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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1918)
THE BEE: OMAHA, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 1918. : t Ti 1 -I 4 so ; a St m a m a f 0 a P :i .1. The Omaha Bee DAILY (MORNING) EVENING SUNDAY FOUNDED BY EDWARD ROSE WATER VICTOR ROSEWATER, dITOR THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY. PROPRIETOR. Entered at Omaha postoffice aa eecond-elasi matter. V TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION By Carrier. Bt Mall. Jill) and Sonde, per . 15 Per rear. .00 ltitr wttiwut Bandar l(n 1.00 Evening and Huodar " Hio " (.00 Etealof miiiout tuUi (jo " 00 Buoda, he only 6c tW 8od aotiee a( ctuuuje of address or Imculatttr ta deltrerr to Uoaha he Clre-.UUoe Departawnt. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The ajeoclsted Fin at enlrh The Bee Is a member. ,. crdmlmlt entitled to (be um tor publication of all nen d.ttclw orediad to tt or net euierwlas credited la Uiia pawr. and also the local new Vublighed herein. AU flanta of publication of our special dispatcbes ara alas re if nd. REMITTANCE Remit bf draft, exprees er postal order. Onb 1 and S-eent fttmpt likes ta parment of email acconntt. Personal Ghees, accit on Omaha aad autara axcoaata. nat accepted. OFFICES Omaha The Bee Bnfldlttt, Chtoaro-Peop! " Rufldltil. rVUi Omaha 1318 N St. New Tort m Fifth An. Coanrll Bluffe-ll H. elala St. Ht. Loots Nr of Coauneree. fjncolo--Llttls Building. Wasnlmtoa 1311 O Bt. CORRESPONDENCE Address (nmrnimleatlone relitlnt to eewa aad editorial Dattar to Omaha Bee. Editorial Department. FEBRUARY CIRCULATION 62,544 Dally-Sunday, 54,619 anran etrralatlon fee the moot, subscribed aad ewora to b Dwlrat Williams. Clrculatloo Maoaaer. Subscribers leaving the city ehould have The Bee mallei la them. Addreaa chanted at often) aa re que tad. "Over there" they are calling to us for food. Keep this in mind. I Clean up day" is set some time ahead, but that is no reason you can not begin at once. To quote "Pudd'n'head Wilson," "this is the day on which we are reminded of what we are on the other 364." Jerry Howard says the legislators have drawn every cent that is coming to them, and he might have added that some got all they were worth. Probably, when the pressure on the cables lets up a little, we will get some further word of how the Armenians fared when the Turk re occupied that country. French soldiers are fighting the most wonder ful fight of all time, and doing it on short rations because Americans di4 not make good on the promise to furnish then food. The kaiser has promoted the crown prince for hi "gallantry" hi the present great battle. This probably being the reward promised him at Ver dun," a pleasure long postponed, so to speak. ... Expulsion of La Follette; from the senate might please a majority of the people of the United States, but the removal of a few German spies from munition plants will be much more to the point. John M. Parker of Louisiana, who played ' stalking-horse for the democrats in 1916 as Bull Moose candidate for vice president, announces his return to the democratic party because of "at tacks by republican senators on President Wil son's administration." That's a good one. What about attacks on President Wilson's administra tion by democratic senators? As if Parker was ever anything than a dyed-in-the-wool southern democrat!;, ; , -'" : , The slow-moving processes of legislation are gradually reaching a point where we shall know if the War department's request for more men ' is'.to be granted; in the meantime the waiting public will be pleased to know that military leg islation is being laid aside while treaties with China and similarly important measures are get ting consideration. Some day even congress may wake up to the fact that the country is involved in a, tegular man-sized war. .. ' ' , - Universal Military Training. , .Rejecting the new amendment to the Joint resolution extending the selective draft law, the senate has 'put ever the question of universal military training to another day. Some of the excuses offered ty senators voting against the amendment must be considered as pretexts rather than reasons. The alternative to this is that the senators have little faith in the character of the American people, and do not want to trust them with a knowledge of self-defense. These have learned but little from the experiences of this country. Devotion to the ideals of peace have not saved us from war. Again and again we have been called upon' to defend ourselves from en croachment or threatened oppression, and what ever our hope for the future may be, back of it must lie the danger of war. To be ready to de fend our rights and our institutions does not re quire that we abandon any of our lofty concep tions of national destiny, but should rather tend to- strengthen us in our devotion to the purposes of our government. The danger of a military caste in this country is so remote it may be dis missed without consideration. The dangers of pacifism are far more real. Little harm can result from having the manhood of our country in structed in the, art on which we finally must rely for safety, while much danger resides in unreadiness- This means that some form of uni versal military training finally will be adopted in America. 1 1 TO RATIFY OR NOT TO RATIFY. It is already established by the preliminary voters that the resolution ratifying the national prohibition amendment will go through the house almost unanimously despite its exclusion from the subjects in the extra session call. It is sure, how ever, to meet with more outspoken opposition in the senate whose concurrence is at least open to doubt. The senate, much more than the house, is notoriously controlled by the influences which worked successfully upon the governor to omit mention of prohibition from his proclamation. For our own part, we believe the question of ratification now has been given altogether undue importance by those urging it. The amendment can not possibly command the approval of the necessary thirty-six states for a year or two at the soonest, and it is not material whether Ne braska is listed as the eleventh state or the twenty-first state. Nebraska will, unless some thing wholly unforseen happens, ratify when it comes to act. It would ratify by direct vote this fall if submitted to the voters by initiative peti tion; it will ratify through the legislature next winter, at the latest. The only possible advantage to the prohibition propaganda of immediate ratifi cation is the leverage or momentum which Ne braska's adherence might give to the movement in other states. v Under such circumstances no one need be dis turbed or excited whether the extra session rati fies or refuses to ratify. It is, to use a lawyer's phrase, almost "irrelevant and immaterial." Denominationalism and the Soldiers. One of the singular debates now in progress among the religious papers of the country has to do with the question of which sect predominates in the American army. As if that made any par ticular difference. It has, however, given rise to an effort to determine the sectarian leanings of the men at the several large cantonments or training camps. The preachers who have in stigated the move might well listen to Rev. Lauchlan McLean Watt of St. Stephen's church, Edinburgh. He was chaplain of the Black Watch and the Gordon Highlanders, and went through their experiences in France with them. Speak ing at a dinner of the Canadian club in New York, he said: "What are you religious men going to do when the boys come home those boys who have missed death, but who have come so close to the eternal mystery? Those boys and we chaplains are tired of ,your squabbles in the name of Jesus Christ. We are not going to tolerate any longer the old divisions between xntn and the old fights between sects which have divided communities. In death and fac ing death there is no difference as to religion. We leave it to God to sort them out as they fall, battling for the glorious liberties which He gave to all men. Here is something for the sectaries to rumi nate on, something of vastly more importance to the church universal than an enumeration and classification of votaries in the service. Death knows neither creed nor dogma, nor rubric nor ritual. The battle chants one magnificent litany, and soldiers who brave that song and live to tell of it wjll waste little time in undertaking to dif ferentiate between claims of rival sects. Religion will suffer little because of this war, but dogma may lose much, if not all. Government's Labor Program. The program that has been submitted for control of labor during the war period contains some , provisions that seem essentially sound. First of these is that labor agrees not to engage in any strike until after a mediation board has inquired into the grievance complained of. This is vital, for its observance will bring about con tinuous operation of war industries. Another im portant adjustment is that of the open or closed shop dispute. While the right to organize and to proselyte is granted the labor unions, the status of the industries 'as to employment is to stand unchanged; in this regard the reasonable arrangement is made for the employment of either union or nonunion men in one or the other to keep labor quota filled. Any restriction of outupt is forbidden, and "striking on the job," the most malevolent of all practices, is thus prac tically done away with. ("Speeding up," the bug bear of the labor unions, is equally tinder the ban. Taken as a whole, the agreement appears to be such as will secure any rights of either side, while it will also Jnduce'most efficient co-operation Between employer and employed, and bring about stability and increased production in American factories. Objectors will doubtless be heard, but these should be borne down by the moral force of those agreeing, supported by the influence of the government, and thus good will come to all because something definite in form of a labor program has been adopted. Senator Williams is right when he says he is pro-American in this war, and knows no party. So say we all of us. But the senator ought to labor with some of his, associates, who evidently are under the impression that this is a little pri vate war, carried on under the auspices and di rection of the democratic party. - Some excitable persons are worried for fear not enough "pep" is going into the spring garden drive. They should be patient; just wait until the time comes to start, which is near at hand. Then see the dirt fly before spade and hoe. Nursery of Alien Disloyalty German-American Alliance Revealed in Its True Colors Prof. Max F. Meyer, University of Missouri, in Kansas City Star, Congress is considering an act whose pur-1 whose' duty it is to make propaganda all over . " - . . r . . . t . ' pose is the destruction of the Oerman Amer ican alliance. I he representatives of this so ciety plead for its preservation on twd.main grounds, first that it has never, dime any. thing prohibited by'the "constitution 'of the United States; second, that it is ... a society with patriotic aims. May I state why m my opinio, the plea is a failure? Nevertheless, to say it at once, I do not believe that a dis solution of this society by congress would be the most desirable thing. But let me say this, too, that I do. not believe that this so ciety ought to continue to exist; those of its members who are real patriots ought to dis solve it themselves, yielding to public opin ion. Let me take up the second plea first. Be ing of German birth and education, I adopted, after due deliberation, the United States as my country; Ever .since then I have regarded it as my highest patriotic duty as the highest patriotic duty of any Amer ican citizen, native or naturalized to con tribute according to ability toward cementing together the heterogeneous elements of our population. When I say heterogeneous I do not mean that some are blqnd and some are dirk complexioned. We know from expe rience that that is no obstacle to our na tional unity. I refer to the different modes of life, especially to the difference of lan guage. Has the German-American alliance dem onstrated its patriotism by helping to teach German immigrants the language of this American country? Has it endeavored to enable German immigrants to mix with the population of this country? Has it done its patriotic duty by trying to explain the habits of life of the people in this country and thus to make their adoption easier? The German American alliance has not only failed to do anything of this kind, it has done all in its power to work in the opposite direction. Was the systematized opposition of the German-American alliances (I use the plural in this case advisedly) to the progress of the prohibition movement a patriotic duty? Hav ing to teach, according to my scientific con viction, the evil effects of the use of alcoholic liquor, I cannot take outside of the classroom a different attitude. But I favor progress in such a manner that it will hurt as little as possible. Therefore I favor an extreme po sition only in an emergency. The German American alliance, however, has never com promised in this matter. It has opposed any and all progress because this progress was supposed to be Americanizing and anti-German. They concealed their unprogressive at titude by talking of personal liberty as guar anteed by the constitution. Was that their demonstration of patriotism? " It make no difference that in this instance they misinterpreted the wishes of the Ger man government; that they forgot that the German emperor has been making prohibi tion speches in Germany for many years, and that the German government has a special official of high rank and salary in Berlin (I can furnish name and address if desired) the German empire for alcohol abstinence. Their intention -was to make pro-German propaganda by preserving the German drink customs. Or do they claim that the pres ervation of these drink customs was one of their patriotic duties, as becoming a patriotic society? Some of these German-American alliances have recently found it desirable to change their name. An "American Citizenship asso ciation" looks like a society whose members endeavor to learn to appreciate American institutions in comparison with foreign insti tutions. Now this is what happened to me in one of these "patriotic" societies. I thought they wanted me to give an address in favor of American citizenship, and so I made two points which I regarded as most important. I stated as my experience that it makef little difference what language a person . speaks, but that human happiness might be served slightly better by the Eng lish than by the German language, and fur ther that the German institutions, in spite of all their praised efficiency, are really very inefficient in serving the fundamental social and political needs of humanity. When I had finished, the leader of this patriotic society rose and gave vent to his patriotism as follows: "Do not adopt this man, Meyer, as your leader, for he has spoken disparagingly of every German insti tution he mentioned. If he had read the books which I have rad" (he actually had been in Germany, the last time in 1864) "he would know that the German institutions are the most perfect in the world. Because he has not read these books, I demand that the state of Missouri dismiss him from his posi tion as teacher of our young people in the university of the state." And a second leader rose and said: "I am satisfied that Meyer has made mistakes, for we are as good Americans as he is. To be a good American it is not necessary to love anything Ameri can except the constitution.". Are societies patriotic hr which t their leaders express such national ideals as the above? Is an individual patriotic who loves the constitution so becaupe lie can rise it in order to shield himself in his unpatriotic, anti-American activities? My humble view is, that he is a true pa triot who loves his country so that he would even renounce his constitutional rights if he could not otherwise preserve his country. Granted that the majority of its members entered the German-American National alli ance for perfectly desirable purposes. Granted further that the national society never did anything prohibited by the consti tution of the United States. Granted fur ther that it is a society with abstract pa triotic aims, have the concrete activities of its branches demonstrated that it is a pa triotic society? No one can answer this question in the affirmative without smiling. If the honest and patriotic members of this society have more power than their leaders, they will by their own initiative dissolve the society and thus free themselves from their unpatriotic kaders. eesi "We Have Just Begun to Fight" Colonel Henry Watterson Sounds the Slogan of the Nation Louisville Courier-Journal. If you are given to nervousness when you open your morning paper to the headlines of the war news; if the color of that news col ors your day; if reports of entente successes exhilarate you with the conviction that the kaiser is at the end of his rope and the rope is already being noosed around his neck; if reports of German victories shroud you in the glooms of despondency and sicken you with the conviction that it is useless to re sist the Prussian war machine then it is against you no less than the British Tom mies that the great drive of the Teutons is now being made. If all Americans were as "temperamental" as you; as leaky of heart and bilious of liver; as short of vision and trepid of footstep, then the smashing blow which the Huns are trying to land on the British in France would be as smashing a blow to the Americans in America, though not a hair of the head of any American in France were harmed. No one knows this better than the kaiser and his general staff, and in that knowledge lies one of the reasons of the 'present drive against Haig. For the kaiser and his gen eral staff no longer underestimate to the ex tent that they formerly did the part which America will be able to take in this war, and it would be a telling stroke of strategy which, while shattering some' important portion of the allies' line in France and shocking the morale of the British and French forces and people, should also dishearten America and cause it to falter and hesitate in the war preparations it is making. There is no longer any doubt that the present movement of the Teutons is their master movement of the war; that they are risking their all on its success. They are making it in the consciousness that they can make it now better than later; that they are at the crest of their power, and that every day they may delay exerting that power is to the advantage of their enemies, the most recent and richest of whom, America, has not vet had time to mobilize. With Russia lout of the way, with their forces hitherto employed on the eastern front released tor concentration in the west, where the issue is to be decided, there was every reason why, if the Teutons were evfr to make their great decisive effort in the west, they should make it without further delay. Failure would only bring nearer and clearer the defeat which awaits them without some such gamble, while success would place them in position, so they calculate, to enter into negotiations for a "German peace" that would leave them in possession of many of the spoils of con quest they now hold. Let Americans refuse to be unnerved, even should the present drive go through. Let them bear in mind that the road to any peace worth having is a long road, a rough road, and that it is not to be traveled to vic tory by magnifying bumps and "hogbacks" and washouts into -insurmountable barriers. Whether the Germans win or lose their big gamble in France, must not alter our course straight ahead. If they win, it must only impress us, with a truer comprehension of the fight we are in and brace us with a sterner determination to meet the responsi bilities we have undertaken. We shall never be beaten by Germany, it matters not what may be taking place in France now. L'etJ every true American, as we ride the roacl that stretches before us, however long or rough, look steadfastly ahead and sit tight in the saddle. People and Events Spades and hoes are weapons for home guards. Shoulder arms and dig in I Preliminary figures indicate a budget of $77,202,000 for the Empire state for 1918. Department job bosses want $98,000,000, but the legislative financiers think the smaller sum represents all the fat that may safely be extracted at this ime. , A New York magistrate laid down the dictum for the benefit of chronic offenders that street cars have the right of way on their own tracks and that auto drivers must keep off. This deliverance somewhat jars the autoist notion of road ownership. A special court for the. trial of auto thieves has started business in Chicago. The special object in view is speed and more speed on the road to Joliet. No matter what clip justice may strike on this highway, few complaints' of breaking the speed limit are likely to come from gasoline society. Illinois courts are still , struggling to penalize the responsible heads of the looted string of banks operated by William Lorimer and his pal Munday. The latter, on trial at Morris, put Lorimer on the witness stand, and "blue-eyed'' Billy swore he was running the bank when it failed. As Lorimer was let out some time ago by a sympathetic jury acknowledging , his talent . as a financial hoodoo will not hurt himself and may helpf his Ipard. , . i ' The Twin Cities are a mighty sore pair and dangerously hot in the region of the Stars and Stripes. "St. Paul is an American city," exclaims the Pioneer-Press. "We -are willing to concede," responds the Minne apolis Tribune, "that St. Paul is a city in America." That the other twin is in the same boat may be inferred from the Tribune's further remark, "This is the first time Minneapolis ever had a mayor who was not qualified to preside over a loyalist meet ing." ' . i' " i i in I i TODAY One Year Ago Today In tlie War. - British captured Savy Wood, three ' miles from 6t Quehtln, after fierce fighting. German admiralty gave out addi tional list of 48 vessels sunk by sub marines during March. , Members of congress gathered in . Washington for the opening of the' special session called by the presi dent. ' The Day We Celebrate. r Fremont C. Craig, accountant with the Union Pacific railroad, bom 1862. i Fred Met, president of the Home Real Estate and Investment company," born 1863. Daniel C. Hoper. United States com missioner of Internal revenue, born in .Marlboro county. South Carolina, 61 Fears ago. General Sir James Wlllcocks, gov ernor of Bermuda, born 61 years ago. i Mary Miles Minter. photoplay actress, born at Shreveport, La., 16 years ago. . Edmund Rostand. French noet and dramatist, born at Marseilles, 50 years This Day In History. --1871 Reign of Terror ! in Paris, with city in hands of communists. 187i White Star liner Atlantic wrecked off coast of Nova Scotia, with - loss of more than 600 lives. , ilSSl Title "Commonwenlth of Australia" adopted by Federation con vtaition at Sydney. J ust 80 Years Ago Today Miss Minnie Collette and MIsa Ines M. Haskell returned from the east. The two busiest men in the city tp day are the city clerk and the treas urer as 150 salo6nkeepera have up till noon paid the $7S0 license fee re quired by law and are clamoring for their licenses. The total number of commercial travelers registered at six of the lead ing hotels was 636. None of those in eluded are residents of this city and nearly all are non-residents of the) BuaiH. P. P. Pomeroy, well known in this city aa having been conencted with both tne Herald and The Bee, la in the city on a short visit with friends. Mrs.' General Crook left for her old home in Oakland, Md.. where she will spend some weeks with relatives. The stone cutters held a secret ses sion at Cunnlne'hnm'a Viall mnA ak.. one hour was consumed in trannactlng ay uaut4vuo . j "Over There" When will Russia come back? Her- mAn TUrnxtnln. Petrosrrad corres pondent of the New York Herald, an- swera the question in mesa woras: "A century of creative work of all elements can hardly restore Russia's losses." ' Cyril Brown, American correspond ent writing from Stockholm, says the birth rate in Germany aecreasea one half In three years. Besides killing of stock on hand, war necessarily wrecks the future supply of cannon fodder. Emulating the Chicago German who had to celebrate or bust, one Mn Fmni-o Pnurpn of West Frank fort, HI., cheered lustily for the "Hun victory" last Monday, and slapped an American who objected. The lat- ta ratm-tart v rn fl rtinnnea nsi which Jarred a few teeth. Besides this wal lop on the cneering cavity i d.m wis ftnad 1810 and Klven a Joy ride on a rail. All these were local courtesies, uncie aam now piuna to pay hla respects. War history and ancient lore Is tvi.i, ..,h tn out in the town of Toul, one of the localities closa to the American trencnes. xam of most of the towns on the battle front. 'Toul the OoWenlt was named aa far back aa the third cen tury. American soldiers may not ab sorb Its ancient atmosphere owing to the pressure of urgent duty, but they can be depended on to soak up enough of the Joan of Arc spirit to brighten Toul's place in the modern war mapi Round About the State Hope at winning a hero medal abounds in Fremont "When they pass around the war decorations," observes the Tribune, "those Fre mont men who ate horse meat to help conserve the food of the nation shall not be forgotten." Symptoms of coming trouble are visible In Falls City. According to the Journal "some citizens of German birth are very imprudent In express ing faith in the ultimate victory of the Germans. Their fellow citizens feel like caging them up and sending them home to the kaiser." Responding to the touch of a 10 per cent boost in rates, the Hastings Tribune geatly screams: "Nebraska newspapers ought to work for a lower Insurance rate in the state." A man driving a four-horse team Into David City caused a flutter of amatement in the shop of the Peo ple's Banner. "Believe me," says the editor, "he sat up stralghter and looked prouder than any man that ever held the wheel of an ' auto. It takes a mighty good man these days to drrVe two horses, let alone four." Washington county farm land touched a new high level at a recent referee sale. A quarter section of the Moll farm, six miles from Wlnslow, brought $255 an acre. This tract in cluded the improvements. The second quarter brought $287 an acre, a total of $86,600 for the half section. These prices top the record of $249 recently noted for Nemaha county fand . and cftmes within hailing distance of the Hall farm score of $265.50 in Doug las county,, ' i, . Right to the Point Louisville Courier-Journal:? As a matter of course and as a matter of policy, Berlin will do quite as much boasting as fighting while the drive is on. , St. Louis Globe-Democrat: The United States and its associates can. not be thrown into hysterics at this stage of the war. Washington Post: Anyhow, the 62,000 noncombatant officers in Wash ington will form a fine contingent of "yes yes" boys to listen to Secretary Baker's remarks when he comes back. New York Herald: If those more or less titled persons of both sexes now in the hands of the Department of Justice are the spies they are sus pected of being well, they certainly seem to have been having a pretty good time on the kaiser's money! New York World: It is significant fact that In one of the American sec tors a- number of German soldiers de serted and came across the lines, calling "Don't shoot!" They were tired of the war and readily gave in formation of German arrangements. No American has deserted. The "will to victory" is not an exclusive German possession. Brooklyn Eagle; The soldier in France ought to have a right to vote in his state elections, but we under stand General Pershing's protest. With 48 different state commissions wandering from one camp to another alon the front to find men and verify thlr qualifications, the military effect might be gravely disturbing. Talking of Patriotisan. Omaha, March 29. To the Editor of The Omaha Bee: It would sound a little more consistent for Senator John Sharp Williams of Mississippi to talk of non-partisanship in politics until the world war is at an end, If he did come from a state where the most intolerable conditions politically have existed for many years. The opposi tion to the party to which Mr. Wil liams belongs, has been so completely submerged by fraud and violence, in his state that he feels safe in urging non-partisanship in other tates. I never was a follower of La Follette, and I will not shed any tears to see him unseated in the United States senate, but it sounds very inconsistent for a man like Senator Williams com ing from a state where his party se cured control by fraud and the shot gun, to preach patriotism to those who have stood by the flag unflinch ingly when others trailed It in the dust of treason. FRANK A. AGNEW. Recreation Centers. Omaha, March 29. To the Editor of The Bee: My attention has been directed to an advertisement of a candidate for city commissioner, in which he favors the establishment of "social centers and places of recrea tion for the young "people in winter, as well as in summer." In justice to the public spirited men and women who have devoted so much of their time and energies in developing the splendid Community Centers organization of Omaha, I want to inform this candidate, and any others who may be ignorant of the facts, of the extent and scope of the Community Center work, which is now being conducted for the third year. i The Board of Recreation, with the co-operation of the School board, con ducted 12 Community Centers in the season now drawing to a close. The culmination of the season was the Municipal Athletic carnival at the Auditorium Wednesday evening, at which $00 men women and children competed in games, athletic contests, folk dances, drills and other exhibi tions. ('enters were conducted at the fol lowing public schools: Central Park, Monmouth Park, Miller Park, Cas telar, Kellom, Edward Rosewater, West Side, Dundee, South High, Lin coln. One center was conducted at the deaf institute, and one at. Lefler church, near Albright, as there are no auditoriums in schools in these communities. The program at each center varies, according to the desires of the peo ple of the community. Each com. munlty forms its own organization to conduct the affairs of the Center, un der the supervision of a director ap pointed by the Board of Recreation. Committees arrange for entertain ments, concerts, lectures, etc., always bearing in mind the promotion of educational and social attainments. Athletic classes are conducted -for men and women, and it is inspiring to see gray-haired grandmothers go ing through the drills beside their own daughters. These classes are con ducted by expert physical directors. One night a week at each Center is devbted to club work. Dramatic clubs, choral classes, Red Cross auxiliaries, Improvement clubs, game rooms for children, and other activities are con ducted on the club night. The choice ef club activities is left to the people of the community. The Public Re creation department provides in structors in dramatic art and a di rector of community singing. The Dramatic clubs visit neighbor ing Community! Centers with their plays and the spirit of civic interest and sociability is greatly encouraged by this exchange of activities. The attendance for. the month of November 1917, was 5,194: December, 4,086; January, 7,615; February, 9, 810. This does not include the mu nicipal chorus, which meets in the city council chamber. In addition to the Community Cen ter work, I would direct this candi date's attention to the skating ponds, where an attendance of 177,000 was recorded in the brief skating season this winter; to the foot ball and soc cer fields, where games are played regularly In the ,early part of the win ter; to the dance hall at Hanscom park pavilion, use of which is given free by the Park department to any club or group of citizens, properly chajeroned. J. J. ISAACSON, Recreation Director. Hexamer's Omaha Speech. Ogalalla, Neb., March 28. To the Editor of The Bee: The once power ful , German-American alliance is about to give up the ghost, kicked to death by its own members, too much German propaganda. It is almost three years since the writer called attention in a signed letter in The Bee, to this unpatriotic society, it was immediately following the banquet at the Fontenelle and the rank pro-German un-American ad dress by the president of the order, Dr. Hexamer. A few days thereafter he was billed for an address at San Francisco. That city was then almost completely under the control of the powerful German element. I mailed to the San Fran cisco Chronicle The Bee report of the Fontenelle speech,, together with a copy of my letter. I never learned what use the Chronicle made of It, but the press report of the talk he made In that city was very moderate and docile when compared to the rabid tirade of the Fontenelle speech. This order at one time so powerful, was all German, and never American, organized for the express purpose of Germanizing America, and placing the German language at the top, and eventually to displace the English throughout the whole world. EDWIN M. SEARLE. Problem of the Weaker Roado. Omaha, March 29. To the Editor of The Bee: Now that the railroads are being operated by the govern ment, and all competition eliminated, and all freight and passenger solicitors recalled, and business allowed to find its owA outlet, it certainly cannot be expected that it can be as equitably divided among the different lines as under the keen competitive system Just eliminated. The natural trend will be for it to gradually drift to the stronger lines, and the weaker lines will doubtless wake up to the fact that a large share of the business they formerly enjoyed has disappeared and found a home on other railroads. Of course, during the period that the railroads are under government op eration, the earnings of all roads have been guaranteed, but what about the time when the government returns the railroads to private operation? Some of the larger lines will find an Immense volume of business coming to them, while some of the others will find the very opposite condition. In fact, will wake up to find that a large amount of their former patronage has disappeared, and the only way to get it back will be to put solicitors in the field and try and take it away from the other fellow. The chances are that the larger lines at that time will endeavor to prevent the return to this' expedient, as they will be fully satis fied with the share of traffic coming to them, and well they may, for doubtless the cream of the little fel lows' business will have been ab sorbed by them, In addition to holding the business that was already theirs. It would seem, therefore, that before the "business getting" department of the railroads is abolished, some way should be provided to protect the weaker lines' interests after govern ment operation has ceased. BONA FIDE RAILROAD SOLICITOR Wants Boycott on German Goods. Troy, N. Y., March 25. To the Edi tor of The Bee: Organizations like our Chamber of Commerce are con sidering the advisability of discrimi nating against German manufactur ers, some favoring such action, others opposing the same. We would not act in retaliation simply, but we must use every weapon of defense for our loved ones, and the only one that can pierce the German hide is one that can threaten their commerce. We can now, at the very outset protect our own from possible torture mutila tion and starvation if our patriotic so cities of men and women, our organ izations of any sort will pledge them selves and their efforts that no prod ucts or goods coming directly or in directly from German source, be used for a .period of five or even 10 years after the war, should we find that American prisoners have been mis treated or our hospitals wantonly bombed. Are we going to let our hus bands, sons, and wives suffer while we fold our hands and think about it, or shall we act now in the living present? A MOTHER OF A SON ON THE FRONT. LET'S LAUGH AWHILE. "How much for an operation, doctor T" "Five hundred dollars.'' "Does that Include the war tat?" Judge. "Here's a woman wants to be divorced be cause her husband is too perfect." "Well, do you suppose any woman could be happy With a husband who never gave her a chance to tind fault?" Baltimore American. "What's all that about the Argonauts and the golden fleece?" "Just a little flowery stuff as a starter. The senator Is discussing the wool schedule1. ' Louisville Courier-Journal. "Don't you love our song, 'The Star Spangled Banner' ?" "I do," replied Senator Sorghun Then why don t you Join "My friend, the way for me affection for a song is not to try to slnj it." Washington Star. Sorghum. iln the chorus 1"j me to show real "Why don't you accept him If he has of fered to have hla life Insured in your favor?" "Because if hewas a good risk for the Insurance company; he'd be a bad one for me." Boston Transcript. oPORT OF KILLING MEN. Don C. Selta, In Leslie's. I Far off in France the smoke clouds rise' Aa the cannons thunder when We go to Join in the greatest game In the sport of killing. men. Here Is no place for gentle thoughts. No room for humane things; But blood and blows and sudden death The trump cards of the Kings. Dealt out to us who bear our share In the muddle of right and wrong. Yet thrill with joy at the .battle cry. Though tew against the strong! With sword and song we Join the ho.-t, Thin-spread in the fighting ranks. To lend a hand in the desperate work And follow tho clanking tanka Across the fields where flowers grow And lowing kine once fed With steel j.nd flame we do our bit To multiply the dead! The dead alona who count in war As stakes In the royal play. Once men like us with hearts and souls Now spurnel and cast away! So face the game with the best to match Aa the cannons thunder when We charge and fall at the trumpet's call In the sport of killing men! -"WHY- NOT 'Business is Qood Thani; You1 Dark or Light I SPLITS Order a Case Sent Home 8 Omaha Beverage Co. I OMAHA, NEB. 1 Phone Doug. 4231. Hotel Dyckman Minneapolis FIREPROOF Opened 1910 Location Most Central v 300 Rooms with 300 Private Baths Rate $1.75 to $3.50 Per Day H. J. TREMAIN Pre, and Manager Have You $1,300? 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