THE SUNDAY OREGOXTANj POKTTLAjVD. AUGUST 2, 1914. PORTLAND. OUUM. PostoICice i :.r ..'"an m at tr I Subscription Kates Invariably In Advance. (By Kail) Dallr. Sundav Included, one year... Daily, Sunday Included, six months... bally, Sunday Included, three month. Ially, Suuday included, one month... Sally, without Sunday, one year Daily, without Sunday, nix month. - - . . 4.2J 2.23 .73 8.00 3.25 l.T Dally, without Sunday, one month 1J0 ivccKij, one b'undiy, one year .... bunday and Weekly, one year BV CARRIER) Dally. Sunday included, one year... n.tiu t- j .. . . -h nnv month. 2. SO 3.00 S9.00 .75 How "to Remit Send' Postoffice mon"y "Jl der, express order or personal check on J local bank. Stamp, coin or curre uwj sender-a rik. Give poatofflce address in tull Including county and state. Y . . , . . ... . a nammm 1 CCTtt . 18 to o2 pages. 2 cent; o4 to 4b page. J cents. 60 to lio pages, 4 cent; 82 to 76 page. , cent; 7S to 83 pages, ti ceiit. Foreign poi sge. double rate. w-v Eastern Business Of ficea Verree coJ!V Jin. New York, Brunswick building. -nt-eago, Steger building. MB Erunrlsro Otllee B. J. Bldwell Co.. t4S Market street. I 'OKI I.AM). SUNDAY, ATJGCST 2, 1814. HOW EUROPEAN ALLIANCES GREW. The present grouping of the great powers of Europe into two alliances which are about to clash in the great est war of modern times sprang orig inally from the determination of Ger many to maintain the dominance she had gained in 1870 and to isolate France, and from the determination of Russia and Austria, to thwart each other's ambitions in the Balkan pen insula. The triple alliance of Ger mans", Austria and Italy came first, and the triple entente of Russia, France and England was formed as a counterweight in maintaining the bal ance of power. After the defeat of France in 1870 she was isolated. The newly estab lished republic was expected soon to fall, and was considered by the other powers only a stop gap to continue until the French chose a ruler among the several monarchist claimants. Germany was expecting a war of re venge and schemed to continue this isolation. There existed an under standing among the three Emperors of Germany. Austria and Russia to keep the peace of Europe, and the slightest move for military prepara tion on the part of the republic caused Bismarck to bristle up. Germany and Russia soon began to draw apart and a war scare in 1875 provoked by Bis marck caused the Czar to promise France moral support in case of Ger man aggression, and led the Russian Chancellor, Gortchskoff, to style the Czar defender of France and the ob stacle to German ambitions. The Berlin Congress of 1878 caused the Czar to withdraw from the league of the three Kaisers in resentment against the support Germany had given to the anti-Russian policy of England and Austria. The vital con flict of Russian and Austrian interests in the Balkans had also been brought Into strong relief. Germany needed Austria's aid against either Russia or France, or both combined. Austria needed German aid in her schemes of expansion to the southeast and in pre. venting Russian aggrandizement in that quarter. This combination at that time, too, kept England in good humor, for her government was then bitterly hostile to Russia. Austria's support was not sufficient for Germany, and after much flirta tion Bismarck drew Italy into the league. The latter country had never forgiven France for exacting the ces sion of Savoy and Xice as the price of aid in the war of independence or for desertion before Italy's liberation was completed. French support of the Pope's temporal power had been a continual source of irritation, and after the Fnjnch troops were with drawn from Rome in 1870 French po icy continued friendly to papal claims. "When France seized Tunis In 18S1 Italy flamed with indignation, having regarded control of that country as necessary to her predominance in the Central Mediterranean. England was held to have connived at the French move. Italy found herself isolated and joined the central powers In the triple alliance, which was signed on May 20, 1882. It was originally for five years, hut has been renewed from time to time, the last renewal expiring with the year 1914. The exact terms of the treaty have never been published, but it is known to pledge the three powers to Join In resisting attack on the territory of any one of them and to specify the disposition of their forces in case of attack by France or Russia, or both, simultaneously. Originally it required Italy to send two armies to ner rrenin frontier and a third into Germany to operate against either France or Rus sia. Austria was to guard the Adriat ic on land and sea and to help Ger many against Russia on land. Ger many was expected to be sufficlently occupied on her own frontiers. The general terms of the treaty are be lieved to have remained unchanged, although details may have been al tered with each renewal. The relations of France and Russia became constantly more friendly, and the answer to the triple alliance was at first an understanding reached in the early 80s. which relieved each nation of its isolation. This ripened Into an alliance in 1891, which, in the language of the French Premier, se cured for France "the support of Russia for the maintenance of the equilibrium in Europe." Russia ob tained funds in France, a loan being subscribed twelve times over in 1891, while France obtained renewed pres tige and security against German ag gression. The extreme champions of a policy of revenge Interpreted the alliance as a pledge of Russian aid in a war to recover Alsace and Lorraine, but Russia made known that its pur pose was defensive, not offensive. At that time both France and Kus sia were hostile to England. That country opposed Russian policy in the V..ll . . . 1 11 ,.i,.',.uri 1 -111.1 4.-1 1 C ll.'i" . iT .i . n .i i la iiuu ....in. iiu. . ...... , . .i jngered France by the occupation or Egypt, by its opposition to French colonial adventure in Africa and by offensive comment on the Dreyfus af--Jalr. France retaliated by criticism of the Boer war. But enmity was meanwhile growing intense between England and France's hereditary foe, Germany. The latter country entered upon a policy of naval, colonial and commercial expansion which brought her into rivalry with England all over the world and aroused England's jeal ousy for her naval supremacy. An exchange of visits between King Ed ward and the French President in 1903 caused their people to forget subjects of temporary irritation and to dwell on their more substantial common interests. In 1904 an agree ment was made for settlement of all outstanding controversies, by which France gave England a free hand in Egypt in exchange for support of French cdntrol of Morocco. After Russia's defeat by Japan France be gan to lean more heavily on England, and that country proved her sincerity by standing squarely with France when the Agadir incident in Morocco brought France and Germany to the verge of war. British relations with Russia con tinued hostile until the close of the war between the latter country and Japan. They were at the breaking point after the Doggerbank affair and the Anglo-Japanese alliance was taken to be aimed at Russia. But M. Del casse. the French Foreign Minister, strove assiduously to relieve this fric tion, and with such good success that in 1907 a treaty was signed for the amicable settlement of all questions pending and for the division of Persia into spheres of influence. King Ed ward visited the Czar in 190S and thereby drew closer the bonds which united" the three powers. England's fears for India were calmed, her in terests were recognized to be served bv the building of independent states in place of decadent Turkey as a block to Austrian expansion, and she began to contemplate calmly the prospect that Russian warships would pass Constantinople into the Mediterra nean, though the Jingoes thirty years earlier would have fought to prevent such a concession. That Austrian aggression was a real danger to the triple entente was proved by the annexation of Bosnia and bv the threat of war to prevent Servian annexation of Albania. Hence Russia's readiness to prevent the chas tisement of Servia and her allies' read iness to back her. That Russia is fast recovering from the wounds inflicted by Japan is evident, hence the will ingness of the triple alliance to syimc before she grows still stronger. That the Austrian empire must crush Slav separatist agitation or be dissolved and cease to be a factor in the alli ance was apparent. Hence she struck -ith Germany's consent. France sees her opportunity for revenge and Eng land sees hers to end the German menace to her naval and colonial su premacy. The great powers seem bent on seizing the present occasion to clean up all old scores. When they have finished the map or Europe, Asia and Africa is likely to have many new lines marked on it in blood. WHO PAIS FOR WAR? War was once a state of nature; now it is the great crime of civiliza tion. It is wholly useless; it is hor rible waste; it is awful cruelty, it is mi.nipr It would seem 1 .Hi".'. " that the costly and terrible experi ences of many thousand years wcu.n v,.. ,,,,.ht all mankind that noth ing is to be gained by war, and every thing is to be lost, nut eucn sc"i tion must learn for itself what war is and war does. Tk inun dies, the woman suiters. the children starve. The fields are desolated, the home broken, tne tam ii.. 1-,. ind The drums beat, the trumpets blow, the flags fly, the crowd applauds, as tne soioier marches away; but the silent tomb hears no music, and dumb voices only become the mourning fireside. The penalties of war are not alone In tears, in pain and in death. The is exeat, very great. The great Civil War in America cost $3,000,000,000, ana tne cu.c. amount of 4, 000, 000, 000 has since been paid in pensions. " The survivors inherit the debts or war. i nej muo.. Pa- . , Europe has long Deen an strarcv The nations have each pre pared for conflict with great armies and mighty fleets. it was aiaj i, . -i. ..!.. that thev be used. The great powder house needed only a spark for the explosion. out nvm trivial the ostensible cause. The real motive is that the dogs of war, long in leash, and long anxious to be at the others' throats, have been re leased because of a savage desire to destroy. Bitter national rivalry, un conquerable race hatred, are the main factors. Servia offends Austria; Austria at tacks SCrvia; Russia prepares to pro tect Servia and chastise Austria; Ger many sides with Austria and makes war on Russia; France and Great Britain are ready to seize the long desired opportunity to destroy Ger many. The row of bricks goes down because the first Is ubset. The United States is, of course, a distressed onlooker at the world's tragedy. It is pitiable that It must merely watch and wait, but it must. THE GERMAN ADVANCE. Mobilize. The one word was enough to set the splendidly organized Ger man army into motion. What other orders .were given when the Germans cast themselves at the throat of their Slavonic foemen remains to be seen, but later reports doubtless will show that Germany sought to take advan tage of her superior mobility and magnificently appointed regular army to strike a succession of staggering blows against the Russian advance. The .Russians had the advantage of three days of mobilization activity and managed to get a score of field armies on the border between Germany and Austria Hungary, but with the speed of a rocket the Germans will be found to have hurled themselves into the breech, concentrating from Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden and Konigsberg im mense armies to crush the Russian advance. It is entirely possible that the Germans were in action within half a dozen hours after the die was cast.' Perhaps nothing more than clashes between covering detachments have occurred so far, but stubborn general engagements will not have to wait long and even today the fields, woods and swales of the frontier may be running red with the blood of Teuton and Slav. The first engagements will repre sent the last word in modern warfare. Military efficlence. modern implements of destruction and that primitive savagery of racial hatred which seizes human "beings when the veneer rubs off in bitter war, will serve to make the initial contests a seething Ifades of combat. Upon the outcome of these first clashes will depend the strategy of the immediate future and fix the theater of operations for the first desperate stage of what threat ens to become the greatest war the human race has engaged in. If suc cess attends that much vaunted Ger man fighting machine the German objective may become Warsaw, even Moscow. If" the sullen, stubborn Slavs brush aside the first Teuton blows the Russians may hold the German hosts at bay on the German boundary while penetrating Austria ii This Issue once launched. will not be determined in a few days of fighting. Line arter line may ne wiped out by the tempest of conflict, supports and reserves continually feeding the maws of battle until the resistance of one great race or the other weakens. Human life is counted at little in such a struggle. German's whole energies, of course, can not be directed at once against the Russian advance. There are other and important considerations. Pre cautions must be taken against possi ble French aggression. A sufficient army must be held to spring at the French throat should the necessity arise. The German fleet, in the meantime, must patrol the Baltic. German squadrons have appeared al ready as far north as the Gulf of Finland. But a naval clash does not appear either expedient or Imminent. The armies must assert themselves first. WHERE THEY STAN"!). The Pacific Patriot, a prohibition organ, appears to be out of harmony with the plan to neutralize the pro hibition campaign and it has been busy on its own account in an effort to ascertain some things of interest at least to the Patriot. Recently, the editor, Curtis P. Coe, addressed a let ter to the various candidates for Gov-..n,,.- inniiii-lnir where thev stood "on the subject of the Oregon dry amend t . i v. m -i itny nf rlirid en- ment miu t-'ii me -- forcement of liquor laws, as well as other laws," and offering them "reas onable space" for reply. James Wlthycombe, the Republican candidate, appears not to have re sponded. The reason doubtless is that he recently made a public statement that he would decline to answer any question as to whether he would or would not personally vote for prohibi tion; but he would rigidly enforce the prohibition law, II enacieu. u- as am the Progressive nominee. declares for prohibition and law en forcement. rr (' iX. Smith, the Democratic can didate, replies as follows: My position on this cfuestlon Is so well understood that I believe It will t He necessary for me to accept it (the Invita tion to reply through the Patriot) Perhaps later in the campaign I may avail mjseir of the privilege you offer. Well understood.' unaerstooa oy whom ? 8EBVIA. There are two excellent reasons for a iiifT-ia-t! enmltv to Servia. In the first place the little country south of thf rianiihe lies directly in tne way of her neighbor's progress toward Sa- lonlca and the Aegean sea. ah open nath In the Aesrean would put Austria in the way of becoming a naval power, which is naturally among her ambi rinna it nresent her sea coast is re stricted to a short line along the Adri atic, where at every point she collides unpleasantly with Italy. In the sec r.rt Austria nossesses a numer ous Serb population which, if it were at liberty to follow its natural pro clivities, would unite with its Balkan kinsmen. Should Servia ever develop inin a ctT-nnir nower the Austrian Bern would almost Inevitably gravitate in hat irortinn which would be very disagreeable to the imperial house at Vienna. Hence Austria uses every ti-inv in hor f'abinet to keep Servia down until the happy day arrives when she can swallow the little coun trv whole. No doubt Vienna believes that the happy day, so longiooked for, has at last arrived. TTnloMS her armies should be stayed by some other great European power it" seems hardly possible that Servia can resist them. They will probably niru helm her forces bv sheer num bers, though, like the Swiss, they may- take advantage of the natural iori resses to delay and destroy the in vaders. Russia has been the stead fast friend of the Servians ever since their successful revolt from Turkey in 1815, but it is by no means certain that the Czar can effectually help them nnw His foreign and domestic troubles are, as usual, pressing, while, like every other European monarch, he is hamnpred bv lack oi tunas, ii any of these Individuals were com pelled to face his debts like a private person he would be bankrupt. o European country really expects ever to pay its public debt. Even the in terest,, mounting as it does year after year, has become an intolerable bur den to some of them. Russia owes one of the heaviest national debts In the world. Her borrowing capacity was nearly exhausted at the time of the war with Japan and she has not yet entirely recovered from that dis astrous conflict. An attempt to ob tain money now from the great princes of finance in order to fight Austria would probably encounter harsh conditions, if not an actual re fusal. If Russia joins in the war on behalf of Servia she will probably have to depend upon her domestic re sources to finance the enterprise. Russia's greatest dependence as a fighting power is the blind devotion of her people to the Czar and the church. This is an incalculable fac tor which is likely to produce all sorts of unexpected turns in the game of politics and war. Relying upon It, the Czar may feel it safe to go to the aid of his historic ally, even without a penny in his treasury. After her suc cessful revolt from the Turk in 1S15 Servia would probably have been forqed back under the heathen yoke hud Russia not been her advocate in the congress of the powers. By the potent intervention of the Czar's rep resentatives the principality was given a good deal of the appearance of autonomy and some of the reality. The Turks retained Belgrade with some other strong fortresses, but the Ser vians won for their ruler Milosh Obrenovitch. the leader of their re volt, and eleven years later Turkey allowed them to pass openly under a Russian protectorate. From that time to this the Servians have been ob sessed with the imaginary advantages of a paper constitution. Many of their internal troubles have arisen through their eagerness to obtain this illusory bulwark for their liberties. More than one constitution has been obtained from their princes, either by force or persuasion, but none or them has been of any appreciable benefit to the peo ple. Russia has always supported so called "popular institutions" In Servia, mainly because it is to her interest to keep the central government feeble. Of course, It is the Czar's ultimate intention to swallow up Servia with the other Balkan countries, and the weaker they are the easier his task will be. Austria, on the other hand, has fostered a strong monarchy In Servia with the hope of controling the Prince, and through him fixing her grasp on the country. Through it all Servia has never known anything of genuine freedom. There has been an alternation between oligarchy and monarchical despotism, with assassi nation to diversify the tale, but noth ing like rsal popular government. In 184S, wheTi the Magyars of Hungary flew to arms against Austria, the Hun garian Serbs opposed them. The Serbs south of the Danube sided with their kinsmen to the north, and the im perial government found them valua ble allies. Russia sent an army to help along the fight against freedom and the rebellious Magyars were crushed. Naturally, the Austrian gov ernment then turned its hand against its foolish Servian allies. The Berlin treaty of 1878 laid upon Austria's willing shoulders the duty of "pacify ing" Bosnia and Herzegovina two Serb principalities immediately west of Servia. This brought the Austrian frontier up to Servia as far south as Montenegro and opened the way for those perpetual intrigues which Vi enna knows so well how to practice. Milosh Obrenovitch and his family occupied the Servian throne until 1842. In that year a so-called national assembly caused Milosh's second son, Michael, to abdicate and elected in his place Alexander Karageorgeovitch, a scion of an old Servian family, but a weak character. He tottered along until 1858, when another national as sembly deposed him and restored, not Michael, but his octogenarian father, who did his best to reign under a con stitution, though Austria opposed him viciously. He died in 1860 and was succeeded by his son Michael, the for mer Prince, who reigned until he was assassinated in 1868. With pleasing alternations of murder and constitution-making things drifted along until 1900, when Alexander, of the Milosh dynasty, married Draga Lounyevitza. She was an unpoular woman, and to show their disapproval of the union the Servian nobles broke Into the pal ace and shot both the King and his consort. This event brought back to the throne the Karageorgeovitches, who still reign. BASK BALL AS AN ADVERTISEMENT. If we were asked to make a guess why professional baseball had gone bankrupt in a given city or lb.uwu or 20,000 inhabitants we would hesitate between several conflicting specula tions. Perhaps the city was so busy in commercial and industrial pursuits that f&ssi harl time to attend the earnes. Perhaps business was so dull that hardly anybody could afford the price of admission. Perhaps the manage ment attempted to maintain too ex pensive a team for the possible at tendance. Perhaps the management maintained so poor a team that every body lost heart. Perhaps the town was naturally prosy and did not care for sports. We therefore, at this distance, can not pretend to say why baseball has failed In North Yakima, but the reasons that may have caused its failure are so numerous that there is nn eause fnr the newsDaDers of that city to repine because of fancied bad advertisement. Nobody will attempt to judge North Yakima on that Dasis. Tnlntenance of a nrofesslonal base ball team is very often encouraged in a community as a business advertise ment. But it has not that quality. No industry and very little population were ever attracted to a community because a baseball team carried its name in some professional league. We i nnt Slav that baseball is not an advantage to a city but the return is not In a commercial or industrial way. Baseball provides a wholesome recreation. It invites men to come nnt nf r-lnse offices and fill their lungs in the fresh air. It promotes health and happiness and if the home team is winning it encourages local pride. Baseball is a mighty good thing but as a strictly business investment it Is, or ought to be, attractive only to those who expect to profit directly from the gate receipts. NEW PROCESS OF LEGISLATION. President Wilson exercises more in fluence over the majority in Congress than any recent holder of his office. He puts legislation on certain subjects on his programme and Congress duti fully sets to work to draw up and pass bills on those subjects. The popular supposition is that the learned, stu dious, painstaking President mulls away on the tarlfr, the currency, the trusts or conservation in consultation with his Cabinet and the Congress leaders until he has framed a bill in considerable detail, puts his O. K. on it and hands it to the leaders to be passed without change in any material point. This supposition is not borne out by the facts, according to the Boston Transcript's Washington correspond ent. Having given notice that he would accept no amendments to the currency bill as it passed the House, the President approved the bill as rad ically amended by the Senate, yet fos tered the impression that no material changes had been made. Representa tive Lindbergh, of Minnesota, who first flushed the money trust in the coverts of Wall street and who has hunted it without mere-, considered the changes so Important that, having voted for the bill as originally passed by the House, he voted against it as amended by the Senate for the reason that it dangerously centralized credit. The Stevens amendment to the trade commission bill, which defines unfair competition, is reputed to have been accepted at the last moment by the Senate committee in a most pecu liar manner. Senator Hollis and Rep resentative Stevens recommended it to the President one morning, and after they had talked It over he said he would like it included in the bill. They hied to the Capitol in a taxicab, pre sented it to the committee when that body was on the point of adopting its report, and within five minutes it had been adopted. The general dam bill, governing water power on navigable streams, embodies the ideas of Representative Underwood, which are liberal to de velopers of power. Certain statesmen who are more enamored of conserva tion have been trying to Induce the President to withdraw his approval of this measure and to approve more ex acting provisions. If these examples prove anything, they prove that the President starts Congress to legislate on a certain question without any strong convic tions as to the exact provisions of the bill. His Judgment is subject to change by the arguments of the last man who talks to him without rejoin der from that man's opponents. The last men who get his ear before a bill is reported get his O. K., and that lines up the party with them. The people have approved the Pres ident's assumption that by virtue of his office he Is the leader of his party and that he should be loyally sup ported as to main questions of party policy. They have not, however, ap proved the assumption that members of Congress shall entirely abdicate their legislative functions and become rubber stamps for anything he recom mends. Still less do the people ap prove party support of an Important provision of a bill adopted hastily by the President on the recommendation of two men and by a committee at the President's wish. This is reducing Congress to a bureau for mere regis tration of the wishes of men who have influence with the President. It makes possible what the President in his "New Freedom" calls "that un-American set of conditions which enables a small number of men who control the Government to get favors trom the Government." Not that we sus pect he would use his power with any purpose but to serve the public good, hut the methniia described are not the best ways of serving the public; they are not In accordance with the Consti- tntlnn: thev are neither Democratic nor Republican, but savor of dictator- shin His nractice is not in accoro with his declaration In the same book that, "I conceive it to be one ot tne needs of the hour to restore the proc- ecceu nf r-nrnmnn COlinSPl and tO SUb" stitute them for the processes of pri vate arrangement." VNPLEASANT DUTIES. "If you believe in it (hanging) to kill another man would you be willing to have it in the public square and von vourself snrinsr the trap? If not. why not?" asks Paul Turner In the official pamphlet. It Is grand argument, but it might he annileH with eaual force to causes other than the abolishment of capital punishment. If you believe in meat-eating would you be willing to have the abattoir in the Plaza blocks and do the pig-sticking yourself? If you believe that your wife should do all her housework would you be willing to wash dishes In public at Fifth and Washington streets? If you are one of those male philos ophers who decry "race suicide" would you be willing to "change" babies all day In the park blocks? Capital punishment imposes an un pleasant duty on some one, but so do many other policies, customs and ac tivities which must be preserved for the benefit of society. If capital pun ishment is abolished it will certainly be upon some other ground than sym pathy for the warden of the peniten tiary. PIKE AND CrVIIJZATION. C. H. Robinson has written a little book called "Longhead," in which he gives his theory of the beginnings of civilization. It is a book for boys, perhaps, rather than adults, but It happens to be one of those fortunate works which turn out to be Interesting to people of all ages. We notice with pleasure that it seems no longer neces sary fur those who write "boys' books" to describe nothing but foolish adven tures without aim or purpose. Sci ence is creeping into these volumes and occasionally they admit a little history, with side glances here and there at art. Boys, and even girls, would read sensible books If they had an opportunity. But there seems to have been an obstinate belief that truth of any kind would be bad for the little dears. So we must stuff their heads with fictitious nonsense. Mr. Robinson has thought it best to throw his remarks into the form of a loose story, much as kind mothers sur round pills with jelly, and perhaps he is wise. He makes the origin of civil ization depend upon the discovery and use of fire, a point upon which the old traditions of the world agree with him. The Greeks represented mankind as wandering forlorn and despicable in a cruel world until Prometheus stole fire from heaven and bestowed it upon them. They then began to master their surroundings. Prometheus was punished for his kindness by Zeus, who chained him to "the cold rocks of Mount Caucasus,", where an eagle devoured his liver every day. It grew again every night, so that the bird was miraculously provided with food, while the rebellious Titan suffered in cessant torment. Such was the re ward of "the friend of man," but the human race retained his gift and de rived from it all the arts and indus tries. Mr. Robinson agrees with Jack London in his description of prehis toric men before fire was used or so ciety formed. They slept in tree tops at night above the. reach of predatory beasts and spent the days wandering about in a solitary search for food. Our primitive ancestors were glad to dine upon almost anything that was not deadly poison. Bugs, worms, roots and berries, with an occasional small animal, composed their unappetizing diet. Of course, everything was eaten raw and swallowed without much fletcherizlng. The main purpose was to fill the stomach, and it mattered little how the feat was accomplished. We need not specify that these rude forefathers of ours had no knives and forks. They had no tools of any kind, not even a club to strike with. Nor was there any such thing as marriage and family life. The sexes met by chance and parted like the rest of the animal world. Children were cared for by their mothers as long as nature imperatively required it. Then they were turned adrift to look out for themselves. No child, however wise, knew Its own father. The wretched little creatures scarcely knew their own mothers. Man's only protection against beasts of prey was his superior cunning, but as yet this cunning, with all its wonderful poten tialities, had brought forth nothing whatever. Civilization lay latent in the convolutions of the human brain. The subjection of fire was to bring it forth and start it on the long historic road. How the first fire was built is a question that each savant feels at liberty to answer in his own way, since there is no knowledge whatever to go by. Some say a dry stick was kindled at the crater of a volcano. Others point to the trees that take fire and burn along the track of the flowing lava. Perhaps the first fire was kin dled by accident as some savage sat striking two flints together to amuse himself on an idle afternoon. A spark falling on punk In a light draft might very well have smoldered into flame and thus revealed the great secret. Mr. Robinson thinks lightning did the Meed. In the progress of a pre historic thunder storm a dead tree was struck and -set blazing. One of our ancestors sheltering near by under a shelving rock happened to see the spectacle. It pleased his fancy. He staved gazing at it a long time after the storm had passed. The next day he went back and rekindled the flame from some brands that still smoldered a little in order to enjoy more of the show. ' While playing around it he discovered by accident that the flame would ignite a stick which he held in his hand, and thus the marvel was conveyed to the door of his cave. All the rest was easy. A prehis toric woman wandering past joined In his play with the fire. The heat charmed the poor things, who had never before known a solitary com fort In all their miserable lives. They agreed that the woman should keep the fire going while the man went out to forage and thus the first family began around the first hearth, but remember that the hearth came first. Charles Lamb tells sclentmcaii enough in his essay on "Roast Pig" how the art of cookery must nave originated. Mr. Robinson has nine to add to the speculations of the great humorist. A piece of raw flesh fell upon the coals by acciaent. num woman, ever economical, snatched It out. It burned her fingers and to ease the pain she put them to her mouth. Thus roast meat was tasted for the first time in the history of the world and the noble art of cookery began. LITERATI-RE AND LIKE. An Important murder trial in Paris Is like a neighborhood row In Simp son's Corners, in which everybody takes part from the half-witted son of the town drunkard to the daughter of the Episcopal clergyman. If any Frenchmen of note missed testifying in the Calllaux case his name has escaped us for the moment. Among the rest was Paul Bourget. the novel ist, who said something which led the lawyers to confront him with a pas sage from one of his own books. Im agine a love story being introduced In an American court to Impeach a wit ness. But they do such things In Paris, and the consequences, do not seem to be so subversive as one might imagine. M. Bourget admitted shamelessly that his testimony in the pending trial did not agree fully with the scene de scribed in the novel, and he had the hardihood to explain the discrepancy by asserting that "Hteraturp was not life." Being a famous realist. M. Bourget was guilty of a frightful lapse from his literary creed by this utter ance, and his fellows have not been slow to bring him to book for It. Lit erary' and artistic bigots are fully as active and relentless as the medieval theologians when they have a chance to show out their real disposition. No doubt we should all be glad to burn most of our friends and neighbors at the stake If the law permitted. "Literature is not life," cried M. Bourget unblushingly, while through out his distinguished career he has been proclaiming morning, noon and night that literature Is life. His lapse on the witness stand shows how much substance there is in most of our pro fessed beliefs. Of course, he was right in the courtroom and flagrantly wrong in his published creed. His literary brethren are doing their best to make him uncomfortable for his apostasy, but we are proud to agree with him. Literature is not life? and It Is brazenly hypocrrtical when it pre tends to be. At its best literature Is a trimmed and silvered image or life. At its worst it is a distorted and black ened image, but it is never any more than an image and very often a great deal leas. A writer like Zola, who professed to cut sections out of human existence and transfer them all drip ping with gore to his pages, only suc ceeds in smearing on the gore with a goodly mixture of filth. The life es capes while he Is making the section. The truest literature can only tell us what has happened. It never can predict what is going to happen. Life is what i,t is by virture of the con tinual surprises it brings forth. The moment we can reduce It to rule and measure and prophesy what it will do tomorrow, then it Is no longer life, but death. Literature and all the other arts subsist by fixed laws. Now and then rebels like the cubists try to es cape from law, but they never can. As soon as they begin to work in their imaginary freedom they feel the chains pressing upon their hands. But life wears no chains and that Is the reason why it is so infinitely different from literature or sculpture or paint ing. They can whisper to us feebly or what life was yesterday, but never of what it will be tomorrow. The way of the politician Is hard and double-dealing does not mak It any smoother. Mr. U'Ren finds to his sorrow that it is unsafe to play tricks upon the Prohibitionists. Strange as it may appear to professional vote hunters, these people are in earnest. They object to being lumped In with the sare assets of any officeseeker and give their loyalty to none who dishonor their principles. Not being able safely to presage that there will never be another great war the anti-vlvisectionist old ladles and peace advocates now find refuge in the prediction that If there is a great war it will be the last one. It appears that we may have to face the task of maintaining order In China. Which, doubtless, we would do Just as we have kept order in Mex ico. Now is the time for European suf fragettes to prove their full equality by organizing a few female regiments for service on the firing line. Ere long the Czar will be receiving some more of those dear little missives from the front, beginning, "I regret to reportsky." With the French mobilizing no doubt we shall hear shortly of our dear old friend Colonel du Paty du Clam. This forest fire smoke is nothing compared with the gunpowder haze that bids fair to obscure the European sun. This is the ideal vacation time, but who would want to isolate himself with history so hot in the making? September 1 is the new date for Congressional adjournment. Still teasing 'em along. Andy Carnegie may come to reaiiee that he has been wasting a lot of time and money. Now ought to be a most opportune moment to sell off the remainder of our Navy. r But why on earth doesn't Bryan stop it all before it goes any farther.' With the lid on It will be a hard game for the war correspondents. How exciting the account of that championship tennis tourney reads. Mexico Is unable to make Itself heard above a whisper. This Is just as close as we want to be to the muddle. Italy's back-down reduces the triple alliance to twins. However, it will be up to us to feed the combatants. The Swiss navy has not yet mobilized. Gleams Through the Mit By Dean (olllna. SIORMM. SONGS. In childhood's happy happy days. (And here I shed a tearl. To any tittle creature' lays I lent a willing- ear; I loved to wake and hear the trill Of birdie In thoe times. The only on thai make m III Is the wooda morning chime. "Br-r-ralii! Br-r-r-iane"' I wake to hr, And sorrow fill my up, A I remember childhood dear. When bird songs woke me up. In deny morn I used to wake (Ah, those were happy dajs!) To hear a thousand blrdllngs make A thousand kinds of lay. Now In a hallroom do 1 dwell Amid the city's roar. And wake to hear the woodaw's yell Outside my humble door. 'Br-r-r-lng! Br-r-r-angV With raurow tone All o'er the neighborhood. Each morn 1 rousi- up with a groan And hear It sawing wood. Loud Irllled the lark unto the sun. Those mornings lung ago. And from the meadows, one by on I heard the answers flow; The jolly cricket tuned his shanks And fiddled loud, and sang. But now 'mid whirling cams and - ranks. I hear the woodsaw's clang. "Br-r-r-lng! Br-r-r-aang:" In tone more rin Than those of Chinese gong. As 1 awake, I hear with awe The woodsaw's morning song. Oh, some the city's life may boast. (Again a tear 1 shed.. But 1 am strong for chltdhomVs rooet. Where Nature sings. Instead Of some darned whirling ills- of stsel All round the neighborhood. TKat breaks my slumber on Its wheel The woodsaw, sawing wood. "Br-r-r-slng! Br-r-r-sangl" As I awaka. 1 hear It, loud and strong. Making my heart and eardrums The woodsaw's morning song. "Sir," said the courteous office boy, "baseball don't get alioail fact iti EnfJ land. does It?" "How o?" said I with Interest. "Well," said the C O. B., "the society editor slipped me a copy of a book by Alf. Tennyson, and the first IhlntT I round liim yawping about was lialf a league, half a league, half a league i '" . But I had him by the throat before he could get further. When a wheeite has lo have, an elab orate stage setting us well a a dia gram, I won't stand for It, -ven from the ('. O. B. Passing It On. Some flat he'll meet a bitter rate. He'll never get iny praise; 1 caught him giving me short weight. He'd better mend his weighs. Courier Journal. The weighs gv which he robbeth me With anaeV make me smoke. And of a truth, they seem to me A rather scaley Joke. s teflprHoris of V Mile. Arter all them Kurtipean newspa pers has said about our Mexican hor nets' nest. I somehow feels a sort ot gratification temperln' my sympathy for them In tlnir present crisis. "Present crisis," by the wtt I 'low is going to be almost as popular in print for the next month or so as "tango" and "Huerta" whs a rew months back. All that Sherman said wur Is. and all that preachers says about what Sherman says war Is, don't seem to deter people none trom rushing- Into either. hulenin Thought. 1 tremble, when the fire of war Throughout the whole of Kurope flame. And clutch my atlas, sighing, for I've got to learn so many names. Kdurallonal I pllft. Dear Sir: 1 am trying; lo educate my son ror the ministry and am a atrong booster tor motion-picture cen sorship and the Boy Scout movement. Theretore. 1 ask you. please rorbear rrom your efrortg to install a course In elementary piracy In the public school or Portland. I am having a hard enough time to bring- that child up In the way he should go. a It l. Yours truly. ANXIOUS PARENT. I s. His rather Is a plumber, at that, so I don't sec any need for you to butt In on those lines ot his edu cation. The Panama I'sgrsnt. The time tor the opening of the Panama Canal approaches a time ror much pomp and considerable circum stance. In our usual helprul spirit we suggest for the approval or W. J. B. and His Excellency the President the rollowlng rormatlon for the great naval parade that will pass through tha ca nal at that time: Section ont , The British merchant marina, sailing on a broken free tolls plank. Canadian lumbermen with the coast wise traffic eating out of their hands. Grand chorus. "Hule Britannia." Colombia, sailing In a salve box. wearing a pleased smile and UD.OOO. 000. Section two Secretary W. J. B. on the bridge of the good ship "Piffle," supported by three Swiss yodelers and wearing a Chautauqua circuit as a llfe-prei-crver. The Admiral of the Swiss navy, Bail ing on a diplomatic blunder, supported by a brigade ot Bolivian horse marines and propelled by a gale or Internationa: laughter. Section three Secretary Daniels, leading the United States Navy. Admirals and orricers, looking as pleased as possible and singing, sotto voce. "Nobody Knows How Dry I Am." Bluejackets, en ballet, singing "Cold Water Is the Drink for Me." Outward appearand of harmony hovering over the entire section. Section four Grand ensemble of the navies and merchant marine of the world, looking and feeling very, very chesty. Section five Uncle Sam swimming under water beneath a bunch of concesalona. Section six The United States merchant marine. Invisible, carrying a cargo of dodos teeth and green cheese from the moon. Apirlmnte Hlalnry. Space hitherto occupied by Hie Mex ican situation in this part ot the col yum has been leased tor an Indefinite term to the Kuropean situation, which begins "critical." See next week. Adv. Health of the PntleiH. Puck. "How Is vour wire this morning. Uncle Henry?" Well. I dunno. !' fallln' dretful slow. 1 do wish she d gat well, or eomelhln'." D