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ar- ecreat.
KTU1D. TX rJ-t. Al.tT fa.
Mr. Taft baa undergone a mrtamur
thopi. The people did not under
stand Mr. Taft aji prwHnt. probably
brue hi purpose and actions were
mLlctrrprted to them by powerful
aatannialU: voice Which had the
tubiio tar. Mr. Taft did not thn
appaar lo bav the faculty of getting
la tuna with the reoplc.
Hut now the real Taft 1 revealed
lo the worl.i: and ho haa done tt ail
himself. Probably It U because he
l.a free from the rrstruir.ta of hUh
efftc4. and apak for htmaclf only,
out of a full mind and a rtpa xpri
enca. It U unqurtlonably the truth
that ho haa drtached himself entirety
from any political movement, or frm
n ihouaht of personal ambition
and he pea It a what ha thlnka and
a-ofs where he plcaaes. and doea ex
actly what he Ukea to d. all In hl
own free wav and all with a due I
peel t hu dutla aa a citizen and
tha ob;iKitiuns and proprieliea that
leet up"n him aa an ex-prealdent.
If ITeatiieot Taft wa denied
place In the public affection. Mr. Taft
haa found It. Ther La a bond of Teal
avmoathr between him and the
Am.rlcan public. It U became Mr.
Teft la frnulnety himself a reat
cltnen. ttr l:ty IdraLa. and well
coajt'lered opinions, and the courace
and ability t pra thejn.
111 tmr.R.U WltM Kit.
Kuasl' Io tf Kig.. Vilna and
Breat-Litovak belca; already amonc the
early p.tbt!tne. the question arises
how far can the Uermana aareiy con'
ttniie their advance Intct lha heart of
Huia. When this question la raised,
memories of N-ipolron'a retreat from
Moscow ar Inevitably recalled, and
tha su stion is made that the Ger
mans micht meet disaster similar to
tils.
But con.lltlons now are radlcatly dif
ferent frura those which prevailed In
H1I. To beitln lth. the German
have welt-dUclpllned troops of their
own nationality whoa hearts are. In
the causa and who are flushed with a
aerie of cttrie. Only one-third of
.Napoleon's army w.ts French, the
ether two-ihtrle betnr anwilllnc con
tineents drawn from the countries he
had conquered. Napoleon had to de
pend on horses lo carry supplies, and
early In his advance dle4ea swept
a,4ay a Utrce proportion of them. Hta
Intellectual powers were beflnntnc to
fall, and hi plana wera foiled by his
failure to drive his General to that
out. kn-.-j! of movement which had
been a main element In hi succe-wrs.
Of the battle of Porodtno the Kncy
elpdta llrltarnlca fa):
Till abot a.i-1'tar ha f -lloar lha eouraa
f tna a.-ti.'O !' M a.rtaaa. Ihott
tm a-'laar t- fcava t a aaavxfna lt a tt-"4
t an.t a..tfa4 ha niarabaie to liabl
7 Iwmjvittt.
The camr-ai.cn was so badty conduct
ed that when the army reached Vi
tebsk, halfway to Moscow. It had al
ready lost one-third of Its strenKth.
fcvery attempt to cut off the IJuselan
armies failed and they hung on the
French flank, harassinic the Invaders
but avoid ins; pitched battles. The army
waa alr.'avly tlemxrallxed before the re
treat ban. and' the Hrttannlca at
tribute It subsequent dln-isters to
"utter want of march discipline" and
not to "climatic condltlona." The re
treat havin bearun after a French de
feat on October H. that authority says:
ActraMy tt;a fret caitia Uur than ttatjal
that .r. tsrt.rf-r CT. an.t Int weather aa
a.y a-.l bra-tn. a.'t tilt N-wtm -r S il-l
t.ta r at atant b.-ma liiarp Kv ajbaa
ta Ita'-aina a r-a.-h-l n ,omt4r S'k
1a c..l ia fr frum arra. t.r tiia Uar
and luh iir.im aaa not frjn 4r. a
la preaU frr t.-a fa-t that r a l-wnfri
4ra-l tn l'ia aatar a:l Ihrauah thai
tarr;..;a la'. I'it tha yrrnoh arm a aa at
la.ir r.jint''a'.i put ? hanl. and tha dr-Si-a
la hl- h irt panic S a cro4 eta
maarar an lha tr"n-'at IwatlPMM of tha
ln.u.Uk ta aaua l. tha c-r.l u. t t lha
ftaai'lta h rrv!H oar l.a trilia.
tr-Jira hm.traU ndarf..C WM;jt all tha
r. ner waa i.i tr.lau:a. ana
lr:."inta.l mtt ro.1- MckjrJt H1 forwafia
a rnaa it.
Contract this, story with the modern
mean of communication and the ad
mirable tem of btinarlnc up supplies
at the command of the Germans, as
shown by the foltowlr.e; Interview with
General von Ituclow:
In time whan a rallwaa la fcelrc bvtlt a
rr' a hahui't t.ta a4taatirt lulvi. w haa
aEha:t ri'a.ia mw. aa It a are. out of lha
eart.i. wh-tt tho-oaanta wt Bi.itoe locnea ara
r.nM hh;n-l ua. r ai.'h airatee art ba
afraclaa. Tha bread, whtrh evir aoi.tl-ra eat
l.!ar at WmUai a a baM In P' u yaa-trf-ae.
W a drinW t'errr.an mineral l'f
mr-i eat freart maat tlirert rr m li-rlta. and
can bai:4 a ra4 It r.caaaarj Jlflr ml. a
Ivnf In t U . oa w haa m-an pt
r .nnurkaiLoft ba a mu Improvad II
la RfNlM tn araak af tha lae aad
atratev 'f Ntpilrwa,
When the Kuaatans are clear of the
eul de sac formed by Toland between
Fast t'ruaala and Gallcta and ara In
thair main terrttcry. they may be able
to make a better stand aralnat the in
vadem. If the latter extend their lines
r.crthward ar.d southward, they may
t capped t- local mishap from ar
mies advancln from remote regions,
but aeroplanes can rive warnlnf of
such attacks and the railroad which
the German build as they advance
wilt enable them to reinforce any dan
ger point. The aJvance may be slow
ard deliberate, but the German course
in far Indicate that the occupation of
the country and the protection of
fanka an.1 of communications will be
thorouih. If t liiwuri fltht aa
t.ey re-.reat. If they rain time to or
caciae new armies and to brine up
f Tea ri artillerv. ammunition and par
twu'.arlT aircraft, to their aid. and If
t!e allies be tin such a morous ofTen-s-ve
In the wewt and south aa to cause
eMverston of Grman troop, they may
t able to stop the advance and to re
sjme the offenaive. But e are not
1 KtTy to see a repetition of the over
aahs'mlrc d.ter which befetl Napo
leon In I'll
.
GTe Fitch, the writer, who d.ed
t other dat. U reaplrs; a little- of
fie p.-na;komou lorr tt-at oaually
rniH t writers who have conttib-tita-J
har.e.r tf rot aerfnu thonfht to
ts readirt world- Newspaper edl-e
tors aad maraaine writers, not to men.
Uon contrtbotora. ara pavsstnt; prale
upon tha author of tha tUwasn storlea
and other noted bit of American hu
mor. In fcla home. Peoria. III.. Mr.
Fitch waa mora than a newspaper ed
itor and funny man; be waa a legis
lator and active In public affairs of
different aorta. Many who knee blm
lean Intimately, however, will remain
bar blm aa a writer of natural atyla
with tv clean and human appeal.
rrATK-s good ortxiox.
T a im. ma m mOTw aewapapaTe puM 'ahed
ewtefcne af pvatk CoaMttv aew appiaaaj la tea
ibr.a'.eae4 ra.a.1 la k Cooau. A reader
ad aal ba ary iBteiiarlual la datarmlee
that aeartv all af them ara aps-ai.d In tha
r-. a M aajr lima W aaiBbUa Ia4epam4eac
atBllac.
Tha people of Polk County of
course; will conduct their affairs to suit
themselves: but Is It a matter of bo
moment to them that twoacore or
more newspapers have mora than a
caaaiDC Interest In them and are
unanimous In the opinion that the
thing which soma people In that coun
ty desire to do ought pot to be done?
It la tha opinion of The uregonian
that no recall of a public officer.
elected by tha suffrage of tha peo
ple. Is justified, except for grave rea
sons of public policy. Undoubtedly.
proven dishonesty warrants the recall.
or notorious moral delinquencies: or
demonstrated Incompetency affecting
vitally tha public Interests; or preju
dicial favoritism for one or another
Interest. But It la foolish to recall, or
attempt to recall, any public official
over any question of mere administra
tive detail. That Is what most at
tempted recalla are. except those other
recalls which are Inspired by motives
of personal revenge or factional, sec
tional, or political resentment.
Polk County ought not to be insen
sible to the fact that the people of
Oregon aa a rule rejoice greatly when
a recall, anywhere within a city or
county, fall.
MAX'S STRIFE WITH NATt RK.
In view of the new disaster at Gal
veston some of our contemporaries are
expressing surprise that the people of
that city should have returned to
their homes and rebuilt their stores
after the terrible experience of IS
years ago. In the great storm tOOO
lives were lost and property beyond
computation swept away, btill hope
prevailed over despair. A great sea
wall was built to keep out the devour
ing waves, a reformed city government
was supposed to reinforce the provi
sions against destructive nature, and
for a time all went well. But now
the old experience I repeated. Na
ture scorns tha feeble efforts of man
to withstand her power at Galveston,
as elsewhere. We may predlclt. how
ever, that no disaster, be It ever so
terrible, will cause the people of Gal
veston to fon-aka their city. They
will return again and again, continu
ally believing, or trying to believe, that
for the future all will go well. v hen
San Francisco was laid low by earth
quake and fire It was predicted by
soma that the site of tha city wouiq
be abandoned, but liuitcad of that the
fallen edifices were rebuilt on a
grander scale and 8an Francisco now
alts smilingly and confident for wnat
the future may bring forth.
The cities and towna around the base
of Mount Vesuvius have been dev.
astated by volcanic fires a hun
dred times. But over the graves of
their dead retatlvea the peasunls erect
new cottages and till the fields where
he ashen strata have written the his-
torv of ruin century after century. Na
ture has hsrdly succeeded yet In driv
ing man from any abode whore he hu
lived long enough to form a home ana
rear a family. It is said by historians
that the secular drying up of the re
gions of western and central Asia
caused great migrations in former
centuries. If they are right nbout it
climate seems lo be more effectual
nan volcanoes, storms and earth
quakes. It 1 certain that the pro
rrrsslve descent of the great glacial
ap to the southward at about tne
line when man first appeared on
earth drove him and all other living
creatures out of their ancient haunts
and forced all lire to seek warmth
and food In the tropics.
As long as tha soil and climate of
a-tven region afford sustenance to
man he will continue to dwell there
and take whatever risks nature may
Impose upon him for the privilege.
Every advantageous business site nas
been Inhabited until the course oi
trade turned population elsewhere.
Dollars ran outdo nature many times
over In directing the tides of popula
tion. We may rest perfectly conn-
dent that no storms from the Gulf
and no loss of life or property will
cause Galveston to be forsaken. As
long as It remains a good site for busi
ness It will ba a great and growing
city. In time the works or man will
probably stand firm against the onset
of nature's wrath and the place will
become as safe as it Is desirable In
other ways.
SNAKES.
A Pennsylvania physician. Dr. A.
Surface, has rashly offered a hundred
dollars to sny person who can prove
that there 1 such a thing as a hoop
nakr. Years ago we could easily have
won that hundred dollars, for we knew
many a boy of unblemished truthful
ness a ho had seen hoop snakes rolling
along the road. The reptiles, as every
body knows, were supplied with deadly
venom. When they ran Into a person
It was always with the head, and the
blow was fatal. Cures had been tried
by the hundred, but they were all of
no use. Everybody struck by a hoop
snake dies, and that Is the end of It.
Big trees are also pointed out by the
learned which have been blighted. like
the tig tree In the Bible, by mere con
tact with a hoop snake. Boys In all
parts of the country are perfectly fa
miliar with the ways and looks of thta
venomoua reptile, though It Is only the
luckiest who have been favored to see
one. The glass snake Is another dead
ly creature whose existence the skep
tical Dr. Surface probably questions,
though there are tons of evidence
for it.
It Is useless to try to prove anything
to some people. They acquire the
habit of doubting at school or In the
ctssectir.g room ar.d never can break
themselves of It- One of our esteemed
contemporaries has a subscriber who
brought a piece of a glass snake Into
the omce the other day. It wa picked
up after the repttle had been shattered
by a blow and before It could reunite
with the rt and run down a hole.
The hair snake 1 another curiosity of
natural history familiar to boya. It Is
produced In warm, shallow pools. Tou
throw In a horsehair and let It lis for
ten days. At the end of that time you
will find It changed Into a snake. Such
transformations are frequent In com
mon life, much aa they are ridiculed
by silence. For Instance, did you ever
notice the water which Is alwavs found
at the bottom of a cask of gao!tr.e?
Tou might Imagine that it was mixed
with the gasoline In tha first place and
had gradually settled to the bottom,
but that isn't so. The truth Is that
gasoline has a bad habit of turning
Into water, and will always do so if
you let it stand even a little while.
We have not noticed any water turn
ing Into gasoline yet. but probably It
would if It stood long enough. Per-
hap soma of our readers hare wit
nessed this latter miracle. If they
have, will they kindly favor Tbs Ore
gon tan with an account of it?
The lore of snakes, to return to our
subiect. Is far mora extensive and ex
citing than dull scientists ara disposed
to admit. The most Interesting mem
bers of the family, such as sea ser
pents and snakes that live In boots,
they have never discovered at alL But
one would have supposed that, with
all their blindness, they would have
observed by this time and described In
their books the snake In the grass.
They never have, however. Science Is
very proud of Its achievements, even
haughty sometimes, but compared
with what every boy knows about
snakes, its knowledge 1 ridiculously
limited.
VtHKKS TAUEXT FAIL.
Tha Ideal Is not always desirable
hen It Is unmixed with the practical.
Like ground so rich that the plant goes
sll to wonderful foliage and little or
none to fruit or bulb, la the man today
who converts his talents too much In
one direction.
The business man of today Is paying
his specialist a high wage not alone
because he is a specialist In any one
line, but because he Is a specialist In
one line, with nis penectea taienis
leavened with a certain amount of
common sense and practical acumen.
The salesman who can sell thou
sands of dollars' worth of stuff a year
because he Is a good mixer, a fluent
talker and a thorough believer in his
wares, but who spends exorbitant sums
In so doing. Is little or no better than
the man who sells less at proportionate
expense.
One meets every day the painter.
orator, lawyer or agent who Is brilliant
along one line of endeavor. Yet he
lives In a garret, eats sparingly, wears
shabby clothes and is often out of
work. On the other hand, his appar
ently less-talented coworker .Is always
eating, wears good clothes ana is al
ways at work. It Is sare to say tne
Ideally accomplished worker of the
two Is less happy.
Hypnotists and psychologists nnd
the majority of us unevenly balanced.
Those of us who are not, they say, are
mere slicks. The happy and fortunate
one is he who is unevenly osianccu
when It comes to talent and sagacity,
but who carries a ballast of common
sense with which to keep on an even
keel while pursuing the stormy sea of
a workaday life.
IS FKAt g XOW POSMBLE?
All the world is discussing
proposal of peace to Kusala. evidently
emanating from Germany. The latter
country has replied to the Pope's plea
for peace that It Is ready to connlder
overtures from the enemy, on wnai
lerma would each of the two parties
make peace at this time, and Is It
probable or even possible that they
can be brought Into agreement :
The overtures said to have been
made by Germany through the King
of Denmark were addressed to Russia
alone. Their motive Is. obvious to
detach one member from the quad
ruple alliance in order to leave the
Austro-German armies free to combat
the other three. To accomplish this
end. Germany and Austria' could
afford to be generous. They could
take the Cxar at his word as to auton
omy for Poland, could Join him In
restoring the Pollh kingdom to con
sist of Russian Poland. Qallcla and
some parts of Polish Russia and could
restore all the conquered territory on
the Baltic.
Would Russia accept these terms?
Russia has been defeated in war be
fore, but has never ceded territory.
In ISO 7 Napoleon defeated Alexan
der I. but was glad to make him an
ally. In 1812, when Napoleon was in
Moscow, he made proposals of peace
w hich meant division of the world De
tween France and Russia, but they
were rejected. Russia was beaten In
the Crimean War. but lost no terri
tory thereby. Beaten again In Man
churia. Russia only gave up what was
never Russia's. That nation has never
In recent times ceded territory after
defeat, but has suffered only checks to
aggrandizement.
What would be the consequences to
Russia If the Czar now made peace?
Enmity of her present allies, with
whom she would break faith and
whom the Muscovite Empire would
abandon to their fate In a war which
Russia began. France entered It to
help Russia and Britain to help both,
using Belgium as a good pretext for
doing what vital Interest prompted.
Abandonment of position as pro
tector of the Slav race and of the
Balkan states In particular, to protect
one of which Serbia Russia began
the war and which state would in that
case be left open to the vengeance of
Austria.
Loss of hope that Constantinople
and the gateway to the warm sea
would become Russia's, when F"rance
and Britain are fighting to present
it to her. Should Russia desert the
Western powers and should they con
tinue and win the war without her,
they would dispose of the Dardanelles
and Constantinople on such terms as
would forever close that gateway to
her and they would partition Turkey
among themselves and any of the
Balkan states which Join them, block,
lng Russian advance southward.
There ara two conditions under
which Russia might make peace at
this time. One Is the capture or
destruction of tha field armies and
impotence to organise hew ones in
time to stop complete subjugation.
The other is that the Slav empire
might go over bodily to the side of the
Teutons and form an alliance with
them. The conflict of Interests and
ambitions Is such that the latter con
tingency may be dismissed as impossi
ble. As to the former, it may happen,
but each day's events reduces Its prob
ability. The army Is not caught In
the Wsrsaw trap and Is still fighting
and In places repelling the enemy.
If the Cxar. the Grand Dukes
and the bureaucracy were Inclined to
make peace, they would-have the Rus
sian people to reckon with. for. as
Samuel O. Bbthe explains In the Sat
urday Evening Post, the people have
made this their war and the Duma has
taken In hand the provision of muni
tions for the army. Any move for
peace before Russia was hopelessly
crushed would mean a revolution far
more serious than that which followed
the Manchurlan defeats. The gov
erning class knows this and would
not acknowledge fnal defeat by
making peace until all hope was gone.
(tome suggest that Russia may make
peace In anger because her allies haws
not done enough to relieve the pr
sure upon her. France has been
doing about all she can. and this
complaint applies chiefly to Britain.
But the latter 'has killed German
ocean commerce, kept the sea open
for the allies. Joined France In a war
against Turkey, of which Russia will
be the chief beneficiary in case it
succeeds, and organized an army
estimated at . 000. 000 men. which is
now taking the field. Britain has
been slow In providing war munitions,
but Russia has been more so. If
Russia were to abandon the allies, a
contest of recriminations would ensue
compared with which that following
tha declarations of war would be
uninteresting.
But Germany's overtures may be
Intended as the prelude to peace all
around. . At present the Empire Is In
a good position to make favorable
terms of peace. The Kaiser can be
generous, but still return to Berlin
with great spoils. His armies occupy
practically all of Poland ana t'our-
land. nearly all of Belgium, one-twentieth
of French territory. Including
one-eleventh of French population.
About 300 square miles of Alsace Is
all the German territory occupied by
the allies in Europe. As to the colo
nies, all are lost except Camerun and
East Africa, and these are In danger.
but Germany could well afford to give
up the richest of her colonlea.to gain
Antwerp. Were Germany and Austria
to offer the cession of Russian Poland,
Gallcla and some of Prussian Poland
to a new kingdom of Poland, the evac
uation of all French territory, the ad
mission of Belgium to the German
federation as an autonomous state, the
independence of Serbia and the free
dom of the Dardanelles, in exchange
for return of her colonies, with some
material additions, she would consider j
the offer generous.
Should Germany add the restoration
of Belgian Independence with a guar-
anty of neutrality, these terms would
about restore the condition prevailing
before the war. and the allies might
accept, but they would do so only for
certain reasons closely resembling
those of Germany. The latter coun
try finds It has more enemies to fight
than it can thoroughly defeat at one
time. The allies find that Germany
and Austria are amply ready, while
among themselves France and Italy
alone are yet fully equipped. Ger
many may desire peace, but only for
the purpose of making a new align
ment of powers more favorable to her
success In a future war. The allies
may desire peace, but only that they
may be better prepared for the next
war. Peace would no sooner be made
in the present situation than the arma
ment race would be resumed with re
newed frenxy. Britain would probably
adoDt comDUlsory military service and
would enlarge her navy. All of the
allies would provide for manufacture
of war munitions within their own
borders on an Immense 'scale.
Russia Is defeated, but not Anally
beaten. France has definitely blocked
further Invasion of the republic. Brit
ain Is Just putting her new army in
the field. Is Just beginning to produce
munitions on the required scale, and Is
Just beginning really to fight with all
of the empire's great power. The two
latter nations are on the aggressive
against Turkey and have slowly gained
ground at great cost, Italy is com
paratively fresh in the fight and is
making slow headway. On the other
hand, Austria has won against Russia
only when the bulk of .the Gorman
army fought beside the Austrian le
gions, and has suffered terrible losses.
Germany haa lost one-third of her ef
fective men. Turkey Is stubbornly
fighting a losing battle, cut off from
allies and from the supplies they might
furnish. There is possibility of aid
coming to the anti-Teuton allies, but
not to the Teutons, from the Balkan
States: the best the Teutons con hope
is that those states will remain neu
tral. These being the sentiments and pur
poses of the nations at war and this
being the present military situation, it
is easy to conceive why Germany may
have offered the olive branch of peace,
but it is not easy to conceive why the
enemies of Germany should accept it
on any terms which Germany would
grant.
Japs In Seattle are forming labor
unions, but they can not outstrip the
individual Chinaman In standing for
the minimum scale. The Celestial sets
his price, and "no likee, no takee."
The Japs have much to learn.
Henry Ford would better stick to
manufacturing and keep out of the
campaign against "preparedness." His
nroDosed tractor is Just the thing to
vanlt a machine-gun around a battle
field. George H. Himes, who has been
keeping books in this country since
the records were started, can tell of
hotter days when people did not have
the present-day aids to comfort.
Somebody has stated the system re
quires five pints of liquid a day to
avoid rheumatism and other Ills. Now
Is the time to stock up and keep the
yearly average right.
Another prosperous Oregon farmer
who retired a year ago from active
life has died. Transition from bard
work to ease is bound to bring results.
Great Britain Is now teaching Its
recruits to cook. She has been a long
time learning that the company cook
Is the true patriot.
Twenty-five deaths a day from
starvation in Mexico City are just
twenty-five too many on this Ameri
can continent.
The form of "legality" -observed by
the party that lynched Frank did not
contain the Important feature of poll
ing the Jury. .
Bondsmen of criminals who Jump
their bail exhibit sublime nerve in
asking for the forfeited money.
The bar programme today does not
Include "bowls of suds." though the
weather Is more than favorable.
A man or woman can be a perfect
Christian and sprinkle out of hours
and days.
One of the showers that are swamp
ing Missouri would be welcome here.
In the midst of all the luncheons.
Is Judge Taft getting a square meal?
Who was It promised relief from
this hot epell?
A big' stump can make a
lot of
smoke.
a"iA weathg tcie cook.
mm awwaaawasssan wnwa - nJlVJE aTJ-Ca 1 sTa -Uij ' - - - I ,
European War Primer
Br -National Geographical Soeiey.
BUILT up around the deep pocket
of the Kleler Foehrde, a narrow
arm of the Baltic Sea that cuts it
way back into the province of Hol
atein, the old city of Kiel lies, well
shielded from all hostile attack and
fleet, either upon the open ocean or
upon the inland sea. This ancient port
city is headquarters for German sea
strength, the first naval station of the
empire, the point from which the or
ders have been issued directing the
duel between the ships of the Kaiser
and the fleet of Britain.
The great war-habor of Kiel is. one
of the finest and roost powerfully pro
tected harbors in the world. The sea
arm, whose base is inclosed by the
port, has a narrow entrance and a long,
irregular surface. The entrance and
the strategic points along the bank are
heavily fortified. Fort Falkenstein and
Fort Btosch guard the narrow, about
JVi miles above the town. Flanking ttu;
northern termination of the new Kiel
suburbs, the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal, a
triumph of patience and engineering,
cuts its way into the sheltered bay.
Br means of this canal Kiel is in close
communication with the North Sea, and
units of the Kaiser's navy can be trans
ferred rapidly and safely from the war
theater of the open ocean to that of
the Baltic
The Kaiser Wilhelm Canal, or the
Baltic shin canal, is the product of an
idea which ripened through centuries.
Projects for connecting the Baltic and
North seas by a water route through
the northern peninsula, which should
avoid the dangerous voyage around
Jutland, were considered spasmodically
from 1300 on, but it remained to the
military necessities of a great empire
to bring about the realization of this
advantageous waterway for trade. Any
number of bashful beginnings of the
projected way were made before the
construction of the present canal was
undertaken by the first German Em
peror. Kaiser Wilhelm I laid the foun
dation stone of the canal in 1SS7, and
the costly avenue was formally de
clared open by the present Emperor In
1895. The original canal has been ex
tensively improved.
The canal crosses the peninsula, from
Holtenau, Just beyond the northern sub
urbs of Kiel, to the Brunsbuettel, at
the mouth of the Elbe, at sea level, the
locks at either end merely serving to
neutralize the tides. It is 60 miles
long, with a depth of more than 30
feet and a width sufficient to pass the
largest men-of-war. A steamer takes
between eight and nine hours to pass
through the canal, thus bringing the
advance German naval base at Heli
goland within easy reach of the Kiel
headquarters. The whole way at night
is lighted by electricity. The first cost
of the Baltic ship canal was :t9,000.
000. Other millions have been expended
In Its improvement. Regular steamer
excursion service was maintained here
before the war. but the voyage offered
little of interest beside steep banks and
here and there spiritless scenery.
Great imperial decks, arsenals and
navy-yards are located at Kiel, as are
also Admiralty headquarters and the
Imperial Naval Academy. Foreigners
were not admitted to the docks and
yards. Many thousands of visitors reg
ularly attended the iKeler WOch (Kiel
week), the great German regatta, held
each year during the latter part of
June. This regatta was an event of
first Importance in the world of inter
national sport, and yachts from all na
tions interested in water sports were
annually entered in its famous races.
The yacht Hohenzollern, housing the
Eniperor and the imperial family,
builded each year the central point of
the gay, rich, cosmopolitan throng of
sportsmen.
Kiel Is one of the oldest towns in
Holsteln. The older parts of the town
are badly built, having twisting, nar
row, indifferently paved streets and be
ing flanked by gnarled, time-tortured
buildings. The new town, however, is
filled with handsome structures, and Is
well planned. The city has grown In
every way, industrially, commercially,
socially, artistically, since becoming
naval headquarters for the empire and
of the great sport event upon the Ger
man sport calendar.
I'TTEIIASICES THAT ARE TREASON
Education of Xatarallzed titlxena Seen
as Duty of Xevt-apnpera.
ALBANY. Or.. Aug. 21 (To the Edi
tor.) It occurs to me that the great
daily newspapers of the United State's
should at once by means of their edi
torial columns, educate our foreign
born population, especially those who
have become naturalized or sworn al
legiance to the United States, that It is
their highest duty to remain loyal and
faithful first and always to the Govern
ment of the United States. My ances
tors settled in North Carolina and in
New York before the Revolutionary
war, and helped to thrash the British
red coats, and I naturally would protest
against treasonable utterances made by
people in this country against the
United States. Why are people of for
eign birth who have sworn allegiance
to the United States permitted to gather
together and denounce the Government
of the United States, and openly de
clare that If it came to a war between
the United States and a country across
the Atlantic that they will do all they
can against the United States? Is this
not high treason? Is there no person,
tribunal or department where a loyal
citizen may lodge complaint against
such treasonable clttzens, and cause
them to realize that the Government
of their adoption the United States
demands loyalty from her citizens foi
the blessed privileges accorded to men
in this country.
I insist that my friends of foreign
birth who have made all the property
ever possessed by them in thiB land of
the free, remember that citizens of this
country should not fight for kings or
emperors, nor plan what they will do
against the United States if we should
go to war with the nation of their
birth. GEORGE WILLIAM WRIGHT.
Germans Carried Array by Spirit.
PORTLAND, Aug. 82. (To the Edi
tor.) Having read the report of the
money Germany spends, for the pur
pose of influencing the American mind
in a pro-German way, 1 give you a
few interesting facts about it. Prior
to the war, the Bohemian Athletic So.
clety had a meet at the capital of
Moravia, Brunn. Germans, in order to
crush them, sent for all students avail
able from Insbrunk, Vienna and other
big towns. Some were paid their ex
penses. They also hired a lot of hood
lums to start a riot and did every
condemnable trick. The police were on
their side because the Courthouse is in
the hand of such a ring there. They
had sticks and clubs and yelled.
some remarks being obscene, or
at least, very Immoral. They tore
the badges, worn by women and
men from their coats simply be
cause they wanted to predomi
nate in that country which is not
theirs by any means. You don't need to
take my word for it. but get the news
papers from Moravia, from June 27 to
July 10. When the parade started,
with about 20 bands, each club carried
its banner - and the people shouted
"Long Live Bohemia, etc." The Ger
mans could not stand it any longer, and
thev made such an anti-Bohemian
demonstration that they broke all the
glass In the well-known buildings.
The State Gendarmes had to repulse
the German side with their bayonets.
SUBSCRIBER.
Those Oseer Girls.
Chicago Tribune.
He When you accepted Mr. Much
gold did you mention our engagement?
She Of course not. We promised
each other to keep it secret, didn't we?
Jaka IV. Kllaarorth Sara We Blast
Real lac Ve Fan Condition.
PENDLETON. Or.. Aug. 21. (To the
Editor.) The hue and cry about race
betterment may be timely, but there
are limitations to eugenics. Grover
Cleveland's words apply in this matter.
In that we face "a condition, .not a
theory."
There la no absolute perfection in all
nature or the human race, and never
can be. In that we can advance to a
certain degree, or hold our own in
human nerfection eocenics is useful.
That's tha theory. The condition Is that
we are all, more or less Imperfect "chil-.
dren of the dust"
Human passions, radical human frail
tics, numberless blows by time and fate,
mishaps in life produce an endless chain
of perfect mprtals. All sorts and con
ditions of men enjoy "life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness." and all are
entitled to a place under the sun.
Some folk assert we should not eat
meat. The Bible outlines how meat
should be eaten, and advises its use.
Dr. Kellogg, great eugenist, head of the
Battle Creek. Mich., Adventist Sani
tarium, the largest In the world, is
"agin" the use of meat for food, the
Bible to the contrary, notwithstanding.
I stand withHhe Bible. Likewise, many
folk, like Dr. Kellogg, have pet fads
and fancies. It is to be hoped eugenics
will not omit the essential element of
compassion and brotherly love, and will
not develop too many hobby riders. A
good thing intrinsically. It may easily
be made not practical.
Eugenists can never ignore the fact
that the Creator intended that all his
human children, including the more or
less imperfect, to have the right to life,
and hanDiness.
Christ healed the lame, halt and
blind. Latter day healers, scientific
students, educators of varied ilks, will
solve the problems of race betterment,
without trying vainly to crush human
longings and aspirations, and that, too,
without mutilation of the human form
divine.
The "good book" tells us "there is
not one that doeth good, no, not one,"
or, in effect, that all mortals fall short
of perfection. Yet all belong In the
scheme of life. It is intended by the
Maker that we should unceasingly
strive, which, if we were mortally per
fect, would be Impossible to do.
Let us not forget, as expressed by my
long dead mother, friend and adviser of
Joaquin Miller, "poet of the Sierras,"
that
The lofty mountain and the lowly vale
Each has In the wondrous whole a part.
Nor doth either nearer than the other reach
Toward his great heart.
The time is approaching when science
will find the remedy to cure all forms
of bodi,Iy disease. Meanwhile, as in the
joyful day ahead, mortals will marry
and thus be as happy as conditions
allow.
Speaking of race betterment. Father
O'Hara, of Portland, spoke by the book
when he said, i believe in education,
but not by the knife." There is room,
and to spare, In the wide world for
all, good, bad and indifferent. "Each
has in the wondrous whole a part."
The Roman Emperor, Caesar, Peter
the Great, of Russia, and Napoleon
Bonapart, each of use to the world,
was imperfect personally. All of them
had epilepsy, or common "fits." At the
zenith of his power. Napoleon weighed
only 115 pounds. Lord Byron had a
club foot and fierce temper; yet his
poetry is beautiful and valuable. Sir
Walter Scott, who gave us his immor
tal novels and poetry, would have never
written a line had be bowed to bodily
pain, as he himself states. The South
ern statesman and Vice-President of the
Confederate States, was a semi-invalid.
Robert Burns was almost a drunkard.
Oliver Ellsworth, third Chief Justice of
the United States, who did much in the
wording of the American Constitution,
though strong bodily, was a slave to
tobacco snuff. John C. Heenan, the
giant American "Benicla boy," world
champion pugilist, died like a frail
woman, while in his prime, on board a
Union Pacific Railroad train, from
bleeding from the lungs. George Wash
ington, father of his country and of
modern freedom, had imperfections of
body and temperament. From the high
to the lowly, similar examples of
human Imperfection are without limit.
JOHN W. ELLSWORTH.
A Pair of Twins.
SEAVIEW, Wash., Aug. 21. (To the
Editor.) Is the expression, "pair of
twins," meaning two children, correct?
Does it mean four children? E. A. T.
This question presents a technical
argument, but certainly in ordinary
and accepted usage "a par of twins"
means a set of twins; two twin chil
dren, as differentiated from a pair of
children of different ages, characteris
tics, etc. In this sense the expression
merely means a pair of children, twins
to each other. One might speak of
two twins, meaning one twin of a set
six years old and one of another set
four years old, In which case they
would be merely two children and not
a "pair" in the better sense of pair.
The word "twins" merejy defines the
kind of a pair. It is reasonable, there
fore, to speak of a pair of twins mean
ing a pair of twin children, and to take
the expression to mean four children
would be unusual at least. There is, of
course, an element of redundancy evi
dent, but undoubtedly "pair" In this
sense means "set." To go further, one
could speak of a gathering containing
three or four twins, but no one twin
would be a twin to any one other pres
ent. In the accepted sense, then, it
would be impossible to get a "pair" ot
twins out of the entire lot, Just aa It
would be impossible to get a pair of
gloves or anything else out of a col
lection, of one glove, one shoe, one cuff
button and one trouser leg. It is not
strictly necessary to say a pair of
twins any more than It is to say a
pair of spectacles or trousers, but or
dinarily one would not be more confus
ing than the other. The Oregonlan would
not hesitate to say "pair of twins,"
meaning two. if the expression added
to the frace, variety or clearness of
what it was attempting to say.
England's Delay Aggravates.
TIMBER, Or., Aug. 22. (To the Edi
tor.) In these days of German victories
on land and sea, one often wonders
where the English men-of-war are
keeping themselves. The Germans are
forcing the entrance to Riga and ham
mering the Russians to pieces. Why
Is it that the English don't get in the
Baltic with their navy and help the
poor Russians? It looks like England is
afraid to risk anything, while her al
lies are trying to put up a hopeless
fight. Please give your readers a truo
writing up on the subject and oblige
a constant SUBSCRIBER.
Madaaee Jomelll.
PORTLAND, Aug. 22. (To the Ed
itor.) Kindly give me this Informa
tion regarding Madame Jomelll, the
grand opera star:
(1) How is her name pronounced?
(2) Her nationality?
(3) Married or single?
(4) Any relatives In this city?
E. R. L.
(1) Yomelll. "
(2) French.
(3) Married.
(1) Yes.
Bonght Two Tickets.
' New Tork Globe.'
Mazie Artie, where are we going
on our honeymoon? ,
Artie Around the world. darling.
They are going to give it in seven reels
at tha uMAer picture show.
Twenty-Five Years Ago
From Tha Oresonlan of August 14. 1S1.
Ex-Governor Chadwick was In the
city yesterday.
Livingston, Mont., Aug. 23. A ranch
er living 20 miles west of here, named
Qulnn. today killed his wife and five
children with an ax. Qulnn was killed
by one of the men who tried to arrest
him, in eelf-defense.
Melbourne. Aug. 23. The trade
unions here are voting large sums in
the suDDOrt of the strikers in the ship
ping trade. As a result of the strike
20 ships are lying Idle in tne naroor.
"Life In a Great City" will be the
attraction at Cordrays Theater next
week.
Sarah Bernhardt is writing the story
of ber life. If ehe is as frank and
exact as Count Tolstoi. "The Kreutzer
Sonata" will be forgotten in the rush
for the book.
A very enjoyable surprise party was
given Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Day on
Wednesday evening at their home, 427
S. street, the occasion being the first
anniversary of their wedding day.
Games and dancing were enjoyed until
a late hour.
William Ladd Joined his brother,
Wesley, and sister, Mrs. H. J. Corbett,
at the Tioga Hotel on Tuesday.
Bert Farrell returned on the Potter
Friday from a 10 days' camping trip
at Seaview.
Vice-President W. H. Holcomb, of the
Union Pacific, accompanied by General
Manaecr McNeil and Superintendent
Crocker, left yesterday In a special car
to make a tour of the lines of the com
pany in this division.
Half a Century Ago
From The -Oregonlan ol August 24. 1S5.
A trial was recently made in London
of a new Ironclad. It is a steam gun
boat which can be taken to pieces and
may be removed from place to place in
a wagon. It is said to be ball-proof,
draws but three feet of water and car
ries a battery of rifled guns in a space
where 40 gunners as well as the guns
are protected. The trial was very sat
isfactory. The election In Idaho Territory, as
far as heard from, has gone "Demo
cratic." This was expected. Missouri
outlaws and soldiers from Price's army
swelled the "Democratic" vote and gave
the party its majority.
Today General Ashley and Colonel
Frothingham will .leave Portland by
the steamer Rival, on a visit to the
capital. They will also visit the San-
tiam mining regions, U time ana oppor
tunity will permit them to do so.
New Orleans, Aug. 5 The Galveston
Bulletin of August 4 says yellow fever
was prevailing to a considerable ex
tent at Havana and the proportion of
deaths was unusual.
New York, Aug. 8. The receipts of
Internal revenue yesterday were one
and one-quarter millions. The Treas
ury has enough funds to pay all the
Indebtedness of the Army.
The steamer Orizaba carried for the
Victoria "market last evening about
250 boxes of assorted fruit and 200
gunnies "of hams and bacon. For San
Francisco the freight amounted to 11
cases merchandise, 27 boxes eggs, a
Quantity of green and dried hides and
several bales of wool.
San Francisco, Aug. 23. The receipts
at the mint today amounted to 673 de
posits, making 19,000 ounces, all in
dust, and valued at about $285,000. A
large proportion of it came from the
northern mines by the Sierra Nevada'.
SAVE SOUTH rROM HER "FRIENDS"
Trade Journal Point Out What Embar
go Against England Would Mean.
(From Tha Cotton and Cotton Oil New.
Dallas. Texas.)
Some of the people who are profess
ing friendship for the Southern cotton
planters are agitating for an embargo
against England. The design is to
prohibit the export of war munitions
and food products to England in order
to coerce England into permitting the
export of cotton to neutral ports.
The Columbia State, one of the
strongest papers in the cotton states,
takes a sane view of the situation. It
"The German and Austrian cotton
factories have 16,300,000 spindles and
Turkey has none.
"The factories of Great Britain,
France, Italy, Russia and Japan (al
lies in this war) have 79,525,000 spin
dles, of which 66,000,000 are British.
"It follows that, were the Germans
in control of the seas, they could and
doubtless would confine the market for
American cotton to about one-fifth of
the spindles that it is confined to by
the allies.
"However oppressive, therefore,
British Interference with American ex
portation of cotton may be, it is clear
that the South is fortunate in that the
interference is not by the Germans
and Ausrians."
The Baltimore Sun says:
if the Germans, instead of the Eng
lish, had control of the seas, asks tha
State, does anyone believe that she
would open the gates to American
cotton bound for British, French, Ital
ian and Russian ports? Does the con
duct of Germany In this war lead to
such a conclusion? Therefore, the
State is of the opinion that the South
had better be content with the present
market than run the risk of losing all
foreign markets by attempts at coer
cion. Pronunciation of Mezzanine.
LA GRANDE. Or.. Aug. 21. (To the
Editor.) To settle a dispute please
publish the correct pronunciation of the
word mezzanine. I notice that authori
ties differ. W R. UNDERWOOD.
It is correct to pronounce mezzanine
either: Mez-a-nin (last syllable with
short "1" as in pin): or, mez-a-nen
(last syllable with sound of long "e"
or neen). The accent is on the first
syllable.
He Had Seen the Look.
Evening World.
Wife (at 2 A. M.) Wake up, John;
wake up! There's a burglar in the next
room.
Husband (sleepily) Well; I've no re
volver. You go in and look daggers
at him.
The High Cost of Living
Each family pays J60 more for
living expenses than it did ten years.
ago.
The greater part of this increase
goes into the higher cost of food
products.
War and hard times have not
materially checked the upward tendency-
This financial barometer gives a
very Important reason why people
should bay intelligently.
Proper selection of time, place
and merchandise frequently means
lessened prices.
Towards this latter solution the
advertising columns of The Orego
nian point the way.
They give the Information that
leads to intelligent buying.