10
THE MORNING OltEGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, MAT 2, 1917.
PORTLAND. OREGON.
En t ere (J at Portland (Oregon) Postotflce as
second-class mall matter.
Butiacrlptlon rates Invariably In advance:
(By Hall.)
Dally, Sunday Included, one year ....... .$8. 00
jLBiiy, nunaay inciuaen, six months e.xs
Pally, Sunday included, three months ... li.25
f)ally, Sunday Included, one month 75
My, without SOinlny, on year 6.00
lally, without Sunday three months .... 1.7S
Dally, without Sunday, on month 60
Weekly, one year 1.60
cunuay, one year 2. SO
Sunday and Weekly 8.60
(By Carrier.)
Dally, Sunday Included, one year ....... 9.00
Aaiiy, ounaay included, one moniA ..... o
How to Remit Send postofftoe money
oraer, express order or personal check on
your local bank. Stamps, coin or cv.-rency
are at sender's rUk. Ulve postoffice address
in full. Including county and state.
Postage Rates 13 to 16 pases. 1 eents 18
to 04 pases, a cants: 84 to 4s pases, S cents
BO to 60 pases. 4 cents; 62 to 76 pases, I
cents: 78 to 82 pases, 6 cents. Foreign post-
as double rates.
Eatern Business Office Verree A Conklln,
Brunswick building. New York; Verree 4
Conklln, steser buildtns, Chicago; Ban Fran
cisco representative, R. J. Bidwell, 742 Mar-
Kit street.
POKILAl), WEDNESDAY. MAT . 1917.
DANGERS Of PRESS CENSORSHIP,
A danger confronts a nation at war
which la second only, and may equal.
that of defeat by the enemy. It Is
that, on the plea of necessity for de
feat of the enemy, arbitrary power
may be given to the rulers which may
be used. Intentionally or not, to de
stroy the liberties of the people. In
time of war the freedom of the press
and of speech are especially exposed
to this danger. On the pretext that
the enemy may derive aid or comfort
therefrom, speeches or publications
may be prevented or punished which
convey nothing but such criticism of
the Government as Is essential to de
mocracy. Such would be the effect
' of the censorship clauses of the es
pionage bill now before Congress.
That bill gives the President power
to make regulations the violation of
which Is a felony punishable by heavy
penalties. Whoever In time of war
shall "collect, record, publish or com
municate or attempt to elicit any in
formation with respect to" practically
anything about the armed forces, war
material, fortifications or plans of the
Government "calculated to be or
which might be useful to the enemy,"
will be subject to these penalties.
These regulations made by the Presl
dent must not "limit or restrlot any
discussion, comment or criticism of
the acta or policies of the Government
or Its representatives.". In addition.
the Postmaster-General is authorized
to exclude from the malls any publica
tion containing information useful to
the enemy.
This bill presents the difficulty of
doing what Is necessary without doing
what is dangerous. All agree that in
formation should be kept from the
enemy, but it Is not necessary to throt
tle discussion of the war In order to
avoid helping the enemy. Communi
cation with Germany is cut off by
cable, mail and wireless, and the Gov
ernment already has power to keep
it so. Strict censorship of the malls
to neutral countries, also of passenger
travel, can shut off indirect communi
cation. The purpose of suppressing
publication within the United States is
therefore solely to prevent any infor
mation so published from leaking to
the enemy. The chances are at the
worst slight. The question for us is
whether they are ruch as to warrant
the great restriction of our liberty
which Is proposed.
That Involves consideration of the
conditions under which we have gone
to war. All the world knows we are
unprepared; we cannot conceal that
from Germany. Only by noising tho
fact abroad for two years and more
have we got Congress Into the frame
of mind to begin adequate preparation.
The Government will inevitably make
many blunders; only by publicity can
we hope to "ginger it up" to the point
of undoing them and avoiding repeti
tion of them. Some officials will sure
ly prove Incompetent; by publicity
alone can we assure ourselves that
they will be removed instead of pro
. tected, for we are all human, and
holders of political office are more
human than the rest of us. Tet none
of these defects In our war organiza
tion can be sure of correction without
revelation to our whole population,
with some risk that the information
will reach Germany.
Are we to renounce our only sure
means of perfecting our military ma
chinery lest the enemy learn of its
imperfections? If this should be at
tempted, we should be paying no heed
to the warning of Sydney Brooke,
drawn from the experience of Britain:
Don't establish a censorship of the press
for any other purpose than to conceal the
naval and military Intelligence that would
he useful to the enemy, a censorship that
Is used to cloak official shortcomings, to
suppress criticism and to veil the realities
of war from the people is something that
no democracy should tolerate.
If there should be a repetition of
the embalmed beef scandal of ' the
Spanish "War, knowledge of It would
aid Germany but It would aid us far
more by forcing amendment. If our
military camps should be visited by
a scourge similar to the typhoid fever
epidemic at Chickamauga and Long
Island camps, publicity might reveal
this weakness to Germany, but by
stirring popular indignation it would
compel proper sanitation. Publicity
of .the facts is necessary to that vigi
lant public criticism which is the only
spur by which a democracy can hold
its government up to the proper stand
ard of efficiency.
The present splendid achievements
of Great Britain on sea and land are
the products of a free press and free
fcpeeoh, though these have at the
Fame time revealed the British na
tion's weaknesses to the enemy. A
free press exposed the need of high
explosive shells, and that type of shell
is now blasting holes In the Hlnden
burg line. A free press told the need
of Industrial organization, of abro
gating labor union rules, of female
labor, of enlisting scientists, for the
production of vast quantities of guns
and ammunition, and British guns now
outnumber those of the Germans three
to one, while a deluge of shells mows
down the German battalions and re
duces British losses to one-half the
ratio expected. A free press drove
the reluctant Asquith Cabinet to adopt
conscription, and British armies are
now winning victories, in France, Ma
cedonia, Palestine and Mesopotamia.
The shameful blunders of the first
campaign In Mesopotamia were de
nounced, by a free press, and that
province has now been -swept by a
British army. It Is not too much to
say that Intelligent, unrestrained pub
lic criticism has been the prime agent
in making Great Britain the backbone
of the alliance.
In war, as In peace, the press is ac
countable to the law for publications
that are Inimical to the publlo good.
The lawi cannot ordinarily touch It
until af ftr publication. In war In
jurious publication- should be pre-
vernea only when it would do lrre -
parable harm to the National cause.
and then only as an exceptional war
measure. This prevention can be ef-
fected with the voluntary co-operation
of the great majority of newspapers,
ana neea do accompanied by force
omy m in case or a very small num.
ber of reckless or treasonable publi-
cations. If it should go beyond these
limits. It would tend to establish an
Irresponsible bureaucracy, and an in-
jury would be done to true democracy
less only than the success of Prussian-
ism.
DO IV K 'WANT ROADS NOfff
"When the automobile tax, three-fourths of
which Is now returned to the counties where
the auto is owned, and the one-auarter mill
road tax la consumed by the state on esDe -
1 -" v iBimjim roBas, coumies win una tneir
county road fund short that amount. Borne
of the counties are not touched by any of
the proposed roada to be improved. Will
part of their road money la legislated away
from them and they, get nothing in return 7
win solvent counties oe treated tairiy
when they are required to help build paved
roads in insolvent counties T
This statement from the Solo Tri
bune is inaccurate in several particu
lars. Regardless of whether the bond
tng bill be adopted or rejected, the en
tire automobile license tax. after nav-
in- . . j
hlehwav fund. .
Such provision Is made in chapter
194 of the general laws of 1917. The
last named law is not before the peo- same time
pie. Counties will get no division of A levy of $400,000 for construc
tive auto license money during the tion of a new penitentiary,
life of another law, adopted with the a. s.000.000 road-bond Issue.
frtreCT, C Sf' h V"13,"10 There are als various charter
terms of the Federal good roads law. nmnnHmt. . ji .
7,7 ' """s
win iBO go into ine state nignway
fund.
in brier, no matter if the bonding
act be defeated, the State Highway
commission wm sun De empowered l
10 spend the auto licenses and the
miiiage rax upon sucn roaas as mey
and the Government may decide upon
" u,ru"- I
lne chief point in the bonding law
a mai. 11 caiutauzta jme auto license 1
money and provides for expendl-
mm ui rwiu uiQney upon certain aesig- I
nated roads, as the roads named in
the bonding act are the roads most
eoiicrany usou, in uregon 11 is reason-
able to expect that the highway funds
wouiu ua expended upon mem, even 1
though the bonding act be rejected.
XT n 1 1 , . 1
iw tuuuvy wm Dwuia iuucli suviin- j
tage by dereat of the bonding act. The A measure to relieve City Commls
same money mentioned therein will sioners from liability for damages
no ucu uii mo muus 1 oa.ua designated
therein. The dnly difference will be
mat me wont wm De aone in install-
ments. xhe main issue Is whether
uregon wants roaas now.
. I
zioxiSM revived.
As the armies of the allies advance
n Poiartin t7i..i. . 1
xr.,r, frv, at-,
v aUv v CI11C11 It 1UI CLCL UHftll- I
ment of a separate Jewish center had
suffered ecllnaa a tho vMi n
Ai.'I I
itixiuvinu v. w9 nni. XtUlll J a. UIH I
prosperous and promising colony es-
tablished a few years ago, which had
promised to reach a population of
kukm hiritm u.v.j v..
..vvavuv Aw-a.w TTtwi a.VVUipilOUCU U.V
the Turks. The death of the famous
leader. David Wolffsohn, in 1915. was
t, o. v,i
oc.ua I
New life for the propaganda of
z,ionism, however, does not mean that
. . - - - 1
the views of those who have contended
for establishment of a separate nation
necessarily will prevail. Its mission J
is more than ever spiritual in Its na-
ture. This was brought out recently I
by Jacob Schlff In an address in New
.u. ... i..,.ii ,io pioaded xor. con-
tlnuance of the Jewish efforts to re-
populate the land of their ancestors,
But he has never been an advocate
ci a jewisn nation wnicn should pre- posal for all uses. Of equal irhpor
clude loyalty to and residence in the tanca with omm.nf r , i
lanrla In wVlltitl an momv Taut 1 " 1
-- " 1
t K PZ . "oraos- Ile ,aeal toward
JUU.a ,s a. reservoir 01 jew-
Ish culture, unhampered by the con-
wiuiiLuiig aims, or tne
rest of tho world. From this foun-
tain head, Judaism In all countries
.uu.u u.vn lunjMi aLiuil. it WOUia DS
a rftfllffft f mm mntarl9ll,m on1 1. I
. .... "uiu
io.uu in me nignest spiritual sense.
x-u.uieny it was nopeo, among other
tnings, mat Palestine might become a
v. .cm6o Hum uvii una rengioui
persecution and Intolerance. But re-
cent historical events may remove the
necessity for these plans. Russia,
which at the close of 1915 was esti-
mndi haV a,Jew"Ish Population of
..wv.vvu, ut a. intie more man nair been aggravated by voluntary enlist
that of the entire world, has under- ment. This deficiency can only bo
wilt . prn?'slnir transformation, supplied by transferring labor from
ana wiui
opportunity for unhampered develop-
V i JT . '"""una may
"V" " "sni. x ne
spread 01 democracy in other coun-
h i T 1 r equally
4T ln" idea oi
a Zlon as a place of refuge is quite
iv, aua.nuoi.ed, wane in its
XT Vmore lnan Probable
that It will persist.
cuEAlf-trp tteek.
Observance of Clean-uo week, en-
Joined on the people of Oregon, has
been forestalled to som pttmt h
the wirlosnroart iti,.oti .
lota and r.r,inc '
waste material, such as paper, to be
turned to use. But there still remain
several Important thlnirs to do.
The campaign against rats otiirht
to be conducted vigorously, both as a
health measure and as a matter of
preventing waste. Rats are carriers of
disease, but in addition to that they
destroy great quantities of food that
we need for ourselves. The rat has
absolutely no reason for being. Even
a pacifist can Join cheerfully In exter
mtnating him.
The fly is a nuisance also. Its ceres
should be swept from every recess m
wntcn they have accumulated, and
burned. This involves attention to
nooks and crannies that may have
escaped previous attention. A clean-
lng-up process that will get the eggs
of the files will be a fine thins: for
attic and cellar and house and barn. abandonment because the South can.
The dandelion is a pest of high de- not supply Umbers of the required size
gree, and deserves not only a day but This tribute is the more impressive
a season, if necessary, devoted to Its because the Board jseemed obsessed
extermination. It is a good idea to with the idea that the South's inabil
dig up lawns that are hopelessly over- ity to produce the timbers should be
run with dandelions, give them over conclusive. An opening was thus given
for a season or two to food crops that the Pacifio Coast builders to fasten
require hoeing. It will bo all the bet- attention on the resources of their sec
tor for the country now and for the tion by offering to supply material for
new lawn later on. the Southern yards as well as their
Fire-prevention measures are all- own.
embracing, and form an Important But the fact that the Pacific Coast
part of the purpose of Clean-up week, will supply the material should give
They include removal of all Inflam- It a first cclalm to contracts for es
mable material of every kind, and in- many vessels as It can build at one
culeatton of ' lessons of caution, par- time. So long as timbers can be
ticularly in the young. turned out faster than the immedlate-
Some cities have set aside a "paint ly adjacent yards can use them, the
V" .n J"011 the painter is to be Atlantic and Gulf coasts may fairly
called in to make an estimate on tho be given a share of the work, but as
Job. It should be remembered ln this fast as new yards are equipped oa
connection that the use of paint is this Coast they should be employed ln
true eoonomy. Paint prolongs the life preference to others to which mate
of the building at the same time that
1 it Improves Its appearance.'
No housewife needs to be told that
the first week In May is the time for
general housecleaning, but some fac-
tories do not observe the occasion as
they ought to do. Housecleaning
I should not be confined to dwellings.
it is a good thing everywhere.
Every day in the week will be chil-
dren's day. The children can help in
every duty prescribed for Clean-up
week. But the grown-ups must take
I the lead
ARK WE BUST?
There is work of larare Proportions
demanding the attention of Portland
men and women. June 4 we shall
elect a Mayor and two Commissioners
f and nnng nn M tinmhar rt mAai,Aa e
i h At t rt - , , , . , .
l"a BCP nd more than incidental
I importance. i ne state measures are
I the following
I An amendment granting authority
I to ports to create indebtednesss to en-
rourncA trananortotinn
S 4 5 asportation.
A bill to tax the Oregon & Califor
nia land grant.
An amendment limiting number of
bills Introduced and Increasing the pay
Of legislators.
"icuumtui pronn
An amendment prohibiting Implied
I repeals or the constitution.
cation of property for taxation pur.
poses.
An amendment requiring election of
rilfrv tftwn a ml ef,l, Affln.., a IV.
mem are the following
a S3.000.000 srrain
Issue.
Two new rival chart. acr. 1a
signed to overthrow commission form
of government
An act to give Jitneys unrestrained
use of the publlo streets
A measure requiring bonding of Jit
neys tor the nrotectlon of niihllc.
A measure nrohibitinsr nlrlfptino- nni
trade conspiracies.
A measure recmirinsr intprrhnna
telephone calls.
The firemen's two-platoon bill
Four referended Urnpv fnni...
applied for by Stephen Carver.
A 1-mill tax for playgrounds In
Marquam gulch.
A 1500.000 bond Issue to .nraunn
. - "
lactones,
arising rrom street accidents
A 175,000 garbage-collection bond
issue.
A possible bond ,n ..o.ti..
ra municipal lieht nlant
- ' - -
During the month that Intervenes
Derore election the military census
7.". , AaKei1 D.y 8tal. ana cny ol-
luuu-uroQuction camoa cn
will bo In full swincr. evervbodv will
. . - - I
"J , e . 11 De getting
f?au iur l" "ose festival and the
National Education Association. It i
- .
"f cleaning month and moving
IT" T " a TT. . ,
" " s"
rested that Portland citizens devote
11 1 jm 1 , . ...
X ', T, ' , '""sin y-
-"J .Z f. I X., "".J" :"ver
There is a bHght side of evervthincr
T-l. T" iij .... . "
i c."-en wm De so busy
11 11 ri 11 tr Tnar a, nii nn- sn..A t
7 1 rz' " ' "vu ""-v
' ""ul" Lila 1,1 s 11 con 01 "ving.
A census of HUMAN RESOtHCES.
The great task before the American
people demands that t, r.n.,. i
be taken for the purpose of drafting
men for the Army be extended to all
occupations, in order that the Govem-
ment may have complete information
as to the human resources at its dis
L ' . . ..
uumoer 01 men to uie military forces
is assignment of many others to agri
culture and other occupations. The
Government should know not only
now many men between certain ages
3. fl.VH.11n1SlA frit tnmtorv oMrtnn Knr
what each able-bodied man of any
BfO 19 rftTinhlfi nf Hn nir Till. Inft.
. . i .. ..
iiiRuon was garnered in tne state cen-
sus of Connecticut, and It should ,
erathererl in i-vorv nthP ,,
At a time when practically every
man is rully employed, the Govern.
ment is takinc- awv frnm in',,.
about a million men. yet it desires
increasnd nrnrinHnn k -..i
main. It rrnnlro. -t r
when the dearth of farm labor has
the cities to the country, vet it re
quires Increased output of guns, am
munition, clothing, tents, shoes, ships
and many other things in the cities.
All these ends cannot be gained
without a National stock-taking of
laDor. a redistribution of labor and ln-
creased production by each man. with
considerable reinforcement by women
The census would show which men
ln the citlea h.v. vi 4
farm work and could with advantage
DO transferred to the farm. It is neo
fsfary to complete mobilization of
v?r 4. . ,
" may not be advisable to take this
census at the same time as the mill
ry census, for the latter cannot be
de,a'ed. " should follow as quickly
7, ' . J1"" orEamza-
tlon might be used for both. The do
sired information might be obtained as
to the men who are required to rer.
later for the military draft, and the
f,ntire, wor sh bo completed in
time for a draft of men to farm work
when harvest begins. As the war
progresses, necessity may arise sud-
denlr ,for ,1f,TEe bodies of men having
special skill, and the Government
should know in advance where to find
them.
A TRIBUTE TO THE WOODES BHIT.
building of wooden ships won an un-
intentional tribute through the Shlp-
ping Board's return to that type of
vessel aftr Vmvinn- rnn.M it.
rial must be transported. As steel is J
fivuuueu near mo ooutnern and .east
ern yards, they might be permitted to
specialize on steel ships. This ar
rangement would be both economical
and Just to all sections of the country.
When both ships and railroad cars
are ln urgent demand, it would be
wasteful to use Jhem in carrying ma
terial which migtit better be Used near
the point of production ln building
vessels to carry other commodities.
In view of the statement of Lord
Percy that the war has resolved Itself
into a race, between the German sub
marines and the shipbuilders of the
allied countries, it Is not easy to un
derstand why the Board should have
considered for one minute the pro
posal to abandon the wooden ship as
an effective weapon ln the war. The
high cost of building ships and the
great risk of their destruction make
use of the cheapest material advisable.
consistent with safety. That is a point
in favor of wood. Wooden ships can
be built much faster than those of
steel, and would therefore help In the
race.
As every merchant ship will be
armed and will aid in destroying sub
marines, the war will be carried on
more effectively by a large number
of small ships than by a smaller num
ber of large ships and the U-boats will
be compelled to use more torpedoes in
proportion to a given quantity of al
lied tonnage and cargoes. If they use
shells, the chances of their destruction
will be much greater, as they must
come to the surface to fire their guns.
Also, the smaller the ship, the smaller
the target and the less chance of a
hit.
By turning our energy to production
of the largest possible number of medium-sized
ships at the smallest cost
In the shortest time, the United States
may keep the allies supplied with food
and munitions enough to sustain their
strength and their offensive power till
an American army is ready for the
field, may build ships at least as fast
as they are destroyed and may destroy
submarines faster than Germany can
build them. In that way the race may
be won. The Pacifio Coast, with Its
vast supply of large timber, is ln a
position to become the main factor In
winning that race.
Citizen Genet made himself very un
popular by trying to dragoon the
United States into an alliance with the
first -French republic, but his great-great-grandson
has helped to make it
a fact by serving in the French air
service. The citizen became an Amer
ican and married a daughter of Gov
ernor Clinton, of New Tork, from
whom the young aviator Is descended.
It is a pity the movement begun
near Junction City cannot become
general of cutting down old orchards,
There are thousands of trees ln the
Valley bo covered with moss as to be
disguised. The fruit they bear Is not
fit even for a poor grade of vinegar.
The ground they encumber will pro
duce food. County inspectors should
look after these "orchards."
In any scheme of defense in which
big timbers are needed, the Northwest
has a chance to show Its pre-eminence,
as usual. It has been a long time
coming, but our lumber Industry is
about to receive reward for its patient
waiting.
Grain elevators and all other places
where food Is stored should be as
carefully guarded as Government ar
senals, for German plotters aonsider
the destruction of one of them a blow
struck for Germany.
A bone-dry Manhattan Island, even
for a few hours. Is a historical event,
and possibly a foretaste of a longer
dry spell, with the help of Billy Sun
day and the war.
Britons and Germans each take
comfort ln seeing the others tighten
their belts another hole, but the hun
grler they grow the fiercer becomes
the war frenzy.
The speed with which the Navy is
reaching full war strength shows that
the call to action Is a more powerful
stimulant than the prospect of doing
duty at home.
A new peace offer tomorrow will
be the usual stall. The real peace
offer must come from the entente
allies, ono of which is your Uncle
Sam.
For a neutral nation. Norway Is tak
ing calmly the sinking of hundreds
of vessels. Evidently she is keeping
books and somebody later must pay.
in order to save Heart burnings, a
uniform with ample gold laoe must
be designed for those who are con
scripted to stay on the Job.
It has leaked that Thomas W. Law
con has offered his estate to the state
of Massachusetts for food production,
Such leaks are welcome.
The open 6eason for the finest fish
in the world the salmon is now on,
and America expects every fisherman
to do his duty.
Federal officials ore generally be
ing reappointed in Oregon while the
harmony bottle holds out.
Why not include earmarking in the
plan to bring in Oriental labor for
the emergency T
The man who would dodge the draft
has no place to go but to Mexico,
which is worse.
The obstreperous county in the
southwest corner needs currying with
a coarse comb.
Villa is cruelly slighted. He has not
appeared on the first page for many
weeks.
Are you buying a lot for a home?
If not ready to build, make a garden
of It.
Hands across the mountains to Ne
braska, which will be dryer than Ore
gon. The young fellow not drafted can
do his two bits by paying Income tax.
Now that the farmer has been ever
lastingly advised, let him go ahead.
The farmer is going to be too busy
to attend more meetings.
Can Logan Bllllngsley come back?
He remains to be seen.
It was a pleasant May day and more
are due.
Talk Hose Festival and act It,
German Militarism in Action
By Irvin 8. Cobb, of the VlsrUantea.
(By courtesy of the Saturday Evening
Post.)
Those conscientious gentlemen, who
could not be brought to bear the idea of
going to war with any nation for any
reason. I wish, with all my soul, might
have stood with me in Belgium on that
August day when I and the rest of the
party to which I belonged saw the Ger
man legions come pouring down, a cloud
of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by
us, ii i, witn terror riding before them
as their herald, and death and destruc
tion and devastation in the tracks their
war-snod feet left upon a smiling and
a. lecuno utile land.
As though it happened yesterday, in
stead or so months ago, I can recreate
in my mma tne physical and the mental
settings or that moment. I can
shut my eyes and see the German firing
squad shooting two Belgian civilians
against a brick walL I can smell the
odors of the burning houses. Yes, and
the smell of the burning flesh of the
uaa men wno were In those houses. I
can hear the sounds of thu fnnrtn
the fleeing villagers and the rumble of
me ireaa or the invaders going by so
luuiuioMiy, so confidently, so trium
phantly, so magnificently disciplined
and so faultlessly taulDnail.
Most of all, I can see the eyes and the
faces of sundry German officers with
whom I spoke. And when I do this I
ee8 their eyes shining with Joy and
...c men iransugurea as though by
splendid vision: and 1 can hear than.
not proclaiming the Justice of their
not seeking excuse for the re
prisals they had ordered: not an rnr
f exceptions among them, deplor
lng the unutterable misery and suffer
lno,r invasion of Belgium had
wrought: not concerned with the ethi
cal regrets of helnles. and lnii,nt
non-combatants but proud and swol
len with tha thought that, at every
onward step, ruthlessness and deter
mination and being ready had brought
to them victory, connuast ,nnll.
war. Why, these men were like beings
from another world a world of whose
existence we. on this side of the water.
"cvri dreamed.
The German did not mile, -o-n - i,,t
It already was that; but he has kept
-' ar wnn nimjs not an emo
tlonal pastime; not a t1m for hysteri
eal lip service to hl flaar: not a llm,
for tuss and feathers. And. most of
all, fit is to him not a time for any
display or mawkish, maudlin forbear
ance to his foe; but. Instead, it is a
deadly serious, deadly terrible busi
ness, to the successful prosecution of
which he and his rulers and his gov
ernment and his whole system of life
have been earnestly and sincerely dedi
cated through a generation of prepa
ration, mental as well as physical.
Given similar conditions and similar
opportunities, and I can see Holyoke.
Massachusetts, or Charleston, South
Carolina, rased in smoking ruins, as
Louvaln or as Dinant was. I can see
the Mayor of Baltimore being put to
death by drumhead court-martial be
cause some inflamed civilian of his
town fired from a cottage window at a
fomeraman grenadier. I can see in
Pennsylvania Congressmen and Judges
and G. A. R, veterans held as hostages
and as potential victims of the firing
squad, in cane some son or some grand
son of old John Burns, of Gettysburg,
not regularly enrolled, takes up his
shotgun in defense of his homestead.
I can sea a price put on the head of
some modern Molly Pitcher, and a mil
iary prison waiting for some latter
day Barbara Frietchle. For we must
remember that what we Americans
call patriots the anointed war lord oalls
franc-tlreurs, - meaning bushwhackers.
I was an eye-witness to crimes
which, measured by the standards of
humanity and' civilisation. Impressed
me as worse than any individual ex
cess, any individual outrage, could
ever have been or can ever bo; because
these crimes indubitably were insti
gated on a wholesale basis by order of
officers of rank, and must have been
carried out under their personal su
pervision, direction and approval.
Briefly, what I saw was this: I saw
wide areas of Belgium and France ln
which not a penny's worth of wanton
destruction has been permitted to oc
cur, in which the ripe pears hung un
touched upon the garden walls; and I
saw other wide areas where scarcely
one stone had been left to stand upon
another; where the fields were rav
aged; where the male villagers had
been shot in squads; where the mis
erable survivors had been left to die
In holes, like wild beasts.
Taking the physical evidence offered
before our own eyes, and buttressing
It with the Statements made to us, not
only by natives, but by German sol
diers and German officers, we could
reach but one conclusion, which was
that here, ln suoh-and-such a place.
those in command had said to the
troops: "Spare this town and these
people!" And there they had said:
Waste this town and shoot these pao
pie!" And here the troops had dis
criminate spared, and there they had
Indiscriminately wasted ln exact ac
cordance with the word of their su
periors.
It seemed to me then, end it seems
to me now. a most dangerous thing for
all the peoples of the earth, and a most
evil thinar. that Into the world should
come a pohsme of military government
so hellishlv contrived and so exactly
exoouted that, by the flirt of a Colo
nel'a thumb a thousand men may. at
will, bo transformed from kindly, cour
SKeous. manlv soldiers into relentless.
ruthless executioners and incendiaries;
and. by another flirt of that supreme
and arrogant thumb, be converted back
gain into decent men.
In peace the mental docility of the
German, his willingness to accept an
order unquestionably and mechanical
ly to obey, it may be a virtue, as we
reckon racial traits of a people among
their virtues; ln war this same trait
becomes a vice. In peace It makes him
yet more peaceful; in war it gives to
his manner of waging war an added
sinister menace.
Heads of City Departments.
PORTLAND, May 1. (To the Editor.)
Please tell me the names of the Chief
of Police, the officers of the fire depart
ment, members of the Board of Health
and School Board, and chief duties.
BUI B(JUU-i'.
Chief of Police, John Clark.
The heads of the five depart
ments are: Mayor Albee, safety; cora-
mlBsloner Baker, public affairs; Com
missioner Dleck, public works; Commis
sioner Daly, publio utilities; Commis
sioner Bigelow, finance. There is no
oard of health. Mayor Albee is head of
the Health Bureau.
The members of the School board are:
J. V. Beach, O. M. Plummer, Nelson G.
Pike. Alan Welch Smith. J. Francis
Drake. Their duties are to administer
the school affairs of District No. 1, In-
ludlng Portland and some adjacent ter
ritory.
riace Is With Home Troops.
SALEM. Or., April 80. (To the Edi
tor.) The proposition of "British
American" ln The Oregonlan today is
not a good one, ln my way of thinking.
f there are natives oi the allied na
tions In this country who have not be
come citizens of the United States and
are enxlous to become soldiers In ac
tion, let them return to their own coun
tries and enlist there.
They will be better acquainted with
their associates, will know the personal
ympathies and aspirations of the
roops and will be much better equipped
for valuable service than they would
be as officers ln the American Army.
I believe the practloe of putting only
American citizens on guard as soldiers
Of the Nation Is a good one and should
not be relaxed. FRANK DA VEX. ,
COSTLV FOR 3IAJORITT OF HOMES
Telephone Interchange Means ' Many
Will Help Reduce Eiprairi of Few.
PHOENIX, ArlaJT"' April 26. (Ti) the
Editor.) The Oregonlan brings to me,
away down on the Santa Fe, informa
tion that a meaeure is to be submitted
to the voters of Portland at the June
election to require the Paoiflo Tele
phone and Telegraph Company and the
Home Telephone Company to estab
lish a system of Interchange of service
within the city.
Being Interested in the city of Port
land and hoping to spend the greater
portion of the remainder of my time
there, I register my objection to the
measure by submitting the following
information and suggestions for publio
consideration before the election.
Federal and state laws Justly pro
Vide that publlo utility companies, pat
ronised by the public, are entitled to
and shall receive a fair net Interest on
the valuation of their respective prop
erties in addition to the necessary cost
of operation and maintenance, which is
a guarantee by the public To contend
that the laws do not bo provide is to
insinuate that the commissions have
violated the laws and exceeded their
authority by permitting or enforcing
an increase or decrease of charge for
public utility service.
Interchange of service by physical
connection of two or more telephone
systems will not eliminate any item of
overhead expense or reduce the in
vestment of either company. It will
Increase the Investment ln amount
necessary to establish physical con
nection. Increase the cost of opera
tion. Increase the cost of maintenance.
Injure the service by the extra con
nections necessary to complete eaoh in
terchange call, and delay the service
by the time required for operators of
each exchange to note record of each
Interchange call for the differential
charge which Justice demands shall be
paid to the company rendering service
to patrons other than Its own.
Calculating that the total amount be
ing paid to both companies for service
at the present time is the amount nec
essary to pay a fair net interest on the
record valuation of both systems in ad
dition to the necessary cost of opera
tion and maintenance and that by in
terchange of service patrons will dis
continue one service where both are
maintained and. thereby lessen the
number of rental paying stations and
close so many avenues of revenue, it
will be necessary to increase the charge
for service on telephones remaining in
service in order to continue payment
or the same rate of Interest on the in
creased Investment ln addition to the
increased cost of operation and main
tenance.
It would be unfair to Increase the
cost to the majority having only one
telephone in order to reduce the ex
pense of the minority having both tele
phones.
For the Information of advocates of
telephone competition, I beg to advise
that, by interchange of service. pa
trons of each company will have the
same number of connections at their
disposal, and the efficiency of service
will be identical. Then it will be nec
essary to charge all patrons the same
rate for the same class of service ln
order to comply with laws prohibiting
discrimination.
Telephone patrons throughout the
city should hold neighborhood meet
ings of voters for the purpose of dls
cussing thta important question before
the election.
I am not ln any way connected with
either telephone company. Voters
should clip this article and get busy
on the Job. ED AV'ORD.
ROOSEVELT DIVISIOX IS OF VALVE
It Is Certain Way to Extend Immediate
Moral Effect of Onr War Entry,
PORTLAND. May 1. (To the Ed
itor.) I agree with the editorial,
Using Every Resource." I say give
Mr. Roosevelt a chance, for If It Is mor
al effect our worthy allies want, that
surely Is a very certain way of giving
It. I am sure that very many thou
sands of Amerloan citizens are of the
same opinion.
I take a decided stand with you ln
Objecting to Bending any of our troops
abroad to the trenches without the
same preliminary training and disci
pline that has been given to the Cana
dian and other troops sent over the
sees.
I have two sons, members of the
National Guard of this state, and they
will be found at the front, wherever
that may be, when they are called. No
strings have been placed on them to
keep them home, for they owe their
services to their country, as does every
other right-thinking American.
We are willing to helr pay our debt
of gratitude to France, but not In any
heedless rush to the Blauorbter pens of
Europe. Oive all plenty of time to
season and prepare for the terrible or
deal and they will be equal -to any and
Inferior to none. If the education Is
better finished ln France, well and
good, but not ln the trenches or on the
firing line In a war where experience
and long: training are the vital re
quirements of the fighting man.
While we at our house are willing
(but with many heart aches and much
grief) to see those who are dearer than
our own Uvea go to assist In the cause
of human rlfrhts and the general wel
fare of mankind. I suggest that, as
there Is not now any violation of neu
trality rights, the many young foreign
born residents of this city and state
form a company or more and go with
Teddy or ship to their own country and
train for the fray, ln which our boys
are about to plunge without restraint.
If they do this they will prove their
patriotism to their own land and the
glad hand of congratulation that has
been extended to myself and to other
parents that our sons are to aid the
forces of the allied governments ln
opposing the Kaiser will be taken at
100 per cent. If not. will they not be
as bad as Colonel Roosevelt said this
country was In hiding behind the Brit
ish rieetr They will be living In a
country where they will not be Bubject
to military service and are only Inter
ested ln that they will not have to go
to the trenches and can pursue de
money-making path without let or hin
drance. Yours for tho prosecution of
the war to a victorious end for tho al
lies, America and the right.
W. E. DANIEL,
7J5 Hawthorne avenue.
GARDEN IS PLACE FOR THE ROE
Women Who Really Vt It Will Not
FrrI Like Joining Parade.
PORTLAND. May 1. (To the Edi
tor.) One cannot help but wonder how
many of the women who are really us
ing the hoe with desire to do their
"bit" will take part ln the "woman with
a hoe parade. As the actual use of
the hoe increases, the desire for pa
rades decreases.
There is not the least danger that
women will fall to do their part or
that they will be unable to appreciate
the eervice of our men who are willing
to sacrifice their lives if their country
needs such a service. The sacredness
of home and family is appreciated by
a large majority of women. Any event
that brings about the severing of these
most precious ties is bound to arouse
a profound gratitude and appreciation
for such a sacrifice.
The "woman" with a hoe" parade will
not indicate the patriotism of a large
majority of women, nor Is such a stunt
necessary to stimulate them in the use
of the hoe. There is nothing so encour
aging and Inspiring as to see the hoe ln
use. It may not be so spectacular as a
parade or some other public demonstra
tion, but the example Is excellent and
the suggestion is powerful. Th,e patri
otism of many women will pass by un
noticed for the lack ef a good press
laVsat. A MOTHER.
In Other Days.
Half a Cr.l.rj Aao.
From The Oresonlan of Slay 2, 1667.
The Good Templars of Oregon City
yesterday chartered the Echo and
made a picnic excursion to Rock
Island, where they had the usual May
Day ceremonies. Miss Ardula Randall
was May Queen. -
A race has been made between the
"Plowboy" and Alek Hamilton, to be
run at the White House at 1 P. K.
next Saturday, 40 yards, for JoO a side.
The Pioneers will meet at the
grounds across the river this after
noon for practice at 5 o'clock.
The Good Templars' excursion and
picnic yesterday was attended by about
300 people and was a very well sot-up
affair, and nothing occurred during
the entire day to mar the pleasure of
the occasion.
Good lime for building purposes is
being burhed from limeEtone in Jack
son County.
As I have secured 500 tons of ice
from the Mount Adams cave. I would
inform the publlo generally that I will
have on hand from the first day of
May throughout the entire season Ice
for sale nt wholesale and retail.
Philip Hornung.
Twenty-Ove Tears A so.
From The Oregonlan of Jtny 2. 1H7.
Portland had Its May Day celebration-find
among those who ran It were
all the Isms represented. Including, of
course, the People s partv leaders. The
celebration consisted of meetings, one
ln the afternoon and another at night.
The Bowers dredge will complete the
filling of the section of Couch Lake,
on which it Is nt present engaged,
this week, and next week will begin
work on another section adjoining the
Seventh street bridge. Everything
points to an early resumption of work
on the Grand Central Station.
The negotiations that have been go
ing on for some time. looking to the
opening of the wagon roadway of the
steel bridge as a free bridge, have
fallen through.
Some huere blocks of Arizona sand
stone are belni? hauled up to the site
of T. B. Wllcoxa new residence at the
corner of King street and Park avenue.
Captain Pease has gone to the
beach, north of Gray's Harbor, to su
perintendent the work of removing the
steel rails from the wreck of the Brit
ish ship Abercorn, lost there two years
ago. The rails were to have been used
ln building a portage road around The
Dalles of the Columbia.
BO.XDS
VERSUS
FIAT
HOXEY
Why It Is Wise to Issue the Former,
Not the Latter.
PORTLAND. May 1. (To the Ed
itor.) I have been a reader of The Ore
gonlan for 45 years. That alone should
be sufficient proof of my faith ln the
honor and ability of the management,
and ln view of that faot I am quite sure
the question below, in which I am very
much interested, and upon which I hope
to be enlightened, will receive due con
sideration: If the Government la Brood semirltv
for bonds, why is It not equally good for
ine same amount of fiat money?
WILLIAM FRANKLIN PRUDEN.
Bonds are an evidence tf money bor
rowed, pay a rate of interest corre
sponding to the Government's credit at
the time the loan is made and fluctuate
ln value as the Government's credit
rises and falls and In accordance with
the condition of the money market.
Moreover, they are to be redeemed at
fixed time. Flat money is kept at Its
face value only by confidence ln the
Government's ability and willingness to
redeem it in gold, and depreciates when
the Nation's credit Is Impaired even In
the slightest degree. Greenbacks, whloh
are flat money, were at a heavy discount
during the Civil War and greatly In
creased the cost of the war. Its use
drives gold out of circulation and. when
doubt exists as to Its redemption in
gold. It drains gold from the Treasury
to be hoarded. During Cleveland's seo-
ond term greenbacks were kept at par
by redemption In gold and. as the law
compelled the Government to reissue
them as fast as they were exchanged
for gold, they were used over again to
draw gold from the Treasury, forming
what has been oalled "the endless
chain."
The first French republic Issued flat
money, called asslsrnats. and they fell
to 1 per cent of their nominal value.
General Carranza. has Issued fiat money
n Mexico, and it has fallen as low as 2
per cent. In fact, the only real money
Is some commodity which is adopted as
medium of exchange In proportion to
Its intrinsic value lor that and other
purposes. Gold has proved the most
convenient medium and other mediums
will fluctuate in value measured by gold
unless they can be freely exchanged for
gold and unless there I absolute confi
dence In the ability of the Government
to make the exchange.
Why F.t Cow Feed
PORTLAND, M:iy 1. (To the Editor.)
I notice in ono of Portland's papers
an appeal to eat war bread. What is
the gain for tho consumer to pa" white
flour prices for the 25 por cent bran and
shorts worth S cents a pound added
to the bread?
Every pound of bran and shorts is
needed by our dairymen. It is their main
grain feed. The result is .he consumer
will be a bigger goat than ever and eat
up the cow feed, thereby causing the
use of expensive substitutes and an
other rise in tho prico of milk.
That pspcr'8 argument that this is
patriotism is pure tunk. We are con
suming all the bran and shorts now ln
its most nutritious form. The stomach
of the cow will extract more nutriment
for us from this feed than we ourselves
can. A FORMER DAIRYMAN.
The Hyphen Is Taboo.
By James Bnrton Adams.
The hyphen has gone out of date as
dual country link since we've been
brought by hand of fate to warfare's
fiery brink. "One country and one
flag" they cry with patriotlo mind, and
do no loager glorify the flags they
left behind. They love the people of
the lands from which they turned their
eyes with ihoir willing hearts and
hands to build homes 'neath freedom's
skies, but have no race affection for
the chiefs. Inspired by hell, who
brought about a bloody war without a
parallel. They read about the thou
sands slain ln every mad onslaught,
that they who rule their lands might
gs.ln their mad ambition's plot and by
the force of arms would see the vic
tors' flag unfurled and with the sword
of tyranny would some day rule the
world. They in Imagination hear the
kindred of their blood and friends they
hold in memory dear plead for suf
ficient food, and from their grateful
hearts arise the potiks of praise that
they are camped 'neath freedom's cold-
en skies and have three squares a day,
and hence the linking hyphen and Its
prefix are taboo and throughout their
adopted land they're Americana."
loyal, true.