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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 1916)
13 TIIE 3IORXING OREGOXIAN, TUESDAY. DECEMBER 19. 1916. PORTLAND, OREGON. Entered at Portland (Oregon) Postofflce aj K-cond-class mail matter. Bubscription rates Invariably In advance, f (By Mall.) Xally. Sunday Included, one year .. . . . Ia1ly. Sunday included, six months . Daily, faundav included, three roontbi Dally, Sunday included, one month . Xally. without Sunday, one year . . . -Dally, without Sunday, three montbi Inily. without Sunday, one month . . Weekly, one year ...------------- Sunday, one ear bund&y and Weekly (By Carrier.) Dally. Sunday includled. one year . . . Daily, Sunday Included, one month . S.OO LMh 2.25 .75 6.00 1.75 .60 1.60 2.50 3.50 9.00 .75 How to Remit Send postoffice money rer. expres order or personal check on jour local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at sender s risk. Give postoffice address In full, including county and etate. Postage Rates 12 to 16 pages. 1 cent: 18 to 32 pages, cents; 34 to 48 pages. 3 cents, SO to tV pages. cents 62 to 76 pages, a cents: 78 to 82 pages. 6 cents. Foreign post age, double rates. Eastern Business Offlcei Verre & Conk lln. Brunswick building. New York; e"" A Conklln, Stenger buildJiig, Chicago, ban Kranclsco representative. R. J. Bidwell, -3vlarket street. IXkKTXAND, TUESDAY, DEC. 19, 1916. TEST WRECKS NATIONAL GUARD. There Is practical unanimity among newspapers of all shades of opinion that the National Guard has broken down as an arm of the National de fense. The Nation' no sooner tried to use the Guard than it failed. Though the mobilization order required that the Guard be brought to a war strength of 248.446. only 151.096 men were mobilized, after extraordinary efforts at recruiting. In New York, where, according to General Scott, the chief of staff, "the militia organiza tion was very much above the aver age." only 351 recruits were obtained between August 2 and September 6 at 8 cost of $40 each, "merely to get the man." Massachusetts with twenty recruiting stations enlisted only 189 tnen between August 1 and Septem ber 25. When the Guard was required to do several months' duty on the border, the fact became patent that it was not adapted for that service, its mem bers not having expected such pro longed absence from their civil oc cupations. It was held only by the Federal oath, but an oath is a poor tie by which to hold men in a service which demands not merely content ment but zeal. They refuse by thou sands to take the Federal oath which binds them to three years' service in the active Guard, three years in the reserve. Nearly 600 officers have resigned and hundreds of other resig nations are pending and it is reported that af least 40,000 of the 110,000 men on the border will refuse to take the oath. Up to November 30 three Illinois regiments had shrunk to these dimensions under the Federalized eystem: Officers. Men. first Infantry 50 175 e-ond Icfantrr 49 3C2 Eighth Infantry .'-.53 311 Total enrollment, between 2500 and 3000. Thirty officers of the Fifth New Jersey Regiment will resign as soon as they are released from border serv ice, and they say that the oath, com bined with the revelation of what burdens it imposes, will disintegrate the Guard. The reasons for this disgust with Federal service are the same as those which caused the militia to leave the country in the lurch at several critical - utages of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The militia by its very nature is unfitted for long, active service. Its members have not ar ranged their affairs so that they can l ender such service. They have to care for their families, their business and their farms. Their understanding ; of the duties which enlistment de volved on them did not include neglect of these interests. When Federal service was continued beyond their ex pectations their thoughts turned from their military duties and harked back home. A Captain in the New Jersey regiment mentioned said: I find upon my return from the border - that the business I have been connected with for eighteen years has been closed up. I must now start to build up a new one. Not .10 per cent of the employers ;who promised to continue the salaries end keep open the jobs of employes who were called out have kept their promises. Guardsmen constantly show their officers letters stating that their families have been evicted from their liomes for non-payment of rent, and some families are in absolute wit. Though the Government gives dis charge in such cases, its machinery moves so slowly that the mischief often Js done before the man reaches home. In one case a man was discharged be cause his sister was ill, but the nig frardly Government, in order to save mileage pay. ordered him to his state headquarters and there discharged him. He arrived home almost penni less to find his sister dead. Others . return to find their jobs gone. Border service is reducing the Na tional Guard to a mere skeleton, seeth ing with discontent born of a sense of wrong, which prompts thousands to refuse the Federal oath and which will cause thousands more to forsake the militia as soon as their terms of en listment expires, with the exclamation "Never again." The Guardsmen real ize the value to themselves and their fcountry of the training they have had, but they consider that it has been ob tained at too great sacrifice by them selves; that. If this sacrifice Is de manded of them. It should be demand ed of all: and that, since the training Is good for them. It is good for all. They will come home with a keener sense of the necessity of universal training, and are likely to bewme its most outspoken champions. They will advocate It on the plea- of simple jus tice, as tersely expressed by General Scott In these words: There Is ne reason why one woman's son .should go out and defend, or be trained to defend, another woman and her son who refuses to take training or give service. The only democratic method Is for every man in his youth to become trained In order that ha may render efficient service If called upon in war. The National Guard is being wrecked, not only as an arm of the National defense, but as the military arm of the individual states. The Gov ernment has taken away from the states the only means they possessed - for suppressing grave civil disturbance 1 and has put nothing in its place. Only . a few states provide a substitute in : the shape of constabulary. Nor has the regular Army been strengthened to the degree which ( Would enable the Nation to dispense with the aid of the National Guard '. The Adjutant-General admits that it Is 19.000 men short of the strength authorized for this year. The annual ' Increment by which it is o reach the maximum peace strength provided by the Hay law is therefore an iridescent - dream. Secretary Baker attributes the lack of recruits to the great de - mand for labor, thus accepting the . theory that the Government must go . out into the labor market and, in com petition with other employers, hire men to fight for the country, though the wages offered and the conditions of employment make the soldier's job the least ' attractive. The Secretary again relegates the Army to the posi tion of the last refuge of a man out of a Job. By that rule, prosperity means a small Army, hard times a large Army. But occasions for the employment of an Army do not always arise in hard times. - We need an Army adequate for our defense at all times, not fluctuating with the condi tion of the labor market. There is but one way to get it without enor mous expense and in justice to all citi zens. The first step along that way is universal military training. AT ASTORIA. The other day there was an election at Astoria, wherein Mr. F. C.-Harley was elected Mayor by a surprising vote three to one over his opponent. or 1800 to 600, in Tound numbers. A copy of an Astoria paper containing an account of a citizens' meeting, held before the election, to promote the candidacy of Mr. Barley's opponent, a genial and active citizen, has been received in this office, with the fol lowing paragraph surrounded by con spicuous and very ornate blue-pen-cilings: Dr. Alfred Kinney, speaking- briefly to the Democrats in the audience, pointed out the fact that Mr. Harley was not, never had been, and could not possibly be a Democratic nominee, and was in no way entitled to the support of Democrats. On the other hand, he proclaimed "to elect such a man would be a direct affront to our Democratic Sen ators at Washington as well as a great harm to Astoria particularly to the loyal part of Astoria which seeks a naval base and looks to the support of our Senators and Congress' men to get It." Probably it will be recalled by the public that Mr. Harley led the naval base campaign, on behalf of Astoria, and that he had several acrimonious collisions with Oregon's Senators on the subject. Mr. Harley publicly de clared that the Senators showed a noticeable lack of interest in the project. The Astoria election and its result would seem to have a highly signifi cant meaning for the Oregon Senator ial delegation. DAVID WATSOV CRAIG. The death of David W. Craig at Sa lem removes the last but one of the early journalistic figures of Oregon. Mr. Craig had a curious but highly worthy place in the political and newspaper history of the Northwest. He was an old-time friend and asso ciate of Abraham Lincoln and he was one of the organizers and supporters of the Republican party in the territory and state. It is interesting to note that his active life antedated the ad mission of Oregon to the Union and the birth of the political party with which he was so long identified. A practical printer, Mr. Craig was equally at home in the editorial "sanctum" if there is such a place or in the composing-room. A scholar and a historian, he was familiar not only with all events of moment in all countries, but he had had in his early days personal contact with many of America's statesmen, for he had worked at his trade for several years in Washington City. A recluse by instinct, he never theless had been on the firing line in many of the most notable political controversies of the Civil War period. It seemed strange to those who knew him In his later life that this studious and gentle man should have had so prominent a part in the robustious story of early Oregon. For twenty or more years Mr. Craig had withdrawn from all active work in his profession and was free to follow his bent as student. All branches of human knowledge were attractive to him. and he was a com pendium of accurate and valuable in formation. Except for personal be reavements, it is likely that his later years were the most pleasing to him, as they certainly were the most peaceful. There are those who revered Mr. Craig, and they include many men and women who had in their formative years come under his serene but inspiring influence. REFORM AT SING SING. Humanitarians will watch with deep Interest the outcome of a new policy to - be put Into effect in Sing Sing prison under the direction of the new warden, William H. Moyer, who has succeeded Thomas Mott Os borne at the head of this, one of the most important penal institutions in the whole country. Mr. Moyer is rated as a humane and a progressive penol ogist, but he has opinions of his own as to the lengths to which so-called sympathy with the downtrodden should lead a warden In the direction of giving the convicts a free hand in the promulgation and enforcement of their own rules, leading, some times, to defiance of authority. The Mutual Welfare League, under the new warden, it seems, is to be called upon to justify its existence. No threats are made, but It is apparent that if this form of self-rule within prison walls does not give a good ac count of itself it is gOing to be re stricted. There is a promise under the new dispensation of differentiation between lively interest in the welfare of those prisoners who make good and maudlin sympathy for all convicts without reference to their crimes or their criminal natures. For example, it is said that Warden Moyer will be gin by segregating the dangerous and desperate prisoners from those who are considered trustworthy, and he Is known to be opposed to the policy of permitting long-term or life-term pris oners to have large measure of lib erty. One of the practical objections to the system Installed by Warden Osborne was that under It there were no fewer than twenty-three escapes In the last twelve months of his ad ministration. This record, the new warden holds, is not to the credit of the prison, and certainly is not fair to society as a whole, which expects pro tection so far as possible against criminals who ought not to be at large. Warden Moyer is no novice at the business of managing prisons. He has been warden of the Federal peni tentiary at Atlanta, where his admin istration was noteworthy for Its re forms. He permitted the convicts to organize baseball teams and to attend motion-picture entertainments. They also had their soccer teams and gave concerts at frequent intervals. He abolished -stripes and the numbering of convicts. He encouraged athletics and repe'aled the rule of silence at meals. This was done largely within the walls of the penitentiary. Not withstanding the extension of pri vlleges, there were only five escapes In a period of twelve years, which Is a record in striking contrast to that of Osborne at Sing Sing. The new Sing Sing warden seem ingly has In mind the fact that in his new position he owes a duty, first of all, to the law-abiding citizens of the state. For, after all, the man who. has kept out of prison has hia rights, too. It is only a cheap form of cynicism to say that there are many out of prison who ought to be behind the bars, and the- statement would not .solve tlfe problem, even If it were true. Under 'the new dis pensation. Warden Moyer says, no man who does the right thing will have anything to fear. Sincere ef fort to lift up downtrodden victims of circumstances can, and probably will, go on as usual; but this is far different from the method of extend ing liberty to the point of license, or fostering in the minds of desperate criminals the notion that society owes them more than they owe to society. A measure of Warden Moyer can be obtained from - the fact that at At lanta, while he did not tolerate cruelty, he retained solitary confinement as one of the forms of punishment for persistent violations of the rules. WALKING. The health department of New Tork City the other day announced a "walk-to-work" day, for the imme diate benefit of the participants and for the instruction of a public which was afflicted with colds and other ills, and which besieged the doctors for cure and refused to trust the open air. The experiment was a failure. Dis tances were too great for many, and they were tired out when" they ar rived, and others looked upon the plan as an opportunity for a lark. But the Intentions of the health de partment were good. It knows what Is the matter with most people. They do not get away from their desks, or from their indoor occupations, and they get lazy, or - indifferent, or fat, and they over-eat and they get sick. Who ever heard of a bilious post man? And it is a safe wager that the prevalence of colds and other little ailments among them is nil. The athlete who" trains for any con test a fight, or for wrestling, or what-not will tell you that the best practice, next to training- in the im mediate art of the proposed contest. is walking. It calls into play many muscles. It takes one into the fresh air. It can be made to work Into almost any programme of dally life. It Is conducive of gentle mentaL occu pations. It Is economical. . It oug'ht to be -fashionable. But the man or woman who walks mechanically, or casually, gets only a little benefit. The way to walk is to walk heel and toe, head erect. shoulders back, mouth closed, and ungs filled wtth deep and regular inhalations. Tt one walk so that he feels it. That is exercise. Any other kind of walking Is mere pastime. To e sure, such walking- is better than no -walking? for it takes One outdoors. Long ago Dryden. the poet, learned and expounded the truth: Better to hunt In fields for health tinhotieht Than fee the docfor for a nauseous draught. J ne wise xor.cure on exercise oepenn. God never made bis work for man to mend Thp last line Is a little tough on the doctors. Tet they will be the last to tell you that the open air is a place to avoid. ' ALWAYS TOCNG. Sarah Bernhardt still refuses to be anything but young. Only a few days ago in New Tork she appeared in a playlet written especially for her, and she spoke the lines in English, too. It was only the second time she has played in English in this country, yet it is recorded that her rendition of the lines gave her auditors much de- ight. For Mme. Bernhardt is in hpr seventies, 'and the achievement would have won her applause, even If the play had had no -intrinsic merit. But the critics tell us that the point at which the great actress took her au dience tay storm was that at which she recited, also in English, the following ines from Shelley's "Love's Phllos- ophy": The fountains minRle with the river And the rivers with the ocean. The winds of Heaven mix for ever With a sweet emotion; Nthins in the world is single; All thinps by a law divin In one spirit meet and mingle. 1 Why not I with thine? The secret of Mme. Bernhardt's perennial youth is out. For have we not been told, oh, ever so many times, that Love is always young? For "love is the fulfilling of the law," as the apostle has said, and "the pleasure of love Is loving," as the Frenchman, Rochefoucauld, put it, and as Shelley hjmself has paraphrased the lame thought: They who Inspire it are most fortunate. As I am now; but those who feel it most Are happier still. Truly, love is optimism, and the optimist has all the best of it in the battle of life. Mme. Bernhardt con tains within herself the attributes of a life that runs on and on, and Is youthful to the very end. MO0KBX KIHAL OPPORTUNITY. One reason why the "back-to-the- land" movement has not been a con spicuous .success has been that it was too indiscriminate. The ..enthusiasm of the authors of such books as "Ten Acres Enough" often carried them beyond bounds. One would have thought, to read what they said about it, that all a man needed was a home stead and a hoe to make a quick for tune. Little was said about the prac tical difficulties, the need for prep aration, the value of technical ex perience. There were, on the other side, a considerable number who leaned too heavily or?the Idea that farming was a species of black art. These did not agree with Thomas A- Edison, that special genius Is re quired ln few walks in life, but that real capacity is capable of expression In many forms. The trouble was that the advocates of farming for every body did not put stress enough on primary capacity, and the others talked too much, about special adapt ability. . Hope of sticcess in reviving farming T t sti In f It o mldHln prnnnil Ti oro 4n ca rid A fnr n.Hm'.rv txH- uals of common sense who are not laborlng under Illusions as to their own abilities or as to the fortunes to be made in the business without cor responding labor. No man would ex pect to start In a new business in the city and win without hard work or without mastering the details of it. No artisan would expect an untrained man to enter the same vocation and succeed from the start, and no plumb er, for example, would deceive him self into believing that he could step into a carpenter's shoes ' without pre liminary education. Tet craftsmen and business men frequently are seen undertaking farming as if it were neither a profession nor a 'trade and as If "any man can farm." But for the man who Is willing to pay the price ln labor and pains. It Is undoubtedly true that farming of fers more than It did even a decade ago. For one thing, its modern con veniences have multiplied. It is no longer necessary to endure isolation. Telephones, better roads, automobiles. bicycles , and rural free delivery. are solving this problem. The farmer) can and does screen his house against flies and mosquitoes. His lighting system has vastly improved. It Is his own fault if his dwelling Is not fully as comfortable as that of the city man. He has the benefit of many new appliances'. The woodsaw and the motor-operated separator are not the least of these. He can have a milking machine If he thinks it worth while, though there are some dairy men who still voluntarily retain the old-fashioned way. Feed cutters are no longer theoretical. . As for the many other comforts, they are his if he will work for them. The horrors of country life, as the city dweller once viewed them, are gone. Gone are the Isolation, the lack of social opportunity, the ab sence of schools, the dearth of read ing matter and the other disadvan tages. But the road to success Is still not a royal road. Farming exacts still as' much from the man who hopes to succeed as any other busi ness would of an equally ambitious man. There will be a good many days that exceed the eight-hour limit, but this is true in the case of the' proprietor anywhere. Opportunity widens. The farms of the country still call to men of ca pacity not of special genius or fatu ous dreams. Ten acres may not be enough, except n special circum stances, but there is room for men who are w-illing to work and to learn. Who in there would venture a guess fis to the number of individuals at tending school in the United States? The annual report of the United States Commissioner of Education shows that In the whole country there are 23,500.000 persons attending school of some kind, or 24 per cent of all the inhabitants of the country. This compares with 20 per cent in Ger many, 19 per cent in Great Britain. 17 per cent in France and 4 per cent In Russia. A striking feature of schopl development In recent years is shown in the increase of attendance upon public kindergarten and ele mentary schools from 16.900,000 to 17,935,000 In four years, the gain of more than 1,000,000 being out of pro portion to the increase of the popula tion In the same period. There are 706,000 teachers in the whole coun try, of whom 169,000 are men and 537.000 are women. The number of men teachers has Increased only slightly' in the past ten years, while the number of women teachers Has nearly doubled. The decrease In pro portion of men teachers has been most striking In the 'lower grades, but men show a falling off also in high schools. Men and women teachers in high schools were evenly divided in 1906. but there are 8000 more women than men in 1916. Representative Adamson's desire lo spank both parties to the railroad con troversy is easily explained as 'doe to his wounded pride in the authorship of the bogos eight-hour law. Neither he railroad managers nor thro broth erhoods wish to have their relations regulated by act of Congress. . The brotherhoods held out for the Adam son law probably only because It would be a strong card in their hands when they came to play out the game with the managers. It threatens to become a serious obstacle to their future freedom of aotiflh. .since a compulsory investigation bill is to fol low it. Both sides are willing to push the pesky thing out of the way as something which has tcrved Its pur pose and Is now only an obstruction. But the law is Mr. Adamson's pet bantling, and he resents such cruel treatment, especially as the effect is to confirm all of the severest criti cisms which have been made of the child's homely features. Farmers are urged to raise more sheep tb provide wool for the woolen manufacturers, but coyotes. are an ob stacle in tho West and dogs in the Fast. When the West kills off the coyotes, a plague of rabbits breaks loose and when the Eastern farmer asks for legislation against dogs, the dog fanciers protest. "The way out seems to be to make all our clothes, not merely our hats, of rabbit fur. Who ever heard of the masters and mistresses of fashion practicing econ omy out of consideration for the pockets of their slaves? Yet that is the motive alleged for making wom en's skirts shorter and more clinging. If they really wish to save money for their victims, why not abbreviate dresses to the dimensions of a bath ing costume and charge by the yard, trimmings included? A man who was a poor boy sixteen years ago has Just become a partner in J. P. Morgan & Co. Applicants for Jobs will please apply at the side door and wipe their feet. New Tork is designing free clinics for those who stammer and by and by every gur-gur-graduate will b-b-b-be t-t-telling how he was c-c-c-cured. As an example of economy In the use of leather, Lloyd George might appear in the House of Commons wearing a pair of wooden clogs. Carry home as many parcels aa you can. It gives you a standing as a generous giver in the eyes of all who behold you. The Wilsons celebrated their first anniversary yesterday and will have their pictures in most of the papers today. What Lloyd George will have to Bay tomorrow may repeat the result of the Duma's action in the wheat market. The Wilsons, like millions of other citizens, will stay at home Christmas, where Santa Claus will find them. 1 n , m . i in .3 j l m-r . uuaiusuieu ui me Miuuio est aro I bein returned, but the War Depart- ment hangs on to the .Oregons. Another woman has been found guilty of murder in Montana. And this In the land of chivalry! . x l The devil's stepmother could not de sign a better incendiary device than the gasoline bladder. The athletic managers are putting out their holiday attractions this week. Do not give a talking machine to the family that needs a ham. - Belgian hare is better than 'possum for a Christmas dinner. Salespeople are in the best humor early in the day. 'Car shortage is afflicting Europe as well. Gleams Through the Mist By Dean Collins. GARDEN OP VERSES OX THE CHILD FREE VERSE INVOCATION. Tenth Muse I Whom Don Marquis call-, Imaglste. Doggerel Muse, Drop on my desk and help me pull a P I As I came through the desert, thus ltlyounr man will bow his "wild oats." wa8 I struck two sessions of the Civic I League I Both of which were devoted to THE CHILH, Strictly to the all-uppercase CHILD, And it s WELFARE. And I heard the bishop speak. And I heard Doc Sllngerland speak vVho ought to know all about THE CHILD, LBecause he looks as though he nearer nan Deen one And I heard a session on the Juvenile court. With Mrs. Alva Lee Stephens And -Judge Thomas Jefferson Cleeton Both speaking, M And from their words I gathered many things- Among other things I learned Th at THE CHILD'S character depends Largely upon Its environment And the previous condition of its! adenoids. Tonsils, teeth and other anatomical factors Which taken at the psychological mo ment Lead on to fortune. But neglected, ell the voyage of their lives Is bound in shallows and in miseries And we must take the tonsils when they're young Or lose valuable citizens. And after the meeting I joined in con versation With Judge Stevenson. And remarked that it would be In teresting To trace the careers of well-known criminals Back to the psychological moment When their adenoids, or tonsils, or teeth Switched them off the path of virtue And plunged them Into a career of .- crime. And he said it would, And arched one eye-brow and looked so appreciative. That I remembered another delightful Stevenson, And so I came home and began to write A Garden of Verses on, THE CHILD, Which I have dedicated to him And he will have to stand for it. The. Garden of Verse. POSY NUMBER ONE. The man stood in a hempen cord. And danced upon a void. Because they say. in childhood's day. He had an adenoid. POSY NUMBER TWO. The villain hurled the heroine Into the flood beneath! He was not bad but. when a lad They did not fiNShis teeth. POSY NUMBER THREE. My name Is Captain Kldd. (Aa I sailed, as I sailed). My name Is Captain Kidd. (As I sailed). My name is Captain KId8. And my morals used to skid. 'Cause my tonsils came undid. As I sailed. AN ITALIAN GARDEN. When Borglas were dallying With strychnine and the knife. And in the evening sallying To take a neighor's life; The bad historians. I ween. Who painted them so black. Should really have gone back and seen What made 'em fly the track. For the reason they enjoyed Thus to poison neighbors mild. Must have been the adenoid Which upsets the tender child. When Roman emperors of old Were staging bloody plays. And burning people manifold On Roman holidays. Old history should not indict Their acts with judgment cynic. But should, ere she essayed to write, Have led them to a clinic. For these emperors who chosex This career of deepest crime Might have been all saints Who knows?. Had the dentist called in time. STILL ANOTHER POSY. Attllla. Attilla and poor Pancho Villa, They might have had tempers as sweet as vanilla. LBut where was the guy who could fix up their eye And trim up their tonsils In days now gone by? Tls a pitiful thing how these two men ran wild When each might have been saved were he fixed when a child. AND ANOTHER. Beat the drum slowly and blow the fife lowly. And play the Dead March aa you bear ni alonr. Take me to the green valley and throw the sod o'er me. For I'm a cowboy and I know I've I done wrong. When I was a child I was sweet and was sunny. And all of my time In good deeds I employed. But I lost my uprightness alas. It Is funny ow xatnor o er-iooxea tnen, tnat blgl adenoid. Oh I'm a cowboy and I know I've done! wronirlv. But please while you bury me out on the lea. Do not let the preacher Jump on me too strongly. Just blame that there adenoid dol not' blame me. Tbre-e Kinds of Guns. Forum. Ia spite of the European success, and owing to the opposition of General Crozler, the Lewis gun ia not officially adopted by the United States, peneral Wood last Summer held a competitive field trial at Plattsburg between the Lewis, the Benet-Mercler and the Vick- ers guns. A board, headed by Major Halated Dorey, found that,al though the three guna were more or less alike in mobility, "the superiority of the Lewis gun In every other particular was clearly demonstrated." General Wood, in a letter to the War Department, said: "It la easily the best machine gun I have ever seen, and it ia cer tainly three to one ln value over the Benet-Mercler. MONET Father Neglect Moral Instruction of Their Boys. Sara Writer. PORTLAND, Dec. "16. (To the Edi- tor - ) 1 have been reading the article ln. Tne OKonUn. Tl hy Do Metr-oo "ronS - rrom ume unmeinwi ii T ha. licensed expected men , y " ",- "7,.K!. twenlieth century we all Join hands and accent It aa an assured thlnir that a we pace no value on the single stana- , . . - ,.. ..,.,,n- man in the land until he begins to think he is not normal unless he em- braces the standard his predecessors have laid down for him. In the time of the Egyptians it was called harems; ln the time of Henry VIII it was called sensuality, but in the twentieth century It is called neces sity, but it all spells sin. and you and I are responsible for it. Rear your boys with the care you do your daughters, and you will in a measure-solve the problem. Environment Is stronger than heredity. "Bring up chUd in the way he should go. and when he is old he will not depart from it." is an old and true saying. It Is true some, pass, through the cru cible and corns out refined, but he who has passed through the lire and has been singed, the scar still remains. No experiences one has are ever lost. One may say our experiences are modified and chanered. that everv 24 hours we tare a new being; but we aLo know that memory Is the only friend that grief can call its own If the atmosphere which surrounded not be memories of grief We would not hear quoted , that familiar saying that has come ringing down the ages, since the. fall of Adam, "The woman did if The women are not any more respon sible for the lax morals than the men ire A good woman is a refining influ ence to any man. I think the trouble lies primarily with the fathers. The American father is so busy chasing the bag of gold that lies at the end of the rainbow that his eyes, ears and voice, are for nothing else! While he Is In this mad pur suit, where Is his hoy? Yes, where If he? He goes alon? in his childhood and adolescence on to manhood, stum bling along, alone, while father is pil ing up "more and more to send him on to greater depths. Then he and his father's hard-earned hoard go hand ln hand, forth to battle with temptations that will meet them at every turn. Far better would it be to possess less gold and more companionship 'of the young. The lash Is restlnsr on the shoulders of the American fathers. May we hope that In the near future conditions may change to the extent of removing it. ELIZA AONEW. Portland.' TlinK WHO Minfl.n ECONOMIZE. Let Folks Mho Can Afford It Spend. But Not OTfrrtiri Themselves. CANBY. Or., Dec. 16. (To the Edi tor.) I have read In The Oregonlan th article. "Why Econoblze on Luxur ies?" In reply td the "City Lady" of Can by. I hav lived in Oregon about IS years and have learned to appreciate many of its beauties and wonders and able to compare them with othens of our great American continent. I men tion this only to show that many of us who live on the farm and do house work and feed the pigs and chickens do not look upon all "th inhabitants of the city" green-eyed with envy, for our Ideas may differ as to advantages and pleasures. As to dressing well, there may be varying Ideas in regard to that. A few days ago I had the unexpected pleas ure of rm;eting a brilliant and ac complished woman of Nation-wide note on account of her books and other public works. For the life of me I cannot tell how she wae dresd. ex cept In a general way. it wasner per sonality that impressed me. I agree that oranges, grape fruit and bananas are healthful luxuries that should be indulged in by all those who can afford them, and mit prob ably are. and by many who cannot, to such an extent that there is little danger that the beautiful orange groves of California and tr lorida will pass into history or the growers of I grape-fruit uproot their "trees." Our topic. "Economy," has to do with consumption more than production. It wa Maria Mltchel. was it not. who told the young ladles of her school that thev had no rlehO to make their own dresses if they could afford to hire them made? It is not for those who really can afford luxuries of all kinds that there Is a need of economizing but our cltie and small towns are full of class among whom there is a great need of economy. They try to appear what they are not. and work havoc to themselves as well as others. I wonder if the average city woman who rides in her automobile up and down the same streets day after day gets any more or as much pleasure out of. life as a certain stockman's wife. who lives In Southern Alberta and was there years before that country wa opened recently to settlers. She often would put her bread in the pans and then mount her -pony and go out five or six miles to help round up the cattle and hurry back to put her bread into the oven, L. B. TRIBUTE TO GREAT CONDVCTOR liana Rirhter Gave Preatlge to Music ln Manchester. PORTLAND. Dec. 17. (To the Ed ltor.) Would you permit me to sup plement the remarks in the editorial on Dr. Hans Richter? Though, as stated. Dr. Richter went to Mcnches ter and conducted there on and off for 30 years, yet he was th sole conductor of the Halle Orchestra for only 11 years. As conductor he crave a prestige to I Manchester music that it seems to I have lost. Nevertheless, his knowl- of Wagner -and Beethoven wa such that one feels that we will never see his equal again. What Is not gen erally known about Richter is that Wagner asked him to assist in the or chestratlon of "Die Meistersingers." It is the only work attributed to Wagner that was not completely his own. At that time Richter was a horn player in the orchestra. Aa a Wagnerian conductor his equal has not been seen or heard. Unlike most conductors. rilchrer was a master of nenrlv everv instrument in the orchestra. It was I common thing for htm to sit at a piano and show the greatest of the players how a certain passage aught to go in I one of tho concertos. greatest piece ot wor was the choral symphony of Beethoven. Thai was a piece of conducting accepted by all as unequaled. His mastery of the overture to "Die Meisterslngers" made It possible to present It with a breadth . I of expression that no other conductor seemed to approach. And who can for get the powerful InlKience swaying from the reading of the introduction of act HI of the same opera? The Hans I Sachs theme so well written for the cello opening that part is symbolic of the purity ot ioe inenuanup m nicnier nd Wagner. 1 he deatn or ittchter la loss not only to Manchester but to the whole world. It means that there disappears from the realm ofmuslc the last connecting link of the direct influence of Richard Wagner. What Is more lamentable, we are to he deprived at last of the great privilige of seeing the real Wagnerian tradition penetrate the performances at Covent Garden and Batreuth. Well may his funeral march be that of Siegfried and with what greater Justification should the Manchester public sing the song of praise at end of "Die Meistersingers. ' MOSES BAIUTZ. TOO ENGROSSED MAKING Foreign War Primer. By National Geosrraphlo Society. It's a dull week ln the chronicle of diplomatic maneuvers when the birth of a new kingdom or the rebirth of an old one is not announced in the family of attons. The khedive of Egypt, a dependent of the Turkish Sultan, was deposed early in the war and a Sultan of the Nile country enthroned undor the British protectorate: the Grand Shereef of Mecca recently solicited fe licitations ln the name of the infant "Kingdom of Arabia"; the Teutonic al lies only a few 'days ago announced the restoration of the ancient kingdom of Poland, much of the territory "ced ed" being at the present time in Rus sian possession, and now comes the rehabilitation of the medieval realm of Lithuania, carved from provinces which Germany has conquered and others which she desires to conquer from Russia. Concerning Lithuania, from which, according to cable advices, the Germans hope to recruit 150.000 citizens for -service under Field Marshal von Hln denburg. the National Geographic So ciety gives the following information: When the third and final dismember ment of Poland was accomplished in 1735 practically all of the medieval principality of Lithuania, which had been amalgamated with the kingdom of Poland nearly 300 years previously, passed into the possession of Russia Its area at that time was about equal to that of Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania combined, and comprised the territory now embraced ln the Rus sian governments of Kovnn, Grodno, Vilna. Minsk. Mohileff. Vitebsk and Suwalkl. Much of this land Is now oc cupied by the German armies of the east front. Lithuania Is an uninviting region as a whol. It is a succession of fens and forests, ill-suited to agricultural pursuits of any sort, and the 2.000.000 Lithuanians and 1.300.000 Lette who In habit the land gain a livelihood chiefly by the culture of bees and the raising of cattle and horses. The Dnieper, the Niemen. the Pripet. the Bug. and the D n in a are among the numerous rivers which flow through the country, and as there are few elevations, the courses of these waterways are usually ex tremely sluggish and spread over wide areas, forming extensive marshes, ... The Lithuanians are an Independent branch of the Aryan race, and, owing to the swampy nature of their home land, were able to maintain their In tegrity as a people in spite of the fact that durung the early middle ages thev suffered constantly from Invasions hy their more powerful neighbors. The Order of Teutonic Knight and the Llvonian Knifthta of the Order of the Sword were especially vigorous in their onslaughts upon the seml-savag tribes, which adhered to their paean worship long after most of Europe had accepted Christianity. Jagiello. founder of the Jageuen dynasty, was one of th most potent factors In the advancement of Lithu ania's power. He Introduced Christi anity In 1387 and erected a cathedral in Vilna on the site of the ancient pa gan temple. By his marriage to Jad- viga (or lledwlg). daughter of Louis the Great, of Poland, he eventually as cended the throne of that country un der the title of Wladlslaw. hut fol lowing his death the two countries had separate rulers for 100 yeans. The union of the two governments under one sovereign in 1501 was securely ce mented by a decree of the Diet of Lub lin 68 years later, and from that time the history of Lithuania was merged into that of Poland. At the beginning of the 15th century the Jagellons held sway over a vast do main extendins to the southeast m far as the Sea of Aiov (the northern boun dary of the Crimea) and embracing Kiev and Hajl-bey (the modern Odessa). In Napoleon s Russian campaign the Lithuanian capital of Vilna was mad the center of strategy of the. French lines, and after the disaster at Mos cow the retreating Emperor again vis ited the ctiy, li"avinir It In disguise on the nlsrht of November 24. 1812. Vnlike their Russian and Polish neighbors, the Lithuanians have blue eyes, light-colored hair and fair com plexions. In Other Days. Twenty-five Years Apeo. From The Oregonlan of December 1!. J!1. Birmingham. Ala-. Dec. IS. The con vention of the American Federation of Labor adopted a resolution at its morn ing session favoring a woman's suf frage amendment to the Constitution. Judge Carey was absent from the Police Court yesterday and Attorney McNary occupied the bench. Electric lights are ln full blase at Sellwood and give a city air to tht streets. They are giving good satis faction. "The Silver King" will be produced at the matinee at Cordray's Theater today and will be the bill for the rest of the week. The first public exercises by the stu dents of Portland University took place last evening at the Taylor-street M. E. Church. Berlin. Dec. 18. Emperor William re ceived news of the passage of the new commercial treaties while at a banquet tonight. He arose, informed the com pany of the news and warmly eulogized Chancellor von Caprivl. 1 1 .1 1 f a Century Asjo. From Tho Orefontan of December 10. 1866. We learn Uaat there are now two companies of soldiers at Fort Vancou ver, and that, owing to tho Impracti cable nature of the roads. Captain Kel ly's company will remain at that post till Spring. The Upper Willamette has again risen so that it is thought practicable to eend a boat to Eugene City. The Active will, accordingly, leave Canemah this morning for Eugene and way land ings. A fine sidewalk has been completed on three sides of the Courthouse block and the fourth, or West side, will soon be finished. The Columbia. Press urges the re moval of Indians from the Umatilla reservation so that that highly valuable tract of land may be thrown opi-n for settlement. Down ln California the farmers are calling for more rain. Wish they had a part of ours. Enlistments Not Encouraaed. PORTLAND. Dec. 18. (To the Ed itor.) I find In The Oreironian an ar ticle headed "Soldier's Family Wants." It says the fnthr-r is on the border with the Oregon National Guard. It appears to me after reading this that there is not much encouragement for a young man to enlist. 1 am the father of four boys, ranging in age from 10 to "0 years, and have always been a believer In military training, but under existing conditions I would not encourage my boys to Join the National Guard and be called to duty and to worry themselves gray for fear the loved ones left behind are in want for food and other necessities of life or having the daily press begging for them. ' Some provision should be made In advance for such cases. OLD SUBSCRIBER.