8
TIIE 3JORXIXG OKEGOXIAX. WEDNESDAY, CVOVEMBER 30, 1921
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ESTABLISHED BY HENRY L- FITTOCK.
Published by The Oregonlan Publishing Co..
135 blxth Street. Portland. Oregon.
C. A. MORDEN. E. B. PIPER.
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SENATOR BORAH'S CRY OF ALARM.
No sooner is it suggested that the
Washington conference should be
- followed by annual conferences and
that thus President Harding's pro
posed association of nations evolve
out of it than Senator Borah takes
alarm and says the association is
"the old league of nations under an
other name" and "fundamentally
will not differ from the league of na
tions." Here is an assemblage of delegates
from a certain few nations met to
seek agreement on affairs specified
in advance, having power to consider
no others and to assume no obliga
tions that are not subject to ratifi
cation by the respective govern
ments. It is proposed that a similar
conference under like conditions be
held annually or oftener. The league
is bound togther by a covenant, by
which each member must regulate
its conduct toward other nations and
In certain eventualities to take any
action, from acceptance of a man
date to making war. Here is a fun
damental difference, yet Mr. Borah
says the two bodies "fundamentally
will not differ."
The senator's objection is founded
on the belief that the association is
proposed as a substitute for the
league, though no such intention is
apparent or implied. It has not
been suggested to scrap the league.
The league could continue to func
tion with complete freedom, though
a conference such as that now
In session might meet annually
to consider and agree on co-operation
of the powers concerned in
some international problem of the
time. This would be the means of
bringing the United States into such
co-operation as was prevented by our
remaining outside the league. Our
hands would be free as to everything
except the matters which we agreed
to consider and except as to the
agreements made on them and rati
fied by the senate.
President Harding found our in
terests involved with those of other
nations in Europe and Asia to a de
gree which prevents proper care for
them except by understanding with
the gTeat powers. Therefore he called
the Washington conference. 'He
realized that in some respects our
interests will continue to be involved
with the old world indefinitely.
Therefore he proposes periodical
conferences of the same kind. No
covenant is in mind to bring these
conferences together and to give ef
fect to their decisions. Community
of interest will dictate that they be
held, and the large degree of pub
licity which Secretary Hughes has
initiated will be the Impelling force
to make thetr decisions effective.
This organization would be elastic
and adaptable, and should by de
grees develop a constitution founded
on Its own experience and on the
precedents that it would establish.
But. Mr. Borah calls this "handing
Europe a new league" and he sees
"no difference between joining the
present league and Joining another
league by a new name." A very large
proportion of the American people
were willing to Join the present
league with certain reservations, but
this was prevented by the combined
opposition of the Borah irreconcil
ables and the Wilson irreconcll
ables in the senate. We must not
join the old league, and we must not
'form a new league under another
name because the old league is in
the way. Then we must remain in
splendid Isolation must not gather
together delegates from four or five
or a dozen nations to consider af
fairs we have in common, much less
must we agree on a common plan to
preserve the peace and welfare of
the world, lest Mr. Borah scent a
league and sound the tocsin.
Not being responsible for the gov
ernment of the republic, Mr. Borah
may talk of keeping out of Europe,
but, being responsible, Mr. Harding
must act, not merely talk, on the
facts as he finds them. He finds
that we are already "in Europe" to
the tune of about eleven billion
dollars and of aboqt two-thirds of
our international trade. We can
not get ou t of Europe while this
state of facts continues. If we re
fuss to act on the fact that we are
in, Europe will grow poorer and we
shall grow poorer with it. If we act
intelligently on that fact, we can get
back our eleven billions apd can pre
serve and increase our foreign trade.
Mr. Harding has set to work by
using a conference first. He pro
poses to move on to an association,
and may even move on to the league,
in reckless disregard of Mr. Borah.
THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR 1921.
The wide difference between popu
lar fame and the more restricted
celebrity which rewards the labors
of scientists and savants is illus
trated by the Nobel peace prize
awards of 1920 and 1921. That
laurel went in the former year to
Woodrow Wilson, who was and is
known to all the world; this year it
is beBtowed on Dr. Ells Stroemgren,
whose) name we will venture to say
is not Included in any of Thomas
Edison's test question lists. Who is
Dr. Stroemgren and what, among all
that has been done or attempted to
be done to restore peace to the
world, has he accomplished that the
Norwegian storthing sttould single
him out for the prize? Let them say
who can.
Dr. Stroemgren, according to
available reference works, is a Swede
by birth and at present a professor
or astronomy in the University of
t-opennagen. His hobby is the origin
of comets, a subject on which he de
livered a lecture in Chicaeo in 1919
The lecture was not widely published
and did not provoke much interest
at the time. Probably a thousand
Americans have heard of Einstein
and his theory of relativity to every
one who remembers the name of
otroemgren or that he was an au
thority on heavenly bodies of any1
kind. It is said that Stroemgren's
work in behalf of peace consisted in
efforts to reconcile the scientists of
the once-warring nations a field in
which it would seem, that much re
mains to be done, in view of the re
ported refusal of certain eminent
American surgeons to meet Dr. Lo
renz of Vienna because of the latter's
Teutonic origin.
Until more is known in America
concerning Dr. Stroemgren, criticism
of the storthing's choice may well be
reserved. But the disturbing thought
occurs that he may have been hon
ored only for the negative virtue of
having been first in a not very meri
torious field. May there be a wider
opportunity for choice in 1922.
NEW HIGHWAY LAWS.
Limitation of loads transported
over highways and the regulation of
rates, franchises and licenses for
trucks and busses, while bearing on
the same subject, are not so closely
related that it is necessary to put
tnem into one act. Legislation would
be expedited and simplified if the
two subjects were put into separate
bills. There are details in both on
which unanimous agreement cannot
be expected no matter what they are.
If combined in one bill, discussion
over weights will unnecessarily in
volve deliberation over regulation in
other particulars and vice versa.
Simplification of work will assist in
making the sestrion a short one.
Concerning load regulation, it
needs to be borne in mind that high
way systems are built somewhat or.
the order of railway systems
Through state highways correspond
to the railway trunk lines; market
roads correspond to railway branch
lines. Railway construction does not
recognize the need of trunk-line rails
and road beds on branch lines: no
more should market roads be built
to sustain a needlessly heavy traffic.
If there is an inelastic load sched
ule enacted it will follow that maxi
mum loads which may be safely car
ried on the main highways wl'.i at
times venture onto the market roads.
We shall either have to make load
weights unnecessarily low for main
highways or permit the maximum
and construct market roads accord
ing to main highway specifications
Fairness and economy, we think,'
will best be served If the legislature
does not attempt to. fix a flat sched
ule of weights that may be trans
ported anywhere on any road. Better
far that the highway commissioner or
whatever body to which, is delegated
regulatory authority In other matters,
be authorized to modVy maximum
load schedules to fit the varied needs
of traffic and varied forms of con
struction that exist throughout the
state.
THE MEANING OF "MARIV
Oriental words when they enter
the everyday ken of the Occident al
ways intrigue us oddly. They are
exotic and mystical and the western
world inclines to them as to an ad
venture in Arablaji nights. Some
have been adopted by our speech,
and have become commonplace but
never so casual as to lose their
glamor. Thus we amuse ourselves
with "kismet," but no tongue of a
northern race ever has uttered this
fatalistic word with the significance
that attaches when it is spoken in
Persia or the Arabian desert. East
remains east, and west is west, for
all that we avail ourselves of lin
guistic liberties. This is prefatory to
a reply to a correspondent, vho
wishes to know the significance of
the Japanese word "maru," as neatly
lettered on prow and stern of ships
from the mikado's empire the in
evitable suffix to the name of each
vessel. To grasp the "true meaning
of the word one must be of Japanese
birth, and it were as well, perhaps,
for all westerners to content them
selves with Interpreting it as "steam
ship." The little brown mariners
themselves admit that we can draw
no nearer to its meaning.
In a recent issue of the Japanese
shipping magazine, "Japan," there
appeared an article pertaining to the
word "maru," and its significance.
The lexicographic facts, while quite
comprehensible to the Japanese, es
cape us even as we read, but they
serve to answer the curious and cer
tainly do not in the least detract
from the interest with which we
scan a bit of cabalistic nomenclature.
For "maru" does not mean "steam
ship." neither does it mean "ocean."
It is symbolical of much more than
that. It signifies in a material way
a spiritual concept.
The Japanese themselves are not
quite sure about it, when it comes to
the quibble. It is an ancient of
ancients, one. of the oldest and most
venerable words in their language.
Literally It translates as "round,"
hence implying the completeness and
perfection of "circle." From this
understanding of its meaning is de
rived its application to precious
things, to children, for example. The
son and heir was once entitled to
add the word "maru" as a suffix to
his name in testimony to his import
ance and value to the line. That, it
seems, was some centuries ago an
indefinite number of centuries and
long before it came into use as a
nautical term. Later It became as
sociated with the architecture of
feudal castles, and these because of
their round wath towers received
the name as their own. Thence It
was but a step to the sea.
It is said that the warships of Com
modore Perry, when they sailed into
Yedo bay, seemed to .the Japanese
who watched their impressive en
trance to be veritable floating castles.
They called the ships by that name
and It was so that all great sea-going
craft came to be known as
"marus." When Japan forsook her
policy, of isolation, built fleets of her
own and sailed the seven seas, the
word was retained in that signifi
cance. Yet there are other versions
of its meaning, less historical but no
less interesting.
One of these relates that the ar
gosies of Japan, in the dim past,
were known as "marus" because
they frequently held the fortunes of
princely houses. In this sense the
application was literally that of "the
precious one." as applied to the mo
mentous character of the enterprise.
Still another version of its relation to
the sea is found in the insular char
acter of Japan, when to the islanders
the ocean compassed them about as
an Insuperable boundary. Thus the
sea signified not only a complete
circle, but a perfection of isolation
and the" word "maru" became for
ever linked with the ocean.
Yet "maru" does, not mean
"ocean." There is, however, a Jap
anese suffix common to their ship
ping that has that significance. It is
the word "yo." Its nearest transla
tion into English is "ocean." Hence
"Tenyo" may be freely translated as
"Heaven and Ocean," or more poet
ically, "heavenly o c e a n"; while
"Shin," the Japanese word" for
"Spring," when coupled with the
suffix "yo," becomes "Springtime on
the ocean."
CANT YOU TAKE A JOKE?
Now we hear from a gentle reader
at Hillsdale who voices his Indigna
tion at The Oregonian's cartoonist
because he has sought to make a
pictorial jest of the late meteor
logical unpleasantness, and has thus
spread broadcast throughout the
world particularly among that ple
thoric and easily impressed horde of
California visitors known as tourists
a false idea of the weather of Ore
gon. The business of the cartoonist is to
be humorous when he can "be, and
interesting, educative, topical, enter
taining, or something else when he
cannot be. Not always does he sue
ceed, but on the whole he manages
to hold this audience pretty well, and
keeping the attention of an audience
is a prime necessity with that par
ticular newspaper star who must aU
ways be In the spotlight of the first
page. It appeared to him that the
storm was an alluring subject for
his facile pen, and he went to it.
Why not? It was the ruling topic
of the day several days a compell
ing fact, an incident aye, an episode
in the life of every citizen in Ore
gon. If be could nave any run wltn
it, and could persuade his readers
does one read a cartoon? that there
was any fun in it for them, clearly
that was his Job.
But now comes along one who
says he should have painted a lovely
picture of green fields, budding
flowers, ungarnered grapes, fruitful
vines, which this one says he saw in
the Tualatin valley. We believe
him and we envy him. Any one who
could discover these insistent evi
dences of a prosperous, luscious and
attractive Oregon, in the midst of
rushing waters, and almost in 'the
very sight of fallen -snows and ice
encrusted trees, should be believed
and Is to be envied. He ought even
to see humor in a cartoon.
Oregon, of course, is a great state.
It has a large interest in tourist
travel, and a great expectation of
more of it. But, why try to fool the
tourist either by suppression of facts
or to fool yourseir into tne Dener
that he is easily fooled? It is better
to assume that he has a sense of
humor and an understanding of
probable truths.
The tourist, for example, invades
California, which is no paradise.
Witness the devastating rainstorms
of southern California, which are the
exception, just a the recent Oregon
storm was an exception, and a very
rare one. But however that may be.
the tourist is entitled to the truth,
and the newspaper's duty is to tell it.
It is good enough for anybody, and
none can be the worse for it, cer
tainly not the people of Oregon.
WHAT CONFRONTS THE REPCBIJCAN
PARTY.
Republicans will open the regular
session of congress with the greater
part of th work on which they must
present their record In the election
of 1922 yet to be done. They have
revised internal taxes, but they ad
mit that further revision will soon be
necessary. They turned aside to
pass several emergency measures for
relief of agriculture. They undertook
tariff revision, but have found
world-wide economic conditions
which threaten to make anything
they do obsolete before It becomes
law. They yet have to act on settle
ment with the railroads and the al
lies, on reclamation of land and on
the soldiers' bonus. To get action on
all these matters which will satisfy
the people will demand strong, wise
leadership, good discipline in the
ranks, prompt action and limited de
bate. These requisites to success are still
to be developed in the present con
gress. ' President Harding has been
loath to exercise his authority as
leader of his party and on the few
occasions on which he has recom
mended a certain line of action he
has shrunk from resort to the meth
ods used by former presidents to
bring recalcitrants into line. His ad
vice to defer action on the soldiers'
bonus was followed, but it was set at
naught on the maximum rate of in
come tax and no heed has been paid
to his plea for quick action on rail
road finances and allied debts. Con
gress has overridden Its nominal
leaders by pushing aside or radically
changing the bills that they recom
mended and passing others that were
fathered by the rank and file. More
legislation has originated on the
floors of the senate and house than
In any recent congress.
This situation arises from the
growing power of the west and from
the demand of the agricultural inter
est, which is strongest in that sec
tion, for relief from the effects of
deflation. The progressive revolt of
1912 drew the bulk of its force from
the west, and the defeat of Hughes
in 191C was due to defection of al
most every western state from the
republican standard. The power of
the west was displayed by the fact
that, with the support of almost
every state east of the Mississippi
river, Hughes was beaten. With
this record to give them confidence
and with pressure from the farmers
to urge them on, while consciousness
of a great party majority relaxed
party discipline, western republicans
joined western and southern demo
crats in forming the agricultural
bloc whVh upset the president's leg
islative programme. The west is in
the saddle, and the east must pro
duce far stronger leaders than it now
has if it would prevent western con
trol of legislation.
Behind this indifference to party
responsibility for legislation and to
a congressman's obligation to the
party In the name of which he won
his office Is the Influence of the di
rect primary. Under that system a
man selects himself for nomination
by whichever party happens to be
stronger in his state or district,
makes his own platform and gives
no pledge to support that of the
party as a whole, even where it is
permitted to hold a convention for
the purpose of adopting one. Own
ing no allegiance to party and feel
ing secure in the support of a
changing. majority of his constitu
ents, such a man may wear the re
publican badge fpr sake of good
committee places and patronage but
reject any obligation to support
party policy. Thus it comes about
that Senator La Follette is elected as
a republican only to vote habitually
with the democrats and that Senator
Ladd is nominally a republican sen
ator though elected on the rank so
cialist platform of the non-partisan
league. A similarly glaring example
in the democratic party is Senator
Watson of Georgia. Such men kick
away the ladder on which they have
climbed.
Genuine republicans in both east
and west surely see that neither can
rule alone and that the attempt of
either to do so will risk wreck of
the party programme and defeat at
the next election. Neither section
will tolerate concentration of politi
cal power in the other, but repub
lican principles are broad enough to
cover care for the interests of both
sections, of both agricultural and in
dustrial interests, without submitting
to the dictation of the merely nom
inal republicans who force them
selves to the front. Success at the
coming session depends on recog
nition of the facts of the situation
and on stiffening up the organization.
ANOTHER OF WAR'S CASUALTIES.
Untimely death of Charles W.
Whittlesey, evidently by his own act,
goes to show that the worst wounds
of the war were hidden and were
slowest to heal. Only those who have
gone through war's experience can
more than faintly realize how it
must have shaken a fine-fibred, sen
sitive nature like that of the hero of
the lost battalion. As the bravest
are ever the tenderest, it came that
the sorrow which follows in war's
wake afected him to the point where
it must have disturbed his mental
balance.
The story of the lost battalion, as
the second of the 308th infantry regi
ment came to be called, Is an episode
of the war which will live in history
together with other examples of hu
man fortitude and endurance. Be
ing on the left flank of the American
army in the Argonne on October S,
1918, this body, of 700 men was sur
rounded by Germans in a uarrow ra
vine, Whittlesey as major command
ing. With only emergency rations,
which were soon exhausted, and with
no water except from a muddy hole,
they continued the fight for five
days in the face of an encircling fire
from machine guns and trench mor
tars. Then a German brought a
summons to strrrend-er "in the name
of humanity," but Whittlesey re
torted with a blunt refusal. Lieu
tenant Arthur F. McKeogh and two
privates wormed their way through
the enemy's lines to the rear and
sent a relief force, which rescued the
remnant less than a third of the
original force.
That brought into relief one side
of Whittlesey's character the side
which scorns surrender and which
fights harder the greater the odds.
The distinction that he won was the
means of bringing out the other side,
for it marked him as the man to
whom the widows and orphans
should carry their troubles, confi
dent of comfort and help. Having
stood the stern test of battle, his
nerves broke when sorrow was
brought daily to mind. The mor
bidly sensitive -state of his mind was
aggravated by his service as pall
bearer to the unknown soldier and
by the thousands of individual
agonies and griefs that it recalled.
and his stalwart spirit broke.
Whittlesey was as truly a casualty
of the war as though he had died in
that Argonne ravine. He suffered a
wound of the spirit which has re
mained open and grown for more
than three years and which in the
end took his life. He was no less a
hero In his death at Sea than (n
battle.
Pioneers of the short skirt may
well say that times have changed. A
skirt six inches from the ground was
once considered daring to the verge
of immodesty, but would now be held
positively prudish.
Uptown locations are In demand
and owners find no trouble In leas
ing for terms of years. "Oregon
1926" is responsible for some and
the1 general prosperity 6f the city for
others.
City Commissioner Funk, who did
not attend the Foch dinner at Spo
kane In a full dress suit because he
is a "plain worklngman, does not
realize that rig is an asset to any
man. ,
The Standard Oil company is re
ported to have obtained Important
oil concessions in Northern Persia.
Now watch the rate of foreign ex
change begin to climb.
Oregon City is restricting parking
just as Portland autoists had begun
to speculate on parking up there
when the limits are extended during
Oregon-1925." ;
A canoe house that floated from
Salem has been located at Dayton,
minus the canoes it contained. Thrift
Is thrift wherever you find it, and so
is theft.
A blue heifer is the grand cham
pion of the United States. The owner
of a blue cow generally thinks her
the best in his herd.
Any jealousy in detecting crime
between county and municipal peace
officers Is commendable. The com
munity gains.
China is to have her own postal
service from now on. Still work in
the world for Roy Gardner if he gets
loose again.
It Is enthusiasts like those in ses
sion here who make nut growing
a successful Industry in the north
west. Why not a picture of the father of
the Portland triplets, reading from
left to right, so to speak?
- Those are badly used cars indeed
that are snowed in and ready for the
profit and loss column.
Judge Delch's sentence of a moon
shiner should have been the reverse
300 days and $30.
Reprieve of Rathie and Kirby will
put up a premium for crime.
Make the trucks pay for the high
ways they break up.
The Listening' Post.
By DeWItt Harry.
THERE'S many a story Inside the
lids of pawned watches. A broker
Just a few days ago exhibited fully
a hundred photographs, most of the.-n
small snapshots of girls, women and
children- he had removed from
watches. There were some beautiful
faces there, faces that showed intelli
gence and were attractive in every
way, women fit to be the ideal of
men and help them in their dally
strife with the world; the photo of a
woman with two fine children with
the lettering "To Daddy" below, and
the proud pose of the young man with
his girl aril retrieved from the flot
sam of a "hock shop."
"The 'Daddy' one was pawned by a
man with twitching nerves who was,
by every indication, in the last stages
of drug addiction." Uncle explained.
"Likely he wanted money for forget
fulness. I had the watch for two
years. He never returned, possibly
he is 'done for' now or in Jail. That
nlc little girl, looks about 16, was
on the crystal of an expensive watch
left here by a mere boy. He asked
that we leave the picture on it until
he came to redeem it. He got in
with a gang, the police said, and is
now doing five years at Salem for
highway robbery Most of these plo
tures tell stories of failure of men,
some of them from the best of homes.
who were not strong enough to with
stand temptation or were beaten by
circumstances. Many of them are
lost to their folks."
'
Just about two years ago a re
porter on The Oregonian, while walk
ing down Washington street, noticed
a fine-appearing young fellow who
wore a Canadian army discharge
bade "for service at the front" As
the reporter had a similar badge, he
introduced himself.
The newcomer had just arrived in
Portland, came from Toronto, and was
seeking a job. He went to the re
porter's home and within a few days
had a job in a shipyard. A short time
later he went to a big lumber cor
poration, for he was ambitious and
wanted to advance. He started as
clerk, studied the lumber industry,
went to night school and perfected
himself in accounting, and now, in
less than two years. Is assistant
cashier for the firm at a high sal
ary, one of the most-trusted em
ployes.
He is carrying $10,000 worth of life
insurance, is half owner of a house
boat that he and another employe
built last summer during their spare
time; his home is in the houseboat
that is a model of all a houseboat
should be, with every convenience
and tasty furnishings, and it serves
to keep his living expenses to a min
imum. He has purchased two shares
of stock in the firm and is paying
for them on installments, and he has
a neat bank account.
When he hit Portland he had less
than $50 to his name, was just out of
the army after several years in
France, but he had ambition and de
termination and nothing can prevent
him from making his mark. Hard
work and intelligent application of
effort are carrying him to success.
The near-tragedies of newly mar
ried couples have their angles of
interest, pathos and humor. The
burnt toast that has to be scraped
while the smoke Is wafted from the
kitchen, the waffle iron that persists
in presenting a gluelike surface to
whloh the batter clings with a firm
grip,- the roast baked to leatherlike
consistency, the failing cake all
these are tragedies. But the first
blow struck that is another matter.
Married cuoples should never engage
in fisticuffs, most of us will agree.
but then there are circumstances.
They had been married but a few
months. Ha had given her a canary
and a dog for pets and company. The
dog swiped a bone from the table,
yes, right under his nose. The proper
thing to do in such a case is to punish
the dog He started to, and was get
ting along fine, when a firm hand
landed behind his ear. In surprise
he turned. Wifey had clouted him
and none too gently, either. She was
all sorrow Immediately, didn't mean
to at all. but, carried away by the
doc's shrieks of pain, had tried to
defend her pet. Oh! Wow!
In Meier & Frank's. She was try
ing to describe the one kind of a shirt
she wanted for him after the clerks
had pulled almost the entire collec
tion from the shelves.
"It was sort of a light purple with
tiny blue dots and a small wavy fig
ure." "she rambled on. "I saw it on
a man on Washington street this
morning."
"Why didn't you ask him where he
got it?" countered the tired clerk, as
a man on the other side asked for
an 18-Inch collar.
Certain well-defined sets there are
in society and in a story on the sport
ing page Just a few days ago the re
porter tells us that "either riding In
the chase or watching the finish
were practically an or rortiana s
horse set."
Why do fish peddlers blow horns?
An observer tells us that the prac
tice is general, but that In some
states in the northern section of the
middle west the fish peddlers do not
blow horns, as there are few fish to
peddle.
V V
All fur coats are not owned by their
wearers. Installment houses sell the
garments for a few dollars down and
small sums weekly. Girls in depart
ment stores or in other small-paid
lines frequently contract to buy elab
orate coats of this kind far beyond
their means. They seek the easiest
terms possible, for It is not their in
tention, in a great number of cases,
to complete the purchase, but merely
to rent the coat for a few months.
In the spring the fur come back to
the stores and go into storage until
next season.
"Camisole or Casserole" is the title
of Dewey L.; Carpenter's favorite
story. According to "Carp" the male
shopper approached the floor walker
in the department store for advice,
the shopper stating that he had for
gotten just which article he was
after, a camisole or a casserole. The
floor walker, in the Farm Magazine
version, then asks:. "Is the chicken
alive or dead?"
Those Who Come and Go.
Tales of Folks at the Hotels.
"Corsets? Yes, many men wear
them." admitted B. F. Wellington, a
corset manufacturer of San Francisco,
who is at the Perkins. "The men who
affect them are usually army officers.
and they wear the corset to give them
that straight, military appearance.
Every once in a while someone saya
that the "corset must go,' but It never
does and It never will, for most wo
men require them. Of-course, there
are women who are so slender tha
they have no figure and these have no
need for. them, but married women
especially, must use them. Corsets
are a necessity, although when the
war started the government tried to
have us discontinue making them
claiming that corsets were a luxury
and not a necessity. Europe Issued
similar orders, but when it was dis
covered that the European women
as a result, were becoming disfigured
the ban was lifted." Speaking of
business conditions. Mr. Wellington
said: "I was selling corsets for $120
a dozen a year ago and they were re
tailed for $15 each. I am now selling
the same corset for $60 a dozen and
yet I find that some of the retailers
are still selling them for $15 each. It
is the same with other articles.
am wearing a well-known make of
shoe which I bought several years ego
for 16 I do not wear them steadily
On the road I met the salesman for
this shoe factory and he informed me
that that particular style of shoe
would now cost me $15. and yet that
retailers can buy the best styles in
this make and sell them at $8 with
good profit."
"Automobiles. 50 of them In
string, came Into Arlington tike
train, in the face of the snow storm
a week ago." said C. C. Clark, who is
at the Imperial. "The tourists, some
of them from South Dakota and way
points, were linked together. They
put a light car at the head of the
line and then, with all the other cars
grinding back of It. they used the
first machine as a snow plow. The
main trouble with the snow was that
it was too light to pack. When the
caravan reached Arlington It stopped
The motorists wanted to get to The
Dalles and ship the cars by boat, but
the highway between Arlington and
The Dalles could not be negotiated
Then they tried to have a boat come
for them at Arlington and failed, so,
when I left they were endeavoring to
arrange with the railroad to send ten
fiatcars and a passenger coach to
take them all to Portland."
Secretary of State Kozer returned
to Salem, yesterday, having attended
the meeting of the committee which
is gathering information on which
the special session of the legislature
is to prepare rules governing the use
of the highway system. Mr. Kozer
will return Saturday evening and in
the meantime his office force will
assemble a mass of statistics relative
to the subject. Herbert Nunn, state
highway engineer, also in attendance
at the meeting. Is to gather a world
of figures from his department for
the committee. Mr. Nunn's statistics
will show the financial end of road
construction in detail, with cost of
maintenance, and upon his figures the
committee will try to discover what
recompense above the usual motor
license fee the trucks and jitneys
should make to the state.
"The Santlam has caused great
damage and has desolated sections
near Mill City and Lebanon and Al
bany, says F. C. Alten, whose ranch
Is where Muddy creek and the East
fork of the Willamette river Join. Mr,
Alten Is at the Perkins. "It has been
years," said he, "since the Santiam
has gone on such a rampage. It has
overflowed farms and carried out
bridges and destroyed roads. The
lowlands and bottoms were particu
larly affected. As yet no attempt has
been made to make a survey, of the
losses." Before Mr. Alten became a
farmer he was a railroad man for 15
years but wouldn't go back to rail
roading now since he has dabbled In
the soli.
O. A. Peterson. His Landing, is the
way it Is written on the register at
the Perkins. Mr. Peterson has a place
down the river which all rlvermen
know as Peterson's Landing. Once
upon a time, a generation ago, the
boats used to tie up to the little
wharf and all hands, except the cap
tain, would climb ashore and throw a
few cords of wood on the deck for
fuel. There is a legend around the
Perkins that there Is good duck
shpoting at Peterson's place.
Among other things the legislature
did a couple of years ago was to di
rect the attorney-general to bring
suit to test the validity of the patent
on bitulithlo pavement. J. M. Devers,
assistant attorney-general and legal
advisor of the state highway commls
slon. is in Portland doing preliminary
work on the case. Incidentally, the
natent is supposed, to have expired
since the legislature Issued Its order.
Albert Q. Baa-ley. department dlrc
tor of the Knights of Columbus edu
cational welfare activities, western
department, with headquarters at n
Francisco, is at the Multnoman. "t ne
work is constantly increasing," said
Mr. Bagley, referring to the educa
tional activities, "and we have been
able to be of great help and assist
ance to many young mn, who,
through their patriotism, suffered
physically and financially."
James Allen, state highway com
missioner for Washington, is regis
tered at the Multnomah with C L.
Babcock, commissioner or labor rcr
the same state. Mr. Allen reports
that the roads are In good condition
from Portland to Seattle and no one
need have any hesitancy about mak
ing the trip at this time of year.
W. B. Dennis of Carlton, Or., num
ber of the Oregon bureau of mines
nd geology, is at the Benson. Mr.
Dennis is displaying a lively Interest
In the proposed regulation of motor
trucks and Jitneys, as he has given
the subject considerable attention
and was an Important factor in the
writing of the highway legislation.
H. A. Crane of Cascade Locks has
been completely fed up on the storm.
For dava Cascade Locks was la the
heart of the snow and Ice blast, and
the country around there now looks
as though a devastating army had
passed through. Mr. Crane is regis
tered at the Imperial.
Judge Sullivan, for many years in
Wallowa county, has returned from
Drain, where he has been during the
summer. "Drain is the most con
tented place on earth," assures the
judge, who is one of the few men
who keeps a diary. "The people
are happy and live a long time there."
Perry Kitzmiller, who has been at
the Bonneville hatchery for several
years, is registered at the Perkins.
The hatchery suffered considerably
during last week's storm, the loss of
the young fish in the hatchery being
practically complete.
State Senator Lou la Lachmund and
wife of Salem are at the Hotel Port
land. Proof la Prod need.
Pearson's Weekly.
Plugwlnch Congratulate me. dear
boy! I'm engaged to the wealthly
Mrs. Grabster.
Plgsnuff So glad, old man! But
er are you sure she is really so rich?
Plugwinch Sure? I should say so!
Why, she was arrested for shoplifting
and acquitted as a kleptomaniac.
EXPLODING AGAIN AN OLD MYTH
Mr. Holman Dlaroaaea Claim That
Whitman Saved Oregaa.
PORTLAND. Nov. 29. (To the Edl
tor.) iMany years ago a reporter of a
Portland newspaper was detailed to
report a lecture 'by Mrs. Henderson,
at the Unitarian church, Broadway
and Yamhill streets. Her subject was
her experiences In Louisiana during
the civil war. As a part of her lecture
Mrs. Henderson used excerpts from
Charles Lamb's noted essay "A Dis
sertation cn Roast Pig." As she
thought her audience was as familiar
with this essay as it was with Ham
let's soliloquy she did not give credit
to Charles Lamb. The reporter was
greatly taken with the humor of the
essay on roaet pig. of which he was
Ignorant. In his account of the lec
ture, as published, he said: "The story
about the roasting of a pig was
worthy of Burdette," Robert Bur
dette being the reporter's Ideal and
greatest humorist.
I cite this Incident as applying to
an article or "story" for it Is a story,
being largely fiction on page 10, sec
tion 1, of The Sunday Oregonlan, No
vember 27, entitled "Whitman's Work
Is Commemorated." It is funny, but
not amusing. It is worthy of Bur
dette. That November 59 Is the anniver
sary of the murder of Dr. Whitman
Is true, for it occurred November 29,
1847. It la also true that Dr. Whit
man was an Oregon pioneer mis
slonary to whom great credit is due.
But since the publication of Mar
shall's "Acquisition of Oregon," the
Whitman myth has been dead and
burled, although Its ghost apparent
ly survives. No Oregon historian now
believes in the Whitman myth, ex
cept as a myth, or that Whitman
saved Oregon.
In said article It is said:
It was through bis (Whitman's) famous
Hda acroaa the continent In tha winter of
1&42-3 that Whitman waa Instrumental in
saving- Oregon to the United Stales.
Saving Oregon was not the purpose
of Whitman's ride or trip in 1842.
This Is established by abundant evi
dence and such a claim Is shown to be
untrue la Marshall's "Acquisition of
Oregon." Dr. Whitman made tha trip
of 1842 to save his mission.
Whitman's pleadtnga at Washlnrton
were also Influenced by tha fact that there
wera present interests which wlxhed to
trade Oregon for the fisheries of New
ounaiand.
This is what is known as "bun
combe."
wnttman met with a courteous recep
tion irom ootn president Tyler and Web
ater, and following Whitman's plea thi
president promised Whitman that he would
not barter away Oregon, or allow English
interests until Whitman could aettla tha
land by leading back with him a band of
American people across the plalua and
mountains to the territory.
This is also "buncombe."
More than a thousand head of loose
stock, cattle, sheep and horaea, 125 wagons
and about 1000 men, women and children
made up tha band which Whitman
crulted to return with him and settle the
territory.
Dr. Whitman did not recruit nor or.
ganize the immigration of 1843, which
he overtook after It had left Inde
pendence,' Missouri, In May, 1843. He
left the Immigrants at a point east
of the Columbia river, and went to
his mission at Watilatpu, and let most
of the immigrants go overland to The
Dalles. He did not know at that
time that wagons could be taken on
land between the Umatilla river and
The Dalles. The immigration of 1S43
came about without preconcert, but
by a common Impulse to the people
who made up the Immigration of 1843.
None of those Immigrants knew or
knew of Dr. Whitman before they
left for Oregon.
There are other misstatements In
said article, which I shall not men
tion, with one exception, and that Is
the following:
October S, 1842. Whitman, with Dr. A.
I. Lovejoy. a fellow mtastonary. and a
guide started east through the wilderness
and cold with three pack mules to sea
President Tyler and Daniel Webster, sec
retary of stAte, and urga that the United
States lay claim to Oregon.
This last statement Is certainly
worthy of Burdette. A. L. Lovejoy
whs a lawyer, not a doctor. He sub
sequently became one of Oregon's dls-
tinguished early citizens. He was
adjutant-general In the Cayuse war
of 1847-1848, elected by the legisla
ture of the Oregon provisional gov
ernment. He was a man of high char
acter and an estimable, patriotic citi
zen. He was at one time a judge or
the supreme court of the Oregon pro
visional government. He was one of
the founders of Portland. But he was
not a missionary nor did he have the
temper or the disposition to be a mis
sionary. But A. L Lovejoy did, moBt
unselfishly, accompany Dr. whitman
on the latter's Journey in 1842. t-os
slbly the writer of said article thought
It was Dr. Esther Pohl Lovejoy who
went with Dr. Whitman in 1842. But
she was not a missionary nor was she
born until long after 1842.
Dr. Marcus Whitman and his mem
ory are entitled to high credit and to
recognition, for he was a pioneer mis
sionary and a pioneer citizen. His
reputation has been hurt by false
claims made by the Ignorant as to
the object of his famous trip in 1842,
and that he saved Oregon. Is there
not a text In the Bible, possibly Tim
othy x:l: "God save me rrom my
fool friends?"
FREDERICK V. HOLMAN.
President, Oregon Historical society.
The Oregonlan entirely supports tha
view of Mr. Holman, that Whitman
did not "save Oregon," nor did he
ever make any such claim. It was
first heard of after he died. That the
Whitman myth" has no historical
validity The Oregonlan has declared
many times. It should be a sufficient
explanation of the appearance in The
Oregonian of an article which has so
stirred up Mr. Holman that It was
printed under the date line, "Whitman
college. Walla Walla. Wash."
Beneficiaries of Soldier's Insurance.
PORTLAND. Not. 29. (To the Edi
tor.) "a" enlisted in world war and
went to France as a soldier. He took
out a war risk Insurance policy in
the sum of $10,000. payable to his
wife as sole beneficiary, no children.
He died and his wife is drawing $57.60
per month on said policy from the
United States government. If she
dies, to whom will the remainder of
said policy be paid?
A SUBSCRIBER.
The payable installments would go
to such ones of the following as
would under the laws of the state
of residence of the soldier be en
titled to his personal property in
case of Intestacy: Child, grandchild,
brother, sister, adopted brother,
adopted sister, stepbrother, stepsister,
parent, grandpaunt or step-parent of
the insured; parent, grandparent or
step-parent of the Insured's wife
If no such- person survive, the com
muted value of the installments would
be paid into the estate of the in
sured soldier. This answer assumes
that the policy is the original ordi
nary life policy Issued by the gov
ernment; i. e. the soldier had not con
verted his policy into some perma
nent form of insurance before his
death. .
Storm-Tossed.
By Grare K. Hall.
The trees were
tortured, moaning in
the gale.
Like twisted things
actual pain.
Their voices mingled
convulsed by
In a hollow
wall.
They lifted bare limbs dumbly
to
the rain.
And when the ice king touched them
with his breath
They stood in silence, verily like
i death.
When nature's changeful mood some
warmth had given
Once more to rain and wind, the
trees awoke.
Broken, alas. by mighty forces
riven.
Still, tenderly their mystic voices
spoke;
There seemed a softer tone through
out the wood,
As though the forest, suffering, un
derstood. The beasts and feathered things, re
leased from fear.
And fury of the tempest reappear.
The shrubs and grasses, rased by
ruthless hand.
Cautiously rise and strive again to
stand:
The pulse of life beats steady, strong
and true.
When pain is done and stress of
storm Is through.
The oneness of it all with man, we
,see
In every phase of nature constantly;
Then shall man, stricken, rot beneath
the skies,
A dumb, dead thing, or shall he, too,
arise?
Well may we pause, with nature all
about.
And weigh the evidence against our
doubt.
Burroughs Nature Club.
Cosyrlcht, Houghton-Mlff lln Co.
en n Ton
1. How
Answer Theae QneatloNiat
many eggs does an alli
gator lay? When?
2. If you threw seeds of fringed
gentian in a swampy place, would
they grow?
3. Is it known how many wing
strokes a bird can make in a minute?
Answers in tomorrow's nature notes.
Answers to Previous Questions.
1. Will minks attack poultry?
Tes, If they get a chance, as they
belong to the wease! tribe, notoriously
blood thirsty. Mink "wild" food Is
fish (the mink Is partly aquatic),
mice, rabbits, or any obtainable small
mammals and birds.
2. What relation Is the rattle-,
snake pilot to the rattlesnake?
It Is one of the moccasins, an
clstrodon contortrlx, called highland
moccasin copperhead, pilot snake,
chunkhead, and rattlesnake pilot.
What "pilot" function it has comes
from the rapid vibration of Its tall
in excitement, making if the snake
Is among dry leaves a buzzing noise,
that warns intruders, or possibly
other snakes that may be In the
vicinity. It has no real rattle on its
tall.
3. Are all birds' eggs edible?
Probably so, even ostrich eggs be
ing said to be palatable when fresh.
But hen's eggs from time Immemorial
have been the most practical source
of that kind of food, owing to the
natural tendency to lay abundantly.
Of course this tendency Is constantly
artlflcally stimulated, both by taking
away the eggs, so that a setting Is
never accumulated
unless the owner
is willing; and by
feeding egg-pro-
duclng foods.
In Other Days.
Twenty-five Tears Ago.
From The Oregor.tan of November 30, 1S0H.
At 8 o'clock yesterday morning the
thermometer registered 11 degrees
above zero, and during the day every
sheet of ice within reach of the city
swarmed with skaters.
The Weatherwax. estate In Wash
ington has received a cash offer of
$10 an acre for all its timber land
in Chehalia county.
The Columbia river Is closed with
Ire at The Dalles, the earliest the
Columbia has frosen there In the
memory of the present generation.
PenBacoIa. Fla. Troops of the first
artillery, now stationed at various
posts along the gulf and Atlantic
coasts are to be concentrated here
for practice with the modern heavy
guns on Santa Rosa island.
Fifty Years Ago.
From The Oregonlan of November so, .
Ben Holladay et al are "fixing"
North Front street at their own
expense.
The number of arrests for city of
fenses in November was 149 and tha
fines collected in police court during
the month amount to $723.50.
The track of the Oregon Central
railroad has been laid down for a dis
tance of 15 miles.
INDIGNANT AGAINST CARTOON'S
Seeing No Storm oa Tualatin, Hills
dale Man Resents Joke oa Snow.
HILLSDALE. Or.. Nov. 19. (To the
Editor.) Having Just arrived from a
detoured trip through the Tualatin
valley and adjacent territory, and
having noted the flourishing fields
of fall-sown grain, green clover four
Inches high, also patches of late po
tatoes, undug for the reason that
there has not been enough frost to
kill the vines, and having twigged
the grapes still hanging unstripped,
and enough Caroline Testouts In some
yards to decorate a marriage parlor,
I wish to enter a gentle but emphatto
protest against the way The Orego
nian's funny man has In some of his
cartoons of depicting climatic condi
tions here, not found. In. fact, til .a
side of Nome.
California Is now swarming with
auto tourists. The Portland papers
are found In every publlo library .nd
clubroom throughout the state with
the cartoons more conspicuous than
the editorials. What tourist, after
having one of those pictures staring
him in the face but would Immedi
ately port helm and turn his head
lights toward Arizona?
N. L. GILHAM.
LOST.
I lost this morning a treasure;
I cannot tell you its worth;
It was worth far more to me
Than anything else on earth.
A large reward is offered
To any who find it for me;
It was worth far more than jewels.
This wondrous thing you see.
Lost this morning a treasure;
No paltry gold or pearl;
Not even a gleaming diamond.
-But lost in the swelling whirl.
LlKten and I will tell you.
For. tell someone, I must!
Lost is my faith In a being;
One whom I thought I could trust!
r DORA REEVES CROST.
I,