6 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH A NEWSPAPER FOR THS HOME Poundtd itjl Published evenings except Sunday by THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO, Ttlccnrk Building, Federal Saare. E.J. BT ACKPOLE, Prts't r T. R. OYSTER, Butinui Manager. GUS M. STEINMETZ, Managing Editor. Member of the Associated Press—The Associated Press Is exclusively en titled to the use for republication of •11 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 dispatches herein are also reserved. . Member American Newspaper Pub- Assocl- Eastern office, Story, A , Avenue Building, Finley, _ Chicago, 111. Entered at the Post Office in Harris burg, Pa., as second class matter. gtfpirmn.. By carriers, ten cent* a 4?faf7rweek; by mall. *6.00 ' a year in advance, MONDAY, JULY 22, 1918 Boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knotcest not what a day may bring forth. — PBOV. 27:1. A SECOND GETTYSBURG WHEN the great German offen sive started last spring, The Telegraph, cautioning its readers against panic over the first successes, suggested that the battle, then in its initial stages, might be come another Gettysburg—with its phases covering months Instead of days. And now it begins to look as though that guess may not be so far amiss. The German Invasion has reached its highwater mark and is receding. Weary months of grim fighting followed the first battle at Gettysburg; more terrible months must follow this. It may be even out of place to suggest that the end is in sight lest the impression get abroad that with this one inconclu sive ficht we have broken the back of the enemy. That would be a sad error of judg ment. Instead of letting up for more than a moment to toss our taps and cheer, we should take cou rase from our comrades in France and settle down now more "grimly than ever to drill our armies and pile up our supplies and build our ships. We have not finished; we have Just begun. Americans are better than Germans any day, but one million Americans cannot beat six millions of Germans. We must think in terms of four million men, at least; probably more. We have taken the measure of our foe; now we must go about making his coffin and fitting him Into It. The Job is a big one and will not be accomplished by standing about boasting of our prowess as a fighting people. The boys who went "over the top" did not pause at the first objective to tell each other "how good" they were. They knew they were beating the Boche, and the faster the Boche ran the harder they chased him. That s what we at home have got to learn—the faster the Germans run the more shells and bullets our men will need—and the harder we at home must work to provide them. Meade defeated Lee at Gettysburg, but that didn't of itself win the war! The Confederacy even then might have triumphed had the folks at home stopped sending: recruits to fill the vacant places in the Unifln ranks, or paused in their equipment of new regiments, or faltered in the making of supplies for veteran or ganizations long in the field. The offensive that shall send the Ger man hordes reeling headlong across the Rhine, even as they now have been tossed in disorder over the Marne, will require a vastly greater army and tremendous quantities of supplies. To provide these is our part. We must turn our present en thusiasm into hard work. There are trying days ahead. Glad to note that the Harrlsburg police officials are appreciating the need of semaphore truffle signals. It has been a continuing wonder why the traffic officers were compelled to take their calisthenlc exercises at % street intersections. SAD DAYS AHEAD OUR rejoicing Is shortly to be tinctured with sorrow. Penn sylvania troops have been in . the thick of the fighting In France. They have had their share of the glory and they have shared also In the casualties. Regiments cannot charge In the face of artillery and machine gun lire without suffering severely. Short ly we shall begin to hear of our losses. Beyond doubt they will be heavy. We jnust steel ourselves for the shock that is coming. Nobody knows where the blow will fall: what household or how many death has entered. The slow com pilation and publication of the casu alty lists alone will tell the tale. But we have this consolation, that no matter what their losses, our sol diers acquitted themselves like men and their deaths were avenged be fore their bodies were cold. The next few days will be anxious ones for hundreds of families la Pennsyl- MONDAY EVENING, vania, but they will bear themselves as heroiely and as stolcly at home as their boys are doing in Prance. We haven't read anything to-day about the church bells being rung in Berlin. LET US GIVE THANI£S THE American people prayed for victory. Victory has been granted. Now let us give ourselves over to a day of thanksgiving. Let us keep ourselves right with God. Our cause is Just. We fight for no principle not In full accord with Christian teaching. Which is all the more reason why we should publicly acknowledge our harmony with divine purpose arte our depend ence upon divine aid and guidance. "And when they began to sinu and to praise, the Lord set ambush ments against the children of Aitfr mon, Moah and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." MR. TAFT'S SPEECH IN his Saratoga speech, ex-Presl dent Taft clearly demonstrated the weakness of the Wilson ad ministration with respect to certain policies. He indicated quite clearly that politics was •'adjourned" only where Democrats are in minority, and insisted on the value of con structive criticism as a help to the President in the great crisis. In the opinion of the former President, a Republican Congress would be a distinct help to the ad ministration in formulating plans for the prosecution of the war. So, long as Congress is merely a complacent "me-too" of the man in the White House it is not likely that any distinct suggestion in that quar ter may be expected. In the opinion of Mr. Taft, the tendency of the ad' ministration is to allow "party con siderations too much sway in its ap pointment to important tasks." He also criticised presidential interfer ence in the party affairs in Wiscon sin and Michigan and pointed out the failure to call to the aid of the government the services of those geniuses of business organizations "whose achievements have in the past advanced the material resources in this country to their present com manding power." The former President highly com mended the appointment of such men as Schwab, and Ryan,* and Goe thals and ethers during recent months, as types of big men who should be working for the govern ment. Ho also favored an enlarge ment of war military preparations. The people generally are coming to realize that a Republican Con gress would greatly aid In the fur ther work of the war and prevent the building up of a political ma chine without regard to the more Im portant duties necessary to the win ning of the wr. A lot of people would like to "Keep the Home Fires Burning" without having to use any coal. ! FOR CLASS ONE MEN PROVOST MARSHAL GEN ERAL CROWDER has issued an appeal to all men of Class 1, under selective draft regulations, to begin now their preparation as chosen soldiers to defend the coun try and not wait until they are actually called into service. This is wise advice. The Class 1 man who goes to camp with some knowledge of militafy tactics and in good phy sical condition requires only a brief time for training, which not only cheapens the process of soldier making, but hastens It as well. For the candidate it opens the way to rapid promotion in the noncommis sioned ranks and often leads to the officers' training school. "Regard your services as a select ed fraternity of active patriots," raid General Crowder. "Encourage those who are weak. Inspire the indiffer ent. Inform the ignorant Search out the slackers. "Have you ever thought that our enemy is attacking us, not only in Europe, but-at home? Have you realized that his especial trickery consists in seeking to make men dis loyal here in our own country? Have you tried to discover and suppress the enemy's work here in the peace ful regions of our own ho.mes? "It will take some time to make good soldiers out of you. The sooner you start, the sooner you will arrive." x Fortunately, we have right here in Harrlsburg just such a school as the young soldiers need. Under the command of Major Henry M. Stine, himself Invalided home after nearly a year in the training camps, the Harrlsburg Reserves have become a right smart military organization. The Reserves welcome the selective service men to their ranks—in which there are many veterans of Cuba, the Philippines and Mexico, and are glad to give thom the benefit of their leadership and experience. The op portunity Is one not afforded by many cities and Harrlsburg men of Class 1 should not be slow to grasp it. Commissloner Gross may depend upon the approval of the community In his efforts to break up rowdyism In the parks and also the parking of automobiles along the River Front Park sections. For some time there has, grown up an abuse In this direc tion which has been recognised by many people. It is quite a common thing for loafers with automobiles to stop their cars and Insult girls .and women who happen to be occupy lng the park benches. Manifestly, this class of offenders do not fear the old park guards and the only way to break up the nuisance, it is believed, is to place motorcycle officers on this Job. Cotton Is still king, and will con tinue to rule the roost so long as the present administration remains in power. I>o title*:*. 'PcH.ttaiftoa.iua. By the Ex-Committeeman Announcement some weeks ago that friends of Frank A. Smith, for mer chairman of the Dauphin coun ty Republican committee and for some years Republican state com mitteeman from this district, will ask him to stand as a candidate for state senator in the event of the elevation of Senator Beidleman to the lieutenant governorship, as now appears certain, has been kindly re ceived not only at home but abroad. Mr. Smith has not yet said that he will get Into the race but if he does it is a foregone conclusion that he will be the ftext senator from this district. He is a student of state politics and thoroughly familiar with legislative procedure, with which he has had long experience. It is known that neither Senator Beidleman nor Senator Sproul will resign from the Senate until after the organization of the Legislature. Both will be on the floor of the Senate up until the evening before their inauguration, an occurrence heretofore unknown in the history of the tate. Speaking of the Smith candidacy the Philadel phia Inquirer of yesterday said: "Mention of the name of Frank A. Smith, for several years Republi can county chairman and later mem ber of the Republican state commit tee from Dauphin county, as Re publican candidate to succeed Sen ator Edward E. Beidleman, when the leader of the young Republicans of this Dauphin county becomes lieu tenant governor, seems to have been very favorably received everywhere. Mr. Smith is recognized as a clean, progressive businessman and his handling of party affairs in the 1912 campaign and in other strenuous times is recalled with satisfaction by many Republicans, while there is a general disposition to recognize his work for the party by election to the upper house. "Mr. Smith, who has been active among Republicans for years, is well known from one end of the county to the other, and was one of the factors in the rebuilding of the Republican organization, which proved Us value in the 1914 cam paign, when' it swung the city and county against Vance C. McCormick for governor, although he was a son of the county and was believed by his partisans to have a good chance to win here. He has been a strong friend of both Senator Beidleman and W. Harry Baker, secretary of the state committee." —John V. Lesher, Democratic Congressman, who seeks a fourth term from the voters of the Six teenth District, realizes more clearly the closer he gets to election day that Albert W. Duy, of Bloomsburg, the Republican nominee, is putting up a real fight. Duy is the only Re publican who was ever elected dis trict attorney of Democratic Co lumbia county. The Sixteenth Dis trict, which is composed of North umberland, Montour, Columbia and Sullivan counties, is absolutely cer tain that politics is not adjourned. The Federal appointments made at Lesher's instance during his three terms have raised a storm of pro test throughout the district. Lesh ci s activities while in Congress have been confined to an inconspicuous ness that distresses his constituents. In his "wet" tendencies he does not accurately represent the majority of his district. Columbia, county, usually Democratic in Ifs voting, may surprise the Democratic lead ers this year, because the influx of labor to Berwick and other points, where car works and manufactories of different kinds are working over time and full handed, has brought many Republican voters into the county. This fact is looked upon with apprehension by the Lesher managers. —'The vacation season on Capitol Hill has not prevented a great deal of planning for the fall campaign. Conferences are matters of almost daily occurrence. The Republican workers have been instructed to pay particular attention to the Congres sional end of the contests in all of the doubtful districts. Little real campaigning will be done until the weather gets cool, but both Senator Sproul and Senator Bendleman will forego their regular summer vaca tions in order to accept invitations to speak at a number of big picnics, outings and farmers' gatherings. Senator Beidleman wilf also visit his friends throughout Dauphin county during the summer. "I've been go- to certain Dauphin county pic nics every season since I was a boy," said the Senator to-day, "and I have more real fun and more good things to eat at these outings than at any others I attend. I surely am going to be on hand this year." Charlie and the Boys [Philadelphia Record] Director General Schwab, of the Emergency Fleet Service, is the right man in the right place. He knows how to put joy into the hearts as well as push into the musciles of the shipyard workers. In his recent trip of survey to the Pacific coast the "boys" at one of the great yards took "Charlie" on their shoulders and bore him to the gate, where he harangued the throng and shook hands. The local newspaper in its report of the proceedings said: "As the breezy and inspiring pro gram at the shipyard drew to a close the shopyard's Jazz band struck up "Over There," and Mr Schwab grabbed Shipbuilder John F Craig and danced with him all over the platform, later adding a little Jig by his lonesome. From the time he mounted the platform, and, scorning to await an Introduction! leaned over the rail and began talk ing to the 'boys,' every one of them felt he was a 'a warm number.' " The force at work In the shipyards is now 400,000 strong, making no account of the army behind the shipyard army who turn raw ma terial Into shipshape. This force is dally growing larger. Philadelphia stands well at the front in this great service, and it cannot be too thor oughly Impressed upon us, as Mr. Schwab declares: "The workman who Is doing his level bes't to build ships for Uncle Sam in this great crisis In the world's history Is doing his full dilty by his country. He Is serving Just as truly, Just as actively. Just as patriotically as the soldiers in the trenches and the sailors on the high seas. His work makes It possible for those others to serve the flas, HARKISBTraa TELEGRAPH WHEN A FELLER NEEDS A FRIEND ' EDITORIAL COMMENT Germany is probably willing by this time to mark down by a few) billions the indemnity scheduled against the United States and call it quits.—New York World. Mohammed V. may have been as sassinated, but for a sultan that does not mean that he did not die a na tural death. —Springfield Republican. Iron Crosses sell for forty cents in Germany. The depreciation of paper marks accounts for a price still ten cents too high.—New York World. It will be noticed that while ex plaining that the defeat was due to the rain, Austria none the less tires the generals who let it rain.—Spring field Republican. The Antlconscriptlon Conference In Dublin, which appeals to Presi dent Wilson to make the world safe for Ireland, seems to be confused as to the meaning of its language. What It is trying to do is to make Ireland safe for the Germans.—New 'York World. In the Austro-Hungarian retreat Emperor Charles probably Is lead ing his armies in person.-—Arkansas Gazette. Gov. Whitman's Steam Roller (New York World) Governor Whitman has adjourned. Nominally It was the unofficial Re publican convention at Saratoga that adjourned, but as the Governor was the convention, it deserves personifi cation. There was much opposition to the Governor among the Old Guard, but it seems to have been confined to the hotel corridors. Mr. Whitman did not permit any of it to get an official foothold. The convention did ns he wante_d it to do. It adopted the platform that he had prepared] for it. . It dodged the prohibition Is sue, as he had planned. It cheered the Colonel and Ellhu Root and Wil liam H. Taft impartially, as he de sired.' It whooped it up for winning the war, which is always good poli tics, and nothing marred the seren ity of the Governor's deliberations except an untoward militant suffra gist demonstration against that emi nent ex-soldier the Hon. James W. Wadsworth. Surely the Governor has reason to be satisfied in spite of the round robins of the Old Guard and the cor dial invitations to the Colonel to start something. The Governor may be highly unpopular with certain elements of the Republican party, but he has proved that he is a boss who knows how to boss, and that counts for a great deal In Republi can politics in New York. Charles Francis Murphy himself does not drive a niftier steam roller than the one that Charles Seymour Whitman operates. One American Advantage One of the great assets on the side of the United States in this war is the complete and unbounded confi dence of all the people—soldiers and civilians —that we are going to win. No one for a moment has any doubt about that. Some of us feel that we may have to pay a heavy price, but most of us feel also that it is go ing to be worth all that It costs. It is to be noted that this sense of confidence that fills the hearts of the people Is not the overconfldence by which great battles are sometimes lost, but rather the consciousness of being in the right and of having the mental and physical force to uphold that right for our own sakes and for the sake of the world. . This calm confidence is unquestionably a great American advantage. The magnificent showing that has been made and i 3 being made by the American soldier boys in the latest German offensive thrills the hearts of all loyal citizens. It is Inspiring and it warms the heart—but it was not unexpected.—Philadelphia In auirtr. The Tale of From the Journal of the American Medical Association. 10 a. m. —Oh, dear! Another warm day. Wonder if I'll be abused us 1 was yesterday. If I am, I'm going to strike. Just disposed of a half-chewed breakfast. We ran for the train, which meant 1 was s jiggled about and so tired that it took me twice as long to do my work. Hope she gives me an hour or two of complete rest before any thing more comes my way. 10.30 a. m.—Two glasses of ice wcUei have Just arrived. It will take all the energy I can pump up in the next hour Just to warm me up to normal again. 10.50 a. m.—Half-chewed break fast did not satisfy her and she had bought some peanuts and started again. 12 m.—Peanuts have been drift ing along steadily ever since. Think she has finished them, though. 12.30 p. m. —Decided she wasn't very hungry, and Instead of a good solid dinner sent me down a cold eggnog heavy with chocolate. Could have managed It all right if it hadn't been so unnaturally cold, but that made it terriblydifflcult to deal with. 1.10 p. m.—More ice water. 1.40 p. m.—Was mistaken about the peanuts; she has found another handful in the bottom of her vanity bag, and now I am getting them again. 2.05 p. m. —More ice water. 3.10 p. m.—She has been lifting some heavy books, and as usual used my muscles instead of- her arm muscles. You see, she's never had any proper physical education —soft, flabby, slouchy sort. Tired me al most as much as a six-course dinner. STANDING TOGETHER Lord Robert Cecil, the British un der secretary of state, says there are twenty-four nations comprising the entente allies, which will stand to gether, when the war closes, and not allow Germany to participate in or control the commercial and indus trial situation of the future. The British Minister quotes President Wilson when he said if the German people should still, after the war is over, continue to be obliged to live under ambitious and intriguing mas ters interested to disturb the peace of the world.," it might be impos sible to admit them to the partner ship of nations or to free economic intercourse. That is no doubt the doctrine of the entente nations and Germany might consider herself out of the combine if she retains her Hohenzollernism. But that "if" Is not needed, for this war cannot end with Hohenzollernism intact. That has to go. There is no peace with it, but if its selfishness in any form re mains, the entente nations will have nothing to do with it, and Germany will have to live to herself and not expect other nations to contribute to her "kultur." Civilization is go ing to assert herself henceforth. — Ohio State Journal. LABOR NOTES German sailors interned in the southern states are being utilised in agricultural work. New York women teachers demand a S2OO bonus. If granted It will cost the city $4,000,000. The National Union of British' Teachers has decided against an al llanco with the Labor pUrty. Nearly 15,000 British seamen have been murdered by German pirates since August, 1914. Salary incrca/es for all employes ; In first and second class post offices are forecast by Postmaster General . Burleson. The Woman's Division of the Fed i eral Employment Service has placed . 44,471 women in Jobs throughout the Unltad State*. 3.20 p. m.—Furtive fellow has brought us a box of caramels, and she has started right in on them. 4.30 p. m.—Have received some thing like half a pound of caramels. Just heard her say: "Oh, dear, I don't feel a bit well. The milk in that eggnog must have been sour." 6.30 p. m.—We played a set of tennis before dinner, and here 1 am all tired out and a lot of work to do. 6.50 p. m.—We were Invited by a sissy sport with a belc on his coat to have a soda before going home. Had a lemon phosphate and then had to run for the car. 7 p. m.—Fried tatcrs, cucumbers, veal cutlets, catsup, cookies and canned blueberries. What do you know about that? 7.4-5 p. m.—We are strolling down to the corner with a knock-kneed guy In a sport shirt and white pants for a pineapple walnut college ice. 8.20 p. m.—Got home and found somebody had made some iced tea. She drank two glasses. I tried hard to keep the tea and 4he college ice separated, but they mixed it in spite of me. I go on strike. 8.30 p. m.—Have sent back the college ice and the iced tea. 8.40 p. m.—Returned the blue berries. 8.4 5 p. m.—And the peanuts. 9 p. m.—The devil to pay—can't get the doctor. 9.17 p. m.—Doctor found at the movies. Mother thinks it is a weak stomach she inherited from her father. Knock-knee suggests it is the beastly weather —the big boob! 9.45 p. m.—Doctor says it is from a bilious temperament. Good night! War Dignifies Bachelor [From the Ontario Post] "The somewhat pathetic figure of the bachelor Is wonderfully dignified by the advent of war," stated the rookie, placidly rocking back and forth on the porch of the hotel. "I'm a bachelor," confessed the rookie in well satisfied tones, "and at present 1 rejoice in the fact. War has given the unmarried man some of the prestige which he lacked in times of peace. Ordinarily the bachelor is tolerated for what he may become rather than for what he is. Mothers would not welcome him into society nor girls take pleasure in his .com pany if it were thought that he would always remain a bachelor. The hope of converting him into a married man furnishes one of the main in centives of all social activities. "I intend to wed after the war, of course," continued the rookie, "for as the hopes of fond mothers are dis appointed, the bachelor becomes more and more a misfit in a world which prides itself on finding an exactly shaped corner for everyone of its inhabitants who is worth troub ling about. "For certain adventures the bachelor can be depended upon for dash and enthusiasm," the rookie affirmed, "but for the steady, monot onous grind of everyday life he Is inferior to the benedict. Summed up," the rookie concluded the argu ment with a flourish, "civic progress relies principally upon the man whose interests carry over into the next generation and are not confined to his corporeal welfare. But in war the demand is not for men who have found their places in the world but for those who have not" Some Day We Shall Know [fPhiladelphia Record] Some time we shall be allowed to i know what American general it was who reported to his French superior that it was "unondurable" that the i American flag had been forced i backward, that our soldiers would I not understand it if they were not asked to retrieve a humiliating sit uation, and "we are going to coun ■ terattack. For the present we must I be content to know that this is the i spirit of all our ofllcors and all our men. JULY 22, 1918. NO TIME FOR OPTIMISM ' IN. Y. Times] No sooner does General Foch be gin a smashing attack in the Sois sons sector and take prisoners and guns with the co-operation of hard hitting American divisions than his movement is welcomed by our im pressionable optimists as the be ginning of the end for Germany. The note of elation rises to a crescendo of triumphant faith in victory. It is said that the French strategist has regained the initiative; that he will not lose It again; that Paris, Amiens and the Channel ports are safe now; and that with a million American troops in the line the Germans will soon be driven from French terri tory. It is unfortunate that a gleam of success turns the heads of many of our people so, and that they see in it the growing dawn of victory and the sunburst of peace. The enemy is less imaginative; whatever his successes are, whatever advan tage he obtains, he continues to plan a military triumph in the west— in the east he considers that he has won the war. No optimism could be more fool ish than* the auto-intoxication of the Americans and their allies when a German thrust is parried, a "drive" checked or stopped, in Flanders, Pi cardy, or the Champagne. There is reason for elation when General Koch turns on the foe and throws him back with heavy casualties and accumulating losses, as he has done in this, his first real offensive since he assumed command, of the allied forces on the western front; never theless, his success should not be hailed as an assurance that the worst is over, and that henceforth the Germans will have to fight a defensive campaign that must end in defeat and disaster. The rcvad to vic tory will be long and toilsome, how ever brilliant the strategy of Gen eral Foch, however valiantly the allied troops acquit themselves in the field. As that master of war has said, this is a stuggle between peoples as well as between armies. It might be just as fatal for the peo ple of the allied nations to be vic tims of overconfidence as for their armies to suffer from it. There is little danger of the latter; the allied soldiers know their foe, they do not make the mistake of underrating his genius for war, his fighting ability. But. there is a real danger that the allied peoples, and particularly the Americans, will be deceived by over confidence to the point of relaxing their energies when the situation calls for a supreme effort, if a vic tory is to be won and a democratic peace secured. The British Ambassador What is striking in the Reading face to Washington eyes is the am bassador's resemblance to Mr. Mc- Adoo. There is the same eagle look, not merely in the angle of the nose, but in the depression under the eyes. It is possible they are natural; often they argue concentration over long hours. But Lord Reading differs in that his eyebrows have a higher arch, over eyes that ate not as clear a blue as those of the Secretary of the Treasury, but with much the same clarity of expression, if possibly less Intense. —New York Tribune, Mr. Roosevelt at Saratoga [New York Times.] Theodore Roosevelt is a repre sentative American, representative of what is best and soundest and most enduring in the principles to which the country owes Its great ness. In any assembly his presence is inspiring, his voice never fails to sound a high note of courage, of patriotism, or unswerving loyalty. When ho is to speak, the public is never disturbed by a nervous fear lest he disappoint by weak and irres olute counsel. 1 OUR DAILY LAUGH tA REAL, ART- How is your son getting on with his art career? In his par ticular line he has no peer. What is that? Drawing checks—oh he beautifully! DISMAL. DOPE V | The time has VJ I f come when L-, poets hum Itt Their sentl- fi| w; | mental lays t MJM And ladle out J sad stuff 8 vfw' about fj 4MB The melan- i I /vflL J choly days. DEFEREN on* person worse than the man who talks about 1 what he doesn't K / understand. w\J Who's thatT ' y The one whe listens obsequi n !■ ously and pre f tends he under-. stands every OCONOMIES £* Mr. Grouch— | ji Why don't yeu S ' wear some of y your last year's /N, clothesT -A ) v?>J® Daughter sTvY/ V/A Why, father. , il\r( Didn't I have j I uA flkj my last winter's pNJt \ furs made over ' j I and wear them all summer. \V the idea. '' won< * er w^er * Passing over antral P ' ttSbUrS ' h ' ' |Ebroittg (ttffal "The next step in railroad conser vation, I believe will be the joint op eration of freight and passenger la- j cilities in points like Harrisburg," said a prominent Harrisburg ship per the other day. "I have recently received notice that at a number of small points, where formerly two freight stations were used by rival railroad lines, some times in the same building, the two depots have been merged and are now operated as one. This has a tendency to keep down overhead And to prevent du plication of effort by clerks, transfer * men and others. Of course, it would knock to pieces many well-con structed and useful organizations which couid not b© easily reassem bled at the close of the war." "For example," he continued, "there is in Harrisburg a large freight station only partly linished, it is true, that could be made to take care ot Heading as well as Pennsyl vania freight. Just how much this would save in the course of & year I do not know. But X believe that with the joint operation of the rail roads under government control it will not be long before a general in quiry will be started along this line, and what could be done with freight depots could be applied as well to the passenger stations, although I am not so familiar with this end of the business." Inquiries at local railroad head quarters concerning the considera tion of such a plan brought no In formation, but it is believed that the management is giving thought to the idea, which is being tried out at a number of less important points. • • • Harrisburg has annexed to Its permanent population in the person of Heywood Butler, the new Boy Scout national commissioner, a noted football authority and one in con stant demand as referee aV big col lege matches. Mr. Butler could oc cupy every Saturday afternoon and holiday during the fall season refer eeing big .college games had he the time, and already has >been engaged lor as many afternoons next fall as he can spare from his work. Mr. Butler is a Brown University man and was formerly engaged in college and university physical work. He is a former college athlete and is con stantly in fine trim. He is an en thusiastic Boy Scout advocate and is much pleased with the work now being done in the Pennsylvania field which he regards as an important war work, the national government having found many uses for the or ganization. Already a large number of Boy Scouts have entered th