lR-PHILABELPHTA, FRIDAY, fOVl?!MBfeK 57, 101.
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HJfcLtd LEDGER COMPANY t
cros it. k etmris, rauiosjrt.
Cfcartw It Ludlntfon, rump 8 Collins, Jonn B. TVII
thin, Directors.
KblTOtUAL HOARD I
Cltl It. K. Cturm. Chairman
I H tVItAt.ET Wt.,H. VAHnr
'Ul'l T " .
itlK C. MARTIN .. . Qnl Tlmln... M.n
ISiMUhM dally at Pdbmo LtMnt ttulldlnir,
Independence Square.. Philadelphia.
Jfcpflea Cs.vrtur. Broad and Chestnut Streets
RET I " rreu-Unlon UulMlnr
rS. "" io-a, Metropolitan Tower
llICAQO SIT Tffltnn IntMrnn HulMIn
nxbai 8 Waterloo Plate. Tall Mill. R. w.
NEWSBUHEAUSr
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K?i.n,' a-'-F Frledrlehtrat
&???. t"U 2 Tall Malt Bant. 8 W.
.n.5 uciud .. 3 Itue Loula Is Grand
sonscnirrioxTEnMs
E erlpt!6n payable In advance
BF.tX, 3000 WAtNW
KEYSTONE, MAIN 3000
W Addrcte all fonmunteallona to riming
Ledger, tndependenee Square, Philadelphia
iNTnttn at tun riiitiDCLrnu roerorncr as second-
mm MAit. limn,
rilltADEU'lllA, HtlDAV, M)VUIIIHt 27, 1911.
m i n i , fn . .,
lake Icnalhcs Oil Auicricnn Enterprise
'T71ROM motives of patriotic pride tho people
J. oc tnis country are hoping for tho re-
establishment of tho American merchant
marine, which. In tho day8 beforo inllrond
Ik Investment outrivaled it In attractiveness to
private capital, nnd beforo the Anglo-Gcr-niati
shipping "conferences" acquired a mo
nopoly of oceanic trade, carried tho Stars and
Stripes to every port throughout the soien
sets. Our commercial and shipping men.
stirred by tho vast opportunity thrown In
their way by a war which places upon this
neutral nation a real responsibility to lesror
neutral nations, not so fortunato ns ours in
business resources and prospects, arc .studying-tho
problem of a homo supply of shins to
KVhandlo tho world trndo to which they have
fallen heir. Congress has dickered nnd dallied
for years, revised old laws nnd parsed new
ones, with the final result that American en
terprise nnd ambition hno boon so effec
tively balked that today we hae no mer
chant mnrlno worthy the name
as vnnce xnompeon points out. In his nrtl
cle.on this page, tho Government at Wash
ington can remove tho obstacles which pre
vent tho development of nn adequate mer
chant marine. There Rro severnl things to be '
done, but the first nnd most Important step
IS the complete rovlslon and reconstruction
of our -navigation laws. Theso laws Imo
been so muddled by much tinkering that
hardly anybody cansny offhand what they
mean, except that thoy heavily penalize a man
for doing business under tho American flng.
Relief Without Waste
RELIEF upon such a largo Hcalo Is nocded
at home ns well as abroad that every
effort must bo used to avoid waste. Although
there are unmistakable evidences of a re
turn to prosperity throughout tho country,
there must of necessity bo a period In which
many of tho unemp!ocd will fall to find
their places In the reviving industries. Theso
are bound to suffer acutely during tho com
ing winter unless tho community springs to
their rescue.
The Emergency Aid Committee, under the
ildoMfi of Mrs. E. T. Stotcsbury. has form
ulated far-reaching plans to meet tho situa
tion In a scientific manner. Tho overlapping
or uie efforts of phllantropic individuals
tgnnd charitable organizations, following their
own Impulses and thereby ocralding In some
cases while others nre left to neglect, is
avoided. The committee offers Itself as a
clearing house and a bureau of direction, by
means of which each dollar will give a full
dollar's worth of relief and just where It Is
most needed.
Such .sagacious foresight cannot be too
highly commended. There nro multitudes of
generous men and women ready to give their
full share, and even to mako personal sacri
fices If they can feel assured that what they
may do will really be applied to necessitous
cases. The character and experience of the
men and women serving with Mrs. Stotes
bury are a sufficient guarantee that there
will be the utmost efficiency of distribution,
and this fact should stimulate generosity.
Excessive Modesty
MODEST!" Is a virtue when practiced In
moderation; an excess is equivalent to
tne wiping out of Individuality. As a com
mercial centre Philadelphia has been long
obsessed by an extravagance of reticence.
"With a volume and variety of productions
that any city in the world might envy, our
coy Philadelphia Is nevertheless not taking
full advantage of the opportunity to adver
tise its attractions at the Panama Exposi
tion. In these days shop windows are as
essential to business as counter.
It will certainly be a shame and the source
of great loss to this community if there la
not adequate representation of Philadelphia's
enterprise in tho next national exhibition.
The rest of the country Is likely to take us
at our own valuation.
Blind Folly
THE great war has offered scores ef new
Industries to the United States. Many
lines of manufacture heretofore dominated
i,by forelgnera are now practically extinct.
KXn the circumstances, American capital would
frtot hesitate an instant were there 'any as
surance, of a continuance of the protection
h-the war assures. But no capitalist will risk
Mia money In an adventure which, while cer
tain to pay dividends now, will become un
profitable the moment industrial activity In
Europe is resumed.
Tho unscientific nature of our tariff making
Is revealed. Otherwise the Government
would at once encourage capitalists to adopt
..these "baby" industries by assuring- them
of all necessary protection upon the restora-
"Usa cf normal conditions. This would not
,b an Insurance of profits, but It would be
rt, wi the contrary, a splendid opportunity
aV'W th aequlsltion of trade is foolishly
negieeted.
It la a pity that agrarianlsm should be so
bjjsd to its own welfare as to array itself
agl8at the maximum development of our
Mtmufaoturlng interests.
Censorship From Within
j.- "IHICAGO having: determined en municipal t
v j oaace nana ntto useit embarKM on een.
mtng the danM to be indulged 1b, A jury
h it wmejt- ie t, witness the latest steps
ijib 4M&atrated by experts, and te apply ttys
yUcj of knewiftige ta anything doubtful
tfcat tay 4evetoj.
Yfc WKMr. tt Msmsr, we sfeall have always
vttjk. n, Pltes uui Bi&dsrn daucuag aav
brought fnrth ten times the crop of moral
mentor that flourished In early Comstockian
days. The necessity Is to bu ndmltted as much
as regretted Borne sort of chastening opinion
In the background seems a necessity of civil
ized life.
But how much better when that opinion Is
public opinion, when the censorship has the
mornl aenso of the community behind It, and
how much more effective It would be If that
Jury In Chicago might represent, to somo
extent, the dancers themselves and become
not an outside force, Lut a power from with
In, a curbing of themselves with their dwn
best Judgment That Is real liberty.
Unjustifiable Usurpation
THERE nro somo elemental things the In
terstate Commerco Commission has never
understood find seems Incnpnblo of ap
preciating. Tho Interstate Commerce Commission was
created as a Court of Equity In Commerco
and hot nn Executive Committee to oporato
all tho ralltoads of tho country.
Tho Interstate Commerco Commission Is
not nn extra and ultra ndvocatc of tho ship
pers In a suit In which tho railroads nnd the
traveling public are defendants under pre
sumption of BUllt.
The Interstate Commerce Commission Is
not tho substitute of tho Federal Govern
ment, authorized to assume a secret govern
mental ownership of all railroad properties
x "" Jiiiersimo uunimerco i onimis"iun la
I not tho constitutional and confidential agent
The Interstate Commerce Commission Is
of pessimism, whoqe chief purpose It Is to
keep business depressed, finance disorganized
and confldnnce disturbed.
If the Intcrstnto Commerce Commission
will conflno Itself to regulating abuses and
removing nnomnllcs, ns was tho Intention
of Congress when constituting It, instead of
usurping the role of fiscal dictator, operat
ing1 despot nnd legislative autocrat, the In
terstate Commerco Commission may still
perform good service. In Its present mood of
nrrogatlon of Mcdo-Persian authority, It Is
growing to be a menace to tho Inalienable,
rights, without which our liberty nnd pros
perity cannot survive.
I'cnn's Surprise
CORNELL sprung her surprise yesterdny.
And it wns a good little surprise In Its
way. Two touchdowns In succession, leav
ing tho score 12 to 10, naturally called up
before Cornclllan eyes visions of other "Tur
key Das" when tho "Dig Red team" hnd
gono homo surprised, astounded and plucked.
Hut when Cornell replied by making a
touchdown off a punt, things wero back to
tho even tenor of their predestined ways. At
any rate, It was a flno "come-bnek" that
l'enn made, as flno ns it was unexpected.
Is Germany Nrar the Turning Point?
WAIt news Is ever deceptive. Tho facts
themselves aro always under severe
question. Thelrx Interpretation is none too
simple a matter. Finally, the world has seen
many n beaten army turn upon a careless,
overconfident foo nnd win to victory. But
it IS such considerations nlono that can deter
one from recognizing In the news of tho last
two dajs tho turning point for Germany.
Dlxmudo recaptured by French marines;
tho menacing- submarine base at Zeebruggo
destroyed by tho British fleet; Metz threat
ened by forces bombarding a town scarcely
ten miles away; and on top of this, serious,
perhaps calamitous German reverses In tho
east. -Whlio the left wing of the Russians
has penetrated BO miles beyond tho Carpa
thians, the Czar's forces west of Warsaw
appear to have Inflicted on General von Hln
denburg a defeat far more decisive than any
hitherto administered In tho eastern cam
paign. It may mean that, while the German
I offensive on tho east comes to a dead stand
still and threatens to turn into desperato
defensive fighting, tho Russians will be
pressing hnrd on Posen, Brcslau and ulti
mately Berlin.
In the face of the present state of the war,
with the numbers and resources of the
Allies growing greater dally, it is little won
der that Prince von Buelow, the ex-Chancellor,
writes a Berlin paper that he fears the
war "will prove a very difficult task for
LGermany." Such an admission from so
influential a German Is quite as significant
as the fnct of the Allies' victories.
Eternal Qualities
PEOPLE speak of the difficulty of accu
rately presenting a past period In novejs
and fiction. Some assert tho lmposslbllty.
They assume that human nature has
changed. Men may have become more cul
tured, less warlike, their manners and morals
may have changed, yes, but the Inherent
human qualities remain. Just as "Medea"
applies to tho life of today, so may the nov
elist nnd dramatist, with an understanding
of human psychology and emotions and
known facts, recreate the past. With such
knowledge one might accurately picture an
cient Carthage. Rome and Alexandria. The
conversation given by Theocritus of two
ladles In Alexandria, changing location and
terms of speech, might take place off Rltten
house square. It Is as Intimately gossipy,
as enchantlngly chatty as any modern tea
talk. Today sometimes an Orestes appears
In court, an Electra is sent to an Insane asy
lum. And today, as ever, the frogs of
Aristophanes chatter.
From the way King Albert of Belgium
fights you would never guess the horrid truth
that his middle name Is Marls.
"Peace In Mexico" has almost caught up
with "Death of Menellk," and Menellk
finally died.
The weather this morning synchronized
quite perfectly with the "morning after" feel
ings appropriate to the day following the
consumption of the Thanksgiving dinner,
After reading George Bernard Shaw's
scathing criticism of his conduct of the war,
Sir Edward Grey probably exclaimed: "Oh
Shaw!"
Whether Russia can conquer Germany is
an open question, but in dealing a knockout
blow to the "demon rum" she has achieved
no small victory.
If the present rate of destruction continues
among the leading naval Powers, we may
find ourselves with the greatest navy In the
world without having built a veiael
It Is one of the intrlaaelea of military
strategy that Japan should occupy a big
sllee ef Chinese territory for the purpose of
preserving China's neutrality.
The dooters, at least, are gettin & little
satisfaction out f the war as an opportu
nity fer iRSHEMrabie operations that prove
the ever-growing pawer ef surgical solense,
With England nsaiwlng; the fight against
Germany, nations are able to Borrow money
that sever were able to borrow before.
"T
WILL YANKEE SAILING MASTEHS -
SCOUR THE SEVEN SEAS AGAIN?
Half the World Is Calling for Neutral Ships, and It's Uncle Sam's Big
Chance Two Important Problems to Be Solved.
By VANCE
5 lS ZaUKTrnT0 ft'S" '. &?.!'? '.!. tfr ! .AW
THE American ting sailed to every point
of tho compass. You havo read of those
-. -w - - ..-....
stirring days. And you know It was war
that drove us out of that trade.
Will war give us back our far-faring, flag
flying Yankee ships? Can we get back our
lost trade nnd bring new cnrrylng trade
under tho flng?
Theso are the questions tho best brains In
tho world of commerco are asking today.
And with hardly an exception they answer
In tho affirmative. Wo can got back our
sharo of Uie world'B trade; nnd more than
our shnre. It Is waiting for us. More than
that, It Is calling for us. Half the world Is
calling aloud for neutral ships Under our
neutral flag. This is tho sort of thing that
should get Itself snld first of nil. The finest
thing that commerce can do :s to supply a
want to nnswer a cry for help. That one
can help oneself by helping others is only a
corollary. For years the groat nations of
Europo have been building up trade with
South and Central Amcricn, with Asia Minor
and tho Far East. At great outlay they did
the pioneer work, whllo u stooJ Idly by.
They created Immense demanUs now wants
and needs In theso more or less undeveloped
countries, and having created tho demand
they supplied It at tolerable profit to them
selves. Demand Is Still There
War catno nnd the supplies slopped; but
the demand for them did not stop. Theso
folk, who hnd been educated up to wanting
bright colored British cottons nnd boots and
linen who hnd come to find the glittering,
cheap things made In Germany nnd Austria
nnd Frnnco qulto Indispensable yearned for
them ns a man yearns for his habltunl cigar.
And they couldn't get them; and they can't
get them,
England, at a cost of over n million a day,
is trying to keep the trndo routes open. And
she Is doing It In a way, an you know. In
spite of tho daring raiders of Germany. But
oven nt thnt tho war rates for Insurance
nro so high that It Is well nlgh Impossible
for the warring nations to do business nt a
fair profit. It Is only in neutral ships that
this trade, east and west, can be carried on
without loss. Neutral ships nro a prime ne
cessity. South America, for Instance, Is nn
Innocent party In this war. It is the duty
of tho neutrnl nations to come to her lescue
and see to It thnt she Is not d prived of the
things she needs. It Is only a decent duty
to seo that the Innocent nations do not suf
fer. And whnt neutral Power can help
them? I don't think the merchant mnrlne
of Spain or Sweden can help much not oven
that of Switzerland.
It's Up To America
It sccni3 to be up to America, ns the slang
men say. It Is the duty owed by tho great
neutrnl nation to tho lesser neutral nations
in their need. That we shall build up a huge,
profitable trade and hold it Is merely one
of tho plcnsant little ways of Proidcnce to
emphasize the fact that doing good is Just
ns sound a policy as being honest.
And for nil this two things nre needed
banking facilities nnd ships. The banks ns
you know have led the waj. And the ship
ping men have begun in s. rather feeble
fashion to be sure but still It's a beginning.
In the month of October. I am told, 131 ships
were admitted to American registry. They
nre flying the flng today. And It is worthy
of note that 100 of them were Dullt In Ameri
can shipyards. What that means Is this: In
ante-bellum days American shipmasters
found it more profitable to fly a foreign flag
even over homemado ships. War conditions
have, to some extent, equalized things. Thoy
have given the American mercnant n fairer
chance nt the world game of sea trading.
His competitors are handicapped by war risk
Insurance rates as well as by tho war in
creased cost of tho goods they export. But
tho gamo Is not qult,e nn even one yet. To
get n rough general Idea of It take, as an
Illustration, tho German merchant marine,
which had grown to be so formidable a rival
of English commerce at sea. Thnt was
nrtlftclally fostered by the Government it
wns enlarged exactly as the livers of Stras
bourg geese are enlarged by artificial feed
ing. And on that Government pap it grew
nnd waxed big until it menaced the sea trade
of England herself.
Of course that illustration points the way.
The great merchants the tall men of com
merce are virtually unanimous In the opin
ion that Government aid is necessary If we
are to seize the opportunities now offered us
and as well do our trade duty by the smaller
neutral States. I am trying to make this
statement at once concise and precise. Per- I
OUR "VISIONARY" PRESIDENT
America Is a nation of "incurable dream
ers," and Woodrow Wilson responds to these
dreams with actions as well ns Ideals. This
Is the by no means unpartisan analysis that
George Creel makes of the President and his
successes In the current Century Maga
zine. To attempt an Interpretation of his
hold upon the popular Imagination In terms
of strict mentality, Mr. Creel continues. Is
to commit one s self to the patent absurdity
that he Is the first President with brains.
Others have matched him in Intellectual
grasp, and what sets him apart, even as It
set Lincoln apart, la nothing etse than an
exact comprehension of passionate idealism
as the animating impulse of America,
Vision, spirit. Ideals, without the clue af
forded by these dream words, Woodrow
Wilson Is a blank, the United States stam
mering and unintelligible.
The soul of the many Is found In the far
flung idealism of the Declaration of Inde
pendence, not in the cautious phrases of the
Constitution. False prophets and strange
gods have won no more than lip service, for
deep in the heart ot the nation an abiding
faith In th ultimate triumph of love, justtce
and brotherhood remains untouched. Finan
cial genius may be given its sorry day of
homage, yet Its right to control the destinies
of America has never failed to be resisted,
and the great moneymakers do not live In
memory beyond the reading of their wilts.
What larger confirmation Is needed than
the present Impregnable position of Woodrpw
Wilson? He lacks color, exhibits no mastery
of speotaeular values, makes no dramatic
tours, contributes little to the thing called
"human interest." that queer newspaper
compound of anecdote and unconventional
Incident, yet no man since Lincoln has niched
himself so lneradicably In the confidence ot
the people.
Ha has had the vision to see beneath the
stagnancies of materialism down to the well
springs of an Intense spirituality He doe
not mistake baekwalera for tho living
stream. The lnalateac that he is the last
word In a well-ordered lntelleot, a personality
as ooid and remote as though Kant's "Crit
ique of Iure Reason" were galvanized Into
aotlon. U the stupidity of muddlers who have
lost all touch with the .elemental aunpllel-
THOMPSON
.. nuo niluwil
fn every port 0 the seven teat.
haps ono may get nt It In tnis way; Two
things nro necessary If We are to be able to
compete fairly with the sea trading nations.
In some way or other our merchants must
have ships that cost them no moro than the
rivals pay for their ships, nnd tho Becond
point Is that they must be able to man them
nt no greater cost than the rivals pay to man
their ships.
Government Mutt Face It
Now at some point or other nnd In somo
definite way tho Government has got to meoi
those two gravo Issues the Government fit
the ship owners. And tho merchants aro
pretty well of ono mind that It Is a matter
ns In Germany for the Government.
You build a ship hero In nny homo ship
yard you please; tho additional cost of con
struction Is estimated to be from 25 per cent,
to 30 per cent, over tonnage constructed In
Great Britain. Then (tho second point
again) tho cost of sailing that ship under
our numirabio navigation laws Is from 25
per cent, or 30 per cent, higher than if It
wero a British ship. And there, as the Scot
would say, bang goes 60 per cent, nt least.
In some way these two things have to be
made up. There must be somo method do
vised of offsetting tho greater cost of build
ing and operating American ships.
The merchants with whom I have hnd
word bellovo that the higher cost of ship
building could bo got over in time. It Is
only a temporary inequality which tho Gov
ernment need mako good. Once shipbuilding
plants and organizations wero established
nnd set going American Industry and In
genuity should be nble to hold their own
It is only thnt Inltlnl cost that would weigh
too heavily upon them. Wero It removod,
wero tho building of ships nn established nnd
going Industry, thoro would lie nothing to
fear from tho men of Belfast, Hamburg or
the Clyde. (
How could the Government step In and do
this work?
The brain of the business world Is busy
with tho problom. Ono plan which has mot
with favor Is that the Government should
form a corporation to mnnngo this part of
tho maritime work; that tho Government
should retain 61 per cent, of tho stock nnd
let id per cent, go to tho public; that tho
management should bo In tho hands of a
directorate, conjunctly appointed by the two
houses of Congress and by the stockholders,
nnd that tho oxecutlvo head should bo elected
by this directorate.
Ono plan nmong many.
Tho working out of some practical scheme
will be easy enough, once the great principle
of Government nld for building ships for tho
nag nas been accepted; and It should bo
borne In mind that tho expert shipbuilders
aver that this aid need bo only temporary
need last only until the great plants
aro In operation nnd tho orgnnlzatlon has
been perfected. It is only a matter of giving
the boy a good start In the world. Father
will get it back when Wllllo grows up. At
least so the ship men say.
Watch Officers, Americans
There remains always that difficult second
part the operating cost under the American
flag. Wages are higher, you know. Tho
chief feature In tho additional cost is tho law
which decrees that all watch officers Bhall bo
American citizens. And they demand Ameri
can pay. I do not think nny ono wants this
provision of the navigation laws changed.
These officers should bo American citizens,
if the merchant mnrlne Is to form as un
questionably it should a training school for
our naval reserve. At present it costs more
to get American sallormen nnd officers
American crews because there Is so small a
contingent to draw from; but It Is evident
that as our merchant marine grew it would
more and more attract tho right kind of
men. It seems little possible, though, that
the operating expenses of a marine under
the flag can be greatly lessened. One of the
things that makes for cost Is the ample
space given to the crew, under the law; and
another Is the good grade, abundant food
which must be provided. No one, I think,
has any thought of changing these good
provisions of a good law. And It Is to the
Government the ship owners look to make
up this handicap laid upon them by the laws
the Government has enacted.
These are the things the business brain of
America Is thinking about.
We need ships to carry goods to the wa'r
strlcken neutrals that touch the seven seas;
and, of equal importance, our own foreign
commerce is paralyzed by the war and only
a national merchant marine can set It right.
So that Is the problem; and It Is up to
Washington.
CURIOSITY SHOP
The highest street in the world Is Main
street, in Denver; the richest is Fifth avenue.
In New York city; the widest Is Market
street. Philadelphia, and the shortest Is the
Rue Ble, In Paris. The dirtiest street Is that
of Tchankstl. In Nankin: the cleanest Is the
Via Castile, In Seville, Spain; the most arls
tocratlo one Is Grosvenor place, In London:
the most beautiful Is the Avenue des Champs
Elysees, Paris. The narrowest Btreet Is Via
Sol, Havana. Cuba, which has a width of no
more than 12 Inches.
..Tne Iporamus Jury" was formerly the
title of the body now known as a grand Jury,
from the custom of their writing the Latin
word Ignoramus meaning "We do not
know," "The evidence does not inform us"
on the back of a bill of Indictment when they
"Ignored it. The words now used are "No
true bill." In "Collectanea- Curlosa," Ox
ford, 1781. is a copy of a charge by Judge
Alllbon, at the Croydon Assizes, In 1688, in
which the Judge directs the jury thus:
"If you find that anything proceeds from
envy and malice, and not of due prosecution,
you may acquit the person that Is so wrongs
fully prosecuted, and so justice Is done be-,
tween party and party, so an Ignoramus Jury
may not be of no use."
Th- .fabJ? Bay5. t.nat Truth 8"d Falsehood
went bathing, Falsehood came first qut of
the water, and dressed herself Jn Truth's
garments. Truth, unwilling to take those of
Falsehood, went naked hence, the "naked
truth," '
CRISES IN GREAT LIVES
To Americans the name of Lafayette sug.
gests the young, high-minded hero Who sac
rificed personal ambitions to help America
win Its battle for freedom To France tho
name suggests the man who might have
spared It the Revolution.
When Lafayette returned from Amerlea he
was full of the fire of Jefferaonlan democ
racy. When the National Assembly was
convened In 1789. Lafayette placed before It
a declaration ox lndpeadenoe similar to Jef
ferson's instrument Early in July, 17S9. ha
was selected vice president of tho Assembly,
and already he saw his mission. &
France without bloodshed by ths "JJ.
noblo Ideals, from monarchy to tpubcan
ism Later, when the citizen army Jn
ns the National Guard was 'orme9l frcVief
was chosen to bo Its commander-ln-cn ei
Never had fortune, in such dep Xn"
smiled so upon ono man With lh.6.I;!:!r".n
Guard he could protect Paris, could """
the mob, could protect royalty until roaiiy
saw Its own foil'. , , , . . i,v
Tho people of France trusted him, but tney
demanded to be fed They were "n,1";
Lafayette did nothing Ho tried to keep on
good lerms with court and people U'K5 J"
Versailles tho King wavered between demo
crntle concessions and reactionary P'";
Lafayette tried to keep a middle course, mil
in all the time his Inaction was becoming
moro nnd moro dangerous. The mob was
beginning to seek other loaders, c"1?
Desmoullns was making his voice heara.
Still Lafayette wavered niid did n0'"1"?'
Incapable or throwing himseit wnoie-no
rriiv itiin thii nf?hi. im hiitntfrf and was lost.
Thero emerged ono who could act. ove"
wrongly, but could net Immediately. JJas
Mlrnbeau And with him Lafayette's crisis
camo to a disastrous end. It remained ror
Napoleon, years later, to rescuo from an
Austrian prison this man who could have
mado Napoleon Impossible.
VIEWS OF READERS
OjN TIMELY TOPICS
Contributions That Reflect Public Opin
ion on Subjects Important to City,
Slate and Nation.
To the Editor ot the Eienlno htiatri
Sir Ruinl credits and Hie proposed organi
zation of a Farmers Union were subjects to
which the Amerlcnn Federation of Labor gave
attention In Its recent convention, while the
National Grange of Patrons of Husbandry, in
Us erosion nt Wilmington, discussed Immigra
tion and other matters which the Federation
considers of vital importance to Its own mem
bers. The proposal of unionizing tho farmers must
meet, of course, the objection that the situation
of thin class of producers Is economically ery
dlfTcrent from that of Industrial laborers, and
therefore the forms of organization in the tno
cases mum differ The labor union, which deals
primarily with the relations between emplocrs
and employes, is co-operative, but Its tacks nre
unllko those of the organizations which Ameri
can farmer aro patterning nftcr Belgian and
Danish models nnd adapting to the conditions
existing In this country. Co-operntlvo bulng
nnd selling, in which little Belgium has given
lessons to the world, la probably the most Im
portant subject In the new rural economics. BuO
the Federation of Labor wns right In deciding
that "tho Interests of tho workers In industry
and ngriculUiro nro closely allied." This Idea
of common or similar Interests is making Its
way In all groups of society Ita expansion Is
full of promise. READER.
Philadelphia, November M.
BUSINESS EFFICIENCY IN CITIES
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir A police commissioner with Imagination
la considering tho suggestion of having the
policemen light nnd cxtlnzulsh thn electric
street lamps on their beats.
Whether tho plnn is put In effect or not It
Is significant of something tho cities should be
doing Business administration is only the
first step In municipal progress. It means
bringing the cities up to tho standards of com
mercial organizations that have been current
for decades. Something moro Is needed. The
cities must go ahead with that Intenslvo study
of means nnd ends which Industry is only now
adopting undcrx tho name of "business ef
ficiency" Tho cities must study every department. In
Itself nnd In its relation to others, to see where
saxings In cash and Increaso In power may be
offected by elimination of wastes and duplica
tions. If such scientific management is val
uable to corporations it is Just ns valuable to
municipalities. e, A. L.
Philadelphia, November 28.
VTAR DEPLETES UNIVERSITIES
To the Editor of the Eientng Ledger:
Sir Oxford University opened Its year with
only a fraction of Its normal student body.
During the American Civil, War many -of our
colleges were depleted and had to closo their
doors until peace returned In soma Instances
entire classes volunteered for service and
marched to tho .front under their own student
officers.
Oxford has always had a military organiza
tion within the -university, and as Earl Kitch
ener believes that the best officers are not
those promoted from the ranks, it Is probable
that the collegians will all be commissioned at
once. A university education Is largely a pub
lic privilege, and should Imply a return of pub
lic service both In war and peace
COLLEGIAN.
Swarthmore, November 26.
A NOTE OF THANKS
To the Editor of the Eientng Ledger:
SIr-rPIease let me thnnk you and your delight
ful representative who reported my girls' ballad
dances at tho Little Theatre on the 17th Enthu
siasm is rare, helpfulness Is too often dull and
n gentleman in business Is too refreshing to
go unnoted. Although authoritative critics laud
nnd encourage real art effort, the crowd is
slow to tnko any achievement that has not gone
to Europo to get foreign names nnd starting
ground. When a newspaper really helps Amer
ican art. initiative nnd effort. I, for one. am
gratefully glad. MARY PERRY KINO.
Sunshine House. New Canaan, Conn., Nov. 25.
T
NATIONAL VIEWPOINT
The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ
In America, which proposed the day of prayer
for peace. obsered October 4, is planning to
extend 'the good will and sympathy of the
-"""" .iiuii.jito m America." through
prominent clergymen, to the churches of Eu
rope, including belligerent countries. After all
a most fundamental fact, in spite of all this
war business, Is that the peoples of the various
nations have vastly more in common, as human
beings, than they have In disagreement aa fol
lowers of different flags. The Federal Coun
cil Is n proper body to help emphasize this
neglected truth. Springfield Republican.
The flag has not been saluted. There Is no
assurance of peace. Except for our naval
force we are In no position to fulfil our en
gagements with foreign Powers. Setting out
to establish constitutional government In
.-ic.iii.-u, we are leaving .Mexico to ita own re
sources at a time when its Internal affairs are
more chaotic than they were when wo Inter
fered with them. Have we served the Mexi
can? Have we served ourselves? Have we
served mankind? New York World.
The check which the Minnesota Minimum
T.1!8?. Ac,t vhna rlvf'1 " belng held uncon
stltutlonal by an Inferior court Is chiefly slgnl
flcant as showing how tittle the tribunals of ono
State are affected by the decisions of another
Appeal to the State Supreme Court will de
termine If the Interpretation of such laws Is
really different In Oregon and in Mlnnesota.
New Tork Evening Post. ,
We don't think ourelv that Bernard Shaw
Is a profound philosopher, a aoclal prophet an
excellent dramatist. We have found fault with
Shaw and have been Impatient of his eternal
paradoxes and fallacious processes. But w
admit that Shaw la salt, Attlo salt, In an Anglo
Saxon world ot too much utility. And we re-
- .jjuhj-,,. "i up complacency and
prods bypqexfry. when he pitchforks stupidity
and flay respectability. He Is a tonic, aid is
a, tonic, mi as a social savior, does us good.
MlaneapjoUs Journal. .
TO THEODORA
Sweet maid, the passion of the rose
, l 'y not at your feet!
The eoolest flower that aprlpgtlds knows
I deem a gift more meet.
A newer whose virgin whiteness glows
. Adawn the path we trae.
-Khjie yttthe naked hawthorn throws
Prophetic shaaow-lace.
AfUwer fragraat whtaiw,
That tender eeotaney
And truth and honor far outweigh
All passion's ecstay.
Sweet maM I pray thee. hv. no fer
. v. i TTMr my -"" lowers.
And haply whan fair Jun. u her
-Mary Lawscn. la tn. Outlook.
SCRAPPLE
J
Contraband of"Wr
When peace has been busted widj open
and the nations of the earth are engaged In
shooting at each other with whatever Is
handy, the contraband of war gets into the
war reports with great regularity.
A contraband of war"Is a commodity which
would help a country In its nefarious work
of reducing the population of Its neighbors.
When an article has been declared contra
band any wnrshlp is entitled to run up the
flag, give three cheers and grab the ship
which carries It.
By this means steel, copper, automobiles,
wheat and other articles are taotng kept out
of Germany by England at tho present time.
They would also bo kept out of England If
the English fleot would kindly look the other
way long enough to let the German fleet get
out of tho Kiel Canal and begin to roam
tho ocean picking up chanco acquaintances
with the American merchant marine.
When a nation has enough cruisers it can
be very officious about tho contraband-of-war
business and can keep tho freight steam
ers of the world bobbing up and down on
the high seas while Its officers hunt for salt
petre In the stokehold and examine thd offi
cers' quarters for signs of mules. Thus war
becomes a calamity even to the noncomhat
ant. However, wo should bear the contra-band-of-war
rules patiently and endeavor to
establish contraband of peace, which would
bo a much more useful thlngr all around. If
the United States cruisers could examine
every incoming steamer for smuggled foreign
husbands, now Argentine dances, Elinor Glyn
novels, French gowns nnd rartslan come
diennes, and could declare theso contraband
of peace and llablo to Belzure, fumigation nnd
sale, tho causo of happiness would be greatly
promoted In these parts and this country
would become oven moro eminently desirable,
as a place of residence.
In the Civil War tho Federal Government
declared Negroes to bo contraband of war,
nnd thus struck a vital blow at the Confed
erncy. Tho European nations liavo dono a
more deadly thing. They have made a con
traband of war out of wnr news, and a. puz
zled world has to guess from week to week
whether the Russians arc In Petrograd or
In the last ditch, nnd where the Germans
aro ndvanclng, on Paris or Berlin. George
Fitch. . .
To Maud
"She never kicked" this was the epitaph
We carved above her final resting place.
And all tho cruel goadlngs of tho staff,
.Tho b!udgeonlng3 sho got, In sad disgrace,
Sho took In pntlent calm, nor ceased to laugh,
With moro of nolso than harmony or
grace.
In short, through Ilfo sho always held the
pace;
"She never kicked" when sho wns gl'en tho
gaff.
Her way was fraught with undeserved
blows;
Her road was always thorny, never smooth,
And Bhe was subject, all hor life, to rulo
Of many masters, yet sho always choso
Tho kindly way; and so we say, to sootho
Her shade, "Sho was a good, hard work'
Ing mule."
First Prize, Please
Fond Mother Can't you manage to give
my son one of the prizes at tho exhibition?
Teacher Your son will stand no chance;
ho obstinately persists in Idleness.
Fond Mother Oh! but then, If that's so,
you can give him a prize for perseverance.
She Didn't Mean It
Old Gentleman (who had Just finished
reading an account of a shipwreck with loss
of passengers and. nil hands) "Ha! I am sor
ry for the poor sailors that were drowned!"
Old Lady "Sailors! It isn't tho sailors;
It's tho passengers I am sorry for. Tho sail
ors are used to it." Exchange.
Of Course
Some persons ask; In deep surprise,
Who keeps tho doctor fake, the quack;
To answer one need not be wise.
Who but tho hypochondriac?
More Or Less
Jonos, your roast
Guest Mrs.
delicious.
Is s;
ijmply
Mrs. Jones Oh, yes, my husband always
buys the best; he Is a groat eplcac.
G. K. Chesterton on the Weather
I do not know If other people are made
like me In this matter; but to me It Is al
ways dreary weather, what may be called
usoloss weather, that slings Into life a sense
of notion and romance. On bright blue days
I do not want anything to happen; tho
world Is complete and beautiful, a thing for
contemplation. I no more nsk for adven
tures under that turquoise dome than I
ask for adventures in church. But when
the background of man's life Is a gray back
ground, then. In the name of man's sacred
supremacy, I desire to paint It In fire and
gore. When the heavens fall man refuses
to fall; when the sky seems to havo written
on it, in letters of lead and pale silver, the
decree that nothing shall, happen, then the
Immortal soul, the prince of the creatures,
rises up and decrees that something shall
happen, If It be only the slaughter of a
policeman. From "Tremendous Trifles."
Add Alliances
J O F I F R E
F R E INCH
no longer stands alone. An English paper
K U L J T U R
T U R f K E Y
A Real Horror
One horror of warfare that flllsus with woe,
And even Impels us to plot,
IanJne.isn,iwledse that Jlngolsts driven to go
To the front will escapg being shot
During the Training
m nra.S, ?,Y 8m"h's (whose number was
11 HflJ ticliurch Pnrade' an". having done a
good deal of marching, he was naturally feel
ing the effects- of It during the service. He
had not been In church long when the rov
er"?d BtntIeman pnounced the hymn:
languid?'6" ' Art th0U Weary art thou
..MrJvt?,.?.mlth houted with a loud voice:
"Not half!" London Opinion.
Trapped
"Dick," said his wife, as she poured the
Sngr ee" Vdld you S6"M this
"Nothing hut papers."
day1?" you poat tbat letter x ru yMtr-
"Certalnly."
dreX8youU''haVen,t reC,Ved tU " waa ad'
The Babbling Fool
"SL'IJi Rra. B0m8 PePl who take It as a
personal grievance that there are only ten
commandments and only seven daadly sins"
They spend their very virtuous lives in a
mad endeavor to fill m what the Bible left
.U,V a,.?rePare wonderful moral budgets
full of "Thou ahalts" and "Thou shalt no" "
If they escape murder by their thlrUeth yeir
they usually set up a prophets. At 60 they
thlsUwo?rd,a8retadv0 W.'8 D0Ul vluo ,n
uia woria aireaay. Far too manv eren and
SVertSt.n or 'T ' "TmES
Thero wema t hl P8?; "Iffn In front,
tilt. ,S?i b8 a general impression that
Quite clear, that the Topple Vt?ue If
whK n SSaffSa,1 WUh0Ut hoice'
& asXyltasf aZ h! ?r ch,ldr8,
they will pliaM u?5f " ad Pray that
beggars refuw 1 ... 6 ,A " th "
blame on lonni Y" '"J " tha
sureiy-and thank H...rr .f.. IMW on
c
wero children.
arranged.
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