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