Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, September 22, 1917, Image 9

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Morning Oregonian., September 22, 1917, Page 10, Image 9

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Newspaper Page Text10 rOETLAND, OBEGOX. Entered at Portland (Ortfon) Fostofriee aa eecond-claas mail matter. Subscription rates Invariably In advance: (By MalL) Dally, Sunday Included, one year $8.00 Laily. Sunday Included, alx months 4.00 Iauy, Sunday included, three modtha ... Z.25 jLaly, Sunday Included, one montla ..... .73 Uaily, without Sunday, one year ........ 6.00 Laily, without Sunday, alx months ...... 25 iJatlY. Without Kunriav thr.a mnnthi 1 Xjaiiy. without Sunday, one moata ...... .60 Weekly, one year 1.50 Sunday, one year 2.50 bunday and weekly 3.60 By Carrier.) Zaily, Sunday Included, one year ...... .$3.00 taliy, Sunday included, one montb ..... .75 Iuiy, without Sunday, one year ........ 7.80 lai;y, without Sunday, three months ... 1.16 Ijaliy. without Sunday, one montb ...... .06 How to Kemit Send postofflca money or der, express order or personal cheek on your jocai Danlc. biamps, coin or currency are at sender's risk. Uivo postoffico address in full, including- county and state. - Poetace Bate 12 to IS paves. 1 cent: 18 iu pages, z cents; a to 4S paces, B cents CO to 60 pases. 4 cents: 62 to 76 naaea I cents: 78 to fc2 paces, centa. Foreign post. ie nouoze rates. r at-rn Burtunu Office Verrae at Conklin. Brunswick building. New York; Verree A Conklin. Steger building. Chicago; San Fran cisco representative, R. J. BldweU, 742 atar- an street. MEMBER OF TEE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Associated Press Is exclusively entitled o tne use lor republication of all n credited to It or not otherwise credited this paper and also the local uewa published bereln. -AJ1 rlrbts of republication of special dia- patcnes nerein are also reserved. P0KTLAXD, SATCRDAY, SEPT. 22. 1917. POSTAL BATES DTD KEWSPAI'EKS, The public has doubtless been greatly mystlned by the frequent changes In the Congressional attitude toward the proposed postal tax on newspapers In the war revenue bill. The House has appeared to be definitely committed to one plan, the Senate to another: and there are groups in both houses that either want to impose heavy aaaea postal charges against the newspapers and magazines, or are re luctant to impose any new burdens at alL There is an active coterie that has an ill-concealed notion that the papers have led the country into war, and ought somehow to suffer a pen alty for that mighty offense, and they have seriously planned to lay a special tax of 5 per cent on all adver tising income a species of impost which is designed to be laid against no other industry. Still others think that there ought to be a strict line drawn between the reading and ' advertising columns of all publications, and that a special proportionate rate should be laid against the latter, while the former should go through the mails at the present moderate charges. It Is not surprising, therefore, that the public has no clear view of the issues or of the equities, and It may be dis posed to assume that the newspapers have been getting something for noth ing rrom . ine Government, and are reluctant not only to surrender their bonus or graft, but to .pay their fair hare of the war burden. Newspapers, magazines and other periodicals are admitted to the mails at the uniform rate of one cent per pound, with no distance limit. There is a heavy annual deficit In the period ical or second-class rate, and it is commonly assumed that it comes from the wide distribution of newspapers throughout the United States. It has been said that the newspapers give the Government one cent for about eight cents" worth of service, and thus pay aboi one-eighth of what they should pay. It Is not true. The great magazines, which circulate freely throughout the Nation, are re sponsible for a great part of the defi cit. For example, there is a single publishing house in Philadelphia which pays less than $2,000,000 per annum for distribution of its maga zines. The cost to the United States Is about $5,000,000. Here alone is a single item of $3,000,000 which may be regarded as a gratuity given to one firm. An Investigation conducted by a committee of newspaper publishers, in conjunction with the chairman of the House committee on postal affairs, developed the fact that within a 300 mile zone there is a profit on the one cent rate. In other words, a news paper parcel taking the second-class rate pays its own way, and, better, up to the 300-mile limit. Within 100 miles and most papers have the great bulk of their circulation in that radius the second-class rate of one cent pays excellently, and within 200 miles there is still good money. On the other hand, those magazines which circulate chiefly within 300 miles of their place of publication are of no importance, while those that go everywhere are the most nu merous and regular patrons of the PostofHce Department. To the maga zines clearly must be credited by far the greater fraction of the Govern ment's losses in postal revenues. The newspapers of the country are favorable to the so-called McKellar amendment, which established the zone system for second-class postal rates, being one cent and a quarter for the Initial 300 miles with a gradu ated Increase for greater distances. The amendment passed the House but was defeated in the Senate, which then eliminated altogether every plan for revised rates or for new charges against newspapers and magazines. In conference a compromise has been reached on the basis of the McKellar plan with one-cent charge in the 300 mile zone and graduated rates there after. If the McKellar amendment, or Its substitute, shall in the end be rejected through pressure from the magazines, and perhaps from a few great metro politan newspapers, it ought to be understood that newspapers as a class have asked only fair play and have been and are willing to pay a proper price for service rendered, and a pro portionate war tax besides. What the magazines are willing and able to do, appears to be quite another matter. RATS. The Importance of exterminating rats by every possible means is brought home to food conservationists by the estimate made by Edward W. Nelson, chief of the United States Biological Survey, that it requires the labor of 200,000 men In the United States alone to support them. In other words, if there were no rats, food and other material produced by this great army would be available for human use. Ir. Nelson, writing in the National Geographic Magazine, says that the translation of an old Gaelic exorcism might well express the farmers' feel ings of the present day. It Is: No com in sheaf, nor barley snurly stacked. Could serve thy turn; but all my garnered grain. la well-fUled aacks. la next by thee attacked. And all la spoiled, thon thief of fertile brain : Asd all my aacks are nibbled, too. and holed A light moat aratlng to behold. The average yearly returns on a man's labor in agriculture, as shwn I by the census of 1910, Indicate that it requires the continuous' work of about 150,000 men. with farms, agri cultural implements and other equip ment, to supply the foodstuffs de stroyed annually by rats, while, in addition, rats destroy other property, mainly of argicultural origin, the pro duction of which requires the labor of about 60.000 men. If a small part of this number were concentrated in a continuous National campaign against rats, the number of these pests could be so greatly diminished that the losses from this source would be reduced by at least one-half. This does not take into account the plagues wnicn are transmitted -by rats, and against which, for higher reasons than those of food conservation, humanity should be protected. The elementary feature of the cam paign against rats is that the rat re sponds quickly to conditions of life in every locality. It multiplies with amazing rapidity where there are poorly kept buildings and where food is wasted. The community which abolishes sheltering places for rodents and places their food out of reach soon reaps its reward. This requires only civic patriotism. But the need of protection against other neighbor hoods which are not so careful still exists, and it is because of. this that effective organization is absolutely essential. Public education is, unfor tunately, still necessary. Indiana is the pioneer among" the states In the Union in the establishment of a "rat day," on which the public is urged to Join in a general effort to destroy all rats, but the Indiana law does not provide, as it should, for the com pulsory rat-proofing of premises most likely to be places of refuge for the pests. With this addition, the In diana law might well be used as a pattern by every other state in the United States. WHAT IT MEANS. A third of the Republicans enrolled in New Tork City went to the Re publican primary Wednesday, and, by a bare majority, nominated John Purroy Mitchel, a Democrat, as their candidate for Mayor. A wave of pained surprise has passed over the faces of the New Tork papers that Mr. Mitchel should not have carried a Republican primary overwhelm lngly; and there Is a suggestion of machine politics" in the fact that Mr. Bennett, his Republican competi tor, had only a thousand or so votes less than the Mayor. Why should there be astonishment at the apparently meager Mitchel showing? The astounding thing is that without organization, and without vehement campaign, Mitchel got anywhere at all in a primary of an opposing party. True, Mitchel Is running as a non partisan. But he Is a Democrat, and a party primary Is no non-partisan affair. Doubtless he lost many votes from Republicans who in a real non partisan contest would be for him. but who resented the fact that the party machinery was being used for non-partisan ends. If there Is to be a non-partisan election, in New York or anywhere, it is entirely reasonable to ask that there be a non-partisan primary. The real meaning of the Repub lican primary result in New Tork is that, while Republicans are willing that Mitchel, a Democrat, be Mayor of New Tork, not all of them are willing to turn over the party machin ery to him and his Democratic and non-partisan friends. STANDING IN. The Oregonlan welcomes the letter from Pendleton, published elsewhere. defending the political deal by which Mr. Moore was appointed Collector of Customs, for it desires to be set right always, when it is wrong. It had been wrong in an innocent as sumption that no one would have the nerve to arise and over his signature Justify the dismissal of Burke and the elevation of Moore. We hope the sig nature is genuine. The Oregonlan did not insinuate that being a "sage-brusher" of neces sity unfits one for political prefer ment. It has precisely the opposite view, for it is evident that being a Democratic sage-brusher alone fitted Mr. Moore for political preferment Will this correspondent or any one give a reason aside from sordid and trafficking pie-counter politics that led to the displacement of Judge Burke and the nomination of Mr. Moore? Will he give it? Will any one give it? That is the whole point. Considera tions of fitness were wholly Ignored, in Collector Burke's case; the ordi nary rule of fairness that a good term deserves another in any office was set aside; the protests of the entire busi ness community were given no weight. and the place was parceled out to a genteel job-hunter 250 miles from tidewater for the sole reason that he was high in favor with the Democratic machine. What's the use for anybody to uibble and shuffle about the notorious facts? There they are. The citizens who have direct dealings with the Col lector and the others who have a vital interest in the port are entitled to know what happened to them, follow ing their hearty tribute to Collector Burke's efficiency and their united re quest for his retention. In these be nign days of nonpartisanshlp the fel low who stands in always takes .the plum. TUB BCRDES ON" GERMAXT. One of the Influences In favor of peace In Germany is the effect which after-war taxation threatens to have on the relations of the federated states to the empire. Bismarck left to the states all normal sources of direct taxation, chiefly capital and Income. but the after expenses of the war will make this no longer possible. Pro vision for the families of the killed and wounded will require the empire to raise a billion dollars a year from these sources, as much as Is raised by the states. Interest and sinking fund on the war estimated to the Autumn of 1917 will require that in direct taxes be quadrupled. But. according to a letter from Zurich, Switzerland, to the New Tork Evening Post, the Imperial govern ment has no machinery collecting direct taxes, and can do so only by employing that of the twenty-five states, which have always sought to avoid becoming entangled in the finan cial troubles of the empire. The moral power of the states would then be undermined, and the government would be centralized in the empire. A political disturbance would ensue which would be aggravated by the burden which four times the present indirect taxes would impose on the poorer people. How can Germany endure an added burden of three billion dollars a year In taxes, after having been Impover ished by the loss of commerce and the ruin of Industry? But that la the tut: jiorxtn-g burden which seems to threaten It. The people groaned under the load they carried before the war. The American people considered Congress extravagant when it began to spend one Dimon a year. now can Ger many, with two-thirds as many people and one-third as much wealth, pay three times as much taxes In addi tion to the expenses of peace time? This Is the great adventure reduced to cold figures. PRANCE AND RUSSIA; A CONTRAST. But for the overshadowing Import ance of the war, the revolution in Russia would have been regarded as the one event of transcendent Interest of the present time, as was the French revolution of the eighteenth century. It, therefore, suggests a parallel with the course of events in that convul sion. While there is a certain resem blance in the developments of the two. and while It is still possible that the final outcome may be the same in Russia as it was In France, there are many sharp contrasts which im pose caution on the forecaster of events. Both revolutions sprang from the same general causes. In each case the power of a despotic monarchy was decaying as the effect of corruption and incompetence and of the waste of the national resources by senseless. selfish tyranny. In both cases Ideas of liberty had spread among the peo ple and had Inspired them to wreck the machine that oppressed them. France had the example of her neighbor, Britain, and of the United States; 'Russia had that of every western nation ixcept the central em pires, her hereditary enemies. In both countries these Ideas had taken hold of the minds of many among the up per classes and the clergy, and were generally held by the middle class as by . the common people. But, even though Ignorance Is widely prevalent in Russia, education is more general than it was In France in 178 9, and de finite theories of government are held by the masses more commonly than was the case in France. The extrem ists of Russia go more deeply into the economic theories of which Socialism has the most fascination than did the Jacobins of France. The extremists of Russia find at least some able leaders among the working class; those of France found their leaders in the mid die class. An outstanding contrast Is that France began her revolution when at peace, while Russia began hers when at war, and to some Begree as the re sult of that war. France was engaged in war by a coalition of monarchies in consequence of the revolution; Rus sia was already at war in alliance with democratic nations against league of autocracies. The extremists in France organized the nation for war, and fought till they were vic torious on all sides, and war produced a military leader who drove them from power and established military despotism; the Russian extremists favor peace while the enemy is still on Russian soil, though that means surrender to foreign autocracy and desertion of the cause of democracy. In France the royalists looked to for eign armies for restoration of the monarchy; in Russia the radicals, who aim at an extreme Socialist republic, are prompted by German agents to urge peace for fear that continued war will produce a dictator who will re store despotism. Events have moved ' much faster toward a radical republic in Russia than in France. The Czar was de posed and a republic was actually. though not formally, established In the course of a single week with no re sistance on the part of the Romanoffs, who had defeated all efforts to Increase popular power or to reform the gov ernment. In France the initiative was taken by King Louis at the instigation of his ministers, and monarchy was not finally abolished until more than three years after the revolution began. The French convulsion began with the meeting of the States General on May 5, 1789, and the first efforts were only to limit royal and aristocratic au thority. The Third Estate began by extorting the King's consent to the sitting of the three estates as a single body under the name of the National Assembly, but the riots In Paris which culminated in the storming of the Bastille the first acts of open rebel lion were provoked by the dismissal of Necker. Open violence against the King did not begin until October 6. when the mob forcibly removed him to Paris, and when he was captured at Varennes on June 20, 1791, the Assembly only suspended him from office. The new constitution, to which he took the oath on September 14, 1791, still preserved the shadow of monarchy, and the first Legislative Assembly elected under it did not openly declare at first for a republic, though the majority favored it. When the mob invaded the Tuileries In June. 1792, in fury at Louis' veto of certain decrees of the Assembly, a strong reaction to save the monarchy was led by La fayette and the Girondists, but Louis relied on Austrian intervention and refused their aid. -The Jacobins then resolved to abol ish monarchy, but the Duke of Bruns-4 wick, the allied commander, hastened events by proclaiming the purpose of the allies to restore royal power and to execute the revolutionary leaders. This provoked the Paris Commune to seize the King and Queen on August 10 and imprison them, while the As sembly suspended the King and called a convention to draw a new constitu tion. The convention met on Septem ber 20, and on the next day it abol ished monarchy, three years and four months after the States General had met. Then began a struggle between the Jacobins and the Girondists. The for mer were in the minority, but they were more resolute and unscrupulous, and by terror Intimidated the many members of the convention who per manently attached themselves to nei ther party. They represented the populace and were supported by the Paris Commune and the mob, while the Girondists represented the middle class, favored law and order and would have spared the life of the King. The Jacobins were determined to kill him and they won by terror, executing him on January 21, 1793, and the Queen on October 16. Then followed the struggle between the Jacobins and the Girondists, in which the former triumphed; the reign of terror, which ended with the execu tion of Robespierre; the reaction which established the Directorate: the wars of defense developing into "tvars of conquest, which evolved Napoleon; the desperate efforts of the Jacobins to retain power in fear of punishment for their crimes; the corruption, bank ruptcy and factional discord, from which the people turned In relief to Napoleon, when he seized power on November 9, 1799. Will Russia have had enough of anarchy In a shorter period? In six months Russia has traveled OREGpyiAX, Saturday, the way to the conflict between the parties which correspond to the Ja coblns and Girondists. In France that point was not reached for four years. There -was demoralization in the trench army in the Sprlner of 1793 but six months later they were strain winning, and thereafter they seldom failed to win. That Is a hint of what might be in Russia, but there are many points of difference. France is by comparison small and compact. wniie rtussia is vast and snrawline. The French people are of one race and language; the Russians of many. The French are quick of thought and action, while the Russians are slow. The French republic embarked on war against enemies who proclaimed thel Intent to destroy It; the Russian re public Is called upon to continue war on which the empire embarked and by which the people have suffered terribly. A most striking contrast is that between the thirst for blood which marked France m the time of trans! tion and the aversion for blood which marks Russia. From the beginning moos ravaged .trance with a lust to kill, and the government degenerated into organized massacre. In Russia the first change was effected with little loss of life, and, though mobs and mutineers have at times resorted to murder, the rulers and leaders shun the death penalty. The war seems to have sated them with blood and they want no more of It, The more rapid march of events In Russia than in France apparently de ceived (General JCorniloff into the be- lief that time was ripe for a military cnier to restore order, but not until ten years after the throes of France began was she ready for Napoleon. Korniloft lacked the prestige of a long series, or dazzling victories which had disciplined Napoleon's troops and made them worship him. The Rus- slan General's army saw In him .only a man who wished to restore the brutal rule from which they had just escaped, and the people's memory of the Czar s autocracy Is too fresh for them to have welcomed a military dic tator. The time is not ripe for Napoleon, and Kornlloff Is not the man. Kerensky plays the part of the Girondists, while the Maximalists are the Jacobins of Russia, but the for mer has the courage, determination and personal magnetism which his French prototypes lacked. He Is far greater than Robespierre, and more resembles Danton, but the forces of Jacobinism are rising and gaining strength, and there is a prospect that affairs in Russia will grow worse be fore they begin to grow better. Dogs will have a chance to do their bit In the war. If the bill introduced in the Senate by Senator Brady, of laano. Is passed. It is proposed to appropriate $40,000 for the purchase and training of 1000 animals, but the War Department is authorized to ac cept gifts from individuals and or ganizations, and it is believed that the entire amount will be available for training purposes. High pedigree will not count for much in a war dog, and pampered pets held for fictitious prices win not rind a market. Only a lim lted number will have sensational duties to perform, but all will be .of great service In a modest way. Euro pean governments have so far recog nized their value that it is said that more than 40,000 are employed In various warlike occupations, chief among which areguarding prisoners and carrying messages from stations not connected with the base by tele phone. Dogs have also distinguished themselves as trench sentries and in carrying aid to the wounded and are an established branch of the service. especially in France. The United States Is producing not more than 50,000 tons of potash year, notwithstanding all its efforts to stimulate discovery and manufac ture, and there is such a demand that half a million tons probably would nna a ready market if we had that much. Our present sources are the alunite deposits in Utah, the Pacific Coast kelp beds, and cement mills and Searles Lake, In California, We have billions of tons in the feldspar rocks or tne country, but the last named can be extracted only at exceedlntrlv hie-h temperature, which is expensive. Ger many continues to have a monopoly of potash that can be dug out of the ground, and for Impelling industrial reasons will continue to hold this monopoly even after the. war, unless we are able to stimulate production at home to the point of greatly reducing costs. There is positively no substitute for potash in agriculture, although In some of the Industries other chemicals have been used with varying results. Eighty-eight per cent of the remi- lars use tobacco, and likely the per centages in the National Guard and National armies will be as large. The soldiers of all classes should not be deprived of a solace because people wno nave never tried to use tobacco cannot appreciate Its comfort. Mere change of language cannot change a pro-German Into a loyal newspaper. By the matter which it prints in English, not by the fact that It la printed in that language, will the people judge whether the Portland American is worthy of its name. Mr. Hoover needs to have a buyer on guard to requisition salmon at the mouth of the Columbia River before the dealers get them and dump them overboard. There are not many motorcycle riders In this city, and a few need a word of caution. They travel too fast when the street apparently is clear. A oensus by the War Department shows that soldiers vote for the nox ious but consoling weed by 88 to 12. Now will you hold out that two bits? If the daughter In the family goes to cooking school, the Housemaids' Union cannot scare that home. Has the fruit cake, not too little and not too big, been made for the soldier boys' Christmas box? The cranberry crop of this section is the biggest of record, and how about canning them? Aerial bombardment only adds to the zest of life for American railroad engineers in France. The self halrcutter has arrived, but everybody will wait until the other fellow tries it. When the carmen strike and the linemen go out, Portland will hike and yelL The new union of elevator opera tors Is an Idea In uplift. septeibek 22, 1917. EVERT BASIC PRECEPT VIOLATED First Principles of International Law Broke by Gemaar. PORTLAND. Sept. II. (To the Ed ltor.) Any doubt about the Justice of the allies' war against the Hohenzollern maniac and his dupes and about the wisdom of our entrance therein as one of the allies, will, I believe, be removed by a consideration of the most funda mental principles of International law and of the cynical manner in which all of these principles have been violated by the Kaiser. International law as such cannot be said to have existed until the time of the Thirty Tears War. Out of the tur moil and chaos of that terrible conflict there arose certain laws first put in definite form by the great Dutch Jurist, Hugo Qrotlus, which may be said to constitute the very crux or primer of international law and which have been always since recognised as such. These first baalo principles of International law may be summarised as follows: 1- War should be carried on only for just cause, and lor the purpose of de fen so. 2. Do no more injury to the van quished than is strictly necessary. 8. Force alone ought not to regulate the relations of peoples, for there is Justice between states as between in dividuals. 4. To observe treaties Is the wisest practice and the greatest strength of sovereigns. Study these precepts and see how every one of them has b6en thrown into the discard by the megalomaniac who presides over the destinies of the cen tral powers. Can anyone descry a Just cause in the Kaiser declaring war upon Russia ana proceeding to attack France be cause Austria made absurd demands upon Serbia which that small Nation could not grant without sacrificing its sovereignty? The unspeakable atrocities practiced by, the Geryian authorities in Belgium and in the part of France suffering from German occupation, the barbari ties inflicted. by the Turks, without a word -of protest from their German ally, show how the ruler who named his son arter Attila, the Hun. regards the aecona or these laws. Ana have not the Bernhardls and Nietsches and the rest of the German publicists emphasized again and again their demoniac theory that might makes right, that weakness is a rrlmfk and that the small states are proper vy iur me militaristic German Go Hath? The violation of Germany's solemn pledge to respect the Independence of .7 ' notorious "scrap of pa- ""-iueni in wnicn William was merely following in the footsteps of his t-uiunuus predecessor, ITrederick. mis- namea j.ne Great," is evidence that he cares no more for this fundamental principle of international law than for cue rest. uouuuu ia.tr is not dead, even laougn Its every oraeAnt Vim latea by the Kaiser. Tt m-i, k 'i its irienas ao not rm it. assistance. The future peace of the world demands that we of this Nation, the foremost exponent of liberty guar- -v " i.rvusn law, come to Its i oiaianco ana ao our bit to put the shackles upon the world's foremost laivurwuisr. HEKBEHT B. ATTflTTTJ 960 Savier Street. NEBRASKA IS POTASH PRODUCER oi will Exceed $3,500,000 . in t ame, say Correspondent, LINCOLN, Neb., Sent, 18. Tn o,. ter AAJtvin uf ., w.a.uB J'lierestinsr letter MihH.h in The Oregonlan. appears a brief , " vvman 111 fRiaun re kiiva t rt r h . ..... . f " ? UMar says: "Enough ft . 1' "owever, la obtained in the jiuiLea oiaies lor munitions purposes from the burniner of mawui n Pacific Coast, and from the brines in . in coutnern California and from a rock callerl ainnftA i trt,u He further speaks of having heard of the arrival of some potash from newly discovered fields in Brazil, and a umura or lis aiscovery in Spain. presume, continues Mr. Gerard, "the urerman poiasn syndicate will lmme aiateiy endeavor to control those iieias trsrazn and Spain) in order to hold the potash trade of the world in its grip." It may ba of Interest to your rearl ers to know that the German nnth syndicate is up against the enormous output or potash from Nebraska, Pot ash is being produced from the brine in numerous Nebraska lakes at the rate or more than 300 tons a day, and the output Is rapidly increasinsr. Th brine Is piped from the alkali lakes of Northwestern Nebraska to reduction plants situated on lines of railroad. This brine is from 8 to 12 ner cent potash. The discovery of the potash properties of the waters of these lakes was made by two young University of Nebraska students less than three years ago. Today there Is an Invest ment of more than 12,600,000 In rot ash reduction plants, and the 1917 out put will exceed 3, 600. COO in value. Careful and competent investigators assert that the potash supply of Nebraska is practically inexhaustible. These alkali lakes were once the bane of the cattlemen in Northwest Nebraska.- Cattle would not drink the water, and In storms would drift into the lakes and bog down. Today the owner of a. potash lake Is fortunate. One ranch firm. Krausa Bros., in Box Butte County, are drawing royalties in excess of $1000 a day from a huge lake on their ranch. The State of Nebraska owns many school land sec tions containing alkali lakes, and is leasing them on a royalty basis. The state experts to add enormously to Its permanent school fund from this source. The state's permanent In vested school fund is now in excess of $9,600,000. WILL. M.-MAUPIN. Insrth and Speed of Vater land. ELM A, Wash., Sept. 20. (To the Edi tor.) (1) What is the length of the In terned ship the Vaterland? Is It as speedy as the Great Northern and Northern Pacific steamers? (2) What is the law in Washington State in this case? Wife secures divorce and $10 alimony; also custody of 6-year-old girL Wife has two houses and lands and marries man with good salary and bank account. Wife is also teaching at $35 per month. Does first husband have tJ continue paying alimony after her marriage to second husband? SUBSCRIBER. (1) The length of the Vaterland is 956 feet and her speed Is 24 knots. The Great Northern and Northern Pacific have a length of 524 feet and a speed of 24 knots (2) It is a matter for the court to de termine. Wa assume that the $10 a month is toward support of the daugh ter. In such case, probably the father would be required to continue pay ment. Derrrattoa ef Camoaflace. COTTAGE GROVE, Or., Sept. 20. (To the Editor.) Kindly give the deriva tion and definition of "camouflage." . CUHIOUS. The word is said to have had Its ori gin among French actors who used It to designate that which we term stage make-up. It had not yet become an accepted word by lexicographers at the time it grew into favor as a term for disguise in war operations. Its original meaning is preserved in broad sense. It Is applied to any method of disguising or concealing things used In the prossoutlon of wax. MR. HILBER EFFICIENT EMPLOYE Injustice) Done If Incinerator Head Should Be Replaced. PORTLAND, Sept, 20. (To the Ed itor.) The report was current some months ago that William Hilber. su perintendent of the incinerator, was to be superseded by one who had been efficient in securing votes in the South Portland precincts in the recent city election for certain candidates for mu nicipal offices. At that time a number of residents in the northern part of the city addressed letters to the Commis sioner having Jurisdiction of this mat ter, calline-yhis attention to the fact that Mr. Hilber had been a most faith ful and efficient officer and that he had transformed the premises about the Incinerator from an offensive dumping ground to a beautiful park. The Commissioner then having Juris diction of this matter made a personal investigation of conditions and con cluded that it would be entirely-wrong to remove Mr. Hilber and declined to do so. It now seems that the matter was taken out of the hands of that de partment and placed in the department under control of Commissioner Kella her and immediately the change was attempted. The fact is that Mr. Hilber has de voted a large amount of time, outside of the working hours for which he is paid by the city, in beautifying the grounds about the incinerator; he has an exceptionally nna lawn. Interspersed with a great variety of flowers, beau tifully arranged and very well cared for- Prior to his becoming superin tendent there was considerable com plaint on the part of the residents in the vicinity of the incinerator because of offensive odors and gases. There was considerable discussion at that time as to the expense of maintaining the incinerator because of the con sumption of fuel. Mr. Hilber has prac tically eliminated all fuel expense by carefully segregating Inaammable ma terials coming with the garbage and using that material when necessary for burning the heavier garbage. He has so operated the plant that no com plaint has recently been heard, so far as I know, of any objectionable odors or gases In that neighborhood. Mr. Hilber has taken great pride not only In the careful operation of the plant, but in surrounding it with a large lawn and flowers, so that In place of Its being an eye sore and a source of offense. It is a place of beauty and a fine incentive to the people living in that neighborhood to beautify their own grounds. Mr. Hilber has not only used his own leisure hours In this work, but has had the assistance of members of his family in taking care of the grounds, an without expense to the city. In other words, he haa hn most efficient, capable and economical employe or the city. If the report is true that attempt to displace him is In order to reward a political favorite, a mistake has been made of which the people of Portland have a right to be advised and a great wrong has been done to a faithful pub 11c servant. is. D. HUM TliNGTON. Lewis Building. APPOINTMENT OF MOORE UPHELD Writer Considers Him Capable to Per form Duties of Port. PENDLETON. Or.. Sent. 20 (T tv,. Editor.) After reading your editorial in The Oregonlan relative to the ap pointment of Mr. Moore as rmrtnm. collector at Portland I feel constrained to in bkb a. rew comments. ay innuendo you Insinuate that being "sagebrusher" of necessity unfltn one for political preferment and that but little is to be expected of Mr. Moore. It has always been an onen otiaatlnn as to whether Judge Burke got the appointment on his individual merits or through the influence of -a certain distinguished brother whose habitat used to be the Dakotas. Mr. William Moore is an all-rnunri business man, a product of the sage brush, a quiet, dignified gentleman of a stamp that will be an asset to Portland, from the late showing that Portland has been making as a port, I think fully capable of measuring: uo to its onerous magnitude. I am sorry to see it, but if you do not wake up the gen tlemen who govern our affairs at Washington, D. C. may soon be asking. wny tne ron or Fortiand"? THOMAS DUNCAN. Teaeblns for Stammeren, SALEM. Or.. Sent. 20. fTn th. VA- Itor.) Tr, IhA nhl1n ,.h.l. x land have special teachers for children that stutter? M. S. There are no special teachers em ployed In the schools of Portland for children who stutter, but a few of the teachers of the schools devote some of their spare time to helping children so afficted. "TJieDiaryofa U-Boat Commander' APPEARING IN THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN Captain Hans von Tuebinger, commander of a sea-coyote, whiled away the lonely hours of hiding, fathoms deep beneath the waves, by writing down a record of the daily life on board the U-boat, its attacks, escapes and the sensations of captain and crew when they carried out the decree of frightful destruction. The Captain's diary was concluded when he sank the ship on which his sweetheart sailed and added the "one woman in the world" to his list of victims. He cast himself from the submarine and died a suicide. All this was in the daily dispatches-, from Europe, not many weeks ago, but the authentic diary that Von Tuebinger kept is now made public for the first time. ENOUGH SMOKES TO GIRDLE THE EARTH That's what Frank G. Carpenter, special contributor, found when he investigated the , tobacco industry of the South. His story appears in the Sunday issue, an interesting chapter in the series of economic war-time articles by the same author. WHEN QUEEN MARIE LEFT BUCHAREST Queens in exile, driven from their ancient capitals by the brutal invader, have felt the pangs that did Marie of Roumania. But it has remained for this gifted ruler of modern days to set down the sentiments of one who is driven in flight from all that memory holds dear. Queen Marie's own story is appearing in The Sunday Oregonian. CHURCH AND SCHOOL A ready reference to the work of Port land's schools and churches .is contained in the columns of the Sunday issue. One page apiece is devoted to these kindred insti tutions of enlightment. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is discussed in the Sunday sermon by Rev. Harold H. Griffis, of the First Christian Church. WHAT THE HOME FOLKS SAY ABOUT PERSHING Here is a story about "Black Jack" Pershing's own home town, a little vil lage in Missouri, with a bundle of just such stories as those who knew him when he was a boy -could contribute. Land sakes! There was Aunt Susan Hewitt, who knew him when and scores of others. A good yarn, timely and well told. AMERICAN GHIL'S LOVE CHANCES These matters of the heart are of such intimacy that one wouldn't suppose the Government statisticians dared to meddle with them. But that is what they did, and the special story by Rene Bache gives the cold figures and facta. Matrimonially speaking, the article should be widely read. It may contain the one invaluable hint. PORTLAND'S" POLICE VETERANS A bundle of yarns about some of the elder men of the city's police forcei the chances they took and the prisoners they brought to account. Especially interesting in view of the proposal to create a pension system for men who haye served their time on the force. SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE The book review, a page of able criticism; practical and fancy needlework; the old poems page; illustrated articles on feminine finery; the four pages of colored comics, and special departments galore. A Nickel and a Nod Buys THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN. In Other Days. Twenty-Five Years Ace. From The Oregonlan of September 22, 1802. Kansas City. Four men dead, SS in jured men, women and children and a wrecked train are the only results of an attempt to rob the Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe passenger train No. 8 here last night. The train was supposed to be carrying $1,000,000 from Mexico City to Boston. It is understood the money or bonds was on the train, but the safe was buried beneath the wreckage so deeply that the robbers could not get at it. There were 25S passengers on the train. The fishplate connecting the rails had been removed in order to ditch the train. The river steamer R. R. Thompson collided with the British bark Ardgo wan during a fog yesterday morning near the Alblna docks. Charles K. Holmes and Mr. Kropke, of this city, and Mr. Isaacs, of Walla Walla, returned yesterday from an en joyable pheasant hunt with Zeph Job, a Corvallis banker. The fourth annual Industrial Exposi tion of Portland opened last night in a blaze of glory. George Otten, who had charge of the decorations of the music hall "did himself proud." Mayor Mason welcomed the visitors to the exposition. Little Max Mitchell, the young son of Superintendent Mitchell prossed the button that set the machinery in mo tion. E. A. Austin has been appointed Councilman, of the city of Sellwood in the place of James Height, who re signed. Gore, La Follette, Stone et Al. By James Barton Adams. No matter what the goal may be at which our loyal solons aim to boost the cause of liberty and block the crazy Kaiser's game, as hooting of ill-omened owls resounding through the Senate hall is heard unpatriotic growls from Gore, La Follette, Stone, et aL They have it In for Uncle Sam and fain would block his every play; they do not cars a tinker's dam for what indignant pa triots say. If they were fighting for the cause of liberty with guns in hand as fight the bunch against the laws pro posed for safety of the land, no sol diers at the battle front who've an swered to our country's call would do a stubborn fighting stunt like Gore, La Follette, Stone, et ai. If Kaiser Bill should win the war by power of his armed might, should prove the cruel conqueror of all who battle for the right, graved deeply on the face of fame's escutcheon on his palace' wall perchance there might appear the names of Gore, La Follette, Stone, et al. But right and justice will prevail, the Kaiser's ruling days are few, and he will ere long hit the trail and to the has-been camp ekiddoo, then millions multiplied will rise and shout in glad ness o'er his fall, and put to shame such windy guys as Gore, La Follette, Stone, et al. Use of Old Return Tlcaxex. PORTLAND, Sept. 21. (To the Ed itor.) A year ago I bought a round-trip ticket from- Butte, Mont., to Portland, Or. It was a three months' ticket. I was sick and could not, use the return part of my ticket in the three months. Is it lawful to use it now? Can I be arrested for trying to use it? Have not the courts decided that a ticket Is good until used, time limit notwithstand ing? ANXIOUS INQUIRE R, Tou can get a cash refund on the unused portion of your ticket by ap plying to the company's agent at tne place of purchase. It is not unlawful to attempt to use the ticket now, but it would undoubtedly be rejected. We are unable to find any authority on a law compelling railroad companies to rec ognize tickets after the time limit ex pires. Interlocutory Decree Is Not Divorce. PORTLAND, Sept. 21. (To the Ed itor.) (1) Can a person having an "in terlocutory" decree In California legal ly marry in this state or Washington? (2) If they did marry in either state could they be prosecuted for bigamy? (3) Is it still necessary to obtain a medical examination certificate before one can get a ..marriage license In this state? SUBSCRIBER. (1) No. (2) A man who has only a California Interlocutory decree still has a wife. If he takes another it would seem that he had committed bigamy. (3) It is necessary for men only.