9
THE SUNDAY OREGONlAX, . TORTLAXD, OCTOBER 18. 1914.
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l'OBTLAXD, 61XDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1914.
THE EASTERN CAMPAIGNS.
In the Eastern campaigns along
the frontiers of Germany and Aus
tria the battle raging may be said to
have come to something like the
standstill that is noted on the Aisne.
At present the armies of the Czar
are deadlocked with, their German
and Austrian foemen. Minor vic
tories are reported here and there,
first on this side and then the other,
but the , general situation has re
mained practically unchanged for the
past ten days.
In this region the Germans con
tinue to fight a defensive campaign.
. Their object is to hold In check the
great Russian army which would
crush down all barriers and advance
on Berlin. In its general distribution
the Russian army may be said to ex
tend from the Baltic to the Carpath
ians, with its center resting on War
saw. Yet the line lacks the co-ordination
and singleness of purpose that
are found westward on the Aisne.
Right wing, center and left wing
really have definite and varying tasks
assigned to them.
It Is the purpose of the Russian
right to sweep the Germans back
from the frontier to their second line
of defense on the "Vistula River. Early
in September the Russians had made
considerable progress, taking Koen
igsberg and an immense slice of
Prussian territory and spreading ter
ror before them. This caused a re
inforcement of the German line by
troops withdrawn from the west.
When these seasoned first-line men
arrived in Eastern Prussia they
struck the Slav armies with sudden
fury and drove them back pell mell
into Russian Poland, capturing 80,
000 in one coup at Allensteln.
At the same time the Russian cen
ter was forced back to a position in
front of Warsaw, while the Russian
pressure on Austria was relieved and
the immediate danger to Cracow and
Przemysl removed, the Russians be
ing compelled to drop back to shield
the St. Petersburg-Vilna-Warsaw ar
tery of supply for the entire Russian
center. Before the German offensive
movement had spent "itself the Rus
sian center had been driven half way
across Russian Poland and the Ger
mans were before Warsaw. Some re
ports have said that they even got
beyond Warsaw and commenced a
bombardment of that important point.
Again, early in the present month,
the Russians moved forward on their
right and after a severe engagement
defeated the Germans at Niemen and
drove them back on the frontier in
the direction of the Vistula. Here the
Russian right and German left are
now deadlocked. In the center the
Germans and Austrians retain theif
position along the Vistula, where,
after making a broad sweep, it flowa
in a straight line southward in Rus
sian Poland. At the south the two
armies face each other from Radom,
south to Warsaw, to the Carpathians
south of Tarnow. South and west of
this the Russian invasion of Hun
gary may be described as little more
than cavalry raids of no strategic
importance.
Before the three Russian forces
can converge on Berlin, their main
objective, they must hew their way
through serious obstacles. The north
ern wing must sweep the country up
to the Vistula, while the center must
advance and occupy the frontier sec
tor in front of Posen and Breslau.
At the same time the southern army
must break the German-Austro lines
on the Donajec River and reach Cra
cow. At the present time the Rus
sians are reported to be pounding
away at Cracow, but without results.
At Cracow the Austrian force defeated
in Galicia has been mobilized and the
Russian advance has powerful mili
tary resistance to compete with.
So far Russia has not seriously
threatened Germany. After more
than two months the Russian center
continues to be fighting in Russian
territory, the right wing is fighting
for control of the first battleground
it occupied, while the Russian left,
after initial successes in Galicia, is
at a standstill east of Cracow. In the
meantime, Winter is coming on in
n. country which is marked by heavy
snows and low temperature. That
the Russians will be at a marked dis
advantage in Winter campaigning is
assured from the fact that they must
draw their supplies from three slen
der railway routes, which can be kept
open with difficulty during the heavy
snows. The Russians vow that Win
ter will not check their operations.
yet it is certain to subtract from their
effectiveness.
Should the Russians, reinforced
nnd spurred on by a fresh impulse.
succeed in removing the obstacles to
a converging advance on Berlin, the
Germans would be compelled to draw
off effective forces from the Aisne.
Possibly this weakening of their line
in France might require a withdrawal
from the Aisne to the first French
defense line on the Franco-German
border. Here the Germans would be
able to hold the allies in check with
a greatly inferior force because of the
splendid defensive position they would
occupy a defensive position far
stronger than the one on the Aisne.
" 1AK AND MPSIC.
It seems almost too much to hope
for at this stage of the game that the
serene realm of music should not be
invaded and perturbed by the war.
The Oregoniarr has already referred
with appropriate sighs to the anti
Wagner outbreaks in Paris and Saint
Saens' unchristian sentiments regard
ing German music in general. Simi
lar explosions are occurring in Italy,
the land of art and the native home
of ong. The band began to play a
Viennese .wait at Robs the other
day, only to be mobbed by the out
raged populace.
The Italians do not love the Aus
trians and we fear it -will be many
years before affection grows warm
between these two nations. There are
too many old scores to pay off. If
Italy goes into the war it will not be
to help her old tyrant out of his trou
bles.. England has started a move
ment to "emancipate herself from
German music." In the course of the
business she aspires to improve her
own music, which might easily be
done.
As for German music, "Walter Dam
rosch, the New York conductor, does
not speak hopefully of it. He says
the Fatherland with all its soldiers,
ships and guns has produced no great
musician since the days of the Franco-Prussian
war; that that glorious
occasion brought into Germany no
end of money and victorious pride,
but it failed to bring out genius of
any sort, except perhaps the genius
for boasting.
Perhaps Mr. Damrosch goes a tri
fle too far in this sentence upon the
Kaiser's domain, but he is a man of
facts and probably weighs his words.
His remarks give little comfort to the
philosophers who assure us that a
war now and then is necessary to
bring out the fine spiritual gifts and
virtues. . What it really brings out is
greed and bloodlust.
FOR THE RECALL OCTOBER 27.
The Supreme Court interposes no
legal obstacles to the recall, and the
proposed election will be held in
Portland on October 27. The recall
is directed against Mayor Albee and
Commissioners Dieck and Brewster.
The charges against the three of
ficials do not, if true, constitute a
sufficient reason for the solemn rem
edy of the recall. But they are not
true; or where they have any ele
ment of truth, they are frivolous. On
the straight-out question as to
whether the Mayor and the two Com
missioners should be ejected from of
fice for the reasons given. The Ore
gonian registers an emphatic dissent.
But the recall of Messrs. Albee,
Dieck and Brewster is not the only
issue. The public is called upon at
the same time to elect Mr. Kennedy
for Mayor and Mr. Leet for Mr.
Brewster's place and Mr. Abry or Dr.
Parrish for Mr. Dieck's place. There
is no good reason why any of them
should be elected; there are sound
reasons why some of them should not
be elected.
The plan for a separate recall elec
tion, costing $25,000, just a few daj-s
prior to a general election, is unjusti
fiable on the ground of expense and
trouble. The people ought not to
forget, on October 2 7, why they are
called to the polls, and by whom.
WHY AID i'O K THE SOUTH?
Senator Chamberlain sturdily sup
ports the Democratic tariff, and tells
the people of Eastern Oregon that it
is good for them. He is indeed a
metamorphosed Senator, for the
last bold utterance on the tariff the
public had from him was his public
Ldefiance of the Democratic caucus
and his threat to bolt if there was to
be free trade in Oregon products.
There is free trade, and the Senator
did not bolt.
At La Grande the Senator used
eggs as an illustration of his present
economic theory that the interest of
the consumer is paramount to the
producer's welfare. Asking all who
ate eggs to stand up, all arose; and
when the egg producer was called
upon to materialize, only a few stood.
The point sought to be made was that
the cheaper the eggs the better.
We can give the Senator an even
apter illustration: Everybody in the
United States nearly 100,000,000
people uses cotton in some form.
From the cradle to the grave every
citizen is a customer of the cotton
growers of the South. But there are
comparatively few of them, a million
or so, including their dependents. Ob
viously, from the Senator's stand
point, the 100,000,000 are to be con
sidered before the 1,000,000.
Evidently the present cotton situa
tion is ideal, from the Democratic
viewpoint. There are millions of
bales hunting a market, and the con
sumer can get cotton at his own
price.
Yet. the whole Democratic Con
gressional machine "is now directing
its energies to put through a $250,
000,000 bonding bill for the relief of
Southern cotton-growers.
WThy aid for the 1,000,000 and in
difference for the 100,000,000? Why
Government help for the Southern
cotton-raiser and not for the- Oregon
lumber manufacturer, or hopgrower,
or fruitraiser?
THE SHAME OF OREGON.
In line with his attempt to ruin
everyone he cannot rule. Governor
West in the current campaign, as in
the past, has committed peculiarly
vlcious assaults upon State Senator
Lair H. Thompson for his authorship
of the swamp land law.
In another column is printed today
the full text of that law. It has been
criticised wholly in generalities or in
epithets directed at Senator Thomp
son, such as "Swamp Angel Thomp
son," and similar coarse insults. The
Oregonian invites anyone to point out
a single, particular in which the law
is at faui.
The history of the bill discloses the
littleness of Governor West. , Before
it was introduced in the Legislature
it was submitted to him .personally.
He read it over and gave it his en
thusiastic endorsement in the pres
ence of a third witness.
Thereafter it passed through the
hands of the Desert Land Board and
was examined with care by the State
Engineer. The one suggestion for its
improvement they offered was cheer
fully incorporated and the bill was
given their endorsement.
The bill passed the House without a
dissenting vote. It was examined and
discussed by the Committee on Irri
gation, of which Senator C. C. McCol-
loch, spokesman In the Senate for
Governor West, was chairman. In the
Senate it was debated and was passed-
with but one dissenting vote. Sen
ator McColloch voted for if.
In the meantime Governor West
had had a falling out with Senator
Thompson, the author of the bill, and
repudiating his former indorsement
of the measure and discrediting the
votes of his warmest supporters in the
Legislature, he vetoed it.
In the Governor s veto the reason
offered was that the act did not pro
vide that reclaimed swamp lands
should be disposed of in small tracts
to actual settlers.
A perusal of the bill as published
today will disclose that the State
Land Board, of which the Governor
is chairman, is given absolute powers
to deny an application for permit to
reclaim swamp lands. It may with
hold its approval and by that -means
compel any person or company desir
ing to reclaim lands to submit to its
dictation as to the manner of dispos
ing of the lands.
The objection by the Governor was
not bonafide. It was pure quibble.
Was the Governor afraid to trust him
self as the chairman of the board
that had supreme control over the
disposition of the lands involved?
Was he afraid to trust any successor
elected under the provisions of the
direct primary law and a system which
has . eliminated corruption, bosslsm
and corporation rule in .Oregon?
That a man honored with the posi
tion of Governor is traveling up and
down the state using mere pretext
to deprive worthy and patriotic citi
zens of their good name and there
by vent his spite, is the shame of
Oregon.
WHO IS THE PRIMARY'S FRIEND?
The public continues to hear of the
'secret and sinister programme for
doing violence to the direct primary of
Oregon." Such an alarming statement
comes from the leading Portland news
paper guardian angel of Dr. C. J.
Smith. It discovers behind every lamp
post a masked, highwayman, alias a
reactionary, waiting for his victim
viz., the direct primary to come
along.
.But let us see how the primary has
been or is being .violated. The spirit
of the direct primary has been most
grossly wronged by Dr. C. J. Smith and
his crowd. His nomination is the di
rect result of a put-up job by the West-
Chamberlain machine and its news
paper partner. He was nominated by
a back-room assembly. He was hand
picked by the little gang that seeks
to run Oregon politics. He was forced
upon the Democratic party. His nomi
nation is the genuine fruit of ring
methods. Chamberlain names West
and West names Smith. .There was
never a bolder deal in Oregon.
Mr. Withycombe was nominated in
an open primary against seven com
petitors. He had an even show, and
no more. There was no state machine
behind him, nor any other machine,
or gang, or ring. He had a modest
organization, which did no violence to
the corrupt practices act. There was
no great corps of stenographers pre
paring thousands of letters for Oregon
voters. There was no organized press
bureau, nor hired claqueurs, nor paid
workers. There was little money, but
much enthusiasm.
If he had spent $50,000 and had
falsely claimed that it was contributed
by his friends, and had put up a hypo
critical line of talk about law enforce
ment, he could hardly have got more
votes. He was nominated by a free
primary, not a coerced and deceived
primary. He strictly followed the let
ter and purpose of the Oregon system
and he has not been charged by any
one with posing as its friend while at
the same time seeking to . corrupt the
voters by the expenditure of many
thousands of dollars.
Mr. Withycombe stands for the
square deal. He has given it to Oregon
voters.
THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE SCHOOLS.
No doubt most of the attacks upon
the public schools ought to be taken
as tributes to their merits. The per
sons who pose as critics commonly
show little knowledge of the subject
they are talking about. Their judg
ment is usually- less valuable than
their knowledge. The criticisms made
upon the public schools at the
recent convention of the American
Prison Association in St. Paul seem
to have been quite extraordinaril.
nonsensical. ,
Several speakers "laid at the door
of the schools the blame for a large
per cent of the crime in the country."
The superintendent of the Indiana
reformatory stated that "ninety per
cent of the delinquency of the coun
try begins in the public schools." In
states where education is compulsory
pretty nearly all delinquency would
naturally begin in the schools because
there is where the children of bad
propensities are to be found mingled
with the good. As a contemporary
remarks, few schoolteachers instruct
their pupils in crime," at least not in
regular lessons. We .believe 'that
most of them take more or less pains
to train them in the ways of virtue.
But the teacher's opportunities are
limited. He has the child under his
supervision only for a few hours a
day, five days in the week. The
schools are in session from thirty to
forty weeks of the year. All the rest
of the time the pupil is on the streets
or at home. Narrow as his opportu
nities are for drilling pupils in virtu
ous conduct, the teacher is expected
by foolish critics to take over all the
dutfes of the church, the Sunday
school and the family. If a boy turns
out badly the schools are to blame
for it, no matter how the church may
have neglected its mission, no matter
how incompetent the parents may
have been.
From some of the attacks upon the
schools one would infer that the great
religious agencies of the country had
gone out of business altogether. What
are they for if not to save children?
What are family influences for if not
to train up the young in the way they
should go? The modern family is
like a certain class of charity sub
jects. Give them the slightest help
and "they lie flat down" upon you for
the rest of their lives. In the same
way the family has too often "lain
down" upon the Bchool. Teachers
have their failings, but they perform
their multifarious duties at least as
well as some of their complacent
critics.
WHAT CORN CAN PRODUCE.
Now that Oregon has established
her position as a corn-growing state,
it is time to develop the Industries
which use corn as a raw material and
to promote a home market for their
products. Since Oregon can grow
corn, it would seem absurd for this
state to import products of corn from
other states, when they can be made
as well within our borders. While
corn-growing in this state is in its in
fancy, it is destined to increase rapidly
now that it is a proved success.
A regular propaganda is under way
by the American Manufacturers' Asso
ciation of products from corn. It tells
of the many various articles of food,
both for man and beast, which are
made from corn, how they are made,
their food value and how they are
used. The germ produces corn oil,
corn oilcake and cornraeal-cake for
cattle; the body of the grain produces
starch, dextrine, corn syrup and corn
sugar for man; the bran added to the
soluble substances makes gluten feed
for cattle. Corn syrup is not only a
cheap but a necessary ingredient, of
candy, and the nutritive properties of
corn are such that a family of five
could live well on 50 cents a day by
Judicious combination of corn prod
i acts with, gma.ll amounts of other lood.
according to Professor Graham Lusk,
of Cornell. Various corn products are
important components of numerous
soups, breads, cakes, puddings and
candies, recipes for which are given in
a cookbook.
If war were to cut off this country
from communication with the rest of
the world, we could still live well, for
corn would yield all the food neces
sary to sustain life and health, and we
should have numerous other kinds of
food. So long as we have corn, we
could not be reduced to the straits
from which Germany may suffer
within a year unless she breaks the
naval blockade which closes her in.
CROPS TO BRING WEALTH.
The first American to profit by the
war, and the one to profit most, is
the American farmer. Though esti
mates of the wheat crop have been
cut down somewhat, that of October
1, which may be considered final,
shows it still to be the banner crop.
The total is 892,000,000 bushels, an
increase of 128,620,000 bushels over
that of last -rear, which was also a
bumper. The price is also a bumper,
for it is estimated at S3 hi cents a
bushel, and will bring to the farmers
$884,000,000.
Corn estimates on October 1 are
2,676.000,000 bushels, 78.000,000
bushels higher than a month ago. The
crop's value is placed at $2,090,632,
000. Oats Improved 21,000,000 bushels
in September and are estimated to
total 1,137,000,000 bushels, an in
crease of 15,232.000 bushels. Esti
mates of barley are 197,000,000 bush
els, which la 3,000,000 bushels less
than the .September estimate, but 21,
000,000 bushels more than last year's
crop. Improvements are also noted
in the flax, tobacco, apple and potato
crops, compared with September esti
mates. When the unusual surplus of these
crops are marketed in Europe at war
prices It will go far to satisfy our
foreign debts and it will pour so much
wealth into the farmers' pockets that
they will be able to buy liberally at
home, not only of those commodities
they have been used to buy at home,
but manor which hitherto have come
from abroad.
THE- DILIGENT DUTCH.
Holland is a work of man rather
than of nature. Fully a third of the
little country, which contains only
some 14,000 square miles, has been
rescued from the sea by dikes. It lies
below the ocean level and the waters
are always ready to rush in and sub
merge it. Sometimes they succeed. In
the year 12 77 during a great storm
thirty villages in the valley of the
Ems River were overwhelmed by the
waves and a permanent arm of the
sea was formed which is now called
the Dollart. The Zulder Zee was orig
inally dry land, but in the course of
the thirteenth century it was overrun
by the encroaching sea. Man is now
trying to recover it and will no doubt
succeed, though at heavy expense in
labor and money. The parts ol Hol
land which have been reclaimed from
the water are called Polders. The
first step in the process is to build
temporary dikes and then the pumps
are set going. From the beginning of
the sixteenth century the pumps were
worked by windmills, which stood
scattered over Western Holland like
ghosts begging for mercy from some
tyrannical demon. Now the windmills
are giving way to steam engines.
Diking has bees more or less con
tinuous in Holland since the dawn of
the Christian era. It is not so neces
sary along the coast of the North Sea
as by the inland waters, since the
ocean itself is barred out in most
cases by the long lines of sand dunes.
But here and there the dunes have
given way and man has been obliged
to reinforce them. There is one dike
on the west coast which it costs $30,
000 a year to keep in order. Piles are
used to strengthen the earthwork and
the attacks of the teredo ruin them in
a. short time, xne son oi iioiiana
makes good pasture land, and in the
western and northern parts it is ad
mirably suited for cattle. But there
are no other natural resources in the
country. It once ruled the ocean with
its fleets, but it has no forests. It is
extremely wealthy, but it possesses
few or no mineral deposits. Every
thing the Dutch have and are they
have won for themselves by a bitter
warfare with unkindly nature. In
one way and another it has all come
from the sea.
The modern history of the country
begins in the year 1579 with the union
of Utrecht formed by "William the
Silent, Prince of Orange, to resist the
Spaniards. Small as the low countries
are they were at that time divided
into many provinces, which were torn
by mutual jealousies. The only really
zealous members of the Utrecht Union
were Holland and Zealand, which soon
after the pact was concluded made
William the Silent their Count He
held his office for three years and
was then assassinated. King Phillip,
of Spain, had set a price on his head.
which was won by a young religious
zealot, who thought that by murder
ing William he would win heaven. The
Prince was shot as he walked out of
his dining-room in a house which
may still be seen at Delft. The assas
sin may have gone to heaven, but his
passage was not agreeable. Among
other tortures the Dutch inverted
redhot pan on his stomach with rats
under it. They burrowed into his in
testines to escape the heat.
After William's death John of
Baraeveldt guided the destinies of
Holland for many years, and guided
them most wisely. His life has been
admirably written by Motley, the
great American historian of the
Dutch. William's second son, Mau
rice, was made stadtholder, or Presi
dent, of the country as soon as he was
old enough, but the boy had the good
sense not to "dismiss the pilot," at
least not for a long time. Maurice
was a born military genius. He won
so many victories over the Spaniards
and took so many fortresses from
them that he finally established the
independence of his country, though
it was not formally granted by Spain
until the peace of Westphalia, in 1648.
One of Maurice's great exploits was
the battle of Nieuport, In 1600, where,
under his command. Dutch infantry
put the Spanish to rout in the open
field for the first time in history.
But the Dutch were practically in
dependent from the year 1600. This
left them rwith time for theological
quarrels, in which they deserved many
a prize. The principal -dispute was
over predestination. The people took
sides and fought as bitterly as if they
had really known something about the
subject of the controversy. It was in
these senseless squabbles that Hugo
Grotius, the founder of international
law, was sentenced to death and made
his romantic escape from prison. The
uiogS brilliant jjeriod, oj JDutch history.
r .
begins in 1631, with the accession to
power of Frederick Henry, third son
of William the Silent. It was now
that the island empire was founded
in the Malay archipelago, Brazil con
quered and the great naval wars
waged with England. The Dutch
fleet was the best in the world and
their sailors the most expert. When
Louis XIV invaded Holland, which he
Intended to annex to France, the dikes
were opened to flood the land and the
fleet routed the invader upon the sea.
De Ruyter was the Dutch Admiral in
those old wars and he won laurels
which will be as green as Nelson's till
the. end of time.
The end of Dutch naval power came
in the days of the French revolution.
The revolutionists made a Winter
campaign when the rivers could be
crossed on the ice and the dikes were
unavailable for defence. The entire
fleet, which lay frozen in the Texel,
was captured at one stroke, like that
of the Athenians at Aegospotami.
Holland and Belgium were united by
the treaty of Vienna in 1815, but
neither country liked the arrange
ment. In 1830 Belgium rebelled and
set up her own government. Since
then Holland has been an Independent
kingdom under the descendants of the
House of Orange. Queen Wilhelmina
ascended the throne in 1890.
Perhaps William the Hohenzollern
has William the Norman In mind as
he forges toward the North Sea and
almost sees the white cliffs of Albion.
The Norman won England in one bat
tle, at Hastings, and the ground
where he did It Is still there. When
will the Hohenzollern tread it?
If we had more Gardners In Con
gress our military helplessness would
not long be so pitiful. Congress has
been the obstacle to a potent mili
tary policy commensurate with the
power, wealth and actual needs of
the United States.
The American Sherifr at Naco sug
gests raising 500 American cowboys
to deal with the Mexicans who are
firing into American territory. Such
a force would give full assurance that
the outrages which President "Wilson
merely smiles at would be ended.
The peace propagandist who wants
the war fought to a finish is a prac
tical idealist. Premature peace, such
as some misguided peace advocates
have tried to bring about, would only
Intrench the war god more firmly
than ever.
Another Mexican general threatens
to attack Funston. But these Mexi
can generals always have a sober
second thought. They trifle with our
spineless diplomacy, but take no real
chances with our few fighting men.
Democrats may read their fate in
the Oregon registration figures this
year with the Republicans solidly
united in the interest of good govern
ment, good times and less extrava
gance. England will recruit anything down
to five feet four and be glad to get it.
The "sawed-off" makes the better
campaigner he has less dead weight
and is less conspicuous as a target.
Students of the European situation
will recall that the Confederacy had
the Federals almost whipped to a
standstill for a few years a half-cen
tury ago.
The new League of Peace has the
best of intentions and it may do some
good. It will at least help dissolve
the military hypnotism that enthralls
the world.
And yet another $59,000 pruned
from the budget. They may yet get It
down to where we will be able to pay
It without mortgaging the old home
stead.
""he campaign in Poland has come
to a standstill. Slav lack of initia
tive thus gives the Teuton armies a
breathing spell in the Eastern cam
paign. British officers report the Issue to
them of worthless revolver ammuni
tion. So old General Graft has been
detailed In the British supply corps,
eh?
Przemysl. which may be pro
nounced any way from "Chemise" to
"Premyzistle," has been relieved of
everything but Its impossible name.
A London hotel has dismissed all
German help. To make the Job com
plete all German viands should be
scratched from the menu.
The routed Belgians, after their
flight to France, are said to be anx
ious to meet the Germans again. What
fiends for punishment!
Belgian soldiers in large numbers
have reached The Hague. It might
be well now to garrison them in the
peace palace.
Another Socialist organ has been
suppressed by the Germans for be
ing out of tune with the national
spirit.
We haven't enough troops to leave
behind as a garrison for one of the
strategic points after capture.
Lights are turned out of nights in
London. Trying to keep its location
dark from the Germans.
King Albert says he will die at the
head of his army if necessary. There's
a real King for you.
Men on the Franco-German firing
line sleep in dugouts. And other
wise revert to type.
At Ostend the Germans are almost
within cannon range oi London, yet It
is a long way over.
Another British cruiser torpedoed.
One by one is the German naval plan.
The baseball fan will go into hiber
nation very shortly.
Mexico continues to drift toward
utter dissolution.
Well, did you finally register?
Also plant your roses early.
. One Yenr.
PORTLAND, Oct. 14. (To the Edl
tor.) Is any definite time of residence
required by the state of Oregon before
a petition for divorce can be legally
mada.1 - . ams. ai, ti, s,
TIME HAS COME TO FACE FORWARD
Problems Created by Fact That Per Cent of Orrtii IB tm Gerrranrit
Costrel aad Intaxed Confront the People Millions Loot to State De
velopment by Official Iaefflcteucy. While Newly Proposed Policies aad
Political Indifference Threaten Farther Setbacks.
B
Y AND LARGE Oregon is a great
state. It is 375 miles long and
290 miles wide. It Is nearly one-
half as large in area as the German
Empire in Europe and nearly one-half
as big as France. It is a state of bound
less resources and. magnificent dis
tances. Belgium, now occuDyifg the
interest of the entire world, could be
set down in an Oregon forest and the
entire Prussian army would have dif
ficulty in finding it.
It Is considered pleasant to .contem
plate the boundless possibilities of the
state and figure that the deprivations
we now may suffer are In the Interests
of a glorious future, but probably not
one man in a hundred in the state real
izes that in area which Oregon can call
aer own the state la not ranch bigger
than Indiana. The remainder is there
with all its resources, but it is not
ours. ,
Approximately 60 per cent of the land
area of Oregon is either governed from
Washington City, 4000 miles away, or
Is in litigation.
The other day 5000 men congregated
in Alder street and watched an electric
core board. On the same day another
1000 crowded Into the Helllg Theater
and followed the course of a mechan
ical ball around, a diamond-shaped field.
In these crowds were many who
were versed in the averages that Inter
est the baseball enthusiast. Among them
were those who, as the telegraph in
strument flashed the play across the
continent, were able mentally to com
pute the resulting average of the base
ball player mentioned.
To how many of these Is the state
ment significant as bearing on their
own welfare that but little more than
one-third of the land area and the im
provements and personal -property sit
uated thereon pays all the state taxes
levied on general property in Oregon?
How many of them are awake to the
fact that less than 4 per cent of the
total area of Oregon, together with
the Improvements aad other property
located on that leas-thnn-4-per-cent,
pays more than one-half the taxes as
sessed for governing the state?
Do the cold figures impress you? If
not, glance at the map on page 12,
section 3. As a diagram or propor
tionate showing of the untaxed area
of Oregon it is scientifically accurate.
It was prepared by a competent en
gineer and draughtsman from Govern
ment documents and other official data.
This map does not disclose the exact
location in each county of the land that
pays no taxes, but it accurately pre
sents In understandable form the bur
dens of government that are imposed
upon a state by the. expanse of public
domain. National forests. Government
reserves and forfeited land grants
within its borders. The remainder
pays the general property taxes of the
state, but produces the general tax
revenues for schools and county and
city governments. .
It has been stated that the area of
Oregon that actually belongs to Oregon
Is not. much larger than the State of
Indiana. That which does not belong
to Oregon, but la s source of constant
expense In devious ways. Is aa Inrge
aa the combined areas of Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New
Jersey. Vermont, Connecticut. Delaware
and Haode Island and then some.
The immense acreage of unappro
priated and unreserved publio lands,
forest reserves and other Government
controlled areas in Oregon Is a bur
den to the present generation, though
a potential asset for the future. Its
existence is of timely consideration
because of the influences at work to
commit the state to certain policies
without regard to the conditions that
confront the people.
In the 60 per cent of the land area
of Oregon not now under state control
are more than 16.000,000 aires of un
appropriated and unreserved land. This
land is subject to settlement. Time
was when the major portion of the net
proceeds from the sale of public lands
was by law required to be expended
within the boundaries of Oregon for
reclamation projects. The irrigable
land is available. The water resources
are abundant and the people are hun
gry ior larms. act tuts law was re
pealed without a. protest from Senntor
Chamberlain. Already six to eight
mUlion dollars that would otherwise
have been expended in Oregon hns
been used for reclamation purposes li
other states. Nor bas Senator Chamber
lain proposed any relief to offset this
raid upon Oregon's assets.
Laws affecting the disposal of the
16,000,000 acres of open publio lands
are of grave and lasting importance to
Oregon. Senator Chamberlain was in
line for the chairmanship of the public
lands committee in the Senate, in
which position he would have had
weightier voice in publio land legisla
tion than any other man in Congress.
He declined this chairmanship, so lm
portant to Oregon, in order to accept
the chairmanship of the committee on
military affairs, which carries with it
greater social prestige and considerably
more patronage.
Oae-fourth of the land nren of Or
gon la open public lands. Oregon's li
terest In mllltnry nf fairs Is Inconse
quential. Called upon to decide 1
twees service to his state and the
homage of Washington city society,
Senator Chamberlain chose social pleas
ures.
Another one-fourth of the land area
of Oregon is in the Federal forest re
serves. Oregon derives a small Income
from these forests for the benefit of
schools and roads. In two years the
revenue has amounted to about $96,-
000. In the meantime-Oregon has ap
proprlated $76,000 for forest preserva
tion.
A few days ago a statement was
issued with gusto from the Forestry
Service showing the activities in Ore
gon in the past year. It was declared
with pride that matured trees subject
to sale had In one year been spotted
on 150,000 acres and that the same
diligence would be continued until the
National forests of Oregon had all been
covered.
There are In round numbers 18,000,
OOO seres In the forest reserves of Ore
gon. At the rate of 130,000 acres
wear It would require more than one
hundred Tears to spot the matured
trees In these forests. Before the re
serves had all "been covered countless
trees now m a t u red would be desd nnd
new forests, If properl- conserved
would have arrows
age.
to merchantable
Oregon, in respect to its National
forests, may be likened to parts of Eu
rope in feudal days. A great part of
the land is withheld from use and the
people pay to support the horde of re
tainers that administers it.
On the rescne of Ores on from the
light of Plachotiam, Senator Cham,
berlaln has nothing to say. On the re.
very for reclamation of the funds to
which Oregon Is Justly entitled Senator
Chamberlain Is silent.
Of no less vital Interest than the
proper use and conservation of Gov
ernment holdings within Oregon's bor
ders is the proper use and conservation
of the comparatively small area that
Oregon calls her own.
v Dr. Withycombe, with personal.
Pmctieal. experienced knowledge of the
problems that confront the state. Is
held up to ridicule by the Democratic
press because ha earnestly discusses a
Grr Oresoa" and lets the dead and
gone political issues of assemblyiam
and Chinese labor rest In peace. A
sincere effort for the greater prosperity
and well-being of the people of Ore
gon is belittled, caricatured and derided
because he Ignores abstract political
questions and others not in Issue
Largely from the same sources comes
the demand for more reservation of
resources and the imposition of greater
taxes on the small area of land that
now bears the brunt of the cost of
state and local government.
If the Government land In Oregon
were consolidated in one portion of
Oregon and a high wall built around
it the state would be far better off
In the current administration of Its
affairs. But the Government lands are
scattered. Their existence Isolates the
lands in private ownership in count-
less cases.
The administration of justice Is
hampered by long distances. Schools
must be built and supported in little
settlements surrounded by the wild
erness. Highways to market produce must
traverse stretches of land that bear
no portion of the cost of construction
or maintenance and contribute nothing
to their use. New railroad construc
tion must be for the benefit of widely
separated localities and traverse in
terveming territory that produces no
traffic and promises no immediate ton
nage. The state is retarded in growth by
the unpromising returns on many
private investments and its own ad
ministration is made costly by the
magnizcent distances which give to the
thoughtless a pride to contemplate.
Orecon has gone ahead creatine new
commissions nnd new boards aad adopt
ing every governmental eoavenlence
that older and more settled states that
control their entire area have con
ceived. This has been done without
reference to duplication of depart
ments. Coat of government haa
mounted higher nnd higher until the
people are ready to rise In protest.
But what Is the relief offered in
lntiated measures? One is an amend
ment to relieve from taxation much of
the personal property and improve
ments in the state and put higher
taxes on the small land area of Ore
gon that is now taxable. Retrench
ment is not offered in any sense by
the $1500 exemption. The amendment
propones n legal evasion nnd provides
that much more of the cost of support
ing a great state shall be exacted from
land constituting but little more than
one-third of Its nren.
There is another measure proposing
a sur-tax or extra tax to be exacted -from
the men who are developing Ore
gon's land resources as well as from
the few who are holding land for
speculation.
There is another measure which pro
poses to add the unsold tide lands and
the unused harbor areas of the state
to the reserved area, relieve it from
taxation and preserve it, raw and un
improved, until a wiser generation has
been born. Submerged - lands which
cannot be destroyed but add to the
state's wealth when Improved are to
be bottled up. The lumber, fish and
other Industries that require frontage
on waters that will perhaps never be
needed for commercial harbors are to
be denied development in the fancied
interests of our unborn children and
grandchildren.
" There are two other measures, one
purporting to provide for proportional
representation, the other for abolish
ment of the Senate, which combined
would deny counties like Klamath.
Lake, Crook, Josephine, Malheur and
others whose area is untaxed in major
portion .all voice in legislative coun
cils and permit other counties to de
cide upon th volume of biennial ap
propriations. Of the 29 measures on the ballot. 19
came from the people and 10 from the
Legislature. Of the former here la Just
one assail bill that promises a reduc
tion in taxation and that an almost In
consequential amount. The measure to
lengthen the terms of certain couuty
officers would shorten the ballot and
thereby be a slight economy in election
costs.
Two other measures propose consoli
dation of departments, but they are
personal grievance bills in the drafting
of which economy was not a consider
ation. They promise no benefits.
Among the 10 measures proposed by
the Legislature is one and one only
that promises economy. Even that one
is contingent upon future action and
affects only Multnomah County, which
it permits to be consolidated in govern
ment with the City of Portland.
The map of Oregon printed today Is
preseated as providing at single
glance the answer to the Important
qnestloni "Why are taxes hlghr It
speaks loudly of neglected opportuni
ties In the WstJessl Congress by Ore
gon's senior Senator, now seeking re
election. It Is a fortified indorsement
of the need of a Governor committed
to more' prosperity and less polities.
It Is an unanswerable argument In
Multnomah County for the election of
those legislative eaadldntea who are
pledged to n programme of economy. It
is an nnnvoidable obatacle in the path
of those In pursuit of tbe rainbow of
tax evasion. It Is nn exhibit, that
ought to shock: the voters Into a real
isation that November 3 is the oppor
tune day to protest against official
derelictions nnd lay the fonndatlon
foe a greater .Oregon.