TTIE STJXDAY OREGOXIAN", PORTLAND, APRIL' ' SI,' 1918.
Sfie (Dronmmn
rosixAxo. OREGON.
Portland (Oregon) Poetofrire aa
wcoad-clu, mall matter
aaetxlpuoa nua Invariably la advance:
(Br M.U.
City. Snndar Included, om rear $10
I-el r. Xuoday Included. i:l months .... 4 21
fiai T. Suadajr Included, tore, roentba .. 2.2S
Imtly. Sumlav Included, an month 73
Iat:r. wlthtmt Munday. on jprar Auo
Illy. without !un1ar. six months..
Ieiir. without Sunday, on moath .uo
"Weemy. ana year. l.w
Sand, ena year. ........... ..........
fcudty a&4 Weekly .......... 4-iA
By Carrier. )
Je.fTy. ftunday Included, on, yar. ...... .$3. w
Xai'r. Sunday Included, one month...... .73
i'ellr. without Sunday, on, yar T.V
Illy. without KundaT. three months . .-."
XJai.y. without Sunday, ono moata. ... .. .
Mow to stoaait S-nd poetofflc money
roVr. expreee or personal check an your
local bank, atampe. coin or currency are at
waer-e run. tie poaiorflc, address in foil.
Including county and atate.
rH, Bates 12 to 1 pagea. 1 rant: l
to p-tgee. 2 ccnta; Z4 to as pgea. a cents:
(4 to pares. 4 canta: J to TS pages. &
seats: 74 to j psges, casta. Fnra.ga poal
ega, dean., rates.
(Mm Boeiaeea Office Terra, Conk -I'e,
BnuMvirK Oui.dtna. New York; Verree at
oak la. leaver auiidmc. Chicago: Verree A
loan.:. Free Preee building. I Lroll, M:rtL.
in Franeieca represeataUie. R. J. Bldwell.
"43 atarael atraat.
aTB OF THE ASSOCIATED TKT.S.
To, Associated Preae I, exclusively eotl
tea) to tb, om for republication, of a:l newe
:ep&tmee credited to It or not atnerwlae
credited t, thia paper, and a.aa Uia local
aews published berets.
A.I r-.ghta of republication of special dis
pute ns herein an, a-ao reeerved.
the country Is large, but has not won
Uia sympathy of the Inhabitant. It Is
also outnumbered by the Italians In
the southern part of the country.
J-OKTLAXD. HMU. APRIL tl. ISIS.
tONMICNTE AST DITT.
MRTUND. Or, April S. Te the Edi
tor. Tb public la told that a Llaarty Loan
bond la an Inveetroent- All right. 1 agree.
w, ara also told that It k, tb, doty of
eocyaody to buy who la ablo to buy: and
wo nro also- told that wa "ouch I t, buy till
It hurt and then buy till It ulta hurting."
I rrt. I am not ao cloar. bowmr. that
1 ho decision aa ta what 1 shall do raata wltb
oenjarn. If I am willing to buy till It hurta.
e doaa't burt. la not that my btiataam ?
It at bar worda. If a bond la aa Investment.
wby bovo 1 not tha optloa of maktnc that
lavaatmaat. wltbln my m,aa,7 rrukly
am mlxod na to what 1 am fro, to do In
t ho mattar and what 1 moat do at tb, da
nnaad of th public, waatbar I ncrro or
lot. Will you oaplalnz READER.
If w a understand our friend, lie Is
entirely willing' to do his full duty In
th purchase of bonds; but he objects
to Any compulsion. legal or moral,
bout it- It Is. In effect, tha same old
pacifist argument that support of the
war Is a matter of conscience: arid
that conscience is one's own. and the
public ts neither Its keeper, mentor,
nor guide.
Conscience. It may be conceded, be
longs to Its owner: but It would be a
poor thing. Indeed. If tha moral
standard every man or woman, con
sciously or .unconsciously, sets up
for his or her guidance, were not to
bo measured or corrected or strength
ened by the thoughts, experiences.
Idea4 and determinations of others.
A poor thing. Indeed. What a world,
with every one doing: as he pleased.
unmindful of the opinions, good or
bad. of others, and quite certain that
ha was right, and all others who did
not have exactly the same kind
Inner voice, and the same moral and
spiritual outlook, were wrong. Tha
cave of Adullam would be considered
a haven of rest and concord In com
paiison.
Conscience and duty are as wide
apart as the poles: yet the main
trouble with your conscientious ob
jector Is that he regards them as Iden
ticaL To him the act his conscience
requires him to do. It Is his duty to
do: and If his conscience dissents, h
doty Is to dissent. In other words,
there caa for him be no definition or
determination of duty except by him.
self.
Duty Is obligation, obedience, sub-
nilartton. It Is tha moral compulsion
to do right, and no man may do other
wise without transgression. Th
standard of right or wrong may not
be erected by him. but by the unl
versa! Judgment of society, which
means all others and himself. Now,
if one's conscience directs him to per
form an act which all others say
wrong. It Is quite clear that such
conscience Is a perverted conscience.
There Is nothing else to say about it
Conscience, rightfully considered.
tha power from within which de
mands right conduct by the con
science's owner; but he may not also
say what is light conduct. Duty calls
for light conduct, whatever con
science may say. It Is. therefore, the
first essential of conscience that
shall find Itself In accord with duty.
and not duty with conscience. Here
Is where your conscientious objector
gets off the track.
The Nation la at war. It was the
judgment of the Nation, through its
representatives, duly authorized to
speak and act. that It was th coun
try's dnty to go to war. Clearly. It ts
the people's duty to support the Na
tion In Us action until the war la at
an end. There are various ways of
support by enlistment in the Army
or Navy, and by providing funds and
supplies and the like. It cannot be
conceded that the citizen may take
his own method of service, any more
than It can be conceded that he may
or may not serve at all. for the Gov.
ernment has determined Its duty, and
It may also determine the citizen's
duty. If he may say that he will not
aubscrib to a loan, solely because he
objects to war. he may also say that
ha will pay no war tax. solely because
he objects to war. The distinction, to
be sore, la of moral or legal compul
sion. Tha Government asks of the
citizen a loan, and It ts his duty to
comply. If he can: It demands of the
citizen a war tax. and he must pay.
That a war loan Is an Investment Is
due to the act of the Government In
making subscription by th citizen of
funds to carry on the war easy, attrac
tiv and profitable. It was the option
of th Government to make It an In
vestment, or not. If th citizen has
also aa option. It Is purely nominal,
for he has. and he must perform, his
duty, within his means, to subscribe.
If It be said that, while h may have
such a duty, it Is yet within his light
to subscrib or not. then It must be
concluded that th individual may or
may not do his duty, as he pleases.
It is a position which cannot be sus
tained.
AIM TO MASSACRE ADMITTED.
German airmen have abandoned the
pretense that the purpose of their
raids on cities in territory of tha allies
is to destroy structures of military
value. They frankly admit that their
object Is to Inspire terror by killing
women and children. That Is the sub
stance of an Interview given by a cap
tured German airman to an Italian
newspaper. Me said:
Wa do sot know and wa do aar aaak ta
know thin ataff haadqnartera ara. ar wtwra
th, great military drpota of our anemic
ara. Whan wa bombard a city It la tha city
Itaalf w, wlaa to deatroy and tha cltlscas
tbamaalvM w, wish to hit. Our parpoaa la!
to broak down tha realatanc of tb, cnamy
countries, to weaken tha spirits of th, pub-
iie. and compel a general longing- for peace.
When w, bombard Paris. London or Padua,
yoa will wall understand that wa do not look
for military objectives. These are secondary
It hi wealass. therefore, for yoa to
tlnuo to lament If among th, victims there
ta th, Inevltabla woman and tba Inevitable
baby. If they cannot take car, of themselves
so macn th, wore, for them.
Experience should have taught the
Germans that the barbarity of their
raids Is equalled by their stupidity.
Instead of terrorizing the people Into
surrender to Germany, they have
strengthened determination to fight to
a finish. Before Great Britain adopted
conscription" every Zeppelin raid was
followed by a boom In enlistment, so
much so that speakers for recruiting
took their, stand on the ruins of houses
wrecked by bombs. The taste of Prus
sian Lim which free peoples have had
In war has given them a clear idea of
what It would be under a German
peace as a permanent and unescapa-
ble condition. They prefer small doses
of it for a few years to adopting it as
a steady diet for an Indefinite period.
The Germans are proud - of their
knowledge of human psychology, as
proved by their application of that
science to th uses of war. They un
derstand the psychology of an tin
educated, half-barbarous people like
the Russians who have never been
really free, but they are densely Ig
norant of that of educated, civilized
peoples who have long enjoyed free
dom. It reacts to terrorism In a way
directly opposite to the German ex
pectatton and promises to be on of
the chief Instruments of German de
feat.
Brazil has undertaken to stamp out
rrussianism by the adoption of drastic
measures, being confronted with a
problem proportionately greater than
that of the United States In the same
respect- Wneraaa a large number of
Germans came to the United States
because of their love of liberty, those
in Brazil represent a different genera
tion with a different motive. They
have gone to Brazil solely In their own
interests and those of th Fatherland,
have established their own schools and
send their children to German uni
versities, and seek only the society of
their own countrymen. They have
bven described by a Brazilian states
man as seeking to build up a country
within a country. Th Brazilian gov
ernment has kssued orders for the
trarbsng of Portuguese In the German
schools and la bow preparing to take
over Uia c'odr of German business
Interests.' Th German population la
WEAPONS READY FOR AX INVADER.
Events of th war in Europe have
Illustrated how Important a part Is
played by control of the enemy's nat
ural and industrial resources. Ger
many's ability to continue th war
and to win was greatly increased by
conquest of tb coal and Iron fields
and manufactures of Belgium, of the
French coal fields In the department
of Pas des Calais and of the French
Iron mines of Brley. The Briey mines
probably more than replaced the ore
which was formerly imported but
which was shut out by the blockade.
Conquest of Russian Poland gave the
Germans coal, lead and zinc as well
as much grain and livestock: that of
Serbia gave them grain and hogs.
also a copper mine which they have
doubtless developed with the labor of
enslaved Serbs; that of Roumanla gave
them oil, of which they were very
short, the timber of the Transylvania
Alps and much grain and cattle; that
of Finland gives them timber and
grain; that of the Ukraine opens the
way to the coal and Iron of tha south,
the oil of the Baku field, the cotton
of Central Asia and Transcaucasia,
and puts them In a position to obtain
much grain as soon as they can put
th people to work. By conquering
the material resources of a country
Germany obtains means to hold the
people In subjection and to overcome
her other enemies.
The consequence of continuing the
present defenseless condition of the
United States on the Pacific Ocean
would b that, if major hostilities
war extended to the Pacific, all the
resources of this region would not
only be lost to th Nation, but would
be at th command of the enemy, for
use In war against the Middle West,
the East and the South. The enemy
would gain a base on this side of the
ocean for operations against the
Rocky Mountain states and the frrcat
food-producing area of the Mississippi
and Missouri valleys, and. If he gained
those sections, he conld take tha man
ufacturing states of tha East In th
rear, cut off their Western supplies
of food and raw material and might
starve them Into submission.
The effect of our present condition
of un preparedness to maintain a su
perior fleet In the Pacific can best be
conveyed by considering a single pos
sible case. After winning a decisive
naval victory In the Paclflo Ocean, a
hostile fleet might force Its way past
th forts at th mouth of the Colum
bla River, steam up to Portland and
force th surrender of the city by
threatening a bombardment which
would lay it In ruins. The enemy
could then make this tha base of
operations for an Invading army. His
forces could move up th Willamette
Valley, taking defenders of the Coast
range In the rear, also up the Colum
bia Valley. The gorge of th Columbia
might be strongly defended. If it
should be penetrated, the whole Inland
Empire would be at the enemy's feet.
If not. he would still be able to feed
his army with the fish, grain, fruit
and cattle west . of the Cascades, to
selxe tha ships and shipyards and use
them for transport of more troops, to
occupy the forests and cut timber for
ships, aircraft and trench construc
tion, and to seize tha great spruce
mill at Vancouver. In possession of
our material resources ana or our
manufacturing industries. It would not
be long before he would be turning
out ships and aircraft, made of our
wn material, for further conquests.
If he should break through Into the
intermountain country, ha would find
food for his army In th grain fields.
cattle ranges and orchards, coal for
his railroads and ships at the mines
of Roslyn and Cle Elum. lead in
Coeur d'AJene and Kootenai, and cop
per In Butt and Kootenai to make
ammunition. He could establish air
dromes at the foothills of the Rockies,
from which aircraft could raid the In
terior grain and cattle states.
Whatever Is true of the Columbia
basin is also true with variations of
other sections of the Pacific Coast.
In th Puget Sound district he would
rapture many shipyards as well as the
Navy-yard at Bremerton, great saw
mills, fish, fruit and meat canneries.
coal mines, machine shops, vast areas
f fir and sprue timber, and a base
for attacks on British Columbia and
Alaska. Tha Utter territory, which
Is absolutely undefended, would sup
ply coal, copper, gold, fish and rein
deer meat. From San Francisco the
rich valleys of the San Joaquin and
Sacramento could be occupied, also
the gold mines of the Sierra Nevada
nd th big redwood forests. From
Los Angeles he could advance into the
citrus fruit belt, the vineyard", the
bean fields and tha treat California I
oil region, the Jast named supplying
fuel to his fleet.
Wherever he effected a'landing he
would find material which could be
forged Into a weapon for conquest of
more of our territory. A Western In
vasion would also relieve the pressure
on the German army in France by
forcing us to divert a large part of
our forces to defense of our own
country, and would thus add to the
peril which overhangs democracy In
Europe.
Any man who says that( these dan-
Bera sis tuo remote ana iiyputueuuu
to occupy our attention while we are
exerting our entire strength for the
present struggle in France has not
well learned the lessons of the war.
It is only two years since the army
of Grand Duke Nicholas was driving
the Turks before it in Armenia and
captured Trebizond. yet now the
Turks are advancing through Russian
Armenia to Transcaucasia and the
Caspian Sea with a prospect of pene
trating to Persia and Central Asia and
a possibility of realizing their dream
of a Pan-Turkish empire. It is less
than two vears since Brusiloffs Rus
sian army was driving the Austrians
before him and taking them prisoners
by hundreds of thousands; Russia now
has practically no army, and Austrian
and German troops march unimpeded
to the Black Sea coasL A year and a
half ago the Roumanians were ad
vancing through Transylvania toward
Hungary: they have now accepted the
terms of a victor from the central
empires, and have made their country
a highway for the Teuton advance to
Odessa, When Russia, which two
years ago was a powerful ally, has
become to all Intents and purposes a
vassal of Germany. It Is not safe and
It may be suicidal to treat any danger
as too remote for Immediate consid
eration or to rely on any strength ex
cept our own.
To meet this danger it would not
suffice to send the fleet to the Pa
cific. It might soon become impotent
without adequate bases close at hand
at which to repair and take on sup
plies. . In a' measure it is true that a
fleet Is no stronger than the capacity
of these facilities. Those now ex
istlng would provide. for only one
fifth of the American fleet, as it now
exists, and before the facilities pro.
posed by the Helm commission could
be completed Its strength will have
been multiplied several times. The
commission says that these facilities
must be at least trebled to care for the
existing fleet. Comparison of the
present need with that which will
exist when the big Navy programme
has been carried out indicates how
urgent is this need.
THE EMCLATIVE SPIRIT.
The Department of Agriculture has
hit-upon a sound device for arousing
the spirit of emulation among th
food producers of the country by pub
lishlng from time to time the records
of production by individual farmers
under- conditions which are described
nearly as possible. The county
fair, especially in former days, showed
how far the clement of competition
and personal pride entered into
achievement. The biggest pumpkin,
almost from time immemorial, has
been surrounded by admiring crowds
and no grower was hardened enough
to be quite oblivious to the comments
made upon It.
But the pumpkin is only a symbol
of endeavor. It was useful for exhibi
tion purposes because It was distinctly
visible, was easily weighed and rip
ened conveniently at tha season when
county fairs are in their glory. There
is not so much to be said of the pump
kin aa a valuable article of food. But
the competitive spirit which it typi
fled produced results, and it is now
regarded as desirable that this shall
be stimulated on every hand. - What
can be done with pumpkins is meas
urably possible with the staple foods,
with potatoes and corn and wheat
not chiefly in the size of the individ
ual unit, but in yield per acre and in
relative man power employed and in
cost and methods of production.
The fact that stands out in these
bulletins telling of remarkable In
stances of high production is not that
yield should be greater than the av-
erage. but that It should be so many
times greater. It is set forth that the
average yield of corn for the whole
country is twenty-fotir bushels to the
acre, and one would not be at all sur
prised on learning that this is ex
ceeded considerably by some growers.
But the statement that some mere
boys, organized into clubs, have been
able to produce as high as 170 bush
els to the acre is bound to start i
train of thought.
Tha average production of oats for
the whole country is given as thirty
bushels to the acre. A few farmers
have attained 140 Bushels as the aver
age of their entire plantings. It Is
true that they had some natural ad
vantages, but their success is not at
tributable to that fact alone. Their
methods had a good deal to do with it.
And. obviously, the mora widely these
methods are copied the better it Is
going to be for the country as a whole.
WOMEN'S FITNESS TDK LABOR.
The view that women present an
Initial advantage In entering new
fields of labor, by reason of their
habitual abstinence from Indulgences
which contribute to physical degenera
tion in men, is expressed In an Inter
esting pamphlet on "Women in Rail
way Service as Viewed From a Surgi
cal Standpoint," written by Dr. E.
O'Neill Kane. As a railway surgeon,
the author is- concerned primarily
with the entry of women into railway
work formerly performed exclusively
by men, but his observations will ap
ply to a wider field. He suggests that
certain special forms of exercise will
be required to fit women for their
new fields, but he does not view the
problem gloomily. The .musculature
of women, for example, is admitted
to be below that of men. . and this
has led to accidents which previous
training might have avoided. High-
heel shoes, corsets, adornments which
hamper freedom of motion, garments
which may become entangled in ma
chinery, and "similar female eccen
tricities" are mentioned, but not as in
surmountable obstacles.
Even as against these temporary
disabilities, which are likely to be
corrected as women awaken to the
seriousness of their new mission, there
are compensations. Women. Dr. Kane
haa found, require less Instruction in
tha principles of "safety first"; they
are naturally mora prudent. They are
innately quicker in action and keener
of perception. The "enervating in
fluence of tobacco" seldom is encoun
tered among them. They are found to
b better adapted to dangerous em
ployment than has been generally sup
posed. Injuries "will be found to be
less frequent than where men are em
ployed." But some are bound to oc
cur, and the surgeon considers wom
en's relative capacity for recovery.
Anatomically, women are found to
possess a frame wont or npnter con
struction than men, but the bones,
on the other hand, are denser and
more elastic. Where fractures occur
there Is less tendency to comminution.
There is less danger of Infection, be-
cause clothing and skin are likely to
be cleaner. Blood vessels and hearts
of older subjects are better able to
bear strain than in men of the same
age, 'because of their "mora near ap
proach to normality."
The Burgeon has another rap at
John Barleycorn. He says the tobacco
and liquor habits are seldom met with
as vascular degenerators. Once more
this point is emphasized in connection
with discussion of the induction of
anesthesia .In men and women. The
latter are safer patients, perhaps by
reason of their more simple lives and
"more temperate habits!" The tend
ency to hysterical manifestations, cor
rectly ascribed to many women, is off
set by improbability that few truly
hysterical women would undertake the
kind of labor under consideration.
The surgeon Is warned to treat women
patients more tenderly than men, be
cause of their mora delicate organ!
zations, but Is also reminded that
sympathy is not wasted on suffering
humanity in any case. After-treatment
doeSnot differ greatly from that
given to men, except that women are
more exacting of attendants, but this.
too. is atoned for by greater desire to
get back to work and avoid losing
their Jobs.
Finally, the surgeon finds that
women are more adaptable if disabili
ties prove permanent. They handle
artificial limbs better than men do,
and if placed In compatible employ
ment soon show themselves as useful
members of society as if physically
perfect.
Women themselves no doubt will be
surprised to learn of their points of
physiclal superiority. Upon the point
of abstinence from liquor, they will
need to look to their laurels, in a land
that is rapidly going "dry"; but they
are likely to maintain their lead as to
tobacco. One by one, the obstacles to
complete freedom of women are being
swept away. Already tha day seems
to have dawned when choice of voca-
tlona will be left to women themselves.
own jokes, but the reader saw the ap
plication. It was a style peculiarly
fitted to Americans of a particular
era. It was untranslatable, even iifto
"English." John Bright attended a
lecture by Artamus Ward in London,
and said afterward that "its informa
tion was meager, and presented in a
desultory, disconnected manner." He
probably would have seen n humor
in Mrs. Partington's statement, fr
example, that "only rich men and
ipecacs have gout," which was a spe
cies of fun-making that was' giving
us much enjoyment on this side of
the water at about the same time
But our professional humorists were
real educators, although they probably
would have disclaimed so serious an
intent, and they did much good.
Seba Smith, whose "Thirty Tears put
of the Senate'' was forgotten long
ago, was widely influential in. his day
and way. The "Biglow Papers," let
ters from "Confedrlt X Roads," and
the lectures and writings of Artemus
Ward had a more salutary effect
than reams of tracts.
JOSH BILLINGS AND OTHER BXMORI5TS.
The centenary of tha birth of Henry
Wheeler Shaw, better known as Josh
Billings, will not be formally cele
brated by tha literary world, but its
occurrence this week serves aa a re
minder that the professional humorist
was distinctly a product of the nine
teenth century, and that the epoch
in which American humor relied upon
the device of heightening wisdom by
contrasting It with illiteracy, as did
Josh Billings and Artemus Ward In
their misspelled homilies, has passed.
We have since passed through an era
of slang, and have developed dialect
to a degree undreamed of a few years
ago, and now we are waiting for an
other novelty. No people are so rest
less as Americans. Even in their
reading they demand constant change.
The philosophy of Josh Billings is as
profound now as it was half a cen
tury ago. 'but it has ceased to impress
us. His writings, once read by every
one, are not now even to be found on
the shelves of many public libraries.
"The Farmer's Allmlnax," which had
an enormous circulation in 1870, is
treasured only as a curiosity.
Josh Billings himself defined humor
as a thing that is ludicrous and at
the same time true." The definition
left something to be desired, but it
embodied the author's own literary
policy. He employed incongruity in the
manner and for the purpose for which
others since his day have made use
of exaggeration. But there was in
Josh Billings' work a deeper moral
purpose. "Next to a klear conshuns,1
he said once, "for solid comfort cums
an eazy boot." And he gave a didactic
NOT A QUESTION OP COST.
Unauthorized estimates made in
Massachusetts of the cost of employ
ing tractors in farming operations, by
which it was made to appear that con
siderable economies would result, by
comparison with work done by horses,
have made it advisable to correct the
erroneous impression prevailing. This
has been done by the master of the
State Grange, who warns farmers
against false expectations which may
have been aroused. At the same time
he points out that tractors should be
employed as widely as possible, even
if they do not effect a saving in money.
The essential fact is that they will
accomplish more work. It is neces
sary that as large an area as possible
shall be put in cultivation. The crop
area must be increased, even if not at
a lower cost.
No good purpose will be served by
raising false hopes of financial econo
mies, which experience may . dispel.
creating distrust of the general move
ment toward wider employment of
farm machinery. Putting the issue on
the broader ground of patriotic dirty
leaves the farmer with no -unpleasant
after impressions and makes It clear
that quantity production is the first
consideration- ' This appeal Is likely
to be sufficient. For the present is
not a time for quibbling .about a few
cents an acre in the cost of putting
In the crop. By taking the farmers
into their confidence, the agricultural
authorities cf Massachusetts are adopt
ing the course most likely to Insure
complete co-operation and to produce
results.
The policy of renting smaller ma-
chine-driven implements is having the
effect incidentally of giving farmers
greater familiarity with machinery
and ts popularizing its use. One ob
stacle to the general use of motor
driven machinery on farms has been
lack of skilled mechanics to operate
It and keep it in repair. But in that
respect the farm motor is in a posi
tion similar to that of the automobile
less than twenty years ago, when most
drivers were helpless in the face of
accidents. The average autolst of th
present day has confidence in his abil
lty to meet all ordinary emergencies.
The same condition is likely to be
reached by farmers within a few
years. This will be attained, as in the
case of the automobile, by improve
ment in construction, and also by edu
cation of owners in the care of their
machines.
T 1 . ..1..1
tuouu oi a. utunaimiv-vuiKiKi Kiev U'lT uwillisnip n-r-,Kr s
tjrenerai .rersmng. XT, is me auty ui . . . . .
W1C1W3U) ui tilt; xuiiiLaiy ociih-c uvi. f
only to perfect masks far present use, . Self and Others.
but als to anticipate chemical sur- SALEM. Or., April 19. (To the Edi
prises which the enemy may attempt tor.) I desire to obtain the -words of
to serine ' a monologue so effectively rendered by
lr1,1,1 firman n,Mt. If, ,11,11 mtWUirnO L WB Armory.
. . ,,uw.w.u fin .n V. J.i . . LI.L 1
now boosting that even if their coun- aorsto'od... j rm,Deeve l am not
try should fail to achieve her military alone ln my sinoer6 wish to procure
enas. sne would De in a position iu tnese verses, and that thev will be mor
dictate term3 of peace through her
control of the largest easily mined I readers.
potash supplies in the worlds Pos
session of potash would "determine
exactly how productive the wheat,
cbrn and cotton fields of a country
would be permitted to be." The potash
of the United States, theoretically
plentiful, is chemically locked up;' its
man appreciated by many of your
MRS. ALICE LAMB.
The verses follow:
NOT UNDERSTOOD.
N6t understood. We move along asun-
e aer,
Our paths grow wider as the seasons
-creep
segregation Is so expensive as to be I Along the years; we marvel and
wonder
Why life is Ufa, and then we fall
asleep; -Not
understood.
possible only as - war enterprise. . Dr.
Steiglltz regards the German boast as
not altogether vain in present condi
tions. At the lowest estimate, Ger-
manv would hold a trumo card in
making trade terms that would setNot understood. We gather false Im-
Droiected trade embargoes at naueht. pressions
Ana nil mem closer as the years
This points to a field in which Ameri
can chemists can labor to their hearts'
content. It Is only one of many de
partments in which the chemist of the
future will have use for all his energies
and Ingenuity and skill.
go br.
Till virtues often seem to us trans
gress Ions,
And thus men rise and fall, and live
and die;
Not understood.
In the midst of a turbulent world, Not understood. Poor souls with stunt-
Iceland has found a spokesman to
remind us that although among the
smallest in numbers of .the civilized
nations of the world, never having
had more than 70,000 Inhabitants,
she has a language, a national char
acter and a body of traditions all its
own. This spokesman is Jon Stefans-
son, lecturer In Icelandic at King's Not understood. The secret springs of
College, at ixmdon. He says that of I action.
wnicn lie Dencatn tne surface and
ed vision
Oft measure giants by their narrow
gauge:
The poison shafts of falsehood and d-
- rlsion
Are oft impelled 'gainst those who
mold the age;
Not understood.
all the civilized countries, it is the"
most wild and barren, nine-tenths of
it consisting of snow mountains, gla
ciers and lava beds, yet the people
for a thousand years have been in
tellectually vigorous and have pro
duced a literature "both in poetry and
prose- that stands among the primi
tive literatures next after that of an
cient Greece in quantity and quality."
In 'recent years Its . political history
possesses peculiar Interest for the rest
of the world, for it has won autonomy
from Denmark after a bloodless con
stitutional struggle, and is practically
independent. Notwithstanding Its com
parative isolation, the people are con
tented and seldom emigrate in search
of happier conditions.
the show.
Are disregarded; with self-satisfaction
We judge our neighbors, and they
often go.
Not understood.
Not understood. How trifles often
change us!
The thoughtless sentence of a fancied
slight
Destroys long years of friendship and
estranges.
And on our souls there falls a freez
ing blight;
Not understood.
How many breasts are
Ah, day by
THE DUEL OF THE CHEMISTS.
The dominant role of chemistry in
the present war is pointed out in an
article in the Tale Review, written
by Dr. Julius Stelglitz, who holds that
Yi aoti 1 otrtr a Inn a m orlo Vi a tara t nna
turn to the surprising association of "T. . ? "'" "K , m
. . . ... ,. , . , I sible in the very beginning, and is now
IrlAAK h V arlrline-- "Trv both!" "ThAral - .. ..
responsible for tne continuance 01 its
ravages. For Germany deliberately
ideas by adding, "Try both!" "There
is a great deal of religion in this
world," he said at another time, "that
is lik a life-preserver only put on
at the moment of extreme danger,
and then half the time put on hind
side before." This was a favorite
quotation back in the seventies, and
one that served to punctuate many an
argument over a religion and rela
tionship of sinners and saints. But
Josh Billings was himself a deeply
religious man. He was concerned
with leading people into right paths
without arousing their combativeness
by seeming to preach to them. He did
not believe ln wasting time over non
essentials, as ha indicated when he
wrote:
Mennv peopl, spond thsr tlms trlelng to
rind th, hoi, whsr sin got Into th, world.
If two men broke through th. Ice Into
planned the war, and never would
have dared to do so if it had not been
for the recent development of methods
of converting atmospheric nitrogen on
a large scale into ammonia and nitric
acid
These discoveries gave assurances
of ample and constant supplies of ex
plosives and fertilizers. Without this
aid. Dr. Stelglitz .declares, Germany
would have been compelled to stake
her national existence upon a speedy
conquest such as she failed to achieve
at the battle of the Marne. With
Great Britain in control of the seas,
there would have been neither food
nor munitions for a prolonged war.
There are other Interesting aspects
of the chemical side of the conflict.
mlllpond. thsr had better bunt for some I Although poison gas has received wide
long argument about th, nolo ther cum
to fall In.
It Is said of Josh Billing that he
was the first man in America to dis
cover the "quaint drollery of inside
laughter" that gave so much pleasure
to the people of his day. His writ
ings, like the personality of Mark
Twain, heightened its effect by a cer-
tain owlish solemnity. His figures of
speech were such as fitted the dally
Ufa of the people they required no
research, no cultural groundwork, no
previous smattering of the classics for
their comprehension. There was a
publicity, it Is not generally known
that probably 20 per cent of all the
shells fired on the western front are
charged with chemical poisons or irri
tants rather than with shrapnel
"When Germany let go the first wave
of poison gas, ln contravention of all
International agreements," says the
writer, "it is said that the British
General in command wired to London
that if relief were not sent within
three days the whole British lines
would be compelled to retire.
It Is now seen that the Germans
again underestimated the resources of
kind of universality in the appeal of their foe. For although employment
his commonplace subjects. He wrote
no fewer than three paragraphs at
different times to express his opinion
of dogs and people who owned them.
Even lovers of animals chuckled
over: "I don't keep but one dog; no
one but a pauper kan afford to keep
three," or "If 1 had 4 fust rate dogs,
i would name the best of them
Doubtful' and all tha other 3 'use
less.' " It is a curiously interesting his
torical fact that Josh Billings' ro
ot tha gas was a complete surprise, it
is said that within only thirty-six
hours a million and a half of the
"first crude but sufficiently effective
gas masks were delivered at tne
front." These masks have since been
improved upon, and adapted to meet
the new poisons employed by the
enemy, but the point is that chemists
on the line of defense, by their prac
tically instantaneous action, held back
the enemy at the most critical period
marks on dogs ara believed to have I of the war.
led directly to the enactment by the The adept in chemistry regards it
Massachusetts legislature of a law de- I as best on the whole that the mate
voting the proceeds of a tax on dogs to rials used shall not be named. He
the support of public libraries. A hint recalls an incident in a London mur
of the provocation of the author may der trial when a chemist was asked
be gleaned from the fact that the I whether all poisons could be detected,
town in which he lived was said for and answered, "All but one." The
long time to have had tha biggest Judge forbade the chemist to reveal
library In proportion to its popula-1 the dangerous secret- From similar
tlon of any city ln the state a library motives, the War Department chemists
relatively larger than eyen that of are reticent as to the details of their
There are two departments into
which the emulative spirit should en
ter in the coming season the use of
fertilizers, either natural or artificial.
and the intelligent employment -of
farm machinery. It is generally ad
mitted that for some time to come the
labor problem will be a serious one.
It is possible, and even probable, that
this will operate against increased
acreage. The call for more wheat, if
answered upon the old basis of acre-
averages, would demand that 22,000,-
000 more acres be planted than last
year. But the etfect would De tne
same if the yield per acre could be
sufficiently increased, and costs would
be relatively smaller. It is recognized
that this is not an academic issue and
that no farmer In the past has delib
erately held down his yield per acre.
But if it can be shown that in a given
neighborhood, under fairly typical
conditions, one farmer has made his
acres produce in increasing amounts,
it is hoped that his neighbors will be
induced to study him and his ways
and profit accordingly.
Not understood.
aching;
For lack of sympathy
day
How many cheerless, lonely hearts are
DreaKlng.
How many noble spirits pass away?
Not understood.
Oh, God! that men would see little .
clearer,
Or Judge less harshly where they
cannot see;
Oh, God! that men would draw a little .
nearer
To one another; they'd be nearer
thee.
And understood.
Wisdom of the almost hypercritical
tests to which candidates for the avia
tion service are subjected Is shown by
revelations that many of the accidents
occurring on training fields are now
ascribed to physical defects which
even the most searching examination
has failed to detect. The British
Royal Medical Service has made a
series of investigations and has re.
ported that many accidents probably
have been due to temporary loss of
consciousness during flight, brought
on by previously undetected disablli
ties and aggravated by high altitude.
To prevent needless sacrifices of
Americans, a group of more than a
dozen of the best-known trainers of
college, athletes have volunteered to
take charge of conditioning men In the
aviation fields, their services being
offered from purely patriotic motives.
Those who pass the double ordeal of
examination for admission and condi
tioning by the trainers will find avia
tion, it is said, one of the safest
branches of war service.
It was at Collinsville, III., that
Robert Prager was lynched by a mob
on suspicion that he was a German
spy. It was at Collinsville, Okla., that
Henry Rheimer was strung up on
suspicion of disloyalty but cut down
before death ensued. Why the Col-
linsvilles should take such steps in
advance of other communities is not
quite clear, but a precedent seems to
have been established. It would be
well for inhabitants of the other Col-
linsvilles to be guarded in speech and
act. There are nine In the United
States.
THE GREAT BANK.
There Is one great bank wherein all
human beines are interested:
Wherein each man, some time, deposits
something to his credit.
There are those with large accumula
tions booked beneath. their
name;
And others with moderate amounts, a
mere pittance, or a "closed ac
count"; . ,
But each man, ln his time, must be a .
customer at this great Institution.
Many times each year comes the indi
vidual who hopes, by Tluff"ito
gain advantage.
He asks payment of checks that have
no real value nor "backing."
He endeavors, futilely, to collect Inter
est on what he once possessed.
But which has long since been squan
dered and dissipated ln foolish
ways.:
And he goes away, incensed at the
refusal of the bank to accede to
his demands!
This bank is Life. It pays back to
each Investor only according to
his Investment.
It yields to those who enter worthily
into its aims and purposes
A high rate of interest on every de
posit made, be the depositor
prince or peasant.
But to those who will not and do not
place to their credit
Such services to mankind, such quali
ties and traits of character
As go to make up a sum total sufficient
to secure a rating
There is no interest accruing and no
balance upon which to draw ln
emergency.
And that man, once worthy, who fails '
to remain a part of the best citi
zenship 'v.
May not, later on, offer as defense or
recommendation his now "closed
account."
Dally depositors at this bank, with the
largest accounts on the ledger.
Are not those who come with display of
gold, silver or precious gems;
But those who, inspired by high ideals
and lofty aspirations.
Go forth into the highways and by
ways, forgetting self, and minis
tering cheerfully
Wherever human endeavor counts
most for human weal:
GRACB E. HALL.
THE HELPFUL. BOOK.
Today I was
In a downtown store,
And as I passed through the big arched
door
I saw two smiling girls:
The report that Germany is build-
in-, tinn nnn Ann wnrfh nf mprchant
shipping 'for 'use after the war is en- And they both wore the coif of white,
couraglng to those who think she - ang. looked at you
uugui. w uo tumycuwi w ...t..vw I And quizzed:
the losses caused by her unlawful U- voll r"eaa the little book?"
boat warfare. It will come handy to I And somehow I was compelled to look.
find those ships already built.
The world is pinning its hopes just
now on that "army of maneuver'
which Foch is said to be holding in
tact behind the lines, and Americans
are hoping that we will have at least
million men in line when the real
march forward begins.
Two things we can lay away with
out being charged with hoarding, it
seems, are coal and liberty bonds.
And the more sparingly we use the
coal the more liberty bonds we shall
be able to afford.
Boston.
There will be no serious quarrel
over who made widest, or first, .use
of what the reformers of the present
day might call "phonetic orthogra-
work. But it is Interesting to watch
the duel of the chemists now that the
allies have accepted the new gage of
battle. Skilled minds are engaged in
the effort to "surprise the enemy by
phy." Even Lowell did not disdain some ingredient which cannot be ab-
to employ it for his purpose, and sorbed by the common reagents of the
Artemus Ward, Petroleum Vesuvius gas mask." At the same time chemists
Nasby and the creator of Mrs. Part- are stationed at the outposts and in
ington worked various changes on It. I the trenches to detect the first signs
The method seemed to fit a time when I of a chemical attack and to make
education was neither as common nor I speedy identification, if possible, of the
as much esteemed as it is now. It I materials used.
pleased the vanity of those who scof
fed at books and made light of cul
ture. We realize now that these writ-
It is illustrative of the humane
I spirit underlying our own entry into
the war, Mr. Steiglitz points out, that
ers understood their readers better I our own Government at first thought
than those readers understood them
selves and that they led them
by easy paths over roads upon
it would be possible to -refrain from
this method of attack. Our first or
ganization of chemists was concerned
which they could not have been I with defensive measures only. It hav-
driven. The feature of the old
American humor was that it was
rood-humored. It left no sting. It I
was pleasantly impersonal. tb
author made himself tha butt cf his
ing become apparent that we must not
fijrht on unequal terms with air- un
scrupulous foe, we now have organ
ized divisions of gas offense and gas
defense, A chemical unit under com-J
The joke seems to be on Austria,
which Is sending flour out of its own
meager stores to feed those soldiers
who went to gather the mythical food
stores of the Ukraine.
Mexico ought not to worry about a
"food crisis." All she needs to do is
to put the people to work, in a land
where two crops a year can be grown
almost anywhere.
It is a good time to mention the fact
that one good way to get rid of dande
lions in the lawn Is to plow up the
grass and plant a war garden.
a
Those American engineers were only
giving the Huns a foretaste of what
is coming when more of our men get
into action.
All that glistens Is not gold. It may
be platinum, which is even more essen
tial to the winning of tha war,
And as I nausea.
They told me why the many reasons I
should tiuy
The little book that held a message
from
The boys "over there"
From Oregon.
Then, In defense erf my purse,
I said:
"I do not care to buy today,
For I have a boy who is on his way."
Again
They smiled and made reply:
"More reason
Tou should want to buy:
The little book will teil to you
The things your boy will have to do."
Right then
They struck a tender chord.
I bought the book;
And as I read I thanked my Lord
I had a son
Who was brave and strong, and that he
had gons
From Oregon- PEE. VE. L.
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to The Oregonian at Portland.