10
the aroityiyo oregoxtatt, ttjespat, October 2, 1917.
i
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PORTXAXD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER tt 1917.
GERARD AND GERMANY.
By the great outpouring which twice
filled the Public Auditorium the people
of Portland evinced their intense in
terest in the message which Mr. Gerard
brings to the American people. They
were eager to hear from the lips of
the one witness above all others who
In competent to give authentic test!
mony about Germany the nature of
the German government, its aims in
the war and the diabolical methods
by which they are pursued, and the
condition of the German people and
of their subject peoples,
'Without any of the arts of the
orator, but with calm, though forcible.
language, Mr. Gerard told what he
had seen and heard In the very citadel
of Frusslanism as the accredited rep
resentative of the United States, in
constant intercourse with the men
who control the German war machine
and closely observing its workings. He
told the conclusions which he has
formed, and those conclusions must
be accepted as having been reached
by a capable man whqse patriotism
has been proved by his devoted serv
ice, almost alone among enemies and
their spies.
With all the weight of authority
which he acquires from this position
Mr. Gerard tells us certain facts which
every liberty-loving American is in
duty bound to take to heart and to
adopt as a guide to his actions.
Germany is not a free country, but
is ruled by a military autocrat and his
aristocracy, who have deliberately en
tered upon a career of conquest, both
because they seek world empire and
because they hate democracy.
The invasion of Belgium was in
tended not only as a step in the in
vasion of France, but as the first move
toward the conquest of Britain. But
that, too, was to have been only a step
toward the conquest of America.
Prussia hates the United States even
more than Britain, because we are a
republic, because it covets our rich
country and all of America, and be
cause we have blocked the conquest
of Europe by selling munitions and
food to the allies.
Germany, which is dominated by
Prussia, would, if victorious, extend
the German style of efficiency to
America. The characteristics of that
system are: a franchise by which one
man worth $3,000,000 has as many
votes as 15,000 men who have the
same amount among them; a Reich
stag which makes no laws and is only
a debating society; an army which is
under the Kaiser's sole -command and
which perpetrates most monstrous
cruelties, Mr. Gerard citing some strik
ing examples; an industrial system
under which the most skilled work
man is paid only $2 a day for ten or
twelve hours' work, the boasted pro
vision for his welfare being no more
than an American would make for
his cattle; farm laborers who were
emancipated from serfdom as late as
1819 and who work from before dawn
to dark for 28 cents a day.
. These characteristics of Germany
were commended by Mr. Gerard to
the attention of the pro-German and
the American workingman. If the
former is logical, he should wish to
live in Germany, but if the attempt
were made to transport him thither,
he would fight like a wildcat. Then
he should fight to prevent that sys
tem from being transplanted to this
country. For the same reason the
workingman should not lose a day in
helping to produce the things neces-
sary to victory.
Americans are thus shown that, they
have the best reasons of both National
and self-interest for fighting until
Prussianism is destroyed, for it in
cludes everything that they abhor and
would destroy everything they love.
But Mr. Gerard warns us against har
boring false hopes that victory will be
easily won by any short cuts.
The blockade cannot starve Ger
many into surrender; it can at best
only weaken her.
The submarine is not yet beaten,
and we have no cause to assume that
it will be beaten by any new device;
it can be defeated only by constant
fighting and vigilance and by unceas
ing exertion to build ships which will
replace those destroyed.
Aircraft alone cannot win, though
they are a most valuable accessory to
the Army; in fact, a new arm of mili
tary service.
The war can be won only by su
perior man power superior in num
bers, physique, training, equipment
and morale. A few hundred thousand,
or even a million, men will not suffice.
German losses have been to a large
extent made good by lu .- levies, whom
the capture of two millions and the
enslavement of civil populations have
enabled the government to withdraw
from civil occupations. German man
power must be overcome by that of
America and our allies.
The Prussian war lords desire peace
for no other purpose than to consoli
date their conquests and to avert a
revolution. If they were to succeed
in making peace before they were
beaten, they would not abandon their
ambitious aims, would not make Ger
many a democracy, but would only
prepare for the next war.
A revolution in Germany cannot
come before the allies have won, but
is extremely probable after that event.
The Germans are united in fighting
the war. The militarists, the junkers
and the capitalists are determined to
fight on, for they know that defeat
wouIO-Aot. oaly. -make-tlielc dreama Prlaf"ntiI"rElnJir Jhlafijtuda doB& ta
conquest impossible, but would de
prive Germany of her past conquests.
The rest of the people tight, partly
inrougn exaggeration of what the
allies would do to them, partly through
fear of their Prussian masters. They
wm not give up till their man power
is broken.
Review of what Mr. Gerard tells us
of the tremendous effort needed to
win, and of the awful consequences
which would follow defeat, should
convince us all that it is criminal folly
to dissipate our energies in internal
strife, or to temporize with treason.
The united and untiring efforts of
every loyal citizen and the instant
crushing of every internal enemy are
necessary to victory, and we must con
template the possibility of defeat only
to redouble our exertions.
WHAT WILL WIN.
The war is not to be won in the air.
The war is not to be won on the sea.
The war is not to be won by eco
nomic pressure on Germany.
The war is not to be won by a revo
lution in Germany.
The war is not to be won by our
money or food.
The war is not to be won by a
miracle, nor by some new and as
tounding invention, nor by good luck
or good wishes, nor by waving of flags,
nor dress parades, nor stump speeches.
All these are needed as accessories;
but the war is to be won on the field
of battle by American man power,
face to face with the man power of
the enemy. That is the Gerard mes
sage to the people of America. The
sooner it is understood, the better for
the republic.
WHAT IS TO BE RAIXED.
PORTLAND. Sent. 30. (To the Erillnr t.
Lately your editorials all seem In favor of
capitalism. Friday you say. It will be neces
sary to give tne operators their profit, even
II the yarns are commandeered, and the.
operators then need not worry.
The operators do not do any of the ship
building; or fighting, and their profit de
penns on tne workingmen union or non
union so why should they protons; the. war
oy haggling over the closed shop? Are
they doing their bit? If they are I'd like
to know what it is.
vVe are crossing the ocean to fight the
very thing we uphold In our own country.
Why not have a mental clean-up here, then
when we have fought and cleaned up au
tocracy in Germany we will be on equal
footing, let us hear from some others that
axe In favor of the capitalist doing his bit.
A. SUBSCRIBER.
The statement the , correspondent
cites was a plain statement of fact.
No one. unless it be some Socialist, has
suggested that Government expropri
ate private property, making no re
muneration whatever.
The Oregonian has not suggested
that the operators be allowed exorbi
tant profits. It has first, last and only
urged the workers to heed the request
of the President of the United States
to continue at work and to accept his
pledge that they will receive justice
in an investigation from a commission
already appointed and about to begin
work, and whose findings for any in
crease in wages will be retroactive.
The issue is not capitalism. Capital
Is to be compelled to do its bit by
regulation of profits, by a war profit
tax of 60 per cent, by heavy surtaxes
on incomes and by other means.
The correspondent or any other is
Invited to send to The Oregonian for
publication a clear statement of what
the workers will gain by striking and
thereby delaying work on a vital ne
cessity that they would not gain by
obeying the request of President Wil
son. THE AUDITORIUM AS A CIVIC ASSET.
Portland is already realizing the
wisdom of having erected the Public
Auditorium. It was filled when the
allied aviation mission made its ap
peal for spruce lumber to build air
craft. When Mr. Gerard came enough
people assembled to fill it twice, and
two meetings were held and two
speeches made in order to satisfy all.
That should remove any doubt which
may have remained as to the need of
such a structure.
Every city of the size and character
of Portland needs a great hall where
public opinion can find expression, and
where public sentiment can find vent.
The mere possession of a building
where 6000 people can meet arouses
and keeps alive the civic spiritf whic'-
furnishes the chief impulse to
progress and development of a c
By furnishing opportunity for the
holding of National conventions here
and for such entertainments as the
operatic performances which are soon
to be given, it is an educative power
of no small value. Although a large
part of the cost of its maintenance
cannot be recouped in rent, its value
to the community cannot be measured
in the dollars it brings into the city
treasury. Its value i3 mainly in
tangible, but none the less real, for
solid values spring indirectly from it.
The great host which came forth
to hear Mr. Gerard will doubtless be
only the first of many such hosts
which will overflow the Auditorium
on important occasions in the future
life of Portland. Having this oppor
tunity, the people will come together
in their thousands oftener and a get-
together spirit will be awakened which
will accomplish great things in up
building the city.
WEARY WUXIK LITERATURE.
There are some curious things in
I. W. W. literature. An anonymous
but apparently devoted member of the
organization sends us a little folder,
which is said to be a favorite among
his brothers. It is entitled "The Out
cast's Prayer," and as he adds that
"You can publish this in your capi
talistic paper if you want to," it seems
certain that he believes the folder is
a wise expression of protest against
actual evils.
The "prayer" is hardly fit to print
and not all of it will be. But there
is one passage which may cause one
to wonder whether humorous journals
and writers of satirical fiction do not
cause as much harm as amusement:
Oh X.ora, we do not understand why poodle
dogs have private baths and are attended
by maids and valets, are shampooed, mani
cured and kissed, fed on choice steaks and
drink cream, while thousands of little chil
dren made after your own image live out
of garbage cans. Christ never sala: "Suffer
little poodle dogs to come onto me."
The extravagant care bestowed on
poodle dogs is one of the standbys of
comic dreamland. Now the refresh
ing idea has got into the movies, too,
but it is yet incomprehensible that any
person not below the border line of
normal mentality could ever take it
seriously.
But the outcast by his own act Is
not wholly normal. This contrast, also
taken from his prayer, may illustrate:
Oh Lord, deliver us from the creed and
graft that exist In this Nation, and from
parasites who neither toil nor spin, but
bedeck their persons with finery until they
glitter like a rotten dog salmon afloat In
the moonlight.
May the farmer plant his spuds more
closely to the railroad track, and his chick
ens roam closer to the Jungles, and we will
ever be grateful to the all-powerful God
A dead dog salmon does not glitter,
but the farmer. nnfortnniiti a
railroad track, and his chickens some
times roam into the jungles. It is
queer philosophy that which impell?
the smallest parasite to pray for the
downfall of the biggest parasite. It
is no more the product of a normal
mind than is the will and desire of the
"idle rich" to perform no work of
benefit to mankind.
HIT THE FIVE-BILLION MARK.
Five billion dollars may seem a
high mark to set as the total of the
second liberty loan, but that is be
cause we have been accustomed to
think in smaller sums and because
the people at large have not been
called upon to buy bonds since the
Civil War. It is less by $800,000,000
than the British people subscribed to
their third loan, although they had
already lent their government $4,665,
000,000 out of National wealth esti
mated at 8 5 billions compared with
ojir 250 billions. After having raised
nearly eight billions by loans, the Ger
mans subscribed to their fifth loan
$2,556,414,000, though their national
wealth at the beginning of the war.
eighty billions, has shrunk under the
influence of the blockade, which has
destroyed their foreign trade, while
our trade has vastly increased.
What the American people need in
order to excel those two countries is
the same fervent patriotism and the
same habit of saving and of backing
our soldiers with our money which
they have practiced. The war spirit
of this country is much higher than
during the first liberty loan campaign.
many people have learned to buy
bonds who never bought them before,
and our organization has been im
proved. If we practice the habit of
saving, we shall be able to absorb not
only this but other Issues which will
follow until victory is won.
If heed be given to Mr. Hoover's
injunctions, success in the war will be
promoted in two ways both by econ
omy of food and by saving of money
with which bonds or war savings cer
tificates can be bought. Every ounce
of food saved will help to feed a sol
dier, and every dollar saved is a silver
bullet fired at the Germans.
READING HALF AN HOUR IJ.VII.T.
The Oregon Voter gives its readers
some wise advice about reading, and
adds a more or less wise word of
admonition about reading too much.
We say it is more or less wise, for
everything depends on the reader. If
he is a busy man, engrossed in his
daily bread-making pursuits, half an
hour a day in the "classics will do
wonders for him. If he has greater
leisure, or if he follows an occupa
tion where he is able to employ use
fully the things he learns from books
or current literature, thirty minutes
daily will not be enough.
Yet we think so well of Editor
Chapman's counsel, that we reprint
his little article elsewhere. We take
it that it is a reflection of the mind
and method of a man who has a lot
to do in the workaday world, and
who has tested with satisfaction a
scheme of reading for himself.
No man who has had a classical
education, or a smattering of it, de
preciates the merit of the classical
writers; or would exchange what he
has got and is getting from them, for
all the other authors and their works
put together. But one is not justified
on that account in depreciating more
modern literature. There are some
who find George Eliot hard reading.
but to them Stevenson is a constant
inspiration and delight. Was there
ever a greater literary joke played
on the penny-thrillers than "Treasure
Island," wherein all the familiar clap
trap and stage-settings of the blood-
and-thunder craft are taken and
worked over Into a gem of adventure
and sensation? Scott has become
archaic, and Dickens has lost his ap
peal to some and we wonder if all
enjoy Thackeray as much as they did
when the strings with which he
worked his marionettes were not so
obvious.
Now, of course, we would not
awaken controversy with any lover of
these great stars or their great books.
If Thackeray, or Dickens, or Scott, or
Hugo, or Eliot are good enough for
him, we will agree that they should
ie good enough for anybody. But we
'onder why Brother Chapman over
.ooked Rudyard Kipling, and, since
the war began, H. G. Wells. Couldn't
he think of any American poet worth
mentioning? No, we haven't in mind
Amy Lowell, or Edgar Lee Masters
or any of that high-brow cult; and we
never read vers libre, perhaps for the
same reason that some people won't
eat onions. They never did, and they
never will, for they don't like the
smell of 'em.
Yet, if we were to set about It to
give advice to the man or woman who
has a little time only to read every
day, or every few days, we couldn't
do better than the Voter has done;
and perhaps not so well. There are
no mistakes of commission in the
suggestions. No educated man would
dare to say he had not read, and en
joyed, Dickens, Thackeray and the
rest.
HEATING THE MELTING POT.
The striking fact that nearly 80 per
cent of the population of New York
City is of either foreign birth or of
foreign or mixed parentage has been
newly called to the attention by the
report of Mayor Mitchel's committee
on National defense, which has de
cided that the imperative need of
the city is "Americanization" of the
people. This, of course, is to be the
work of the schools, which will not
have done their full duty when they
have merely given opportunity to
young children.
The figures as to New York's for
eign population are based on the last
Federal census, which gave the great
er city a total population of 4.766,883.
The foreign-born then numbered
1.927,703. and there were 1.820.141 of
foreign or mixed parentage, or 4 0.4
per cent in the first instance and 38.7
in the second. The white native-born
of native parentage were only 921,
318 In number, or 19.3 per cent of the
whole. But it is even more surpris
ing to learn that more than 500,000
speak little or no English. These half
million have a distinct counterinflu
ence which is noted in the efforts to
educate the children. However hard
the teacher may strive, it is recognized
that the work is hampered where the
home influence is not American.
Much is being accomplished, but more
will be attempted.
The action taken by New York will
be generally commended, but New
York is not the only city where the
problem of the foreign population
presses for solution. There is Chi
cago, for example, whose percentage
of population of foreign or mixed
parentage 41.8 is higher than that
of New York, and where the percent
age of foreign born 85.8 la only a
little less. Boston, too, looms promi
nently among the ''foreign" cities oi
thA-linlted. -States,. with. 8-3, es ce&tj
foreign-born, and 35.9 of foreign or
mixed parentage. Detroit, has 33.6
per cent of foreign-born. Cincinnati
does not stand so high in the list of
foreign-born, with only 15.6 per cent,
but its percentage of Inhabitants of
foreign or mixed parentage is 36.4.
St. Louis has a slightly larger propor
tion of each. Chicago, Cincinnati and
St, Louis are strongholds of German
Americans, very many of whom, how
ever, particularly of the second gen
eration, are loyal to the flag. The
purpose of any educational movement,
however, must be to bring loyalty as
near to the 100-per cent mark as
possible.
New Tork's awakening is timelv.
and it is to be hoped that it will set
an example to others. New York is
not the only large city in the United
States, as the census shows, that needs
special provision for the making of
j.ou-per cent Americans.
AX ARMADA NEEDED AS TRANSPORTS.
Immensity of the fleet of trans
ports which Is needed to carry the
American Army to France is indicated
by the estimates of men who can be
carried on those German ships which
have been assigned to that service.
Only sixteen of the forty-four seized
snips are to be used as troop trans
ports, rourteen being used by the
Army for other work, presumably to
carry war material, and fourteen by
the Navy as auxiliaries. These sixteen
vessels, which include the big German
liners, can carry 65,400 men and 2865
officers, a total of 68.265. In addi
tion the Army has taken 100 Ameri
can vessels as transports, but none of
the ordinary Army transports are to
be used in carrying troops to Europe,
congress has provided funds for
transportation of 55,042 officers and
2,033,345 men overseas, not only to
tne seat of war. but to oversea garri
sons. This number includes both
fighting and auxiliary troops, as fol
lows: National Army, 656,360; Regu
lar Army, 470.185; National Guard,
456,800: replacement units for all
forces. 450,000; officers, 65,0.
Probably few of the American, ves
sels have as large capacity as the Ger
man liners, and three or four average
ships may be required to take as
many men as the great Vaterland. re
named Leviathan, which can carry
800 officers and 8000 men. If the
one hundred American vessels which
have already been commandeered
should carry three times as many as
the sixteen German ships, the com
bined capacity would be 233,000. As
transports have been making the
voyage in about two weeks, a round
trip a month is a fair estimate. At
that rate nine months would be con
sumed in transporting the entire force
across the Atlantic. When training
or any large force in this country is
completed, it will be desired to send
them over much faster, and the Gov
ernment is not likely to be satisfied
with less than double the number now
at its disposal.
But that provides only for the
men, such equipment as they neces
sarily take with them and the limited
quantity of freight for which passen
ger vessels have space. Another
fleet, second only to the troop trans
ports in size, will be employed in
carrying food, clothing, arms, artil
lery, ammunition, camp equipment,
aircraft, building, bridge and railroad
material, to say nothing of horses and
mules. We must also provide ships
to help our allies in carrying food and
all the other supplies they buy in this
country, to which their shipping is
not equal.
The history of the potato is an ex
ample of the reluctance with which
people adopt new articles of food. It
first became known among Europeans
when the Spaniards found it culti
vated in Peru in 1553, and ten years
later John Hawkins introduced it into
England. Sir Walter Raleigh took It
from North Carolina to Ireland in
158 6 and cultivated it on his estate
near Cork, but it gained so little favor
that. In 1663, the Royal Society of
London began promoting its cultiva
tion as a remedy for famine among
the poor, yet in 1719 it was not even
mentioned in The Complete Gardener.
About that time its use became com
mon in Ireland, but not till the middle
of the eighteenth century did it be
come an, important food on the con
tinent of Europe. Not until two cen
turies after its discovery by the Span
iards was it generally accepted. This
record does not offer much hope that
Europeans will soon take to eating
corn.
The habit of talking is so strong
with the I. W. W. that they were
bound to betray the German source of
their funds and convict themselves in
the end. The admission made by a
loose-jawed member of the order at
Chicago will strengthen the suspicion
that there is German money behind
other internal disturbances. -
M. O. Evans has been named as
Federal supervisor of farm labor
agents in eleven states. Occasionally
this Government does put the right
man on a job.
The Alamo is a shrine which carries
Oregon soldiers far back In history,
but we shall see that they are made
of the same stuff as the men who died
there.
With a balance around $12,000 or
$15,000, Secretary Lea appears to have
made the late State Fair a financial
as well as other kinds of success.
The young fellow who started at
night school last night is on his way
to success, and so, too, the young
woman.
If the two British armies continue
winning in Belgium and Mesopotamia,
they may meet at Berlin in a year or
two.
The meatless days in France have
failed their purpose, but in Germany
are helping along the great cause-
It ought to be easy to recruit a regi
ment of camoufleurs from the win
dow dressers of the country.
It is a wonder nobody has 'revived
the seedless apple in these days of
farm and orchard faking.
"Senatorial courtesy" saves La Fol
lette. A fellow Senator must initiate
a movement to oust him.
Get the traitors in Congress on the
run. and they will not have breath, to
talk more treason.
As all the soldier boys do not use
tobacco, why not a gum crusade?
Are you eating the crusts, or do they
go Into the can?
Cut-out a, luxury ajifl bujt a bon.d.
Mrs. John's Troubles.
By Abblo Farwell Brown, of the
Vigilante
T CAN'T feed John on coarse, old
JL fashioned country dishes, cheap
cuts and those things the Lecturer says
are good, though wholesome. John
wouldn't touch them. You see, he goes
to so many dinners: and there's the
hotels, and the Club, he's got real
fussy. Oh, you can't fool John on
Food I guess not!"
My! But Mrs. John Is proud of her
husband and his exclusive taste! (There
is more of John to be proud of every
year of his life. She'll have to buy the
Largest Size for him yet, if he keepa
on living up to his Ideals.)
There was a time when John was
glad to get mush and milk for supper
six days in the week, with sugar in his
coffee Sunday, and baked . beans Sat
urday night. He's forgotten all about
that, it's likely. Forgotten, too, how
easily he used to vault a five-barred
fence: how good water tasted out of
the old oaken bucket; and how soundly
he slept on the husk mattress. He
never told Mrs. John all that, believe
me!
"John can smell Gorgonzola from
Roquefort in the dark! It's wonderful
the taste he has! Cook had to throw
out a perfectly good salad yesterday
because she had put just a bit of onion
In the dressing, instead of chives. John
can't bear onion!"
It's not so many years since John
l.earned the difference between an en
dive and a khedlve. Once he thought
an artichoke was some high kind of
Church dignitary. And he still has a
secret feeling- that Frenchmen rise
when the Mayonnaise is played.
But John's a connoisseur now.
If you can't eat simple, wholesome
dishes, home products, easily procured,
inexpensive that marks you as the
Real Thing; different from Common
Folks.
"John likes the best of everything.
We never skimp the table, never!"
But suppose John had to cut it out?
Suppose Somebody could persuade John
that high living wasn't really good
living: that it didn't make Culture
only fatty degeneration and a promise
of liver trouble? Suppose Somebody
made John see also that wholesome
frugality like that of France might
be wholesome patriotism: and that sim
plicity might be refinement?
It would be a great thing for John,
Madame! For all the American Johns!
For America!
BOOK 18 BETOXD CHILD'S GRASP
Mr. Frlede Direct Attention to Anoth
er Text Used In City Schools.
PORTLAND. Oct. 1. (To the Edi
tor.) Recently there appeared in the
newspapers a controversy regarding
the correctness of statements made in
the study of history In our public
schools. A goodly part of the conten
tion was engendered by political pref
erences, and by the interest in the con
troversy, it Is evident people are taking
notice of facts connected with the
course of instruction in our schools.
I therefore deem it in order to call
to the attention of the proper authori
ties that the teaching in the textbook,
"Webster Cooley Course In English." to
children of about 12 years of age is far
beyond their grasp or conception. They
are required to memorize sentences and
definitions that would be a task for
older heads.
As one basis of my complaint:
On page 4 I find, "The predi
cate of a sentence names that which is
asserted by the subject," and "The
copula of a sentence asserts the rela
tion between the subject and the predi
cate attribute." On the same page is a
footnote, saying, "For the meaning of
the word, see the dictionary. The defi
nition will help you to understand
what this word means in grammar."
On page 12 I found the verbose in
formation: Th. union of the copula, with the predi
cate attribute, gives a new kind of predi
cate. So far the predicates have contained
the copula and predicate attribute as sep
arate words. These same elements are to
be found In predicates of this new kind, as
in the first; but the difference is this, that
in the second kind of predicate, the cupola
and the attribute are united in one word.
On page 14 is a footnote: "Look in a
dictionary for the derivation of the
word verb." ' i
On page 18 is another footnote, par
tially excusing some of the complex
language by saying: "If preferred, the
term attribute, complement and its defi
nition may be omitted and the term
predicate attribute used in place of it
throughout the book."
I could continue taking exceptions
to the phraseology used in this book,
trying to cram incomprehensible mat
ter into their young minds, to which is
added, in other classes, much irrele
vant matter, the latest being a talk by
some new laaaist on "me nuncio oi
the Finger-Nails, and the Paring of the
Same."
I dislike the necessity of calling pub
lic attention to the shortcomings of our
schools, for the American parent will
sacrifice more for account of public
schools than any other local matter.
At the same time, we have the right to
expect that the administrators and
teachers of our schools shall be suffi
ciently practical to give instruction to
our boys and girls compatible with
their years, and simplified so that their
education may not be parrot-like.
LEO FRIEDE.
KINDNESS OF DEALERS ASTOUNDS
Writer Marvel at Way They Solicit
Business at Which They Lose .Money.
It really seems too bad that the milk
commissioners were unable to get the
distributors to raise the price of milk
to the consumers, xney sure inca ua.ru
enoueh. It seems the small fellow
won't raise and unless he comes up
n n V n InnnA In fArCA him
up they are perfectly willing to fol
low suit.
And as far as the bakers are con
cerned it is certainly nice oi mem m
furnish (as Mr. Haynes is quoted) bread
to us at a loss. They are so anxious
to help us out that you see ineir
wagons all over town delivering to the
stores and soliciting business and one
sends the wagons from house to house.
They are even sending autos to Mc
Minnville, a 70-mlle trip and to Dilley.
60 miles, and selling at tne same price
as to us. I presume that is done to
help out the bakers in the towns they
pass through. For if ours lose theirs
must.
Then the poor wood dealer. A morn
ing paper quotes one of them as saying
that they were selling at a loss. Still
they seem anxious and willing to fill
our orders. That is very kind of them
and I think we at least owe all of them
a vote of thanks. H-
Baby Countlen of Oregon.
PORTLAND, Oct. 1. (To the Ed
itor.) What are the newest counties in
Oregon, and from what other counties
were they made and when? Also the
county seat of each?
A SUBSCRIBER.
Deschutes, created December 13, 1916.
out of Crook County; Bend Is county
seat. Jefferson, created December 12.
1914. out of Crook County; Madras Is
county seat. Hood River, created June
23, 1908, out of Wasco County; Hood
River is county seat.
Heated by Hot Atr.
Baltimore American.
"Bragley says his new house 1 heat
ed, with hot air." "Then it Is wall
.boated. I've hear dV BrajtLey. talk.".
ROOSEVELT AS PEACE DELEGATE
Writer Draw Imaginary Picture of
T. R. and German Chancellor.
PORTLAND, Oct. 1. (To the Editor.)
The talents of our picturesque states
man, T. R., are Just now devoted to an
Intensive patriotism peculiarly his
own. It Is as brilliantly lurid as the
bombs and fireworks upon the night
battlefield. No stretch of Imagination
Is required for a scene around the
peace table in Berlin, with Roosevelt
as a United States delegate.
Chancellor Michaelis: "Excellenzen,
our dear Emperor, loved peace and al
ways sought it for the fatherland. He
was forced Into this war of defense,
and to overcome the evil plans of his
enemies he had to take Belgium, which
could have saved herself had she given
us peaceful passage."
Roosevelt (pounds table vigorously
with clenched fist): "Michaelis. do not
bluff us to believe you hold those
stacked cards to play to these frentle
men. We call you. Throw down your
cards. We shall not sit here as long
a time as the war lasted; it is idle to
think you can take the pot for your
master."
Michaelis: "But, excellenzen. Is It
that you are determined to win all
from us and send our dear fatherland
away penniless?"
Roosevelt (pounding harder): "I tell
you. Michaelis, that the armies of
democracy are thundering at your
gates. Do you want them to proceed
or this convention? We shall tolerate
no slipping of any aces from your
sleeve Into this game."
Michaelis: "What, then, do you de
mand?" Roosevelt: "Quite simply stated, elr.
Deliver all your naval vessels, arms
and ammunition, aeroplanes, etc., to
the allies for disposition, retaining
only the small arms necessary for your
domestic peace officers. Provide a eum
of money, to be determined, which shall
be held by the allies in trust to ad
minister for the use and benefit of peo
ples you have ruined. Deliver all per
sons who have committed or abetted
murders on high seas or on land to be
tried before a court at The Hague. Dis
mantle all forts and places used for
military purposes. Arrange a fund to
pay the expenses of allied garrisons
to compel the guaranty of these things."
Michaelis: "Are there other de
mands?" Roosevelt: "After these are arranged
we discuss other details and conclude
such conventions as will enable the
democratic elements of Germany
the uninterrupted rights to life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness.
Do you now understand, or do you still
thing your treacherous emissaries are
at work In every country on earth?"
Michaelis: "Urn verzeihung. I under
stand, we shall proceed here, excel
lenzen." ROBERT C. WRIGHT
PAPERS AND CROPS ARE OBSERVED
Returned Traveler Writes of Impres
sions Gained In Middle West.
FOREST GROVE, Or.. Sept. 30. (To
the Editor.) After an extended visit to
the Middle West on which I took oc
casion to read and compare such news
papers as the Denver Post, the St
Louis Globe-Democrat. Chicago Tribune
and many other great dailies, with The
Oregonian, I am fully convinced that
the people of the Pacific Coast are to
be congratulated on having such an ex
cellent newspaper at their service.
I find The Oregonian second to none
in news service and far ahead of any
of the other great newspapers in many
important respects. In a local way
The Oregonian covers the field far
better than the papers mentioned. Edi
torially it Is safe, sane, patriotic and
loyal in every respect. It was. indeed,
a pleasure to return home to find The
Oregonian continuing In its even tenor,
giving all of the news in a clean-cut,
modest way, without the display of
flaring headlines or undue sensation
as seem to have beset the former staid
old "back home" papers, which seem
called upon to come out with full-page,
wook-type headlines every morning
whether or not there is .any special
news to print.
Since our return home we have been
asked many questions as to crops and
Dusmess conditions back East. Until
we reached the Minnesota line travel
ing East we observed that the crops
were not good. In Montana, the Da
kotas, Kansas and Nebraska light
crops prevailed. In Minnesota. Illinois
and Iowa there are abundant crops.
Illinois had one of the best oats crops
ever harvested. The corn is the best
ever produced. The hay crop was good
and while the wheat crop was light it
was of good quality. Many wheat fields
were plowed up early in the Spring
that might have made good returns
as those that were left to mature far
exceeded expectations. In Iowa the
corn crop is very good.
Business conditions in the Middle
West are fairly good, yet I found peo
ple complaining of high prices just as
they are in the West, A. E. SCOTT.
AMBIGUITY SI ".EX IX ROAD LAWS
Only Selntion. Is to Appoint Mayor of
Each Tovra Road Supervisor.
PORTLAND, Oct. 1. (To the Ed
itor.) At th present time the law pro
vides that all county roads shall be
under the supervision of the County
Court of each county wherein said road
is located. Each County Court shall
have authority and it shall be its duty
to Improve, maintain and keep in re
pair, etc, all the county roads in the
county.
The law also provides that every in
corporated city and town shall consti
tute a separate road district, and the
County Court shall not have authority
to divide such territory or Include any
of it in any other road district. Fur
ther, it provides that 70 per cent of
the road money received in each dis
trict shall be expended on the roads In
that district.
The question arises as to who should
spend the money In the incorporated
cities. There are some incorporated
towns in Oregon that have no county
roads in the towns, these roads having
been transferred from the control of
the County Courts to the control of
the cities by appropriate legislation. In
others it is an open question as to the
authority over the road, whether It be
longs to the county or the town; but
In towns where there are no county
roads It certainly is a peculiar position
that the County Court should spend
the money inside the corporate limits.
The only practical solution I see is
for the County Court to appoint the
Mayor of each town road supervisor
in that district and allow the Mayor to
disburse the money. This question is
presented in some form at the present
time in every Incorporated town In the
state of Oregon. A. KING WILSON.
Mayor of Oswego.
Newspaper Vouchew for Diary.
RIETH, Or.. Sept. 30. (To the Ed
itor.) Some people claim your "diary
of a U-boat commander" as being
purely fiction. Can you kindly answer
In your columns as to Its author or who
was the original German writer of this
diary? F. S. LYON.
The suicide of Lieutenant-Commander
Hans von Tuebinger, of the
U-13, after his vessel had destroyed
the schooner of his sweetheart's father,
causing her death, was recorded in
news dispatches In The Oregonian sev
eral weeks ago. The authenticity of the
Von Tuebinger diary, now running in
The Oregonian, is vouched for by the
New York Herald. The statement Is
made that the crew of his vessel smug
gled the commander's diary and effects
to a friend in one of the Scandinavian
papUala.
In Other Days.
Twenty-five Years Ago.
From The Oregonian of October 2. 1893.
Sylvester Pennoyer addressed BOO
people at Roseburg yesterday and he
renounced and denounced the Demo
cratic party. He declared in favor of
the People's party, free sil-ver, paper
money, income tax and all.
Skyrockets. Roman candles, fire
crackers. Chinese bombs, red fire and
pyrotechnics of all kinds made Port
land's principal thoroughfare luridilast
evening. Several hundred Republicans,
many in uniform, armed with torch
lights and flambeaux and accompanied
by brass bands, opened the Republican
campaign m this city.
A force of 40 men is at work upon
the scenic effects for the operas "La
Cijrale" and "The Mountebank." to be
presented by the Lillian Russell Opera
Company at the Marquam Grand.
Chief of Police Spencer has issued
orders to arrest all motor men who
run their cars faster than eight miles
an hour. He says cars are run fre
quently from 15 to 20 miles an hour
and he proposes to put a stop to this
dangerous practice.
The Southeast Portls.nd Improvement
Association met last night to take
measures to open up certain tracts In
the southeast part of the city and a
resolution was adopted calling upon
Mr. Ladd to open up the tract known
as Ladd's farm.
Half n Century Asro.
From The Oregonian of October 2, 1SB7.
San Francisco. Senators Corbett
and Williams, of Oregon, left for the
East yesterday. It is thought Will
lams will return to this Coast to par
ticipate in the Presidential campaign.
New York. Sheridan's reception to
night was a grand affair. The mili
tary procession comprised five divi
sions, including one division of colored
soldiers. Enthusiasm was immense.
Chicago. Cholera has been prevail
ing in St. Louis to an alarming ex
tent, but the local papers do not men
tion the fact. Private letters say there
have been over 100 deaths In one day
from the disease.
We learn that a steam sawmill Is
being erected at Wheatland, Yamhill
County.
Notice has been given in the Lewis
ton paper of a meeting to be held at
that place on the 26th ult, to take
Into consideration the propriety of annexing-
Northern Idaho to Washington
Territory.
WHAT A BUSY MAN SHOn.D READ
Much May Be Had From Dipping
Into Classic.
Oregon Voter.
As a man reads goes he ahead.
Readers of labor papers and socialist
organs seldom get ahead. They think
the world owes them a living, when
the fact Is they owe their families far
better care than they cive them. Of
modern periodicals, read the technical
journals, trade papers. the "Man"
articles in Saturday Evening Post.
American Magazine and McClure's (not
the slush), and get wide general in
formation from World's Work, Review
of Reviews, Current Literature and
Literary Digest. The editorial page of
The Oregonian is worth reading dally.
The young man who substitutes the
above for labor and socialist journals
will win more for his family and him
self. Though these be stirring times, every
young man should devote at least half
an hour a day to reading history,
biography and science. Get in a dash
of philosophy and law. A good historical
novel once In a while provides enter
tainment. A few times a year clean up
a volume of Hugo, George Eliot,
Dickens. Scott or Thackeray. Stimu
late your mind occasionally with
Carlyle, Macaulay and other essayists.
Get an Oxford Bible, an Oxford Shake
speare, an Oxford Milton, an Oxford
Byron and an Oxford Tennyson and
never make a short trip without one
of them In your pocket.
Following the Ideas in the last para
graph will give you ten years of dell
clous sampling, and for the rest of your
life you will need no guidance, for
the rich storehouse of classic litera
ture will ever beckon aright. Thirty
years of half-an-hour-a-day of solid
reading accumulates precious treasure
in the mind, and enriches every day.
Anyone can devote a half an hour to
such, without Interference with per
sonal ambitions or family obligations.
Some are tempted to go far beyond
the half-hour. Do not do It. Too much
reading saps vitality from the springs
of action. "Be ye temperate In all
things" except work, but work like a
dynamo, and you'll get ahead. But be
yond one limit never go, even with
work never rob your loved ones of
time and attention. Those who lavish
upon you the devotion of their whole
being- are entitled to more than spare
time and languid caresses.
Man's life is short and full of obliga
tions, every one of which he can ful
fil If he has the manhood to do It.
SUSPICIOUS PHASE OF STRIKES
Only Essential War Industries) Involved
and at Time of Nation's Crisis.
PORTLAND. Oct. 1. (To the Editor.)
The rich and the captains of industry
are morally responsible for the welfare
of the poor to the extent of providing
for the laborer suitable employment
at a living wage. The neglect of this
duty has universally oppressed the
poor. The offense, like willful murder,
cries to heaven for vengeance and
amply justifies the organization of
labor; but the conduct of labor unions
should be governed and restrained by
certain plain principles of justice.
No qualified laborer should, at any
time, be denied the right to join a labor
union and, under uniform laws, par
ticipate in its benefits. This is a self
evident truth. Its adoption and pro
mulgation, by all labor unions, should
be regarded as a condition precedent
to a decision on the question of a
closed shop. If the power of a closed
shop should be conceded to the union
It should give guarantees that that
power will not be abused. Before the
adoption of that principle the demand
for a closed shop Is premature. But
there Is a far greater reason that the
Issue of a closed shop should not now
be raised. We are at war and loyalty
to our country forbids it.
Our friends, our brothers and our
sons have ventured forth at the call
of our country, "Why stand we here
Idle?" The apprehension that the
strike attempts to paralyze only the in
dustries which are essential to provide
the sinews of war must fill every pa
triotic heart with dismay. It is laid
bare to the suspicion of disloyalty by
the time which it has chosen and by
the industries which it cripples. The
throttling of these industries must be
the paramount issue in the minds of
secret instigators and abettors of these
strikes. It must be evident, even to
the feeble-minded, that a pro-German
will not now decry the strike. Whether
among the employers or the employes
his secret prayer is to "keep the good
work up" he knows it aids the
Fatherland.
Labor, at all seasons, is worthy of
its hire and it should enjoy a propor
tion of exorbitant profits where such
exist; but in the interest of home and
country it should manifest a spirit of
self-denial. It should not. at this crisis.
lorce tne issue or the closed shop.
JAMBS B. CARR. i
08 Everett street, .. --..-!