: 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.