10
THE MORNING OREGOXIAN,
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1917.
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PORTLAND, THURSDAY, DEO. 13, 1917.
PENALTY OF UN PREPAREDNESS.
General Crozier summed up what is
the matter with the American war
preparations when he said to the
Senate military committee:
It Is apparent that the original programme
for 1.000.000 men did not contemplate our
participation In the war.
The difficulties which now confront
the Government are the outgrowth of
its refusal from the outbreak of the
war to contemplate our participation
in it. President Wilson refused to
contemplate that possibility until the
beginning of 1916, and Congress re-
fused to entertain the thought even
then. Hence its plan to spread over
five years the expansion of our Army
to a million men. We now have a
million and a half men enrolled, but
have not enough rifles, artillery,
clothes or blankets for them. We
borrow field guns from our hard
pressed allies for the army In France,
and have a miserable sprinkling
wherewith to train men at home. Gen
eral Crozier says of artillery:
We will be fairly well caught up on the
most important things by next Summer.
No man can foresee what may hap
pen "by next Summer." The Germans
have a greater force concentrated on
V. ........ .... .a Y. ; . a i
wit? ncoicni aim Ak4Liio.il aruiius man
they had in 1914. The allies prob
ably have superior material, but not
man power. The most gruelling fight
ing of the war may be expected be
fore next- Summer, but the American
Army, which is counted on to turn
the scale, will be short of the most
essential implement during that period.
The consequence threatens to be pro
longation of the deadlock for another
year at best. No man can foresee
what it may be at the worst.
The most effective weapon In the
hands of the Germans has been the
lack of foresight on the part of their
enemies, and Congress has been the
most conspicuous example of that de
ficiency. When men who looked
ahead warned Congress to prepare,
they were jeered at as jingoes, mili
tarists and tools of the munition man
ufacturers. The same men who then
jeered are running Congress and the
fighting departments. How can we
expect the same men to prepare ef
fectively who could not see the com
ing storm? There are little men in
big jobs, and a multiplicity of boards
jostling each other with minimum
practical results.
The whole Governmental machine
needs overhauling in order that it may
be fitted for the job of making war.
The American people are willing to
sacrifice their sons to the cause of
democracy, but they are not willing to
sacrifice a solitary man to official
bungling. This emergency demands
that authority be centralized in the
hands of big men, and that every in
terest, class or sectional, be subordi
nated to the supreme interest of the
Nation and of the democracies which
fight with us and for us.
UNNECESSARY OCCUPATIONS.
The movement to eliminate unneces
sary occupations for the period of the
war Is pregnant with possibilities. Not
the least of these is the widespread
discussion that is bound to result. The
luxuries of yesterday become the ne
cessities of today. It is a serious prob
lem to segregate the things we must
have from those with which we could
do without. Our system of living has
been adjusted to the newer order. It
is much easier to --generalize about
"non-essentials' than it is to specify
them.
There are many men now living
who can remember when we had no
telephones. This branch of service
now absorbs the labor of thousands
of men. When we had no telephones
we did not miss them; now business
would practically come to a standstill
if they were abolished.
The practice of typewriting our cor
respondence, now universal, has grown
up within a generation. An army of
amanuenses, as well as of makers of
typewriters, is now employed in an
industry of which our recent fore
fathers ' knew nothing. But even
though we once got along without
them, we could not dispense with
their services now.
Millions of people now ride to and
from their work where half a century
Rgo they were content to walk. But
the vast Increase in local transporta
tion facilities of all kinds has woven
Itself into our social system. Cities
have been built up around rapid tran
eit. Any substantial inroads upon the
system would require the making
over of the whole country.
People not only demand, but re
ceive, service nowadays of which their
mothers and fathers did not even
dream. But the fact that It was pos
sible in a former period to live com
fortably without It does not argue
that it is now non-essential. Every
industry must be Judged by its pres
ent relation to every other Industry,
and by the changes that have taken
place in our methods of doing busi
ness. But there are still a long list of
occupations as to the inutility of which
there will be quite general agreement.
The countries which have felt the full
force of the war are coming to real
ize this fully. We shall, no doubt,
come to it by and by. The extra
sen-ant, the supernumerary small
dealer, the hat-check boy in the hotel
and a host of others are failing to
justify themselves, and they are either
groing into the fighting line or into
necessary industries.
Here in America we have a fine
opportunity to forestall drastic legis-
Iatlon by asking: ourselves as Indi
viduals -whether the work In which
we are engaged Is "necessary" or not.
It Is partly a matter of personal con
science. We do not believe that a
man need necessarily be a poor juror
because he himself is the defendant.
There is such a thing- as Impartial in
trospection. There are men who will
admit to themselves that the work
they are doing, however much it may
be Justified in normal times. Is not
fitted to the National emergency. They
do not need to enter the Army to
show their patriotism. They can dem
onstrate this by engaging in work that
is required, directly or indirectly, to
keep the industrial and social machine
in working order while we are winning
the War.
FROM A WARMXY CLAD SOLDIER.
The Oregonlan has received from a
highly esteemed citizen a soldier's let
ter written at Camp Mills, on No
vember 18, which is offered as evi
dence that the troops have abundant
clothing and are well fortified against
zero weather. Says the soldier:
We have our Winter equipment now a
new overcoat, two new wool uniforms, two
pairs new shoes, five nalra inod un ihraa
suits wool underwear, a new slicker and
two pairs new gloves, one leather, one yarn.
Besides, the Red Cross has given us each
a good warm blanket, a muffler and a pair
of socks. There are man v mean ilea srnin
about the Middle West about our having to
pay ior mat wnicn the Ked Cross gives us,
but we don't, i don't know what we would
do without the Red Cross and the Y, M.
C. A., and I hope the folks at home will
keep on supporting them liberally.
This is cheering news, which The
Oregonlan publishes gratefully. It. has
only an indirect bearing, however, on
complaints about conditions at Camp
Mills, which have to do with site,
weather, cold, furnishings, mud, and
so on.
A soldier with two new uniforms,
five pairs of socks, and so on, furnished
by the Government, and with an extra
blanket, donated by the Red Cross,
should doubtless be able to worry
through a hard Winter in gusty tents
on an exposed coast. What's the extra
uniform for but to-wear inr bed, if the
blankets are thin and the weather four
below? .
Yet the closing paragraph of our
young friend s letter interests us more
than any other, and we hope some
thoughtful citizen will mark it with a
blue pencil and send it on to Secretary
Baker and Secretary Daniels. "I don't
know," he says, "what we would do
without the Red Cross and the
Y. M. C A."
Neither do we know.
TRIFLING WITH HISTORY.
A zealous correspondent had a state
ment In a news dispatch from Salem,
the other day, that a resident there
who was born In 1849, and had just
died, was "said to have been the oldest
white child born in Oregon."
It may be just as well to warn all
concerned, or likely ever to be con
cerned, that any claim that any worthy
pioneer citizen saw the light of day In
the Pacific Northwest before the well
established and duly authenticated
oldest white child recognized by His
torian Himes will speedily have the
props knocked from under him.
Oregon was beginning to emertre
from the wilderness in 1849. It had
in 1850, according to the United States
census, a population of 13,000, who
were nearly all white people: and
there was in that primitive community
the normal practice and habit of mar
riage and giving in marriage, with the
customary results.
Mr. Himes prints a list of some
twenty-four white children born be
tween 1837 and 1844, giving the
primacy to Alice Clarissa Whitman.
March 14, 1837, at Wai-il-at-pu, near
the present site of Walla Walla (then
in Oregon territory). The disconcert
ing statement is added that scores of
others were born before 1849, the date
of the Salem claim of the "oldest
white child."
The oldest white child In the Pacific
Northwest, if alive, would now be
eighty years of age. It is time the
oldest white children grew up.
THE PENALTY IS DEATH.
Thirteen soldiers of the United States
Infantry were executed by hanging on
Tuesday for the murder of citizens of
Houston. Prompt imposition of the
full penalty of the law is another re
minder to all men that the country is
at war. In time of peace their trials
quite probably would have been long
drawn out, there would have been one
appeal after another to the courts,
and appeals for executive clemency
after that. Some of them might have
obtained confmutation of their sen
tences, with hope of parole as the
years dragged on. The fate of the
victims would haye been forgotten by
the sentimentalists who would have"
espoused their cause.
But the essence of the military or
ganization is discipline, and discipline
depends upon the absolute certainty
of rewards and punishments. The
penalty of the crime of which these
soldiers were shown to be guilty is
death, and they paid it within four
months of the event because mili
tary' law is swift and sure, and seeks
only to establish the facts, and sweeps
technicalities aside, and dispenses with
thefol de rol of endless reviews of
inconsequential Issues, and paroles
and such devices as make a farce of
justice.
The men were hanged in no spirit
of vengeance. This spirit prevailed
no more in war than it would in peace
and under the operation of the civil
law. The executions were carried out
because their effect will be salutary,
as experience has shown; and because
they will discourage if they do not
absolutely prevent a repetition of the
affair at Houston. Vindication of the
law will forestall other crimes. The
law-abiding have nothing to fear from
it; others undoubtedly will be re
strained by fear of the consequences
of their acts.
It is predicted by some students of
social psychology that war will make
us sterner in our dealings with the
problems of crime. We know now
that we must have order in our own
ranks if we are to do effective work
against the common enemy. The Rus
sians have shown us the folly of
sickly sentimentality under fire. Weak
ening of resistance on the eastern
front in Europe dates from the aboli
tion of punishment for insubordina
tion. We shall make no such mis
take. If we continue at war a year
or so it is quite safe to predict that
we shall extend the penalties of mili
tary Jaw. and the methods of their
execution, to such offenders, for ex
ample, as those who drive spikes into
spruce logs and commit other forms
of sabotage which lessen the capacity
of our people at home to give ' full
support to the armies in the field.
Total deaths in the Army since the
United States declared war have been
1848, of which 937 were from natural
causes. 362 were accidental, eleven
were killed in action and eighteen lost
at sea, while the causes of thirty have
not been ascertained. Thlrty-flve have
been wounded and eleven captured or
reported missing. This statement of
the War Department disposes of wild
rumors, the source o? which is not
difficult to surmise.
1 PROTECTION.
Mayor Baker has begun the organi
zation of a War Emergency Council,
which is to consolidate under one head
all war emergency work. It is, evi
dently, not designed to supplant the
local branch of the National Council
of Defense in its work of co-ordination,
but it Is evidently to be a sort
of clearing-house for all local civic
movements promoted on behalf of the
war.
Something of the kind is needed.
There are calls of every sort from
many sources upon the citizen to give
in money or in effort; and usually he
deems it unpatriotic to decline. Bt
clearly there is danger of duplication,
and it must be avoided.
Duplication Is not the only fault.
There Is a worse. It is waste waste
and diversion, of the public's money
into the hands of promoters, or too
generous payments to performers, or
too heavy an overhead charge for
projects launched in the name of war
benevolences.
We make no charges. We believe
that the larger enterprises such as
the recent Allied Bazaar were faith
fully and carefully conducted by pa
triotic and public-spirited men and
women, and that the proceeds will go
where the people want them to go.
But it is true that in a recent Army
and Navy Bazaar, in New York, the
gross financial returns were about
$70,000, of which $700 went to the
nominal beneficiary and $69,000 to
the real beneficiaries the promoters.
Nothing of the kind has occurred In
Oregon, and 'nothing like it should
occur. The personnel of the com
mittees having these projects in hand
is usually a complete guaranty of
honesty and efficiency. But something
else is needed. It is the "O. K." of a
duly organized public body, designed
chiefly to protect the public against
casual and Incidental schemes.
Mayor Baker appears to have found
the way.
WAY OPENED TO FOREIGN COMMERCE,
At last the Senate has passed the
Webb bill permitting combinations for
export trade, and there is early pros
pect that it will become law. Ameri
can exporters and importers will now
be able to compete with Germany with
her own weapons. It has been shown
by the Federal Trade Commission and
by ex-Ambassador Gerard that every
American firm which buys in Ger
many, sells to Germany or competes
with Germany in foreign markets has
to deal not with an individual firm.
but with a huge trust embracing an
entire industry of the whole German
empire and backed with all the power
of the German government. He is
like a Lilliputian who goes forth to
combat with the giant of Brobdingnag.
We can only combat the German in
commerce, as in war, with his own
weapons. As the sixteen-inch howit
zer forced the French and British to
build guns of equal size, as they were
forced to meet poison gas with other
gas and to overcome machine guns
with more machine guns, so must
they meet trade combinations with
other combinations of equal strength
In no other way can they hope to
win, and the United States must do
likewise. Congress is not acting too
soon. The American people will need
all the financial resources they can
possibly develop to win this war, and
much wealth can be derived from the
foreign markets from which Germany
is excluded and which allied command
of the sea keeps open to us. Within
a year we shall begin to have ships
for use in this commerce with the na
tions to the south of us, which have
shown their friendship for us by mak
ing Germany an outcast among na
tions. We now have the opportunity
to go in and possess the land, but
when those markets are thrown open
to our present enemies after the war
we shall not be able to retain our hold
unless we are as well organized for
commerce as they are and will be.
This war has taught us that foreign
commerce is a nation's chief source
of prosperity in peace and of financial
strength In war. From that source
has come our great accession of
wealth during the first two and a half
years of war, also the strength with
which Great Britain fought and pro
vided funds for her allies. Fromrthat
source came the wealth of Rome,
Carthage, Tyre, Venice, the Hanse
towns and Holland. Our work
of internal development has been a
work of preparation for- the great
part we are to play In the world's
commerce. The Webb bill and the
expansion of our merchant marine are
the necessary equipment for that part.
THE PROBLEM OF THE FARM.
The food problem is traced by the
Outlook to the farm problem, and
thence to all the ramifications of that
problem. The question is how to stop
the drift of population from the farm
and how to turn it back from the city
to the farm. The answer to that ques
tion is to make farm life both more
profitable and more attractive socially.
Involved in that answer is everything
from farm efficiency through the
whole gamut of present-day problems
rates ef wages, rates of interest,
use of machinery, including automo
biles; whether farms should be big or
little, good roads, country schools,
churches and amusements, co-operative
buying and selling. If we should
succeed in solving all Of these prob
lems, we should have gone a long way
to solution of those affecting the city
as well as the country, and we should
be within sight of the social mil
lennium. The discussion in the Outlook started
with an article by Theodore H. Price
suggesting that patriotic capitalists
should industrialize farming by going
into the business on a large scale' and
applying to it the methods which have
made their own business successful.
He would have tracts of land near the
cities farmed by these methods and
would have labor to operate them go
to and from the cities' by automobile.
His article drew forth a flood of let
ters discussing the subject from every
viewpoint, of which the Outlook pub
lishes typical selections.
Perusal of these letters inspires the
thought that there is no one cure for
the shortcomings of the farming in
dustry, for there are as many different
kinds of farms as there are of fac
tories. Mr. Price's plan may fit a
bonanza wheat farm or cattle farm
stretching over thousands of acres,
but it will not fit a farm where close
attention to detail is essential to suc
cess. The owner or manager of the
big farm is a big business man, fully
competent to do his own buying and
selling, and with a volume of business
which secures for him the closest
prices. The small farmer cannot de
velop tht) same business ability and la
so tied down to the 'manual work of
production that he cannot give proper
attention to buying and selling, pack
ing and shipping to the best advan
tage. Those parts of his work form a
separate field which can be handled
best by special men hired In co-operation
with neighbors. '"
In fact, co-operation seems to be the
best way out. By it the farmer now
secures through the rural credit asso
ciation farm loans at low interest and
on easy terms. Those associations
may become the machinery by which
he disposes of his other troubles.
They may buy seed, fertilizer, imple
ments, lumber and other materials in
bulk or may buy machines for cem
mon use of all the members, when
each one needs them for only a short
time In each season. They may lump
their crops for sale, may build their
own warehouses and elevators, and
may pack and preserve fruit and "vege
tables as do the Puyallup and Sumner
growers. By this means they may
eliminate one after another of the
string of middlemen until they finally
open stores in the cities for sale direct
to the consumer. In this manner they
may secure for themselves a large
proportion of -that 60 per cent of the
consumer's price which now goes to
the middlemen Instead of themselves.
By. increasing the farmer's profit
this plan would put him In the way
to dispose of his other troubles. He
could pay higher wages and build cot
tages with small gardens for his labor
ers, thus being able to compete with
city employers In the labor market.
Having means to buy an automobile,
he would be inclined to vote taxes for
good roads and good schools and to
build churches.. He could then take
his wife to theaters and dances in
town, while he and his neighbors
would arrange entertainments in the
country" school. Fruitgrowers and
market gardeners, who usually farm
small tracts, could live in community
centers, from which they would motor
out to their farms daily.
Almost all of the objections to Arm
life grow from isolation, except that
that one drawback arises from bad
roads. When farmers get together to
help one another over their troubles,
they will have taken the long step to
overcome all of them. Individual ex
amples of success for large farmers in
overcoming objections to farm life
point the way for small farmers to
make rural life attractive and profit
able. The expedient of making hens work
overtime by installing electric lights
in the laying-houses has been tried
again. Farm and Fireside records an
instance of a seventeen-year-old boy
who ."made big profits" by adding
three hours to the working day of his
hens in the manner specified. The
question of conservation of fuel re
quired to produce the lights is not
taken into account, but it can well be
ignored. In view of the impcobability
that many poultrymen will be so sit
uated that they will be able to utilize
a sufficient amount of light to simu
late daylight at a price that will make
the plan attractive. Creating artificial
daytime for hens has long been the
dream of experimenters, some of
whom have reported adversely upon
it. If it succeeds commercially, this
will be due to the longer period given
the fowls for exercise, rather than for
the actual laying of 'eggs themselves.
Our sister republic of Colombia is
beginning to experience the penalty of
being dependent chiefly upon one in
dustry, and now National as well as
private credit is at low ebb because
of the closing of the markets of Eu
rope to coffee, upon the export of
which the country depended in large
measure for its prosperity. Cutting
off of this revenue has diminished
buying power, so that her former cus
tomers also are suffering the conse
quences. It is seen by far-sighted
statesmen that the present situation
can be turned to account as a lesson
for the future, and development of
other resources is being strongly urged.
Every effort will be made to push
construction of a great railway into
the western part of the republic, not
withstanding the high price of mate
rials and the difficulty of obtaining
them at any cost.
In seizing fuel and sending it to
points where it is needed. Governor
Cox, of Ohio, is bigger than the fuel
administrator, and that is the action
"needed when suffering begins. The
man who cuts red tape Is the right
fellow in emergency.
Under the embargo the big sticks
from Oregon will not be a feature of
trains traveling eastward. Timbers
that square more than a foot and re
quire two cars, however, have called
attention to the resources of this'state.
The suffragette pickets need remind
ing that their British sisters won votes
by patriotic aid to their country, not
by picketing or other cantankerous
acts. They give the best possible
proof of unfitness to vote.
Meatless days will do for troops in
cantonments, but those at the front
must have the best of meats. To whip
the Hun, feed the Americans on dry
salt and smoke-cured bacon.
What matter if our bread Is dark
brown? It does not leave that dark
brown taste of which we heard so
much in Oregon's unregenerate days.
What's the matter with sleeping
three In a bed at Camp Mills? The
boys must learn to spoon, as their
progenitors did in the Civil War.
Katherine Stinson, Texan aviatrix.
shows what women can do. Enlist
them. They do not crowd men in
the air.
What is needed on the auto is a
better device to illuminate the num
ber, so a fellow can see what kills
him.
The officer who discovers whisky in
half-gallon tins in a trunk must pos
sess remarkable power of deduction.
Mr. Hoover will not object to goose
for the Christmas dinner, though the
date falls on meatless day.
T. R. has no connection with T. N. T.,
though both sets of initials have an
explosive sound.
Russia's idea of an honorable peace
is a slap on each Jaw, and then the
toe of the boot.
The Nobel neace nriza e-oes tn thn
Red Cross, and a better award could
not be made.
Comfort is worth something, and
discomfort at the cost of a cent la an
aggravation.
Snow is falling in Italy, and good-
by, Hani
Stars and Starmakers.
By Lees Cass Baer.
HW. H. mailed me the following
from a Hermlston paper, or rath
er, I should say, the Hermlston paper.
It doesn't belong in this column, un
less you go on the theory that It's
about automobiles, and actors always
have automobiles. Usually the auto
mobile is resting at the actor's Summer
place in the Catskills or the servants
at the Long- Island home are using It,
but most of the time It exist purely
In the mind of , the actor. So, alnce
actors and autos are thus closely re
lated, there's an excuse for the Her
mlston clipping-. Its other excuse la
that if funny:
"For sale One used Ford touring
car, a bargain. One new runabout.
Neither will last long. Sapper Bros."
Tom Kane, who has been in the pub
licity end of the theatrical game for
a dozen or more years but who has
stayed In the East until this season, la
In Portland ahead of "Turn to the
Right." which comes to the Helllg next
week. The Chicago company In thla
homey play, sat" to be an adroit mix
ture of the fly-crook and the home-
and-mother drama, will tarry in our
midst en route to Seattle for Christ
mas week. Mabel Bert, as the old
fashioned mother, will renew acquaint
ances here.
Anna Held'a eyea are tear-filled these
days, and It la only at the theater
that the famoua orbs sparkle and mis
behave. It la for her beloved France
that the little Parlsienne la sad. Bhe
spent last Summer singing- to the sol
diers In France and going about the
hospitals telling stories and cheering
her wounded young countrymen.
"It waa terrible," ahe said, "and too
pitiful to talk about. We went from
one hospital to another and always
were men. in pain, pain for France. In
the grand American Hospital in Paris,
in the smaller hospitals back from the
trenches, we found the same spirit be
hind the same aufferlng. Everybody
waa willing to give all for Franee. It
was wonderful.
"Aa aoon aa the war la over France
will be herself again; Paris, now dark,
will be bright; the boulevards, which
are now black, will again be cheerful.
France, you know, has a proverb which
Americans might call, "When anything
Is done It Is done.' And so It will be.
Now the people are fighting, but fight
ing with a grand hope, a grand pa
tience. They must not wear bright
clothes Joffre says not to. They must
not rejoice Polncaire saya not to.
They must keep Paris dark and in
mourning the government says so;
but later, ah, we will all go back."
Madame Held opens tonight at the
Heilig in "Follow Me," a sprightly
musical comedy.
a
William Favereham recently an
nounced a plan to present a Shake
spearean festival next Spring. It now
appears that hla ambition la chiefly
concentrated upon a production of
"Hamlet." It Is hla desire to incorpo
rate new ldeaa In the acting and stag
ing of the play, at the same time
reviving certain features of the Fechter
production.
Aa Mr. Faversham'a production of
"Othello" and "Julius Caesar" 'some
yeara ago achieved wide popularity
mainly because of the humannesa of
hla characterizations of Iago and Mark
Antony, It la reasonable to expect that
hla appearance aa Hamlet will be an
occasion for a popular Interest in the
tragedy of the melancholy Dane.
Sarah Bernhardt closed her road tour
in Montreal last week, and unless ehe
comes to us In a vaudeville engagement
she will not visit this oout this sea
eon. Negotiations for veudevllle are
being made by Madame Bernhardt'a
agents. When last playing In vaude
ville on the Orpheum Circuit Bernhardt
received $S00 a performance, or $7000
weekly In a city of 14 performances.
It la eald her proposed vaudeville tour
will be at around $5000 weekly, with
about 10 weeks given her at this figure.
If no return engagements are played.
Harry Lauder's poplarlty in Montreal,
Canada, received a bump last week,
when the Scotch comic, at a dinner ten
dered him by the Rotary Club, la al
leged to have uttered some remarks
anent the breeding of French-Canadians.
Lauder's remarks were pub
lished in the Montreal papers and im
mediately a loud protest rang out
throughout the Dominion.
Mayor Martin wrote a letter to Lau
der demanding an apology, but could
not locate the lecturing comlo and waa
forced to serve the order by publica
tion. From Quebeo came a challenge
from Corporal Emile Larochelle, a con
valescing war veteran, who dared Lau
der to Join a unit with him, promising
to re-enter the trenches if he would.
Gabriel Ysaye Is In New York pre
paring to debut in vaudeville. He Is a
violinist, and claimed to be the equal
of his famous Belgian father on the
instrument, minus age and experience.
The younger Ysaye was In the trenches,
where he was severely wounded and
received his discharge.
Elizabeth Mayne at the Orpheum in
Boston last week was forced to with
draw one of her members from her act
because Boston Ian 3 thought it eacre
llgious. The song wasentitled If They
Have a Jazz Band In Heaven. Send Me
Down Below," being the lament of a
man who is driven to distraction be
cause he la forced to have muslo with
his meals whether he wants it or not.
,
Charles King, of the vaudeville team
of (Elizabeth) Brlce and King, has been
appointed chief yeoman In the Navy
and ordered to report to the Navy De
partment at Washington for special
duty. He was recommended by Lieu
tenant M. S. Bentham, U. S. N. Brlce
and King are now in "Miss 1917," at
the Century, New York City. King is
also a partner of Andrew Brannlgan In
the merclfant tailoring firm of Brannl
gan & King. That concern is dissolv
ing through Brannlpan also enlisting
in the Navy, made a yeoman and as
signed to the Brooklyn Navy-yard. Mr.
Brannlgan married Hazel Cox, elst'er of
Ray Cox. Elizabeth Brlce has engaged
for "Words and Music."
Hartley McVey (brother of Mrs. Sid
ney Drew) has received his commission
as Lieutenant in the Aviation Corps.
Frank Wilbur, professionally known
as Juggling Wilbur, Is with Company L
S30th Regiment, Camp Sierraan, O.
. .
Frank Phillips, formerly ot the Dan
iel Frohman forces, is at Camp Upton,
L. I.
Edna Pendleton, a Seattle girl, placed
with Arthur Hammersteln by Jack
Hughes and Leslie Morosco, has joined
"You're in Love" on tour.
YOUNG MEN Rl'.V WHEAT FARM
Rules) Quoted by Which Their Draft
Classification Will Be Determined.
PORTLAND, Dec 13. (To the Ed
itor.) My brother and I are both of
the graft age and are single. We are
both engaged as farmers, namely,,
renting father's 1280-acre wheat ranch
in Eastern Oregon and working It on a
partnership basis. We were practical
ly reared on this place until the Sum
mer of 1912, when father rented the
place out for a term of, five years In
order to give ua boys a chance to fur
ther our education. This we did. hut
as soon as the lease was up last Sum
mer we were well Satisfied to go back
on and take charge of the place again.
The place requires at all times two
men and part of the time three and
four men to work It and father la no
longer able to do anything there.
(1) Could we both claim deferred
classification to class IV or would we
be more apt to come under class III?
(S) In what class, under the new
classification, would we be most suit
ably placed? Would the fact that we
had not particularly worked the place
for five years, although we now are
aa firmly established there aa ever, go
aaglnst us In claiming deferred classi
fication? A SUBSCRIBER,
(1) Tou should both claim classifica
tion in olaaa in aa necessary associate
managers of a necessary agricultural
enterprise.
(2) In classifying you the board will
first determine whether the farm la a
necessary agricultural enterprise. We
assume that any well-conduoted, going
wheat ranch of 1IS0 acres will be con
sidered a necessary agricultural enter
prise. It will then determine whether
you are necessary. The word "neees
aary." aa applied to the relation of a
registrant to an agricultural enterprise
within the meaning- of any rule govern
ing deferred classification, will be
taken by the board to Import (we
quote from the regulationa):
That the registrant Is actually and com
pletely engaged In the enterprise In the ca
pacity recited In any auon. rule and that he
is competent and qualified in that capacity.
That the removal of the registrant would
result In direct, substantial, material loss
and detriment to the adequate and effective
operation of the enterprise to a degree pro
portionate to the Importance of the capacity
recltvd in the rule.
That the available supply of persons com
petent in the capacity recited in the rule is
such that the registrant cannot be replaced
in such capacity without direct, substantial,
material loss and detriment to the adequate
and effective operation of the enterprise In
the degree proportionate to the importance
of such capacity.
The board will also consider gen
erally: The length of ttme the registrant has been
engaged in the capacity, and especially
whether the circumstances of his engage
ment are such as to convince the board
that he Is not so engaged for the primary
purpose of evading military duty service.
The nature of the claimant's study, train
ing and experience and the extent and value
of his qualifications for the capacity in
which he is engaged.
The actual condition that -would result
from his removal.
Mem Working; 1st P prnre Camps.
MclUNNVILEE, Or.. Deo. 11. (To the
Editor.) Will my son, who la working
with the Wheeler Lumber Company. on
the Nehalem. Government contractors
for furnishing spruce, and who haa
slgnad an agreement with them to work
during the period of the war, be ex
empt from the selective draft by rea
son of such employment?
SUBSCRIBER.
The "regulations that apply to classi
fication of men in other Industries ap
ply to men In the lumber industry, even
though auch men may be getting' out
spruoe. It la the privilege of your aon
to apply for deferred classification on
the ground that he la a necessary
skilled laborer or necessary Ekilled .me
chanical expert in a necessary Indus
trial enterprise. If the claim Is al
lowed, he will be placed in class II if
the former, class 111 If the latter. If
not allowed he haa the right of appeal
to the President.
If he la not successful In having bis
claim allowed he may remain in hla
present position by being Inducted Into
the military servlceL This means that,
though drafted and subject to call, he
may be called Into aervice In the spruce
production division of the Signal Corps
and be assigned to duty In hla old po
sition. He will, however, be an en
listed man In the aervice of the United
States, subject to all rules and regu
lations laid down by the Government
and subject alwaya to duty anywhere
the Array may require him. It la the
expectation that auch men will not be
removed for many months to come, but
that ia not a certainty.
His employer doubtless has received
a circular outlining the necessary pro
cedure. Effect of Date of Marrlasr.
PORTLAND, Dec. 12. (To the Edi
tor.) (1) In what classification would
a man come under who was married
.May 2. 1917? Some claim a man married
at such a date would be classified aa a
slnglo man under the selective draft
law. Is thla true?
(2) Also, what class would a married
man come under whose wife is solely
dependent on him for support, she not
being skilled In any special line where
by she could support herself decently
L. L. R.
(1) It is not true. Date of marriage
prior to May IS, 1917, has no bearing
on a man's classification, and If con
tracted since then does not necessarily
alter his status.
(2) A definite showing that the wife
la mainly dependent on his labor for
support ahould place him In class IV.
When Wife Is t nnble to Work.
ALBANY, Or, Dec. 11. (To the Edi
tor.) 1 was married before war was
declared. I am the only support of my
wlfe. My wife was a typist, but has
not worked for two years. On account
of nervous . condition she Is unfit to
support herself. What class would I
be ln? A. C. E.
Upon a definite showing that your
wife is physically unable to perform
the work In which she is skilled and
that the is mainly dependent upon your
labor for support you would be placed
In class IV.
Farmer With Dependent Family.
BAKER. Or.. Nov. 10. (To the Edi
tor.) I am 29 years old, have a wife
and baby & years old. I am a farmer of
about 400 acres, raise wheat, oats, bar
ley, cattle, horses and hoes. Have no
other income but what 1 make from
this rented farm. I have farmed for
three years and have it rented for three
more. My wife has no business educa
tion or any income. What classifiea
tipn would I come under. FARM lilt.
As the case is stated by you, you
should be placed In class IV.
.NatlTe-Dorn or German Parents.
BLAINE, Or.. Dee. 10. (To the Edi
tor.) Does a man born and raised in
this country have to take out natural
isation papers whose father and mother
are Germans and never took out any
papers? I have bought $500 worth of
liberty bonds and alwaya considered
myself and want to be a good Ameri
can. HERMAN THU.V
You are a full citizen. nri f..-..,,
you say, a good one. You require no
naturalization paper.
In Other Days.
Half a Century Aaro.
From The Oregonlan December Is, 1S67.
It la stated that Barney Williams, the
actor, is worth $400. 00.
We publish today a call for a meet
ing of the Union fUate Central Com
mittee, to be held December 13 in this
city. J. N. Dolph is chairman and the
leaders deem it necessary for the state
to get thoroughly organized) early In
the fight.
W. C. Painter has been elected rort
master at Waiiula, Wash., vice lloaifr
able Alvan Flanders, elected to Con
gress. We received a call last evening from
Mr. Gaston, the chief spirit in the Ore
gon Central Railroad Company (West
Sido of the river), lie is full of conii
dence that the road by way of the
Tualatin Plains will be built before
any other in Oregon.
We have been, shown a very hand
some map of McMillan's Addition to the
town of Oswego, prepare.! by C. W.
Burrage. surveyor and engineer.
Twenty-Five I rani Abo.
From The Oregonlan Pecember 13, 1S0X
New York. In connection with the
failure of Toastmaster Kllery Anderson,
at the Reform Club dinner on Saturday
night, to call on Speaker Crisp, for a
speech, it might be added that Ander
son, Charles Falrchild and McFarland.
of the Reform Club, knew In advance
that Crisp expected to be called upon
andi had a speech prepared. The speak
ership fight promises to ba interesting.
Bourke Cochran, of New York, saya that
ouo mugwamps of New York are now
trying to read 600.000 regular Demo
crats, out of the party.
Arizona and New Mexico are making
a hard fight to be admitted to state
hood. Mrs. T. L. Eliot will deliver her lec
ture. "The Rights of Man." at the First
Congregational Church Friday night.
Preston C. Smith was elected presi
dent of the Arlington Club last night.
J. PVan.k Adams, who haa been, con
nected with the Southern Pacific Com
pany for the last three years, has re
signed to enter business for himself.
There la a growing anti-annexation,
movement on the East Side and it ia
said the Mount Tabor Villa resident
may ask for a charter for themselves.
Farmer -Whose Wife Has Small Income,
PORTLAND. Dec 11. (To the Edi
tor.) A young man owns and runs a
good-sized apple orchard, having had
some study at the Agricultural Col
lege along this line: also keeps some
stock. He is married, but has no chil
dren. Hla wife haa a very email in
come of her own. but la unable to sup
port herself. There Is no member of
the family who could possibly take
his place If he la called. Kindly state
under what class be would be put In.
the draft. SUBSCRIBER.
He can properly make claim for de
ferred classification on two grounds:
That he la the necessary aole directing
head of a necessary agricultural enter
prise evnd that he haa a wife mainly
dependent upon his labor for support.
But it Is Impossible for us to say
whether either or both claims would
be allowed. The board would deter
mine not only whether the farm la
necessary to the military and National
Interest, but whether. If to, be la neces
sary to its efficient operation. In de
termining the dependency of the wife
the board will consider her Independ
ent Income and also the amount he
would contribute from hla pay as a
soldier and the family allowance the
Government would make. But aa we
read the regulations. If the board de
nies the claim on agricultural grounds
and finds that hla wife would be as
sured adequate support In event of his
removal he would not be placed higher
than class II. The regulations, how
ever, are somewhat Indefinite on this
point. If it found that hla wife waa
mainly dependent on his labor for sup
port or that he was a necessary sola
directing head of a necessary agricul
tural enterprise It would place him In
clasa IV.
Registrant Away From Home.
. ABERDEEN, Wash.. Doc 11. (To the
Editor.) I am a registrant of Coos
County, Oregon. In view of the fact
that I have only seven days in which
to return my questionnaire, of which six
days are consumed In the transit of this
mall and providing that the mail is
delayed a day or so In transit, would
that be sufficient cause for the Gov
ernment to take me into the Army?
Or can I get a questionnaire from the
local board here and send it to the
board where I recist ered.
CARL 11. ERELIXG.
The local board where you are reg
istered is authorized to send out a
questlonn;rIre in advance when a suf
ficient reason Is shown therefor, but
such action Is discretionary with it.
Tou cannot get your questnnnare from
another board. We suggest, unless the
time limit is too short, that you write
to your local boanl and ask that your
questionnaire be forwarded at once.
giving tho reasons for the request. If
you know the number of registrants
in your district and your order number
you can figure on the dato your ques
tionnaire will be mailed tinder the
usual process. The board will mall 5
per cent of the questionnaires Decern.-
her 15, 5 per cent the next day nnd
so on, proceeding according to the order
number of the registrants. If you
figure you have not time enough, bet
ter consult one of the lecal advisers
In the town where you are located.
Lawyers generally are giving free
a'lvlce and aid to registrants. It would
not be amiss to consult, one of them
anyway as there are possible circum
stances not mentioned in your letter
which would make some particular
course most advisable.
Man DiARunnrnblT Ilwehaj-sed.
BRIDAL VEIL. Or.. I .-. 11. (To
the Editor.) Will a 1 ishonora bly dis
charged solflier be drnfleil, that is a
military offender? No doubt be will
be classified, bt:J will he be accepted.
Was dishonorably fl:scliaiKed October
2 0. 131B. R. V.
There Is no special classification ex
cept In the case of a person shown to
have been convicted of any crime,
which, under the law of the .lurid ietion
of its commission, is treason, felony,
or an lnfamo'is crime. Such persons go
into class V.
A registrant not classified as above,
who Is In prison serving sentence or
awaiting trial; o. In a reformatory or
correctional institution, ir at large on
ball under criminal institution is first
classified and recorded as any other
registrant, but pending discharge from
confinement or final disposition of his
case Is treated as standing at the bot
tom of clasa XV.