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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1919)
8 TIIE MORNING OREGONIAN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1919. Jtttrrnwrr (Dixjpmatt ESTABLISHED BY HENRI I.. FITTOCK Published y The OreEonlan Publishing Co. 133 Slnjtrt street, Portland, Oregon. C. A. ilOllt'BtN, E. B. PIPER, Muagr. Editor. The Oreannlan is a member of the Asso ciated Pres The Associated Press Is ex clusively entstlod to the use for publication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise aredited in this paper and also the local nsws published herein. All rights of republication ot special dispatches herein are also reserved. Subscription Rates Invariably In Advance. (By Mall.) Daily, Sunday Included, one year $S.OO i-Jany, Sunday included, six montns.... Paily. Sunday included, three months.. 2.1!5 Daily, Sunday Included, one month.... -75 Itaiiy, without Sunday, one year 6.00 Daily, without Sunday, six months.... 3. lis Daily, without Sunday, one month AO Weekly, one year 1.00 Sunday, one year - 2.50 Sunday and weekly 3-30 (By Carrier.) Dally, Sunday Included, one year $9.00 Dally, Sunday included, three months. 2.25 Daily, Sunday Included, one month.... .75 Daily, without Sunday, one year 7.80 Daily, without Sunday, three months. . 1.95 Daily, without Sunday, one month 65 How to Remit Send postolfice money order, express or personal cnecK on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at owner's risk. Give postoffice address in lull. Including county ana state. Postae-e R.ites 12 to 16 Daees. 1 rent: J8 to 2 pases. 2 cents: 34 to 4S pases. 3 cents: JiO to t:0 pages. 4 cents; 62 to 76 ragps. 5 cents; 73 to 82 pages, 6 cents. foreign postage, double rates. Eastern Business Office Verree & Conk lln, Brunswick building. New York: Verree : Conklin, Steger Duildlnar. Chicago; ver ree & Conklin, Free Press building. De troit. Mich, ban Francisco representative, R. J. Bldwetl. FEKMON rOR THK TENDER-HEARTED. "I don't believe I'd have done It. If I thought there was any chance of my hang ing for it!" confessed her slayer. Clarence Johnson, in the presence of District Attor ney Kvana yesterday when asked If he had given any thought to the penalty he would pay for the crime. If captured. "Did you know there was no capital punishment In Oregon before you commit ted the murder?" he was asked. "Yes. I thought about It a good deal, and I don't think I'd have done it If there had been any danger of my swinging lor It." "The reason you are asked this question Is that numerous crimes are committed in cold blood in this state which authorities generally believe would be prevented if there was a death penalty In the Oregon law," interrupted Mr. Kvans. "Do you think that is true?" "Yes. that's the reason so many of these stunts are being pulled off," answered the murderer. Clarence Johnson, quoted In the foregoing-, is the ex-convict who brutally murdered his benefactress, Mrs. Eunice W". Freeman of Portland. Fear of the noose often stays the J. and of men like Johnson. Abol ition of capital punishment in Ore gon has saved no worthy lives, has resulted in the taking of several, and has prolonged a few worthless ones. It has befriended none but the crim inal and has grievously injured so ciety. NEXT WAR O.V THE PACIFIC COAST. There is small cheer for the paci fist in two articles by Lieutenant Frank W. Harris, late of the United States army engineers, which are published in the September and Oc tober numbers of the Overland. In the first he predicts that other na tions, without regard to the defeat of Germany, will undertake wars of conquest, and in the second that the next war will come within six years. He evidently expects that the ffeld will be the shores of the Pacific ocean, with the Pacific states as the goal of an invading army. This brings the subject home to Oregon. Dealing with Pacific coast defense in particular, Lieutenant Harris says the national capital should be moved to the vicinity of St. Louis, as the location at Washington cost the country a billion dollors in the war and "breeds ignorance of all western conditions." He says the United States should acquire the Galapagos and Revillagigedo islands for air plane and submarine .bases for the navy, and Lower California, that Magdalena bay may be used as a base for the fleet defending the Pan ama canal. For the protection of the Atlantic entrance, he would trade northern Maine to Great Britain for. British Honduras. He would estab lish a military academy in California, a naval academy on Puget Sound, and would have the cadets practice Joint maneuvers in repelling inva sion. Without having any particular enemy in mind, he assumes that in the Pacific northwest "the line of attack would be the Columbia river," and continues: The enemy would endeavor to capture Portland and push through and capture Spokane. Seattle would thus fall auto matically. It would be wasting time to make a direct attack on Seattle. At Spo kane, Wash., Lewiston, Idaho, and La Grande, Or., the enemy would stop and there build his defensive works. Defense from this attack requires construction of a railroad from Na tron to Vale and double-tracking of the Southern Pacific from Sacra mento to Portland. Other probable points of attack would be in Lower California in order to seize the rail- road at San Bernardino and Tejon pass, and in northern California be tween Sacramento and Stockton. De fense of the entire coast requires construction of what Lieutenant Harris calls the Balboa highway, but what is now known as the Roose velt highway, from Port Townsend down the coast to Tia Juana, Mexico; the Pacific highway from Blaine to Calexico, and El Camino Sierra or mountain road from Oroville, Wash., east of the Cascades and Sierras and connecting with all the mountain passes, to intersect the Pacific high way at Mojave. An invader would set fire to the forests, both to destroy the timber and supply and to make a pall of smoke which would hicfe his operations from airplane obser vation. If the prediction of the next war in six years should be verified we have no time to waste in carrying out these plans. The writer of these ar ticles does not name any certain na tions as probable belligerents, but his discussion of the situation and character of each points to Germany, Russia, Japan and China, and inven tions change tactics so rapidly that "to profit by the experiences of the late war it will be necessary to wage war within the next decade." Sending of halt the navy to the Pacific ocean and the movement for additional naval bases on this coast are substantial evidences that the ad ministration is awake to the need of preparation. But it haggles over provision for maintenance of the Roosevelt highway through Oregon and the uncertain future of the rail roads holds out no prospect of early completion of the new lines that are needd. Future strength and organ ization of the army must be shaped to defense of this coast in particular, but the war department and con press have disagreed on points of policy. New Yorkers were amazed and doubtless sundry other persons will be mildly astonished by the decision of Anthony Ponzillo. brother of Rosa Ponzella. who earns $110,000 a year in grand opera, and himself said to possess a marvelous voice, not to ac cept an offer to go on the stage. He prefers to remain In the business of providing fuel for the people, giving the curious reason that "singing is for women, and men ought to be eh gaged in more substantial work." One need not subscribe to his doctrine in order to welcome him to the ranks of men who sincerely want to do something productive in a prac tical sense, and who think that there may perhaps be too many entertain ers in proportion to creators of ne cessities in the present stage of the world emergency. A little eccentric, perhaps. Ponzillo nevertheless shows himself to be a man of character and of the courage of his convictions, for undoubtedly even a moderate suc cess in opera would pay h:m better than sawing wood. THREE OBJECTS. The three main objects of the me morial fund to honor and perpetu ate the memory of Theodore Roose velt are: ( 1 ) , To erect a monument to Theo dore Roosevelt at Washington, the nation's capital, to be a shrine of Americanism for Americans. (2) To preserve the Roosevelt home at Oyster Bay and its sur roundings as a public park. (3) To furnish the Roosevelt Me morial association with a permanent educational fund, which shall . be used to foster and soread the RooSe- velt ifleals and principles of Ameri can citizenship. And the greatest of these three Is the last. It is a good time now--to think, talk, and act Americanism. DRINK'S ITXAL EFFORT. Notwithstanding the stringency of the federal prohibition law, manu facturers, purveyors and consumers of intoxicants in Massachusetts seem to have a faint hope. The voters of that state will be called upon next month to pass on the question of in structing senators and representa tives in the state legislature to regu late and license the sale of bever ages containing 4 per cent of alcohol by weight and to define them to be non-intoxicating. If the voters approve and the leg islature obeys the mandate, Massa chusetts' definition of intoxicating liquor will conflict with that of the federal statute. It is probable that the proponents of the measure will endeavor to make a case in behalf of the state law on the peculiar word ing of the prohibition amendment to the federal constitution. This amend ment gives congress and the states concurrent power" to enact enforc ing legislation. .The meaning of the term "concurrent power" was called into question during the debates over the amendment in congress. The prohibition leaders, however, were satisfied that the federal law would prevail wherever more stringent than state laws. The hope of making a case for the state law is doubtless, as already said, but a faint one in Massachus etts. More than likely the effort is only expected to give the liquor deal ers a little longer lease of life, for it generally results that during litiga tion over conflicting statutes en forcement of the severer one is 'lax. The definition in the federal act of intoxicating liquors places the maximum alcohol content at one half of 1 per cent. This law does not go into effect until February 1, 1920. The war-time prohibition law is in force, but it does not define intoxi cants. The definition now generally applied is a departmental ruling and in those places where 2.75 beer is manufactured or sold contrary to that ruling there is no statutory defi nition of intoxicating beverages. DOCTORS OF PHILOSOPHY. The bare announcement in the news that more than one hundred bachelors of arts are enrolled as student candidates for higher de grees at the University of Oregon will not convey to the non-technical mind the full sense of the import ance of this phase of collegiate development. School men know, however, the value of the graduate school, not only, because of its definite contributions to the store of our learning, but for its effect on college standards for its creation of the yitangible thing which we call atmosphere, for want of a better name. xet atmosphere is in itself an asset, and a graduate school does indeed serve to stimulate an entire student body. It is a mark of inde pendence also; it is held by many educators that it is the distinguish ing characteristic which differen tiates the true university from the college or institute; the educational philosopher probably does not over estimate the worth of the creative spirit which it fosters, even in those who do not intend to remain in school longer than the ordinarily prescribed four years. The degree of Doctor of Philos ophy, candidates fo which will now ! be entertained- by the Graduate Council of Oregon, will not, of course, be confounded with the hon orary degree conferred as a compli ment upon many public men. It is essentially a distinction, implying original work. Whereas everywhere in the college except in the graduate school the student absorbs the learn ing already possessed by his instruc tors or 'written in books, the; grad uate student must not be content merely to partake of the learning of his instructor, and he must aspire to be a contributor to the libraries from whose stores . he has previously drawn. In its perfection, the degree Of doctor of philosophy implies that its possessor knows in some respect more about his limited subject than any man, including his examiners, knows or ever has known. The ad ditional requirement that the subject must be one that concerns mankind in a useful way makes the graduate school a highly practical institution. The beginning of independence in education is also,, logically, the be ginning of a new era of state pride. We are no longer open to the charge of "parasitism" on other educational centers when we have solved the problem of teaching which became difficult only at the very top. In the colleges of a university, other than the graduate college, as in all high schools and other lower institutions, it is always possible to obtain teach ers by application to the institution next higher. The rural school gets its teachers from the high school or normal school; the city schools draw upon those who have had "practical experience" In the country: the high schools take their staffs from the undergraduate colleges. The training of teachers for-the highest schools of all, as well as workers in the higher industries and professions, makes the work of the graduate school differeut in character from any other kind of teaching. That it consists wholly of counsel and guidance, criticism and suggestion regarding methods of in dependent research sets it apart from that which is commonly known as teaching in other schools. By making the educational institution self-perpetuating, dependent upon another neither for its teachers nor its in spiration, it justifies its claim that it is an important factor in main taining and advancing civilization. By one step at a time the newer communities advance. Concerning themselves at first with the pressing problem of how to establish any schools at all, they gradually attain the goal of independence which is the aim in all education. . We are emerging from the pioneer stage. The time approaches when it will no longer be fashionable, or necessary. to send our young men and young women to eastern universities to "finish their education." BARGAINS FOR FRENCH. NOT FOB AMERICANS. More evidence has been produced of the care taken by Secretary of War Baker not to break the market for food and clothing in the United States last, spring when prices were mounting. He authorized the sale to the French government for $400,- 000,000 'of supplies, docks, railroads and equipment valued at $1,939,000, 000. This sale" included 22.000,000 pounds of sugar, 74,000,000 pounds of bacon, 6,000,000 pairs of shoes and 1,900,000 blankets, $310,000,000 worth of automobiles, $352,000,000 worth of hospital supplies and all the railroads and docks which the army built in France. There may have been reasons of sentiment for selling these supplies to France, but why at only about one-fifth of their value? The Amer ican people would be willing to give a liberal discount equivalent tQ the cost of shipment back to this coun try, but not as much as 80 per cent. The same reason would not hold good for Mr. Baker's proposal to ship to Europe a great quantity of sur plus food which was in this country, including many million pounds of bacon, roast beef, corned beef, corned, beef hash, baked beans, to matoes, string beans, corn, peas, sugar, butter and oleomargarine. The reason given by Mr. Baker for ship ping these supplies to Europe was that "there was only a limited mar ket in the United States." At the time when he wrote those words there was such a ready mar ket in the United States that prices were rising week by week, and this rise was the pretext for many strikes. Since he has been forced to sell sur plus army supplies direct to the con sumer, there has proved to be a practically unlimited market and the general range of prices has started downward. When we undertake to enumerate the causes of the prevalent indus trial unrest, one of, the principal is Baker. A STUDY OF DEATH. "We have, no fear of honest ag nosticism, of dilettantism, or even of infidelity," wrote Henry Mills Alden, in "A Study of Death," written in intervals between his duties as editor of Harper's Magazine, and published twenty-five years ago. "The real danger lies in the certitude of the specialist.. The peril touches not religion alone, nor is natural science its only source. The extreme specialization of modern life in every field confines thought as it does ef fort, and tends to conservation and stability. Its perversity is in its op position to reaction; it will not read ily admit a solvent, and resists every subversive or destructive element, unwilling to let the dead bury its dead." It was not for nothing that Dr. Alden, who died the other day at the close of a full half century of editor ship of the Magazine, was dubbed by his schoolmates of Williams college "Metaphysics." The anecdote was made .timely by his death, of how James A. Garfield, one of those classmates, meeting him after many years, recalled him instantly as "Metaphysics," has an added point for those who have read the "study." The latter was published, as has been said, a quarter of a century ago; it attracted some attention here and in England but cannot be said to have been widely read then. It did. how ever assure his recognition by the "specialists" in his own field of speculation. That interest in it will now be revived in view of the pre occupation of the grief-stricken of a great people with their own be reavements is probably a safe pre diction. The keynote of the philosophy of Mr. Alden was expressed in the sentence "Science discloses redemp tion in the realm of matter, and helps to see death in birth, and, in all development, the radical disturb ance." The course of science itself is redemp'tive, he contended. Lost in its specializations, "its confine ment seeks to release, and an angel appears in its prison." The story of the solar system was to him a repetition of the parable of the Prodigal Son in every .essential feature. Of the earth, at once thrust away and securely held, in the midst of innumerable other suns, all wit nesses of some infinitely remote .and central flame, yet absorbed in her individual dream wherein she ap pears to be the mother of all living, he said: It is proper to her destiny that she tfhould be thus enwrapped In her own dis tinct action and passion and r&fer to fcer self the appearances of a universe. She from herself interprets all else. This Is the inevitable terrestrial idealism, peculiar to every individuation In time the indi vidual thus balancing the universe. The operation of that which the writer called the "grand cycle" gave him hope. He was an undogmatic optimist. By establishing a parallel cetween man's development of out ward structure, social, political and industrial, and the cosmic develop ment which prepared the way for his progress, Alden reasoned from the unknown. "God," he said, "is the first materialist. Mechanism is celestial before it -is earthly and human." Thus he reconciled the in quiring spirit of the scientist with the faith that "boldly occupies the field of pessimism, finding therein its largest hope." Life itself, he said, is the great bridge-builder. There was, he held, "no greater chasm be tween the inorganic and the organic, between the neurosis and psychosis, than there is at any stage of the pro gressive specialization." Throughout his discourse Alden employs the analogy of science. He confounds the faithless at every turn with a scientific proposition. "Be cause we, in our present existence, have no conscious knowledge of pre existent states, it does not follow that the future life will be wholly denied such knowledge." To the question, often asked, "Can it be con ceived that we who have no knowl edge of a previous existence shall preserve our individualities con sciously in a future state?" he would have this answer: Suppose we were permitted to resume- a position at a point of time before the ap pearance of organic life ttpon the earth. Would any then existing form of Inorganic, l.fe help us to an Imagination of physio logical embodiment t Science confesses Its Ir.s-bility to answer this question. -What was the nature of cell-life? An equally I? soluble mystery Is presented if we Inquire what Is the matrix of any form, or how the continuity of either a generic or an individual life is maintained In all formu lations of environment. It Is a mystery belonging to creation. Insoluble. Itself the ground of communication. No considera tions derived from what we know of the constitution of matter or of material struc tures, and none derived from mental cate gories, explain the transformation of the visible world: how much less can they be expected to evn suggest the forms and limitations of an order of existence not yet creatively communicated? From which it is but a legical step to the further conclusion: , Cur unconscious Intelligence here Is a distinctive characteristic of the ultimate order of the known series. ... In the rew -order it may be a characteristic of the creative communication that conscious Intelligence shall be a clearer resumption. Involving at least the conscious recogni tion of friends and kindred. We speak of what "may" be; every presumption of a revelation which Is of itself a creative com munication gives assurance instead of mere hypothesis. . . Because the new assumption of embodiment is not of flesh and blood, ar wo know them. It is not necessary to suppose that it Is immaterial. To It a new sensibility and s new thought would Involve space and time as forms to which our corresponding terms for these would be merely analogues. In a century of scientific progress, another analogy is found. Electrical phenomena had been observed and the magnetic current utilized before electricity and magnetism had but a glint of the meaning now attached to them. "We do not yet know what these invisible currents are, but we have made ourselves at home with them, and comprehend what for merly was not suspected their in timacies with all cosmic operation and with our animate economies." Christian philosophy, he concluded, "like science, finds in that which is the ground of heaviness the charm of levitation, the attraction which binds together a universe." Angered at President Wilson's op position to Italy's claim to Fiume. the Italian-born cit'zens of Middletown, Conn., turned against the democratic at the municipal election, and gave that old city a republican govern ment for the first time in thirty years. Now who will venture to say that the United States has no inter est in the obscure quarrels of Eu rope? There is a record of three-quarters of a million of enemy and, other aliens who slacked during the war days, and none of them should have a job while a service man is out of work. It is their misfortune now that they did not become Americans when the time was good, but nobody should feel sorry for them. These are the days when the flies hang numb to the ceiling in the morning to be swept to their doom. Those that, escape romp in the dining room later as the day warms. With the passing of the horse and general spread of screens the housefly will be with the dodo. Attorney-General Palmer has asked Governor Olcott to pall a conference on high cost of living. That will con duce to sociability, but the women folk have better right along over the back fence, and get better results, too. A bargain sale of a whole town is one of the novelties produced by the war. If Nitro should go for 10 per cent of its cost, something should be done toward a cure of rent profiteer ing. American girls may suspect that Japanese woman-doctor of envy for the romance leading up to American marriages, because Japanese matches are matter-of-fact affairs. rfogs dropped to $11. bO in Chi cago yesterday and the end of high priced pork draws near. Perhaps the fellows who make ham and bacon will hear of it. The spectacle of a king paying homage to the memory of a presi dent is enough to make the mon archs of the holy alliance turn in their graves. When the nation is eating over 4,000,000 tonu of sugar a year, those 1500 tons which Secretary Daniels has releabed will not go far, though it will help. Half a. dozen lines are enough in which to tell of a man's punishment for violating the Mann law. The world has a contempt for that kind of fellow. Prince Rupprecht of Btvarla swears he never will give himself up to the allies for trial and we suppose they will have to send a Burns man for him. It Is interesting to speculate whether there would have been even a threat of a coal 'strike if Roosevelt had been alive and had been presi dent. The victinvof robbers has some. ex cuse for firing at them as they leave, but very little. Suppose he hlts an other person: he'll be sorry. Fellows craned their necks yester day at Venus, who wouldn't look twice at a pretty girl, which is queer taste and reprehensible. Mauna Loa has seven craters on the job and if they do not empty the unmentionable abode of evil spirits there is no use hoping. Somebody impersonating Senator Chamberlain has been Joy riding in Maryland, but the Oregon man has a perfect alibi. Portland, says a man who knows, has lower rents than other Pacific coast cities, but s-a-y, mister, whis per it. The extra cent tacked on candy bars because sugar is scarce. Is the buyer's tribute to the profiteer. If government can set a price on wheat, it can fix the retail price of sugar. One month of the steel strike has passed and it has two more to run. Portland simply has to have a day light robbery to be in the running. BY-PRODUCTS OF THE PRESS D'Annnnslo, Distorted and Misshapen, Has Charming Personality. "An undersized little fellow, bald headed, about 65 years old, blind in one eye, wears a monocle and has a lop-sided face, with his chin pushed to one side." This Is the description Lieutenant Patlon MacGllvary, of Bos ton, former American aviator in Italy, gives of Gabrlele- D'Annunzio, the Italian soldier-poet, whose seizure of Flume startled the world. Lieutenant MacGllvary, a native of California, was personally acquainted with D'Annunzio. "But with all his distorted and mis shapen appearance D'Annunzio has a delightful and charming personality," quickly added MacGilvary. D'Annunzio is erratic and uncon ventional In almost everything he says and does, declared the young aviator. "He is continually shocking and angering many of his friends as well as his enemies. However, he fre quently does things that excite their envy and admiration. Before the war he was an exile from Italy for sev eral years on account of debt and scandal, but he came back and took such a daring part in affairs that he entirely won over his countrymen. His genial manner and his happy con versation' would captivate anyone." To prove that his theory that germs do not cause disease. Dr. H. A. Zettel, electropath of St. Paul, has chal lenged Dr. H. W. Hill, executive of ficer of the Minnesota Public Health association, to a duel to the death' with germs, says a St. Paul dispatch to the New York Times. Dr. Hill ac cepted the challenge and the two will expose themselves to the most viru lent of contagious diseases. Including typhoid, smallpox and bubonic plague. Dr. Zettel will use In his defense against the germs only sanitation, pure air, and sanitary food and drink. Dr. Hill will expose himself after scientific Inoculation and vaccina tion. The survivor Is to be honorary pallbearer at the funeral of the vic tim, according to Dr. Zettel's chal lenge. The challenge grew out of the acceptance by Dr. Hill of a similar challenge Issued by Dr. J. B. Fraaer of Toronto In an article. "Do Germs Cause Disease?" published In the Physical Culture Magazine. Dr. Zettle is an exponent of Dr. Frasier's theories and offered to substitute himself in Dr. Fraser's -place in the duel. Dr. Hill was a bacteriologist in Boston from 1898 to 1905. The two doctors are to expose themselves sim ultaneously to the same disease and will then enter quarantine to await the result. e . - Sir Rider Haggard, giving evidence before the national birth rate com mission, dwelt on the dangers of artificially keeping down births, which is now widespread In every western nation, he said, except, per haps, Russia and Germany. He was of the opinion that unless a startling change occurred the western races, within the next two centuries, would be submerged beneath a great new influx from the teeming myriads of the east. Sir Rider doubted the ef fectiveness of appealing to the con science of the empire to stop this race suicide, but thought that the state might stamp out diseases which were seriously affecting the race, and also subsidize motherhood. A metal lighter than any yet known and as strong as or stronger than steel has for years been the dream -of many, and every now and then ru mors are circulated to the effect that at' last it has been discovered, says the Scientific American. The advan tages which such a metal would have, especially for aircraft, are obvious, but unfortunately it generally found on investigation that there Is a "snag" somewhere. "The latest report to be circulated relates to a new magne sium alloy, said to have been discov ered by a metal company of Montreal. Canada. The new alloy, it is stated, is only two-thirds the weight of aluminum and is "as strong as steel." It is said to be especially suitable for pistons and connecting rods of aero and motor car engines. It is to be hoped that some of the qualities at tributed to the new alloy may. on closer examination, be substantiated." A Boston doughnut has been found to have 256 calories in it and beats a pretzel, which has only 189, according to Dr. F. G. Benedict, of the nutrition laboratory of the Carnegie Institute. Boston. This well-known chemist has been studying food values for some time and asserts the doughnut fur nishes a large number of calories at a relatively low price. Capablanca, the chess champion, is not content with winning one game at a time. At a recent contest in Lon don he took on 40 opponents. The players were lined up in a row and Capablanca, moved' from board to board, taking In the situation at a glance and making his moves. The death of Adellna Pattl reminds a New Yorker of an Incident m-hicta occurred In the Dutch town of Maei trlcht in 1869. He relates it in the New Tork Sun. As the prima donna in 1869 was at the height of her ca reer the director of the local theater where she was to appear In "Lucia dl Lamm er moor" for one night only was compelled to pay her a consider able sum. and to reimburse himself he tripled the regular charge of ad mission. Four thrifty citizens of the town pooled their funds and bought one ticket. Each was to see one act, the exchange being carried out by means of the familiar door check. Headquarters for the quartet was a cafe across the street from the thea ter. But the one assigned to hear the fourth act, a hat manufacturer, was not aware that the prima donna did not appear therein, "Lucia" being dead at that period of the performance. So, after impatiently sitting out the act, he hastened to the cafe, denounced the other three as swindlers and mad so much noise he was forcibly ejected from the place. Thereafter the three other mem bers of the pool aued him for defama tion of character and he compromised for a goodly sum. Then the hat manufacturer sued the other three for return of his portion of the cost of the ticket. The courts decided against him. But the rumpus came to the atten tion of the theater proprietor. The tickets had been marked "not trans ferable." So he sued all four men for the price of three tickets and the courts sustained his claim. i Those Who Come and Go. "People will certainly howl at the highway commission this winter," predicted Commissioner 11. A Booth, who was at the Imperial yesterday. "The complaint;- will be on account of the mud when the winter rains come. It is surprising how few peo ple stop to think that the highways i cannot be built without first being graded. However, a year from now every community will have a taste of completed roads'and they will all be road boosters. John Hampshire, who has the contract for 14 miles of the Coos Bay-Roseburg road, is pre paring to move in equipment he has on the Pacific hichway to Camas valley, and he will ship a stcamshovel and other equipment by water to Coos . Eay and get it up to Remote, ills plan Is to work from both ends toward the middle. "Mr. Booth will make a trip from Salem to the Cali fornia line next week over the Pa cific highway to observe conditions and the progress being made by the contractors. It will probably be hi3 last inspection of that section before the end of the year." "This climate and scenery of yours out in this wonderful west is what might be termed the'elixir of life." " states Charles Wagner of Minneapolis, who is at the Multnomah. Mr. Wagner is connected with one of the largest wholesale hardware concerns in the middle west. Accompanied by Mrs. Wagner, he is touring the Pacific coast by easy stages. "I have tied myself down to business for the past 30 years almost without a let-up." he states, "but have finally awakened to the fact that I was about all in and decided on a long trip to the coast. From here we will go to Cali fornia for a few weeks. If my busi ness permitted it, I would love nothing better than to make my home permanently among these beautiful mountains and valleys and enjoy this Portland climate. Minnesota is very prosperous wherever you travel and some land has gone from 8200 to J."00 an acre during the past 1$ months.' "Surveyors are starting out to go over the Grants Pass-Crescent City route, from Grants Pass to the Cali fornia line," stated State Engineet. Herbert Nunn, yesterday. "This sup vey, which has been ordered by til commission, will be about eight miles. The California state highway com mission has agreeiLon the Smith rivet route to Crescent City and on th Elk creek: route over the divide. This latter route Is the one whicli Chair man S. Benson of the Oregon com mission has favored, as it will shorten the distance on the Oregon side. Th Californians have informed the Ore gon commission that they have $400. 000 available for Improvement of tht California end of this road. The Elk creek location will give us about a 3 per cent grade. "If the weathet continues behaving. Mr. Nunn say that the paving plants now operat ing on Oregon contracts will be work ing until the middle of November. In charge of the aerial patrol for the forests In Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming is Ma jor A. D. Smith, who. with Mrs. Smith, is at the Multnomah from California. The major ia here to attend a confer ence to work out a. programme fof aerial service In Washington in 1920 Others in attendance are Fred K. Pape of Olympia, state forester fot Washington; George C. Joy, assistant state forester, of Seattle; Prank B. Cole of Tacoma and W. W. Emery ot Napavlne, Wash. The major is cred ited with covering more overland routes across the northwest than any other aviator. When the logging con gress was held recently at the Mult nomah, Major Smith arrived from Ida ho Palls by plane and on the return trip went to Yellowstone park, his being the first airship to make a land ing in the park. When Mr. and Mrs. H. F. McCormick of St. Helens arrived at the Benson they came in their pet limousine. The car was parked near the curb. The machine when closed cannot be en tered save with a key. wjth the ex ception that it is possible to react inside through the transom. When Mr. McCormick went to remove the car he found a card ordering his appearance at the police station. Also he discov ered that a 85 umbrella and several other valuables had been stolen. E. L. Kliott a lawyer by profession but with a hobby for furming. is at the Imperial from Klamath Kails. He has a farm on a part of the reclaimed section of Tule lake, a soil which Is wonderfully fertile. Tule lake is mis named, for there are no tules at the lake; the man who named It probably had in mind the monkey tree, that be ing the only tree that a monkey never climbs. The lake is in California and in Oregon, but most of the reclaimed part is in Klamath county, Oregon. Sherman B. Shafer and Mrs. Shafer of Deer Island are at the Hotel Ore gon. The latest news from Deer Is land is that the contractors who have the job of rocking and paving that section, the last' to be finished on th Columbia highway between Portland and Astoria, have bought 16.000 cars of rock from a railroad and will begin spreading it over the dirt grade in a few days. Early next spring the hard-surface on this section can start. - Hotel clerks are not expected to be surprised at anything. Yesterday aft ernoon a well-dressed woman entered the Benson and, going to the desk, asked for one raw egg. Clerk Myers pressed a button, a bellboy appeared, took the order and returned In a min ute from the kitchen with the cg and a slip calling for 15 cents. Then the woman seized the egg gently but firmly and retired to a writing desk. A group of Southern Pacific men from California arrived yesterday at the Hotel Portland. The party In cludes T. H. Collins of San Francisco, O. L. Rodgera of Delta. A. O. Thomas and John C. Lynch of Cottonwood. Hoy H. Kast of Chloo and John R. Blllmeyer of Redding. Their presence here Is In connection with a lawsuit. J. D. Holton of Merlin is at the Perkins. Merlin is another old but little-known Oregon viljage. It Just misses being on the Pacific highway. Merlin (not named after King Ar thur's magician) Is at the junction of Grave creek and Jump-Off Joe and ia surrounded by a prosperous farming region. Abby Scott Baker, representing the national woman's party, arrived at the Multnomah yesterday from Wash ington, D. C-, via California. She is in Portland for the purpose of advanc ing the Interests of that organization. Charles R. Howard, chairman of the board of county commissioners at Spo kane, Is at the Hotel Portland with a dozen other well-known Spokane men. They are here to attend a trial in the federal court. Mr. and Mrs. John D. McGowan of McGowan, Wash., are registered at the Hotel Portland. Mr. McGowan and family have been packing salmon from the Columbia river since early days. Mr. and. Mrs. M.. T. Stack and Mr. and Mrs. George G. Maie motored down from Seattle yesterday and are among the arrivals at the Multnomah Mnch About the Same. Detroit Free Press. "Have you ever taken a tail-spin in an airplane?" "No. but I've been called upon un expectedly to make a speech, and I (iiphh thn Rpnuatinn in nhnnt 4Vm same," j I MTKD STATUS NOT TUB BOSS League- Very Had llecause Other Na tion Are to He on Council With Vs. PORTLAND. Oct. 22. (To the Edi tor.) The conclusions in my letter The Oregonian did me the honor to publish October 21 were drawn from the league of nations covenant, viz.: Excerpt. Article 1 Any member of the league may, after two years' notice of Its Intention sro to do, wltodraw from the league, provided that all its international obligations and ail its obligations under the covenant shall have been fulfilled at the time of Its withdrawal. Excerpt. Article 4 The council shall con sist of representatives of the United States of America, of . the BrltisA empire, of Krance. of Italy and of Japan, together with representatives of four other mem bers ot the league. These four members of the league shall be selected by the as sembly from time to time in its discretion. . . At meetings of the council each member of the league represented on the council shall have one vote, and may not have more than one representative. Excerpt. Article 7 The seat of the league is established at Geneva. Article 10 The members of the league undertake to respect and preserve as against external aggression the territorial integrity and existing political independ ence of all members of the league. In case of any such aggression, the council shall advise upon the means by which this obligation shall be fulfilled. Article 21 Nothing in this covenant shall be deemed to affect the validity of international engagements, such as treaties of arbitration or regional understandings like, the Monroe doctrine for securing the maintenance of peace. When the members in the council are increased from five to nine our voting power is reduced from one fifth to one-ninth; that is why I did r.ot mention In my letter the probable increase to nine members. Being one in five I thought a. hopeless enough minority to place us at the will and mercy of the other members. Are your explanations in harmony with the plain Knglish of th,e cove nant or a fair interpretation .of the articles quoted? L. B. tEEEEY". Completed article IV" names Bel gium, Brazil. Spain and Greece as members of the council to serve until tho assembly elects. The member ship of nine Is definitely provided for.i Mb. Keoley needs an understand ing of simple mathematics as well as plain English. Articlo V requires unanimous agreement of the council to render decisions, exce"pt in matters of procedure and appointment of in vestigating committees. A single mem ber's voting power in a body com posed of nine members that can act only unanimously Is not one-ninth. It is not a "hopeless minority." as even a schoolboy ought to know. PARKING I.ICENSK IS SI GGESTED Writer Would Have Auto Owners Pay for I sing Streets. PORTLAND, Oct. 22. (To the Edi tor.) I have read a communication printed in The Oregonian signed by George H Howe, in regard to a tax of Jj per month on all autos parked In the down town parking district. I realize that the tenant of a ground floor store or office has not the legal right to Use the space at the curb Just opposite such place of business to the exclusion of others, although there can be no question he would have an equitable right to do so. We pay more for ground floor of fices than for those above the first floor, but as a usual thing are pre vented from using the space in front of our business by those who have offices higher up. I occupy a ground floor office on Stark street and It Is very seldom I can get anywhere near it with my machine. Quite frequent ly it is the case that machines are parked there before S in the morn ing and remain there luntil after our office is closed for the evening, and these machines belong to tenants of upstairs offices. Furthermore, it is customary for some merchants to put up "Don't Park Here" signs in front of their own places and then park their own autos in front of some other man's store. The only remedy that occurs to me for this condition is to prevent machines being parked for any length of time in the down town dis trict unless a license is secured for such parking. 1. myself, would cheer fully pay $10 per month for the un obstructed privilege of coming to my office at any time I desire during the day. I would not want to interfere with the privilege of stopping an auto at any point in the business district for a period long enough to transact a business errand, say 30 minutes, and would make no charge for such park ing privilege, except where cars are kept for a longer period of time. I offer this suggestion for those who are interested in drafing a new traffic ordinance. HENRY W. GODDARD. HOW CAXADA BANISHED LKUOIl Canuck Poet Puts Keeling Tale Into Song Form. Under the suggestive heading, "Booze Banished." the Ottawa Jour nal contributes the following verses to the gayety of nations from a con tributor who announces that he is contemplating production of two other poems one entitled "The Peer or the Boy," and -he other "The Girl or the Gargle. In good King c:corge's glorious day. When Canada lair land. Sir, Was under prohibition's sway. Then everything was grand. Sir, For every man both rich or poor Was on the water wagon. No booie could anyone secure. In bottle. Jar or llason. CHORUS. (First loudly, then softly. For booze nas banished from the land That statement brooks no question. (Though L still got my special brand To case toy indigestion.) Hotels were like V. M. C. As. The bars were quite deserted. And soft drinks wandered tlown the wa)l Where whisky once had flirted; Then every man botls poor and rich Would alcoholic "-lp" shun. They never took a drink "as sich," But Just as a prescription. CHORUS. (Very soft and with feelinc.) For Influenza swept the land. ITou know that tills is true. Sir.) And brandy was the only brand That really cured the "flu." Sir. And when the "flu" was overcome. We all had laryngitis: The cure was old Jamaica rum, lit also cured the phthisis.) While doctors said: "For housemaid's knee Old Scotch Is the specific." And all were lame as lame could be From east to the Paclfio. CHORUS. (Very loudly, In a martial manner.) But still this fact I will maintain Until my dying; day. Sir: No one could any boose obtain -Unless he knew the way. Sir. Missing Soldier. LACAMAS, Wash.. Oct. 21. (To the Editor.) Would be very grateful if you could give me any information regarding Fred C. Ragan. Evacuation Ambulance Co. 26. The last heard from him he was In Coblenz, Ger many. The last letter I got was dated August 30, 1919. MRS. TOM RAG AN. Address The Adjutant General. I'nited States Army, Washington, D. C. Younir Kara llrnr. London Tit-Bits. Observant Youngster "On. look tit that funny man. mother! He's sitting on the sidewalk talkin' to a banana-skin:" More Truth Than Poetry. By James J. Montague. A I.ONt; LIKE AXt A JIKlillV ONB. (Statistics from the penitentiaries of Statistics from the penitentiaries of the country prove that convicts live much longer than people out of prison. .e-s item.) If germs and bacilli and microbes, by steaitn Invade your arterial svstem And colonize there in such squads that your health No longer has strength to resist 'em. You need but commit some fclonlo-is crime To get clapped in a nice peniten tiary. Where you're certain to live for a very long time (Perhaps to the end of the century-) If in spite of the tablets and doses and pills You take as the doctor directed. You suffer from ailments and agues and ills Till you feel that your mind is af fected. Break into a house in the dead of the nignt For the- laws are exacting and rig orous. And there In your cell, as the years lane tneir night You're sure to grow husky and vig orous. If you cannot go out without catching a coia. If you're subject to shudders and sneezes. And fear you'll succumb, long before you grow old To fiftv or tix-tv- HI Go hold tip a man or a bank or a stage t iigiit witn a cop, if you're strong enough) And you're certain to live to a nice green old age, (Provided jour sentence is long enough.) We're letting .Normal. Lipton has challenged for the cup again. Soon Bryan will resume tho vaudeville stage. Worth Considering. Tho only advantage in a celluloid collar is that it makes nico fuel for cold weather. They Couldn't Have Hone Worse. What Germany should havo done in 1914 was to put in a lot of ersatz statesmen. (Copyright by the Hell Sjmdleste. Inc.i The Favorite Story. By Urar E. Hall. Sing it to the song bird swlngin? on the bough. Flash it to the eagle on the mountain brow; Croon It to- the soft winds sweepin; up the leave.-". Carol it to meadow-lark 'mong the golden sheaves: Shout it to the seagull, soaring swift and high, Send a lightning message darting to the sky: Roar it in the thunder with a cadence deep, - Toss it to the whiteoaps as they dash and leap: Talk of it to blue streams loitering on their way. Whisper it to silver stars at the close of day; Write It on the scroll of time none disputes Its glory: Magnify the theme sublime of life's wonder-story; Murmur it in confidence to the turtle dove All the world is gladdened by tender tales of love. In Other Days. Twenty-five Years Ago. From The Orecontan or October -3. 1814. The Oregon Baptist anniversaries will be observed by sessions in Port land for the remainder of the week, starting tomorrow at the Second Bap tist church. Funeral services of Frank Dekum were held yesterday at the family home, with Rev. Thomas L Eliot of ficiating. It is the Intention of the Oregon Railway & Navigation company so to improve the service between this city and San Francisco that passengers will be only one night at sea. The celebrated "varmiBt" dogs re cently purchased by Waiter F. Bur rell killed a bear two days ago out at the head of the Cornell road. Fifty Years Ago. From The Oregonian of October "3. lS'llt. Boston. The inauguration of Dr. Charles W. Eliot as president of Har vard took place October 19 in the Church of Cambridge in the presence of the governor and distinguished guests. St. Louis. Delegates to the na tional capital convention have ar rived from 11 states. Including Penn sylvania and Oregon. The grand lodge of Good Templars for Oregon and Washington territory convened at Vancouver Tuesday. Beal of Portland was elected head of the grand lodge. The bark Cambridge. James Frost, master, arrived Thuiday from Hono lulu with a cargo composed princi pally of sugar and coffee. Depth to Which Iron Will Sink. rORTLAXn. Oct. 5;. (To the Ed itor.) An Iron ball weighing one pound ia dropped into salt water of unlimited depth. "B" bets it will eventually sink un til it reaches bottom. "A" bets it will not sink beyond a certain depth. C. 11. WALES. The only theoretical depth of water at which an Iron ball would not sink to the bottom is a depth extending beyond tho center of the earth. The ball will sink until the attraction of gravitation is equalized at the center of the earth unless it sooner touches bottom. The quite common idea that at some existing depth of water an object not buoyant enough to float upon the surface becomes suspended is fallacious. No, It Isn't Liquor. Chicago News. "There go two Intoxicated men. Where do you suppose they got liquor to make them so violent?" "It Isn't liquor; they're arguing about the league of nations." TO CORREKPOXUENTS Many more letters are offered for publication on this page than can possibly be accom modated in the space available. In order that as wide a repre sentation may be given as pos sible. The Oregonian requests contributors to confine their letters to 400 words or less. Unused manuscripts are not preserved and will not be re turned unless return postage accompuanies their submission, nor will The Oregonian under take to give the reasons for their rejection. No attention will be paid to anonymous communications.