included, one month . Dally, without Sumlay, one year . . . . Dully, without Sunday, three months. Daily, without Sunday, one month .. 6.O0 . T.8-J . 3.23 . .60 . 1.00 . 2.50 . 3.30 .$9.00 . 2.25 . .75 . 7.80 . 1.85 . .85 How to Remit Send postoffice money ordrr, ej.press or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at owners risk. Give postoffice address la full, including county and state. Fostage Rates 12 to 16 pages, 1 cent. 18 to paites. 2 cents; 34 to 48 pages, o cnts: BO to HO pages. 4 cents; 62 to 76 pagns, 5 cents; 78 to 82 pages. 6 cents. Foreign postage, double rates. Eastern Business Office Verree A Conk lln, Brunswick building. New York; Verree & Conklin. Steger building, Chicago; Ver ree & Conklin. Free Press building. De troit, Mich. Saa Francisco representative, R. J. Bidwell. . THE NEW RADICAL PARTI. Formation of a new labor party was to be expected to result from the present state of acute agitation. There are always afloat on the sea of politics a number of people witn extreme opinions, with experiments which they wish to try, with griev ances of various kinds, or "ferninst the gover'mint" on general prin ciples. At intervals their ranks are swelled by panic-and industrial de pression, by anger at some grave evil or by some superficially" attrac tive fad like greenbackism or free silver. Then they get together in a party, like the greenback labor party and the people's party. With radi . calism abroad and rampant under -the various names of the socialist -party, the I. W. W., communists. bolshevists, anarchists and the non ' partisan league, the time is ripe for another such experiment, and the new labor party is to make it. ' This party's platform, so far as it has been proclaimed in speeches and resolutions, is a witch's brew of all ideas for destruction of existing governments and for construction of the one model government in their place. It offers something to each contingent which the promoters seek to gather in. The main feature is public ownership of public utilities, with the Plumb plan as a beginning. This attracts socialists of all brands, pro-German or pro-American there are a few of the latter and all radi cals of every stripe. Combined with this are denunciation of "government by injunction," exhumed from the ; democratic platform of 1896, and de mand for impeachment of Judge - Anderson. Unrestricted right to strike, though the whole nation go hungry or freeze in consequence, naturally follows. The Plumb plan is only to be the first installment of . nationalization by wholesale, not - only for railroads but for mines, for- ; e.sta, telegraphs, telephones, stock yards, grain elevators, cold storage - and terminal warehouses, packing ; plants, flour mills, gas and oil wells and all basic industries. That will please all kinds of socialists, I. W. W., ' bolshevists, non - partisan leaguers "and radical unionists. The platform gives decided evi 7 dence of , having been imported from Russia by way of Britain, where an old established labor party shouts for nationalized railroads and mines and where a strike against interven tion in Russia was threatened, for it demands abolition of the blockade against soviet Russia. It is stronglj . flavored with pro-Germanism, for it demands repeal of the espionage and draft laws, and release of Debs. Ber ger, Jlooney and other traitors and ::murderers who have served "the cause." Of course we are to have free speech, free press and free as sembly as the reds understand those rights when they are only seeking power. With Russia as a precedent, we may infer that if they become supreme,- free speech against the soviet woiild bring a man before a firing squad, free press would be .. suppressed if it contained criticism -. of the soviet, and free assemblies 'would be dispersed with machine .fins- The senate is to be abolished as an obstacle to realization of these dreams, this being the best argument ;in favor of a senate that has been mane In many a year. As was to be expected from a con vention so strongly flavored wit I bolshevism and Teutonism. it pro poses a league of the workingnien of nil nations, such as Germany used to dissuade tlfe workingnien of other nations from fighting while German socialists fought. But it threatens the harmony of the proposed league by demanding protection for work ingnien 'against foreign goods. The radicals have been making o much noise that it is as well for .them all to gather in one political -camp, in order that we may know - Just how many of them there are Hitherto it has always proved th:it they were not so numerous after all. "Their sympathy with dislovaltv will rep -1 those who, though inclined to ..radicalism, are still true Americans. Their evident kinship with the bloody monsters who are destroying Russia will disgust all whose regard for humanity is not dulled by fanati cism. Their pnrtv will hnve few ." friends among the farmers, except in " those states where the Non-partisan league has gained foothold, and wil' face the outright opposition of the granire and other farmers" organiza tions. ; One thing can be said in favor of . the new purty thnt it Is the first - move of the radicals to eek adop . tton of their revolutionary nro- gramme bv constitutional means appeal to the ballot instead of by political strikes, sabotage, outrage, murder, dynamite and widespread propaganda, but nil of thorn have not abandoned those weapons: they ! ' have slmplv added the political weapon to their armory. The value of a happy phrase, as 1n the case of a slogan, is well un j derstood by the American Forestry association, which is urging the cre . atinn of "roads of remembrance" as - memorials to those who fell in the ..- war. it being understood that these are supplementary to. rather than substitutes for. other forms of war memorinls. The road of rritimi. hranee would be the outgrowth of systematic policy of planting trees ' along highways and dedicating them , to individuals, but it would at the i same time, in a simple and effective J way, emphasize the necessitiy for re- foretation in many parts of the coi)ua7 and of new forestation in other sections,' and it would give a new meaning to Arbor day, now ob served in most states of the union. Memorial tree planting combines the practical and the sentimental, and it teaches the duty of doing something for future generations. There is not likely to be too much of it. SLOW tP. Thirty thousand automobiles travel the streets of Portland daily, under the guidance or thirty .thousand drivers. It is likely that, since most cars are the common possession of the family, there are on an average two drivers for every automobile. Thus sixty thousand persons, in a city of 350,000, have qualified on their own account as expert chauf feurs. But they are not all of them expert. Only a few of them are or can be. The solution for accidents may lie in more rigid requirements for the drivers, professional and amateur; but the difficulties of enforcing them are obvious. As time goes on, there will be more automobiles, rather than less, until every American fam ily may have its own. The world will then be a whirling and rushing Utopia, with paved roads in every direction, cars in1 endless procession going somewhere or nowhere, a cor oner's inquest in constant session, and nobody ever home. Mayor Baker is - mightily con cerned over the increase of automo bile accidents. He may well be. So is everybody else. But they grow and grow, and the public apparently cares less and less. Evidently they have come to be a matter of course. The time may come when in self- defense the authorities will lock the peed gears of every car, so that a certain maximum cannot be ex ceeded. Why not try it in every case where, an arrest has been twice made for exceeding the limit? There Is talk of one-way traffic on congested streets, but accidents do not occur oftenest - where traffic is under a policeman's eye. They happen at crossings, at street-car stops, on curves, on narrow roads, and on the broad highways everywhere that a car may go. The streets are not wide enough, intersections are two frequent, and everybody is in a hurry. Traffic rules are all right and they must be enforced. But the cardinal trouble is that the speed mania it epidemic. The public must be edu cated to slow up. TILE DIFFERENCE ? A British subject, seized by Mexi can bandits, is released immediately on demand of the Carranza govern ment. An American subject, kidnaped by Mexican desperadoes, is set free only on payment of $150,000 ransom. The American citizen, a consul of the United States, is then thrown in prison, on a charge, doubtless fabricated, that he connived at his own capture. The American gov ernment is "surprised and incensed" at action "absolutely arbitrary and unwarranted and "requests" the consul's release, on the penalty that 'further molestation of the consular agent will seriously affect the rela tions between the United States and Mexico." They are already affected. Th.es long have been. Nobody in the United . States be lieves that drastic action to enforce the release of Jenkins or to prevent further outrages, or to restore order Mexico, or to command respect for the American flag and fear of the American power, will be taken'. Nobody in Mexico believes it. Yet everybody in Mexico, capable of rational thought on any subject, be lieves that Great Britain will move summarily and effectively to protect the person and property of a British subject. So Mexico dawdles, palters, evades, equivocates, procrastinates, lies! sneers and wiggles Its fingers when it treats with America: and Mexico in its impotence, or carelessness, or offensiveness, or enmity, permits in a few short years the outright mur der of 3 0 0 American citizens. The United States, in its indiffer ence, or indolence, or timidity, or laziness, or contemptuousness, or self-righteousness, or apprehension, or cowardly unwillingness to seize firmly a troublesome problem, per mits Mexico to go its insolent way of insult, defiance, arrogance, brag gadocio and outright assassination. What are we going to do about Mexico? Let Mexico go? Or require -Mexico to- keep the peace, observe trie amenities. fulfill its treaty mitigations, and make its territory habitable for its people and our own? Or are we to permit Mexico forever to be a nuisance and an of fense at our front door? We should like to hear from those snatung souls who have been in panic of fear lest we should some dav unaeitake to intervene in Mexico. now long do they think it can be postponed .' EIH'CATION FOR FOREIGN SERVICE. Another bill, more or less, propos ing to reform the foreign service of ! the United States is unlikely to at- tract much attention in congress, but the one just, offered by Represen tative Rogers of Massachusetts, which would provide for preliminary university training at government expense for promising diplomats and business agents, will serve to open the question again The high degree of technical train ing called for in the foreign service is more generally recognized by for eign governments than by our own Although we have accomplished good deal through the rough-and ready diplomacy of our non-profes sional ambassadors and ministers, taken from the "ranks of the people' and thrust without preparation into the strange atmosphere of foreign capitals, it is no secret that the wheels would not have run as smoothly as they did if it had not been for a semi-professional Class of embassy secretaries possessing a cer tain amount of knowledge of the technic of the work. Systematic pro vision for the training of these men in the best possible schools, with qp portunity for the worthy to attain to the highest positions in the service, would seem to be logical if we are to make good the American reputation for efficiency. Similar training for consuls and attaches of the foreign trade service would be equally "im portant. Tne National Civil Service Reform a .'eaFue approves the Rogersjpill. If it passes. It will open the way to an attractive profession to young Amer- leans. Provision that appointees shall be commissioned to grades, rather than to stations, and may be assigned or transferred to any pq.st, would add a touch of variety and ad venture to the new career. There ought to be no dearth of aspirants. VOTF, SLACKERS. In the recent Ohio election in which ratification of the national prohibition amendment was rejected by a majority of 542, a few more than one million votes were cast. In the presidential election of 1916 Ohio cast more than 1,165,000 votes. Thus there were 165,000 elec tors who were interested enough in presidential candidates to go to the polls in 1916 who were not interested enough in prohibition to go in 1919. In Oregon, where registration is virtually a prerequisite to voting, it is a "full" vote when 90 per cent of the registered electors go to the polls. It has also been observed that about 10 per cent of the qualified male electors and about 25 per cent of the qualified female electors do not take the trouble to register. If a similar calculation be applied to the 1916 figures for Ohio it is apparent that that state has about 1,400,000 qualified electors. 400,000 of whom did not vote on the pro hibition issue. The vote slackers constituted a greater number than the entire electorate of Oregon, yet Oregon has an equal voice with Ohio in ratification of constitutional amendments. The comparison is presented not to censure the voters of Ohio. Oregon has shown greater remissness at times in special elections. Out of its 300,000 registration more than 200, 000 failed to vote in the last special election, and there were nine im portant measures on the ballot. Rather, the point in min'd is that despite the manner in which the states that have it rherish the prin ciple of direct legislation, the repre sentative system of government has the better of the statistics. The large vote cast is cast when, candidates are running for office and, generally, the greater the number of candi dates, the bigger the vote. It is a condition for consideration by the extreme short-ballot advocates who would cut the ticket down to two or three, and for consideration also by the more radical theorists who would put government solely on the old town-meeting basis. THE COST OF THE WAR. The Carnegie Endowment for In dustrial Peace, in publishing its re port on the cost of the war, observes that the total losses are "incompre hensible." But those which can be stated in approximate figures are grave enough. The probable dead are about ten millions. In all the wars of the hun dred years preceding this one, th loss of life was not more than haf as great. The "economic value" of the lives thus lost is set down as $33,551,000,000, a figure arrived at by making allowance for vari.-ible values in different countries. The direct property loss is estimated at nearly $30,000,000,000, of which France suffered one-third and Bel gium more than seven billions. Even the sixty-three billions and more that are thus accounted for represent less than one-fifth of the calculable total of $337,000,000,000 to which the war's losses, both direct and indirect, foot up. These include injury to industry in countries not actually engaged in war, loss to trade, work that ought to have been done but never will be done, and so forth. But there are still further losses, incomprehensible and appall ing" as the foregoing are. These are due to the "effect of war on life, human vitality, economic well-beine. ethics, morality and other phases of human relationship . . . disor ganizea or injured ' by the war. If the statistics are "incomprehen sible," how much heavier must be the tax on the imagination imposed by any effort to estimate the losses ncluded under the heading of might have beens." The number, among the ten millions killed, of po tentiai ancestors of men and women of genius cannot be included in any statistical review. The profound ef feet of the moral impulses which might have been set in motion, but will not be,-is another of the impon derables. A single potential Edison cut off before his prime, might count as a greater ultimate loss to the world than the sixty-three billions of economic value of lives and prop erty, or even that other $337, 600.- uuu.oou in Josses both "direct and in direct." It is probably fortunate that to the human mind the real total is. as the Carnegie institution suggests, incom prehensible. Like the secret of the future, the sum of all the cost of war is withheld from our understanding- in order that our reason may be preserved. BEHOLDING HKLGIl'M. It was to have been expected that two diverse schools of thought would result from discussion of the prob lem of rebuilding Belgium. There is conflict between the modernists and tnose who cling exclusively to the traditions of the past. One would avau itself of everv so-called im provement in city-building, including skyscrapers, wide streets, elevators and open plumbing, even though art should suffer; the other would leave the present out of its calculations, in tne interest of the complete "unity" by which some individuals set so mucn store. One holds to the be lief that the medieval has served its purpose, that it has no place in the present; the other that the modern may be an intrusion. snoilirScr tli harmony of a- historic whole. Kmile Qimmaerts, a distinguished Belgian, writing in the Yale Review, points out that the view of the "con servatives," who would like to re build the town solely to emphasize the importance of a few notable "historic monuments which have been more or less preserved, is not neces sarily more artistic than that of those who are ready to sacrifice the half-ruined remains of a beautiful past to the exigencies of modern life. There is- to be considered the fact that it is impossible, however much it may be desired, to preserve archi tectural harmony. As Mr. Cam maerts says: The restorers do not content themselves with re-establishing things as they were tn 1114; they would like to use this oppor tunity to do away with all modern build ings tn order to obtain what they call a -perfect architectural ensemble" dating fn-m single period, and ignoring the im portant fart that towns have a life of their own like human beings, and that such re construction, besides being Impossible tsince the stone carvers and mast ex masons of th past cannot b brought to life again, couid only produce an utterly arti ficial result. These dogmatic restorers hav already dose sufficient harm In th past, and it is to b hoped that no fresh cb&ncs for mischief will be given them in the future. The conflict arises, of course, in those cities, like Louvain and Dinant, which have been partly preserved. As to towns in the category of Dix mude. which were wiped out, the field is open without objection to city planning after a wholly modern pat tern. But in . the former instance, the issue arises how much is due to history, how much to art, and how much to modern convenience. It does not render the matter less com plicated to realize that therS are dif ferent conceptions of what consti tute history and art, as well as vary ing opinions of how much is due to the modern age. As to history, Mr. Cammaerts has stated the case with finality by intimating that history does not stand still, that cities, like people, undergo change, and tfiat the growth of a city is a part of its his tory, unless indeed" it is a buried city of antiquity. However interesting they may be, antiquities have their limitations; they are better to look at than to live in, in any event, and there is a saturation point. To re store a cathedral and a town hall is one thing: to insist that the semi slums which may have constituted its principal surroundings must be preserved in all their dingy hideous ness is another. A new conception of art, which recognizes that a house which gives comfort and satisfac tion to those who dwell in it must necessarily satisfy a normal craving, which is all that art could do, would give room for modern houses,, even though the historic monuments were preserved. There is a type of mind that sees no good in any change. It worships the past, but not for the lessons it may teach. It would reject a sani tary device, because some ancient builder made a work of art of a town pump. It holds that if a thing is useful, or convenient, so much the worse for it- It reminds one of the charge made against the Puritans, that they opposi d bear-baiting not because it hurt tl?;- bear, but because it gave joy to the spectators. Wor shippers of the medieval similarly reach the .extreme view that mod ernity, because it heightens the con venience of living, can have none of the spirit of art in it. With these, it is plain, Mr. Cammaerts has nothing m common. - In the middle ground, on which the writer stanfis, the promise of solu tion seems to rest. The principle herein expressed would be to pre serve the centers of those cities con taining ruins' worth while, but with out stamping them with an attempt at remodeling which could at best only emphasize the futility of trying to live over again a century that is Irrevocably past. The wealth of tra dition would be preserved, as a re minder; but the present, too, would be recognized, and time would march on. Meanwhile, those now living have their rights. We doubt that the architects of old would have refused modern improvements" if they had known about them. The reaction aries are almost certain to lose, their fight; the extreme modernists prob ably will fare little better. As is usual, the moderates, less vocifer ous but more influential, probably will prevail. Ther will be ruins in moderation, and tradition in suf ficient quantity, but the present and the future will receive the greater recognition that is their due. A Portland clothier, returning from the east, pictures the pathetic plight of the clothing manufacturers, so swamped with orders for expensive-clothes that they will just have to raise their spring prices. And just have to raise their excess profits income tax returns, too, no doubt. There is more pleasure in an in destructible toy than in something that goes to pieces in a day or two. Besides, it can be cherished and handed down to the next generation as something great that "dad" had when he was a boy. Bill Carlisle, the outlaw, can get one poor consolation out of his re capture by a Wyoming posse. He isn't quite such an unmitigated fool, after all, as the various fake letters to chiefs of police in his name made him out to be. A woman motorist from Portland had her fine increased from $5 to $9.50 for "sassing" the Gresham Jus tice of the peace. Perhaps if prop erly approached his honor would even have declared a bargain rate of $9.49. There is no nonsense in the east erly wind in December in Portland It comes straight through Che gorge from the frozen zone. where it de velops. Yet it is a healthful breeze, thoughTliscommoding. Cessation 4tf work by one striking miner will throw about five men, perhaps ten, out of work by cessation of production incidental to lack of coal. There's nothing brotherly in that. - "Mad poet to be curbed," reads a headline, referring to the alleged in tention of the Italian government toward Poet D'Annunzio. That ought to make any poet mad. In voluntarily dividing his portion of the bandit reward with "the other fellows" " in the detective office. Archie Leonard showed how white a "dick" may be. The million dollars added weekly to Kew England mill payrolls rather I indicates that next year's prices on their products will not be much less than this year's, Now at last Vancouver, Wash., is becoming truly metropolitan. It has changed the name of B street to Broadway. Chicago does not set the pace for the country with dollar eggs, but she gets close to it. "Roumania sends note," we are told. How the little nations do ape the big ones! Tne white slaver is a most abject person when he believes he is. caught. - Remembering Roosevelt, South Dakota naturally favors Wood. With TOore or less of four kinds of fuel, Portland is not suffering. . Three weeks to Christmas, what have you done about it? and Bill Carlisle, Wyoming bandit, is just-like all bandits -caught. Stars and Starmakers. By Leone Cass Birr. Walter Regan, once of the Baker, la playing tn a new musical comedyiho wmiid v, nr.sident 'should the tiineii ireue, written y J a tuca Montgomery.. ' ' ' Burton Green, "husband of Irene Franklin, is ill and she is going to tour vaudeville alone. Here is Miss.-""11" Franklin's own account of her profes sional plans as told to a New York correspondent: "Bertie is resting here at home. Nine or ten doctors have looked him over and tell me he must not play the piano for this season at least. Meanwhile, milk continues to go up. so some time next week I shall aiea alter tne election oi re take a defenseless young man by th I tunately his death came "before the hand and lead him to Newark. This brave soul has contracted to play on the piano for me while I sing. His cold remains will probably be found in the alley. Burton suggests that I take an assorted half dozen with me. All this is to let you know that 'Lit tle Sunshine' will appear before you at any moment and burst into song for no reasbn whatever at some of the Keith theaters. . It is almost impos- j sible to discourage a red-head." .. , Winifred Bryson is rehearsing in "Seven Miles to Arden," with which Oliver Morosco will open the Little theater in New York on Christmas day. Grace Valentine, who came here in "Lombard!, Ltd," is in the cast and so" is Wallls Clarke and Warner Baxter. Mr. Morosco, by the way, has acquired an option on a new comedy, entitled "A Dollar Down," written by John H. Blackwood. It was recently produced' by & stock company in San Francisco. ,In reviewing Chauncey Olcott's per formance of "Macushla," a Denver newspaper had the following com ment: "De Valera may be the presi dent of the Iirsh republic and he may get home rule for Ireland, but if Chauncey Olcott could get King George in a corner and sing 'Mother Machree' and Til Miss You, Old Ire land, God Bless You, Goodbye' there's scracely a chance that George could deny him anything." Chauncey Olcott, by the way. brings Macushla here next week. Within a few days F. Ziegfeld Jr. will organize a special company to entertain the natives and the visiting Americans in Havana. He will as semble the company and send it on its way Just as soon as Billie Burke and "Caesar's Wife" are regularly es tablished at the Liberty theater. The engagement, which is for the entire winter season, will take place at the Plaza, one of the leading hotels. A two-hour entertainment on the order of Mr. Ziegfeld's "Midnight Frolic" and "NJne o'Clock Revue" will be pre sented. He has enough magnificent costumes and scenery on hand to equip a half dozen similar shows. Of course, there will also be snatches from one or two former "Follies," and considering the assortment of resplendent young women whom be will send along the chances are that the native Cubans will start another revolution. Eileen Wilson, a one-time Baker player, is to appear in a new farce called "Ready to Occupy," which A. H. Woods is rehearsing. Dallas Welford is the comedian. Julie Ring, who plays the leading role In Up in Mabels Room at tne Heilig tonight, is a sister of Blanche and Frances, and is incidentally sister-in-law of Charlotte Greenwood because Charlotte is married to Jule s brother CyriL Reply to "One Who Reads Your Column": Eleanor Porter wrote the book. Charlotte Chisholm Cushing made the dramatization. Reply to Florence M. T. : Mary Opdyke is a member of the Ziegfeld Follies for this season. She is In the chorus. Edward ' Everett Horton Is leading man with the Majestic stock in Los Angeles. Marie Curtis, who with Mr. Horton, was also a member of the Alcazar company. Is also at the Ma jestic. Fernanda Eliscu, who hasn't been here since "The Third Degree" came on its initial visit. Is George Arliss' new leading woman. Mrs. Arliss will appear also. The play, entitled "Jacques Duval." is adapted from a foreign source by George S. Kaufman. Mr. Arliss' new play Is described as an intensely dramatic piece in which he has the role of a French physician who has made a great scientific dis covery. Just before his ship weighed an chor, the prince of Wales placed his autograph on a ticket for the Actors' National Memorial day performance In the Empire theater on December 5. When Captain John Potter of the American military staff, assigned to the prince, explained to his royal. highness that the drive is to provide for needy and disabled veterans of the stage, the prince quickly asked for a fountain pen and said: "I. am happy to do what I can for the actors, whose wonderful work in, the war did so much to sustain morale." This ticket will be sold to the high est bidder, the proceeds to be devoted to the actors' fund. A matinee tomorrow at the Heilig, of "Up In Mabel's Room," will donate all proceeds to the actors' fund Portland's quot Public Lands In Texas. ' OREGON CITY, Or., Dec. 3. (To the Editor.) I have been told that when Texas applied for admission to the united States she did so with a writ ten statement or contract with the United. States .that she hold all. land as state land, not government land, and if the government wanted any of the state land it must be bought also that all homesteads were state land and under state law. This - I have been told was done with the understanding that if any trouble should arise Texas would draw out of the union Was such a paper ever written, and if so. why wasn't it valid at the time of the civil war? FRANCIS KENNEDY. The resolution of congress for an nexing Texas to the United States provided that the state should retain all the vacant and unappropriated public lands within its limits, to be applied to the payment oftti debts and liabilities of the republic of Texas, and that the residue after dis charging debts and liabilities should belong to the state. There was noth ing in the resolution of annexation or the later resolution admitting Texai as a state that consented to secession, I BV-PKODL CTS OK THIS PRESS ! Solution of Presidential Problem Ssg- (rested By Champ Clark. PanriGAnt,ltta rhimn rlfirlc hafl lrt(,rt.kn f tha robleni of person elected by the electoral college die before inauguration. That is a problem which has faced the country for 135 years. - Fortunately up to date ' n academic one. but w nave always uvea in tne menace oi n becoming an acute concrete questior whose solution would give us much trouble. It is time we solved it as a safeguard against future trouble. The nearest we ever came to fae'r-g this problem was when Horace Greeley electoral college cast m vote, a-uu thus the electors chosen to vote for him were enabled to cast their ballots for someone else. This they were able to do because an elector may vote for any person he may choose. His obligation to vote for the person nom inated by his party is only a mor 1 one. He is a representative with discretion ary power. No elector, nowever, would violate the moral obligation to vote for the nominee of his par. If between the time the elas on cast their ballots and the fourth of Iarch next the person having a majority of the tlectoral ballots should die. there is no way by which the electoral col lege could be reconvened to vote for another. The vice-president-elect, not having been inaugurated, would not succeed to the vacancy, since the con stitution only provides for the succes sion of an actual vice-president to a vacancy created by the death or in- canneitv of an actual president. It has been argued that a vice-president having been elected he should be in augurated, and then, a vacancy exist ing-in the . office of president, he would automatically take that office. but the constitution does not say he can take "a vacancy except that it be ctea'ed by the death or inabili'.y to act of the president. It does not give the office to him if there is no presi- dent at all. Mr. Clark's remedy is for the gover nors to be enrpowerea to rwjuvcuc the electors for another ballot, St. Louis Globe-Democrat. , A well-known business man. ac cording to the editor's drawer of "Harner'a Monthlv." was asked to Join a literary club in the western town where he lives, an invitation which he declined on the ground that he would be anything but a desirable member. "I have never been strong on liteature." he said. "I couldn't for the life of me tell you who wrote Gray's elegy!" The 1S14 Invaders of the national capital, not being Huns, destroyed onlv nublic buildings, did that for military reasons, and had specific or ders not to loot. They partook of the dinner always prepared at the White House, but before they did so Admiral Cockburn drank the health of Presi dent Madison, When the White House was rebuilt the walls were intact, in part, but they had to painted to hide the charred suriacis. So originated, first as a nickname, the designation "White House," by which the mansion later was officially known according to information issued at the National Geographic society. The original structure was the first official building in Washington. George Washington was authorized to select a site, because he had been surveyor, but sentiment, rather than topography, is thought to have de termlned his choice; for the south windows of the White House over looked the Potomac toward his be loved Mount Vernon. Washington did not live in the White House. He is said to have walked through the rooms before his death. John Adams, its first occu pant, thought it ought to have been nearer the capitol, Mrs. John Adams, first mistress of the mansion, wrote of her new abode The lighting of the apartments, from the kitchen to parlors and chambers. Is a tax Indeed; and the fires we are obliged to keep to secure us from daily agues ii another very cheering comfort. To assis us In this great castle, and render less attendance necessary, belts are wholly wanting, not one single one being hung through the whole house, and promises are all you can obtain. This Is so great an inconvenience that do not snow wnat to do. nor how to do. If they will put me up some bells and let me have wood enough to keep fires, l aesign to oe pleased. I could content myself almost anywhere three months; but, surrounded with forests, can you oeuev mat wooa Is not to be had, because people cannot be found to cut and cart it. We have not the least fence, yard, or other convenience without, and the great unfurnished au dience -room I make a drying room of, to hang up the clothes in. The following is from Sinclair Lewis' "Free Air" (Harcourt. Brice & Howe, publishers): "In Seattle, even millionaires, and the I. W. W.. ant: men with red garters on their ex posed shirt-sleeves who want to give you real estate, all talk about the view. The View is to Seattle what the car service, the auditorium, the flivver factory, or the price of coal is to other cities. . At parties in Seattle, you discuss the question of whether the View of Lake Union or the View of the Olympics is the better, and po lite office managers say to their sten- fographers as they enter. "How's your View this morning? All rej.1 estate deeds include a patent on the View, and every native son has it as his soundest belief that no one in Ta coma gets a View of Mount Rainier." Written on papyrus, yellow with age, in characters of the ancient Ar menian, a language now entirely out of use, a Bible owned by G. E. At kinson, social secretary of the Y. M. C. A., at San Jose, California, attracts much attention. This little book, which it is believed was written 1000 years ago, with vegetable ink, is dec orated With oriental arabesques - in red, gold and blues. It was sent to Mr. Atkinson by his brother, a medi cal worker tn Asia Minor, who lost bis life in the wr. ' People who are all the time talking about the horrible "H. C of L." and the returned soldier who finds that his old salary doesn't go half so far as it formerly did. will enjoy this old story of Lord Nelson: The admiral was dining with Beck ford, the author of "Vathek," and a very rich man. Owing to the great scarcity of wheat, even such folk often denied themselves bread at din ner. Lord Nelson asked for bread, and when told by a servant that bread was not served at Mr. Beck ford's table, he looked angry, drew from his pocket a shilling, and tenr his own servant to buy a loaf, ob serving that, having fought for his bread, he was notrotng to be denied ' it by his fellow countrymen. Thosj Who Come and Go. "You people should advertise your scenery and your water," asserted B. M. Conn, hotel man of Oklahoma City. who is at the Ben "I've never been here before and did not realize ou had such marvelous scenery. The people in the east who think they have scenery would be dumb if they could look arofnd Portland. I went over the Columbia highway this morn ing and I won't forget the view. As for water, I've done nothing but drink it by the gallon since coming here. All the years I have lived in Okla homa City I have bought water in bottles. Oklahoma City is one of the biggest jobbing centers in the west and every concern of consequence . has a branch office in the town. We re In the center of the oil fields of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas and this rinfrs us a vast amount of business, could easily use 200 more rooms in my hotel, but the present price of building material makes the construc tion of an annex prohibitive at the price I- would have to charge for rooms to break -even." 'Lodl. Cal., is situated about 30 miles north of Stockton, which is one of the largest grape-producing sec- tons in the united States." says r. a. Mills, at the Multnomah. "It may seem surprising, and. in fact, it was o some of us California growers, but prohibition has not put the grapes off the board. This last year we had a greater market for our products and at better prices than ever before. California people were a bit worried about the ban on wines. However, the old adage seems to be true" 'no one door closes but another opens.' This is my first visit to your Oregon country, although I have heard of your wonderful resources which are everywhere in evidence. v e (Mr. Mills is accompanied by his family) had intended taking a ride over the Columbia highway to Hood River val ley, but owing to the cold wave we shall proceed east without makinc the trip. Next summer, however, we in tend reiurnlnc; to Portland and will see the highway then." Harold Olson, mail clerk at the Ho tel Portland, was chief baker on a transport during the war. The trans port was struck and sunk by a tor pedo and Olson was the first man in the lifeboat. The boat slapped against the side of the ship and crushed his foot. Since then Mr. Olson has been drawing down $6 a month as a pen sion. J. W. Bossert, who looks after the claims of wounded and sick sol diers, came to the Hotel Portland, had a talk, with Harold Olson and now Olson will receive $20 a month from the government for the rest of his life. Mr. Bossert is still at the Hotel Portland. The line forms on the right. It isn't a boulevard, but the road throuirh the Grande Ronde and-into Tillamook is good, declares C. L. Grutz, who represents the engineer ing department of the state highway commission in that neck of the woods. 'I made the run from Tillamook to Salem in about three hours and a half, so that will give some idea of the condition of the oads." Mr. Grutz says work is still progressing on Three Rivers and will continue as long as weather conditions will per mit. There is a postoffice and that's all at Tidewater, wliere A. F. Saar reg isters from at the Imperial. Tide water is in Lincoln county, but to reach it one must traverse the Alsea road through Benton county. The forest department wants to spend a considerable sum of money on the Alsea road near Tidewater and the natives hope the forestry ol'ficials have their wish. He thinks he is entitled to retire and take things easy, does A. R. Rem ick of Kelso. Wash., who is at the Imperial. Twenty-six years aco Mr. Remick opened a blacksmit'.t shop in Kelso. Business prospered and he branched out, starting a hardware store 10 years ago. and since then he has done so well and built up such a nice business that he has Just sold out at a price which will enable him to loaf as long as he wants to. Mike Gorman, formerly a mayor and banker in one of the towns on the lower Columbia, has established his residence in Astoria. He intends going into- the automobile business with George L. Beard and the two of them- are at the Imperial arranging details. Naturally, Messrs. Gorman and Beard are strong advocates of more and better roads in. Clatsop. Chief of Police N. Bancs of Timber, and Postmaster Bangs of Timber, and Mayor Bangs of Timber, and Fire Chief Bangs of Timber, arrived at the Hotel Portland yesterday. They are 'all one and the same, for N. Bangs is the Poo-Bah of Timber. All there is he is, what he isn't, ain't. J. W. Harrison of the bond depart ment of one of the San Francisco banks, arrived at the Benson yester day. It is understood that he is in terested in the securities of one or more of the irrigation projects under way in Central Oregon. ' R. A Angell, who used to be in the lumber business on the coast, but who moved to New York, is registered at the Benson. He is still in the lum ber trade. Mr. Angell's visits are few and far between at the Benson since he moved to Gotham. Grant Smith, who wa In the ship building businees during the war. but who is back in the railroad contract ing business. i registered at the Multnomah from Spokane. Accom panying him is H. H. Hunt. Fred A. Kerr of Bay City, one of the Aladdin ready-cut house people, ar rived here yesterday at the Benson. The company Is preparing to open a factory in Portland and will call one of ite line of houses Willamette. Once upon a time W. S. Hall ufed to be the Indian agent at the Piletz. Now he" is In the lumber business in the Piletz region. Mr. Hall Is booked at the Imperial. Thomas H. Tongue, chairman of the republican tftate committee, was in Portland yesterday talking over the situation with C. L. McNary, United States senator. Citable to find a house in Seattle when he left Portland to locate in the Puget sound metropolis. H. B. Hall is registered at the Hotel Washington. James Richmond, who is the health ... . . til. A X- 1 ,f who serVe," that community city I department conducts classes in arcbi engineer, are registered at the Im- ! tccture in Portland. An etghth-g-rxle periaL W. B. Alderman and A. H. Harris, members of the city council of Tilla mook, are in town together and are registered at the Imperial. R. H. Mattlson, manager of the In dustrial bureau of the Seattle cham ber of commerce. Is regietered at the Multnomah. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Rogers of Woodburn are at the Hotel Washing ton, visiting relatives in Portland. .Mr. Rogers is a druggist. Sam E. Van Vector, one of the old- ' line democrats of Heppner, is in the city and is at the Imperial. . W. W. Gage, an attorney of Coquille for Ko-Keel). is among the arrivals I at the Perkins. More Truth Than Poetry. By J a me J. Bfontasrne, ASWEES. Little troubled Tousle-Head Bent above your smudscy slat. Time for boys to be in bed When the clock says half past eight. Lay your lesson book away Till the night brings rest, and then When there dawns another day You can take them up again. What is that? So much to do? All your home work 'way behind? For a little chap like you Answers are so hard to find? Hard to find! Indeed they are! And. as out through life you go Though you travel very far You will always find them so. All the worry: all the strain When the evening lamps are lit. Though one toils with might and main Win not help him out a bit. Only work, and sleep, and play Take turn and turn about As one Journeys on his w-ay Helps to puzzle problems out. We. who fancy we are wise But are children, just like you Study still, with puzzled eyes Problems we are set to do. Through a life of frenzied toil Filled with worrying and fret, We have burned the midnight oil But we seek the answers yet. Astonishing. We are amazed that George Creel, who has done so many things it would be better to forget, should be gin boosting a memory cure. They Turn 'Em Now. Standard Oil safe robbed headline. But the burglars won't find any more letters to senators. Too Much to Hope For. ( If congress wants to regain its popularity it need only pass a bill giving housewives mandates for their cooks. CCopyrlght. 1919. by the Bell Syndi cate. Incorporated.) Merely an Observation. By Grace K. Hall. Today, when everyone but I was out Christmas shopping and the stores were so jammed that one had to go outside to change one's mind, and all the ladies were so knobby with long and lean and squat and round packages that no two of them could pass tn the aisle without turn ing edgewise and skating into the triangles and' circles of space; as I was hunting high and low for a table where nine-cent toys were on salo "today only" for 11 cents, I passed a modishly gowned damsel, wearing huge diamond ear tags and a dis dainful sniff; and a few feet later I stumbled over a white woolly dog with watery pink eyes, slinking along under the ladies' skirts, with a chain fastened to the front end of him, and wearing what' seemed another dis dainful sniff; and, noting what I thought was a resemblance of ex pression, I looked back and, sure enough, the other end of the chain was attached to the gorgeous and sniffy dame! Then, in quick fancy. I saw hun dreds of babies, big and little, housed and provided for by strangers cared ; for by the kindest and most excellent ' of nurses, but nurses who cannot, j however kind they be. provide and ; give mother-love to hundreds of hun 1 gry baby hearts; and I saw visitors , going throueh these places where toddlers hold up their pleading dimpled fists and lisp lovingly "mamma" or "papa" to total strangers, because baby hearts are yearning for the parents who do not come some because they cannot and others, perhaps, because they are too ashamed. And I thought of the Christmas eve approaching and of the hundreds of homes everywhere in which no baby stockings will be hanging, and where no trees will be trimmed or lighted, while the man and the woman will go to a publio place and dine and maybe not say ten words all through the evening. And then, glancing back again, I saw the ornamental dame pay. the clerk $10 for a fancy collar for the woolly, pink-eyed, flea-bitten mop at the end of the chain; and I could not help thinking how many tiny dolls $10 would buy for- tiny maids. And then, lastly. I wondered and wondered and wondered what sort of a Christ mas eve it would be for that sniffy dog-lady! I wish I knew! In Other Days. From The Oregonian of December 4, llM. Twenty-five Years Ago. The Columbia River & Puget Sound Navigation company intends to run two fast steamers on the Columbia, the stern-wheeler Bailey Gatzert be ing designated for the night run to Astoria. With the departure last night of the interested financiers it is made known that construction of the long projected railroad from Astoria is an assured fact. Real estate transfers in Multno mah county for the past 11 months aggregated J4. 298, 000. which is con siderably less than in previous years. The police believe they have a clue which will result in the arrest of the person or persons who cracked the safe of the Union Savings bank and obtained $2500. Fifty Years Ago. From The Oregonian of December 4. ItSO The Sixth-street synagogue will be dedicated tomorrow with services in charge of Rev. Julius Eckman. The Clackamas railroad b rid re will be completed by December 21 if pres ent expectations do not fail. Flags of the several en trine houses were at half mast yesterday, out of respect to F. J. Streibig, member of the fire department, who died yester day at Milwailkie. Track on the east side railroad is now laid continuously from . East Portland to the other side of Aber nethy creek. School of Architecture. S1LVERTON. Or.. Dec. 1. (To the Editor.) Please state where there is a good architectural school in Port land, and to enter the same does one have to have an eighth-grade di ploma? The University of Oregon extension diploma is not necessary. You should write to Extension Division, Uni versity of Oregon. Portland, Or., for further information. Parkdale Hen Claims Record Egg. PARKDALE. Or., Dec 3. To the Editor.) I think this is a recofd: I have a 2-year-old single-comb White Leghorn hen that has laid an egg weighing 4 ounces and measuring 84 inches by 6. inches. DAN W. JORDAN. ot From ft. Donald Spencer. PORTLAND, Dec. 3. (To the Ed itor.) I desire to have it known that a letter in The Oregonian yesterday sitrned M. D. Spencer, on the subject of General Wood and militarism, is from some -other than myself. M. DONALD SPENCER, A 3