8
THE MORNING OltEGONTAN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1923
KSTABLIUHED fii HENRY L. PITTOCK.
Published bjr Th ors-onlan Publlahlne; Co,
IJo dutn btri. Portland, Oregon.
C. A. AKjKDK.V. S. B. PIPER.
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FRANCE COMING INTO LINE.
France's acceptance of restrictions
on use of submarines In war marks
another great stride In the march to
success of the Washington confer
ence. How great a stride this Is can
be judged best by recalling- the hor
ror with which the world read of
the massacre of non-combatants of
the Lusltania after they had sailed
into the war zone In confidence that
no nation professing to be civilized
would harm tbem; or the massacre
of seamen escaping in boats in order
that the sinking: of their ships might
not leave a trace; or the torpedoing
of hospital ships and the murder of
the wounded soldiers, their nurses
and doctors a freight that should
have been sacred to all. The new
rules by .which the five great powers
bind themselves and to which they
invite all others to accede mark a
literal return from barbarism to hu
manity In sea warfare.
By falling in line with the other
powers France impressively demon
strates what tremendous moral
power supports the Washington con
ference, nerves it to attempt what
has been deemed impossible and
pushes It on from victory to victory
victories' of peace and good will
over envy, hatred and malice among
nations. The reproach with which
French refusal to limit submarine
fleets was, met In every country
where the people freely speak their
minds has doubtless Influenced
France to show this "decent respect
to the opinions of mankind." In
contrast with the power of ruthless
force of which Its votaries secretly
conspired at. Potsdam In July, 1914,
to whelm the world in war, the be
neficent power of freedom, justice,
good faith, humanity Is wielded at
Washington and proves resistless.
The resolution that submarines
should observe the same rules of
war on merchant ships as had gov
erned surface ships before submers
ibles came Into use, led by logical
sequence to the sweeping decision
that their use against merchant ships
should be absolutely prohibited. The
law of the sea has been that a war
ship might summon a merchant ship
to stop, might search her, might
seize contraband goods and. If they
constituted the greater part of the
cargo, might seize both ship and
cargo, put a prize crew on board and
send the ship to a port of the bellig
erent power. If with safety to itself
the warship could not send the prize
to port, it might sink the ship, but
must first provide for the safety of
passengers and crew. This rule pre
vailed, though the merchant ship had
the right to resist capture and in the
days of wooden sailing ships could
often put up a stiff fight, warships
often being converted merchant
craft. It was the product of that
chivalry of the sea which was in
spired among seamen by their shar
ing the 6ea's dangers and which
prompted them to help one another
In distress and to be humane and
generous to an enemy In war. In
ternational law and treaty reduced
to definite form gave legal sanction
to customs which had grown up
through centuries of progress in civ
ilization. In order to comply with these
rules the submarine must forfeit al
most all the advantage it gains
through ability to submerge and
must suffer all the disadvantages to
which It is subject when on the sur
face. Moving under water, it can
enter an area of which the surface
is controlled by its enemies and, dis
charging a torpedo without warning,
It can destroy an enemy vessel and
Immediately dive to safety. If com
pelled to summon a ship to stop, to
sena a search party on board, to
make a search consuming hours, to
remove or jettison contraband, it
must forfeit the advantages de
scribed and must He on the surface
for hours exposed to attack. It does
not carry enough men to spare a
prize crew and. If It undertook to
tow a prize to port, it would be ex
posed to attack throughout the voy
age. In order that it may be able
to submerge, its plates are thin, so
that it Is exceptionally vulnerable
when above water. It can carry only
one or two guns, the torpedo bemg
Its peculiar weapon, and cannot
carry enough guns and shell to be a
match for a surface ship of equal
tonnage. Though large cruiser sub
marines were built by Germany to
ward the end of the war, with
thicker plates and Increased arma
ment, the weakness when on the sur
face was reduced, not eliminated.
It followed that in the war a sub
marine could not comply with the
rules without facing the certainty of
destruction due to its weakness as a
surface ship. It could escape that
fate and .gain the advantage of its
power to hide under water only by
setting those rules at defiance. A
nation at war that did not control
the surface of the sea would find the
temptation to use its submarines
lawlessly to be overpowering.
Though it might forbid such use, its
submarine commanders would be
tot to break from restraint and the
government which profited by their
acts would incline to shield them.
Having made ruthlessness the first
principle of its military code, Ger
many did not scruple to order and
defend unrestrained sinking of ships
and massacre of non-combatants.
Thus total prohibition of subma
rines' attack on merchantmen is the
logical sequel to the decision that
they observe the laws of maritime
war. Enforcement of that decision
renders such use well nigh imprac
ticable, but nominally to permit it Is
to offer an incentive to set restric
tions at naught in actual war. If
service of submarines were confined
to operations with a battle fleet or
to coast defense, any submersible!
found alone In the open sea would
be suspect as engaged In unlawful
operations and would be liable to de
struction as pirates by ships of any
nation, either belligerent or neutral.
With the prospect that all the world
would be against it, no nation would
venture to repeat the performance
of Germany.
By agreeing that submarines shall
not operate against merchant ship
France removes the unfavorable im
plication which the British delegate
drew from its Insistence on a large
submarine fleet that such a fleet
would be designed against Great
Britain as the greatest shipping na
tion. At the same time France de
stroys one of its strongest arguments
for such a fleet by limiting its need
to the number needed for operation
with, a battle fleet and in coast de
fense. Yielding of the one point re
vlves hope that France will come In
to agreement with the other powers
on a ratio of limitation which will
Involve material reduction of the
American and British fleets of sub.
mersi blest. France would thereby
advance the cause of reduced arma
ment and promote that common ac
cord which Is needed in dealing with
the many other difficulties that the
world still faces. .
CENTENARIANS IN OREGON.
The death of a resident of Corval
lis at the age of 101 years reminds
us that notwithstanding the hope
held out by scientists, centenarians
are still uncommon enough to attract
attention. Yet Oregon has had Its
share.
Two noteworthy examples were
James Blakeley, founder of the town
of Brownsville, who also lived to be
101, and Mrs. Mary Wood of Hills-
boro, who lived 120 years, 7 months
and 11 days. Mrs. Wood, who was
born in Tennessee on May 20, 1787,
and died on January 1, 1908, was a
pioneer of 1853, and lived near Hllls-
boro during nearly all her life In
Oregon. She was a member of the
Methodist Kpiscopal church for 102
years. It la related of her that she
was o ill when she arrived in Ore
gon at the ago of 66 that she re
quired aid to dismount from her
horse, Dut under the beneficent In
fluence of our climate she improved
rapidly and thereafter knew not a
day of illness until the end.
Mr. Blakeley also was a pioneer.
having arrived in the territory with
the immigration of 1846. He was a
Tennessean, too, who had been a
Missouri pioneer of 1838 before
starting on the long trail to the Pa
cific coast. He was born in 1812 and
died in 1913, and old-timers of the
Brownsville neighborhood still re
member him as a progressive citi
zen, an enterprising farmer and
stockgrower. He saw Innumerable
hardships. Including those of the
campaign against the Indians in the
Yakima war of 1865-6.
It is plain from the record In these
and other cases that an active and
exceedingly busy life, and even toll
and deprivation, are no bar to living
to be a hundred years old.
THE DISINTEREST IN ERUDITION.
Red cheeks, so science says, owe
their healthful tint to the tonic of
iron. Where It Is present in the blood
the cheek is fairer for its chemistry.
Indeed, we are Indebted to iron for
much of the. beauty in this various
world. It seems a great pity that the
physical qualities it dispenses are not
matched by corresponding mental
improvement, in view of the charge
that the mentality of the world, and
more particularly of America, is near
to anemia. Thomas Edison set the
rumor afloat with his gust of com
monplace questions, which developed
the surprising fact that to be suc
cessful nowadays does not neces
sarily connote general Intelligence.
A little iron in our learning, it seems,
might serve to redeem us from the
suspicion of Incompetency.
"That something in the nature of
an atrophy of memory, and there
fore of general intelligence with re
gard to phenomena in general, exists
among Americans, I do not doubt,"
recently observed an educational ex
pert, Dr. John Finley. "It is due to
an atrophy of interest. The memory
of Americans largely Is as keen aa
that of other peoples, no doubt, but
it is more narrowly concentrated."
In other words, we stand in need
of a mental tonic. To agree with
this conclusion, however, does not
impel the average American patient
to concur with Dr. Finley In his dis
tasteful assumption that we are an
inferior people. While constrained
to admit the logic of his first deduc
tion, we are complacently willing to
be compared with the nationals of
other lands with respect to general
intelligence and educational interest.
Annually we receive on our shores
many thousands of foreign birth, and
take up the burdensome task of
fitting them for citizenship. It is
known to us, and without a trace of
prejudice or conceit, that in a vast
majority of instances much remains
to be done before they conform to
the American standard. Culturally
they are our Inferiors, and often
they remain so for more than one
generation. Yet they are represent
ative of the masses in the lands thai
sired them. It seems a pity that,
whenever the opportunity arises for
national introspection, we must
grovel before the culture of Europe
and loudly assert our unfitness.
These reflections do not absolve us
from the charge of mediocrity, or
the conviction that we must measure
up to our own Ideals. Nor do they
appraise such tests as Edison made
with a greater degree of seriousness
than those tests deserve. There is no
escaping the fact that as a people we
are given to self-sufficiency and the
business of the day, and a plague
upon erudition. We must admit the
somewhat disgraceful truth of Dr.
Finley's assertion that our memories
are atrophied. And in so doing we
round the circle and return to first
causes. The . defect Is not in the
American mind, but in the modern
manner of living: which lays too
much stress upon tinsel pleasures
and too little upon cultural achieve
ment. It la our thought that the
failing is not peculiar to this conti
nent alone, but that the older centers
of culture are also impregnated with
the virus of worldliness. The trouble
is not with our memories, but with
our mental reflexes, which react
more readily to pleasure than phil
losophy, to twin-sixes than text
books. There is today a tendency that has
slumbered since the middle ages.
active again and intensely popular.
The belief then was that learning
was the exclusive field of scriveners
and monks. In the present we seem
quite content to permit our his
torians to read their own volumes,
our geographers to pore over their
own maps, and our scientists to toil
without public Interruption. The
material benefits of their labors wi
deign to enjoy, but scorn to under
stand, and care not a fig who knows
it. Perhaps this popular attitude is
born of the consciousness that no
layman may hope to be of the elect.
In an age of complex and prepon
derant learning. We have no crav
ng for the iron tonic of erudition.
If Dr. Finley and Mr. Edison will
contrive some way to administer it.
and yet leave the individual free to
pursue what he regards as personal
happiness, . both present and future
will be more heavily in their debt.
END THE NEWBERRY CASE.
The senate has so much business of
grave interest to the people before It
that it should end the waste of time
on the Newberry contest. Mr. New
berry would have made a more fa
vorable Impression on the public mind
if he had long ago made his defense
in open senate. After he makes it.
the senate should relieve Itself and
the people of a nauseating business
by taking a vote. If Mr., Newberry
was not lawfully elected, neither was
Henry Ford, and the only possible
end to the contest. If Mr. Newberry
should be unseated, Is a new election.
Most discreditable about the sen
ate's proceedings in the matter is the
close approach to division on party
lines. In deciding whether a mem-
ber has been elected cleanly or cor
ruptly, it should pay no attention to
party. A member's clear title to his
seat is of vastly more consequence
than the question whether 'there
shall be one less republican and one
more democratic senator, for the
presence of one corrupt senator casts
a shadow on the entire senate. When
other senators vote with a view to
increasing the number of their own
party without regard to te means
by which a seat is won, they en
courage the Impression that they are
no better than the one that is under
attack and that his only sin In their
eyes Is that he was found out.
While The Oregonlan would wel
come Mr. Newberry's vindication. It
is far more interested In vindication
of the good name of the senate. One
essential to respect for the laws is
public confidence in the integrity of
those who make them. That out
weighs the personal fortunes of a
Newberry or any other man.
LYNCHING AND MIGRATION.
The statistics of lynching for 1921
prepared by the National Associa
tion for the Advancement of Colored
People and those of thefederal cen
sus bureau relating to the migration
of negroes from south to north may
present more than a coincidence to
the student of sociology.
Sixty-three persons met death at
the . hands of mobs during the year
just passed, by comparison with
sixty-five in 1920, but all the lynch
in gs of 1921 occurred in southern
states. Two lynchlngs in Mississippi
and two in Georgia were those of
women. Six of the men lynched were
white. In only nineteen of the sixty
three cases were the victims charged
with the "usual crime." In two in
stances the men lynched were ac
cused of no offense more serious
than being relatives of men who
were wanted by the mobs.
The figures of the movement of
population show that the southern
born negroes in the north Increased
from 440,000 in 1910 to 780,000 in
1920. In 1910 they formed 41 per
cent of the negro population of the
north; in 1920 50 per cent. The mi
gration in the opposite direction In
the same period was negligible.
This does not mean that southern
born negroes always thrive better In
the north than they do in the homes
they left behind them, but it does
seem to Indicate that the problem of
mob oulawry is about to solve itself
In a manner that will deprive the
south of one of its great assets a
supply of labor that on the whole Is
peculiarly adapted to its climate and
the nature of its chief Industries.
AN IJNJCST. OCT-OF-DATE PRACTICE.
A summary of contracts between
railroads and steamship companies,
which has been prepared by the in
terstate commerce commission and
presented to the senate by Senator
Jones, reveals the extent to which
mutual preferential agreements have
been made. By many of these con
tracts American railroads give pre
ference to foreign steamship lines;
by some, though made with Ameri
can steamship lines, they give pref
erence to one port over another, both
being on their lines.
In the Pacific northwest, the Great
Northern railroad made a contract
with the Nippon steamship company
In 1911, to run for ten ,years, under
which, says the commission, "steam
ship company was to maintain serv
ice between Seattle and Japan, each
party to use its best endeavors to se
cure through cargoes," and "railway
company was to forward through
cargoes on lines of steamship com
pany only, save under exceptional
circumstances." Here was an Amer
ican railroad discriminating in favor
of one port against any other and In
favor of a foreign steamship line as
against any American line that might
be established. As half owner of the
North Bank road, the Great North
ern has a more economical route to
the Pacific coast, reaching at Port
land, a port from which a line of
shipping board vessels runs to Japan.
Another agreement was made Sep
tember 1, 1920, between the General
Steamship corporation, operating a
line between Seattle, New Zealand
and Australia, and the Union Pacific
railroad and its subsidiary com
panies, which contains these provi
sions: It 1 desired that the parties to the
agreement enter Into preferential relation
with respect to the routing of traffic
Wherever possible, the steamship cor
poration agrees to route Inbound and out
bound traffic via the lines of the rail
roads, and the railroad companies agreed
to prefer the vesaela of the steamship
line.
Unlike the Nippon company, the
General steamship company Is an
American corporation and is subject
to no criticism for preferring one
port to another, but the Union Pa
cific railroad is in a different po
sition. The terminus of its own road
Is at Portland and it reaches Seattle
only through trackage rights over
the Northern Pacific. The natural
point for delivery of traffic to ships
is the first port at which it touches
deep water, namely Portland, its own
terminus. The General Arteamshlp
rflrnnrfttfnn'a vpnwU inn frnm Port
land as well as Seattle whenever .they
can get cargo here. Does the Union
Pacific haul overland freight past
Portland to Seattle to be loaded on
its ships? If so, by what principle of
economy does It justify the practice?
These are relics of a bygone era
in both the railroad and the shipping
business. A contract between a
railroad and a foreign steamship
line may have been excusable when
no American lines were available,
though there is no excuse for dis,
crimination between two ports, both
served by the same American line, as
against the one that is first reached
by tle railroad in question. The
United States now has plenty of ships
to serve all ports; it should do so
without showing favor. The time
has come to cancel all contracts by
which railroads show preference for
foreign ships or discriminate be
tween ports. That is ono way to de
velop an American merchant marine
and to effect economy and prosperity
on the raidroads.
A BY-PRODUCT OF OUR FORESTS.
The great number of tourists and
campers who availed themselves of
the privileges of our national forests
during 1921 represent a not unim
portant by-product of these reserva
tions. It Is said by way of explan
ation of the increase in numbers of
visitors over the preceding year that
it was influenced somewhat by the
plenitude of gasoline, but we prefer
to believe that It was not due to this
alone but that it is the token also of
growing interest In life out of doors.
That nearly 100,000 of the total of
423,637 who registered were not au
tomobillsts is in itself a hopeful sign.
The tendency of modern life, es
pecially in the cities, i3 toward the
sedentary. The quest of learning.
the desire for efficiency, the appllca
tion of science to every problem, ere
ate in the first instance a certain
booklshness which diminishes oppor
tunity for getting into the open.
When we talk of labor-saving de
vices, we mean that they save man
ual labor only; a real labor-saving
machine is one that can be operated
sitting down. No thought is taken of
multiplication of mental strains; the
man at the desk works as hard as his
grandfather did in the field, but with
graver consequences to health. The
neurotics and neurasthenics of the
middle years of life are the result of
two main causes the strain of try.
ing to save physical labor and want
of outdoor exercise.
Golf and other games are pallia
tive, but probably not more than
that. The great national pastime,
baseball, attracts its millions to com
fortable benches on which they sit
until the seventh inning and from
which they return to their homes in
street cars and automobiles. Auto
mobillng for pleasure possesses the
advantage of introducing ozone Into
the system, but It also fosters a kind
of indolence. The few who get all
the exercise they ought to have are
practically confined to professional
athletes and men who are compelled
to work with their hands by circum
stances which they themselves de
plore.
The camper in the national forest,
especially if he builds his own fires,
chops his own wood and cooks his
own meals, is forced back upon his
own physical resources in a way that
Is bound to benefit him. There is an
old saying that It takes a man two
weeks to recover from a vacation in
the wilds. But this is because he
was not "fit" when he started and it
ought to be a warning to him to
mend his programme. Two-fifths
of a million visitors to the forest res
ervations in one season, in addition
to the considerable number of others
who annually seek recreation in
other places where nature smiles her
fondest, are a good sign.
No the least In excellence of the
many holiday numbers of Oregon
papers, by any means, was the
twenty-page issue of the Gresham
Outlook. Text and illustration and
color work bear no laws. Gresham
is in the "garden" of Multnomah
county and what the Outlook has to
say is convincing. The holiday num
ber is up to standard and Mr. St.
Clair's standard is high.
Bootlegging and moonshlnlng, un
fortunately, are looked upon as more
or less pardonable evils. Almost
everybody knows some one guilty of
one of the crimes, but nobody Is will
ing to testify against him. Educa
tion may improve the next genera
tion, but better examples must be
set.
A Hood River youth not yet 21,
guilty of moonshlnlng, has been pa
roled to his father. Only Spartan
parents can assume that kind of
risk, yet perhaps they exist
That's a freak mayor of Mount
Vernon, N. Y., who cut his own sal
ary $500 to reduce municipal ex
penses! He is working under the
scale.
Every plan yet proposed for the
rejuvenation of Europe seems to
hinge, peculiarly enough, on finan
cial assistance by the United States.
Ever note that somebody Is ready
to pick up a hotel lease here as fast
as one expires? Hotels are good
business indicators in Portland.
A few government predatory ani
mal hunters, working at so much per
scalp, would make quick work of
these holdup men.
Los Angeles is so accustomed to
the motion-picture cry of "Wolf!"
that a real daylight robbery causes
little excitement.
The escape of Roy Gardner is be
ing filmed with an understudy to
take the bumps. Thus does fame
pursue a man!
It has ceased to be a question of
whether we shall have a fair, and
has become one only of how best to
have one.
Think of the business the govern
ment could do if it would institute
a clearance sale of left-over stamps.
Elihu Root is more human than
most imagined. The burglary in his
cellar revealed something.
.The contenders in the cold-pancake
event tomorrow night want the
money, that's all.
Here's chance for rivalry. Who
will get the first new silver dollar
here?
The accent in the Stlllman case
evidently is not on the first syllable.
Stars and Starmakers.
By Leone Cams Baer.
NATALIE HARRISON, a Portland
girl, is making a success in her
dancing. She joined the Marion Mor
gan dancers when she left here a year
ago and now is heading her own
company and touring the Orpheum
circuit in the east, with a booking
that will bring her to this coast next
spring. Miss Harrison is a sister of
Joan (Harrison) Hardcastle, a Port
land girl, who also has made a big
success as a dancer in vaudeville.
Eunice Burnham, who was formerly
Charlotte Greenwood's partner when
the two appeared in vaudeville, is a
member of the cast supporting Miss
Greenwood in the new Morosco
comedy "Let 'Er Go Letty."
Madame Olga Petrova's play, "The
White Peacock," will make its bow
in bout 60 days as a novel. The
Four Seas Publishing company of
Boston called on Madame when she
was playing in that city and made
an offer for the fiction rights. They
plan to get the novelization of her
play on the market in not less than
60 days. There should be a tre
mendous sale for such a book right
now, first, because of the play and,
secondly, because the location is
Spanish and anything savoring of
Spain is very popular these days.
Sixty days seems a short time to bring
out a book, but the publishers feel the
sooner they can place "The White
Peacock" on sale the better for them.
.
Shrine week was observed In
Dallas, during the week of December
12. In honor of the occasion Leona
Powers, leading woman of the stock
company at the Capitol theater, wore
a Shrine pin of platinum set in dia
monds during the presentation of
"Our Wives." The theater manager,
George D. Watters, gave a generous
portion of the box office receipts to
the Shriners' hospital for crippled
children.
Miss Powers was leading woman
with the Baker last year and was a
favorite here.
Pearl White, the movie actress, will
return to the stage next Bpring in
Paris, it was announced late last
week. Miss White says that she is
not leaving the screen for good, how
ever. Henri Letellier, the "Roulette
King," is said to have offered to build
a theater for her.
A theater will be built in New
York on an uptown site for Billie
Burke by her husband, Florenz Zieg
feld Jr., it has been announced. The
new bouse will be a model of theatri
cal construction, with a small bal
cony. Miss Burke plans to make a
repertoire theater out of it. present
ing, among other plays, "A School
for Scandal," by Sheridan; "A Doll's
House," by Ibsen, and perhaps one or
two plays of Shakespeare's. It means
the realization of Miss Burke's long
cherished hopes.
Claire Eames, a niece of Madame
Emma Eames-de Gogorza, has an
nounced her engagement to Sidney C.
Howard, dramatist. Miss Eames at
tained her greatest fame last season
in the title role of John Drinkwater's
"Mary Stuart," and also played the
leading role in Mr. Howard's
"Swords." She is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Hayden Eames of Cleve
land, O. Mr. Howard is a native of
San Francisco and a graduate of the
University of California. During the
world war he served in the United
States air forces.
After sinking a small fortune in
"love birds," Pat Rooney and Marion
Bent have returned to vaudeville.
They opened Christmas day in Chi
cago for a tour of the Orpheum time
in their old act, "Rings of Smoke."
Al Jolson was appealed to recently
on behalf of the wounded and dis
abled soldiers quartered at the New
York Polyclinic hospital for some en
tertainment. Jolson immediately re
sponded with an invitation to the
Wednesday matinee of "Bombo."
Since then the invitation has been
extended to apply to any Wednesday
matinee of the show and the veterans
are taking advantage of it.
Theatrical publications have been
asked to bring to the attention of
the public this letter from Mrs. Harry
Houdinl, wife of the famous escape
king:
It has just been brought to my
notice that some lady in the east is
traveling under my name, being
billed as Lady HoudlnL This is very
unfair to me, as there is only one
Houdinl and I have been married to
him for a quarter of a century, and
I therefore would ask in fair play
that, as I have managed to have an
unescapable hold on Houdinl, all other
of the gentler sex keep away from
the name which rightfully belongs to
me,
"I trust that the lady using my
name will please cease so doing and
find' another name, as I know the
managers are always willing to bill
artists according to their ability and
not by the names they assume."
According to advices from London,
where Qladye 'Cooper has established
herself in the highest niche of popu
larity In the leading role of Chan
ning Pollock's play, "The Sign on the
Door," at the Playhouse, this excel
lent English actress will be seen In
America at the close of the present
engagement in a new play this, too,
possibly from the pen of Pollock.
Her visit to these shores looms up
but remotely at the present writing,
however, in view of the fact "The
Sign on the Door" Is going so strong
ly at the Playhouse that It bids fair
to run on for many months to come.
This is the piece Marjorio Rambeav
brought us last season.
a
Following a long retirement. Clara
Clemens will resume work on the
concert stage this season with a spe
cial programme of Brahms' songs.
She is the daughter of Mark Twain
and the wife of Osslp Gabrllo witsch,
concert pianist and conducter of the
Detroit symphony orchestra.
New York will see "Uncle Tom's
Cabin" for the first time in many
years during Christmas week, when
Harriet Beecher Stowe's historic
drama will be presented as the prin
cipal attraction of a series of re
vivals planned by a stock company
recently formed by the management
of the Manhattan opera house.
Those Who Come and Go.
Tales of Folks at the Hotels.
As an Instance of the close rela
tionship between the United States
and South America, David McGlnnii
of Oakland, Cal., registered at the
Multnomah, say that America pays
at the rate of $500,000 a day to Brazil
for coffee purchased from that na
tion. The farmer who has a crop
failure in Brazil has an easier time
than the farmer in like condition in
America, for the law requires farmers
to pay taxes only on produce sold
from the farms, and in case v
of failure of crops they have no tax
to pay on the farmland or the pro
duce raised and not sold. "Although
the French cooking In the southern
countries," continued Mr. McQlnnis,
who has just returned from a tour
of South America, "is ahead of some
American cooking, yet the American
hotel is far better than the South
American hotel. To Insist on having
a room for yourself is considered
selfish, and in order to have a private
room you have to pay the price
charged for the other occupants, and
even then the proprietor protests
against such a procedure. All the
hotels charge for room and meals,
instead of for room alone. At the
Palace hotel in Rio de Janlero the
lobby, lounging room, dining room
and ' ballrooms are situated on the
roof. The traveler not used to south
ern climates frequently has to go to
bed early at night to keep warm, as
there are no means of heating the
sleeping rooms, and at times the
nights are cold. Most of the south
ern countries are glad to see Amer
icans and since the war our people
are more popular than ever, because
we demanded no additional territory.
South America needs our trade and
sympathy. While the people are in
dustrious they are not creative, as
are the citizens of the United States,
and they have to look to us for much
of their development, machinery and
the like."
"Southern Oregon communities are
filled with people who have never
seen the natural wonders in their
own vicinity. Hundreds of Medford
residents, for example, have not
viewed Crater lake. To change this
ofder of things, a series of gather
ings Is being planned," states Irving
E. Vining of Ashland. Or., registered
at the Imperial. "The road to the Ore
gon caves has been completed, eo
Grants Pass plans having a celebra
tion at tho caves, with scientists to
explain the geological features and
lectures on the history of the place.
The caves will be Illuminated and a
big time Is promised. Then Med
ford proposes, through a Crater club,
to stage a festival at the lake. It is
desired to secure a couple of power
ful searchlights from the govern
ment so the lake can be Illuminated
at night. The club also wants to
give a pyrotcchnical idea of how
Crater lake was in the days when It
wa In eruption. Ashland figures on
a programme at Lake of tho Woods
and the scaling of Mount McLaugh
lin. Klamath Falls figures on a rep
resentation of the General Canby
peace mission and massacre in the
lava beds during the Modoc war,
holding this programme in the ice
caves. Details are being worked out
so that the different events will
come reasonably close together. In
order that the local people and visi
tors may see them all without being
tired out." Mr. Vining, who Is here
as a delegate to the state chamber
of commerce from Ashland, says that
tourists should be induced to see th
by-ways as well as the highways of
Oregon.
J. T. Rorick, formerly mayor of
Grand Dalles, across the Columb'a
river from The Dalles, has been at
tending the state chamber of com
merce. Judge Rorick cr.n jabber
Chinook as fluently as he can speak
English, for the judge has lived In
that section' for many years, having
been brought out west by Rev. O. D
Taylor, the greater boomer of Grand
Dalles. The Rev. Mr. Taylor one
got out a picture to show Grand
Dalles and It had most of the bul fel
ines in The Dalles In his fanciful
creation. Also the picture -showed
two or three interstate bridges span
ning the Columbia. Grand Dalles has
had a glass factory, corset factory
and shoe factory, but not one of these
enterprises advanced beyond the
point of having a building.
George W. Johnston, registered at
the Multnomah, is here in connection
with the Dufur orchard concern, the
largest apple orchard in the world.
Mr. Johnston Is head of Johnston
Bros.' bank; of the Johnston, Inc.,
Mercantile company and the John
ston Land & Stock company, all of
Dufur. There has been a moat favor
able winter in the Dufur country.
Some time ago there was three feet
of snow, which soaked into the
ground, and now there Is a blanket
of six or eight Inches, so that the
soil will be in excellent condition
and it is predicted that there will be
a 100 per cent crop in 1922, unless
something unforeseen occurs.
Speaking of sheep, William Ketch-
um, who lives in The Dalles, is a
good sheepman. This is proved by the
fact that he has made Instead of
losing money during the recent jolt
which the sheep industry sustained in
the western states. Mr. Kelchum. who
is registered at the Imperial, ranges
his flocks on Five Mile, Eight Mile,
the Deschutes and Mill creek, be
tween The Dalles and Mosier. He is
recokened as one of the foremost
sheepmen of Wasco county.
W. P. Reed, one of the Reed broth
ers who have a town named after
them. Is at the Hotel Portland from
Reedsport. Mr. Reed is mayor of the
town and chairman of the port of
Umpqua commission. For a time
Reedsport was the fastest growing
town on the Oregon coast.
To attend the Insurance conference
being held here, there are registered
at the Hotel .Portland from heattie w.
A. M. Smith, W. H. Silllman, M. A.
Tenney, R. W. Edgington and Jesse
Murphy. From Astoria comes B. Van
Duzen and from Newberg D. D. Coul
son. Mr. and Mrs. Martin King of
Kamela, Or., are at the Hotel Portland.
Mr. King is a locomotive engineer,
working on "the hump" of the Blue
mountains. Once upon a time he
served in the Idaho legislature.
James P. Stapleton left Tuesday for
Washington. D. C. to appear before
the Bhlpping board relative to adjust
ment of claims of some local shipping
Interests.
j A. Oates, who has the swimming
fv of Seaside, passed through Port
land yesterday on his way to South
Carolina, where he will spend a few
weeks.
Connie of Reading.
ILWACO, Wash., Jan. 2. (To the
Editor.) Please refer me to the best
source of reading giving information
on the following: Numa, Petrarch, De
Stael, Jerome, Sciplo, etc There is
no public library here. These char
acters are ment'oned in Tupper's
"Solitude," from his "Proverbial
Philosophy." READER.
Write to the librarian of the Seattle
Public library, asking for a loan of
books covering the subjects men
tioned. We understand that In the
absence of a state library in your
state the Seattle library performs a
service ot this kind, .
Burroughs Nature Club.
Copyright, Houghton-Mlf flln Co.
Can Yon Answer These Question f
1. What is the color of a king
snake, and is its bite poisonous?
2. Can you tell me when the blue
jay nests, and hatches its young? Also
what it eats in winter?
3. How do typhoid germs get Into
oysters and clams?
Answers in tomorrow's nature notes.
Anawers to Previous) Queatlon.
1. How many muskrats are there
to a litter?
About six to eight young, usually,
and sometimes there are two litters
a year. The first litter Is born In
the spring.
2. I have a mud turtle. Should I
keep it in water a good deal of the
time?
No description of the turtle came
with this. We assume the common
variety, CInosternum pennsylvanlcum
Is meant. It Is wholly aquatic and
will live In an aquarium without any
means of crawling out of the water.
But since the speciman may be a pond
or river turtle, It is best to provide
a rock, brick, etc., protruding from
the water until you discover whether
the "Island" Is used. Feed bits of
raw meat, chopped earthworm, flies
in season, etc.
3. Please describe the linnet, over
common in parts of California. A re
cent question in your notes makes me
think the bird therein described was
a linnet, and not the sparrow sug
gested as reply.
According to Bailey's Handbook of
Birds of Western United States, the
linnet or house finch, Carpodaeus
Mexlcanus frontalis, has forehead,
superciliary and rump rose pink,
orange red, or scarlet; rest of upper
parts brownish gray, sometimes
washed with reddish; hack not dis
tinctly streaked; throat and breast
reddish; belly whitish, sharply
streaked with hrown. This Is not at
all like the description sent u". which
we believed to be that of a sparrow.
HOI FOR A llBAIi TAX HOLIDAY
'ott Here's the War'for the Public to
Make Money.
SALEM. Or., Jan. 3 (To tho Ed
itor.) Mr. J. C. Cooper, I observe
from a letter printed in The Orego
nlan, invites Portland to lead the
state In a campaign to reduce taxes.
Now, reduction of taxes, under any
sort of process, means that some com
munity Is going to lose something I
already has. If Portland were strong
enoueh alone to take away a lot
the things that taxation provides fo
communities and classes elsewhere,
and Portland should do eo. It woul
he a fine thine for the state. Bu
Portland would be about a thousan
decrees less popular than it seem
now to be a thousand degress les:
popular than it Is even among us fel
lows who believe that Portland alon
ought to pay for its Roman holiday
in 1925.
However. I am a tax tightwad, liv
ing In a community reputed to be
made up of such as I, and I hav
reached the conclusion that If there
Is to be any reduction In taxes it i
ud to each of us to agree to giv
something that the taxpayers in gen
eral are paying for.
I now propose that we agree upo
a. tax holiday, a sort of moratorium
on tax paying, for two years and Be
how we like life under first prlnci
pies of government. If It proves too
ealllnsr or too enervating or too ex
citing we can restore, the banished
tax-eaters at the end of the two
vears. If the experience is pleasan
and really profitable we can extend
the holiday from time to time
I propose that for two years we
dispense with county lairs, wnicn aur
ing the present biennium are costing
the state of Oregon Ilb.uoo.
I propose that for a similar period
we dispense with tne state iair. wnicn
is costing us for the two years
000, not including building appropria
tlons.
Let's do away for two years with
the exhibit of Oregon products, which
costs us 120,000; also the International
Livestock exposition, which costs u
$76,000 for premiums and to which
the last legislature gave iiou.ouu lot
new buildings.
For one. I should like to see what
would happen from a two-year holi
day on wild animal bounties. They
cost us 1100.000, and it is reported
that the hanging up of this purse in
duces professional hunters to bring
pelts from other states or vlrtuallj
raise litters of coyotes. Let's see if
the farmers of the state have not en
ergy enough to protect their own
flocks with what aid the government
tranners give
Let's also try cutting out election
Damnhlets for two years. They cosr
us 1100.000, but they go Into the
wastebasket and the voters get their
information from their favorite news
Dapers.
The state lime scneme nas Deen a
failure. Give It a vacation for two
years and save $10,000.
The tourists are coming anyway.
Close up the tourist bureau and re
tire from the Northwest association
and save another $100,000.
No great harm would come from
shutting down the bureau of mines
for a couple of years and keeping the
$60,000 in our pockets,
The state water board is a useless
appendage. Laws regarding appro
priation of water are well defined.
The courts are available in contro
versies and every Important case is
appealed anyway from the water
board's decision. It costs us $30,000.
Extend the holiday idea to all new
buildings at state institutions. In
these two years the state's building
and building-betterment programme
cost in round total $1,000,000.
Inasmuch as the holler for economy
Is loudest in the country, suppose
we take the country at its word and
have a vacation on market road taxes
for two years and save $2,081,671
After our hands have become ex
pert with the knife I doubt not that
we could reduce the extension and ex
periment work of the agricultural col
lege about $200,000 ana mat nobodj
would greatly miss it for a couple
of years.
Probably additional Items that have
been worked pretty hard and deserve
a vacation can be suggested by oth
ers. I've said enough. But foot up
the list as far as I ve gone and see
what you get.
I figure it at Just about $4,000,000.
ERNE3T TEIGHTWOD.
Patton Home Non-Sectarian.
PORTLAND, Jan. 4. (To the Ed
itor.) Under what religious denomi
nation was the Patton old people's
home Instituted? Is it still under that
denomination's care? How long ago
was it first used in that capacity? I
am told It stands on a part of the
Matthew Patton donation land claim.
Is Its name associated In any way
with that pioneer family?
CONSTANT READER.
The Patton home was founded as
non-sectarian by the Ladles' Relief
society of Albina, June 15, 1890, on
land donated by Matthew Patton from
a part of the Patton tract bounded
by Michigan avenue, Blandena street
and Missouri avenue. It was named
In honor of the donor of the land. Tha
non-sectarian feature still remains.
The home Is now under a board of
managers composed of nine women.
More Truth Than Poetry.
By James J. Montague.
nKQl'KST DKMED,
British exhibitor have asked for Amer
ican films that are limited to one killing
a reel.
We would do a lot to please our Brit
ish cousins.
They have sent us many quite ex
citing plays.
We've been basking In the glamour of
the English style of drammer
Since our very early adolescent
days.
None the less, their late request must
be denied then
Though it makes us feel extremely
base and mean;
B'or our best known movie killers
simply will not act In thrillers
With a limit of one murder to a
screen.
Mr. Fairbanks, in his playfullest of
playlets
Shoots a valet 'ere he rises from his
bed.
And, In dressing gown and slippers,
fills the chef who's burned his
kippers
(To the letter's pained amazement)
full of lead.
In the role of the excitable D'Arta
gan Every time he gets the merest trifle
fussed,
Folks unwise enough to sass him, or
make faces when they pass hint.
In the fraction of a Becond, bite the
dust.
Old Bill Hart goes out and shoots the
boys In bunches;
He has got an automatlo on each
hip.
And, when once he gets In action,
often has the satisfaction
Of removing 30 greasers at a clip.
We have watched him slay a whole
platoon of bandits
Who Imagined that they had him In
their clutch;
And we know he'd be astonished If he
ever were admonished
That he drew his gun not wisely,
but too much.
We would gladly give the British
what they ask for
If we only had the power to de
cide. Wo would do our best to thrill 'em
with a stirring western flllum
In hich victims were not scattered
far and wide;
But a movie of the sort that they
think proper
Docs not meet with our ideals of
picture art.
If there are not killings In It at the
rate of one a minute
We could never get an actor for
the part!
A Fellow Keeling,
Lloyd Oeorge succeeded with the
Irish because he sympathized with
them. Welsh children also have to
learn Gaelic.
DHtrr Mill.
Henry Ford's suggestion that unite
of energy be employed Instead of
money, is well enough, but we are at
a loss to understand why he didn't
suggest Ford parts.
'Inking an Awful nance.
Our advice to PeValera is not to get
Int any fight with the Irish.
(Copyrlsht by the Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
3 LETTERS OV DR. McELVEEV
Helpful Spirit of oiiclllntlon I Now
in Evidence.
PORTLAND, Jan. 4. To the Edi
tor.) Let me most heartily thank
you for the kindly reference to me
In the editorial article in The Orego
nian today. It is true, as you suggest,
that your viewpoint is not always
mine; but that fact make me even
the more grateful for your gracious
sentences.
No one, I venture to say, reads the
editorials of The Oregonian with more
regularity, or with more mental
profit, than I do. My kind of mind
finds more that broadens and fertil
izes it In discriminating editorials
than In the newsy news columns.
Of course. I want the news, too, but I
like to have the outstanding events
of the day Interpreted for me. Your
usually Informing Interpretations
have most frequently modified and
revised, as well as enlarged, my view
of things. So let me thank you for
all the editorials as well as for the
one in which you refer to me.
W. T. McELVEEN.
PORTLAND, Jan. 4. (To the Edi
tor.) I want to express my appre
ciation of your excellent article In
The Oregonian today relating to the
pastor of the First Congregational
church.
In my judgment the situation was
handled in the most delicate manner
and should contribute greatly toward
a spirit of conciliation between the
church and Its pastor, whether he re
mains here or goes elsewhere.
J. K. GILL,
PORTLAND, Jan. 4. (To the Edi
tor.) I want to commend The Orego
nian for the "Forget It" editorial.
Dr. McKlveen Is doing too large a
piece of constructive work in and out
of the church not to have a fair show.
The working units of the First Con
gregational church, young and old.
are solidly for Dr. McKlveen, and e
Is the writer, who has observe! his
efficient work at close range.
J AM 103 L. BOWLBT.
HEALTH 19 GREATEST BLESSING
Lonely Ones Are Invited to Consldes
Plight of Invalids.
PORTLAND. Jan. S. (To the Edi
tor.) I read and greatly enjoyed tho
letter written by Eve. It certainly
proves that the human family Is very
much In sympathy with one another,
when the others' desires and needs are
known. Generally that need is
"love."
I wish to say a few words In be
half of tbe Invalids of which I ent
one. While I was physically able end
my money lasted, I visited a number
ot health resorts and. of course, met
great many cripples. The ma
jority of them were very lonely, end ,
they nearly all worried over the fact
that they were spending some rela
tive's money, and not able to sup
port themselves. When they told their
troubles someone was always ready
to say, "There ought to be some
thing that you could do." To that
we can all say, "ires, but what?
When there are eo many able bodied
people out of employment what Is
thre for a cripple or a person i&
bed, like myself, to do?
At present 1 am living with my
brother and his wife. They are very
good to me. Nevertheless I feel that
my extra expense Is a big load for
hem to carry while they are paying
for their home. -
On top of all this the Invalid Is de
prived of many of the tweeter things
of life. Kve says that she received
all that she wished for. What came
to her were some of the things in
valids cannot hope for. Nevertheless,
hey are human, consequently they
want "to love and be loved." They
often dream of a home ot their own
and the sweet things that go with it.
only to realize later that a dream Is
all it will ever be. But, oh, how they
would appreciate real friends and
pals, especially of the opposite sex.
In the face of all this I am learning
to smile Instead of cry, so I am not
omplalnlng, but often wonder If peo
ple in good health realize how much
they have to be thankful for.
HENRY KREGER,