g ' THE MORNING OREGONIAN. SATURDAY, AUGUST 17,, 1918. "
1 -i il' " a I
PORTLAKD, OREGON.
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PORTLAND, RATURDAT. ACcrST 17. Mlt
iTRiiorynNO Dimcn-Trei
The man who Cuds spread before
' 11m every morning; in The Oregonlah
a detailed account of Important events
that have happened in Europe in the
few preceding hours, ha little con
ception of the difficulties surmounted
to render its transmission. Nor can
he surmise from what he reads the
lengths to which ingenuity has been
exercised or the amount of money
spent to provide the service.
There is, as may be naturally sus
pected, a congestion of business on
the European cable lines. The Gov
ernment makes constant use of them.
Messages necessary to the prosecution
of the war, of course, have the right
of way. News cables are subject to
censorship, which, though efficient,
necessarily causes delay in delivery.
There are frequent Interruptions of
cablo and telegraph lines. WltHal the
length of time required for transmis
sion of news from Parts or London to
Kw Tork 'has been quadrupled by
war conditions, and the comparison
made Is of a present average with
that which was previously a practical
Certainty.
It is the custom for cable com
Tnles to carry press dispatches at a
'low rate. Ordinarily messages carry
' lag the higher commercial rate take
precedence. This has led to the cus
tom of Tiling press dispatches at the
iigher rate in order to promote quick
delivery. But it does not always work.
Due to the great congestion, low rate
messages sometimes get through
quicker than messages filed at the
highest rate. There is no way to
guess what will happen so the highest
rate is generally applied and the cost
of transmission of cabled news is
thereby trebled.
Correspondents have also discovered
that a short message is likely to be
transmitted more quickly than one of
considerable length. So the practice
lias been adopted of splitting news
Into sections. These sections may fol
low different routes with the result
that they are likely to arrive out of
sequence. It has happened that the
first part, giving information essential
to an understanding of succeeding sec
tions, has arrived six to twenty-four
hours after the latter.
But the most serious problem con-
terns the getting of news out of Rus
sia. The Associated Press correspond
ent at Moscow filed a dispatch on
April 14. The normal northern route
through Finland' was closed, so the
message was sent across European
Russia and thence across Asia to
Vladivostok. It reached the Pacific
port two days after it was Tiled. But
the Pacific route was reported inter
rupted, so the message was doubled
back but went south through China,
and by cable through' the Indian
Ocean, the Arabian, Red and Mediter
ranean seas and to an Irish cable sta
tion for relay to New York. It reached
liew Tork sixty-two days after it left
Moscow. Its timeliness may be imag
ined. In June and J air the Associated
Press made an experiment in order
to determine if possible the most re
liable news route out of Russia. Cable
messages were sent to all correspond
ents in Russia by all known routes,
and each was asked to acknowledge
receipt. Not one reply has been re
ceived. After passing the Russian
border messages cannot be traced, so
fchaotio are conditions.
It is Indicative of the fairness and
understanding of the Associated Press
that the difficulties it encounters in
obtaining speedy delivery of news are
not blamed on incompetency or ineffi
ciency of cable lines or censors. ' In
Its reports of conditions it acknowl
edges the exlstenoe of a tremendous
burden upon transmission lines. It
'admits that a European office is not
at fault when, after accepting a newt
dispatch, a sudden press of Govern
ment business causes it to delay the
message or divert it to another Una
Of the American censorship it says
that not a single Instance of partiality
has come to the attention of its editors
and that the censors extend complete
! co-operation and show apparent eager
' ness to cut down delays and eliminate
' confusion.
Recitation of the difficulties of the
. Associated Press is in no sense an
apology. Did they not exist, the pres
: ent service would still be considered a
' marvel of efficiency.
r AtTOMATIC EXEMPTION. .
One feature of the new draft law
which will commend itself to the pub
lic generally is the proposed change
In the system by which those clearly
entitled to exemption will be placed in
deferred classifications without being
put to the necessity of making formal
application. In other words, the reg
istrant will merely set forth the facts
as to his case, in the answers to a
questionnaire, and if these facts en
title him to deferred classification he
will receive It. '
The provision la essentially Just. It
Is based upon the experience of cer
tain fraternal organizations which
conferred sick benefits upon their
members. These benefits were in no
sense "charity. They were paid for
by the member and were his as a mat
ter f right. But first one well-to-do
member and then another declined or
neglected to draw his allowance from
the lodge treasury. He did not need
the money, so he did not ask for it.
But the example he thus set was
often embarrassing to those who did
need it. Members who could ill af
ford the sacrifice were loath to con-
x fess it, or unwilling to do less than i
'their brethren, It became expedient!
to require that all should avail them
selves of their privilege.
It Is a patriotic act to waive exemp
tion, though the facts may clearly en
title one to its benefits. There is no
doubt, however, that many have re
frained from asking for deferred
classification who thereby wrought
hardship upon dependents, and that
others who asked it did so with hesi
tation and knowledge that they would
be pointed to as slackers by inconsid
erate neighbors unacquainted with all
the circumstances. The automatic ex
emption provision will do away with
embarrassment all around.
The conscience of the coming regis
trant will be clear when he has
answered truthfully all the questions
asked of him. Upon the draft boards
and the doctors will fall the final re
sponsibility if be is detained at home.
At the same time, there will be no
lack of opportunity for any man to
help win the war. Not all our effort
will be exerted on the firing line.
THE SLACKER SENATORS.
When the supply of class 1 men
available for the Army under the
original draft law Is almost exhausted
and when the entire draft organ iza
tlon lias been keyed up to register 13,'
000.000 men as soon as Congress gives
authority, the Senate delays action
through inability to muster a quorum.
The military committee has the bill
ready, the War Department is ready
to start the machinery the instant
Congress and the President say the
word, but the Senate lags. Its mem
bers will not give up three days of
their vacation in order that the flow
of men into the Army may not be
stopped.
We have heard much of slackers of
many varieties during the last year.
What are these holiday-making Sena
tors but slackers? Men and women
have gone to -work at unaccustomed
occupations, often too arduous for
their strength: minions of families
have given up their sons, even speed
ing them on their way, but these Sen
ators do not give up even three days
of their rest.
Much la heard of the work-or-flght
order. It is as fair for legislators as
for others, and a term of the strenu
ous life at the front would be good
medicine for the Senators who are
too weary to occupy their softly
cushioned seats In the Capitol.
THE XOXAKCE OF "BERRYLN'"
Berry time in America in 1918 has
brought a new experience to millions
of persona and has awakened a flood
of memories. The old-timers, already
have begun to compare their adven
tures with those of early days. They
seem to be of one mind on the point
that the "romance" has been sub
tracted from the business by the ad
vent of the trolley car, the automo
bile and the thermos bottle. They
see the sordid commercial side, the
pickers who will presently be offering
their wares for sale in nearby towns
at war prices, the people who calcu
late the success of their day on the
basis of the number of gallons picked.
They bemoan the passing of the times
when the family hitched up old Dob
bin to the carryall, packed a generous
cold lunch in a home-made hamper
and set out for a good time, of which
the quantity of food gathered was only
part of the measure.
There always were and always will
be persona who think that there la
nothing like the "good old times." The
delights of what a Massachusetts edi
tor calls the "methods of medievalism
in berrying" still survive. The frontier
may have been pushed farther back,
but that is all. The trolley car and
the automobile at best cannot do our
picking for us. or even convey us to
within better than striking distance of
the places where the finest berrle
are. We still have our secrets which
give berry hunting added zest. "I
know a place" is still a phrase to con
lure with. It still requires some
knowledge of woodcraft to be a suc
cessful berry picker in the long run.
The hope of finding a more prolific
patch farther on still lures some and
is resisted by others, who bring home
most of the berries. Berry picking
in all its essentials is the same good
sport It always was.
As to the "sordid, commercial side,"
we think there will be skeptics. The
amount of gasoline which will be con
sumed in harvesting the wild berry
crop of Oregon should dispose of that
bugbear. Then there are all the other
expenses, including, of course, the
overhead, which would seem to make
sad inroads upon the money profits of
the venture. Berries are being picked
all over the country this season re
gardless of expense and with not much
thought of gain, but because they rep
resent an addition, such as it is, to our
food supply. We are not going to
leave the berries to the bears so long
aa there la the slightest danger of a
famine the coming Winter, nor count
the cost of gathering them.
DEAF MCTE9 AS AVIATORS.
The War Department has disposed
of another general public misappre
hension by issuing a statement to the
effect that deaf mutes will not be
accepted for service in aviation. Hun
dreds of young men have been encour
aged to seek enlistment as flyers by
the erroneous report, which appears
to have been deliberately circulated,
that since deaf mutes possess little if
any sensitivity of the inner ear they
would be little subject to dizziness,
and, therefore, would make good avia
tors. The Government has been con
ducting two separate investigations at
once one to discover the source of
the misleading information and the
other to "make special tests of the
accuracy of deaf mutes in sensing mo
tion." The bearing of the sensitivity of the
middle ear upon the sense of equilib
rium and direction was fully shown
In these tests. A number of normal
men and deaf mutes, blindfolded, were
taken successively by the same pilot
in the same machine over the same
course above a Government aviation
grounds. They were told that after
reaching a certain level the aviator
would execute a number of evolutions
and were requested to record the di
rections taken. The passengers with
normal Internal ears made correct no
tations; the deaf mutes failed to note
changes even of as much as ninety
degrees. The latter admitted that they
were entirely in the dark as to their
positions, and one said that he had
been "virtually lost in space." They
could not differentiate between the
deepest right or the deepest left banks,
nor notice the difference between
climbing or driving in a practically
vertical position. Some of the pas
sengers with normal ears reported
changes in direction aa slight as 6 per
cent. '
The official statement is made by the
War Department that "It would be
ridiculous for deaf mutes to attempt
to fly." The turning chair tests fur
ther imposed upon candidates for the
flying service have shown that one
possessing a normal ear mechanism
has good detection pi movement in,
Y
the air, and that those who fail to
pass the test have a poor sense of
direction and equilibrium.
The reports which led to the inves
tigations referred to are Interesting
illustrations of the lengths to which
enemy propagandists will go. Gov
ernment officials are convinced that
the story which raised the hopes of
some hundreds of deaf mutes for this
branch of patriotic service was of
German origin. The military purpose
served by this particular form of mis
chief was remote. It could only result
in causing incidental confusion in the
minds of those who were seeking
places in which to be useful, or in
adding slightly to the work of recruit
ing officers. It will strike the average
man as a piece of ineffably silly busi
ness. But the German propagandists
are not always sensible, as they have
shown in many other ways.
THEIR DAT IS DOXE.
The day of open defiance, to the law
by bootleggers and those who conspire
with bootleggers seems to be over.
When he Imposed a fine of $10,000
upon Davidson, the wealthy California
liquor dealer, Federal Judge Bean
knocked the profit out of a lot of
illegal transactions in liquor. More
over, it appears that Davidson escaped
a prison sentence by the narrowest of
margins. Commonly, Ignorance of the
law is no excuse for wrongdoing, but
Judge Bean seems to have placed a
lenient construction upon Davidson's
overlooking of the conspiracy statute.
In any event. $10,000 fines will go a
long way toward discouraging a repe
tition of the offense.
Where local Juries have sat in Judg
ment and local Judges have assessed
the fines, it has been the common
practice for law violators of this class
to figure their fines into their expense
accounts and go right on with their
business. When the Federal Govern
ment gets them in its tolls, it is dif
ferent. Davidson will not have the sympathy
of any law-abiding man, whether he
overlooked a paragraph in the law or
not He knew that Oregon was "dry"
and he thought he was putting one
over on the people who enacted the
statute. The Judge rightly finds that
he was In spirit as well as in fact a
lawbreaker.
Oregon will be drier than ever when
the newa becomes generally known.
Tour bootlegger is not in the business
for his health or to help hl3 .fellow
man. He is essentially a profiteer.
EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS.
Announcement that negotiations
have already begun between the United
States and German governments for
exchange of prisoners will relieve
much anxiety among relatives of
Americans who have been captured
by the enemy. The agreement made
between Germany and France last
April provided only for exchange of
non-commissioned officers and pn
vates who had been in captivity for
more than eighteen months. An agree
ment lately concluded by the British
government contains the same time
limit, dui exienas to commissioned
officers who had been interned in .Hol
land and Switzerland under a former
agreement and to civilians. Some
time limit may be reasonable lest re
cently captured prisoners convey use
ful information when exchanged, but
three months should suffice, and ex
change should be general,' man for
man of equal rank.
Even then the Germans would have
the best of the bargain, for they have
reduced prisoners to such a miserable
condition by starvation, overwork, bru
tality, lack of clothing and insanitary
quarters that the men are incapable
of either- fighting or working for
months after exchange, and many are
permanent physical wrecks, while the
British and French feed and clothe
prisoners well, give them good, warm
quarters and work them moderately.
Thus upon exchange British prisoners
can render no service to their govern
ments, while German prisoners can be
restored to the ranks or can work in
munition factories Immediately after
their return.
Notwithstanding this inequality, the
tortures inflicted upon prisoners by
the Germans are so excruciating that
the allied governments overlook it in
their humane desire to relieve their
citizens, and the United States Gov
ernment will doubtless take the same
view. Not satisfied with beating,
starving, mutilating, torturing and
overworking prisoners who are taken
to Germany, the Germans compel
them to do military work immediately
behind the lines under fire from their
comrades.
As usual, they built up in advance
their defense of this violation of the
laws of war by falsely accusing the
British of having first been guilty 'of
the offense they themselves contem
plated. They even made the prisoners
the medium through which the lie
was circulated in Great Britain. On
the pretense that the British had held
prisoners within thirty kilometers of
the front and had not replied to a re
quest that they be withdrawn to a
greater distance, the German com
manders ordered that all future pris
oners be held as "prisoners of respite."
A notice was issued to be read to the
prisoners at Lille, saying that they
would suffer these deprivations:
Vary ahort of food, bad llghtlnr. bad
lodgings, no beds, and hard' work beside
the German guna under shell'ire.
The prisoners were ordered to "write
to their relations or persons of in
fluence In England how badly they are
treated, and that no alteration in the
ill-treatment will occur until the Eng
lish government has consented to the
German request," and this bribe was
offered:
It ts In the' lntereet of all English pris
oners of respite to do their but to enable
the German government to remove them to
carapa In Germany, where they will be prop
erly treated, with food food, rood clothing.
An agreement was made at the end
of April, 1917, that no prisoners should
be employed on either side within
thirty kilometers of the firing line, but
the Germans violated it from the start.
They employed Britons at Cambral,
Lille and other places in doing mili
tary work, such as digging trenches,
erecting wire entanglements, making
gunplts, loading ammunition wagons
and carrying trench mortars, 'work
which is forbidden by the laws of war.
Many were killed by British guns,
more were wounded and deaths from
starvation and overwork were con
stant. They were half starved and
were shot or stabbed if they left the
ranks to pick food from the roadside.
Some were forced to sleep in a roof
less barn, wearing drenched clothes,
with rain pouring upon them, and to
lie on loose straw which- was full of
vermin. Their correspondence was
stopped and food parcels from home
were withheld. Their location was
concealed, so that many were merely
posted as missing, while others were
required to date letters at camps in
Germany when they were actually
working under fire in occupied terri
tory. The American people will not pa
tiently, suffer sub treatment of, ttieir
captive soldiers, and will demand
reprisals upon Germans imprisoned in
France or in this country. Much se
verity could be practiced by way of
reprisals without the starvation and
brutality common In Germany.
SOLDIERS MEMORIALS.
It is possible that the marble shaft,
the stone column and the Imposing
sarcophagus will pass Into disuse as
memorials to soldiers who have given
their lives for freedom. The examples
of a New England father of a soldier.
who has endowed a clinic for the re-
habituation of wounded in war and
peace, and of a Chicago philanthropist
who has given $2,600,000 to the Uni
versity of Chicago to be used for the
education of returned soldiers and the
children of soldiers, point to a new
drift of popular sentiment. The gifts
are wholly practical, yet they repre-
sent no abatement of the pursuit of
the ideal. One proposes to help men
to become Industrially independent.
and thus free to work out their higher
destinies, the other to place advanced
education within the reach of thou
sands who otherwise might find it
beyond realization.
There will be innumerable fields for
philanthropy after peace is declared.
A memorial school will be as perma
nent as a tomb and a thousand times
more useful. A. hospital will make
some amends for the miseries caused
by war. A rebuilt village will be a
permanent testimonial to the humani
tarian spirit. A fund for research
into the cause and cure of a devastat
ing malady will confer abounding
benefits on mankind now living and
yet unborn.
The best memorials of all will be
those which take the form of helping
men and women to help themselves.
The world will, not want charity of
the almshouse sort. Soldiers worthy
of the name will not expect to be sup
ported in idleness the rest of their
lives.- The Individual or community
which founds a school or a hospital
In commemoration of the deeds of its
heroes will give expression to its ap
preciation of their sarcrifices in the
best possible way.
There is offered, too, an opportunity
for others to show that the lesson oi
the war has not been missed by them.
Not all can endow colleges, but all can
resolve to co-operate in spirit of self
effacement in the task of rebuilding
the world. It will not be the noisy
"reformers" who will count for most
in the coming years, but those who
are willing to work humbly, without
thought of glory. There will be many
a man without a dollar to give who
can rear a sacred though) invisible, me
morial by the simple resolve to give
himself to the cause of right living
and the promotion of the real brother
hood of men.
Not even war could prevent the
Paris fire department, called in French
"Le Regiment de Sapeurs-Rompiers,"
from issuing its usual elaborate report
on the fires, of 1916. It contains most
elaborate tables on the location and
cause of each fire and the -apparatus
which was used. The department re
duced the number of fires almost to
that of the year 1897, although it sent
741 men to the army, of whom 154
have been killed. The report contains
a map of Paris showing the location
of each fire station and alarm box,
and another map showing where each
fire occurced. Evidently the Paris
firemen attend to business as usual, in
spite of war.
General March says the Government
will put the whole civilian population
In shoddy next year, that the Army
may wear wool. We can stand it,
when we remember that the Army
also wears gas masks and the Germans
wear paper. If the worst comes, we
can get Joe ' Knowles to take us all
into the woods and show us how to
make our own clothes.
General March's statement to the
Senate military committee shows that
the two things which wo now need to
speed up are airplanes and heavy ar
tillery. If next year's campaign should
begin In March, we have six months
to take up the slack.
Posies are posies anywhere, but the
lover of floral beauty will find tan the
farm of a specialist east of Gresham
the greatest riot in floriculture imag
inable in fields of blooming gladioli.
The Mayor's proclamation calling
for especial care on the crossings dur
ing Grand Army time is right to the
point. The driver who injures a vet
eran will feel worse than sorry.
The panics in the Rhine towns
caused by bombing are small affairs
compared with what is due when the
great fleet of American aviators gets
in the air.
Just when Mr. Burleson headed off
a strike and got the wires working.
the aurora borealis tangled them up.
Aurora must be a pro-German.
The fellow who murdered the Ital
ian girl is ready for the extreme pen
alty, a life term. Possibility of more
might have stayed his hand.
It was a flyer from Kansas who
brought down three German planes
in five minutes. That's the Kansan's
way take all he can get
When the alternative "work or fight"
is put up to Mexicans, they do not
hesitate a second. They fight as
bandits.
The men who grew no potatoes this
year because "there was a big crop
last year will pay for their miscalcula
tion. There was complete harmony at the
meeting of the emperors. There is al
ways when big and little dogs meet.
The United States is coming to the
point where it will turn out ships as
a factory turns out pins.
The drive for the T's will come be
tween the fourth loan and Christmas
money, the right time.
The world price of $1.01 for sil
ver puts the "crown of thorns' Junk
in the ash can.
The conscientious objector may be
all right on the farm; all depends on
the farmer.
Who wouldn't work in a shipyard
and pick up "velvet" in the form of
back pay?
Ferdinand of Bulgaria is said to be
growing worse, an apparent impos
sibility.
These veterans do not get the keys
to the city. We knock off the locks.
Oregon first again, with a fine of
IWtftOO. for. selling- llaufix,
HIUTAJUSBI LIKELY TO SURVIVE
Race Char trterla tics ia Central Kaxope
Will Fester It Eves In Defeat.
PORTLAND, Aug. IS. (To the Ed
itor.) In your admirable editorial of
August 10 you argue ably that a de
feated Germany "will yield gradually
to the logio of facts' and will renounce
her ambitions for world conquest and
her faith in autocracy as a 'moans, to
that end. Your argument is the more
cogent because of its moderation and
dispassionateness. I do not gainsay
your main contention that Germany will
yield to the logio of facts, but I am less
certain than you seem to be as to what
those facts will be.
You assume that defeat will mean
the loss of Alsace-Lorraine, the inde
pendence of Belgium and Poland, the
federation of Russia, the disintegra
tion of Austria-Hungary Into ethnic
states, eta All these things have been
proposed by allied representatives and
possibly all are still contemplated,
though, if my memory serves me right,
Mr. Wilson has once disclaimed any in
tention of dismembering Austria and
other signs of hesitation are not want
ing. But assuming that such recon
struction is effected, will it be the
death knell of militarism and remove
the menace of German ambition?
It is scarcely possible for Americans,
accustomed to peaceful democracy and
knowing no problems of race or fron
tier, to understand the political prob
lems and the political Incapacity of
these peoples. Not only are they with
out the experience and the habits nec
essary for the exercise of Self-government,
but self-government presents
difficulties to them which it Is doubt
ful if we could surmount.
To begin with, there is no definite
boundary between these different peo
ples. They fade Into one another by
Insensible gradations. Draw the line
ever so carefully, and either side will
have a grievance and will be able to
encroach upon the other with a show
of reason. This vagueness of frontier
is greatly increased by the fact that al
legiance is often determined, not by
race or language, but by religion. This
is the chief distinction between Serbians
and Bulgarians, and brothers will some
times announce themselves part as
Serbians, part as Bulgarians, because
they own allegiance to different patri
archs. When we learn that Serbians,
Croats and Bosnians are all of one race
and speak one language, we easily as
sume that they should and could form
one nation. But the Croats are Catho
lics, the Serbians orthodox (Greek
Church) and the Bosnians Mohamme;
dans. These differences are more seri
ous in this part of the world than dif
ferences of race or speech.
But if these -difficulties were over
come and ethnic nations were mapped
out, we should encounter new difficul
ties of an even more serious character
which would at once disturb the equili
brium. The ethnic boundaries would
not correspond to either strategic or
commercial necessities. Here we are
not left to surmise. NO state nas u
often urged the ethnic argument as
Roumania, a part of her people being
under Hungarian or Russian rule. But
Roumanians first annexation was the
Dobrudja, a district almost wholly peo
pled by Turks. The reason for this
annexation was none the less a very
cogent one. The DODruaja gave net ac
cess to the sea ana coauj" "
ube.
-Dnnmonis oalfa IHliOll With the ROU-
manians of Transylvania, but Roumania
would then be like a aougnnui uu -large
body of Hungarians in the hole.
csi. nionns tint orilv to take these, but
also to carry her boundary westward
to the River Thelss, tnus anncxmis
a now nt Wuneary. because other
wise her frontier would be indefensi
m. rrh. 1- Tint a. neonle between the
German boundary and the Aegean that
has not similar proDiems aim .emo
tions. ...
Austria serves as a son or. ua "
witches' cauldron, tiers is a
task and she does it badly. The caul
dron is a seething mess, but the trou
ble is not so much wltn me na s '"
the mess. The mess would not stop
bubbling Just because you toe of! the
lid. It would only the more surely
bubble over. It is piausmie i u.6
for these peoples the privilege of gov
erning themselves. What they want is
the privilege of governing one another
) ioor nf interfering with one an
other in the interest of their would-be
selves. It is folly to assume iui a.
mere grant of independence would in
sure peace. More likely it would in
sure war. If a peace league enforced
it nniri onlv be by a liberal ex
ercise' of that repression of which we
now complain.
My prophecy is that the allies, while
. :l ,inn oiltnnOtTlV. Will hesitate
to open this Pandora's box and that
Austria admonisnea ana utoi."..
no doubt will remain tne custom"
i.o in the Balkans. And to enforce
any sort of unit authority she will re
quire something very ime m unm
ism which we deprecate. From some--
r.r iwrsnnil acquaintance with
satisfied that inde
i. wmiiri involve economic han
dicaps so serious that these peoples
ii iob- onvthine- to secure relief.
On the other hand, the sane method of
f.j.iinTi ia Ha vet infinitely beyond
their political capacity. Something of
the nature of militarism is in
ble alternative.
Austria finds In thesa conditions and
Germany in somewhat analogous con
ditions the justification of militarism.
We may or may not be satisfied with
that justification. The important thing
for us is to recognize that they will be
satisfied with it and that so long as
they are satisfied with it they will re
tain their militarism or will bend all
their energies to doing so. The logic of
defeat will not De to oiscreuii. uum
i mnra than the logio of ship
wreck is to discredit shipbuilding. The
lesson will be to try again and do it
bMyrconclusion Is, not that militarism
is a good thing or that we should ac-
;oo in it demands, but that it will
not disappear with this war. whatever
its outcome, it nas its rooi m
entanglements and conflicts which can
only be very slowly modified. Militar
ism is likely, therefore, to be long with
us and is sure to be a menace as long
as it continues. Nothing but ceaseless
vieilance can save us from being en
knifed by it. I fear nothing so much
as the optimism of our people in vic
tory. H- H' POWERS.
Sbow Tour Patriotism.
PORTLAND, Aug. 16. (To the Edi
tor ) Portland and Oregon are noted
for going over the top in all patriotic
lines. It will he an everlasting shame
nH nlsa-race If we fall to do our whole
duty in furnishing rooms and enter
tainment to tne -r. A. tl. encnuiirmcu.
that will soon be with us.
Every 100 per cent American should
throw his doors wide open and furnish
fnr the said encampment. The
Confederate encampment will do more
than their part towara enieriaiums
the G. A. R. men. Our commanaer, ur.
Hicks, and Adjutant Gargas will secure
from our patriotic juayor iraio
have them set up in tne paries r
benefit of the army, so they will have
a central place to meet, sleep, eta The
man is not good as a Hun if he won t
stand by the old heroes and Uncle Sam,
right or wrong. A- J. umiimuh.
Room 415, APinglOU punums-
Weeds In Cemetery.
PORTLAND, Aug. 16. (To the Ed
itor ) "Weeds are unsigntiy, tnereiur
obnoxious. Cut them." So I read in
the editorial column the other day.
This citizen who spoke of our un
slghly lawns and parkings spoke well,
but he eltoujd take a look around the
Lone Fir Cemetery to see neglect.
The G. A. R. of the United States will
probably be interested, as a great many
tviair comrades have been laid to
rest in this unsightly, neglected ceme
tery. MRS, (. Wj B,
MOSS GATHERERS NEED SACKS
Quick Aid to Tillamook Mnat Be Given
to Save Sphagnum.
TILLAMOOK, Or., Aug. 15. To the
Editor.) Sphagnum moss might just
as well bo in the moon as in the moss
bogs of Tillamook County., so far as
Red Cross bandages are concerned, if it
Is not gathered within the next very
few weeks. After the Fall rains begin
it will be a physical impossibility to
transport it from the bogs to the rail
road in any appreciable quantity. The
Sand Lake bogs, where the best moss,
grows, are about six miles from the
main road and about 20 miles from Til
lamook City. About four miles of the
rosd is very narrow, steep and crooked,
so that it is impassable for large trucks
at any time and unsafe for any kind
of a car when wet with rain. In fact,
teams can only get out with a very
small load in wet weather.
In dry weather gathering tbls moss
Is Just about the same as pioxing up
bundles of of cotton batting ana put
ting them In sacks. After a rain it is
Just like picking up the same bundles
out of a creek, wltn is times as mucn
wa.tar as would be In the cotton added
to it, the moss, it is claimed, having
20 times the absorbent qualities or cot
ton. To be available during the Win
ter the moss absolutely must be picked
now.
Ten thousand sacks could be filled in
the next few weeks if the sacks were
available.. The Tillamook branch of
the Red Cross has not the necessary
funds to buy these sacks and the sacks
are not in the county. About 2000
sacksful of moss have been shipped
from Tillamook in the past six weeks
and the quantity asked for Is increas
ing. All we need Is the sacks. I feel that
wa should he responsible If the situa
tion- Is not made plain at the present
time and the supply of moss fail at a
critical time for lack of proper infor
mation. THOMAS COATES.
Law Regulating Advertlnementa.
PORTLAND, Aug. 16. (To the Edi
tor.) Has Portland an ordinance pro
hibiting the use of misleading or un
true advertising? Please state the gist
of such ordinance. JOHN WILSON.
Section 3 of Article rV of Ordinance
No. 34046:
"Misleading and Untrue Advertise
ments. It shall be unlawful for any
person, with intent to sell or dispose of
merchandise, securities, service, or any
thing offered by such person for sale
or distribution, or with intent to in
crease the consumption thereof, or to
induce the public In any manner to
enter into any obligation pertaining
thereto, or to acquire title thereto, or
ah interest therein, to make, publish.
disseminate, circulate, or place before
the public, or cause, directly or indi
rectly, to be made, published, dissemi
nated, circulated or placed before the
public, within the city of Portland, in
a newspaper or other publication, or in
the form of a book, notice, handbill,
poster, bill, circular, pamphlet, or let-
ter, or in any other way, an advertise
ment of any sort regarding merchan
dise, securities, service or anything so
offered to the public, which advertise
ment contains any assertion, represen
tation or statement of fact which is
untrue, deceptive or misleading."
Release of Soldiers Not Citizens.
PORTLAND. Aug. 16. (To the' Ed
itor.) I have a friend in the Army who
has taken out only first papers and is
of Swiss parentage.
For the present he does not take sec
ond papers. His first papers were sent
to the Swiss Consul at Washington, u.
C, and he received a telegram stating
that if he does not take second papers
he will have to be released.
What I wish to know is, should he
receive orders to go overseas before
receiving his discharge, although it is
on the way, will he have to go? My
friend wants to serve in the Army and
will go again into the service, but for
reasons does not wish to go without
first returning home. , S.
. No soldier not an American citizen
is sent abroad now in the United States
forces, according to statements of lo
cal Army officers. It is probable, ac
cording to regulations In the framing,
possibly already in effect, that the
friend will pay for his release by for
feiting forever the right to become an
American citizen.
Evils Needing Riddance.
BEAVER CREEK, Or.. Aug. 16. (To
the Editor.) Apropos of the recent
convention for pests, I am wondering
if all our patriots have sailed for
France. During a brief Sunday after
noon ride I noticed Milwaukie's beauti
ful lake fringed with thistles ready to
disseminate their seeds by wind and
wave. The handsome shade trees of
Gresham are festooned with caterpillar
webs ready to burst into traveling
menaces. If Oregon City cannot spray
her elms Bhe better cut them down
before the Nation sends her old soldiers
here next week to take notes on "the
shiftless ways of Oregon."
A chiern amang y takln notes.
An faith, he'll prent 'em.
A FAKMaK S WlDri.
MAKING MACHINES FOR ARMY SHOES TOLD IN
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN
Series Pcon1ern the marshaling of the ranks at home m the solid
reserve without which armies in the field
shoes, for instance. In the Sunday issue he VJd lads
where they are turning out foot gear for Pershing s good lads.
PREMIER PATRIOTIC ORGANIZATION OF WOKLD-In keeping
vrith the opening of the 52d annual encampment of the Grand Army
Tf the Republic, which convenes in Portland on Monday, the Sunday
Lsue wm present a history of that gallant old organization with
photographs of men who have led it and places that are sacred
through their associations. -AMONG
US MORTALS This week W. E. Hill, famous illustrator,
offers a new page of pertinent photos in crayon. He calls it
"Around Town," and there isn't a character missing. Here is an
artist who, like Bairnsfather, finds humor m the great war - and
lightens the general dreariness. This is a favorite page with thou
sands of readers. Are you skipping it?
TMFWS OF THE WORLD The camera clicks just once, and on the
plate is a whole page of history-more than the written word could
tell In each Sunday issue there is a grouped collection of views
taken everywhere, depicting events that have figured in the news
dispatches. They help one to visualize happenings that befall in
foreign parts.
IN THE CHURCHES Complete news of all the churches appears in
the Sunday issue, with announcements of all services. The great
Jewish holidays begin on the evening of September 6, and tomor
row's issue contains important announcements pertaining thereto.
The republished Sunday sermon is by Dr. J. F. Ghormley, of
Rodney-Avenue Christian Church, and is a plea for the unity of
all churches in the common good.
ALL THE NEWS OF ALL THE WORLD Every issue of The Ore
gonian contains the finest news service obtainable, but the Sunday
issue, with its greater 6cope, is amplified both in news service and
in features. Few magazines hold more attractive articles and
illustrations, and none combines with these in unequalled display
of authoritative information from every part of the world. Fea
tures for folks both young and old.
A NICKEL AND A NOD BUYS
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN
In Other Days.
Twenty-five Yearn Ago.
From Tha Oreironlan, August IT, 1803.
New York. The rate war between
the Great Northern and Northern Pa
cific roads has been settled. All rates
return to their February status.
Los Angeles. The chief of police an
nounced a general clean-up of the city.
All side-entrance saloons will be closed.
San Francisco. A California econo
mist suggests that Great Britain sell
British Columbia to the United States
for $100,000,000 in silver bullion and
then coin it under an international bl
metalllo agreement. This, he thinks,
would relieve the silver situation.
London. Gladstone announced that
the Bering Sea treaty Is satisfactory.
- San Francisco. The California base
ball league, which was said to have col
lapsed, will continue through the sea
son. -.
KIMy Yrara Ago.
From Tha Oregoniaa, Auiruat 17, 1SSS.
New York. Fifty additional miles of
the Union Pacific Railroad are now fin
ished, making 750 miles west of Omaha.
It now seems probable that the whole
Una to the Pacific will be open for
business by January, 1869.
Colonel Lester, an ex-Confederate of
ficer of Georgia, has come out strong
for Grant for President.
Bishop Scott, of the Methodist
Church, arrived at Salem last Wednes
day via the Overland stage and is now
in attendanoe on tha Methodist confer
ence in session there.
San Francisco. The Japanese Mikado
has issued a proclamation condemning
all native Christians to death. Several
have already been executed.
Paris. In relation to the new French
loan, 34 times the amount of money
asked for has already been subscribed.
DOWN ON THE FARM.
I klnd-a miss the trolley cars a-lum-
bering 'long the track.
And the screech and soream of traffic
seems to sort-a call me back;
There ain't a thing to keep the mind
a working hour by hour
Down on the fanrn, where Man Is boss
and Rush has lost Its power.
It's kind-a slow and solemn-like, with
nothing much to say.
Because you don't fit in just right with
country "oiks' " way;
There's never any sort of change In
scenery "round about.
And someway folks ain't caring much
for hip, hurrah and shout;
You never hear a whistle and you
never hear a bell;
The rattle of a wagon wheel but sel
dom breaks the spell.
The country dogs, unlike their kin in
cities, keep quite still.
And leave the drowsy cat to snooze
'upon the window sill;
The birds don't wake at midnight In
the near-by cherry tree.
And stir up a great commotion like the
city birds you see.
The folks keep busy "tending to their
own affairs all day.
And now and th,en they gather in the
old white church to pray:
The -skies seem sort-a peaceful, and
tho winds are soft and low.
And you sense the "restful atmosphere
'most everywhere you go.
But I klnd-a miss' the lumbering cars
a-rumbling 'long the track.
And I sort-a have a notion that PU
soon be beating back.
GRACE E. HALL,
Two Crops of Beans Poaalble.
PORTLAND. Aug. 16. (To the Edi
tor.) Would your war garden readers
like to reap two crops from their
strlngless bean orchards?
They may do so if they will cut back
the plants as soon as the first crop Is
harvested. New leaves, blossoms and
beans will appear and so one may be
twice blest by one planting.
MRS. C. E. B.
Future of Former Benann Student.
PORTLAND. Aug. 16. To the Ed
itor.) I will be a third-term machinist
at Benson Polytechnic School this com-
Incr term. Please lnrorm mo v. ntn.
school I am to attend.
ah mar-hlniRtB" classes will be held
h Woshinirton Hieh School while
the Benson Polytechnic is occupied by
the Government training aetaenmenu
Location of Cantonment.
DALLAS. Or., Aug. 15. (To the Edi
tor.) Will you kindly inform me
where Camp forest is '''
At Lytle, Georgia.
How Solomon Was Wlae.
Washington (D. C.) Star.
"How did Solomon get his great
-nri-Anm" nuerlcd Mr.
repuiauuu " "
. . ..nu T Mm iita. Wn-
MeeKton s who. ;-:-'"
rietta, it was not through anything he
thought up for himself. You know he
had a great many wives and he prob
1 . . , .riiv tn all their
ably lisiencu vcij
advice.
se4