13
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1920
ESTABUSHED BY HENRY L. PITTOCK.
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PRESIDENT WlXSO"8 LAST MESSAGE.
President "Wilson's last message
to congTess Is chiefly remarkable
for the omission of any allusion to
the subject on which he called for
a populsfr referendum the league of
nations, lie conveys no hint of an
intent to send the treaty of Ver
sailles back to the senate, and he
seems to regard controversy on that
subject as closed, so far as he is con
cerned. He leaves that to the de
cision of the administration which
is to succeed his, with the prospect
that his work at Paris will in the
main be undone.
Mr. Wilson still clings to one illu
sion. He assumes that the German
people sincerely established a demo
cratic government and surrendered
because they found themselves at
war with the conscience of the
world. The entire course of events
In Germany since the armistic was
made, and Germany's attitude?
toward other nations, sustain the
opinion that the militarists submit
ted to the revolution from motives
of temporary expediency, have suc
cessfully influenced the government
to violate or evade its treaty obli
gations, have been regaining power,
and await a favorable opportunity
to try conclusions with the com
munists and earnest supporters of
democracy. This temper of the still
powerful reactionary element in
Germany and the condition ol'Rus
sia are the main causes of the con
fusion and disorder which still pre
vail in Europe.
Though there are widely diver
gent opinions as to how it should
be fulfilled, all will agree with Mr.
Wilson that the mission of the
United States is to serve as "the
sample democracy of the world."
By standing for the equal rights of
labor and property and by uphold
ing the rights of nations against op
pression and aggression, we can set
an example both to those who react
toward, monarchy and a privileged
aristocracy and those who would
establish the tyranny of a class ruled
by an oligarchy. Mr. Wilson's ideal
is that of the American people and
they look for better success in its
realization by Mr. Harding than was
ucnievea Dy itir. vviison.
The president's comments on the
need of economy in the government
and on the need of a budget system
and of tax reform suggest that he
lias taken to heart the lesson of the
election. He preaches most force
fully the principles which his party
proved incapable of putting in prac
tice. His remarks on the budget
indicate that he also Is lacking in
that respect. He offers to approve
the budget bill with the amendment
giving the president power to re
move the controller of the budget,
though that amendment would be
apt to make the whole system inef
fective. If the official of a corpora
tion whose accounts a man was em
ployed to audit had power to "fire"
the auditor, the latter would be very
cautious about reporting any dis
crepancy in the accounts, but that
is what ilr. Wilson virtually pro
poses in his extreme regard for ex
ecutive power.
In his recommendations of pro
tection for essential industries and
of legislation in aid of farmers he
has gone a long way toward ac
ceptance of the protective principle
ilJU ITL U LiU 1 llilUl ULUI, pal U) UL LlltS
republican platform. If his party
should follow his lead when the new
congress takes up those subjects,
the new administration will have a,
very harmonious time.
Every American will echo the
sympathy which Mr. Wilson ex
presses for the Armenians, but his
suggestion of a loan to them Is
strangeiy impractical. Armenia has
set up a soviet government at the
dictation of the bolshevists, and is
absolutely under the hee of the bol
shevists and the Turks. No com
mission of Americans would be able
to insure that relief supplies would
actually reach the Armenians or
that they would not be taken away
by the forces that have them by the
throat. The only means that can
cave Armenia is an army strong
enough to drive out both bolshevists
and Turks, and that is precisely what
neither this nor any other nation is
willing to send. Desertion of Ar
menia is the blackest blot on the
record of the nations which Ar
menia helped at critical stages of
the war, and impractical proposals
like that of Mr. Wilson only empha
size the fact.
Independence should not be, and
Js not likely to be, granted to the
Philippines until thorough inquiry
has been made into the kind of gov
ernment that htis been given under
home rule. There has been strange
lack of information on the subject
eince Governor Harrison got rid of
practically all high American offi
cials, but there is reason to suspect
that the government is in the hands
of a mestizo oligarchy, which has
little regard for the rights of the
several Filipino tribes or for the
simple principles of democracy
which they volubly tell us they have
embraced.
Here we have a president, holding
over after the crushing defeat of
his party, and recommending legis
lation to a hold-over congress, while
the people wait with more or less
patience for their successors to step
into their places. It directs atten
tion most forcibly to an absurdity
in the constitution. If the inclina
tion to follow those recommenda
tions existed, lack of time would
prevent. Common knowledge that
I such Is the fact leads the people to
look In Mr. Wilson's final message
I chiefly for a final example of his
ability to express beautiful ideas in
felicitious language.
OJTE OF BRYAN'S GREAT REFORMS
Among the, needed reforms which
W. J. Bryan displays in the Com
moner is this:
A national bulletin should fee- established
under bipartisan control, with eddtorial
space Vquitably divided between parties
represented in congress.
Presumably the bulletin would
contain official announcements of
appointments, orders and regula
tions, serving the same purpose as
the official gazettes published by
other governments.- But that phrase
"editorial space," opens unlimited
possibilities. Each party, would
want to p.ublish platforms, procla
mations, fulmlnations, manifestoes,
telling all its virtues and all the
vices of the other party. Besides the
two great parties, each of the little
parties which have one or two mem
bers of congress would want their
equitable share of space, and it is
not likely that they would be con
tent with a percentage equal to the
ratio of their numbers to the whole
number of members. The rule is
that the fewer members a party has,
the more it has to say. As the gov
ernment would pay, the big parties
would be inclined to liberality.
It has been objected to Mr.
Bryan's scheme that we already have
a national bulletin in the Congres
sional Record'but that has grbwn so
big that nobody reads it who can es
cape the ordeal. It has become the
hopper into which congressmen dump
anything which strikes their fancy,
such as newspaper and magazine ar
ticles, letter and memorials from
constituents. One member caused
the whole of Henry George's "Prog
ress and Poverty" to be reprinted as
part of the Record. How would Mr.
Bryan's bulletin be protected from
assuming such unwieldy bulk as to
be cast aside with a shudder?
Then the knotty question- of an
editor would arise. The name of Mr.
Bryan himself naturally occurs, but
he has many activities and will be
busy during the next four years piec
ing together the broken fragments
of the democratic party on the
Bryan plan. He will hardly have
any time to spare for editorial work
beyond that which he devotes to his
beloved Commoner. But George
Creel is always available. His
achievements with the committee on
public information suggest that he
would give spice, not to say pep, to
an otherwise dull and unattractive
publication. Did he not thrill the
nation with a graphic story of battle
with submarines which unimagina
tive, matter-of-fact persons say
never was fought?
The gravest question is: Would
the supply of paper hold out? We
have almost exhausted the pulpwood
in the United States, we are chewing
great swaths out of the forests of
Canada and have begun to eat into
those of Alaska. If the national -I
bulletin should grow to the propor
tions of the Congressional Record,
the newspapers might have to pull
straws for the little white paper that
would remain.
FORTY ACRES FOR A FARM.
The problem of domestic recon
struction as related to farming, dis
cussed by Secretary Payne of the de
partment of the interior in his annual
report, is in part a problem of satis
tying the gregarious instinct of the
race. "The difficulty," says Secre
tary Payne, "is that people do not
like to live alone, but prefer to live
in towns and villages and to enjoy
society and the conveniences and
comforts of modern life which are
beyond the reach of the scattered
population living on large farms."
Mr. Payne suggests the smaller
farm as the remedy. . He believes
that "small farms bringing the peo
ple nearer together and intensive
cultivation of these farms may be
the answer."
No question depends for its answer
on the highly complicated factor of
individual initiative and personality
to a greater extent than the most de
sirable size of a so-called farm unit.
Mr. Payne's statement that if the
unit were forty acres better results
would be obtained than if the unit
were eighty or 160 acres must be re
garded as tentative. There is a con
siderable weight of expert opinion
on the side of a forty-acre minimum
for general farming purposes, but
this is not quite the same thing.
There are plenty of examples of spe
cialized farms of considerably less
than forty acres whose owners have
prospered, but they are not devoted
to the chief staples on which the
country depends for its food, and
they usually are managed by men of
uncommon acumen. All things con
sidered, it requires a higher degree
of skill to make good on a tiny farm
than on a fair-sized one. The for
mer permits tne smallest possible
margin for human fallibility and for
seasonal misfortunes. On the latter
there is always a chance that indus
try will win some of its desserts if
not in one department, then in an
other.
Enormously the greater part of
the arable land of the country is
given to production of the grains,
potatoes and forage, the last being
transmuted into dairy products and
meat before finding its way to
the consumer. Producers of wheat,
corn, alfalfa and the like have less
than no interest in statistics of enor
mous but exceptional profits from
small fields of brussels sprouts,
sweet corn out of season.) winter
cauliflower or alligator pears. Just
what we have the right to expect,
under average conditions in a series
of years, "from the forty-acre grain
farm is as difficult to determine as
the' cost of a bushel of wheat. It is
customary, we believe, to begin by
setting apart ten acres of every
model farm for house 'and home
grounds, the family orchard and the
vegetable garden. Thus reduced to
thirty acres for main crop purposes,
it is to be feared that it has lost at
tractiveness to a good many expe
rienced farmers of wide experience,
who know that a thirty-bushel -yield
of wheat, even when it is attained,
is apt to offer no great profit per
bushel and unlikely to furnish eco
nomical employment for men and
work animals, of which a certain
number are required on the smallest
farm unit. The stock answer of the
theorists who urge that all agricul
ture shall be intensive is that profit-'
able should be substituted for un
profitable crops, but the demand of
the nation as a whole is for some bil
lions of bushels of grain and millions
of tons of other principal staples by
comparison with which the agricul
tural specialities are as incidental as
pepper and salt.
The purpose of advocates of small
farm units is to obtain increased op
portunities for social development
and recreation. Undoubtedly the
forty-acre tract would make possible
community life somewhat resembling
that of the older countries, and if it
In other respects met individual
needs it would have a good deal to
conunead it. There are, however, a
good many things necessary to mod
ern enjoyment that it takes money
to buy. The family automobile, gaso
line for its maintenance, occasional
tickets to the theater In the city,
education of the children, books,
magazines and other symbols of
higher aspirations, all presuppose
that the farm has produced not
only the food that is eaten but a
rather considerable amount of ac
tual cash. It used to be the fashion
to preach that the farmer was the
most independent man in the world
because he could, if he chose, grow
practically all hi3 food. Yet food is
not the only item in the family bud
gets and it has not been pursuit of
food that has threatened to depopu
late the farming regions. Those who
like to make figures and who know
something of the practical side of
farming will be able to calculate for
themselves the prospect of satisfying
agricultural aspirations on the basis
of the forty-acre unit for a farm.
PROMISE OF CHEAPER FKRTH.IZKRS.
Discovery of a process that prom
ises to revolutionize recovery of
phosphoric acid from phosphate
rock, a recent triumph of chemical
engineering, is likely to have an im
portant bearing on crop production.
although farmers will err who count
unduly on the prospect of cheap.fer
tillzer as a substitute for good tillage
or enlightened systems of rotation.
There is reason for supposing, never
theless, that the history of western
civilization would have been differ
ent if commercial fertilizers had
been developed earlier and that their
use will continue to increase largely.
The economic phase of the recent
discovery which gives its large im
portance is the enormous saving in
freight charges made possible by re
covering practically all, instead of
less than half, of the valuable con
tent of the rock treated. Difference
between a 50 per cent and a 16-per
cent product means release of an
enormous quantity of freight ton
nage which can be otherwise em
ployed, and a saving of freight
charges that ought, to be reflected
In the cost of growing crops at points
distant from the source of supply.
The 'department of agriculture
finds the actual cost of the new pro
cess under working conditions to be
difficult to estimate because produc-.
tion heretofore has been- only on a
laboratory scale, but it predicts that
substantial reductions will be made.
As to how soon and how greatly the
change will be observed in the cost
of living, experts are unwilling to
venture opinion; but it is clear that
if the rosy promise of the chemists
are made good there will be either a
better profit for producers or a lower
price to consumers in the course of
time. Constantly increasing quanti
ties of fertilizers are made neces
sary by increased burdens levied by
increasing population on existing
land.
SLANDERS ON THE JEWS.
The slanders on the Jews that are
contained in the "Protocols of the
Learned Elders of Zion" and that
are denounced as false in the ad
dress of the American Jewish com
mittee are the latest manifestation
of that racial prejudice which has
flamed up anew since the war ended.
It is a peculiar example of the re
actions to which human passions ace
subject that this outbreak should
have followed closely on a war in
which differences of race and creed
were forgotten and in which men of
diverse origin and. religious faith
fought shoulder to shoulder in the
supreme cause of liberty to . which
all alike were devoted. -
Evidence that the "protocols" are
an invention of enemies of that
cause, of tools of the czarlst auto
cracy, is found in the documents
themselves. They abound . in the
slanders with which the black hun
dreds used to incite Russian mobs to
an ti-Jewish pogroms, and. in senti
ments hostile to democracy which
characterize reactionaries and de
fenders of autocracy in every land.
The presentation of the Jews as the
moving spirits of bolshevism is
viciously cruel, for the head and
brains of the soviet is Lenin, of pure
Russian blood and a member of the
old artistocracy; Trotzky, though a
Jew by race, has renounced both the
Jewish faith and all sympathy with
those of his race; and Jews are no
more numerous in places of power
among the bolshevists than might
have been expected from their num
bers in Russia, Much has been said
of the pollution of Christian churches
in Russia by red terrorists and of the
fact that some . bands were led by
Jews, with the result that the peas
ants massacred hundreds of inno
cent people of that race. Slight
mention has been made of the fact
that synagogues and their rabbis
were similarly treated, or of the fact
that the backbone of the red army
Is made up, not of Jews but of Chi
nese, Bashkirs, German and Magyar
prisoners and of criminal Russians,
who in times of disorder seize eag
erly at opportunities of murder,
rapine and look
The truth about the Jews' part in
the war la that in general they up
held the cause of the country where
they had found a home, even though
they were oppressed. Hundreds of
thousands fought in the army of
their worst enemy, the czar, and
they fought so well that many won
decorations. Tens of thousands
served as volunteers in the American
army and navy, and it was a Jew
who carried the message that
brought relief to the lost battalion.
Jews worked side by side with Chris
tians in relief of the sick and woun
ded soldiers and of the homeless,
famishing civilians. One striking in
cident was the spectacle of a Jewish
rabbi and a Catholic priest working
together on a French battlefield and
at night sharing the same bed. The
Jewish welfare workers joined other
organizations in caring for the wants
of American soldiers in France, and
no questions were asked then about
race or religion: the only question
was whether a man was fighting for
the right and needed help. It was
left for the intriguers of the after
war period, in which the minds of
many have descended from the ex
alted sentiments which that struggle
inspired to the most Ignoble passions
and prejudices, to fan the flames of
race hatred. -'
Coupling of the Masonic order
with the Jews in the imaginary
worldwide conspiracy for world su
premacy plainly indicates the reac
tionary source of fabrication. Such
a charge could not gain credence in
any enlightened country of Europe
or America. It could only serve the
purpose of the secret policy of dark
est Russia under the czars, where
the chief aim was to keep Jew and
Christian at enmity that they might
not unite to gain their freedom. It
is true that the Masons played a
great -part in destroying the infa
mous rule of the Bourbons in France
and of the Hapsburgs and Bourbons
in Italy, but they have long been the
strongest upholders of ordered de
mocracy in both America and Eu
rope, and to connect them with bol
shevism of any revolutionary move
ment in a free country is so absurd
as to be laughable.
A TRUNK POWER LIJfE.
Decision of Portland engineers,
with the backing ofthe Chamber of
Commerce,-to sjudy a plan for link
ing together all hydro-electric power
plants on the Pacific coast is par
ticularly timely when the coast is
on the eve of great water-power de
velopment. The great advantage of
water power is that it Is cheap, inex
haustible power, but that advantage
cannot be fully realized . unless the
most complete economy is effected.
The great drawback to water
power is the wide fluctuation be
tween maximum and minimum sup
ply and consumption a each- par
ticular source and point of distribu
tion. Oho plant may at one season
of the year have a great surplus over
the-demand of its immediate field,
at another season it may have barely
enough to supply that field. At one
time of the twenty-four hours its
total output may be consumed, at
another time only half may be con
sumed. "Viewing the Pacific coast
field as a whole, it is obvious that a
sure, stable supply, risk of stoppage
of which is reduced to the lowest
possible minimum, will enccAirage
larger consumption. Consumption of
the entire output of one' plant in
stead of ' half the output of two
plants at periods of low consumption
will conduce to economy. Yet avail
ability of both plants will insure
against failure of the supply through
accident at one.
Linking of all power plants to a
trunk line may be compared with
linking of railroads in trunk systems.
Were each power plant to remain
independent, serving only its own
field, it would resemble the early
railroads which merely joined two
towns fifty or a hundred miles apart.
Full benefit of steam transportation
was not obtained till these local
roads were combined in great sys
tems connecting two great centers of
population, there connecting with
other systems radiating in all direc
tions. The fullest use of water power
requires that the, same plan be fol
lowed in lt9 development.
Thousands of men and women
grew up here with Ralph Duniway,
whose death yesterday was sudden
and unexpected, and all will feel a
measure of grief. He was the baby
of the pioneer family and his efforts
at self-building into virile manhood
were watched with appreciation. He
added to the luster of the iame that
stands for much in the making of
this state. - -
When John Jones is arrested for
beating his wife or other diversion
in conflict with th,e " laws, all the
friends of the other John 'Joneses
make them the butt of inane jokes.
This may explain why one big con
cern here finds it: necessary to ex
plain it has no connection with an
other of similar name.
The language of a man passed up
by a "full" car will be unprintable
even in Watts Watt, the official pub
lication ' conducted by Mr. Bill
Strandborg, editor thereof; but, like
boils, splinters in' the 'fingers and
other winter necessities, lie will get
used to the deal.
Of th 17,000 nominations sent to
the senate by President Wilson, 15,
000 are in the army. The rest are
political. The appointments may be
confirmed and may not. The demo
crat who thinks he has a "cinch" on
the job wiU' not sleep well for a
while.
Miss Elsie Hughes, whose slap in
the face disconcerted a young high
wayman, should follow with lessons
in handling her "mitts, that she
might administer the kayo to the
next.
Death is laying heavy toll on men
in middle life. This is the more no
ticeable for their activities in civic
affairs. The loss to citiy and state is
great, but the Reaper is inexorable.
The day's news chronicles connec
tion of women -with many murders
and lesser crimes. This is not due
to recently.' obtained equality with
the male sex; it just happens so.
The burglars .who got less than a
hundred dollars in the Battleground
bank are commended to baby banks,
of which there will be a fine line
started after Christmas.
If Judge' Rossman .were in a jok
ing mood he would send moonshin
ers to jail for over the holidays. That
would mean, turkey dinners Christ
mas, perhaps. '
Twenty-two North Dakota banks
closed in six weeke! It will be hard
for even a North Dakota farmer to
remain non-partisan under those cir
cumstances. Pfesident-elect Harding called at
the White House and left his card
for President Wilson, press dis
patches say. Wonder if it was the
joker. .
Since brevity 'means merit, Mr.
Wilson Is entitled to the medal for
short messages. It's a wise man who
knows when he has said enough.
Secretary Meredith Is modest In
asking a million for co-operative for
estry work. One big fire can do
more damage than that amount.
Even if Constantino does come
back to rule over the Greeks, he is
hardly ilkely to bring the kaiser
along with him as a house guest.
A couple so modern as to be mar
ried at a gasoline-filling station
should be started off right with a
present of five gallons of gas.
- The Roseburg city council desires
to join Klamath Falls in abolishing
the public service commission. It's
a big contract.
The horseshoe pitchers have not
met yet to discuss legislation that
will affect their calling, misnamed
sport.
The decline in prices, seems to
have hit everything but what a per
son really wants to buy.
Somebody fumbled on the very
first play ia the league of nations,
BY-PRODUCTS OF THE TIMES
t
Females) of All Species Omce Stronger
Than Afales, Says Anthropologist.
That the females of all species
were originally far superior to the
males, both in strength and in men
tal ability, and that they lost their
powers by choosing only the strong
est and most intelligent males as
their mates, was the theory advanced
by Dr. Duren J. H. Ward, head of the
Denver mental clearing-house, in an
address delivered at a meeting of the
Denver academy of anthropology.
"Two million years ago," said Dr.
War?, "the female was In every way
superior o the male. They lost their
superiority: by always choosing the
males Who possessed the greatest
strength and mental power.. In that
way the weaker males were elimi
nated, and the natural tendency was
toward (greater . strength.
"The plumage of the peacock and
the great strength, of many male
quadrupeds of today are to be found
solely because, through a long pro
cess of evolution, , these were the
qualifications most desired by the fe
males. -
"Women of today," Dr. Ward said,
"are as they are and dress as they
do because that is the way men pre
for them to be. Men today choose
their mates."
He suggested a selection based on
the mutual choice as a way to gain
greater health and intelligence for
the human race.
In the cattle country of the west
there are certain outlaw horses that
will not permit a saddle on their
tacks; thsy will die rather than sub
mit to the rules made -for horses.
The worst bucking horse ever known
was called Rocking Chair. He brok)
a leg last summer in dislodging a
rider, and was shot. In his time he
had injured a d-osen men..
Likewise there are certain outlaw
writers who refuse to accept th-
rules of civilization. There are out
law publications devoted to thes-s
men; others get by the postmaster
general with difficulty. To read them
is as unusual as a bucking contest at
a Wild West show. Some of the out
law writers have been shot; a good
many have been in jail. One of them
threw his rider and ran away to Rus
sln, where he was well received for a
time, bat finally he will buck so hard
as to break a leg, as did Rocking
Chair, and . share his fate. E. W.
Howe in Saturday Evening Post.
-
The world was getting along pretty
well up to 1914. Every respectable
thing -was meeting with some en
couragement, when suddenly a fool
kicked over the. torch of civilisation,
and now the world Is on fire- It
is. an awful wreck, and. everybody
is 'in it. Th -first excuse for the
bloody business was ihe shooting
of n Austrian, prince. The shot
was fired by a man who ' had been
wrought up to -it by years of im
moderate preaching, and it was in
quarreling over this incident that th
devil got loose. Bad as the rulers
are, it was a foolish agitator who
dropped the match into the powder
barrel. E. W. Howe, in Saturday
Evening Post.
The cup that cheers was replaced
by the snuff that exhilirates when
the Scots' Charitable society of Bos
ton revived an old custom at its an
nual banquet recently to take the
place of anti-prohibition toasts.
Scotch snuff from a silver mounted
ram's horn was passed about tha
tables. "
First to take a pinch was Governor
Calvin Coolldge, republican vice-president-elect,
who was the chief guest
From him the horn went down the
banquet board. Sneezes followed.
Soon afterward Professor Charlton
Black of Boston university related
an' anecdote directed to despondent
victims of the 18th amendment. It was
the warning of an old Scotchman to
his son against too liberal use of
snuff, with the statement that 'Tve
been drunker on sneezum than I ever
was on whusky."
Every day in New Tor.k city 4,500.
000 local telephone calls are made, in
addition to a large number of Incom
ing and outgoing long-distance calls.
The bulk of the calls is in the bor
ough of Manhattan. How to handle
the Increasing number of calls has
become a great problem. Another
great problem is how to handle the
Increasing traffic on the streets. Dur
ing the first nine months of the past
year 517 persons have been killed by
automobiles on the streets. ' Those
killed include 262 children under the
age of 13. v
- 7
Three-quarters of a century ago,
when Mrs. Brown whispered to Mrs.
Jones that she had heard somebody
say that the village batik was short
of money, everybody In town knew
within an hour or two that the bank
was about to fail and the result was
that all the good townspeople were
at the bank door clamoring for their
money. Ensued "the run on the bank"
true and tried old property of the
Victorian melodramatist.
Today the newspaper and the tele
graph have made the whole country
into a little village almost the whole
world. Indeed. Everybody at 'his
breakfast table reads what everybody
else thinks. Mrs. Brown's whisper Is
megaphoned and wirelessed all over
the commercial world..
The grocer reads in the morning
paper that Mr. Stonehead Conspieler
of the department of theoretical asl
ninity at Washington says a sugar
famine is imminent.. One hundred
thousand other grocers read the same
thing, and they all try to buy sugar
at once. Also, the public all try to lay
In sugar to last a year. Result, 25
cents a pound. -Next result, sugar
comes here from Patagonia, New Zea
land, New Hebrides, Iceland, the Cas
pian sea, the Saragossa sea, and other
places, if any, where they don't be
lieve all they read in the papers.
And when the .100,000 have bought
what they want, and the public has
bought all it wants, they all find
there is plenty of sugar, so they all
try to sell at once. Result: 10 cents
for sugar. Next result, "everybody
uses more; restaurants wake up and
remember there Is such a thing as
sugar, and serve it; all the women
start to canning fruit because sugar
is cheap; everybody begins - to eat
candy; even Europe plucks up cour
age enough to buy a little sugar.
Meantime, grocers won't buy much
they have had sugar experience
enough for a while. And I suppose
by and by we shall wake up to the
fact that we are out of sngar again,
and shall fall over each other to ibull
the price.
This is just what has been happen
ing, in a less extreme way, to almost
every commodity, material and arti
cle in the country. The Magazine of
WaU Street, ,
:
Those Who Come and Go.
"Copper is hard hit," said J.- C. Cos-
tello of San Francisco, who is regis
tered at the Hotel Portland. "The
companies kept producing copper, fig
uring they would be able to sell freely
of the culput to Germany and Aus
tria, which have been good markets
In the past The companies borrowed
heavily on the copper .producea and
now it Is a question whether the cop
per on hand will pay out. on account
of the way the market has dropped.
There Is not the demand for copper
that existed: prior to the war nor dur
ing the war, and neither Germany nor
Austria has bought a pound because
they cannot finance themselves ow
ing to the rate of' exchange. The
market quotations show that copper
stock has been slumping steadily of
late." Mr. Costello is in the powder
business and, as the copper mines are
large consumers of explosives, there
Is a more or less close relationship
between the two.
"I went to East lake to fish, hut
forgot the fish in studying the won
derful effects of nature thereabouts,"
says L. M. Foss, vice-president of
the First National bank of Bend, who
is at the Imperial. "All around the
lake are evidences of mighty convul
sions of nature. East lake is In an ex
tinct crater -just the same as the
more famous and picturesque Crater
lake in southern Oregon. I am told
that the crater in which East lake
nestles is the most recently extinct
of Oregon volcanoes. It requires no
student of geology to see what has
happened In that neighborhood. 'Well,
after looking at the scenery for two
days. I started fishing and discovered
that the so-called eastern trout In
East lake are larger than can be
found elsewhere. They grow remark
ably long., the lake being, apparently,
an, ideal feeding ground for them."
"Four essentials to build up tour
ist trade are transportation, hign
ways, hotel accommodations and pub
licity," declares S..F. Dutton, Denver
hotel man. who is in' Portland to meet
the Oregon Greeters. Mr. Dutton is a
strong advocate of "See America
First." -In 1915 only 31,000 people
visited Rocky Mountain national park,
but- in 1919 there were 450,000 vis
itors. The tourist business brought
between 40,000,000 and $50,000,000
into the state of Colorado this year,
according to Mr. Dutton, and he says
that, with the scenery of Oregon, this
state should begin to capitalize its
attractions and attractvthe money
spending tourists. He says that tho
Pacific highway should be linked
with the park-to-park trunk high
ways. "Don't buy any steel, keep away
from the steel market," warned
Thomas M. Gardiner of San Francisco
as he checked out of the Hotel Port
land yesterday evening. "The mar
ket is rotten and won't improve until
next March or April and then only
for about 90 days. There was a con
ference of steel heads In the east re
cently and Judge Gary was there and
told the rest what was coming off
and .where to head in. The judge
certainly knows the steel game. Prices
have dropped. I bought steel which
has dropped far below the price I
paid. What am I going to do with
it? Hold it until someone pays me
at least what I paid." .
He- stands for a high quality of
cheese and butter in Oregon, does V.
D. Chappell, of the Oregon Agricul
tural college. The butter and cheese
makers think so well of Mr. Chappell
that he is the secretary and treasurer
of the association In Oregon. The as
sociation is to hold a two-day meet
ing, beginning tomorrow, and Mr.
Chappell has arrived on the ground
in advance to look after things and
particularly the dairymen's frolic, to
be pulled off tomorrow night. Down
in the basement of the hotel Mr.
Chappell has stored enough cheese
to make rarebits for a year. These
are exhibits which have been sent
in for the .meeting.
When Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Meyer
left Cascade Locks to come to the
Imperial the most talked of subject
at home was the prospeclve bridge
across the Columbia river. The plan
Is, to erect an interstate structure at
approximately the place Where the
fabled "Bridge of the Gods" spanned
the stream.. It is proposed that the
bridge be a toll affair and It is be
lieved it will be largely patronized
by motorists on the Columbia high
way. It will also give a more direct
communication with Portland for
people along the Washington shore
of the Columbia.
Lumber yards In the middle west,
now overloaded, will begin to dis
pose of their stocks after the first of
the year and then i orders will come
to the mills on the Pacific coast, pre
dicts Dave H. Cale, at the Multnomah.
In the meanwhile there is little or
no buying or selling and everyone Is
holding. on waiting for something to
jar the "market loose.
"In private life I am the wife of
'Strangled Lewis," announced Dr. Ada
Scott Morton, lecturer, writer and ed
ucator of San Jose, Cal., as she reg
istered at the Multnomah. The wife
of the wrestler announced' that her
husband i3 now preparing for a match
somewhere In the east.
One of the good- roads boosters- of
Montana ls.W. H. George, who is reg
istered at the Multnomah from Great
Falls. When there is a good road con
nection between Montana and Ore
gon, Mr. George predicts that the mo
torists will chug over to Portland on
the slightest provocation.
The "overhead" of the Alsea Lum
ber company of Eugene, was well
represented at the Imperial. E. B.
Kingrham, president: Jess Darling, di
rector; Henry Fischer, general man
ager, and W. J. O'Neil, chief , engi
neer, were all atthe hotel.
Captain J.- W. Siemans, banker of
Klamath Falls and interested in the
search for oil in that section, ar
rived at the Imperial. 'Others from
Klamath Falls, who arrived on the
same train are Mr. and Mrsl G- G.
Stagg and C. I. Richard.
Frederick T. Bowles of Chicago, an
active figure in the lumber industry,
is at the Hotel Portland. Mr. Boles
has been Interested in the litigation
which occurred over the Smith Lum
ber company at Coos Bay.
J. I. Blackwood, a stockman of
Buhl, Ida., is registered at the Per
kins hotel. "Buhl has recently been"
sprucing up and spending money for
improvements, the bonds for the im
provement being on the Portland
market.'
,- Leaders of Seattle baseball are at
the Multnomah. W. H. Klepper, pres
ident of the Seattle club, and W. J.
Kenworthy, manager, are here to con
sult about the 1921 season. '
Mrs. W. F. Sharp, wife of the col
onel, and Mrs. J. K. Partello, wife of
the major, of Oregon Agricultural
college, are at the Hotel Portland.
F. H. Haradon of Astoria, where he
is in the salmon packing business, is
registered at the Benson with Mrs.
Haradon. - .
Letters for Eve, -Several
letters addressed to "Eve,"
care of The Oregonian, have been re
ceived and have not been forwarded
for lack of adequate address. If
"Eve" cares for correspondence she
may obtain the letters by applying to
the managing editor, room 810, Ore
gonian building..
SPECIAL MAX FOR FOODSTUFFS '
Immunity From Competition Would ;
Loner Livloff Costa.
PORTLAND, Dec. 7. (To the Edi
tor.) Apropos of the farmer and gen
eral financial situation throughout
the nation as regards the farmer, it
seems He has about concluded to
make a stand, or a, least to demand,
that he be put on a business basis
along with all other businesses. And
from the business point of view there
is not one good reason why he should
not be made the recipient of a certain
per cent of the nation's weaJth for
his use. In fact, to do that finance
him would do more toward stabil
izing the markets ror" foodstuffs than
anything else wnich may be planned
for his benefit and all may benefit
therefrom.
Just now we face a peculiar situa
tion. In the markets the time for
delivery of December grains has past
and to date no doubt, in spite of the
sharp rise in wheat prices of the last
few days, deliveries are below nor
mal. The reason for this abnormal
or subnormal condition is obvious.
The farmer has decided to attempt to
make a stand and fight to a finish
for his rights.
Now from distribution's point of
view it is only right and good busi
ness policy to support all sources of
production. To do so will insure
steady markets and make production
a thing of value and not a wild, wild
gamble as it now is.
Of course competition is the life of
trade, but it seems to me that there
should be some things, some sources
of production. particularly those
which deal with foodstuffs, which
should be made immune from the
ravages of competition.
Foodstuffs are the staff of life and
anything vof a financial distributory
nature which will, in some measure.
Insure their production ami marketing
and give their producCTs an equal
chance with all the other distributors
of foodstuffs, will do more toward
lowering living costs than anything
else that may be done.
To prove my case or point, let me
quote the primary principle and in
tent of the reserve act. It was con
ceived and made practical by its au
thor and made operative to overcome
periodical contractions of credit,
which contractions are more common
ly known as panics. In truth the re
serve act did more toward distribut
ing the nation's wealth in quarters
which would, if not supported, cause
great damage in .the event of their
collapse for want of capital.
Now it seems to me that to insure
the farmer a market for his produce
and insure him credit in the event
of loss in any amount equal to his
loss of any season, which amount
w,ould act as a reserve and insure
continuous production of foodstuffs,
would be directly in line with the re
serve act policy.
You'll see the error in the present
position taken by the farmer where
from he de mands financial aid to en
able him to hold and hoard his crops
until a favorable market obtains. This
demand is contrary to the laws of
finance and nature, therefore to be
ignored. But a method which .will
insure circulation of money and pro
duction seems to be the thing we
GAalr Trtuv v-i ' . t t . t r.
865 Boudoir Street.
WIIY STATE PRODUCES AUTHORS
Correspondent Snggents It Ia because
of Beauties of Outdoors.
PORTLAND. Dec. 7. (To the Edi
tor.) I dropped into the authors' in
formal reception at the Gill book
store the other day, being in a small
way one of them, just to see how my
unseen friends of kindred- minds
would appear to me. What variety,
tall and short, stout and spare, young
and old, sedate an jovial, all courte
ous, well dressed, jewelry, some bear
ing the stamp of conscious success,
all hopeful with purpose to do better.
In all this was a. company 'of intelli
gent, alert, studious, keen-eyed, law-
ahirlirtp- Orpirnn jtivan 1 i. ; .
a - - vin,cno, lUUftlllg LOT
hidden beauties and riches of our fair
It was there remarked that Oregon
has more authors and . authoresses
than any other country, relatively
speakinsr. in all the eronr mT,a
glojie. This being true, and who will
uiatiuie il, mere must De a cause for
it. Some think it is to be found in our
beautiful mountains, rivers, flora.
ioiiage, great forests, mists, ocean
beaches, Columbia highway and every
varying -beauty of our landscape
scenery. xnere is a charm also in
that this is the last and best of our
great territory to be subdued and set
tled. Be it as It may, the author and
authoress are here to remain and
their company will never be less in
this land of unsurpassed inspiration.
In the future our beautiful Willam
ette, already immortalized by the
poem of Sam Simpson, will be one of
the many classic spots of our grand
state. In long ages to come the in
habitants will excavate for hidden
relics in our filled-in canyons and
river beds. AVe hunt for -the old rock
inscriptions, bows, flint heads, flint
locks, stone bowls and put them in
the care of the historical society for
safe keeping. Who knows but some
or all our coast cities may be swal
lowed up or covered up a. were some
of our cities of ancient times in the
old world.
In this very interesting group cf
writers we found the college pro
fessor, doctor, preacher, scientist, re
porter, teacher, business man and
those in other walks of life?
Who can say why all the world
should not sing and be happy?
Let us hope that out of the musings
of these worthies may come forth
songs that will never die.
D. A. WATTSRS.
BORROWED, LIKE OTHER THINGS
Rationalism Aot Indigenous to Ger
many, Says Correspondent.
PORTLAND, Dec. 7. (To the Edi-J
tor.) A writer to The Oregonian dj
rects our attention to the German
rationalism that has produced the
higher criticism is harmful to a
reverent appreciation of the Bible.
Rationality was brought to Germany
from England. The desires of such
men as Hume, carried to German
thinkers, has been a leaven to work
In the schools and literature of the
fatherland. Indeed, Germany has al
ways been gathering from abroad,
whether in the teachings of Kant of
Jewish antecedents or in flying ma
chines and submarines. Paris, rather
than Berlin, has created ideals In art.
As to the matter of the Bo-called
higher criticism, why not call it the
lower criticism, which has done no
more than remove the deed bark of
the scripture?
Therhigher criticism and the high
est are concerned with the preserva
tion of the heart of the true. If the
lower - criticism has destroyed, who
will decline to admit that destruction
leads on to construction?
B. J. HOADLET.
When Foch Took Command.
. WASHOUGAL, Wash., Dec. 6. (To
the Editor.) 1. Where and in what
country was General Foch born? 2.
What ia his nationality? 3. For what
period of time before Armistice day
was he in full command of all the al
lied forces? READER.
1. At Metz in the province of Lor
raine in 1851.
2. French.
3. The allied high command was
placed In Foch's hands March 27, 1918.
More Truth Than Poetry.
By Jamea J. Sloatasne.
SHREWD STATECRAFT.
(In Bulgaria punishment is visited on
their wives when husbands blunder
in statesmanship or war.)
m
When Bulgar legislators
Did things that they should noL
They used to call 'em traitors
And have 'em promptly shot.
But yet, as oft the case is,
The opposition groups.
Sent in to take their places.
rrovea even bigger stupes.
When Bulgar arms retreated
In stricken disarray.
The generals defeated
Were hung at break of day.
But this served not to soften
The brutal blows of war.
The flag was struck as often
As it had been before.
But now when Bulgars blunder
They do not take their lives.
But with a sword they sunder
The jug'lars of their wives.
And every Bulgar beldame
Now gladly undertakes
To see that husbands seldom
Make any fool mistakes.
It fills her soul with terror.
Lest haply he'll be led
To Make some trifling error
And she will lose her head.
She's fearful of disaster
And tries in consequence
To give her lord and master
A little common sense.
Tne Way to -et It Quick:.
If Jesse James were alive today ha
would probably be the business agent
for a builders' union.
The Mail's Delay.
Send your Christmas presents early.
Remember that Mr. Burleson will Do
on the job till March 4.
Bat a House Is Not Always a Home.
Evidently the voters of Oklahoma
think that woman's place is in the
house. . ,
(CoMrlght, 1920. by the Bell Syndi
cate. Inc.)
John Burroughs' Nature
Notes.
Can Von Answer These Questions?
1. How do different birds seize and
carry their prey?
2. WiU coons try and wash their
food even it no water is available?
3. What does a bee never learn from
experience?
Answers in tomorrow's nature notes.
Answers to Previous Questions.
1. Are birds that flock brighter
hued than solitary birds?
As soon as any of the ground birds
show a development of the flocking
instinct, their hues become more no
ticeable, as is the case with the junco.
the snow bunting, the shore lark, and
the lark bunting of the west. The
robin is the most social of our
thrushes, and is the brightest-colored.
2. Are cows and sheep good engi
neers? The cow has always been a famous
engineer in laying out paths; sheep
are, too. They take the line of least
resistance, they ford the streams at
the best places; they cross the moun
tains in the deep notches; they scale
the hills by the easiest grade.
3. Will a starfish amputate one of
its own arms?
In order td get free of a piece of
rubber tubing placed over one of its
arms, the starfish has. after exhaust
ing other expedients, been known to
amputate the arm. This only shows
the promptings of a very old and uni
versal instinct, the instinct of eelf
preservation. (Rirfhta reserved) by Houshton Mifflin Co.)'
In Other Days.
Twenty-five Years Ago.
From The Oregonian of December 8. 199.-5.
Walla Walla The fortieth anniver
sary of the four days' fight between,
the whites and Indians in the Walla
Walla valley, which commenced De
cember 7, 1855, was commemorated
yesterday at Frenchtown, ten miles
west of this city.
The price of wheat at Colfax has
materially advanced during the past
week, having steadily risen from 33 to
36 cents.
Berlin President Cleveland's
strictures on Germany') treatment of
American food exports and insur
ance companies, in his message to
congress, has created a sensation here.
R. - O. Smith of Grants Pass nd
Representative Jeffrey of Medford,
will meet in political debate at the
cour house in Jacksonville on tha
subject "The Populist Platform on,
the Financial Question."
Fifty Years Ago.
From The Oregonian of December 8. 1870.
Havana A French war vessel ia
cruising off the Cuban coast for the
purpose of intercepting German
steamers from New Orleans.
The extensive boot and shoe manu
factory of Messrs. Protzman, Courson
& Gillihan, will open tomorrow.
Telegraphic communication be
tween Mexico and the United States
is soon to be established. Then we
may expect to have a revolution every
morning with our rolls and coffee.
Tes-terday we had the first really
winter weather of the season. High
wind, accompanied in the morning for
two or three hours with rain and
sleet.
Washington Bonua Law.
CARSON, Wash.. Dec. 6. (To the
Editor.) Do the soldiers of Washing
ton who were in the spruce division
receive the bonus, or is it to be given
only to those -who received 930 a
month? SUBSCRIBER.
The soldiers' bonus bill passed by
referendum vote of the electors of
the state of Washington at the gen
eral election. November 2, 1920, pro
vides that persons who have received
greater compensation than the regu
lar pay of the army, navy or marine
corps and commutation for quarters
to receive compensation under the
bonus act unless the amount of extra
compensation so received was less
than they would be entitled to under
the act. In which event they, shall
receive the difference between the
compensation allowable under the act
and such extra compensation.
r
Pain of Loneliness.
ASTORIA, Or., Dec. . (To the
Editor.) The lady who . wrote the
piece The Oregonian Saturday called
"Woman's Plea to Santa Claus" is
right. I know just how she feels by
experience. Sometimes I get so lonely
I'll go to the movies or walk around
town, but it does no good- I dare
not mention it to friends for fear
they would call me daffy on women,
or something else. Only those who
have had the experience know what
it Is to have their home broken up
by death. So I live in silence, hoping
some day I will meet one of these
lonely women and things will be
brighter. ADAM.
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