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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 1914)
8 THE MORXIXG OREGONIAy, TnURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1914. 9 PORTLAND. OREGON. Entered at Portland. Oregon. Fostoffice as second-class matter. Subscription Kates Invariably In Advance: (By Mail.) Dally. Sunday Included, one year ...... .$3.00 Xjaily. fcunday included, six months ..... 4.25 Ijaily. Sunday included, three months ... 2-25 Ie.liy. bunday included, one month .... - -73 Iaily. without Sunday, one year - Iwiily. without Sunday, six months ..... 3..5 Xaily. without Sunday, three months ... l-'o rally. without Sunday, one month ...... Weekly, one year ...................... i-?u f undar. one year 2.00 feunday and Weekly, one year 3.50 fBr Carrier.) Daily. Sunday Included. one"year 9-$? Laily. Sunday included, one month How to Remit Send Postoffice money or der, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at sender's risk. Give nostoffice address In lull. Including county and ctate. fostase Rates 12 to 18 pages. 1 cent; 18 to 32 paKes. 2 cents: 34 to 4S pages. 3 cents; 0 to fiv pages. 4 cents: 2 to 76 pages. 5 cents: 78 to pages, o cents. Foreign post age, double rates. tatern Business Office Verree & Conk lin. ,"ew York. Brunswick bullcing. Chl cajco. gtenxer building. ban J-nmdxco Office R. J. BldweU Co.. 74a Market street. PORTLAND, THTJRSDAX, DEC, S, 1914. GETTING US INTO TROUBLE. Our most pacific President intends to make a leading; issue in Congress of a. measure which, if it became law, would almost surely involve the United States in a dispute with some of the belligerent nations. This is the Gov ernment merchant marine bill, providing- for Government purchase of merchant ships to be operated by the Government in foreign trade. The Government could not buy either American or other neutral ships except at an exorbitant premium, for there is already profitable business for all such ships, and their owners would only part with them at a hand some profit. It could buy belligerent ships interned in our ports, but would risk their capture by other belligerents which deny the right of such ships, transferred after a declaration of war, to exemption from seizure as prizes. A German ship transferred to Amer ican register has been seized by the allies on the Pacific Coast. Though the belligerents might concede the neutrality of the Government-owned ships, they would still enforce their rules of contraband as to cargoes. The lists of contraband commodities pub lished by different nations vary and are constantly changed. Germany, for example, declared wood contraband, and would seize a cargo of lumber go ing from Portland to a British port. If more than half the cargo were con traband, the ship also would be seized. The declaration of London having been practically abrogated, there is no in ternational law governing contraband, and each nation decides the case of its prizes in its own courts according to its own law. When such are the conditions under which ocean commerce must be car ried on, this Nation would embark on a sea of troubles by engaging, as a Nation, in commerce. "When private parties send a ship to sea, they take the chances of seizure of ship or cargo, or both, and our Government is not involved except that its duty is to see that owners get a fair trial under the law of the Nation which makes the capture. If our Government should engage in commerce and if its chips should be seized, the fact might be taken as an unfriendly act to our Gov ernment and might cause serious fric tion. The belligerents might fairly object to being offered the alternative between a quarrel with this country and letting contraband goods or valua ble prizes escape. The matters of "greater delicacy and nearer conse quence" which prompted Mr. Wilson to urge repeal of canal tolls exemp tion would seem small compared with the endless troubles which Government ownership and operation of merchant ships would bring upon us. The Nation might be willing to risk these troubles if there (were no other way of expanding our foreign trade, but there is another way, which is simplicity itself. That is to amend our shipping laws In such manner as to permit Americans to buy foreign ships and operate them in either foreign or coastwise, trade at will; also to operate them at the same cost as foreigners incur. Abundant private capital would then engage in the shipping- business, and no excuse would exist for using Government capital in that manner. SETTLE IRRIGATED LANDS. All who are engaged in promot ing irrigation need to have the fact borne in upon them that several stages of progress are essential to success. The first is construction, the second settlement by the right kind of men and the third is assist ance to the settlers in putting their farms on a paying- basis. Many enter prises of this kind have failed be cause the programme either stopped with construction or provided only for sale of land to all comers without care that the purchasers should be actually farmers. The disposition, especially on tracts irrigated by private cor porations, has been to leave the set tler to shift for himself. Companies which had undertaken construction under contract have sold land before it was watered, in order to procure money for completion of the work. They have thus attracted settlers who could not raise crops and whose complaints gave irrigation a bad name. They have also attracted speculators who bought land with the intent of reselling at higher prices and who did nothing to make the land productive. Where water has actually been put on the land, no care has been taken to procure settlers who would succeed; the one aim has been to sell land and get money. Some have g-one on the land with little more capital than the first payment on their farm and with no knowledge of irri gation. Not being able to get title until they had completed payment, they could borrow no money on mort gage to be used in improvement. The work of developing an irri gated tract should not be considered complete until the land has been cov ered with farmers, each producing crops sufficient to pay for his land and water without pinching him. This re quires that construction be followed up closely by systematic effort to get set tlers on the land, to see that they are the right kind of settlers, and to get them started right. D. W. Ross, of Colo rado, dwelt on this point in a speech at the Irrigation Congress at Calgary, and made some excellent suggestions, but adoption of some of these would require that the settler be a capital ist. Necessarily he must have some money to start with, but if the finan cial requirements were made too bur densome, a great majority of desirable settlers would be excluded. Settlers should, of course, have industry and some knowledge of farming. They should be selected according to their qualifications, not at random.. They should have, the assistance of an ag tup tymimmi ricultural Instructor- on their own land and of a demonstration farm on the project. Some plan should be de vised by which a settler who has proved his worth by his work can bor row money at reasonable interest without waiting until he has obtained a patent. Some provision of this kind might be made in any rural credit scheme which may be adopted- In colonizing its great irrigated tracts in the -Canadian Northwest, the Canadian Pacific Railroad picks the settlers carefully and then backs them finan cially. What can be done safely by that corporation should be practicable for a state. GOOD FAITH? OR BAD FAITH T The state of Oregon, through the Legislature, in 1913 appropriated $450,000 for the construction of an irrigation project in Central Oregon. The United States Government, through the Reclamation Service and the Secretary of the Interior, there upon set aside a like amount $460, 000 for an irrigation project in Cen tral Oregon. The declared policy of the United States wa3 to co-operate with the state of Oregon. The specific appropriation of the state was for the Tumalo project; and the specific recommendation of the reclamation engineers, approved by the Secretary of the Interior, was in ac cord with the state's plan. Now the astounding proposal is made by the Secretary of the Interior that the Government will not expend the J450.000, already allotted for Central Oregon, for use during 1914, until the state of Oregon shall again appropriate a like amount $450,000. In other words, the Secretary of the Interior now promises to spend $450,000 in Central Oregon when the state appropriates and expends $900, 000 two to one. Shall the Government of the United States break faith with the state of Oregon? Or shall It keep faith? . It is for Secretary Lane to decide. PROSPERITY. f Julius L. Meier displays an attitude of mind which should become the popular mental state. In an extended interview he shows his abiding op timism in the present and future of Portland and Oregon. He sees pros perity at the threshold a greater prosperity than we have ever known, which is saying a great deal. As an indication of his own faith he notes that he and his associates are spend ing $1,250,000 in improvements; that the word retrenchment has never oc curred to them; that this is a time when there should be no retrenchment. Portland and Oregon are growing and the wise man is keeping pace with this growth regardless of a trifling flurry of depression which has now passed us by. Mr. Meier is entirely right. Funda mentally everything is right in Ore gon. All the conditions that make for the blessing of full prosperity are with us. We have but to see and to em brace them. The wise man feels the strong undercurrent of development and advancement -which is rapidly coming to the surface and builds ac cordingly, thus helping himself and others in a vanishing hour of indus trial and commercial tenseness. Sad days lie ahead of the pessimist. He will awaken to his opportunities too late. THE BROOK WHERE PONIES DRINK. There is a good poem in the Amer ican magazine for December. It is called "The Brook Where the Ponies Drink." The gay herd come prancing down from the grassy mesa, fix their feet on the margin of the silver brook and drink. Then they rear their heads in the air and make ready to gallop away. The old vaquero slips up and sees among them his cow pony that he rode for eighteen faithful years and then turned out on the mesa to enjoy what was left of his life. The pony is a little stiff in the knees but his heart is gay. He neighs and prances with the best of them. At the sight of his old friend and master ho comes for ward a few steps. The habit of obedi ence is strong upon him. But Just then the spur chains jingle and remind him of the pains of slav ery. The love of liberty triumphs over old habit. He turns and gallops away with his comrades. The poem is strong, human and genuine. The author has attained to beauty by resolute fidelity to simple truth. THE CAUSES OP INSANITY. Dr. L. F. Griffiths' paper on the causes of insanity, read to the Salem Six o'Clock Club and reported In The Oregon Statesman; was full of interest and instruction- Among the predom inant causes Dr. Griffiths reckons heredity. Not that actual aberration of the mind can be transmitted from parents to children, perhaps, but cer tainly brain lesions and weaknesses in the nervous system can. And it is these lesions and defects that lead on to insanity. Hence the popular dread of marrying a person whose ancestry shows insanity is well grounded, though often exaggerated beyond rea son. The other popular belief that the union of near relatives produces in sane offspring is also more or less jus tified by facts. If both parents are perfect beings mentally and physically there is no danger. But suppose they both lack certain essential units of heredity? In that case the child .must necessarily lack them also and noth ing can help him. Moreover, parents who are near relatives are very apt to possess the same recessive qualities. If such qualities are undesirable and if they happen to become dominant from both sides in the offspring his case is pitiable indeed. Reluctance to marry between near relatives should be encouraged rather than suppressed. Dr. Griffiths favors it only when the mating couple "have no similarity of constitution." In that case, of course, they could not both possess identical units of heredity, which is the thing to avoid. Practically Dr. Griffiths fixes upon syphilis and alcohol as two of the main causes of insanity. Syphilis en ters the very seat of the mind and de stroys the brain Itself. This it does by obliterating the cerebral blood vessels. The neighboring regions of the brain then go unnourished and must decay. As for alcohol, its insidious work may be detected in every part of the body and mind. Dr. Griffiths repeats the familiar observation that an occasional "spree" is less harmful to an indi vidual than habitual drinking, but neither practice is particularly to be recommended. "Moderate drinking" may be permissible in its way. but there is no question that excessive use of alcoholic liquors deteriorates both mind and body and predisposes to "idiocy, epilepsy and criminality" in the drunkard's offspring. In this connection it is well to keep one fact la mind. Drinking opens a pathway for disease to whatever part of the system is weakest. It is a traitor which opens the unguarded doors to- the enemy. If the brain happens to be most accessible to attack, then it yields first. That is the reason why so many "moderate drinkers" become habitual drunkards. The Indulgence which seemed so Innocent betrays them and, too late, they find them selves without power to overcome an abnormal craving. When the enemy has conquered the citadel It is useless for the outworks - to set up any re sistance. POOR MEXICO. Latest dispatches from Washington announce that President Gutierrez is o be installed immediately as the guid ing hand at Mexico City. In the meantime Zapata and Villa are said to be maintaining order. Mr. Bryan "continues to be optimistic," and peace in Mexico is "still confidently looked for." Without going into the distant past, into the story of pillage, robbery and murder , of Americans both in Mexico and on the American side of the Mex ican border, it might be interesting to review briefly a few of the announce ments that have come in recent days from Washington. Going back no longer ago than No vember 15, we find the announcement that Villa and Carranza were to leave the country. November 16 Bryan had another of his peace visions and fore saw immediate tranquillity in Mexico. November 17 Carranza said he would not quit. Later in the day Villa denied having had any intention of leaving the country. November 21 an obscure General took charge at Mexico City and gave assurances that full protec tion would be given foreigners and perfect order maintained. The next day President Wilson decided that the American troops should not be delayed in their departure and shortly after that Zapata took possession of the Mexican capital. Then came Villa and now Gutierrez. Meanwhile Carranza is on the east coast preparing for resistance. Several other factions are up in arms. Inter mittent fighting on the border is claim ing its .toll of American lives every few days and. the whole situation is as un compromising as ever. In view of such circumstances it is Inevitable that the public will turn away from the Wilson-Bryan pro gramme which is largely responsible for Mexico's present plight. Public confidence in spineless diplomacy and idealism run riot is not far from an end. And perhaps it is just as well that the disillusionment comes over poor Mexico. Such tomfoolery might have gotten us into far more serious difficulty. A JOKER IN HAGUE TREATIES. Most useful service has been done by the New Tork Sun in removing se rious misapprehensions as to the cul pability of the several belligerent na tions in violating The Hague treaties and as to the obligation of the United States to uphold those treaties. It has been assumed that all the belligerents are bound to observe the rules of war laid down at The Hague, and some persons have gone so far as to say that the United States is bound to take forcible measures against belligerents who have disregarded these rules. The public seems to have a very hazy idea of the terms of The Hague treaties, but the Sun has set it right. The Hague Congress of 1007 adopt ed not one but fifteen treaties, re vising the terms of those adopted In 189 9, each dealing with a separate branch - of the subject of war and peace. The one of these treaties which is most often quoted is the fifth, defining the rights of neutrals. It declares the territory of neutrals inviolable, forbids belligerents to transport troops, munitions or supplies across neutral territory and asserts that "the fact of a neutral power re sisting, even by force, attempts to vio late its neutrality cannot be regarded as a hostile act." This treaty is quoted as proof, in addition to the original treaty guaran teeing Belgian neutrality, that the ao tion of Germany in Invading Belgium was a violation of international law and that, in resisting, even to the" ex tent of sniping by private citizens, Bel gium was only exercising rights which Germany herself had guaranteed. The Sun has discovered in this and each other of the series of treaties what would be termed & "joker" if found in a law passed by Congress or a State Legislature, rendering all of the treaties Inoperative as to the present war. This is the Joker: The provisions of the present convention do not apply except between contracting powers, and then only if all the belligerents are parties to the contention. Although the representatives of all the belligerents may have signed each or any one of the treaties, ratification alone makes a nation a party to a treaty. France and Great Britain did not ratify the neutrality treaty, there fore their entrance into the war ab solved Germany from observing it and the Indictment against the latter pow er for treaty-breaking rest3 only on the treaty of 1839 among five Euro pean powers guaranteeing Belgian neutrality. In like manner the fourth convention, prohibiting the bombard ment of undefended towns, looting outrages on noncombatants, levy of excessive penalties on captured cities, destruction of historic monuments and so forth, was rendered Inoperative by the failure of France to ratify, so soon as France entered the war. The nations are barred also from charging that others of the series of treaties have been violated, for as to most of them the facts are as fol lows: TTII. Relating to the laying: of automatic submarine contact mines. Ratified by Ger many. Austria and Russia, but not by Great Britain and France. IX. Concerning bombardment by naval forces In time of war. Ratified by Germany. Austria, Great Britain, Russia, but Dot by France. X. For the adaptation of the principles of the Geneva convention U maritime war fare. Ratified by Germany, Austria and Rus sia, but not by Great Britain and France. XI. Relating to the right of capture In naval war. Ratified by Germany, Austria and Great Britain, but not by Russia and France. XIII. Concerning the rights and duties of neutral powers In case of maritime war. Ratified by Germany. Austria and RUBSia. but not by Great Britain and France. XIV. Prohibiting the discharge of pro jectiles and explosives from balloons. Rat ified by Great Britain, but not by France, Russia, Germany and Austria. The plain conclusion is that only by unanimity among the nations can the horrors of war be mitigated in a gen eral conflict such as the present. So soon as one nation which is not a par ty to the treaty is drawn into the war, all the belligerent nations which have signed and ratified it become free to fight in the most barbarous manner they choose. Thus treaties, unsup ported by force, are once more proved to be scraps of paper. The manner in which The Hague treaties have been rendered worthless skould be a warning to this country not to bind Itself too lightly to observe conditions which an enemy may evade and not to place too much faith In the professions of humanity and of love for peace made by other nations when the international sky is clear. How ever sincere the nations of Europe may be at the time of making such professions, they are ever mindful, even when the world Is at peace, that war Is an ever-present menace in Eu rope, and they leave "a hole to craw; through" lest they be put at a disad vantage when they are In peril. Great Britain and France are the last ' among European nations which one would have expected to abstain from ratifying treaties designed to mitigate the evils of war, yet they seem to have been the most frequent abstainers. They now champion Bel gian neutrality, but they weakened their case by failing to ratify The Hague neutrality treaty. They have been loudest in denouncing bombard ments, looting and outrages on non combatants, but France did not sign the treaty forbidding such practices. Great Britain has denounced Germany for laying mines, but neither she nor France ratified the treaty against that practice. Those two nations seem to have desired not to be hampered by the restrictions of the Geneva conven tion on maritime warfare. They cared neither for a clear definition of the rights of neutrals at sea nor of the right of capture at sea. Failure of France, Russia, Germany and Austria to ratify the prohibition of bomb throwing from balloons suggests a pur pose on their part to resort to that mode of warfare. These nations exercised a caution worthy of imitation by those American statesmen who, in their enthusiasm for humanity, forget the necessities' which arise in war. Europe still agrees with Sherman that "war is hell" and cher ishes no Illusions that it can be made heaven by treaty. Andrew Carnegie, at 79, says life grows more precious to him every year. He has a good deal to make it precious, but very, likeiy his cheer originates within him and depends not a great deal upon hlo money. H would be serene and smiling without a penny. Some millionaires grow, sour and withered with age. Carnegie mel lows. His flavor is as rich as his bank account, winey, ripe and spicy. Long life to him! At this year's session of the Amer ican Academy of Arts and Letters, M. Brieux spoke for France. He said that Western democracy "is arrayed against all forms of tyranny," and that the theater stands "for civic betterment." Mr. Howells crowns M. Brieux with the compliment that "he uses his art for truth's sake, for justice's sake." Kindly internationalism has not yet perished from the world. How would it do for everybody at work to walk vp to a specified place some day next week and drop one day's pay into a box for a permanent relief fund? No lists should be kept and nothing published but the total. There are many people in good circumstances who desire to avoid publicity in doing good and this would be their oppor tunity. Food Commissioner Mickle's pro posal to stamp Oregon eggs reads bet ter than it would work out. A hungry man does not want his food tagged. If his alert deputies catch the dealers who violate the law as to Chinese eggs, there is a Municipal Judge who will punish them. ' President Wilson has gone out of his way to thank the Mikado for some thing or another. Of course he will take similar action when the Shah of Persia does something pleasing. Unprotected girls, by which Is meant silly girls, have no business at the fair next year; but as they will go there, it is just as well to arrange to care for them. England is still fretting over possi ble aerial raids. Still, we believe the airman Is the last thing in the world England has to worry about. An electrician has been found who is willing to execute ten Arkansas mur derers. A Job's a job these days in Arkansas. An Albany man of sixty-one has se cured a marriage license. But many of 'em out here in Oregon are mere boys at that age. Villa and Zapata are keeping order in Mexico City. But how long will they continue in a docile frame of mind? Cheaper taxi service is promised. But what we are more interested in is cheaper beefsteak. Berlin reports that 80,000 Russians have been captured. Mere dropowich in the bucket-sky. A new president of Mexico will be Installed today. And deposed the day after, doubtless. People who fear ghosts object to living near cemeteries and undertaking establishments. Germany may later conduct raids on Great Britain. It's a long, long way to Tlpperary. Thanking the Mikado for some ob scure act appeals to us as appearing too anxious. The statement that fifty-six.per cent of the world is at war does not include family jars. It Is now too late to say shop early. But not too late to avoid the eleventh hour crush. . The Bull Moose favor a drifting pol icy. A burial policy would be more to the point. Nome is now locked with Jack Frost In a real cateh-as-catch-can struggle. Mexico will have a new president today. Order the flowers. Nome must be the most desolate spot on earth during a blizzard. Tes, Cholmondeley, the hotkey sea son opens this week. Portland dogs will celebrate .New Tear's day. The Progressives will stay on Ice for awhile. Even Berlin utters a, pessimistic note. Stars and Starmakers BI LEOE CASS BAEB. Izetta Jewel has gone into vaudeville. She tried out a dramatic sketch, in Washington, D. C, a week ago and it proved to be an Instantaneous success. She played to capacity ail the week at Keith's, and has been booked for & week at another Washington theater, opening on December 14. After that Miss Jewel contemplates a season in vaudeville. see Trixie Friganza and Bonnie Thornton are playing hospital time in vaudeville this past fortnight. Both of them have inflammatory rheumatism and both have Important vaudeville engagements. So they live In the hospital at whatever town tbey are playing and go to the theater when it's time for their act to go on. Trixie, who is the only woman Mut in the world, says she likes hos pital vaudeville. She says, writing; from Memphis, Tenn: ' "Two wonderful doctors who blew in from Battle Creek gave the rheumatism a battle. I go to work and back to the hospital, andit'a great being petted by a gang; of nurses; the salt rubs and oil rubs, etc., are fine." , e e The Alcazar Theater in San Fran cisco, the most celebrated stock house in America, will end its career next week, after a continuous run of nearly 30 years. Frederick Belasco, its manager, as serts that it is the most expensively operated stock theater in the country, but that the public has failed to appre ciate the efforts of the management. The average weekly expense of the house, according to this authority, is $4500. Fifty families have been sup ported from its earnings and the pay roll numbers 100 names. Besides its stage equipment, the Alcazar maintains a warehouse, a studio, a small sawmill and other accessories for the produc tion of settings. Many contemporary players of prom inence have had their beginning at the Alcazar. Among them might be men tioned Frances Starr, Florence Roberts, Laura Hope Crews and Ernest Glon dennlng. ' e e e Olga Nethersole is making lint and knitting sweaters In London for the soldiers at the fronC Likewise stim ulated by the highest humanity she has undertaken and carried forward a self imposed and self-suggested task of providing Tommy Atkins and his Bel gian brother-at-arms with. tobacco for his comforting pipe. Something like a thousand pounds of tobacco each week are the fruits of Miss Nethersole's activities in behalf of the soldiers. It is a common-sense benefaction. e From an exchange is gleaned this laugh in a list of "conventional stage settings:" The crook's room: Common pine table. OH lamp with green glass shade (to 'be smashed). Dumb-waiter whistle. Old horsehair sofa One window, with movable shades (will be raised as a signal). Cracked mirror. Oil stove (hot water simmering). Drawer In table, containing pistol. Exit B (to "dunly-llghted hall"). Package of soda crackers. Bottle of milk (poverty stuff). Home of redeemed courtesan : Four gilt chairs. Vase of pink roses. Baby grand piano with open copy of "Nar cissus." , Silk-covered couch. "His" picture In gold frame on mantle piece. Telephone. Writing desk with delirly stationery. Door opening late bedroom. Fireplace (tor burning photographs or let ters). Time-table (first train to Paris). Mauve sofa pillow (to be angrily punched). Open floor space at K (where "his" pearls may be thrown). Another Pacific Coast actor has made a bit of a success in New York, and promptly the seasons he worked out here have faded entirely from his memory. Thurston Hall, sometime actor, bellboy and principal in a scan dal, has attracted Broadway attention in a musical comedy, "The Only Girl." Babbling away in an interview Thurs ton says: "I've also played In stock companies in Philadelphia, Chicago, Pittsburg, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Detroit, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Buf falo." ' . Not a word about Portland, Los An geles or San Francisco. But Just let Thurston be interviewed when he reaches the Coast and he'll rave about us, and our climate, and our roses, and our prosperity and how our village do grow. It Is to laugh! mm An English company had two German conductors. One played "Lohengrin" with long cuts. But when the other got hold of "Lohengrin" he called a re hearsal and put all the excised music back again. The company nicknamed one Herr Cut and the other Herr Re storer. e Chick Sale Is surely in tlie optic of the public just now. He Is playing vaudeville engagements of his "Village School" in two New York theaters, and over in Urbana, Illinois, he is being headlined In the papers as tha father of a new baby girl, who has been named Cherry Virginia Sale. e Jean Havez and William Collier met at the Friars' Club at noon and Haves was visibly agitate'd over something, says aq exchange. "These Thanksgiving urchins give me a pain," remarked Mr. Haves. "Coming from my office to the club I was stopped by & hundred of them, dressed in grotesque fashion, who so licited money from me." "Those weren't street kids," retorted William Collier. "They were actors in their make-ups, out of work." Bertram Lytell, formerly of the Alca zar stock. Is appearing with Marie Dressier in her new comedy, "A Mix Up. " Robert Ober, once a Baker player, Is also in Miss Dressler's cast, . i Marie Cahill is to appear soon In a pew musical play, with Richard Carle as her principal support. The music is by that indefatigable Jerome Kern. Annette Kellermann will shortly for. sake fancy diving exhibitions, in which she has had a long and remunerative career, for the role of prima donna. Victor Herbert and Anne Caldwell O'Dea are at present engaged upon a musical comedy in which she is to be starred. The action of the plot, it Is said, will afford Miss Kellermann op. portunities for her musical talent which she abandoned for a swimming career. She received her musical In struction from her mother, who ' eon. ducted a conservatory of music in Mel bourne, Australia, many yaara ago. N. Nitts on Reports By Desua Collins. Nesciua Nitts, sage of Punkindorf Sta tion, Bit into a plug with renewed anima tion. And straight through a knothole, with out deviation. Projected the nicotine's rich liquida tion; And then on. the war news he made dissertation. I see by the papers, some days back, the Russian Delivered the German a knockout plumb crushln'; And likewise I see that mid turmoil and shootin. The Russian la fleein', pursued by the Teuton; And also I reads simultaneous-like. That the Germans still flee while the Russian foes strike. I aee in them papers, with confidence stated, A bunch of them Germans is plumb 'nihilated; Which bunch, so I reads further down, has broke out Through hedges of Russians and druv them to rout; While forty-odd thousand of Germans surrendered And twice that of Russians their rifles has tendered. On all the East front, while the Ger man arms win. The Russians is rushln' right on to Berlin; The battle has come pretty nigh a de cision, v. Fer Germans has captnred an entire division; And meanwhile the Czar is delighted to learn Two full German armies has yielded in turn. I reads these reports with solicitude, for I'm worried about these here horrors of war; With both sides a-yellin" and both sides a-ecootin'. It looks pretty bad fer both Russian and Teuton; And I must observe, viewln' all things around Them modern war tactics is surely profound. JUST WHAT SHALL WOMEN WEAK. Possibility of Adopting Trousers In spires CorrrHsoodest to Liter ary Kffortw. PORTLAND, Dec. 2. (To the Editor.) I have been considerably worried ever since the present agitation about Amer ican fashions has been started and late ly there has appeared in The Oregonlan some notices about a particularly new costume invented by a Fannie Harley, and heralded as the one dress destined to revolutionise the present style of women's wear. If clothes make the man, and pants are the badge of mascu linity, what will happen when men and women both wear the bifurcated nether garment which, according to Miss Har ley, will be the case in a very short time? Will we all be men or must we. perforce, believe as sne does that wo men always had no more nor less than two legs? And when she is permitted to put them into two trousers legs in stead of one and allowed the free use of her body, she will become more fem inine. I think myself that there is more truth than poetry in her contention, for some of the ladies one sees In their silk and lace "poems" lack a whole lot of the "poetry of motion" in their at tempts at locomotion, especially while dodging automobiles or climbing on streetcars. I believe It also proves her assertion that no woman can be modest in skirts; and when one observes their gyrations when attempting to walk or to sit down, we must all agree with her "that walking among women is a lost art" and "not one in five hundred can sit down properly." After all the commotion among men about women trying to wear trousers, it Is amusing to learn from Miss Har ley that women wore trousers long be fore men discarded their skirts, and like all the rest of the good things of this life we took them and left our sKirts for women to wear, which "evo luted" into the present day skirt. Is it any wonder she claims "skirts are a oaage or inferiority and a disgrace to women's Intelligence?" Even though she has some extremely radical views, they are in the main sensible, and unlike the average re former she does not take away every thing women are wearing, giving them nothing as a substitute and leaving the poor things exposed to the Wintry blast. She has devised a costume of exceeding beauty. No corset, please! and the bifurcated lower "harleys" gave to her entire body a natural grace and swing that seems impossible in skirts. I said the lower garment was bifur cated, but the "harleys" have no sem blance to that highly prized article of male apparel pants; but are fussed up to the acme of feminine desire and no woman attired in "harleys" would ever be slapped on the back and asked for in mistake for a man. HAROLD SCOTT. WHAT AILED SI HAWKINS. Heerd Si Hawkins t'other day Growlin' in a grouchy wav. An' his eyes seemed threat'nin" tears as ne laaiea out his fears That this once unequaled state Soon 'd meet a awful fate Goin' hell-bent down the track Leadin' to etarnal wrack. Taxes snatcbin' of the bread From the poor folks' mouths, he said; State officials seemed to be Blowin' in our cash as free . As if play'n' it through the nose Of a fireman's three-inch hose. Cost o' livin' gone so high Hid plum from the naked eye Of the common herd, because Legislators of our laws Stood in with the trusts, by Jo! Fur a rakeoff of the dough. Now them prohibitionists Knock the beer glass from our fists Say in manner tyrannous Water's good enough fur us. Makes me feel a'mighty blue Sensln' what we're comin' to!" "Now look 'ere, ol' man," says I, "Them 'ere clouds up in your sky Ain't two inches deep, an' there's Sunshine back of 'em somewheres. Ol' state flag's a-flyin' high Trouble's in your innards, SI; There's a cure fur all your ills In a box o' liver pills." Then he tor me I could go Plum to, well, 'way down below, An' he walked away as hot As a dumplin' in a pot. Met Si Hawkins ylstaday An' he said "In smilln' way: "Shake, ol' man; I found out you Knowed Jus' what I'd ort to do. Say, I'm feelin' fine, I am, Feelin' frisky as a lamb As a songbird in a tree Come an' have a drink on me." James Barton Adams. Storm Warnings by Wireless. London Telegraph. One of the objects of the Australian Antarctic expedition will be the estab lishment of a meteorological station tc give warnings by wireless of the severe storms which sweep the Southern seas. Lenr Trip of Gas Buoy. Indianapolis News. A gas buoy broke from its moorings in the St. Lawrence River and drifted for two years, covering a distance pt 18,000 miles before it was picked up. Twenty-Five Years Ago From The Oregonlan, December 1 and J. 1SS9 - ruiun l rum Wash ington, says the West ffinlail n chances at the (Speakership anj th.t iveoa oi wain was elected on the sec ond ballot. He eays the West will nave to we me consequences In the way of the session's legislation. Minneapolis, Minn. A fire starting on the third floor of the Tribune build ing here tonight cost perhaps a dozen lives and did excessive damage. At 3 o'clock this morning the list of dead in cluded James F. Igoe. Associated Press operator, who stayed too long at his Post of dutv: Wnlrr to Aft',, xv 1 1 Miilman, Jerry Jenkinson, Robert Mc- .uLucun. rroiessor jaw&ra Ulsen, Milton Pickett and several unidentified. Dr. Mary Walker has sent Mrs. Han nah Southworth, who killed Pettus at New York, a letter of sympathy. She says: "The settling of scoundrels by brave . women frightens those of the same ilk." Last evening at the residence of Mrs. Brazee, the "King's Daughters" gave a fair and entertainment for the benefit of the free kindergarten, under the management of Miss Jeanne Blodgett. the well-known elocutionist. "Over the Garden Wall," a pretty dialogue, was staged by the following little children: Irene Malarkey, Louise Raleigh, Gene vieve Thompson, Edie Percy, Myrtle. Simms, Kate Woolsey, Winifred Percy, Nan Raleigh and Fannie Barber. A. C. McClelland, newly-appointed re ceiver at the land office at La Grande, was In the city yesterday. Miss Angelina Buckman and Thomas K.-Richardson were married Thanks giving day by the Rev. D. O. Ghormley. The bridal couple will reside at Rose burg. Charles Coulter, for a number of years associated with the Union ticket office, is ill at St. Vincent's Hospital. Washington R e p r esentative Her mann has submitted the name of W. B. Ladue. of Salem, Or., for appointment as cadet to West Point Military Acad emy. P. F. Morey, manager of the Willam ette Klectrlc Company, was the recipi ent of a gift chair last night by his employes. With the chair was present ed an address signed by W. A. Burk holder, L. Clarke, C. D. McLaine and R. M. Townsend on behalf of the other employes. The gift was a complete sur prise. Mr. Morey being mysteriously summoned to the office to receive it. G. W. Thurman. ex-chief operator for the Western Union here and later Col lector of Customs at Port Townsend, succeeding Quincy Brooks, is back, having resigned that office to be "traf fic chief" of the Pacific Postal Tele graph Company. Mrs. Coursen and Mrs. Walter Reed will give a concert tomorrow night at Masonic Hail. S. M. Garland, the only passenger on the steamer Idaho when she went aground on Rosedale Reef, off Cape Race Light, Friday morning, reached Portland yesterday. From The Oregonlan. December 2 and 3, 1864 William L Beggs, formerly editor of the Oregon Statesman, is at present ed itor of the Nevada Gazette. . Barber shops and cigar stores are closed in Washington on Sunday by a military order; consequences, unshaven chins, little smoking and a great deal of hard swearing. The streetcars frac ture the Sabbath without any hin drance. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Keane, two very distinguished actors whose fame is part of the history of this genera tion, are expected here on the next steamer en route to Victoria. Yesterday the stage schedule from Sacramento to Portland was changed to 12 days, in accordance with the ar rangements for the Winter. A committee of the Council has re ported against the petition of P. Ra leigh and others for gas lamps on Washington street, besides th one at Sixth street. The gas mains do not extend farther out. The committee's report was adopted. The challenge of Mr. Hamilton to walk without food or sleep for 100 hours has been, accepted by Jamas Brady. E. C. Knight has presented to the fcity of Philadelphia a gig formerly owned by Stephen Girard. The gift will be placed on the Girard College property. Rear-Admiral Plerson has assumed command of the United States squad ron of the Pacific. Madison Bledsoe was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday by Judge Shattuck. After the sentence Mr. .Bled soe addressed a letter to The Oregon lan in which he publicly thanked the court attaches and attorneys who have had him and his trial in charge. He maintains that the crime of which he was convicted was in self-defense so far as be himself was able to believe. Rev. Mr. Myers, Evangelical Lutheran Missionary to Oregon, started yesterday for Ohio, having been drafted Into the army. Typhoid in War Time. Scientific American. In the Franco-Prussian war in the year 1870 there were 73,000 cases of typhoid fever in the German army. Out of this number there were 7000 deaths. In the Boer war the British army suf fered from typhoid fever to the extent of 57,000 cases, of which 8000 died. During the war with Spain the United States Army was ravaged with typhoid fever. In 1898 there were 20,738 cases and 1580 deaths among 108,000 men. In other words, one man in every flvo con tracted typhoid fever. Even among the troops which never left the United States, but remained in the various concentration c&mps at home, one man , In every six came down with the dis ease. In 1898 nine-tenths of the deaths which occurred among the troops in the United States were caused by ty phoid fever. Christmas Gifts ! Don't put off your shopping till the last minute do It now! Don't waste time In buying hap hazard. Don't let impulse lead you to choose inferior articles er to pay high prices. Shop early early In the morning If possible and plan your Christmas lists in advance. Sit down with your favorite news paper, run your eye over the adver tising and plan accordingly. The advertising will not only give many splendid, suggestions, but it will also post you as to the beet places to buy. j Half a Century Ago