10
THE 3IOKXIG OREGOMAX, SATURDAY, JAXUART 18, 1010.
diht Bxm
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PORTLAND, SATURDAY, JAN. 18. 1919.
I
. t FCTCRE MILITARY POLICY.
Doubt as to what necessity may
arise from decisions of the peace con
ference and from the disturbed condi-.
tion of the world has unavoidably de
layed decision of the War Department
and Congress on the future organiza
tion of the Army. In fact some per
sons question the wisdom of demobi
lization in advance of the final set
tlement, for there may be need of
military activity on no small scale.
The German army has not been fully
demobilized, and might prove capable
of serious resistance to execution of
the allies' demand?. Tet the men who
volunteered or were drafted to fight
Germany consider that their work was
finished when the armistice was con
cluded, and they are impatient to go
home. They do not relish the pros
pect of being retained as an Army of
Occupation or to pacify countries that
fight for disputed territory or that are
disturbed by Bolshevism. Under these
circumstances demobilization cannot
wisely be carried much farther until
provision has been made for an ade
quate force to perform the duty of
cleaning up the final -work of the war.
Hence the House military committee
has agreed with Secretary Baker and
General March that the present or
ganization and law be continued and
that consideration of a permanent
Army organization be deferred to the
next session of Congress.
But there is dange'r of grave dis
satisfaction if a large proportion of
the present Army should be retained
in service indefinitely for post-war
work. While the President may law
fully detain these men until four
months after the proclamation of
peace, which cannot be till the peace
treaty is ratified, much better feeling
would prevail If h,e were to call upon
the men now In the ranks for enough
volunteers to do the post-war work
and were to send all others home;
That course would avoid discontent
arising from the employment of men
to do work which they did not under
take, or at least did not expect..
Adoption of a permanent policy
should not be delayed beyond the first
session of the new Congress, and
should be the work of a special ses
sion this year. While the War Depart
ment and the General Staff propose
a standing Army of half a million
men, which is the foece proposed by
the General Staff before the Hay law
was passed in 1916, both are silent as
to universal military training. Yet if
we have learned anything from the
war, it is that the general body of
male citizens should have military
training in order that there may be
an ample reserve behind the regular
Army. The draft law has served ad
mirably to meet the situation in which
the war found us, but it was passed
for the present emergency and will
expire four months after conclusion
of peace. If it should expire before a
new system has been provided, the
Army would shrink to about 40,000
men whose time had not expired under
the Hay law. By absorption into the
Xational Army the Xational Guard has
been practically destroyed and would
need to be built up anew.
The Army would not then even be
back where it was at the beginning
of April, 1917. At that time, although
the war with Germany had been in
progress for two and a half years, we
were so ill prepared that we were not
able, even with the excellent system
of the draft and with its able admin
istration by General Crowder, to put
an independent American Army on the
firing line until seventeen months after
we declared war and only two months
before hostilities ceased. In the ab
sence of a trained citizenship to pro
vide ample reserves for a strong first-
line Army immediately on the out
break of hostilities, we should be in
the same position again In a future
war. We might not then have allies
to hold the enemy at bay until we got
ready. But for the allies, we might
have suffered irretrievable defeat dur
ing those seventeen months that we
spent in preparing our first Army.
Congress did not learn its lesson
while the fate of democracy hung in
the balance. An amendment to the
draft law calling for registration for
training of all boys of 19 and 20 was
voted down by the Senate on March
29, 1918, while the Germans were
driving toward Amiens and only a few
days before Marshal Haig electrified
Nie world with "the words, "We are
fighting with our backs to the wall
Xot until August did Congress yield
to logic by subjecting all males over
is and under 4b to tns arart.
The prospect is that the United
States will be called upon to provide
an Army of Occupation for the Rhine
Valley and probably for other dis
turbed countries for one or two years
after peace is arranged. TThis Nation
may be called upon to administer and
police some of the new states which
are to be set up, at least until they
succeed in establishing stable govern
ments. Having spent less in men and
money than any of the allies, we may
be called upon to do the largest share
of the work. As we are less open
than European nations to suspicion of
selfish motives, we may be selected as
trustee to execute peace conferenc
decrees. Aside from those considera
tions, several great countries are in
such a state of transition that ou
Xational safety requires us to be well
prepared for the gravest contingencies
As wars are now fought between
trained nations, our citizens must be
trained, that they may be ready in
stantly to do their part.
If Congress were to enact a law for
universal training next Summer it
would act barely in time for the first
class to be trained before the present
drafted Army is disbanded and after
the new regular Army of 500,000 men
is enlisted. Experience has done away
"with objection to military training on
the part of all except a few radicals
and cranks. The physical and moral
benefits are generally admitted. The
men now being discharged from the
Army are recognized as better citizens
for their experience, and they have
not become militarists. They are first
to admit that a valuable addition has
been made to their education.
PROVINCIAL.
"In the four quarters of the globe."
exclaimed Sidney Smith, a hundred
ears ago, "who reads an American
book, or goes to an American ptey,
or looks at an American picture or
statue?"
Somehow we are. reminded of this
famous satire on the early provincial-
sm and cultural isolation of America
when we see a proposal to teach noth
ing but English In the public schools.
There is a bill at Salem to exclude all
other languages, and another bill to
forbid the teaching of German. The
latter is doubtless superfluous. Who
outside of Germany wants to learn
German? V
Let us suppose that the United States
excludes Spanish, and French and all
the other principal languages.. Let us
suppose that the patriots of France
then make up their minds that their
children are being educationally cor
rupted by too much knowledge of
English, or Italian, or Spanish, and
decide that nothing but French be
taught in the French schools. Let us
suppose that every Latin country In
Central and South America concludes
that the way to keep alive the spirit
and ideals of loyalty and duty to native
country and to resist the spread of
American or other foreign influence
is to eject English and all languages
but Spanish from the schools. Let us
suppose, also, that Japan raises the
cry of Japan for the Japanese and
Japanese schools for the Japanese
language. Let us suppose that all
other countries follow the conspicuous
example of America and cut them
selves off from all outside literature
and educational development through
language. What then?
It would be a world with every na
tion for itself, and the devil of igno
rance and prejudice take the hind
most. Yet we are all boosting a league
of nations.
WHY riCTCRES ONLY?
There is a .well-justified apprehen
sion expressed In a letter published
elsewhere today that if the new war
revenue measure shall finally contain
the proposed excise tax on films, ad
mission prices to moving picture plays
will advance once more.
The old doctrine that the consumer
pays the tax will find no exception
herein, much as one would like to have
it otherwise. The proposed tax is 5
per cent upon the amount that the
exhibitor pays the producer for use of
the film. This tax is apart from that
imposed upon admissions, which is
frankly and specifically a tax payable
by the purchaser of admissions.
Whatever the method of collecting
the proposed excise tax, it justifies
dismal forebodings for the individual
who loves to sit before the screen. If
collected from the producer, who Is
reputed to be the greatest money-H
maker in the Industry, he will likely
reason that he is paying enough in
income, super-income or corporation
taxes. His consumer is the exhibitor
who pays the producer for the privi
lege of showing the film.
The exhibitor will have as good an
argument as the producer for not pay
ing the tax out of his own pocket.
whether it be levied directly against
him or passed on to him by the pro
ducer. The exhibitor may be expected
to recoup from the theater patron.
The latter is the ultimate consumer.
There is nobody on whom he can un
load the tax. He can either pay it or
stay at home.
Regardless .of the identity of the
one that pays the tax there is an ele
ment of unfairness in the provision.
The sum paid the producer for the
privilege of showing a film is not in
an essentially different class from the
sum paid the owner of a play for
producing it In the spoken . form.
Operas yield to their owners a similar
Income. Baseball managements pay
other managements for their rights
in players. There is perhaps no paid
amusement that does not have its
middleman. Inasmuch as Government
revenues must be provided there can
be little complaint when all in the
same class are taxed alike and no class
is singled out for excessive burden
bearing. But in this instance the
amusement of the masses is taxed and
the others are left untouched. Dis.
crimination of any kind produces dis
satisfaction. tor our own part we
should accept with equanimity a high
tax on problem plays and sex dramas,
spoken or pictured. There are others
who equally abhor slap-stick comedy.
In either of such cases there would
be a semblance of argument for the
law also much complaint over Its
enforcement. In this case, wherein
the law says that the pictured play
shall pay an extra tax but the spoken
play shall pot, there is no logic what
ever. SELLING OCR OWN GOODS.
The new foreign trade policy of the
United States will need to take account
of Franklin's maxim that one who
wants a job well done should attend
to it himself. The Department of
Commerce has just called attention to
the practice of Americans of entrust
ing the sale of their goods to foreign
ers. This error of judgment would
not be so glaring if it had been con
fined to engaging as agents the na
tionals of the country in which busi
ness was sought. It appears, for ex
ample, that the representatives of
American firms in Latin-American
states have been largely Europeans.
In Argentina recently it was found
that 62 per cent of the selling agencies
for American goods were neithe
Americans nor Argentinans. Indeed
before the war they were chiefly Ger
mans, hich probably accounts for
the fact that our trade prospered no
more it did.
The reason why this, practice was
tolerated will be found in the relative
insularity of American manufacturers
and in their lack of concern for for
eign markets. For more than forty
years succeeding the Civil War they
were extremely busy with projects for
internal development. The habit of
first creating home demand by pro
cesses of advertising and salesman
ship which are peculiarly American
and then filling it did not tend to
develop knowledge of how to cater to
the wants of others who might have
stubborn notions of their own. Our
foreign trade omissions have been
many. Failure to conform to the cus
toms of prospective customers is con
spicuous among these. Americans have
been notoriously neglectful of foreign
languages.
Our dependence upon foreign agents
has made us the victim of trade
sabotage in various forms. It is no
longer a secret that our foreign agents,
particularly the Germanj, have delib
erately sacrificed us. This is. quite
clear to the Department of Commerce,
which is now warning the country
against permitting an undesirable con
dition to continue Indefinitely.
The lesson to younger men would
seem to be that if foreign trade offers
an inviting national prospect they
should educate themselves systematic
ally for it, as they would for any
other profession. Knowledge of lan
guages, of peoples and of trade prac
tices, as well as of goods, is going to
be absolutely necessary. The new
salesmanship will be highly technical
in its requirements. It is all the more
attractive, however, for that reason.
because tho unfit are sure to be
weeded out in the competition, and
the rewards will be larger In propor-
ion to those who take themselves and
their work in all seriousness.
OCR DtTT.
The Oregonian has from a valued
reader at Corvallis the following
letter:
I am a. Republican and hare read and
taken The Oregonian for years. I have also
taken the Thrice-a-Week World for many
ears, and I want to protest against The
Oregonian linking up with the World for its
European news. Most of us would prefer
something from Europe that is not fulsome
praise of W ilson. Surely there must be
other news agencies aside from those con-
rolled by the World and the Times. Most
of us feel that their news Is partisan and
colored.
By the same mail The Oregonian
has from Bandon the following sharp
rebuke from an old subscriber:
The Oregonian would serve its country and
satisfy Its readers far more if It would not
criticise the Wilson Administration in Us
time of trouble.
Then The Oregonian must not ques
tion or discuss critically the acts of
the President and his Administration
at any time. For we very much fear
that the Presidential troubles are to
multiply, rather than diminish, for the
remaining period .of his second term.
It would afford a great chance .for
academic debate, in the public forums
of Bandon and elsewhere, as to what
might have happened to America and
to the world if the right of free
speech, in Congress and out, and the
liberty of the press had been with
drawn from April 7, 1917, when we
entered the war, until now. Let us
formulate the text:
Resolved. That the second clause of the
first amendment to the Constitution of the
United States be suspended for the period
of any war, to the end that the President
may assume all power, including the priv
ileges and prerogatives and duties of Con
gress, without cavil or rebuke, or complaint
or suggestion from any citizen or newspaper.
or institution.
For the Instruction and enlighten
merit of the world at large as to the
whole duty of man and the press, we
should like to assign a stff reporter
to De present, aunng ine aetiDerauons.
WITH GOOD GRACE.
The spirit in which President Xor-
man It. Stern, of the Trans-Oceanic
Commercial Corporation, a newly or
ganized subsidiary of the Distillers'
Securities Corporation, approaches the
issue of accomplished National prohi
bition will commend itself to those
whq like a good loser. Incidentally, it
sfin striking contrast to that of the
rreconcilables who are now trying to
foment discord with statements as ab
surd as that our returning soldiers will
bitterly resent having been "betrayed"
while they were fighting to make the
world safe for democracy.
Mr. Stern's prediction that the' coun
try will be surprised at the complete
utilization of the plants for purposes
permissible in a prohibition country is
in line with the experience of com
munities which have previously gone
dry" without bringing the house of
industry down upon their heads. We
doubt, iHwever, whether the surprise
element will be as great as Mr. Stern
believes. There is a strong undercur
rent of confidence that the transition
from non-productive to productive in
dustry will be accomplished without
disturbance. It has come to pass be
fore and it will come to pass again.
The day for frightening people with
the bogie of empty stores and armies,
of unemployed as the result of elimi
nating liquor-drinking has gone by.
It is equally improbable that any ap
preciable number of people will be
persuaded that our boys in France
think that they were fighting to make
the country safe for John Barleycorn.
Such a conception would be an insult
to the soldier, if it were taken seri
ously. But it is not.
MAKING THE KDiDERGARTEX LSEFUL.
Apostles of utility will commend the
Connecticut genius who devised the
scheme for combining the practical
with the theoretical in kindergarten
work and whose work is described in
a report of the farm bureau of that
state to the United States Department
ot Agriculture. Connecticut kinder
gartens in the rural districts were a
mighty factor in increasing food pro
duction in 1918 as the result of the
substitution of seed testing for cutting
paper dolls and weaving baskets. But
the happiest phase of the scheme, it
will be conceded, was that this prac
tical exercise was made the vehicle
for education in several important
branches.
Seed testing, as every farmer knows,
is a slow and tedious propess.' It takes
time, and patience to go through with
the motions necessary to discover the
percentage of germination in the seed
required for a ten or twenty-ace field,
besides the simple but bulky appara
tus for which there is not always room
in the farmhouse kitchen. .The hand
that holds the plowhandle does not
easily lend itself to finer operations.
The result has been, in practical ex
perience, that a good many farmers
who admit the superiority of tested
seed put off the task until it is too
late, and then plant haphazard as they
have always done.
But when seed testing ! made a
lesson in drawing, arithmetic, geome
try, botany and biology for children
with deft fingers and active Tiands, it
is no longer drudgery. This has been
proved in Connecticut. There the
farmer takes his selected ears to the
schoolhouse and the children first tag
and number them. Ten grains are
picked from each ear and put in en
velopes numbered to correspond with
the ears. Sheets of blotting paper are
ruled into squares, which are divided
with double lines into numbered
groups of ten. The grains are then
moistened, another blotter is placed
over them, and the whole is labeled.
In the second stflge of the process
the children are employed in identify
ing, counting and listing the grains
which have germinated. . When the
upper blotter is lifted, each fertile
grain will show a little white curled
stem, which if it had been planted
would have grown a stalk of corn. If
nine grains germinated, the corre
sponding ear is tagged 90 per cent.
which is practically perfect, as seed
corn runs. If the rate of germination
is less than 70 per cent, the ear from
which the seed came Is rejected, or
in a season of great scarcity is re
served for a planting of double the
usual number of seeds to a hill.
Teachers probably have not over
estimated the educational advantages
of the new plan. For beginners, the
picking of the needs from the ear is
a lesson in addition, multiplication and
division. The ruling of the blotters
leads to simple demonstrations of the
equality of angles and sides of squares.
The simple lessons ' in botany and
biology are obvious. . There are exer
cises in writing and In percentage, too.
and there is practice In making records
painstakingly.
The value of this kindergarten help
to the farmer has been shown by data
gathered by the farm bureau. The
campaign was the result of the dis
covery that home-grown corn of the
1917 crop possessed exceptionally low
germinating power. As the result of
planting from this crop, there was
danger of a real food calamity. . In
one instance 700 samples taken from
the 1918 crop were found to have only
30 per cent germinating power. In
one county, the average of samples
submitted was as low as 10 per cent.
What this would have meant to the
food supply of the country if it had
been permitted to continue will be
plain to any thoughtful observer.
It will be conceded that the chief
value of the work, however, lies be
yond the lessons in the "common
branches" which it contains. Thenor
mal child is receptive to the appeal of
useful work. To be employed at a
task which makes him a real partner
in industry is in itselCan Inspiration,
which does not admit comparison with
the making of futile little thing3 which
are created only to be destroyed. It is
said that the seed tested by Connecti
cut kindergarten children last season
brought the farmers of the state J 15.
000 in addition to that which was re
served for home use. But the return
in greater crops must have been enor
mous. It was play-work, but it was
highly profitable. We think its edu
cational force was not lost on the
grownups. It is hastening the happy
day when every farmer will realize
that inferior seed is dear seed at any
price.
Vilhjalmur Stefansson, returning
from the Arctic regions with the mes
sage that there ts a great herding
country in the Far North and that
the musk ox, with careful manage
ment, may become one of the world's
great sources of meat supply,' is only
telling us about an old-time friend.
We need only to go back to the
Pleistocene period to find records of
his presence in Kentucky and other
points farther north in the United
States, and also in Europe and Asia.
He is a true member of the family
Bovidae and scientists think that he
is entitled to have a subfamily divi
sion to himself. " He so much re
sembles a large sheep that he is by
some regarded as. a "woolly cow,"
which is the way Stefansson prefers
to view him, in view of the assertion
that the meat is almost precisely like
beef and the yield per carcass about
the same as that from a range cow.
The value of the ox rests upon its
ability to convert a hitherto neglected
supply of forage Into food for hu
mankind. Why the sentimentalities about Ar
thur Davis? lie was a bank clerk,
handling other people's money. He
took it. and kept it until caught. His
outward show of repentance dates only
from the first day in custody. There
are thousands of bahk clerks who re
spect the trust placed in them and do
not fall. A "boy" who is a husband
and father and sidesteps the arrival of
another is old enough to take punish
ment. Let him do it under a good
man who was also a bank clerk in his
youth.
There has been no fighting for two
months, but the casualty list still
drags along. If the war had continued
for another year, the surviving veter
ans might have died of old age before
they learned "officially what had be
come of their missing comrades.
Caprlcornus and wife held the boards
today at Lincoln High, with Dr. Mor
row and Editor Gage attending. All
things considered, the milk goat is the
most profitable animal, and if more
people owned them the mortality
among infants would diminish. The
Clearing-house is financing the plan,
and it is worth attention.
Tears ago John B. Gough and Father
Mathew were the apostles of temper
ance. If this country had followed
their advice it now would not be going
into absolute prohibition, which is
something different from temperance.
Temperance is a virtue, but prohibi
tion has become a necessity.
Vigilance is up to the pedestrian
on a crowded crossing, yet it would
seem some of it should apply to the
driver to avoid accident. All down
town intersections cannot be supplied
with traffic officers, and if responsi
bility is to lie. more of it should at
tach to the driver.
Chicago has forgotten already that
the conviction of Haywood' and his
companions branded the I. W. W. as
a criminal conspiracy, for it gave
members of that conspiracy full free
dom to spout lawlessness.
. The 25,000 ahlpyarders going on
strike in Seattle next week will lose
probably 1150,000 a day in wages
while the strike lasts, and that is
much money even for Seattle.
The Crown Prince who used to be
says he will commit suicide before
arrest. Not if they "sick" a Burns or
a Pink on him, however.
The man who sells his liberty bond
is not enough financier to know its
real value, and must depend on the
integrity of the buyer.
It looks as though the first work
of the peace conference will be to
form a bread line instead of a peace
league. '
The rattling of wooden shoes In the
Dutch kingdom is not revolution. The
Hollander is too thrifty to revolute.
Weather folk say "Moderate to
strong southerly winds." That's the
stuff. Good-bye. "flu!"
Wasco Is not a big town, but it
shows a big Idea In quarantining itself
to all comers.
If Lenlne Is . In Spain, there are
troublous times ahead for King Al
fonso. Milwaukee no more is famous. Wis
consin ratified yesterday.
Those Who Come and Go.
Seventy-five nervous candidates for
the Ancient Arabia Order of the Mystic
Shrine, otherwise known as the "Cheete
Knife," because of the emblem used by
the Red Top Masons, heard the tigers
and lions roaring as they snuggled into
bed at the Multnomah last night. Ear
lier in the evening they were served a
banquet in the dining-room, where
they were entertained by a dancer who
may or may not have been Imported
from the desert. Later the novitiates
were placed In solitary confinement
and caused to meditate. They will be
Riven a breakfast of raw meal this
morning and will then have to fast
until they have crossed the hot sands.
They will be refreshed with the waters
of Zem-Zem about midnight, after
which they can wear a fe like rcg'Iar
fellows.
Calvin Hellig.returned to Portland
yesterday after a prolonged visit to
Tacoma. where he baa been Interested
In the amusement game around Camp
Lewis. The military headquarters
cloeed down everything some time ago
and among others affected was Mr.
Hellig, who had a contract for han
dling the Liberty Theater. There has
been dissatisfaction among showmen
for months over the situation at Camp
Lewis, but Mr. Heilig says the Army
people are willing to do the right thing
If only someone will come along and
tell them
A few months in the East was
enough for George H. Stephenson. He
left here several months ago after clos
ing up his business, "determined to live
for the rest of his life in Boston. It
did not take long for Boston's attrac
tiveness to wear off. so yesterday, ac
companied by his wife, he landed back
at the Benson and was greeted by his
friends with the "I-told-you-so" salu
tation. Charles R. Baker, business agent in
advance of the fan Carlo Opera Com
pany, is at the Multnomah while com
pleting arrangements for the early ap
pearance of his stars in Portland.
Opera is the one thing in the play
business that the movies have not been
able to Imitate. Mr. Baker is not wor
ried about mechanical competition dur
ing his lifetime.
Lientenant Harold Grady, who used
to teach dancing in Portland, is now
eeriously 111 in a military camp in Cali
fornia. Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Grady, his
parents, passed through Portland yes
terday on their way to his bedside.
They reside at La Grande. .
.
F. S. Lang, a stove manufacturer of
Seattle, and his son. A. L. Lang, are
installing a new range in the kitchen
of the Hotel Portland. The range is
22 feet in length, which will give elbow
room for several chefs to operate at
once.
.
Among those at the Imperial who are
here on fraternal business are Mcrt
Kiddle, of Island City, who wants to
attend the Shrine, and M. A. Rickard.
an automobile dealer, of Corvallis, who
is taking the Scottish Rite.
R. I Davenport. Herbert Cohen and
F. Pcrrett, all in uniform and all from
the spruce country of Toledo, Lincoln
County, came up to take the Scottish
Kite yesteerdny. They are at the
Benson.
D. C. Patterson and James IT. Nich
ols, both of Baker, are at the Benson.
They are taking the Shrine, now being
exemplified in Portland on a "Victory"
class
Ralph H. BurnMde. president of the
est Coast lumbermen's Association
arrived at the Benson yesterday from
Raymond, Wash. With himMs Howard
Jayne.
Hans Pedereon, of Seattle, a con
tractor well known on the Pacific
Coast and who had the building of the
Auditorium in Portland, is at the Im
perial. ,
C. C. Clark, former member of the
Oregon Legislature, is at the Imperial.
His home is at Arlington. Mr. Clark
has been looking around the State
house at Salem.
State Senator F. G. Barnes, of the
Washington Legislature, passed through
Portland yesterday on his way home
from Olympia. He resides at . Silver
Lake.
Judge W. D. Barnes, of BenfJ. accom
panied by bis wife, is at. the Imperial.
The Judge is here to Me that the
Shrine ceremonial Is a success.
Charles S. Springer, business man
ager of the Gazette-Times, of Corvallis,
Is among the out-of-town Shriners reg
istered at the Multnomah.
...
Per Lee Wclty, an Insurance man of
Seattle, is at the Hotel Portland, ac
companied by Mrs. Welty.
W. IC Fellman, who is In the furni
ture business In Astoria, is at the Ben
son with Mrs. Kellman.
...
Harvey Beckwith, member of the In
dustrial Accident Commission, came
down from Salem yesterday.
Mr. and Mrs. C. Herron. of Centralis.
Wash., are among the arrivals at the
Perkjns.
eOTII C. A. C. HAPPY DCT HOMESICK
Boys la Good Health and Spirits, Bat
Would Like to Return.
PORTLAND, Jan. 17. (To the Ed
itor.) It may be of interest to the
friends of the 69th C. A.C. to hear that
on December 16 they were still at Lus
sac France a small village not far
from Bordeaux. They were all in good
health and aside from the discomforts
of continued rain and mud were in
good spirits, though anxious to return
home.
They had turned in their gas masks
and "tin hats," along with the big guns,
tractors and a part of the motorcyclcs.
On their journey over they landed at
Avenmouth. England, thence by rail to
Southampton, where they "rest camped
for a day before crossing the channel
to Havre. . En route to Southern France
they had a taste of the famous "Hommes
4C. Chevaux 2" stylo or cars.
The Oregonian is much appreciated
and every letter begs for more. "All
the Oregon boys are crazy about Th
Oregonians." one writes, "and by the
second day they are worn out. We don't
care if the news is a month old. it's
home." MOTHER.
Maanvfaetnre ( Mirrors.
OCKAS PARK. Wash., Jan. 16. (To
the Editor.) Please tell me what to
use beaides quicksilver In making a
looking-glass of plate glass or tell me
where I can get the Information. Also
how to apply mixture. J. F. MASON.
Modern processes of making mirrors
are based upon causing a deposit of
metallic silver on the glass. They are
intricate but within the ability of a
careful man. The New Standard For
mulary (Hiss and Ebert) contains a
description of an approved method. In
which silver nitrate is the principal In
gredient used. It contains too much
detail to give here. It may be sug
gested that it would be cheaper and
more satisfactory to purchase a mir
ror outright than to procure measur
ing, weighing and mixing appliances,
ingredients and formula for one small
Job.
WHY IFLl'EZA IS IN HOSPITALS
Cases Admitted mmd Cared for From
Sense of Public Duty. ,
PORTLAND. JaTu 17. (To the Edi
tor.) In The Oregonian January IS
relating to the action of the council on
the use of marks to combat influenza,
it occurs to me that unintentionally an
Injustice was done to the targe de
nominational hospitals of Portland In
tho publication of Dr. R. C. Coffey's
statement at the meeting of the City
and County Medical Society, namely,
"that as a result of systematic mask
ing not a solitary raie of Influenza had
developed In the Tortland Surgical Hos
pital, whereas the other hospitals were
full of it."
Dr. Coffey's statement Is not chal
lenged, and It Is very much to hla credit
that he has kept his private hospital
open to all his clients without harm to
them and without break lushis own
service. In full Justice, however, to the
large city hospitals, like St. Vincent's
and the Good Samaritan and others
which have borne the burden of the
epidemic. It is only rlcht to state that
by the systematic closing of their doors
and the wearing of masks they could
likewise have prevented any cases de
veloping within their doors. These hos
pitals were full of influenza cases be
cause they chose voluntarily to admit
them In order to do their duty to the
city and prevent the wanton loss of
life.
What would have happened to the
public if all the hospitals had closed
thelr dor" to thoee afflicted with this
scourge? Many more lives would have
been sacrificed and the spread of the
epidemic would have been greater, with
an ever-Increasing mortality in its
wake.
In order to meet the emergency, the
management of the Good Samaritan
Hospital and the Sisters of St. Vincent's
opened wide their doors and took In
everyone who applied, without regard
to caste, creed or color, rich und poor
alike.
The physicians and surgeons on the
staff of these hospitals immediately
followed the example of the hospitals
and gave up indefinitely their private
medical and surgical practice as con
ducted in tho hospitals, treating only
emergency cases of surgery and influ
enza. In the course of their ministra
tions to public needs because of this
epidemic, at least 20 of the Ulsters and
66 nurses of St. Vincent's Hospital, not
less than 50 nurses in the Good Samar
itan and the usual quota of physicians
and students were stricken with very
virulent forms of the disease. Of these
quite a few diel.
The public, is singularly apathetic to
tho scourge that Is raging today and
drawing such a heavy toll of our citi
zenship. They would run to the bills
and valleys if It were the plague or
cholera, and yet the present epidemic
is worse than any pest that ever in
vaded the world. It is no respecter of
persons and smites the just and tho
unjdst alike, and only those who help
themselves are relatively safe from at
tack. Public officials should take heed
of the warning of professional men.
who alone must work out the prob
lems of defense and protection not yet
fully understood In this disease. The
medical profession will undoubtedly
solve the problem, just as it has that
of smallpox, yellow fever, diphtheria
and typhoid.
Some diseases, like cholera and ty
phoid, aro water-borne and. because
water can be sterilized completely, these
diseases can be prevented. The germ of
Influenza Is. however, air-borne and
carried In droplets from the nose and
mouth In the act of sneezing and cough
ing. Thus the air around us becomes
contaminated. The air cannot bo ster
ilized like water, but devices can be
used which would have the same effect
as sterilization. The mask is such- a
device, acting as a screen or trap to
prevent the transmission of infected
droplets from the nose and mouth of
one person to another, the mouth and
nose being the only channels of infec
tion. We ehould Join hands with the director-general
and use every rational
means to blot out this scource.
KEX.NKTH A. J. MACKKNZ1E.
ant i, r. a. c.
PORTLAND, Jan. 16. (To the Edi
tor.) I have twice seen the 49th ".
A. -. listed for early convoy and once
saw It among others expected to arrive
at Newport News on January 2. Ac
cording to a letter received, they wero
at Bordeaux on December 11 waiting
embarkation orders, with rumor that
they might be home for Christmas.
Have you any Information as to
whether they have yet sailed? They
left from Newport News does it fol
low that they will return to that port?
Also, will they be demobilized at Port
Stevens? Is the 49th part of a division?
If so. what division? Is it possinle
that any of the troops ordered home
would be transferred .to Russia? Or
are there no troops being atided to
those already there?
SOLDIER S WIFE.
Up to January 15 the regiment had
not been listed as having sailed. It
is probable but net assured that they
will be returned to Newport News. Its
men from this seoiion will be de
mobilized at Fort Stevens. It is no
part of a division. No additions are
being made to the force in Russia at
present.
innt la Infantry.
OREGON CITV. Or.. Jan. 16. (To the
Editor.) 1) Where is Company 1.
109th Infantry. (C) Is it listed for re
turn? (3) Could we get them home
sooner on account of sickness, and
where would we write?
A SOLDIER'S SISTER.
(1) Is in the 2th Division. Army
of occupation, last reported at Heudi
court, France.
(2) No.
(3) It is highly Improbable. The
soldier would have to make attempts
to effect release by taking the matter
up with his commanding officer. Tou
can only aid by sending him data and
affidavits.
Waereaboats of Soldier.
PORTLAND. Or.. Jan. 17. (To the
tor.) Where could I learn the where
abouts of a soldier, who. In 1915. was
stationed at the Presidio at San Fran
cisco with Company E. 16th Infantry,
and was transferred to Company l.
12th Infantry, In 1916. and sent to I'l
Paso, Texas. I am sure that if alive
this man is still with the United States
Army and It Is important that I lo
cate him. LUCIA SAWYER.
The 16th Infantry is with the First
Division, In Germany. You might ad
dress the commander and at the same
time send Inquiry to the Adiutant
GeneraL United States Army, Wash
ington. D. C.
MILITARY QtrnSTIOXS AN
SWERED IN SUNDAY
OHKUOXI .
The Oregonian will publish
Sunday another rage of answers
to inquiries concerning troop
movemente. divisional assign
ments, pay allotmcnts. soldiers'
Insurance and other matters per
taining to the United StatesArmy.
Persons who find answers to
their questions In The Sunday
Oregonian should know that this
page is printed on Friday and
that press dispatches published
Saturday and Sunday may give
additional Information concern
ing particular units or organiza
tions. Questions received later than
Friday noon cannot be answered
in The Sunday Oregonian.
In Other Days.
Trrentr-Ave Year Ago.
From The Oregonian. January 1. 155t.
Hastings. Nela. This city was visited
by a will-defined earthquake ttoct
this afternoon.
Tacoma. Fifty thousand dollars was
raised today for the Interstate Pair
Association, which was Incorporated
here to carry out the project of holding
in Tacoma next Fall a big exposition
to be participated in by Washington,
luaho. Montana. Oregon. British Colum
bia and Alaska.
Captain Farenholt. lighthouse in
spector for this district, baa returned
from a visit to Astoria and sayts tho
weather has been so atomy there that
a number of ships were unaUJ to so
to sea.
Careful Inquiry on the East Side fails
to Indicate the prevalence of diph
theria, to any treat extent.
Fifty Tears Ago.
From The Oregonian. January IS. IStX .
Paris. The public newspapers report
that the conference on the Eastern dif
ficulty adopted a conciliatory resolu
tion. All Indications are that Greece is
bent on war.
Washington. I. C. Reports for Jan
uary from internal revenue bid fair to
reach 3.000.0i0; from customs. $16.
000.000. New Tork. A number of gentlemen
last evening organized a general asso
ciation of engineers of America.
Branches are to bo established in every
slate in tho Union.
The city authorities of Albany are
taking measures to prevent smallpox.
WHO W ILL PAT THE FILM TAX f
r.lron Mitt tan Raise If Revenue
BUI raise.
. PORTLAND. Or.. Jan. 17. (To tho
Editor.) Can you not make an effort
to stop the proposal of Congress to
add an excise tax that will raise the
admission price of moving picture
shows?
l"ou will note that there Is no at
tempt to put any more tax on theater
or opera tickets.
But they are going to try and put a
tax on the movies that will make us
"mo le fans" pay 1 cent to 5 cents more
on each admission.
I think every moving-picture patron
and that means everybody worth,
while as far as I am concerned should
protest to Senator Simmons and his
associates on the conference com
mittee, before whom the new revenue
bill is pending, about this film rental
tax.
It is a tax upon each moving pic
ture production, and is in addition to
the 10 per cent tax now being collected.
It really means that the public will bo
forced to pay 20 per cent instead of 10
per cent as heretofore.
And the peonle who go to the opera
and the legitimate will still get away
with a 10 per cent tax. which is plenty.
I hope ou will give this some pub
licity, as I ilo not believe tho movlne.
picture patrons ehould pay more than
tneir share. 11. HUNTER,
to; Hull street.
liOD'S GOOD MAX.
When be could not give a dollir
He Kindly gave a dime.
And he smiled a cheery greeting
As he said. "Some other time
Perhaps 1 can do better
I should like to pay it all
Mv interest Is with you. j
Though my principal is smai:.
He could not feed the multitude.
Hut helped his fellow men
Who stumbled to his threshold
To arise and try again;
And althoucn his load was heavy
On life's hiarhway till the last.
He tried to bear the burdens
of struggling ones he passed.
And tho racced little urchin.
And the orphaned little maid.
Teartul. smiled and pressed the hand
That on their heads he laid;
And leaden clrj'ls ktcw silver
To the widow, lone and ill.
When his arm. though overburdened.
Gently led her up the hill.
Who goes about his modest way.
And simply does his best
To make the. path less stony
For the footsteps of the rest.
Though himself be bruised and shaken.
Is a fragment of God's plan.
Is a prince amonc the princely
Yea. a king, la God's good man!
MARY AGNES KELLT.
JI I KR IGETTE LOGIC
Tes, Woodrow's gone across the foam
to aid Democracy,
And yet. there are right here at home
such abject slaves as we!
He is a tyrant! (All men are.) Too
long have men held sway.
We've hitched our wagon to a star and
now we'll have our say!
We're just as capable to rule as any
stupid male-
That e'er threw spitballs In a school
or spent the night in jail.
And now to prove that we are fit to
govern in our land
We'll burn thore rpeeches Wnoiirew
made. Slave-slstcrs. lend a hand,
must admit our mental power.
This act of ours will learn 'em
tho' they may fay real smart
things, were smart enough to
lurn 'em!
JULIA REESE OSBORN.
Men
That
1 25 1 la Infantry.
PORTLAND, Jan. 17. (To the Ed
itor.) Kindly tell me what division a
man is in who is with Company K.
125th Infantry, also when they are ex
pected to return and about where they
are now. A READER.
XEWBERG, Or.. Jan. 15. (To the
Editor.) (1) In what important en
gagements has Company L. 125th In
fantry, been?
(2) Near what place are they now lo
cated? (3) Have you information regarding;
their return? . M. W.
The 125th Infantry Is a part of the
32d Division. Army of Occupation, with
last announced headquarters atRengs
dorf, Germany. It need not be expect
ed home for many months. The divis
ion was in the fighting at Chateau
Thierry and the Meuse-Argonne seckor.
Base Hospital 32. Kvecnatlon Hoar-Hal
27.
PORTLAND. Jan. 17. (To the Eal
tor. ) fl) Where is Base Hospital 33
located? (2) Have you any Information
regarding Evacuation Hospital 27 and
its location? (I) When will the last
troops be sent home? .
(1) It was last reported at Con
trexeville. France.
(2) We have not.
(3) No one knows the answer to
your question, if taken literally. If
you refer to the hospital units. It may
be said there is prospect that they will
be sent back before many months
elapse, some already being started.
Indemnity raid by France la 1S71.
WALV1LLE. Wash.. Jan. 15. To the
Editor.) What was the amount that.
Oermanv made France pay In the War
of 1S70-1? CONSTANT READER.
Germany exacted s.n indemnity of
5.000.000,000 francs. Ths actual coit of
the war to Germany was a little more
than half that amount; the remainder
was punitive.