'.THE BEE: OMAHA, MONDAY, "JULY 8, 1918
rHE Omaha Bee
'AILY (MORNING) EVENING SUNDAY
4 -
FOUNDED BY EDWARD EOSEWATER
VICTOB ROSEWATER, EDITOR
ttiS EES PTJBLISHINQ COMPANY. PROPRIETOR.
- MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
m AnatM FrtM, Mien IMInIii mtft It obIuimi
ttttea W U M (or pablicatloa ot tU mot dipleb ordltd
U or Ml oUttrwtn credit to Uiti paper, ud aim th kel newt
AUtlwd herd a. All rKUU at publlatUoa 0 car qclil dimMrbo
uo nwnd.
OFFICES
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t MAY CIRCULATION
aily 69,841 Sunday 59,602
mn etamUttoB for Oi bwbM. rutxcrlbtd ud mam to br Ow'rhi
Hlinuu. Clrculktioa Mtnwa.
Subscriber feavlnf tht city should biv The Bm mailed
to tatm. Addrma chanted at oftaa at requested.
r THE BEE'S SERVICE FLAG.
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MB1SM1
Here' your bat, Mr. Townley; what's your
airry? '! -
Mr. Wilson is on the wire, and the senate
rill have to listen.
! Nebraskans have no time to waste on class
Warfares while the big show "Over There" is
joing on. " - ' "
mw"""""" .
? Escape of Kerensky ministers from Russia
jirns the limelight well on the brand of freedom
ived under Lenine.
Omaha can get along very well without a
treet car strike, and stiff necks on either side
if the controversy had better realize this.
That prohibition rider went over also when
she senators broke away from school. Chort-
ng of the Rum Demon is heard in the distance.
Russia is getting in line for the administra
"mof a dose that is calculated to purge it of
jne t the madness that has affected its impul-
ue 'people. y , ' ;
' Holding up the new commissioner districts
t not going to incline the public to any greater
: nfidence in the democrats who now control at.
e 'court house.. ' " '
Too much water in the river is theunique
ason given for postponing a launching mt in
Oregon. Wliat will that ship do when it gets
!3wn to the ocean?
V .
Our Australian associates took a very prac
'cal way of celebrating the Fourth, and made
e kaiser pay the bill. Those Antipodcans have
'ways' had an unique sense of humor, but this
.hibition nearly marks the climax of a joke.
: To raise the price of wheat by law, with the
suggest crop save one ever harvested coming on,
rould be to force the farm'et into the profiteer
:!ass. All the man who produces i the food for
ha world asks is a square deal, and he will abide
; .he result i ; - " ' -
That disaster at Peoria will revive the ques
as to the whereabouts of the steamboat in
fection service,, The vessel tlfat proved a death
vtrajyi reported to have been Condemned IS
' ?ar ago, but lately, was repainted and put into j
m'ce as an excursion boat. This calls for more
'.an perfunctory inquiry. Memories of the East
nd still are fresh in the minds of people, who
ere not especialjy well pleased with the way
osc responsible for that wreck came out of
,e tria!' . - '1
Market Prices and Farm. Output
One of the most frequently employed argu
ments in support of higher basic prices for farm
ommodities is' that production''would thus be
. timulated. This rests eritirely on the assump
ion of cupidity as .the energizing element of
srmers' activity. In the Monthly Crop "Report
'or June, issued by the Department of Agricul
: re, is a series of charts which has some interest
V this connection. These charts show graph
ically the lines of production, yield per acre and
acreage for the ten-year period, 1909-1917, of the
principal crops, although prices are available
anly for the war period. A studof the curves
uggests that the relation between prices and
reduction is far from being as intimate as the
rpponents of the theory would have us believe,
'or example,5 cotton shows an acreage for 1916
.4 1917 far below that of 1913 and 1914,, with a
icady decline in yield, although the price has
oared ( far above a reasonable point. . Wheat
crcage dropped from 140 per cent of the ten-
ear average in 1915 to 86 per cent in 1916, and
ynly recovered to 88 per cent inJ917; although
.he pricejOn June 1 had advanced from $1.31
i 1915 to $2.4S in 1917. Corn and oats record
nmewhat similar curves, showing that under the
hole question if something more potent than
rices fixed by law.
FIXING THE PRICE ,OF WHEAT.
President Wilson has promised to veto the
agricultural appropriation bill because of the
rider attached to it, fixing the price of wheat at
$2.40 per bushel. This unwise piece of law-making
has been the special object of a group of
senators and congressmen' for many months, and
for the last two weeks has been the occasion of
long debate in the senate. Arguments in its
favor are specious when not actually fallacious,
and take no account of what would follow in the
way of added burdens on the already heavily
taxed public.
The American farmer is not a slacker, nor is
he asking special favors. This is true in spite
of the efforts of interested politicians, who try
to mke out otherwise. Our farmers are patri
otic, and seeded n increased acreage last fall to
wheat and rye and made greater efforts for
other crops this spring, regardless of assertions
made by McCumber, Gore, Norris and others
that millions of acres would be abandoned if the
price were 'not increased. That is the best pos
sible answer tne-farmer could give. He was
called on to do his best, and he answered quickly
and enthusiastically.
The food administration is dealing With the
price question prudently," and with a vieL of
equity between producer and consumer. Its ef
forts are none the less sincere because the demo
crats in congress made a specific exemption for
cotton when outlining the powers of the food
administrator.
The President and the Wires.
That the president is bent on taking over the
telegraph and telephone service of the country
is suggested by his request that congress give
him the necessary authority without delay., The
house has blocked the senate's effort to take a
recess without attending to this part of the ad
ministration's "program. Mosfrignificant of all
the features of the affair is the complacency with
which the big corporations await the action of
the government.
If the wires are taken over, it means that the
present operating agencies are relieved of all
responsibility for the duration of the war, while
the stockholders are assured of dividends equal
to the average earnings of the companies. This
arrangement is one on which almost any busi
ness might confidently be entrusted to public
control.
How the service will be affected is the big
question for the public. Experience with Mr.
Burleson's management of the postoffice is such
as to suggest that under him radical modifica
tions might be looked for in telephone and tele
graph usage, and these not of a nature to vastly
increase efficiency. Mr. McAdoo's curtailment
of railway travel, with added expense, might be
extended to the wires.
Employes may reasonably expect valuable
concessions, and owners are sure of returns un
der government management. Any decrease in
service or increase in cost will fall on the users.
Ultimate determination of public ownership is
still for the future.
Extravagance 'and Profiteering,
Congress is just now in full cry on the trail
of the profiteer It is unearthing some notable
and discouraging evidence of how business men'
have taken advantage of war conditions, of pub
lic necessity and private opportunity, to extort
inordinate profits from the public. This in
quiry will probably lead to some sincere ef
fort" to check the evil.
I But the source has not yet been seriously ap
proached. It will be found in congress itself.
When our counfy entered the war, it was forced
to go into the market for all manner of materials
and supplies. Prices on the staple articles of
army consumption, as well as on the specialties,
had to a great extent been fixed by the needs of
nations already in the war and by their ability
to pay. Americans who bought for home use
did so in competition with British and French,
and sometimes also the German government.
Tbts had sent prices to an unprecedented level.
Oir our entry to the war, all competition be
tween governments as bidders for waresf ceased.
Estimates and appropriations, however, were
made on a risitig scale, and the price level con
tinued to mount. The connection between the
liberality with which money was appropriated
and expended and the exorbitant profits now
complained of is directv Bills carrying -previously
unheard of totals were passed by viva voce
votes( the largest going through unanimously,
and no one knowing just how orx where the
money was coming from, save in a general way
that it would be found.
It is not niggardly in any sense to suggest
that if congress had long before adopted the
budget system, so often urged, or had made good
on its promise that all appropriation bills should
be handled fey a single committee, much need
less duplication of expense might have been
avoided. To pursue the profiteer is commend
able, and The Bee hopes he will be overtaken
and dealt with as his offense demands. The dust
kicked up in the chase after the grafters, how
ever, should not blind 4he pursuers to the fact
that most of the trouble flows from the prodi
gality witty which public money hs been, is be
ing, and will be spent until congress revises its
way of making appropriations.
Kuehlmann and the'Kaiser .
Significance of Recent Speech of Germany's Foreign Minister
New York Evening Post
MS
The first thing which jumps to the eye in
the long speech on peace and war which the
German foreign minister delivered yesterday
in the Reichstag is its flat contradiction of
what the kaiser was saying again and again
only three months ago. Before the great of
fensive of March 21, as repeatedly after it,
the kaiser spoke of conquering a peace in the
jwest as in the east. The "historic moment"
had com for the German army to impose a
"decision" on the battlefield. Germany was
placing all its trust in its good sword. But
now comes his minister and declares:
"In view of the magnitude of this war and
the number of Powers, including hose from
overseas, that are engaged, its end can hardly
be expected through purely military decisions
alone and without recourse to diplomatic
negotiations."
What is the object of such an utterance
which must, of course, have been made with
the kaiser's approval just at this time? Well,
it needs a confident man to be absolutely sure
of German intentions at any given moment.
Official statements, like Von Kuehlmann's
may have ulterior purposes as well as im
mediate; may aim to deceive; may contain
"traps" for the unwary; may have to wait for
the event for full interpretation. But about
one thing it seems impossible to be mistaken.
The foreign minister's speech was largely for
home consumption, and had the distinct de
sign of preparing the German people for a
prolongation erf the war. The Imperial om
lses in March of a speedy end by overwhelm
ing victory are definitely withdrawn. True,
Von Kuehlmann predicts a "new and great
success to our arms" before winter comes,
but he encourages no hope of a decisive suc
cess. Indeed, he goes on to argue that it
was folly from the first to reckon on a short
war. The great Moltke had said that if a
war .broke out in Europe, its duration could
not oe calculated. The. "common idea" in
Germany that "authoritative quarters" had
not expected a long war was "incorrect." We
may remark that nobody Baa done more than
th kaiser, from the veryybeginning of the
war, to foster the notion that the conflict
could not last long. And what is the inevit
able inference from Kuehlmann's admission
that the end is not in sight? Plainly, that the
kaiser and the general staff had fallen into
gross miscalculations once more, and that
the allies -xannot be forced to ask for peace.
The boastful -flourishing of the sword in
March only led to this confession in June.
It is not strange that today's dispatches
speak of- something like consternation in the
Reichstag, following the foreign minister's
speech.
Von Kuehlmann addressed himself to for
eign governments, as well as to the German
people; but in this part of his policy, or lack
of policy and Chancellor von Hertling holds
language similar to his it is not so easy to
catch his drift. He goes over the old ground;
Germany d'd not desire th; war; it never was
so mad as to dream of dominating Europe,
much less the whole world; its war aims are
not excessive. He reproache the allies with
being vague and elusive in their terms of
peace, and has the magnificent effr ntery to
say that ihey have never been so explicit
about peace as Germany was in "the resolu
tion of this house." This was the famous
Reichstag resolve gf last July, for a peace
without annexations and indemnities, upon
which the German gove: ment in both Rus
sia and Roumania has since openly trampled.
But the German foreign mii.istef takes rather
a hopeless view of peace negotiations by pub
lic and official means. A necessary prelimi
nary, he atserts, is "a certain degree of mu
tual confidence in "ach other's honesty and
chivalry."
This statement Von Kuehlmann took pains
to make in a passage far away from what he
had to say about Belgium. He seemed to
feel that honesty and chivalry would not fall
trippingly from the tongue that had Just ut
tered Belgium. There's the Tiib. It u not
only persons outside of Germany who asje
aware of it. The fori, .r Kiupp director, Dr.
Muchton, whose damaging testimony about
German responsibility fo.- the war has been
widely printed and -oted. has lately brought
out in Switzerland a book. "Devastated Eu
rope." In it he includei extracts from his
own diary. Here is what he wrte down on
August 5, 1914:
"I find that ti.a invasion of Belgium is
equivalent for us to a frightful loss, from the
moral point of view. We have acted with a
greater cynicism than Bismarck ever display
ed, and a successful war will be far from win
ning back for us the confidence of Europe
and the world."
On March 25, 1914, thia German diarist
referred to the plans of German Imperialists
to establish their hegemony in Europe, and
predicted that, if theyipe:sisted in the'r mili
tary schemes, Germans would be forbidden
to enter other countries, md "everybody will
fiercely avoid by all means that object of
horror the German." ,
It is but sober i.uth :.- say that the Ger
man government is under a tremendous
moral handicap . hen it talks of peace and
international agreemen . That is the rea
son why a pledge to evacuateBelgium has
always been regarded as a test of German
sincerity. Von Kuehlmann affirms that Ger
many cannot ' ' elf in advance about
Belgium. Belgium, he says, is only a part of
the whole "complex qucst'on." Not for the
allies. Not for the uu States, he Bel
gian touchstone stands by itself. Until Ger
many agrees unreservedly to undo, so far as
is now possible, the monstrous evil it
wrought in Belgium, it is idle for its foreign
minister, or anyboc! else, to ask for confi
dence in Germany's "honesty and chivalry."
The Bee's Anniversary
Straightest, Squarest .Americanism.
Western Laborer: I overkoked a bet last
week when I did not congratulate Victor
Rosewater on his big, rich 25th anniversary
edition. I had the honor of enjoying the
friendship of Victor's father for a number of
years, and I like to make myself believe I
musV transfer to the young man the esteem
I had for Edward Rosewater. VictorMs pub
lishing the straightest, squarest American
daily newspaper in Omaha. How an American-born
newspaper man could do anything
'else is. the saddest thing about this-war.
Think of congratulating an Omaha-born edi
tor because he runs a straight American
paper while the country is at war with Ger
many 1 Why, I esteem it the greatest privi
lege of all my life to be in a position to give
the kaiser tools the limit of my wallop, and
I am entitled to no congratulations for what
I am doing. The pleasure is all mine.
Filling a Large Field.
" Crofton Journal: The Omaha Bee last
weejf rounded out a quarter of a century
under the management of Victor Rosewater
and The Bee commemorated the event by is
suing a splendid special section devoted to a
retrospective survey of its accomplishments
during that period. While the name and re
membrance of the personality of its founder,
Edward Rosewater, will always be associated
with any reference to The Omaha Bee, Vic
tor Rosewater inherited a large and fertile
field of endeavor when the elder Rosewater
laid down his work, That he has met suc
cess more completely than the most of young
men succeeding to an established' business is
a certainty but the occasion was lacking to a
full development of the genius of his father.
However, there is always a large work for a
newspaper man if he has the vision to grasp
it. Aside from Kansas City there is w)
newspaper field comparable to Omaha bi
tween Chicago and the western coast and
Victor Rosewatjer, now in his best years for
constructive service, will, we believe, measure
up to it
Worth Keeping for Reference.
Nebraska Democrat: The quarter-centennial
testimony number of The Omaha Bee,
issued last Sunday, was a peach. There was
so much of a reminiscent nature, deeply in
teresting to old timers, that no doubt many
peoplf laid their copy away to be taken up
at different times and read and reread at
their leisure. The Bee has greatly improved
within the last year, and today is conceded
to be one of the big newspapers of the west.
Having been, employed as a reporter on The
Bee something like 30 years ago, I can note
the growth and expansion of the paper daily.
The late Edward Rosewater built up the pa
per by hard work and great sacrifice, and
his son, Victor, has proven himself to be able
to not only keep up the pace set by his il
lustrious father, but has kept abreast with
the times and expanded in accordance with
the growth of the middle west. Some of
the kind expressions on the merits of tht
paper by very prominent men throughoti. the
country, as well as by Omaha pioneers, must
have been very pleasing to Victor, but he is
entitled to every one of them.
Twenty-five Years of Service.
Neligh Leader: The Omaha Bee issued a
special number commemorating 25 years of
service of Mr. Victor Rosewater on the pa
per. No one who will compare the paper of
today with that of 25 years, ago and on down
through the period can fail to see the great
improvement that has been wrought, and this
is no disparagement of his father, who was a
great man and a great editor. The writer
knows from personal knowledge that Mr.
Victor Rosewater is in a great measure re
sponsibte for these improvements. He
stepped into a most difficult position when
death compelled him to take complete charge
of The Bee and fill theshoes of a truly great
father, how difficult probably no one really
knows who has not been forced into such a
position, but he has made good. The years
spent by the writer on The Bee under both
Edward and Victor 'Rosewater will always
be pleasant memories and the success of the
paper is a source of pleasure to him.
People and Events
This year's apple crop of the Empire state
is six times that of last year. And there
won't be any core for kaisers.
Official approval ha9 been obtained for
lower raTes on the Erie ana1. New York
built the canal and its business interests get
the benefit.
It is worth while noting as bearing on
pre-war disputes in this country that a Brit
ish jcommitte unanimously gave first place to
the Lewis (American) machine gun, the
light Hotchkiss second place and the Mad
sen third.
Texas is the latest buckle on the dry belt.
Missouri anticipates a sharp increase in silent
orders as a consequence, and may be obliged,
as a conservation measure, to Hooverize on
the bottling deluge destined for Iowa, Ne
braska, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Another financial high flier of Chicago is
headed for Joliet. Ed Singer, former head
of the Wentworth Avenue Savings bank,
worked a confidence game on the institution
and won a jury ticket to the state pen. The
bank is out $1,250, which isn't much of a
score, as Chicago private bank records show.
One of the nonessential industries of the
legal profession in Boston js the employment
of runners among immigrants unfamiliar
with American ways. The State Bureau of
Immigration, organized to protect the foreign-born,
reports numerous cases of gross
swindling and has caused the arrest of sev
eral runners. The chief profiteers are
booked for a grand jury quiz.
. .During the merry days of June the Auto
mobile Stealing syndicate suffered a sharp
reduction in prospective dividends. Consid
erable interruption of business was experi
enced at Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha and
Sioux City, and the enforced absence of
syndicate officials ,from their offices post
noned 'several fine iobs indefinitely. Whereat
airtrt nivti,r( fviav eif fin and lrtnlf nlpacant
ie Year Ago Today in the War.
German assault In Aisne district
"suited in capture of two miles ot
Tench trenches, which were later re
aken by the French. ;
President proclaimed an embargo
n exportation of-food grains, meats,
uel and important materials ct war
9 all nations, neutral or belligerent
lie Day We Celebrate,
C. 8. Hayward, the shoe man, born
$57. - , -
Frank B. Burchmore, general agent
f the Connecticut Mutual, born 1ST1.
John D. Rockefeller born at Rich-
:rd, N. Y., 79 years ago. .
Rear Admiral Wlllard H. Brown-
-n. United States navy, retired, born
t Lyons, N. 73 years ago.
Benjamin 1 Winchell," federal dl
ctor for the southeast born at Pal
yra, Mo., 60 years ago ,
its Day In History.
1862 A federal expedition left
ymouth, N.- C, to ascend the Roan-
river.
j S fig New York republicans, In
ventlon at Syracuse, nominated
n A, Griswold for governor. .
1175Francis P. Blair, democratic
ididata for vice president in 1S68,
4 in St Louis, Born at Lexington,
.February. 19. 1821.
1891 Germany issued orders to be
i fortifications at Heligoland.
. 1J15 -German ; Southwest Africa
rreudered to British force under
neml Botha, after a. ova months'
KJust JjO Years Ago Today
Fifty excursionists from northern
Pennsylvania stopped In the city en
route lor the racinc slope.
Work is progressing; nrpidly on the
new buildings of Messrs. Armour and
Cudahy. About 100,000 yards, of
earth will be excavated to .make room
for them, the deepest part of the cut
Doing about o Icet
General Brooks has returned from a
visit to western posts. .
Collins Jordan and daughters have
gone on a trip through Canada and
the eastern states. ,
Colonel Hall is home from attrlp
or inspection to the posts in the de
partment of the Platte. v . j-
Comforting.
White .Man Uncle! You seem to
have some trouble getting over the
ground.
Black Man I ain't complainln'
doss, so ions; C2 a kin keep from git
Ua' under It Judgv ,
Over There ana Here'
The French minister of war has
authorized soldiers to form co-opera-
tlv societies for buying food supplies
tor themselves and families, in order
to combat the high cost of living. ,
Scores of American companies are
becoming foster fathers for numbers
of the orphans of France. Stars and
Stripes reports 261 children thus pro
vided Tor by troops up to June 14.
Compensation for stolen goods
amounting to nearly $15,000,000 was
paid by the Prussian railways In 1917,
as compared with $1,050,000 in 1914..
Looting efficiency in Prussia thrives
on war.
1 Llzy basks on the banks ot the
Ourcq, near the junction with the
Marne. hard by a highway to Paris.
The Hun is a good 15 miles away,
and with the Yanks between, Llzy is
reasonably safe.
A dratted man from StockbridKe.
Conn., predicts that the war will be
over in four months, as har has never
yet been able to hold a Job beyond
that length of time. The prophet,
mind you, hails from Connecticut
1 Breathttt county, Kentucky, home
land of the feudist and sure shooting.
monopolizes the patriotlo limelUht for
a moment And rightly, so. Neither
the draft nor "work or fluht" order
caught a single scapper off the war
job. . All the famous gunners and
soma others long since Joined toe
colors, so the draft failed to find a
slacker in the county. Breathitt as
you may, the news la bound to shock
PotfidaaimerBtrasse,
Peppery Points
Wall Street Journal: Rocking the
ship of state Is poor patriotism, and
may prove poor politics.
The Woman hodcarrier has reacnea
New York. On the job she must wear
white trousers. Hatpins, hairpins
and talcum powder are taboo.
Baltimore American: The Austral
ian premier sayH't Is now or never
with Germany, and the unanimous
voice of civilization says never.
Minneapolis Journal: Kuehlmann
finds that England Its it guilty of the
war after all; it was Russia. He is
getting nearer home all the time.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat: Start
ing war is like starting a conflagra
tion. One never knows what may
natch Are. It never was figured by
the European plotters that the United
States would 'w drawn in.
Brooklyn Bftgle: Now that Presi
dent Wilson has signed the Buchanan
statue bill, let us try to forget that the
leyalty of ."ames Buchanan was ever
questioned. Canards 60 years old are
too gamy for moder.i digestion. .
Kansas City Star: General von
Bernhardt, whose book on "Germany
and the Next War," first gave away
Germany s plans for world dpmina'
tlonrnas Just been licked by the Brit
ish. That wasn't planned in the
book. -New
' rk. World: Dr. Nieolal,
former professor in Berlin university,
says Germans expect ' their govern
ment in future to pay only 2 per cent
on war loans, adding S per cent to the
principal. He had to escape from
Berlin to Denmark la an airplane to
y it. .-, i ,
Twice Told Tales
iWmles Agree.
A Canadian soldier in the region ot
Vimv Kidsre met a swanking English
officer, whom, according to good Ca
nadian custom, ha did not salute, ine
officer stopped him.
"Look here, my man," he- said,
'don't you know I'm an officer? Why
don't you salute?"
"Oh," said the Canadian, -are you
an officer?"
"Yes." renlled the officer, and then
noticing for the first time that the
man was a Canadian, he added with
annovance, "Oh, you're a Canadian,
aren't you?" Well, do you know that
you Canadians jgive us more trouble
than the whol(T rest of the English
army put together?"
"Yes," replied tne Canadian wun a
slow smile. "That's, wnat tritz
thinks, too." Chaparral.
Well Seasoned.
"Nurse," said the soldier, recover
ing consciousness, "what is this on my
Head?"
"Vinegar cloths," she replied. "You
have had fver."
"And what is this on my chest?"
"A mustard plaster. You have had
pneumonia,"
"And what is this at my feet?"
"Salt bags. You have had frost
bite." An Irrepressible Tommy in the next
bed looked up and remarked: "Hans
a pepper box to his nose, nurse; then
he will be a cruet" Boston Tran-scrlpt
..-VfciV-s
7 jrrx.
Jerry's Standing Grievance.
Omaha, July 7. To the Editor of
The Bee: Your assertion is correct.
I have a "standing grievance" unless
the present commission remove the
cause. The abominable names given
to some of the streets in Florence by
the late commissioners was a down
right insult to the decent and patri
otic citizens of that district.
I petitioned that distinguished body
and The Bee ha". an editorial on the
subject to call one of the streets
after the Father or the American
Navy Commodore John Barry, and pa
triots of his caliber. But it seem ac
cording to the good manners andpa
triotism of that administration, nam
ing the streets after Brigham Young
and what he represented was more
pertinent to their taste.
JERRY HOWARD.
'Tis a Famous Immortal Quotation.
Avoca, la., July 5. To the Editor
of The Bee: At the very top of your
paper you have "Our country, may
she always be in the right; but right
or wrong, our country."
Now. 1 cannot understand what you
mean by that, and I want to say that
it doesn't sound good to me. ,
I have heard.several others say that
they couldn't understand what you
mean. You surely don't think that
there is a possible chance for our
country to be wrong In taking up
arms against Germany and her gang
of contemptible scoundrels.
In entering this war and winning
this war, we are doing more good to
more people than any country ever
did in the history of the world, and
why should you have that word
"wrong" in your headlines?
Our country never was wrong In
any war we ever had. and I would
appreciate an explanation as to what
you mean by right or wrong.
E. E. M'MURRY.
Note: It is an immortal quotation
from Stephen Decatur.
Post Bellum Reprisals.
Omaha, July 4. To the Editor of
The Bee: The bear in the fable
clumsily crushed the skull of -his
man-companion when trying to kill
the insect tormentors on his brow.
Executing post bellum reprisals on
the brutalized pawns of despotism,
we would unwittingly deal a smash
ing blow to the very principle we are
fighting for, which is that of justice
as opposed to blind force. It would
mar the beauty of our ideals, lower
our aims and work havoc to civiliza
tion, as we are not superior to the
natural law of causation.
Victorious we must qualify the
remedy for international lawlessness
so as not to muss cur.uoblest inten
tions. Strict accountability for the
guilty, not the victims, is the policy
that answers the demands of honor.
To rid the world of militarism we
need a strong precedent, pointing out
to the future the adoptation, of a uni
fying, co-operative principle between
nations, vital in advanced peoples,
while retaliation is a menace.
2017 Leavenworth St. H. MELL.
June 29 issue of The Bee from a
Broadway news dealer and noticed
the items under the heading of
"Around the Cities." particularly the
comment on Boston taking control
of the elevated railway. I had spent
the winter in Boston and watched the
street railway problem with keen in
terest. The Boston American got this ele
vated bill through. The agitation
first started due to the poor service
and the request to the public- sen-Ice
commission hy the Elevated Railway
companv to-grant them a 6-cent fare.
This th?y thought could not be done
or at least the public would not let
the company have the 6-cent fare,
amj thousands signed the Boston
American's petition for public control.
A few Uays ago me guemui
named the board of trustees and they
quickly guaranteed -the public a
raise in fare to at least 7 cits. I
don't think anything like that would
ever happen in Omaha. The Ne
braskans are not so easy as to let
anything like that be pulled on them,
A NEBRASKAN.
Liberty Bonds Tax-Free,
Omaha, July 5. To the Editor" of
The Bee: My attention has lust been
called to a news article in your issue
of June 29 headed "Banks Must Fay
Tax on Liberty Bonds."
It is very unfortunate that this
heading was used, as it is not a fact
and I am quite-Sure you will be glad
to publish something correcting the
Imnmcinn Th ftnarH ff EOUallZa-
tion did not rule that banks must pay
a tax on Liberty bonds. The .board
merely held that a bank will not be
nspmUfoi tn AaAMrt th amount, of
Liberty bonds owned when being as
sessed for Its capital, surplus ana un
divided profits. We have not yet
heard of any state that has made any
other ruling.
Many bankers have taken the posi
tion that this, in effect, creates a tax
on Liberty bonds, which is an entirely
erroneous assumption. There is no
more reason for assuming that LITj
erfy bonds are purchased out of capi
tal and surplus funds than to assume
that any particular note purchased
from a customer, or any other invest-
ment, comes out of such funds. Lib
erty bonds are exempt .from all form
of taxation, according tdHhe tenor of
the bonds, whether heldiby individuals
or corporations. '
O. T. EASTMAN,
Manager Omaha Branch Federal Re
, serve Bank.
Confidence.
Mabel I let Jack kiss me on con
dition that he wouldn't mention it.
Marie I suppose you wanted to
break the news yourself. Boston
Transcript.
Oust Disloyal Propagandists.
North -Platte, Neb., July 5. To the
Editor of The Bee: "We love him
for the enemies he has made," was
the statement made, by Congressman
Bragg of Wisconsin at the democratic
convention that nominated Cleveland
for the second term. An", so, today in
Nebraska, every loyal, patriotic
American citizen can say of the Ne
braska State Council of Defense: "We
love it for the enemies it has made."
Among its virulent enemies can be
enumerated all pro-German sympa
thizers, all the Industrial Workers of
the World and all other disloyal ele
ments In our state.
There is no activity of the council
that is more entitled to the patriotic
support of every loyal voter in the
state than Its efforts in opposing the
disloyal carpetbag propaganda of the
so-called Nonpartisan league.
At the present time we have the
big task of winning the war to take
ail of our energies and on this we
are a united people. Any propaganda
that seeks to divide the American peo
ple into classes at this time is unpa
triotic and gives aid and comfort to
the enemies of our country.
If these carpetbaggers should be
successful in carrying out their pro
gram they will do for America what
the German financed propaganda of(
the carpetbaggers Lenme and Trotsky
has done for Russia.
T. C. PATTERSON.
Publlo Control.
New York, July 1. To the Editor
of The Bee: I Just purchased a
fcSERVICEj
I9!i end FARNAM
NEW FIREPROOF
mmm
mmm Wi
200
noon
Illli
th Bath.
$1.50 & $1.75
With Toilet,
tl.CO & $1.25,
On Direct
Car Line
From Depot
OMAHA .
0
WHY
HOT
(8 ."'"tf I
1,4
'tirJiil
bVJfXlmai
"&nsiaf is Good ffiuiolc 'Ya$
Have You $500?
It will buy five of our shares. If you have not this
amount, start with less and systematically save with us
until you reach your goal. No better time and no better
place. Dividends compounded semi-annually.
The Conservative Savings & Loan ftss'n
1614 HARNEY STREET.
Resources, $14,000,000. Reserve, $400,000.00
Have You Notified Us
v "to Hove Your Telophase ?
Yon can help us give
you telephone service
promptly at your new ad
dress if, before you
move, you will notify us
as far hv advance as pos
sible. In the spring and fall
and about the first of
every month more peo
ple move than at other
periods and at such times
a longer notice is neces
sary. (
-J -
We want our subscribers to have telephone service at
the hour and' minute they need it, but with so many of
our employees in military service it is very difficult to
meet these recjuests promptly unless we have an oppor
tunity in advance to prepare for your heeds. '
NEBRASKA TELEPHONE COMPANY
are Foed
Bar War Urlufi Stamp "7
aat Liberty Bmds
7
i
)
A
Y