6
TTTE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 16, 1916.
B&$Mmn
POBTLAND, UREGOX.
Enterxl at Portland Oregon Postofflce as
second-class matter.
Subscription Rate Invariably In advanc:
(By MalL)
Pally. Sunday Included, one year. $9.00.
Daily, Sunday Included, six months..... 4.75
Dally. Sunday Included, throe rooniha. . 2.'2o
Dalit. Sunday induced, one month. 75
Dall'v. without Sunday, one year fi.00
Daily, without Sunday, ail months 1-26
Dniiv. without tunuA-. tnree montha 1.75
Dally, without Sunday. -one month 00
Weekly, one year ... 1-50
Sunday, one year 2.o0
Sunday and Weekly, one year
(Br Carrier.)
Daily, Sunday included, one year...
Dally. Sunday Included, one month.
How to Kemit Send postofflce money or
der, express order or p-raonal check on your
local bank, stamps, coin or currency are at
sender's risk. Gle poatoffice addresses In
lull, ircludlnr county and state.
PoMtaare Kates 12 to 16 pases. 1 cent: IS
to : pages, Z cents; 34 to 4b pagea. 3 cents;
r-o tt tn uases. 4 cents: e2 to 75 pagea. 5
cents: 7 to It? paces, G cents. Foreign post.
age. double ratea.
a--ternt Bsminew Office Veree A Conk
lln. Brunswick building. New York; Veree
at ConkUn. Slec-r building, Chicago: San
Francisco representative, R. J. Bldwell, 742
Market street.
of the United 8tates. what is it? If
It is not a declaration of the right
and duty of sedition and rebellion.
what is it?
Let us hope that the Senator will
not be disturbed by these little mu
tinies among his home forces. It may
be true enough that the state and the
Nation will hesitate to follow him into
the camp of the conscriptionists; but
in the main he is on the right track.
Events will wholly Justify him, with
out a doubt.
3.50
. . 9.oo
FOKI-LAND. BII.DAY, JANUARY 1, 11.
TKLIJXG THE r"n.EASA-T TRVTH.
The pleased and patriotic consti
tuents of Senator Chamberlain will
hope and expect that he will not falter
in his leadership of the campaign for
preparedness which he as chairman of
the Senate military affairs committee
has fathered in Congress. It may be
taken for granted that the Senator
through his high official position has
acquired exceptional information on
the subject and that he has besides the
benefit of expert counsel on the crit
ical strategic situation of the Nation
and the real condition of the Army
and Navy. It Is a significant fact that
no citizen who has examined the facts
as to the military resources and equip
ment of the United States has failed
to discover that the Army is nothing
more than a Federal police force and
that the Navy has lost its relative
rank In the contest for naval power
among the nations. 4
Senator Chamberlain has a duty to
perform, not only in the actual work
of safe and adequate legislation for
preparedness, but in the enlightenment
of the people as to the real emergency
confronting them. The Senator made
a frank speech in New York the other
day, and he appears to have stirred
up pretty thoroughly both the well
tamed animals of an impotent paci
ficism and the docile followers of the
President's strange and half-sufficient
policies. The Oregonian has had oc
casion heretofore to call attention to
the Chamberlain address; and today it
presents elsewhere its full text.
Not for the purpose of Increasing the
Senator's difficulties, but to apprise
the public of their nature, The Ore
gonian repeats some of the New York
references, which are not wholly com
plimentary to the Chamberlain deliv
erance. For example, the World
(Dim.) finds much fault because the
Senator, in his recitation of America's
succession of diplomatic failures, de
clared:
When the Vnlted States saw fit to ex
pend brain and brawn In the digging of
the Panama Canal, we again aubmitted to
a violation of the Monroe Doctrine, and gave
to Great Britain the same voice In the
coatnd of that waterway that we ourselvea
exercise.
The World asserts that the "Senator
talks nonsense" and sets forth its view
of the facts about the Canal treaty
with Great Britain, commending the
President for forcing repeal of free
Panama tolls. It may be said that
the sentiment of the Pacific Coast is
thoroughly in accord with the Cham
berlain opinion and attitude on this
question.
The Times (Dem.) speaks of the
forcible,1' picturesque and highly im
aginative utterances" of the Senator,
but nevertheless says:
Senator Chamberlain can do much to
overru.T the opposition of the "little Nivy"
men. He can do something to make the
JCST FABLES.
The fallowing are illustrations of an
attitude that might properly be as
sumed by the authorities in the light
of an illustrious example:
A circus is showing in the city. A
placard gives notice to "beware of
pickpockets." John Smith is robbed
of his purse while attending the ahow.
He complains to thopolice. "You had
warning," is the reply. "You went
to the circus at your own peril. We
can do nothing for you. However, we
will write a note to the manager."
A wave of crime has spread over
the city-. The authorities urge the
people to take extra precautions
against burglary. The home of James
Smith is entered and his silverware
stolen. When he reports to the police
he gets this comfort: "You had warn
ing. You should have put your silver
ware In a safety deposit vault. Gwan
back home."
A threatens to shoot B on sight. B
asks the authorities for protection.
"Better stay inside," is the caution.
But B is called out on business and
is shot down by A. "Well, he went
out at his own peril," say the author
ities. "It's too bad, but what can you
do when a man is so reckless?"
The health authorities warn the
people to buy pork only of reputable
established dealers. B buys sausage
of a farmer who comes to his door.
B Is poisoned and asks redress from
the courts. "You bought country
sausage at your peril," says the Judge,
'case is dismissed.
But these are only fables. It is
onh- when an American goes to Mex
ico that he becomes a man without a
country.
disgruntled "pork barrel" contingent com
prehend their duty. What is more, his
argument will reach the people who. In
Mu view, "hold the balance of power." th'
peopie "who have not given the subject
of Dreoaredness very much. If any.
lention." These people must be reached
through everv avenue of approach. They
must be aroused to a sense of the needa
of the hour.
It is difficult to discover what the
Times means by referring to the
Chamberlain remarks as "highly im
aginative." for they were a vigorous
though matter-of-fact, exposition of
our historic military and diplomatic
feebleness. It is easy enough to un
derstand that the World, which per
sistently and clamorously demanded a
' repeal of the free-tolls law, and which
is always a defender and champion of
the Wilson policies, felt that it was
necessary to come to the President's
rescue. For the chairman of the mili
tary affairs committee had, by infer
ence at least, criticised the Wilson Ad
ministration throughout his speech.
A summary of the address shows
that Mr. Chamberlain believes that the
United States is a world power and
that. If we are to maintain the Mon
roe Doctrine and to preserve our pos
sessions and our rights, we must pre
pare to defend them: otherwise the
only peace we can expect is the peace
of China. He believes that in dealing
with small nations we act like bullies,
and he cites as an example the treat
ment of Haiti by the head of his own
party, but when we deal with great
powers we act like cowards, and he
cites several examples In proof. We
have never won a diplomatic victory.
We have yielded in every arbitration
with a first-class power rather than
fight. "We have brought Germany
and are bringing Austria to book." he
says: "now let us bring Great Britain
to book." After the war we shall not
have a friend on earth: our only
friends will be the Atlantic and Pa
cific oceans. For every three years of
peace we have had a year of war, and
"there is going to be compulsory mili
tary education within the next gen
eration." The outspoken ad-ocacy by Mr.
Chamberlain of a certain form of
American conscription puts him far
in advance of the Presidential atti
tude: and In other respects the Sen
ator is not In tune with the Presi
dent. But, having himself a position
of very great responsibility in the
Senate, so far as it affects Army legis
lation and the fate of the preparedness
campaign, the Senator feels free to
pnrsue his own way. It requires no
small courage, for the voices in Ore
gon which have long been outspoken
in approval of the Senator's words
and actions, are now ominously silent.
or they are openly antagonistic. For
example, the Central Labor Council Is
responsible for a remarkable outgiv
ing, of which the following is an ex
tract: The workers of Oreg-on. and we believe of
the entire country, will never submit to
conscription without a fight, and by this
we do not mean a battle of words or wit.
but such a fight as w-lll surfeit even our
most bloodthirsty militarists, either of the
offensive or defensive type.
If this is not a threat to go to war
to prevent being compelled to go to
war. what is it? If it is not avowed
defiance of the power and authority
IS IT WORTH THE COST?
The Oregonian gives space today to
a detailed defense of sewing in the
public schools, furnished by the high
school sewing supervisor. It is inter
esting; but it has nothing which might
not have been expected from an en
thusiastic supporter .of this particular
kind of instruction, as a branch of
school work. We have no doubt that
the girls are well trained; nor have
we any doubt that the teachers and
supervisors will compare well with the
professors of the sewing science in
other cities.
The question The Oregonian has
raised has not been so much a crit
icism of the quality as the cost of the
work; and it has been led to speculate
on broader matters of school policy
in undertaking service of this kind.
We are not convinced that sewing
should be taught in the schools; we
know it ought to be taught at home.
The Oregonian's inquiry as to sew
ing salaries is met by our correspond
ent with a recitation of the fact that
Los Angeles and other cities pay more.
Ah, yes! It is the old, familiar tac
tics. Every effort to pry up salaries
in all branches of the public service
in Portland is supported by numerous
citations from the payrolls of Seattle,
or Spokane, or Los Angeles, or San
Francisco. We never hear of the
places which pay less than Portland.
But it Is always that Portland Is
cheap, because it does not overpay, as
some others do. That appeal has been
ding-donged into the ears of school
directors, and City Commissioners, and
County Commissioners, and Legis
lators until public employes aa a rule
get far more than workers in similar
private employment. If there Is a
good reason why a city or a state or
school district should pay sewing
teachers, for example, far more than
they could earn on their merits under
individual employers. The- Oregonian
would like to hear it.
The maximum wage for elementary
sewing teachers in Portland is (110
per month: the minimum is J 93 per
month. We have examined the sew
ing payrolls for November and Decem
ber, and there is not a $95 teacher in
the lot not one. The pay in prac
tically every Instance is screwed up to
the maximum. We hope that the rea
son is that the quality of instruction
in Portland is so high that every
teacher and every supervisor is en
titled to the largest "possible wage; but
we have our doubts.
gon drops behind all those states. In
cut of wild hay Oregon surpasses Ida
ho and California, but does not come
up to Washington.
It is the figures on,corn that are) of
the most interest to the Northwest, for
it is only during very recent years that
this section has raised corn enough to
cut any figure whatever in the coun
try's crop. Last year Oregon had 33,
000 acres in corn, Washington 39,000
acres and Idaho 22,000 acres. The
areas for the three states, in the same
order, for 1914 were 22.000, 36,000
and 19.000.
So it can be seen that we are mak
ing marvelous progress witlAcorn, the
increase being 11,000 acres last year
over 1914. The yield per acre is, how
ever, of greater moment. While the
Oregon yield was 35 bushels per acre,
the yield in Washington was 27 bush
els. Our yield increased five bushels!
or rise to any height within the
limits of his capacity. Contrast this
with the training of the girL Mother
and grandmother pass quite a different
tradition along to her. She is given to
know the limitations of her sex. They
stuff her with that spirit of depend
ence on man that has been persisting
for countless centuries. Little by little
she comes to regard herself as inferior
until the damage is wrought. So we
are told that only a gradual change in
this point of view can effect woman'
salvation. This cha'nge has been going
on slowly but certainly and now gives
promise of bearing fruit-
Nothing that mere man writes con
cerning the inner nature and tempera
ment of woman is ever going to be ac
cepted at par. Yet a cursory glance
over the record of women who have
achieved great things in the world
suggests that Mr. George has really
per acre over the previous year, while estimated the situation with some de-
the Washington yield showed no in
crease. The value of the crop per
acre was also far better in Oregon,
being 328.79, against 320.79 in Wash
ington and 322.75 in Idaho. The av
erage price was about 5 cents per
bushel higher in -Oregon than in
Washington and 17 cents higher than
in Idaho.
PATRIOTIC POSTMEN.
At least once each working day, and
sometimes more often, we are brought
into direct contact with the great cen
tral Government through the medium
of the man in sober gray uniform
and of quiet manners who brings the
mail. Blizzards and mishaps may halt
streetcars and demoralize the public
service, but nothing halts the postman.
The mallcarriers of the country have
developed a spirit and esprit which,
while the fact may be quite generally
overlooked, entitle them to be re
garded as an American model of effi
ciency. Their ideas and ideals of
service might . be adopted by other
National and state bodies with profit
to all concerned. .
Busy men, these lettercarriers; busy
men with long, arduous hours of toil
lor which they receive no high rate of
compensation. After covering a great
er distance than ft. soldier Is called
npon to march even in the heat of a
campaign, the average man would be
nnntent to en home and rest, nutting
aside gratuitous serVices In the public
Interest. But the postman, in his hum
ble way, never f aile "to participate in
any programme affecting the public
good. If a Rose Festival is held the
lettercarriers contribute their share of
energy, adding many weary miles oi
parading to their daily route. On pub
lic occasions, such as July 4 and Deco
ration day, the lettercarriers likewise
are in evidence.
Such being the character of the
men, their latest action is by no means
extraordinary, but merely a reflection
of the lettercarriers' perennial spirit.
Through the Lettercarriers Associa
tion they have asked the Government
for permission to add the American
flag to their uniform. A small flag
to be worn in the lapel of the gray
coat. Their purpose is to carry a
little object lesson in patriotism into
the millions of homes which they
reach every day. Of course the per
mission will be given. At least it
ought to be. The cumulative effect
of such a quiet demonstration is not
to be underestimated when patriotism
and Americanism are at such a low
ebb in the country.
gree of understanding. Woman's im
print is written in bold letters upon
the world's art, literature, music,
drama and politics. Rosa Bonheur,
Ellen Terr', Sarah Bernhardt, George
Eliot, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Brown
ing, Mrs. Edith Wharton, Mme. Mon
tessorl. even Mrs. Hetty Green. The
list might be. extended into a great
directory of women .who have added
substance to world knowledge and
progress. And to this record of indi
vidual achievements there should be
added the collective capacity shown by
hundreds of thousands of women in
carrying forward the industrial life of
great sections of Europe. Perhaps,
after all, this is evidence enough to
convict man of being a presumptuous
cad in his assumptions of superiority.
Perhaps, after all, the differences are
merely . differences of degree, and
quality due, for the most part, to
heredity, envirpnment, tradition- and
suggestion
FARM CROPS IN 1918.
The Agricultural Department has
Issued a bulletin giving -he final re
ports for the farm crops of 191B,
which differ somewhat from the re
ports in earlier bulletins. The latter
were, of course, largely estimates
based on conditions then existing.
The crops reported are corn, wheat.
oats, barley, rye. buckwheat, flaxseed,
rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, hay, to
bacco, cotton, sugar beets, apples.
cranberries and beans. The value of
those crops produced last year was
38,471. 000. 000, showing an excess val
ue of $542,000,000 over 1914. That is
something like 9 per cent. Adding the
value of animal products 11 for the
year brings the grand total that
will go into the pockets of the
farmer for 1915 up to the stupendous
sum of 310,321.000,000, the animal
products amounting to $3,849,000,000.
One can scarcely grasp these fig
ures. They are almost three times
the amount of the National debt at the
close of the Civil War in 18S6. ,
To show what sort of a year 1915
was for the farmers it may be noted
that in 1914 we broke all former rec-
ords and yet in 1915 we increased that
record by nearly 6 per cent. In these
igures there is one item of great mo
ment In Oregon, i. e., the lumber out
put. This is given for last year as
of the value of $195,000,000. While
o comparisons are given, it is certain
that Oregon and Washington sold
more lumber than any other two
states in the Union.
But the most astonishing part of
the figures is in relation to the corn
crop of the country, which overshad
ows all other crops by a large sum.
The nearest to it comes wheat with a
value of $950,302,000. The corn crop
amounted to $1,755,359,000. Thus
corn is King- oy o-o,oo i.uuu ma
jority. Next to wheat comes hay with
a value of $912,320,000. The crop of
the latter showed an Increase for 1915
over the previous year of $133,282,000,
and an increase over the average of
the previous ten years of $112,000,000.
Coming to the Oregon figures we
find that our hay crop last . year
amounted to 1.870.000 tons. Our tim
othy ran up to 150,000 tons and our
clover to -280.000 tons. Oregon Is
strong on clover, the crop last year
amounting to almost as much as those
of California. Washington and Idaho
combined. In alfalfa, however, Ore-J
WOMAN'S GOAL.
What U woman's destiny? Whither
is she bound in the realm of mortal
achievement? Will she remodel and
rule the world ultimately? These
questions have occurred with more or
less persistence ever since abysmal
man embarked upon his present ram
page of extermination, and woman,
lovely woman, stepped Into his heavy
brogans behind the plowshare. . Femi
nists, philosophers and mere observers
have been prognosticating and the re
sults obtained are variable and uncer
tain. One says she will and the other
says she will not. That about sums up
the conclusions presented by those who
are engaged in scrutinizing woman
kind for the future greatness of her
sex.
A painstaking inquiry has been con.
ducted by W. L. George, English au
thor and observer. With calm assur
ance he tells us all about woman in
the current issue of the Atlantic
Monthly. Is woman an enigma? Not
to Mr. George. He has traced her
from the Garden of Eden all the way
up to Rectors ana sne is a aimpie
creature to analyze. So he says. More
over he has gained so deep and abiding
a faith in the sex during thexourse of
his inquiry that he predicts great
things for her. In fact, if the world is
to be made over the hand of destiny
is none other than that which rocks
the cradle or draws the alimony.
Destiny, thy name is woman. Accord
ing, leastwise, to the conclusion of Mr.
George.
It will be regrettable if anyone perus
ing the Atlantic Monthly fails to
browse among the leaves of the New
Republic for January. Here again the
engaging topic of woman is taken up
and discussed. This time by a mere
woman who depends upon her intui
tions and observations rather than
upon deep processes of research and
deduction. She lays bare the soul of j
a woman, a single woman (single in
the sense that there is but one of her,
for In fact her heroine has a husband
In addition to a lover) and this woman,
plain enough, is meant to be a com
posite creature. Her soul is woman's
soul, the writer would lead us to be
lieve. And when she has shown us,
she says that woman is a failure, a
wretched, total failure. The cat!
So it is far more profitable, or more
pleasant at any rate, to dwell upon
what Mr. George has to say. He
launches his inquiry back into woman's
past, back into the dark days of the
fifteenth century when woman was
chiefly concerned with singing songs
and rearing progeny. Thereafter he
bridges a span of 250 years at one step
and finds woman concerning herself
somewnat more largely wun mteuec
tual improvement. From that time
forward until the present day he ob
serves her progress, step by step, un
til the finished creature of today is
before us, ready to perfect the read
justment of this little nail of clay sus
pended in the heavens. She is not yet
free, she is not yet arrived. But the
handwriting Is on the wall. Woman Is
shaking off the slavish inheritances of
her maternal forebears. She is casting
aside those traditions of sex which
have relegated her to playing of sec
ond violin in the orchestra of the race.
In doing so she has had. to work in
the face of conservatism, of male ego
tism, of poverty, of Ignorance and of
prejudice. The dominion of man has
had to be contended with and weak
ened little by little.
Established, inherited custom is the
great obstacle in the way of woman
today, but she is overcoming it rapidly
in Mr. George's humble opinion. The
boy ia taught that the whole world is
at his feet. He may become
LEAP-YEAR PRECAUTIONS.
With leap year arrived and the pos
sibility ar nan of marriage proposals
from the rapidly increasing left-over
crop of potential housewives, an emi
nent feminist has come forward with
a word of advice and warning to those
of her sex who intend to take full ad
vantage of the season. Miss Lucille
Pugh, female bachelor, feminist, suf
fragist and lawyer, announces that it
is entirely right that girls propose to
the man of their choice. But, she
warns, "look up his rating first-
While Miss Pugh mentions no sum
that the prospective husband should
have by way of permanent income, it
is apparent that she regards only those
of considerable means as being eligible
or worthy of consideration, since
everyone knows that the mere $200
a month office man is not rated by
Bradstreet or Dunn.
No serious fault need be found with J
this warning. There are those ideal
ists who will prate of love in a cot
tage, but as a matter of fact there
is sound wisdom in looking carefully
before leaping even in leap year. A
girl does well to make certain that
she is marrying a man who will be
able to support her and whose pros
pects of advancement, under her care
ful management, are reasonably
bright. But while the subject is under
Consideration it does seem that some
Samaritan should. utter a word of sol
emn warning to the men. The hazard
is one-sided by no manner of means.
So when the young woman, having in
formed herself as to the man's rating
and desirability, presents the question
in concrete form, it might be well
for the man to defer a definite answer
until he has engaged in some research
work of his own.
What does she know concerning do
mestic science? What 'sort of educa
tion and training has she had ? , What ;
sort is her disposition? Such precau
tions may insure him against impair
ment of his precious "rating"" through
the advent of wifely extravagance and
ultimate alimony.
1
as utterly disgusted with mankind. I more of an optimist than a critic. One
no oaj a jii qui many wuius uiai i jci bcuv wuuiu ouuuu j factual., .
wants to show his contempt for a
world that permits war. In order to
accomplish thrs-erd he has adopted
a fantastic smock which he wears on
all occasions. If. he wore ordinary
garb he feels he would be no wiser
and no better than other men.
Yet his methods are sound, for he
shows he has delved into the tales both
as to form and substance. Those that
had serious defects in either essential
were cast out, he tells us, which, again.
is incredible, inasmuch as American
writers are careless in the matter of
Gleams Through the Mit
By Una Collusa,
In that particular he is right. But technique as compared with European
by the course he has adopted this rad- standards. Yet, after all, what more
ical person has not improved his natural than that Americans should
status. Quite to the contrary, he has produce the .world's finest short
betrayed the possession of an exag- stories? It is the short story which
gerated ego. He rails at the course of truly depicts our episodical life. It is
mankind, the la a of nature, the prog- I the short story which thrives and
ress of civil izatlen. and the conditions I finds substance among those countless
on earth.' The whole world is wrong, phases of a life that have not yet been
He alone is right, or right enough to fully unified and molded. So long as
display his convictions in such ener- we continue to be a many-sided peo-
getlc fashion. The trouble with Mr. I pie the short story should be our
White and the others of lesser degree 1 natural forte.
who belong to his kind is that the I ' In glancing through the list of se-
world of reality is confused with the lected stories we are struck by the
w6rld as it might be. They see the absence of those lurid tales concocted
dream but not the- fact. The normal for amusement's sake only. Mr.
processes-of nature are not rapid O'Brien appears to have stood by
enough. Precisely as logical as If a widespread editorial demand that the
man were contemptuous of traveling I short story- portray real life. Stories
five days in crossing the continent with a special appeal to the interest of
simply because he might imagine him- la discriminating class of readers must
self at his destination in the space of I reveal an Intimate understanding on
few seconds. " I 6 'titer part of some phase of
But it is not meet to criticise the I American life. Mere narrative is not
reverend gentleman, for, after all, he
is deserving of our pity. The person
who would have the world adjust
Itself to Ms ideas rather than that he
adjust his ideas and ideals to the
world is deserving of solicitude and
enough for the standard magazine.
The lower grade magazines are con
cerned mainly with strength of plot
and tenseness of action. The question
of whether the characters are men or
puppets is not considered. The better
SNOWBOUND.
The sun that January day
Rose cheerless in a sky of gray.
Or, darkly circled, save at noon
A sadder light than waning moon;
The calf backed deeper in hia lair
And wished ha had srtll thicker hair.
And everyone who ought to know
Remarked: "It does look some Ilka snow.
And Beals, who knows the weather's way.
Announced "Jt'e apt to anow today.'
(Which la a sad thing, by the by,
Within a atate that's Just gone dry;
For when the land Is white and bleaav
What brlnga the color to your cheek?
What makes your veins with warmth dllatef
No product of an arid atate).
By night Beals' statement was a cinch;
The snow had snowed at least an Inch,
And In the fitful semi-light
It kept right on throughout the night.
While all the air so biting -grew
That icicles began to brew.
And cats dark vlllalna, prone to roam
Forgot their dates and stayed at home.
The hours passed on. and 1 awoke.
And I was snowbound; 'twas no Joke,
For all the porch and sidewalk o'er
Full half a foot of snowtlakea bore.
I had to wait In fear and doubt
Until a fellow dug me out.
So I could leave my home and go
Down to the office through the anow.
And there I met, to quench my Joy,
A chap who came from Ullnola,
care. Kind friends should keep him I magazines insist that the actors be true I Who scoffed at me an 'gan to blow
under observation and direct him.
gently but firmly, into- the way of com
petent medical assistance.
PARALYZING ENTERPRISE.
The policy which President Wilson
pursues and which some Congress
men would sanction would atrophy
the distinguishing characteristic of the must be put aside before such
to life, and while plot and vivid narra
tive are not lost sight of, these are sec
ondary considerations. When the edi
tor discovers a tale that has all these
elements his glee knows no bounds.
And it is from this higher standard
that the ninety-two tales have been
selected, as a mattes of course.
Charges such as Mr. Holt makes
In-
American people which made the qulries as Mr. O'Brien has conducted.
United States a Nation, which, caused I A mere assertion that writers and edi-
the Nation to expand to. the Pacific tors are money-mad and mercenary is
and to the Arctic Ocean and which of little moment unless supported by
has carried American products and an array of facts. Similar charges
American genius to all parts. of the were recorded against Horace, Vergil
world: ;' land Shakespeare back in those days
The pioneer spirit brought the first when the writeV was sustained by royal I And wore a. wreath of images.
About our dinky fall of snow,
Bragging how In the distant East " "
It always snows six feet at least.
And saying: "At this time of year.
You surely should do betten here."
"Your words are frank, to say the least,
I told that fellow from the Bast.
'But you don't know, it doth appear.
Our manners and our . customs here.
Blow high, blow low, your doggone snow
Back East can drift six feet or so;
But when beyond an inch It's gone
We're snowbound here In Oregon."
"Sir," said the Courteous Office Boy, drift
Ing In.
And he was leading a primordial Impulse by.
string.
white settlers to the wild land of I patronage, and repaid his benefactors
North America. It has brought a con- in a species of literary sycophancy.
stant stream of adventurous people Writers iio longer depend on individual
to Join them. It has caused our peo- patronage, yet they must live, meet
pie to overflow into Mexico and other I competition, and please groups of in
foreign lands, to develop them as it I dividuals. That or starve. Like the
has developed the United States, to I writers of old, they will write much
carry the blessings of modern civiliza- drivel for this reason, yet the writer is
tlon and invention to wild lands on entitled to be Judged by his best works
this and other continents. The Wil- rather than by his worst a rule that
Colorful, vibrant about his brow,
And he was disguised as Amy Lowell.
Or other poets of the 'Imagist school.
I disguised myself quickly as D. H. Law
rence.
By hiding my feet under me
For he hae no need for feet In his poetry
And I hung an Ineffable look on my face.
(Whatever that may mean).
And muttered In a deep voice: "Cosmic,"
critical days.
son policy would build a wall around should be kept in mind these hyper- I Just to show that I was on the inside.
the boundaries of .the United States
and would say to them:
Thus far we will protect you and
no farther. If you go' beyond these
walls you go at your own risk.
Mr. Wilson has asserted the right
of Americans to travel the seas in
The Oregonian prints today (on
page 8, section 5) a most interesting
human document. It is a picture of
Henry Ford and a. part a consider
able part of the delegates recruited
safety and thereby has acknowledged by him to Join his queer peace argosy.
the universally recognized . duty to They are a group of boys and. girls.
protect them in the exercise-of that land they come from the colleges and Ani ometlmes it was more like Julian Scott,
right, but he has not performed that schools of America. Yet in their
duty. He has asserted the right of 'teens, many of them, they are going
Americans to travel ana reside in in person to the field of conflict in
Mexico, but by warning them not to Europe to tell Emperors. Kings, Presl.
go there and by denying them protec- dents. Generals, soldiers, statesmen,
And then I asked the Courteous Office Boy
Bow Life's unconquerable urge had come
te chase him hither.
He opened his eyes, and green
They shone, clear, like flowers undone.
And the Images vibrated about his brow.
green snd fitful,
And sometimes his visage reminded me of
Amy Lowell,
tlon when they go there, he has re
nounced the duty to protect them. He
has given notice to .Americans to con
fine the enterprising, pioneering spirit,
which, has made the United States
great,'- within the confines of their j
what to do. Except for the fact that
this present band Is announced to be
a part of a peace body, embarked on
a great . world's work, fit for grave
men and serious .women, it might
have been supposed to be an American
own country, which have already be- Sunday school .picnic. The picture
come too narrow.
RUSSIA RESUSCITATED.
While the new Russian offensive
has not made great progress, it is,
nevertheless, an important and signifi
cant operation. The Russians are
raining blow-after blow upon Cerno-
wich, evidently with the object of
taking that city and Kovel, important
railway centers in Bukowina. Thou
sands of men and scares of batteries.
are attacking intermittently on a re
stricted front, and the action, at last
accounts, had settled down - to the
status of a siege, since the Austrian
lines showed no signs of weakening.
Simultaneously, an extensive Rus
sian forward movement is noted
Equipped with guns from Japanese
factories, the Russians and their grim
old ally. Jack Frost, have set about
retaking some of the lost territory
from which they were driven so ex
peditiously and effectively by Von
Hindenburg and Von Mackensen in
the Summer months. They are seek
ing to retrace their steps in Gallcia,
Poland, Courland and Lithuania. The
exact extent of .their progress has not
yet been recorded. Whether or not
the Russian pressure has caused a-
drawing in of the German lines from
the south is not reported. But the
whole action is significant as indicat
ing the "Virility and persistence of Rus
sian resistance.
Russia was not expected to make an
organized campaign for many months
to come. Crushing of the Russian
armies was supposed to be complete,
even though the German offensive in
the extreme north against Riga and
Dvinsk was a failure. Now the Rus
sians are operating again after a lapse
of a few weeks. Added to that is the
constantly rising tide of British mili
tary force, the persistence of British
naval power and the holding fast of
the French lines. It Is. plain enough
that the great decision is far removed,
Defeating allied nations in detail
may be masterly strategy, but it is
now threatened with one great disad
vantage. The power of resistance of
the defeated detail cannot be com
pletely broken. To do this it is neces
sary to crush the nation, as in the
case of Serbia. Such tactics cannot
be employed by the central powers
on Russia or France or Great Britain.
Thus the war becomes a matter of
national endurance. At the present
hour the prospect of an early peace
was never more dismal.
AMERICAN SHORT STORIES.
The vitrolic George Bernard Shaw
observed not so long ago that the
British army would "be. in Berlin ere
this if all the energy were centered
pon campaigning that is devoted to
riting drivel in the name of literature.
Mr. Shaw, as we all. know," would
rather be nasty than right. He has a
typifies the Ford missionaries.
of them were along because
footed the bills.
Most
Ford
No other nationals have been
warned by their , governments to stay
ou,t of Mexico. No other foreigners
are in danger in Mexico unless they
be mistaken for Americans. The ports
of entry are controlled by the de facto
government. It takes no official steps
And sometimes more like C. E. s. Wood.
I touched you.
Were you alive, C. O. B. 7
You quivered 1'iko a sea fish.
I covered you with my waste-paper basket.
Whafwere you? And where had you beenl
And the C.O. B. said that lie had been
pending the week.
Floating down the old Spoon River;
And I was obliged to correct him for his
flippancy.
And to ask him to retire.
For my legs were getting cramped from sit
ting on my feet.
And I longed to shed my disguise, i
"But," I said to the C. O. B..
"We must be nothing if not up to date.
And the time demande free verse.
And I claim we can pull verse Just as free.
If not freer than anyone else. '
So you had better lay In a stock of imaglsf
disguises.
And get s fly-away tie.
And let yonr hair grow.
For we may be doing this stuff for a month'
or more.
Who knows?
Tfor that matter, make up most of such favors, preparedness but balks at pay-
criticism- Words, words, words. Ad- ing for it- It was ever thus in Amer-
Jectives and . invectives. Vituperation lea. Millions for pork but not one
and abuse. - Such are the equipment of cent for protection.
the average critlo-of arts and institu
tions. - Wholesome and helpful diversion
Hence It is somewnac rerresning to for the children these davs will be
turn to a critic who has gone into tne found In letting them feed the Jirds,
subject of our writing standards wun which otherwise must starve.
some degree of pains and thorough
ness. Edward J. O'Brien, who has
REFORMING THE WOKID.
Insanity takes many forms, mild or
virulent. The shortest and most-concise
definition of mental v aberration
we have heard is that it is a condition
wherein the patient is unable to adjust
himself to his surroundings. These
observations are not preliminary to a
technical discussion of mental disor
ders but rather by way of introducing
the Rev. Bouck White, the New York
pastor who declines, to wear con
ventional or civilized garb because war
is permitted to exist in the world.
This reverend gentleman, who
would be classed by the alienist in the
same column with the man who per
mits his hair to grow in long ringlets
king , over his shoulders, expresses himself
to T r-1 1 1 fl o nnv man fnr hia nxun aaf(v
ii:uiLj oi js-niB uy suianiu Qn the one hand, we recognize that
half-truth of this sort and using it to government and thereby- officially as
wound the sensibilities of his English sum that lt ., afford ,.
contemporaries. Of trash the supply n.n,.H... v ,K- v,j ,
is unending. America, we have rea- warn ,h.m that th. i ,,h',.- Traslatlosia From Old EnarlUk Clasalca,
son to believe, is surfeited with literary tectlon Wi wait and wntnh iwaitfovl Professor G. Pythagoras Bimelack,
dross. But the quantity of it need not Americans to fall into the trnr, and the prominent philologist, in Bending
be regarded as anything alarming In watch them being murdered. It Is "la first translation of earlier Eng
itself. It was ever thus. The question riumlltatlnz-tn ho waikori n h" r,h lish classics into American laat week,1
is one of proportion between bad and necked bandits, but lust as hnmlHatmc- failed to Inclose the preface to his work
II... . ....... KAn.An n n ,1 I . I ......
ewu '"""a . , , " to have a Government which baldly and we are requested Dy mm to run
goto, ine anvei output mignt De me and publicly announces its indiffer- it this week.
greatest on recora, 11 recoras oi sucn ence or impotence. We are pleased to. do so, because lt
things were kept,- and yet the achieve
ment for the .Vear remain without
precedent. .
Much . has been .-said concerning
American drivel. Someone is forever
haranguing us upon our detadent lit
erature. Only the other day Henry
Holt, an eminent publisher, gave an
interview to the New York Times in
which he said that -"our literature is
going to the dogs' all- because of the
mercenary magazines and their inane
habit of featuring the names of hope-
gives the reader an opportunity to learn
Terrible punishment is being meted from the professor's own words what
out to' those submarine commanders his purpose in making the translation
who sent Americans to the bottom, has been.
One of them has Just been forced to PREFACE.
accept the Imperial Order of the Red I Before the live ones In England had-
Eagle. A scarlet letter would impress I to beat lt to America to keep their
us as a more appropriate decoration. domes from being whittled off by a
grouch sovereign, the English language
Congress, having some red blood in i was the only line of talk that our
its. veins, may revolt against the Wil-I branch of the human race could put
son watchful waiting policy and Its at- lover without spilling some of the finer
less writers. In common with all the tendant disregard of American lives, points of pronunciation.
other detractors, of course, he dealt in 11 1B nln "me someone did something
generalities merely damning editors lu ,et wona Know mat we are not
and writers right and left without tell- race or nopeiess mollycoddles.
Ing us Just why or where they were
such hopeless creatures. Generalities, As the matter now stands. Congress
This being the case, all of the liter--
ature of the Anglo-Saxon bunoh was
naturally wrapped up In this handsome
but hefty lingual package.
But speed was what we were strong
for in America. The old lingo was too
slow. We ground out a new one.
This wag good enough in its way, .
but it's landed us where we don't get.
tnore'n half a chance at the lit. of our
ancestors.
The highbrows are the only ones that
can surround it: lt gets clean by most '
of us marble-tops, who haven't grabbed .
off a mess of six or seven different par-
someimiig oy way i - of the dye famine. The fact will
Judge of tales took the trouble to put aiarm none, however, who exercise
Bright colors may vanish on account! leys because we've been too busy cop-"
good taste in dress colors.
Newspapers may well keep the cap
tion, "Russia Repulsed," In type for
ready use, since it fits the dispatches
so frequently.
War reprisals should tend to stim
ulate greater military zeal among
those who have welcomed capture by
the enemy.
But "passing the buck" to Carranza
will not right the horrible wrong nor
tend to prevent recurrence of the
massacre.
some rule work into his subject "before
drawing any conclusions. .-While we
may not agree altogether with the re
sults no one can fail to .say a good
word for his methods. He approaches
American literature In much the man
ner of a scientist engaged upon some
Intricate bit of research. After as
sembling the current magazines of the
past year he read what had been
written.- Not in an hour or a night,
but by arduous applications' through
the long months of - the -year as the
periodicals were delivered td him.
He confesses to the reading of 2200
tales of every description, and degree.
Only a small part of the annual pub
lished output, to be sure, and yet a
sufficient -number-to take in every
story that might possibly be expected
to show other qualities than mere nar
rative. After sorting, re-reading and
reflecting Mr. O'Brien put aside all
but ninety-two of these stories. The
ninetv-two he records as worthy of
preservation. He would have them as
sembled and put out in book form as
representing the flower of American
lftovattir-A fnr 191K '-Five tales he seta
torn a. .tixwHIhifIv able and wnrthv I gone UP in smoke.
of a permanent place. The final con
clusion he reaches is that the Ameri
can short story is improving, that -it
deserves recognition and a place in
literature, that the', choicest - stories
should be saved from the transient
leaves of the periodical.
Such a conclusion based upon such
methods is worth while. True, ninety-
wo is an amazing total out of 2200. Let us pray that Western Oregon
Some may suspect that Mr. O'Brien is I does not form the snow habit.
A new process has been perfected
for making food out of bones. Ought
to insure Europe of great plenty here
after.
This Is Just the season when the
Improvident and shortsighted house
keeper runs out of fuel.
ping out the ready.
So I have doped out a mess of trans
lations of the best stuff of the ancients
into our own American tongue. They're
not much for speed, but, lsh kablbble, I
still retain my girlish laughter, and
if you don't care to read them. It's
you that's the pinhead and not me. '
BIMELACK.
a
A Jfree Translation From Shakespeare. ,
("Who steals my purse, steals trash, etc.") -Who
cribs my roll, crlba Junk! A roll Is nix: :
Easy come, easy go: so much stage money: ,
phoney;
I cribbed It maybe; now he's cribbed it; aorao
guy
Will crib it from him. 'fore he gets to
blow It-
But when a guy starts hammering my .
rep, :
He's busting something that he needs as
much
As a kill needs two tails, a Jit five wheels,
But something that I need so in my bis
That when It's gone It puts a crimp in me. .
The End A Sonnet.
Scribnera.
There on the darkened deathbed dies tn
brain
That flared ihiee several times in seventy
v car ra
it eanont lift the silly hand again.
Nor speak, nor ini, n ueuuer ees nor ,
Anyway, we are enaoiea- to defer And muffled mourners put lt in the ground
The pride of Portland also fought.
Another world-championship dream
pruning; and spading the rosebushes
for a few days.
Mayor Albee will desert the Bull
Moose party. Almost the last of the
Mohicans.
And then eo home, and In the earth It
;le -Toa
dark for vision and too deep for sound;
The million cells that make a good man
Tet for a few short years an Influence stirs,
A sense of wraith or essence of him dead.
Which makes Insensate things Its ministers
To those beloved, his spirit's daily bread.
Then that. too. fades; in book or deed a
spark
Llngtra: then that, too, fades; then all Is
dark.
i
3