THE MORXIXG OREGOXIAN. THTJRSDAT. SEPTEMBER 2,- 1915.
PORTLAND, OEEGON.
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JOKTLAND, THURSDAY, SEPT. S, 1915.
GERMANY'S CONCESSION.
By obtaining from Germany a par
tial acknowledgment of the principle
for which he Has contended regarding
submarine warfare. President Wilson
has won a distinct and important dip
lomatic victory. By agreeing that
'liners do not try to escape or offer
ing and without safety uf the lives of
noncombHtants, provided that the
liners do not try to escape or offer
resistance," Germany by plain implica
tion disavows the sinking of both the
Lusitania, which she had defended,
end of the Arabic, concerning which
information from the commander ii
lacking.
The word "liners" is correctly con
strued In Washington to apply only to
passenger ships. The President's con
tention for the safety of noncombatants
applies also to crews on freight vessels,
and the principle at stake so clearly
covers them that we may reasonably
hope Germany will give them the same
security for their lives.
Thus by taking a firm stand in de
fense of American rights the President
lias won a victory not only for the
United States but tor all neutrals; in
deed for all noncombatants at sea,
vvhether of neutral or belligerent na
tionality. Although he has been call
ing Germany to account only for the i
slaughter of the 100 Americans who!
tlied on the Lusitania, he has, by
establishing the principle that they
should have been held safe, established
the rights of all the thousand or more
of all nationalities to have enjoyed the
same security. The same principle
covers all the hosts of unresisting pas
sengers and seamen who have been
slain by German submarines.
. It is a most notable diplomatic vic
tory.. It has been won not by weak
concession or by temporizing with -r-bitration,
as Mr. Bryan proposed, but
by a resolute assertion of American
lights, wjth a plain intimation that he
was prepared to adopt extreme meas
ures'for maintenance of those rights.
He held Germany strictly to the main
point at issue, and the German states
men, finding excuse anil evasion use
less, have finally met him frankly and
conceded all he asked. By tempered
firmness, merely pointing to the-sword,
diplomacy has won this victory with
out even an ultimatum.
The spirit which now animates Ger
man statesmen is in such marked con
trast to that which prevailed until
a few months ago that a secret revolu-
. tion must have taken place in the
policy of Berlin. Last December, Ad
miral von Tirpitz, Secretary of the
Navy, was a fire-eater and vowed to
starve England by sinking her food
ships. He is now; reported to approve
the new policy of the Foreign office.
The "liok-the-world" party seems to
have given phLce to a party of modera
tion and conciliation. Some domestic
political convulsion may explain this
change. It is known that in German
politics the militarist, landlord, cap
italist and manufacturing class are at
one extreme, opposing any peace
which docs not give the empire much
territory and big indemnities, while
at the other extreme are the Socialists,
vho oppose annexation of territory
s simply a provocation to future wars.
Peace advocates may have gained such
influence that they have won the
Jvaiser over. He may believe that
prolongation of the war can gain him
little more than he has gained and
may lose hint all that he holds of his
enemies' territory; hence now is a
propitious time to avail himself of
Mr. Wilson's standing offer to medi
ate. Removal of all causes of friction
would be a. necessary preliminary to
that step. . t
The President's diplomatic triumph
over Germany throws into stronger
relief the futility of his Mexican policy
to this time. He has failed in Mexico
by pursuing a policy the reverse of
that which has succeeded with Ger
many. With Germany he sets forth
a clear principle and conveys in diplo
matic but unmistakable terms his
readiness to maintain It by force, if
necessary. ' Ths pacifists shuddered
with horror at the possibility of war,
but he has won without shedding a
drop of blood. In Mexico he has up
held no principle consistently and has
declared that he would not use force.
"When he did resort to force, and when.
to his surprise, blood was shed, he
drew back affrighted. He has indeed
saved the lives of some American
soldiers who would have gone to Mexi
co expecting to risk their lives, but
lie has sacrificed to Mexican anarchy
the lives of scores of jyrierican citizens
who went to Mexico relying on the
protection of their Government, and
he has accomplished nothing.
The contrast leads irresistibly to the
conclusion that the best security of
peace is a resolute stand for the Na
tion's rights, and that a declaration
which is confessedly not backed by
determination to "omit no word nor
act" will bring only bloodshed and
humiliation.
TOO MANY. CHVRCHES.
The esteemed Jefferson Review
takes occasion to express some sens!
hie opinions upon the matter of vil
lage churches. It appears that Jeffer
son already has plenty of them, one
Catholic and two or more Protestant.
The Review thinks that more would
t9 superfluous, or worse. It is led
to remark upon the subject by a badly
financed project to build still another
Protestant church. It is doubtful
whether the intrusion of a new de
nomination in a town where several
are already established ever does any
permanent good. It may awaken i
transient Interest by causing conten
tion, but feeling of that nature can
hardly be called religious.
With one Protestant and one Cath
rile church. In a small town the spir
itual wants of the people can be thor
oughly satisfied, the pastors can be
well paid and the community can live
in peace. With several contending
among themselves for sparse loaves
and few fishes the life is apt to perish
from them all. The recent conference
at Eugene, as the Review reminds its
readers, spoke strongly in favor of
fewer churches and better support for
pastors. It is saddening to learn that
its counsel may not always be heeded.
RESVL.TS, -OT POST-MORTEMS, WANTED
The.Oregonian is sternly rebuked by
a contemporary because it "juggles
figures in an attempt to discredit com
mission government." The unregener
ate Oregonian, it would seem, has de
clared that the cost of commission
government in 1914 was $441,602.52
more than in 1912; but we are assured
by the newspaper voice of the present
regime that the real excess is only
$319,079.59.
The disheartened taxpayer will re
joice to learn that by a simple process
of newspaper calculation he has saved
more than $100,000. He hopes that
some day it will show up in his tax
receipt. But he can have no great
expectations under the present scheme
of things. - -
Doubtless the taxpayer' ought to be
happy to learn that the excess over the
odious and wasteful councilmanic gov
ernment is only $319,079,59, asum
ing that to be the correct figure, which
it is not. That is the price he pays
for a red-tape efficiency, over a crude
effort to get practical and inexpensive
results under the old form.
But why in these times should there
be any excess in cost of municipal
government?
why should the city government be
excused for increasing the burden of
expense by the same partisan critics
who blame the State Legislature, for
example, for -wastefulness and extrav
agance; yet the appropriations of the
recent Legislature were less by many
hundred thousand dollars than the
previous session's.
The state saves money, and the
county spends less (except for roads)
and the school tax is lower. But our
reformed and revised city administra
tion piles up the costs higher than
ever in its solemn pursuit of an "elu
sive "efficiency."
Let us have fewer post-mortems,
and more live and health-giving rem
edies for a sick and distressed taxpay
ing public.
MASEFIELIVS EARLY JOB.
Bruno's Weekly is a little paper,
"edited by Guido Bruno In his garret
on Washington Square," which tells of
things musical, theatrical and bookish
from an unconventional point of view.
It is too good to be long-lived, but
while it lasts it is likely to be inter
esting.
The number for August "1 contains
a pretty story from John Masetield s
early life before he was recognized as
a poet or anything else. Poverty drove
him to take any job he could find and
fortune led him to the Columbian
Hotel in Greenwich Village, where he
was employed to wash cuspidors and
serve drinks. The proprietor of he
hotel was, as one might have expected.
an Irishman. O'Connor was his name,
and still is, for that matter. In his
employ MasefielU worked for three
years, no doubt courting the muse
when his day's work was over. O'Con
nor is proud that he was the first to
recognize Masefield's ability. He in
terchanges letters with the poet, who
has pot forgotten his early friend
Some of the correspondence has just
been published in Vogue, and it' does
credit to the hearts of the writers.
HOPE )OK MrSICIANS.
A new theater has been opened in
New Tork which is likely to be a won
derful stimulus to American musicians.
It is the Little Thimble Theater owned
by Charles Edison. There all aspiring
musicians "will have a chance to pro
duce their works." None except pro
fessionals can truly estimate the ad
vantage this will be to composers.
Heretofore their compositions have
been jadged, not by sound, but by
their appearance on paper. New works
have been accepted or rejected, mainly
rejected before anybody on earth has
heard them performed. Managers and
publishers have theories of their own.
academic prejudices and cobwebs spun
long ago in their brains, and unless a
composition conforms to these precon
ceptions it has no charnce of a hearing.
It. dies, literally still-born. The lack
of a stage where new pieces can be
"tried out" and their merits deter
mined by an actual hearing has been
one of the blighting influences upon
American music. The Little Thimble
Theater will effect a beneficial change.
There is plenty of American music In
the minds of recluses, travelers, teach
ers. Some of it has even been written
out. But what is the use? It will for
ever remain mere ink and paper. It
will never, be heard and nobody will
know whether it is beautiful or not.
At any rate this has always been
so. But the Little Thimble Theater
promises to change matters somewhat,
rmerican music, like the American
novel, will come Into the world just
as soon as it has a chance. Our pub
lishers never have sought for geniuses
or welcomed them when they ap
peared. What they want Is the no
toriety that brings in money. Each
profitable fad is exploited to the last
penny it will produce. Every "sue
cess" in books or music has a hundred
imitators who easily find access to the
world, while original genius lies quietly
starving in the garret. It Is a pity
that some publisher does not adopt
a plan to test books by their merits
as the Little Theater will test music.
Can we doubt that there is plenty of
literary power In the United States,
and that it would give us books as
good as there are in the world if it
were not systematically smothered?
RAISE MORE HORSES.
Statistics show that we have in the
United States about 23,000,000 head
of horses, which Is more than any
other country except Russia. Russia
has about 3,000,000 more than we
have. In round numbers we have sold
300,000 head to, the countries of the
war zone the last year. An average of
$S0 a head has been received; a total
of $24,000,000, the most of which has
been left In the states west of the
Missouri River.
These horses have mostly gone to
the front and have or will be slaugh
tered. and at the same time there will
be killed perhaps ten times as many
that have been purchased nearer at
home. The war is liable to stop al
most any day it may -last a year or
more longer; but stop when it will,
there is bound to be a great shortage
of work horses in all of the European
countries when it does stop.
So it is likely that the prices of
horses will be higher after the war
than they are now and with a far
greater demand. This statement is
borne out by Colonel Holesworth, who
is in charge of the British remount
service In America. He considers that
the army demand "will last for three
years at least and that the demand af
ter the war will be far greater than
at present.
In this connection it may be re
marked that farmers as a rule are very
shortsighted in not using almost ex
clusively brood mares for their farm
work. A gentleman who recently made
a tour of the state says that he took
note of the road teams of farmers
on the trip and found practically two
thirds of the animals were geldings.
In one section he noticed during a
day's drive four farm teams made up
of mares and running with them were
twelve colts and yearlings, for the
teams were mostly of four animals.
Upon inquiry he found that every
one of the owners of these mares and
colts was prosperous, while the neigh
borhood as a. whole was not so prosper
ous. He further found that one of the
men recently had sold four head of
young horses that he had raised to Ave
years of age for $550.
With good pasture and a little hay
for the Winter, the cost of raising
colt and bringing it to maturity
is practically negligible. Of course,
there is a cost, but it comes in such
a way that the farmer scarcely feels
it. When the animal is sold it is prac
tically like finding 90 per cent of
the money.
THE EASY WAY.
The Albany Democrat is greatly irri
tated because a contemporary (the
Corvallis Gazette Times) ventured to
say that there was "nothing to show for
the watchful waiting of the President
and his Cabinet." The Albany paper,
which is frankly a partisan' supporter
of the Administration and all its works
and failures, states clearly the case for
the duty-repudiators in the following
fashion:
The United States is at peace with the
nations of. the world, her sons srt not lying
on battlefields tull of bullets, and our
country stands out as premier in the nations
of the world. Not a single honor has been
lost; but greater Is the honor. Our self
respect remains. The conduct of the Mex
icans is not pleasing; to us. nor is that of
tne countries of Europe. It is not our
business to rush in like a mastiff and stop
the countries of Europe. It Is not our
tion. It is our business to. watch and wait,
using our best Influence for peace and har
monoy among the nations of the world and
their inhabitants.
Our self-respect abides? We hope
so; we hope so. But. if it does, it is
because we are a most complaisant
and self-sufficient people. But we
wonder about the respect of the world,
which believes we have a duty toward
Mexico, and which knows we have n$t
done it? Everybody has long known
that we have assumed a virtual pro
tectorate oyer the American continent
through the Monroe Doctrine, and we
are jealous of its observance and
noisy about its violation and deter
mined upon its enforcement quite de
termined until we find that deeds, not
words, count In the world's affairs.
If it is not our business to rush into
Mexican affairs, why did we rush in at
Vera Cruz? Why did we define the
kind of government Mexico might
have, or might not have, by driving
out Huerta?
The Mexican problem is not to be
solved by ignoring it, nor by half-way
measures, nor by non-explosive ulti
mata, nor by taking in partners who
will not assume any of the obligations
of partnership, nor by pious protests
against anarchy, murder and desola
tion and all the concomitant horrors
of outlawry and banditry, nor by self-
praise and self-gratulation over our
painful efforts to take the easiest way
to do a hard task.
THE DOLLAR ENTHRONED.
The financial crisis in the Anglo-
American Exchange market is the con
sequence of that failure to look ahead
which has marked British policy ever
since the war began, and before. As
the British nation, in blind confidence
as to the health of its internal affairs.
refused to heed Lord Roberts' warn
ings by preparing to defend itself, so
it continued after war suddenly came
upon it. It neglected to take its ad
versary's measure and then to provide
means of overcoming him.
This lack of foresight is apparent in
the continued delay to adopt universal
military service, in neglect to provide
arms and equipment promptly, in re
fusal to realize the supreme import
ance of artillery and of abundant am-I
munition, in tolerance of employers
greed of profits and of workmen's
strikes and restricted production; in
the series of blunders which cost many
thousand brave men's lives on the
Dardanelles; in fact, in failure to
organize all the resources of the en
tire nation for its defense, as those of
Germany were organized.
The financial crisis is the result of
this lack of foresight. The British gov
ernment should have foreseen that the
purchase of great quantities of war
material in this country and the sim
ultaneous decrease in exports from
Great Britain to the United States
would produce an enormous trade bal
ance fa favor of the United States. It
should have known that settlement of
this balance in gold" would be im
practicable. There was some ground
to expect early in the war that sale
In the United States of American se
curities held in, Britain would balance
accounts, but this expectation long agt
proved groundless. Considerable sales
have been made, and British banks
have acquired large quantities of these
securities, as shown by the Bank of
England's shipments to this country
in support of credit established with
New York banks. But the British in
vestor is reluctant to relax his grip
on American securities. By compari
son with like investments in "war
ridden countries, and with war bonds
of those countries, they have become
more than ever attractive to him. But
there is a price at which the British
Investor will let go, and the situation
created by the British government's
lack of forethought Is beginning to
obtain that price for him. The amount
in dollars owed by Britain In the
United States so vastly exceeds the
amount In pounds owed the United
States in Britain, that the demand for
dollars is almost frantic in the ex
change market, -while theire is com
paratively little demand for pounds.
To restore the balance would require
the shipment of large amounts of gold,
or of securities payable in dollars,
from Great "Britain to the United
States, but this involves considerable
expense, especially in war-time. Amer
icans selling goods to Europe "will
take payment only in dollars In New-
York, and there are now vast amounts
of such sales, while the volume of
sales by Great Britain payable In
pounds Is small. This situation has
produced the great demand for dollar
exchange and the small demand for
sterling exchange. Hence the price
of pounds in relation to dollars has
fallen six per cent. American securi
ties being payable in dollars, their
British holder can realize a premium
of six per cent on their market prlce.
If enough of these securities were
quickly unloaded to balance the
amount Britain owes the United
States, exchange might go to a parity,
namely, $4.87 for one pound.
This process of adjustment, how
ever, is. too slow and too seriously dis
turbs the market. It causes the Brit
Uh government to pay the same prem
ium on all that it buys in this
country. If $1,000,000,000 worth of
food and munitions were bought in
America during the next six months,
and if sterling exchange continued to
be depreciated as at present, $60,000,
000 would be added to the price. The
British government could and should
have foreseen this situation. It could
probably have maintained exchange at
a parity by borrowing in this country
one-third of its $3,000,000,000 loan.
The logic of events is likely to force
upon it the sale of bonds in the United
States in order that it may have here
funds -with which' to pay for what it
buys. American bankers are not likely
to accept these bonds unless they are
payable in American dollars. In that
case we shall witness the dethrone
ment of the British pound and the en
thronement of the American dollar as
the international measure of value.
One year of war will have done what
a century of commerce failed to do.
It must not be inferred, however,
that depreciation of sterling exchange
means depreciation of British money.
The British golden sovereign is still
worth its face value, and will continue
to be so. The same statement is true
of British paper currency so long as
the ability of the Bank of England to
redeem in gold remains unshaken.
The depreciation is only in the instru
ment for converting pounds sterling
into dollars.
A committee of British and French
bankers is now on "the way to this
country to adjust exchange. This fact
alone is an evidence of New York's
supremacy as the world's money mar
ket. The most probable expedient to
be adopted is the borrowing of Ameri
can money with which to buy Ameri
can goods. If this process should be
continued on a large scale for
any length of time the balance
of invested capital would be turned in
favor of this country. It is already
in our favor as to floating capital. The
position of the United States as a
creditor Nation -would then be es
tablished beyond question.
The statement of the British Ad
miralty that it has not told all It
knows about German loss of sub
marines, suggests that it deliberately
keeps the enemy in suspense about
the fate of some of the swordfish
boats. The suspense of waiting for
a missing boat to turn may be more
wearing on Admiral von Tlrpitz's
nerves than the mournful knowledge
that it is lost. Possibly the ratio of
loss may explain Germany's readiness
for a modus Vivendi as to sea block
ades. It may also explain the ups
and downs of the submarines' score.
Sometimes several days pass without
a "kill," at other times the hits num
ber eight or "nine a day and at others
they fall to twp or three. Loss of
boats, return to port for repairs,
flights before pursuers may account
for these variations of activity.
The .Rev. W. B. Norton, of Indiana,
agrees with The Oregonian that, while
the earth "do move," it doesn't always
move ahead. To prove his point he
reminds jts that the ancients had sten
ography, elevators, flats and commu
ters, with dozens of other "modern"
improvements. He might have added
that they had war, though confessedly
they were a- little behind us in that
finest of the arts.
The plan to commemorate Eliza
beth Cady Stanton's centenary next
October should be encouraged. The
"woman's rights" movement has now
become powerful and will soon carry
all before it, but in her day it was
feeble and persecuted. Pioneers like
Elizabeth Cady Stanton had to en
dure insult and hardship to secure
rights which a younger generation
now enjoys.
One of our afternoon contemporaries
is half right about Oregon's original
code of laws. The code was based on
that of Iowa, as it says, but Judge
Matthew P. Deady did not do the bas
ing. But let us not be too particular.
It is creditable to many of our contem
poraries to be even half right.
Idaho is moving for another irriga-
gatlon project, Government aided, and
of course will get it. Meanwhile, In
Malheur County, across the Snake,
there is abundant need, but somehow
Oregon never gets these things.
Four counties of New York ship
more apples than are grown in Ore
gon and Washington, but it is the qual
ity of our fruit they cannot surpass
which brings the better prices.
The coroner of Clackamas is a mat
ter-of-fact man. He states an inquest
is not necessary in the case of the
man who committed suicide by blow
Ing himself over five acres.
There will be little objection to the
Japanese fighting the Turks; should
ambition lead them against the Ger
mans, however, they will get a finish
ing taste of real war.
The South American who Is going
to marry a Portland girl is a dutiful
son in asking permission of his par
ents. Imagine an American boy do
ing that!
Go down to Astoria, climb the star
board steps, salute the flag and tell
the Admiral, "Come aboard, sir!
Afterward you do not need to be
shown.
The ordinance proposed -by the
Mayor will make it a crime to set a
dog after a cat. However, the boy
must first be caught.
At the public market you can get
four cucumbers for 5 cents, 'but the
painkiller costs from 50 cents a bottle
upward.
The million bales of cotton wanted
by Germany might be sent by way of
Archangel.
Until the dew is a. little heavier
navigation above Oregon City will be
tedious.
Many who view the Roundup at the
big fair will think it is the real
Oregon.
In Manitoba, official grafters are
obliged to put up $50,000 bail.
There is a hard Winter
Associated Charities.
ihead of the
The straw hat needs an accelerating
h'lst.
European War Primer
By N atioaal Geosrrmphlcal Soeiey.
THE government of Minsk, whose
borders German armies are ap
proaching on three sides, north from
Kovel, east from Brest Litovsk, and
south from Vilna, forms the heart of
White Russia and one of the most
desolate regions in the European di
vision of the Tsar's empire. The gov
ernment of Vilna, half overrun by
Teutonic invaders, bounds Minsk in the
north; Grodno government bounds it
in the west, and the government of
Volhynia in the south. With the fall
of Brest Litovsk. there is no other
powerful fortress on the western line
until Bobruisk, a first-class fortress
150 miles northeast of Pinsk or 244
miles northeast of Brest Litovsk, Is
reached. This fortress lies behind the
great white Russian swamps.
Somewhat rolling and hilly In the
northwest, by far the greatest part of
the government, however, is taken up
by lowlands and marshes. These
dreary marsh stretches reach far to
the north beyond the borders of the
government, and in the south almost
to the fortress of Rovr-o, which lies
west of Galician Ltmberg. In the
west, these marsh lands reach to
Brest Litovsk, and. to the east, tho
spread into the governments of
Vitebsk, Mogllef. Smolensk, Chernigeff
and Kief. Drainage of these fever
swamps and useless sponge-lunds has
been effected to a small extent by a
system of canals and other works.
There still remain, however, great
areas where the floating land lies al-4
together waste and quite impassable.
Minsk has an area of 35.283 square
miles. The highest point in the gov
ernment, in the northwest, is found in
a narrow range of hills, which, rising
between 800 to 1000 feet, form the
divide between the Black Sea and
Baltic waters. .
The I'i'ipet River crosses the gov
ernment from west to east, draining
its swamps to the Dnieper, while the
Beresiua crosses it from north to
south, passing before the fortress,
Bobruisk, which, with the swamp
lands before, forms the central link
in the Russians' new line of defense.
The Beresina now takes the place of
the Bus. and Bobruisk that of Brest
Litovsk.
The marshes often cover hundreds
of square miles of cheerless country.
with lakes and muddy pools inter
spersed. There are many areas of
treacherous sands that go to make the
region an unusually dangerous one for
those unacquainted with the paths that
thread its labyrinth. Joined in the maze I
of peat-bog. morass. quicksand.
swamp, pond and lake are vast forests
of dense growth, cavernous and black.
These heavy forests have given the
region one of the names by which It.
s best known the Polysie. meaning
the woods." It is estimated that
swampy and morass lands take up
about 22 per cent of the government's
area, while 40 per cent of its area is
clothed with water-logged, spongy
forest land. The marshy forest trees.
while very dense, are stunted. and
consist of pine, birch and aspen.
This part of Russia, together with
the parts of White Russia that reach
beyond tne border of Minsk as part of
the marsh and swamp land, is extreme
ly poor. It is a country plagued with
malarias, other fevers and mostly use-
ess soils. The Russian Government's
work of reclamation nas greatly im
proved small sections of the country,
but most of this work remains for fu
ture accomplishment. The climate of
the land is severe. There are inade
quate means for communication, most
of the ways bclnar unmarked tracks
through the marshes. For these rea
sons, few towns of any importance
have developed in the region, which
has remained passive and unknown
beneath its poverty. The inhabitants
occupy, themselves mainly with agri
culture, and their largest city. the
capital of their government, docs not
number anywhere near a half a hun
dred thousand.
The farming population constitutes
0 per cent of tho government's 2,500,-
000 inhabitants. Racially, the popula
tion is divided into White Russians. 71
per ce-t; Poles, 12 per cent; Jews, 16
per cent. Great Russians, Tartars, Letts
and Germans. Beekeeping, hunting
nd fishing take up a large part of the
energy of the people. A considerable
commerce is also done In forest prod
ucts, timber, charcoal, wooden dishes,
pitch and bark products. There is al
most no manufacturing: only & few
sawmills, tanneries and flour mills.
The great fortress that guards the gov
ernment lies to the east, in the rear so
to speak, and not before the marsh land
in the west-
THOU SHALT NOT" CHAFES ONE
CennorMhlp Begins to Get on Public's
Serves. Writes C. H. Sholea.
PORTLAND. Aug. 31. (To the Edi
tor.) It would seem that at last the
matter of censorship had begun to get
on the public nerves. The extent to
which It has been legislated In Portland
with little protest is proof of the case
with which public opinion can be en
slaved when the method is crafty and
plausible. We are a patient, submis
sive, uncomplaining people, or some one
would have made Rome howl a long
time ago. I have been surprised at the
complacency of the inoving-picture
theaters, which have been the chief
targets of this lust for supervision and
control. jr the over-lords are per
mitted to go on at this rate, so fast
the lust for power grows by what it
feeds on, it will not be long until there
will be a censorship of authors and
artists, of newspapers, of what we shall
eat (as already to some extent of what
we may drink), and all our other oe
cupations and amusements.' Really, it
has reached the point where one feels
like forsaking the city and its. con
veniences and going to the country
where upon his own broad acres he may
live in Spartan simplicity, but free from
all officialdom but the tax-gatherer.
It is passing strange to what degree
the multitude will submit to the most
obnoxious and impertinent censorship,
when if the same were sought to be
Imposed upon an Individual there would
be such a revolution as would make
Mars himself sit up and take notice.
This whole scheme of censorship, cloth
ing a few persons with legal authority
to prescribe what we shall see and not
see. Instructing us what is moral and
what is immoral, is bad enough under
the strictest regulations, but censor
ship without appeal, whether adminis
tered by the skilled or the unskilled,
is so un-American, so repugnant to all
we have imbibed of liberty and free
dom, that it is high time we stopped to
consider whither we are drifting. When
government so runs to paternalism that
its citizens become -mere puppets of
its ruler's whims, it is a curse instead
of a blessing, and the day of reckoning
is at nana. u. j-i. iSriOLES.
When Honor Is at Stake.
PORTLAND, Aug. 31. (To the Edi
tor.) To inculcate love of country and
the flag It is necessary to start early
In life. It is distressing to see the lack
of patriotism in young children; in
fact, when, you see so little of it in th
parents can you wonder .at it? I have
heard the remark several -times "peace
at any price," and from Americans. It
maices one tiiusn lor tnem. rvo one
wants war. but If our liberty and honor
are at stake, stand up for your country
ana your nag, actend it and be a ma
OBSERVER.
Do Tou Suffer From Pianos?
(From Judge.)
Mrs. Kicker This song ad says. "Try
this on your piano." I wonder if it's
worth while?"
Kicker Get the neighbors to try it
on theirs first. If 'it does their piano
any cood. we'll see if it can cure ours.
ROOSEVEtrS WORDS TOO STRONG.
Ex-President's Implications and Attack
on Mr. Wilson Resented.
DALLAS. Or.. Aug. 30. (To the Edi
tor.) "-President Roosevelt spoke very
strongly, and I think hastily, the other
day when he said: "If, after the firing
on Sumter, President Lincoln had in a
public speech said that the believers in
the Union were too proud to fight, and
if, instead of acting, there had been
three months of admirable elocution
ary correspondence with Jefferson
Davis, by mid-Summer the friends or
the Union would have followed Horace
Greeley's advice to let erring sisters
go in peace, for peace at that day was
put above righteousness, by some mis
taken souls. Just as it is at the present
day.
"To treat elocution as a substitute
for action, to rely upon high-sounding
words unless backed by deeds. Is proof
of a mind that dwells in the realm of
shadow and shame."
This is certainly a very forcible ex
pression of opinion, but is it Just? Is
it in line with the distinguished speak
er's usually matured and judicious re- I
marks? 1 hardly think so. And though
coming from so high a source, a man of
recognized versatility, such unjust re
marks should not be permitted to go
unchallenged. Indeed, they sound more
like the injudicious animadversions of
a partisan editor seeking an undue po
litical advantage, t.Uan the judicial ex
pression of a statesman who has worn
the purple of the highest office within
the gift of a great people, air. Roose
velt is cruelly unjust, by implication at
least, when he says: "I f, after the firing
on Sumter, President Lincoln had in a
public speech said that the believers in
the Union were too proud to fight," etc.
President Wilson has never at any time
when discuss'ng our foreign relations
said thatthe American people "were
too proud to fight." He used this
phrase In a speech at Philadelphia, I
believe, but he has explained that it
was used in an altruistic sense only,
and that the subject of a possible for
eign war was not in his mind at all.
The expression may have" been unfor
tunate coming at the time it did. but
the partisan advantage to which it has
been used is still more deplorable.
One can readily understand that "to
treat elocution as a substitute for ac
tion" is inexcusable under certain con
ceivable circumstances, but that such a
contingency now exists, or that Presi
dent Wilson's diplomatic correspond
ence with Germany "is proof of a mind
that dwells in the realm of shadow and
shame" are inexcusable and "winged
words" which even the belligerent
Colonel should hesitate to use. The
President, as everybody knows, pos
sesses a judicially matured and gifted
inind which never "dwells in the realm
of shadow and shame."
The writer regards Theodore Roose
velt as one of America's most capable
and distinguished citizens, and is
sympathy with much that he has to say
about spineless "mollycoddles and col
lege sissies," and his stirring pleas for
a stronger Xavy and Army in times of
peace for defensive purposes. But the
people of this Nation do not want war
with Germany, or any other country, if
it can be avoided with honor, nor do
they demand peace at any price. First
let us be just to our own country, then
does it follow as the day does th
nighf'that we cannot bo unjust to any
country. J. T. FORD.
LAND GRANT PROBLEM IS V1EWKD
A. K. Bentley Calls Ip Other Than
Common Arguments In Case.
PORTLAND. Sept. 1. (To the Edi
tor.) I have read with much interest
the various letters, together with your
comment? on the same, which have ap
peared in your paper concerning the
Oregon & California land grant. One
thing that I have noticed in particular
is that practically all the writers as
sume that the railroad company has
nothing to say about how these lands
shall be finally divided and disposed of.
it occurs to me that as tne railroad
company has tho only title to these
lands that now exists that they will be
quite a factor In the final disposal.
Another thing that appears to be
taken for granted Is that all the lands
are agricultural In nature (which is not
true), and that all that is necessary is
to loosen the grip of the railroad com
pany and good farms will bloom at
once. '1 his -makes me wonder why it
was. and is, that the even numbered
sections which intermingle with the
railroad lands are not under cultiva-
tion at present. During many of the
years that the odd numbered sections
have been held by the railroad com
pany the even numbered sections have
been vacant Government land, open to
entry by enterprising settlers. In these
cases $2.50 per acre was neither ex
pected nor required, and less than $25
in real money, toirether with compll
ance with the homestead laws would
procure a patent. I have personally
been over many miles of the territory
and I find the even numbered sections
about as wild and uncultivated as the
odd.
I venture to say that there are not
10.000 acres of land under cultivation in
all of Oregon today that was origins
ly heavily timbered land such as the
Oregon & California lands are today
to a grest extent. The present farms
and clearing were principally open
ands along tho river and creek bot
toms, or lands on which the stand of
timber was comparatively light.
ruring the period that these railroad
lands were being offered to the public
at J.oU per acre the State of Oreiron
was selling lands at $1.25 per acre and
later at a slightly hisher figure.
1 do not own directly or indirectly
one share of stock nor am I interested
in the railroad company In any way,
nor am i an actual settler nor an an
plicant to purchase any of these lands
and should therefore qualify as a fair
juror. The railroad company has built
and operated the road for which thi
grant was made. The land was given
them as an inducement to build the
road and also as a means of financing
tne same. iney were unable to se
the lands for $2.60 per acre, or for any
Diner price at - mat time, and as
consequence used this capital in another
way, viz: Bonded the. lands and bui
the road. They have carried the bonds,
louh. me cnance or losing tneir own
capital during the early years of con
striiction and operation, and incidental
ly they have made the present Oregon
possible, and lit increasing the value of
their own holdings have increased the
vaiue ot an tne-lands or the community,
ana in view or mis tact snouid be al
lowed a nigner rate per acre than
prevauea fu years ago.
A. K. BENTLEY.
City "Dairy" Nnlnanee.
PORTLAND. Sept. 1. (To the Editor
If the Council, that passed on the new
dairy -measure, thinks it too severe to
put out city dairies entirely, they
snouia own property across the street
or alley from one In the addition on
Glenn avenue and Holman street
wnere tne man Keeps lour cows, one
horse, a dog and rabbits on a 50-foot
lot. The odor coming from said place,
on a damp or windy day. is almos
more than one can put up with. Within
50 feet of this cow shed (not dairy
barn) are five residence, including
the owner's. What voice can the public
nave in this measure, if any?
SUFFERER.
Normal School Credit.
PORTLAND. Sept. 1. (To the Ed
itor.) Can you tell me if normal
credits are excepted as college credits
at any college? STUDENTS
We presume you mean accepted 1
stead of excepted. If so, you should
w-rite to the university or college you
are expecting to enter. They -ary in
this particular. Write to the Univer
sity of Oregon at Eugene for further
information-
Twenty-Five Years Ago j
From The Oregonian. September i.lSsO.
Trades unions throughout tho coun
try celebrated Labor day yesterday in
various ways.
New York The Mail and Express ad
vocates holding the "Columbian" fair in
New York in 1S92, and says: "We need no
help in Congress. We can go on inde
pendently and so may Chicago. One
thousand miles in country is enough to
suppbrt two expositions. Let us have
a Globe Fair here in 1S92 and a World's
Fair in Chicago in 1893."
New York Henry George reached
here yesterday, after a trip around the
world.
St. Louis Two physicians here have
petitioned the Mayor to stop the nigrTt
ly religious street meetings of Mrs. M.
B. Woodworth. whose congregation
have ijrown from a few hundreds to
10.000 each night. They affirm her
power over the crowd is hypnotism.
Paris Figaro says that England has
made a proposition to the powers that
hey agree upon a federation of the
Balkan states. including Koumania.
Bulgaria. Servia. Montenegro and a.
part of Albania. Jn regard to Arme
nia the paper says Kngland will under
take an active interference until order
is restored.
The project of erecting an opera-
house at North Beach has attracted ths
nterest of Mr. Cordray, who has seen
asked to locate a temple of amusement
there.
C. A. Gove has a curious old-fash
ioned silver spoon and a coin Issued
by the Northwest Trading Company In
1820. which were found a short time
jo in an Indian grave in Oregon City.
Joseph Paquet and family returned
yesterday from an extended cuting
trip with W. gcocgan.
G. W. Cole, an attorney of St. Helens,
is visiting in the city for a few days.
He is at the St. Charles.
According to recent dispatches France
is depressed at tho prospect before her.
The Emperor of Germany has been suc
cessful thus far in his errorts to
strengthen himself by new alliances In
all courts of Europe save that of Rus
sia. The French press announces a
secret agreement which hands over t
Germany the Belgian forts immediately
on the outbreak of hostilities. Italy,
unmindful of the debt of gratitude due
France lor Solferino. which restored
her Lombardy and Venice, still remains
the ally of Austria.
Half a. Century Ago
From. The Oresonian September 1S65.
Recofrnizing the fact that the pro
prietor of Ford's Theater in Washing
ton had a legal right to resume busi
ness in the place where Lincoln was
assassinated and yet awake to the fact
that to do so would be distasteful to
the public sentiment, the Government
has done the only wise thing by rent
ing the establishment and taking pos
session of it, keeping it closed. If Con
gress has not made arrangements to
purchase the property by February I.
1866. the theater will return to Mr.
Ford. The Government took posses
sion July 24.
Raleigh, N. C. Lieutenant Hahn has
arrived here from a trip through the
northeastern part ot the state. Ho says
the people refuse to recognise the free
dom of the blacks, who are tortured
and whipped In the most fiendish man
ner. Shooting and killing of some are
not uncommon occurrences, he says.
New York News from San Domingo
announces that a revolution is going on
in the island. The capitals of other
towns have pronounced against General
Remental and declared, in favor ot Gen
eral Jose Maria Cabrfeal. naming him
protector of the republic and authoriz
ing him to take supreme command un
til a new government can be estab-
lished.
Alfred Tennyson, the poet laureate
of England, is failing very fast. He
was Just recovering from a hard attack
of throat disease, when, walking one
evening in the Isle of Wight garden
he took a severe cold. There are now
symptoms of consumption.
The proposal to build a decent thea
ter in Portland i3 meeting with much
encouragement and no doubt we will
have It in due time.
The City Council last night granted a
license to Mrs. Jano Swift to retail
liquors at her saloon on First street,
between Taylor and Salmon.
An Invitation from Messrs. White,
O'Bruen and Zieber. committee of tho
fire department, asking the Mayor and
Council to participate In the celebra
tion of the first anniversary parade of
the department, has been accepted.
What Relative Humidity Means.
PORTLAND, Aug. 22. (To the Ed
itor.) Can you tell me what is meant
by humidity in the weather reports;
thus, temperature 90, humidity 65.65,
G. C. N.
T !' : e temperature, of course, refers to
the degrees Fahrenheit to which the
mercury rises. The humidity refers to
the degree of moisture apparent to the
sight, touch or feeling, especially re
ferring to the atmosphere. In meteor
ology, absolute humidity indicates the,
amount of vapor actually in the air or
its weight in grains per cubic foot of
air. The relative humidity is of greater
importance; it is the ratio of tbe vapor
actually present In the air as compared
with the greatest amount the air pos
sibly could contain at the given tem
perature. Complete saturation of the
air is indicated by "humidity 100" and
partial saturation by smaller numbers.
Thus, above, humidity 65.65 means the
air contains 65.65 per cent of its total
capacity of vapor or moisture at tha
given temperature. This explains why
in comparatively dry atmospheres in
tense heat, while it is felt as being very
not, is not so oppressive or "sticky" as
in moister climates.
Masters' .Music At rone "Stuff."
PORTLAND. Or.. Aug. 30. (To the
Editor.) In The Oregonian .recently I
saw a letter written -by K. W. G.,
commending Mr. McElroy's band, pro
posing a larger appropriation next
year, and telling of such fine music
it provides. Just let me give another
view. Such bands "can play their in
struments all right. I know, when it
comes to real music, but such pieces
as they play for the first hour and a
half Is the limit. One lady who don't
know any more about music than a
hog on ire says to me. "Ain't that
grand?" after the crowd had ap
plauded them for some soul harrowing
screeches. I just remarked, "A coupla
of cats with their tails tied together
hung across the clothes line would
be grander sj.a some, as there was cer
tainly no music connected with
either one." They will play Dvorac,
Tchalkowski, Verdi. Donizetti and a
lot of such stuff and If the audience
can stand it will usually give a couple
of good tunes to wake them up at
the last. I say make them play what
mvslc they have at first and if any
one wants to hear the other stuff,
give it alter we are gone home.
T. C. WILSON.
r.