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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1915)
TTTE MORNING OREGON! AN. THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 1915. o Xatereo! at Partlaad. OniM, Foatofflea) uaacrtpUoa Kaiee invariably la adTSnce (Hi MalL IHtlr. Bandar Included. eae IW .. ... . .IS OO 1e.ijr. fcuaaa laciuael. ei matha . j ,. Sunday iacluUed. tnree Ba -1 ha I'aiijr. Sanday lacluelea. eae Aenta ... .. ... la:.jF, without Sana, Ms monibj ... . l.:?. vuoeui auauay. tnree mwntAs ... i.e..?. euiaout Sular. aae Kwau .. V e4Iy. ea year .. Saclay. eae year ............. uaOaj Sad Meekly. ea yea ...... Cartas.) ... I Ml ... X." ... Xtollr. Sanaa? laciaaed. oa ) ....... Hmrm I. loll Aid Poelofflca man ear. eapreas ra nereua ebeaa. your local ten. Stamp, coin or current axe i sesUere mk. Ue Boelafflce auaree ". - - - 1, to IS HIM I cent; IS 1 (4ii 4 uiu; 1, is 4s a, casts; i l aw paaaa. a cente. ej to .a e . casta; IS to W Pee. casta. aorel uiiia doubt rai.a. koeterm Bealnoea Officaa Vare Coe- Mx ilniniaKi bulid.na. N Tors; araa m ! u . - k....;.im riLcuo: baa r:is..K repreoenia.ua. H. J. fa iU a ail. IU Ji.k.i etreet. roRTLAM). THI WDAT. ACGIST It. Itlf. THBOt'GH TO THE SKA. A through road a practicable ' fclgbway for all ordinary Tehlcles from the great Inland Empire to th,a Pacific Ocean has been the dream of far-seeing men for mora than a cen tury- One hundred and ten years ago, when Leb and Clark claimed a con tlnast from Its native, wilds and dedi cated It to civilisation, they paddled down the Columbia la canoea. For fifty or more years there was no other means of travel Then cam along the old Barlow road a rough way to veld the necessity of transfer to boat at The Dulles and the passage at the Cascades. Then there were steamboats and a crude transfer at the Cascades; and finally there was a rail road from Portland on the south bank of the great Columbia. Within ten years another railroad has been con structed from Portland along the north bank, and a little longer ago railroad connection from Portland to Astoria and Seaside was established. But In all this long time no first class wagon road has been built from The Dallas to the ocean along the nat ural river route not until now. Busy men are pushing through a broad and durable highway from Portland up the river to the Interior; and today the great Lower Columbia River Highway is to be officially opened, it is poi to be done with ox-carts, or mule trains, or farm-wagons, or any of the devices of locomotion and carriage used by our sturdy forebears, but by the most modern of land vehicles the automobile. A brigade of cars is to go from Portland and adjacent towns, bearing messages of felicitation and aetghborllness to the thriving cities nd counties of the Lower Columbia. Some months ago. other excursions went from Portland to help along the movement for good roads In Columbia and Clatsop counties. Now the effort, due to the enterprise, and foresight of th Minlt of those counties, is about to be consummated. It la sn occasion for congratulation all around. rorxRErK recs at orrs. The Insinuation that the forthcom ing conference of Western states on water-power legislation is committed in sdvanoe to any particular policy and that opportunity will be denied those who disapprove that policy to aeek the adoption of their views Is without jus tification. The conference is to be free and open. The best evidence of that fact is the Invitation to all the water-power states to send delegates, without regard to the political complexion of their ad ministration 'or to the policy which they might favor. Montana Is to be represented by Its Democratic Gover nor and its' two Democratic Senators; Idaho, Washington. Nevada and Wyo ming by Democratic Governors or by delegates appointed by them or by both. California Is to be represented by Its Progressive Governor or his delegates, who are believed to be In clined towards Secretary Lane's policy. The Democratic Govesnors mentioned may also be presumed to have a lean ing toward that policy If they can find It consistent with the Interests of their states. When all shades, of opinion and all parties are thus to be represented and to have the opportunity to secure adop- lion vi tncir tic. , iiv iii.u iim to impugn the independence of the conference in advance. It will be free and open and will be truly representa tive of the water-power states. In those respects it will be unlike the conserva tion conventions which have pretended to voice public opinion. Those conven tions were Invaded in force by Govern, merit employes, who voiced the opin ions of the men to whom they owed their Jobs and who were unconsciously biased by a desire to hold and magnify their positions. The states have an in disputable right to confer on a subject of such vital Interest to themselves. No attempt Is to be made to force upon the conference any particular poU icy. While the Oregon Legislature, in calling the conference, laid down cer tain principles which. In its opinion. should form the basts of water-power legislation, it did not attempt to com mit the conference in advance to those principles. The purpose of the confer ence is to consider what legislation is advisable to bring about development of water power and to safeguard the rights and Interests of the states. Ne cessity for the conference has arisen from the fact that certain theorists have been dictating Government policy for years and have held up develop ment in order to enforce the embodi ment of their theories In legislation. These theorists have procured the passage of the Ferris bill by the House. That bill deals with property In which the states have a major interest, yet the men who drew and pushed It through the House did so without any consultation with the states and against the opposition of many of their Representatives in Congress. The hold-up is similar In character to that of a mossback farmer, who seeks to extort from a railroad an exorbitant payment for right of way. The case is one for Joint action by the two parties interested the states owning the wa ter and t fee Government owning the Und and the conference is designed te set forth the state's proposals. The conference being free to recom raen4 any policy It deera. best, it is impossible to define befprehand what tkat policy will be. Of certain facts we can feel assured. It will act with a far more Intimate knowledge of the subject and with far more regard for the rights of the states than the men who have blocked development and who are sow attempting to dictate leg islation. It will devise a plan which would start development. The attacks on the conference before It has even met are signs of the alarm felt by theorists aad bUTeaocxaU at the pros pect that a discussion is to be held by body which they cannot control an the character of which wlU'comman respect. AD EXr-EIUEXCE. To say that the loud cry for greater economy in municipal affairs Is a call for the city te go to "pigsty stand ards" is both offensive and senseless. Tet that is in effect what the Portland Evening Journal charges. It is tru enough that large numbers of worthy cltixens have cut and trimmed the! personal and domestic expenses, an are not living In plgstys. nor will they need to live there. They have been prudent and saving and they have stopped waste, and the or some o them have got off the automobile basis and have gone back to the streetcars. They are living comfort ably, cheaply and respectably, and are far very far from any mythical pigsty. If there is another institution In Portland, or In Oregon, that has not put on the brakes In the past year, it has succeeded admirably In keeping Its affairs from the public another instl tution than the government of Port land. There hss lately been a feeble effort in that direction, but it has not gone far. We have high expectations of Commissioner Baker, and. we think he understands that a real economy Is far to be preferred to a paper efri clency. Tet he faces a huge task, tor the burdened taxpayer Is still called upon to meet the immense municipal pay roll. Tha vast army of Inspectors is still on tha Job. so thick that they step on one another's toes. The superfluous quarterly bills for flat-rate water pay ers are still made out by the tnousanus. The entangling and complicated maze of red tape is strangling every neaitny symptom of a movement toward direct action. Everywhere there are waste and leakage, and nowhere a concert ed and determined purpose to cut down. If the people of Portland two years ago had understood that they were to pay far more, rather than less, for a spurious efficiency under tna direction of five bran-new Commissioners, who among them would have been elected! TT.OW OF IMMIGRATION STOPS. Tha flow of immigration to the United States has been almost stopped by the war. In the fiscal year l13-lt Immigration exceeded emigration by SH.67i. In 1IH-1S the excess was only about t9.690. The largest de crease Is 89 per cent in Italian immi gration, due to the calling or men to the colors in preparation for war. The decrease from Russia and Austria. Hungary Is only about 60 per cent, from Ireland 4 per cent, and from England 17 per cent. The return to Europe of many thou sand workers to fight and the cutting off of the supply of new labor which usually flows to this country must have an appreciable effect on the labor market. The supply will be at least S00.000 a year less than usual as long as the war lasts. Already a short' age Is experienced In the Eastern coal mines. With the growth of Industrial activity this shortage will be Increas ingly felt and may open an epoch of high wages. There Is little ground to expect an Increase of Immigration to anything approaching former totals after the war Tbfc male population of all the belllcerent countries will be so terrl bly reduced and there will be so much work of reconstruction to do that Europe will have employment for all Its men and will have no surplus for emigration. The time may have come when the United States must depend on Its own nsturai increase of population for Its supply of labor ana for Its development. ' Thus the war may, settle the much-vexed question of Immigration witnout legislation. SPECI'LATIOX IJf WAR STOCK. The decided Improvement In Amer ican foreign trade and lesser im provement In domestic trade, combined with the strengthening or our iman- cial position and With the prospect of still further trade improvement in the next year, no doubt Justify a material rise in value of stocks, but a warning has already gone up against the present fever of speculation in Wall Street. This fever was evi denced by transactions in E.SS6.8f( shares In the last week of July, com pared with S.39,9SS In the same week a year ago. The figures contain evidence of ar tificial manipulation such as has caused investigations by the state and by Congress. Manipulation has made Wall Street synonymous in public estimation with all that is evil In speculation, and has caused tha,t in discriminate condemnation of big business which has confounded the good with the bad and had an in jurious effect on business in general. Profuse promises or rerorm have Deen broken, and so staunch a defender of Wall Street as the Financial Chronicle has been moved to say: It la not vseomninn to find the ahara trasaaotlona In anjr (Ivan stack for a sloaia day accretatln ona-half tha ahara capital and at an mora Is (paclal caaea. This, of co una. Is unnatural and llieclllmata. If thare vara confidant Invaatmant buying, or evan confident anaculatlva buying, lha ag ;rrate of transactions mlsbt raach btavy totals on any a-tvn da but tha rnovemant vould hardly kaap up to tha same voturnt day after day. And yet that Is now th record. It needa no great powera of dis cernment to perceive front a atudy of tha orrictal Mock Exchange sheet that powerful cliques are using tha facilities of the Ex. chapgs with lha deliberate purpose of bring ing about a tremendous adranc in prices. Speculation has been confined t,o a small group of stocks commonly termed war stocks, because the com panies they represent have received large European war contracts. The following table prepared by Brad streets shows the tremendous pace at which they have been advanced: High Rise laat from lBli. week, lowest. Allte-Chalmer ilfg do preferred tie BO Si 27 1.-.9 S3 lft4 2V 177. ii ' 27 S 104 sii Ill's 3S 4S 31' A, 44 li 71 71S 3V IS 40 147S 4 i (14 4 49 H American van. Amirkio Locomotive.... Soli Haliwln Locomotive..... Bethlehem Fleal 9 do preferred. ......... 63 CruclMe Steel 1JH do preferred 7a Dlallllers Hecurltlea 11 General E'ectrlc 137 4 fleneral Motora 37 Nat. Enamel a Stamp... 9 New York Air Erake SS ?tudefeaker Oprporatlon. . z Weatlnghous Electric... 4 The Chronicle advises the Stock Ex change to Investigate transactions 'Tor the ourDOse of determining how far the enormous dealings In the stocks which have been whirled up with such great celerity consist of aormat, legitimate transactions, and how far they are wholly manipulative In char acter; to "ferret out the persons en gaged in these nefarious schemes, some of whom are evidently finan cially powerful"; and to eliminate "such transactions as fcflectdlscredlt on the Exchange." There Is doubtless good cause for a material rise in the price of war stocks, hut a, doubling atad trebling of price, and. In the case of Bethlehem Steel common, a rise te nine times last year's price la beyond all reason. The sources of prosperity behind the war stocks are purely artificial an temporary. Though Russian reverses may, by prolonging the war, continue this prosperity much beyond earlier calculations foretold, the conclusion of peace will cause a collapse In ( war business. While this ousiness pai high profits It has diverted many fac tones irom tneir normal uues " has Involved them in heavy expense In adapting plants to the making of a product the demand for which so temporary that the capital expended must be recouped out of profits order to avoid final loss. When tha Nation Is laying the foun dations of permanent prosperity so flrmlv in other respects, it is to be regretted that this weak spot should be permitted to enter into the struc ture of business. The inevitable coi lapse of war stocks will cause serious loss to many investors who have been deluded by manipulation, and tha win ners in this game are not of a type to invest the winnings in productive enterprise. Those manufacturers who reach out for the trade of Latin Amer lea and w ho adapt their plants to sup ply that trade will build up a Pcr" manent prosperity such as can never ba derived by those which obtain war contracts. The same statement is true of those bankers who finance normal foreign trade and who market securities which will create a market for American goods. ..... alAKINQ A START. It is gratifying to note that Presl dent Wilson has undertaken a serious study of the subject of National de fense with the end. In view of making recommendations to the next session of Congress fee certain Increases In our hitting power, though the extent ana precise character of the recommenda tions are not yet disclosed. The subject Is one demanding the President's immediate and closest at tention, and the hope will prevail that he' will reach the broadest possible conclusion and launch a military pol icy worthy of a great and wealthy power, which, after having run to idealism, suddenly awakens to find It self all but defenseless In a militant world which seems altogether unwill ing to accept American peace Ideals, However, it must not be assumed that the United States will legislate Itself into an effective military policy at on stroke. Adequate aeiensive measures are a matter of growth re quiring time and careful development. What President W Uson and tna next Congress do. even If they provide for an immense force, can serve as notn Ing more than a first step. Necessar lly this first step should be taken in a direction leading to an ultimate goal. Intelligent beginning and persistent progress may serve to put us in readi ness without the disaster of learning our lesson In the paths of invading armies. GERM AX PURPOSE EXCHANGED. There Is a disposition In some quar ters to regard tha modification of Ger man submarine warfare as a tacit concession of American demands. In support of this view are cited the ad mission that the Nebraskan was at tacked by mistake, the removal of the Leelanaw's crew before that ship was sunk and the opportunity given to crews of other ships to escape before torpedoes or shells were tired. It Is suggested that. Germany having thus abandoned the practice of murdering American seamen and passengers, set tlement for the Lusitania massacre may be permitted to hang fire until the war is ended, and then may be reached In the same manner as the Alabama claims were settled . Germany has not abandoned the practice of attacking passenger ships carrying Americans, and she gives no warning of attack. One of her sub marines, without notice, pursued and shelled the Cunarder Megantlc. An other attempted to torpedo and then helled the Cunarder Orduna while on her way westward, and therefore car nine: no war munitions. When the latter attack was made the last Amer lean note to Germany was about to be dispatched. Germany has not changed her pur pose to sink at sight any Cunard liner, whether It carries Americans or not. contraband or not. So long as Ger many continues to defend the sinking of the Lusitania, so long as the head of the German government does not distinctly disavow all such unlawful acts and pledge himself to permit no such acts In future, the security of American rights at sea Is subject to the changing strategy of the German Admiralty, the head of which has re peatedly expressed opposition to any mitigation of submarine war. . NO CArSE- TO SQCABBLE. The new law consolidating the of flees of State Highway Engineer and State Engineer is. a muddle. There Is no question about that, It makes the State Engineer the highway engineer nd confers upon him the powers du ties and work prevlbusly performed by that official. But it also authorizes the chairman of the State Highway Commission (the Governor) to ap point one chief deputy ln 'he office of the State Engineer, this Seputy to oe versed in scientific road construction. The State Highway Commission is au thorized to prescribe his duties. The statute thus presents an appar ent conflict of authority, but, even so. It ought to be possible to conduct the nKlnecrlng work on the state nign- ays in harmony. We fancy that lr the. State Engineer had . been author ized to'appolnf the deputy who should act as highway engineer and to. pre scribe his duties, the State Engineer ould -have chosen someone ill whom e bad confidence and the State Engi neer woul4 thereafter have been high- ay engineer only ln respect to iiue and formality. But In accordance with the law the Governor has appointed the deputy nd the Commission has prescribed his duties. Mr. Cantlne's competency has not been questioned. It is per fectly safe to trust him to go ahead with the work. Even if It were not safe, any mistakes he might make would not cause criticism of Mr. Lewis, the State Engineer, but of Mr. Cantlne and tha Highway Commission. While the wording of the statute is contradictory. Its Intent Is obvious to everyone who followed the proceed ings of the last Legislature. The de sire was to consolidate two englneer-lifg- offices and thereby promote econ omy In the matter of maintaining of fice forces and records. It is recog nized that highway engineering Is a profession in itself. There is a High way Commission responsible for proper conduct of highway construc tion. Therefore It was Intended to preserve the position of highway en gineer, hut as a, deputy ta pie office of the State Engineer under the con trol of the Highway Commission. If Mr. Lewis will now forget tech nicalities and work ln harmony with tha Commission, the good roads cause will be advanced and ha will lose nothing in public estimation. BCYEKS WEEK. It can be set down in large letters that tha third annual Buyers' week In Portland Is a pronounced success; That does not merely mean that a golden stream is pouring Into the cash boxes of wholesalers and jobbers. That would be a narrow view. To think that f balance can be struck Saturday night next and the success of the week told by the total sales made is far from tha standard which may be called s u cos 83. Portland merchants wish to be come interested in a permanent way ln the affairs or their customers, ana want their customers to become per manently interested in Portland and Portland people, particularly in those with whom they are dealing. These relations should be of a social, flnanr cial and general business nature, the foundation for future business deal ings or an enlargement of the structure heretofore founded. The getting Of business and' the keeping of business by wholesalers is not what It was in the years agone. When a buyer casne to town hen It was supposed the town should be prac. tlcally turned over to him. As a rule he did not bring his wife with him, for he knew when he" left home that he would, be "too busy'? to look after her. He was kept pretty busy ln seeing the sights, his leaders and entertainers being ready and willing to go to every reasonable, often unreasonable, ex pense to entertain him. This, enter tainment took ln a wide scope of the town, a very wide scope, and probably sometimes resulted in headaches, per haps heartaches. We have learned a better way, safer way and a saner way. This week Portland is treating tho buyers as friends and fellow-citizens. We are attempting to give them keen enjoy. ment of a civilized kind. We are endeavoring to make them friends of ourselves and pur families. We are striving to have the women buyers and the wives of tha men buyers so nana somely treated that they will all re turn to their homes with a good taste in the mouths and words of praise lor the Portland people on their lips. We are looking ahead. Having faith In the future of Portland we wish so to treat Portland 'visitors as to imbue them with that same faith. This Is not to ha the last Buyers' week. It is to be a yearly event. It will broaden and lengthen and strengthen year after year, because It Is laid on high grounds and ln the pursuit of a worthy purpose That early morning bank robbery at Cedar Bapids, la., a weekago, develr ops Into simple defalcation by con fession of tha victim." a teller who was spending more than he earned These ' flukes ' happen only pften enough to call attention to the good work being done by thousands of up right young men who are handling other people's money. There would not be so many boy thieves If there were not so many fences." and tho best way to remedy the evil is to make the punisnment of the second-hand roan who buys the plunder so severe he cannot afford to continue. It Is better to save the boys than to continue case-hardened Junk' men in evil ways. The latest alleged German peace terms include control of Belgium, a big slice of France and all of Poland and the Baltic provinces. It is a won der they do not include Ireland, but the extreme courtesy toward Great Britain prevents. What is the use of Britain's declar- nsr materials for ammunition contra band? Germany can find a substitute for ans-thlng on earth. When every thlnp else fails, she will dissolve the hymn of hate into asphyxiating gas and shoot it t the allies. Washington airmen soaring over British Columbia are ln danger of be ing brought down by accident by the vigilant Canucks who rear invasion, They would better come this way, where any kind of bird is made wel come. The kangaroo court at the top of the Courthouse must act on the mat ter of insect pests up there. To be afflicted with cockroaches and bed bugs is cruel and inhuman punish ment. The automobile excursion impressed on the minds of the people the fact that the Columbia River Highway runs both ways from Portland. It takes one either to tha Cascade Moun tains or to the ocean. Ex-Senator Burton does not propose to have his tender little boom injured the eyes of labor by associating with the heads of the National Manu facturers' Association. Mr. Burton is a, cautious man. Another consignment of British gold, only f S2. 800.600 this time, is on the way from Halifax to strengthen British credits in New. York. John Bull s a good payer. The British at Hooge showed what they can do when they have ammuni tion. Their guns gave the munition orkers a hint to keep busy. As to whether Germany violated the treaty of 1828 by sinking the Frye, the United States and Germany agree t.q disagree.' - About 200,000 bushels of Oregon wheat went to the bottom ln the war zone yesterday, torpedoed by Ger mans. .As it was paid for and a big crop is at hand, we should worry. At the rate at which Russia Is aban doning cities the government will soon take to the woods. The chief criticism of the movie censors 'is that they are too censori ous. Europe profited by our extremity urlng the Civil War! Now it Is our turn, half a century later. Maxim's device to counteract effect of deadly gases ln the trenches is just another kind of perfumery. Funston sees nothing alarming In border reports and Funston has good eyes- The pathfinders start early this morning foe the oceanslde. This Is Eastern weather not Ore- gons. Half a Centyry A$a From Tha Oregonlan of August 13. 1SS5. Editorial It was announced some time ago that the vessels which were chosen to lay the telegraphic cable hatweon tha coasts of Ireland and Newfonnrllnnd would sail on their er rand about the middle of July. We have no news from tha East of a later date than that appointed for the work to bpc-ln if the weather provea pro nltinua and no accident befell the ex peditian. Europe and America have for some davi been' in telegrapnic com municatlon with each other. We can hardly doubt that the cable was sue. cessf ully laid. A prospector who arrived" at The Dalles on Wednesday last reports the discovery of new and rich diggings on th north side of tha Columbia. ' He nn tha mines are the same that Na than Olney has been looking for all Summer and that they win pay dib. With s mortar and nestle 120 a day i easy work. This Is ln the quartz claims. There are also indications of placer diggings tha$ pay wen. The regular weekly meeting; of the Common Pouncll was held at tne wun cil rooms last night. Mayor Failing pre .Mir.tr An ordinance to prevent, mi running at large of horses and cattle within the city limits during certain hours at certain eperiods of the year was read a third time ana passed. will take effect from and after its ap proval by the Mayor. The basin to be formed by the works of tha P. T. Company at tne wu lametta Falls for the better transporta tion of freight over the portage at mat nlaoa will connect tne Doats to wunin 60 feet of each other, but there will be an Incline of 54 leet to ootain uu height from the lower boat to the up. tier. It Is calculated trial, oy nuvem ber 1, boats can enter and discharge freights at the basin landing. For three months past the losses by r. anrf marine disasters nave Deen mora than double the amount for 10 years previous o those directly Inter ested at home. The loss of the Indus. try, the great fire at Idaho City, at The Dalles, the wreck of the Brother Jonathan and. latterly. tne nrs at Walla AValla amount to at least $1,810, 008. Austin, Nev. Ten wagons passed through town this morning from the arduous journey across tne plains, ion party left the Missouri River on the 8th of May and had neither sickness nor trouble from the Indians. They confirm tae statement of previous arrl vals that the bulk of this year's imml em t ion" will zo to Oregon and the northern territories. Twenty-Five Years Ago From Tha Oregonian of August 12. 1SUU. " The Administration Is now looking for a bright- Western man to be made First Assistant fostmaster-tienerai in place of Clarkson. There is now no man of prominence In the Postoffice Department west of Cincinnati. In go ing West there is a suggestion of mak ing a long Jump anc among those most prominently mentioned is judge a., xi. Calkins, or Tacoma, wasn. A dispatch from New Orleans, signed by Theodore Peterson, president of the OlvmDic Club, of that city, says: "At a maetlnz of the directors of the Olym pic Club a' resolution was passed to offer a purse of $4500. $4000 to the winner, $500 to the loser, for a glove contest between Bob Fitzsimmong, of Mew Zealand, middleweight champion of Australia, and Jack Dempsey. ot Brooklyn, -N. Yj. according to Police Gazette rules, for the middleweight championship of the world." "The City Park is beginning to loom up in great shape." said a prominent Portlander yesterday, "and in a few vears more Portland will have a park to be proud of. Considerable work has been dona in the past year. A great deal more money should be spent in its imorovement. but tha tact or the mat ter Is the city Is too economical. Money cannot be spent- to better advantage than ln beautifying a park, and it Portland follows the example of older cities, she will not retain such a firm hold on the purse strings of the treas ury when It comes to park improve ment. ' ;. The second week of the delightful domestic play. "The Old Homestead was ushered In last evening at the Marquam Grand, and the performance was witnessed oy a large auaience. London The Parnellite members of Parliament held a special meeting this evening to record their sorrow that John Boyle O'Reilly was not spared to return from patriotic exile on the day of his couptry s freedom. Captain Cleveland Rockwell, of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, has re ceived orders to go on with the survey of the Columbia River from the mouth of the Willamette to the Cascades. He started this work last Summer and completed the triungulatlon as far as Government Island. , A regular meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held last evening. Mr. Oliphant introduced a resolution ask ing that the Council pass an ordinance forbidding the explosion of firecrack ers in the city at any time. WHAT IS STRICT ACCOUNTABILITY t Meaning; of Term and How It Can Be' Applied Against Germany. ASTORIA, Or.. Aug. S. (To the Edlr tor.) Being a constant reader of your valuable paper, I would like you to ex plain the meaning of the phrase "Strict accountability," used in your editorial under the heading, "Our Case Founded on Law." How could the United States hold either side to a strictaceount- ability? INTERESTED. The term "strict accountability" means, liability to render an account. being answerable or responsible for anything. In our qlspute with Ger many the United States might demand the payment of a certain sum of money and the performance of certain acts ot reparation by a certain day. In the event of failure to comply the United States might seize German property sufficient to satisfy both the money claim and to pay a penalty for the In dignity put upon the United States, to gether with the cost of our own op erations. Were that possible ln prac tice, the United States might occupy some German port or territory and col lect the claim from Its revenue. This has been done by great powers against small nations without causing war, but If the United States were to attempt it against Germany the result would cer tainly be war. If the United States did not choose to adopt either means of collection. It might bold open its money claim for adjustment at The Hague. But an affront to national honor is not arbitrable and can be wiped out only by amPle apology and voluntary reparation, or, failing that, by the physical chastisement of the offender, in other words, by war. . Drorrnlng Not at Sunset Beach. SUNSET BEACH, Or., Aug. 10. (To the Editor.) I "would appreciate It if you would correct the statement mat Miss Margaret Piatt was drowned at Sunset Beach. While she and her friends were guests near here, the party was spending the day at Del Rey Beach., three miles south' of here, and it was there that the accident oc curred, . AB1UAXU l-UAISivh.U FUTURE OF PROHIBITION PARTY Lienor Hneation Will Cease to Be Chief Flank Once Tranie is ADoiunea. PORTLAND.Aug. 11. (To the Edi tor.) I wish to thank you for your kindly editorial and for the prominence given to' my letter. While I have but small hopes ot converting The Orego nian at the present time to the philos ophy of the Prohibition party, I am, nevertheless, compelled to acknowledge the falr?mindedness as well as tha ex ceptional literary ability displayed In the conduct of its editorial columns. It is a pleasure to make these acknowl edgments, even though I seldom find myself ln full agreement with the sen timents expressed. Perhaps you will pardon me if ; make a few brief remarks In answer to today's article. I agree with you in your statement that pronounced pub lic sentiment is" necessary for success- iui iaw enforcement, but I do not think anyone will deny that sentiment, not only in Oregon but In our whole Nation and throughout the world, is now in favor of prohibition. I also agree that it is not necessary to organize a spe cial political party against theft or murder, but I unhesitatingly claim that If a "traffic" in either thievery or murder ever attains such proportions that Its leaders control politics and corrupt our elections as the liquor traf fic now does. It would undoubtedly be necessary tq organize a political party to defeat them. In other words, thieving and murdering are not in pol itics; tne liquor traffic is. In the second plank of the first plat form ever adopted by the Republican party I find tha words, "That as our Republican fathers, when they had abolished slavery in all our National territory, ordained that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, it becomes our duty to maintain these provisions of the Constitution . . . by positive legislation prohibit ing its existence or extension there ln." And in the third plank, "It is both the right and imperative duty of Congress to prohibit in the territories those twin relics of barbarism, polyg amy and slavery." Considering that four years later Abraham Lincoln Was nominated on such a platform and that he himself was the great personal emancipator, presume I am right in considering that the Republican party of that day was an anti-slavery party. ' It seems to me that The Oregonian is making a very strenuous effort at tha present time to continue this same party in exist ence. even after slavery has been abol ished. Inasmuch as the Democratic and .Whig parties had both declared for slavery, I have yej to meet any poli tician or historian bold enough to claim that slavery could have been abolished by any other means than tnrougn i political 'party (in this case the Re publican) declaring against It and forming a medium through which the abolitionists could exercise tne Iran chise. x However. I agree that tha prohibition of tha llauor traffic, once It is suc cessfully handled Nationally, will be onlv a. temporary political issue, un account ' of its prominence with us many neoDle imagine that the Prohlbl tion party has no other live issue. It is well known and becoming Increasingly more so that the tariff question has been used for years by the dominant parties simply as a means or optain ing political power,' and that no sane, businesslike attempt has ever been mndn to settle the ouestion. The Dem nrrsti nht tha tariff down until it is so low that the big Interests squeal, raiiltlnor in tha election of the Repub lican party: They boost It up until at length' the general public revolts and puts the Democrats in again; and so it has gone on lor decaaes. uio .... . ... . ti.t ni-nhl.m ttnn nartv k sniuLion vi ima r . which they have advocated since 1872, i tha submission of this question to a non-partisan tariff commission com posed of expert DOOKKeepers anu ticians. I was glad to notice an edi tprial ln your columns recently rec- tmmonHinO' this action. In addition to our party s wsicsi position on the tariff, a careiui exam ination of some of the important planks which the Prohibition party has stood for (ds featured on page 32 of the American Prohibition Year Book for 1915) shows that we were the first to declare for universal suiras. r.fArm direct elections. 2-cent u.r Tinstone, international oiumo. 4it uniform marriage ana uUM- i innma tax. the conservation of resources; ana against gambling. land-graDDers anu f .kiM-ihnr and the white slavery traffic. Many of these issues have not yet been adopted by any dominant political party. The platform of the Progressive -party In 1912 was com posed entirely of planks previously de clared for by the Prohibition party. It seems to me mat once mo " bltlon question Is settled there are lia ble to be at least as many live issues remaining in platform as the Republic an party has had to keep it before the people since Lincoln's day. t at mo eonclude by again thanking you for your courtesy and assuring you that these remans "-,T r.I been indicted in any captious spirit, but rather with tne desire iu.., en the dry voters o ; ---- to my committee i"t o... OREGON PROHIBITION STATE COM- MITTEaS By J. Sanger Fox, Executive Sec. As we understood Mr. Fox the other - 1 Ih9t day. he was arguing m v--r-prohibition could not be made effec tive without the election of Prohibition n.riv officials to enforce the law. Mr. Fox is reminded that abolition of sla very Js effective under the adminis tration of the party that opposea auc tion. The Oregonian sees no more rea- n ; v.; . i nnll lfal nartv son for a rmui""""" """--- n Oregon today than it sees or un abolition party In Alabama. . : e Washington Marriage Laws. t,ooti iKD Auz. 11. (To the Ed- itor.) Kindly print tne '''6' "" ot the State of Washington. This infor mation has Deen searcneu iui ... City Library, but of no avail. Is It nec essary to nave nansa and how many witnesses are required at the -marriage Tt is necessary to have one witness to secure a marriage license, one who is personally acquainted witn tnose se curing the license. He must take oath that neither has been divorced within the past six months and that they are not nearer than second cousins and that there Is no other legal Impediment to the marriage and that neither Is an habitual criminal. Two witnesses are necessary to the marriage ceremony, though they o not have to know those being married. The person performing te ceremony usually will furnish witnesses to the marriage. Seattle Directory. PORTLAND. Aug. 11. (To the Ed itor.) Is there a Seattle city directory n Portland? I would line to wo up n address If possible. . INTERESTED READ1SK. Apply to R. L. Folk & Co., Beck ullding. Deep Into Mlaaloa Work. Baltimore American. I asked rich old Millyuns if he would donate some hundreds to our charitable' missions." "What did he ay?" "He gave assent A cent! The maa old thins,". European War Primer By National Geographical Society. DUNKIRK, one of the most bitterly contested points of the world war, which has continued to be a place of first interest on tha western battle line ever since the fall of Antwerp, Is the fourth seaport of Franqe, has been an important stronghold from the days when It was fortified by Baldwin III, Count of Flanders, in the 10th century, and, due to its peculiarly military value, it has been the storm center of many European troubles, changing masters as the strife for the continent al Channel coast ran in favor of first one and then the other. The Kings of France disputed the possession of tha town with the Counts of Flanders. Conde captured Dunkirk in 1646 for his master, Louis XIV, and the Spaniards took the place again la 1652. Austria held it The Frenchman, the Anglo-Saxon, the Dutchman and the German included the dune country In which Dunkirk lay among their prominent aspirations. The commercial and military value of Antwerp and Rotterdam was then unguessed. Dunkirk was geograph ically, commercially and politically central, a commercial promise and a naval advantage to the power holding it. In 1658, Marshall Turenne beat the Spaniards here, and with him fought 8000 of Cromwell's Ironsides. The Bat tle of the Dunes was almost as red and violent as are the relentless struggles now going on amid the gray wastes and sandy ridges. The port was ceded to England, and the English strengthened it and built a citadel here. Louis XIV purchased it for France from the Impoverished Charles II. paying about $1,000,000. In the struggles which followed between France and England, Dunkirk became the center of a war of privateers on English trade, working, such significant damage upon the Island Kingdom that the English insisted upon the destruc tion of tho harbor and fortifications a part of the terms of the Peace of Utrecht In 1713. The English repeated this demand at the Peace of Paris in 1763. In 1793 the English forces under the Duke of York laid a determined but unsuccessful siege to the port. 1 Dunkirk Is a fortress of the first class, and It is a central point in a complex net of fortresses. Calais. Gravellnes, Bergues and Bourbourg form a triangle of strongholds, with Dunkirk at the apex, whose fronts protect the coast and the approach from Belgium. A chain of forts stretches east from Dunkirk to cover the movements of a defending army. These'forts are, surrounded and crossed by an Intricate system of canals and water surfaces, and to strengthen them the whole surrounding country can be inundated. The water detenses make this line all but Impregnable. With alt the dune country awash, and dominated by powerful batteries, the port of Dun kirk offers a difficult military problem. The port Is situated ln the depart ment of Nord, 155 miles north of Paris and 28 miles northeast of Calais. It is 53 miles northwest of Lille, one of tha great French Industrial towns back of tne uerman lines, uumuae, on tna German front, is scarcely more than 20 miles away. The surrounding coun try is low, broken by sand ridges, fer tile in stretches, cut In all directions by canals, and, in general, terribly mo notonous. The city before the war had a well-to-do population of 38,000. The harbor is highly improved, consisting of a number of inner basins and great floating docks in the roadstead, where the largest ships are handled. m m w Dunkirk contested third place upon the French list of port? hotly with Bordeaux. Its excellent canal and railway connections linked it with the manufacturing centers of Belgium and Northern France. The coal lands or Nord and Pas-de-Calais, the rich agri cultural districts of Flanders and Artois. and the humming factory towns of Lille. Roubaix. Valenciennes. Armen- tieres and" Tourcolng poured their sur pluses Into this city in times of peace. It did an annual Import and export trade to the value of $150,000,000. shipping sugar, coal, cereals, wool, forage, cement, textiles and Iron man ufactures, phosphates, tools, machinery and vegetables. It had growing textile and steel industries. It maintained communication with the chief ports of the United Kingdom, with New York, ports of South America and the Orient, and imported wool. Jute, flax, petro leum, cotton, timber, metal ores and chemical products. Its herring and cod fisheries were Important. Altogether, the famous old fortress was forging to the front among great, commercial seaports, when the disastrous world war broke, which has halted Its busi ness and again centered the military attention of the world upon it MORE PUBLICITY FOR SCHOOLS Children Are Most Important Farm Crop, but Papers Negiect iiicm. PORTLAND, Aug. 11. (To the Edi tor.) It is a hopeful sign to see so many good editorials on school affairs in The Oregonian, and to see others taking up the discussion, as on the subject of school examinations. The questions that particularly need treat ment in this way. however, are those that must be decided by the patrons and not by the teacher, and especially those in regard to rural schools. If one- eighth of the material on school and neighborhood Improvement that is given to the teachers through educa tional journals, institutes .ana normal schools, could be given to the people directly through the daily and agri cultural papers, many of the things we are still struggling for would have been accomplished long ago. It is not enough to say that tna teachers should bring these subjects before the people in Parent-Teachers' meetings. The teachers need an tne heln thv can get. as so many ot mem are young. Inexperienced, and utterly unused to getting questions ueiure mo public, and Mr. Churchill himself says that all educational reform must start fmm tha tor. and work downward. We keep saying that the boys and girls are the most important crop raised on the farm, yet the farm paper has a page devoted to cows and their barns, another to pigs and their pens, and so on through every branch of farm activity, except that the page de voted to the child and his school is lacking. The farm paper abounds in information on hog cholera, silos, and state inspection of dairies and herds, but is silent on adenoids, cross-lights and medical inspection of schools. It seems to me that here Is a wonderful chance for both the farm papers and the educational leaders to do a great work for the rural schools if they could only get together. 'How many farm papers would run such a page if educators would write for It? Let us hear from others on the best way to carry on a publicity campaign for the Improvement of th schools of Oregon. J. W. SMITH. Going Uver the House We are nearlng the season when we go over the house, with critical eye. Furniture must be repaired, per haps a new rug bought, or new cur tains provided. A little touch here or there gives a room new brightness, and adds sweetness to the word home. Judicious choosing will help both ln satisfaction and purse. And judicious choosing means buying with knowledge, which again suggests the help the advertising columns of The Oregonian give to those with'problenis in their hands.