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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1916)
10 TIIE MORNING OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1916. POUTLAM). OREGON. Entered st Portland (Oregon) Poatofflce as second-class ma,!! matter. Subscription rates Invariably in advance B V Mall.l Dally, Sunday Included, one year 8-99 Dally Sunday Included, six months. . laily. Sunday included, three months. Dally, Sunday Included, one mozua... Dally, without Sunday, one year Dally, without Sunday, three months. Daily, without Sunday, one month Weekly, one year fciunday, one year. ................. fcunday and Weekly (By Carrier.) Pally, Sunday Included, one year Daily, Sunday Included, one month... flow to Kemir Send DOstotflce 4.25 i.25 .. .75 .. 6.00 .. 1.75 .. .60 .. 1.50 .. 2.50 . . a. so .. 9.00 .. .73 money order, express order or personal check on Srour local h;inlc. Rtamna. coin or currency are at sender's risk. Oive postofflce address in full, including county and state. Postage Kates 12 to IS pages, 1 cent: 18 to 22 pages, 2 cents; 34 to 48 pages, 3 cents; 60 to lto pages, 4 cents; 62 to 7J pages. 5 cents; 78 to 82 pages, cents. Foreign post age, double rutes. Kastrrn BunLness Office Verree & Conk" Jin. Brunowi'.k building. New York; Verree & Conklln, Slegtr building, Chicago. San Krancl&co representative, R. J. Bidwell, 742 Market street. POBTLA.VD, FRIDAY. DECEMBER 8, 1916. THE BRITISH CABINET CRISIS. The fall of Premier Asquith Is the result of a demand from the British people for more vigorous prosecution of the war, for an end to blundering and to shielding of the blunderers. They have evidently come to the con clusion that, whatever be Mr. As quith's merits as a peace statesman, he has failed as a war statesman, and that many of his associates have failed with him. Mr. Asquith's failure is due to his Inability or refusal to recognize that the emergencies of war demand that a ruler be ready to cast aside all hab its, customs, traditions and opinions which interfere with successful prose cution of the war, and that all consid erations must be subordinate to mili tary ends. From the outset he acted on the assumption that criticism of his acts called for defense, as though It were Inspired by political rather than patriotic motives. He was sur rounded by a bureaucratic, or pluto cratic, office-holding class which made a god of precedent, red tape and all the other folderol which gathers around an ancient governmental ma chine. This class could not get out of its rut, could not speed up and could not assimilate and act upon new ideas. When his own and his asso ciates shortcomings became apparent, he defended instead of mending. He denied that munition makers were slack. When the need of explosive Hhells became apparent, he again de nied and tried to punish the newspa per which published the truth. When criticism rose to a storm, he tried to silence it by taking the critics into partnership In the government. He has not been a leader. The people have driven him to take every for ward step in organizing the nation for war. They drove him to reluctant adoption of conscription, to employ scientists in devising new engines, of war, to enlarge the contraband list, to make the blockade more efficient, to establish the munitions ministry, to defend the country against Zeppelin raids, to investigate the costly fiascos at Gallipoli and Kut, to intern enemy residents, to root out German interest from British business, to arrange con certed trade measures among the al lies. Not one of these measures was initiated in the Cabinet: all were urged on the Cabinet from outside and adopted reluctantly after much urg ing. Refusal of the Premiership by Mr. Bonar Law and acceptance of the of. fice by Mr. Lloyd George accord with the logic of the situation. Mr. Lloyd George has been the one strong, driv ing force of the government. He al ready had the confidence of the Brit ish democracy; the most remarkable tribute to his ability and character is the extent to which the Conservatives, who were formerly bitterly hostile to him, have rallied to his support. His influence with the labor unions in duced them to suspend their restrict ive rules, to accept conscription and to throw their whole energies into the war. He has been most frank in warn ing the people that all their resources must be used in order to win and in confessing that Britain has always been too late. He has .been most un compromising in his declarations that the war must be fought to a knock out. He permits no considerations of birth, rank or wealth to Interfere with the one main purpose, Along with Mr. Asquith will go Mr. Balfour, a Premier emeritus who is wedded to old ways; Viscount Grey, whose altruistic diplomacy drove Bul garia into open and Greece into covert enmity and contributed in large meas ure to the crushing of Serbia, Monte negro and Roumania; Lord Lans- downe, who prevented conciliation of . ....... xreia.nu vy ueieating tne compromise which Mr. Lloyd George had arranged oetween Mr. Redmond and Sir Edward "lau"' r. eveuua. who nas oeen "CUUUUT ,ior reluctance to arive . " " "-" maumauurera out of British business and for mildness in interning enemy residents. The new Premier is likely to take his colleagues from what is known as the "ginger group" of both the Liberal and Unionist parties, which demands more ginger in the prosecution of the war. He may have been deprived of the support of the Labor party by his plain talk about union restrictions on munition output and by union oppo sition to conscription, of which he was one of the first advocates, but he may yet conciliate it. The Irish Nationalists have been driven into op position by the severe measures adopted after the Sinn Fein rebellion and by the failure of the home-rule compromise, but they may be won over by the revival of that scheme with Unionist consent. Among Mr. Lloyd . George's col leagues are likely to be Mr. Bonar I -aw, who has stood with him rn his efforts to move the Cabinet to greater energy; the Earl of Derby, whose re cruiting campaign was a wonderful feat in a last attempt. to avoid con scription; Sir Edward ' Carson, who left the Cabinet to show disapproval of the Balkan blunders; possibly Lord Montague, who Is the foremost cham pion of an air service given equal rank with the navy and army. While the new Cabinet promises to be a coalition of elements drawn from both of the main parties which ex isted before the war, it will not be a coalition in the same sense as was its predecessor. That Cabinet took in all elements with the scarcely veiled pur pose of silencing criticism. It had no organized opposition, and that, sup posed source of strength promoted its downfall. The new Cabinet marks the formation of new parties advocating opposing policies in dealing with the war. It will have a strong opposition, possibly Including the Nationalist and Laborites, and in any case composed "of those Unionists and Liberals who etlU adhere to Mr, Asquith and Mr. Balfour. The war has obliterated old party lines by pushing into the back ground old party Issues. Until it is ended, at least, there will be a new alignment on questions of war policy. By ceaseless, intelligent criticism the new opposition may prove a source of strength to the new Cabinet through keeping it gingered up. It cannot hold on, as did the old coalition, by gather ing into the fold all leaders and leav ing no opposition except scattering guerillas of the rank and file; It must hold on by success. Most significant Is the presence of Mr. Bonar Law in the new Cabinet. Though now a resident of England, he is a Canadian by birth and he may be taken to voice the opinions of the colonies. The course of the war has been marked by increasing influence of Colonial statesmen in the policy of the mother country. They have earned the right to speak by pouring out the blood and money of the dominions in the cause of the empire. Premier Hughes, of Australia, was mainly in strumental in causing adoption of the plan for a trade war after the war. Both he and Premiers Borden, of Canada, and Massey, of New Zealand, have been unflinching in their ap proval of the Lloyd George policy of war to a knockout. They have dared to tell unpleasant truths, and have been liked the better for it. The dream of imperial federation hasbeen brought much nearer realization by their action. Mr. Lloyd George has an oppor tunity unequaled in the history of the British Empire. He may become, like Carnot, of the first French revolution, the organizer of victory. The circum stances under which he assumes con trol resemble in sty vie respects those under which Carnot won fame. As I the raw levies of the French at first suffered defeat at the hands of the 1 Invaders, so have the allies been de- feated in war and diplomacy in East- ern Europe. As Carnofs genius equipped the French for a long series of victories, so may the new British Premier turn" the tide in favor of the allies. He Is not a trained soldier like Carndt, but he has shown great genius as an organizer, as a leader in rallying the people to the cause, and In devo- tion to a 6ingle purpose, to accomplish I which he overrides every -obstacle. MAKE LINEN IN OREGON. The growing of flax in the "Willam ette Valley is already a proved suc cess. Notwithstanding the difficul ties encountered at the State Peniten tiury in preparing the fiber for mar ket, the practicability of growing it has been proved at Salem. More com plete success has been had at Eugene with the aid of the Chambers of Com merce of that city and Portland. But we should not be content to grow flax for sale to factories in other states and other countries; the linen industry should be established in Ore gon to use Oregon flax. A good be ginning has been made at manufactur- g Oregon wool into cloth in Oregon; the same course should be followed with flax. One of the large centers of the linen industry has been Belgium, a large part of whose population has been scattered in exile. Skilled labor can be provided by promoting the immigration of some of those refugees, if the law does not interpose serious obstacles. Another great linen center is Ulster, in Ireland, and skilled work men may be obtained thence, if the British government is not too rigid in preventing emigration. Capital will come more readily if assured of skilled labor as well as raw material. MAKING TOTS IN AMERICA. Toymakers of the United States have increased their business bv S10.- 000,000 in the past, year, as direct I consequence of the European war. Heretofore a chief center of the play- thing industry has been in Bavaria, arawn irom tne mountains tnrougn whose people are this year devoting Plqeshtl and Bucharest to the Dan all their enersrv to th e-rim business ube. The Russo-Roumanian force of fighting and making munitions. American manufacturers say they have so firm a grip on the new busi ness that it never can slip away. Santa Claus the American Santa Claus may be said in truth to have northward in order to escape envelop moved across the Atlantic and, if the ment between the latter force and the prophets know what thev art talkine main Teuton army, which has taken about, he lias come to stav. The new American industry has which has been holding the bridge and been built up, oddly enough, by first that which has abandoned the. cap abandoning any effort to compete ltal have one line of retreat north with tovmakintr in its old form. The ward the railroad which runs from substitutes now being put on the mar- ket have little resemblance tos the Noak's arks, the wooden soldiers and the sliced animals of former times. The new toy takes the form of a me chanical appliance, in many instances. and its popularity may be a good augury for the industrial future of the young American. Something more than mere amusement is extracted i from it. I tm naw j rtt t. : I -. LVO C. 3 UVyiXlg LUC1I i share toward incrcasine- thA rr,st f living. The day when Johnnv was satisfied with half a dollar's worth of knlckknacks on Christmas has gone, perhaps forever. It is not at all dif- ncult to spend $25 or $50 on a boy nowadays, and it is needless to tell the observing parent that by no means all of the money thus expended goes for purposes the utility of which can. be traced w-ith any degree of certainty. Still, we are boys only once in a life time, as we are so often reminded and youth will be served, in this as in other respects. So long as Willie Smith gets his skyscraper and his automobile for Christmas, Johnny Jones must not be blamed if he in- sists that Santa Claus shall not dis- criminate. In a great democracy such as ours, it is unthinkable that class dillnctions should be permitted, to sour the gladsome season of good-will, wicci tLiiu duidvuani giving. OUR ACCUMXIATING, WEALTH. After exceeding half a billion dol- Iars a month during August and Sep- tember. the exports of the United States again fell below that mark in October. The total was $490.613;2S0 against $515,007,408 in September, Imports increased from $164,038,614 success. Attention will now be con in September to $176,423,897 in Octo- fined probably to extrication of the ber. This decrease in exports and army from the trap which the Teu increase in imports brought about a tons have set for it and to the forma decrease in the trade balance from tion of a defensive line for the pro- $350,968,794 to $314,189,383. If the totals Tor October should only be maintained In November, and De- cember, the prospert is that the trade balance for the year will considerably exceed $3,000,000,000. On this basis, exports ior 1310 wuuia oe J5,i;;,i5z,- 193, imports would be $2,360,446,359 and the trade balance would be $3,- 061,905,834, the latter figure com - paring with $1,778,596,796 in 1915. For the ten months ending October) 31 there was an increase in every class of imports, but it was largest in crude materials, being over $300,000,- 000. There was an increase of over $6,000,000 in crude foodstuffs, $47,- 000,000 in manufactured foodstuffs, nearly $119,000,000 in partly manu- factured goods and $45,000,000 in completed manufactures. The great bulk of the Increase in exports was In manufactured goods, namely, more than $1,600,000,000. If, as now seems probable, the war should continue for two more years, the United States is likely to add an other $6,000,000,000 .to its accumu lated wealth. This vast sum would more than offset all the remaining American securities held abroad and would definitely establish' this Nation as a creditor of all the rest of the world, with an immense balance in its favor. IJET DEMON DIE IX PEACE. With a confidence in the legal knowledge of The Oregonian that can not be otherwise than pleasing to a modest newspaper, a correspondent writes as follows: PORTLAND Dec. 7. (To the Editor.) Z am "one who believes that the will of the people should be obeyed. The people have by their votes prohibited Importation of In toxicating liquors for beverage purposes. Yet apparently by the flat of prosecutors and police, importations for beverage purposes are to continue under the limitations of the old law until the Legislature adopts a new law. It seems to me to be common sense that the bone-dry amendment, repealing as it does any laws in conflict with It, repeals that portion of the Legislative act which permits importations for beverage purposes in limited quantities. Is this not true, and cannot The Oregonian suggest some way to enforce the constitutional amendment? The Oregonian would npt set itself up as an authority superior to the Attorney-General or District Attorney in interpretation of law. Moreover, from the dry standpoint, it is better to ac cept the rulings of those officials with becoming humility and confidence. There is an inhibition 1n the consti tution against sale of lottery tickets. The present prohibition legislation would' be "comparable to a statute making it a misdemeanor to sell more than twenty-four lottery tickets in any consecutive twenty-eight days but saying nothing about the sale of one or two tickets. So far as we are aware, no parallel law has ever been passed upon by the courts, but our research for son!ething of the kind has not been prolonged. Whether the courts would hold it to be a subter- fuge to permit violation of the con- stitution makes interesting specula- tion, in view of the fact that to de- clare such a law void would seeming- Iy leave the constitutional provision without supporting enactments of any sort. If that portion of the legislative enactment which by implication per mits importation for beverage pur poses in limited quantities is uncon stitutional, the penalties for exceed ing the limit probably fall with it. In that event one might import a carload of liquors, acklowdege they were for beverage purposes, admit that he was violating the constitution and impudently ask the authorities what they were going to do about it. But half ,a loaf is universally ac knowledged to be better than none. Nobody is likely to offer himself as possible sacrifice to determine whether the Attorney-General is right or wrong on this phase of the pro hibition law. Inasmuch as the im porters seem to be content, those who dispute the right to import would bet ter accept the situation gracefully un til the Legislature meets. If the in terpretation given the law by the authorities Js not sound, then a ruling to that effect would probably bring the whole prohibition structure turn bling down. TIIE CAPTURE OP BUCHAREST AND AFTER. Capture of Bucharest by the Aus- tro-German armies puts almost the whole of Southern Roumania, con stituting the old principality of Wal lachia, in their hands. The Teutons now hold all of Western Roumania oetween xne uanuoe niver on me south and the Transylvania Alps on tne north, as far eastward as a line which has been holding the western approach to the Chernavoda bridge across the Danube against the Ger man-Bulgarian army in the Dobrudja will probably be forced to retreat he capital. Both the Roumanian force Fateshti, in the bend of the Danub but in order to reach that line the Bucharest army must hold the road which runs eastward to the latter town. The territory already occupied by the - Teutons embraces a stretch of 190 miles from east to west and 120 miles from north to south. They have to go 100 miles farther east in order I to close the gap between their present I n o of a II CO JLII (1 the Dobrudi'a. - They now control the entire course of th Danube except the part extend ing from Hirsova, some 25 miles below Chernavoda, to the mouths. The ter ritory they hold includes more than half .of the great grain and fruit fields of Roumania and the valuable oil field around Ploeshti. They have captured a large part of the grain crP. though much has doubtless been destroyed or carried north into Molda via. This year's crop was 20,350,000 bushels of wheat, 27,500,000 bushels of barley and 27.500,000 bushels of oats. This will form a welcome ad dition to the food supply of the cen- tral empires and they will have at their disposal the entire crop of this territory so long as they occupy It. Their power of endurance has been proportionately increasea. The Roumanians seem to have made one unsuccessful stand after another in the expectation that Russian as sistance would come in time to enable fhm rt K9 vt "P. 1 1 ri :i rput Hnr thnr ns- slstance has been limited to a force 1 which was insufficient to recover the Chernavoda bridge and the railroad to I Constanza and to an offensive in the Carpathians forming the western foundary of Roumania and Bukowlna, which has met with relatively slight tection of Moldavia and the mouths of I the Danube. Such a line may be I found to run from the Busau Pass, In the angle where the Carpathians bend sharply from a north and south to an east and west course, down the Busau 1 Kiver to .l; ran a on tne uanube, a short distance above the point where the river makes the final bend to the 1 east before emptying into the Black Sea. The Busau River is paralleled by a railroad, which runs through Braila to Galatz, and thence to Bender, I Klchinev and Odessa In Russia. Two I other railroads run north through I Moldavia, one turning east from Jassv to Kichinev and the other west to I Czernowltz, In Bukowina, which is held by the Russians. These lines af I ford means for Russian reinforcements I to advance for the defense of the passes, of the Busau line and of the Danube delta. The aim of the Teutons would seem now to be to drive eastward from the passes and northward through Molda via and the Dobrudja. Success in this move would relieve Transylvania from danger. More important still, it would give them command of the entire Danube to its mouth, and would put them in position to send subma- rines and destroyers down the river into the Black Sea. It would also bring them to the Russian frontier only 100 miles from Odessa, the prin cipal Black Sea port. It is of great importance to the Russians to, hold the Danube delta, lest Teuton vessels deprive them of control of the Black Sea and lest the great grain stores of Odessa fall into the enemy's hands. Production of foxes for their skins has reached a high state of develop ment on Prince Edward's Island, where it is estimated that $30,000,000 is invested in fox ranches, and prices for single skins t have reached $1500 this season. But it is said that few ranches have paid dividends in the past two years, notwithstanding the high prices received. Leading Ameri- can fur buyers who have recently I visited the island have commended I the ranch-bred product, as compared with- the wild fox, and larger pur- I chases than formerly have been made I in view of the increased buying ca- pacity of Americans who have recent- ly profited by the boom in the muni- tions industries in Eastern states. 1 Nevertheless, fox breeders have been I compelled to adopt measures to safe- guard the future of the industry and have adopted the catch-phrase. "Breed, weed and feed," which could be heeded with advantage by others than fox ranchers. The principles of eugenics are to be ruthlessly ap plied and inferior foxes are doomed to early death. Investigators of the high cost of living continue to advance at fre quent Intervals the "marketing " by mail" idea as one of the remedies guaranteed to eliminate the much- abused middleman and procure for the consumer the necessaries and the good things of life at a theoretical fraction of their present cost. One of the neglected phases of this depart ment of study, however, is the ques tion of credits and guarantees, and this must receive attention before the marketing-by-mail plan has any chance of success on a scale of mag nitude. Middlemen as at present or ganized make the study of credits and collections an important part of their business, and even with their exceptional facilities do not escape without some loss. This will need to be taken over by the farmer who hopes to do a mail-order business of consequence. The difficulty the con sumer encounters in insuring the de livery of precisely what he orders from the farmer is another matter for solution. As astronomical events go, this month will be marked by an occur rence of great scientific importance a partial eclipse of the midnight sun- but almost no one will see it. For various reasons, connected partly with the difficulty of obtaining trans- portation, astronomers have not made preparations to view, it. The eclipse I will occur on Christmas eve and its I visibility will be confined to a small portion of the open ocean about half way between the Cape of Good Hope I and the South Pole. Only one and one-tenth per cent of the total diame ter of the sun will be obscured, and that only for a space of seventeen minutes. However, so far as rarity makes a thing valuable, the eclipse rates high, since the last occurrence of the kind was in June, 1794. Isabel McCown Brents, widow of the late Judge Brents, of Walla Walla, who died Monday, was the only daugh. ter of William McCown and wife, who crossed the plains in 1852, settling in Clackamas County, and later moving to Waitsburg, Wash. She was mar- ried to Thomas H. Brents in 1868, and she resided in Walla Walla continu ously since 1870. It was in six weeks to a day that the wife passed onward to rejoin her husband. Mrs. Brents filled a place in the community by her social and charitable endeavors that were not lessened by the duties of wife and mother. She was a real helpmate of the kind and spirit bred in womenfolk in the days when the Oregon Country was young. The determination of the fair man agers in session in this city to spend more money next year in newspaper advertising and less in "freak" ways is action along practical lines. This was shown in the success of the Ore gon State Fair last Fall. To be sure. Mr. Lea had a fair that ranked as per fect, but it needed expert service to tell the people so, and he secured It. It is rather late in the day to mention Lester J. Davis as the man who made the publicity, but it is done so now that other managers may find some body just as good and compel Mr. Lea to divide honors if they can. The New "York Herald expresses the mean suspicion that women are boy cotting eggs for no other purpose than to save money with which to buy Jewelry. It finds a connection be tween the occurrence of. the boycott and the large increase in importations of Jewelry. The Herald must be to- tally indifferent to the good will of the women. The need for signs to guide aviators may yet be met by placing a huge electric sign, "Portland," flat on the roof of one or more of our tall build ings. That will be when the air Is as thick with aircraft as it now Is with mosquitoes in Summer. The president of the American Au tomobile Association intimates that all accidents are caused by pedestrians who get in the way. There is no doubt of it. Those who escape realize the truth In the statement as soon as able to afford a car. How is it that fog, rain and snow- prevent fighting everywhere in Eu. rope except where Germany takes the offensive. Does the Kaiser stand In with the weather man? One can understand why a Tory should find it hard to serve under a Welshman, but Lloyd George and the times are different. One of the unexplainable things Is why' a man hears all sorts of noise during the night while his wife is away. The young man who figures on buying himself a marriage licenses for a Christmas gift is on the right track. Dr. Steiner Is one of the rare offi cials who possess business acumen and How to Keep Well Br Dr. W. A. Evans. Questions pertinent to hygiene, sanitation and prevention of disease. If matters of gen eral Interest, .will be answered In this col umn. Where space will not permit or tne subject Is not suitable, letter will be per sonally answered, subject to proper limita tions and where stamped addressed envelope is inclosed. Dr. Evans will not make diagnosis or prescribe for individual diseases. Re quests for such services cannot be answered. (Copyright. 1916, by Dr. W. A. Evans. Published by arrangement with the Chicago Tribune.) CONVENIENT LABORATORIES. It Is desirable that public health laboratorleabe convenient and acces sible. In the case of diphtheria time is the essence of the contract, as the lawyer would eay. If the diagnosis be made early a small dose of anti toxin will cure. If it be delayed no amount of antitoxin will cure some of the cases and 20,000 units are required to cure others. In tie diagnosis of malaria and ty- phoid the same Importance does-jiot at- tach to time. However, convenient, ac cessible laboratories spell the differ ence between haphazard guesses and accurate knowledge even in these dis- eases. Then there Is consumption. Where laboratories are inaccessible consump tives go carelessly on spitting every where and thinking they will be all right in the Spring, Tt i. nr. tnrht thnr if . diagnosis of syphilis can be made in the first d.VB of tha ,,,,-.. morith of orooet treatment will end the contagiousness of the disease except a relapse be al lowed to occur. Most states now have public healfi laboratories. All cities of size have them. Smaller places have had to do without because they felt they could not afford the expense, whatever might be the benefit. Wisconsin has a plan for these small er places. The state board ot ne&itn has provided for a series of state co operative laboratories. To each of these laboratories the state pays T500 a year to be applied to maintenance. We will say that here Is a town which feels that it cannot afford a laboratory. It makes arrangements to do the lab oratory work for a group of nearby towns for so much a year. Then it approaches the state for a grant, for the maintenance of a state co-operative laboratory. The state makes its grant when certain conditions have been met. First, the quarters and the equipment must be proper tor the work. Second, the place applying must have a whole-time healtji officer. Third, the men in charge of the lab oratory must be "competent. Fourth, the laboratory must do public health work for the country round about the town in which the laboratory is lo cated. Under this law several co-op erating laboratories have been estab llshed. Two Mild Strokes. C. G. B. writes: "Last April I-had moderate attack of paralysis. I could not raise my right hand to my head for three weeks. The symptoms gradu- ally abated, and in five weeks I was in normal condition. On October 25 1 fell bang on the floor. Two hours later I fell again. My speech was affected but the next day I was well as usual. What course la to be followed in order to avoid these attacks? I am 8 years old and saw wood and do other things daily." REPLY. Tou have had two strokes of apoplexy. both mild. Tou may not be so fortunate next time. To lessen your chances of an other stroke live as follows: Eat fruits, vegetables, bread, butter and fats. Eat I sparingly of meat, milk and eggs. 1 should say that you wilL be wise if you eat meat not oftener than twice & week. Keep your bowels regular with wheat bran eaten as a bread and as a cereal. Have your urine ex amined for lndlcan. Regulate your diet so that you do not have indlcanurla. The above methods of living- should prevent In dlcanurla. Fleart Murmur. Mrs. J. M. C. writes: "My brother, 34 years old, was refused life Insurance by a well-known old-line company be cause of a 'heart murmur.' The exam ining physician told him he had a 'good one." Naturally it made him blue. He is married and has two children, and now lie ls brooding over it to quite a degree and says he knows he will die before long. And still he smokes to excess. "1. Is this harmful? His appearance is that of a robust man appetite fine, other habits good, but still he counts on dying. Tell me, can a person live to a reasonable age under such a condi tion, or '2. Do they always die young? I try to cheer him up, but he 'won't cheer.' He has lots of insurance in two or three other companies, which he has had for I BOme time, but he wants to get more for his little family. 3. What mode of living would you suggest for him.? I am so worried about him. His health Ls really very good, with the exception of 'weak spells' occasionally, but I feel certain that Is from his smoking." REPLY. 1. Yes. 2. No. 8. I Judge that be has good compensa tion. In other words, that - his pulse is J,teaay and strong. If this 1. true be should play golf during the Bummer and do gym nasium work in the Winter. He must keep bis muscles In good tone. Of course he should stop smoking. That everybody should do. AII Rlsht. Reader writes: "Will you kindly ad vise me in regard to the following: My husband has been taking a wine glass two-thlrde full of olive oil each night before supper. He says it Is fattening. I tell him that butter and milk are much better forhlm. Since reading what you wrote about gallstones I am I rather worried. Which of us Is cor- rect? REPLY. I think we ara all right. Olive oil In large doses Is somewhat fattening. Therefore, he la right. Butter and milk are better for htm well as fattening. Therefore, you are right. Tha reason he has not been passing so- called gallstones is that he has not taken an alkaline purge along with the olive oil. Not every person who takes too much fat develops genuine gallstones, but many of them do. Popular Vote for President. PORTLAND. Dec. 7. (To the Ed itor.) Plestse, as nearly as you can, state the recent popular vote. To save any furthed bloodshed and betting. give. In figures, the majority of Mr. Wilson over Mr. Hughes. J. H. HINKLE. Only an estimate can be given at this time. The estimated figures are: Hughes, 8,100.401; Wilson, 8,563.713; Wilson's majority over Hughes, 403,312. GUARDSS1EX WAST TO RETURN Family and' Business Affair Suffer From Prolonged Absence. PORTLAND, Or., Dec. 7. (To the Editor.) The cartoon on Thanksgiving day was one of the best and most ap propriate that I have seen for some time. It has done-more to stir up an ungrateful public than anything writ- ten about the subject of -Bring the Boys Home" that I know of. and L be- ing personally interested, have kept close tab on the subject. I There are some persons who have sons or relatives (not husbands) on the border who can afford to keep them there, thinking, I suppose, that they are doing a wonderful work, but I think I am safe in estimating that sen timent at 1 per cent of the total in terested. The Guard Is kept there by the in genious and perhaps necessary device K of refusing to accept resignation or to grant discharges except on the most exceptional terms. The popularity of I iiie service is muicaiea oy tne laci lhu.ii if the resignations and discharges were iiwh ih. rs. ,ih ii h Som. neot.l nraise the sacrifice of j. .,ji.i. u v.i tno w uai u , Buum null; uie lb as bl juauj- ism: but the Guard is made up of men who m.v intni. bmc t, v their career, whnsn reiriilnT- lif la nr- spt whnsA fnmllv nnrt huainpsa n re not I adjusted to the long absence. In case of war or threatened war (such as June 18. 1916) all customs are over- thrown and National habits are thrown into a more or less chaotic state. A man leaves his home with a heart to endure any fate, which. I imagine, i patriotism. I have felt it. It is a men tal jag that wears off quickly in i peaceful pursuit of picking cactus out of your breeches under a blistering sun on the border. Many of the men originally earned large- sums of money and their fami lies were accustomed to comforts, and their problem is almost as great as those of poorer circumstances whose dependents have been ousted from their homes or sent to drudgery. This is the issue, however, and many of 'the employers in the first rush of enthusiasm agreed to continue the wages, or make up the difference be tween the Government pay and the sal- ary the soldier was getting before he went to the border. Politicians gathered around the thing under the sun, but who knows! how many, if any. have keot their nrnmkpi? SnmA of" th ihlir AmnlnvArx did for a while, but the old adage, out of sight out of mind, holds good. The I puduc ana tnose tnat represent it ao not seem to realize or are apathetic as to the sacrifices made by the families of the men on the border. Not only our own small quota, but thousands from all over the country. I returned a short time ago from the border ar.d have received my discharge from the Army. I talked to many men on the border and I know the sentiment. 1 have two letters before me, one from Troop A and one from the battery. One I says: "For God s sake, can't you peo ple do something to get us back? There have been 21 deserted from the bat tery. and three from the cavalry. Get us back before we all desert." Under the circumstances desertion is con doned by the boys. This is the sent! ment. There is one desertion I have in mind where the employer of this soldier stopped his pay the first of October. Hti wife was here. The wife tried to get a Job, but was unsuccess ful. She went to Canada to her folks He deserted. Can you blame him? 1 don't. The boys will quit serving Uncle Sam os soon as Uncle Sam will let them once and for ail under our present sys tem. There is no special agitation now on behalf of the boys on the border They were sent down there to hold the border until the regular Army was re cruited to full strength. It cost J80 for each recruit and they have stopped recruiting long ago. For what induce ments can a man In jail offer to a man outside? Some of the guardsmen toon the oaths under duress, and will -not keep them and will not obey any sum mons in the future. The Guard is gone. The answer to the question is a higher wage for the standing Army and uni versal service at the proper aire, -the Government to take care of the depend ents of those who are needy. THOMAS A. SWEENEY Of the Committee to Bring Them Back, PROPOSAL IS ABSOLUTE JUSTICE President's Railroad Policy Oregonlan's Stand Commended. DALLAS. Or., Dec. 7. (To the Edl tor.) Your editorial, "The President's Railroad Policy," in my opinion, was a candid discussion of the real issues involved in the Adamson law. What the public expects, and all that it should expect, is legitimate legal protection from the direful consequences of either a general strike on the part of railroad employes, or a lockout brought about by the railroad officials themselves. The Oregonian in expressing an "earnest hope that Congress will adopt the recommendations of the President evinces a. breadth of view which is coin- mendable in every way. It shows that this great daily, when occasion arises, can eliminate partisan bias and discuss economic and industrial questions, from the vlewnoint of the greatest good to the greatest number. The writer is not disposed to believe thnt th President had ulterior nolitical motives in view when he recommended The average consumer probably to Congress the immediate passage of never gives a thought to 15-cent col tha so-called eiirht-hour law. but that lars an advance of about 16 per cent he had in mind the irreparable f inan- rial loss n. strike or lockout would have hrmiorht iiDon the countrv at the time it was threatened last Fall. Tvi1.1 on Wllsnn now .ftrri(.':tlv nn- peals to Congress to enact into law the principle, that tne operation or tne railways of the country shall not be .tnnno.i r.r interrunted hv the concerted action of organized bodies of men until soil and keep-your-sons-on-the-farm public investigation shall have been in- movement would receive very few re stituted which shall make the whole cruits when they see that any cianc Question at issue plain for the Judg- ment of the opinion of the Nation." and . 1, n . l.crlelatlvA rmnHlK i r .nanlAil . , iv indii.tri.i i rri th Kiontrv aernlnst such rftsastroua conse- In the writer s opinion this is one ot ... . . .... the boldest and most far-reaching ap- peals for the Industrial rights of all tVi noonlA t hut has been oresentea to - ...w ' - r-onaress in recent years and he Is glad to see so influential & journal as The Oregonian holding up the Presi dent's hands. The measures proposed by the President simply mean absolute justice to the rrallroads, their em ployes and the public In general. J. T. FORD. The-President's "Grammar." PORTLAND, Dec. 7. (To the Edl tor.) The following words appear in President's Wilson's Thanksgiving proclamation: "I also urge and suggest our duty In this, our day of peace and abundance, to think In deep sympathy of the stricken peoples of the world uDon whom the curse and terror of war "has' so pitilessly fallen," etc. Is this a grammatical sentence? H. L. M. The formal grammarians probably would -lnsis't on saying. "The curse and terror of war "have so pitilessly fallen," but it is evident that the Presi dent desires to express the idea of the "curse and terror of war" as an entity, and there is a higher grammar which permits this. A parallel is found in the lines of Kipling: The tumult and the shouting dies, 9 The captains and the kings depart. Formal grammarians have criticised Kipling for this use of "dies." but other critics accept it as better literary form. Kipling seems to have had in mind the "tumult and the shouting" as a single Idea, which would not have been con veyed with nice exactness by the plural , Terft. In Other Days. Twenty-five Years Abo. From The Oregonian, December 8. 1S31. Washington. Dec 8. Crisn h hm-n nmina'ed for the Speakership on the 1Us waa 8econd. Springer thrd' McMillan. Hatch and Stevens in rdercln contest- The voting be " enaea juonaay. " , v-muM.(so iitraia savs that secre tary Morton has signed W. E. Parrott. better Known as "Jiggs," of the Port land baseball club of the Pacific North west League. It is announced In England thnr kit- Arthur Sullivan, the English composer, who has been seriously ill, has been - w"0 w"? la ld a"y- w- 8. Gil er ltbtP ;:le CaI"te they were ii in a box at the theater in London centlv enll- re- . . Fw ri ' x"f Company K. First Regiment, Oregon National Guard. ?. ."presented Adjutant-General aiitcneii at tne convention of Adiutant- p..i . , . , .... . v- ?eneral? an"? truard officers in Chicago, UH md.ae aia report. A Splendid audience STreeter! "V T Carleton and his opera company in '-The Gondoliers" at the Marquam Grand last "'sm in spite or the storm. Half a Century Aso. From The Oregonian, December 8, 1SCA. New York, Dec. 6. The World' Brownsville correspondent has Drovided particulars of General Sedgwick's move. nients in .Mexico and the occupation of Matamoras by United States troops. New York Flour is selline at 110 ta 11.15. The Walla Walla Statesman la urir- ing the construction of a telegraph line between Portland and Walla Walla. Colonel Gaston l'Artois. whom tha late San Francisco dispatches mention as having been tried for piracy, in the seizure ot the brig Basco. at Cape St. , . 7, . t"'" U"H tne California regiments and eta- """cvi A ul DLevena. -"r- MrB- c- Iey has now on exhibition a f lno collection of cloth and velvet Cloaks. PROSPECTS PL.E-4SE NAVY RECRUIT Portland Boy Finds Food Good and Op portunities Excellent. PORTLAND, Dec. 7. (To the Editor.) As there appears to be some doubt as to the possibilities for a young man in the United States Navy, I would regard it as a favor if you would kind ly publish this for the information of any men who may care to learn. Laet February I enlisted at the Navy recruiting station in this city and waa sent to the Naval training station on Yerba Buena Island, in San Francisco Bay. After a short period I was de tailed to the yeoman's school, and was taught accounting, auditing, typewrit ing, shorthand aud commercial prac tice. I attended thin school seven months and upon graduation was ap pointed a yeoman, third class, with monthly pay of 133. This does not seem large to the average civilian, but this pay is entirely clear at the end of the month -and would compare fa vorably to a position in civil life where the compensation was ?70 or ?75 per month. At this my advancement haa Just begun. If I stay an enlisted man my pay will eventually arrive at approxi-, mately $115 per month. On the other hand, I have the best opportunity to become a warrant officer, with pay which eventually arrives at close to ?4000 a year. At present I am attend- the mids.iipman's preparatory class at the training station, where higher mathematics and regular col lege courses are given to boys who wish to take the competitive examina tion for the Naval Academy at Annapo lis, where they attend for four years and become officers. In regard to the food I can truth fully say that I consider it the best and the variety is much larger than you get in almost any private home. From my personal experience I would aeavor to enter tne iavy, it not lor a vocation, then for the splendid train ing which is afforded in the Naval service. EUGENE W. COBB. 447 Marguerite Avenue. City. Will FARMERS' PRODUCTS ALO.VEt Specific Boycott Will Only Bring Trouble In Long; Run. REEDVILLE, Or., Dec. 6. (To the Fditor.) In your editorial "Who's to Blame," as I understand it, you would advocate people practicing economy in everything they use as a means to re- duce the high cost of living. I No doubt if this system would be practicel by every one in a systematic I way, it would reach the desired end. But in t.ie meantime the first consia- eration of every human being is some- thing to eat, so, naturally, t.ie high cost of roodsturrs is tne first ana usu- ally the only item considered. over former prices. Why not wear a soft shirt and boycott the collar; r.Hs would also save laundry bills, as any abie-Doaiea nousewne can launuer ton I Shirts. Boycotting farm products may give temporary renoi, "n. 1 ...ivcij react to the disadvantage of t.ie con- EUtner in tne luture. xne ua.cn.-lu-Hit- or oDtaming lair returns ior muw la promptly throttled by the city con- tnlSUmePS. it takes only a few minutes to kill I .nu. uitKu a. i.un.ncu " " 14 wo.u ' from six to 10 months before this same . I 1. 1 V. . 1 .. .-. I .. , . rrk. coma thlna. iiutnon uco' - - r applies to uairjiu. "'""'' " KC3 nly a" "uul "r l""' 1- 1 -.Kvy-.n rnni T-iT"Ci r-jrrirn na I n"11 u. j ". - I n.Aflt.K1. ; 1 1.- tunica , .ui.ta.iD Under the present methods this is likely to be the fate of many farm animals; also it must be borne in mind that the farmer Is himself a consumer, and must pay the advanced cost of everything ho uses, from a monkey wrench to a threshing machine. A system of econo my which would place the burden on every one and not on the farmer alone would be an equitable means of solv ing the solution. HENRY O. HAGO. PURPOSE OK NEW ORGANIZATION American Temperance Association Not Lluuor Interest Scheme, Say Writer. PORTLAND, Dec. 7. (To the Editor.) The Oregonian publishes a statement by Mrs. Ada Unruh, of the Women's' Prohibition Club, that the American Temperance Association is "but a part of the meshes of the liquor interests' net throughout the country." As organizer of the American Tem perance Association, will you permit me to state that it is not connected, directly or indirectly, nor does it de sire to be connected." with the "liquor interests.' if by that phrase is meant manufacturers or vendors of wine, beer or spirits. The American Temperance Association aims merely at uniting In one organization that great body of men and women who upon the licjuor question stand for individual liberty and temperance rather than for coer sion and intolerance. They do not believe in prohibition, because they consider that prohibition accords neither with Americanism nor Christianity, nor with that Golden Rule which forms the basis of all moral teaching. STUART MORROW. professional distinction. . v f