The Sunday Oregonian., January 13, 1918, SECTION THREE, Page 6, Image 42

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THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 13, 1918.
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All richta nf ropubltratioa of apwcial dls
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writer In the Infants'
magazine. This in supported by fig
ures. The losses to the British ex
peditionary forces from deaths In ac
tion and wound up to June 1 were 7
per cent of the total number sent to
France from the beginning- of the war.
This Is approximately 2 per rent a
year, and Is confirmed by British In
uranre figures showing mortality
of 2 per cent In excess of the death
rate In time of peace. Out of every
seven bablea born In the I'nited States
one dies before It is a year old, or
about 14 per cent. Out of 1.500.000
babies born In this country every year
150.000 fall to live a-year, while of
the same number of soldiers only 60,
000 would die before the end of a
year, if exposed to the extreme perils
which have confronted the British
armies In the thick of the fighting.
FORT LAS D M Utr. JAN. 13, Ills.
THE TIKXINC POINT IX !!.
The year 1J1S may. witness the
turning point ef the war. Since the
repulse at the Marne. the central pow
er have made Immense rains In other
fl elds of operation than the west, and
in the latter quarter the allies have
prosecuted a war of attrition which
has been marked by relatively small
trains of territory for fhem. though by
vast losses of men for the Germans.
Creat rains of territory have been
made by the British In Asia - and
Africa, hut these have minor effect on
the reneral military result. Important
as they are from the political and
moral viewpoints.
The allies must now fight for a de
cision, and though It may not be
reached this year. Its character should
be assured beyond doubt before 119
arrives. Though Russia may renew
defensive war. the future course of
that country is so uncc.tain that it
cannot safely be reckoned upon for
effective aid. It devolves on the three
powers of Western Europe with the
aid of the t'nlted States and with some
elp from the smaller nation-' to break
the power of Germany and Austria.
The welrht of the burden this year
will fall on Great Britain, and a con
atantly lanrer share will be trans-
ferred to the shoulders of the Vnlted
Ftates until In 1919 it will probably
b borne. In the main, equally by
these two nations. The British and
colonial armies are now composed of
about . 500. 000 men. of whom about
3.000.000 are actually In the field, new
levies havlnr probably made rood per
manent losses, which are estimated at
700.000. Kit men are belnr drastically
combed out ef the civil population, so
that this at re fifth may be maintained
and even Igcreaaed.
France probably has from 1.000.000
to S.S00.000 men under arms after
allowance has been made for losses
and new levies In 1J1T. Italy should
still ba able to put ?. 000. 000 men In
the field with the aid of her allies In
fcedlnr. armlnr and munltlonlnr them.
The t'nlted Plates Is expected to
ft 1.000.000 men In France by the
Fall of IMS. but may not have more
than half that number ready to take
part In the Sprinr campairn. while the
delay In providlnr arms and the defi
ciency of tonnare may make July the
earliest date at which the full million
can oin In the fchtlnr. As Britain
and France produce a surplus of (runs
and munitions, they may hasten the
actlvttr of the Americans by maklnr
irood the shortare.
Germany Is estimated to have 5.000..
00 effectives of alt area from IS to 4 5
and over, wtfh an annual reserve of
, SOO.000 to T00.OO0. her'rrosa 1" he
Inr 4.509.000 men. Austria has S.TtO.-
00 effective men from It to. 55, with
300.000 fresh reserves annually, rross
losses belnr about 3.500.000. Itulrtrta
has 500.000 men. and Turkey's forces
are a matter of ruesn-work. .
The real advantage of the allies con
aists In their rreatly Increased and
constantly maintained production of
munitions, with the vast reserve which
the t'nlted States provides, to be set
aralnst the declinlnr stamina of the
German and Austrian Industrial popu
latlon and their depleted material re
sources, even when these are replen
Ished by what they rain from Turkey
and the occupied territory. Great
Britain now produces In four days as
many elrhteen.pounder shells as she
produced In the first year of the war
as many field howitxer projectiles In
five days and as many heavy runs and
lieavy howitxer projectiles In one day
as were produced In the first year.
Frodnctlon of aircraft has Increased In
the same proportion, the naval air
service havinr rrown from 1400 to
40.000 men. and the army air service
iavtnr expanded on the same scale.
1'ntll the t'nlted States has Increased
Its production of runs and small arms
to the. proportions which will nifHce
for Its own Army. It must rely upon
Its allies for a lance part of its supply
of field and heavy runs, and must
provide them with material help In
the shape of food, coal and raw mate
rial for runs and ammunition. Italy
In particular will depend on us for all
these commodities. By the Summer
of 191) we should have a surplus of
all kinds of arms and aircraft for our
allies, thoiich by that time we shall
probably have a second million men
at the front and a third million In
tralnlnr. We. should thus, prove that
American men and material are the
iectdlnr factor In the war.
In maklnr their calculations for the
future- the allies now take the defeat
of the submarine as a forerone con
cluslori. The avers ire weekly loss of
British vessels has not reached twenty
since Aurust. while the destruction of
submarines steadily rrowi until It al
most equals Germany's maximum out
put, and meanwhile output of new
tonnare closely approaches losses and
will soon exceed them. "There Is rood
cause for confidence that with unre
lentinr war accordlnr to present
methods and with completion of the
new American fleet of destroyers to
the present year the submarine will be
finally mastered.
The final 'ram palms of the war are
likely to be fourht mainly by the com
bined armies of the United States and
Great Britain, and their victory prom
ise, to be the result of their combined
sea power, to which their allies will
owe their sunplv of war material.
A ( ALAMITY.
Kdwln St. John Grcblc, a Brljradler-
General In the I'nited States Army. Is
rontmandlnr officer at Camp Bowie.
near Fort Worth. Texas. He was sum
monad before the military committee
of the L'nlted States Senate to rive his
testimony as to conditions at Fort
Bowie. He was entirely frank, for he
told In a soldier's blunt way a most
extraordinary story of departmental
nerlect.
. Kort Bowie was, and probably still
is, a tent cantonment. The tents have
room for HRht men. and ho more,
without rrowdlnr and without real
sanitary .risk. But there were too
many men. or not enourh tents, and
It was necessary to place twelve in
each one. m The General was (rreatly
disturbed at the Inevitable effect upon
the men's health, and in September,
117, he made an appeal to the War
Department for relief. He had trouble,
evidently. In ascertaining: who was re
sponsible for tent supply, for in all he
made his protest to four different de
partment officials.
The date of tho Greble complaints
was September 11. On November 14
more than two months later, ho hud
a telerram from the. department, con
talning the naive instruction to put
fewer men tn-the tents..
Secretary Baker doubtless does as well
as most other civilians would do. with
out war knowledge or instinct. The Job
is too much for him. We do not es
pecially blame him for the discredit
ble Camp Bowie incident, except in
sofar as all such happening arc due
to Inefficient organization and lack of
expert Insight Into war necessities.
The Imperative need In the War De
partment Is a powerful Impulse toward
a definite roal preparedness a com
plete rrasp of the situation, a mas
tery of the whole problem, a driving
Initiative, a disregard for red tape for
mulas, an overmastering determina
tion for immediate results.
The loss of Secretary Garrison from
the Cabinet approaches the dimen
sions of a National calamity.
Department missed with the scorn that followed.
for example, the visionary peace mis
sion of Henry Ford. It may not be as
impractical as it sounds. The world
has made much progress within only
a century in the treatment of chil
dren, and it would not be safe to con
clude that it can go no farther. Jlul-
tiplivation of "bad boys" us a result
of removal of parental restraint in
the Kuropean war zone would indi
cate that their backslldinr is due at
least in part to adventitious circum
stances. They would not have been
"bad" undernormal conditions, and
this affords hope. Perhaps the
cause can be removed, or a counter
Influence established. And if one
thoroughly bad boy can be reformed.
why not another? It is not too much
to hope, that 'much Itght will be let
into the problem:' even that a set of
principles may be formulated, subject
to variation to meet the needs of in
dividuals. The Boys Brotherhood Republic
scheme is to accomplish reform by
surrounding the object of It with such
environment that the straight path is
more attractive than the crooked one.
It is proposed to teacL him not only
that "honesty Is the best policy." but
that right living in every other way
pays moral and material dividends.
Given a' normal -subject, this would
be easy. It remains only to adapt the
system to the possibly abnormal
mind.
The importance' of influencinr the
child In his early years has been rec
ognized for ages. Some parents
realize it. nnd a good many philan
thropic institutions have striven for
results upon that basis. The Chicago
experiment is only another added to
a long list, but it deserves support,
even if It makes but a single step for
ward. The more boys we head off
from the road to badness, the mort
good men we shall have to do the
work that only rood men can do. The
very earnestness of the Chicngoans
commends them to our interest and
sympathy.
authorities in the other place that they
deny if they deny he was under
consideration. . Why not? A vacancy
existed, and presumably It was desir
able to fill it with an educator of fit
ness and experience. Naturally, Dr.
Kerr's qualifications called for an ap
preciative survey; and there would and
could have been no surprise if ho had
been called.
The Oregon Board of Regents gives
an appreciative estimate of President
Kerr's services to the college and to
Oregon, and says correctly that his
departure from this lield would be a
distinct loss.. It is an appraisement of
his worth with which it is difficult to
find fault. The Board saw. as the
candid Judgment of the state sees, that
the task of replacing him would be
most difficult. We have heard none
say it would be easy. The controlling
thonght of the state should be the
welfare of the college, and its own
duty toward it- The state should not
be diverted from that prime considera
tion by an inconsequential quarrel over
such an Incident.
days, and perhaps we are not so de
vout. Even Cowper's masterly "Light
Shining Out of Darkness," containing
one of the most powerful metaphors
in the English language, is seldom
sung from beginning to end. "The
congregation will omit the second,
third and fourth stanzas" is so famil-
rescinded the flag order, but not until
our own Governor Pennoyer had gone
on record, in characteristic fashion, in
approval of the original plan.
A prohibition state campaign was
pending, and much attention was paid
it by various correspondents and by
The Oregonian, which was in opposi
iar as almost to seem part of the'tion. The argument ran the whole
That" the soldier rolnr Into the
trenches; In France has seven times
as good a chance to live a year as a
new-born baby Is the sfiklnr state
xiient made by Q. E. Famahsw p
NEW YORK ALMO II AS WATER rOHIR.
New York has cen reminded by
Governor Whitman that the water
power question does not concern the
West and South alone, but Interests
the Kast in only less degree. He has
recommended development by the
state of power in the state's streams
htrh is estimated at 1.000.000 horse
power. In so doing, he has revived
a policy which was first adopted
under Governor Hughes and which
was supported by Governors Dlx and
Glynn, but the power of New York,
like that of the West, has been tied
up by a deadlock between extremists
on both sides of the controversy be
tween public ownership and private
ownership under public control. -Mean
while the state has lost the power
which from the surplus waters of the
Erie Canal alone m'aht have yielded
a revenue of $250,000 a year In addi
tion to the great stimulus which
would have been riven to industry.
New York now suffers from a coal
famine which might have been per
ceptibly relieved by substitution of
electric for steam power.
New York's realization of the folly
of letting the power of its streams run
to waste should bring Its representa
tives Into line with those of the West
In favor of legislation which will per
mit development with due regard to
the rights of the states, of the Govern
ment and of the consumers. Thi
cannot be accomplished without fai
reward and good security to the In
vestor. nor ran It be accomplished by
such a bill as President Wilson's com
mission has submitted to Congress.
for that bill utterly ignores the righ
of the states to a share in the revenue
to be derived from power leases. When
New York discovers that the Govern
ment proposes to appropriate all of
the revenue from power In Its oav
igable streams, it will discover tha
its Interest is identical with that
the West.
The present emergency should
hasten action, but It should not be
made the opportunity to rob the
states for the aggrandizement of the
Nation.
AN OIJ FRIEND PASMINC.
War prices of paper and shortage of
labor in the trades are reflected in the
scarcity, of 1918 calendars. Formerly
it has been the unfailing custom of
certain business men to advertise
through tho medium of calendars year
after year, but on authority in the
printing trade says that the output
this year will be reduced fully 90 per
cent. '
Some printers have turned down or
ders for this kind of work, because of
the growing scarcity of material, and
others report that advertisers have
voluntarily cut down their orders in
the Interest of conservation.
The situation should stimulate the
making of "perpetual calendars." some
hundreds of which have already been
Invented and upon which untold in
genuity is still being expended. There
was a time when the perpetual calen
dar was a close competitor of per
petual motion and the tide mo. or In
the affections of inventive geniuses.
For some reason they are seldom seen
on our walls, which will look bleak,
indeed, if our old standby, the calen
dar with advertising on the face of it,
goes entirely out of fashion.
I.OOKINU FOR A BAD HOT.
A Nation-wide search for a thor
oughly bad bay will begin next
month, under the direction of a Chi
cago organization which calls itself
the Boys' , Brotherhood Republic.
Those who are inclined to conclude
too hastily that the task is all too easy
should pause and read the specifics
tlons. The, committee wants to find
"the meanest, the toughest, the most
no-account, the most evil, vicious, in
fact, the worst boy morally that
human being can be." Communities
re Invited to- propose candidates for
the nnenviable distinction, and there
ought to be .no lack of them.
but the committee promises not to be
easily satisfied. It wants to be sure
that the boy accepted is truly tne
worst ever." because It proposes to
reform bim, and by so doing to dem
onstrate that there is. as a matter of
fact, no such thing as an inherently
bad boy. after all.
The searchers In the beginning will
ezclude the mentally defective: that
Is to -say. they will distinguish between
the unmoral and the immoral. In the
broad sense of both terms. Those
who simply cannot comprehend the
difference between right and wrong
because of hopeless mental Incapacity
will be left for different treatment.
True "badness" Implies some knowl
edge of ethUal standards. Thomas
Bailey Aldrirh'a "Story of a Bad Boy"
will not furnish a clew for the Chi
cago committee, which is not con
cerned with youngsters who are only
mischievous, but insists on a certain
amount of ortginal sin as a quallfica-
ion for admission to its hall of fame.
Perhaps the Jesse Pomeroy type af
fords a better Illustration, although
he might be a dangerous subject for
experiment. What Is wanted is a boy
who knows better, but who persists In
lyinr and stealing and belnr cruel to
hra mother out of sheer perversity. It
he Is a coward besides, so much the
better. The proposed system Is to
have a thorough trial.
itnra should not be dis-
TIIE KKCENT AND r RKSIWKNT KERR.
The public Is, of course, entitled to
know everything worth knowing about
public institutions and their conduct
and about public officials and their
actions. In recognition of that right,
doubtless, the Board of Regents for the
Oregon Agricultural College lias issued
a statement covering the circumstances
of Its recent decision to advance the
salary of President Kerr. It Is a time
ly and circumstantial document, and
there Is no reason to doubt that it is
an exact statement or the facts. It
should have the effect of clearing up
the misunderstandings which have
arisen from that event.
It has not lessened the public in
terest in the affair that the criticisms
of the' Board the heated denuncia
tions and outright charges of miscon
duct against the Regents. Dr. Kerr
and. Incidentally, The Oregonian
have emanated chiefly from sources
hostile to the college. Thcjre are in
sinuations, for example, that The Ore
gonian "aided and abetted" the plan
to keep' Dr. Kerr In Oregon by print
ing a dispatch In Its columns that he
had been offered the presidency of a
similar Institution elsewhere. This,
It is said, was the inspiration for the
movement to retain him. The Orego
nian, indeed, printed such a, news item.
from Its Washington bureau, in dis
charge of its function as a newspaper.
It Is true, quite true, also, that The
Oregonian deemed the possible or
probable loss of Dr. Kerr to Oregon a
serious matter and it said so several
times. If it has thereby offended cer
tain pure and undefiled souls that
have an aspiration to get rid of Dr.
Kerr and to retard the development
of a useful public institution, it can
have no regrets. It is interested in
Oregon as a whole and the reasonable
and proper development of all Its in
terests, arid it is not to be swayed from
Its duty to foster them by personal
Jealousies or Journalistic antagonisms,
or state or factional rivalries.
The assumption of many persons
has been that the Board of Regents
took its action as one means to hold
President Kerr, in direct response to
representations that he had been in
vited to go elsewhere at a larger sal
ary. Word had come through news
paper channels from that same else
where that the offer ras not made.
The purported denial is in the form of
interviews with one or more of the
Regents there. 1-et tis not disguise the
fact that this surprising denouement
made a disagreeable impression in
Oregon: but let us not on that account
refuse to weigh judiciously all the
circumstances and be careful not to do
an Injustice to President Kerr or to
the Board of Regents Or to any one
concerned.
The Board of Regents makes It clear
thet President Kerr had informed
them that he was under consideration
elsewhere, and that was the extent of
it: and he distinctly warned them
that the question of calary was not
Involved, or at least not determinative
ith him. The Regents, whj hnd sev
eral times previously thought it proper
to enlarge tbe president's emolument,
nevertheless voted the Increase. The
wisdom of Its action. In the way it
acted, is questionable, but the integ
rity of its motive Is not questionable,
nor is it questionable that the Board
was justified in believing that it ought
to take promptly every reasonable
measure to protect the college, and to
Insure the tenure of its capable head.
Did it not hear such appeals from
many sources?
The Board says It has Indisputable
evidence, aside from Dr. Kerr's state
ment, that he was under consideration
for the presidency of the other lnstitu-
lon. Cndenlably there was a defi
ne movement there' by others who
new his value to bring about that re-'
suit. It is not creditable either to the
sincerity ..or tv . .'niz-Ulrence of th 1
MODERN HYMNS.
Hymns of the kind written by Mrs.
Anna Sherwood Hawks, who died re
cently at her Vermont homo,. at the
advanced age of 83, are representative
of the elevated spirit that we associate
with the evangelistic movement of
modern days. They were not always
Indeed, they were seldom poetry
in the true sense of the term, but they
exhibited the extreme piety which is
so comforting to some souls, and
which undoubtedly does exalt those
who experience it to a place nearer
to the throne than they would be
likely to attain in any other way.
Their appeal was to the emotions
rather than to the intellect, but there
Is a large class that is more emotional
than, intellectual. So they served their
purpose well.
Mrs. Hawks' best-known produc
tion was "I Need Thee Every Hour,"
which, it is said, was translated into
more foreign languages than any other
hymn. The statement, however. Is
without the seal of final authority, and
may be taken with a grain of salt.
Certainly there are other hymns which
have been sung by the devout in a
multitude of tongues. There is Car
dinal Newman's splendid "Lead, Kind
ly Light," for example: and there also
are Charles Wesley's "Jesus, Lover of
My Soul," and John Fawcett's 'Blest
Be the Tie That Binds." of quite dif
ferent caliber but universal in their
appeal. No work on hymnology would
be complete that did not take into ac
count, also, the work of Isaac Watts,
who Is sometimes called the father of
English hymnody, and who won the
favor of plain people of many coun
tries besides his own. The merit of
the hymn, however, does not neces
sarily rest upon the number of lan
guages in which it is sung, nor upon
its literary qualities. As an art, hymn
writing is quite apart from producing
poetry. The books are filled with
hymns which fulfilled a high religions
purpose, but violated the rigid canons
of prosody, and sometimes those of
grammar and syntax.
James Montgomery, who was a note
worthy product of the modern, mis
sionary movement, was one of the
first to -conceive a technique for his
special art. He attempted to pre
scribe rules, but they have
been more or less ignored. "There
should be," he said, "a manifest gra
dation in the thoughts, and their mu
tual dependence should be so per
ceptible that they could not be trans
posed without Injuring the unity of
the pieces: every line carrying for
ward the connection, and every stanza
adding a well-proportioned limb to a
symmetrical body. The reader should
know when the strain is complete and
be satisfied as at the close of an air
of music" But not all the hymns
that exerted powerful Influence were
upon the high plane attained by Mil
ton, or Jeremy Taylor, or Joseph Ad
dison, or He"nry Vaughan.
Almost all of our emotional hymns
were the products of special occa
sions. Henry Martyn Keiffer, who has
made a collection of anecdotes of the
origin of some of the most famous
onps. says that "Jesus, Lover of My
Soul," was inspired by an attack made
by a mob upon the-Wesley brothers,
who were compelled to flee for their
lives. They took refuge behind a
hedge, where they protected' them
selves as well as they could against
the shower of stones, and shortly
afterward, darkness favoring, they re
treated to a more secure springhouse.
Here they bathed their bruises in the
cooling waters, and while they were
waiting for a safe time to go to their
homes,-. Charles Wesley fashioned a
pencil from a piece of lead and wrote
on a piece of paper the famous hymn
Thus, the angry mob furnished the
conception of the "nearer waters," the
'tempest" and the "storm," and the
refuge behind the hedge was the in
splration of the lines:
rover my dafnele haad
With tha ahadow ut thy wing.
Step by step the adventures of the
Wesleys were translated into the hymn
which has endured nearly two cen
turies. "Blest Be the Tie That Binds"
had its origin in far different circum
stances. Its author, John Eawcett,
was the pastor of a Baptist congrega
tion too poor to pay a salary com
mensurate with the needs of the pas
tor's growing family. He had ac
cepted a call to a church in London
and was engaged in loading his be
longings into wagons, surrounded by
weeping friends, when he suddenly
changed nis mind and sat down on a
box and wrote:
Blrasad be the lie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love.
The "long meter" doxology, which
was one of the classics of the Restora
tion period, would be interesting for
the historic memories it recalls, even
If it did not have intrinsic lyrical
merit. Bishop Kenn, who wrote it,
was one of seven bishops committed
to the Tower of Ixindon for refusing
to read the indulgences commanded
by King James II. The austerity of
his temper is indicated by his habit
of carrying his shroud with him wher
ever he'went, and by the lines He wrote
in the classic "Evening Hymn":
T-ach me to 'live that I may dread
Tha grave aa little as my bed.
His - VMornlng Hymn", rose to a
height that is seldom reached by
more modern hymns even those
which .have been translated into more
foreign languages. There is a real
fervor in the stanza:
Awake, my aoul, and with the sua
Thy dally etage of duty run;
Shake oft dull sloth, and Joyful rise
To pay thy morning aauriflce.
"The New Jerusalem," with its
thirty-one stanzas, was written for a
people who were in deadly earnest in
all their undertakings, and would need
to be much shortened to meet the re
quirements of today. "The Celestial
Country" is another which, because
of its great length, is seldom found
outside of "collections" of hymns of
the past. We are speedier in our de
votions. 'o -' other matters, nowa-
ritual In most churches. The same is
true of "Coronation" and "Jesus, I My
Cross Have Taken," and even "Nearer,
My God, to Thee," which once was
familiar to most churchgoers but
now known only to one in many
thousands. Indeed, the first, second
and last stanzas are about all that
anyone ever pretends to learn. The
singing of entire hymns has well-nigh
gone out of date.
Few hymns have been added in the
past quarter century, and congrega
tional singing does not occupy the
place in the church service that it
onjee did. We are growing content
to let others do our singing, as well as
play our games. Mrs. Hawks was one
of the last of a vanishing school.
JOHN' FISKE AND OREGON.
John Fiske was distinguished chiefly
as philosopher and historian; but it
is true that his versatility was so great
that he was equally an authority on
and an interpreter of language, art,
music, religion, modern literature and
the classics. Now It will be- of special
interest in the Pacific Northwest to
know that the finest tribute extant to
the Columbia River, and the most
pleasing and enthusiastic apostrophe
to Portland, came from the pen of
this eminent critic and lecturer.
The Life and Letters of John Fiske
(Houghton. Mifflin & Co.), by John
Spencer Clarke, are in two large vol
umes. They cover a comprehensive
review of the work of Fiske in many
fields and give the reader an extra
ordinary insight into the personality,
activities and methods of the subject.
They have altogether a remarkable
range, for Fiske's intellectual pursuits
were very wide. It is agreeable to
know that, diversified as were his in
terests, he was full of the joy of life,
and was in no sense the musty re
cluse that legend pictures the scholar
to be. Otherwise, how could he have
brought to his description of his jour
ney to the Pacific Northwest such
youthful exuberance, such bubbling
expression of his delight at the won
ders he saw?
There are printed elsewhere in The
Oregonian today extracts from the Fiske
"Life and Letters" pertaining to that
interesting event. It will be well re
membered in Portland, though it was
as long ago as June. 1887. But .even
then Fiske's fame was great,' and the
course of lectures on historical topics
which he delivered was attended uni
formly by large audiences, it is not
our purpose here to undertake a re
view of the Clarke volumes or to make
a critical estimate of Fiske's service
to contemporary thought. Because
Fiske himself was a genial companion
and because people interested him, it
will perhaps prove profitable to make
some reference to his stay in Port
land and its relation to current affairs.
The Fiske lectures were in several
series. He appeared at the high
school there was only a single insti
tution of that kind then, and the
building was new and most ornate (it
may still be seen at Fourteenth and
Morrison) and before the general
public at the old Tabernacle (Twelfth
and Morrison). Time works great
changes, for the Tabernacle, which
was used for many public purposes,
and was the stage for the appearance
of many eminent men. was demol
ished about fifteen years ago, to make
way for a theater, and the latter struc
ture, too, is gone.
The Oregonian gave large .space to
the lectures. The Civil War was not
remote then, and discussion of its
course not necessarily of its causes
was popular. The ''Western Cam
paigns of the Civil War" was one of
the Fiske group, and it brought forth
immediate discussion in the columns
of this paper. For example, on June
5, 1887, there were two extended edi
torial articles, probably from the same
pen. In one there was a squint at
dissent with the lecturer, for it was
said that "it seems to us rather sur
prising. that Mr. Fiske. while he hold
General Halleck responsible for a vast
error in the West, should criticise the
removal of 'McClellan's Army from
the James River to Acquia Creek, thu
leaving Lee at liberty to crush Pope,
threaten the National capital and in
vade the loyal states,' for the removal
was so entirely the sensible and nec
essary thing that it is difficult . to
believe that it was ever ordered by
Halleck." Then follows an elaborate
discussion of the Potomac campaign
of August, 1S64. But elsewhere un
der "John Fiske's Second Lecture'
there is generous commendation, be
ginning:
The popularity of John Fiske's lectures
la well deserved. He la a man or historic
Inalght and power of generalization ; .his
slyle la as car and sparkling as a aprln
of water, and hu is nearly always accurate
in his tacts.
From that time on until June 21
when the historian departed, there
was much about him in The Orego
nian, both in the way of news reports
and editorial, discussion.
The memories Mr. Fiske took away
of Portland, its hospitality, its intelli
gence, its conservatism and its physi
cal aspects, were obviously vivid and
agreeable. ' Besides, there was much
in the stir of the times that must
have had an effect on his plastic mind.
Not many persons can say offhand
just what happened in Oregon or else
where in any June, nearly a third of
a century ago, though it may be us
pected that he would have a notion
that" the Columbia and Willamette
rivers probably demanded special at
tention, for it was the flood, period;
but there was in the public prints no
appearance of special uneasiness on
that account. Yet the morning paper
had much for everybody. ' The whole
Nation was then mightily aroused over
the order of President Cleveland to
return the Confederate flags to their
original owners in the Southern states.
The climax of angry opposition was
reached when General Fairchild, Com
mander-in-Chief of the Grand Army
of the Republic, made (June 15, 1887)
his famous "palsy speech before a
post of veterans in New Yo.k. "May
God palsy the hand that wrote the
order," he cried. "May God palsy the
brain that conceived it. May God
palsy the tongue that dictated it." A
few days later a Portland lawyer, a
Virginian, L. B. Cox, wrote a letter to
The Oregqnian, defending the Presi
dent, and the editor replied, with
characteristic pungency. Who that
lived in Oregon then did not know,
or know about, Mr. Cox? And who
that knew him but respected and ad
mired him? A chivalrous gentleman,
a charming friend, a delightful com
panion, a sound citizen, he died widely
lamented by a whole state. On his
deathbed he wrote a farewell to his
friends, which for its touching and
pathetic beauty and fine spirit of res
ignation is not forgotten. It may be
well to' ndrt hn.t PreHdent Cleveland
gamut of the saloon and its indecencies
and immoralities, degradation to the
imbiber, liquor in politics and the like
on the one hand, and to- the invasion
of personal liberty and prohibition's
ineffectiveness on the other. The
measure was later defeated by a large
vote.
Then it seemed important to some
citizens to make public claims N for
spiritualism. In one issue of The Ore
gonian were two long letters on the
subject, with a rejoinder to the effect
that the alleged phenomena were
trifling and inconclusive. It was essen
tially incredible, it was said, that God
should reveal his divine scheme in
such poor ways as rope-tying and
table-tipping.
James G. Blaine had been defeated
in 1884 by Burchard.and his- disas
trous allusion in a speech of welcome
to Blaine to "Rum, Romanism and
Rebellion." An interview with Blaine,
after three years, quoted him as say
ing: "I did not hear what he said,
but the reporters did. That is what
lost me the election . . . but I have
never felt sure that I was not elected."
Alas, poor Blaine! No other was so
idolized in his time by so many fol
lowers. Then, too. The Oregonian thought
it appropriate to put on its first page
the report of a prizefight between
"two bruisers" near Astoria. One of
the contestants is now a respectable
working man of this city. The affair
lasted thirteen rounds, and ended in a
knockout for the representative of
Portland's best fighting blood. His
opponent "hit him in the stomach, a
blow which knocked him out com
pletely, taking his breath." The solar
plexus had riot then appeared in the
sporting reporter's vocabulary. But
the society editor was apparently there
in disguise, for "a delegation of ladies
witnessed the mill."
The "Villard ruins" then disfigured
the heart of Portland. The aforesaid
ruins consisted of the site and the un
completed stone foundation of the
present Portland Hotel. Work had
been suspended in 1883, with the.
calamitous failure of Henry Villard
as promoter and financier of the Ore
gon Transcontinental, joint lesee of
the Northern Pacific and O. R. & N.
The agitation for a new and complete
structure, which should be an orna
ment to the city, was taken up and
carried successfully forward. Any one
can see for himself the results by
going. to Sixth and Morrison and look
ing southwest. But who remembers
that a great murder mystery was
staged in the Villard ruins?
The great stage favorite of Oregon
then was the tragedian Frederick
Warde. who appeared before large
audiences at the New Market Theater
(First, near Ankeny), and there was
also a season by the French actress
Rhea. Portland was by no means then
a frontier town. '
Thus,- indeed, it may be supposed
that Mr. Fiske had a busy three weeks
in Oregon, and it is easy to see why
he carried away with him so good an
opinion of Oregon and its people. His
recollections were, indeed, so pleasant
and favorable that when, in 1892, he
was invited to come back and deliver
at Astoria the principal address at the
one hundredth anniversary celebra
tion of the discovery of the Columbia
River by Captain Gray, he responded
gladly, delivered a memorable mes
sage to the people of Oregon and to
the world, and went away, never to
return. '
The Peripterous.
Perlpterous A Structure Having Rows
of Columns on All .Sides. Ilirtionary.
(Synopsis of preceding synopses.)
The Oregonian. a great morning news
paper, employs a distinguished literary
an-hltect to construct a peripterous.
He does it. It has rows of columns on
east, west, north and south.
The Peripterous becomes a Free Audito
rium for the expression of incompetent, ir
relevant and immaterial opinion. new
verse and anecdotes,
A Pacifist litparlment of Scientific In
vestigation is establlmied and aolvetf many
fascinating problems.
The Soc iety for Suppression of War Poetry
establishes headquarters and offers anti
dotes for war poetry poisoning. ,
The Society for Suppression of War
Poetry has decided to continue its
present method of attack upon this in
sidious vice, although its efforts so far
do not appear to have had apprec'iablo
results. The method of combat Is to
present prose with a war tinge as an
antidote for war poetry poisoning.
Therefore the society passes this en
thralling mystery along in the hope
that it will have beneficial effect.
The adaptability of the birds in the
war zones is one of the surprising facts
observed by naturalists on the firing
ne. It was expected that they would
be driven from the locality of heavy
bombardments, but this proved not to
be the case. A soldier writes that
along the River Ancre the coots and
moorhens are oblivious to the tremen
dous battle all around them. At an
other point, after one of the most ter
rific artillery exchange in months, a
skylark flew up from "No Man's Land"
and sang gaily, almost before the fir
ing had ceased. Partridges seem un
disturbed by rifle fire and nightingales
make the nights melodious. In the
same way birds on the Macedonian
front return calmly to their homes
after each battle and pick up the
threads of their lives precisely as if
nothing had happened. There is no
evidence that they are being appre
ciably reduced in numbers, notwith
standing the destruction that is going
on all around them.
With assurance that the storm in
the Middle West will add millions of
bushels to the 1918 grain crop, even
those who are suffering from the cold
will be able to extract comfort from
the situation. What are a few cold
days, when compared with a food
shortage, in times like these?
With twenty-six sweaters to her
credit, an Albany woman would seem
to have a fair chance to win the knit
ting championship medal, which is a
high honor in times like these.
These are the days when the citi
zen begins to figure up his income tax,
and the sooner he . pays it the less
likely he is to be compelled to wait
at the end of a long line at the col
lector's window.
The proposal that the Government
purchase seed for sale to the farmers
at cost must be distinguished from the
ancient "free seed" scheme if it ex
pects to find popular favor.
Perlspynllis.
Red Apple Smith the name is chosen
to lend deeper mystery to the story
had perispynitis in an advanced stage.
For the benefit of the reader who has
not at hand facilities for determining
word significance, it may be said that
"peri" means "around." "spy" means
"spy," and "itis" signifies an inflamma
tory condition. The "n" is included by
lexicographers for euphony's sake.
Red Apple Smith could see a German
spy on every corner, and he was much
inflamed about it.
It was a dark and glowering night in
njid-Winter, " the wind blew in fitful
gusts. Only the wind ever does any
thing fitfully, but remarks on the wea
ther must be eliminated for sake of
brevity. Besides, as everybody knows.
no tragedy can be enacted with the ele
ments at peace. So a half column of
fancy writing must be understood.
At 10 o'clock Red Apple Smith slipped
out of the front door in his dressing
gown. He had come downstairs from
his bedchamber to bring in the um
brella which had been forgotten.
Smith never lost an opportunity on
a dark night to look about for spies.
This night he had his reward. A sin
ister figure slunk into the shadows oC
the flouring mill from under tho elec
tric light a block away. Smith also
slunk into the Fhadows.
Soon the figure slunk out again.
Smith did not. The stranger was but a
wraith, dark and mysterious, 'as he
flitted from post to post or tree to tree.
He passed Smith's house on thu other
side of the street, hesitated at the cor
ner, flitted back again and was onco
more lost in the shadow of the mill.
Again ho crept out and disappeared.
Smith waited for the expected ex
plosion, but waited in vain.
Soon the menace appeared again and
six times passed back and forlli. always
seeking shadows for concealment.
The seventh time it stopped crouched
under the fence in front of the home of
Hans Dofflemeyer, the butcher, whom
Smith had always suspected, and gave
a low whistle. A' light flashed In the
Dofflemeyer house and then went out.
Conspiracy! Smith shuddered. But
wait!
Another dim figure emerged from
the Dofflemeyer g.-te. The first ono
crouched lower as the second advanced,
then sprang like a tiger on its victim.
The conspiracy theory faded.
There was no outcry, but the forms
swayed back and forth in deadly em
brace. In the dim light it appeared to
Smith that the first was not stabbing
or strangling the second, but biting it.
As the horror grew on Smith he
could stand it no longer. He'seized the
umbrella by the tip and darted across
the street, losing both bedroom slippers
in the mud.
The struggling persons saw him not,
but just as Smith reached the curb the
wayla'yer released his victim for a mo
ment as if to take breath. Smith heard
a faint voice. It was a woman's.
"U, George! How rough you are!"
And then Smith recalled that Hans
Dofflemeyer had forbade his daughter
Mina to keep company with George
Crew, the grocery clerk.
Smith went home and ate a red ap
ple, as was his custom, before Retiring.
But the same mysterious poet who
last week intruded in the guise of a
gas inspector slipped by the war poetry
guards again, disguised this time as
an income tax collector, begged tho
"makings" from the Literary Architect
and left this in the latter's tobacco
pouch:
Before and After Taking:.
1917.
Said Kaiser Bill to Crown Prince Fritz,
Lt s think up a good trick.
We've tried our bull on dot John Bull,
Until we re sore una sick.
Und Uncle Sam Ach Gott, mein headt
I thought we'd easy pick"
He's jet aa worse as all dot bunch-
So think up something slick!"
Said Crown Trince Fritz to Kaiser Bill,
All right, let s do it quick.
Before dot Voodrow get tarn mat.
Und hits mit his Big Stick. '
Ve got to do things fast und soon.
Or else, like Cousin Nick,
Ve loose our chobs mit Germany-
Lets bull dot Bolshevik!"
1918.
Said Nick Lenine to Lee jtzky.
"Let's raise a little hellsky"
Said Lee to Nick, "Sure, old kldsky.
I think we may as wellsky.
Said Nick to Lee, "Well, old pardsky.
What say you is the tricksky?"
"I think," says Lee. "would be funsky.
To bull the Kaiser cliquesqy."
A few years ago people were com
plaining because it took a billion dol
lars a year to run the country. Now
the Array alone costs that much, and
is worth every cent of it.
The German idea of the eight-hour
day in the conquered districts seems
to be eight hours in the morning and
eight hours in the afternoon.
The proposal that the Government
furnish Army officers with their uni
forms at cost suggests an inquiry why
it was not done long ago.
That Cosmopolis blacksmith was
able to leave a snug little fortune be
cause he knew how to strike when the
iron was hot.
What the Senate wants from Secre
tary Baker is the cold facts, and he
needn't get hot about it.
Fortunately, there is a big surplus
of. potatoes, and-the supply of butter
milk is not diminished.
Wednesday, January 16, will be the
ast R. S. V. P. day for the drafted
men.
So Fritz bulled Leja, and Lee did Bill,
Bill tried his brand on Nick;
Nick come back fast and did his best.
And took most every trick.
Nick threw his bull most skillfully
He tipped Bill's mitt so quick.
His folks got wise, now Willy cries,
"Gott strafe dot Bolshevik!"
I p to Date.
City Commissioner Dan Kellaher
write to say that he has thought of a.
new thrift slogan: '
"Save your pennies for the streetcar;
company."
Found! the 6-C'ent Nlckle.
The Pacific Board of Scientists has
accepted an editorial challenge to the
wise men to invent a nickel that costs
only five cents but will buy six cents"
worth of streetcar ride.
The Pacifist Board of Scientists
learnedly concludes that the challenge
is but metaphorically expressed, and
that the need of the hour will be ful
filled if it discovers some way of re
lieving streetcar patrons of paying tho
extra cent every time they ride.
The board, logically, holds that it Is
not right that the car patron should
pay, but that it would be simple jus
tice if the farmers footed the high
cost of living for the streetcar com
pany. The city, it is pointed out, was first
founded on the farming industry. If
there had been no farms there would
not have been much of a rity and there
would have been no need for a street
railway. Having thus encouraged cap
ital to invest in a losing venture, tiie
farmers ought to protect capital.
If It were not -for the mill workers
who journey every day to the mills and
allied lumber industries such as ship
yard plants, the company could cur
tail service and exist on nickel fares.
The allied lumber industries are mak
ing money, but the streetcar company
which delivers their employes to them
is not. Therefore the lumbering indus
try should also make good the losses of
the streetcar company.
But the Pacifist Board of Scientists
realizes that justice is not always at
tained. Jt has no hope of converting
the mill men or the farmers. Its solu
tion, therefore, is that everybody rlilc
a bicycle.