The Omaha Bee MO R N I N C—EV ENIN G—S U N D A Y THE BEE PUBLISHING CO., Publisher N. B. UPDIKE, President BALLARD DUNN. JOY M. HACKLER, Editor in Chief Business Manager MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Associated Press, of which The Bee is a member, is exclusively entitled to the use for lepublication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper, and also the local news published herein. All rights of republication of our special dispatches are also reserved. The Omaha Bee is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the recognized authority on circulation audits, and The Omaha Bee’s circulation is regularly audited by their organisations. Entered as second-class matter Muy 28, 11*08, at Omaha postoffice under act of March S, 1871. BEE TELEPHONES Private Branch Exchange. Ask for AT Untie 1000 the Department or Person wanted. OFFICES .dain Office—17th and Farnam Co. Bluffs —15 Scott St* So. Side—N. W. Cor. 24th N. New York World Bldg. Detroit—Ford Bldg. Chicago—Tribune Bldg. Kansas City—Bryant Bldg. St. Louis—Syn. Trust Bldg. Los Angeles—Higgins Bldg. »Snn Fran.-—Hollrook Bldg. Atlanta-' Atlanta Trust Bldg. ©mdbd’VheiHlKAbsi is at its Best WHY NOT HAVE THE ROADS? According to a statement from the Nebraska Good Roads association, $4,000,000 is waiting in the Unit ed States treasury for Nebraska to accept and spend on good roads. To get this money the state will be asked to spend less than a million. Instead of match ing dollars with the federal government, the state will only be required to put up 24 cents where Uncle Sam puts up 100 in this instance. While the money is lying idle in Washington, other states are getting theirs, because they are at work on road programs. Taxpayers in Nebraska are contributing its pro rata share to the federal aid fund, and this year is getting very little benefit from it. Just why the legislature failed to make proper provision at its last session is not easy to explain, hut the failure is costing the state something more than it can afford. The next legislature will have full opportunity to make good, and another year should see Nebraska busy on the good roads pro gram once more. It is not pleasant to he told that Nebraska stands • 81st of all states in population, seventh in per capita wealth, 16th in total wealth, and 45th in the number of miles of hard surfaced roads. No state in the union needs them more. California alone has more automobiles in proportion to the population than Nebraska, and these indicate the use that is made of Nebraska’s highways by its citizens. In 1923 Missouri spent for construction work on state highway systems, $26,G08,823; Iowa, $12, 603,736; Colorado, $4,306,563; Kansas, $4,301,640; South Dakota, $3,455,672; Wyoming, $2,138,163; Nebraska, $1,200,000. How much longer will Ne braska he content to linger at the bottom of the list in the important work of good roads construction? ON ALWAYS BEING CYNICAL. One of the manifest disadvantages of heing a cynic is that frequently the expected sneer must be forced. To be a consistent apostle of discontent, one must often write or say things in which he has , neither heart nor faith. Especially is this true when ! a professional critic of all things under the sun comes ' to deal with a political platform, no matter hy whom it is prepared, what it contains, and which of the many parties presents it to the public. The men who prepare such a platform, honorable though their names may be, unquestioned their patriotism, admitted their deep and broad experi ence, must be regarded as mountebanks, deliberate deceivers, bent on cheating the public. The dele gates who voice their approval of the platform are “morons,” or ibeciles. There can be no honesty of purpose in any political platform, no sincerity of desire on the part of those who frame it to serve the public and to improve the state of society. This may explain why Arthur Brisbane, for ex ample, sneers so extensively at the platform adopted at Cleveland. He will do the same at the one the | democrats adopt at New ^ ork. A leader of thought, j for he has a host of followers, he persistently seeks , to destroy the faith of man in everything. Brisbane can write good stuff, and frequently does. He says many kind words in the course of a year, expresses many an illuminating thought, and encourages many a struggling soul. Just as he has done this, he un does all his good efforts by a wholesale and unreason- ! ing condemnation of an entire political convention. Nebraskans know the delegates they sent to Cleveland, and have confidence in their integrity. The same must he true of every state in the union. If this he true, it is reasonable to assume that the convention fairly represented the voters of the United States, and that its work, in candidates and j platform, was done honestly. But Mr. Brisbane, in his superior wisdom, disposes of the whole affair thusly: “There Isn't-anything in that platform to frighten anybody, nothing to cause excitement, nothing to In dicate that anybody lit power In the republican party believes that theie have been Important changes In the world since 11M4.” Therefore, we insist, that to be a cynic con sistently carping Ht everything and everybody re quires frequently the outrage of common sense and the ordinary trust that must exist between man and man in order that society may exist at all. FRENCH POLITICS STILL HECTIC. Forcing Millerand to resign ns president, and electing Doumergue to the place is the first, fruit of the victory of the left in the recent French elec tion. Doumergue, who was president of the senate, was not the choice of the left. Painleve was the candidate of the group that will give, to Herriot his majority when he is named as premier. A queer turn in temporary coalitions upset the left and made the new president of France one who mny be said to represent the minority. All this is more than a little puzzling to the aver age American, who is not accustomed lose* his gov ernment flash up and disappear, according to the whim of groups, large or small, in congress. It is the effect of the bloc system carried to its logical end. Doumergue represents the momentary coalescence of blocs that have no permanent af finity. They voted for him because they were op posed to Painleve, not for any purpose of giving him continued support. Herriot, who will undoubted ly go in as premier, is situated similarly. While he represent* the left, that group has not a majority in itself, and any time one or two of the lesser groups now aligned with the left decide to oppose the cabi net, down it will go, and a new one will come on. In all, since the republic was proclaimed in 1871, six presidents of France have resigned. Thiers was first, Deschnncl the last before Millerand. Interest ing French history clusters around each of these episodes. The republic has endured and will endure, in spite of its protean politics. Probably because ( the French people are more patiently steadfast than the French politicians. DRESS UP FOR THE LIONS. Next week Omaha is going to be hostess to the first really and truly international convention that has gathered here in a long time. The Lions are coming in force, for their great annual assemblage. 'They will bring some representative men, delegates who are important in their own home towns, and , whose good opinion is worth having. I The true Lion is afraid of nothing, not even of bright colors. Yet Omaha has a splendid opportunity to test this latter statement to the limit. Let home owners and building owners, and business men and eitizens in general make ready this week, and dress up the old town in its gayest. Flintr out the banners, and till the air with streamers, and let us see if we can scare the Lions. It can not be done—that is, the Lions can not be frightened, hut they can be pleased, and they will be if they see evidences on all hands that Omaha is proud to have them here for the convention. We do not know what sort of promises Dean Ringer and Vincent Hascall and the rest of the local Den m«de to the prospective visitors. All we know is that the Lions are live wires, and that 2,500 delegates and goodness knows how many visitors are coming. The Kansas City delegation had 75 reservations at one hotel, and last week telegraphed to have that num ber increased to 125. That is just a hint as to what will happen. Omaha will house the visitors all right, will feed them, and show them hospitality in every way. , Decoration is the only thing unprovided for, and it, should be looked after. BOYCOTT THAT SOUNDS HOLLOW. The Japanese uproar against America recalls Macbeth’s comment upon life. It is “full of sound and fury, and signifying nothing.” Threats of a boycott on all American goods sounds big, until the situation be examined. In 1922-23 the trade be tween Japan and the United States amounted to about $580,000,000, with a balance of some $60, 000,000 in favor of Japan. The Japs buy very sparingly of American manufactured articles. In that year a total $43,000,000 of foodstuffs of all kinds were purchased by Japanese of America. Chiefly this consisted of rice, wheat flour and pork products, the latter mainly bacon and lard. Mainly our exports to Japan consist of steel, lumber, glass and other building material, which are not produced, in the empire. Trade in these fell off almost one half from the wartime peak. For years the United States has been the princi pal market for the wares of Japan. In 1922 al most one-half of the total exports from the empire came to this country. We must concede to the Japanese possession of ordinary intelligence, and this means they are not apt to cut off their principal customer throush a boycott that only amounts to a protest against a political act. The statesmanship of Japan is superior to the hubbub that is raised by the politicians. For they do have politics over there, and for several years one of the great issues has been universal suffrage. Gov ernments have fallen, one after another, because of the crises arising from this, and the American ex clusion law is being made the pretext for another up heaval by the party that is opposed to things as they are. It does not mean a war, or even a serious interruption of Japanese trade, for they are as anx ious to sell to America as they have been in the past. “AGIN' THE GOVER'MENT.” The democrats are opposed to the republican platform quite naturally. Their opposition is. due to a congenital difficulty that makes it impossible for them to appreciate the fact that great construc tive programs are built in quiet planning and are carried out by force of character. Noise and hubbub and running about in circles is so natural an atmosphere of the democrat that he can not appreciate the greater power that lies in the well organized mind that moves directly toward ob jectives. The people have read the republican platform, they will soon have a chance to read the democratic platform. They can read the difference, too. One of them is couched in the language of the builder, the other in the language of those who merely are against things. The heart of the democrat atill moves to the slogan of the party, “We are agin’ the gover'ment.” “What Happened to Hogs” captions an esteemed contemporary. Well, so far as we are concerned they usually set our seat in the street ears, and are always just ahead of us in the cafeteria line. Maybe the men who have ducked the vice presi dential nomination are wiser than those who sought to name them. It takes a mighty good man to mea sure alongside Coolidge. That Nevada senator acquires a reputation worthy of being placed alongside that of the young fellow who fired the Ephesian dome. Now we Save the remarkable spectacle of demo eiats shedding tears over the passing of Henry Cabot Lodge from leadership. It is funny. .A Nebraska school board is trying to head off any deal between Cupid and the schoolma'am. .At present the score is a tie. Two more Omaha teachers have retired after 40 years of service. In that time they have earned more than a pension. It must he a pretty good repuhliean platform if it takes a democratic editor that long to tell what is wrong with it. Chauffeur Dale's shotgun may well he listed among the efficient deterrents of crime. t-- —\ Homespun Verse —By Omaha's Own Poet— Hohrrt JT nrthinutnn Davie V___/ SIGNBOARDS. On every Hide within the town through which I dally t rea d. Sign* ni tik the w iy behind my *tep*, and nearer draw ahead Vast portrait*, painted to portray the best of all that a • fine, Abaorfo the beauty of the way and blear the eye* of mine How oft It take* me backward to th<»*e wood* in beauty dreNMcd Thn*e nn melee* nn<>|<* of splendor which reveal the un expre.**ed Which more thnn the material Rive to those whoee moijI* are not Inarrlbcd upon th« pedoetnl of wealth which they have *ot. Va*t portrait*, painted to pnrtmy the beat of ill that * fine, Abeojb the beauty of the way and btenr the i»\** of mine, f’ntll l loner to u*ndrr In those wood* nhhh only grow. Hut the exalted \\orthines* of nnti\!*m show ____ Of Course There’s No Such Thing as Pleasing Some Folks. V-- -------/ fOKISNVJT JUST>aNT*UL» ) / He c!anV evest \ ' BOSS HIS 0WNXH3CSE- I HOU), let jVLQN’P Rum the couArr*v ^ % _ _ f -- Letters From Our Readers All letter* mii*t he feigned, hut nnme w ill he withheld upon request. Communi cation* of i«o Hunii nud lews will he given preference. ^—___._/ Some Pertinent Questions. Omaha—To the Editor of The Oma ha Be ex It seems that the Franks murder rase Stands w-thout pieced ent. it t-eitalnlt should pause people to stop and take notice. Now, the perpetrators seem to show more than average mental development. Can we afjford to work for mental status at t>ie risk of moral and spiritual starva tion? Jin »e Still object to the Bible in our public schools" Do we think the average movie the better enter tainment for our children? What is breeding this coldness and indiffer ence. this lack of humane instruction in our youth? Our M. <’ T. J*. have rnple* of the Ten Commandments in large print framed and hing in some of the school rooms, but the number Is In sufficient to go around. T'nies* the teacher calls attention to the fact, many children will never know that •’Thou shalt not kill" Is one of C.od's commandments And now may we ask. What Is the real definition for education? Have we reached a period where we have no regard for he ion lor, or any other equipment aside from that of the menial? Do chil dren show obedience lo law and order" Iki older people show a deep respect to law and order today? Ask yourselves these few vital questions, which we think should open avenue* lo many of the problems confronting us today H. Kailroad Man's View*. Perry, In —To the Editor of The Omaha Bee: In answer to Doc Ferrell's letter of June «, would like to ask hint If when lie went on a trip he would feel safe if he knew the man was at the throttle of the engine pulling the train was an operator and knew nothing of running the engine. He says he had years experience In the railway game From the trend of his letter the only experience rail roading he eyer had was on hls an nii.al trip to his wife's people* home for hl* Christmas dinner Hoc, you are very- yotmg or you are getting old, your disposition Is getting soured like an old doctor I knew years ago. who had lost all his patients for the reason they all had tombstones sitting on them. Ho you ate an old tall ate you. Doc? You probably tampered ties on an extra gang for a week. You didn’t have backbone enough lo stick any longer Why do railroad company's require! from f> to « years firing ..r braking from a new man before giving him charge of engine or train, if any one i an run the engine or punch your ’ ■ i i—. _._ ticket? If the railroad inan doesn’t know anything and are a bunch <>f numbskulls. Dor, you ought to have stayed on the job for you have all the qualifications. Vou mv government ownership of roads was not a success. Agreed, but (was it the enginemen and trainmen who made it What made govern ment contro? EnflcJency of the man agement, not the railroad man or McAdoo. Who cost the taxpayers of the I’nited States millions of dollars'’ Cummins wit his railroad hill. 1>or, get in communication with Senator Brookhart and get some in formation from the best posted man in this question in the I'nited States, then come back with an apology to the railroad men who are aparently far your superiors intelecually. J. SHEARER, 1611 Fifty fourth Street, Perry. What to Do? Norfolk—To the Editor of The Oma ha Bee: Reading in The Bee editorials from state and nation. Wealth and Reason. (('lipping enclosed » The idea seems to prevail that in dust rial wages must come down to harmonize with Hie product of the fai ms and cattle ranches. In the ffrst place, most of ns ought lo know if we read papers that the( a v* i age farmer, and rancher, are not vetting for their product what if costs to produce it. If even they do the most of the work themselves, espe • ially when they have to pay more than 6 per rent for their harrowed money, and most of them have to borrow, in that business aa well as any other When if is ail rut and dried which would tend to make the better times w • are nil waiting for to atop trying to cut industrial wages (making tin employment, especially In the cities by every attempt made in the direc non of wage reduction! and see to it that the man from the country gets for his product, all it cost hint to prodtji e it. figuring fair wages for himself and other help used, besides a fair profit such as any other business would figure? Or to let things keep on going the way Hie yaie. with the ultimate out come that the biggest part of the population In both the cities and the country will go on the rocVs. except for a few who have the wherewithal to stern the tide’ A BEE READER. 'I wello Thousand a \ear. Something like 12.000 new laws are enacted in this country every year. That h good many of them are con •flirting, ambiguous or of uncertain -Application is attested hv the f ict that the appellate courts, during a like pe rlod, hand down something like 12. AOO judicial decisions. In America no bod v can know whether a law ts a law or not. nr wlmt it means, until it has been passed on judieallv. Thus vve have ope branch «*f the government making law* and another unmaking them, a process not alone costly and slow, hut probably destructive of respect for law. hecalisa the average citizen who takes the view that fi’s ^11 a game of pitch and tosp nnvvynv •sn’f iiUelv t«» pin himself out fbe bound by .» law that may not b#» a, law tomorrow. Kansas <’tty Star. LISTENING IN On the Nebraska Press. Editor Wilson of the Milford Re view recently spent 5S minutes writ ng an editorial—two minutes to writing and 6* to getting rid of hook ■gents, free publicity grabbers, ex hange fiends and reformer*. • • • It wouldn't supriss the Hartinjrton Herald a bit to see pr. Nicholas Mu? ray Butler running for president on n noist platform. • 90 TV a a* a loath to IiaH^va it. but Ed itor Anderson of thA Wauaa GasaH e lays a man . ailed at the hack door of ’ Wauaa home the other day and ask ►d the lady of the house if she had my old rags for sale "No." snapped he woman. "My husband insists on ny wearing 'em' ' • • • The Hay Springs News says that a lot of men observe music week by alowing their own horns. • • • Noting that Scottebluffa is to have i cheese factory, Ed Temlin of the Shelton Clipper sarcastically remarks lhat if Soottabluffs also had a cracker factory and a brewery it wouldn’t lave to depend upan one lone sugar 'actory for prominence. • 9 • The Sidney Enterprise notes the fart that a couple of stnie sheriff* re •r-ntly sj*ent « day In that city, “and found btialnee# good." 1 Abe Martin *- * No matter how long a /eller owns a flivver he never git* through demonstratin’ it. I've alius wanted f hear what a clerk thinks after he gits through talkin' an' you don't buy anything. iCoiuiiKtn, u:t ) 11 NET AVERAGE PAID CIRCULATION for May, 1924, of THE OMAHA BEE Daily... . . 73,980 Sunday.,76,373 | Do* a not include rotairna. laft nvrra, M«plM or papaipi apoilad in printint and imlurira no apodal aalaa or Iro# circulation, of any kind. V. A. BRIDGE, tc«r. M*r. j .Hu!»arrihrd and iwnn^ to before me thla Nth day of Juno^ IP24 W QUIVF.Y. t NeeI> ' Notary Public Si NNY SIDE UP lake Comfort, nor foroet ^Kat sunrise n* i .v .* v . ■ 'i : Everybody Cordially Invited j i NO COMMISSION 6% ^ 0 I REAL ESTATE LOANS " § 6% INTEREST § 1 NO COMMISSION 5 O Easy Repayments £ o The Conservative Savings & Loan Ass’n o Z 1614 Harney Street ^ 6l/o no commission 6/-' mm 1 10Ak I