8
4
EVENING LEDGER PHILADELPHIA', WEDNESDAY, APRIL
1915;
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ZNTEltZD AT TUB FU1LADEI ftllA rOSTOIFICr IS SECOND'
CUSS MAM, MATTKU.
rUilADLLI'IIIA, wnit!DA. APRIL 211, 1015.
-A deluge o words is like a deluge of u,atcri
It runs iu without accomplishing
any good purpose.
An Attempt to Prevent City Development
THH Farley bill might properly be en
titled nn act to prevent the physical
development of Philadelphia. If thcro can
bo no city planning for more than a year
la advance there can bo no city planning
at all, except of a niggardly sort. States
manship looks years ahead. A Parkway
project cannot be achieved In a few months.
It may bo, of course, that the gradual
condemnation of property Is- a hardship to
tho owners, but It must be remembered, on
tho other hand, that tho hardship to tho
city would bo a greater ono were a few
property owners able to hold up any and
all comprehensive plans for city betterment.
Other great countries liavo long ago Im
pounded a part of the Increased value of
real estate, but here, following liberal prin
ciples, Government still permits owners to
keep for themselves tho full Increment re
sulting from the massing of population. The
gathering together of thousands of people
gives the property its value, but tho citizens
in the aggregate do not receive the profit.
It goes to private owners. In view of this
fact, it Is Intolerable that property owners
should translate this privilege Into a right
to veto the physical improvement of a great
city. Yet that, In effect, is what the Farley
bill proposes.
Tthere is nothing for the House to do, of
course, but kill the measure. That is what
It will do.
Great Britain's Attack on King Alcohol
WHILE disagreeing on details tho British
Cabinet is agreed that there must bo
( rigid restrictions on the sale of Intoxicants,
especially directed against spirits. This has
become necessary as a war measure. Not
only is it proposed to restrict the consump
tion of spirits, but the brewing of light beers
Is to bo encouraged, so that those who feel
the need of a little alcohol may get it in as
harmless form as possible.
Tho proposition to prohibit tho sale of all
Intoxicants was rejected at tho beginning as
Impracticable and unnecessary. But closer
regulation was imperative in Groat Britain
as well as in Franco, Russia and Germany.
The plan of the Cabinet will hav to pass
the test of discussion In tho House of Com
mons' before it can be enforced. Indeed, tho
Ministry, awaro of tho impossibility of any
successful regulation of tho traffic which did
not have popular approval, decided to put
the whole matter up to Parliament in tho
form of conservative proposals, which could
bo defended by reasonable men.
The Way to Bo Discreet
IF SOME ono offers to you tho red-hot end
of a poker, you do not have to grasp it.
You may push It asldo with the fire shovel
or any other handy Implement.
This is what tho Administration seems to
be trying to do with the Rtggs Bank suit.
Word comes from Washington that tho
action of Comptroller Williams Is entirely
within his discretion and that the policies of
the Administration are not involved. Mr.
Williams thinks he has certain powers and
the bank thinks ho has exceeded them. It
remains for tho court to decide.
It also remains for tho country to decide
whether the Administration has successfully
dodged the poker.
Always Backing Up
Typt. JOHN P. CONNELLY and other
J.VX Councllmen, it appears, see flaws In tho
new housing bill. Thcro are some leaders In
this part of the country Just now who are the
best little flaw-pickers that ever blossomed
Into notoriety. There Is nothing constructive
that they cannot spy a (law In it. They have
nightmares about transit programs, and
when they get through nullifying a statute of
the State they ehlver In nts of approhenslon
lest their obstructionist tactics be not ontlrely
successful.
But what Is needed now Is not a flock of
buzzards to guzzle and stuff themselves on
the corpses of projects that have been stab
bed In the back. It la. Indeed, a time when
constructive genius Is required, when men
are wanted not to Bhow how a thing cannot
bo done, but how it can be dono; not to de
vitalize, but to vitalize; not fumers and fret
ters, but doers. It is quite possible. In fact,
that the people are tired of leaders who are
always" backing up and will Insist on having
In their stead men who will Jump out In
front and get somewhere.
Investment In Health
IF A man la spending all his income for
food, clothing and shelter for his family
bow much ought he to spend for outdoor
recreation for them In hot weather?
Thousands of heads of families will have
to answer this question during the next few
months. And it wU not be an easy task. It
' Is Important that the wife and the children
get out Into the open when the weather Is
pleasant. The more outdoor air they breathe
In the warm months the fewer doctor bills
will there bo to pay In the cold months. The
head pf the family must decide to make an
investment In health now, so that it may
'.".carn dividends later. He can curtail on ex-
. pensive and heavy foods, for In hot weather
,)t is better to eat lightly than to clog the
if system. What he saves In this way can be
spent on outings and some of his savings on
fuel for hat might well be Invested in the
mm roannar.
A, Iqsg trolley ride in th country, frequent
trip to $irwonnt Park, and even tha ex-
mittmmt, at a Jitney Jaunt up and down
-FfrnM attt, we better toau Staying cooped
up at home. These recreation nro within
reach of the most modest Incomes. Those
with more money to use would do well to
And an Inexpensive placo In tho country
whore the family can stay for a few weeks
while the mother gets some tellef from tho
dally burden of looking after tho meals.
Roll Uf a iMafenificcnl Majority
Nc
0 ARGUMENT Is needed to prove that
Philadelphia needs rapid transit. Tho
fact Is self-evident, not only to thousands
upon thousands who day after day hang on
straps nnd lose Valuable time through slow
surface transportation, but also to students
of city development, all of whom agree that
an absolute essential of metropolitan growth
and extension Is a system of cheap, quick
and adequate transit.
Tho plan evolved for the Uso of Philadel
phia Is conspicuously excellent. Its basis Is
a comprehensive linking of all parts of tho
city, tho ono to tho other. It provides for
great trunk lines, to bo sorved by surface
feeders. It brings absolutely every section
of the city nearer to the centre. No part Is
unprovided for.
It docs more than this. It contemplates
tho elimination of the Intolerable exchango
ticket evil. It provldea a universal flvo cent
fare, putting every part of Philadelphia
within a nickel's distance of every other part.
It wipes out all discrimination nnd brings to
the transit situation a unity nnd orderliness
in markod contrast to the chaos that once
existed and still to a considerable extent
ex I its.
The lonn to be voted on tomorrow, It Is
true, is not specifically In accordance with
the Taylor comprehensive plan, but It Is not
opposed to It save In ono detail, tho exten
sion to Hhawn street. Otherwise it provides
for essential parts of tho Taylor program.
To translate It later into the full Taylor
plan will bo no Insuperable task for the elec
torate. Moro Important even than a favoratilo
result tomorrow will bo tho magnitude of the
vote cast for tho loan. It Is tho first chance
tho people have had to speak tholr mind on
tho subject, the first opportunity afforded
them to show how vital to their inteiosts
they consider this Improvement. It behooves
them, therefore, to turn out to tho polls
in force to record so overwhelmingly their
sentiment nnd roll up so magnificent a ma
jority that neither Councils as a whole nor
any Individual Councilman will thereafter be
in any doubt whatever of tho political de
struction awaiting opposition to rapid transit
In Philadelphia.
It Is a simple thing that tho peoplo now
have to do to assure the fulfilment of their
wishes. Apathy alone can muddle the situa
tion. Let even- citizen mako it the first
duty of the day to vote. The peoplo at last
have tho solution of tho transit Issuo in tliftlr
own hands.
On Being Gold-bricked
SOME manufacturers at Harrlshurg are re
ported to be of the opinion that they were
gold-bricked. The Organization took their
money last full, yet it permitted the child
labor bill to bo reported out and there Is
everj' reason to behove that it will pass the
Senate.
The public last fall was given to under
stand that tariff protection was what the
manufacturers wanted, not protection against
an entirely fair and square child labor law.
If some manufacturers had a different under
standing, it is unfortunate for them. Dut it
is better that they should be grld-brickcd
than that tho Commonwealth should bo tho
victim of confidence men.
Let's Be Glad It Is No Bigger
EVEN the bitterest opponent of tbo Admin
istration must be glad at tho prospect
that tho Government will close tho fiscal
year with a smaller deficit than was feared.
This is because it is our Government and
not the Government of any political party.
Tho men In charge of it at tho present time
hnppen to be Democrats, but they are doing
our business for us nnd we nro glad that
they are not doing it any worse.
The accumulation of a deficit of $100,000.0"0
would bo most discouraging If there were no
way to reduce It before the end of tho year.
But the Income and corporation taxes have
not yet been paid. Tho rovenue from these
two sources is likely to reach the sum of
$50,000,000 before tho end of June and less
than $13,000,000 of It hot been received So
the apparent deficit of $100,000,000 today Is In
a fair way to be reduced to $30,000,000 or
thereabouts.
When one considers all that has happened
to cut down the national revenues ono should
rejoice that it Is possible to end the financial
year with so small a balance on the wrong
side of the ledger.
Roosevelt was not one of tho bossed, but
one of the bosses.
When we have June In April we may ex
pect to have April In May,
It does not seem possible to decide whether
It is more important that the convention
hall should be ornamental than that it
should be useful.
"Only 10 per cent, of the habitual drug
users acquired the habit from medicines pre
scribed" by their physicians." But is not 10
per cent, too many?
Argentina could sell the Moreno to Greece
without violating any rule of neutrality. And
when Greece got the ship she could do with
It what she pleased. But Argentina rofuses
to Bell.
The class In political history may now re
view Its course to discover how much It has
forgotten of recent events. The Colonel Is
tho chief instructor thus far, but Barnes will
soon correct the errors in the first professor's
version.
A German physicist has discovered a new
substance, which he calls "brevium." There
will not be so great demand for it as there
will be for brevity when. In a few months,
the heroes begin to tell how they ended the
war.
Colorado women do not smoke, but since
they have hacj the ballot a special brand of
campaign candy has been prepared every
year to offset the campaign cigars distrib
uted by the men. Before the women have
voted many years longer they will see to it
that tbo candy Is better than tie cigars.
(
THE TIME TO BEGIN
WITH COMPENSATION
If Pennsylvania Waits for a Bill
Satisfactory to Everybody in
Every Particular It Will Wait
Till Doomsday.
By RAYMOND G. FULLER
IF THE Pennsylvania Senate falls to pass
tho workmen's compensation bills It will
stigmatize the State ns unprogresslve and re
actionary. Thirty American Commonwealths
have already left Pennsylvania among tho
minority, Pennsylvania cannot afford to
stick In tho mud of tho good old anti-eco
nomic times of devil toko the hindmost. Tho
Legislature should not hesltato to give
up Its present distinction of directing tho
only largo Industrial Commonwealth In
America which has not yet put workmen's
compensation on Its statuto books.
Disagreement Over Details
In somo particulars tho compensation bill
(which should bo understood as including
tho several supplementary bills) is doubtless
Imperfect and disagreement of opinion con
cerning details is inevitable, but theso facts
nro no argument for procrastination.
No other State can bo taken as an exact
pattern for Pennsylvania to follow. Tho
main principles governing compensation
methods nro well established, and they have
been observed in tho drafting of tho bill now
before tho Senate at Harrlshurg; but tho
only way of perfecting It In the matter of
detalle Is to make It a law and try It out.
Tho thing for tho Legislature to do Is mako
a start with workmen's compensation to
begin with tho measure at hand, and not to
wait for another. The guidance which other
States can furnish linn been totally utilized;
thero is no further aid for Pennsylvania's
lawmakers except Pennsylvania's own ex
perience.
Other States have dono tho hard work of
pioneering. The perfecting of compensation
machinery is In process, according to tho
conditions and needs of the Individual
States. There Is no thought of going back
to the old employers' liability system. Tho
employers do not want to go back. They
accept the prlnelplo of compensation. They
have learned from experience thnt their
early oblectlona to the new method of nccl
dent Insurance arose from groundless fcarn.
They have recognized tho advantages of the
new method. Tho question of the all-round
desirability of workmen's compensation Is
no longer at Issuo. In every one of tho com
pensation States theso are the facts.
A "Satisfactory" Law
Only tho Influence of Pennsylvania em
ployers can defeat tho bill Identified with
ono of the leading platform pledges of Gov
ernor Brumbaugh. Not only have tho em
ployers nothing to gain by obstruction; they
have much to lose. Tho sooner workmen's
compensation Is put Into operation tho bet
ter for all concerned. General satisfaction
with the Massachusetts net is increasing
year by year in the Bay State, partly be
cause of the eradication of defects by means
of amendment. Pennsylvania is bound to
have a compensation law somo day, and
certainly a satisfactory statuto will not be
brought nearer by failure to tako any ac
tion at all, especially when tho opportunity
is present at Harrlshurg for making a much
better start than was possible for the States
which went ahead several years ago and
Just as good a start as Pennsylvania will
over be able to mako.
THE CRY OF THE CHILDREN
Pennsylvania Has Persistently Refused to
Hear It.
By FLORENCE L. SANVILLE
It seems almost Incredible that thero
should still be In Pennsylvania a group of
men able or willing to contend for tho right
to subordinate the needs of children to tho
conveniences of industry. Already 21
States, Including tho most Important In
dustrial competitors of Pennsylvania, have
taken tho action long overdue the children
of our State and have reduced their legal
hours of work to 48 In a week and 8 in a
day.
Matters of Inconvenience
"If you pass this radical legislation we
cannot compete with less hampered States,"
argued opposing manufacturers before tho
Legislature seven years ago. At the last
Legislature they pleaded the same story,
although In the meantime practically all tho
most powerful competitive States have gone
ns far as or further than Pennsylvania was
being urged to go.
We nro asked to continue tho 10-hour day
and 54-hour week for these children In order
to avoid tho Incidental Inconvenience to
manufacturers In arranging tho longer day
of the adult. If the Governor and friends
of tho children In the Legislature and
through tho State have their way no such
Inhuman Inconveniences will longer be tol
erated. In 1848 the manufacturers of the
Stato protested against the passage of a 10
hour law for children, threatening that "the
act would drive Philadelphia factories over
to Camden." With New Jersey factories, as
1 MARCONI OF
GUGLIELMO MARCONI, who landed In
this country the other day, is full of news.
He tells us much concerning the temper of
his countrymen in re
gard to the war; but by
no means the least inter
esting report which he
brings is that about the
use of wireless telephony
In directing the move
ments of warships and
armies. SIgnor Marconi
himself has made his
tory; he has made news,
for wireless Is Marconi's
invention.
It Is almost startling to
discover that this man 13
only 41 years old. True,
we all talk of the pres
ent as "the age of young
MARCONI
men," and when Marconi broke into fame wo
remarked, "Hqw young he Is!" But so much
has come out of his harnessing of the ether
forces, so many bly eventa and big develop
merits, that It seems as If Marconi could be
no longer young. And he is yet hardly over 40,
In boyhood Marconi showed ability in me
chanics somewhat above that of the average
lad, but until he was 20 he knew little more
of electricity than most youths of bis age. It
was then, however, that he became Interested
In the work of Professor Heinrich Hertz, a
German scientist, who, in attempting to dis
cover the nature of electricity, accidentally
Produced electromalriaila vnv --j ,.,,...
their presence in tha ether by means of a wiro
SSL iiastw
v A S iff m, I r elm m
". Jcfl. ii$mi ' c f ' ir riall& W 1
vvv wWMm , t iIIaW ?
w mini wr t iflip&i
'wwJrf'i'-T''"''v''",'''i',J,''" - :
'
well no those of all our bordering States,
now enforcing an S-hour day no more orig
inal argument seems to be advanced by tho
opposing employers In Harrlshurg T5 years
later!
Tho one all-pervasive argument, not con
fined to nny Industry or any group, is tho
simple statement: "The wages of theso chil
dren arc needed at home." The poverty ex
cuso for child labor is coexistent with tho
first efforts at child labor reform nnd has
run throughout Its history. With Increasing
clearness and from official and non-official
sources, through the years, has light been
cast on this dark side of tho child labor
problem. While no complete presentation of
the facts thus revealed is possible here, this
we know: That, after tho frequently suppo
sititious cases of poverty have been counted
out, thcro does remain a group wheio, in
fact, tho wages of tho children 'seem neces
sary to maintain family life. But tho prob
lem of this group Is not in any sense mot
by tho meagro earnings of the 14-year-old
child. It is a problem to bo solved intelli
gently by far different constructive methods,
whether it bo through workmen's compensa
tion, mothers' pensions or other measures
yet to bo devised.
Placing the burden of family support un
der modern Industrial conditions on an un
prepared child may partially solve the Im
mediate problem; but it usually creates a
still graver ono to be settled eooner or later
by the community through criminal court,
tuberculosis sanatorium, workhouse or asy
lum for tho insane.
Among tho Last
There Is every reason why Pennsylvania
should have been among tho first rather
than tho last of the States to guard their
young workers with adequato care. Tho
Fedeial census of 1910 revealed that there
were moro children between tho ages of 14
and 16 years omployed in Pennsylvania than
in any other State. In the various branches
of tho textile industry alone over 11,000 girls
and boys were found working, with moro
than seven times that number in all the
industries of the State. This more than
triples the record of textile Massachusetts
and nearly doubles that of New York. The
same unenviable leadership Is maintained in
the actual proportions of working children
to adults.
Pennsylvnnlans can no longer be persuaded
that the future of the mighty industries of
tho Keystone State depends upon overtaxing
the undeveloped bono and musclo of her
children.
MY GARDEN
A garden Is a lovesome thing, God wot!
Rosa plot.
Frlng'd pool,
Fern'd grot
The veriest school
Of peace; and yet the fool
Contends that God is not
Not God! In gardens! when the eve is cool?
Nay, but I have a sign;
TIs very sure God walks In mine,
Thomaa Edward Brown.
THE WIRELESS
O
hoop so broken that the electricity sparked
across the gap.
Not even Hertz himself realized the tremen
dous Importance of his discovery. Men like
Professor Lodge, Lord Kelvin and Sir William
Preece talked of it, but It remained for the
young Italian dreamer to Jump across the gap
of years of scientific study and make practical
the most Important discovery since Faraday
Invented the Induction coll. Tha thought came
to Marconi that here waa a principle which
should be applied to communication oyer great
distances.
The Idea, as we look back on It ,now, seems
absurdly simple. Hertz detected a spark In
a broken hoop, a few feet away from the
flash of an induction coll. Why didn't he get
a better detector than a broken hoop and a
better transmitter than a small Induction coil,
and send out flashes in suob a manner that
the detector would record a message? ThS
only answer Is, he didn't do It. Why didn't
Lodge or Kelvin or Preece or any one of boats
of famous scientists utilize Hertz's discovery?
Kie answer is, they didn't.
It remained for a young man, unknown and
Inexpert, to grasp the possibilities. He ex
pected some one else to do It, he waited for
some one else to do it He did not know who
It would be, for th'e surprising reason that to
him the great scientists were unnamable. He
was not acquainted wltlj their work or even
their names except Hertz's. He was not an
electrician. He1 held no academic or scientiflo
degree. But seniun burped within him, and
he began ta experiment for himself. That
was in pesemPW, 1S94,
- '.'. . m
A "STRENGTH TEST S
BEST THOUGHT IN AMERICA
DIGEST OP
(1) McClure'o "The Man From tho
Front."
(2) Masses "Submarines."
TWO WAR STORIES
WITH tho coming of spring, the magazine
tvar-story season has opened. It will be
a long season, no doubt, laBtlng for months
nnd years after the last cartridge hns been
fired and the last wound healed. But it was
slow In opening, and took nearly nine
months to mature
First in the war literature of the rnaBa
zlnes camo analysis of the causes and ef
forts to place tho responsibility. Descrip
tions followed of mobilization, of besieged
cities, of tho trenches under flro.
This month thero are somo real war
stories. Arthur Stringer puts some clever
psychology In- his "Man From the Front,"
in McCluro's (1):
Summing up tho story briefly: The
"man" is Gruellch, a dilettante and adventure-seeker,
who had been overtaken and
caught in the thick of war as ho motored
through Belgium with his chauffeur-valot-
handyman. The chauffeur "got a bit of
shrapnel under his ribs" and has been taken
straight to tho hospital. Gruellch, who has
Just returned to America, has agreed to
meet half a dozen old friends at the club
at midnight, and tho men gather eagerly,
Bcontlng a good yarn, for Gruellch la a fa
mous raconteur. Tho preparation for his
ontranco is well handled tho sumptuous
club, tho midnight hour, tho sophisticated
New York clubmen, their Impatience as they
wait, which Is whetted by Mylott, who had
met Gruellch at tho steamer that after
noon, and who repeats snatches of the halr
ralslng experiences told him by tho chauf
feur while Gruellch was away arranging for
a stretcher and ambulance for the man.
Thero was a concerted movement and murmur
of greeting as Gruellch catered tho room. The
members were not given to effusiveness. Gruel
lch was In evening dress and as Immaculate
as ever. But thero was a difference. When
he shook hands, silently and solemnly, his
hand was Uko a dead fish. He waited In a
moment of staring Indecision, and then settled
Into hUi chair with an audible sigh, The others
stood about waiting.
It wrs the Senator who spoke, "You must
have had qulto a trip, Gruellch," he prompted
in his chesty baritone. The others stood about
like penguins, watching the newcomer's face.
It was quite without color. "Which trip?"
asked Gruellch without so much as turning
his head. His voice seemed as listless as his
eyeB. "Over there, in the war zone," again
prompted the Senator, "qulto a time of It I
imagine, eh?" A barricaded look came into
GrueUch's face, "Yes," ho finally and slowly
acknowledged, "qulto a time of it," An un
broken silence reigned for several minutes. It
was Marr who spoke next. "You saw a good
deal of the fighting over there, Mylott tells me."
Grucllch's spare body heaved with a small
slsh. "Yes," he said at last, without emotion.
"You're tired, old man, a bit tired?" suggested
the anxlous-eyed Mylott. "No, I'm not tired,
You see I had a nap before I came up here.
I I find I sleep a great deal these days " "I
Imagine you'd need It, Gruellch, after come of
those nights you went through," suggested the
Admiral, "Yes," nssented Gruellch, "I seem
to need It." "Which was your worst night
over incrov inquired spayer. "The worst?"
echoed Gruellch. He sighed again. "They all
seemed about the same," he said.
"I wish your fire wouldn't crackle that m
Gruellch finally complained out of the silence
"Why?" demanded Crotty. "I don't know
why," was the listless answer, "bqt it seema
to bother me." "Bemlnd you of the cr-r-rack
of a mitrailleuse?" deliberately interrogated
Bpayer, whoso patience had been exhausted,
Gruellch did not answer. But the next moment
they saw him cover his face with his hands,
and then draw them slowly downward with a
scarcely perceptible quivering movement of the
body, "I I can't talk about It," he said In a
sort of awed whisper, as he sat staring Into
the flames raptly, dumbly, as unconscious of
the circle about him as if he were alone on
the Sahara. And as he stared vacantly and
Inanely Into that fire, tears could be seen
dropping slowly from his face and watery
eyes. Ho made no effort to hide them, for he
was as unconscious of them as ha was of the
watchers about htm. Ho did not appear to be
actually weeping. He merely appeared to be
tired, tired to the extent of an ultimate in
difference, which left him oblivious of his
attitude and his environment- His mind
seemed a long way off. Somo one in the
shadowy background sighed audibly, and a
soda B'Pnon """d. But Gruellch still sat.
perched on the edge of the massive chair, star
ing mutely into the Are.
An Agitator in the Ranks
Ernest Poole, a young New Yorker, au
thor of the popular "Harbor." which has
run tbrdugh six editions in tho six weeka
since it appeared, has been war corro
apondtnir, too, and he baa written a. real
war -storjr fer tha Haajea jx sbJLch mhAbs
THE MAGAZINES
-.1
added Interest from belnr-
a true ratlitj
, """" "' o gives a searchinr
picture of tho "between times" of warfarl
when, relaxing from the tension of the fl
-k uno, as ne is shifted from one battli
front to another, the soldier hnv - .1
oll 1 ,. ... ..-- . "" v HV,1
-. . ... ullc ,, ol xao railway cari
...- n.,u atopn to tntnit, perhaps forthl
first time in tho hurry and confusion of l!
mi, since ne joined the colors:
With a rush, eorno nix or eight peaiint
soldiers scrambled Into the compartaentTinS
were wet and muddy and worn. In Its. thiS
five minutes they sat with mouths open, fut
" " mi. Jio uin not look Uk i
pcasant-ho looked moro like a factory haul
There was something so lean and hungry, it
intensely eager in his eyes. Ho did not notlci
mo watching him, for with an almost HrjM
intensity be was studying the faces of toil
peasant comrades with whom he had tj
thrown. He seemed to study them one by cm,
s e stopped at a station and they all amkv
Tho group began to talk. There was talk ek
trenches, of deep mud and water, and mci
,.i7 .i "' a onoi cnarge In whlcn he. m i
killed 10 Frenchmen. Then followed soma 1
' uuuui a apaue. Home one In the Oeraia
trenches. It seemed, held up a spade ivtrii
morning, anil presently from tho Frencl 1
trenches nn answering spade appeared, where
upon both French and Germans climbed out i
of their holes, and there was a truce of II 1
minutes-one of tho toilet arrangements of till
war, Flnnlly somebody wondered how lcc
tho war was going to last. And then the km.
faced man, tho watcher, began to talk S
theso comrades whoso faces he had studied
bo carefully, ono by one. His talk at first mi
careful, too. "We're a hard crowd of fellofi
to beat," ho declared, nnd to this the othert
promptly agreed. "But so aio the French and
the English," ho added, "and I think the wii
will last for years. And when It Is over what
will we get out of It?"
Ha talked about war taxes. He asked eaci
peasant what tax ho had paid on his farm
before tho war. Then he said the taxes wou'J
be doubled for years to come, and the lon(
the war lasted, the longer and the header
would b the taxes to be paid. "But that i
not our Kaiser's fault," said a stout, good:
natured peasant. "It is tho fault of EngUd
and the French nnd Russians, Don't you knoi
they started tho war. the devils?," "TW
Governments did," said tho lean-faced mm
"But I've talked with some of those fellowi
when we took them prisoners. The FrescS
are good fellows, like oursolveB." "Yes, tbej
are good follows," the good-natured peanut
agreed. "And they did not start the war. U
Itussla, the Czar, ho started it off. becaust
tho workingmen up in Petersburg were maUni
mm trouble; they even had barricades in tai
streets. So he started tho war to stop the!
Btrikes. And In Franco It was the fat CathoU?
priests and all tho rich people who want
king. In England, I read in the paperi, tb(J
have had a hard time to get the worklnjmA
to enlist."
"They ar eownrrts." said a neasant "It.
but they did not start the war. I tell youttJjf
war was Btarted by a lot of fat rich jxwS
.ana we are the fellows who have to get m
And If wo don't get killed, by God.
hnv In nnv ivn lti.nl An4 think Of tH
widows we'll have to help. All the feilefil
who are killed are leaving in every vuw
widows and little brats who will have t M
fed. And the villages will have to feed ttf
And that will mean more taxes. And tM
Iflnra. nil .Vila flnl.,ln . .... ttlA Tn-ratlXii
.-..out , wtto 4iillll!t, fauca w, iwv ....- i
we will have to Day." ;
All tho faces were gloomy now. Tha
natlir-H nQun -IaI 1rr Viilt rat HO VL
sponsp. "Well, we're In for it," so"'110!!
growled. "All tho same," said the iean-i.t
tnnn T'II Vta rln .,-.. .liA-a'a nflr. Ill Hi
glad when we all Jump up out of the trwchj! I
ana all the French fellows do the eanw. yj
we all run across and shake hands wiw ,
other." "That will be fine," said the p
t1oiii.i1 Knnnn. i.TTTMt J l an rtrtrl U U !
n-dtt 1- riifH irj.. .IU.a In air ftnnt lUt S
the sneaker reDlled. "What?" "Some JtW!
told me that where ho was our men .JZ
ann-a n J ,U . -n.-At. .11.4 ,frA cam- find U-
...V.V., WIU KIB flCm.U UIU --...-. - hf
iney ran out ana all shooK nanus. rgj
dloillke this at the trenches." He made fgl
at which they all laughed. But the lauPjEjll
Bioppeq, ana tnere was a tense sunn -
can't do that to your officers," growM 1
man uneasily, "It'a a lie and it never m
pened," said another peasant. "You 5
making it up." "Perhaps It is a He." s,yj
nnenWor "hut Ihgl la tvhnt tha fehW slf
Ho threw a vigilant glance along the f!!
races. i
"And when you come to think of t'.'' a
continued ouletlv. "It la not so bad what
fellows did. You must obey your t&u"',3
cause this is war, and if we f eliowi flj
ooey, everything would an do rni a
the French would charge and kill us . 'S
if whole regiments everywhere J"mP?;j5:
or me trencnes, as ne saia, ana an w- "&
men did the same, and we met In the Pjr;
of the field, then there would be war bo Pg
and no need of officers." . d5fl
There waa a long, uneasy silence, "s
like this talk," muttered tbs good-natured JH
t. 41 in 11U UUU l l, j j.f,
are right, brother," another growled. r
Will get us a into trpUDie. ne "'. m
unorlTv In tha innalnv. "F.OOk OUt' .,
there's no trouble," the speaker repU
Just told you what the fellow saia, ri
t.- . , VA - TlrBt.
lie waul wrpn am- pei-uupa v " .---
Wilt auout omettilns else insieau .
The lean-faced man had ?"!
paper with a relieved expression. ;r
ba bad put tbrousb. his 300 iw