6 THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, .JUNE 6, 1915.
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PORTLASD, SITfDAY, JUNE 6, 1915.
WILL, SPEAK FOR THE WEST.
The opinion of the West on water
power legislation will be expressed
by the conference of delegates repre
senting twelve stats which is to meet
in Portland in September, not by con
ferences packed with Government of
ficials and with advocates of the iin
chot policy of conservation. The readi
ness with which eleven other .states
have accepted Oregon's invitation is
an earnest of their deep interest in
the subject. We may expect from
the conference a. clear, firm statement
of the right of the states to control
their own -water and the declaration
of a policy for the maintenance of
that right- The West can fairly at
tack the policy embodied in the Fer
ris bill on the grounds of both state
rights and public expediency.
The Ferris bill violates the rights of
the states because it assumes to dis
pose of tie property of the states.
Courts, both Federal and state, have
repeatedly declared that the waters of
each state are the property of that
state, subject to disposition according
to its own laws. The Ferris bill
makes a pretense of recognizing this
right by providing that persons or
corporations which obtain leases, of
Government power sites must first
obtain water rights under state law.
Tet the provisions of the state laws
are such that no person can comply
with them until he has obtained a
power site and has made expenditures
on improvements which no man in his
senses would make until he has a
clear right to the land for his enter
prise. The Ferris bill also proposes
to exact a rental for both land and
water to be fixed by the Secretary of
the Interior and to be paid to the
Federal Government, although the
water belongs to the state. The ratio
of land value to water value is about
one to fifty, but the Ferris bill pro
poses to hand over to the state only
one-half of the revenue and to re
strict the uses to which this half
shall be applied. The states deny the
right of the Government to dispose
of their property and of its income.
There is grave question whether
the Nation has fa right to lease the
public domain without the consent of
the states. When the Western states
were admitted they agreed not to tax
the public domain or to "interfere
with the primary disposal of the -soil
within the same by the United States,"
but at the time that agreement was
made the established policy of the
Government was to transfer, the pub
lic domain to private owners. That
was the policy when the original
thirteen states organized the Union.
In accordance with that policy prac
tically all the public land east of the
Missouri River and most of the land
between the Missouri River and the
Rocky Mountains has passed into pri
vate ownership. It is an established
principle of law that all new states
shall be admitted to the Union on
terms of equality with the already
existing states. If the policy of leas
ing be substituted for that of selling
or giving public land, the Western
states are placed in a position of per
manent inequality with the other
states. A large proportion of their
area is exempt from state taxation
and from the operation of state laws
relating to property rights, but the
states must bear the burden of -enforcing
criminal law within these
areas. How serious is this burden
can be conceived from the fact that
60 per cent of the area, of Oregon is
In the public domain and is therefore
exempt from taxation.
The Western states accepted the
terms of their several enabling acts
on the tacit understanding that the
condition described was only to be
temporary and that the public domain
would gradually pass into private
hands, becoming subject to state taxa
tion and state law, as fast as settlers
appeared to occupy and develop It.
The leasing of public land would
change the conditions governing a
contract after the contract was made.
This has been held a violation of
equity by the courts in controversies
between citizens. The same rule
should apply between the Union and
its member-states. Permanent adop
tion of the leasing policy would place
the Western states in a position of
permanent inferiority to those states
which have full sovereign power over
their entire area. The Western states
would be retained in a species of ter
ritorial tutelage which Is inconsistent
with their equality as sovereigns with
other states.
Were it possible to remove .these
serious objections to the Ferris bill,
its adoption would be unwise on
grounds of expediency. That bill pro
poses to entrust to the Secretary of
the Interior the- decision -as to the
terms on which power sites should
be leased. He cannot possibly bo fa
miliar with local conditions in all the
states concerned, which include the
entire area from the Rocky Moun
tains westward. The office will be
occupied by officials changing' every
four years, no one of whom Is likely
to follow his predecessor's policy. The
Secretary must attend to these- duties
in conjunction with many others and
must necessarily delegate a large
part of bis duty to subordinates.
These subordinates are apt to "be bu
reaucrats who know nothing of the
West from practical experience or
even observation. Men are not likely
to be willing to invest capital in power
enterprises when they are to be sub
ject to the changing policies of chang
ing officials.
Further, the effect of leasing by
the Government would be to enlarge
still further a eentralized bureaucracy
at Washington which is already
swollen to unwieldy size. This ma
chine has grown to proportions which
render it Inefficient and slow in op
eration. . It performs unsatisfactorily
the duties which it has already under
taken and could with, advantage be
given less instead of more wdrk. The
administration of water power can be
conducted by the states with better
results both to the Government and
to the states under a general law gov
erning the disposal of Government
power sites. Such a law can contain
ample safeguards against that im
providence of which the Pinchotites
wrongly accuse the states. Machinery
has already been provided by the
states or grant of water rights and
for control of public utilities and Is
in effective operation.
The West condemns the Ferris bill
because it violates state rights and
because it is vicious in itself. Now is
the time for the West to unite for a
fight to the end against Federal usur
pation and- centralized bureaucracy,
With united forces the West can "win
and ban break the deadlock which
has arrested development.
WASTING DOLLARS.
The annual cost of meters main
tenance, depreciation, interest, record
ing and billing Is about $2.50 each
per year. These are the figures given
by E. G. Hopson, "an engineer, and
they are not disputed. Not a single
one of these items is necessary under
the flat-rate system, although the
superfluous business of billing flat
rate consumers is now the practice.
There Is no good reason why, .
The cost of meters for the city will
be from J400.000 to $500,000,-.with-an
additional maintenance cost of at
least $100,000 per annum.
There is not even, the excuse of
patronizing home industry to be made
for the meter venture, since the me
ters are brought from the East. Not
a dollar, except for labor and inci
dental cost of installation, is expend
ed in Portland. '
Who benefits by the $500,000 In
vestment and the $100,000 fixed an
nual charge? Who pays it?
The reason advanced for meters is
that they prevent . waste by saving
water. There is- no excuse for waste
under any scheme, and It can be re
duced to a minimum under any prop
er system of inspection.
Portland does not need to save
water. But it ought to use water
freely, when there are enormous
quantities to use.
Under the specious plea that he
would not waste the people's water,
Commissioner Daly coolly proposes to
waste their money.
THE SLOTHFUL AND HIS ilBBACB.
Practically the only excuse for
shouldering the expense of a munici
pal garbage system lies in the fact
that accumulations of garbage are
neither pleasant nor healthful, yet
some persons permit garbage to ac
cumulate. But it seems that there ought to be
some way to compel the neglectful to
observe ordinary sanitary precautions
such as disposition of table refuse,
and still not Impose a large additional
burden upon taxable, property.
The fact that garbage collection is
free will not cause any less need of
inspection of premises unless it be as
sumed that no brake Is to be placed
upon the collection process. Garbage
collection must be systematized. The
collector cannot hunt for it or go
into out-of-the-way places for it. The
person so slothful as to let garbage
accumulate in his basement at pres
ent will be still so slothful under free
collection that he must be forced to
care for it in such manner that the
collectors can get it readily and reg
ularly. Enforcement of existing laws will
go as far toward preventing danger
to the public health from garbage as
will a properly conducted garbage
collection system. Moreover, it will
be far less costly.
JUAK1.VG DEALS IX THE BALKANS.
Russia's loss of Przemysl is the cli
max of the series of disasters she has
suffered beginning with the battle on
the Dunajec River. It comes at a
most critical point for the fortunes
of Russia and her allies, for Rou
mania and Bulgaria seem to be on
the verge of settling heir territorial
disputes and, if Greece will but fall in
line, of joining Russia in her attack
on Austria, and Britain and France
in their attack on Turkey. Prudence
may deter them from going to the
relief of a beaten army, but a longer
view of their Interests may prompt
them to quick decision, for Austro
German victory would end their hopes
of expansion at the cost of either Aus
tria or Turkey. Italy was not deterred
from joining the alliance by the spec
tacle of Russia's army driven, from
the Dunajec to the San, and Rou
manla. Bulgaria and Greece may be
no more restrained by Austria's re
covery of Przemysl.
The negotiations under way be
tween Rou mania. Bulgaria, Serbia
and Greece promise to undo the work
of the Austrian Intrigues . which
brought about the second Balkan war
and which provoked bitter enmity be
tween Bulgaria and her recent allies.
The original Balkan alliance gave
Northern Albania to Serbia, Southern
Albania to Greece and the bulk of
Macedonia to Bulgaria. By a threat
of war Austria deprived Serbia and
Greece of Albania. They then claimed
compensation in Macedonia at Bul
garia's expense, and Bulgaria began
the second war. Alarmed at Austria's
backing of Bulgaria, Roumania broke
away from Austrian influence and be
came amenable to that of Russia. She
Joined Serbia and Greece in the war
which caused Bulgaria to lose Mace
donia to those two states, and the
Dobrudscha to Roumania. She also
lost nearly all the territory she had
won in Thrace,, and Greece took Seres
and Kavala, Aegean ports which had
been in dispute.
Bulgaria now claims the return of
all that was taken from her at, that
time; in short, she asks for the un
doing of all that Austrian Interference
then did. Roumania and Serbia are
willing to make considerable conces
sions in Macedonia and on the Dan
ube, for the former hopes to recoup
herself at Austria's expense and the
latter in Albania, but progress of the
allied diplomats is blocked by the
Queen of Greece, who is the Kaiser's
sister, as it was when, Venizelos was
Premier. "The latter advocated the
cession of the district between the
Struma and the Mesta Rivers with
Kavala to Bulgaria, the allies guaran
teeing to Greece Smyrna and its hin
terland. King Constantino consent
ed, but finally repudiated the Kavala
concession.
The game of diplomacy is being
played keenly in the Balkans by Ger
many as well as by her enemies. Bul
garia holds out for her price, for, un
like the other states, she cannot ob
tain compensation elsewhere for con
cessions she makes in the Balkan pen
insula. Roumania can make large
gains in Transylvania and Bukowlna,
Serbia in Albania, Bosnia, Herzego
vina and Dalmxtia, Greece in- Asia
Minor, but the most Bulgaria, can
hope for is to regain what she lost In
1913 with Thrace down to the Enos
Midia line. The allies have most to
offer, and the principal restraining in
fluence must be doubt of 'their final
victory and fear of German-Austrian
vengeanee. Hence the players watch
the fortunes of war and see Germany
score in Galicia, while the allies score
on the Dardanelles. The latter scene
of operations has more direct inter
est for Bulgaria and Greece, for that
way lie the spoils of war for them.
TOUR CHOICE.
If you have a second choice or a
third choice, vote it.
But if you have no second choice
or third choice, do not vote it.
There is nothing compulsory about
second and third choice voting. It
is optional with the elector as to
whether he shall thus cast an alterna
tive ballot.
It ought to be clear to the voter
that in case of a close election, sec
ond ind third choice votes will de
cide.
By voting for a candidate as sec
ond choice, or third choice, therefore,
when the voter has no such choice, or
when he is actually opposed to such
a candidate, he may aid m defeating
his own first choice candidate.
Do not vote either as first, second
or third choice for any man whom
you are not willing to elect as City
Commissioner.
THE CLUBWOMEN.
Persons who attended' any of the
sessions of the biennial council of the
National Feneration of Women's
Clubs In Portland must have noticed
the precision and grace with which
the officials conducted their business.
Prompt, ready for every emergency,
shrewd and decisive, they -made the
programme move onward without
hitch or friction, while at the same
time everybody was pleased. Even
the delegate who wanted to speak and
could not accepted her fate smilingly,
knowing that it was all for the best.
The officials have been chosen from a
membership of 2,000,000 women in
the local clubs by a process of rig
orous selection, and are naturally of
exceptional grace and ability, but the
visitor could scarcely help noticing a
wonderful alertness and ready wit
among - the delegates on the floor.
There may have been some of, that
timidity and shrinking futility which
is supposed to be characteristic of
women, but if there was it was not
visible or audible. The speeches were
delivered with exquisite clarity and
point, and the presence of the speak
ers was as competent and dignified as
one ever sees in public meetings ot
any assembly in the world.
We mention these matters not so
much to compliment the women as to
emphasize the progress they are mak
ing in public life. Just as the voice
and manner of an individual betray
unmistakably his origin and educa
tion, so the conduct of a business
meeting gauges the competence of
those who take part in it. The busi
ness which came before the council
in the course of the Portland sessions
was as varied as our National life. It
is easy to remember a time when
women's clubs were principally con
cerned with literature and art. The
literature was not especially vital and
the art was of the sort that one can
discover In cyclopedias. Nothing of
this sterile effort is discoverable in
modern club proceedings. The women
still cultivate literature and art. We
think few audiences ever listened to
a more impressive address on the
charms of poetry and the great drama
than Mrs. Winters delivered at one of
the afternoon sessions. She not only
knows about literature, but she
knows the thing itself, which is' far
better. Her quotations from the
Greek dramatists and the modern
poets exemplified that kind of liter
ary study which pays heavily in the
enrichment of the mind and the uplift
of the soul.
But the activities of the women's
clubs have extended far beyond these
interests. Their horizons have wid
ened in every direction of late, years.
What subject can one think of that
they did not discuss at the meetings of
the council? Education, the conser
vation of forests and human life, the
welfare of cities, eugenics, the health
of school children, nothing human is
alien to the keen intelligence and en
lightened sympathy of these women.
The problems of war arra peace par
ticularly claimed their attention. "Dr.
Jordan's advanced ideas on the pre
vention of war were addressed to
minds that had already pondered the
subject deeply. The audience that
heard his views were prepared to
weigh them as well as to appreciate
his philosophy and sympathize with
his broad humanitarlanism. Not
every man who ardently - longs for
peace is prepared to tell us how to
secure it. A very different note was
struck by Mrs. J. D. Sherman, of Chi
cago, who pleaded for a breezier out
door life and the wholesome demo
cratic Influences that would flow from
it. The cult of the forests and moun
tains was her theme. Sport, adven
ture,- the charm of scenic beauty and
the exhaustless fountains of health
for mind and body that flow from the
great outdoor world were the melodies
she evoked. And it was interesting to
observe that the delegates to the coun
cil were as much fascinated by her
text and its elaboration as by the more
spectacular visions of international
politics. They exhibited that genuine
catholicity of interest which culture
In Its best meaning bestows. The
most severe critic of the women dele
gates could not accuse them of any'
narrowness.
Dr. Lillian Irwin's paper on eugen
ics led into still another line of
thought. Again and again the old
idea came out during the sessions that
an ounce of prevention Js worth tons
of cure. Governor Lister expressed it
in his remarks -Upon employing pris
oners. It was the gist of all that was
said about the welfare of school chil
dren. What Is an education worth
that ruins their bodies and dulTs their
brains? What is there to say for a
home life that turns them out upon
the world ignorant, diseased and
teeming with criminal proclivities?
It is to the credit of the women that
they shirked none of these questions.
All were faced boldly, and If we must
still wait for definitive answers, that
is the fault of science itself rather
than of these eager students. Dr. Lil
lian Irwin sees the solution of many
a social problem in the development
of eugenic teaching and, legislation.
She holds it to be perfectly clear that
the law can help immensely to pre
vent undesirable marriages and tlfus
keep out of the world a great host of
Children who can never - be of sny
beneflt to society. We dare say We
have not yet heard the last of this
subject of applying selective principles
to birth. It is one of those vital ques
tions that cannot he suppressed. Shan
we finally make up our minds that
there are too many people in the
world and that it would be better to
have a smaller population of better
stock? Dr. Jordan made much, in his
extremely illuminative address of the
value of "chosen strains." He pointed
out the undeniable fact that the world
owes to these exceptional strains in
the human and animal races all the
advances it has made. If we permit
them to be killed oft in war, if we per
mit them to be swamped by the count
less progeny of the scrub breeds,
where shall we turn for hope and
progress? It is one of the finest signs
of the times that the women's clubs
are studying such questions as these.
LIFE OF JITNETS SOT INVOLVED.
If one will imagine Portland a city
without streetcars one will be better
able to consider the jitney ordinance
on its merits. The jitney is a trans
portation device pretending to be a
public utility. Yet it is operated with
out regard for public safety or con
venience. There are exceptions, but
this is the rule.
A city without streetcars would not
tolerate such a service a moment. The
public would demand to -know that
after it had accustomed itself to a
service over, certain routes the cars
would not be withdrawn without no
tice and the public left to walk, the
cars to resume the routes when the
owners felt so inclined.
But we have the street railway. If
the jitneys abandon a route for a few
hours or a day or two the public la
not inconvenienced. It falls back on
the streetcars. . We regulate the street
railways by specifying a minimum
service in the franchise. We regulate
other railways by placing over them a
state commission with power to re
quire a service -consistent with volume
ot traffic.
There is no particular virtue in the
jitney which justifies its operation as
an unregulated public utility unreg
ulated as to service, fares, mechanical
defects, incompetency of drivers or
Interference with other traffic. "
The ordinance will regulate jitneys
in the particulars mentioned. It is
not severe in its terms. It will per
mit the Jitneys to live, else .Portland
is far different from otner cities.
Elsewhere they have not been put out
of business by much more stringent
regulation.
THE LIVE FORCE IN' OCR POETRY.
George Santayana, the Harvard
philosopher, writes in a discouraged
mood about American poetry. The ar
ticle of his to which we refer is in
the current number of the New Re
public. He closes it with the remark
that "the average human, genteel
person with a heart, a morality and
a religion is left for the moment with
out any poetry to give him pleasure
or do him honor." This implies that
such poetry as we have nowadays is
not written for the delight or honor of
genteel persons' with the usual char
acteristics. Most of it is, in fact, po
etry with a purpose, and it is written
for the mob who are far from being
genteel and whose religion is too neb
ulous for clear expression. We can
discern vague foreshadowings.of their
creed in the clouds of the human sky,
and from their aspect we may make
up our minds that it will include a
great many things sadly foreign to the
older creeds, such things as justice,
decent treatment for workingmen and
all women, and' the .like. But what
form of words the creed will clothe
itself with and whether it will be in
prose or verse nobody is able to -say
just yet.
The most noticeable fact about our
current poetry is that it Is full of Walt
Whitman's influence. The form of
expression and the tone of thought
and feeling are so manifestly his, that
we do not understand how Professor
Santayana could write that "the man
ner of the great mystical tramp has
not taken root." It certainly has taken
root. and is more alive than any other
tree in the literary forest. We sus-
Dect Professor Santayana of a little
shortsightedness, a disease which has
always afflicted the Harvard sages anof
most others along the Atlantic Coast.
He cannot see anything in the Coun
try westward of the Atlantic fog limit.
If he could he would begin to appre
ciate more exactly what Walt Whit
man's genius is doing for our litera
ture. "The Spoon River Anthology,"
for example, which is a typjeal poetry
book of the day, speaks with the voice
and heart of "the great mystical
tramp." It seems to us that Professor
Santayana " makes another mistake
about Walt Whitman when he says
that "the good, gray poet" was "sim
ply mystical, missing the articulation
Of the great world as well as the con
structive mind of his own age and
country-" In the same mistaken way
he says again that Whitman supposed
what was vital in America was only
what was absolutely modern and na
tive." This shows how little our great
est poet is understood in our biggest
university. " ,
Whitman was not a scholarly man.
but he never made the "blunder of
despising the treasures of the mind
and soul that have coma down to us
out of the past. He declared his in
dependence of the elder teachers, but
it does not follow that he scorned
them. Whitman's gospel was, .like
Jefferson's, that the earth belongs to
the living, not to the dead, a gospel
that the modern Italians, have adopt
ed in spite of all their monuments and
ruins. But he was willing to take
from the departed all they could give
that would help him live his own life,
and he says so more than once In his
poems. The charge that Whitman
was not constructive misses the
mark badly. Whoever thinks the
poet was "simply mystical" without a
hold on practical questions and con
structive thought cannot have read
him understanding-. We should not
be much surprised to learn that Pro
fessor Santayana had not read him
at fill. The Harvard intelligence has
a high and mighty way of dealing
with such phenomena as ' Whitman.
It passes judgment on them without
the formality of a trial, assuming that.
inasmuch as they never graduated at
Harvard, no trial is needed. The
truth is that we find in Whitman the
germs of all our current constructive
thought. He foresaw the course de
mocracy would take long before any
other pilot.
Whitman wrote before the United
States, had become a solidly united
Nation. The country was an assem
blage of semi-independent states, each
feeling its own sovereignty a great
deal more vividly than the sovereignty
of the Federal Government. But that
did not keep him from proclaiming
the doctrine of National unity with
"barbaric yawps." It was his delight
to call the men of the East, West,
North and South together in the audi
ence hall of the imagination and
preach the oneness of the country to
them. He had outgrown sectional
distinctions years before anybody
else but Lincoln had got so far.
While the tinny New England poeta
were still tinkling their little lays,
with, longing side glances toward
England for approval, Walt Whitman
had become conscious of our larger
life and begun to sing our world
wide destinies. The New Englanders
did not know what he was driving
at then and they do not understand
him now, but the country is growing
up to his measure and his fame is
sure enough. Take again the matter
of women's suppression, which has
forced our generation into another
constructive march. Whitman saw
the.- wrong of it all and proclaimed
the doctrine of liberty for them at a
time when such poets as Longfellow
and Lowell did not know that women
had any minds. The most recent ex
pressions of. "feminism" in the cur
rent magazines are but weak dilutions
of Whitman's mighty aphorisms.
Finally, take the gospel of the "triple
man," which our friends of the T. M.
C. A. make so much of. They tell
us we are not merely minds or souls
or bodies, but all three, and that one
part of us is Just as noble and worthy
of cultivation as -another. In Whit
man's day religion had not become
so sensible yet. It was our pulpit
and literary fashion to reduce man
kind to souls as nearly disembodied
as circumstances allowed. Whitman
boldly announced that the body was
as clean as the soul and Just as dear
to God. He scandalized the chaste
New Englanders. Emerson shivered
and cried, "Avaunt," but the country
has made up its mind that Whitman
was about right.
PROGRESSIVE PRESBYTERIANS.
The Presbyterian General Assembly
has wisely decided to let Union Theo
logical Seminary "gang its ain gait."
It would have been wiser still had It
done so long ago. The theory that
the seminary was legally bound to
obey the authority of the General As
sembly has turned out to be a fiction.
It is by its constitution independent
and is not obliged to bow to any ex
ternal theological sovereign. The af
fairs of Union Seminary have come
periodically before the General As
sembly on one ground or another and
have sometimes been handled dis
creetly, often foolishly. The complete
severance of a tie which never really
existed should bring relief all around.
The old enemy of the seminary Is
a man named Fox, a Presbyterian
preacher who seems to have been a
little too cantankerous to keep a pul
pit." He has no pastoral cares and so
he can give all his time to stirring up
trouble, an employment which he ap
pears to delight in. His latest move
was to present new charges against
the seminary, accusing it of heresy
naturally, and urging the General As
sembly to refuse its graduates the
privilege of occupying Presbyterian
pastorates.
It is cheering to learn that Mr. Fox"
latest scheme has come to naught.
The General Assembly acknowledges
that it has no Jurisdiction over the
seminary and thus washes its hands
of the miserable business of heresy
hunting. No doubt the progress of
enlightened ideas in the church is
largely accountable for this action.
Had a majority of the Assembly
wished to torment heretics sufficient
grounds for it could have been found
readily enough. The encouraging
fact Is that the majority preferred
peace and brotherly harmony. There
is no historic or theological reason
why the Presbyterian Church should
be- a reactionary body. Its founder,
John Calvin,' was one of the most pro
gressive men of his day and his spirit
has usually been dominant among
Presbyterians almost everywhere ex
cept in parts of the United States.
The Scotch Presbyterians have been
among the pioneers in Biblical criti
cism. The English Presbyterian
Church has produced great scholars
in the modem sense. In the United
States the prevailing spirit was some
what narrower for a time. Just as
our lawyers thought they must
adore the English common law with
all its barbarities exactly as it came
across the water, so the Presbyterians
clung to "the old standards" as they
called the antiquated British theology
they had imported long ago. Happily
this colonial feeling is now. evaporat
ing. The various Presbyterian bodies
have ceased to throw excessive em
phasis on the trifling differences of
their theology and are coming to
gether in one great union which
promises to include the Northern,
the Southern and the Cumberland
branches. This is a good thing for
the church and for the cause which
It cherishes.
POISONOUS OAS AS A WEAPON.
The horror with which the world
learned of the sinking of the Lusi
tania was equaled in Europe by that
which was inspired by the use of
poisonous gas in the last attack by the
Germans on the allies near Ypres.
The terrible effects of this gas are
described by a British army surgeon
at the front in Flanders, who, in writ
ing to a friend, was at a loss for lan
guage adequately to express his indig
nation. He says that "never in the
course of experiences in savage war
fare with the tribes of the Soudan,
Ashanti, Northern India, etc., have I
met with cases of inhuman torture to
equal this poisonous gas procedure
of the Germans."
He thus describes the effects of the
gas:
It is, in fact, a slow and painful process
of drowning, brought about by total destruc
tion of the lung-tissue, most easily realized
by the lay mind by comparing It with tha
effects of Injecting a burning acrid fluid into
the luntrs, and so killing your victim by
long-drawn-out, painful suffocation.
According to this writer, the Ger
mans had been carefully preparing a
defense for the use of gas. They
charged the allies with having first
used it and thus justified their own
use of it as reprisals. The surgeon
we have quoted Eays it cannot be a
reprisal for pretended British use of
gas at Neuve Chepetle, because of
"the elaborate apparatus employed
and the organization necessary for
such extensive operations." He then
says, as showing how deliberately the
Germans made up their case:
I how realise why so man" officers and
men amongst the wounded Qwman prison
ers at Neuve Chapelle complained of vomit
lug and asphyxiation from the effects of
the fumes of our shells; I always thought
they were lying, as they ate and drank like
Trojans, and one can but conclude their
stories Were prompted by those guilty of
organizing this latest blot en European
civilization.
In reply to the charge that the al
lies first used gas, he says:
Let the world know we used lyddite,
which is permitted by the laws of war. and
though close proximity does give you a slight
headache it certainly does not asphyxiate,
and its effects wear off in a few minutes.
This I can state from personal experience.
With regard to men vomiting from the
effects of lyddite shells, I fancy much of
thl is due to concussion ; a hlgll-explosive
shell is apt to give you & nasty Jar at the
base of the skull, and as the concussion
wears off nausea frequently supervenes. But
the Germans also use high explosive shells',
so on that ground we are equal, and the
weakness of their claim to use poisonous
gas as a reprisal is obvious.
The effects of the gas are more
graphically described by a correspond
ent of the London Times, who went
to a hospital to see some men who
had been "gassed" on Hill 60. He
says:
When we got to the hospital we had no
difficulty in finding out in whlch ward the
men were, as the noise of the poor devils
trying to get breath was sufficient to direct
us. There were about 20 of the worst cases
in the ward, on mattresses, all more or less
in a sitting position, propped up against the
walls.
Their faces, arms, hands were of a shiny
grey-black color, with mouths open and
lead-glazed eyes, all swaying slightly back
wards and forwards trying to get breath. It
was a most appalling sight, all these poor
black faces, struggling, struggling for life.
There Is practically nothing to be done
for them except to give them salt and water
to try to make them sick.
The effect the gas has is to fill the lungs
with a watery, frothy matter, which grad
ually increases and rises till it fills up the
whole lungs and comes up to the mouth;
then they die; It is suffocation; slow drown
ing, taking in some cases one or two days.
We have lost hundreds of men who died
in the trenches, and over half the men who
reached hospital have died. Eight died last
night out -of the 20 I saw, and most of the
others I saw will die; while those who get
over the gas invariably develop acute pneu
monia. It Is without doubt the most awful
form of scientific torture. Not one of the
men I saw in hospital had a scratch or
wound.
A German prisoner was caught with a
respirator in his pocket: the pad was an
alyzed and found to contain hypo-sulphite of
soda with 1 per cent of some other sub
stance. A report to the Belgian government
states that the gases appear to have
beeh of various kinds chlorine,
vapor of formol, nitrous vapors, sul
phurous anhydride and a gas not yet
determined. They are diffused by
fires lighted in front of the trenches,
the gases disengaged being blown by
the wind; by carboys thrown by hand
or by mechanical means; by cylinders
releasing the gases through pipes;
and by shells containing gas. This
report says the Belgians have known
for several weeks that experiments
with asphyxiating shells had been
made on dogs.
The British are already devising
means of defense against this new
weapon. An Oxford man writes to
the Times that a concentrated solu
tion of ammonia sprinkled in or in
front of the trenches as the gas is
seen approaching or as soon as possi
ble .after its presence is first noticed,
would render chlorine or bromine gas
harmless. The action of the ammo
nia would form a thick white cloud.
G. W. Blythe has offered to raise a
corps of 2000 men from the mines
who will go to the front to use various
types of rescue appliances.
The hat ' feather may be attacked
with perfect safety. It cannot defend
Itself and nobody can say a good word
for it. Unsightly on the street, it Is
a nuisance in public -halls and a peril
in elevators. Mrs. J. D. Sherman's
valiant - sally upon it should bring
about its speedy disuse. ,
We shall see today whether Mayor
Albee would be able to make a living
as a pencil salesman in case he lost
his present Job. Unless he has forgot
ten the tricks he learned as an insur
ance man, he should succeed.
Berlin is willing to pay for the
Gulflight. The Lusltania, not the
Gulfllght, is the issue. And money
can't pay for the scores of American
men, women and children destroyed.
Many consider the dispensation of
charity a Winter affair, which may
account for the slowness of growth
of the fund for present work. Need
knows no season.
If there was any "bite" in the Wil
son note to Mexico, Carranza failed
to observe it. The semi-ultimatum ap
pears to have overjoyed him and given
him fresh hope.
Professor Taft points to the danger
there would he in having a "jingo"
in the White House at this time. Won
der who he's hinting about? And
why?
Possibly the person who stole all
the "literature" of a candidate a few
nights ago wanted something on
which to figure estimates of the vote.
Roseburg shows her confidence by
voting railroad bonds. Therefore
Roseburg' will have good times. It's
just a matter of confidence.
Bryan is keeping mighty low Just
at this time when his life work as a
peace propagandist bids fair to get
knocked into a cocked hat.
A lot of gentlemen will be disillu
sioned tomorrow when the votes are
counted. Only three out of the whole
field can possibly win.
No doubt Bryan is keeping his
prince of peace chautalk in cold stor
age until the dispute with Berlin has
cooled off somewhat.
. .1 . I. wncAa a .-. , , rv-tht.
year to carpet every street In the city
and provide a petaled girdle for the
earth.
Anent our warning to Mexico, has
any one heard of the American flag
being saluted down at Tampico yet?
If that meter hoax gets through it
will encourage a whole multitude of
other useless and expensive fads.
But will the Mexican factions take
Our latest warning seriously, with
Vera Cruz so fresh in mind ?
The United States Steel Corporation
seems to have things coming its way
in more ways than one.
After this week we shall begin
looking up boat and train schedules to
the San Francisco fair.
We fail to see that Italy's fall into
the war pool has made very much of
a splash.
However, it is not to be expected
that Berlin will back water Or mince
words.
And Just to think, every last one
of them expects to be elected tomor
row! Cheer up. The graduate will soon
be at hand to rearrange the universe.
The weather has hit its stride for
the Rose Festival.
Portland is climbing into her glad
rags, so to speak.
Better rest up today. It's a busy
week ahead.
The "Bowls of Joy" are the bowels
of death.
"Shemesel" gets it going and
coming.'
Swat the meter craze tomorrow.
Gleams Through the Mist
Br Dean Collins.
They hava taken you again,
Przemysl;
With their troors of German men,
Przemysl ;
First the papers all announced
O'er your walls the Russians bounced.
Then the Germans on you pounced,
Przemysl.
They have taken you again,
Przemysl,
As they have done now and then
Przemysl;
' Since the war was first declared.
And the battle trumpet blared.
By both parties you've been shared,
Przemysl,
In the headlines, more and more,
Przemyel,
Have you stood than Theodore,
Przemysl,
But to little this amounts.
And it very little counts.
For they're few who can pronounce
' Przemysl,
For thre's.one pronounces you
"Przemysl,"
While another's wedded to
"Przemysl,"'
And among the gen'ral herd.
We are sure to find a third
Who will call the tricky word
9 "Przemysl."
Others also may declare
"Przemysl"
Or pronunciation dare
"Przemysl,"
But howe'er it may occur
that your consonant they slur,
have always thought you were
Przemysl.
Tet bowe'er they sound your name,
Pzremysl,
One fact will remain the same,
Przemysl,
Though the consonants I pen
Cannot be pronounced by men.
Still, we know you're took again,
Przemysl.
Note Use your Ingenuity and im
agination.) We wonder what a bunch of college
students Would do if they were obliged,
to carve out a yell for such an insti
tution, say, as the Przemyel Institute
of Technology.
Or the Preznasnyz Polytechnic In
stitute. m
Or the Frzehedborz Academy.
'
Or the Prezemyalanz High School.
Maybe that is one reason why higher
education hasn't taken more bold
with the young folks of Eastern Gali
cia. Solemn Thought.
The whole world knows the Portland rose
Wherever you may seek;
But, say, who knows, do you suppose.
If it will rain next wek?
J. W. M. suggests for Eastern Gali
cia a college yell somewhat after this
model:
Pinky-pankhy, where's my hanky?
Ke-choo; ka-cha!
Przemysl!
Or:
. That's the stuff! Pass the snuff!
6ne-ah-ha! Two-ah-huh! Three-uh-huh!
Prznasnyz!
' .
"Sir," said the Courteous Office Boy
"Ah-ha," I cried, "another capsule
classic for the Five-inch Bookshelf for
Busy Men?"
"Yep," said the C. O. B., "it is Enoch
Arden, by Alf. Lord Tennyson":
Enoch leaves:
Annie grieves;
Bad luck;
Enoch stuck
On desert isle
Quite a while;
Gone until
Ann weds Phil.
Enoch saw!
Unwritten law?
- Nope! He hies
Forth and dies.
Funeral fine
Band in line.
Besides being active irr many another
line, George Baker is, at times, un
consciously poetic.
Applauding the participation of the
society women in the floral parade of
the Rose Festival, at a meeting of tha
Ad Club the other day, George said, in
part:
Credit must be paid
For the Int'rest they displayed
In the floral parade.
We must confess
That, without their aid.
The floral parade
Could not be made
A success.
And having ror.delled thus, Geors"
rambled right on and didn't realize
what he had done.
J. C. Cooper has. started to catalogue
mundane intelligence with:
The whole world knows
The Portland rose.
Milt Seaman, going further in the
study of the scope of cosmic knowledge,
suggested yesterday:
The whole world knows
Pavlowa's toes.
Another item about the world's fund
of information comes from C. B.
Moorea:
The whole world knows
Our Teddy's pose.
And over the signature of E. K. 11.,
who has become cynical through hav
ing to attend too many women's con
ventions, corns:
The whole world knows
The hen now crows.
While "L. H. G." writes: "After view
ing the present fashion, I 3esire to re
mark that:
The whole world knows
Milady's hose.
And as for ourselves, we round out
this ' catalogue of terrestrial intelli
gence with the remark that
The whole world knows
We've got to close.
On Froperty Deeded to Wife.
nAUTf V ft Ti,ta K ITfl the V HI
tor.) Kindly publish answers to these
questions: li a man aceaa a piece ol
property to his wife, can she eell it
without his consent? Can she give it
to one of their children of legal age?
JTt. dx v .
No. The husband's inchoate right of
curtesy must be signed away before
the wife can give a clear deed to tho
property. (2) Not without the hus
band's consent.
IlleKttlmate Child's Name,
PORTLAND, June 5. (To the Kdl-
tor.) What is the legal name of a child
born illegitimately? Is there any law
regulating same?- READbK,
An illegitimate child bears ita
mother's name and is its mother's helit