TIIE MORNING OREGOXIAN,
3IOXDAT, OCTOBER 21, 1918.
PORTLAND, OREGON.
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pariah unfit to associate even with
ordinary criminals." His idea of how
far to carry the war and how to deal
with Germany is conveyed by these
words:
We cannot extirpate him, but we can so
seal with him that he will wall for a cen
tury; we can refuse to have any dealings
with either him or his produce. If this is
not done. let us be under no illusions
This time the weight of metal Is probably
too great lor ucrmany to win. but the Germa
race Is the strongest, most pertinacious and
most dangerous on earth. They stick, and
will stick, at nothing to achieve their ends.
In the long run. unless we and our allies
set our hwuxe In order and excise the cancer
of party warfare, the German will dominate
tne world.
The churches have become possessed
with the religious real of the crusader,
for they see the war as a struggle be
twecn the elemental powers of good
and evil, which admit of no compro
mise and no mercy. Nor is evil, in
their estimation, to be overcome simply
by destroying the Kaiser and the
junkers as the ruling caste.
VKMBEK OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Asotated fress Is exclusively entl
td to the ue for republication of all news
dispatches credited to It or not otherwise
credited to this paper, and also til local
news published herein.
All rtghta of republicstlon of special dis
patches herein are also reserved.
rORTUNO, MONDAY, OtT. SI, ISIS.
ACSTRIAS DAT OF GRACE CONE.
Secretary Lansing's reply to the
Austrian peace proposal brings wel-
tome reassurance to those who saw
in President Wilson's speech on Janu
ary 8 undeserved leniency to the dual
monarchy. The Hapsburg nrbnarchy
is in some respects a worse offender
than that of the Hohenzollerns. It is
older, more persistent in crime against
freedom, his made more promises to
its people, and has broken more. No
weight can be given safely to the
promise of federal self-government
made by Emperor Charies in his ex.
tremity, for the danger which now
threatens him would no sooner pass
than he would forget It. Further, tho
United States has no right to decide
for the subject peoples of the J laps
burgs. According to our own prin
ciples, first proclaimed in the Declara
tion of Independence and reaffirmed
In several statements of our war aims.
it is for them to decide whether they
will remain 'under or cast off the
Hapsburg- yoke. The Czecho-Slovaks
" have already decided this question by
their declaration of independence, and
- the United States is committed to their
support by having recognized them as
belligerents.
As usual with doomed despots,
Charles has acted too late, yielding
that which he no longer has power to
withhold and no more. It is well that
the President has given practical
notice that the principles announced
. on January 8 are not the limit of tho
allied aims. As principles they will
till apply, but the application will be
more thorough-going and drastic than
was then contemplated.
This is just, for many things have
happened since that date. At that
time Russia was prostrate in the hands
of Germany's agents, Lenine and
Trotzky, with no apparent power of
resistance, the full military strength
of the central powers was about to be
. exerted against the western allies, and
only a small American force was In
the field. Since then the Brest-
- Lltovsk perfidy has been perpetrated,
the Bolshevik revolution has been
proved to be of German origin, the
allies have beaten the central powers
. on every front, Bulgaria has deserted
the Kaiser and 2.000,000 Americans
have gone to France. The certainty
of final victory justifies the allies in
going the full limit in the cause of
ireedom and permanent peace. The
autocrats have wasted their day of
. grace, and the longer they resist the
harder will it go with them.
The President and the American
people have gained clearer vision of
that with which they have to contend
and of the means to overcome It. Had
Austria-Hungary been simply reor
gunlzed as a federated monarchy of
. autonomous states, not only would tho
Czechos and Jugo-Slavs- have been
cheated of the independence which
they crave and to which they have an
undeniable right, but the way would
have beenopen for the Hapsburgs to
play off one nationality against an
other in order to retain and increase
their power. The monarchy would
then have remained an inviting field
for Pan-German intrigue, and the
opportunity would have survived for
Germany to' use it as a bridge for
aggression in the Balkans. With Bo
hemia an independent republic. Galicia
divided between independent Poland
and Bohemia, Hungary separated from
Austria and Jugo-Slavia also independ
ent, a barrier will bo set up against
German eipansion either to south or
east, and the peace of Central and
Eastern Europe will bo safe. By mak
ing all these nations free, tho allies
can make Kurope safo against mili
tarism. Both policy and principle
point out the same course.
NOT A ACTIONAL ISSUE.
The argument most dangerous to the
ultimate establishment of new normal
schools is to advocate them on the
ground of sectionalism, as a corre
spondent seems to do today. The
normal school issue will never sue
ceed on the mere claim of any local
ity that it has been neglected in the
expenditure of public funds. The bill's
final passage does and must" depend
upon the need of normal schools to
maintain the standard of the rural and
city education.
It is admitted by those in position
to know that the normal school bill
would not have been referred by the
Legislature had the entrance of this
country into the war been foreseen.
The educators who deem additional
normal schools necessary would not
have asked for its submission.
Moreover, new normal schools are
not now needed. The attendance at
the one school has this year declined
more than 60 per cent. Young men
and young women simply are not in
terested in fitting themselves to teach
because other pursuits are more attrac
tive. The lack of present need is con
firmed by the announcement of the
normal school board that if the bill
passes none of the money appropriated
will be expended so long as the war
lasts.
Yet the bill levies an annual tax.
If it is passed taxes will be increased
and the additional direct appropria
tion will be set aside. There will be
virtually money spent with no present
return, for it will be taken out of the
pockets. of the taxpayers to lie idle
pending use tot it.
The Oregonian believes that it is
economic wisdom to await that time
before making the appropriation or
levying the tax. It suggests postpone
ment of the question. That is all. It
has announced that for one it will not
accept defeat of the measure in the
coming election as final settlement of
the question.
science is only now beginning to be
appreciated in Oregon.
Our. ability to keep the enemies of
crop production in control is also
founded upon chemical researches.
Without artificial fertilizers and with
out spray materials it ia difficult to
see how we would now be able to feed
our own people, to say nothing of
making any contributions to our al
lies. The chemist seems to have made
out a good case for himself as the
most important scientistwith whom
we are called upon to deal.
PARCELS FOR. CANADIANS IN FRANCE.
Instructions for the mailing of par
cels to men in the Canadian army in
trance, gmng the procedure followed
by a Portland mother who has five
nous wiu tne Canadians, need cor
rection and supplementing because of
a new order, effective since October 9.
Except for Christmas parcels going
to the American boys in France, it is
now necessary that the person mailing
or shipping parcels to France, Italy
or England first obtain an export
license from the War Trade Board.
The Portland office of this board is
in room 748 Morgan building. Licenses
will bo granted only for the sending
of articles not embraced on the ex-;
port conservation list. This list is ex
tensive, and anyone thinking of send
ing gifts to the specified countries
would do wisely to consult it before
buying or preparing the article.
The Portland mother referred to
reports that because of difficulties
encountered In mailing gift articles
and because of the readiness with
which American money passes in
France she is confining gifts to her
sons almost exclusively to small bills.
enclosed in her letters. She com
mends the practice to all having rela
tives on the western front.
HATRED A RELIGIOUS DtTT.
One of the remarkable reversals of
sentiment brought about ty tho war
has occurred in the attitude of the
churches. Ten years ago their con
ventions were passing resolutions in
favor of arbitration, and were de
nouncing war without discrimination
ns un-Christian and contrary to that
brotherhood of man and that gospel
of love which the Christian religion
leaches. Now they are foremost in
demanding war until the uncondi
tional surrender of the enemy, and in
preaching' hatred of the Kaiser and
Germany in. general as a Christian
virtue.
Chancellor Pay. of Syracuse Uni
versity, says: "It Is religious to hate
the Kaiser, because, the Bible teaches
us to hate the devil and all his works."
Bishop Quayle. in tho Northwestern
Christian Advocate, condemns "a moral
flabbiness in discussing the German
which has a sinister aspect." and says:
"Alt this indiscriminate, flabby, spine
less, godless talk about loving the
German ministers to a wrong peace."
He insists that "we are, at war with
ihe Germans, not the junkers, not au
tocracy, not Prussianism, not the
Kaiser." for "the German people is
committing the unspeakable horrors
which set the whole world aghast."
A writer in tbei, London Spectator
pays much to the same effect, hut he
goes farther. He says that "long be
fore 1914 Christianity had ceased to
xist among the younger generation of
Germans," and that "since 1S70 a new
race of Germans has arisen which
knows neither pity nor truth" and with
which " thing of beauty is there but
to be befouled or destroyed." He writes
of "the unutterable degradation of the
modern German" and calls him ."a
THE EFFICIENCY SYSTEM IX PORTS.
By voting that 85,000,000 of dock
bonds at the November election Port
land will be the first American port
to provide for its equipment on th8
efficiency plan put forward by Chair
man Hurley, of the Shipping Board,
as the means of overcoming the dif
ference in cost of operating American
ships and those of other nations. The
grain elevator and dock now under
construction are a good beginning at
adoption of these efficiency methods,
and the new bond issue will provide
for construction of the second unit
at St. Johns and of other units and
facilities.
As the standard ship built by Amer
ican bridge-building methods, as de
scribed by Mr. Hurley in a receni ar
ticle in the Saturday Evening Post,
will be built in normal times as cheaply
as ships are built in other countries,
so will the standard port witn Amen
can docks and machinery for taking
cargo on and off enable us to operate
ships as cheaply as any other nation
without lowering wages paid to Ameri
can seamen and hereafter our seamen
will be Americans. It is simply a mat
ter of efficiency, as Mr. Hurley shows
by reference to shipping on the Great
T-akes. where wages are nlgn ana
freights low because through modern
"terminal machinery a lake carrier gets
in and out of port quickly and is work.
ing all the time, cutting, down costly
dclavs in port, which cat up profits
in overhead charges." In war traffic,
by better organization of cargo and
improved handling devices we have
cut seventeen days off the time spent
in port on the round trip, which is
enuivalent to 2000 tons on a u.uuu-
ton ship. Instead of dropping goods
through a hole in the deck of a ship.
h KAvs- whr not open up her siaes r
The plan by which the Shipping
Board proposes to Keep our snips on
tho ocean is to build standard ships
like freight cars, to equip them for
dorks which have sufficient mcinoas
of handling cargo, to build and equip
such docks both at American ana for
eign ports and to run the ships be
tween such ports. This will be applt
cation to ships of the methods pur
sued in our railroads, which have
given us the lowest average freight
rate in the world with the highest
wa ccs.
Portland is' in line to lead in this
development, being the first to do its
part in the new programme. Then
there will be no question about ships
coming here, for cargoes will be sent
here, because we shall have the facilr
tics to handle them efficiently.
CHEMISTRY ON THE FARM.
' It is pointed out by R. Adams
Putcher. a member of the American
Chemical Society, that If it had not
been for the chemist famine would
already be abroad in the land. Food
production now practically depends
upon him. His work in the develop
ment of artificial fertilizers is the
most conspicuous example of this, but
the point also is illustrate?! by com
paratively recent discoveries in. scien
tific feeding, in the correction of un
favorable soil conditions and in com
batting parasites The world also
owes a great debt fo chemistry for the
discovery of the ftst for butterfat,
which has been tho greatest single
factor in the development of the dairy
industry upon a sound commercial
basis.
Our present knowledge of the prin
ciples of plant nutrition has. its be
ginning in experiments conducted less
than eighty years ago. and these have
been, perhaps, the most momentous
years in the industrial history of the
world. The development of the nitrogen-extraction
industry which fol
lowed virtual exhaustion of the Chile
saltpeter supplies has been one of the
most important occurrences of the
present century- It is impossible also
to estimate the debt which we owe to
the man who devised the simple, fool
proof method by which any farmer
may determine whether his soil is ex
cessively acid and the extent to which
he needs to apply lime to correct that
fault. This phase of agricultural
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
It is significant of the coming of a
new era in foreign language study that
more emphasis is being placed than
formerly upon "speaking knowledge,
as distinguished from the merely read
ing acquaintance which is stressed in
the schools of England and the United
States. In this we have followed our
literary bent, and, having made lan
guage a part of the "literary" rather
than the commercial or scientific
course, have often made its study
merely a tool with which to unlock
the door to a foreign literature. But
reading knowledge, as is pointed out
in a recent issue of the Commerce
Reports, does not imply any writing
knowledge or any speaking knowledge.
and for the purposes of commerce
may well be regarded as negligible.
Now that the problems of our trade
after the war are being seriously con
sidered, it is time to formulate a plan
of language teaching in the schools
which shall serve our purpose. It has
been demonstrated repeatedly that
even those students in this country
who have specialized in languages in
the universities have little more than
the reading knowledge. "They gener
ally know next to nothing- of the
spoken language," says the article in
the Commerce RepdTts, "and are not
equipped to write idiomatic letters in
foreign languages."
Discussion of this branch of educa
tion will receive fresh impetus from
the report of a British government
commission which was appointed
in 1916, visited all the univer
sities in England and Scotland, and
took testimony from many witnesses
and received many answers to a ques
tionnaire. It is a problem . which
America faces in common witH our
allies, particularly of England, France
and Italy, so that the report will have
universal application in these coun
tries. The commission, for example,
said:
The evidence seems conclusive as to the
need of foreign languages in business,
pecially under the new conditions which may
be expected to prevail arter tne war. fco
large is the part of our Industrial product
marketed abroad, so universal our carrying
trade, that any Impediment to our success
will react not only on those firms directly
Interested In foreign markets, but also on
the prosperity of the whole country. Our
foreign trade does not compose the w-hole
of our activities, but the whole of our ac
tivities depends upon it. In a great part of
our foreign trade a knowledge of foreign
languages will bo directly and abundantly
remunerative.
It is significant that only a few of
the firms which sent replies to the
questionnaire fewer than 4 per cent
urged the policy of making the Eng
lish language universal, and depre
cated foreign language teaching as
tending away from that purpose. These
were only partly supported in their
contention by the fact that English
already is the most important language
on the globe, but this fact explains
the reluctance of English-speaking
peoples to acquire other tongues. In-i
centive heretofore has been Jacking.
We have a wide literature, which is
regarded by many as self-sufficient,
and English is understood in other
countries because the people of those
countries have been willing to take
the trouble to acquire It- Even the
Germans have admitted this, and in
one of their most practical manuals of
foreign trade. Issued before the war,
the following appears:
of the schools.. Russia, that other
field of German penetration, also of
fers a fruitful field. To the cultivation
of it a knowledge of the language is
virtually indispensable. It is a curious
fact that it is the English, the least
inclined of any people to take up for
eign language study, who have ban
ished the bugaboo that Russian 4s too
difficult to be learned. There has re
cently been marked progress in the
study of Russian in that country, with
practical results.
The entire matter goes back, never
theless, to the necessity of teaching
any language upon a speaking basis.
This in the past we have consistently
failed to do. It is not essential, how
ever, that the student should acquire
his specialized technical vocabulary in
school. It is even desirable that this
should not be attempted too early.
The British report suggests that "ex
cepting the universally current forms
and phrases, the terms of a trade can
be satisfactorily learned only when
the: nature and purposes of the special
business are fully understood." This
somewhat simplifies the work of the
schools, but does not remove their re
sponsibility for turning out pupils who
can . talk a language so as to make
themselves understood.
One of the handicaps to extension
of language teaching in the past has
been that the polylinguist has been
rather poorly rewarded. The diffi
culty here has been, perhaps, that
those who might have been perfect
babels within themselves were noth
ing else than that. Now, the mere
interpreter is not likely to receive very
high wages, but languages may still
be a highly valuable accomplishment
in the possession of a man otherwise
efficient. In the case of a traveling
salesman, for illustration, they would
be indispensable, especially in com
petition with salesmen who were able
to approach prospective customers on
familiar ground. It is probable that
our foreign trade will be increased to
unheard-of proportions after the war.
especially in view of the demand that
is bound to be manifested for our raw
materials, and since wo have no dev
astated areas of our own to restore
we shall be able to enter with a free
hand in the helping of others in their
work of reconstruction. The outlook
would seem to call for knowledge of
the countries with which we expect
to trade, and even for some knowledge
of German, if we are to keep ourselves
informed as to the machinations of
a possible competitor.
Pemobilization of the Bulgarian
peasant army has come too late to
affect the price of attar of roses, but
this may be on of the first products
to decline as the result of that nation's
surrender. Bulgaria, as a recent gov
ernment report points out, has long
been the world's center for the pro
duction of roses from which is made
the essence which constitutes the
basis of most genuine perfumes, and
rose cultivation has been one of the
principal industries of the country.
The necessity for giving careful atten
tion to the nice details of cultivation
is illustrated by the fact that during
the war, while gardens were neglected.
t required about sixty pounds of petals
to make five grams of essence, while
the average normal quantity is only
thirty-five pounds. There are many
things which the world needs more
than perfume, so that it is possible
that the industry will not be re-estab
lished on its former basis until some
years have passed.
NO PUNISHMENT IS ADEQUATE
Only Approximate Justice Can Be Dieted
Out for Wrong Done by Germany.
ROSEBURG. Or., Oct. 19. To the
Editor.) P. A. Linscott, writing in The
Oregoniarr of the 14th Inst, notes "with
painful surprise" the general apathy
of the American people toward the
German peace move. Tho whole tenor
of the article Js a plea for sympathy
for Germany, and would pass for a very
The argument is that, as Germany has
agreed to the President's peace terms
fair specimen of German propaganda.
which includes no material compen
sation for the sacrifices which we shall
make, no conquest, no dominion." etc.
therefore we should permit Germany to
march her armies back to Berlin with
drums beating and colors flying; leav
ing ruin and desolation behind them
where but erst dwelt a happy, content
ed, prosperous people.
Aow. Justice demands that wrone
shall be righted; and who but the per
petrator of a wrong can right it? Who
should be held accountable for the
countless unspeakable crimes against
humanity that have, teen perpetrated
at the instigation of the Prussian au
tocracy for the glory of "Me und Gott?"
In the name of Justice, 'not the de
spoiled, but the spoilers. An agreement
to a cessation of hostilities on any
other terms would be a German vic
tory; and tha lifeblood of the flower of
our manhood that is being poured out
on foreign soil that, civilization may
be freed from the menace of Prussian
militarism will have , been spilled in
vain. x
Then let us have nothing short. of un
conditional surrender; after which we
can safely leave, to the peoples whose
lands have been despoiled, whose wives
and daughters have been carried away
to a captivity worse than death, and
whose children have been maimed and
butchered before their eyes, the settle
ment of indemnities; and) in the mean
tim let Justice take a hand to see that
her scales shalk balance to a hair.
And the instigators of this reign of
terror, whose crimes smell to high
heaven, what of them? There is much
to be condoned in the barbarities of a
benighted savage who has never had
opportunities to be anything else; while
acts by those .who have had all of the
advantages of civilization are a descent
to the lowest Btage of human depravity
and deserve nothing less than venge
ance swift and sure.
The human mind can no more con
ceive of an adequate punishment for
even a fraction of the crimes that have
been committed at the instigation jof
the Prussian oligarchy than it can com
pass the bounds ii space; but they can
be stood up against a. wall before
firing squad, which would rid the world
of an unspeakable nuisance, which cer
tainly would be ammunition well spent.
This 'expresses the opinion of not
only one American citizen, but of hun
dreds of thousands of thenw" A short
time ago the writer happened In a con
siderable concourse of people who were
discussing this very subject, and all
were agreed without a dissenting voice
that there was no punishment that hu
man ingenuity could devise that would
adequately fit the crimes for which the
German oligarchy was responsible.
F. M. SEBRING.
CHURCH OFFERS PANIC REMEDY
Prohibition of Prayerful Communion Is
Held to Be Mistake.
PORTLAND, Oct. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Strange indeed are the signs of
the times when in the face of the most
appalling crisis the world has ever wit
nessed, the churches of this country
should be closed. It is only a few
weeks ago the people of Oregon were
summoned by the Governor of the state
to join in prayer for the success' of our
arms. In fact many citizens are, at
noon each day, bowing in prayer for
the success of our cause and are being
encouraged in so doing. General Foch,
the man to whom we are all looking
with confidence and pride, has said, "We
shall be saved by prayer." When the
news of the defeat of the German army
at the battle of the Marne in 1914 was
received in England. Lord Roberts said:
"Only God Almighty could have done
this!" General Kitchener reading the
dispatch, said: "Someone must have
been praying."
Yet in the " face of these acknowl
edgments and In the face of a panic of
fear which is being so industriously
fanned into the flame of an epidemic-
comes the order to close our places ot
worship and to .abandon our church
services. There is a quite general be
lief prevailing among the rank and
file of our people that in the calm and
meditative atmosphere of our church
rvices is to be found, in prayerful
communion with God, the most potent
antidote for fear; and. therefore, the
most effective preventive of disease:
for does not the great Book of Books
teach, "The prayer of faith shall save
the sick?"
The Washington (D. C.) Star, protest
ing against the closing of churches at
this time, in an editorial of October 11
has this to say:
Church assemblages are essential tn vic
tory in the spiritual war as well as the
physical war and to conquer sin, satan and
tne jiaiser.
The same editorial further along
says:
An Integral part of Christianity Is
public worship, the collective petitioning of
the Almighty. "Where two or three are
gathered together In my name there am I
in the midst of them." Are we to forbid
for very long the gathering together of men
and women In Christ's name for commu
nion With their Saviour it. m-nv collec
tively for victory in the war, and, for the
checking of a threatened epidemic, to be de
livered from plague and pestilence?
It should be assured that church services
are short and so distributed through tha day
mat no service is crowded: and that th
church buildings are properly heated and
thoroughly ventilated. If epidemic actu
ally rages. . . . with these precautions
tne cnurcnes should be put on the foot
ing of essential war industries and of fac
tors which tend to check and not to pro
mote an epidemic.
Rightly used, the churches, through their
influence on the mmds and eouls of men.
can do more to win the war even than clerk
assemblages in Government departments.
Klghtly used the church will furnish a mint
mum of promotion agency to distribute In
fluenza germs and a maximum contrlbu
tion to destroy the panic fear in which an
epidemic lives and moves and has its be
ing.
. A. O. FREEL.
In Other .Days.
Fifty Years Agro.
Prom The Morning Oregonian, Oct. 1,
The Pacific Steam Navigation Com
pany's ship Falcon arrived at Panama
yesterday from Guayaquil bringing
the news of an earthquake In Ecuador,
August 18, when 40,000 Jives were lost.
The catastrophe occured at night and
wbols pueblos were swallowed up, it
is said.
Fifteen years ago there were few
horses in Oregon other than Indian
ponies. These were seldom more thnn
14 hands high and sold at from $10 to
$15 apiece, according to their docility.
There were few "American horses" in
the country and they brought a re
markably high figure. It has been
estimated recently, however; that more
than 600 fine horses have been sent
from Oregon to California, and these
are offered for sale in San Francisco"
as "fine, large Oregon horses."
The son of an Irish nobleman, whose
pedigree has been a matter of public
interest of late, and who has been em
ployed by Father Kelly across the river,
was recently charged with assault
and battery in the Police Court and
fined $20.
Salem, Oct 19. The committee of
the whole has under coisideratlon today
the bill to appropriate $250,000 for the
purpose of assisting the Willamette
Falls Lock & Canal Company to con
struct locks and a canal around the
falls at Oregon City, and reported it
back to the Senate with favorable
recommendation. The bill will there
fore be passed.
Oregon's last-minute spurt for the
liberty loan shows that the old state
had not quite ' emptied its pockets or
dried up the springs of its patriotism
in the intensive campaign.
When a colored man is charged
with crime he is a negro. When there
is something to his credit he is an
Afro-Ameriean, the sole use of the
hyphen allowable.
There is no excuse for any girl to be
idle while there is -such a scarcity of
nurses. A girl can at least become a
nurse's assistant and may graduate
into a nurse.
. The Victoria Cabinet will decide
today whether confiscated liquors
shall bo given to' fibspitals for in
fluenza patients. It's great to be
(Canadian!
Keeping a cow in concealment at
Lille through the four years of Ger
man occupation was a fine perform
ance, but how did the cow like it?
Above all. thorough study should be given
to the language of the foreign country. Its
poli)ra1 and geographical relations and its
trade and Industry. 1 assume that the read
er of this book has a certain familiarity
with geography and foreign languages, es.
pecially Llnglish. which Is Indispensable aa a
world languaga for overseas trade.
Election day Is two weeks from to
morrow, and Oregon Republicans
must bear in mind that politics is not
adjourned by the other fellows.
The man who does not clean tip
his order at a public eating place sets
a bad example and hinders rather
than helps.
Colliding with the patrol wagon can
be due to nothing less than reckless
driving. By whom, it is unnecessary
to say.
The British report Is free from in
sularity and chauvinism. It holds that
the importance of any language may
be judged by the significance of its
people in the development of modern
civilization, by the intrinsic value of
its literature, by its contribution to
he valid learning of our times, and
by its practical use in commercial or
other national intercourse. On this
basis the report candidly holds that
'French is by far the most important
language in the history of modern
civilization." It does not, however,
scorn German for practical reasons,
and it speaks particularly of the "wide
extension of German activity and the
general tise of German in the business
of Russia and the Balkan peninsula."
Of course, the value of German after
the war will correspond with the im
portance of German competition, and
this is yet to be determined. But
there are other important languages.
In Europe these are Italian, Spanish
and Russian. For Americans there
will be added opportunities through
Chinese and Japanese. We already
lead among the nations in our ac
quaintance with Spanish, but in this,
it seems, Germany is our chief com
petitor. Italian is now being newly appraised.
Exposure of German plots for the mer
ciless exploitation of Italy would seem
to have prepared the ground for a new
commercial alignment, in which Italy
can be expected to meet us more than
half way. We have, however, depended
in the past in our trade with Italy
upon the acquaintance of Italians liv
ing in this country, whether American
citizens or otherwise. -Few Americans
have learhed the language and it is
taught thoroughly in practically njnej
Hungary need not boast of devotion
to Wilson's principles and claim in
dependence. She is one of the criminals.
It is just as well that big bison did
not go to Dakota. Suppose we use
him in the fifth loan drive as a mas
cot? -
The "unsinkable" ship went down,
while the concrete affairs are ram
ming around somewhere.
Though green as to actual war, the
36th division took to fighting as a
duck takes to water.
Submarine warfare is restricted by
general conditions and by the dispo
sition of the Hun.
THINKS PORTLAND IS SELFISH
Ashland Writer Protests Against Oppo
sition to Normal School Bill.
ASHLAND, Or., Oct. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Two editorials have appeared- in
The Oregonian recently in regard to
the, initiative measures that are to be
voted upon at the coming election that
take a view of them that, to say the
least, is somewhat selfish.
Several people of' the eastern and
southern part of the state had an idea
that anything that did not bring im
mediate profit to Portland received lit
tle or no support from some of the
newspapers, and many of the firms and
interests of that city, but they were
unprepared to see in The Oregonian
frank statements to the voters "to pro
test abuses" by voting "Yes" to those
measures that were helpful to Portland
and "No" to those measures that were
not immediately helpful to Portland
and The Oregonian. This is the gist
of the editorials, as near as I can make
out.
When Portland was in the dumps,
bank clearings dropping and Seattle
was grabbing all the business, the slo
gan was "Build up Oregon."- When
Portland cannot even house all the
people who are working in their shops
and the country villages are depopulat
ed to furnish these workers, the cry is
"Give 'em h 1."
In Ashland, which is away out in the
suburbs, the feeling is prevalent that
a generous view of oiir small demands
for a normal school 'serving this part
of the state would at least put the mat
ter before your readers on its merits,
rather than calling it an abuse, and
that it can wait. Is it because Portland
needs the money' for a $5,000,000 dock?
I do not think the $125,000 we ask for
would, or will, conflict with reason
able Portland improvement. .
I hope you can give us some real
help; we need it. H. S. WHITED.
VOTE SLACKERS BAD AS OTHERS
It Is Part of Elector's War Basinets to
Study Candidates and Bills.
PORTLAND, Oct. 19. (To the Ed
itor.) A very deceitful slogan is made
use of in political campaigns during
these, war times. It is, in effect, "re
elect the man in office, this is no
time to change." No eelf-respecting
voter would stand for autocratic dic
tation -of that kind in normal times.
Why should he now? Every candidate,
whether in or out of office, ought to
be viewed as to his real qualifications.
Some ought to be re-elected, others
should not.
If there ever was a time to keep
home fires burning, it is right now.
There are important state and city
offices to be filled. No candidate who
cannot measure up to the office he
soaks should be allowed to slip it over
this community with that kind of a
slogan.
War Is our business now, and a part
of it is to see that proper and quali
fied men are elected to office. A voter
who refuses to take an Interest in hi
home politics is a slacker and a coward
as much as one who runs from the
field. It is high time people here ex
hibited some genuine interest in this
part of our war business. Besides can
didates, there are very importan
measures on the Fallot, The election
is only a few days off. Voters should
get ballots and inform themselves. Do
it now! ROBERT C. WRIGHT.
Twenty-PWe Years Ago.
From The Morning Oregonian, Oct. 21. ISM.
Battle Creek, Mich. Twenty - sis
lives were lost today in a head-on col
lision between the Raymond and Whit
comb special train returning from the
World's Fair and the Pacific Express,
which was west bound. The accident
occurred throirgh the negligence of the
engineer of the Raymond and Whit-
comb special.
Atlanta, Ga. Mrs. Douschka Pickens
Dugas, known as the "Red Shirt Hero
ine" of the Wade Hampton campaign
of 1S76, which redeemed South Caro
lina from carpet-bag domination.' died
at her home in Edgefield Co- nty. South
Carolina, today. She was the daughter
of Governor Frances Pickens, of South
Carolina, a former United States Min
ister to Russia, and she was born in
the palace of tne Czar ia Petrograd.
The Oregon Bar Association opened
its annual convention yesterday at the
United States court room. The follow
ing officers presided at the opening
session: Rufus Mallory, president; L. R.
Webster. J. W. Hamilton, Gorhe H.
Burnett, L. B. Stearns, F. P. Mays, R,
Eakin, vice-president; O. F. Paxton, ,
treasurer; Charles H. Carey, secretary.
Clackamas County has completed a
new bridge across Johnson Creek at
Milwaukie at a cost of $1634.
The correspondent has not read The
Oregonian carefully. The Oregonian
has indorsed only one measure and
that is not on the stats ballot tho
$5,000,000 port bond issue. It is a local
measure, involving in no way the re
mainder of the state. In recommend
ing a "No" vote on tne state-wide meas
ures, it has included In its opposition
the bill appropriating $200,000 for a
home for dependent and delinquent
children. That bill specifically pro
vides that the $200,000 shall he spent
In Portland, Sectionalism has no part
in the normal school issue or any rec
ommendation The Oregonian may make.
The subject is discussed at more length
in another column.
The boy who gets an accidental
charge of birdshot in the leg is a
vacation hero.
Belgium well may rejoice. Never
again will the German get in unless
under arrest. '
Idaho has more politics this cam
paign than all the rest of the Union.
'Twas a joyless day for 'the man
who did not fill hia tank Saturday.
The unsinkable ship is in the same
class, with the invincible army.
The loan drive is over, and begin
your Christmas shopping.
Gossiping over the phone is the hall
mark of ill-bred people. .
Tears are one of the tools of the
shoplifter's trade.
Wilson to Austria:
with the hide".
"The tall goes
GRAVITY HARVESTS HIS POTATOES
Farmer Strikes Gusher on Rich Side
Hill Patch In Umatilla.
PENDLETON, Or., Oct. 18. (To the
Editor.) An editorial in The Orego
nian, 'The Worlds Potato Record,
uggests to me that good editorial writ
ers are not necessarily pastmasters in
the peaceful pursuit of spud growing.
Miss Pallos Eudora Von Blurkey.
She could not tell chicken from turkey.-
nigh Spanish ana ureea, sne couia xiuentiy
speak.
But her knowledge of poultry was murky.
"They say" that on Bill Slusher's
farm souhwest of Pendleton, a tenant
planted a patch of potatoes on a steep
side hill where years ago used to be a
sheep corral.
Durlng harvest, desiring some spuds
for household use, said tenant uncov
ered one end of a row of potatoes and
that an even hundred bushels ran out
before he could stop the hole.
Mr. Slusher was not the man who told
me this spud story. N. BERKELEY.
Military Police and Guards,
PORTLAND, Oct. 19. (To tho Edi
tor.) (1) Please tell me what recon
struction work is and to whom I should
apply for 6uch a course? I have heard
that some college in this city trains
students for that work. Where could
I get more definite information?
12) Are women eligible as well as
men?
(3) Is the Multnomah and the Home
Guard the same unit?
(4) What part of the United States
Army does the Military Police be
long to?
(5) Is the state militia the samethlng
as the old Oregon National Guard?
CONSTANT READER.
(1) There are many phases of recon
struction. work, but the general aim is
that of helping injured soldiers regain
physical strength and capacities and
fit them for some occupation. Reed
College, of this city. Is giving recon
struction courses and full information
can be obtained at the college.
(2) Yes.
(3) The Multnomah Guard la essen
tially a home uard body and(its ex
istence makes it unnecessary for Port
land and vicinity to have a home guard.
(4) Army units regularly detail de
tachments of their men to serve as
military ppllce. If, however, you are
referring1 to the Oregon Military Police,
that is a specially created state force.
(5) The Oregon National Guard is
embraced In the term "state militia,"
but this also Includes the Oregon Guard,
created at a time when there was no
recognized National Guard.
No Knowledge of Seed Prices.
ABERDEEN. Oct. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) An article appeared in The Ore
gonian. October 12. which credits me
with the statement that potato ball
seed is worth $20 per ounce. What 1
did state was that I lfad heard a rumor
to that effect, but as a matter of fact
I have no knowledge of its commercial
value.
I have received a great many in
quiries in reference to the matter, all
of which I have forwarded to Mr. A. T
Coo"k, seedsman of Hyde Park, New
York, who is in the' market for all the
potato balls he can get. I shipped 60
pounds to him recently and he made
returns at tho rate of $15 per hundred,
which was more than the market prioe
of the potatoes that produced them.
SAMUJiL. BEN.N,
Faith In "Gott" Wavers.
PORTLAND. Oct 19. (To the Ed
tor.) In a paper from Charlotte, Mich.,
which contains several letters from boys
in. France, I find the inclosed extract
in one of the letters, which I think
too good to keep:
"We asked a German prisoner who
could speak English if he thought they
would win the war, and he said, T
don't know. We have God with us, but
the allies have the Americans.' We
think his god must be the Kaiser."
The paper was the Charlotte Repub
lican of October 11.
MRS. N. M. WARD.
STATE IS JCST LIKE INDIVIDUAL
Rising Coats Make Extra State Tax a
Grave Necessity.
PENDLETON. Or., Oct. 19. (To the
Editor.) There comes from Salem an
urgent request for the voters of Oregon
to vote for that measure on the ballot
which provides an extra mill of state
tax needed because of war conditions.
This request comes from our State
Board of Control, consisting of Gov
ernor Withycombe, State Treasurer Kay
and Secretary Ben W. Olcott. These
men are our duly elected agents. They
are trying to do for us what we would
do for ourselves. They sr.y that ex
penses can not be held down to the
constitutional limitation without utter
neglect of our state institutions and
lack of that police protection which
existing war conditions make impera
tive. When we take stork of our individual
needs and the enhanced cost of sup
plying them we have strong evidence -
that the state can not maintain itself
so cheaply as formerly. ' For the state
hires labor, and it feeds and clothes and
shelters hundreds upon hundreds of
the charges in our penitentiary and
hospitals for the Insane, yet the cost
of supplies and labor to tho state rises
no less than to individual?.
Lack of funds will force our State
Board of Control to use the credit of
the state; and a failure to vote this tax
to meet these demands would impair
that credit and weaken the stale now,
when the full vigor of its powers is
needed to carry us through these days
of stress. . C. P. STRAIN,
Assessor of Umatilla County.
UNCLE JABE'S PROFANITY.
I has been a Hahd Shell Baptls'
Since my pickaninny days
Nebber got to go to dances,
Nebber 'tended any plays;
But since di wah has busted out
l'se longed to cuss 'em blue.
But I only quotes our preachah i
Calls 'em
"Pots damn crew!" , -
Donno wy he puts -Pots' to it.
But I spects it he ps him out.
When he's prancing In de pulpit.
Knockin' Germans all about;
And Mirandy sittin' by me
Gibs my ribs a littlo hunc&
When he gits to yellin' louder
Bout dat
k "Pots damn bunch!"
So I guess if pahson says It,
Uncle Jabe can say it too:
Guess de Lawd will sure forgib me
When he members what dey do
All de orful, 'trocious actions
Dey commits in ebery place;
DeyMl sure meet 'em in de jedgement
Dat ole
"Pots damn race!"
MINA HAT,L EPLET.
Philomath, Or.
Status of Filling Station Employes.
PORTLAND, Oct. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Can you tell me if the gasoline
filling stations that the Standard Oil
Company and Shell Company have are
essential, or will a man who works in
them be made to quit and go to other
work providing he is in class 1. 2 or 3?
E. M. DUKE.
Work in service stations has not been
clashed as nonessential or nonproduc
tive employment.
M ater on Premises. '
PORTLAND. Oct 19. (To the Edi
tor.) I have been told that the law is
such in the state of Washington that
rent cannot be collected from a tenant
unless water has been furnished upon
the premises. Kindly state whether
this is true. SUBSCRIBER.
C'here is no such law in Washington:
Tracing; Missing; Soldier.
CONDON. Or., Oct. 18. (To the Edi
tor.) Can you tell me where I can get
nformation regarding missing soldiers
or what has become of one last heard
of in France? A READER.
Perhaps your local Red Cross chapter
could set an Inquiry in motion. If not
write to Adjutant-General, Washing
ton, D. C, giving soldier's name in full
the unit and organization to which he'
was attached and his last known address.
Notice of Rent Increase.
PORTLAND, Oct. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Kindly inform me if a landlord
can or is permitted by law to raise
one's rent on a notice of less than 30
days?
This is "open season" on shipyard
workers and I Just received mine to
the tune of $30 plus $10 equals $40.
from .an apartment-house, effective in
15 days. A SUBSCRIBER.
The notice Is sufficient if the tenant
is renting from month to month.
Call of Oregon Units.
EUGENE, Or., Oct. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) riease advise roe which was
drafted into the Army first, the old
Third Oregon or the Coast Artillery?
A SUBSCRIBER.
The Third Oregon was called to do
Federal guard service March 25. 1917,
a5id the Coast Artillery received this
call July 25, 1917. Both were mustered
Into the National Army on August 5,
1 1917.