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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 1915)
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAX, PORTLAND, APRIL 11, 1915. 8 POKTLAJiD, OREliO. JEntr?d -at Portland, Oregon, Postoff.ce s (ecoTid-ciau matter. Subscription Kates Invariably in advance: By MaH. Dii!v, Sunday Included, ons year. 'J-? Dailv, Sunday Included, six month.... 4.1j Dally. Sunday IncJuded, three months.. Xaflvr Sunday Included, one montn... Daily, without, fcunday. one year Daily, without Sunday, nix months.... Dally, without Sunday, three months-. Dally, without Sunday, one month.... Weekly, one year .no 1.50 2. SO Sunday, or.e year Sunday and Weekly, one year. 3.50 Tailj. Sunday included, one year 9 ?9 Zally. Sunday included, one month i5 How t9 Keinlt Send Postofflce money or der, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are al sender's risk. Give postofflce address in full, including county and state. J Forage Bates 12 to 36 pages, 1 cent; 18 to Z'J pes. '1 cents: 34 to S pages. 3 cents. 0 to f0 pags. 4 cents; G2 to 76 pages, 5 cents: 7b to m pages, tt cents. Foreign post age, double rate. Eastern Baine Office Veree & Conk )in. New York, Brunswick building; Chicago, Stenger building. Sn Franriseo Office- R. J. Bidwell Com pany. 74i: Market street. PORTLAND, SL'XDAY. APRIL 11, 1815. CHANCES IN' FIFTY YEARS. J: The Civil War, which ended fifty years ago, effected much more than the destruction of slavery. It pro foundly altered the material and psy chological condition of the American people. At that time our natural re sources were known to be great, but they had been only slightly developed. The basic iron industry, for instance, had scarcely come into existence. There were few railroads to make the in terminable forests accessible and the interior portions of the territory "be yond the Mississippi" were supposed to be hopelessly barren. In the East ern states manufacturing had achieved some importance, but our principal in dustry was agriculture, as it had been in the days of Washington. The in dustrial revolution that has concen trated the American people in cities and transformed them from a bucolic to an urban community was only ill its initial stages. Electricity, one of the most potent factors in this, revo lution, was as yet nothing more than a laboratory curiosity. A few dreamers predicted great things of it, but the, Edisons who were to make it an im perial force in the world had yet to appear. Internal communication was effected almost wholly by horse-urawn vehi cles and river steamboats. Those were the palmy days of steamboating on the Mississippi and Missouri. It was com monly supposed that our great inter .nal trade routes would be opened through canals instead of railroads and statesmen had not ceased to argue about the advantages of a National wagon road from ocean to ocean. They are beginning now to revive that ar gument, but for reasons totally unlike the old ones. Then such a highway was imagined to be essential to the development of trade; now it is looked upon as a resource for popular holiday-making. The gas engine had not been invented and the automobile was vet to be conceived. Here and there I an impractical visionary tried to de vise a road vehicle to be propelled by steam, but all the experiments were failures. There was danger "in those days, seemingly so far away from us in "time and so rfiuch farther in spirit and feeling, that the United States would ultimately break asunder from its own magnitude. It was a long way from New York to San Francisco, and the road crossed stretches of des ert and ranges of mountains which seemed forever to forbid close union between the East and the Kar West. It was for this reason that the far sighted statesmen of the war period fostered the construction of the first Pacific railroad and later encouraged others, even at a cost to tho Nation which sometimes seemed ruinous. What we now call National feeling was largely a product of the war. Be fore that epochal event we were a loose association of sovereign states. The National Government was tolerated, but not loved, and politicians were more occupied with restricting its pow ers than with developing them for the public good. The tariff, slavery and state rights were the favorite themes of politics. The tariff we still enjoy, but the other two questions for de bate have been happily laid to rst. During the half century that has lapsed since Lee surrendered National feeling has steadily grown until it is now our dominant passion. Every citizen is loyal to his native state in a humorous, affectionate way, but it is the Nation that he now expects to die for in time of war. We shall never see again any such defection of soldiers and states men from the central Government as occurred at the outbreak of the Civil War. For years before that great catastrophe the literary genius of the American people had been waning. As always happens in history, art lost its vigor in the presence of moral and military passion. The discussion of slavery absorbed the intellectual en ergy of the people and we ceased to produce new Emersons, Poes . and AVhitmans. After the war was over an overpowering industrial passion carried all before it. Geniuses who fifty years earlier would have become poets or ministers turned to trade and mechanical science. Our engineers, in ventors and capitalists won the ad miration of the world, but literature has only lately begun to recover its lost prestige. The diplomatic position of the United States has altered profoundly in the last half century. Our form of government was then regarded by the European sovereigns as an experi ment ti which they were far from friendly. Russia was our best friend in the other hemisphere. Germany, under Bismarck, was chillily neutral and both Great Britain and France ' were hostile. General Bernhardi says in his famous book that England com mitted a capital error by not openly espousing the cause of the South and thus crippling us forever. No doubt he is right from the militarist stand point. France took advantage of our difficulties to set up a Hapsburg Em peror in Mexico and England helped the Confederate privateers prey upon our commerce. It was hoped and eagerly prophesied that the' great Re public of the West was to expire in blood and ruin. Such prophesies were best forgotten now. Today we are en vied by the blood-drenched nations of Europe. Our favor is courted and our power respected. The United States speaks with just authority upon all international questions, and we are the only Nation whose decisions as arbitrator may prevent the perpetua tion of cureless injustice at the close of the European war. With the acquisition of diplomatic pre-eminence, we have lost our pro vincialism. The United States is no longer colonial in feeling any more than in power. Our literary men are not satisfied to be successful imitators of the British. Our financial poten tates aspire to compete with those of London and Paris for the control, of international affairs. Our universities are sending out graduates by the thou sand who intend, with patriotic fervor and great ideals, to develop the genius of the United States. The Civil War was our baptism of blood and fire, from which we emerged to spiritual and material manhood. TWO CRITICISMS. Two objections to the $1,250,000 bond issue are: 1) Taxes will be Increased. Taxes will not be increased. There will be an actual saving to the tax payer under the bonding plan for at least four years; and thereafter, when the first of the bonds are retired, there will be no increase on that account over the present average road levy. (2) The Columbia River Highway is built for the automobilists and most of the money is to be spent there. The Columbia Highway is for all kinds of traffic. Only a portion of the money realized from the bonds about one-third is to be expended on the highway. Hard-surface roads are to be built throughout the county. ' But let it be granted that the Co lumbia Highway is a great scenic road. What better investment can Portland make to attract the tourist travel that has brought wealth to California? It is worth Portland's while and Oregon's while to bring people here from abroad. ENGLAND AND THE WATER WAGON. Should the British government pro hibit the sale of strong drink an im portant source of revenue will go do-. Last year the liquor tax produced J198. 000,000 and it is estimated that it would yield a little more this year. To forego that amount of money at a time when every penny counts requires some heroism, but there would be com pensations. The United Kingdom spends 800,000,000 and a little more for drink each year. Of course this enormous sum of money is worse than wasted, since liquor not only benefits nobody, but to many .it is positively harmful. The prohibition of the traffic would save this expenditure for more beneficial purposes, as similar action has done in Russia. The English are the most bibulous people in the world. The average family spends more than J90 annually for tipples of one sort and another. The Irish are considera bly less wasteful in this particular. The contemplated prohibition of the liquor traffic is purely for military rea sons. It is found that so much drunk enness exists in the shipyards that it is difficult to build new vessels at the necessary rate to carry on the naval war.- Since Englishmen love the navy somewhat more than their grog, it seems quite likely that Lloyd-George will gain his point and put the Demon Rum to flight. The monster may re turn to Albion's shores when the war is over, and he may not. The British may find themselves so much healthier and happier on the water wagon that they will prefer to stay there. VINDICATING UNDERWOOD'S TARIFF. fiMp-cosMnrtK that nuestions relating to the tariff should be investigated by a non-partisan commission, independ ent of Administration or Congressional influence, have been met by Demo crats with the statement that there exists in the Department of Commerce a bureau for the express purpose of making such investigations. Let us see how it works. Representative Humphrey, of Wash, ington, detailed to the House the dis-. astrous effects of the Underwood tariff on the lumber industry' of his state, and he wrote a letter to the Secretary of Commerce to the same effect. An agent of the department investigated his charges, denied practically every thing he had said and suggested that some mills had shut down because of incompetent management. Another agent investigated the pot tery industry 'and reported that the men operating the pottery industry did not know their business, that the tariff had nothing to do with .the depressed i-nndiiinn of the notterv industry and that a reorganization of methods would accomplish more than a change in tne tariff. The Montgomery County, New York, Association of Manufacturers wrote a letter to the President last July, statins- that as a. result of conditions pro duced by the tariff, their district was industrially paralyzed and appealing to him to do something to help the busi ness interests of the country. D. M. Barclay was sent to investigate and was supposed to be an expert in Mont gomery County industries. There is no record in the Commerce Depart ment that he is more than a collector of statistics and, as there are fifteen to twentv distinct industries in Mont gomery County, it is not likely that he is an expert in each one. tie saw conditions, but he asked the manu facturers for what the New York Eve ning Post terms "extremely detailed and confidential information from th.ir Knnks " This was refused and he made a report which charged incom petency on the part or manufacturers as the main cause of whatever trou ble and depression existed there at the timp while it insisted at the same time that there was very little depression and that tne tarirr nau nothing to do with it Manufacturers are now making their retort. One maker of hosiery shows a reduction of 24.69 per cent in hia output in 1914 from that of 1912. But for war orders this reduction would have been greater. On Decem ber 15, 1912, this firm employed 562 mn ks hours a week. On the same date in 1914 the same firm employed 401- men, of whom 100 worked o hours a week and the rest half time. "In February and March, 1912," says h Droduction and pay roll of the firm were small, because of their inability to get help, while in the same months of 1914 help- was plentiful and the concern was running largely on stock. The so-called tariff board of the De-.L.ytm.-.nf nf Commerce has been con verted into a machine for justifying the Underwood tariff, w hen any man ufacturer attributes business depres sion to that law, some so-called ex pert of Barclay's caliber, pretenaing to be an expert in a score of lndus t -a, ntio of which men have made a life study, tells him he is in competent and does not know his busi ness and that the tariff is not to blame. Owing their Jobs to the Administration which fathered the Underwood tariff, these men know what is expected of them and act accordingly. That is not the kind of a tarirr board tho tnuniifActurera have for years asked Congress to create; it is not the kind President Taft created nor the kind that Republicans now propose. It is a mere travesty on a lariri ooaru. The tariff board should be as inde pendent of Administration dictation as is the Interstate Commerce Commis sion and should go to work with an open mind to learn those facts about each industry which , relate -to thej tariff, without any effort to bolster up any theory or to vindicate or discredit any tariff law. That is the kind of a board European countries have; it is the kind Mr. Taft appointed. The Taft board made illuminating reports on the paper and wool industries, "but its work was flung in the wastebasket by those Democratic tariff tinkers, from the results of whose work universal war has only partially relieved Amer ican industry. HELPING BACKWARD COVSTIES. The good roads movement is not confined to the . Western states. Through its State Legislature, New York has appropriated many millions for building a system of trunk-line roads, and Massachusetts has now un der consideration a plan to spend J2, 000,000 in-the aid of backward coun ties. .. The Springfield Republican notes that in the five Western counties of Massachusetts are thirty-five towns without transportation facilities. All but oncPaxton, are included in the territory of the four western counties Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden. The area of these 33 towns is 933 square miles more than one ninth of the entire area of Massachu setts. In the 90 years from 1820 to 1910 the population of these 33 towns decreased from 30.847 to 15,143, or 50.9 per cent. The 74 cities and towns in the same five western counties pro vided with either railroad or trolley facilities have,, in the same 90 years, increased their population from 91,879 to 652,744, or 610 per cent. The only recourse for Massachusetts to stop the downward course of a great portion of its territory is to build roads, so as to bring remote sections in touch with the market centers. The argument for the $2,000,000 appropri ation by the state is that in this way the taxable wealth of Massachusetts will be increased. Roads mean agri cultural "development, a vital need in a state greatly overbalanced, with city population. It is the same in Oregon. Good roads give an impetus to the back-to- the-farm movement. They make farm life more tolerable, not to say attract ive. They give the farmer an oppor tunity for profit. They enhance val ues. They are a sure sign of progress. THE HOTEL LIBERTY. The appointment of a committee by the new Seattle Chamber of Commerce to make a friendly investigation of the remarkable "Hotel Liberty" in that city indicates the birth of a desire to understand rather than ignore the burning economic problems of the day. This hotel was instituted to accommo date Seattle's "unemployed army." It was promoted by a group of represen tative citizens, supported largely by donations from the city and county, and in the opinion of the Chamber of Commerce committee it has ren dered a great service to the unem ployed men of Seattle." The estab lishment of the Hotel Liberty was thus a wise solution of a problem that had perhaps been evaded too long by the leading men of that community, as it has been in others. The hotel has been managed on the executive side by "an itinerant work man"' named Henry Pauly, who has exhibited surprising ability in the busi ness. It happens in'the army of the unemployed, as it did- in Sherman's army in his march to Atlanta, that great ability of all sorts crops out in the most unexpected quarters. That frequent unemployment should pre vent men like Pauly and his peers from exercising their inborn gifts is one of those conditions of modern so ciety which are open, to severe crit icism. It will be conceded by all fair minded thinkers that industry should be so managed, if possible, that all able-bodied men can find work if they wish. On the financial side the Hotel Lib erty was conducted by a committee of Seattle's broad-minded citizens, of whom the most active seems to have been J. B. Powles, a gentleman who receives hearty, praise in the Chamber of Commerce committee's report. It is their belief that "for the successful conduct of an institution" like the Hotel Liberty "one or more represen tative citizens must spend time in look ing after its financial work." In other words, as one might have expected beforehand, there must be co-operation between the citizens of the town and the men who are to receive assist ance. When the latter are left en tirely to their own slender resources they grow sullen and rebellious against established institutions. When help is showered upon them from an aloof and unsympathetic source it is not likely to benefit them permanently nor to be accepted with much gratitude. It is interesting to notice the atti tude of the Chamber of Commerce committee toward "the problem of the unemployed." For one thing, the com mittee frankly admits in its report that "it is necessary for the commu nity to furnish reasonable aid to the unemployed." This is a notable ad vance from the days when these un fortunates were lumped together in discriminately as hobos and loafers. The committee assures us that in every instance offered employment was eagerly accepted by the men. "As work is obtained," the commif tee reports, "it is allotted to the men, and without exception they go to their work cheer fully." The committee makes another interesting remark. It relates to. the permanency of the problem of unem ployment. They say, with perfect ac curacy, we think, that it arises "from the specialization of employment" and that "it is constantly growing larger." Until the course of industrial evolution changes radically we must expect to see the army of unemployed workmen constantly recruited. This will happen without any fault on the side of the men pr of the employers. The intro duction of new automatic devices nec essarily throws human hands out of work. It also leads to the employ ment of lower grades of workers. Thus in countless instances the invention of perfected machinery has enabled women and children to perform tasks that formerly required able-bodied men. The expansion of industry into new fields should provide other em ployment for the men who are thus deprived of their means- of lfvelihood, but, sad as the fact may be, it does not. To assert the contrary is willfully to blind oneself to most obvious and distressing facts. Like the poor, the problem of unemployment is likely to be always with us. The benefits of the Hotel Liberty have not been all on one side. It has, as the committee says, "brought many honest and willing workers through a very hard Winter." but it has done more. For example, if we may trust the Chamber of Commerce committee, "it has lessened crime." Under pres sure of want, with no relief in prospect. men are severely tempted to break the law-. Charity blames them, of course, for yielding, but it can hardly be sur prised when they .do so. : Even mod erate help, such as the Hotel Liberty has provided, relieves the tension and tides the men over a situation so dif ficult that it may well mean ruin. Of course, the Hotel Liberty and all sim ilar enterprises are merely palliative. They offer no thorough-going solution to the problem of unemployment, but for all that, they are praiseworthy, since they afford help when it is des perately needed and render it without the sacrifice of self-respect in the ben eficiaries.. The system of self-government which prevailed at the Hotel Lib erty enabled the men to accept char ity in its least repugnant form and kept alive in them the disposition to return to normal working conditions at the first opportunity. Perhaps a flex ible scheme of public works, planned on a large scale and running through a long series of years, might effectually dispose of the unemployed army, but who will do the planning and provide the essential funds? What genius will so master and direct the forces of evolution that they shall cease to strew destitution and woe in the path of progress? . THE ROAD TO WEALTH. When the city of Grants Pass bond ed itself to build a railroad ten miles into a rich tributary district it set an example in the way of progress that Multnomah County may well consider with care. In comparison, a bond is sue by Multnomah County of $1,250, 000 to pave country roads Is a much smaller burden than Grants Pass as sumed when it-obligated itself for $200,000 to provide another form of transportation for produce to market. Faith in sectional'possibilities, dem onstrated by willingness to pledge that which is already developed, has its recompense unless judgment has gone astray. Sometimes it is productive of won derful results. Such is the outcome at Grants Pass. The city's enterprise is now to be rewarded by realization of all that was promised by the most ardent advocates of the railroad bonds. The little railroad is to be extended by private capital ninety miles far ther. There is sound reason to believe that it will be built yet another seventy-five miles and the route become a main highway between San Francisco and the North. The railroad, instead of being pure ly local, is to open a large section of great potential resources. The Illinois Valley is one of the best districts of Oregon. It is rich in agriculture. The surrounding hills are covered with magnificent timber and among them are some of the best paying mines and marble and granite ledges in Oregon. Josephine County possesses some of the older communities of the state, but its best resources are in a primitive state. The railroad that will make its mines, its timber, its agricultural lands, its quarries accessible has long been a fond dream of the community. It would still be a dream, undoubtedly, but for the willingness of Grants Pass to demonstrate its faith with its own coin. , Transportation that will develop land resources is no less a problem in Multnomah County than in Joseph ine. It matters not that our -chief need is for a different transportation faeility. Moreover nothing is so con ducive to investment and development as a demonstration of faith and com munity interest. We cannot hope for the best in either one unless we. meet it part way. FIELD WORK FOR FROFESSORS. ' A kind of extension work .which the Agricultural College and possibly the State University could take up with great profit might 'be called "social harmony." Perhaps the term needs a little explanation and we freely give it. In every rural community there is a great deal of good intention and sound ability going to waste. Young people who might help essentially to make life healthy and happy for their neighbors are kept inactive for fear of ridicule, for lack of leadership or sometimes simply because they do not know what to do or how to begin. An instructor in social -harmony could put them in the way of serving their com munity and the gain in all quarters would be inestimable. Villages are like churches. They never yet have learned the art of put ting their membership to use and hence many of the things they might do remain undone. But there is still other work for the professor of social harmony. He could help solve the fundamental problems of co-operation. Country neighbors do not co-operate with one another because they do not know how. When they try it without guidance they make discouraging blunders, lose money and turn friends into enemies. Competent instruction would enable them to avoid costly mistakes and bring success where fail ure has always been the rule. . The plan of allowing every share of stock a vote in co-operative societies, for example, has wrecked hundreds of them. It never works well and yet farmers try it over and over again. A little instruction would save them from this fundamental mistake. The right rule is to let individuals vote, not shares of stock. The latter plan works well in commercial companies, but never in co-operative undertakings. In matters of this kind instruction is sadly needed. It is needed quite as badly in the matter of the proper re lations between country storekeepers and their farmer customers. The mer chant complains because his neighbors do not trade with him. The farmers retort that the merchant buys none of their products. The breach is widen ing between them and threatens seri ous consequences to community pros perity. Evidently there is plenty of work for professors of social harmony. GOOD BUSINESS. No writer on the paving bond issue has put more sledge-hammer argu ment into a short letter than has Mr. Sholes in his communication published today. One illustration is particularly pat. If Multnomah County refuses to vote the bonds it will be like a man with a broken leg who refuses to em ploy a surgeon to put him on his feet because of the fee entailed. We are partly disabled, it matters not in this connection from what cause. There is a regrettable amount of unemploy ment. Business is far from brisk. Hard-surface roads encourage per manent development of the rural dis tricts. Not an opponent of the bonds has had the courage to deny that. The expenditure of $500,000 for labor will go far to relieve unemployment. It win put that much money into trade channels' and directly and indirectly benefit everybody. Here are both permanent and temporary benefits to put us on our feet. There is probably not an intelligent workman or businessman in Portland who would not welcome the oppor tunity to borrow within his- means if by so doing he would improve his owa f .t-.iirrwiiTw.iis mm f.rtainlv as the con struction of good roads wilt improve the conditions of the whole people. The carpenter out of a job who could obtain employment by purchasing a needed tool on borrowed money would not hesitate. The small merchant who could -see certain opportunity for profit in an enlargement of stock pur chased with borrowed money would hasten to the lender. The proposed bond issue is not an oppressive mortgage on the taxable property of the county. By paring here and there the taxing authorities have saved in one year more than the principal of the bond issue. Taxes now being paid are actually more than $1,250,000 less than they were last year. Moreover, the county authorities promise that more than the interest on the bonds will be saved through elimination of repairs and oiling costs. As a financial investment the issu ance of $1,250,000 in bonds to pave country roads cannot be- successfully attacked. There remains only the dis position of some to deny benefits to themselves because they suspect that a few realty owners and the contrac tors will make larger profit than they and because the pleasure of automo bilists -will be enhanced. Yet the con tractors, the realty owners and the au tomobilists can much, better afford to mark time than the laborer, the little home owner and the small business- mart.. If pique, envy and suspicion are good arguments for defeating the roau bonds we might as well accept ruts and mudholes as permanent institu tions. Such arguments, so-called, will be always with us. CONTENTED FARMERS' WIVES. There is no reason to believe that farmers' wives are exceptionally dis satisfied with their lot. Most human beings are born grumblers. They de light in finding fault with their situa tion in life and "pine for what is not," but farmers' wives are no more dis contented than their city sisters in all likelihood. - To be sure. The Saturday Evening Post published an article from a farmer's wife not many months ago, in which the hardships of coun try life were depicted in woeful col ors, and a Maine woman, who is cur rently quoted in the papers, takes the same disconsolate view of rural con ditions, but we may believe that they are solitary voices. Comparatively few women who live in the country are seriously discon tented.. In remote districts, where the roads are poor, and life is unwhole- somely solitary, the effects upon wom en are particularly bad. Some of them lapse into confirmed melancholy and go insane. One of the main recruiting grounds for insane asylums is the iso lated farm shut off from the world by impassable roads. But with the prog ress of road building this evil is pass ing away. The modern spirit has penetrated to the farm and wrought a happy change in living conditions there. Talking machines, improved kitchen utensils, flower gardens and automobiles have transformed the life of the woman who lives in the country. She how has diversions as plentiful as her friend in the city and often they are far more rational. She also has leisure to enjoy herself, to read, listen to music and visit with her friends. The new community spirit which is making such happy changes in rural conditions has probably done more for women than for men. It has given them something to live for by creat ing neighborhood enterprises. There was a time when the principal diver sion of rural communities was gos sip and quarreling, but things are bet ter now. Neighborhood clubs, co-operative marketing societies, debating clubs and dramatic unions have filled life with purpose and interest. But no doubt the rural church has done more than any other factor to make rural life profitable and happy wher ever it has lived up to its opportunities. ALLIES ON THE OFFENSIVE. The war so far has" been marked by failure of any belligerent to attain its object except that Russia has con quered Galicia and now appears to have forced a way through the Car pathians. All other offensive move ments on either side have been blocked. Germany failed in her drive to Paris, also in that to the Channel ports of France. ' She also failed twice in her drive from the west and twice from the north at Warsaw and is blocked thirty miles west and a greater dis tance north of that city. Austria failed to subdue Serbia, her armv being twice driven out of that country. ' Russia failed twice in the invasion of East Prussia and again in the ad vance into Posen after repulsing the Germans. Turkey failed disastrously in the in vasion of Transcaucasia and Egypt. The French, British and Belgians failed, to turn the German right after the battle of the Marne. The naval attack on the Dardanelles has only partially succeeded and is now to be followed by a land attack. In these particularly futile attacks the aggregate loss of men is estimated at 6,000,000, about equally divided, neritmnv now. bv her actions, admits that she has lost the advantage of the general offensive. Whatever local ot fonsivs she mav attempt hereafter will be for defensive purposes. The burden of the offensive Is now transferred to her enemies, and the heavier losses must be borne by them. Accordingly, the attack is now being pushed at three main points in the Carpathians, east and north of Verdun in France and in the Dardanelles. The allies may attack, as they are now do inir nn both eastern and western fronts simultaneously, thus preventing Germany from diverting troops irom east to west or from west to east; or they may push the atfack with great vigor on the three fro-nts alternately. If it were possible to time these at tains aornratelv. thev might cause Germany to keep a large body of men continually in transit between tne east and west, and thereby employ trans port to no effective purpose. That a violent oitensive is to De un dertaken by the French and British ie jnrHfatAri hv trip news of extensive transfer of troops across the Chan nel, of hospital arrangements on a im-o-o salo and hv the Dresent attack by the French on the German lines between the Meuse and Moselle rivers. These attacks seem to be designed to clear the Woevre district and the Orne Valley of the Germans, to end the menace to Verdun, to cut off the wedge which the Germans have driven into the French line at St. Mihiel and to obtain control of Thiaucourt, the tprminnj! O f a railroad running north east to Metz. Success would enable the French to clear this section oi tne enemy. The British, aided by the Belgians, may be expected to-attempt the ex pulsion -of the Germans: . from the northeastern corner of France and from Belgium. If they can recover the thirty miles of Belgian coast held by Germany, they will deprive her of her submarine base at Zeebrugge and will add 200 miles to the distance the un dersea boats must traverse in order to reach British waters. The Russians are now on the south ern slopes of the Carpathians at some points and are considering the best line of advance into Hungary. When this is undertaken, they' will find themselves confronted by the same ob stacles as they encountered in their advance through Poland toward Posen and into East Prussia. They will be moving farther from their base into a country where the retreating enemy has torn, up railroads, destroyed sup plies and thrown up defenses, and with every mile of advance these difficulties will be aggravated, while the Austrian will be drawing nearer their base with unimpaired lines of communication. A vast amount of transport and supplies will be necessary for the invading army, the strength of which may be limited by the capacity of the railroads and highways to carry material. At the same time the Russians will be obliged to maintain a great army in Poland, in order not merely to pre vent a German advance, but to keep the Germans so well occupied that they cannot spare men to aid the Aus- trians. For the attack on the Dardanelles a Franco-British army is assembled In Egypt and aorce is reported to have landed already on the Isthmus of Galli poli. The attack on Smyrna nray be renewed with a view of using that city as a base lor an advance on the straits, while another attack is made from Gallipoll. Russians may aid by press ing the advance on the Black Sea coast, where they have retaken Batum, and by bombarding the Bosphorus forts. Being on the aggressive in the three main scenes of operations, the allies are likely to lose as many men as the Germans and Austrians lost during the first six months of the war. Their hope of ultimate success must rest on! inflicting proportionately heavy losses on their antagonists and on making gains of territory which are worth the price. Their chances of final success depend largely on their ability, with their present forces, to reduce the Teu ton and Turkish forces, practically all of which are probably in the field, to such a degree that resistance to the new armies which Russia and Britain can bring forward will be broken down by superior numbers, France already having enrolled every available man. When we consider the qualities of re sistance and the power to inflict im mense loss possessed by an army on the defensive against a much superior number on the offensive, as shown by the British in the battle of Ypres, we can conceive of the tremendous task before the allies and of the awful sac rifice they must make if they win. The fact that the Grand Army of the Republic is still a powerful organi zation at the close of its fiftieth year reminds us that the battles of the Civil War were fought largely by boys and young men. They are graybeards now and the shadows grow long behind them as they finish their march into the purple sunset. One more victory to gain, the greatest, and then comes the hero's everlasting reward. By the way, has any one heard any thing more recently about our Insist ence that the Germans make good for the sinking of American merchant men by the Eitel? The latest news at hand on the subject is that beach resorts have been thrown opeh for the amusement of the German crew. A rirnn of t.wpntv cents a barrel in the price of flour comes to live cents on a sack. Each sack ia supposed to contain 49 pounds or nour, ana snouia make some 60 pound loaves. The drop, therefore, amounts to the twelfth part of a cent on the loaf, which is worth saving. ' Local colored people are too thin skinned when they voice objection to a film being shown as doing injustice to their race. Do they realize that hundreds of films expose the weak nesses, vanities and crimes of white men, with never a protest? All of the old-line politicians now being disqualified by conviction of crime, Terre Haute may give the re formers a chance at the offices for lack of other material. In Philadelphia a week has been set aside for special kindness to ani mals. The period should not be so brief and the practice should be made permanent. British employers claim that the workingman is better off in Germany than England. Unless, of course, he runs into the compulsory military law. Great Britain has decided to release goods bought by America in Ger many. But how. about goods bought in America by Germany? Co-eds will not be allowed to wear borrowed sweaters in athletic events at Willamette University. This is a hard, hard blow at Cu'pid. America does not insist on her rights, says Germany. Still we have gone as faT as we can go in futile bluffing. A total of 812,000 allies are now captive. No doubt the number will increase as opportunity presents itself. Mexican peace is foreseen by Sena tor MnrCnmbcr. What a long, long way ahead the Senator can see. Ball on the home grounds in a few more hours. But to the real fan it seems like years to wait. "Powder plant adds men," says the headlines. It sometimes subtracts them, too. Tx-oohino-tnTi h;iK sent a new protest to Villa. Bet he uses it for target practice. Spring has come, but the battle lags in, Europe. Is this a forerunner of peace? Western Oreiron is now all togged out in her multi-colored finery. Germany declares Washington is lax. Don't we all know it? It is a dull day when no one gets hurt in a jitney accident. All together, now, and put the road bonds over. Italy continues merely, to talk.. . Gleams Through the Mist By Dean Collins. BY DEAN COLLINS. J-'aturist Love Bonnets. I. ' The sinuous sweep of ambient ether drapes The catyclysmle piles of brick and stona. And rumbling rythnins resonantly moan About the purfled paves and fire-escapes: Languescent pend the clouds' elusive shspea From the chill heavens' axur monotone. And reeling through the mists, hung son on zone. Rise the far battlements of ocean capes. So Is the anguished world all gray and dull As fhy wracked soul, because of lova for thee; Beneath these osseous plates upon my skull My cerebrum affords no perch for glee; Yet love could crack away that ivory hull And carve a niche where 11 enthroned might be. II. The ponderous moon rides the net billows high. Dragging an argent train athwart thj foam ; The giddy planets. Luna's hippodrome. Ape the coy winking of thy dcxler eye; Athuart tho sward the gibbering shadows lie In metamorphoses upon the loam. As inomcnt'ly tho winds th branches comb! Making their flimsy frippery to fly. Out of this garbled group where shadows grope, ftlay not tho faint star of my future glow; Whut hideous hugglings hide the head of hope, That 1 am vexed by vagrant longings so? There must be some solution to th dops. But on the livcl, l.nve. hanged If 1 know. . When Mabel 1ms a vase full of trll llums on the muutelplece and poison oak on her neck It's a sure sisn that Spring is here. Solemn Thought. Juck J's in time produce, Wlllards who will tight 'em; And Wlliurd pus ar little use. When bigger fighters sight 'em; Ami bigger pugs call bigger pugs. And biKKer u-s, and bigser pugs; And each big pug the story lugs itlglit on ad infinitum. One difference between a woman and a dog is that tho dug will stick with you, even without the comfort of a lingering hope that it may some day reform you. "Sir," said the Courteous Office Boy, "I have here the third volume In our 'Five-Inch Bookshelf for Busy Men.'" What's the great work today?" I asked with interest. " -The Iliad,' " said the 0. O. B., and he read as follows: Trojan ships; Helen skips; CIrecks buragct' ; W'nr engaged ; Achilles, sore. Fights no more; Hector seen Sole champeen; ' Grecians grope: Heek w hlte hope; Achilles chum Beaten some; Achilles crack ; "1 can como back!" Great Joy reigning; Achilles .training; Winner picked; Hector licked ; Wooden steed ; Trojsns treed ; listen blue; "Horn for you!" What has become of all those alu minum "friendship hearts" that the girls used to weur Jingling at their wrists 13 years ago? Tom Fathead was a big galoot. He trained his wife to be real brave; ; One day he luught her how to shoot. And now he's, dead and In his grave, Luke Mcl.uko In Cincinnati Enquirer. Bill Bonehead was a good chap, but . His Judgment was not sound, 'tis tru; He taught his wife to box, poor nut. And now you see what can h do? If our unemployment problem were solved tomorrow, think what an army of the unemployed we would then have from the professional upllftera who have been trying to solve the problem of the unemployed for so long.. W-hen a town gets too big to have a full brass band and a volunteer fire department it begins to feel that it is pretty sophisticated, If not downright wicked. But the glory of Home Town over a new sidewalk in front of the post office and the glory of metropolis over the opening of a new scenic boulevard were poured out of the game bucketp after all. Verse Libre. There la a chap across the way who on the piccolo will play throughout the livelong blessed day, "I Dl'.n't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier." Which may all very truthful be. but what 1 really cannot see about his mother la what b,e raised this poor piccolo-playing simp to be. I A procrasllnator is a person who puts off digging the dandelions out of his front lawn until they are in bloom and no earthly uae for greens. SONG OK THE JIEAOOW LARK. There is music, liquid music, born ot heaven In every note From the xaucy little fellow gwelling breast and trembling throat; ivith annthlnar sweetness .MUSIC . . as 'tis piped ko bright and clear. nd it fills the soui wim k'"""" -" ...ii ik. r. A tile morning; 1L IUHB " - Bi:n la iiiWiinK the horizons eastern rim With a tint of raaiani Deauw. u. .... i .. L- tha vhaiinwi dim. lie, the first to greet its coming with a trill of glad aengni.. Bids it welcome us it follows on the trail of fleeing night. . As the shadows break away . V. li..t irlnil HHeD'O'daV. And with gold the sun the east-aky is adorning. How the notes so wcet and dear Thrill with pleasure every ear When the meadow lark Is singing In tho morning. We awake from peaceful slumber when the day begins to dawn. Stretch the kinks from our attachments with many a lazy yawn; Wonder if we'd better hustle out and occupy our clothes, Or roll over in position for another little doze, When in through tho open window conies a sweet, melodious lay. And the beaten god of Blumber hits the trail and fades away. As the yellow-breasted fellow from hia perch up on a pole Every sense starts Into action with the music from his soul. Off the kivers then we kick. . And our every move is quick. As our person with our raiment were adorning, And we whistle merrily in tha same oul-stlrrlng key. With the meadow lark thut'a singing in the morning. , - JAMES BAKTON ADAMS.