8 HARRBBORG TELEGRAPH A SmvSPAPBR FOR THE HOME Pemmdtd it# Published evenings except Sunday by THE TKLEGRirH PBDTnHO CO, Telimib BdWu. Federal Soare. HJ. STACKPOLK. fW amd Editor-in-C kit f K B. OYBTKR, Butmoa Manager. OtJS V. STEINMBTZ, Managing Editor• Member American ■ylvanl* Asaoclat- Batm office. Story. Rrfioks & New em office. Story. B*ooks & Finley, Gas Build- Entered at the Post Otrice in Harris burs. Pa., as second class matter. ~-ciW-2y>.. By carriers, ten cents week: by mall. $5.00 a •aSlJ**' year in advance. SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH St The unffratefvl shall not prosper.— KORAX. ■ THE REPUBLIC THOU, too, sail on, O Ship of State! Sail en, O Union, strong; and great! Humanity with all its fears. With all Its hope* •( future years. Is hanging breathless on thy fate! .We knew what Master laid thy keel, What Workmen wreught thy ribs ef steel. Who made each mast, and sail, aad repe. What anvils rang, what hammers beat, la wha't a forge aad what a heat W'ere shaped the anchors ef thy hope! Fear not eaeh sudden sonnd and shock, ' Tie ef the wave and not the rock) "Tls but the flapping of the sail, Aad not a rent made by the gale! la spite of rock and tempest's rosr. In spite of false llghta on the shore, Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea! Oar hearts, onr hopes are all with thee. Oar hearts, onr hopes, onr prayers, our I tears. Our faith triumphaat o'er our foes, Are all with thee are all with thee! -—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. j At the risk of interminable repeti tion the TELEGRAPH again urges the owners of vacant lots and open space.* everywhere to plant food stuffs of every j kind as soon as the weather will per mit. Let the girls and boys and thot>e I of maturer years aitl in this important i work. WILLING TO AID CITY SO long as the city is managed un der the commission form of government, it Is the duty of every citizen to uphold the hands of those responsible for the duties vested in the City Council. It ought also to be the aim and ambition of every one of tiie commissioners to give his very best effort to the working out of the problems which are involved in the maintenance of an efficient adminis tration. It is unfortunate, of course,! that Mayor Meals is incapacitated for | any serviee and that there Is a va- j cancy by reason of the death of Com missioner Bowman. However, these facts should not In- ! terfere with effective service in every j department. There are hundreds of j good citizens In Harrisburg who are J willing to give their aid to the com- ! missioners and nothing should stand j In the way of practice aiuniclpal ad- | ministration. Too often projects affecting widely the welfare and best interests of the ' city are menaced by over-zealous per sons. who mistake criticism and per- j sonal abuse for conductive effort. The controversy over tffe selection of an architect for the school building pro- j gram is a case in point. This is a mat ter so important to the city from every point of view that great good sense : should be exercised in every phase of j the discussion. HK'LP THE HOTEL PROJECT A FINAL conference is being held by the directors of the Harris- I burg Hotel company this after- ' noon preparatory to approving tße j plans of the collaborating architects | and the United Hotels Company, which will manage the Penn-Harris. The Im portance of this conference cannot be overestimated in view of the present hotel situation in the city. With the passing of the Common wealth to-day the inadequate facilities for public entertainment are enor mously emphasized. It was hoped that the present hotels would continue even after the Penn-llarris was in operation, but as the largest of the old hotels has now closed Its doors the need of prompt and expeditious ac tion in the matter of the line struc ture which is to be erected on the site of the old opera house Is forced~home upon every Harrisburger who Is Inter ested in the city and Its prosperity. President Wallower and those asso ciated with him In the business nego tiations involved in this large under taking realize the responsibility rest ing upon them and. In spite of the ris ing cosr in every direction, they are determined to supply this one big need without a moment's loss of time. In this connection, however, It may be said that those who have not yet In dicated their Interest in this enterprise by becoming stockholders should come to tha front and show their abiding faith in their home city and their continuing interest in its wel fare. It ought not to be necessary to canvass the town further In this mat ter. A telephone call or a letter to the Secretary of the Chamber of Com merce Is all that Is necessary to have your name enrolled among those who have done a patriotic public service in subscribing to the fund necessary to provide this greatly- needed hotel. If yoa can't take much, you should at least show your interest by buying one share of stock and thus become SATURDAY. EVENING. enrolled among thooo who want tp see Harrisburg placed more largely upon the map than ever before. Those who have studied the comprehensive and attractive plans for the Interior and exterior of the hotel have expressed widespread satisfaction over the in telligent study which haa been made of this important problem. It is going to be a hotel of which any city might be proud. When the TELEGRAPH strongly ad vocated, two years ago, the introduc tion of military training in the schools of Harrisburg, especially the organiza tion of a battalion composed of on* company each from the Harrisburg Academy, the St. Patrick's Parochial schools and the two high schools, there was little Interest manifested outside the Technical school. Our people In this respect are not different from those the country over. Indifference has characterized this whole important matter from the start and from those in high places down the line. ELISHA LEE AND THE RAILROADS THE. appointment of Elisha Lee to be general manager of the Pennsylvania railroad lines east of Pittsburgh was made on merit, as most Pennsylvania promotions are. Mr. Lee is a big man In the railroad world. Big men are required at this stage. The government at Washing ton and those of the several States have been the upper and the nether millstones between which the life is being steadily ground out of tKe rail roads of the country. Many of them already are in the hands of rtceivers. Others will follow If conditions do not improve. Despite the fact that they have more freight than they can handle, the railroads cannot meet the ever increasing expenses imposed upon them. President Willard, of the Baltimore and Ohio Company, it is understood, will appear shortly before a congres sional committee to advocate the fed eralization of railroad control. This is a radical step and all the more re markable that It Is to be taken by the I railroads themselves. The reason lies back of the unfair legislation, State and national, that has been directed against them. About the only expense entering into the life of the community that is much cheaper to-day—outside of steel products—than twenty years ago Is railroad transportation, but not even the Elisha Lees of the service will be able to maintain that distinc tion for long under present conditions and they have come to the point where they propose to shoulder the respon sibility for rate advances on the gov. ernment, which has taken such an active interest in railroad affairs from other angles. Real estate Is about to have a boom in this city. Upon every street activity is shown and a number of important developments are said to be under con sideration. While we are preparing for war, we must also prepare for peace. ENCOURAGING THE BIRDS THE HARRISBURG TELE GRAPH Is heartily In accord . with a movement set afoot In America by the National Association of Audubon Societies to have the min isters of the country use their influ ence for the conversion of ceipeteries into bird sanctuaries. Responses al ready indicate a wide interest throughout the country. Some types of landscape architecture are said to have driven the birds away from these haunts. The removal of underbrush has deprived the feathered songsters of food supplied by the berries, as well as nesting places. Modern tree surgery has removed dead limbs and filled with cement holes formerly used as homes by some vrrieties of the little songsters. The plan is said to involve little expense. It provides for the planting of bushes which will supply berry food, the growing of rye, wheat and sunflowers in spots where the beauty of the landscape will not be marred, bird-houses In trees, the providing of drinking fountains and other inexpen sive helps to the birds. Cat-proof ! fences are recommended, especially j where the cemeteries are in or near cities. Said T. Gilbert Pearson, secretary of the Audubon societies: What isolated spots could be more welcome to birds? No place in the world ought to speak more forcibly to us of the Resurrection than the cemeteries of our land. In them we should hear inspiring bird-songs, note the nest ing of birds and the little ones preparing for their flight into the world. There we should And beauti ful flowers and waving grain, typical of the spiritual harvest which should be associated in our minus with comfort and peace. The movement is worthy of atten tion Iri every community. Bird-life is not alone an attractive feature of summer life; it serves a very useful purpose. It should be encouraged. It is pleasant to hear from so many of the readers of this newspaper com mending this or that feature of the evening visitor. These are the letters which encourage those who are making the newspaper from day to day to do their utmost to produce a paper that will always be welcome in the homes of Central Pennsylvania. THE NEWSPAPER'S PART THE TELEGRAPH 1s pleased to be one of the instruments chosen by Secretary Daniels to assist In procuring recruits for the Navy. Its columns are at the disposal of the gov ernment in this crisis. It will do what it can. Throughout the war with Mexico, tho Civil War and the Spanish. American War the TELEGRAPH, both as a newspaper and through the men from Its own force who went with the troops, has "done Its bit." Just now It. with all other Ameri can newspapers. Is called upon to re frain from publication of certain lines of military and naval news. Like other loyal journals. It will go &, step beyond the government's require ments. No matter how Interesting or Important the item, nothing will be published that may "give aid or com fort to the enemy." If you wonder why you do not get more "war news" of the preparedness kind, that Is the reason. HXRItIBBURG tlfijftl TTXEGKXPH The Days of Real Sport By BRIGGS Copyrighted 1917 by Hi* Tribune Assoc. (N* York Tribune) EDITORIAL COMMENT THEY'LL LEARN IN TIME Of course Russia does not yet know how to conduct popular elections so as to get the most out of them, but we dare say that after the first one some muhdek will be trundling a for mer prince around the block in a wheelbarrow and an ex-premier will be rolling a peanut with his nose, just like Americans who have enjoyed the blessings of the franchise for 140 years—Grand Rapids Press. NEED STENOGRAPHERS Evacuating Noyon, the enemy carried oft by force 50 girls from 15 to 25 years of age.—Official French bulletin. "Military necessity," of course.—New York World. THEY'LL NEVER BELIEVE THIS One thing negligent and inefficient parents should remember. The Legis lature will*never have wisdom enough to do .successfully for children at a distance what parents fail and neglect to do on the spot. The Legislature can't reach the spot.—Houston Post. Labor Notes Additional facilities for giving re turned soldiers technical training to fit them for new occupations in civil life have been provided in Montreal, Canada. A scheme has been devised in Man chester. England, to indicate by a shop-window sign businesses which are being carried on by soldiers' wives. . The judiciary committee of the Con necticut General Assembly favors a bll that will end the practice of im porting armed guards during strike times. Eighty per cent, of the Canadian operatives employed in the execution of new and continuation contracts for shells of all sizes from 2.75 inches to 4.5 inches are women. A Lesson in Patriotism (New Bedford, Mass., Standard) How many times the ignorant for eigners In this country have taught us the lesson of patriotism! An inci dent happened some time ago in New York City. Downtown there is a store where one can trade cigaret coupons for premiums. If you want cash, the cou pons are worth half a cent apiece. The store is filled with glass cases, in which there are sliver coffee urns, genuine chinaware, collar buttons, fish poles, etc. I was cashing a number of coupons when a swarthy Italian entered and shuffled up to the counter. Hie hair looked as if It had never felt a comb. His hands and face were covered with mud from the building excavations across the street. In his fist he held a crumbled and greasy mass of coupons, which he shoved half timidly over the counter. The girl clerk was a gum chewer. More than that, she was painted and powdered until her features resembled the side of a newly painted barn. "Whaddy ya wan?" she chewed, eye ing the Italian closely from under her penciled eyebrows. "Gimme da biga flag," he whispered. It was the most natural thing in the world for the girl clerk to hand hfm a cheap Italian flag. Thf man touched It devotedly with his soiled fingers. A far away look entered his eyes. "No dis a-one. I wan' de Unita State flag." 1 left the store, gazing at my eighty nine cents rather shamefacedly. A Predicament [From Answers, London.] it was the night of nights. Isabella had said "yes." Isabella's father had said "yes," and Isabella's "young man" was happy. So was Isabella. Minutes ticked away as they sat hand in hand, not caring for conver sation. blissfully content to sit, and sit In each other's proximity. But suddenly Isabella's young man grew restless. He began to twitch and pull fearsome faces. His facial contortions got worse and worse, till at last Isa bella got scared and cried; "What is It, beloved? Tell your Isabella! Are you subject to fits?" "No, no. •of course not," said the young man soothingly. "My eyeglasses are falling off and I don't want to leave go of your lovely little hands." Gurgles! Her Faith Made Her WhoW And, behold, a woman, which was diseased twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his gar ment: fot she said within herself. If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said. Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. —Matthew tx, 20 to 22. 'PoCtttco- £k ""ptKKOifCtfCUUa By the Ex-Commit tee man A general Democratic drive against every Republican Congressman who had a close election last fall is now believed to be likely as a result of the proceedings in the United States court against Congressman O. D. Bleakley of Vendngo. It Is understood that the Democratic national leaders and the State bosses made up their minds to test out the election of the Venango man and if successful in their effort to swing in against other men elected last fall. / The plea of Bleakley late yesterday came as a surprise to many people here, Including Democrats who had been watching the developments and at the State headquarters there was considerable buzzing. It Is now be lieved that activity against congress men whose elecUons were formally contested in the winter will be started. —Political strategists in Philadel phia have about decided to allow the war developments to occupy .the cen ter of the legislative stage next week and It is probable that there will be no strenuous efforts to push the bills making changes in the Philadelphia city government or those to curb ac tivity of 'its employes which were so much discussed this week. —An interesting move has been started by people in the suburban dis tricts about Philadelphia, the avowed purpose to get a municipality which will better protect suburban interests. The idea was launched a few days ago at a meeting in Haverford at which it was proposed to have seven boroughs and townships unite. Chester is also moving to take in some outlying dis tricts which would make it larger than Harrisburg. The proposed Haverford merger would make a population the size o£ Harrisburg. The Philadelphia Record to-day says: The hearing on the Mandatory Budget bill before the Senate Commit tee on Municipal Affairs in Councils' Finance Committee room in City Hall, yesterday, resolved itself into one of the liveliest symposiums on finance, bookkeeping and politics held in this city since the days of the Catlln Com mission. Seated beside Senator Edwin H. Vare, chairman of the committee. Senator James P. McNichol opposed the bill now before the Legislature, heckling speakers who favored the measure and defending the present system of financing." —The fall primary bill will be amended In the Senate according to gossip which is now being heard. The bill conflicts with the Jewish new year and the chances are that a chang# which will not interfere with the regis tration days will be effected. —lndustrious efforts are being made to work up a row among third class cities over legislation. The usual mal contents are at work and the Demo cratic bosses In some localities are lending their aid to creating dissatis faction. Some attempts are even be ing made to have the governor veto the bill which would allow councils to fill vacancies. —Members of the Legislature were to-day looking forward to the pre sentation of the general appropriation bill on Monday as the beginning of the end of the session. The data Is being compiled to frame the measure which will contain a pretty fair idea of ap i propriations. Local Option Defeat [Philadelphia Recprd.] We hear much here and elsewhere, every time a measure of the promi nence of this one is voted upon by the Legislature, of the lack of opportunity of the people to be honestly represent ed by members of the Legislature. As n matter of fact no such opportunity Is lacking under our form of government. The trouble is that most of the people who vote do not grasp the occasion presented to them at the primaries and at the regular elections to select men who will faithfully represent them. If the vote in the House on Tues day does not represent the sentiment of a majority of the voters of Penn sylvania on the question of the pass age of a local option law the majority of the people are to blame for It. The question has been agitated for many years. It has been before the Legisla ture at all of the recent sessions and despite the fact that Governor Brum baugh opposed all of the members who voted against the bill two year ago a large number of them were re-elected to the present House, while many of those who voted for the bill were not returned. IS THE PRESENT WAR GREATEST IN HISTORY It seems to be generally accepted that the present war Is altogether the gretest In history; and so It Is In one sense, for undoubtedly there are more men under arms than ever before. But mere numbers or mere size are not themselves of supreme Impor tance. A man is not of greater prom ience because he weighs 280 pounds instead of 150. The present war is by no means the greatest in history, proportionally; that is to say, no one of the nations engaged in the present war is throw ing into the lighting line as many men, in proportion to its population, as has been the case several" times in the past. The real test Is the effort a na tion makes, and on a certain number of occasions in the past those efforts have been greater than those of the present. The greaest effort that the civilized world has ever seen was made on American soil. No nation, neither France nor Germany, and still less any other of the European natlons ; Is throwing to-day Into the firing line such a large proportion of its popu lation as did the North in the Ameri can Civil War nnd as did the South, as the figures in the new Encyclo paedia Britannica show. Undoubtedly, the greatest effort made by any people was that of our own South. When the Civil War broke out, she had a population of nine milliohs, but of this nine millions not less than three and one-half millions were negro slaves who could not tight. In the course of the war. during a period of threp years and nine months, she placed on the firing line a total of slightly over one million men. This was one in nine of her total people, but if the colored are exclud ed. because they were not allowed to tight, she pui slighty more than one million men out of a total of five and one-half million population. In other words, about one In five of her white population, men, women and children, entered the ranks and fought. The record of the South is without parallel in civilized warfare. What makes it the more astonishing is that the South, being entirely agricultural, was not prepared and that the North ern blockade, stopping the incoming of supplies of every kind, was a con stant serious han'dicap. The population of the North in 1860 was twenty-one millions. In the course of the war she put into the field three million men. This was one in seveij of the total population, a number considerably greater than any LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Location of Old Hotel Harrisburg, Pa.. March 31, 1917. To Iht Editor of the Tejegrapli: Sir: 1 want to ask a historical question for your investigation. As 1 | recollect the original Coverly Hotel was not on the site of the Common wealth. It was on the corner of the avenue directly across the street from Market Square Presbyterian Church. I can, of course, be in error on a fact so remote "as the early fifties" but it is clearly In my mind that that was the location about 1852 or later. 1 was then a country lad, but occasion ally came with father to market In the old markethouses In the Square. It is a matter which I think can be definitely settled ana it may be of suf ficient interest to you to Induce you to make the attempt. ALLISON HILL. . (Wells Hotel was located in Second street where the building of the Johnston Paper Company now stands. That corner was once tho site of the Harrisburg postotfice and was occupied by hotels for years under various names. When Coverly retired It became a business establishment. — Editor). Co-operating With France (From the Troy Record) On sentimental grounds it would be a magnificent thing to pledge our un limited financial support to France; it would mean the paying of a long standing dot't to French republican idealism which aided us in our strug gle with British Toryism. If we can help In this way. there should be no delay on the part of the next Con gress. We trust such a loan or gift can be made. If as a people we can hearten France In its fight against Junkerism we should respond willing ly and promptly. MARCH 31', 1917.' of the European nations has yet thrown into the firing line. The European war has now lasted two years and seven months. If the war lusts another fourteen months (by which time the duration of. the Euro pean war will equal the Civil War) a large number of additional men will becalled upon to do their "bit," as the English say; but It is improbable that It will bring the fgures to one in seven. In order to reach the figures of one in seven Germany must place in the fighting line between i and 10 million men: France, approximately ti million; Russia, 24 million; Great Britain, from her snug little islands, 6'a mil lion, without counting any from her colonies or from that vast empire on which the sun never sets and whose morning drum is heard round the world. One other point in this matter of size should be considered. The battle of Waterloo was decisive of the Napoleonic struggle and the battle of Gettysburg of the American Civil War. At Waterloo there were not far from 70,00(0 men on each side; at Gettysburg about the same number. In comparison with the vast aggre gate of troops engaged In Europe at present, these figures seem small, but in comparison with many of the most important battles that have ever been fought, the numbers are large. If one examines the figures given in the new Encyclopaedia Britannica of the numbers engaged in the fifteen battles commonly considered "the fif teen decisive battles of the world," one finds that only two or three were fought by greater numbers than at Waterloo and Gettysburg, and several much smaller. At Hastings, William the Conqueror had, perhaps, 50,000 men; at Marathon, where European civilization was saved, the Greeks had but 10,000, and at Saratoga, where the decisive battle of the Revolution was fought, each side had less than 10,000. The Roman armies which conquered the ancient world were not large, and the armies with which England won India could be placed in the present European fighting lines without one's knowing the difference. It will be seen, therefore, that mere numbers are not of prime importance. A fight between two featherweights Is just as real as. and In fact probably calls for more skill than, one between two heavyweights. Americans may well be proud that the two greatest efforts made in the modern world were those of the North and the South in our Civil War. j OUR DAILY LAUGH ARISTOCRATIC. Dobbs—What train do you take :oming Into town In the morning? Bobbs—l used to take the Pinochle Express at 7.44, but since I became t member of the firm I've been '.raveling on the Bridge Whl*t Lim ited. which leaves at 8.23, WILLING TO SHARE HIS WAD. Teacher (sternly) Willie Jone give that chewing gum to me. WJlie —I'll let you have half of II STRATEGIC NOTE • The ruthless destruction wrought, by Germans In French towns they left In a hurry is significant. They don't ex pect to return.—Toledo Blade fr—* B====~g"~~ .1 ■ Ebenittg