TITE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15. '1911. 10 rOHTLATD. ORXOOX. Eaierad at Psrttaad, Gna-oo. PoatofOe as rooo4-CIM Matter. abacrtpuoa Kate tavartabry la Advance. IBT MAIL) Party. Raadar Inclodad. oo year. ... ..!- t'ai:ir. Suadar lacludad. eii month. ... . l-:lT. fuadar lacludad. tor month.. J. ra ' 1 v lnni!if lneluAJ nr monLA.... .13 Fally. awtnoul Suauay. on ar. ....... 6-0 l-aily. without Sunday. is aaoatna,.... , r L'aily. wttnout fianilar, lhr nutitAa.. I a.: r. without Sunday. a moata...-. Wakl. n yar. 1-30 Suaier. oc yaar.... a S4ily u4 VMklr. n yar....... - IDT CARRIER yfTy, tjn("ay Included. n yoer...... " lt''T. Sucday Included, oa month.. ... How to Ta)ill iliad poetorric msaev rd4X. .aareae ordar or poxaoaal CBck a your local buL Stamp, cola or eurraacT at th jvndor'e rta. Glv poetofric ad r. a ln fii lEr!ad:n eoabtv aftd at at. foot- Bale io 10 l CUM 1 : I to xa . ? caata: o t u cat, a coat o to u paaaa. a caata. raraiga poa'a aotjm rat. Eaatorm Baateaoa Offlta a Varr ai Conk New Tor. KnanaatCA. eallJlns. Coi- ctfa stag- bu!Mlna FORTLAXTJ, tVEDXTSDAT. MABCH 1. 1T1B AND HONOR. President Taft took a bold stand when he Mid that he could see no food reason "why matter of National honor should not be submitted to ar bitration." Usually It has been held that when the National hoonr Is at stake there Is nothing to do but go to r. No matter what the cost may be ln life and property, no matter how much misery may ensue, fight we must when once a question of honor has arisen. Not many years ago the . situation was the same between indi viduals. They might properly submit to the courts all questions affecting their Ilres and property. Their lib erty and all their dearest interests were perfectly safe in the hands of the Judges, but let anything come up which affected their honor and they must straightway fight a duel. War be tween nations stands logically and eth ically on the same basis as duels be tween Individuals. There is no more or better reason for one resort than for the other. We hare seen the prog. ress of Christian civilization gradually extirpate the duel. In English-speaking countries gentlemen never think any more of settling their difficulties with sword or pistol. The practice till survives in France, but even there tt has been reduced to a harmless ab surdity. Nobody Is ever seriously In jured in a French duel. It is impossible to doubt that war will travel the same road as the duel. Ultimately It will become indecent for two civilized nations to fight each other. No doubt It will take time to reach this desirable consummation. The pathway to It will be long and devious, but we are certainly moving In that direction. The growth of sen timent In favor of International peace has been astonishingly rapid In the last few years. There is good ground for hoping that It will grow faster and faster ln the years to come through the Impetus of Its own momentum. We are not so rash as to believe , that no more wars will ever be fought. There will be many more ln all likeli hood. The number of hotheaded fools is dlscouraglngly large. The multitude of men who find their profit In war is numerous and influential. Peoples are separated by mutual ignorance, by prejudice, by rooted suspicion, by the memory of wrongs unavenged, by commercial rivalry, but ln spite of all that the feeling that war is absurdly useless makes Itself manifest more plainly every day. Strip war of Its panoply of fal.e splendor, make man kind perceive how silly It Is beneath all Its magnificent pretensions, and Its end will be at hand. It Is useless per haps to urge death, misery and waste as reasons for peace. Death does not frighten an excited country and men woo misery like a bride when their passions are aroused, but tear off the deceptive mask and show them the Idiocy of the performance and It will be shorn of Its attractions. Mr. Taft la qualified to take a sensi ble rtew of warfare by the habits of his life. Be was accustomed for many years to see men entrust all their interests. Including honor, to Judges and come off vastly better than If they had fought with one anothrr. With admirable logic he asks himself "Why should not nations do the same thing?" Is It not safer, upon the whole, to entrust the national honor to a bench of grave and fair-minded Judges than to the arbitrament of war? Does war always decide Justly T What of Poland? What of Denmark In the fight for Scbleewlg-IIolatelnT Napoleon sold In his candid way that the Lord always takes the side of the heaviest battalions, which Is a very different thing from taking the aide of Justice. Gibbon expressed the same doubt of the final rectitude of mili tary success when he wrote that "the winds and waves are on the side of the ablest navigators." There is no more Justice to be expected from the outcome of a war than from a fist fight between two bullies. The man with the best wind and training will be victor, and there It ends. National honor and national right are far safer In the care of a group of Impartial Judges than an army can make them. Not that armies are useless by any means. W'e only say that there Is something better. Commenting In the House of Com mons on President Taft's suggestion. Sir Edward Grey expressed -a thought which must have occurerd to - every reflective obeerrer of current affairs. The growth of armaments. he said, "must In the long run break civiliza tion down." Where can the Insane race for armies, fortifications and bat tleships end If not ln International bankruptcy? It costs more today for the world to live on a peace footing than active warfare did a century ago. Almost every 'civilized country Is plunrtng Into debt to keep up Its army and fleet. If some of them, like the United States, can manage to foot the bills as they accrue. It Is only because the war maniacs have not had their way. They will never be satisfied as long as they can beg or borrow an other dollar to spend on their favorite game. But the time Is not far off when there will be no more money for them to waste. Pretty nearly every country In the world Is approaching the limit of Its resources) and the In crease of armaments must stop. An arbitration agreement between Great Britain and the United States which should Include their honor as well as other points would be welcome to all the world. It would set an example which every other country would be glad to follow. No nation really wants to fight. If they all felt certain that the rest would keep the peace their armaments would be disbanded to morrow. It is Impossible to overesti mate the moral effect upoi the world f an agreement between two flrst f ..f powers Ilk the U&itod Stales and i England never to go to var upon any provocation whatever. It would give the Peace Tribunal a prestige which no government could afford to Insult. It would make war d is respectable as well as foolish. TUB rSCAX. SPECIAL SES8IOX. Two special sessions of the State Legislature have been made Impera tive in recent years through faulty leg islationone to enable the state to carry forward the usual ami necessary processes of public taxation and the other to rescue the state Institutions from the accidental failure of the gen. eral appropriation bill. A special ses sion for 1911 has been narrowly avert ed If Indeed It has been finally avert edby discovery of Indispensable leg islative records ln some) remote pigeon hole, where they had been placed by a thoughtless clerk. Is anybody to blame for the muss and muddle of the legislative records? Undoubtedly. But what benefit will tt be to the public to fasten accounta bility for Ignorance or carelessness or Incompetence on a fat-headed clerk or an Inexperienced assistant whose chief qualifications are devoted per sonal service to some political ma chine? The lesson to be learned from the all too frequent blunders ln legis lation la that the Legislature should have expert clerical help. The special session to retrieve errors of haste and Inadvertence should not be the usual sequel of the regular meetings of the Oregon Legislature. The Oregon Legislature considers at one session 700 or 800 bills. The ses sion Is forty days a short enough period for so great a labs even when .the legislators devote themselves as siduously to their duties. But tne leg islators do not. The first half of the session Is given over to dawdling, de lay and getting ready. The last half Is given up to bustle, hurry and crowd ing. Three-fourths of the bills that go ln should never be Introduced. One half the remainder or less are worthy of real consideration. If the Inexper ienced legislator would make It his business to get experienced advice and assistance, this work would be well done, and half the public criticism would cease. GEiGTSQ IX EXGLISH. Last November, when Signer Bond returned to America, he made up his mind to try the novel experiment of singing In English at a recital In Car negie Hal I. His success was surpris ing. The papers said the next morn ing that Bond had sung "with an ex cellent pronunciation and a diction that might put native singers to shame." This must have been agree able Indeed to the Italian, but there was a drop of bitter ln the cup. Mr. David Bispham could not rest until he had made up a story that Bond was going into the business of teaching American singers how to pronounce English. Of course this was nonsense. as Slgnor Bond shows In a pleasant letter to the Times, which The Ore gonlan reprints today. The distin guished Italian has other work to do. But If he Is not ready for the task of teaching our singers how to pronounce their own language. It Is a pity that somebody does not take It up, for such Instruction Is sadly needed. Our vocal artists spend a great deal of time learning how to enunciate Italian, German. French, but nobody ever dreams of teaching them to enunciate English. They sing beautifully In all tongues but their own. When they undertake to render a ballad or a madrigal their pronunciation la slovenly to the last degree. Nobody could tell from hear ing them whether they were trying to sing ln Polish or Houghnhnm. It Is much the same with our actors. The last art they ever think of acquiring Is the utterance of the language ln which their roles are written. Upon the stage they stammer, gasp and mumble, but they do not speak. A few good les sons In elocution would be worth a fortune to almost any actor who has visited Portland ln the last ten years. to say nothing of actresses. English Is about as weu adapted to singing as any other tongue. As Slgnor Bonn says in his letter, our vowels are not so elaborate as the Italian, and we have rather too many gutturals, but training would over come these difficulties. It Is not nec essary ln order to neutralize them to reduce the language to an unintelligi ble hash of sounds as most singers do. Would that Bond might be persuaded to give some singers we know of half a dozen lessons. ciilsa's rnovTrjar. crisis. Russia, apparently tiring of the eva sive, dilatory tactics of China regard ing a renewal or the treaty of 1881. has dispatched an ultimatum to Pekin and matters will reach a crisis In the near future. The grasping spirit of conquest that for generations has been moving the Russian o a posts rarther and farther Into Asiatic territory will not In the present case meet with the outside Interference that checked the advance on Constantinople, or ln Af ghanistan, or even at the Corean fron tier. The present case seems to be one of the few diplomatic events In which the reel of the world will withhold the usual note of warning which It is ac customed to Issue whenever Russia starts to grab new territory. The province of III. which Is the bone of contention between the two countries. Is one of the richest of the Chinese provinces. In the ancient days of the caravan routes to the East It was one of the great sources of commercial wealth. Its principal city, Kashgar, was so well known as a trading center that It Is frequently mentioned in the decidedly ancient and Interesting "Ara bian Nights. The province Is' divided Into two districts, Sungarla and East Turkestan, with a combined area of SSO.000 square miles. This wonder fully rich territory, larger than Illinois, Indiana. Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York. Kansas. Ken tucky and Minnesota. Is more than 600 miles from a railroad. Today It Is but little farther along on the road to civ ilization than It was during the reign of Haroun el Raschld. This vast ter ritory extends south from- Siberia to the northern border of Tibet. Russian Interest ln the territory dates back about forty years, when a Tartar rebel lion became so serious that Russia was obliged to intervene. The Muscovites were practically In possession of the rebellious province for ten years, but ln 1811 handed It back to China. In return for restor ing order and successfully handling the provlnce-for a decade. Russia was given by treaty special trade privileges and the allotment of certain portions of the territory Into which Russians might settle and develop the country If they so desired. The treaty was to expire on formal notice at ten-year In tervals, and, until this year, it has been , rennwad mi tha nris-inal terms. This year China dedded to terminate the treaty, and the first Russian note, which was the beginning of the pres ent trouble, demanded that China state the relations which she desired to con tinue to maintain with Russia after the termination of the treaty. The reply of China was, as usual, evasive and unsatisfactory. The Rus sian forces promptly moved up a little closer to the frontier. This brought from China a second note, wlhch was somewhat more liberal than the first, but which sUll failed to declare whether Russia was to be permitted to enjoy the favors which were granted her as a reward for putting down the Tartar rebellion forty years ago. The receipt of the second note was the sig nal for Russia to send reinforcements Into the field and to send China an ultimatum. If China could count on the sympathy or assistance of the powers ln resisting the Russian de mand, further evasion and possibly a display of arms might result. The rest of the world, however. Is not particularly pleased at the sealing up of such a vast territory of great natural resources. If It were devel oped today It could feed a few millions of the starving Chinese who are now dependent on the charity of civilized people. If China would build railroads, open the country and increase the means for keeping alive her swarming itiinn Ik, rt ff the world -mlKht I be Inclined to ask Russia to keep hands off. although Russia clearly nas rights ln the matter. Past perform ances, however, do not Justify the be lief that China will do anything in the way of development, and for that rea son Russia will not be molested unless she becomes too aggressive ln her ef forts to retain her rights. TESITXO THE 6EATTXB 6 11 KIT. Seattle, having by a large majority dedded to embark ln the street rail way business and authorized the sale of 1800,000 worth of bonds to provide for the purchase of thirteen miles of trolley line to Ronton, Is now looking for a purchaser for the bonds. The City Controller has recently returned from the East and states that his ob servations have led him to the conclu sion that, although the credit of the city Is high ln the East. It will be a very difficult matter to market these particular bonds. He therefore rec ommends that the bonds be offered to the citizens of Seattle ln small de nominations. The City Controller states that by this method the Interest on the bonds would be kept ln Seattle and a further advantage- would result because the "Interest of the citizens In a road which they themselves were financing would be greatly increased." Seattle has always been noted for that famous spirit that could conjure up dollars for almost any scheme that would "save her face." For that rea son this bond issue of problematical value may be taken up by the Seattle taxpayers not the nontaxpayers whose votes saddled the scheme on Seattle. The sentiment which dragged Seattle Into this unfortunate predicament was caused by the refusal of the Renton line to carry passengers the entire length of the road for less than 10 cents. Under municipal own ership a 6 -cent fare will be in effect. The distance to Renton was so great and the volume of travel so light that the owners of the line contended they could not handle ' the business on a 6-cent fare except at a loss. Under municipal ownership the large body of taxpayers who do not use the line will make up any deficit which Is cre ated for the advantage of those who seek a thirteen-mile ride for 6 cents. The experiment will be watched with interest. It attracted attention In th East before the vote was cast. The New York Financial Chronicle, nearly a month before the election, forecasted the failure of Seattle to market the bonds in the East in the following words: Capital from the conservative Investors of tha Eaat cannot ba euxcted to flow In nntnterrupted atraama Into Invaatmenta, In municipal bonds or otnrwle. In thoa onm mJolilee which ahow toemaelve ready to rlak thalr reaourcea and thalr credit In on reck!aa and untried experiment after an other. Eastern tneatora mar b wrona In thalr Jui! men t of thee matters, but they are In puaaaaalon of the capital nereeiary to flnanc th development of tha pacttlo Coaat and th Far and Middle tVeat; ther la as rat no statute, Federal or atata, com pelling them to make Investment asalnat their will, and their rapltai will go to thoa commanltlo which ahow th leaat apaculativ and viaionarv spirit In th con duct both of thalr public and tbalr prlvat buaiaaas. ' RAILROAD ECONOMIES. The railroads, thwarted by the Interstate Commerce Commission ln their attempt to equalize the Increased cost of operation and maintenance with' an increase ln freight rates, are now seeking a method for readjust ment by which they can effect savings with which to meet the increased cost of service. The Bureau of Railway Economics has Just tssueda summary of revenues and expenses 'of the rail roads and the comparative statements of revenues and expenses is anything but cheering to the railroad men. The report, however, discloses some en couraging features by means of which the roads have done much to over come or equalize the Increased wages and other dividend-affecting factors. Among these encouraging features mentioned is an Increase in the trac tive power of locomotives ln the past eight years of nearly 99 per cent and an Increase ln number of locomotives of 64.6 per cent In 10 years. Car ca pacity Increased T3 per cent ln eight years while the number of cars In creased but 68 per cent In ten years. Larger cars and heavier engines of course tend to reduce the cost per ton per mile of moving freight, and it is hardly probable that the limit of econ. omy In this direction has been reached. In this direction the railroads may effect some of the saving made neces sary If they are to keep their securi ties at anything like an 'attractive price. Other avenues through which some improvement ln earnings might eventually flow are double tracking and construction of feeoers. The In terstate Commerce Commission has made it very difficult for the roads to secure funds at advantageous rates, but all of the transcontinental lines have announced their xietermlnatlon to proceed with the announced Improve ments as rspldly as possible. The possibilities of saving with a double track are very great. Many of the single-track roads are working so close to the maximum of their phys ical capacity that an Immense loss la suffered through delay In moving trains. Just jrlor to the 1907 panio some of these roads were so badly con gested that 100 miles per day was about the best distance that a freight train could cover. Double tracking will admit of great economies ln train crew wages and ln use of equipment. Construction of feeders Is made neces sary in order that the trunk lines rep resenting an enormous investment may be supplied with the greatest possioie amount of traffic. It will be no easy matter for the roads to secure all of the money need ed for this new construction, but ln no other way does It seem possible for them to get even with the heavy ia creases ln cost of operation and main tenance. This seems to be a case where the necessity for retrenchment has forced the railroads to spend a lot of money getting ln shape for econ omizing. "Night-riding," which has become a rather common pastime ln the half civilized regions of the South, will never gain much of a foothold ln the West. The leader of a band oi cow ardly outlaws who were terrorizing the new settlers on Camas Prairie in Idaho was shot and killed by a man he was trying to drive out of the Mimtn Aa nn .TamnU fit the feeling which the Idaho people have for the undesirables, it is statea in uie uews reports of the acquittal of the slayer that "cheers rang ln the courtroom when the slayer was freed and he was carried from the scene of the three days' trial on the shoulders of his ad mirers, one of whom was a Baptist minister." Desperate cases require dMnerate remedies and the law of self-defense is older than any that has been placed on the statute books. For that reason the act of the Idaho mn nrlil hn cpnprallv commended and may have a wholesome effect on the conduct of other cowardly night naers who are SetulKlng arouna v-u-iiina Prairie. Tht) death of Mary Porter Logan, which occurred a. few days ago at the home of her brother. Judge William Waldo, of Salem, will recall vividly to many minds an era ln pioneer history in iwhich Mrs. Logan then Miss Waldo, of the Waldo Hills of Marlon County was well known. She came to Oregon Territory in 1847, a child of three years. Her childhood ana girl hood were passed in the Waldo Hills on the home ranch of her father, the late Daniel Waldo. There, at the age of 22, she was married to David Logan, one of the most brilliant of the early lawyers of the state a contemporary of Judce Deady, Hon. Amory HolorooK and Judge William Strong, and others whose names are connected with our territorial Jurisprudence. David Logan died many years ago, as did all of his contemporaries mentioned. The pass ing of the woman who was nrteen years his wife and thirty-six years his widow closes a long chapter ln pioneer life, replete with Incident and adven ture that would grace the pages of old romance. - The most encouraging feature of the colonist movement now under way la the fact that nearly all the new comers are headed for the country Instead of the city. If we can only divert the stream of newcomers to the country where there are opportunities for creating new wealth by tilling the soil and producing the great staples for which the world is waiting, the city will In due season feel the effects of the new population. The city can not grow and prosper unless the coun try Is prospering. The colonists need ed ln the cKy are those who come with plenty of money and are pre pared to engage ln manufacturing en terprises. Portland needs a larger dinner-pail brigaae. until our manu facturing is increased there will be but small demand ln the 'city for colonists who come here without money expect ing to find immediate employment. Oregon can support a million new set tlers, but some discretion is needed in placing them. Captain Evelyn Brlggs Baldwin, Who has had eighteen years' experience in polar exploration, has arrived at San Francisco to make preliminary prep arations for a polar expedition in 1918. Now that the Government has awarded Peary $500 per month for life and the people have tied a can to Dr. Cook, the American public ought to be In a receptive mood for a polar discovery duly witnessed and vouched for by some one besides the man who claimed all the glory. Captain Baldwin appar ently sees an opening for this kind of a North Pole discovery, for he says: "I can't see where I can fail to reach the exact spot where the Pole Is supposed to be." It Is unnecessary to state, however, that If Captain Baldwin comes back with pictures of the Pole showing the American flag nailed thereto, his observations and data will be very carefully looked over before any wreaths or halos are hung around him by a hero-worshiping people. It Is to be hoped that the postal department will hasten the general opening of the savings banks. No measure can be Imagined which will be of more economic advantage to persons of small means. In the United States this class of people are almost without fadlitles for absolutely secure Investment of their savings. Conse quently they fall a ready prey to the "get rich quick" schemer. It Is said that hundreds of millions of dollars go annually Into the pockets of fraud ulent promoters which a complete sys tem of postal savings banks would rescue. The excellent record which the new banks have made Is encouraging, but their number is too small. It must be romantic to live on Camas Prairie. Idaho. To be visited at the holy hour of midnight by a gang of bullies and ordered out of the country on pain of death would give almost anybody a delicious thrill. But Joseph Vaught was not fond of thrills. He preferred to shoot and luoklly he got his man. His brave deed will break up night-riding on Camas Prai rie and enable people to live in peace there. His courage has proved to be contagious. Other persecuted settlers now dare to defend themselves and the associated blackguards will have to decamp. It Is the first step that costs and Vaught was bold enough to take it. , It is a pity that some adventurous experimenter does not plant a few almond trees somewhere between Portland and Salem. We hear of fil berts, walnuts and pecans, but no al monds. The tree Is known to be hardy ln this latitude, but perhaps It would not bear. Perhaps, on the other hand, it would produce abundantly. Nobody will ever know nntll it has been tried on a considerable scale. A church dedicated to the memory of Jason Lee. a pioneer missionary, teacher and preacher of the Willam ette Valley, is to be built in Salem, the scene of his strenuous labors in a past era. The building will be a suitable monument to the devotion of a man who nrovad his worth, by, his andeavor. X BOXCI Olf SOIGIIfO IN ENGLISH rHatlnsralahed Tenor Heaps Coals of Fire en Blapbam'a Head. Letter ln New York Times. It te only today that I read the account appearing ln Musical America of the dinner given recently by the Fratinal Association of Music Teachers, at which the principal topio of discussion was "Opera in English," and that one con tribution was a paper sent by Mr. David Bispham (unable to be present evt the dinner and read by Mr. Gareisseln). I note that Mr. Bispham. after paying a tribute of admiration to my singing, tried to heap ridicule on me on the assump tion that I pretend to teach English pro nunciation to American singers. Now, this Is quite untrue. Two years ago in Chicago, at a banquet tendered to me by the Press Club of that city. I first ex pressed my opinion that the English language is singable and that singing ln English should be quite enjoyable. The somewhat Indefinite color of some of lte vowels. Its guttural sounds with their tendency to prevent the bringing of the voice to the front of the mouth, I sold, will no more be a handicap to the produc tion of a beautiful tone and to the render, lng of the legato style. If the singer will submit to a proper training of his vloce and will make a special study of articula tion. When I returned to this country last November, I decided to give e. publlo demonstration of my ideas as to singing in English at my recital ln Carnegie Hall. On the morning following the recital. I was surprised to read in several New York papers, that I had sung with an excellent pronunciation end that my dic tion might put most of the native singers to shame. I was surprised at such opinions as well as I am now surprised to learn that Mr. Bispham has chosen to attribute to me the pretension of teach ing American singers how to sing in English and the American people how to pronounce their own language. Mr. Bispham, on the other hand, found It necessary to state ln his oration that I "sang with an accent and manner so foreign aa to be laughable." The disa greement between the opinions of Messrs. Rawllng, Henderson, Krehbiel, Sanborn, etc, and that of Mr. Bispham, la rather striking. But this Is the only thing in the whole matter that does not come to me as a surprise. In fact it may be said that the artists never agree with the critics except when they are the re cipients of the praises of the latter. Mr. Bispham ln his paper puts this question: "What would be thought if I went to Italy to teach people how to pro nounce Italian V Incidentally, I could answer Mr. Bispham that ln Italy (a country much more sectional than Amer ica) nobody is tolerated on the lyrla stage unless he can pronounce Italian well, but should we be unable to speak our language well and should we die cover that an American could teach us how to pronounce it correctly ln singing, we would no doubt welcome and bless him. It as not Italy that has not yet understood that "chauvlnieme" ln art (and ln America there is unfortunately an abundance of it) is perhaps the most serious handicap to the development of the artistic possibilities of a country. But I do not want to enter such a dlsousslon. I am satisfied with stating most em phatically that I never claimed ability to teach English diction to American singers. Therefore, the adjective "ridiculous" was improperly used by Mr. Bispham, to qualify an attitude that I never assumed. This being the case, there is no reason for further comment on Mr. Bispham's paper. There is however, another point perhaps the main point which Justifies at least to a certain extent, what Mr. Bispham has expressed in his paper and even the "clearness and eloquency" with which according to Musical America it was read by Mr. Gareisseln. From the words of Mr. Bispham it appears that he is almost ln despair over the possibility of a large "backing of money" for an in stitution headed by me with the purpose of giving opera ln English, end "calls to account the Americans who have sug gested such a thing." Now, I do not know Mr. Bispham per sonally, but I sincerely wish to be on the best terms with him. Therefore I am quite willing to turn the Americans in question over to -film. I am an extremely busy man. Let Mr. Bispham assume the adminis tration and reap the glory. I ask merely not to have assigned to me things that I never said. A. BONCL POSSIBLE RITHPC1 WITH ENGLASDf New Llsht oa Dlspnte Between George . S. Shepherd and ConanI Laid! aw. . PORTLAND. March 14. (To the Edi tor.) A number of readers of The Oregonlan were seated around a square table discussing the probability of war arising because of England's alleged Insult to the United States of America, England acting through its Consul James Laldlaw, and the United States represented la the person of George, of course, we mean. Captain George S. Shepherd, of the Navy. These questions arose: "Does the maxim; The greater the truth the greater the libel" hold good ln inter national matters? That is, admitting what Consul Laldlaw said about George was true, as we think It was, can a truthful statement be an insult? If so, and this difference is settled without bloodshed, will George be an international figure? Can such a difference be settled un der any treaty now ln exlstance be tween the nations, or are all now ex isting Just to cover minor matters? If England apologizes rather than go to war, will King George person ally do it to George, or will Mr. Lald law do it to George? If I have taken out my first papers. can I express my opinion of George without recourse by him to my native, land? How must one go about it to get exclusive moving picture rights of the apology that will be worth one million? We so often hear the expression "Let George do it" Does that always refer to Captain George 8. Shepherd of the Navy? There are many who don't chew gum Interested in the above. B AND S Extent ef Loulelana Purchase. PORTLAND, March 13. (To the Edi tor.) Would you kindly oblige an old subscriber, and Inform him the extent of "Louisiana Purchase" from Napoleon ln 1903? I mean what states were com prised ln that territory. How wide and long, north and west of the Mississippi River? Also did we not get Florida from Spain at an early date? I wish to con vince i a stubborn son, that he don't know anything about his own country. I believe the price paid to France was tlS.000,000 and that the country comprised about 800,000 square miles. BUBStJKIiJEK.. The Louisiana Purchase, closed In 1803, extended from the Mississippi River on the East, (including the New Orleans district east of the Mississippi) to tha main divide of the KocKy Moun tains and to the Arkansas, the Red and the Sabine Rivers on tne west; ana from the Gulf of Mexico to tae Cana dian line. The territory now comprises In whole or ln part, chiefly ln whole. Louisiana, Arkansas. Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Da kota. Nebraska Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana. Oklahoma and In dian Territory. The area was b.cuuu aauare miles and the price paid $1S,QJ)0.- 000. Florida passed to the United States In 1821. by treaty with spun in ism. Damon and Pythias of 1911. Chicago Record-Herald. "Pa. who were Damon and Pythias?" "I've kind of forgotten now whether they were a champion bowling team or whether they were a battery some club got from the Texas League. I wish you wouldn't bother me. Can't you see that I'm busy readin' about what's goln" on la Wall Street?" JOE) CANNON REVIEWS HIMSELF. Champ Clark Gets Pointers en Speak ers' Manifold Duties. Washington (D. C.) Star. "Come, Mr. Cannon, give me a few points out of your abundant experi ence as Speaker." "Champ, not a bit of it would fit your case." "Why not?" "Well. I was a tyrant in the office. I knew no law. I possessed the power o life and death over legislation. As I understood it, you are to be simply a presiding officer a sort of Judge ln the chair." "Oh, well, now, let's be serious.' "I am serious. I can quote chapter and verse as to my unworthiness. It seems to me you contributed something to my conviction." "You will have your little Joke. But really, I should like a "steer" about a few things." "How are your eyes. Champ?" "Good as can be, I'm happy to say. Why?" "They should not be too good. There will be times when you should not be able to see Republicans when they rise to make motions. Keep your good eyes for your own side. You'll need em, even as a Judge." " "But that would subject me to cri ticism." "My boy, don't shrink from criticism. Rather court it Make a few husky enemies, by all means. And try to in clude among the number some dad gasted windjammers, who carry a full line of coarse vituperation. The Lord, you know, tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. He also, at times, advances our fortunes by the enemies he sends us. Pray to receive the right kind of enemies, and when you get 'em hold on to 'em. Never, whatever you do, turn away their wrath." "You have enjoyed 'emT' "Very much. They have helped me. Now you give me a pointer or two. As you are to be a sort of Judge, are you going to hold on to the old form of addressing the Chair? Shall It be "Mr. Speaker?1 or "May it please your hon or?" If there is to be a change, let me Introduce it." "I hadn't thought about that. Let me consult with Underwood before giving you an answer. Suppose we change the form. Will you treat the Court with proper deference?" "Most assuredly. With all deference. Mind you, I shall reserve my right un der the Constitution- to cuss the Court, but shall never exercise it until I have reached the tavern or the quiet precincts of my committee room. I know my duty to a Court, whether of Justice or injustice." "We shall get along. Mr. Cannon." "Undoubtedly, Champ, and all the better for an occasional sharp ex change. And when the performance be gins we'll send to the Senate for John Williams and have him come over and lament the successful ambition which removed him from so live and inter esting a chamber." DR. AKED, 'TWEEN HAY AND GRASS Questionable Wisdom to Import Forelgna Minsters of the Word, finiinarfield CMass.l Republican. rr. Aked's resignation as pastor of the Fifth-Avenue Baptist Church in New York City after a brief pastorate might well raise the question of the wisdom of calling ministers from other countries to fill American pulpits. Er. AKed's experi ence has not thus far been happy, al though that fact may eignlfy nothing coa cernlng the question referred to. It is stated that the Fifth-Avenue Baptist Church will not go to England for its next pastor under any conditions what ever. Perhaps that, too, means nothing. Possibly the handicaps to be overcome by Imported clergymen are too severe as yet in this country, the mere fact that England and America have the same Jan. guage being a very slight basis for a free Interchange of ministerial timber between the. two countries. It is to be hoped that as time passes, the conditions making for the success of Imported clergymen will Improve and undoubtedly they will. Meanwhile, Dr. Aked should do one thing or the other. He should go back to England and stay there, or oe should eet naturalized and make America his permanent home. He has the making of a very successful American preacner. If he can get the pulpit precisely suited to him. At present, he is between hay and grass. Half a Century Ago From Th Oregonlan, March 15, 186L We notice a movement on foot to or ganize a regatta club. There is cer tainly no better way to develop the muscles than a Jolly good pull at the oars. Let us have one by all means and then another. rvtinnoi Tmn Cnrnalitia delivered a drove of cattle in this city, which were fat, at seven cents net. The demand for good Indian horses and pack mules continues, both in this city .and at The Dalles. It is reported that the British govern ment has determined to build a naval depot at Esquimault and that S150.000 is already set aside for the purpose. The grand Jury report that, having visited the penitentiary and investigated Its condition, the details of its adminis tration, and of the keeping, treatment, employment and subsistence of the con victs; that they found the said peni tentiary ln a bad and insecure condition for the safe keeping of convicts: that the cells and many parts of the building are in filthy and unsatisfactory condi tion, that the provisions (with the ex ception of injured meat which has been supplied the prisoners), is of a good and wholesome kind. During the months of January. Febru ary and the first week of March there has been sold, contracted or driven to market 2719 head of Oregon 'cattle which we have received accounts of. The aver age value of these may be piacea at 82S per hesd. Senators In New State. NYE. Or., March 19. (To the Editor.) Will you please answer these questions through the columns of The Oregonlan: First When a new state is admitted Into the Union how do they determine for how long the first Senators shall serve? Second Could a -boy born ln China of American parents acting as missionaries become President? STUDENT. First The method of determining the length of terms of Senators is prescribed in the constitution, plans varying ln different state. In Oregon the first Sena tors elected were divided by lot Into two classes, the first class holding office two years and the second class four years. In Washington Senatons chosen from odd numbered districts went out of office at the end of the first -year and Senators elected from even numbered districts went out at the end of the third year. Second A boy born in China of Ameri can parents who returns to the United States to reside before attaining his ma jority is eligible to become President. Profanity and Pew Rent. New York Times. Charles M. Jessup, of White Plains, further illustrated the Idea of wel come by a story of Rear-Admiral Robley D. Evans. He entered, it is refated, a church and was shown to a pew near the door. Its sole occupant glared at him and then, pulling out a card, wrote on it the words: "I pay 8600 a year for the exclusive use of this pew." The Admiral, said Mr. Jessup wrote underneath as he passed back the card: "Then you pay a d d sight to much." ANNB WARWICK is a wise young ' woman, or else her New York pub lishers are very enterprising. She is the authoress of the new novel, "Compensa tion," in which the political and social activities of Washington, D. C, of the present day are attractively mirrored, and a discreet note from her publishers states that the name Anne Warwick is a nom-de-plume, that she is a Portland, Or., girl, and that she and her father are both well known here. That statement Is calculated to arouse and does arouse local interest ln the novel, and its sales ought to be mate rially helped. That is why Anne War wick is wise beyond her years. Her story is so good, however, that it does not require any mystery to recommend It. With really clever dialogue and well sustained Interest, it keeps the reader guessing, and its problem affecting the marriage relation Is well handled n or thodox, non-shocking style. a a a George Bernard Shaw, Socialist, satirist and novelist, has a keen sense of the value of the unusual in making the publio aware that he still lives. Very few authors, nowadays, contribute wordy prefaces to their books, but Shaw Is in a class by himself. He has Just caused to be Issued three of his plays, "The Doctor's Dilemma," "Getting Mar ried" and "The Showing Up of Blanca Posnet," with a preface of over 25,000 words. Part of this preface is amusing, and other parts wearisome. In "Getting Married," Mr. Shaw makes this shy, shrinking allusion to himself: Louis Tou imagine that I'm simply as ordinary criminal. Walpole Not an ordinary on, Dnde. bat. Do yourself Justice. Louis Well, you're on th wrong track altogether. All your moralizing hav no value for me. I don't believe ln morality. I'm a disciple of Bernard Shaw. Sir Patrick Bernard Shaw I never heard of him. He's a Methodist preacher, I suppose. a a A. C. Benson has Just been appointed to the chair of English literature, found ed by Sir Harold Harmsworth, at Cam bridge University, "England. Mr. Benson Is the first to receive this distinction. a a a New and hair-raising stories about the great Thomas Carlyle are promised in the forthcoming memoirs of the late Chnrton Collins, also hitherto unpub lished letters by Swinburne. a R. F. Johnston, one of the English offi cials ruling in Wel-hai-wei, ln a newly published volume on his Chinese experi ences, notes that the local magistrates have difficulties in dealing with village shrews. He asked one complaining hus band why he ran away from a woman. "Is she not your wife and can you not make her obey you?" The plaintiff's face is described as broadening into a mirthless smile as he replied: "I am afraid of her. Eight men out of 10 are afraid of their wives." a a A new edition of Messrs. Potash and Perlmutter, Ladles' Cloaks and Suits, by Montague Glass, will be issued soon. These stories, in serial form, have al ready won Immense popularity and warm criticism. a The autobiography and biography of the late Father Tyrrellr is being pub lished ln London. The priest's account of his life was written ln 1901 and it ends Just before the time of his mother's death. Notes and supplements to each chapter are supplied by Miss Maude D. Petre, who adds a record of the modern ist's later years. Father Tyrrell was born an Anglican, but he became a con vert and entered the Jesuit order, from which he was expelled four years ago. His biographer, who is a daughter of Lady Catherine Howard, comes of a long Catholic line, and .she is herself a "founder" of Westminster Cathedral. Be sides writing several devotional books (one "The Soul's Orbit." being done in collaboration with Father Tyrrell). Miss Petre is the author of some pointed studies In spiritual liberty entitled "Catholicism and Independence." - " Charles Bann Kennedy's play, "The Servant in the House," familiar on the stage a few seasons ago, and the subject of much discussion and reading in book form, was produced last week with con spicuous success at Germany's most cele brated playhouse, the Court Theater of the Duchy of Saxe-Melningen. a ' a "My hero dies in the middle of my latest novel," said the young author. "That's a grave mistake," replied the editor. "He should not die before the reader does." Atlanta Constitution, a a The great Gaelic Dictionary, compiled, set, stereotyped, illustrated and pub lished by one determined man, with the help of a little home press, is nearly completed. The three volumes contain full references for over 80,000 Gaelic words. Edward Dwelly has been ab sorbed ln the work for 30 years, and has been at the printing part of It for the last 12 years. His is an almost Incredi ble story of labor for he has been forced to earn money as a printer at night in , n thn dictionary work by day. He has even had to sell tne Gaelic library irom wmcu tti. ..tv,..,i.cm Vina hroucrht him tri ms r;ii i " " umpnantly through many discourage ments. m . . i a -rmaff, Umni. instead of going on to Rome, as they Intended, have stopped at Florence for . short stay, and are hard at work on their new novel. ... . S , . . ,v . mlnnr An unusual numoej- w manuscripts of well-known American au- Via mOVlrAT f fl 1 thors nave come uyuu ; Winter-notably those of Poe and Sted- ..... .i C7 n . 1 n-, . ru llhmrv. man, mciuaea in mo ow-m dispersed last month; the Eugene Field 16-page pamphlet addressed to Mr. Sted- io )s . th aame sale: man soia iur . ." - , , - those of several of Mark Twain's shorter ' ,-.n dlanosed of stories, wiiit; ii wom . T , with the humorist's collection of books, and two of Bret Harte'e, which formed a part of the collection of Judge Jacob 1 . r i . , A Worn nf the Kiein. or ot wuw ' ' .-rem "Snllv Dowa" Golden uaio v -- 7. ($500). Notable prices have been paid for authors' letters also-especlaliy those of Swinburne, the Brownings. Hawthorne and Harte. A new novel by Miss Frances Powell, "An Ula jsaam b v cufatoiv, . , ft-u. h.PA ns fa an within a lew uaya. a no American girl and the s ory with an element OI mysmij l, - ---- thor, runs Its course ln the Riviera. Late in the Spring there will be Issued , i... winter. "Members a new novei uj vnu - ,-. 11" tolltner a StOrV SbOUt the same people as those J0 f?"d,J1n1 Mr. Wisters -virniiu.i.. - --- ----- . .w. . -r rni... T nolo hV AirS. also De "ine uove i - Mabel Osgood Wright described a. a novel of human ostun " - - - lem ' studies and historical iot appear, bate i" Jf" . Lee Luther. This has to do with the at tempts of a European prmj-o . , . , An American arirl and a reuaai neiuoe - - . . an aeroplane are '4, various well-known places of continental Europe. . Mrs. Hubert Barclay's novel of mar ried life. "Trevor Lordship, ana ins Income Tax." by Professor E. R. A int Thn latter ail- ueiigmau, wo -- thor believes that the income tax will adopted in tnis coumij. """" ... -...j.. ha hiatnrv. thaorv and la a biuuj j - - . nrarrtlce- 'of income taxation at home and abroad."