16
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
A NEWSPAPER FOR THE HOME
Founded 1831
Published evenings except Sunday by
THE. TELGGRAPH PRINTING CO.
Telegraph Building, Federal Square
E. J. STACKPOLE
President and Editor-in-Chief
F. R. OYSTER, Business Manager
GUS. M. STEINMKTZ, Managing Editor
A. R. MICHENER, Circulation Manager
Executive Board
J. P. McCULLOUGH,
BOYD M. OGLESBY,
F. R. OYSTER, •
GUS. M. STEINMETZ.
Members of the Associated Press—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 pub
lished herein.
All rights of republication of special
dispatches herein are also reserved.
A Member American
Newspaper Pub
fishers' Associa-
JjjSShjTSH* Bureau of Circu
lation and Penn-
E ISBHSt
saiy ss Eastern office
W| WSL Brooks &
JiELflJlSl ffif £. venu !J, Building,
Western office!
j£jP"||as FM°[ y " B ™ oks &
~ Gas' Buikfing 8
1 Chicago, 111.
Entered at the Post Office in Harris
burg, Pa., as second class matter.
By carrier, ten cents a
week; by mail, $3.00 a
year in advance.
Whatever power of any kind is
piven there is responsibility attached.
—ltuskin.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1910
GET IN RIGHT OR GET OUT
WE READ from day to day
meager dispatches from Arch
angel telling of the desperate
fight against odds American troops
are making in northern Russia.
Now they are defending themselves
against Bolshevik regiments out
numbering them ten to one. Again
they have "retreated ten miles."
Always there is danger of being cut
off and wiped out. Which leads to
the question, why not send an army
large enough to beat the Bolsheviki
or withdraw altogether? Why leave
our little force to perish miserably
as a forlorn hope in a foreign land
when we have hundreds of thou
sands of men to them up?
What kind of a Russian policy is
this? Let us either get into Russia
with a big army or get our little one
out. Our soldiers are dying need
lessly over there and the Govern
ment ought to be ashamed to per
mit it.
I THE COMMUNITY HOUSE
*">JOLUMBIA proposes to erect a
I i community house in honor of
her soldiers in the great war.
Kothing could be more appropriate,
■he community house is a symbol of
■ie democracy for which American
nldiers fought in France. In ef-
Rct it is a clubhouse where the
vople residing nearby gather for
Heasure or to -discuss their social
political problems. The day is
far distant when every city ward
have its building of this chur-
Hter, and the sooner the better.
time is at hand when we
must each think more concerning
our neighbor, his concerns, his wel
fare and his pleasures. By so doing
we shall help stabilize the govern
ment and improve social conditions.
The community house can be made
a tremendous force for good and a
great factor in the development of
democracy as wo are coming to un
derstand the term in America.
THE D. A. R.
THE Daughters of the American
Revolution have demonstrated
that they are more than a mere
social organization bent upon keep
ing alive memories of our first great
contest at arms for the perpetuation
of liberty and independence. Last
year the members raised many thou
sands of dollars for the purchase of
ambulances, field kitchens and com
forts for soldiers and was the first to
endorse and observe the Hoover food
saving program. The election of Mrs.
Anna Hamilton Wood, of Harris
burg, to be State Recording Secre
tary, was a fine compliment to the
Harrisburg Chapter which so de
lightfully entertained the State con
ference this week.
DOLLAR DIPLOMACY
AN administration that pretends
to be desirous of encouraging
development of foreign trade
should make some practical demon-
stration of its disposition to protect
the rights of Americans who venture
their capital outside the borders of
I the United States.
THE SPIRIT SURVIVES
PERItY county expresses pride
pride in having offered the first i
trops in the Civil War and in
having given more soldiers to the
Union Army than any other county,
population considered, in the United
States. Bpt Perry need not go so
far back into history for a demon
stration of her patriotism. How
many men that county sent to the
training camps and to France to
help beat the Hun has not been
officially announced, but the figures
must rank pretty well up to those
or the Civil War record, for u drive
through the hills and valelys of tho
picturesque district shows more
service flags than In any like sized
community in Central Pennsylvania.
Many flags have two Btars, some
three and there ore those with five
or six. The spirit that took the
Washington artillery to the support
of Lincoln took the Perry' county
lads of to-day to Prance.
HOUSE FAMINE ABROAD
THE house famine with which all
America Is confronted is by no
means confined to this country.
Meyer Bloomfleld, .writing in the
Saturday Evening Post of this week,
of social conditions in England and
their relation to the housing prob
lem, says:
The house famine has been
growing on the country. Dur
ing the war building operations
came to a standstill, of course.
The result to-day is bad over
crowding and congestion in near
ly every town in Great Britain
—ln all the mining districts,
where the men are bltjer and
discontent is rampant; in all the
agricultural sections; and notor
iously in the leading manufac
turing centers. The common es-
timate is that the country is
about one million houses short.
At present landlords are pre
vented from raising rents above
the pre-war figure by the Re
striction of Rent Act. They cry
out that ruin is staring them in
the face. The act holds good for
six months longer, after which
a jump in house rentals must
surely come. That will not help
matters. From every point of
view there is the most urgent
need for prompt action. If there
is, no one will expect miracles;
the men will wait a reasonable
time for houses if they see that
the country is at last awake to
this need and is doing something
worth while to meet it. But they
will not put up r with more
promises.
There is another reason for a
bold housing venture.: No one
knows Just how much unemploy
ment, even of a temporary kind,
may hit the country; or where
it will occur. All sorts of dis-
locations are taking place, alid
more are bound to take place
during the crucial next six
months. Until the factories have
had time to get back to their
proper work and raw materials
are forthcoming sufficient to en
able industry to get into its stride
there will be a period of anxiety
for everybody. The building of
a large number of houses would
provide legitimate employment
to thousands—hundreds of thou
sands of men who would be other
wise out of work. To provide
three hundred thousand houses
would emplov four, hundred thou
sand men of the building and
allied trades and spur the furni
ture and other household trades.
As the present cost of building
material is more than double that
of the pre-war figure, and as
prices may in a few years go
down somewhat, no builder Is in
clined to take all the risks. The
government is, therefore, making
its plans for a national house-
building project subsidized by the
state under an arrangement with
various local governments.
National aid for housing, both
as a commendable employment
project and as a means of meet
ing the outspoken demands on
the part of masses of workers for
better conditions, is only one line
better conditions, is only one line
of state activity. There will be
a large extension of such activity
in other directions. What has
already been promised only fore
shadows other far-reaching en
terprises intended to serve the
same purposes. Lands, forests.
farms, highways, transportation,
public education, social insurance
—these are among the topics
which have left the academic
shades and have become live
practical issues.
He might have substituted "Amer
ica" for "Great Britain," and the
facts he sets apply with
almost equal force. The housing
problem is closely linked with social
unrest. The hovel is. the breeding
place of Bolshevism. The life of the
nation is no better than its home
life. If a large percentage of peo
ple live in filthy, unwholesome sur
roundings, their habits will be filthy
and their society will be unwhole
some. The opposite is also true.
Good housing, pleasant homes and
decent surroundings make for good
citizenship. Bolshevism and content
ment are utter strangers, but conten
mcnt and proper home environment
are boon companions.
We are hearing just now consider
able about government loans for
house-building. And why not, pray?
The farmer who desires to improve
his farm or his living conditions on
the farm can have a government
loan on reasonable terms. Why not
then the working man? If one ap
proaches socialism so also does the
other, but as a matter of fact neither
are socialistic. Both have their
basis in sound finance and good busi
ness. The experiment is well worth
the trial. We have wasted so many
billions of dollars since the war be
gan that we might put a feijv .mil
lions into a well ordered housing
plan, with bonds to cover the same,
without feeling that we have been
extravagant.
THE GERMAN COLONIES
ANEW YORK TIMES corre
spondent says that in Africa
the natives distinguish be
tween "white men" and "Germans."
A German to their way of thinking Is
neither a black man nor a white
man; he is a creature by himself.
Yellow is the word.
Yet there are those who would
give these colonies back to the ten
der mercies of the German taskmas
ters, who would put the inhabitants
to the same sort of slavery they
forced for a time upon French and
Belgian peoples. The thing is un
thinkable. The poor black folks ,of
the Interior of the Dark Continent
have paid us a high compliment by
distinguishing between "white men"
and "Germans." They are entitled
to an opportunity for self-advance
ment and to live their lives as free
people. -jr ■ - v
For years upon years the scramble
for colonies in Africa has been a dis-
graco to civilization. The great prob
lem of colonization should be settled
at the peace conference wisely and
for all time. But Germany should
have no voice in the decision and no
share in the division.
*}*o££tfcC4<
"^tKH4t|(4raiua>
By the Ex-Committee man
Requests for the resignations of
three attaches of the State Depart
ment of Agriculture by Prof. Fred
eric Rasmussen, the new secretary,
last night are not regarded as of
any political significance at the Cap
itol. It is stated that they were
asked and given largely as a mat
ter of departmental discipline.
The men asked to resign were
E. B. Dorsctt, of Mansfield, chief of
markets, whose stormy time with
the Commission of Agriculture was
one of the high lights of the Brum
baugh administration's closing year;
Edward C. First, of this city, clerk
to the director of farmers' institutes,
and William R. Douglas, of. Camp
Hill, clerk in the statistical bureau.
First was marked to go for a long
time. He was one of the active par
tisans of the state administration in
Its crusades against the Ueldleman
strength, and when asked for his
resignation remarked that he looked
for it some time ago.
Dorsett used to be a leader of .the
Grangers and was named eighteen
months ago to head the bureau of
markets, created by a Sproul act of
1917. The talk then was that he
was a Sproul man and he never
made any hones about it. He was
an ardent champion of the $50,000,-
000 road loan and gave out a strong
interview for it. When he was
named the State Commission of
Agriculture began its decline. It
resented the selection and refused
confirmation. Finally Governor
Brumbaugh took a hand and, com
posing for an hour the differences
between the commission and Secre
tary Charles E. Patton, forced ap
proval. Dorsett then resigned, but
came back four months ago.
■ —A visit paid here last night by
Judge Charles L. Brown, of the mu
nicipal court; Clerk of the Courts
T. W. Cunningham and' George W.
Coles, of the Town Meeting Party,
.caused a flutter here. They came
to discuss the municipal court ap
pointments.
—Congressman Edgar R. Kiess,
of the Williamsport district, was
here last evening, but said that he
was seeking no appointments.
—Captain G. E. Gangloff, of
Pottsville, now in the Army as a
judge advocate, is a candidate for
district attorney of Schuylkill. He
is well known to many people here.
—The special elections for sen
ator come on February 25. The
Dauphin Republicans will name
Frank A. Smith on Thursday, and
name Richard J. Baldwin, as speak
er, within a week.
—The Eyre bill to authorize third
class cities to vote to transfer loans
previously authorized is on second
rending in the Senate. It is the Har
risburg measure to permit a vote on
the transfer of the Walnut street
bridge loan', never used, to the Me
morial Bridge. It will mean a spe
cial election later in the spring, as
it cannot be passed and notices given
in time to vote on February $5.
—The special election to select a
Congressman from the Westmore
land-Butler district to succeed the
late E. E. Robbing will likely be
! called by Governor William C.
Sproul for some time before
March 4. Republicans in the dis
trict are inclined to unite on Julian
Huff, of Greensburg, a son of the
late Colonel George F. Huff, former
Congressman-at-Large and long ac
tive in Republican affairs. Julian
Huff is prominent in coal matters
and has been much talked about.
Under Republican rules the Con
gressional nomination will be made
by conferees to be named by the
county committees, Westmoreland
having fifteen and Butler five. This
is according to the last presidential
vote. A fifteen-day notice of the
election is required. . The Democrats
may attempt to run Captain Wade
T. Kline, of Greensburg, who com
r.Binded the Greensburg company of
the One Hundred Tenth Infantry.
Tho Democratic state executive com
mittee will make that nomination.
—lt is said that efforts to get
through a bill for a new judge in
Westmoreland will be made. Ex-
State Treasurer James S. Beacon
wants to go on the bench and C. E.
Whitten and C. C. Crowell are also
talked of. Opposition to Judge Sny
der will be from Judge C. D. Cope
land or one of these men. It is said
here.
Curling Iron a Weapon
(From the Chicago News.)
Every man knows what a curling
iron is, but does every man know
whether or not a curling Iron is a
deadly weapon
The question was raised in Judge
Guerin's court in Chicago recently In
the Otto Mathis murder trial. Otto
said he stabbed his brother Edward
when Edward attacked him with a
curling iron, which he thought a
dangerous weapon. The judge ruled
a description of the implement was
unnecessary as everybody knew what
it was.
"Sure, I know," one spectator
whispered to another. "A curling
iron is one of those hot things that
burn your fingers when you nre fum
bling around among, the .tttfngg pq
your wife's dressing table."
"It loolcs like a pair of scissors
with wooden handles,' 'said another.
"And It's deadly, too," a woman
whispered. "Mazie. got hers too hot
the other night and the way It killed
a lot of hair was a caution.."
"Fortunately," another woman an
swered, "the curling Iron hath no
.miseries that peroxide cannot cure."
Assistant State's Attorney Daniel
Ramsay Insisted there might bo sin
gle men on the jury. The judge
glanced knowingly nt the jurors.
The youngest looked bewildered. So
Judge Guerln ordered a description
of the wenpori supplied. The youngest
juror appeared retieved when he
heard what it was.
The Plowshare
Judging from Mr. Hoover's pro
gram for feeding Europe, America's
share in' the victory is-going to be
the plowshare.—From the Manila
Bulletin.
Saving Crown Prince's Life
■ At least thfcy have the former
Crown Prince where he can get kill
ed two or three ttmes a week as
heretofore. From the Syracuse
Herald. , f "
Wife Never Fooled
We don't believe any husband ever
lived who fooled his wife by eating
cloves. —New Orleans States.
MOVIE OF A MAN ARRIVING NOME IN THE DARK AF%r THE FIRST OF JULY V By BRIGGS
■ ■ U '. l j ' *" 'S ■ . i . ,\'m \
r— -A-
eMTERi i>ARK .CAMOO** LoCATe UGhT (fcJ Cl(?as WAG S ■vL rtrt '
A MATCM '
foveß L J>AR*ewf?D SPACe FINALLY |„rTr<. '*T V ' J*A ' I
W.TH FWAMT.C WAVING TAMIUAR f ' • OVWS L,C,H T ,S V ffTs. HJ "IWAT6S <t
' •"/ , v.
.As to Re mobilization
(From the Philadelphia Ledger)
'.'American Medicine" quite right
ly, from the point of view of those
who wish to see sound and sane
communities the rule in the United
States, calls attention to the need of
conserving all those things which
proved of value to the citizen in
arms. The idea is a practical one
that demobilization should take on
the character of a remobilization.
As the journal observes:
"The transition from factory to
trench was slowly accomplished.
The transference of activities from
trench to factories is to be a more
sudden type of undertaking. The
making of soldiers has built up a
new morale, established a higher
degree of physical fitness and pro
moted the mental activities of the
citizen soldiery. These values are
too great to be sacrificed during a
period of demobilization. It is of
paramount importance, therefore,
that In 'unmaking the soldier' there
be no tendency to unmake the man.
The continued development of the
physical, mental and moral stand
ards .upon which national eyes have
been centered must not be retard
ed; there must be no let-up in the
efforts to retain firm muscles,
strong nerves and high jubilant
spirits. The making'of soldiers has
been a remarkable lesson in co
operative effort irr* strengthening
national character."
There can be no questioning this
favorable view of what, the duties
and disciplines to which those under
arms submitted accomplished for
most men. For that matter, it must
not be forgotten that the voluntary
service of the women in the field
and at home represented an addi
tional social and self discipline
which should prove of the highest
value. But the real lessons must
not be lost nor the actual value of
the wartime training forgotten. That
this training has disproved the
claims of pessimists and pacifists
that men and women were being
turned into blood-thirsty animals
goes without saying. But unless
care be taken the remobilization
may not harvest all the accidental
and incidental benefits due to the
individual and the community sud
denly being put to the test as to
what were their personal and gen
eral duties tb society.
POST AND WIRE RATES
(From the New York Sun.)
All excellence is comparative; why,
then, continues the public wailing
and gnashing of teeth over Postmas
ter-General Burleson's mail service '
As a matter of fact, by the test or
comparative merit, his post office
business is making strides toward
betterment, if not perfection.
It is true that whereas it was once
possible to mail a letter in Chicago
and have it delivered in New York
in about twenty-four hours, one may
be mailed now below Fourteenth
street and not be delivered in Har
lem ,in three days. His history also
that the letter which once upon a
time went from the Atlantic coast
to the Pacific coast in the days now
required to gO\ from Fourteenth
street to 125 th street may now get
through its transcontinental Jour
ney. including delivery, in several
weeks.
Nevertheless, the infallible test of
relative .speed b.egins to prove Post
master-General Burleson's progress
with the mall service. For it is now
coming to pass that business men re
ceive a letter ahead of a telegram,
both despatched at the same time.
A lptter confirming a wire message
and arriving before the telegram is
some letter, as nobody can deny. As
yet this beating of the hamstrung
wire service by the spavined maii
service is manifested only occasion
ally. Under Burleson, however,
there is still an effort at rivalry, the
telegram winning the race one time,
the letter another.
But may not the Postmaster-Gen
eral hope that soon with his art of
supreme vindication by incomparable
contrast, we shall have every letter,
whatever the distance, beating every
telegram, day In and day out, to
the confusion of Postmaster-Gen
eral Burleson's wire service but to
the triumph of Postmaster-General
Burleson's mail service?
Out of a Job
Now what will become of the Pro
hibition p(M-ty, its principal issue
having boaome public property.—
Providence Journal.
When They Get Steam Up
In Oregon the temperature of
each legislator will be taken as he
starts the day's work. It might be
wiser to try 'em out after business
gets under way.—Omaha Bee. ,
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A QUERY
To the Editor of the Telegraph:
The Constitution of the* United
States reads "All executive and ju
dicial officers, both of the United
States and of the several states, shall
be bound by oath or uffirmation, to
support this constitution." In ac
cordance with this requirement
every judge upon the bench in Penn
sylvania is "bound by oath or af
firmation to support" the United
States Constitution. Prohibition of
the manufacture and sale of intox
icating beverages is a part of the
Constitution of the United Sta'es to
become effective on January 16,
1920, or even if the technicality that
it did not become a part of the
Constitution before the proclamation
of the Secretary of State of the fact
of ratification should be established
by the courts, it became thqn un
doubtedly a part of the constitution
on January 29, 1919, and would be
effective January 29, 1920.
The Brooks High License (?) law
is the only authority any court in
Pennsylvania has under which to
grant license to make or sell intox
icating beverages. This law pro
vides for a license for but one period
of time, namely one year, neither
more nor less. To grant a license
for more than a year, is to grant
a privilege which the United States
Constitution forbids. Our query:
How can any Pennsylvania court
"support this Constitution" of the
United States while granting a li
cense to do what that Constitution
forbids? Would it not be a viola
tion of the oath of office taken by
any Court to do so?
B. E. P. PRUGH.
Prohibition State Chairman.
Dr. Swallow's Anniversary
To the Editor of the Telegraph:
Fifty-three years ago yesterday,
a swallow and a robin began nesting
together. After a time no new bird
lings appeared and they borrowed
other birdlings from the world's sur
plus.
One of them is in France singing
his Swallow-Robin song as he helps
to guard President Wilson, and the
American contingent of the peace
conference.
Because of age the Swallow claims
that his preacher song voice should
be confined to very limited efforts,
as to time and volume, and yet the
song goes on.
It was for fifty years set to the
key of Prohibition, G sharp.
As candidate for the presidency in
1904 he sang his song continent
wide. Now he has gone to the high
est note in the scale, an<T it sounds
to liquor dealers like—
"Mine eyes have seen the glory of
the coming of the Lord,
He is fitting up his mansion
Where the wrath of wine was
poured.
Glory Hallelujah! His truth is
marching on.'"
Well, sing on, old birdies of t!he
Swallow-Robin combine.
The chorus is now world wide.
Sincerely,
A FRIEND OF DR. AND MRS
SWALLOW.
THE MESSAGE
I cannot sleep at night for the crying
voices
Of all the dead, starved mothers
oversea,
Calling to me "Safe mother, happy
mother
With rosy children sleeping quietly
"Ours were ns yours, until war came,
and famine.
And day by day we saw them
wnne and fade;
And first our babies died, nnd then
we followed.
Our bread all given to the little
ones who stayed.
"How can we rest htrq in the light,
the quiet.
Even though we hold again the
babes who died.
When through the worlds we hear
our moaning children.
Upon a cross of hunger crucified?"
So In the night their voices keep me
waging.
Crying, "Speak for us now, we
cannot wnlt.
You that can help, you that can
speed your plonty,
Hasten, oh, hasten, lest you be too
late!"
HELEN STOCKTON PARKER.
HARDWORKED FLAGMAN
To the Editor of the Telegraph:
Seeing; In your paper an editorial
entitled "The Kear-end Collision," lj
would like to make a few remarks
regarding the same. While we know
that Providence often times has
caused rear-end collisions for which
no one could be held responsible, the
number could be vastly smaller. In
reference to mechanical agency, hu
man element, the mechanical agency
Is nearly one hundred per cent, and
can at almost any time avert a rear
end collision. The man who controls
the agency which brings the train
under control is in part to blalm,
and the trouble is often times caused
by him becoming excited and nerv
ous when he finds he is in close quar
ters. This part of Inefficiency is to
blame in not paying proper attention
to caution slghals displayed in fixed
places. It is often caused by over
confidence in self. The engineer is
paid by the railroad the largest sal
ary paid to any one in the train serv
ice, which should make him doubly
responsible for carelessness and in
difference on "his part. By" payifig
attention to and observing signals as
displayed in fixed places he could
overcome ninety per cent, of these
accidents. He is honored by being
calld engineer and given all honor
for the safe delivery of his train.
Then take the human element—it
Is of very much importance that a
flagman or brakeman be on the job.
If our men whose duty it is to pro
tect the rear-end of trains do not ex
ercise their utmost ability in regard
to the protection of rear-ends it
makes it very ba<jl. Vigilance and
the ability to act at once make it
necessary to give proper protection
to his train. He is overloaded with
the greatest responsibility, yet he is
the poorest and smallest paid man
in the service. He is even robbed of
his just title, flagman. He is classed
as a mere brakeman and is paid the
same wages as a brakeman, and yet
his responsibility is.equal to that of
the englneman. His exposure to the
elements and all conditions of the
weather are facts for deep consid
eration, yet he works for a salary
after twenty-five or thirty years of
merited service the as a brake
man who has only been on the job
five days. 'Where men are paid for
their hire and, their wages are satis
fying they give better service. His
experience and long service make
the flagman far more valuable, alert
and pareful.
JOSEPH W. BRENNER,
1823 Derry Street,
Harrisburg, Pa.
THE LITTLE THINGS
We are such slaves of little things,
We who would dominate as Kings
And go with forward feyes to win
The peaks beyond the vale that
sings
Above the mud and mire and sin!
They bind and hold back and drag
Upon us—till our hearts gro4v weak;'
And when, we cry, when shall we
gain
Our footway to the far-on peak!
The large tasks and hopes and
dreams
Lost in the fog of circumstance;.
And unto us the toil that gleums
But is only 'reached by wayward
chance!
Around our feet dark chains and
clay.
Mire of the moment deep with strife.
And turn us we will, the long, long
way
Still buried in the mists of life
And wushed by Its muddled streams!
Yet over all and out of all
Thut blurs und dims the issues fine.
We shall succeed —ev'n though we
crawl—
To gain some highland where the
shine
Of nobler purpose shall put out
This dominance of little things—
And, Oh, what a Imusic life will
shout,
And, Oh, what response the heavens
divine
Will make unto the heart that sings!
—Baltimore Sun.
Precautions For Safety
We should worry! With the
Peace Congress fixinjg it so there will
never be another war and our gov
ernment planning to have an army
several times bigger and better than
we've ever had before, it looks as if
we'll be pretty safe.—From the Bos
ton Transcript.
Trials of Demobilization
The Red Cross Dog—l suppose I'll
come home to find a baby taking
my place—From the New York Sun.
Mr. Woods' Good Sei\ice
[From Pittsburgh
A bill introduced in the Seau
Senate for reorganization of the Be-'
partment of Secretary of the Com
monwealth is a reminder that for a
number of years Pennsylvania has
had exceptionally able administfa-'
tion of'this important ofliee ufider
rather adverse conditions, ehich lat
opcruting under outwor* laws,
ter were due to the necessity of
Whether or not Senator Crew's bill
is enacted —and it is understood that
Governor Sproul approves the meas
ure, so it should go through—vc are
sure of a continuance of exieiient
service, for the Governor hai re
tained at Secretary of the Cothnon-
Weulth Cyrus E. Woods, whose fit
ness and cupacity have been denon
strated by a full term of four ymrs
In . the office. No doubt, with au
thority to modernize the 4Patt
mcntal machinery, Mr. Woods wll
win new laurels as an executive nni
the public will benefit through ever
greater efficiency and more expedi
tious dispatch of businss than it has|
been accustomed to.
Not merely his previously highly
satisfactory service in the office
recommended Secretary Woods to
Governor Sproul for reappointment.
Mr. Woods has had a vertad public
and professional experience that has
served to equip him for the post. A
lawyer since 1890, he has gained
distinction in the practice of his pro
fession. He has served two terms
as State Senator, being president
pro tempore of the Upper House in
two sessions. President Tuft ap
pointed him minister to Portugal,
in which post, where broad knowl
edge, tact, unimpeachable character
and pleasing personality are requi
sites to success, he served with
credit. He is known as a favorite
son of Westmoreland county, but as
his fame has spread and his public
service extended, no such delimiting
title accurately describes the public
appreciation which is his; Cyrus E.
Woods is a favorite son of Pennsyl
vania, and the state is highly favored
In being able to command his tulents
for another four years as Secretary
of the Commonwealth.
Where Things Are Better
(From New York Times)
Dispatches from Prague (which
perhaps we had better begin to calj
Praha, as its inhabitants do) indi
cate thut the new Czecho-Slovak
republic is an island of compara-,
tive happiness in a sea of more or
less intense misery. War, Bolshevism
and starvation have atllicted all Bo
henilu's neighbors to a greater or
less extent, and even the Czecho
slovaks have some minor troubles,
such as frontier skirmishes with
Magyars and Poles and the more
distant but more weighty perils of
Bolshevist invasion from llussia.
Nevertheless, business is actually go
ing on among the Czecho-Slovaks,
and on a sound basis which seems
to have won the confidence of u good
part of the German minority. The
two .great needs, are bread and coal,
the mines are not ygt working at full
capacity, and until they are doing
bettbr there will be a shortage of
fuel for beating and for the full re
cstublishmcnt .of Bohemian industry.
The trouble at th.e mines is indi
rectly responsible for the food
shortage, for German Austria wants
coal which the Czechs are unable to
spure, and until thai coal is provid
ed the Austrians are. likely to be
unaccommodating as to the ship
ment of fodd through their terri
tory from ships in the Adriatic.
, However, the economic situation
among the Czecho-Slovaks shines
brightly by adjacent comfrarision:
and on the foundation of the rela
tive prosperity is built a towering
superstructure of joy over the trium
phant success of the natlohal rev
olution. Theaters are doing big busi
ness. Emmy Destinn, kept from Now
York by an Austrian government
which disliked her because she was
a patriotic Czech, has been treed
from this honorable internment and
is singing at the opera. Americans
are intensely popular; while the
Czech-Slovak Arts Club is giving con
certs of Czecho-Slovak music In New
York, an American artist in Prague
is giving recitals of American music.
Streets and bridges have been named
for President Wilson; vehicular
traffic on them is somewhat sparse
at present, for the Austrians stole
all the horses and automobiles, but
the Czechs will soon get more. And
the story of life in this happy valley
1b fitly capped by, the presence of the
well-known coloratura propagan
dist, George Creel, sojourning among
the Czechs before beginning a tour
of Central Europe. No cdal, but Des
tinn: no taxicabs, but Creel; the sub
stitutions should satisfy an artistic
people. 'I
feigning (Eljat
From all accounts Harrisburg
ought to be a good place to start
some practical Americanization.
There has been room for it here'-for
a long time and people who had to
do with running down the feeling
between Austrians and Italians and
Roumanians and Hungarians lust
year during the height of the war
know a good bit about the oppor
tunities presented. To begin witli
Harrisburg and Stcelton have every
nationality in Europe and some'in
Asia represented. There are sec
tions in the two places, where one
does not hear English. Either Ital
ian or Balkan tongues seem to pre
dominate. The enterprising Italian
I seems to have crowded out the Slavs
from some parts, but there are
others where the people from the
countries which are being revamped
are still strong. The Italian people,
because of the alliance in the war,
were an effective aid in American
ization the last eighteen months.
They have stood no nonsense front
enemy aliens or persons who had
opinions on the war and as they
seem to get assimilated rapidly they
taught respect for the Stars and
Stripes In more than one block. All
one needs to do in some sections of
Harrisburg is walk along and ob
serve the names on store windows.
This is an interesting study in some
parts of Steelton and in one or two
in this city. And after that move
ments foi - Americanization will be
well supported.
• * *
Spring must be coming. They
have started to sweep up the grass
in Capitol park. This is always
taken as a sign that the wintry
times are over, barring Hare-backs,
when the men on the Hill start to
1 sweep up the cigar stubs ai>d peanut
shells and other things that nccu
| mulate during the winter. And if
! the ground hog sees his shadow after
{ sweeping up' is over it means spring
lis coming.
• • •
Shirley B. Watts, who is in the
tractor business and gets about the
country great dcu.l, observed
firmers beyond Camp Hill and this
side of Mechanicsburg plowing yes
terday afternoon. "The soil looked
prttty wet to me," he said, "but the
farmers had evidently been at theli
work for severaf days and were
gett\ng along quite well with the
work. Last spring this time they
, woult have had to remove more than
' four icet of snow and in some places
I eight to ten feet at this season and
s " then would have found the ground
1 " "rozen to a greater depth than the
tt +pepest , plow share would liavo
i
Some of the farmers nearby ha\o
; r born doisg a'lot of advanced spring
work anoTwhen warm weather linal
s - JjS comes 'to stay will he weeks
ahead of last year. They arc be-
II ginning to fear, however, that the
warm winter may not be entirety a
blessing. The buds are advancing
e far ahead of time on the fruit trees
'' and it is feared that if the his |
temperatures continue the sap may
'* start, too early and a killing coM
L_ spell came ulong as occurred lust
y<S} - when many of the blossoms
's wers frozen by a belated sleet storm
i- that Wrecked the peach crop i" this
t- section •jid seriously damaged many
11 other oaky fruits.
But there rc others who arc look
ing upon the "vjjrm days with satis
faction. These are the fish&rmcn
who are looking anxiously forwaid
:io the lirst run <x suckers. These
'lsh are as fine anafljm and white
us shad when taken ou of the spring
waters as they come ,p to spawn
aid not even the trou\ fisherman
will turn up his nose aV a skillet
filled with, the browned beauties.
The suckers may be caught j n the
eddies and small streams jusbahout
as soon as worms can be
which to bait the hooks. FisW
men say that the coming
should find plenty of fish in tit.
streams. The winter up to date has.
been most favorable to them, par
! tjcularly trout. Not a few flies have
I been on the water even as late as
December, when State Commission
,er Ruller observed the fish feeding
on the insects near Boiling Springs,
and the ice has been of such small
conseqiience as to be ignored alto
gether. Even hass have been seen
disporting themselves in the Susque
hanna. The unusual sight of several
big fellows junjping around a pier
of the Market Street bridge being
observed by passengers on a West
Shore tr<?ney car the other after
noon.
• •
Frank Tt. Musser tells this story
on himself:
Ho was driving a party of down
town "kiddies" to the Rotary Club
Big Brother Dinner last month and
the streets being slippery jvas mov
ing slowly for fear of endangering
the little folks in the car. "Say.
Mister," said one little fellow, "Can't
you 'beat it* a little."
So Mr. Musser speeded up a little
and in a minute had cut around a
big vehicle lumbering along jusi
ahead ami left It behind.
"Gosh." said the admiring one,
"he's sure some driver. Why wo
just passed the ice wagon."
WELL KNOWN PEOPLE |
—Congressman E. R. Kelss, of the
Willlamsport district, was here yes.
terday.
Walter E. Weirner, of Lebanon,
has been chosen head of one of the
banks in that city. He is prominent
in shoe manufacturing.
—A. C. Wejchans, the Lancaster
recorder, gave a dinner In honor ot
his seventieth birthday.
—Justice Robert von Mosch laker,
of the supreme court, used to be an
assistant district attorney in Phila
delphia and is a great law student.
—Charles H. Bean has been re
nominated for president of Phila
delphia Stock Exchange.
|~ DO YOU KNOW
—That Harrlsburg distributed
more agricultural implements last
year than for a long time?
Historic Harrlsburg
—John Harris' house was used
for conferences of provincial officials
and Indian chiefs.
Looks Like Old Times
"Thousands of Garment Workers
Ordered to Strike." —Headline over
New- York Dispatch. Conditions in
the New York garment working in
dustry one infers, are returning to
the normal peace-time status.—Prom
the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Season Not Promising
There seems to be no reason for
any great excitement among the ho
telkeepers at the Princes Islands.—
Prom the Boston Globe,