10
THE MORNING OKEGOXIAX, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1919.
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PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, MARCH lt.191.
A I.EAGIE: OR THE LEAGUE?
" All Americans, or nearly all, are for
A league of nations to prevent war.
Many Americans are for A league of
nations to enforce peace.
Mmr other Americans are for THE
proposed (Wilson) league of nations
to prevent war.
Many Americans who are for A
league are favorable to THE league
because they believe it will be either
THE league or no league.
Some Americans, who are for THE
league, think and say that the Ameri
cans who are not for THE league, and
who say they are for A league, are
not for any league, but are for no
league.
Is it true? The Oregonian thinks
It is not true. It has itself accepted
the proposed league, with reservations,
because it has thought that the prob
able alternative was no league, and,
therefore, involved a return to the in
ternational status quo.
The Oregonian thinks it is also not
true. a3 the vehement partisan sup
porters in America of the proposed
league charge, that the thirty-seven
Vnited States Senators are all opposed
to anv league. Some of them are.
doubtless; but it is known that the
senators who have borne the brunt of
the abuse for their criticism of the
Wilson league are for some kind of
ex league; and men like Knox and
Lodge say what kind.
The famous resolution of the thirty
eeven senators declares it to be the
cnse of the senate that the nations
of the world should "unite to promote
peace and general disarmament," but
it solemnly protests that "the consti
tution of the league of nations In the
Jorm now proposed to the peace con
ference should not be accepted by the
.United States."
The senate has a constitutional right
and duty to a voice in the making of
any treaty. The proposed league is to
).e a part of the treaty of peace with
Clermany and its allies. The senators
are within their constitutional preroga
tive when they insist that a treaty
must be made with their "advice and
e-onsent." Their advice has not been
ought by the president, but .t is dis
tinctly repudiated : and lie insists that
their consent is a mutter of form,
nolens volens.
The New York World, an intense;
partisan of Mr. Wilson and a severe The loinniii-sion does not plan piece
critic of the protesting republican meal: it plans far enough ahead to in-
enators, says that their objections
vimmer down to three real demands
lor modification. They are:
t. A reservation for preservation tf the
l-nroe Iioclrine and such stipulation a
lli guarantee its perpetuation.
-. Specific phraseoloity that wlllcive the
Vnited States exclusive, control over all its
Internal and domestic affairs.
S. Such limitations as will make It poss
ible for the t'nited states to withdraw from
t'le tearue in the event of necessity or u
airabiilty. Tho Oregonian would like to hear
from some of the thick-and-thin sup
porters of THE league or nothing a
-.wdld statement of the reasons why
1'resident Wilson should not accept
Clause 1 and Clause 2 of the senators'
plan? It anticipates any objection to
Oause 3 by agreeing that a league
from which any of the contracting na
tions may withdraw at will is worth
Jess, or next to worthless.
Is the attitude of a president, under
liis oath, obligated to seek the advice
Hi' consent of the senate in tho mak
ing of treaties, to be justified when
lo assumes exclusive treaty-making
j'Owers for the United States?
Or is the senate entitled to the
(country's car when, asserting that it
Is for A Ix-ague, it demands considera
tion of certain amendments which it
would propose, and which under the
constitution it has a right to propose?
Above all, is it wise to empower any
one. citizen, even a president, to make
it covenant with the nations of the
world which involves the gravest de
parture from historic American policy,
which controls the national destinies
lor many years, and which affects
vitally every citizen, without any one,
Iiigh or low. but himself having any
thing to say about it or to do with it,
tintil it is consummated?
MB. HOOVER'S ESTIMATE.
Mr. Hoover's estimate of the world
food situation warns us none too soon
that there may yet be a shortage of
bread which will call for use of sub
stitutes in large quantities. His state
ment that there would be a deficiency
of supply even if the crop of the
United States should reach a billion
bushels is based, no doubt, upon ex
ceptional opportunities for obtaining
information.
The surplus accumulated in Aus
tralia while there was a shortage of
whip tonnage still exists, but it will
bo absorbed in feeding the people of
India, where there has been a wheat
crop failure. There is a short crop in
Argentine.
Plainly the Russians are not going
to be able to produce a normal crop,
owing to domestic dit-turbances. The
eutr.il empires and the Balkans labor
mUrr the same kind of handicap.
With war-time restrictions removed.
It will le Interesting to watch develop-4
merits in the United States. There will
n:td to be self-denial if the world is
tu be fed. but self-denial must be vol
untary, whereas a short while ago it
was enforced by regulations of a cer
tain kind. But even those regulations
!id not succecti as completely as some
may have supposed. The report of
the American Sugar Kefining com
pany that domestic consumption in
3?l averaged about 10.000 tons a day
Illustrates the point. Ten thousand
leas a day is 7,300,000,000 pounds
or about seventy-three pounds
capita of the population. Before
war consumption had reached
ighty-nine pounds per capita. All
that we saved with our two-lumps-to-the-cup
and two-pounds-a-month to
each family regulations was sixteen
pounds per capita, or 18 per cent.
If we do not curtail wheat consump-
tion in 1919 someone will go without
wheat. If Mr. Hoover's estimate Is
correct, there will still be a market
for more wheat than American farm
ers can produce.
I" ADTAXCE OF TIMES.
Less than a year ago the 6-cent fare
question was mightily disturbing in
Portland. Today the Issue is some
thing else. Meanwhile an elective
public utilities commissioner lost his
job because he granted the increased
fare. Probably the main trouble was
that Portland led off other communi
ties with its indorsement of the prin
ciple that the public gains nothing by
forcing a public utility into bank
ruptcy, contract or no contract. Its
act was too novel. Now we find the
following in the New York Evening
Sun:
The Chamber of Commerce has added the
sreat weight of its formal approval to the
demand for Increased street car fares. Its
resolution holds . that if the transit com
panies in this city are allowed to drift
further Into bankruptcy and disaster a
serious blow will be struck not only at
the .credit of public utility companies gen
erally, but also at tho credit of the city
of New York. The fact Is beyond dispute.
There are only two ways out of it. One is
municipal ownership with heavily Increased
taxation, bad service, and a field for "graft"
and the other is a slight increase in fares.
No one would be burdened seriously by the
added pennies. The other way spells dis
aster. Also the state of Washington has
taken action through its legislature.
A year ago the Tacoma company
soughf a 6-cent fare through man
damus proceedings directed at the
public service commission of that
state. The supreme court held that,
because of a definite statute fixed
street-car fares at not more than
cents, the commission was powerless
to act.
The session of the Washington legis
lature just closed removed the statu
tory obstacle and did it without
fight or a popular uprising.
As already indicated, Portland seems
merely to have been in advance of the
times.
NEW DRYDOCK tvTIX BE NEEDED.
Final decision of the Portland dock
commission to erect a drydock capable
of lifting a 12,600-ton vessel is an
earnest of the city's determination to
provide adequately not only for pres
ent but for future commerce. It is
an expression of confidence that Port'
land will load more ships as shipping
finds its place on settled routes and
that there will be business for the new
dork by the time it is completed.
The dock commission is on the
right tack in voting to build the dry
dock and in deciding to build a second
Dier at St. Johns. The dead hand of
the shipping board will not always be
on the commerce of Portland. Its grip
may be forcibly broken this year, and
the more business we can accommo
date the more we shall get. Modern
water transportation may be estab
lished on the upper Columbia, bring.
ing back here much of the traffic
which unjust railroad rates have di
verted. It is necessary that Portland
be ready for this new commerce when
it comes. It will not suffice to begin
construction when the demand arises.
We. should always build ahead of im
mediate needs.
A great merit of the St. Johns ter
nilnal site is that it is large enough
to admit of this continuous expansion
with such grouping of structures as
will conduce to economy in operation
and to the convenience of shipping
men. also with space for industries
which need to be near such facilities.
sure that each new structure will fit
into its general scheme.
ENLIST IX STHOOI.
The real purpose of the children's
bureau of the United States depart
ment of labor is not felicitously stated
by those who create the impression
that the movement is intended to va
cate jobs for returning soldiers to fill
It is doubtful that the soldiers them
selves would feel complimented by this
construction, or that they would be
reassured by the suggestion that their
future hangs by so tenuous a thread.
There are, however, sound reasons for
a back-to-the-school propaganda, and
it is to be hoped that the agents of
the children's bureau will have a wide
hearing.
Realization of the detrimental effect
of raids upon the schools for labor had
begun to dawn upon educational au
thorities in Great Britain before the
armistice was signed. Even under the
pressure of war Herbert Fisher, presi
dent of the British board of education,
warned the people that through pre
mature withdrawal of children, espe
cially from the lower grades, hundreds
of thousands had "suffered an irre
parable damage which it w ill be quite
impossible for us hereafter adequately
to repair." This is set forth in a re
cent leaflet issued by the federal chil
dren's bureau, which also quotes Presi
dent Wilson's fervent expression of the
wish that "no boy or girl shall have
less opportunity for education during
the war. "Double will be tomorrow,"
said the French minister of public in
struction, "the task of the pupils of
today: twice as intense, therefore,
should be their preparation for the
task."
The larger danger is not that chil
dren will fill jobs that might be held
by returned soldiers, but that they will
be so unsettled by aimless employ
ment, offering no training and hold
ing out no hope for the future, that
in later life they will possess a mini
mum industrial value. This has been
so far recognized by the junior coun
sellors of the Boys' Working Reserve
that they have announced it to be
their policy to endeavor to return to
school all boys under 16 years old who
apply for positions. If argument fails
and the boys insist on going to work.
efforts will be made to arrange for
positions well suited to their future
development. It will be admitted that
this as at best a makeshift. The im
portance of continuing sytematic edu
cation, such as best obtained in a good
school, is still paramount.
With few exceptions those who leave
school too early are, indeed, maimed
for all time. Their temporary earn
ings arc in the end a loss, not a gain.
There are not many who possess reso
lution sufficient to enable them to re
sume their education at a later date.
The positions which they now occupy
were chosen chiefly with reference
to the wages which they pay. and not
the ultimate opportunities they offer.
The shifting habit is too easily ac
quired. When it Is too late the worker
finds that he has no particular skill
to offer, and that he has fallen into
the ranks of those who are first to be
laid off when work is slack.. It would
be economy for them in the long run
to forego wages now, in view of the
certainty that in a normal lifetime
they will earn a far greater total if
they will first acquire the funda
mentals of an education.
Even during the war it was the an
nounced policy of the United States
employment service to discourage all
children under 16 years of age from
leaving school to enter industry. Now
that the war to all intents and pur
poses is over, it is proper to extend
the practice, and to encourage youths
even beyond that age to continue in
school. It is appropriate that in a
time when there is general recogni
tion of the need of thrift and economy
especial attention should be paid to
economy of human capital. The fact
that the back-to-the-school drive hope
fully looks forward to the enlistment
of 11,000,000 women in the United
States is an Indication that it is be
ing taken seriously, as it ought to be.
CHURCHES ARE AWAKEXESG.
The answer to the question, What
will be the effect of the war upon the
churches? would seem to have been
found in the success with which vari
ous "drives are meeting in the coun
try at large such movements as the
"new era" campaign of the Presby
terians, and the war emergency cam
paign which seeks $10,000,000 for
after-war reconstruction. There is
here and there, besides, a note of op
timism concerning efforts to raise
funds for the discharge of debts on
church buildings. The war apparently
has not dulled religious feeling and it
certainly has not abated the spirit of
giving.
It is significant of the broadening
of the general view of duty that gifts
for foreign work have recently been
greatly increased. A Presbyterian au
thority reports that in this denomina
tion the increase amounts to fully 20
per cent by comparison with last year.
An increase in Methodist donations
may have been aided by plans for the
big centenary. 'Congregationalists re
port noteworthy increases in salaries
of local ministers, which is in line with
the movement of the times. The Bap
tist reports tell of larger church at
tendance and Increased gifts.
The breadth of the new undertak
ings, already exemplified by the pro
gramme for the Methodist centenary,
is further illustrated by an outline of
what the Presbyterians propose to do
with the $40,000,000 which it is hoped
to raise in the new era campaign
About $4,000,000 which will be de
voted to overseas work in fields al
ready opened will assure continuation
of hospitals and dispensaries and edu
cational institutions, and there will be
another half million for the rebuilding
of Protestant churches in the devas
Ltated regions. Liberal provision
is
made lor the aid of returning soldiers,
apart from governmental and other
local aid which may be extended to
them. About $25,000,000 will be ex
pended by local Presbyterian churches
for general community work. In view
of these larger sums, it will not seem
disproportionate that half a million is
to be set aside for the aid of disabled
preachers and a million for increase
of preachers' salaries.
An interesting phase of the reports
is that they should be generally so
optimistic, notwithstanding many other
demands upon church members fo
funds. The liberty loan and various
welfare drives, to say nothing of in
come and other taxes, have imposed
quite as heavy burdens upon church
members as upon others, and for
time it was believed that the effect of
these would be noticed in decreased
church subscriptions. This belief the
general officers of the churches now
hold not to have been justified. There
seems to have been a general religious
awakening.
THE FUTURE OF THE WAR STORY.
Our English allies, who are not
averse to coining a slangy bit of their
own, were wont to say that they were
fed up" on the late war. They met
the German as resolutely as ever, in
the sternly anxious days of his last
rush, and stretched the field-gray uni
forms out in windrows of death. But
theirs was no longer the joy of battle.
Blase and unutterably wearied of it
all, the ennui of arms possessed them.
They were "fed up."
It is singular, in this respect, to ob
serve that no difference is distinguish
able between Mars and marmalade.
A trifle too much of either, at battle
or breakfast, dulls the fine edge of
appetite. The pleasant savor of gal
lantry is gone from the one. The
orange-peel that spices the other Is no
longer zestful or fragrant. Enough is
not only sufficient, but frequently it
is more than enough.
Is war literature to undergo a simi.
lar transition in popular taste? There
is evidence to bolster the belief. It
is grounded in the attitude of the
magazine editors and publishers that
clique of critical czars who time the
pulse of circulation and sales to the
heartbeats of the American people.
And the word has passed down the
line, it is said, that yarns of the world
war must taper to a speedy finis. The
reading public is "fed up."
When Peter B. Kyne visited Port
land a few days ago, an interviewer
sought his version xf the war story
situation. With many good yarns un
told, with battalions of military
characters tramping down the vista
of fancy, to bivouac with hundreds
of new and amazing plots, Mr. Kyne
replied that all this material must be
shelved for the' present. In time to
come, he predicted, every character
of the lot will coin money for him in
the magazine. "They will not sell
just now," added the author, "but they
are as valuable as liberty bonds."
No matter how long we have been
tutored in peace, nations and peoples
leap with enthusiasm to the rough em
brace of war. The instinct of battle.
heightened by patriotism, blazes as
ividly as when the tribes clashed in
conflict before the dawn of history.
With deeds of arms there is the an
cient association of gallantry dis
proved in part by the Hun and an
aureole of glory seems to blaze above
each consecrated warrior.
War, indeed, is rife with gallant
sacrifice. It could scarcely be other
wise. Jts bugles call first the hot
idealism of youth, the best blood of
our national brotherhood, ere the
lance of stripling chivalry is blunted
or broken. Materials such as these
are golden fields for magazine contrib
utors and novelists. They are trans
lated Into best-sellers, books that are
valuable auxiliaries to recorded history-
A vast deal of the world's fic
tion, in all languages, has been written
to the obligato of arms and marches.
But war itself becomes common
place, as our English cousins observed,
and public tastes turn from it, in
natural reaction, almost as soon as
peace revives. The gallantry of the
troops, individual instances of con
spicuous courage such as that of the
lad who rode to Napoleon when "we
looked twice ere we saw his breast
was all but shot in two" are ad
mittedly thrilling, but there is a
tendency to seek again the lighter
tones of life.
How long will this reaction endure,
this jading of the popular fancy with
military affairs, as foreseen by the
magazine editors? When will the
renaissance appear? It is doubtful if
even the editors can come nearer to
an answer . than v guesswork brings
them. For an Indeterminate period
the war novel and short story will
vanish, they predict, to return when
the reading public shall have regained
its perspective, and when the same
public shall have been augmented by
the children of today.
The Spanish war brought forth but
few novels and not many short stories,
and these, for the most part, years
after the brief clash with the Don had
become familiar schoolroom history.
The war with Spain is in no sense
comparable, as a literary stimulus, to
the world war. The novelists of an-
other day, and of decades to come,
doubtless will draw from the latter
source as from an inexhaustible well
But it is comparable to the civil war,
in the high interest of America
though literary effort was not so pro
lific during the reconstruction period
that followed the conflict of north and
south. The struggle to maintain th
union, titanic though it was in scope
and purpose, found few chroniclers in
the fictional field until Albion Tourgee
wrote "A Fool's Errand," in 1879, or
fourteen years , after the Confederate
flag had drooped in final surrender.
In 1883 the same author wrote
sequel to the first novel, "The In
visible Empire," a romance of the Ku
Klux clan. And Tourgee's study of
the south, a political novel dealing
with social conditions resulting from
slavery, was not penned until 1880
It was called "Bricks Without Straw.
During that period every well-chosen
lihrarv rliKTilaved its set of Tonrn-eft.
Untii the allies caught up the inso
lent gage of Germany, the civil war
was supreme with American novel
ists as a source of war plots. .. At the
first clang of arms in Europe it van
ished as abruptly from the literary
field as a monologist on amateurs'
night at vaudeville. But it gave to
American letters, from the early '90s
down to the first gray thrust through
Belgium, many a fine novel and hun
dreds of more than standard short
stories.
On the bookshelves of yesteryear
one finds "John March, Southerner,
by Cable; "Ailsa Page," a Chambers
melodrama of McClellan's campaign
"A Little Traitor to the South," by
Cyrus Townsend Brady; "Red Rock,'
a memorable novel by Thomas Nelson
Page, and Winston Churchill's anal
ysis in fiction, "The Crisis." All of
these were written and hailed with
high approval long years after Lee's
surrender.
The editors know their public,
though the public may not know itself.
And they feel intuitively that Mars
must tread the boards no more. Later
on they confidently expect to make
the gruff old blusterer bring in divi
dends until his back aches. For the
immediate future, they have an edit
orial instinct for lighter themes, less
reddened with flaming towns, less
punctuated by artillery fire. It is the
reverse swing of the pendulum. The
literary craftsmen of tomorrow, the
same chaps who are scratching their
polls today at this turn of affairs, will
resort to the old tricks of everyday
romance, refurbished with sharper
satire and more pointed analysis, pre
dicts John Galsworthy, famous Eng
lish playwright, in a recent interview,
"Writing in general," he prophesied,
"will be rather satiric, romantic,
whimsical much like Locke's and
the general trend will be an effort to
escape from the realities of life. Ro
mantic stories rather than tragic and
a general satirizing of the serious
things of life will be the most notable
development, I believe."
The obvious course, for those who
have not had their fill of wartime
fiction, is to seek these blooms while
they may for soon the book of battle
will be out of season.
March 19 is the 102d anniversary
of the birth of Seth Green, who de
serves a monument if for no other
reason than that he introduced the
shad to Pacific coast waters and thus
provided us with the only rival of the
salmon for the title. of finest food fish
in the world. But Green's achieve
ments were even more important than
that. He aided materially in perfect.
ing systematic propagation of fish in
hatcheries, as the result of which the
immense loss of fry which nature per
mits was reduced to a minimum, and
new varieties of fishes were admitted
to waters which never had known them
before. Perhaps no investment was
ever so profitable as that which has
been made in the study of fish cul
ture. It has been estimated, for ex
ample, that a million trout can be
cultivated at a cost of $200, and the
returns from government hatcheries
are now enormous, when calculated
on the basis of the catch of mature
fish. Green was one of the pioneers
in a now enormous industry.
The answer to Germany's plea for
more imports was enough to silence
it impossible for lack of shipping. If
the Germans had not sunk so many
ships with their submarines, they
might fare better this year.
Secretary Baker is too small to split
the Oregon democratic party, though
such catastrophe would be welcomed
by its great rival. The boys need a
dose of harmony, so please pass the
other bottle.
After all, the most useless scraps of
paper are anti-tipping laws. If courts
do not invalidate them, nobody pays
any attention to them, except to take
a sort of guilty pleasure in violating
them.
The white robin has appeared at
Oregon City this year. This bird fore
tells prosperity, as nothing disastrous
is of record following its advent.
Belgium was given another credit
of a few millions Monday and is not
straining her welcome. The little
fighter is entitled to all she wants.
It is well there is law to punish the
dealer who profiteers in tobacco,
cigars and cigarettes. Even the nickel
tacked on may be an excess profit.
It's a nice governor who takes his
secretary from among the newspaper
men. They are honest and have the
know how.
Red Rupert chose a moist season in
a dry state to break into the hills, but
he is a webfoot.
Przemysl has returned to dispute
right of way with Shrdlu on the lino
type.
April weather has arrived, even
if
the calendar does not so class it.
Those Who Come and Go.
"Prohibition is going to give Cali
fornians an awful jolt," said a Port
lander, who has returned from San
Francisco. "I am told that all the
champagne in Chicago and New York
is about gone, and California dealers
are shipping back east the wine that
was shipped out to California." There
is a man in the California legislature
who has a bill which will permit a per
son to have liquor in his home whether
living in a hotel or club, but that it
will be unlawful to move the liquor in
a wagon, airplane, motor, or in any
other way. or even have it on his per
son. If this bill becomes a law and a
man has a stock in his cellar, he can
not move it if he sells his home, nor
can he sell it to the man who buys
the home. If he lives in a club or hotel
he can't move it to another hotel or
club. And they are even talking of a
law which will prohibit anyone having
liquor, unless a resident of the state,
and the liquor must be on the owner's
premises. If Portlanders figure on
buying a few cases and leaving them
with friends in California such a law
would be disastrous."
"We want to spend $250,000 on a road
from Biggs to the south line of Sherman
county and another $50,000 on the Cot
tonwood road which ties up with the
John Day highway," said William Rags-
dale, banker of Moro. Mr. Jrlagsaaie,
Fred Blau and C. H. Barnett, the latter
from Wasco, Sherman county, were at
the Imperial yesterday discussing the
pending $300,000 road bond elec
tion in their county. They say that
the big end of the bond money is
wanted for a road from Spanish Hol
low which has been called a road that
begins nowhere and ends nowhere to
Wasco, Moro, Grass Valley, Kent and
toward Shaniko. After the bonds are
voted and the trio of boosters consider
it certain, Sherman county will send
representatives to meet the state high
way commission and inquire what as
sistance can be expected from the
state funds. In the opinion of Mr.
Barnett, the Biggs-Shaniko route is a
better start for California than The
Dalles-California highway, as there are
no heavy grades and construction
would be cheaper.
Cleveland claims as one distinction
the distribution of sash and doors and
nlaning mill products in the region of
dense copulation of the middle states.
A. R. Teachout is listed in the industrial
directory as one of the big distributors
of the gooffs that are manufactured so
extensively in the Pacific northwest,
and that i3 why he has been in Port
land this week to see the sawmills
and manufacturers of products that are
sold through his agency in the Ohio
town. Readjustment of transcontinen
tal freight rates have turned the at
tention of buyers to the fir ana spruce
mills of the northwest for their stock.
He was at the Hotel Portland.
California beaches are reaping a
harvest," said Amos Benson, who has
returned from a trip of two months at
Long Beach. "For a couple of years
the war just about ruined the beach
resort business, but now all the hotels
are filled to capacity and they are coin
Ing money." Mr. Benson confesses that
he learned to play golf while at Long
Beach and furthermore he admits that
he likes it. He tried several times
to enthuse, but much preferred to take
his exercise in logging camps, isovr,
however, he says that there is nothing
like golf to exercise all the muscles
in the body, "and the man who rigurea
it all out knew hi business."
Traveling men," observed Chief
Clerk Clark, at the Multnomah, keep
telling us that they do more business
in Portland than in Seattle ana tney
cannot understand it. The answer is
simple if they would stop to think.
Portland is the center of the great state
of Oregon. Seattle Is the center of the
relatively smaller Puget sound district.
Naturally, there Is more business here.
Expecting to meet his son returning
from overseas. State Treasurer Hoff
arrived at the Imperial yesterday from
Salem. The boy landed with Oregon
casuals last week in New York and
Mr. Hoff calculated that he should
reach Portland about this time. Young
Hoff was a member of the 18th en
gineers and sustained fractures to two
ribs and a hip.
Some idea of the travel through Port
land these days is indicated by the fact
that 22 people arrived at one leading
hotel yesterday morning and last night
19 of them were still unprovided with
rooms and in the meantime other trains
had brought in more passengers to add
to the waiting list.
"Billy" Swope is back from a trip to
San Francisco and says that Portland
ers are about as thick on Market street
as they are on Rue de Washington.
Billy reports that a quart Bottle oi
beer now retails at 75 cents in the city
where a dime was the price in other
days.
A reunion of the Richards brothers
was held at the Multnomah yesterday.
John Richards came from Spokane,
Howard arrived from Bend and W. Cr.
came up from San Francisco.
To attend the Elks' celebration last
night, E. R. Brady, of Montesano,
Wash., was in town and registered at
the Multnomah, where the doin's were
held.
President and manager of the West
Coast Lumberman, a trade paper pub-
ished at Tacoma, G. W. Cam, is at the
Imperial on a business trip to Portland.
C. F. Dunn and C. H. Whitmore of
the engineering department of the state
ghway commission, were in Portland
yesterday at the Imperial.
A party composed of P. W. Cotton,
of Seattle; Mrs. W. C. Cotton and Mrs.
W. T. Davis, of Cleveland, O., arrived
at the Multnomah yesterday.
H. K. Faye, general freight agent of
the Western Pacific railroad, arrived
at the Benson yesterday with his secre
tary, M. A. McKenna.
Anna Case, who was formerly with
the New York Metropolitan Grand Op-
ra company,, is an arrival at the
Benson.
G. H. Car(, of Carlton, Or., is at the
Perkins with his wife.
Conquest of Ireland.
PORTLAND, March 18. (To the Edi
tor.) To settle a dispute, please in
form us how and when England came
into possession of Ireland.
THE STEPHENSON CO.
England acquired Ireland by con
quest, which began under Henry II In
1172, though there had been previous
filibustering expeditions. During cen
turies of resistance. England's claim
was often only nominal. Cromwell
subjugated Ireland in 1649 as it never
had been before, but there was a later
Insurrection which culminated in ac
tual conquest in 1690-1.
Term of Governor Olcott..
' ALGOMA, Or., March 17. (To the
Editor.) If Ben W. Olcott is governor
of Oregon by virtue of his office as
secretary of state, will not he cease to
be governor when his term of office as
secretary of state expires?
In other words, can he be governor
for a longer period than the time for
which he was elected to an office which
office makes it possible for him to act
as governor? W. O. BINNS.
It is a moot question. In the ab
sence of a supreme -court ruling The
Oregonian cannot answer the inquiry.
fOAB WAY TO PLEASE EVERYBODY
Writer Suggresta Colonisation of All
Tippler In One Locality.
PORTLAND. March 18. (To the Ed
itor.) Why may it not be possible to
set apart or dedicate some portion of
our country for the habitation of that
very respectable (in point of numbers)
minority who assume that an inaliena
ble right is being infringed by the pro
hibition amendment to the constitu
tion? I concede that, as in the league
of nations, there are difficulties to be
overcome, and, possibly, 14 points to be
settled. The first, and seemingly the
most important and difficult of attain
ment is to induce congress to grant a
dispensation, plenary indulgence or
something allowing ,the boozeites a
portion of territory where they can
drink to their hearts' content and that
of their stomachs also. California
would seem to be the logical spot in
which to erect the temple of Bacchus.
That state, it is presumed, would will
ingly allow itself to become the mecca
of the wets, not only on account of the
great number of its wine interests and
its booze fighters, but on account of the
very large increase in population inci
dent to the plan.
The wets, like the Mormons and lep
ers, would have a colony of their own,
from which the drys should be ex
cluded. It should be incumbent on the
California prohis to emigrate to the
territory that is congenial to them. The
sheep and the goats, occupying differ
ent territories and not interfering with
each other, each should be supremely
satisfied in the possession of the right
to become, on the one hand, as drunk
as a lord, and, on the other hand, to re
main as sober as a judge. Then would
be duplicated the condition existing af
ter the death of a certain unpopular
man. Wishing to know the cause of
his neighbor's death, some one inquired:
"What was the complaint?" The an
swer: "Oh, no complaint. Everybody
satisfied."
No occasion for bootlegging would
exist, for there would be no wet mar
ket north of the dead line. Neither
would there be occasion to build the
New York, Chicago, Juarez & San Fran
cisco railroad suggested in a recent car
toon after the nation goes dry. The in
creased revenue incident to enormously
increased population should be ade
quate to provide the numerous penal in
stitutions and hospitals that the pre-1
vailing license presupposes. Each sec
tion, in its attempt to prove that each-
was carrying out the only true theory,
should live happily ever after.
W. B. EMERSON.
TREE IS PIGMY BESIDE OTHERS.
Yews in England vAttain Diameter of
45 Feet, Says Correspondent.
PORTLAND, March 18. (To the Edi
tor.) As a subscriber of The Oregonian
for the last 18 years, I don't want you
to put up baby trees for a record. The
yew tree as pictured in The Oregonian
is not the largest yew tree in the
known world.
At Thornton Abbey, County of Lin
colnshire, on the river Hember, Eng
land, stand- three trees of the yew
species, the largest of which is 45
feet, the smallest 42 feet in diameter.
The first branch seven feet from the
ground is 23 feet in diameter, the tree
covering three-fourths of an acre.
The Bible tells that the trees of
Lebanon shall be as a child may count
them. That today is true as eome of
the tourists will tell you. There are
seven of them standing, the largest of
which is 38 feet in diameter and is
said to date from Solomon's time. The
yew tree is of slow growth, very sel
dom more than 60 or 70 feet high, and
I have seen them when the branches
fell to the ground and rooted, forming
other trees.
I have a list of the largest trees in
the known world, but cannot find it
In the Black forest near London is a
record English oak. The top was broken
off when I eaw it 60 years ago. The
noted Dick Turpin and his famous
horse. Black Bess, used it as a safe
place to go to. He chopped out a place
in the stump which housed himself
and Black Bess. The government cut
stage road through the forest and
when they came to the tree cut through
so that the stage could drive through
this oak. If standing today it is 29
feet in diameter and at 20 feet from
the ground is 26 feet in diameter,
where it was broken off.
. T. ROBSON".
Story of Coxey'a Army.
COTTAGE GROVE, Or., March 17.
(To the Editor.) Kindly give a brief
sketch of Coxey's army and its invasion
of Washington,' D. C. What year was
it? Who was Coxey?- Who was Carl
Browne? Who, was Kelley and what
was his first name, and what was
Coxey's first name? Where did they
organize, how many started on the
march and how many landed at their
goal? What was their object and what
finally became of, Coxey, Browne and
Kelley? O. M. KEM.
Jacob S. Coxey was born in Pennsyl
vania in 1854. In 1894 while living a(
Massilon, O., he organized what he
called "the army of the common
wealth," composed of men out of work,
to march to Washington in order to
influence legislation covering his idea
for relief of trade and industry. At
one time it was estimated that 20,000
men were marching to join the army.
but its forces were broken up by three
weeks' of incessant rain. Coxey was
thus compelled to make his start with
400 men and reached Washington with
about that number about March 2. i
Coxey attempted to speak from the
capitol steps but was arrested and
spent a month in jail, and his "army"
soon disintegrated. In 1895 he was
unsuccessful populist candidate for
governor of Ohio. He is still living and
is said to be profitably engaged in
business. Carl Browne was his mar
shal and accompanied him to Washing
ton. General Kelley headed another
army which reached the middle west
Our references do notgive his first
name.
"SOMEWHERE NEAR
THE WAR"
The Oregonian has assembled and published in book form under
the title "Somewhere Near the War" the twenty-six letters from
Edgar B. Piper, written from Great Britain and the war zone in
October and November, 1918. The requests that the series be
issued in a single volume have come from many sources; and the
result is a well-printed book of 150 pages, printed on Antique book
paper in large type, with wide margins and adequate illustrations.
- There is no material change in the text o the original letters
as published in The Oregonian. But they have been rearranged
and fully annotated.
The nominal price of 50 cents has been fixed. Postage will be
additional. The book may be obtained at the business office of
The Oregonian or it may be ordered by mail.
POSTAGE PAPER COVERS UNSEALED
1st zone.. 5e
2d zqne 5c
3d zone........... 6c
4th zone.. 7c
5th zone 8c
Sealed anywhere, 33c.
In Other Days.
Twenty-five Year Ago.
From The Oregonian. March 19, 1SP4.
Denver. Federal troops have been
withdrawn from Fort Logan. It is
thought danger of trouble in the Crip
ple Creek district is over.
Brussels. King Leopold, who iso
mysteriously disappeared from his
country place near N&mur, has finally
been located by the ministry at Geneva,
Switzerland. The ihinistry notified the
king that action on important measures
would be deferred pending his return.
Berlin. The usual March celebration
In honor of the revolutionists who fell
in 1848 was held here. Anarchists de
livered orations.
Samples of Bull Run water taken
from the stream several days ago can
now be seen at the office of the water
works. The pipe line has not yet been
completed.
Fifty Yemra Ago.
From The Oregonian, March 19, 1S6!.
Berlin. A bill has passed the parlia
ment securing freedom of speech in all
German diets.
The Cuban revolt has been in prog
ress for three months and seems mora
formidable now than ever, according
to the New York Times.
Virginia City. Nev. The San Fran
cisco mail by pony arrived here last
evening. Wells, Fargo & Co. ahead
by one hour.
The smallpox in San Francisco is be
lieved to be steadily decreasing and
assuming a milder form.
IT GUIDES THEM TO PUCXACITV
Military Trnlnlns; Is Held Bad for
Plastic Minds of Yonth.
TURNER. Or., March 16. (To the
Editor.) "The 10-year-old boy of to
day may be a needed soldier in ten
years. A little military training will
not hurt him. i una tin un . ....
torial page of The Oregonian. isow.
there are very strong psycuuius..
pedagogical reasons why suojecLs.
either of art or of practical value in
correct character building, should not
be (for continual contemplation) those
of ugliness, terror, pain, etc However,
artistic a griffin might be as a. work
of art, one does not care to have it
constantly before the mind. One would
not hang in the living-room of a home
where it could be reviewed day after
day, "The Lion of Lucerne, beautiful
as it is to contemplate once in a while,
lest we forget. But the subject is de
pressing to the spirits. It takes away
the buoyancy from a day's pleasure.
Even the picture, whether actual or
mental, of the sacrifice of the cross, is
not for unremittant contemplation.
You know the danger of a reaction
when a mind is pressed too far and be
comes wearied. However good the les
son may be, the tired mind disciftds
all in its effort for relief. Witness
the terrible want of reverence for
things sacred manifest in society to
day. War is too horrible a thing to be
suggested day after day and day after
day to the mind of a 10-year-old boy.
If there lurks in this "subject" any
good, as love of country, etc., a mind
pressed too far, wearied, will discard
the sacredness of all and become more
reduced to the level of the savage.
What we want for our children's con
tinued contemplation are the bright,
beautiful, happy, hopeful thing's of
life, and human brotherhood.
The plastic mind of a 10-year-old
tends to "transmute mental suggestion
into muscular activity." What follows
military training pursued to the point
of a wearied mind? Savarery, mild !t
may be, yet shown in a disposition to
assert what one considers rights by
force even in ordinary affairs of life.
ANNA F. GARRETSON.
Cronan Case Against County.
TROUTDALE, March 18. (To JJie
Editor.) Could you give me the date
of a trial In the circuit court in Port
land wherein one Cronan was plaintiff
and Multnomah county defendant? 1
think it was about 1898. Giltner de
fended the county. Any Information
would be greatly appreciated.
A SUBSCRIBER.
William Cronan filed suit against
Multnomah county August 25, 1898. H
was a personal injury action for $rl.rr.
due to Injuries received on the "Wire
Trail," a country road near Corbett's
Landing on the Columbia river. The
suit was transferred to Clackamas
county on order of the court February
6. 1899. On March 3, 1899, a receipt
was filed by attorneys for the plaintiff
to Multnomah county for $350, contain
ing agreement to dismiss the suit in
this county and releasing Multnomah
county from all claims.
Failure to File Income Report,
SALEM, Or., March 16 (To the Ed
itor.) Regarding income tax report,
please advise if a person whoso income
is $2100 a year and has a wife and
minor child to support should have
made out a report, no blanks for came
having been sent.
If so, what should be done now?
L. C. B.
Report should have been filed. Get
in touch with deputy internal rcvenuo
collector at Salem postoff ice or with
collector at custom-house, Portland, as
quickly as posssible. He will enter on
your report the reason for failure to
file it. While the question of penalty
is up to the treasury department, it is
believed that none will be assessed for
misunderstanding when prompt and
honest effort is made to correct the er
ror. 6th zone 9c
7th zone 11c
8th zone 12c