: BY P. GRAY MEEK. suns INK SLINGS. l —Brazil has thrown her hat into the ring too. —Monday many fishermen will ve- sume diplomatic relations with the wily trout. ——When the seat of war is trans- ferred to German soil the time will have arrived to talk peace. ——Senator Lodge doesn’t “tote a gun” but he appears to be prepared for emergencies as they arise. —The submarine will displace the shark and sea serpent as the bogy of the seaside resorts this summer. —Germany’s experience will not only prove that militarism is a fail- ure but that conspiracies are worth- less and unprofitable. Senator Stone advises the peo- ple of Missouri to be loyal to the gov- ernment. Apparently, being Missou- rians, they “have shown him.” —By offering to enlist as a private Mr. Bryan probably saw fame in the future as the man who had gone the late Corporal Tanner one better. —The freeze on Sunday morning took all the radiance out of the spring flowers that had pushed through the ground to display their beauty on Easter. —What do you suppose would hap- pen if Mr. Bryan really were to enlist as a private and be assigned to the corps that Roosevelt has offered to command ? —Hurrah for Cuba! That’s what we call réal gratitude. She is too lit- tle to have much weight in the war, but her heart’s in the right place and she has the spirit. —Bellefonte is getting ready to try to feed itself. People who have never bothered with gardens before are pre- paring to bother with them just as soon as the weather becomes prepi- tious. —Plowing is now the principal oc- cupation of the Centre county farmer, and the hand that holds the plow is doing as much toward preparedness for war as the one that is in training with the musket. —Austria has broken relations with. us and Turkey and Bulgaria are to follow. This is nothing more than was to be expected and it is better _ that all hot-beds of German intrigue be removed from this country ‘any- way. —The State Economy Board pro- poses a raise of fifteen thousand dol- lars a year in the Governor’s pay. ‘Twenty-five thousand dollars a year might net be too much to pay a Gov- ernor, but the trouble with Pennsylva- nia is that she is never sure of getting a twenty-five thousand dollar man in the executive mansion. Possibly some innocent persons will be shot by the sentries that have been posted at various places to pro- tect property in this State. But the number may be minimized if care is exercised. Persons who are challenged should explain and sentries should withhold fire until the necessity for action is clearly shown. —The death of the Hon. Richard Olney, who was Attorney General in President Cleveland’s second Cabinet, removes from public life a great law- yer and a staunch Democrat. He made history in the Venezuela case, when Great Britain’s attitude threat- ened the principles of the Monroe doctrine. And his fearless attitude in the Chicago strike of 1904 established the right of the Federal government to control public utilities when the States prove their incapacity. —Remember, that real German Americans are just as much Ameri- cans as Scotch and Irish and English and any other kind of American. They should neither be treated with distrust nor disdain. Occasionally one will be found whose loyalty might Le questioned but German Americans as a class should not be made to regret their sworn allegiance to the stars and stripes because an occasional fa- natic among them forgets his or be- cause others of the fatherland who .are not naturalized citizens violate the hospitality this country has ac- corded them. —Qur aresy and navy departments should adopt some sort of a button or insignia to be given to men who vol- untarily offer to enlist and who are rejected because of physical disabili- ties. If the time ever comes when the opprobrious name of “slacker” has to be hurled at young men in this country there ought to be something to differentiate those who have shown the spirit and failed through no fault of their own, from those who are act- ually wanting in patriotism. A neat button to be worn on the lapel of the coat might be given those who have voluntered in vain. It would at least ‘mark them as having offered them- selves to their government and com- mand a respect that those who have ‘not done so much do not deserve. Bemorraic Yat VOL. 62. STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. BELLEFONTE, PA.. APRIL 13, 1917 sass XO. 15. Wilson’s Plans Will Prevail. The question of enlisting such an army as may be needed in the prose- cution of the war against Germany is one likely to provoke differences of a grave nature. This country has always been averse to conscription and while the Civil war was in pro- gress drafting was deferred as long as possible. It had to be resorted to in the end, however, and prolonged because of the delay. In the present war Great Britain held out against conscription as long as it was pos- sible to do so, but finally had to yield to necessity if not popular opin- ion. Conditions have improved since the forced enlistment begun. The military experts in this country are a unit in the opinion that con- scription will be necessary to muster the two million or more men now deemed necessary during the first year of our war with Germany. Mili- tary experts are not always the safest guides in war policies. They seem to be prejudiced in favor of large armies and make the wish father of the thought in such matters. But in the nature of things they ought to know best what is necessary as well as what is wanted te achieve success in war. Everybody knows that a large army and navy will be necessary to conduct operations on the scale con- templated. But whether or not it could be secured by voluntary en- listment is a subject of conjecture. The American people are courage- ous and patriotic. At the beginning of the Civil war young men traveled miles in order to get into the ranks of the army. But before the second year had passed it was necessary to resort to conscription to keep the ranks filled. For these reasons the President is inclined to accept the views of the military experts and favor legislation to authorize con- scripting from the start. Undoubt- edly this will meet strong opposition. Ther¢: are Senatots-and Represeuta- tives in Congress who will oppose it on principle and others because they want to embarrass the administration. But the only evil will be in the delay. The President’s plans will prevail. New Angle of the Faction Fight. The factional quarrel between Sen- ator Penrose and Governor Brum- baugh has taken another slant but is limited to lip service. That is to say the Senator now threatens to attack the Governor on the validity of a number of appointees whose nomina- tion for office has not been confirmed. This is a vulnerable spot in the Gov- ernor’s armor. His pretense of lead- ership would be sadly and quickly shattered if the influence of his ap- pointees were withdrawn and there can hardly be a doubt of the result in the event such an issue is drawn. During the Governor’s campaign for President all his strength came from the office holders and if their com- missions are revoked they will be as useless as corpses. Under the fundamental law of the State the Governor “shall nominate and, by and with the advice and con- sent of two-thirds of all the members of the Senate, appoint” certain officers. The nomination is not an appointment and officers are not appointed until two-thirds of the Senators have ad- vised and consented. No officer can legally exercise the duties of his { office until he is appointed and as the Senate has not confirmed the nomina- tion of the officers in question they have no right to act. It is not clear how Penrose will be able to join issue with the Governor on this question but as he is resourceful and has will- ing friends it is more than likely the way will be found. Obviously the Governor imagines that he can evade his obligation by withholding his nominations from the Senate until the last day of the ses- sion and if they are not then con- firmed he intends to reappoint them after adjournment thus giving them another recess appointment good for a couple of years. But he is violating the constitution in that event quite as certainly as if a direct subversion of that instrument were perpetrated. The Governor has taken an oath to “support, obey and defend the con- stitution” and the evasion which he is undertaking is a violation of his oath. Probably Governor Brumbaugh is a moral pervert who doesn’t know right from wrong or doesn’t care. ——The Jury Commissioners will meet today to draw the jury to serve at the May term of court. Cuba Joins in the War. Cuba is the first of the Latin-Amer- ican Republics to join the United States in the war with Germany. But it is reasonably certain that the others will follow. Every neutral country has the same cause of quarrel with the Kaiser that influenced the United States to declare war. Holland and other weak nations adjacent to Ger- of safety. But the South and Central American Republics are far enough removed from the theatre of war to be exempt from invasion and their sense of duty to the cause of humanity will move them to action. They will not be able to render much service, prob- ably, but the moral effect of their action will be helpful. The friendship of the Latin-Ameri- can Republics will be advantageous in another and important way, how- ever. If Germany were able to estakh- lish coaling stations or supply depots there her opportunities to harrass or attack us weuld be multiplied. There are present reasons to appre- hend that Mexico will afford the Teutons such aid. But limited to Mexico the harm will not be so great. The preponderance of the allied fleets over the naval resources of Germany will reduce the danger from that source to a minimum. But with coal- ing and supply stations scattered along the coasts of South and Central America the possibilities of evil would we great for sea-raiding would be vastly facilitated. The action of Cuba is gratifying, moreover, because it reveals the friendship of that young but increas- ingly important Republic for the peo- ple and the government of the United States. One of the possibilities of the impending war is the closer alliance of the several governments on the Western hemisphere. It is not to be expected that this result will be in- fluenced by any aggressive policy of over alien territory or peoples. But the advantage of unity and coopera- tion among the several peoples will assert itself at every turn of affairs and the prompt action of Cuba in fol- lowing the example ef her big sister shows the trend. We Are in the War. Whatever may be said on the sub- ject or thought, we are now in a state of war with Germany and the cost will be vast, whether measured in lives. or treasure. That this fact is fully realized by the authorities in Washington is clearly indicated by the actions of Congress and the Presi- dent. It is estimated that the cost to the people of the United States for the first year of operations will be upward of six billion dollars. That will include such help, financially, to the Allies as they may require and such expenses for equipment of army and navy as it will be possible to acquire in so limited a time. But the necessary funds will be provided. The President and Congress are willing. Of course every amateur militiaman in the country will freely extend ad- vice to the authorities in Washington and such mischief-makers as Roose- velt will insist upon the adoption of their plans. But the country may rely implicitly upon the wisdom and patriotism of those in charge of the army and navy to pursue the right course. It is possible that a conting- ent of American soldiers may be sent to the seat of war but they will be under the direction of safe and sane officers and exposed to danger as little us possible. We will be liberal with the sinews of war but parsimonious in the sacrifice of life. We have mil- lions for defence but not a single life to waste needlessly. There is one point, however, upon which we may all agree. That is that submarine brutalities must be elimi- nated. Whatever cost in life and treasure is necessary to submerge the German submarine for all time must be met. The armies whether British, French or Russian must be fed and the ravages in Belgium, Serbia and Rumania repaired and this can be achieved only after the submarines are stopped. Therefore the first con- sideration is the destruction of the submarines and that can and will be accomplished before long. Trust the courage and intelligence of the Amer- ican people to achieve it. We are in the war and we must be felt in the usual way and with the usual re- sults. ’ ——They are all good enough, but the “Watchman” is always the best. many may be restrained by the sense’ the United States to extend domimion toi Sus. and disgraceful. Everybody Factional Fight Retards Prepared- : ness. The proposed appropriation of two million dollars or more for the defense of the State is still held up because the factions of the Republican party are unable to agree upon the manner of disbursing it. Governor Brum- baugh insists upon being the sole agent in the matter. He has been dreaming dreams, no doubt, of the po- litical advantage which might be cre- ated by the judicious distribution of so vast a sum. He has not had the experience in political manipulation that his principal antagonist has en- joved. But in the use of other peo- ple’s money for his own purposes, he has Penrose skinned a mile. And At- torney General Shunk Brown. Why he would have a fit if that money slipped through his fingers. Ample provision ought to be made for the defense of the State and it ought to be made promptly. In the event of invasion of Pennsylvania or either of our neighboring States it would be a moral as well as a milita- ry duty to repel the enemies. Such operations cost money and require in- stant attention. Patriotism and per- sonal safety cry equally loud for pre- paredness under the shadow of war clouds. But Pennsylvania is not able to meet the obligations upon her for the reason that each of the factions of the dominant party insists on the handling of the funds and enjoying the graft which it may be possible to draw from the operation. They scent graft as a hound smells game and go for it with equal avidity. It must be admitted that there are reasons for suspicions against Gov- ernor Brumbaugh. He swore false- ly, according to statements of Pen- rose and others, in certifying his campaign expenses and the record of his disbursement of the contingent fund voted by the Legislature to pay his legitimate official expenses is no- knows that pressing pants are not of- ficial and that buying golf balls has nothing to do with administrative functions. But the leaders of the other faction might be quite as reck- less as Brumbaugh in interpreting appropriation laws and besides they can set up no precedent to justify their claim to a part of the disburse- ment of the money that may never be voted. The annual “Clean Up and Paint Up” campaign will have its be- ginning in Bellefonte on Monday, May 14th. The committee under the leadership of Mrs. J. Thomas Mitch- ell, has arranged a full program for the week and will seek the enthusias- tic co-operation of every resident of the town, asking them to continue the work of the campaign throughout the summer. Bellefonte’s needs are many along both these lines, but do not plan a clean-up without a paint-up, for houses that are unpainted eye- sores are made uglier and more con- spicuous when only streets and grounds are cleaned up. ——Last Sunday’s Philadelphia “Press” devoted a half page to illus- trations and a lengthy article telling that that day was the official opening of the trout fishing season, though it would not be lawful to catch them un- til the next day, as the law forbids fishing on Sunday. Of course the “Press” was just a week previous, and lest some of readers overlook the fact we will again tell them that next Monday morning is the time te start in. ——The fellow who advised the Kaiser to organize the negroes of the\ United States to fight the government of the United States must be the fel- low who informed the Kaiser that this country could not be prepared fer war in five years. It is not surprising that Jess Willard imagined that it is necessary to go to the White House to enlist. But Theodore Roosevelt and William Jennings Bryan ought to have known that the President is not a recruiting officer. For the first time in his life the Czar is exercising control over himself. He is to be congratulated. ———The ground hog has his faults, beyond question, but you can’t blame him for this last weather atrocity. ——The cold weather of the past week sort of put a crimp in gardening operations in Centre county. The Progress of the Sub War. From the Lancaster Intelligencer. It is evident that the German sub- marine blockade has utterly failed as a blockade; although it is also evi- dent that it has proven a very grave and troublesome thing for the British. The British official statement that in the seven days ending March 25th, 2,314 ships arrived at British ports and 2,433 sailed from British ports is declared to include only merchant vessels of over a hundred tons en- gaged in foreign trade. Fishing ves- sels, though often of considerable ton- nage, and local or coasting vessels are not included. This statement is made for comparison with the more fre- quent statement of ships sunk by hos- tile submarines or mines. These num- bered, in the same period, twenty-five, “although thirteen others were unsuc- cessfully attacked, a circumstance which is held to demonstrate the value of the measures of defense, particu- larly the patrol of the coasts by arm- ed small craft. In addition to this to- tal of shipping in foreign trade, ten fishing vessels were also destroyed by submarines or mines. These figures may be scornfully commented upon by the Germans but there is no reason to doubt that they are substantially correct. They cer- tainly show both the tremendous vol- ume of over seas trade and the sin- ister activity of the hostile subs, but they do not suggest that the former will be blighted by the latter. In fact, remembering how, in all callings, familiarity with danger breeds contempt; how there have always been ships and sailors, even in times when sailoring was much more perilous than it is to- day in the war zones, when marines, without compass or sextant, braved storms in poor little craft that could only sail with the wind and braved, also, the wild corsairs and vikings of the day when might made right; re- membering our own naval expansion during the Napoleonic wars and how dangers have always seemed to stim- ulate rather than paralyze the ecean- carrying business, it seems reasonable to conclude that the German effort to conquer traffic on the surface of the seas by barbaric attack from under the surface is foredoomed to complete and disastrous failure. Poland Free. = Frou. the Philadelphia Prods. : i It was inevitable that the coming of democracy in Russia should have for Poland a meaning of almost equal promise. Free Russia could not con- sistently keep a brave and long suffer- ing people in bondage. And so the new proclamation from Petrograd an- nouncing the creation of “an inde- pendent Polish State composed of all territories the majority of whose pop- ulation is Polish,” merely confirms the glad expectations of every lover of liberty. The most that Poland hoped to gain for her untold sufferings in this war was autonomy under Russian rule and possibly the reunion of her severed parts now under Austrian and German rule. So much the former Czar of Russia had promised. Germany offer- ed a great deal less in the form of an autonomous State under a German prince, including all Polish territory now held by Russia, but none of Gali- cia or Prussian Poland. But the offer of the Russian democracy includes everything a Polish patriot could ask. It contains no reservation but the in- evitable one—that the acts of the pro- visional government at Petrograd be ratified by the permanent government to be elected by the people. 1e Dem- ocratic spirit that is moving the great masses of Russia today leaves little doubt of such ratification. . There was little in Germany’s offer to the Poles to attract allegiance or win recruits. Now there can be no question of which side the people of Poland—wherever they are free to act —will choose. A free, victorious Rus- sia means a free Poland as surely as the sun means daylight. Truly, the war is beginning to of- fer compensations for the immeasura- ble misery it has caused. The end of absolutism in Russia, civil freedom for Russian Jews, independence for all Poles after centuries of bondage, the recognition of woman suffra; in England. There remains only the end of Kaiserism in Germany and Austria to be wished for, and the world could devote itself to the work of recon- struction with an easy mind. Generous and Gratifying. From the New York Evening Post. How generous and gratifying is the language which the President uses of the German people, here and abroad. He expresses the largest confidence in ‘the loyalty of German-Americans. This is already justified in the re- sponse of the German-American press. But Mr. Wilson goes further. He sum- mons native-born citizens to embrace eagerly the opportunity to show friendship and trust towards “the mil- lions of men and women of German birth, who live among us and share our life.” An attitude of coldness and sus- picion towards them would sow dis- cord where there ought to be comrade- ship. And even as respects aliens on our soil, the President asks his coun- trymen not to confuse a “lawless and malignant few” with the great body that we may reasenably expect to submit themselves quietly to the laws of the country and to conform to the proprieties of the situation in which they find themselves. Panic fears about their possible treachery, with all spymania, the President would have us banish far from us. SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE. —The membership campaign of the Johnstown Chamber of Commerce started ~ last Monday and within two hours 82 new members were secured. —=St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal church, Philipsburg, celebrated Easter by cancel- ling its entire indebtedness, amounting to $6,000. More than the amount needed was raised. —Fourteen speakeasies in East Vander- grift, Westmoreland county, were raided the other day and sixteen persons arrest- ed. In the establishment of one man who escaped 700 quarts of all sorts of booze were confiscated. —Officials of the Big Bend and Commer- cial Coal Mining companies of Twin Rocks, Somerset county, have posted no- tices to the effect that all employees of (he two concerns will be given a bonus of 20 per cent., beginning April 16. More than 1,000 employees will receive advances in earnings. —Ness Brothers spokes works in the eastern section of York, Pa., was partly destroyed by fire at noon on Monday, en- tailing a loss of $25,000. The firm was en- gaged on a large contract for the Russian government. Members of the firm say in- surance covers 30 per cent. of the loss. A shafting heated by friction is supposed to have started the blaze. —When Mrs. Homer Shuman was buried from St. John’s Lutheran church, at Jer- sey Shore, at 1:30 o'clock Wednesday after- noon the bodies of her twin sons, three weeks old, were buried with her. The mother died at the Williamsport hospital Sunday. One child died at the same insti- tution Tuesday night and the second child died Wednesday morning. —Mrs. Bessie Williams, of Mt. Union, has brought suit against Jeseph 8. Shapiro, owner and manager of Shapiro's theatre at that place, asking $10,000 dam- ages for injured feelings and reputation. She says that last Friday night, being unable to get a seat on the first floor of the theatre, she was ordered to the gal- lery by Shapiro, and when she refused to g0 he forcibly ejected her. —An affecting scene was witnessed in the Indiana county jail the other day when Mrs. Angelina Borgia, under sen- tence for a long term of years, was sepa- rated from her ‘infant daughter, born since the mother’s incarceration. The woman goes to the penitentiary for not less than ten years. The father is under sentence of death. They were convicted of murder. : -—0. D. Bleakley, Republican Congress- man-elect from the Twenty-eighth Penn- sylvatia district, was sentenced in the United States district court at Pittsburgh on Friday to pay a fine of $808 and costs for violating the corrupt practices act by spending more than $5,000 in his election. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie the previous week. Congressman Bleakley announced that he had resigned his seat. —The Senate passed finally Monday night the bill increasing the salaries of the officers and men of the State Constabulary, and practically doubling the force. The bill raises the salary of the superintend- ent from $3,000 to $6,000, with proportion- ate increases for subordinates officers and men. The number of privates is increas- ed from 180 to 270 and their pay from $900 to $1,020. The bill also prevides that officers and men shall receive further in- crease far continuous service. —Calvin R. Balmar, of Reading, Pa., the last of a trio of alleged counterfeiters who planned several months ago to circulate $1,200 worth of counterfeit $20 an $10 Fed- eral reserve bank notes, on Saturday was sentenced to three years in the Federal penitentiary at Atlanta, Ga.,, by Judge Thompson, in the United States District Court at Philadelphia. The other two members in the scheme, Alvin M. Hornber, ger, also of Reading, and Joseph D. Ferry, a Harrisburg garage keeper, are in jail serving terms imposed by the Federal Court at Seranton. —Forrest Callaghan, aged twenty years, who escaped from an officer of the law in Williamsport after being arrested on a charge of forgery, was apprehended at the Pennsylvania station in Sunbury by offi- cr Elmer E. Smith, of Williamsport. Cal- laghan, after escaping from the Williams- port policeman, stole a bicycle and later a horse and buggy. He was traced to Mil- ton and from that place to Sunbury. When taken into custody in the waiting room at the Sunbury station, he was in the compa- ny of a young woman. The youthful crim- inal was taken te Williamsport, where he will have to stand trial for a number. of serious charges. —Two of the widows of the trainmen who were killed in the wreck at New Portage Junction on November 6, were assuaged in their grief, last week, when they each received checks for $10,000 to compensate for the loss of husband and father. These women were Mrs. Elizabeth Groton and Mrs. Aubrey Frick, both of Altoona. They entered suit under the Fed- eral compensation act and before the cases were called, the railroad company offered the above mentioned sums which were ac- cepted. Undoubtedly, in a case of death, the Federal law is better than the state compensation for under the latter these women could not have received more than $4,000 each. —Enroute to Steubenville, Ohio, Satur- day morning, where he was to have been married to Miss Dora Gossett, that day, Harry G. Bloomer, of New Castle, was thrown under the wheels of a P. & L. E. train at Beaver. His right leg was cut off, and he was otherwise injured. He was taken to the Rochester hospital. Bloomer intended to go from Beaver ta Steuben- ville on the Interurban and had close con- nections. In his desire to catch the In- terurban he thought to save time by jump ing from the passenger train before it was stopped. He was thrown under the wheels. The desire for haste turned his wedding day into a sad occasion for him- self and the bride-to-be. She is nearly prostrated. —Judge Thomas J. Baldridge, of the Blair county court on Monday made a six per cent. reduction in the number of li- censed hotels. Licenses were granted to 52 hotels and three breweries. Three heo- tels will close their doors for lack of li- cense. For ten days the Court has been making an investigation of the sales eof liquor by the bottle, and during that time the county has been partly dry. Nine ho- tels which have complied with the Court's instructions governing bottle sales were granted their licenses on March 31. For- ty-six landlords who had disobeyed the Court’s instructions and made reckless and indiscriminate bottle sales, were punish- ed by having their barrooms closed for ten days.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers