The Pensacola journal., October 28, 1919, Page 4, Image 4

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THE PENSACOLA JOURNAL;" TUESDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 28, 1919.
DAILY WEEKLY - SUNDAX
Journal Publishing Company,
' lOI8 K. MATES. President.
WATNB THOMAS. Vice-President and Mnc.
HOWARD LEE MATES. Secretary and Treasurer.
Conducted from 1892 to 11S Under Editorship and
Management of Col. Frank I Mayes.
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American Newspaper Publisher Association
Florida iress Association.
Beothern Newspaper Publishers' Association
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PENSACOLA, FLA., MONDAY. OCT. 27. 1919.
PENSACOLA TRUSTS FAIRMINDED
NESS OF COMMISSIONERS.
At the last hour. Jacksonville la coming out into
the arena, and is attempting: to make a last sfand
(or the centennial celebration, and in spite of the
fact that St. Augustine, Tampa and Miami are sup
posed to be out of the running, expressions from St.
Augustine and Jacksonville papers indicate that
these two cities are unwilling- for Pensacola" to have
the celebration which belongs to her by every his
torical, sentimental and commercial claim.
John S. Beard, in his speech before the Centennial
Purchase Commission yesterday voiced the senti
ment of "West Florida tshen he said that under no
consideration would this section of the state con
tent to four -centennial celebrations, and reminded
lie commissioners that their duties, as designated by
:he Florida legislature, consisted in the designation
f the centennial site, and not in the location of
ny fair or number of fairs in the state. It was spe
:lfically stated by the legislature that the duties de
volving upon the commissioners was the choice of a
lite for a centennial" celebration, international in its
scope, and splitting the centennial Into four state
'airs, to satisfy various sections of the state, is en
irely without the province of the Florida Purchase
Centennial Commission.
The following editorial, appearing- in The Times
Jnlon of Saturday, is an indication that the entire
ate is waking up to the fact that Pensacola Intend
o have the big show. y
At the meeting of the Florida centennial expo
sition committee and business men in the cham
ber of commerce Thursday afternoon, it was
stated by some of the speakers that there was a
sentiment abroad that Jacksonville was not ca
pable of handling a big international exposition
or fair. These speakers emphatically repudi
ated such an assertion and called upon those
present to witness the fact that Jacksonville had
never fallen down on anything it had under
taken. In a dispatch from Tampa Friday morning-, it
is stated that the centennial committee of Tam
pa held a meeting about the same time in Tampa
and decided to go before the commission ap-
pointed by the legislature, at its meetings in
Pensacola Saturday and Jacksonville Monday
and demand that the Centennial Exposition be
split up into four fairs to be held in Tampa,
Jacksonville, Miami and Pensacola. Something
over a month ago Tampa decided that it was
unable to entertain the centennial and now it
has taken the responsibility of deciding- for Jack
sonville that this city is in the same boat. By
what authority does it pass this to the commls-
elon.
If such a ridiculous position were taken by the
commission it would result In four cities in the
state holding local celebrations of the one hun
dredth anniversary f the purchase of Florida by
the United States from Spain, Each of these
cities would be shooting wild in its advertising
and duplicating each other and the result would
be a confusion among the people and a decision
to the effect that Florida was a house divided
against itself and none of the little shows were
worth making the trip to Florida for. In other
words, the Tampa crowd hates to be left out of
, it, although unwilling to take the initiation in
the big affair and for purely personal gain would
kill the great opportunity of advertising Florida
as it has never been advertised before.
But enough of this, as the plan will not be
given serious consideration by the commission.
At the meeting held here Thursday it was de
cided to appoint a committee of fifteen repre
sentative citizens to meet the commission Mon
day, take them on a tour of the city and suburbs,
showing them several desirable sites that are
available for the exposition grounds, the new
million dollar union depot and transportation
facilities, the many hotels and apartments that
will be available for the entertainment of the
, crowds and the other general advantages of
Jacksonville for the location of the centennial.
This committee will then go into session with
the commissioners and present a definite propo
sition for the handling of the big international
fair, give assurance of their ability to finance
it and carry it to completion in a manner that
will do credit to the state and the country.
The personnel of this committee is vastly im
portant and we hope it will be selected purely
on public spirited lines with the sole idea of hav
ing each man on the committee a man who
stands for something back of him. He need not
be the brainiest man or the smartest man but
he should stand for something substantial and
represent backing that is the same as bonds.
Such a committee should have as its members
the mayor of the city, president of 'the council,
chairman of the board of city commissioners,
chairman of the board of county commissioners,
president of the chamber of commerce, president
of the real estate board, president of the Rotary .
club, president of the Klwanis club, president of
the county liberty leagues, presidents of at least
three of the big banks and editors of the two
daily newspapers. Such a committee would rep- -resent
the public officials of the city and county,
the civic organizations, the financial institutions
and the publicity centers and when this is done
Hire Months. Pally and Sunday 1.
six Months. Dally and Sunday
Dne Tear. Dally and Sunday
3undy Only. One Tear
fha Weekly Journal. One Tear 1
0 jwii subscriptions are payatole in aavancg.
. it means that the bone and sinew of the city and
county are standing back of this movement in a
solid phalanx and are prepared to put it over
100 per cent strong.
Wo have many advantages to offer over any
other city in the state but all of these offers'
must be backed up with adequate financial re
sources and each organization represented oh
this committee should be prepared to back up
its representative with a definite offer of finan
cial and moral assistance. Personalities should .
be entirely eliminated at this time, the selection
of a site is an after thought, the management
is something to be considered later, when the lo
cation is finally decided upon. Now it is a pull
altogether to land the centennial in Jacksonville
and everything else should be relegated to the
rear until that Important question is settled. .
The Journal has this to say: The commissioners
which met in Pensacola Monday heard claims put
forward based on fairness and justice; they were
informed of the historical reasons; they were shown
commercial and financial reasons for holding the ex
position here. Not one point was overlooked. The
decision now rests with the commission, which is
composed of five of the most representative men in
the state. There is one West Floridian on that
board, but he has back of him the sentiment of an
entire section, he has the financial backing' of all
West Florida, and he has the knowledge that he is
fighting for his own.
In the fairmindedness of the commisslo. Pensa
cola rests secure. I
MAKE THE NEXT GENERATION FIT
When a year or two years ago the young man
hood of America was being called to the colors by
the thousands and tens of thousands, the disagree
able but undoubted fact was born home to the
country that an appalling percentage of her citizens
were physically . unfit. '
While the requirements for military service were
high, they were not too drastic. They represented
in their physical aspects only that which the average
man would want himself to be and his sons to be.
Yet it is stated that one out of every three, men
called before the draft boards was disqualified for
physical disability, and that, of the 800,000 men re
jected on all grounds, 75 per cent were disqualified
for preventable disability. (
That is one startling fact brought out during the
war which America can not afford to forget, though
it forgets all others.) Eight hundred thousand of our
sons are not strong, not well enough to do a man's
work or fight a man's fight. And seventy-eight per
cent of them would not be in such deplorable condi
tion had the remedy been applied in time.
We can not help them now, but we can help and
we should help our sons' sons. It rests with us to
say whether one out of three of the next generation
shall be weaklings, or whether we shall apply the
remedy that will save them from such a fate. We
have such a remedy in the future plans of the Amer
ican Red Cross for the health and welfare of our
nation. By supporting the work of the Red Cross
to the limit we are taking the surest means within
our power to. make our children and our children's
children, stronger, healthier and happier than their
forebears.
BOND ELECTION FOR ROADS
The movement backed by the Kiwanls club and
other public spirited citizens of Pensacola, for the
call of an election to place 125,000 bonds on the
market for the purpose of completing the road be
tween Pensacola and the government reservations,
should have the support of the people of Pensacola,
and should serve as a warning for future public con
struction. In the issue of The Journal, December 11th, 1918,
a warning note was sounded, with the publication
of a charge made by the chairman of bond trustees
of the county, who appeared before the commission
ers on December 10th, to serve notice that in the
event that the original specifications for the inter
bayou road were changed, it would mean that the
contractors would be paid nearly one-third more
for the change, and that lack of funds would leave
about one mile of the road uncompleted.
A member of the county board of bond trustees
is authority for the statement that the unfinished
stretch of road is just about a mile as was predict
ed in December and that had the work been done
according to the original plans, the deficit would
not have occurred, and the road by this time would
have been completed. y
The original estimate called for a road five inches
In thickness at the curbing and six inches thick in
the center. The change in specifications required
that the road be six inches in thickness at the
curbing and seven inches at the center. The
fact that the road which was put down by the
United States government is not as thick as required
In the later specifications would seem to prove con
clusively that the change in specifications wasv un
warranted, as the traffic which passes over the road
built by the government and that now under con
struction by the county commissioners is the same.
It seems very clear that a serious mistake has
been made. It is too late now to correct that mis
take, and the only plan which seems open to the
commissioners, or which presents a practical solu
tion of the difficulty, is the calling of an election,
under Section 5. Law 122. in relation to the issuance
of bonds for construction and maintenance of roads
and bridges,, which, if carried, will authorize the
county commissioners to issue additional bonds of
the same denomination and running the same num-
Walt Masons Daily Poem
WEATHER
All moods are due to weather, I often sadly think;
when rain clouds get together they put me op the
blink. They chafe my sunny spring, so you'd with
me condole; they freeze, or pretty near it. the cur
rent of my soul. Outdoors it's raining, rainimr, with
steady beat and slow; the night wind is c-.nip:r.lning
of some unchartered woe. It tells of ghastly sorrows
that long dead people knew, and hints that our to
morrows will all be lemons, too. And I have grim
forebodings that evil is in store; disaster, stern,
corroding, is waiting at the door. But now the dawn
is breaking, the night has journeyed by; and I, from
sleep awaking, behold a cloudless sky. And I am
blithe and chipper, and happy as can, be, as I pour
down a dipper of fragrant wormwood tea. How
could I be so silly. I ask, with great disdain; how
could my feet grow chilly because of wind and rain?
But when once more the torrent pours down from
leaden skies, and when the winds abhorrent fill all
the night with sighs, the fantods will come to me,
as always they have come; and I'll be sad and
gloomy, and sick and out of plumb. Copyright by
George Matthew Adams. -
ber of years and bearing the same interest as the
original bonds voted for the carrying out. of the
original program.
One thing i3 ' very clear; some means must be
devised for finishing the Barrancas road. The fact
that mistakes have been made in the past and that
the work has been delayed for many months, makes
it more imperative that some Immediate steps be
taken to place the road in proper condition. As it
la now it is a detriment' to this entire section. Con
stant complaint has been made by officials Of the
Naval Air Station, the Pensacola Shipbuilding plant,
and Fort Barrancas for some relief from the pres
ent Inconvenience caused by work on the road being
held up. x
. The special election, and i 'aclng on the mar
ket of $25,000. additional I eems to offer the
only solution of the problem. Kiwanls Club and
business men back of the movement to have the road
completed are deserving of the closest cooperation.
I
Florida's Centennial
I
(Savannah News) ,
Georgia, especially this portion of the state, is
much interested in the proposed celebration of the
hundredth anniversary of the signing of the treaty
by which Florida passed under the legal Jurisdiction
of the American flag and was placed in position to
become a territory and then a member of the family
of the United States.
Following complicated and at times indefinite con
ditions Florida, embracing more territory than it
now Includes, under part British, part Spanish and
sometimes French control, was In a bad way. In
the early part of the past century the land was over
run by white adventurers, escaped negro slaves and
marauding Indians. Indians and negroes crossed in
to Georgia frequently and plundered, burned and
killed to flee into Spanish territory beyond the
reach of the United , States authoritlesT' Georgians
were anxious to have that annoying condition elimi
nated and there was a natural desire on the part
of the residents of this state to see the rich Florida
peninsula taken into the fold. In 1818 Gen. Jackson,
according to one historian conducting operations
against the Seminoles, invaded Florida, defeated the
Indians and took Pensacola, the government of
which place had been supplying the red men with
guns and ammunition. The town was restored to
Spain, but in 1819 a treaty was concluded by which
two years later, in 1821, Florida passed to the Uni
ted States. It became a territory in March, 1822,
and was admitted. to the union as a state in 1845.
It was the necessity for protection of Georgians
which first led to the efforts which opened the way
to the acquisition of Florida, Georgians, as they
studied the problem of protecting themselves from
the ravages of the mongrel hordes which swarmed
across the border, looked at the lands of the flowery
country and decided that it would be a good thing
to take it over as the work of correcting the evils
which came from Its irresponsible population pro
ceeded. ''...
The plan worked. The acquisition and the elimi
nation of the red and black "perils, flavored with the
alien influences brought into the states one of the
finest sections, a territory unique and to itself in
many characteristics. Georgia is, therefore, more in
terested in the centennial of the treaty-signing and
the purchase of the Florida country than the people
of any other state, save Florida itself, could be
Georgians will watch with unusual Interest the plans
of the centennial commission and will be glad to Join
the peninsula state in its coming- celebration. -
"Put It Over" Jacksonville. .
Press accounts would indicate that Pensacola "put
it over" Jacksonville at the . centennial meeting in
Tallahassee Monday. The location of the big show
was not decided by the commission, the members
deciding to visit the two contending cities before
awarding the coveted prize. Pensacola undoubtedly
will be chosen in the wind up and we are so confi
dent of this fact that we hereby tender thanks to
the commission in advance. Bonifay Advertiser.
f
Escambia Might Do the Same.
If Walton county wants any of the state and fed
eral road money out of the present appropriation
it is time to bet busy and very busy. The state
road department has given notice that all counties
not taking action to meet this appropriation by the
first of January will be considered as having waived
their rights in the matter and the money used in
the counties that have taken such action. If we
want the $60,000 to $100,000 assigned to this county
we have barely time to circulate he petition, have
the election called and held, and that without delay.
DeFuniak Breeze.
Not only Walton county but every county that is
lagging behind, should take energetic steps to secure
a portion of this road money. Good roads will help
Florida more than any one thing that can be sug
gested. Apalachicola Times.
Thorn Favors Short Week.
What's the matter with all men of all professions
"rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor,
lawyer," an the whole darn mix making this life a
six hour five-day week, and thus secure two whole
days for refreshment and sleep! The farmer would
be glad were such a thing possible and the way to
make it possible is to "demand;" the poultryman
would be delighted to . separate himself from his
flocks and chicks for 48 hours at a stretch; the
milkman would be tickled to secrete all the products
of his kine for two days, and the patrons would be
correspondingly overjoyed; and so on and -so Orth,
etcetera. I'm favoring this short week, you bet at
least till half of us starve to death. Thorn in Palm
Beach Post.
They Were Cheerful Liars, Anyhow.
The iconoclasts are smashing up lots of our war
legends. One is that the Germans after the battle of
Belleau Wood called our marines "devil dogs." It
now comes to light that this was invented by an
American correspondent and the Germans never
heard of it until the war was over. Those corres
pondents were a cheerful lot of liars. They were de
cidedly at discount at the front, but much may be
forgive them,- for they kept up the hearts of the
people at home. Ocala Star. .
More Ham and Bacon Florida-Grown.
Federal statistics for February, 1919, show that
Florida ranks twentieth as a hog producing . state,
and twenty-fifth in estimated value of hogs on the
farm. This Is encouraging to those breeders who
have been endeavoring to raise the standard of qual
ity of the hogs in this state, since the federal sta
tistics for the previous year showed that Florida
ranked forty-seventh in the estimated value of hogs,
and nineteenth as a hog producing state.
Field Agent Sam T. Fleming says that this In
crease in the quality of Florida hogs will be greater
during the present year than during- the past.
Gxaceville News.' . .... ;
I , WHICH SHALL IX BE? j
Shall we have a small regular army and trust
to luck that If we ever get Into a war somebody
will hold the enemy for a year or so while we
frantically squander fifteen or twenty billion dol
lars getting ready?
Or shall we adopt a system cf universal military training which not only will Insure our national security
but will be of untold benefit to the health, discipline, and patriotic spirit of every young man, rich or poor, In
the country?
to murmurs, with the first hint of fall,
swept on the winds that sent the
clouds scurrying across the sky, mak
ing the plane at last invisible.
And then, suddenly, over the water,
here and there a light glimmered in
the dusk, then another, and another,
as if some prodigal hand had reached
down, and dropped glistening jewels
to deck the breast of the waters.
And, as if in answer to a summons,
suddenly thousands of other friendly
lights flashed out, to form a chain,
diamond-bright, along the frnge of the
bay.
Up above in his plane the pilot
swooped from behind the cloud and
looked down on Pensacola harbor,
which gleamed and gjistened with
thousands of lights of the flotilla, rid
ing safely at anchor.
Perhaps it was because, so far from
earth, everything takes on a strange
and new significance, that looking on
that jeweled fleet he seemed to see
the ships of Spain, and of France, and
of Great Britain, and of America, rid
ing at anchor together, in the harbor
over which the flags of five nations
had been flung, long ago' to the Gulf
Breeze.
He seemed to see a great pageantry
on which the world looked in wonder,
to marvel that here, oii these historic
waters, were assemble! the fleets
from those countries which In the
storied past had fought here for su
premacy. But, as his plane came nearer, the
fancy passed, and he saw lying below
him on the water, a great flotilla, fly
ing the insignia of his own country,
and his heart thrilled to the sight.
The ships lay there in the harbor,
brilliant with lights, thirty destroyers
and their auxiliaries like a handful of
toy vessels against the miles of water
with which they were Surrounded.
And the man in the plane let his
fancy free again, and he caw a d&y,
in 1922, when this great flotilla and
VIEWS OIN
JOU RNAL
READ E R S
The Journal is glad to print
Bhort communications from read
ers on any topic of interest.
'Letters should be typewritten if
possible, and double spaced.
Editor The Pensacola Journal.
Dear Sir: As November 11, Armis
tice Day, draws near, the thought has
occurred to me that Pensacola should
take some steps to prepare for a suit
able celebration.
May I suggest that the city be asked
to designate November 11, 1919, as a
legal holiday and that a monster
parade be held in which every organ-1
izatton in the city should be well rep
resented? In the parade should be the
Confederate veterans, the G. A. R., the
local camp of the American Legion
(veterans of this war), officers and
men ffom the local forts and naval
air station, the Red Cross, W. C. C.
S., Jwish Welfare, K. of C.,- Y." M. C.
A., Salvation Army, Army nursing
corps, the Rotary club, Kiwanls club,
all school children. W. O. W B. P. O.
E., the centennial committee of one
hundred, city and county officials,
police and fire departments, all city
and county employes, and many other
local organizations too numerous to
mention in detail.
In former parades a lack of music
has to a certain extent put a damper
on the occasion and I would suggest
that as many bands as possible be re
quested to march. The- day should be
given over to thanksgiving and merry
making. In Jacksonville, on November 11,
1918, crowds thronged the streets from
the moment the news of the signing
of the armistice was flashed until a
late hour he following morning. Bands
played and those who cared to, danced
and sang. It was an" inspiring sight
and I trust that the heads of the or
ganizations I have enumerated will
get together and arrange some program
to fittingly commemorate Armistice
Day in Pensacola this year. .
Very truly yours, .
. R. M. KENNEDY.
N 1914.
Arras and near Ypres 3e nan. troops
Arrasi and near Ypres German troops
on left bank of Vistula rtivar in full
retreat; Russian cavalry In Dadom
General Botha, Premier of South Afri
ca, commanding loyal forces routs
rebels under General Beyers Agree
ment between U. S. and Central
Powers raises embargo on drug3 and
chemicals. ,
1915.
French Cabinet, " headed by Premier
Viviani resigns; Brand to succeed
him 150.000 French land to aid Serbs;
but German push on in North Serbia
while Bugars take Taiecar and Pirot
American troops arrive on Mexican
border in Arizona to prevent raiding.
1916.
Rumanians cheek invaders m the
north Washington I receives British
reply to its protest against "black
list" of American flrms French close
in on Fort, Vaux near Verdun; take
quarry above . , Douaxnont Australia
AND IT CAME TO PASS.
Night cast its spell over the city,
and the shifting clouds hid the stars
behind their billowy banks, that but a
few hours past had been gilded with
the glory, cast by the last rays of the
sun. in its dying splendor.
There was a stillness in the air,
broken only by the sleepy song of a
bird , in the liveoaks. and a far off
whirring of a giant plane which swept
up and out beyond the cloud.-?, fia if
searching for some mysterious un
charted sea, leading to that undiscov
ered country, in star-lighted realms
of space, hidden from the world be
low. ' ,
The waters of the bay fretted
against the docks and wharves stirred
Or shall we have a huge standing army that
will cost a mint of money every year and result In
the development of a militaristic clan and spirit
In the country?
-
other mammoth ships of the United
States navy would ride the watere,
the centre of a great carnival of ship
of Spain, of France, of Great Britain,,
under whose domination the affalra off
this city had been administered in th
past. And the flags of the Alliea
were there, and men who had made
history in the world war trod th
decks, In place of those who 'i .co
had been in command of t!ie
fleets which had invaded thia harbor,
and which had fought their battles on
Pensacola bay.
And the pilot at his wheel vlsioneil
another fleet which came up from the
horizon, like mammoth birds rising on
the . wings of the wind, and there vera
hundreds of these great ships that
flew over the city, and the .sound of
their wings was as the voice of a great
host, and they said:
"We are the ships, of the air, chart
ing the domain that lios between earth
and sky; we are a part of the greatest
panorama that has ever been viewed
by the peoples of the nations of tha
earth. Below us lie the ships of th
Allies, and representatives of Spain
assembled here in honor of that hour
when' the state of which this city if a
part, became one with this union,
through purchase from its Mother
Country."
And the pilot rubbed his eyes, and
awakened from his dream, and d-.fld
down in his seaplane until be 'as
close to the ships that lie fat crrhw
In Pensacola bay.
The ships that are an aus'jrj' of
things to come; of a great navai re
view, unequalled in all the history of
the world, and a great historic pageant,
to be held in Pensacola at the great
World Exposition to celebrate the Pur
chase Centennial in the Year 1922-
iX3
What Happened Oct. 28.
votes "no conscription."
1917
Two Italian armies in a disorgan
ized rout. Austro-German forces
press forward from Julian Alps to the
sea taking Goriza and Cividale an!
menacing Udlne; prisoners now toUl
100.000 and guns taken 700 Allies gain
in Flanders; strive desperately to
break German lines to relieve pres
sure on Italian front. ,
1918.
Austria accepts all of Wilson's con
ditions; asks for an armistice imme
diately on Allies' terms French Srlve
Germans back between the Oise and
the Serre; gain two miles in deptn
crossing Peron Rtvtr and liberate?
many villages British troop inter
Lys Italian and British forces ad
vance four miles beyond the r,d
River; take 9.000 Austrian- and 51
guns Count James Mlnotto. 'German
nobleman, names Joseph Caillaux x
Premier of France as member of own
spiracy to disrupt the Allies.
L A.
Lm