THE MORNING OREGONIAN. TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1915.
10
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FACE TO FACE.
; .The United States and Germany
: re face to face over the Lusitania
Affair. The gravity of the issue can
. not be disguised. The German reply,
' though framed in conciliatory terms,
" does not retreat an inch from Ger
: many's assertion, of its right to carry
on its deadly submarine warfare
: against its enemies without any re
gard to the rights or interests or lives
. of neutrals. If America gets in be
'. tween Germany and her enemies, so
" much the worse for America.
President Wilson has notified Ger
: many that the imperial government
w-ill be held to a "strict accountabil
ity." That is the language of war,
: though it does not necessarily mean
that we shall resort to war, except
-"- as an ultimate necessity to protect
our rights, our citizens, our honor
and our sovereignty. It seems incred
' ible that we shall progress into war,
; and, notwithstanding the unsatisfac
" tory, uncompromising- and unpromis
ing nature of Germany's note, it is not
I likely that there will te warfare. We
do not want it and we may trust the
President to assert the National dig
nity without it. it there is a way it
can be done. There might be a sev
erance of diplomatic relations and
there might be a confederation of
neutral nations to outlaw Germany,
""lie result would indeed be a situa
tion approaching a condition of war,
which would be different from active
and destructive belligerency. It would
"be different because in the circum
stances war would be difficult, and
almost impossible, for both Germany
and the United States.
It might be wished that Germany
had assumed a different position. It
appears desirous of keeping Amer
ica's friendship, but it is obviously not
willing to sacrifice anything to keep
It. It Is' true enough that Germany
has an enormous weapon in her sub
marines and has done incalculable
harm to Great Britain. But no con
sideration that Germany may or may
not through her submarine blockade
toe making headway against the allies
can compel us to concede her right
to destroy innocent American lives as
an incident to her strategy. The
United States cannot yield to Germany
the power to alter or repeal the ac
cepted rules of warfare merely be
cause it is to her present advantage
to do so. We have no such obliga
tion to Germany; but we have a clear
and imperative duty to ourselves.
The President has taken a firm
stand, and he has the country be
hind him. It does not expect him to
back down: but it does expect and
desire Germany to acknowledge her
error, and to cease her attacks upon
American ships and her destruction
of American lives.
COUNTING THEIR CHICKENS.
Before either side in the war has
gained a decided advantage prophets
who profess to have inside informa
tion through "peculiarly intimate re
lations with the diplomats of all na
tions" have begun to reveal the kind
of settlement on which the expectant
victors have agreed. One of these
wise persons says that an understand
ing was reached at Rome before Italy
joined Britain, France and Russia,
wherebythose four nations undertake
to' preserve the peace of Europe and
to fix the status of nations, dividing
them into classes after the manner
of baseball leagues. Here is the pro
' gramme as the Washington Herald
professes to have obtained it from a
talkative diplomat:
1. The war shall be continued until Ger
many and Austria are forced to accept what
ever terms ar given them, and each of the
four cjreat powers in pledged to continue the
war until it is abandoned by the unanimous
consent of the four.
. There shall be no arbitration by Hol
land. Amerl.-a or other neutral powers, but
the four allies shall dictate the terms of
peace.
3. There shall be three classes- of nations
established in Europe. Class A shall consist
ijt Great Britain. Ku&sia. France and Italy;
Mass B shall consist of Belgium, Holland,
Serbia. Spain. Portugal. Denmark. Sweden.
Nomay. Switzerland. Roumanla, Greece and
Bulgaria: Class C shall consist of 3oliemia.
Poland, Bavaria, Croatia, Hungary and the
other minor states into which by racial af
finities the German and Austrian empires
hall be split.
4. Class A states shall guarantee the peace
of Europe: Class B states shall be entirely
independent, but disputes between them must
be arbitrated by the Class A states; Class
C mates shall be independent, but have no
armies of their own except for police duty
and shall make no international treaties
Lher than commercial or postal.
The first clause in this purported
agreement means that. If the allies
once gain the upper hand, they will
continue the war until Turkey is ex
tinguished and until both Germany
and Austria accept dismemberment.
Both Turkey and Austria know that
this fete awaits them if they lose. The
revelation that the same fate alse
awaits Germany -will only increase the
: determination of that, as yet. unde-
' feated nation to win by any means,
including submarines, poisonous gases
' er any other inventions of German
. scientists. It is to be a war to the
death, and the victors will brook no
; interference from neutrals in dictat
ing terms of peace.
The third clause makes the four
allies dictators of EuroDe. snlits their
' enemies into minor states and places
all other nations in a subordinate po
sition. These minor states are not to
be permitted to select arbitrators fos
settlement of their disputes, but must
; accept the dicta of the four great
' powers. They are to be forbidden to
fight; if any fighting is to be done, it
must be done by the four great pow
ers among themselves or against any
minor state which has the audacity to
challenge their will.
If the allies contemplate such an
arrangement, they propose to- violate
the very principle of national unity
and independence for which they pro
fess to fight, and they propose to es
tablish a system which will not pre
serve peace but will provoke war.
The principle of national unity re
quires that Germany nhall remain one
nation and bhall be deprived only ol
those non-German provinces which
she has acquired by force. Some of
the broadest-minded British states
men and publicists have even pro
posed that, i'f Austria should be dis
membered, her Teutonic provinces be
permitted to join Germany. No prin
ciple Justifies the forcible separation
of Bavaria from Germany, and, if the
empire should be further divided, the
parts would have a constant trend
toward cohesion. They would dream
of the glories of the present empire
aa the Germans of the mid-nineteenth
century dreamed of the empire of
Barbarossa and. they would keep
Europe in a state of unrest.
It is doubtful also whether the
minor states in classes B and C would
long remain content with the subor
dinate position to which they were
assigned. Small nations grow in
wealth and strength and may claim
recognition as class A powers. The
Balkan states in particular have been
growing in the last forty years. Ser
bia and Roumania have risen from
self-governing principalities of Turkey
to independent states of no mean
rank. In order to assert themselves,
all the Balkan states might form a
federation which would equal Italy in
wealth and population, and the Scan
dinavian countries might do likewise.
Assignment of states to subordinate
rank is the surest means of breeding
discontent.
It may have been advisable for the
allies to arrange terms on which Italy
should Join them, hut to a distant ob
server it appears like counting one's
chickens before they are ' hatched.
The allies have a long way to go
and many victories to win before they
will be able to reorganize Europe on
the plan described.
WHAT XOfft
The Oregonian would like to have
from some one of our free trade news
paper experts an official opinion on
wool. The market is not thriving.
The buyers who show up in Oregon
about this time of year are not buy
ing and the sellers are not selling.
Prices are low, except for the choicest
lots and they are not high enough for
the finest grades to excite any great
enthusiasm among the growers.
Last year the market was good
so good indeed that the heavy im
ports of raw wool from -Australia and
elsewhere appeared for a time not
to be having a serious effect. There
was much vocal hilarity amongst the
free trade organs, which had almost
persuaded themselves that a protec
tive tariff was a bad thing and no
tariff a good thing.
But what now? If free trade kept
up the prices last year, what is the
matter this year? "What has been the
matter' every time heretofore when
the wool tariff was cut down?
."When the tariff was taken from
raw wool the Wilson Administration
deprived the Government of revenue
and exposed the domestic producer to
injurious foreign competition. If
there is any good to be derived from
a policy thus doubly injurious, we
should be glad to learn what it is,
and where it is to be had.
ROMANCING M35TKRITES.
Water bills for aome of the largest and
handsomest residences of this city surround
ed by lawns and gardens are much less since
meters were installed on the aervice connec
tion than before when the owners of the
premises were paying on a flat rate basis,
according to records In the water bureau.
Kvening Telegram.
In addition to what the meterized
Telegram says, observe what the me
terized Journal contends:
The average user o flat rate pays SO
cents a month.
He also pays $1 a month for the every-other-day
sprlnklinK privilege during tlie
three Summer months.
His annual water cost, therefore. If flO.O.
The minimum meter charge Is 50 cents
a month. This is 10 cents less than the flat
rate minimum.
I-'ifty cents buys 800 cubic feet, or 3730
gallons of water.
Tho cost for sprinkling, carefully averaged
by the water department, is cents a month
for the three Summer months.
This makes the total average cost for
water by meter SH.75. But to be absolutely
faf?, add 7r cents to cover all contingencies.
Let the total be $7.50.
Even then there is a saving to the average
consumer of $-.70.
And this amount, multiplied by, say,
40.U0O water users, means S1OS.000 a year to
the residents of the city.
Thus is impressed upon us the
wonderful effects of meter installa
tion:' The large household consumer
is to save money according to one
meterite; 40,000 small household con
sumers, according to another, are
also to save money $108,000 a year
to be precise. The large business and
manufacturing consumers are already
metered. Everybody, rich, poor, big
and little, ia to save money in spite of
paying out several hundred thousand
dollars for the meters.
The estimated revenues of the wa
ter department for 1915 are $750,000.
The fixed expenses are $712,000. Ac
cording to the Journal $108,000 is to
be lopped off the revenues; accord
ing to the Telegram the big house
holder Is to get a reduction in water
cost; according to all meterites the
price per 1000 gallons is to be re
duced, which of course will cut down
the cost of the water to the manu
facturer, and according to Mr. Daly
$40,000 is to be expended annually
for meter Installation.
Here is presaged a large deficit, a
lack of funds to meet going expenses,
a necessity to call upon the taxpayers
for relief; Yet we are told the money
for meters will be available tn the
water fund. Somebody is obviously
misrepresenting.
It is a fixed proposition that one
class cannot save money on their wa
ter bills except at expense of another
class. One newspaper declares the
rich will profit; the other declares
the poor will profit. It is a sad state
of affairs when a scheme is so vision
ary that its proponents find it advis
able to offer opposing appeals to class
cupidity.
A BILIOUS WRITER.
A country editor whose writings we
sometimes peruse had a bad attack of
the bile when he heard that Italy had
gone into the war. Under this un
happy Influence he was moved to
write, 'Italy has given the world the
best section hands, the cleverest white
slavers, the shrewdest extortionists,
the most cowardly murderers." And
he could think of nothing else that
the land of Dante and Garibaldi had
contributed to the world.
What a pity it is that even a coun
try editor should not be required to
know a little something before he
takes his pen in hand to guide public
opinion. It is no discredit to Italy to
have sent us good section hands. Our
native white slavers have demon
strated a certain competence in their
art. As for extortionists, we know a
half-dozen simon pure Yankees whom
we would back against ana Italians
we have ever seen.
But how pitiably dense is a person
who could write the above attack on
the good name of Italy, the country
of Rienzi, Cavotir and Victor Emman
uel, if we think of statesmen; the
country of Petrareh, Alfieri and
Dante4 IT we think of literature; the
country of Da Vinci, Raphael and
Michelangelo, if we think of art; of
Bramante if we think of architecture;
of Galileo and Bruno if we think of
the martyrs to science; of Verdi and
his compeers, if we think of music.
Can anybody name an art in which
Italy has not excelled? Or a useful
calling in which she had not pro
duced geniuses equal in their day to
Marconi in ours?
HOW TO VOTE.
Preferential voting in the coming
election must be governed largely by
personal convictions.
If you believe only two men among
the candidates are fit to be Commis
sioner, vote first choice for each and
no other choices.
If there are four candidates who, in
your opinion, would make equally
good Commissioners, vote for two
first and two second choices.
If you believe any two of the can
didates are-v.-holly unfit for office and
that the others are of equal desirabil
ity, vote for three choices. You there
by vote three times against the unfit.
The number of candidates this year
is not large. It is concelvabje that
many voters will actually not have a
second or third choice. Two years
ago candidates were so numerous that
it was inconceivable that every voter
should not have three choices. The
exercise of those choices was at that
time urged, but there is nothing in
the preferential voting system that
makes it advisable for an elector to
vote a second or third choice for any
candidate 'who, in his opinion, does
not measure up to the job.
MAKING THK MOST OF THINGS.
The Mayo brothers have illustrated
by their career one of the most
famous of Emerson's sayings. "Make
a shoe better than anybody else in the
world," wrote the Sage of Concord,
"and though you hide yourself in the
depths of the woods the world- will
make a pathway to your door." The
Mayo brothers did not live in the
depths of a wood exactly, but Roches
ter, Minnesota, their home town, is
not much of a city. It has only 8000
Inhabitants. Some people living there
would think they were utterly ban
ished from the world and fancy they
never could do anything worth while
without moving to some big town.
But not so the Mayo men. They
were surgeons, and it is commonly
supposed that only large cities can
support eminent practitioners of that
art. We know better now, for the
Mayos built up a world-wide practice.
Patients came to them from all coun
tries and their eminent services to
mankind were rewarded with wealth
and honor. There never was a better
example than their career furnishes
of the victory that determined men
can win over untoward circum
stances. Not everybody can be a Mayo, for
it is only rarely that nature bestows
genius equal to that of these wonder
ful surgeons.. But everybody can act
well his part in life, no matter where
he may live. To cap their career the
Mayo brothers have left $2,000,000 to
found a medical department in the
University of Minnesota. Their mag
nificent bequest will give that insti
tution facilities for medical education
not surpassed anywhere in the world.
The University of Minnesota is al
ready one of the most amply endowed
of the state universities. -It received
from the Federal Government au en
dowment of land which it has care
fully husbanded. The land contained
copper and other mineral wealth,
none of which has been sold. The
university leases Its great mining es
tates and derives from them a prince
ly revenue. It is in a position there
fore to make the best possible use of
the noble Mayo endowment for a
medical school.
A SIGN OF BOl'RBOMMf.
New evidence of Bourbonism has
been furnished by President Wilson
and his Cabinet in their renewed ad
vocacy of the ship-purchase bill and
in the announcement that it will be
brought up again at the next session
of Congress. They have not scrupled
to advance this highly controversial
proposal at the Pan-American con
ference and they appear incapable of
learning either by experience or from
the wisdom of others.
The vicious character of this meas
ure was abundantly exposed at the
last session of Congress. Senator
Burton showed that a ship was sail
ing every three days from New York
to the east coast of South America,
and that these ships had much va
cant space. There is doubtless much
merchandise which South America
would like to sell to the United States
and much more which it would like to
buy from us. The difficulty is not
lack of ships, but lack of banking
facilities. If the recent conference
results in arrangements for financing
commerce between the two Americas
and for selling South American se
curities in the United States market.
it will do far more to expand com
merce in that quarter than can be
done by the whole power of the
United States in buying, building and
operating ships. If private capital Is
shown the traffic, it will supply the
ships.
Revival of the ship-purchase con
troversy is peculiarly unfortunate at
this particular time. A crisis is ap
proaching in our relations with both
Germany and Mexico, to meet -which
the Government will need the united
support of the Nation. A condition
of such support should be the decla
ration of a truce on all questions at
issue between parties, after the ex
ample of Britain. The President
should not take advantage of the re
straint which patriotic loyalty im
poses upon his opponents at such a
time by forcing through Congress
measures which their convictions
compel them to oppose.
WEALTH AND WAR.
It is estimated that the total wealth
of the United States is about $200,
000,000,000, which would give $2000
to each individual in the country If it
were evenly distributed. We dare say
there are some people who do not
possess their full quotient of $2000
and others who have a little more
than their mathematical portion. But
minor considerations of this charac
ter do not effect the grand total. It
is pleasing to add that this total is
increasing at the comfortable ratio of
$5,000,000,000 a year.
This fact ia particularly pleasing
when we recall that our European
friends are dissipating their resources
as rapidly as fire, gunpowder and dy
namite can do it. What they are
really doing is to deliver the world's
banking power and its commerco into
our hands. We need only set out our
tubs and catch the shower of gold as
t rains down. When the war is over
every nation in Europe is likely to be
at its eatt gasp. There is no sisn that
they will stop fighting as long as' they
have ajiything to fight, with and
the chances are that victory will go
to the longest purse.
But the longest purse will be ter
ribly short by that time. The United
States will then be the great creditor
Nation of the world. It will control
trade and banking everywhere, if it
.wishes, and will be in a situation to
guide the current of history for years
to come. - But this advantage is ours
only if we- remain at peace. If it
should be necessary for the United
States to plunge into the war we must
expect to suffer just as the other bel
ligerents do. Instead of accumulating
wealth we must spend it and instead
of quietly gathering up trade we must
devote our energies to attack and de
fense. We do not mention these facts to
dissuade the American people from
making war if it should be necessary.
There are worse evils than financial
loss. Still it is an evil and it should
be weighed judiciously before the die
is cast. But perhaps there will be no
occasion to cast the die. It is better
to look at the bright side as long as
there is one.
For the ten months ending with
April by comparison with the same
months of the last fiscal year there
was a decrease of $197,924,943, or 12.6
per cent in imports, and an increase
of $179,773,583, or 8.8 per cent, in ex
ports. This, however, includes July
and August, 1914, during which the
trade balance was against us, and the
early months of the war, during which
commerce was almost at a standstill.
The effect of this great favorable
balance is seen in the movement of
gold. A year ago there was a heavy
outward movement, which had been
halted just before the war began.
That event started a new outward
movement, which produced an export
balance for the period from July to
November of $116,000,000. Since No
vember the flow has been turned
strongly inward, producing an import
balance for the period from December
1 to April 30 of $162,000,000.
The Smithsonian Institution is
sending out a great exploring expedi
tion to South America this Summer.
It will visit the interior of the conti
nent, virtually an unknown region, as
the Western interior of the United
States was in 1843. The possibilities
of South America have hardly been
touched yet. The new expedition
may bring to light ajmost anything in
the way of animal life and mineral
wealth.
In exercising the right to settle the
internal difficulties of Mexico in its
own peculiar way, the belligerent 1
per cent of the population has re
duced the remaining 99 per cent to
the verge of starvation. Is that the
way chosen by the 9 9 per cent ma
jority or by the 1 per cent minority?
Would not the 99 per cent prefer in
tervention and food to civil war and
starvation ?
, An automobile trip from the At
lantic to the Pacific over the Old
Trails Road may now be taken with
out much discomfort anywhere. The
road is at least "staked out" in all its
parts. The going is not discouragingly
rough even in the worst places, and
travelers can. count on a comfortable
hotel once a day. The pioneers would
have called this almost sinful luxury.
It is rather late in the day to "hold
the Turk personally responsible" for
massacres in Armenia. He is only
living up to his old habits and his
hands are no bloodier than they have
been for years. But an enemy's guilt
looks blacker than a friend's, and to
the allies, who now threaten the Turk
with a justice too long delayed, we
say, "Better late than never."'
Frank B. Sanburn, of Concord, has
been comparing American art ef to
day with what he remembers sixty
years ago and discovers wonderful
improvement. Mr. Sanburn was a
friend of Emerson, Thoreau, Haw
thorne and old John Brown. His
opinions of art are therefore not with
out value from the historian's point
of view.
It is pleasant to nqtiee the interest
the public school pupils are taking in
American bird life. Oregon has a
great variety of birds, many of them
exceptionally beautiful. , They will
form colonies almost anywhere with
a little encouragement and - pro
vide endless entertainment for their
friends.
Will Oregon City meter its water
when it gets the Clackamas gravity
supply? Not likely. Meters are
meant for a pumped supply, every
gallon of which is procured at addi
tional cost, not for a gravity supply,
which comes In undiminished quan
tity, whether used or not.
Those who treat pleas for National
defense as militarism and jingoism
should read the address of Chaplain
W. S. Gilbert and recognize the truth.
The good fighters are not all on the
battle-line, for Victor Anderson still
lives in Chehalis County to club rob
bers with their own guns.
If Bryan's plea can save a bunch
of greasers in Arizona, it would
seem he could do something better
at Atlanta.
Annexation of the two cities clam
oring for it will add a few pay rolls
and pay rolls are "-what Portland
wants.
Serbia has got her third wind and,
having twice driven out the Austrians,
will pursue them into theiiT" own ter
ritory. If Mr. Altree's bride still looked
charming to him when she was sea
sick, she is charming indeed.
The division of civic beauty is al
ready planning to harass the man
who lets his weeds grow.
Sunday was Father's day, but many
an "old gent" failed to discover any
thing different.
The Swiss are mobilizing 70,000 re
serves, but all they in engage i the
wild chamois.
Anything from Seattle jars Tacoma.
They thought the shock an earth
quake. i Yesterday's weather was a joke on
the chief of the bureau visiting the
city.
Perhaps the Police Band does not
want to miss the Rose Festival,
The Jlegantlc la an artful dodger,
European War Primer
Br National Cieogrraphlcal Society.
Once more the people's upon the op
posite shores of the Adriatic Sea are
in a duel with one another for the
mastery of the Mediterranean Just as
neighbors across this arm of the land
locked sea have always clashed for
upon the Adriatic South European su
premacy has been contested since the
days when Rome fell heir to the sea
power of Athens and Carthage. Over
this waterway Rome met the pirates
of Istria and Dal mat ia. aggressive Teu
tonic tribes and pressing hordes of
Slavs; over it the Empire of the Kast
sent its expeditions to attack the Um
pire of the West: and Austria, a gen
eration ago, waged war with a disin
tergrated Italy over Adriatic paths and
for the suzerainty of the sea.
The Adriatic Sea is BOO miles long
and about 1:10 miles wide in its great
est width. It separates the Italian and
Balkan peninsulas as far as Brindisi
and the lower coast of Albania and
ends at the S-trait of Otranto. by which
it communicates with the Ionian Sea.
Its average width is 110 miles, but the
islands off the Dalmatian and lstrian
coasts decrease this average to about
90 mileH. The sea is very deep, vary
ing from 500 feet in the north to more
than 4000 feet in its southern area.
The Austrian, or eastern coast, is
very broken, strewn with fine harbors
and lined with numerous rocky islands,
which belong to lslrla and Iialmatia.
This eastern coast is of g-reat naval
and commercial value, well formed for
the upbuilding of great, thriving trade
ports, and, by reason of Its almost
continuously mountainous shores, its
deep gulfs and bays, and its screening
fringe of rocky islands, advantageous
ly defended. The western, or Italian
coast, on the other hand, is low, sandy
and almost unbroken. It lacks good
harbors and offers few natural ad
vantages for defense.
The commercial importance of the
Adriatic Sea throughout the Dark Ages
and the Middle Ages was very great.
This importance was somewhat im
paired by the opening of the all-sea
route to India and by the determined
growths of the Dutch and English mer
chant marines. With the opening of
the Suez Canal and the commercial
and industrial awakening of Italy and
Austria-Hungary the Adriatic regained
much of its old-time significance. The
most important commercial points are
Triest, Venice. Fiume, Ancona and
Brindisi. Venice and Triest, at the
head of the Adriatic, are the two fore
most cities.
Owing to the systems of screening
mountains, the Adriatic receives but
little drainage. There are only two
rivers of any considerable size that
empty into it, the Adige and the Po.
The water of this sea, therefore, is
very salty. Navigation is generally
safe, although there are some danger
ous points upon the eastern coast, and
sudden, northerly squalls often lash the
waters with terrific force against the
rockbound coast.
The principal gulfs of the Adriatic
are those of Manfredonia on the west,
Venice and Triest on the north and
Quarnero on the northeast. There are
numerous and admirable bay harbors,
extending from Fiume and culminating
in the wonderful land-locked harbor,
the Bocche dl Cattaro. The Strait of
Otranto, where Italy approaches near
est to the Balkan mainland, is 45 miles
wide. Here Is the magnificent Alban
ian harbor, Avlona, over which Italy
aspires to win coytrol.
ASTORIA EST1TLED TO SEE BELL
City's Place in Early History Should
Be Recognised, Says Pioneer.
SALE1I, Or., May 31. As an Oregon
pioneer and a former president of the
Oregon Pioneer Association, I would
request the committee in charge of the
Liiberty bell, if it were possible to do so,
to take it to Astoria, so that It might
be shown to the people of that enter
prising city at the mouth of the Co
lumbia River.
My reason for making a request of
this character is that we retained what
was known as tho "Oregon country"
in a large measure on account of the
discovery and settlement in the vicin
ity of Astoria. It is well known that
Captain Robert Gray, on the 11th of
May, 1792, discovered the mouth of the
Columbia River. In 1805 Lewis and
Clark explored the Columbia River
from its source to its mouth at As
toria. A settlement was begun at Oak
Point in 1809. Astoria was founded by
John Jacob Astor in 1811, was captured
by the English in 1813 and restored to
the United estates in 1818. For these
and many other reasons too numerous
to mention I feel justified in making
this request.
It would be fitting and proper that
Liberty bell should be exhibited at As
toria that its people and those of Clat
sop County should have an opportunity
of seeing- the bell that rang out free
dom to the world In the perilous times
of this Nation's history,
P. H. D'ARCY.
THE CITV BBAl'TIrT'L.
In this beautiful city by the sea,
Where the sunset's golden glow
Tints with shades of beauty rare
The woodland, hills and dales eo fair.
The ocean breeze is wafted here
And Nature now is full of cheer;
The flowering trees in lovely bloom
Are sending forth their sweet perfume.
And here's the place to feast the eye
Before the Summer beauties fade and
die.
The birds now sing their sweetest lay
From early morn till close of day.
The aephyr breeze is wafted here
And nature now is full of cheer;
E'en humble honies are vineclad
bowers.
For Portland City's gay with flowers.
Then hie to Portland while you may
And share with me the sunset's ray.
The flowering trees, the zephyr breeze
And take your time for rest and ease.
MRS. CYNTHIA RUDLKS OSUOOD.
THE ROSE.
The whole world knowa the Portland
rose.
And, knowing, know! iow fair she
grows.
It knows the ipot where soft breeze
blows
Where sun chines bright and plenty
flow.
It knows her throne, where color glows.
And where she rules in royal pose.
Her sweetness not alone for those
About her she broadcast bestows;
This, like her fame, no decline knows
For far to distant lands she goes.
Where into attar they transpose
The fragrance of the ruling rose
To tickle a patrician noge.
Or scent my lady's underclothes.
H. H.
rhyslelan and Patient.
Baltimore American. 1
Doctor You've had a terrible shock.
Patients It's up to you to see that I
don't have another when I get your
bill.
Mlasainar Link Quite Near,
Atchison Globe.
Look around and you can find the
"missing link"' every day. How are
all the neighbors?
Family and Company.
Exchange.
Company doesn't want to be treated
like one of the family; company wants
consideration.
Fault of the Men.
Exchange. "
Women rind plenty of faults with the
uieu; luobl of them after marriage,
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIO.N 'OR SEX
Women, Becaue Vnf ranrhlifdp Hare
Peculiar Claim on Official.
PORTLAND, May 31 (To the Edi
tor.) The statement that the women of
the Congressional tTnion who recently
visited President Wilson represented
women who had "several times been
received" by him is an error which we
should be pleased to correct. As has
been repeatedly stated, the women who
called upon the President did so for
the purpose of paining his consent to
receive for 10 minutes 1000 Pennsyl
vania women whom he had never seen,
the fate of whose political freedom will
be determined next November, perhaps
determined unfavorably. The deciding
factor in this decision may very likely
be the vote of the newly-naturalized
citizens, Italians, Germans, Russians,
aliens to whom the President chooses
to give several hours of his time while
he refuses 15 minutes to the moat ac
tive and public-spirited women of
Pennsylvania.
It must be remembered that since
women have not the ballot and cannot
express their wishes by means of the
vote, their petitions and requests have
a peculiar claim on the consideration
of any official who regards himself as
the representative of the disfranchised
as well as the enfranchised classes.
Their deputations have all the more
claim on the President's courtesy. While
tho women realize the grave matters
that now occupy the attention of Presi
dent Wilson, they do not think that a
sufficient excuse for discriminating
against them in favor of aliens. The
unenfranchised women in the differ
ent states should certainly not be de
barred from petitioning the President
in behalf of their freedom simply be
cause some women in another part of
the country at some previous time have
petitioned him for theirs.
The action of President Wilson
teaches us a sad lesson, namely this,
that even a good (treat man may con
sider of more weight the claim of an
alien with a vote than he does the claim
of an American-born woman without
one. We admit that the lesson is a
hard one, but we are learning it slowly
and surely. We heartily agree with
Mrs. Florence Kelley, general secretary
of the National Consumers' League and
member of the advisory council of the
Congressional Union, when she says, "I
admire Mr. WJJaon for many of his
qualities, but his attitude toward wom
en who want suffrage is intolerable."
To pronounce the Congressional
Union "militant" seems a trifle Incon
sistent unless one also pronounces mil
itant every individual and every organ
ization that ever used political action,
that ever campaigned, even temporari
ly, against any party.
Another error which we would be
pleased to correct is that "Western
women living temporarily in the East
have almost without exception refused
to endorse the practices of the Con
gressional Union," The reverse is rather
true, for we number among our mem
bers such prominent women and active
workers as Mrs. Frank Mondell. of Wy
oming; Mrs. William Kent, of Cali
fornia, and Dr. Cora Smith King, of
Washington, all recent residents of
Washington, D. C, and Mrs. Phoebe A.
Hearst, of California, recently in New
York. Among other prominent West
ern women who are on our advisory
council are Miss Gail Laughlin, Mrs.
Fred Sanborn, Miss Charlotte Anita
Whitney, Mrs. Inez Hayes Gilmore, Mrs.
Lucia M. Cuthburt, Mrs. Lillian Harris
Coffin, all of California, and . Mrs.
Bertha W. Fowler, of Colorado. Be
sides these- we have enrolled as mem
bers several hundred voting women In
Colorado, several hundred in Oregon
and nearly a thousand in California.
VIRGINIA ARNOLD,
Oregon Organizer Congressional Union.
MERGER WILL BE WITHOUT LOSS
St. Johns, urn Part of Portland, WonJd
Be Srlf-Suatalninsr.
ST. JOHNS. Or:, June 1. (To the
Editor.) To the article headed "State
ment of Resources and Liabilities and
Financial Condition of the City of St.
Johns," published Friday by order of
the City Council of the City of Port
land, I desire to take exceptions. While
this statement shows that conditions in
St. Johns tx.ro all on the right side of
the ledger and that the city is in a
healthy condition financially, the esti
mates of values are out of proportion
to the true conditions of affairs in St.
Johns. For instance, the Portland ref
eree estimates the value of streets,
sewers and hard-surface roads at $3 72,
460 and shows Improvement bonds
f286.520.27. It is a fact that a large
percentage of street improvements were
paid for at the time the improvements
were put in and the installments huve
been paid in regularly for the past
nine years, and it stands to reason that
these improvements are worth much
more than the balance owing on them
at the present time.
This same referee places $60,500 valu
ation on the city dock, which is 540
feet long by 120 in width, together with
a valuable back strip of land. The City
of St. Johns refused $75,000 several
years ago for this property. It is worth
more than this amount much more.
He also estimates the block of ground
on which the high vchool is located at
$3500, when the fact of the matter is
it is worth more than twice that
amount.
Our acre and one-eighth at Whit
wood Court, he says, is worth $200. It
certainly is, es it cost several times
that several years ago.
These values are too low and at this
time it is not fair to the City of bt.
Johns, In my opinion.
Our assessed value on which taxes
are computed is a trifle less than $4,
000,000, which would have raised ap
proximately in 1914. on the Portland
city tax rate, $30,000. Cutting out our
salury list, as would be done in case of
merging with the City of Portland, it
is .easy to see that St. Johns would be
more than a self sustaining territory.
St. Johns is seeking to merge and
become a part of Greater Portland in
good financial and physical condition,
all In good faith, with clean hands.
Our vote to merge was nearly two to
one in St. Johns, and it should be three
to one In the City of Portland on June
7, if progress prevails. A. W. PA VIS.
"THRIFT."
Where does the Bull Run River rise?
"hero does it have its source?
See yon snow peak against the skies?
It's fed from that, of course.
But just suppose the snow should melt
In our hot Summer sun.
(I voice the fear J oft have felt)
What would it do to our Bull Run?
Ah, I can see that great peak bare
And all its vegetation dead:
Its hot crags shimmering- in the glare
And dry the streams aforetime fed.
And when that happens, oh, dear me,
It almost makes me want to cry!
How we could live I cannot see,
When Mount Hood melts and Bull
Hun 8 dry.
All. lo not fret: let me explain;
There is a way to fix that up;
We'll set a meter en each main
And put out fires with a tin cup.
We'll forego baths and let the lawn
And all the lovely flowers die, .
Against the time no snow's upon
Old snow-capped Hood and Bull Run's
dry.
The meter, man, is a splendid plan.
And some day, I suppose,
We'll meters wear to save the air
On each and every human nose.
MAKV H. FORCE.
Hillsdale, Or.
measure of "Snapa,'
Atchison Globe.
There are no snaps. If it rays the
J pace is fast, 1
Twenty-Five Year Ago
From The Oregonian, June 1, 1890.
There Is considerable talk at Mount
Tabor of incorporating the Mount Ta
bor district. It is urged that it should
he incorporated before the two cities
are consolidated, because, at that time.
Portland will reach out and take in
Mount Tabor and the citizens there
will then have to be taxed for city
improvements.
The Republican campaign came to a
close in. a grand mass meeting con
ducted under the auspices of the
James G. Blaine Club on the plaza
last evening and all that now remains
to gaiH the victory is for all hands to
turn out and do their duty at the polls
tomorrow.
It is objected to the proposition to
build a free bridne at Portland that
such an act would be a virtual con
fiscation of the property in existing
bridges. Not at all. One of these
bridges was built-and must be main
tained for railway service; the other
two are connected with extensive
streetcar and motor lines and must be
maintained, as part thereof.
John Mayes, the man under arrest
for having- a hand in the opium smus
gjing recently unearthed by the Port
land Custom-House Commissioner,
was arraigned hefore United States
Commissioner John 11. Woodward at 1 1
o'clock yesterday forenoon. Contrary
to expectations, Mayes waived exam
ination and was held to answer be
fore the United States grand Jury un
der bonds In the sum of $1000.
The Republican and Democratic
tickets for this county have often been
published and are sufficiently well
known. A hybrid ticket labeled "In
dependent Republican Ticket" has
been prepared and printed and will
appear at the polls tomorrow. There
has been great secrecy in the prepar
ation of it, but The Oresonian has
been furnished with -a copy, which is
herewith given.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oresonian, June 1. !St)5.
There is little need to saying any
thing about the condition of Oregon
roads. Kvcryone knows that it is
well nigh Impossible to travel in Win
ter west of the Cascade Mountains.
Where so much rain falls of course it
will bo difficult to keep roads in proper
repair. The great fault, however, la
that they are not at first properly con
structed. San Francisco Mining stocks are
fluctuating. There seems to be little
desire to invest in this kind of securi
ties on the part of outside .speculators
at the present moment.
San Franciseo The stagnation in
the money market is partially due to
the break in the Overland Telegraph,
which precludes the receipt of Eastern
orders.
A great excitement exists through
out the upper country on acccount of
the discovery of gold in large quanti
ties on the Coeur d'Alene. The amount
of gold produced on the tributaries of
the Columbia this season will be great
er than that of former years.
Not a single hotel was left in Idaho
City on the morning after the fire. .
Since Sunday night the river at this
place has risen 19 inches. It stood
last evening at 19 feet and 10 Inches
above low-water mark.
Another railroad, although rude as
It is. has been added to the list In Ore
gon by the completion of the Sucker
Lake & Tualatin River Railroad,
which forms the portage from the Wil
lamette River to the Tualatin River,
at the head of Sucker Lake.
Divorce and Remarriase.
CORVALLIS. Or.. Mav 29. (To the
Editor.) Your editorial regarding the
surf-bound couple at Newport trying
to reach the three-mile limit to be mar
ried at sea, and thus avoid the conse
quences of the law of bigamy, indi
cates that all divorces are subject to
the six months' limitation for appeal.
lo you understand that all divorces
are subject to the six months' period of
delay? At least one Circuit Judge has
held that all divorces granted where
the defendant did not appear but let
the divorce go by default were abso
lute from the date of the decree. I
have heard that the defendant in the
Lincoln County case allowed the
divorce to go by default, and. in that
case, under the ruling of the Circuit
Judge mentioned, the parties could be
married the next day or the same day
the decree was rendered and no law
could touch them.
The law in regard to marriage and
divorce is defective. The barriers to a
hasty marriage are not great, but the
difficulties of getting a divorce are
great. That condition should he
changed, and the law made so that
marriage would be hard to contract,
and at least a reasonable period of
probation ensue between the time the
banns were published and the mar
riage took place. And the divorce
ought to be granted, not by a decree
of the court, but by a ministerial act
of the clerk who issues the marriage
license. For it is inhuman to hold per
sons to a marriage obligation who are
of different temperaments but fail to
note this difference until after the
marriage ceremony has taken place.
INQUIRER.
Section 513, L. O. L., which prohibit
ed marriage by a divorced person with
a third person until the suit had been
heard and determined on appeal, or
time for appeal had elapsed, was
amended in 1913 to prohibit remar
riage in any case until the expiration
of six months from the date of decree.
The point the co-respondent raises
concerning default divorces was a moot
question until the adoption of the
amended statute.
How Did Yon Propose f
Boston Transcript.
Edith How did Jack look when h
proposed?
Ethel Why, I couldn't see anything
but his necktie.
What I Suspicion f
Washington (D. C. Sar.
"Suspicion." said Uncle Eben. "mighty
often consists in realizin whut you'd be
tempted to do if you had de other fel
ler's chance."
Limit of Exercise.
Washington (D. C.) Star.
"Many a man." said Uncle Eben, "dat
kin hesitate or tango for miles while de
music is goin couldn't be persuaded to
walk two blocks to de grocery store."
What He Thinks!
"What do I think of newFpaper
advertising in a National way?
"Well, my best answer is tha,t I
am spending several hundreds of
thousands of dollars in newspaper
advertising this year nnd expect to
spend more nest year."
The speaker's production is known
the world over so well known that
people thinking of the product,
think of his trade mark.
Newspaper advertising, even In
the dullest years, has kept up sales
to a point that taxea the capacity of
the factory. ,