18 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH .< NSWSrAPSK FOR THB HOMB IHnndid list Published evenings exoapt Sunday bjr TIM TEUDGRArn PHJimWQ CO* Telegraph Building, Federal Sqnnrfc 13. J. BT ACKPOLB, Prtt't & B4trJ-ChUf F. R. OTBTER, Bnsinttt Manager, OOS M. STEINMETZ, Managing Jtdtfr. Member of the Associated Frees —The Associated Press Is exclusively en titled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to It or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of republication of special dlspatohes herein are also reserved, Member American Ushers' Assocln- Bureau of Clrca yM'jWffijpCoHk latlon and Penn jjv sylvanta Associ ate! H m Eastern office, *S* ren Story, IffiSilt, wff Avenue Building. Western office. Gas' 07 ' Buinflng! _ Chicago, 111. Entered at the Post Office in Harris burg, Pa., as second class matter. By carriers, ten cents a week; by mall, JG.OO a year In advance, — 1 " '■ — 1 11 ——? FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1917 There is no greater wisdom, than null to time the beginnings and on sets of things. —LOUD BACON. GETTING NEARER THE latest "peace terms" of the Kaiser approach more nearly the demands of the allies than any yet submitted. They indicate uvo things—that the imperial familyj f'r.ds it increasingly necessary to put j as good a faoe on Prussianlsm atj home as is possible, while still main- j tabling control of government, and j .he tacit acknowledgment that there is no hope of victory for Ger-| many. Every offer of Germany yields something. First, there was talk of I indemnities to be paid Germany, the retention of the "lost provlncos," the return of Germany's Afrlcau colo nics, the annexation of all or part of Celgium, and other impossibilities of the kind. Now the humbled Kai ser would let go his great African empire in order to dodge financial responsibility in Belgium and is will ing even to talk disarmament. A little later he will be willing to grant still more, and by and by we shall win all for which we are striving. But let nobody be deceived. We cannot talk peace on Germany's present terms. Ono cannot make ' truce with a bear," much less a saber-toothed man-eater. There is the old rhyme of the lady who "went out to ride on a tiger, but returned from the ride with the lady Inside and a smile on the face of the tiger," and we have no desire to play lady to the Kaiser's tiger. President Wil ton is fully acquainted with the facts and very skillfully he has made pub lic, just at the moment of Germany's move to show the world how peace fully inclined she is, the efforts of the imperial government to stir up trouble for us In South America. Cine of the most statesmanlike quail ties the President has displayed has been his ability to checkmate Ger man plots to win sympathy for her self among Americans. He has not only shown himself as keen-witted as the cunning diplomats of Berlin, but in every instance he has come out of the encounter with honors more than even. MORE GERMAN' PROPAGANDA? THE Telegraph Is in receipt to day of the following letter with the request to "please publish:" Under the head of "Publish the Disloyal," I would suggest the ijrst one published should bo the llarrisburg Telegraph. Your con stant harpintf and criticizing the conduct of the war is nothing more than sedition and comfort for Germany. Your news dated Washington should be dated Lo cust street; is nothing more than trash written in your own office. Be wise, or you may have some callers you may not like. "AMERICAN." As was to be expected this letter •was unsigned. The Telegraph would 1-6 only too happy to have this fel low "call." The Telegraph would l:ke him to explain why such a "patriot" has not long ago donned the uniform of his country. It ■would like to know, too, how many Liberty Bonds he owns, how much he has given to the Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A. funds. It would like to know also why such a heroic fig ure should be willing to hide its German-like threats behind an un signed letter. One man out of every five in the employ of this newspaper is In the service of the United States, and more are preparing to go. Its work ing force, from the highest to the lowest, U in the Red Cross and Y. M. C. A. war work. It has as a lorporation and Individually sub scribed liberally to each Liberty Loan and it is prepared to do so u.jain. Its employes have been Ki anted leave of absence with fuli P&y to take part in every war work campaign that has been conducted *ince the nation entered the con liict- It has been a constant sup porter of every war principle laid clown by President Wilson. It yields to none in loyalty or patriotism and its record speaks for itself. But if this unnamed "American" iliinka that this newspaper is to be frightened Into winking its eye at official incompetence In high places he la mistaken. When beef that should bare gone to American ol- FRTDAY EVKNTSrn, dlers tn France U loft to rot in the hold of a ship, whon wheat and po tatoes are spoiled and thro n over board, when a large percentage of our boys in camp are left without uniforms, when oniaial incapacity results in our men depending upon Prance for rifle* and maohlne (runs and when lack of preparedness pre vents the second draft frora being put into effect because there is no clothing for the soldiers, it does feel called upon to raise its voloe in protest The Telegraph would not be true to its readers did it hide these faots and it proposes to pub lish them in full, so that inefficiency at Washington may be discouraged and our boys at the front and In the camps given the fair deal to whltA they are entitled. Every error in the conduct o! the war is costing the lives of our own soldiers and those of our allies. Ev ery publication of true conditions aids In cvrrectlng mistakes. Nobody questions the patriotism of Secre tary Daniels or Secretary Baker. Both are true blue Americans. But they are not qualified for the places thev hold. They have had ti learn by experience and this is no time to acquire knowledge in that way. Tho biggest, most experienced men in the nation, regardless of party, are none too good for the work we have in hand. The President should be surrounded by the ablest men of the land and the Telegraph, for one, will be content with i;oth ing less. As for the Telegraph's Washington dispatches, they are from the wires of the Associated Press, the biggest, oldest and most reliable news gathering association in the world. They appear in thou sands of newspapers and their truth and integrity are unquestioned. Fur thermore the investigations now un der way are being conducted by the President's closest friends and they are men who desire nothing but that the people know the truth so that existing errors may be corrected. To keep from the public knowl edge that our soldiers in camp are largely without arms and that the clothing supply is insufficient for those waiting to be called would be merely to give aid to Germany. Nothing would please the Kaiser better than to have the American people believe all is well with the conduct of the war the while we were committing colossal blunders, and our letter writing critic lays himself open to suspicion of being an agent of German propaganda when he threatens the Telegraph for giving space to dispatches that are appearing In every loyal news piper in the land. If "American" doeen't like this let him corns around to the office with his objec tions—but not at night with mask and blackjack. The Telegraph reprinted last night from the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle an editorial under the head of "The Man and the Job." The credit line was in advertently omitted, but most people will agree with the sentiments there in expressed as to the sidetracking of General Leonard Wood in the present war. A POTENTIAL FORCE NOW that the powers and periods of service of the volun teer State police, the organi zation of which was provided for by the last Legislature, have been de fined, it is expected that Governor Brumbaugh will complete thq nam ing of tho men who are to act In aso of emergency in their home communities. The volunteer State lollcemen will be a body separate rom the Reserve Militia, which is to •eplace the National Guard to all intents and purposes and which will ho armed and equipped and given -juarters in armories by the Com •nonwealth, but It will be a fully qualified body for sheriffs and chiefs of police to fall back upon. Many men of prominence in affairs have been enrolled as members of this po lice force, and as they will serve on call, they will form a potential force for the authorities when needed. In a number of communities men connected with home defense organ nations have been commissioned as members of the volunteer police, giv ing the force the value of training ind discipline and in many cases of nilitary experience. There is a place ; n industrial Pennsylvania for the volunteer police and as the powers of government and men have been carefully laid down there should be within a few months organizations cflected in every county. AN ALT- THE YEAR GIFT DO you want to give your boy a Christmas gift that won't cost very much, but which will be a source of pleasure and benefit to him constantly for fifty-two weeks and which will leave Its Impress favor ably upon his physical and spiritual being all his life? The Harrlsburg Y. M. C. A. is the thing. The association has been rejuve nated. Boys are welcome there now. Special arrangements are made to care for them. Gymnasium classes are open to them. A boys' secretary is In charge. There are rooms es pecially fitted up for them. They are taught how to take care of ihelr bodies and live clean lives. Every boy whose father is ab'.e to Invest the price ought to be in the association, and if you have no boy of your own and do have the money to spare, look about y MAD SPeecM A~r The AD CLUB LuMCneoM AT Thp 1 datc awd yoo srsss- a' athlet " CLua mm Th-H- bb B;V- *,# r hardt is talked of for registration commissioner to succeed Mayor-elect A. T. Connell in Scranton, but his membership .in the House bars that. However, if Representative John E. Arthur can take a municipal job in Philadelphia, Ehrhardt's friends say they do not see why he should be barred. Registration places are within the gift of the Governor. —Erie councilmen threaten to cut down salaries rather than increase the tax rate. ■ —Governor Brumbaugh has three Judges and two public service com missioners to name. There may be some Christmas gifts. —Ex-Representative H. W. Ber gey, of Montgomery, has left his edi torial desk and gone into the Army. —Ex-Sheriff G. K. Fegley, of Sha mokin, is dead. He was long prom inent in Northumberland affairs. —Fred T. McDonald, a£out whose affairs In Chester county there has been much noise in the North American, says that if he owes the county money it will be paid as he does not want what does not be long to him. —Hazleton's police force is down to eight, a loss of six, in spite of increase of salaries. —Reading city council is trying to see if it can vote money for coun sel fees to fight fare increases. —The taxable real property In Allegheny county was assessed at $1,270,129,260 in 1917, according to the report of County Treasurer E. D. Friebertshauser on the taxes col lected during the past year. This is an Increase of $20,000,000 over the 1916 valuation. There was a much greater increase in 1917 in the val uation of personal property subject to tax, which includes stocks, bonds and money at interest. In 1917 this wa sassessed at $340,510,792, an in crease of more than $50,000,000 over 1916, when the personal property valuation was $289,865,640. BOOKS AND MAGAZINES "In the National Army Hopper." i (J. B. Llppineott Company. 25 cents j net). The boys in camp are going j to find this little book just the thing j to send home to their people, to give j a vivid realization of what they p.re doing from day to day. And the peo-1 pie at home are going to want the \ book, in order to understand that 1 new world into which they'have sent; their sons, brothers, fathers andj sweethearts. Written by a noted Army officer, who knows his subject from A to Z, it is surprising to the Inexperienced or the outsider to find how much of j this information is practically new, j In that few of us have had any op-! portunity to get a complete detailed survey of the soldier's life and duty, i The new soldier is so busy ea' n-j ing new things that he has little time} to 'hang heavy' over his he&d. In fact, he Is, our author assures us, 1 ready for the most popular amuse-! ment In camp, 'hitting the hay,' when' taps sound across the night air, Andj insomnia is practically a lost art among the soldiers of the Army at home or abroad. LETTERS TO. THE EDITOR A PREACHER'S MAIL To the Editor of the Telegraph: Do you care to have a glimpse at a preacher's mail? Here is an in teresting, and suggestive letter which I take pleasure in handing to you. It may serve to help you see how much some people think of us; and some other things. "As there are at least 1,500 fami lies in Harrlsburg without fuel, coal in small quantities selling at $21.00 a ton, a tremendous number of peo ple are starving, while the loafer priests and preachers are drawing big salaries and rendering no re turn. Following precedents, would it not be in order for your next ser mon to be on the text, 'The Lord Tempers the Wind to the Shorn Lamb?' "What idiocy and folly It all Is. Now be henest. You need not &peak it from the pulpit, because you would lose your Job. Don't you really know that this church business, and preaching is the greatest farce on earth?" It isn't worth while to say that the writer of this letter offers a text from Sterne's "Sentimental Jour ney." rather than from the Word of God. I am sure that my brethren among the priests and the preachers wish that we could relieve the coal situation, and some other situations which are more threatening. Sincerely, G. E. HAWES, Market Square Church. Dec. 20, 1917. War Expenditures and Their After Effects IT is a pretty common thing, now a-days, to hear of expenditures j that run into the billions so common that most of us pay little at- j tention to it any more. But how much is a billion dol- i lara? To get an idea of just howl enormous a sum it is, stop to think that since the birth of Christ, or in' other words, since the year one, only! a little over one billion seven million j minutes have elapsed. And then to think that the crops! of 1917 put approximately ten bil-i lion dollars of new wealth into the country and that the United States and her allies will spend between fif- I teen billion more for war supplies. | That's a total of at least twenty- j two billion dollars that will be! thrown into circulation in this coun-' try—as many dollars as there tire* minutes in 41,856 years—think of it. j The tremendous sums that have, been expended in this country since the beginning of the war are all that have caused the present prosperity and high prices. Nothing else has put the price of farm products where it is, nothing else has put the price of labor where it is—nothing else has put the price of lumber where It is. we have the money—naturally we invest it to make more—that makes LABOR NOTES Frisco waitresses ask an increase of $1 a week. There are 1,000,000 Mexican la borers in this country. Telephone girls at Moose Jaw, Canada, have formed a union. Baton Rouge (La.) painters have secured an eight-hour day. Railway signalmen have 17 local stations and a membership of 855. British co-operative societies did a business of over $800,000,000 last year, Virginia labor unions demand the elimination of convict-made goods. THE FERMENT People everywhere are learning some things from war which makes them critical. The experts were wrong. They said Germany and England could not raise five or six billion dollars a year each for three years running. Germany and Eng land have done it. The authority of expert judgment Is weakened. The established scheme, taking it by and large, got the world into a frightful calamity. There is less re spect for the established scheme. With half of her best male labor cut of the country, and merely con-, sumlng, England is producing prac tically as much food, clothing, luel, iron, steel, and such basic neces saries, as ever; and In addition Is producing mountains of guns, shells, a,nd powder, which are immediately destroyed. . , Of course people are saying: What if we produced at this rate with all the soldiers working, too, and all turning out useful goods? Would there be any excuse for any lack ot useful goods anywhere in the coun try ? They see that this, increased pro duction was brought about by a searching reorganization, which largely cast aside the old scheme of competitive individualism, co-ordin atlng Industry to broad common ends. Of course they are How much of this reorganization shall we retain in peace? llow shall it be directed and applied? And all the while one hears the slightly muffled voices of the old or der. Labor Is mtiQh dlssat sfied— apparently, on the whole, liking the new organization less than the old. Shipowners are grumbling at the wav the Government manages the merchant fleet. The food trades protest against this or that regula tion. Everywhere you see a sub dued but restive straining at the leash. Evidently only the tremen dous emotional appeal of war In duces acquiescence In the new ar ! rangement. I It would be astonishing, and very discouraging, if all that the war has taught aa to the value of broader economic organization and better ar ticulation of industry should be abandoned. We have no Idea that It will be. Neither have we any Idea that the old economic and political organization Is to be thrown into the melting post and recast. Big and permanent social changes do not come about in that way. —Saturday leveeing Posk the demand and the demand forces I prices upward. I But the twenty-two billion dollars i to be expended now is far in excess | of the expenditures made up to this ! time and it, therefore, naturally fol-, i lows that great prosperity, higher | prices for labor and materials will ' prevail, at least until after the war. And then, you ask, what about ! after the war? In the case of lum : ber, prices are certain to Jump etill I higher. In the first place, since the ! war began, our exports of building : material have fallen off $38,000,000, almost half. If our exports only re turned to their normal level, ther©- i fore, there would be a greatly in creased demand for building mater | ial in this country and you know the demand regulates the price at every i turn of the road. But there is the . reconstruction of the vast areas that I have been devastated by the war, ! that must be considered—the re building of the hundreds of towns and cities that have been laid flat. That means an unusual European demand—it means an increase In our exports that will far surpass the nor mal level—it means a drain on Amer ican building materials that is cer tain to cause prices to soar for years to come.—By H. V. Scott, Daven port, lo\ya. • TRACTORS FOR FARMERS Our stocks of horses have been de pleted by the demands of war. The supply of labor has been made Insuf ficient by the same cause In almost every field of Industry. The fanners feel both these shortages more than any other class. England has had the same experience in an even severer form, and she has found re lief in the greatly increased manu facture and use of steam tractors. Farmers are rather slow to make changes, but in this country, be cause farm labor has generally been scarce, the farmers have been quick to adopt labor-saving machines. The sickle and the scythe gave way to the reaper and the mower as soon as these appeared, wbile the use of the once familiar flail is unknown in these days of the steam thresher. The farmers, particularly in the west make free use of the automobile. It is but a step further to the steam tractor, which will do the work of several teams and requires the em ployment of fewer men. This is appreciated by the farm ers, and a new demand for farm tractors Is the result. The manu facture is checked by the difficulty of getting sufficient steel. This should be remedied. The govern ment should wake up to this special situation, which seems to have es caped its attention. For unleM it takes the matter in hand and grant priority to steel for the manufac ture of tractors, the American farm er qannot do his part as he should in sustaining the country In this period of exhausting war.—Phila delphia Press. SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE She stands alone beside the gate. Where oft with him she stood before, And seems to hear his voice relate Life's sweetest story o'er and o'er; A hand she feels upon her own, Unconsciously a tender glance She gives, then starts and stands alone, The lover sleeps—Somewhere In France. She could have kept him If she would— His heart and soul were all her own—, But true love knsw and understood Thai Honor is its own true throne, She heard the bugles' blaring sound And whispered,—"Go and take your chance," There 'mid the scenes of war he found Eternal peace— Somewhere In France. She knows not where that spot may be On barren plain, In hidden dell. On wooded hill, beside the sea— The lips that would will never tell; 'She knows not what his last vords were, The thoughts that come with Death's advance, \nd yet, she feels they were of her, Those last fond thought®—Some where In France. —By De Roy C. H—derion In Car toons Wigiiliw. DECEMBER 21, 1917. Over tfwc IK "peruou <*_ _ —> "Smile when you pay your in come tax: it means a tear for ihe Kaiser" is the slogan to be posted over Pennsylvania to quicken the grudging taxpayer. "Liberty tax or war indemnity, which would you rather pay? Every dollar of your income tax goes to the boys in the trenches. Help them to an early vic tory." "What is the name of that hand some prisoner?" asked the impres sionable young woman. "No. 2206, miss," replied the guard. "How funny. But, of course, that is not his real name." "Oh, no, miss; that's Just his pen name." * • • It used to be such fun for me To see our old coal bin Jus' bustin' out with tons and tons; We'd look at it and grin. But now there's nothing there at all, My pop, he's mad as sin. He says it was a bin for coal. Now it's an old has-bin. ® Button, button, who hasn't got a Red Cross button? A gentleman named Mr. Fyffe in a western state recently married a Miss Drum. Bango! When little Cymbal arrives there will be music. IOUR DAILY L/OJCH | MATTER OF OPINION. Maude —Do you write poetry? Frank—The editors sw not. MERCENARY. "She's marrying him for his money." "That so? I know a man who's marrying a girl for her ten pound* of sugar she lias hoarded." NO OHAWCE FOR ACQUITTAL. "What was Quill convicted of?" "Writing three consecutive Jokea with the word camouflage in each." DISPOSED OF. "Briilicnt ideas, Dobbins has." "Yea,' I understand ho burns Christmas cigars on his tree Instead of candles Bmttag fflljat James s. Auter, th* Oovemor'i messenger who knows mora men In the publlo life of Pennsylvania! than any one connected with the state government. Is going to celebrate his twenty-third anniversary as the of ficial Santa Claus' of the Keystone state on Tuesday next. He will five an example of methods in maintain ing discipline among a crowd of sev eral scoie of youngsters in front o| the Executive Mansion, see that evn eryone gets a package of candy and goes away satisfied. The custom of distributing candy at the Executive Miuuion, which was Inaugurated by Dnniol H. Hastings when he fiilejl the Governor's chair, is now one oi the events of the great holiday In Pennsylvania's capital. And James S. Auter has been the boss of the job ever since the big man from Bellefonte bought half a wagonload of candy and Invited the kids tc come around and see him on Christ mas morning. It was a great morn ing and the Governor enjoyed it sc much that he had it repeated ever} Christmas while he occupied tht mansion. Governor Stone took t hand in distributing candy himself but took orders from James wher It came to handling the crowd. Th< late Governor Pennypacker said tha it was a custom that should be pre served and saw that it was, while i naturally appealed to Edwin S. Sfu art and John K. Tener, both bii hearted men. Governor Brumbaugl had heard about it before he cam to Harrisburg and the youngster found him a bountiful provider. Th other day the Governor issue* Christmas order No. 1 in his owi handwriting. It was to James t Auter and commanded him to be th otllcial dispenser of candy to th youth of Harrisburg on Christma morn. And it will be worth watch lng. Friends of Thomas H. Garvlr chief clerk of the State House o Representatives, who has been her so much that we almost think of hit as a Ilarrisburgcr, ara hearing: wit interest of his experiences as a fui administrator for Delaware count: Mr. Garvin is a man of affairs an large acquaintance. His friends hav endeavored to make him apprecial the honor conferred upon him. Tl: other evening several of them him on the telephone. The conve sation ran about like this: "Mr. Garvin, why can't I get son coal? I am freezing. I have nil children and my wife is very 111." "Where do you live?" Some mythical address given. "All right, I'll look it up—sa what street did you say? isr any stieet by that name in that thw Another conversation was th way: "Mr. Garvin, please. Mr. Garvin "All right, all right. What is it' "Can't you send me a ton of coa' I am a v/ldower with four children, just buried my mother-in-law ai my wife is very Bick." "Widower, eh! And your wif( sick? That'll do." And the genial Garvin says th people do not appreciate what pu lie service means In this solemn ho: when they make him write down page full of data and then tell hi they hope he's enjoying the Job. • A news story from Camp Ha cock has this to say about a form National Guardsman who Is w known here and who was a mem!, of the staff of the late General I'. S. Gcbln In the Spanish-Americ war and who was placed in coi mand of the Pennsylvania Enginec at the outbreak of war: "Lleutena Coloi el Frederic A. Snyder, coi mander of the One Hundred a Third United States Engineers, Wiliiamsport, Pa., is himself a ci engineer of high repute and one w has had considerable military exj ricnce. He retired a Class A ma, to become attached to the Instri tion Cadre of the Fourth district Montreal, Canada, in 1914, where served the Canadian Army fn lvi.4 to 3 917, when a state of v was declared to exist between ( t'nltert States and Germany. He tli resigned to accept a commission lieut 0n t colonel in the Unil Siaio., Army and assumed comma of the One Hundred and Third I gineers. There is no better discipllr unit in the 28th Division than i 103 d Engineers and Lieutenant C onel Snyder maintains this dlscipl through an application of the hoi system. George S. Fowler, who is direct the Christmas drive of the Red Cr from Washington, has written a ] ter to Governor Brumbaugh in wh he thanks the governor warmly the proclamation in behalf of Red Cross, and says that he fe confident of Pennsylvania maklni great showing. 4 • Secretary of the Commonwea Cyrus E. Woods yesterday recel' a letter from a very irate farmer v picked on him because he had long title. This farmer wrote a 1 ter demanding justice on a wea He sajd that the "varmint" as styled him, had been killing chickens and he wanted "justt< As proof of his assertion he closed the skin of the weasel. ' secretary is interested in the fai of Pennsylvania only from a dista and opining that the outraged 1 mer wanted a bounty for the wei he passed the letter and the ] along to Dr. Kalbfus, the Sta guardian of the birds and the bea 1 WELL KNOWN PEOPLE '—General J. E. Kuhn, comma ant at Camp Meade, is giving pr for athletic events among his m< —Gilbert Kulp, well known many Harrisburgors, bagged a bear on his annual hunting trip. —C. Laßue Munson, noted \ liamsport lawyer, was here yes day at the hearing of a Publics I vice Commission case. —Mayor-elect Arch .Johnson, Bethlehem, does not want any el orate inauguration, i —William H. Wilson, Phlladelr safety director, was presented v a silver service by bureau chiefs. DO YOU KNQVT~ That Hnrrlsburg tin is betn used In the Orient? msTomo HARKisnuno John Harris used to pasture i tie where Market Square is locati WE'D LIKE TO MEET H We take it for granted the 1 who picks names for Pullman has been adding to his reserve r since the war began putting t: European unpronounceables on map.—From the Minneapolis 1 une.