The Morning Bee MORNING—EVENING—SUNDAY THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY NELSON B. UPDIKE. Publisher. B. BREWER, Gen. Manager. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Tba AM*viatad l’r«ea. of «Lirb Tba Baa ta a mambar. ta axclailrelj antitlcd to tbc un f r rei/ubilcai'm of ai! ne*a reaarred. BEE TELEPHONES Private Branch Exchange. Aak for the Department lantic or Person W anted. For Night Calls After 10 P. M : i fifui Editorial Department. AT lantic 1021 or 1042. OFFICES Main Office—17th and f arr.ara CO. Bluffs .... 15 Scott St. So. Side. N W. Cor. 24tb and N New York—286 Filth Avanue .Washington • - 422 Star Bldg. Chicago - - - 1720 Steger Bldg. Paris, France—420 Rue St. Honor# LLOYD GF.ORGE'S WARNING TO FRANCE. Is France to do this thing? Is the world to be kept in constant turmoil until another great war results? The breakdown of the latest international con ference at London reveals French policy to be op posed to the calm judgment of the rest of Europe and bent on enforcing its own will on the continent. Premier Poincare has demanded the passage of the Rhine and the occupation of the industrial valley of the Ruhr before granting any postponement of German reparation payments. And here in Amer ica former Premier Clemenceau has been begging for a treaty by which America would pledge mili tary and diplomatic aid to enforce the Treaty of Versailles to the full. The suggestion that Amer ica cancel the debt of Fiance in the event any con cession is made to Germany is just so much added to the confusion. David Lloyd George, freed from the restraint which surrounded him as prime minister of Great Britain, is now endeavoring to clear up the inter national muddle by taking the people into hie private confidence. In declaring the continuance of the present French attitude means another war, he states what many have felt to be a fact, although they have not been able to speak with as much au thority as he. Ostensibly France desires two things—repara tions and security from attack. Lloyd George, in his remarkable article published in The Omaha Sunday Bee, asserts that a third aim, perhaps grow ing out of the other two, is the annexation of Ger man territory clear up to the Rhine. What he charges is that the strong French pressure which was exerted at the peace conference to extend the boundary of France clear to the river still exists and is growing stronger. Clemenceau, who teas then premier, was induced to drop the plan for annexation or for a Rhineland buffer state in return for a promise by President Wilson and Lloyd George of a joint treaty by which American and British troops would be sent to beat hack any new German aggression. The League of Nations pact did not satisfy the French, but they required this additional bond. The main complaint of Clemenceau, on his tour of America, is that the United States and Great Jlrit«n failed to ratify this triangular agreement. He expresses the belief that these nations should assist France in tarrying out the Treaty of Ver sailles down to the last penny and the last dot of an i. The plain fact is that the Treaty of Versailles is not enforceable. Lloyd George intimates as much when he writes: "The most moderate and insidious form this tle rtemund took was a proposal that the German prov inces on the left bank of the Khine should remain in French occupation until the treaty had been ful filled. ■ "That meant forever. "The reparations, alone—skilfully handled by the Qual (J’Orsay—would preclude the possibility of ever witnessing the fulfillment of the treaty. When a man who sat in the peace conference confesses that some of the provisions of the treaty are not possible of being carried out, what are the people to think? Clearly, for the peace of the world, the Treaty of Versailles must be rewritten. Lloyd George knocks the pretence of French statesmanship into a cooked hat by showing that several times he made the offer on the part of Great Britain to give guaranteed against German aggression. This was designed to offset the desire for territorial annexation clear up the European sit jation. His view is thus expressed: "There are men In Germany who rreach revenge. They must be warned tliat such a step will alienate the same allies side by aide inflicting punishment on the peace breakers. "There are men in France who counsel annexa tion of territories populated by another race. They must be warned that such a step will alienate the sympathies of Britain and America and that when the inevitable war of liberation comes, the *5 mpathles of America and Britain will be openly ranged on the side of those who are fighting for national freedom. "The time lias conn- for saying these things, and If they are not said in high plares, humanity will one day call those who occupy those places to the reckoning." Here is the voice of sanity. If France sows the seeds of war by a policy of imperialism, it can not expect any assistance; if it adopts a policy de signed to encourage international good will and foregoes its pound of flesh it can count on the support of the world against any uncalled for at tack. America went to war to crusn the spirit in Ger many that now appears to he rising in France. As Premier Poincare interprets the Treaty of Ver sailles, French military occupation of the Rhine country is authorized until Germany executes the treaty in full, which means forever, inasmuch as the terms can not he met; and there is even doubt as to whether it was not drawn with this in view. The increasing French debt, the unabated burden ot' militarism and the falling exchange value of the franc should warn them of the peril which they have created. Lloyd George advises Clemenceau to tell his own countrymen these facts instead of at tempting to lecture either America or Britain. Some one must tell them or the red scourge of war will again sweep Europe. » -— Only $25,000 is proposed in the rivers and har bors bill for the improvement of the Missouri river between Kansas City and Sioux City. Yet the river work farther down is to be carried on, with a total appropriation of $1,500,000. Omaha may yet find itaelf not so far from water as it now seems. J ___ Ten thousand curious persons jammed the street in front of a house where a murder had been com mitted in New York, if you want to know how rare a thing murder ia in Gotham. 01’ Bill White aeems not a bit backwards about expressing his contempt lor at least one judge and one governor. “Billion Dollar” day was nothing at the Treasury when McAdoo was at the throttle. SOUTHWARD TO TIDE-WATER. Now and then some one inquires, “In what why aie the farmers of this state concerned in the Panama car.al?” The answer is easy—they’ are paying for it.. Directly and indirectly, the Panama canal affects the .price of everything a Nebraska farmer sells and the cost of everything he buys. His easiest way out of this is to find some method of getting his own stuff to market by a shorter, cheaper route, and thereby save for himself part of what now goes to pay for transportation. The Omaha Chamber of Commerce now has an emissary visiting the Shipping board, asking that greater facilities be given to Gulf ports, that Ne braska grain may reach tide-water there. A saving in rail haul of 500 to 600 miles is thus possible, and the advantage is clear; whether it can be made available is not so clear. Some twenty-five years ago Aruthur Stillwell set about to organize the "Port Arthur’’ route, with Omaha for its northern terminus. He had his line working, when the money market was suddenly closed to him, and his system of railroads fell to pieces. The Kansas City Southern, however, was saved from the wreckage, but under control of the east and west lines. About the same time the Illinois Central passed into Harriman's group, and the Colorado & Southern was the only railroad running north and south that was not owned or directed by the lines running east and west. It, too, has gone over, and the whole situation is domi nated by groups whose chief interest in to have west ern farm products move to the Atlantic seaboard. One way out of this is river transportation. The Missouri river will serve from Omaha nine or ten months in each year, and if put to work would be a determining factor in the transportation sit uation so far as the output of the greatest grain producing states in the union are concerned. When South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri send their surplus to market over an all-water route from Pierre to New Orleans, the hammer lock of the “Granger" railroads on the grain fields will be loosened, and the farmer will note the dif ference. ALSO CHAMPION GIRL CANNERS. Hawkeyes can add another stanza to their song In addition to the tall corn, which is, after all, merely a metaphor, and in no sense the exclusive posses sion of Iowa, they also grow girls who can can. One day recently we quoted Freeman Conaway’s lyric tribute to these same Hawkeye maidens, ••.whose laughing eyes Would make a lover's paradise." These same maidens know other ways of appeal ing to the admiration of mere man. Adopting the dictum, “Feed the brute,” they chn also make a frying pan laugh, a preserve kettle do such mar melous things as would puzzle even a fairy god mother to achieve, and when it comes to pies— well, there is where they shine. Consequently, when it came to winning the three months’ tour of Europe, offered by the Na tional Live Stock exposition at Chicago as a prize in the national canning competition, the Iowa girls just began to map out the route and get their dresses ready. Yes, they had opposition, and m team front Colorado and another from Connecticut were named as alternate winners. But Buelah Rodgers and Katherine Bolibaugh of Eddyville will make the trip, for their work as canners led all the rest. If you want to know where Eddyville is, it is where the Iowa Central crosses the Des Moines river. It was a town long before the railroad was built, and has a long and interesting history, dating back to the days before the civil war. Now’ it has a greater claim to fame, ^distinction brought to it by a pair of girls who know how to prepare fruits, vegetables and the like so they will keep for future use. And the Wappello county fair will also take on new importance, because these girls have rivals at home, and all of them know how to do their stuff. It wasn’t exactly a Christmas gift that the Great Western Sugar company prepared for the stockings of the North Platte valley beet growers, but the bonus payment will not be looked upon askance be cause of that one little fact. Revenue bureau proposes to extend its tax ad visory system, and very likely will find the old, old question waiting, not how much but how to get it. Turkey finds dealing with the Allies more to ba desired than trifling with the soviets, which is an other proof of the quality of Ismet Pasha s mind. The Arizona desert country would be a good place to stage the next war, if there has to be one. Japan has just emerged from another shakeup— by an earthquake this time. Russia is to revive by evolution; well, it went to pieces in revolution. China's Christian General -Thomas Meloy. in Asia. General Feng is a man of extreme simplicity. He hates displays of all kinds, except possibly military, lie wears a plain gray, rather frayed uniform, the only in signia of which are shoulder straps with the three gold stars of a lieutenant general. He carries with him on all occasions a big, black, worn Bible, much of the text of which he lias learned by heart. His only other book 13 a treatise on military tactics. tYben he com mands. those about him jump. In spite of his stern life philosophy, General Feng likes little Jokes. His delight in playing pranks was evident this summer even in the Bible classes he held for his officers. The meeting place was the temple of Ta Yu, who Invented the water wheel and the dikes and who was a successful ruler about 2000 B. C. or a little earlier. The temple is supposed to date back to some time in this obscure antiquity and looks it. The gods are in need of repair, and the once proud priepts have been relegated to a small outbuilding nearby. When the temple is not being used for the expounding of the Scriptures, it is cavalry headquarters, and we who i were the general s honored guests were quartered there. [ The services and teachings were conducted by Chinese I ministers and Y. M. C. A. men gathered from various | parts of £hlna. They began each morning at 5:30. The i first day General Feng appeared promptly as usual at I a quarter to 5. Kvery one except the honored guests was already up and standing at at-entlon. The general i ascended the platform and, winking to a friend near by, ! announced solemnly that he had misplaced his Bible somewhere in the temple. He valued that particular Bible highlj-. He would give twenty watermelons to the man who could find It. A search began, and the Bible was discovered under a blanket where the general had hidden It. The finding of the Bible was loudly ap plauded. Next the general suddenly noticed that he had misplaced his belt, which was a very dear one given to him by a lady. A new search was started and a new reward of twenty watermelons offered the finder. Amid much applause, the belt was also located and then the services began with a serious discussion of Gideon and his work. The general hugely enjoyed his little game. Though no one doubted that the belt and the Bible had been purposely hidden and the general was aware that every one knew he was only pretending, the joke was much relished for its humor. Also it was a graceful means of providing watermelons for the meetings, and in steaming Honan, where there is no Ice except for the favored minority, a watermelon Is appreciated. “From State and Nation” —rEditorials from other newspapers— * » What .Are the Facta About Sugar'.’ From the Scottsbluff 8tar*Hqrftld. The crankadcs eat on tha ed»» of the moon And wistfully gszed o'or the »•* To where the gazockue waa singing e tune To the air of "Fol-diddle-dol-dee.'’ Gentle reader, can you make any sense out of that? Yes? No? 1 Then try this: In the issue of November 11, of "Facts About Sugar,” the official or gan of the sugar manufacturers, that publication printed an article In which was set forth in glowing terms the success of the beet sugar industry for the season of 1922, the avidity in which the issue of new shares of Great Western Sugar company stock "par value $25,” were being gobbled up at a price of $79, and incidentally said: "Estimates place the prottts (Great Western's) for this season at around $11,000,000, on the assumption that the sugar output will amount to 6,000,000 bags or more, and that earn ings will not be less than $2 per bag," and so on. In the issue of November "5, of "Facts About Sugar,” In an editorial it la stated that the beet sugar cam paign is one of the most disappoint ing in the history of the industry, and only appears good because the two preceding seasons were w orse. It also states that none of the beet sugar companies is paying dividends on its common stock, and continues in so gloomy a vein that the casual reader wonders why the Great Western doesn’t close its factories right now and thus Halt the tragic slide toward complete financial oblivion. Now what do you know about tlyit? Most beet growers are certainly gluttons when It comes to take finan cial punishment year after year, but that does not necessarily interfere with their Intelligence, when allowed \ to do their own thinking. Therefore, the following is the apparent concen sus of opinion: Article of November 11—For use for the purpose of increasing stock sales. Aticle of November 25—For use in holding down any untoward expecta tion on the part of beet growers that their returns will be unduly large this year because of the $11,000,000 made by the Great Western. But for the sake of appearances, as well as a slight degree of humanitar ian interest, "Facts About Sugar" should have separated the publication dates a tritie more. It should have given the farmers time to forget the millions of profit by the company be fore reminding them that such was not for them, and that this had been a tough old season. Seasons vary on the stock market, but O. how monotonously alike they ore, to tho man who raises the beets which go to make the sugar which makes $25 shares sell for $79. "Facts About Sugar." What are the facts about sugar? Love Letteis, Ancient and Modern. From St. L.oula Globe-Democrat. If the archaeologists are correct In thinking that one of the cuneiform inscriptions found in the ruins of Babylon Is "the oldest love letter ex tant,” It will have to be admitted that the ancient lover was far less fervid than the modern. Tho one found at Babylon reads: “I write this to inquire after thy health. Let me know how it goes with thee. T am now settled in Babylon, hut I am in great anxiety because I have not seen thee. Send news when thou wilt come, that I may rejoice at It. Come in the month of Arokhsanma. Mayest thou, for my sake, live forever." In the Babylonian calendar, Arokh samna was the equivalent of Novem ber and December in modern calen dars.^ good season for love-making. But the Babylonian must have shown more evidence of passion to have led the archaeologists to call this a love letter, and they admit that parts of the inscription are not included. The omitted parts may have been written In private code, with a view to a pos uible later court appearance. Some modern insincere lovers so often neg lect this prudent precaution that their letters, frequently read in courts and printed in newspapers, must convince even those swearing by “the good old times" that the translated part of the Babylonian missive, when compared with a number which have been dragged out within the present year, “is as moonlight unto sunlight and as water unto wine ” Nor is it possible even to believe that the modern writer of love letters, whose letters do not get into court or Into print, does not. put more of fervor into his love letters than this Babylonian did. Some tribute to the. beauty and other admirable qualities of his chosen one must surely be made, even hy the dullest who feel the consuming flame, and who. lack ing eloquence and originality, will fall hack on “Kosc is red and violet's blue: sugar's sweet and so are you." Old stuff and poor stuff, but breath ing more of love than the deciphered part of the Babylonian love letter does. If Babylon was as cold and chaste as tho deciphered part of this inscription would indicate, then the writer was an exception proving a rule, or Ezekiel'# and Jeremiah s pen pictures of the town were gross exag gerations. Commercial or Moral? From tho Buffalo Express. Agitation in Great Britain to liar American films leads one to believe that commercial rivalry, moro than the question of morals, is responsible for the movement. British critics roast photoplays from here on the ground that there are too many crime and marital woe plots, that they [endanger the morals of little children who attend the picture palaces and that they give an erroneous opinion of America. At the same time British authors are sending us novel after novel packed with marriage failures and Wood-thirsty detective yarns. It might bo argued that little children, ! although they attend the movies, do ! not read these hook*, save the Adven ' tures of Sherlock Holmes which al | most every child reads, hut if little children are not the readers hig chil dren are and it is such simple-minded creatures that are more likely to be affected by pornography than the tots. While much might tic said against tho production of plays and novels reeking with life's woes, such regret table incidents happen every day and the film fan or book reader is cer tain to come across them sooner or later. As for the attack on American films. It is difficult to see wherein tho American offends more than the Brit NET AVERAGE CIRCULATION for NOVEMBER, 1922, of THE OMAHA BEE Daily.73,843 Sunday .78,103 B. BREWER. Gen. Mgr. ELMER S. ROOD. Cir. Mgr. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 5th day of December, 1922. W. H. QUIVEY, (Seal> Notary Public isher. There probably would be lit tle criticism if British films were as successful as those of American make. When We Pull Together. From ths Chappell (Neb.) Register. Maybe the reasons we don't set more needed improvements in our cities is that too many of us are quick to jump at the conclusion that It is going to benefit (he other fellow more than it will him or that it will serve to enhance the value of property In wli.oh he is not interested. No matter what part of the town wo may live in, we are 1 enefited by the improvement of any street or al ley or sidewalk in any other part of town. It may not mean actual dol lars and cents benefit. But a chuck hole filled here or a bad piece of pav ing repaired there makes a better town, and the latter the town the more valuable our own property be comes. If a street light is needed in a distant part of town from that in which we live it is an improvement deserving of our support, whether we ever see it lighted or not. Maybe some one in that very part of town needs that particular light to enable him to get down town and transact business. And maybe the dollars he spends when lie gets down town will lie handed to someone in the town in payment of a debt owed by the man he spent it with. There is no man living who can fig ure the value of town improvement be cause improvements benefits work around in a wide circle, and value comes from so many sources that we are unable to trace them all. The sensible thing is to understand that every improvement makes for a bet ter town, and that if we confined our improvements to favored sections we would quickly have a citizenship so dissatisfied that the town would fall into a rut from which it would never climb. Put your shoulder to the wheel every time a public Improvement is launched. You'll be helping yourself by helping the town. And when you need something in your own square you'll find vour neighbor more will ing to help you get it. Novels of 1922 "Not 80 Gn■»« UMMIu"' "WEEKS' J jBRfWTM^CPWWMIT^ '*♦