THE SUNDAY OREGONIAX, TOKTXAXD, DECEMBETl 22, 10TS
PORTLAND, OREGON,
irntered at Portland (Orejon) Foatoffice as
second-class mail matter.
Subscription rates Invariably Sn advance;
(By Mail.)-
Tafly, Sunday Included, one year ...... .$8. 00
Jaily, Sunday included, six months...... 4.1.5
J 'ally, Sunday included, three months.... 2.25
3-iftHy, Sunday included, one month...... -5
Jiaily, without Sunday, one year ........ 6.00
3 aiiy, without Sunday, aix months....... 3.t5
1 ally, without Sunday, one month ,-60
"Weekly, one year . . . . .-r . . . 1.00
Funday, one year 2.50
Sunday and Weekly .......... . . 3.50
(By Carrier.)
Tafly, Sunday Included, one year .......$9.00
I'aily. Sunday Included, one month .75
1 'ally, Sunday included, three months.... 2.-5
T atlv, without Sunday, one year 7. .HO
)aily. without Sunday, three month 1-
Xiaily, without Sunday, one month .63
How to Remit Send postofflce money or
der, express or personal check on your local
-bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at own
er's risk. Give postoffice address in lull. In
cluding county and state.
Postage Rates 12 to 16 pages. 1 cent; 18
to 32 pages, 2 cents: 34 to 4 pages, 3 cents;
60 to B0 pages. 4 cents; 62 to 76 pages, S
cents; 78 to 2 pages. 6 cents. Foreign post
age, double rates.
Eastern. Business Office Verree Sc Conk
lfn. Brunswick building. New York; Verree &
Conklln. Steger building. Chicago Verree &
Conklln. Free Press building, Detroit, Mich.;
au Francisco representative. B- J Bldwell.
MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
The Associated Press Is exclusively enti
tled to the use for republication of all news
dispatches credited to it oi not otherwise
credited to this paper, and also the local
news published herein.
All rights of republication of special dis
patches herein are also reserved.
PORTLAND, SUNDAY, DEC. 82. 1918.
THOSE GERMAN WARS TUPS.
The suggestion that the allies should
avoid all possibility of dissension in
regard to the disposition to be made
of the surrendered German -warships
by sinking them does not speak well
for the prospect of agreement among
them on peace terms. If they are to
despair so easily of agreement on di
vision of this booty, how can they ex
pect to agree on far weightier and
more controversial matters?
The big belligerents may have small
need to reinforce their navies with
the spoil of Germany, although. France
and Italy have suffered loss out of
proportion to their naval strength.
Great Britain's naval supremacy is se
cure, even if all the German warships
should go to a single other nation.
The United States would scorn to take
them, for by so doing we should throw
to the winds the renunciation of un
selfish ends with which we entered the
war.
But the allies are about to set up
several young nations in business for
themselves. If custom should be fol
lowed, they will start with a heavy
load of debt, for they would assume
a share of the debt of the country
from which they were separated. All
of these countries having a seaboard
will need some warships. Why should
not the big allies settle the matter by
dividing the German ships among the
little ones which are just starting life?
Jugo-Slavia will have a part of the
Adriatic coast; Albania, to which Italy
has pledged independence, will have
another; Poland will have a strip of
the Baltic coast; Armenia may have
a seaboard on both the Black and
Mediterranean Seas; Arabia fronts on
the Red Sea; the new states of Pales
tine and Syria will front on the Medi
terranean; Mesopotamia will have an
outlet on the Persian Gulf. These states
will have work for navies on a small
scale, and If all the Captured ships
were divided among them, none would
have so many as to constitute a danger
to anybody.
The last thing to do with the ships
Is to sink them. The war has caused
a world-wide campaign against waste,
yet by sinking the ships the allies
would waste the great quantities of
steel and other material which they
contain. It would be a spectacle to
make all Germany laugh.
I.AM) FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS.
Secretary Lane is not mistaken in
supposing that the subject of making
provision for our returning soldiers is
of paramount interest in any discus
sion of the problems of the Depart
ment of the Interior and this, there
fore, fitly occupies the place of honor
at the beginning of his annual report.
But even more significant is the em
phasis which he places upon the need
of an immediate programme, and his
suggestion that there should first be
offered "an opportunity upon our
present irrigation projects for all who
wish work at clearing and leveling
the land not now cultivated but for
which water is available, or to which
water can be brought under the pres
ent irrigation system." Let us hope
that Congress, upon whom will fall
the task of working out the construc
tive details, will not procrastinate
until the time has passed for reaping
one of .the chief benefits of prompt
action: Speedy conclusion is neces
sary if public land improvement is
utilized, as it ought to be, as a kind
of labor safety valve during the period
of demobilization.
Four things, as Mr. Lane points out,
constitute the essence of an enlight
ened land programme, having due ref-
erence to the situation created by the
war. First of these is that there shall
be work ready for the men on their
return. As to this, it will be observed
that time already is flying. The second
is that the work shall contribute to
the making of America, a requirement
which is fully met by the policy of
making homes for Americans on the
land, of checking drift to cities, and
of contributing to reduction of the
cost of living. The third, that the
money expended shall be returned
with interest to the Government which
' advances it, is essential if it is to be
made plain that the soldier is receiv
ing no "charity," as such, but only
the plain due of a real man; and the
fourth condition mentioned by the
Secretary, that the land shall be
platted as part of an organized com
munity, goes to the very root, we think,
of the failure of many land projects
in the past. These took no account
of the social requirements of the day;
they ignored the gregarious instinct
which has populated cities and created
slums; they failed to consider the
sense of interdependence which is
manifest everywhere. "The farm to
be a going concern as part of a com
munity that Is a going concern" is an
ambitious, but not impossible goal for
which to strive.
' Another cause of failure of back-to-the-land
movements in the past is
sympathetically interpreted by Mr.
Lane through the emphasis he places
upon the furnishing of opportunity
particularly to men who are fitted by
nature and experience for farm work,
it is not Intended hastily to dump a
large number of men possessing no
agricultural experience upon . farms
and then to leave them to their own
resources. Reference to the fact that
"more than one-third, probably nearer
one-half, of the men who are in France
have come from farms" shown that
there is plenty of promising material
from which to draw. These are not,
it is true, farm owners principally;
many of them have been farm hands
and some of them tenant farmers.
But for these, and others who seri
ously contemplate becoming farm
ers under the most approved modern
system, might receive agricultural edu
cation while still in foreign camps.
This is. in line with the policy already
announced by our so-called "Khaki
University," and borrows from the ex
perience of Canada, which has already
established the work.
Farms for those who want them,
and work for those who want It, and
neither compulsion nor undue induce
ment in either instance place the new
programme upon a high plane in both
the .utilitarian and the social sense.
The returning soldier is to remain a
free agent. He may, if he chooses,
return to his former status. For those
who prefer an outdoor life, there will
be work at the current rate of wages.
An irrigation- project, for example,
would require to have great dams con
structed, miles of canals and land to
be leveled, fenced and broken. This
would mean work at good wages, "and
at the end a piece of land," as the Sec
retary points out, "on which would be
erected a house and barn, a farm home
in a group of farm homes." For this,
indeed, he must pay, but he ought to
have saved out of his wages the neces
sary first installment of 10 or 15 per
cent, and the balance with interest he
can pay in forty annual installments,
or sooner if he can.
The Secretary approaches the finan
cial phase of the question in the spirit
of optimism. How great will be the
cost? Less than many a strike has
cost the country. As much in two
years as it has cost to conduct the
war for a single week. Would a peo
ple who gave out of hand, he asks,
$500,000,000 for the entertainment and
care of these boys hesitate to buy
bonds of this country for a like amount
to provide peace work, home work and
homes for these same boys?
To stand paralyzed In the presence
of a debt, as Mr. Lane observes. Is to
become its victim. Plainly, the ques
tion of cost is not the chief considera
tion. But Congress must act promptly
or the plan will fail. So, too, must
the Legislatures, of the states-. The
need of state and National co-operation
will not be overlooked if the
broadest interests of both are to be
served..
WHAT WILL HE DOT
La Marquise de Fontenoy,' who writes
for several newspapers on European
customs and events, presents the ab
sorbing information that when the
ruler or chief executive of a nation
visits a European capital it - is cus
tomary for him to leave with the chief
functionary of the city a large sum of
money for distribution among the poor.
Nor is that all. When entertained
by royalty or by a ruling head he is
supposed to confer upon the household
or court dignitaries orders and decora
tions. When such are not available
some trifle, like a solid gold cigarette
case, or a pearl scarf pin will do for
each. .
As an example of what is expected
it Is recalled that when President
Poincare visited Petrograd in 1914 he
left with the minister of the imperial
household $20,000 for distribution
among the domestic servants. Then
he went over to Stockholm and when
he left the royal household was richer
by $10,000. Such distributions vary
with the importance and means of the
ruler, and in other instances are said
to have gone as high as $30,000.
It must be conceded' that President
Wilson Is important. , Also he is Presi
dent of a people generally reputed in
Europe to be rolling in wealth. Yet
the President is a persistent breaker
of precedent. He has gone abroad for
one thing and that is something no
other President of the United States
has. done. He also has pronounced
ideas on the subject of democracy.
Will it ceem democratic to him to
scatter largess in England, France and
Italy? cr
Still, we have heard " that buried
somewhere in the war revenue bill is
provision for a large fund which may
be expended by the President without
restriction or accounting. Also, while
having no official decorations or orders
to confer, a badge signifying honorary
membership in the Third House would
probably be highly prized, would be
Just as useful as a European decora
tion and could be prepared on short
order.
.We shall wait with interest to learn
what the President is going to do
about it.
THE SHORTEST DAY.
The sun, according to the calendar
for this latitude, rises on December 22
at 7:26 A. M. and sets at 4:31 P. M.
This day is commonly set down as the
shortest day of the year. It is true
that the sun will continue to rise later
each morning for several days, al
though this does not quite keep pace
with its later setting. There are sev
eral days in the latter part of Decem
ber the length of which is to all in
tents and purposes equal. Only, an
astronomer is competent to make the
nice calculations necessary to demon
strate that December 22 is, indeed, the
"shortest day of the year."
But to the average man in the street,
the shortest day of the year passed
some time ago. Probably not one
man in a hundred takes account of
the rising of the sun. All mornings
are apt to be dull and gray. We are
aroused from slumber by the alarm
clock at a fixed hour, dress, breakfast
and hasten to work according to a
schedule that does not vary much.
We are sensible, however, of the
approach of dusk, which finds us wide
awake to observe its coming. The day.
in actual experience, is long or short
accordingly as the. sun sets, and not
as it rises. And, by this standard the
days have been growing longer for
nearly three weeks. On December 2
the sun set at 4:28 P. M. On December
,22 it is scheduled to remain above the
horizon until 4:31. The latter day
is mathematically thirteen minutes
shorter than the former; in its con
scious effect upon us it is three min
utes longer.
But either way one may reckon it,
the worst is passed. The northern
hemisphere once more is inclining
toward the- sun. , Longer days mean
more cheerful spirits. Winter may
actually have only just begun, but we
shall bear, it more and more cheerfully
because there will be increasing light.
The child's dreed of the dark survives
in the grownup in depression which
he does not always struggle to over
come." It is easier for most persons
to be optimistic when they know that
the sun is shining. It is a wise pro
vision which gives us twenty-three
days .of lengthening afternoons as a
preparation for Christmas time.
The important part which aviation
plays in naval as well as land wars
is indicated by the fact that the Avia
tion Division of the Navy now com
prises 42.5S4 officers and men. of
whom 20.113 are abroad and of whom
4729 are detailed to flying duty. This
latter number is an increase from 600
in one year. Aircraft have done
valuable work In scouting with, con
voys for submarines and mines, in
hunting and bombing submarines and
in patroling. The Navy had sixteen
aviation stations in France, and its
aircraft had a good part in bombing
the naval bases on the Belgian coast
Much of the coast patrol work will
no doubt be done by airplanes, and
they will do the scouting In advance
of a battle fleet, having a far wider
range of vision than any ship.
ACTS OF HEROISM.
Among the. many acts of extraordi
nary heroism which are described in
orders citing the recipients of the dis
tinguished service cross it is difficult
to choose those which appeal most
strongly to the imagination. Officers
and men, soldiers, sailors and marines,
all seem to have been Inspired by the
common purpose to do their duty as
they saw it and at whatever cost.
There appears, for example, in a re
cently published list, the name of
Cook Reginald Johnson, of Tacoma.
"Under heavy shell fire, and badly
wounded, he constantly assisted for
three days in cooking for an entire
battalion in the front line," says the
official report. Now, here was a man,
in a fighting unit to be sure, but en
gaged in a highly prosaic occupation,
who won his spurs by simply sticking
to his guns (to employ a justifiable
metaphor in describing pots and pans),
and who proved his "extraordinary
heroism" by no more complicated
process than simply doing the thing
nearest at hand in the best manner
possible. Others trained their weapons
on the boches, or threw their grenades
or made the enemy feel the touch of
cold steel, while Cook Johnson pre
pared the mulligan and beans', kept
the coffee hot and saw to it that there
always should be enough to go around
among his comrades.
Yet Cook Johnson, it will be con
ceded, deserved every honor that has
come to him. How greatly by his
coolness and devotion he Inspired
others to deeds of valor it Is impos
sible to estimate accurately, but we
know that by keeping the pot boiling
he almost inestimably aided in pre
serving morale. The cheer which he
dispensed in the form of well-prepared
'food must have contributed in no
small measure to the discomfiture of
the enemy.
Cook Johnson was a man with pride
in his profession, and a standard to
maintain, and he was not to be turned
aside by all the shell fire in the world.
He deserves his cross as much as if he
had slain a score of Prussians, and we
think he is the kind of soldier who
will make a success in civil life after
the demobilization, because he knows
the importance of doing plain thing!
well.
BOOKS AFTER THE WAR.
A good many publishers are now
asking themselves in all seriousness
for the question deeply concerns the
bread and tutter side of the business
what kind of books will be most read
after the-war. It is, indeed, a problem
not peculiar to the publisher, that of
determining the direction of demand,
the source of raw material, the extent
and absorptive power of markets, and
so forth. There is not a commercial
enterprise of magnitude in which the
issue had not arisen. The sudden
conclusion of the armistice has left
business in a situation not less critical
than that -which was precipitated by
our entry into war.
Those not familiar with the me
chanical details of publishing will fail
to appreciate the losses which may
already have resulted from the sudden
transition. We were only fairly en
tering upon a period of preparation,
spiritually speaking, for the work be
fore us. It had taken time, of course,
to reach the conclusion that during
the war people would read chiefly
books about war. That it was unsafe
to generalize even upon this topic is
now realized, but meanwhile many
books have been edited and even sent
to press which it is unlikely will ever
see the market. Perspective has been
amazingly transformed. Mental atti
tude toward reading has changed no
less, perhaps, than the geography of
the world.
It Is nevertheless reasonably safe to
predict that the decline of hammock
literature which was observed in the
years Immediately preceding the war
will continue. There are definite rea
sons for this, which do not imply that
people- have lost their taste for enter
tainment, but indicate that other fac
tors are competing successfully with
the book as means of relieving the
tedium of leisure hours. The motion
picture is probably chief of these; the
automobile has contributed its share.
By furnishing new outlets for those
who formerly made the market for
flimsy literature they have doomed a
certain class of books to the scrap
heap which it will be quite generally
agreed ought to have been sent there
long ago. But this process has been
gradual and was noticeable even be
fore the outbreak of war in 1914. Its
continuance was accelerated, however,
by the events which followed.
Figures of book production are
available for comparison in three
periods, each separated by a decade.
In 1866, for example. 23.1 per cent
of the entire number of books pub
lished were classed as fiction. Ten
years later the proportion had declined
to 19.5 per cent; in 1916 it was only
8.91 per cent.. Meanwhile, however,
book production as a whole had more
than kept pace with increase of popu
lation. The total number of titles -in
1896 was 5703, of which fiction was
represented by 1114; in 1916 the total
number of titles had almost doubled,
reaching 10,445, while the number of
fiction titles had fallen to 932. A note
worthy development of very recent
years has been the rise of poetry and
drama. This classification, formerly
occupying an unobserved place near
the foot of the list, suddenly loomed
into prominence near the top. There
were 800 such works two years ago;
figures for the current year have not
been completed, but there is promise
that the number will be even exceeded
in 1918. It seems inevitable that
works on sociology will continue to
increase. This is a topic which de
rives heightened interest from the
problems of reconstruction. Jleligion
and theology appear to be having their
ups and downs. It is not easy to frame
a satisfactory conclusion from the
fluctuating figures of production.
Failure of a great many war books
during the present year points, we
think, to discriminating taste on the
part of the public rather than to lack
of interest in the war itself. There
was a tendency on the part of pub
lishers . to print anything, of even
passable quality, on the topic which
was uppermost In the public mind.
I But the result has vindicated the judg
ment 01 inosc w no oeiieve inat autnor
shlp, after all. is a matter for careful
preparation. Those who assumed that
novel, or even tremendously tragic,
experiences would suffice to make the
book attractive, regardless of technical
skill of presentation, have learned
their mistake. Out of the vast con
glomeration of war books only a few
have conspicuously succeeded; most of
them have been a waste of paper and
printer's ink. "Timeliness," it appears,
is not the only requirement of a book,
any more than of an article for the
current magazines. The publishers
who made mere timeliness their watch
word have paid for their lack of
broader vision with their coin. There
have been, on the other hand, some
noteworthy successes by books which
touched lightly upon, if they did not
altogether ignore, tho war.
There is a certain class of literary
critics who harp upon the "decadence"
of literature in their time. They con
tinue to compare the surviving classics
of the "golden age" of literature with
the casually chosen works of the pres
ent, preferring to ignore the fact that
the winnowing process has been com
pleted for the former while as to the
latter it has hardly begun. The past
few years, it is true, have not produced
an outstanding work, or even one
which we may suppose will be read a
century or two hence, but it seems
upon the whole that popular taste is
greatly improving, that the average of
all the books which find a market is
higher than it used to be, and less
rubbish is published for the edifica
tion of the multitude than ever before
in history. . s
There continues to appear a sur
Brising number of names of authors
of whom we have never before heard.
The wail that one must possess a
great name to find a publisher comes
mostly, from those whose literary
product is not worth while. In this
respect there is more hope than ever
for the writer who really has a mes
sage and who knows how to convey it.
Real excellence seems to be the stand
ard rather than synchronism of the
topic with the supposed -interest of
the passing day. In this respect,, the
encouraging factor is an increasingly
discriminating public taste. We may
not be favored with a surpassing
genius in the coming year, but the
average will be higher than formerly
and the unworthy book will be more
certain to fail. The apparent financial
success of sundry new ventures at
publishing classics in popular form
indicates that good reading will be in
demand, and that if present-day
authors cannot produce it people will
draw upon the past.
SOLDIERS 6TTIX WANT SONGS.
More than a year ago the National
Art Club offered a prize of $250 for
the best song, suitable for camp sing
ing. There were about 4000 con
testants, and the award was made' to
a bard named Arthur M. Henderson,
for his "The Road to France." Re
cently Brigadier-General Monson, of
the morale branch of the General Staff
of the Army, began making a collec
tion of songs in all the camps which
had proved popular. It would be in
teresting to know why "The Road to
France" is not conspicuous among
those which are actually being sung
by soldiers, and why others of the 4000
failed to make headway in the affec
tions of our men.
Now, however, that an effort is be
ing' made to collect the songs of all
the camps, it is possible that we shall
have reliable data for purposes of
comparison. The composer of a song
which has set his whole camp to sing
ing stands a chance even yet to ac
quire more than local fame. Some of
them, it may be, have not had a fair
chance, for the war had only begun
to develop the spirit of camp singing
when the armistice was signed. There
was yet time, if hostilities had con
tinued as long as the Civil War, to
bring out a minstrel who, like George
F. Root, would strike the Na
tional note. It will be remembered
that in our earlier war the songs were
of slow growth. "Tramp, Tramp,
Tramp, the Boys Are Marching" could
not have been written in the beginning.
Root's "Rally Round the Flag" was
inspired by conditions behind the lines
with which we have not yet had to
contend in the present war. Trials no
less than victories, and perhaps more
than they, seem to be necessary to war
minstrelsy.
Still, the war has developed a num
ber of songs, which, although they
followed no rule, have served greatly
to raise the spirits of our men. The
marines took one of them, with its
boast that the streets of heaven al
ready were guarded by the corps,
which might have served as a rally
ing cry for all branches if it had had
a wider application. It is possible
that there is no mere coincidence be
tween the' recent statement that with
more than 4000 casualties out of 8000
men in action only fifty-seven marines
were taken prisoner and the words of
the rallying song, the first stanza of
which is:
From the halls of Mantflziuu,
To the shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles
On the land and on the sea.
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean.
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.
And the concluding lines:
If the Army and the Navy
Kver look on heaven's scenes.
They will find the street are tuarded
sy United States Marines.
But songs, as has been said, grow
with occasion. This is even true of
"The Marine's Hymn," which had no
sooner been tried on the battlefields
of France than it came in for amend
ment. The halls of Montezuma and
the shores of Tripoli seemed far, far
away from the brim realities of mod
ern trench warfare.
From the shores of the old V. JB. A.
To the sunny clime of France.
We are going to get the Kaiser
If he gives us half a chance.
may not have been an improvement,
in a literary sense, over" the original,
but it was one of those inspirations
of occasion which serve their purpose.
and it is likely to be sung in honor of
the marines who fell in battle long
after tho Kaiser has been removed
from the scene of action.
There is a curious coincidence be
tween "Joan of Arc," which has been
one of the most popular songs of the
war, and "I Didn't Raise- My Boy to
Be a Soldier," which was so prime a
favorite among the pro-Germans be
fore we entered the war. Alfred
Bryan wrote both of them. "Joan of
Arc" was greatly helped by Its music,
which Bryan did not write, and it
might have lived longer as a song if
the words had been less commonplace.
Cohan and Irving Berlin still stand as
the best-remembered song writers of
the present war, although there are a
few others, and neither of these won
success in a formal competition.
Critics probably are overenthusiastlc
in rating "Over There" with the "John
Brown's Body" of the Civil War, but
it is a good song nevertheless, and
might have risen to even greater
heights of popularity. "Keep the
Home Fires Burning" was not pri
marily a song for this war. but it was
so well adapted to the purpose that
it deserves all the credit that may be
given it.
The losing .side of our Civil War
produced two really great songs, "My
Maryland" and "The Bonnie Blue
Flag," and its 'Dixie" Is comparable
with "The Long. Long Trail" of the
present day In that neither of the
latter songs was written with the war
In mind, but, also like the "Hot Time"
of the Spanish war, was appropriated
for the purpose by the soldiers acting
spontaneously. "Dixie" originally was
a minstrel "walk-around." "When the
Boys Come Home" was written by
John Hay in Civil War days, but was
not set to music until 1917. It is
perhaps the only link between the
two wars which has survived in verse
or song.
There is no telling the lengths to
which the official song of the Great
Lakes naval training station might
have run if the war had lasted a few
years longer. "Fall In. Fall Out." it
is called, and it already had run Into
several hundred verses, each the work
of a different man. Like the song of
the marines, it lacked universality of
application, but it was a contributing
force to the morale of the Navy. The
artillerymen had a song in a serious
vein, "The Flag." but there was noth
ing serious about that of the tank
corps except its reiterated determina
tion to "treat 'em rough" and to "roll
right through to Berlin." The Coast
Artillery was inspired by its promise
of duty in France to adopt a song that
had real music in it, and there are
many other divisional and regimental
songs, each with a captivating swing
In the music but expressing strongly
partisan preference for its own unit
of the service which excludes it from
general adoption.
The new "Army Song Book" which
is being furnished to men in the serv
ice contains some stirring remlnis
censes of former days. "The S tar
Spangled Banner." "America" and
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic"
are included, of course. In France our
soldiers are now singing- "La Marseil
laise," "La Brabanconne" and the
"Garibaldi Hymn." That they are
singing makes it plain enough that
they are not apt td be cast down even
by the tedium of life with an Army
of Occupation. And it is to keep up
their spirits that the Department of
Camp Music is still continuing its
work. It is hoped that still more songs
may be writtetn for the occasion, al
though there Is no reason for expect
ing a "Battle Hymn" or a "Bonnie
Blue Flag." Another "K-K-K-Katy"
or a "Good Morning. Mr. Zip," is now
regarded as the most that can reason
ably be expected.
It will be generally agreed that the
London banker's estimate that the bill
against Germany will be about $7,500,
000,000 is an exceedingly conservative
one. It at least leaves no margin for
punitive damages, and it is doubtful
whether it actually covers the amount
of wanton damage done which was not
necessary for the accomplishment of
military ends. In the case of Belgium,
half a billion is merely a return of
money taken from the Belgians In the
form of forced levies and fines im
posed upon various flimsy pretexts, in
both Belgium and France there was
an organized effort to destroy industry
for the purpose of crippling the people
as competitors after the war. If, as a
matter of fact, the levy upon the Ger
mans does not exceed the amount
stated, the allies will be showing com
mendable repression by comparison
with the Germans In 1871. On that
occasion they insisted upon -being re
imbursed fpr the entire cost to them
of the war, and exacted huge punitive
damages besides.
The profession of chemical engi
neering has newly justified Itself with
announcement of the perfection of a
process of dehydrating meats which
overcomes former objections that the
treatment coagulated the protein and
rendered It unpalatable. The new
process removes all of the water and
renders the product sterile, so that it
can be kept indefinitely. It dispenses
with the use of brine, refrigeration or
any other artificial agency, and the
two chief economic arguments in its
favor are that it saves about eleven
twelfths of transportation space now
required and calls for no especial pro
visions for Its preservation. The scien
tists point out that these factors would
make the new product especially de
sirable for relief work in Europe, that
it would be ideal for vessels On long
voyages and that by avoiding refriger
ation costs it ought to contribute some
thing toward reducing the cost of
living.
Possibly the discussion about secret
sessions of the Peace Congress will be
ended by adoption of the Senate's
practice with regard to executive ses
sions. That highly secretive body
swears all its members to secrecy, and
when its proceedings are fully pub
lished In next morning's newspapers
all the Senators abuse each other for
breaking their pledge. A man even
a statesman cannot keep a secret any
better than a woman can.
Germans who have already begun
to talk about the next war say that it
will be won in the air. They are the
same ones who a , few months ago
thought that this war was going to be
won by the submarine. Either way,
however. LheV are beaten before they
start. Our aviation section, including
the spruce divisions, was just begin
ning to get its stride when the ar
mistice was signed.
The spirit of Christmas will bo lost
by those who confine 'their good cheer
to the day alone. Let there be a holi
day feeling also with the coming of
the cold, gray dawn of the morning
after.
The stream of transports arriving
at "an Atlantic port" is exceeded only
in the unpublished reports of those
which sailed from there only a few
months ago.
Without doubt President Wilson will
have the best spare room in Bucking
bam, with lavender in the sheets and
all the necessary trimmings of hospi
tality. The Kaiser will get writer's cramp
long before he succeeds in writing a
convincing justification of his mis
deeds.. Even without that distinguished
service medal for Pershing. Americans
know that he has done a good job.
We shall now be treated to a demon
stration of what a lot of shopping can
be compressed into a single day.
If Austria, had insisted upon the
principle of self-determination in 1914
there would have been no war.
Every day, in the view of the United
States fisheries commission, will be
Friday by and by.
For turkey at any price, it appears,
the people will tolerate no substitute.
CITY SHOULD NOW LOOK 1XLAND
Port Developments Now Aaanre Taat
Cargoes WU1 Take tfce Water Here.
BY CHARLES B. MOORES.
At a luncheon of the Realty Board
H. H. Ward made a very Interesting
and Instructive plea for a Port of Co
lumbia Commission and for harmony
and co-ordination. A friendly analysis
and dissent from some of his conclu
sions should not be construed as a
knock of any particular interest or lo
cality. Any suggestion of an attempt
to minimize Portland's manifest - ad
vantages Is a legitimate subject of dis
cussion. The figures given by Mr. Ward show
ing the remarkable - increase of ship
ping at Seattle, while doubtless accu
rate, are deceptive, and .have little, if
any. bearing on the relations of Port
land and Astoria, nor indeed upon the
real relations of Portland and Seattle.
As given they simply exploit the
custom-house prosperity of Seattle.
We are told that nearly 90 per cent or
these figures represent what is called
trans-shipment commerce that shows
larger at the custom-house than it
does In community revenue. With
nothing but her trans-shipments Seat
tle wouldn't last over night.
A great port must be something more
than a mere traffic transfer station.
It isn't everything that you shoot
through a hog that makes him fat. It
is what he absorbs and assimilates.
We admit that Seattle leads us. but
don't ask us to admit too much. A bet
ter criterion of the relative business
conditions of Seattle and Portland is
their bank clearances, in which Seattle
leads us only 15 or 20 per cent. Her
custom-house prosperity is sometimes
cited as showing her to be as great a
seaport as San Francisco, but the San
Francisco waterfront tells a different
story. San Francisco's bank clear
ances are three or four times as large
as those of Seattle, and the business on
her waterfront from river traffic alone,
which neyer gets wlthinn hailing dis
tance of a custom-house,, is over $100.
000.000 annually.
Mr. Ward rightfully protests against
the Injustice of lifting freight over
mountain ranges, or adding a haul of
200 miles after it has come down the
river grade to Portland. In order to
.carry it to sea through Seattle, and the
same logic applies to carrying it a
hundred miles by rail to Astoria, when
it would (ro far cheaper in the hold of
an ocean liner. The extra cost of the
mountain lift or of the extra 200 miles
to Seattle, or the extra 100 miles to As
toria, Is not absorbed by the carriers
except In a purely technical sense.
Somebody is paying for it. and when the
producer and consumer finally wake up
and find out what it is costing them
they ought to be able in some way to
end the iniquitous abuse.
The suggestion that ocean liners will
come to Astoria, but not to Portland, is
fallacious. The best authorities tell us
that a 30-foot channel is ample for 95
per cent of the commerce of the world.
In passing, though it is not In point,
it is not amiss to say that the Rhine
does business on less than one-third of
that depth. At ordinary stages it is
only 10 feet deep, and at Strassburg
only four, but it has the largest traffic
of any Tiver In the world and its
freight business Is almost half that of
the whole German Empire. Here in
Portland we are building 8800-ton steel
ships, presumably, because after figur
lng on the items of machinery, fuel,
speed, cargo capacity, etc.. they are
more profitable than larger ships.
Notwithstanding the remarkable devel
opment of the last 10 years, the number
J of ships of extremely large dimensions
Is relatively few.
The British mercantile marine in 1910
owned 11.495 steel ships of 100 tons
gross and upward. Of these only 328
Individually exceeded 7000 tons gross:
107 exceeded 10.000 tons gross, and 20
exceeded 15.000 tons. At the same time
there were about 5000 steel ships in
the BritiBh registry of from 2000 to
6999 tons gross In individual tonnage,
and over 6000 ships of from 100 to 1999
tons. The best authorities seem to
agree that the bulk of the maritime
business will be done by ships of rela
tively moderate dimensions, and they
will continue to be the largest con
tributors to the revenue of a port.
Since 1899 the lengths and depths of
trans-Atlantic steamships have been
increased about 30 per cent, the
breadth nearly 40 per cent, but deep
water draughts only 10 per cent.
Hamburg, the greatest port In Eu
rope, is 85 miles from the mouth of the
River Elbe. The Hamburg-American
line at one time undertook the experi
ment of dispatching its vessels from
Cuxhaven, at the mouth of the river,
but gave It up after one year's trial.
The present depth of the Elbe channel
to the sea is 26', i feet at low water and
32.8 at high water, and vessels of the
greatest draught now go into the har
bor at Hamburg, including the great
Kaiserin Augusts Victoria, which has
a gross register tonnage of 25.000. The
tounave of the Dakota and Minnesota.
Jim Hill's great, unwieldy ships, was
only 20,718 gross each.
Ocean commerce has always sought
the seat of production and the heart of
Industrial activity, and if universal
precedent counts for anything it al
ways will. Portland's channel condi
tions are among the least of her trou
bles. Ten or 15 years ago our wisest
engineers were sneering at a 40-foot
depth over the bar as an idle dream.
We now have it. with a 30-foot river
channel, and if future needs call for
35 feet we shall find a way to get it.
Portland's real problem is how best to
realise, develop and utilize the indus
trial resources of the Columbia water
shed, the Willamette Valley and South
ern Oregon, with which she Is In imme
diate geographical touch. An Indus
trial empire such as her Immediate
hinterland is capable of developing will
furnish return cargoes for all the ships
that choose to come, and those cargoes
will take the water here because they
can go 100 miles down the river in the
hold of a great liner cheaper than they
can by rail.
Let Astoria work out her own des
tiny without our attempting- to block
her way. She may take some of our
business, but her help in bringing ad
ditional commerce Into the Columbia
will end In additional ships finding
their way farther up the channel.
Ships will come to Portland in increas
ing numbers, and they will continue to
find their way past Port Angel's and
Port Townsrnd 150 miles to Seattle
and to Hamburg, 85 miles past Cux
haven, and to Montreal. 200 miles past
Quebec, and even past Liverpool. 35
miles up a canal only 28 feet deep to
Manchester, and 90 miles through a
low-water channel of only 22 feet to
Glastrow, Scotland's greatest seaport,
and 175 miles to Baltimore and 95 mjles
to Philadelphia, and over 100 miles to
New Orleans, throucth channels no bet
ter than. If as good as. the channel
from Portland to tho sea.
Orla-ln of fMnylna Cards.
WALTON. Or.. Deo. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Please publish f-omethlng of the
origin of the common plavinsr cards.
A SUBSCRIBER.
Their origin is of remote antiquity.
They were In use in Egypt In the time
of Joseph, and In Hindustan anH China
long before they appeared in Europe.
Soma antiquarians maintain they fol
lowed the invading Saracens into Eu
rope in 711. while others claim the
Crusaders brought their use from the
East, There Is documentary proof that
they were In use In England in 1240.
in Spain in 1267; in Italy in 1299, In Ger
many in 1300 and in France In 1361.
Spain Introduced cards Into the New
World.
A DRKA3L
Have you ever sat In a du7-rC
In the cold, blurred black of night.
When you couldn't even light a fag.
For 'twas death to strike a light?
And all around was rain and mud.
Not even a pale star shone.
And you closed your eyes
To the blinking skies.
And straightway dreamed of home?
And you sat In front of a gleaming
hearth.
And harked to soft, sweet music tones.
That brushed away all cares.
Close to your arm a lady clings.
And her hair Is stiver white.
And you blessed the eyes
Where the lovelight lies.
And you're glad you are home tonight.
And snuggling close on the other side
Is one, so sweet and fair.
And her eyes are soft with tender love.
Oh! 'TIs good to be sitting there.
And a little lad with locks of gold
Sits tightly on your knee.
And harks to the story
Of how you sought srlory.
In the land of the Fleur-de-Lis.
And father sits in his big arm chair.
And hears with parental pride.
The tales you've brought and how you
fought.
And how good comrades died.
And stretched on the rug lies the old
black cat.
And hears but the ticking clock.
And knows full well.
In a very short spell
That he will be ushered out.
For the war Is o'er, and you're homo'
again.
And the deeds of strife are past.
Though they were hard in the mak
ing thereof.
You find pleasure In them at last.
And "Como on you. roll out of that.
We're moving, come, stir your bones!"
"Say. what the hell
Do you" "Oh, well.
Say fellows, I thought I was home,"
LIEUTENANT R. E. DANIEL.
14Sth Field Artillery.
September 8, 1918 In front of Verdun.
TO MOT ITER, MIF. .
Sweet mother mine drive grief away,
"lis false to tell thee I
Am over there In Flanders grave.
That I, thy loved, didst die.
'Twas but a body not a life
Returned to earth whence came:
Whilst I have hastened back to thee.
And live with thee the same.
Sweet mother mine I live and know.
The thing called death by thee
Is but release of that called life.
To realms where life Is free.
'Tis hut a point, which measured from.
Life's earthly work is o'er
And soul, divorced from selfish mind.
Directs thee evermore.
All soul Is truth and good and love.
Unchanged by time or clod
Of earthly clay sweet mother mine.
It has its like in God.
Its will Is his. so Is the way,
Undlmmed by false belief.
It leads my life in freer sphere.
To wait for thy relief.
If void there seems. It doth but seem
To erring, human sense
But leave thy soul speak truth to thee.
And take thy recompense
Of happy peace, fixed In a faith.
That's given those who hark.
To guide them through the night
that Is.
To those unheedful, dark.
Thy soul will tell thee mother mine.
To brush away thy tears
Thy heartache is my only pain.
I suffer through thy fears.
'Twas but a body not a life
Returned to earth whence came;
Whilst I have hastened back to thee.
And live with thee the tm.
GENE SMITH.
AT THE PEACE TABLE.
Mr. Wilson what you done
Over In Old Gay Paree?
AInt you skcered "twill be your ruin.
So much aristocracy?
Please remember this December
Is the date set that mast see
Consummations by the nations '
In the causf of liberty,
Bravely stand upon your platform
Of the fourteen points you made:
Put it to them just in that form.
Show them that you're not afraid.
Of the Prussians or the Russians,
-Of the Germans or the Dutch;
Pass no buns unto the Huns,
Though they clamor over much.
Don't forget the devastation
That has ruined Belgium
Tet yield not to exultation
That swift punishment has com
To Old Willie, the Attila.
In his exile and disgrace
I have a hunch I'd like to punch
That old villain's fiendish face.
He it was caused all the trouble.
And there'd be no peace to make.
Had we dared not prick his bubble
The old egotist and fake.
He found we'd fight; I guess that'i
right.
And he'll find wo can make peace.
That will neatly and completely
Bid his reign of ruin cease.
CALVIN GOSS.
North Powder. Or.
THE ItBO CROSS STAR.
Once a star shone white at Christmas,
Peace and joy it showered then;
Now a star glows red at Christmas.
Bringing still good will to men.
That white star In age departed.
Hung o'er manger-cradle low;
This red star o'er brokenhearted
Sheds today Its welcome glow.
That white star, unto the Saviour,
Wise men guided, at his birth;
This red star proclaims that Saviour
Tho Redeemer of the earth!
Shine. O Red Cross Slar in beauty.
Red as our Redeemers blood!
Teach our hearts to do their duty;
Lead our spirits up to God.
M IN A HALL EPLET.
T1IE STATION GATE.
Like the maw of a mighty monster hi
that g-ato a-swinglng wide
T the fretted, endless traffic that is
known as the human tide:
And we yield to las ceaseless luring
the ones that we Ioto the bes:.
And we see them go In the pulsing
flow of the tides that never rest.
Llko an arch to enchanted gardens
seems that wonderful swinging
gate. As we study Its rusty Iron bar and
thrilllngly watch and wait.
We grasp our atom from passing Jdo
and in ecstacy laugh or cry;
And a beautiful gleam Is on the stream
as wo see It flowing by.
GRACE E. HALL
a rirr.Fn.
When you're down and out and busted.
And everything's gone wrong:
When the tide is dead against yero.
And it's running mighty strong:
When your burdens seem too heavy.
There's no relief. I ween.
Like the old pipes friendly fragrance.
And tho breath of nicotlno.
How
Its warm
breath calms yeer
worries:
How its fragrance brings you rest;
How it teaches Ood Is gracious.
And bis ways are for the best:
How its soothing vapor strengthens
Doubting heart and tired brain:
Stiffens up your drooping couraf.
.Canria von out to fight S rain.