10
THE MORXING OltEGOXIxVN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1917.
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PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 14, 1917.
CENTRAL CONTROL MEANS VICTORY.
Appointment of a joint Anglo-Franco-Italian
military commission to
direct operations on the entire west
ern and Italian front is the most en
couraging event which has grown out
of the breakdown of Italy's offensive
and defensive power, and which' has
accompanied the revolt of the pacifist
radicals in Russia. Its ultimate con
sequences may prove so beneficial to
the allied cause as to compensate for
these two great misfortunes. This
action of the allies has anticipated and
prepared the way for the broader pro
posal in the same direction which the
American commission is expected to
make at the Paris conference.
One of the main causes of reverses
for the. allies has been the central
control which Germany exercises over
all the manpower and material of the
central powers, while the allied ef
forts have been but loosely co-ordinated.
This has enabled Von Hinden
Burg to handle all their armies as a
unit, and to use Austrian artillery on
the French front, German troops on
the Austrian frOnt against Russia,
Itoumania and Italy, and on the Turk
ish front against Britain, while Turk
ish troops have been used in Galicia.
This control, together with the central
position of the Teutonic powers, has
enabled him to organize an independ
ent striking force which has been
hurled with great success against
Russia, Serbia, France, Roumania and
Italy in succession.
In contrast, the allies have main
tained separate control of their forces
and have acted in conceit only to a
limited extent. Each has made war
on its own account against a common
enemy, pursuing its own special aims,
though these might contribute but
slightly to attainment of the general
end. There seems to have been no
well thought out, general strategic
plan in charge of a central body hav
ing authority to order troops of any
ally to any point or to modify the
general plan quickly in accordance
with unforeseen new developments.
Small contingents from one army have
joined another for moral effect, not
to carry out such a plan.
Because co-ordination was thus
lacking, Serbia was left to shift for
herself and was crushed: Russia was
left to herself and fell a prey to trea
son; Roumania was permitted to enter
the war before plans for her campaign
had been made by a great general staff
end before adequate provision for her
reinforcement had been made; Italy
made separate war and paid the pen
alty in disastrous defeat.
The United States 1s In a peculiarly
favorable position to insist upon a
radical change through adoption of
the German plan-central control.
This Nation has no lost provinces to
rerover, no unredeemed territory to
win, no severed Nation to unite, and
therefore cannot be accused of serving
such selfish ends by any proposals it
makes. Our only aim is that which
all of the allies have in common to
smash Prussian militarism. We can
demand that all particular aims of
the several allies shall be subordinated
to this one, for we are to provide the
money and material and the main
reserve of manpower which can carry
all over the top to victory. When the
common end is attained all Of the
separate aims which are justified will
be attainable.
The American commission is not
likely to demand, for that is not the
Wilson way. but will surely counsel,
united control. It will have a moral
claim to have its ndvice heeded, for
much Of the money Which the United
States has already lent has been
wasted through lack of co-ordination.
and we should not permit further
waste. Allied superiority in men
money and material, while great, is not
fully utilized, and though the re
sources of the enemy are being used
up, so are those of the allies. Victory
can be hastened and won only by mar
shaling our resources on the field of
battle in such superior weight on all
fronts that the enemy will be over
powered.
By insisting- on united action this
Nation will incur a moral obligation
to exert all its energy, to lose no time
In Its preparations and to gain all the
time possible. That will require that
every individual shall spare no effort.
Intellectual or physical, to hasten the
end. By that means the allies will be
enabled to bring such pressure to bear
on all fronts that the enemy shall have
no reserve striking force to hurl
against any point, and that all the al
lied armies shall press forward until
they join hands across the gaps, and
shall enclose the enemy in a steadily
contracting ring which shall finally
crush him. That way lies victory
without indefinite prolongation of the
war.
Possibility of "reviving" Latin as an
international tongue is being seriously
discussed by educators In Europe, who
deny that it la a dead language and '
assert that it is already the interna
tional language of science so far as
such an international language can be
said to exist at all. The suggestion
lias been received with favor by at
least one professor at Cambridge, who
says that he has always taught it as
a living tongue, and that by doing so
Jie has been able to turn out proficient
scholars in one-fifth the time found
necessary where the old-fashioned
classical methods were in vogue. Many
educators seem to favor Latin in
theory, rather than such makeshifts
as Volapuk, Esperanto and Ido, but
there la- frank xecogniUoa-of. tb.e-d.iffl-
culty of obtaining' a sufficient number
of teachers qualified to breathe life
into the old bane of the average high
school boy, and a vast number of
teachers will be required, it is ad
mitted, if the movement is to have, any
practical value.
IX DRY MANHATTAN".
Few persons who have not enjoyed
the blissful privilege of having been
reared in Kansas ever heard, before
this year of grace, of the city of Man
hattan, county of Riley. The only in
formation the available gazetteers
vouchsafe about Manhattan is that it
is the seat of the State Agricultural
College, and that it had in 1910 a
grand aggregate population of 5722.
Yet, while in mere point of people,
Manhattan may be somewhat behind
its great namesake of New York, in
other respects it is quite up to date
after the Kansas fashion. ' It has ideas
which give it a unique distinction
even in bleeding Kansas, and which
make it the very antipode of its great
metropolitan rival.
Manhattan has in Ks vicinity Fort
Riley, and Fort Riley has", as a part
of its environment Camp Funston,
where there are many thousand sol
diers In training for the war. Observ
ing the presence of these lively and
robust young Americans, Manhattan
conceived a great alarm for their mor
als or its own- and got busy. It
enacted an ordinance of the fiercest
puritanical kind for Sunday observ
ance. It closes all ice-cream parlors
and candy kitchens, drugstores, gro
cery stores, bakeries, restaurants and
garages. It forbids streetcar service
within the city limits by interurban
cars. There are to be no deliveries of
cream or milk, and no jitneys. It
closes up the newsstands, so that no
Sunday papers can be bought. In
short, it makes sweeping provision
against every kind of social or com
mercial activity common in every
American town during week days, and
for the most part on Sundays.
There are people who have been
sorry for the soldier boys at Camp
Lewis, who were in danger of being
forbidden to visit Seattle. Let them
imagine the far worse state of the
soldiers at Camp Funston who have
to live near a village such as Man
hattan, and occasionally to indulge in
the sad pleasure of a trip into its
dreary confines.
BOXING.
Preparations now being made by
the Commission on Training Camp
Activities to employ a large number of
expert boxers to teach the soldiers in
cantonments the art of protecting
themselves with their fists point to a
revival of interest in a sport that
ought to take first rank in athletics.
and that would now stand on a much
higher plane if it had not suffered
from the abuses Of professionalism.
There Is as much difference between
boxing as an athletic exercise and the
game as practiced in the prize ring,
with its altogether unlovely surround
ings. as there is between polo and
bull-fighting. It Is no more brutal
when properly regulated, than fencing
or the combat of the too-much-neg-
lected singlestick. v
Under military regulations It will
be possible to put boxing on the plane
where it belongs. It was once frowned
upon in West Point, but is taught
there now, and surreptitious fighting
with bare fists has practically ceased
as a consequence. It calls a good many
muscles into play. It quickens the eye
and the brain, and, practiced With ap
proved gloves, it hurts no healthy
youth.
But its best claim to athletic recog
nition probably rests upon Its dis
tinctly personal quality. It is eye to
eye, and give and take. There is
something peculiarly manly about
looking straight at the other fellow.
It is the psychological foe of sneaking
sins and secret vices. The rules call
for magnanimity and fair play. The
boxer does not strike a man when he
down, customarily, and when he
does the crowd makes him sorry for
It. It instills personal respect for the
other fellow, makes a man a good
loser and stimulates a healthy spirit
of emulation. '
Boxing can be revived without
bringing back the plug uglies and
touts that follow the professional
ring. It needs only to be put on a
basis of athletics. Young men of
reasonable proficiency in boxing will be
better qualified to take care of them
selves in many emergencies. In this
war, for one thing, they will have an
opening advantage over their enemies
If they come to close quarters, for the
Germans as a nation do not box. En
thusiastlc advocates of boxing will be
Inclined, perhaps, to draw a moral
from the fact. Boxing, as- we have
said, promotes clean fighting, and
German methods of warfare do not
deserve to be classified under this
heading.
ALASKA COAL fOB TO RT I. ANT.
If the plans now in process of exe
cution or under serious consideration
for the improvement of the Port of
Portland should be completed, one
thing would still be lacking, aside
from equitable railroad rates and reg
ular shipping' lines, to put the port
on an equality with its competitors,
That is an abundant supply of good
coal at the same cost as at other
ports, and facilities for quickly filling
a ship's bunkers. At present a ship
loading here must go to either Seattle
or Nanaimo for fuel, which adds a
week to her voyage at a time when
a ship's time means more money than
It ever meant. That being the case.
she would rather load at Seattle and
be done with it.
The announcement that the Govern
ment railroad in Alaska will begin to
run regular trains before the end of
next season suggests a way out. The
road will then be in operation to the
Matanuska coal district, and the ship
ment of coal should begin. The dis
tance by sea from Seward Is no greater
to Portland than to Seattle, therefore
Alaska coal brought directly to mod
cm bunkers In Portland harbor should
solve the fuel problem for ships com
ing to the Columbia River. It is est!
mated by a man who seems to be
well Informed on the subject that a
steamship of 2500 tons towing & sea
going barge could bring 6500 tons
each trip at a cost for freight of 65
, cents a ton. Although the Alaska
transportation business Is at present
closely tied up with the copper com
panies in a close combination, an
opening for competition will be made
when the Government railroad is fin
lshed. There' will be no discrlmina
tion on the railroad or at its water
terminals. The coal steamer could
then be loaded back with 'merchandise
at a profit, and Portland's long-de
ferred Alaska steamer line would be
come a reality.
This plan requires that coal mines
be developed in .Alaska, and as yet
only a beginning has been made by
the Government alone to supply th
railroad -and the JS'avjt. Ho- mines are
being- opened under lease, and none
are likely to be under the present
law. Pacific Coast Senators and Rep
resentatives should secure relaxation
of the more stringent provisions of
that law as an inducement to business
men to put their money into the busi
ness. A time of fuel famine the world
over, not excepting this country, is no
time to keep the Alaska coal fields in
cold storage.
FIRST PRINCIPLES.
The Oregonian had thought that
there were left none of the old fiat
money' crowd of debt repudiators,
public and private; but the health de
partment of Prosser, Washington, has
in its museum of antiquities a well
preserved specimen of the nearly ex
tinct species. He writes a letter to
The Oregonian today which is a re
sounding echo of the "greenback" era
of National agitation and quack
finance. It is printed because it is
well enough both to know that some
minds are still groping in the dark
ness of economic ignorance; and It is
also well enough once in a while to
give an enlightening fact or two about
the difference between sound money
and unsound money, between solvency
and bankruptcy, between honesty and
dishonesty. To that end The Orego
nian will be quite "fair," as the health
officer of Prosser requests.
The Oregonian has said, more than
once, that greenback or fiat-money
finance is a delusion; it is far worse,
indeed, but the characterization will
for the present suffice. There' is said
to be "no difference" (we quote from
the Prosser letter) "between a non
exception greenback and a four per
cent bond, except the time limit and
four per cent." It is that precise dif
ference which makes the four per cent
bond the finest security in the world,
and which caused the greenback to
depreciate more than fifty per cent
during and after the Civil War. The
bond bears four per cent interest and
is redeemable at par, in gold, at a
given date, or dates, in future. The
final date of maturity is for the 3V4
per cent war bonds 80 years, and for
the 4 per cent 25 years. The Govern
ment has no alternative then but to
pay in gold, though it has indeed the
option of paying sooner.
The greenback bears no interest, is
made legal tender for all debts and
obligations (with certain exceptions),
and it has no promise on its face to
pay in gold, or silver, or anything, at
any time. Only the expectation that
the Government would pay In coin at
some time, as it did, and will, prevent
ed the greenback's going down to
nothing.
The reason why the greenback was
not made legal tender for interest on
the public debt was doubtless because
it would harve been a too glaring and
purposeful breach of faith with the
holders of Government bonds, payable
in coin. It is likewise plain that, if
the Government had been willing to
accept its own irredeemable paper, it
would have been used to pay customs
and other duties, and the only result
would have been to bring the green
back back immediately into the Gov
ernment's treasury. Would not every
person who was Obliged to pay the
Government a dollar for any purpose
exchange his gold or silver for the de
preciated greenbacks, which would
have been legal tender? What an
orgy of Speculation in the Govern
ment's own paper, at the Govern
ment's expense. Would have followed!
t was bad enough, indeed, that other
debts should thus be payable in green
backs; yet the Government thus con
trived in a measure to escape the
penalty of Us flat finance.
The Oregonian is able to find In no
available history of government
finance the extraordinary Incident of
which our fiat- friend writes, wherein
the "exceptions" were left off $50,000,-
000 In greenbacks. Undoubtedly anoth
r delusion to which such minds are so
prone to be sorry victims. The yarn
about Lincoln and Wall Street un
doubtedly belongs with the apocry
phal history of other sayings by Lin
coin for example, the Lincoln
prophecy" wherein he liad a vision Of
the downfall of the republic. The
prophecy" was outright fraud, as
undoubtedly is this latest Lincoln
quotation.
Let us say that a "non-exception"
greenback, which the Prosser financial
authority proposes, would inevitably
sink to a low figure, far below par, for
the reason that It is not money, not
even token money. It would be t
mere scrap of paper, which the Gov
ernment might teaf up, or pay, just
as it pleased. Since a greenback dis
tihetly contains no promise to pay
anything, at any time, it has far less
value (or had until specie payment
was resumed) than a treasury note
or a bank note; both are made re
deemable in coin real money. Now
adays a greenback (Civil War issue
or reissue) is worth par because the
Government will exchange gold for it,
and for no other reason. That is what
was meant by resumption of specie
payment, January 1. 1879.
TITI5 KNEMY AND MOW TO BEAT HIM,
President Wilson's speech at Buf
falo was great In its plain exposition
of the issues Of the war and of the
manner In which democracy can fight
without sacrifice of its own princi
ples. He brushed aside all that is
merely incidental and fastened his
hearers' attention on the central fact
that Germany began the war . for
the deliberate purpose of gaining
world domination. He showed that, if
Germany were to succeed in extend
ing dominion from Hamburg to Bag
dad, with her allies as vassals, she
would have gained her end, military,
political and economic.
The allied democracies will not
have gained their end until the power
which thus uses the forces of the cen
tral empires is destroyed and until
the broad belt of territory which it
now controls has been divided among
the several nationalities as free, lnde
pendent democracies. Adjustment o
boundaries, by which bits of territory
change hands here and there and to
which the Pan-Germans seek to dis
tract attention, would not destroy this
power, for it would not break up the
solid block of empire stretching
through the heart of Europe into the
heart of Asia. Even were Germany
to pay indemnity for the wrongs she
has done, it would be a mere buying
off of the forces of world law unless
Pan-Germany were dismembered.
Seeing clearly that the aim of Ger
many is to reduce the world to eco
nomic servitude as' an accompaniment
of political power and that permanent
peace is impossible, and that the
world will be unsafe for democrac;
until Germany's end has been rendered
unattainable, the President has no pa
tience with those pacifists who permit
emotional hatred of war to blind their
reason to the truth that the only way
to get peace is to win the war, "if you
want it for more than a few minutes.'
The President sees that, if Prus
sianism were to win, as it would have
won, if, eace svera made- according to
the present military map. It would "In 1
the long run dominate the labor and
industry of the world." In that event
all "the instrumentalities by which
the conditions of labor are improved"
would be destroyed. They can be
preserved only if democracy is pre
served, and in order to preserve de
mocracy, "it Is every man's duty to
forget himself, to forget his own in
terests, to fill himself with the nobility
of a great National and world con
ception and act upon a new platform
elevated above the. ordinary affairs of
life, elevated to where men have views
of the long destiny of mankind."
This requires that "the power of
this country and the productivity of
this country be raised to its absolute
maximum, and that absolutely nobody
be allowed to stand in the way of it."
The President wisely proposes to ac
complish this result by democratic
means and thus to vindicate the effi
ciency of democracy. He correctly
assumes that the great mass of labor
is loyal to the Nation and to the cause
which it has championed. He there
fore assumes that labor is willing not
"to stop the processes of labor until
all the methods of conciliation and
settlement have been exhausted."
While he has found labor to be "rea
sonable in a larger number of cases
than capitalists," he does not exoner
ate either from blame, and he looks
to both sides "to come down to busi
ness." He calls upon each class to
co-operate with all other classes.
That is the genuinely democratic
way to raise the productivity of this
country to its maximum, but we
should be blind if we were not to rec
ognize that there exists in each class
an element which refuses to co-operate.
It is small In numbers, it is true,
but influential .because it conceals a
disloyal purposebehlnd an appeal to
men's greed, prejudice and passion.
These are the "horses that kick over
the traces" and which, the President
says, "will have to be put in a corral."
These, in the ranks Of both capital
nd labor, require something more
than those "new Instrumentalities"
hich will induce men to "yield to and
bey common counsel," of which the
President speaks, for they are unwill-
ng to co-operate and can be dealt
with only by some form of compul
sion. Every good citizen will endorse the
President's deprecation of mob law as
remedy for "those organizations
whose object is anarchy and the de
struction of law," but he must surely
recognize that, when the instrumen
talities of law are used to defeat the
purpose of law, & people whose minds
are concentrated on that purpose will
thrust the impotent or perverted ma-
hinery aside and will improvise new
instruments which accomplish that
purpose. The remedy for mob law is
not only to punish the mob but to in
fuse more vigor into law enforce
ment.
The most impressive fact about Mr.
Wilson's speech is the sure aim with
which he penetrates to the core of our
quarrel with Germany. He shows
that the target at which the combined
forces'of the allies should be aimed is
the monstrous autocracy enthroned at
Berlin, and that if that autocracy
were to win final triumph, the whole
structure of democracy, whereof free
labor is a part, would fall Into ruin.
When such a danger threatens, what
folly it is for any men or any class of
men to think of their personal or class
nterests except in relation to the
cause of democracy itself. Whenever
a man forgets his duty In this regard,
he should remind himself of it by
ooking at that map to which the
President referred, with a broad, black
band stretching athwart the old world,
and should think of what it portends
to him and his children, to his coun
try and to the future of democracy.
This Y. M. C. A. fund is not going
into ornate buildings nor Into fancy
salaries. The money will be spent in
the line of doing good to the soldiers
and will be handled by men who know
best how to expend it.
When a man like Scott Nearlng,
who spouts treason. Is only fined $50,
he gets off too easily. He should be
put where he must work his arms and
legs and will have no audience for the
product of his Jaw.
Restriction of candy manufacture
works a hardship on employes dis
missed and other work must be found
for them. This is one of the problems
of war time that all must help solve
One of these days Von Tirpitz, who
declaims against "the all-devouring
tyranny of Anglo-Americanism," will
have his beer shut off by prohibition
enforced by the same "tyranny."
Mr. Justice McCamant will do as he
pleases, bearing in mind that a seat
on the Supreme Bench of the state of
Oregon is an honor not to be placed
in the pass-it-along column.
What a terrible thing it would be
if the society women who pay 50 cents
for a shinbone for Fido should be re
duced to the necessity of eating dar
ling little Fido himself!
Mr. Bryan may enjoy the aroma of
grape juice in Washington, but does
he hold his nose against the whiff of
whisky which comes to him while
passing through Ohio?
A picture fixes an impression that
the text cannot convey. Take the boys
and girls to the Land Show and give
them a lesson on Oregon, her manu
factures and products.
One aid to spruce production is
capture and punishment of the men
who practice spruce destruction by
burning trees. Hunt the I. W. W. out
of the woods.
Now is the time to brush up your
Bible history and recall the events
linked with the names which British
victories in Palestine are bringing into
notice.
Russia presents the greatest moving
picture drama since the French revo
lution, and there are several reels yet
to be seen.
Monday was a great day for King
George. Colonel House had his feet
under the royal dining table.
Trv this today: Corn cakes for
breakfast, johnny cake for luncheon
and corn muffins for dinner.
Send only the best tobacco to the
boys in the trenches. Its fragrance will
help the "kamerading."
If turkey prices are high, buy a
smaller bird and clean up on the day
of the big eats.
Tou cart identify the wheat hog
today.
Go to m I .and Products Shows
How io Keep Well.
By Dr. W. A. Btwj,
Questions pertinent to hygiene, sanitation
and prevention of alseasea. If matters of
general interest, will b answered Id this
column. Where apace will not permit or the
subject la not suitable, letters will be per
sonally answered, subject to proper limita
tions and where stamped addressed envelope
Is Inclosed. Dr. Svana will not make diag
nosis or prescribe for Individual diseases. Re
quests for such services cannot be answered.
(Copyright, by lr. W. A. Evens.
Published or arrangement with the Cuicago
Tribune.)
UOCSING CONDITIONS AND CON
SUMPTION. On October 16 the sixth annual
housing convention, in session in
Chicago, was shown a spot map at
the cases of consumption in the cen
tral eight square miles of the conven
tion city. A complete survey of the
consumption situation had been made
by the administrative officers of the
municipal sanitarium and the report of
their findings was made by Health
Commissioner Robertson.
During the 10 months this survey
was in the making 12.017 cases of con
sumption were reported at the Health
Department. The number of cases re
ported per year In recent years runs
about 14,000 and the number of deaths
recorded is around 3500. The number
of cases of tuberculosis found unre
corded in this limited area was 14.282.
From this Dr. Robertson concluded
that there are 165,700 cases of tuber
culosls in Chicago. This means that
more than one-twentieth of all the
people have tuberculosis. No such
consumption rate is found in Vienna,
one of the worst cities in Europe from
this standpoint. To which Dr. Robert
son replies that no survey of Vienna to
discover what their true rate is has
ever been made.
In certain high-grade hotels and res
taurants a large percentage of the help
were tuberculous, though the guests
knew nothing of it and the manage
ment had never given the matter
thought.
But the bright side of the survey was
this: Assuming that the figures are
even near correct, tuberculosis la a very
curable disease almost as much so as
pneumonia and typhoid fever. If there
are 165,000 cases of tuberculosis and
the number of deaths from the Infection
is less than 4000 a year, then the. great
majority of those infected must get
well. ,
The surveyors found the majority of
those Infected were going about their
business wholly unaware that they
were infected. Infected boys and girls
were found playing happily on the
streets without thought that they were
sick.
The majority of the tuberculous had
infection of the glands only. Glandular
tuberculosis is a mild disorder and cure
can be expected If the Infected person
gets any sort of a chance. It is just
such mild, favorably disposed cases of
tuberculosis as developed in violent
types when the French threw them into
the trenches in 1914.
Dr. Robertson thinks our plan of
combatting consumption Is nqt getting
on as favorably as It should for two
reasons. The first Is that It never
reached more than a few thousand
where nearly 200,000 need it. In the
second place the open Cases -the cases
which infect homes and workshops
are not controlled. They should b kept
n hospitals and sanitaria for their own
good, the good of their families and of
the community at large.
Mr. Todd reported upon the housing
conditions in about 20 of the blocks
Included in the tuberculosis survey. A
part of a programme for the control of
tuberculosis must be provision for bet
ter homes for persons of small means
This housing conference .Is said to
have been the most successful ever held
In the country. Certainly the attend
ance was the largest and best in the
history of the society. But whether It
was the most successful conference
ever held will depend Upon whether
Chicago, the host city.- undertakes
housing work as its reaction.
Arrests the Disease.
u. j. i-. writes: "(i) Will you
please advise me through the columns
of The Oregonian whether a localised
tuberculosis Infection of a bone can be
permanently cured by the Injection Into
the body of the tubercular serum, or
whether such a serum only has the te
dency to arrest the infection and pre
vent It from spreading?
"(2) I am also desirous to obtain the
names and addresses of one or two of
the leading medical journals in the
United States that are published large
ly In the interest of children's dis
eases."
REPLY.
1. The of tuberculin produces an Im
munity to the toxin of the tubercle bacillus.
Combined with rest, open air. heliotherapy
and Rood feeding- it brings about an arres
of the disease. It Is held to be somewhat
inaccurate to call this condition a cure.
2. The best are American Journal Diseases
of Children, Chicago, and Archives of Fed
iatrics, New York.
Relief From Nenrltla.
J. M. writes: "Which is better -for
neuritis, sulphate of soda or phosphate
of soda? Does sodium sulphate contain
all the valuable properties of sulphu
springs, such as West Virginia. Mount
Clemens, St. Joe, etc.?"
REPLY.
One la as good as the other. The proper
ties, of sulphur springs are due te the heat
or me Dams ana me massage, letting sui
phate of sodium will not give you any of
the effects of sulphur bathe. Neuritis li
sometimes Indirectly benefited by the use of
purgatives. v Especially Is this liable to be
the case where - the Inflammation of th
nerve la due to bacteria absorbed from the
intestine, the gall bladder, or the appendix.
In moat cases of neuritis the focus of infec
tion is not in the abdomen and sulphate or
phosphate of soda is as useless aa rain
water.
Complexion Wafers.
L. A. S. writes: "Is there any harm
In using arsenio complexion wafers? So
many women seem to be using them."
' REPLY.
This letter Is accompanied by a circular
advertising patent medicine. An emphaslied
statement in this circular is a warn In
against patent medicine. My advice la that
you heed the warning.
Meaning of "Maximalist."
PORTLAND, Or.. Nov. IS. To th
Editor.) Please explain the term max
imalist as applied to the Russian radical
revolutionists. What are its origin and
derivation? INQUIRER.
"Maximum" has the eame meaning In
Russian that it has In English. The
Maximalists are those who demand the
immediate carrying out of the max
mum programme of socialisation, that
Is, the common ownership of all means
of production.
REASON FOUND FOR DEPRECIATION
Writer Locates In Wall Street Trouble
With Civil War Greenback.
PROSSER, Wash.. Nov. 12. (To the
Editor.) The Oregonian's comment on
the letter of Sida Do La Mer is care
fully noted and I feel that you have
not been fair to her, as well as to the
rest of your readers. You either went
too far or not far enough when you
called greenbacks a "delusion" "an old
delusion revived."
Had you been fair to us you would
have stated that a greenback, with an
exception clause printed threon, is not
money. The exception clause on the
greenback was to create a market for
gold, as no Import duty or interest on
the public debt could be paid with the
greenback.
There is no difference between a
non-exception greenback and a 4 per
cent bond except the time limit and
the 4 per cent. There is nothing be
hind the bond but the taxing power,
and that would be behind the green
back, and a non-exception greenback
would never fluctuate any more than
a bond, which The Oregonian well
knows.
The Oregonian refers to the French
asslgnats and our own greenback,
which went as low as J2.85 for a dollar
in gold. Had the editor been fair he
would have told us the reason, via.:
That neither of them was full legal
tender, not being good for Import du
ties and interest on the public debt,
and thus the banker was the big hog
In the trough.
As proof of what I say I will refer
to the first $50,000,000 of greenbacks
issued, with no exception .clause there
on. They never depreciated one cent,
and went into all transactions where
gold went, and the bankers, seeing
their graft was slipping, had Congress
slip in the exception clause, which is
still printed on every greenback to
day. When President Lincoln read the
bill putting in the exception clause he
said: "The Wall-street leaders ought
to have their devilish heads shot off."
But it seems that the editor would
rather stand with Wall street than Lin
coln. When the 4 per cent bond has served
its purpose, the 4 per cent Is paid and
the bond burnef", and, as well, when
the greenback has served its purpose
it is also burned; but no banker has
had his finger In the pie. and I will
ere state that history teaches us that
greater portion Of Government
onds ultimately end their career be
hind the glided cage.
I repeat that a non-exception green
back will not sink below the value of
4 per cent bond, because thu ability
o tax and pay are vested In the same
Uncle Sam.
We will patiently await your com
ment on this letter, knowing that in
uture you will try to be more fair.
D. M. ANGUS. M. D..
City Health Officer.
GERMAN MUSIC PLAYED IN LONDON
Opposition Aroused in America Not
Heard In England. Says Writer.
PORTLAND, Nov. 13. (To the Edi
or.) It has been amusing to read of
the opposition to German music in this
country. I have in my possession
copies of the programmes played
iranon curing October. If there was
ustlf lcation for suppression of Oer
man music, protests should come from
London people and not from Chicago.
The result 8 were as follows:
Each Monday night was set aside for
Wagnerian compositions only. On Fri-
y night was German, mostly
Beethoven. Taking other nights except
Tuesday, which was the Russian night.
most of the programmes were German.
t should bei noted that owing to the
aids, the evening concerts were trans
ferred to matinee performances. Hut
hough inconvenienced because of the
change, there was no change in the
programmes.
The Violin recitals by Albert Sam-
mous, the English virtuoso, were solely
devoted to the whole 6f the Beethoven
SOnatas, while Mark llambourg gave
special programmes from the works of
Beethoven and Schumann.
In opera at Drury Lane there were
two ""alien" operas each week during
the month. It was the first night of
October that witnessed a raid causing
the interruption of "Tristan and Isolde."
The London Times the next morning
had a headline, "Wagner in an Air
Raid."
It Is about time that th professional
antagonists of German music kept a
discreet silence. They are only dis
closing their Ignorance of the function
of music by their childish tactics. All
the raids and atrocities performed by
the German army and navy will never
cause the lovers of music in England
to behave In the manner that some
Unreasonable beings have in this
country. MOSES IlARITZ.
Cirrman Patent Llir.
PORTLAND. Nov. IS. (To the Edi
tor.) In an editorial Saturday. Novem
ber 10, under title. "German Patents."
you contend that Germany has stolen
patent rights on the Holland sub
marine.
It does not matter what we think of
anything which Germany has done, .we
must be fair and correct in our allega
tions of her conduct in specific cases.
have before me the Gebrauchs-
muster or German patent law of 1K91
which I do not think has been changed
since that date and as I know The Ore
gonian does not wish to make an er
roneous statement intentionally, I call
attention to a provision of German
law.
In section 5 of article 1 it Is pro
viried that a patent shall have no
validity if. according to the decision
OI me jmpenii cnant-rnur, nj in
vention is to he employed for the
army or navy or otherwise in the in
terest of the public welfare. Never
theless, the owner of the patent shall
have, in this case, a claim to adequate
compensation on the Empire or federal
state demanding in Its own Interest the
limitation of she patent, such com
penuatlon. failing a mutual understand
ing, to be determined by law.
From this vou will observe that It
must be assumed that a private ar
rangement was made with Holland or
that his claim was afterwards adjusted
by negotiation or in court, or he still
has his just claim to be settien.
ROBERT C. WRIGHT.
Do Soldier Prefer Home Dinners f
PORTLAND, Nov. 13. (To the Edi
tor.) From my own experience as a
member of the Second Oregon United
States Volunteers, I should say that
it would be much more satisfactory to
the soldiers to have a fine spread In
the Armory or elsewhere than to go
by twos to private nomes.
We were not "sissies." and were not
pining half as much as people liked
to think. At Oakland. Cal.. we were
met by women who doled out a sand
wich or two. but could not give us a
second 'hand-out" because there was
not enough to go round.
Give them good "chuck" and plenty
of It, and they will enjoy it on a wood
en bench, where they can "whoop 'er
up" much more than in a "family gath
ering" where they would be bored to
death in an hour.
SANFORD SMITH,
Ex-Prtvate, Company I
Battleahlp Kearaarge.
CLATSKANIE, Or.. Nov. 12. (To the
Editor.) To settle an argument would
vou give a description of the XT. S. S.
Kearaarge and the kind of fuel It
burns? OLD SUBSCRIBER.
The Kearsarge Is a battleship built In
1896. Its displacement tonnage is 11.
520; speed, 1S.82 knots; main battery,
four 13-inch, four eight-inch and 18
five-inch guns. It uses coal for fuel.
In Other Days.
Twenty-five- Years Ago.
From The Oregonian of November 14. 1892.
Chicago. This evening three meet
ings were held in the Anarchist Club
halls to celebrate the memory of the
Chicago martyrs. The speeches were,
without exception, violent and inflam
matory. Oregon City. The engine that t
driving piles for the East Side ele-rtrlo
line is within less than 700 feet of the
city limits. Before the first of Decem
ber the iron rails will reach from the
city limits to the heart of Portland.
Recently the steam railway division
of the City & Suburban Railway on
the Mount Tabor line from East Fifth
to the cemetery was electrified, the
steam motors being retained from the
former point to the terminus at Mount
Tabor.
The first pile of the Burnside-street
bridge had hardly been driven on Sat
urday afternoon when an application
for an order restraining the city of
Portland from constructing the bridse
was filed In the Circuit Court. Plain
tiffs in the suit are C. H. Lewla. Henry
F. Allen. Georpe II. Flanders, Mary ii.
Couch and W. S. Ladd.
Half a Century Ago.
From The Oregonian of November 14. 1867.
We had the pleasure of a visit yes
terday from Mr. Chris Taylor, who has
been absent In the states for about five
months.
London. In Disraeli's speech at the
Lord Mayor's banquet, he said better
feelings had arisen in America since
last year, and he had every reason to
hope for the maintenance of the friend
ly relations demanded by their inter
ests and by every moral feeling.
Victoria. The birthday of the Prince
of Wales was duly celebrated yester
day. At the races held in honor of the
event, the American horse, Greyhound,
won the $1000 purse.
New Archangel. Alaska. The formal
transfer and delivery of Russian Amer
ica to the United States Government
took place October IS.
Very many of our business men and
families are now using kerosene oil for
lights as more economical than gas.
Alas! 'Twas Ever Thus.
By James Rarton Adams.
Rob Reckless took his best girl out
upon an auto spiel with one hand
cinched around her waist, the other
on the wheel; he struck a curve and
lost control and o'er a bank took
flight. They now are where the
motive power is wings of purest
white.
i
Miss Kitty Kareless rose at night and
to the cupboard sped and groped in
darkness for some stuff to ease her
aching head; she got a- bottle by
mistake containing poison dope and
when the doctor came he said she'd
vanished up the Slope.
Artemus Artless knew not that his gun
contained a load and blew into the
niuole and the gun it likewise
Mowed; his head was soon in frag
ments from the chin to bulging
brow and scattered o'er the scen
ery; he's with the angels now.
Sylvester Sickles rashly thought that
he could safely fool around the
back aft end of an unbroken army
mule; the critter raised its after
deck away above its prow and gave
its heels a backward flirt; he wears
a halo now.
JOe Jenkins was so deaf he couldn't
hear the thunder crack and started
for an evening stroll along the rail
road track; the locomotive came as
swift as lightning driven plow and
tossed him off the right of way
his hearing's better now.
Tyrannus Ttipper saw a wire, upon the
ground it lay, and thought that he
would drag it from a passing team
ster's way; he seised It -with his
naked hand and wildly hollered
"yeow-w-w The wire was full of
unseen life; he's wearing pinions
now.
Karl Knowitall. with head full of ab-
normal self-conceit, blew in to tell
an editor just how to run his enret;
the Coroner sat on his shape and
found a verdict that lie lied from
a concussion of the fungus 'neath.
his hat.
Alas? alas! 'twas ever thus, and thus
'twill ever he till time performs Its
stunt and fades into eternity, the
reckless ones will get theirs, sure,
all over Christendom and. quit their
habitation here for bunks in king
dom come. -
TACOMA FHIIvl)Slll- IS OFFERED
Committee) Would Make Life Morel
Pleasant for lour Soldier Son.
TACOMA. Wash., Nov. 12. (To the
Editor.) Among the thousands of men
in Camp Lewis. Tacoma, Wash., there
may be some men from your city who
find ramp life monotonous and lonely,
and who would enjoy making friends
in the city. We have many people here
who are anxious to be of service and
who would gladly open their homes t6
the soldiers.
If there are mothers and fathers lr(
your city who would like to have us
look up their boys and to interest them
in church, lodge, home or club, I am
sure we shall count It a privileae to do
so if they will give us their regiment
and company address. We can find
them without this, but it takes time
and trouble to do so. However, if
the boy has not written, send us his
name.
I am writing only to the paper kn
the larger cities in Oregon and I aboil
be very glad to have you give this
letter as prominent a place as possible
and also to ask your country papers to
copy. RAY F. CARTER,
Secretary Tacoma Committee fo
Recreation of Soldiers.
Tacoma Building.
Export of Com Meal.
ELMA. Wash.. Nov. 12. (To the Edl-
tor.) I have heard several arguments
about sending corn meal to Europe and
have it keep. Some say you can't, and
I maintain that you can and not have
It spoil. P. MURRAY.
Co"rn meal absorbs moisture and,
moulds easily, so It Is not considered an
economical food for ocean shipment,
ev-en were the unacquaintance with it
in England and France overcome. Prob
ably containers could be devised that
would protect it, but cost is an imports
ant factor.
War Economy Practiced.
Washington (D. C.) Star.
"Is your husband economizing?" "Tes.
He threatens to smoke such inexpensive
cigars that we are willing to cut down
every other household expense rather
than suffer."
No.
PORTLAND, Nov. 13. (To the Editor.)
Are clerks and deputies of military
age employed in the various offices
at the County Courthouse and the City.
HaU exempt from, the draft?
ENQUIRER.