The Birmingham age-herald. [volume], February 14, 1915, EDITORIAL SECTION, Page 24, Image 24

About The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950

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* THE AGE-HERALD
■ i - ... .—..
K. W. BAHIUETT.Editor
Entered at me Birmingham, Ala.,
postoffice as second class matter under
act of Congress March 3, IS79.
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sentatives of The Age-Herald in its cir
culation department.
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i without its authors name. Rejected
manuscript will not be returned unless
; stamps are enclosed lor that purpose.
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not be responsible fur money sent
S through the mails. Address.
THE aUK-HEUALD,
Birmingham, Ala.
Washington bureau, 207 Hibbs build
tag.
European bureau, € Henrietta street,
Covent Garden, London.
Eastern business office. Rooms 48 to
60, inclusive, Tribune building, New
j York citys western business office.
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Beckwith Special Agency, agents for
! cign advertising.
TELEPHONE
■ell (private excnnnge connecting nil
departments) Mala 4000.
Good phranen are surely. «n«l ever
were very commendable.
—Henry IV,
BEGINNING THE DAY— O God,
strengthen me to meet any irlal Hint
may come thin day. Aad begin to
strengthen me for the great tragic
trials that mimt come after nwhlle.
Make today a foundation stone for
all the daya which are to be. Help 1
me to lay by In store a little peace
and a little power. Amea.—H. M. E.
(
War Losses
Writing for the Februarj Ameri
i *»an Review of Reviews, Frank If.
Simonds estimates that Germany has
now in the field three million men,
France two million, Austria one mil
lion and Russia three million. In a
short time England is expected to have
one million men on the continent,
' while Servia and Belgium have about
250,900. Lord Kitchener predicted that
the war would last three years. With
this as a basis for his calculations,
Mr. Simonds proceeds to estimate the
relative strength of the belligerents
at the end of three years.
Russia, it is canceded by everybody,
has a supply of men that is practically
inexhaustible. She looms up tremend
ously in the struggle even now and
every month that passes will only
make her comparative strength the
greater. That she could keep her fight
ing force at three million men for
three years goes without saying. It is
even thought that she could maintain
her vast armies at the present
strength indefinitely, regardless of
losses. England can also keep her
army up to the million mark for an in
definite period, in spite of losses.
France, on the other hand, with an
available military population reckoned
at four million, has already lost one 1
million by death, capture, disease and
wounds. It is estimated that 500,000
of these men are permanently lost.
France would therefore begin the
third year with only two million men.
as her losses in this year cannot j
be made good except by the new class j
coming to the colors in 1917, and j
levies from her colonies.
It is estimated that Germany had '
about six million men ready for serv
ice in July, 1914. Her losses so far
have been approximately 1,800,000.
Taking into account Germany's large
reserve forces, even if her present
heavy losses continue, it is predicted
that she will still have three million
men to draw on at the opening of the
third year, but her resources will then
be exhansted. Austria, which has
lost one million men and has perhaps
a million left, will have no reserves
at the beginning of the third year.
The result will be, Mr. Simonds
thinks, that when the third year
opens—if the war continues that
long—four million Austro-Germans,
the last line, will face six million Rus
sians, British and French, with several
hundred thousand Serbs and Belgians,
behind whom there will be Russian
and British reserves of at least four
million.
Crop Campaign a Great Success
When the Alabama crop diversifica
tion movement was organized in Bir
mingham two months ago it was ex
pected that something like half the
counties would enter the campaign
i and apply for ‘‘crews” of specialists
in farm demonstration work and in
atructors in the science of modern
agriculture, but 50 of the 67 coun
ties have participated in the move
ment.
The actual campaign started in Jef
ferson county on February 3, and fol
lowing the success of the meetings
held on that day the diversification !
schedule has been carried out in 21 !
other counties in northern Alabama
under the direct supervision of the
Birmingham headquarters committee,
and in 28 counties in other parts of
the state under the supervision of the
Montgomery committee. This has i
been, indeed, a remarkable record
far greater than the promoters of the <
movement had hoped for.
It ia plain that the farmers of Ala- 1
L I
| bama are wide awake and eager to
improve their methods and place agri
: culture abreast of all the other great
' industries and business enterprises of
this country. The crop diversifica
tion campaigns conducted last year
in Mississippi and Arkansas were suc
cessful and good results have already
been seen.
But no campaign of this sort
has ever approached in point of
enthusiasm the Alabama cam
paign. There will be splendid
results even this year. Cotton
acreage will be reduced and the
crop that will be made will be pro
duced at less cost than in former
years, which will enable the farmers
to make a profit even if prices should
be low. But the greatest benefit from
the diversification campaign will be
seen in the vastly increased produc
tion of foodstuffs. No matter what
happens to cotton the farmers will be
well ahead.
After the War
No one can foretell now what
changes will be made in the map of
Europe after the war is ended, but
one result of peace negotiations will
probably be a reduction in the arma
ment of the large powers and a curb
ing of continental militarism, for a
time at least. Standing armies there
will always be, until the world ap
proaches the millenium, but the na
tions that have been like armed camps
will be compelled to turn their atten
tion in the next few years chiefly to
the arts of peace in order to build up
the places made desolate. But ho
matter how peacefully disposed the
United States may be a policy of in
difference on the part of the govern
mcnt to the national defense must
always be deprecated.
The sixty-fourth Congress will
have to deal with many important
matters, notwithstanding the fact
that the principal democratic measures
scheduled for adoption will have been
disposed of. There will be an earnest
effort to keep down appropriations,
but good economy and good statesman
ship will demand an increase, perhaps
a complete reorganization, of the
army and a continued strengthening
of the navy. This country will never
need a very large standing army as
armies are known in Europe, but to
promote efficiency our army should
be larger by many thousands than it
is today.
The next Congress should have a
constructive military programme and
carry it out.
Effect of Bright Weather
Birmingham has enjoyed a week of
beautiful spring-like weather, and
some of the business improvement
noted in the shopping district was due,
no doubt, to the glorious sunshine. In
ordinary times, when prosperity pre
vails, business keeps up a certain
briskness even when the skies are
lowering and the temperature is not
to our liking. Yet then everybody
re joices when a bright day comes, and
business activities are correspond
ingly buoyant.
Throughout the entire country the
winter now passing has witnessed
much destitution in the large cities,
and industrial depression has been
the rule in almost every section. A
perfect day such as were the days
of last week are therefore, all the ]
more welcome now'. At any rate ■
when the sun is bright and the air is
balmy at this season of the year the
pessimist keeps quiet.
I’assing of the Self-made Man
Every man w'ho is successful in the
large affairs of life is self-made in re
spect to character and leadership,
but the term is used ordinarily to de
note the self-educated man—the man
who had little or no early advantages
of education.
But despite their lack of schooling
many of the greatest men in this
country rose to eminence both in pro
fessional life and in the business
world. Until college education became
popular with the commercial classes
nearly all the great manufacturers
and merchants and a majority of the
railroad managers were self-made.
With the younger generation it is the
technically educated man or the well
rounded man who gets to the top.
In the very matter of business econo
my a good education is required in or
der that the best results may be
realized.
Even as late as ten years ago a
large majority of the prosperous
business men were self-made, but like
the veterans of the civil war they are
fast passing. In most instances the
capitalists and the captains of trade,
the builders of railroads and the build
ers of cities were born and reared on
a farm or in a village. The late C. P.
Huntington came from a small town in
New' York and had his first experience
in business as a clerk in a country
store. Thomas F. Ryan, the New York
capitalist, was a plowboy in Virginia
and was 15 years old before he
emerged from the backwoods. Both
were ambitious and both obtained cul
ture by their own application and in
dustry.
Norman B. Ream, the distinguished
capitalist who died a few days ago,
lived on a farm in Pennsylvania until
lie was 14. He received a common i
/
school education. He taught school
one term and then divided his time
between farm work and photography.
Seventeen years old when the civil
war began, he enlisted as a volunteer
in a Pennsylvania regiment. He had
a good war record and was wounded
in battle near Savannah. He settled
in Chicago in 1871 and lived there
until 1888, when he moved to New
York. He was a member of the board
of directors of the United States Steel
corporation and of the Baltimore and
Ohio, the Seaboard Air Line and oth
er railroads. He was distinguished for
his high integrity as well as his busi
ness acumen.
James C. Fargo, who died on the
9th of this month in his 80th year,
was an exceptionally high type of the
self-made American. As president of
the American Express company he
was widely known by reputation. He
entered the service of the company at
the age of 16 and worked his way up,
entirely on his merits, and came to be
the controlling influence in its affairs.
He was a devoted churchman and the
rector of St. Thomas' Episcopal church
said of him that he was one of the
most valuable members of his vestry.
For many years he was the treasurer
of the parish.
The world honors the self-made
man whose making has been in the
right mould, but in another genera
tion all the financiers and railroad
presidents and great merchants will
Je thoroughly trained in mental pro
cesses and in the scientific economies
>f the workaday world. The higher
standards and the sharp competition
n business will demand it.
At a. recent “razzle-dazzle” banquet In
an eastern city the wives of the men
present looked on the festive scene from
a balcony. After three chorus girls had
given the first number on their pro
gramme for the evening the wives stam
peded and there was nothing then to pre
vent the banqueters from thoroughly en
joying themselves.
"A large proportion of our passengers
prefer to stand." says the general man
ager of the New York subway, from
which one naturally infers that he hasn t
discussed the matter with any of the
| subway’s passengers.
The Philadelphia Public Ledger pub
lishes an editorial with the heading,
‘‘M hen a Duck Is a Deer.” This suggests
nature faking, though there are times
in “restaurawnts” when duck is decidedly
dear.
A former chauffeur who secretly mar
ried an heiress says she taught him how’
to drink and how' to make love. His edu
cation had evidently been sadly neglected.
"The Birmingham city commission has
decided against Sunday ‘movies,’ ” says
the Gadsden Journal. "There is still hope
for Birmingham.” To get the "movies?”
A doctor says the scientific name for a
bad taste in the mouth is parageusia.
People who become obfuscated are apt
to suffer from parageusia.
The United States has warned Car
ranza to be careful, but the chances are
that he will continue to misbehave every
time he feels like it.
Great success In life is predicted for
young Francis Sayre, the White House
baby. He may grow up to be a social
favorite, anyhow.
The moving picture business continues
to declare handsome dividends nearly ev
erywhere. This country hasn't gone to
the dogs yet.
“What does England want us to do?”
asks the Boston Globe. Hyphenated
Americans say she wants us to lend a
hand.
-.»■ — ... —
"Mother" Jones calls New York women
magpies and parasites, which forever
bars her from the exclusive tango cir
cles.
The tourist* tide Is turning toward
California and while it’s a long, long way
to Frisco, the trip is worth while.
Although comparatively new. the eu
genics law in Wisconsin seems to be
already in a moribund condition.
A San Franciscan advertises for 500
live fleas. Why advertise? He could get
that many off some dogs.
NOT COMING
From The Houston Post.
The Alabumu legislature has passed a
law’ that will permit no transportation
company to deliver more than a quart of
whisky a mouth to any one person. It’s
a long, long way to Alabama; it’s a long
way to go; it's a long way to Alabama,
to the silliest bunch we know. So fare
well Montgomery and good-by Mobile
too; it’s a long,-long way to Alabama,
and we’ll never go to you.
POl \ TKD PA H AGII A I»II s
Fiom the Chicago News.
Bp good and you’ll be happy—maybe.
Fish are wise. They begin business
on a small scale.
Gossip is a deadly gas that is oft* 1
fatal to friendships.
A man's wisdom isn't as interesting as
a woman's intuition.
If tlie world doesn’t understand a
man it calls him a crank.
Any girl who thinks as much of a man
as she does of herself will do to tie to.
Even after a man sees where he made
n mistake he keeps right on making
more.
These ultra modern skirts are evidently
built for deep snow’s, as they are about
knee deep.
After u girl gives her baud in mar
riage she may discover later that she
put her foot in It.
When a man tells a joke :o half a
dozen women and they all laugh but one,
that one is his wife.
Most people would rather blame a
man for what he doesn't do than give him
credit for what he does.
A woman may not accept a proposal of
marriage, but she always admires the
good judgment of the man who made U.
It is always more or less of a shoe-:
to a woman when sue discovers later
in the game that her husband really did
know what he was talking about
X
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Lent Brains Wednesday
Next Wednesday will be known as Ash
Wednesday—the beginning of Lent. In
the liturgical churches Lent Is observed
a3 a Penitential season and many of the
faithful fast on all the days except Sun
day.
Today is called Quinquagesinia. Next
Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday—Mardi Gras.
It is a legal holiday in Alabama as well
as in Louisiana, and the banks will be
closed.
Easter falls this year on April 4—the
Sunday on or next after the full moon,
after the 21st of March.
Predict* Reaction
"Of the dozen states in w\jich no liquor ]
is legally sold, few, If any, of them have
such drastic laws as the Alabama legis
lature has enacted,’' snkl .7. L. Nicholson
of Philadelphia, connected with a tex
tile concern.
irginia has voted dry, but the win
eries and the breweries are allowed to
continue, provided their products are
sold only outside of the state. The dry
counties of Kentucky allow distilleries to
continue in operation, but they cannot
sell their whisky in their own or any
other dry county.
"The Georgia prohibitionists were
smarter than those of any other state, I
think, because immediately after statu
tory prohibition became effective several
years ago a special measure was adopted
allowing beer to be sold under license.
Tt was called near-beer, and .some of the
breweries did make a special near-beer
brand for Georgia, but the stuff proved
so unpalatable that by general consent
real beer took the place of the so-called
near-beer. The popular domestic beers
are not strong in alcohol, and an adult
could, hardly become intoxicated even if
he swilled. Georgia has become "known
as the great beer state, and as the people
seem to be reasonably satisfied with the
law as it stands, it is safe to say that
no organized agitation for liquor will be
attempted.
"It is very differeiit in Alabama. I :
was here in the campaign against con
stitutional prohibition. The excitement
was Intense, and the majority against '
the amendment was overwhelming. Had
the prohibitionists been satisfied with
something like the Georgia arrangement
this state would have remained in the
prohibition column, no doubt; but In 1910
the local optionists won, and the saloon
was brought back. It looks to me as
if this legislature, which had enacted the
prohibition laws, has gone to such an ex
treme that a reaction will surely come
when Alabama has another, election.
“1 see that the newspapers published
in New York and other cities which carry
liquor advertisements cannot be sold in
Birmingham or in any other city of the
state. Such a law as that is not cal
culated to give visitors a very good opin
ion of Birmingham or Montgomery or
Mobile. Jt is a very natural thing for
traveling men to compare cities, and
while sui*h laws as have just been passed
are in effect, Atlanta will be played up
against Birminghtm.”
Kennel C'IiiIi’m lleueh Show
‘"rhe Birmingham Kennel club will
hold a bench show April 6, continuing
probably three days and nights,” said
President Albert C. Chesney.
"We hope to secure the use of an
unoccupied, centrally located building,
well ventilated and well lighted for
day and night uses.
‘The increased interest in fine dogs
of many breeds lias shown itself in
better exhibitions of high class uogs
at our shows.
‘‘.Birmingham occupies a very prom
inent position in the world of dogdom
and today holds conspicuous place in
the bird dog class, with the recent per
formances in field trials of the great
dog Lewis C. Morris and the setter
Jack Love. Then in the colley class,
the Airedale, the Boston Bull, pet
bull and Great Danes, we can show
blue ribbon dogs who have won in the
best company, not only in the Uni
ted States, but some of them abroad.
"Those intending to exhibit snould
begin in March to condition their dogs
as to coats and general appearance^
and also schooling them fpr the show
ring, a very important matter that
amateurs often neglect, thereby caus
ing some very good dogs to lose."
High Art in Advertlulng
"One of the very best pieces of ad
vertising in the refinement of sugges
tion that 1 have noted lately was a
‘reader’ in The Age-Herald, a few days
ago, singing the virtues of ’Velvet
Joe, ” said a publicity man. "It was
the work of a genius and the very
atmosphere seemed redolent of the
delightful odors of a fresh, sweet pips
after reading it.
"The argumentative force of it—its
pulling power, as advertising men say
—was so patent that it made me long
to smoke, for I have never usoo to
bacco.
"More and more we arc coming into
an order of the day when brains and
culture will take the place of the
blacksmith with type in dd writing.
And another thing we shall see by and
by: The theft' of other men’s ideas by
so-called ad writers, who clip from
the papers of large cities and palm
them off in others for their own, will
be checked.”
Activity In Xew Flnanclug
Henry flews in a special review on
the business situation says, in part:
‘‘No better evidence of financial Im
provement could be recorded than the
increased activity of new financing. Im
mediately following upon the opening of
the war there was a sharp contraction
in new capital applications, the total of
which recorded for the last seven months
reached about $*180,<100.000, or $103,000,000
less than tin* same time last year. The
lowest month was September, when ap
plications fell below $2S,uo0,00p. Recov
ery has been gradual, and in January
the total rose to $127,000,000, or only $3.
,000,000 below the same month in 2914;
while the total announcements thus far
reached about $480,000,000, or $108,000,000
bonus, including $100,000,ooo New York
Central. $27,000,000 New York State, and
$15,000,000 Canadian Pacific, besides a
number of other important issues. The
January total was of course swelled by
the Pennsylvania issue of $49,000,000. Total
issues In February last year were $176,
000,000. A considerable portion of cur
rent new issues is for the purpose of
adjusting maturing obligations but
the significant feature is that
these operations could not have
been successfully carried through
a few weeks ago; while now it looks as
if other important flotations will follow 1
so that this February will considerably
exceed the same month a year ago.
"There is also another and very sig
nificant trend in the new demands for 1
capital, which is that nearly every im
portant nation in the world except Great
Brjtain is either borrowing In the Unjted ,
States or wishing to borrow. Tills is
NED BRACE DISCUSSES THE SHIPPING BILL
AND TELLS OF GREAT TURMOIL IN CONGRESS
WASHINGTON, February 13.
(Special.)—Congress is In a tur
moil over the shipping bill.
The President has cracked the party
whip and is using all the force of his
office, against the advice of party lead
ers in both houses, to force the bill
through. As a consequence there is
much ill feeling and pent up wrath
existing in congressional circles against
the President.
It being rpanifest that the shipping bill
cannot be forcer] through the Senate
with the provisions which the President
insists upon, the House leaders have
been asked to call a House caucus for
Monday night to indorse the President’s
bill and pass it through the House.
While Mr. Under\0>od will vote for
the bill as party leader in support of the
President’s policy, Mr. Kitchin, the
chosen loader for the next House, is
igainst it in its present, form and has ad
vised against the President's persistent
policy. Yet he will go with the majority
ind vote for the bill if the caucus so de
cides. He will, however, oppose It in
caucus unless the President agrees to
he proposed amendment for the gov
jrnment to go out of the shipping busu
less within two years after the terml
lation of the war.
But whether or not the. House adopt*
lie bill as the President insists upon it,
here is no chance of it going through
he Senate. The fight over this bill has
lonsumed so much time and has aroused
!••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••I
such feeling that the leaders In both
Houses notv admit that there will be
no time to pass the appropriation bills
before March 4, and that an exti% ses
sion is Inevitable.
* * *
The President announces that if the
shipping bill is not passed he will call
an extra session of the new Congress to
convene on the 6th of March.
The contentions between the. President
and many democrats in both houses are
as follows:
The President wants the government to
build and buy ships and go into the
permanent shipping business for itself.
Senator Bankhead, the leader of the
democratic opposition In the Senate,
agrees to t.*,e bill as an emergency meas-1
ure to relieve the shipping situation dur
ing the progress of the European war,
but he Insists that within two years after
the cessation of hostilities the govern
ment shall discontinue the shipping busi
ness; that the navy shall use those of
the commercial ships acquired which It
tan make use of, and that the others be
leased or sold to Individuals or com
panies which shall operate them under
the American dag. lie Is willing that
the government shall fix a maximum
fieight carrying charge that these ships
shjll make, but he is not willing that the
government shall continue permanently
in tho shipping business In opposition to
private concerns. He believes this would
quickly lead to government ownership of
railroads, telegraph and ’phone com
'••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••*•••••••••••«■
panies, and would lead to government pa
ternalism in the extreme.
g g g
Senator Bankhead's views are realiy
those of a majority of the democrats in
Congress, but the mass of democrats fear
a split with the President on this Issue,
apprehending as they’ do a disruption of
the party. The President is dead set in
his views and will yield nothing, although
his best friends advise him that he cannot
win. -*
The story Is current here that the 30
odd German ships interned In this coun
try are under option to certain New YoTk
bankers, who have made loans on them
to the German shipping companies, and
that these bankers expect to aell them to
Ulte Tnlted States government at a hlg
proflit.
The Senate proposes to have a commit
tee investigate this matter, and will
probably develop the fact that the stories
ure true.
¥ * *
Tn tlie meantime the President is se
verely criticised by his party In Congress
for ills persistency in attempting to drive
through Congress permanent paternal leg
islation. All are willing to emergency re
lief. and to go to the extreme in that,
but tlie more thoughtful element cannot
agree to the government going into the
permanent commercial shipping business.
So all signs are for an extra session and
a long continued fight which promises
anything but good for continued demo*
cratic supremacy.
ADRIFT WITH THE TRIES
A THOUGHT TO CHEER
On days when quips refuse to come
And when a fellow’s mood is grum.
And nothing seems to be just right
And no improvement is in sight—
When work’s a bore and hard tjO do
And he's afraid he’ll ne’er get through,
There’s nothing picks his spirits up
And pours the sorrow from his cup
Hike thinking that he soon may rhyme
About the joys of fishing time,
And lilting streams that flash along
’Mid flowery vales, well worth a song,
And skies of blue and winds that bring
The manifold sweet scents of spring!
INDIFFERENT
“What sort of man 1s Chubbins?”
“The kind who says, ‘Go as far as
you like,’ but never offers to help pay
expenses.’’
EASY
“How did you manage to win the nand
of an heiress?” asked the envious friend
of a "dancing man.”
“Oh—er—I glided into her affections."
HOOKING AHEAD
“If you had a magic lamp and you
could get anything you wanted by merely
rubbing it, what is the first thing you
would wish for?”
“Another magic lamp to use in* case |
T dropped the first one and broke it.”
AMBITION
I'd love to be n. suffragette,
With warlike flags unfurled,
And eaptainess a battleship
With 8ailoresses girled.
—New York Evening Sun.
I’d love to be a suffragette.
And with the "suffs" stand:
I’d love to march ahead of them
As drum majress of the band.
—Allentown Democrat.
One need not be a suffragette.
Who gets her husband's goat.
And makes him do the way she says.
Already has a vote.
—Houston Post.
I'd like to be a suffragette
And carry out this plan:
I’d directress the banks, of course,
And governess the man.
—Memphis Commercial-Appeal.
Who wouldn’t be a suffragette
In stormy days like these.
To make the legislators fret
And rob them of their ease?
MORE "FREAK" LEGISLATION
“Who is the gentleman with the pon
derous air?”
“That’s Senator Botts of the state leg
islature. He's the author of a bill mak
ing it a misdemeanor for anybody In the
state to wear spats."
“What's his idea?’’
“He says his father didn't wear spats:
his grandfather didu t wear spats and
It’s gi eat-grandfather didn’t wear spats,
so he doesn't see any reason why the
present generation should wear spats.”
SOMETHING LIKE IT
"The fashion papers say that curves
are coming back."
“In that ease. I presume it is permis
sible to speak of the fair sex as round
ing into form again?"
TRUE
However dark the days may be,
Of this much rest assured, sir,
Them s little falls to you and me
That cannot be endured, sir.
SKEPTICAL
"I overheard a young fellow talking
to his best girl on a trolley car yestejw
day."
"What did he say?"
"He told her he would never tire of
bet ring her voice and when she asked,
‘Not even in admonition?’ he answered
‘No’."
‘‘Well, what did you think about that?"
"I recalled David's saying that all men
are liars.” PAUL COOK.
due to the war. London has practically
retired as the world’s banker for the
purpose of devoting its whole financial
resources to conduct of the war. Of
course, this withdrawal is temporary,
yet it offers an unusual opportunity
to tl»e United States, because i\ew York
is now* the only freo capital market in
the world, and hither will come a large
portion of the new capital applications.
At present the war is being carried on
by all belligerents largely by means of
short term obligations, although Great
Britain is aiming to pay a considerable
share as current expenses. Later on
these war debts will be turned into
more permanent forms of investment.
All of the belligerents have established
extensive credits in this market, for
the purpose of purchasing war materials,
immense quantities of which are being
steadily shipped to Europe. This move
ment will continue as long as the war
lasts, and is proving a very vital fac
tor in swelling our exports, large quan
tities of ammunition, automobiles, cloth
ing, etc., leaving American ports every
week. Our exports are being further ex
panded by heavy shipments of wheat
and cotton. Meanwhile our importa
tions are running very light, owing to
the interruption of supplies by the war; ;
and in the week ending February G, the
excess of exports over imports was es
timated at $37,000,000.
“There is a continued gain in busi
ness confidence, also, some, though lim
ited, improvement in the volume of
business.”
WAR ECHOES
New York Tribune: Once upon a time
when every nationality had its own par
ticular deity or deities, to call upon
them for victory could cause r.o confu
sion in t he empyrean. Each god had
but one side to take in a battle, on
whose outcome his own existence often
depended. But in these days, when all of
Christendom worships the same God, His
choice of sides in war is subject to as
many interpretations as there are bellig
erents involved.
Each nation at war rn Europe lias as
severated its faith in the possi ssion ol'
divine favor. So far their reasoning, in
some eases rather bewildering, has fol
lowed in a rough way, though without
public avowal for obvious reasons, u
certain ecclesiastical cleavage. The
priests of France have called for the
blood of the German heretics. Catholic
Austria would have God annihilate th3
Slav minions of the Greek church. Protes
tant Prussia has ofrered up prayers for
the defeat of the ignorant, brutish fol
lowers of Greek priests and for the
humiliation of decadent Catholic France.
And Cardinol Mercier lias expressed con-'
fidence that God would punish the Prus
sian de-spoilers of Catholic Belgium.
Put now conies a German cardinal.
Archbishop Von Hartmann, of Cologne,
with tlie announcement that “God will
not permit atheistic France and ortho
dox Russia to crush the flourishing re
l'gious life in the fatherland.” The de
cision in the matter must therefore in
volve a rather more complicated psy
chological process even than we had at
first feared.
AT THE GRIDIRON DINNER
WASHINGTON, February 13.—Cabi
net officers, jurists, legislators
and men of distinction in private
life were tlie guests of Hr*
Gridiron club at its dinner tonight, and
saw and heard themselves parodied, ad
monished and instructed in the ways
they should go. Presidential candidates
were tried out and reminded of their sins
of commission and ^omission.
Edgar C. Snyder, Wasl^ngton corres
pondent of the Omaha Bee. was inaugu
rated as president. Chauneey C. Brainerd
ol' tlie Brooklyn Eagle. Harry J. Brown or
the Portland Oregonian and Arthur J.
Sinnott of the Newark Evening News
were declared members and seated.
A high court of Justice held sway for
awhile during an intermission in the
courses of the dinner and half n dozen
presidential candidates were brought be
fore the bar to answer to indictments.
The first trio comprised Whitman, Her
rick and Borah; the complainant was
Woodrow Wilson, who charged that “the
republican party lias not had a new idea
for 30 years.”
Under examination by common people,
the prosecuting attorney, Whitman, con
fessed that he had had an Idea: He
“wranted to be President.”
“Judge: “That isn’t your own idea;
that’s the idea of William Jennings
Bryan.”
Whitman: “I've got another idea; the
governorship of New Yorl* is the step
ping stone to the presidency.”
Judge: “That Idea isn’t yours either.
It was used over 30 years ago by Grover
Cleveland." ^
Herrick, the next, declared he had an
ilea; it was that “distinguished diplo
matic service is the road to political
preferment.”
Judge: “That’s an exploded idea. Jimmy
Gerard proved that.”
Borah defined an idea to consist “In
the contemplation of methods pursued by
men who, with far less natural equip
ment than myself, have suceedcd by hook
or crook in reaching the White House.”
The court, how'ever, held that an idea
was “a confused mental image; an in
tangible yearning. There ain’t no such
animal, and if there is it can't be pro
duced in court, so the defendants are
found not guilty.”
Bryan, McAdoo and Clark were next
haled before the court. *
Common People: “Can you start the
mills running?”
McAdoo: “Well, I’ve got the banks on
the run.”
Champ Clark was asked to define "hard
times.”
Clark: “The Baltimore convention.”
Bryan was last under examination.
Common People: “Do you expect the
mills to start running again?”
Bryan: “Oh, yes.”
Common People: “And will you also
slart running?”
Bryan: “I refuse to incriminate my
self.” ■
Judge; “The court finds that all these
parties have a single idea, which is
t" get into Hie White House."
During the evening there were many
songs In the Gridiron quartet and chorus.
One was dedicated to Chauncey M. Depew.
"The Tie That Binds Us to the Years
Gone By." and another to Myron T. '
Herrick, "rfo i.ef's Get a Derrick, and
Start His Boom Tonight.”
INJURY AT BATHING It US OUT
The proprietor of a bathing resort open
to tlie public, and let out his privileges
tor hire, states John D. Chamberlain
in tiic February Case and Comment, the
lawyer’s magazine, must exorcise rea
si liable care for the safety of bathers,
and must keep someone watching over
tin- bathers and to rescue them in case of
danger.
I So, reasonable care must be exercised
to keep the bottom under the section of
water which tlie battlers use free from
everything which might injure their feet,
fillin'* to do which resulting in injury,
is ucliouabie negligence.
The proprietor of a bathing beach has
been held liable to a bather for injuries
ri calved by stepping upon the splintered
end of a submerged stick.
The proprietor of such a. resort cannot
escape liability for the diowning of a
person in a deep hole which had existed
for sometime in tlie battling ground, sim
ply because lie did nothing to produce
the hole.
ENXOUIt AGING SMALL FAMILIES
From the Chicugo Herald.
Alabama haB passed a law forbidding
a family to import more than a quart
of whisky a month from oilier «tatos.
This will probably be found to encourage
the small family to an unfortunate de»
gree.
PSYCHE
By Bliss Carman, "Earth Deities."
Tender as wind of summer
That wanders among the flowers,
Down worldly aisles wltl» enchanted
smiles
him leads the mysterious hours.
This is iinmoitul Psyche,
T he v.ir.ged soul of man—
Ardor unspent and innocent
As when the w*orld began.
Out of ilie ancient silence f
Over tlie darkling earth,
As streamers swim on the sunrise rim.
She moves between sorrow and mirth.
Tile impulse of things eternal.
The transport hidden in clay,
lake a dancing beam on a nooday
stream
She signals along the way.
Her feet are poised over peril,
Her eyes are familiar with death,
Her radiant w’lngs are daring things,
Frail as the beat of a breath.
Over the ocean of being,
In her gay, incredible flight.
See her float and run in the gold at
the tun,
Down to the gates of night.
Tlie storm may darken above her.
The surges thunder below.
But on through a rift where the gold
lights drift,
Still she will dancing go.
Treasuring things forgotten,
As dreams and destinies fade; •
* Spirit of truth and ageless ynullb
«he laughs and la not afraid.