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! PORTLAND, FRIDAY. MAY
1815.
ITALY'S ENTRANCE INTO WAR.
War between Italy and Austria, and
consequently between Italy and Aus
tria's allies, in now but a question of
hours. Austria has her frontier and
her fortresses fully protected, and
Italy has her army and navy as abun
dantly ready as were those of Germany
last August. The formal declaration
of war will no sooner be made than
the armies will dash at each other,
mid the navies w ill renew the contest
which has been suspended since the
Austrian victory at Lissa in 1866.
This widening of the conflict until
it extends front the Atlantic to the
Ural Mountains and leaves Switzerland
an island of peace amid en ocean of
war is due to causes of the same na
ture which provoked the original
breach between Austria and Serbia.
The chief cause is racial affinity, which
draws people together under one flag
in defiance of boundaries, treaties and
alliances. That affinity proved the
treaty which bound Italy to Austria
and Germany to be a rope of sand
when the test came. The yearning to
inite unredeemed Italy with the king
dom, which hud been suppressed for
thirty years, still smoldered. It gave
birth to sympathy -with Serbia's like
aspirations and forbade Italy to nid
her ally against the anti-Teuton allies.
Hence the prca that Italy was not
bound by the triple alliance to aid
Austria and Germany in an aggressive
w ar was eagerly seized upon as an ex
cuse for. neutrality.
The long-subdued passions of the
Italian people then began to break
loose, and ever since the war opened
Italy has been tugging at the restraints
put upon her by the triple alliance,
which still lived in the letter, though
dead in spirit. The government had
reasons of state which were in line
with publio sentiment. From a strat
egic standpoint, Italy's frontiers are
weak, for the gateways into Italy are
the mountain passes of the Tyrolean
and Julian Alps, which are held by
Austria. In case of war, Austria Could
easily pour troops Into the plains of
Lombardy and Venetia, while Italy's
offensive would beat against mountain
walls. For purposes of national se
curity as well as from motives of na
tional sentiment, Trent and Trieste
are desired by Italy.
There are further reasons of state,
in which sentiment, statesmanship
and naval strategy combine, why still
more should be asked. All the good
harbors of the Upper Adriatic are held
by Austria, and that country's acqui
sition of Herzegovina strengthened Its
grip. Austria had under a thin dis
guise reached out for control of Al
bania, while Greece grasped at the
southern part of that province. Were
Avlona to fall into foreign hands, It
would as completely dominate: the
Straits of Otranto, by which the Adri
atic is entered, as Gibraltar dominates
the entrance to the Mediterranean.
The only non-Austrian port on the east
coast of the Adriatic north of Greece
would be Antivari, and there would be
no telling how long the uneonquered
Montenegrins could hold It against
Austria. Hence Italy believes that her
security requires the acquisition of Is
tria, Dalmatia and part of Albania, in
cluding Avlona. Then she could dom
inate the Adriatic as completely as
Russia rules the Black Sea. Historic
ally her claim is strong, but racially it
Is weaker than that to Trent and Tri
este. The population of the coast is
Italian or Italianized Slav, but that of
the back country Is almost pure Slav,
while Albania has never willingly
owned a master of ahy race alien to Its
primitive Illyrian stock.
From the day when war was de
clared between Germany and Russia
the central empires have been trying
to coax or bribe Italy into line with
them. Germany is reported to have
offered her Savoy, Nice, Corsica, Al
geria and Tunis, but Italy declined.
Then came Germany's enemies with
offers of Austria's Italian provinces,
lalmatia, a share of Turkey and a
guaranty of security for her African
colonies, but again Italy declined. She
refused to figure as taking bribes to
Join either side.
Then Italy turned to Austria and
asked directly for that which she con
sidered hers by right, but which she
had failed to acquire in former settle
ments. She asked for the territory
whose people were Italian in blood and
speech and sympathy and who, in her
opinion, had been oppressed by Aus
tria. She asked more in order to
round off her frontiers and to complete
the work of Garibaldi and Cavour in
uniting Italy. The ground of her de
mand is the gratification of what she
considers legitimate national aspira
tions. Spurred on by Germany, Austria of
fered concessions which were in
creased little by little. She offered
Southern Trent, which is predominant
ly Italian, and the western part of
her Adriatic provinces, but not includ
ing Trieste, 'Which she proposed to
make a free city. She could not give
Northern Trent without placing a
mainly German population under Ital
ian rule. She could not give up all her
Adriatic, provinces and her voice in
deciding the future of Albania without
surrendering her only outlet to the
sea, becoming entirely landlocked and
placing several million Slavs under
Italy's rule. Furthermore, a complete
surrender to Italy would be such a
confession of weakness as to encour
age her disaffected subjects In other
provinces to revolt and Invite aggres
sion from other quarters, Roumania
tor example.
Premier Salandra must have fore
seen from the outset that a peaceful
acquisition of the desired territory was
Improbable. He must have foreseen
that, even if Italy gained all she asked
and remained neutral, Austria might,
In case of victory, reclaim It and be
Joined by Germany In punishing Italy
for deserting them when her help was
most sorely needed. He must have
foreseen that, if Italy remained neutral
and the anti-Teuton alliance came out
victorious, it would not be Inclined to
consider Italian claims in the settle
ment. In either event, Italy would be
isolated and friendless.
Hence the negotiations for volun
tary cession of territory by Austria
may be presumed to have had for their
purpose the placing of Italy In a favor
able light before the world when the
break came. They gave Italy time to
reorganize her army and to equip it
fully after the TripoUtan war had ex
posed its weak points. They gave time
for growth of a war sentiment, which
was skillfully cultivated and without
which war would not be possible for
so essentially democratic a people.
With the army and navy ready, with
his case made up for presentation to
the Judgment of the world and with
the people behind him, Signor Salan
dra can now feel that he has prepared
his country at all points for the plunge
it is about to take.
The military situation is not such
that Italy can fairly be accused of
waiting till fortune had turned deci
sively to the side to which she in
lined. Russia has Just suffered a dis
astrous defeat in Galieia and may soon
be fighting entirely on her own terri
tory. The British, French and Bel
gians are deadlocked with the Ger
mans in the west and seem not yet
able to begin the promised general
offensive. The British and French are
winning their wa$- along the Dardan
elles foot by foot only. Italy is not
Joining forces whose final victory is
already assured. She Is Joining allies
which need her weight to turn the
scale in their favor.
WHAT THE .CHANGE" HAS DONE.
The Oregonian pays that the tariff law
will have to be revised because it has failed
to provide sufficient revenue with which to
run the Government. Now will The Ore
ponlan be fair enough to state whether it
believes that the Payne- Aldrlch high pro
tection law would have provided sufficient
Government revenues with our Imports prac
tically shut off by war as they have been
for the past ton months? Salem Capital
Journal.
The Oregohian has no confidence
that any revenue tariff, hi git or low,
would provide revenue enough to meet
the extravagant demands of a pork
hunting and pie-serving majority in
a wastrel Congress. Confronted by
diminishing revenues and a certain
deficit, the recent Congress gave no
heed to any demand for economy, but
exercised its ingenuity in devising new
methods of raising revenue, and ut
terly forgot its pledges to employ the
old methods of frugality and retrench
ment. The imports of the United States are
not practically cut off by the war, but
they are cut down, about 20 or 25 per
cent. It is impossible for The Osego
nlan to say what revenue the Payne
Aldrich law would have produced, but
more certainly than the present law.
But more is never enough for a Demo
cratic Congress.
Now the United States, besides its
tariff taxes and internal revenue
taxes, has an income tax and an emer
gency war tax, the latter being the
special devices of the recent Congress.
Yet we are to have a Treasury deficit.
It might be met with complacence if
the power to pay any kind of tax had
not been greatly lessened through
Democratic legislation.
An empty Treasury and stagnated
industry are the two chief results of
the overwhelming desire for a
"change" which flooded the coun
try in 1912.
BUYING rNCONVENIENCK.
The two Bull Bun pipelines can de
liver 67,000.000 gallons of water to
Portland daily.
When opened to full capacity they
take up about one-half the flow of
Bull Run River.
The average daily consumption of
water in Portland is less than 40,000,
000 gallons. The most ever used in
a day was 50,000,000 gallons.
The pipe lines are now shut down
so that they deliver only enough
water to fill the reservoirs and pro
vide 5,000,000 gallons over, which es
capes Into the sewers.
At present two-thirds of Bull Run
River goes over the spillway at the
headworks; one-third is delivered to
Portland and of that one-third 5,
000,000 gallons is wasted at the
reservoirs.
The figures indicate that there is
no prospect of water shortage for a
long time, yet an "expert" after a
survey of conditions calculates that
under hypothetical conditions a water
shortage will occur In 1918 unless
something be done.
Wo must either increase the flow
capacity or reduce the maximum con
sumption. A basin at the headworks
to supply storage for twenty years'
growth of the system can be built for
$500,000. Meters, which, it is as
sumed, will decrease the maximum
consumption, can be installed for about
the same amount. But, says the ex
pert, they will merely postpone the
necessity for constructing the basin.
The Oregonian favors plenty of
water for household needs, lawns and
flowers. If it Is wise to expend
$500,000 to meet a possible, exception
al emergency, let's spend the half
million for the headworks reservoir.
We do not, believe either expendi
ture is necessary at this time, but in
stallation of meters means an expen
diture of half a million dollars to
force us to deprive ourselves of water
when we have plenty now and can get
still more by spending the same sum
In another way. Shall we pay $500,
000 for sheer inoonvenlence?
HOW TO LIVE LONG.
The popular imagination does not
invest the Vice-President's office with
a great many advantages. The in
cumbent is often spoken of as a po
litical cipher. He plays a more or less
ornamental part in our National life
without doing anything that startles
the public by its utility. The Presi
dent usually has to die to give the
Vice-President a chance to shine, and
nobody wants that to happen. So the
lesser luminary slips Inconspicuously
along in its orbit and tries to win re
nown by modesty rather than the more
tumultuous virtues.
But it has Just come to light that
the Vice-Presidency has some inher
ent merits of its own. It conduces to
great longevity, as patient investigat
ors have demonstrated. Levi P. Mor
ton, who was once Vice-President of
the United States, has Just celebrated
his 91st birthday. Surely an office
which can prolong a man's life in that
way Is. not to be despised, even if it
does shelve him politically. Political
glory is nothing if one must perish to
earn it.
Other Vice-Presidents have been
treated almost as amiably as Mr. Mor
ton by Father Time. John Adams, the
first of them all, lived to be 90,
Thomas Jefferson S3, Hannibal Ham
lin 81 and Aaron Burr 80. This is a
truly attractive showing. It would
make us all long to be Vice-Presidents
if it were not for the consideration
that the average President has lived
still longer. The sum total of the ages
of twenty-four selected Vice-Presidents,
now in paradise, amounts to
1662 years. A group of twenty-four
equally well-chosen Presidents makes
a footing of 1663 years, not much bet
ter, but still a little.
One year Is not to be sneezed at
when It Is a question of dying. Queen
Elizabeth offered to trade her crown
for one minute and did not get it. The
odd year on the side of the Presiden
tial group diminishes the ardent long
ing which the entire population -ould
otherwise feel to succeed Mr. Marshall
in his exalted office. It turns the scale
In Mr. Wilson's favor and makes every
citizen who cares for a green old age
want to be President.
A BAGATELLE OF 1 75,000 A YEAR.
The garbage collection measure to
be voted on In the city election is of
fered with the gratifying information
from Mr. Daly, who Is backing the
measure, that he does not know how
much it will cost. Seattle manages to
pull through in operating a free gar
bage collection system for $175,000 a
year.
It will be noticed that no cries of
alarm over this measure have yet been
heard. The assessment of something
like $175,000 a year against the prop
erty owners In order to establish a
new municipal function to take the
place of that now maintained by the
individual householder seems a. trivial
matter. But suppose the issue was the
approval of a $3,000,000 bond issue.
The word "bonds" has an ominous
sound. We have to argue, beg and
implore to obtain authority for
issuing bonds for such a vital ,and
universally recognized public function
as roadbuilding. Yet a $3,000,000
bond issue would cost the taxpayers
but $135,000 a year in Interest at 4
per cent.
We are not suggesting bonds as an
alternative for a law to pay for gar
bage collection out of the general
fund, but merely to draw a contrast.
A bond issue arouses alarm and ani
mosities even when proposed for pur
poses the merit of which Is not ques
tioned. Eut a proposal to pay out
more than the equivalent of interest
and sinking fund on $3,000,000 for a
questionable venture is looked upon
with kindly eyes and accepted In a
blithesome spirit.
REARING CHILDREN.
An anxious contemporary is wor
ried over the question whether the
East "does not lose much of human
naturalness and gentleness through
the differences which external circum
stances breed in its children." Some
of the little dears are bred up rolling
in millions, while others count them
selves lucky if they do not starve to
death before they have lived out half
their days. Pursuing their life paths
through scenes so different, it could
hardly be expected that these classes
should feel a great deal of sympathy
for each other.
The paper from which we have
quoted thinks that matters are on
quite another footing in the West. In
that Arcadian region all children live
and play on the same level. There
are no distinctions of money or class.
Everybody is everybody else's equal
and all are gay and happy. It is a
pity to mar such a lovely illusion, but
fidelity to truth permits no choice.
External circumstances raise the same
barriers between human beings in one
part of the world as In another. Chil
dren who have the advantage of
wealth and nurture attain to healthy,
happy and successful lives in the
West Just as in the East. Those who
have not these advantages may attain
to eminence, but it is at a fearful cost
and the chances are heavy that they
will fall.
The old superstition that poverty
aids in the struggle for success is no
better than other superstitions and
perhaps a. little more pernicious than
some.
COWS. HOGS ANI COTTON.
Last year almost 40,000,000 acres
were planted to cotton in the South.
This year, It is estimated, the planting
may not exceed 30,000,000 acres. The
decrease Is perhaps as much as 30 per
cent and the causes of it are numer
ous. The most noticeable is, of course,
the bad cotton market. Last year's
crop could not have been disposed of
without immense loss to all concerned
had not the Government come to the
rescue. The planters have been
warned that very little help from this
source can be depended on another
season and since the war is likely to
Interfere with the market for a. long
time to come the growers are taking
counsel of discretion.
Another reason for shutting down
on cotton planting is the exhaustion of
the soil. The cotton belt has always
been a one-crop section. The staple
Is easy to grow, thrives with such
shiftless cultivation as negroes and
"pore whitetrash" provide and has
usually been marketed without diffi
culty. Hence it was planted year
after year without any regard to the
welfare of the land.. The natural con
sequence was the depletion of the
soil's fertility with the poor crops and'
Insect pests which always result from
shiftless farming.
Driven by dire economic pressure,
the South is now turning to diversi
fied farming. The area cut off from
cotton planting will be used for other
crops, for dairying and hog farming.
The South has always been a famous
consumer of pork, but its supply
comes, not from local estates, but
from the -Western corn belt. Nothing
could be more wasteful. Dairying is
another industry for which every con
dition is favorable in the South, but it
never has thriven because everybody
was occupied with King Cotton. Now
Queen Cow seems likely to usurp his
throne. Working in collaboration with
Madame Sow, she will be likely enough
to bring back prosperity to a section
that sadly needs some encouraging
returns.
It is pool policy for any district.
North or South, to givd up all Its'land
to a single crop. Market vicissitudes
strike with double ruin upon such a
region. It haa but one crop to sell,
and when that is not in demand there
is nothing to fall back upon. Besides
that, we must remember that the one
crop system rapidly exhausts the fer
tility of the soil, which can be restored
Only at great expense by commercial
fertilizers. The most essential of
these is potash, which comes in the
main from Germany and cannot now
be purchased at any price.
The main dependence of our farm
ers for fertilizers should be the barn
yard, together with leguminous crops
grown on the land and plowed under.
From these sources potash and nitro
gen are obtained In sufficient quanti
ties, and, in addition, a store of vege
table humus which commercial ferti
lizers do not provide. But the barn
yard gives nothing to the land without
livestock and leguminous crops are
not practicable without a dairy herd
to consume them.
The ideal farm in Oregon would
have an orchard, a dairy and a sub
stantial herd of hogs. These resources
have been proved by .experience mu
tually to reinforce one another, while
It is virtually impossible for all of
them to meet a poor market In the
same season.
BIRO CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES.
For a number of years the biologists
connected with the Agricultural De
partment have been engaged in mak
ing an estimate a sort of preliminary
census of the birds in this country.
This work has so far progressed that
the Department feels safe in saying
that the robins outnumber all other
birds. Taking the robin as a standard
and making the unit for calculation
100, the five birds most nearly ap
proaching them in numbers rank as
follows: Catbirds, 49; house wrens,
28; brown thrushes, 37; kingbirds, 27;
bluebirds, 26.
"The statistics regarding bluebirds
are particularly ' gratifying," is the
comment of the chief of statistics, be
cause only a few years ago practically
the entire bluebird population was de
stroyed by a' severe Winter. As this
little bird is one of man's best friends,
it is peculiarly pleasant to note the
speed with which its numbers are
increasing.
Every person who lives in the coun
try, or even within reach of the open
fields or forests even those who live
in the towns and cities and love our
feathered friends ought to be Inter
ested in the statistics of our bird fam
ilies. To all such the department
appeals for assistance in making the
census more thorough and universal
and asks that as many as have the
time, inclination and opportunity to
gather information on the subject
write to the Biological Survey, Wash
ington, for circulars and instructions.
The work thus done must be a la
bor of love, for Congress has made no
provision for expenses other than for
the small number of experts connect
ed with the Department of Agricul
ture. Italy was invaded by the Greeks un
der Pyrrhus. In return it Invaded and
conquered Greece. Carthage sent Han
nibal to conquer Italy and Italy de
stroyed Carthage. The Gauls crossed
the Alps to take Rome and Rome sent
Caesar to conquer Gaul. The East in
vaded Italy In Justinian's time and the
Goths and Vandals, the Vikings and
Saracens followed his armies. France,
Germany, Spain and Austria have In
vaded Italy. Now the land with
"beauty's fatal gift" turns the tables.
Invasion promises to flow northward
across the Alps as in the days of im
perial Rome. Italy has the best title
to world empire of all the nations if
time counts for anything.
The absurdity of putting some wom
en on a Jury is well shown In the in
stance at Spokane, where a 3-months.
old baby had to be rushed to th Jury
room by Its father to be fed. To be
sure, all women who may be called
upon to serve are not handicapped
with hungry babies, and it would seem
that a Judge with power of discretion
and who has not forgotten the mam
malian demands of his youth might
avoid this trouble by exercising some
of his ruling power. Perhaps he was
raised on the bottle.
A furious controversy Is raging In
England over how to spell "despatch"
or "dispatch." Sir John French writes
"despatches" and -the Times prints
them as "dispatches." Naturally the
soldier's soul writhes under this dis
piteous treatment, but a great party
has taken his side. Shakespeare,
Pepys, Addison and Goldsmith spelled
it "dispatch." Lord Palmerston wrote
"despatch." The charm of our lan
guage is its scientific and uniform or
thography. The Germans promise not to cross
Switzerland to invade Italy because
the land of Tell "has been strictly
neutral." Crossing Switzerland has not
been particularly pleasant or profita
ble for European war lords since the
days of Charles the Bold, but we dare
say Its neutrality will be respected for
the reason assigned, and not because
of its mountain barriers or its uncon
querable yeomen.
Constantinople Is a vital point in
the Kaiser's battle line, which
stretches from the mouths of the
Rhine to the mouths of the Tigris. He
is moving heaven and earth to defend
it. The allies are desperately deter
mined to take It. The Intrenchment
of the British force on Gallipoll gives
the allies at least the temporary ad
vantage. The members of the local onion of
United Hatters who must pay the
judgment of more than a quarter
million dollars are in a bad fix. Or
ganized labor has had a chance to
help them, but has sidestepped. Mr.
Gompers' American Federation of
Labor Is not living up. to its cardinal
principle during bad months.
England Is making an experiment
which Lincoln called dangerous. His
advice was never to change horses
while crossing a stream. England Is
changing teams in the middle of the
river where the water is deep and the
current swift.
The shocking story that Germans
removed the figure of Christ from a
large crucifix and fastened a wounded
Canadian sergeant to the cross will
need to come through other places
than London for belief In America.
Migratory sheep are worse than a
nuisance and the growers on the
Bully Creek range In Malheur County
are to be commended for forbearance
in appealing to the Governor for pro
tection from animals from Idaho.
Italy Is out with a gTeen book to
prove it is right. The way the na
tions are absorbing colors, Wilson
must depend upon red, white and
blue.
Jim Hill says this Nation will have
400,000,000 people by the close of th
century and none of us can stick
around to prove him wrong.
It would seem that German subma
rines would not waste time on traw
lers, but they need target practice.
Italy may get the territory she cov
ets, but the cost will be enormous.
The Kaiser could give the Mikado
points on marrying off a sister.
Llnnton has some lasting bonds for
a small town.
Measures on Ballot
No. 5.
Whether the City Council shall
have power to turn over to the Oregon
Humane Society the operation of the
city's dog pound is the question involved
in a proposed charter amendment
which will be voted, upon at the city
election Juno 7. The Council under
the charter now cannot delegate its
power to the Humane Society to op
erate the pound.
Proponents of the pound chanse con
tend tnat the Humane Society can han
dle the institution with greater suc
cess and more humanely than the pres
ent officials. Announcement has been
made that a man will be brought here
from the Kast to take charge.
Opponents of the measure declare
that the pound Is being operated as
well now as can ever be expected. It
Is said that the voters should think
twice before enacting the measure, in
asmuch as such a transaction Involves
transfer of the financial end of the
dog-pound business to the Humane So
ciety. At present the pound takes in
about $10,u00 a year more than the
total expenses. This money now goes
Into the general fund. ,
Following is the text of the measure:
Section 2!KI The Council may, in Its dis
cretion, make and enter into a contract with
any association or rnrporatlon which for at
le;ist in years phHil have been orcanlted
and eng-ag-ed in the prevention 0f cruelly to
animals, delegating thereto upon such terms
an may he fixed by the Council the duty and
power of maintaining? and operating a pound
urn enforcing- in a humane way ordinances
relative to tiie regulation, restraint and dis
position of dogrn and domestic animals: the
Council may invest agents and employes
of said organization witu.nll necessary poll:e
authority for the enforcement of said or
dinances. '
proposed mins SOT WORKAIILU
Submarine Warfare on Merchant Ships
( snot Be Regulated.
CEN'TRALIA, Wash., May 19. (To
the Editor.) In The Oregonian, May 17,
a correspondent suggests some new
rules for commerce at sea, for the pur
pose of obviating any more trouble
over neutral shipping and non-combatants.
The rules are so simple and plain
as to attract the attention of all who
are interested in this worthy subject,
and would seem at first sight to be
perfectly workable and offer a com
plete solution to thin vexed question.
But the trouble Is, when you analyze
them, there seems to be something
lacking..
Rule 1 would be all right. Carry con
traband on belligerent ships, armed If
desirable, and subject to the attacks
of the enemy.
But notice the fallacy of Rule 2. It
provides for a ship subject to the right
of visit and search. How is a subma
rine to determine the difference be
tween this class of vessels and those
under Rule 1? Would a submarine
dare attempt to visit any ship, which,
in the verv nature of the case, it could
not know to be unarmed?
Rule 3 provides for neutral shipiwto
carry passenerers and non-contraband.
Again, how is a submarine to deter
mine with certainty the nationality of
a suspected vessel? And the right here
to search would be as useless as under
Rule 2. As . for convoying neutral
ships, the impracticnbility of it is man
ifest on the face of it. .
Rule 4. Publishing: the manifest
would do no good, since, as already
shown, the submarine would have no
certain way to fit a manifest to a sus
pected vessel.
Rule 5. It Is not clear what the ef
fect of extending territorial waters
from three miles to 25 or 30 miles
would be on submarine attacks.
The simple fact remains that the
submarine was never intended for any
such warfare as that for which the
Germans are now using it. Strewing the
entire "war-zone" with mines would be
exactly as Justifiable. The only reason
It is not done, evidently, is the ina
bility of the) Germans to carry out
such a programme.
It should be Known once and for all
that the only possible way to conduct
a blockade without outraging the en
tire world is with warships that are
able to stop and search any merchant
man. If the Germans are unable to do
that, as of course they are. then let
them be compelled to desist from their
present fiendish method that Is, if
anyone Is able to compel them; if not,
then neutrals, women and children
must continue to be assassinated on
the high seas.
TREATIES AD LAW Ol'R SIDE
Germany Threw Away Opportunity to
Rain, American Sympathy.
JOSEPH, Or., May 18. (To the Edi
tor.) Just a word In answer to Father
Gregory's letter appearing In The Ore
gonian, May 13.
It seems to me it would be better for
Father Gregory, just at this time.
rather than to work on the feelings of
the German-Americans to point out to
them where the United States Govern
ment Is trying to act within her rights
as a neutral nation. The shipping of
arms from this country to the allies in
no way violates our treaty with Ger
many nor do we violate international
law in doins so. A great many Ger
mans, and among them some of
our very best citizens, think by so
doing we are, as a Government, siding
in with England ind for that reason
the German government has tnc right
to destroy the lives of citizens cf this
country when on boats of the allies
upon the high seas.
Germany has already agreed that
this Government Is acting within her
rights by allowing munitions of war
to ko to the allies, and our treaty with
Germany says that our citizens can
ride on boats belonging to nations at
war with Germany. If this Government
refused to allow her citizens to supply
munitions of war to the allies these
several countries would have a per
feet right to think we were trying to
aid Germany, thereby breaking our
neutrality with the allies.
Father Gregory tries to make a point
when he says we are the only neutral
country furnishing munitions of war
to the allies. My answer to that is
the other countries, not having such
factories as the Krupps to supply them
with munitions of war, deem it wise to
hold on to what munitions of war they
already have.
I am satisfied the citizens of this
country are not against the people of
Germany, but that they are against the
mode of warfare carried on by the im
perial German government. I believe
Germany would have had the good will
of a majority of the people of this
country If from the start she had con
ducted a more humane war and not
wound up by taking the lives of Ameri
can citizens having a lawful right to
ride upon the high seas in any of the
belligerents' merchant ships.
There are most always two sides to
every question. In this case I believe
the humane side to be the right one.
FRED H. SHOEMAKER.
TO THE OREGON ROSE.
Tou beauteous emblem of Junetlme,
How glad we are you're here;
This is Nature's happiest tune time.
The .high tide of the year.
With myriad colors entrancing,
With perfume half sublime;
Do you know the world is glancing
At you, this Summertime?
So we say with hearts o'erflowlng
With pride that the whole world
knows
The wonderful, glorious, glowing.
The beautiful Oregon rose.
NANA O. WENSTROM.
Newberg, Or. ,
INSPECTORS OK INSPECTORS NEXT
Why Has Chance to Create New riaera
Been Ovrrlookrd so Loncf
PORTLAND. May 20. (To the Ed
itor.) Mr. Reynolds' cartoon in The
Oregonian Tuesday aptly represents the
situation in Portland officialdom as it
exists today and has existed for a long
time pant. This multiplicity of em
ployes Is one of the evils suffered by the
taxpayers from which proponents ot
the present city charter promised that
we should be relieved. Because of
such golden promises made by the ad
vocates of this charter in the press and
on the rostrum, it was adopted by a
narrow margin of votes. But Instead
of our aggravations being lessened
they have been Increased and the ex
perimenters are still at work on fur
ther plans for the expenditure of the
taxpayers' money.
An example of the efficiency of these
numerous Inspectors might be found in
my immediate neighborhood, where in
the past 10 years 1 have established a
modest home and done niy best to
keep my premises clean and neat. In
compliance with the laws and ordi
nances of the city. During the whole of
this time there has existed within 30
feet of my kitchen window a tumble-. i
iown shed in the last staKes of decay,
in which two horses were kept and,
for a part of the time, also a cow. Be
tween my kitchen window and this sta
ble shack a pile of manure was con
stantly kept, the refuse from those
premises. Still closer and almost
anainst my house was a clik ken-yard
containing from 60 to 100 cackline hens
and crowing roosters. During all this
time there was a corps of inspectors
In the health department, another corps
in the building department, also some
plumbing inspectors, some tire in
spectors, etc.. etc.
There were also ordinances in force
In the city which prohibited such a
condition of affairs and I repeatedly
appealed to the departments whose
duty it was to enforce such ordinances
and protect me in the peaceful ami
healthful enjoyment of my home. My
remonstrances brought an army of In
spectors, who told my neighbors of my
complaints, with the net result of get
ting me into a standing neighborhood
quarrel, which was the least of my
desires. The horses remained; the
odor from the manure still invaded my
kitchen; the hens cackled and tlw;
roosters crowed unchecked, while grow,
ing chickens roamed over my premises
in search of fresh pastures, as chickens
are prone to do.
Now, our good and wise Mr. Daly,
that economical expert, tells us with
great eclat that he has a brigade of li)
inspectors, at an annual cost of $20.
520, at work checking the waste in city
water and has succeeded In saving $220
per month, or $2640 per year, to the
taxpayers! It is hard for the ordinary
mind to understand where the economy
comes In.
I have to suggest that there might
be found still other fields where in
spection could be carried on with profit
to the inspectors, also that there should
be an additional corps of inspectors to
inspect the inspectors and sen that they
are properly shaved and have their
shoes blacked and that a regular sys
tem be inaugurated whereby bonuses
could be paid to such inspectors as
were found doing their duty. If all
these things did not avail to use up the
taxpayers' money, no doubt our public
spirited Commissioners would be will
ing to sit up nights to devise new
schemes for getting rid of the surplus.
In the meantime the filthy, disease
breeding eyesores remain unmolested
and the season of the deadly house rty
and the typhoid epidemic draws near.
W. It. SETON.
HlJIAJilTY IS ISSfB AT STAKE
International Law In Lusitania Case la
Slight In Comparison.
ASHLAND. Or.. May 18. (To the Edi
tor.) Father Gregory in his letter to
The Oregonian, May 13. is far astray In
his "siring up" of the Lusitania situa
tion and the actual facts as they stub
bornly exist in connection with the
present unhappy conflict in Europe,
points of usage In international war
fare are not worth considering for a
moment by the side of the humanizing
and moral demands of sentient beings.
In dealing with the dangers and "fear
fulness" (to quote a recently manu
factured German expression) to which
peaceful and unsuspecting American
citizens expose themselves when trav
eling on the high seas. From the cap
tain downward not a single individual
on board therill-fated Lusitania had an
evil design of any sort atralnst the
German Empire and yet, with scarcely
a moment's notice, a thousand or more
souls find Watery graves, and all this
because a nation want to pret even
with a so-called relentless foe.
President Wilson is right when he
declares with an emphasis that no
man can mistake, that the sacrifice of
unoffending passengers on board any
ship, neutral or otherwise, cannot be
Justified on any grounds whatsoever.
The submarine Is a treacherous and
cowardly engine of death at the best
and more venomous and shame-faced
(so to speak) than the conditions of a
prlzering'. where the combatants are
warned that "striking below the belt"
instantly disqualifies the offender from
further operations In the contest. But.
why pursue this aspect of conditions
that brought about the wholesale mur
dering on board the Lusitania. when
the heavens above and the earth be
neath are charged with a righteous in
dignation against the commission of
crimes on civilians alone that forever
will stain Germany with Ignominy?
If Germany had not spent the last
20 years In gathering armaments of
war and constructing engines of de
struction hitherto unknown to the
word, there would. In all probability,
have been no Lusitania incident or the
necessltv of the two unoreDarerl na
tions, France and England, placing
very large orders In this country for
munitions of war to help them out
cgainst the enemy.
Germany aays that Uncle Sam has no
right to manufacture munitions of war
and send them across the Atlantic to
France and England, whije the same
Germany maintained it was a good
and profitable thing to furnish the
Boers, In their war with England and
again In the conflict that took place
between Russia and Japan with all
the armaments they could conveniently
pay for. Verily there are endless
standpoints from which this terrible
war may be considered and not the
least of them is that, chastised and
chastened as Germany deserves to be
If only for the cruel undoing of little
Belgium the great Teutonic nation
(for it Is great in many material
things) will, for all time to come, have
learned the valuable lesson that by no
manner of means can It be allowed to
dominate and ride rough shod over the
world at large. II. G. GILMORE.
Divorce and Remarriage.
PORTLAND, May 20. (To the Edi
tor.) Kindly tell us whether a person
divorced in Nevada could legally re
marry at once anywhere except In Ne
vada. In other words, would not a
person who had been divorced In Ne
vada and wished to remarry In Oresron,
be obliged to wait the length of time
required by the Oregon law. Just as
would be the case if the decree had
been obtained in Oregon? READER.
If the Nevada law permits remar
riage at once after divorce, either
party could legally remarry In Oregon
without waiting for the lapse of time
required by the Oregon law.
If in Ianrater's Adorer.
Kansas City Times.
Young Man "I have called, sir, to
request the hand of your daughter in
marriage." Grumbells "Has she ac
cepted you?" Young Man "Yes. sir."
Grumbells "Then what do you want to
come around and bother me with your
troubles for?"
Twenty-Five Years Ago
Krom The Oresoninn of May 51. H?0.
Benjamin Lombard. Jr.. cf Boston,
the noted financier, president of many
batiks from New Knirland to Texas,
and all thronch the West. P resident of f
the Lombard Investment t'oin pa n . and
a stockholder in 112 Am-rican l.anks.
most of them organized under the Na- ,
tlonHl bar.k act, was in the rity yost'T- '
day. and very busy with hi financial
affairs, us the Portland office of his
company is one. of the most tlirl'inc
and he is also a slot kholrlei In the
Commercial National H.ink. He took
time, however, to receive a reporter
courteously, and ehalt.d a f.-w min
utes on topics of intere-t.
Edward Bellamy, author of "Looking
Backward." say;, that he ba. not pmHo
the fortune out of his books uhiih the
reports credited him with mnkitic. He
Is looking forward to the fortune.
The Kmperor of Germany has hi
cards like other mortals. Tliev hid
very simple, although those of the ;.-r-man
nobiilty are trenerally very highly
decorated with crests Slid crowns. The
royal cards have absolutely no nrm -.mentation.
Tn plain irothic letters tipy
read "Wilhelm. Gorman Kmperor and
King of Prussia."
Andrew Lan is quoted as saving
that "Americans take a Platonic Inter
est in poker." Mr. line's study of
American customs is evidently super
ficial. If ho will come to this countrv
and study this Nntlon.il question wttli
the experts of the came, over a few
Jack-pots, he will go away convinced
lhat the American Interest In poker Is
of that deep, ahi'lina and cnKrosln
charaeter which makes the term "Pla
tonic" a wholly faint and inadequate
expression.
President Adams. Vice-President Hol
romb and Director Ames, of the Union
Pacific., accompanied by General Man
ager J. Smith, will leave Tacoma In a
special train this morning for Spokane
Falls and the Couer d'Alene mine.
They will return to Portland next Sun
day. The decision of the Supreme Court de
stroys the last legal hope of the Mor
mon church. It Is told by this decision
that under no pretext can any church
lecally organize as a corporation whose
cornerstone Is polygamy, and If it does
so organize it will be dissolved and Its
property practically confiscated by the
United States. This decision comes at
a happy time and will doubtless go far
to making sincere and abiding the re
cent abatement of old times antag
onism between the Mormons and the
Gentiles.
The members of the Republican State
Central Committee for this Judicial dis
trict held a meeting In this city yes
terday, and after a thorough discussion
of the situation they decided that It
was not desirable for Judge Bean to
resign at present.
EVERY MAX IS HIS OWN KKK.PKR
New Moral Code Is Devolved From
I.nsKaala Disaster.
ALPHA. Wash.. May 19. (To the
Editor.) Now suppose two men In a
saloon engage in a fight and one of
them would throw a cuspidor at the
other fellow's head and suppose the
fellow would dodge and the cuspidor
would smash through a window and
break it. Who broke that window?
Why, of course, the fellow who dodsed
the cuspidor broke the window. Now
who pays for the window? Nothing do
ing. The saloonkeeper should have
hud the window guarded with iron
ba rs.
Suppose a party of editors would
start to an island on a hunting expe
dition and would take some ammunition
in their boat and suppose another
party would be In watting with a sln-fele-barrel
submarine and would shoot
only one hole In the editors' boat and
explode their ammunition and It would
sink their boat and drown the whole
bunch. Who killed the editors? Any
neutral, fair-minded person knows they
committed suicide. They did It them
selves. Just like the boy who went out
In the high grass and bit hlsself wit a
snake.
This Is as clear as mud to Justify
the murder of little children on the
high seas. He who hath ears let him
hear Is what the hungry Jackass said
to the cornfield. RURAL IlLX'BEN.
WHB1 TUB SHIRTWAISTS BLOOM.
Everybody has his notions 'bout the
seasons of the year;
Some '11 bank upon the Winter when
the skies are gray an' drear.
Some '11 glory in the Summer when the
sunraya fiercely burn.
Others on the sober Autumn when the
leaves begin to turn;
But there is another season better far
than all the rest:
'Tis the f lower-spanKled Sprlnartlme
when the birds bei?in to nest
'Tis the glorious awaking from the
Winter's chilly gloom
An' the roses an' the shirtwaists simul
taneously bloom.
Then the countenance of nature seems
to chuckle In its glee.
An' the flowers nod a welcome to the
buzzing honey bee,
An' the silvery streaks of sunshine have
a smile in every ray
That'll drive the clouds o' trouble an
despondency away.
Then the merry, merry maidens seem as
pretty as the flowers
That are leitdin' tender beauty to the
rural woodland bowers.
An' the matrimonial market strikes a
rainbow-tinted boom
When the furs are hid In camphor an"
the shirtwaists bloom.
Tou may take your Arctic Winter when
the Icy breezes blow.
When the earth Is masqueradin' In a,
robe o" fleecy snow:
You may talk about the Summer when
ol' Sol Is on a splurge.
An' the saddish days of Autumn when
the breezes sing a dirge;
But I'll squander my affection in a.
reckless sort o' way
On the queen o' merry Springtime, the
delightful month o' May,
When all nature is emergin' from a cold
an' wintry tomb
Into sunny life an' action an' the shirt
waists bloom.
James Barton Adams.
Cause of the Coolness.
Boston Transcript.
"What caused the coolness between
you and Jones?" "A heated arsrument."
Mr. Retailer?
A Question
How many people pass your store
windows in a jlay?
How many of this number ever
stop to give your windows or your
store a second thought?
A very small percentage.
Now. then, when a manufacturer
advertises his brand or goods In
the newspapers It Is safe to say
that more than half the people who
pass your store have seen it.
The story of those goods will
have left an impression on their
minds. -
If their eye catches a glimpse of
those goods In your window they
will turn Involuntarily.
It will Increase the business of
any merchant to co-operate with
the manufacturer's newspaper advertising.