THE BEE: OMAHA. THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1921.
TheOmaha Bee
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The Bee's Platform
1. New Union Passenger Station.
2. Continued Improvement of the No
break Hifhweyt, including the pave
ment of Main Thoroughfares leading
into Omaha with a Brick Surface.
3. A short, low-rate Waterway from the
Corn Belt to the Atlantic Ocean.
4. Home Rule Charter for Omaha, with
City Manager form of Government.
Nebraska in Congress.
One of Hie results of last fall's election on
-which the people of Nebraska are to be con
gratulated is the rc-clection of six republican
congressmen. This group, brought together by
the election of 1918, was a fortuitous issue of a
strenuous campaign. At that time two of the
delegation, Ivcavis of the First and.Kinkaid of
the Sixth, were already sitting, and Andrews of
the Eifth had served one term. To this ex
perience he had added service as auditor in the
Treasury department and by his long residence
and close watch of affairs in Washington had
obtained an uncommonly comprehensive grasp
on the details of our .government. Jcfferis of
the Second, Evans of the Third and McLaughlin
of the Fourth were going in for their first term.
Neither, however, was put forth as an experi
ment for each was well established in his dis
trict. Actual service proved the worth of these men,
and now in the makeup of the committees for
the new congress they find themselves located in
responsible positions, from which they can be of
great use to the country in general In all ,the
history of the state we have never had a stronger
or more capable group of representatives than
this. Jcfferis especially established himself as
an aggressive and capable worker, his share of
the investigation into war expenditures having
attracted general attention to him.
Evans will go on the appropriations commit
tee, which is destined to become the controlling
committee of congress, for under the budget sys
tem it will dispense' the enormous sums to be
spent, and so will wield an influence greater than
all the others While Nebraska has no extensive
littoral, and is only indirectly concerned in sea
ports, the assignment of Jcfferis to the commit
tee on merchant marines and fisheries is a
recognition of his ability. The American mer
chant marine is going to get a lot more atten
tion from now on than it has had in peace time
for, mgny years. Andrews will draw a chair
manship, that of elections; McLaughlin will stay
on the agricultural committee, and Kinkaid holds
, his chairmanship on arid lands, while Reavis re
mains on the judiciary.
This assignment of Nebraska members brings
the state's delegation into the very front of na
tional affairs. It is a direct and deserved com
pliment to the state, and one that will be ap
preciated by the people who are happy in having
chosen so wisely their representatives. And, in
passing, it is no small honor to be permitted to
speak' in congress for any constituency in Ne
braska. ' . .
Head of the Indian Affairs.
Uncle Sam's dealings with his Indian citi
zens and wards becomes a little more com
plicated each year as the tribes step upward
slowly in the scale of civilization. A quarter of
a century ago, when all were of or nearly all
the "blanket" variety, relations were compara
tively simple. On a few reservations, such as the
Omha and Winnebago, where tribal relations
were being broken up, land in severalty allotted,
and other long moves toward white man's ways
were being made, the agent had to be diplomat,
financier, business manager "philosopher, guide
and friend," all rolled into one.
With progress made by the red man, and it
has been swift and sweeping, the management of
his affairs has taken on correspondingly in
creased importance. It is not alone the agent
on the reservation who has found his employ
ment 'changed, but the commissioner at Wash
ington is now required to deal with affairs
enormously enhanced by reason of the altered
situation. It is therefore a matter of deep con
cern that a properly qualified man be set on
that job. President Harding seems to have
chosen just such a man in appointing Charles
H. Burke of Pierre. S. D., to the place.
Mr. Burke will bring to the position not
only the excellent qualities of a man well ex
perienced in general business affairs, of sound
judgment and capacity, but the added advantage
of first hand knowledge of the Indian. He knows
the Sioux well, both the Lakota and Dakota
groups, through his long residence in Dakota,
and is also fully cognizant of what the other
great groups of Indians are doing. The Indians
also know Mr. Burke, and will welcome his ap
pointment because it puts at the head of their
affairs a man who not only has sympathy for
their ' situation, but who also has a practical
knowledge of t'ir'r problems. The choice is
particularly 'appropriate, and ought to mean or
derly management of the Indian bureau for the
i next four years.
Practical Progress Loses a Friend.
They called it the "Wisconsin idea," and Dr.
Charles McCarthy, who died the other day, was
its custodian. Actually the idea is an old, old
one, but it was in Wisconsin, in the early part
of this Tentury that a remarkable and sincere
effort to put the idea into practice was evoked.
It was thus worded by Dr. McCarthy:
Our civilization, with its wealth and pros
perity must be made to' exist for its true pur
posesthe betterment, the efficiency and the
welfare of each individual.
For twenty years he was the director of the
Wisconsin legislative reference library, which now
has been copied in many states. The resources of
the state university, with its experts in gov
rptot sdenceJ were linked
up with this bureau. Law makers ceased to
guess over legislation, but they were able to se
cure information on any public matter how the
same thing was handled in other states or coun
tries, and the strength or weakness as shown
by experience. Not only Wisconsin, but the
whole nation found support for progress
through this research laboratory, which dealt
not in theory but in fact, and the loss of Dr.
McCarthy will be felt by earnest public men.
Result of City Primary Election.
One fact will strike the casual observer in
connection with the voting at the primary election
on Tuesday. That is the success of the "slates"
as prepared and backed by two opposing groups,
an outcome not altogether unexpected. From
this the inference may be drawn that the city is
divided into two camps on an issue that is not
paramount, however vital it may seem to its ad
vocates or opponents.
A more significant fact is that W. G. Ure,
making no active campaign, supported by neither
of the factions and at least passively opposed by
both, secured a handsome endorsement. If this
is indicative of anythng, it shows the underlying
current of protest against the issue as forced by
the seemingly dominant groups. Ure represents
rational progressive ideas in connection with
city government, and a vote for him may be
interpreted as a recognition of this stand by a
respectable body of the citizenship.
Renomination of the six sitting commissioners
was conceded, deserved commendation of their
work in office. Likewise it was plain that Dahl
man and Sutton would get by the primary. The
rest of the ticket was decided by the factional
efforts of the slatemakers, who showed consid
erable perspicacity in selecting their candidates
and great energy in supporting them. Among
these is one man, a newcomer to local politics,
whose nomination does credit to the voters,
Charles A. Grimmel.
What Omaha needs above all other things is a
city government that will devote its efforts to the
improvement of community life. Broad-minded,
forward-looking men, guided by reason and not
by prejudice, to direct the affairs of public ad
ministration along advancing lines. These may
be selected from among the nominees chosen
Tuesday.
Fate of Sea Canal Now Pends.
The final hearing on the lakes-to-ocean
waterway has been held in Detroit, and observ
ers who attended express the opinion that the
International Joint Waterways commission cah
not decide otherwise than in favor of the project.
Obadiah Gardner, chairman of the board, while
not committing himself, said that there had
been little opposition in any of the 39 hearings
held through the middle west and Canada.
Ex-Senator Henry W. Hill of Buffalo intro
duced the only objections during the final ses
sion, but his defense of the Erie canal and the
status quo seemed so weak as to indicate hope
less opposition. That New York and other dis
tricts are selfishly trying to block a project that
means millions to the rest of the country was
charged by Congressman Oscar J. Larson of
Minnesota. The proposed waterway, he de
clared, will add $300,000 to the value of farm
products produced in the United States. Another
witness said that the average American farmer
produced six times as much as the farmer in
Hungary, whom he called the best in Europe.
But, he warned,' Hungary and other nations
have a much shorter haul to the sea and unless
the railroad haul is shortened here," "the United
States will cease to produce a surplus of farm
products for export, because the cost is too
high."
That agriculture would not be the only in
dustry to be benefited by cheap water transporta
tion was made evident by the testimony of
manufacturers in the Great Lakes, region. The
president of the Detroit Chamber of Cofnmerce
told of plans for a barter trade agreement with
Poland and other European countries by which
automobiles would be traded for linens and
other products, and declared that this increase in
trade would necessitate transportation facilities
supplementing the railroads.
Nebraska is vitally interested in opening up
this channel to world trade, and states - as far
away as Oklahoma and Idaho are also looking
to it for relief. Canada and the. United States
would have a further common bond if it is de
cided to carry on this international improvement.
The great industrial problem of today is not
production, but distribution, and a canal allow
ing ocean freighters to penetrate ,the Great
Lakes would bring the whole Middle West closer
to markets for its produce.
South Dakota, which wishes to change its
name to Roosevelt, is within its rights, but it is
to be hoped that the precedent is not established
so that Nebraska will be christened Bryan, Mich
igan Ford and Pennsylvania, Penrose, or that
Ohio will debate whether to call itseh iletvinley,
Harding or Cox.
Grateful throngs of epicures will find com
fort and excuse in the appeal of the Department
of Agriculture to eat onions and save .the old
cop from waste. The carry-over is estimated
at 2,500 cars, which would supply an inestimable
number of horsepower for social gatherings.
Railroad brotherhoods have endorsed the
Warfield plan as well as the Plumb plan. In
time they will adopt the good old common sense
plan of going to work and letting nature take
her course.
The Polish peasants who whipped their rep
resentatives who voted counter to their wishes
have not yet been hardened to some of the sur
prises of democracy.
Come to think of it, there is 'nothing to stop
food prices going up again, for people have to
eat, and a buyers' strike is impossible.
, t ,
April showers are a little late in coming,
but may yet arrive in time.. However, the corn
crop is not in danger from drouth.
If the former kaiser has been watching his
friend Charles in Hungary, he may have learned
something to his advantage.
The Department of Agriculture has a ma
chine which makes 17,500 revolutions per minute.
Sounds like Russia. '
St. Louis brickmakers have reduced the price
50 per cent. This is one move that ought to
spread. - '
Could the author of "The Great Lover" have
been thinking of Banker Stillman?
La Grande Amor ens ;
Another Vietv oj John Drinkwater's
"Mary Stuart."
Viviani is finding out a lot he came for.
(From the New York Times.)
It is an attractive theme that John Drink
water treats in "Mary Stuart" nothing less
than the woman of many and great loves. Too
long, has the stage been addicted to the multiple
amours of the male. If there is any wisdom in
the proverb, sauce is not merely for the gander;
the female of the species also may be protagonist
of that play entitled "The Great Lover." As
the major influence in the modern theater is the
very modern woman, such a piece would seem
assured of an endless vogue, and especially com
ing from the author of "Abraham Lincoln," who,
if any one, should be able to invest the poly
androus wife with dignity.
, Mr. Drinkwater's prologue or induction sent
sweeping through the audience a feminine thrill
of anticipated delight. A young and quite mod
ern husband is disclosed, to whom the wife he
devotedly loves has lately confessed that she
loves another. His heart is tortured and his
masculine pride lacerated; such a confession,
calmly made, seems to him monstrous, terrible.
But his bachelor uncle, to whom he relates all
this, is a student of the life of Mary Stuart, and
gently rebukes the young egotist. There are
women, he says, with a nature so rich, a capac
ity for affection so boundless, that life does not
afford them any adequate mate; they are pre
destined to a career of discovery and conquest.
The only really modest and dignified attitude for
their husbands, for each and all of their hus
bands, is gratitude for the possession of even a
fragmentary affection. Far better for any man
to occupy a single niche in the cathedral of
such a heart than to blaze, the sole flame, in any
lesser shrine. What woman, modern or ancient,
would not thrill to such a throne? But in the
moment during which Mr. Drinkwater's induc
tion merged into the little play that has Mary
Stuart for its heroine something curious hap
pened. One was prepared to find a aueen of Scots
who loved Darnley, who loved Rizzio. who loved
Bothwell and who before them had loved Fran
cois II of France. One was eager to find that,
even with all these passions, Mary had love to
spare and love in superplus. They were all, to
be sure, slight men; hut, even among common
mortals, to know is to pardon. For the truly
catheSral wife, the heroine Mr. Drinkwater
promised, to pardon is to love. And Mary was
Still in her early twenties, with presumably many
years to come of discovery and conquest. But,
as we were saying, something curious happened.
The Mary .to whom Mr. Drinkwater introduced
us did not love Darnley. and apparently never
had: she did not love Rizzio; she did not love
Bothwell, and informed us that she never could;
she had not even a word of remembrance for her
first husband, Francois II of France. Toward
her Italian secretary she was. satirically coe
temptuous and rather disdainfully aloof; when
he was murdered she scarcely batted an eyelid.
Bothwell lured her to. an embrace, but even in
that moment she told herself and the audience
that what she felt for this masterful male was
quite unworthy. For Darnley, who happened at
that moment to be her husband, she had least of
all a cathedral passion, but scorned him up hill,
flouted him down again, and then drenched him
with a pitcher of water. By comparison,
Mademoiselle Nitouche was a vampire. The pas
sion of her life, as it seemed, was for herself, and
the wonder was that she had any rival. "I am
of those," she said proudly, and frequently re
peated such assertions, "who must be loved al
ways, for all things. That is not wanton that
is wisdom such as life tells to just one here and
there. If you or any man could fathom that
oh, then!" But no one fathomed it and so all
her rivals were frustrated. Certainly it was not
wanton. Somehow a melody kept running
through one's mind, a melody not too ancient:
Ain't it awful what they done
To Mary Queen of Scots!
As for our audiences of advanced femininity,
' Mr. Drinkwater's play, like that of Peter Quince,
will ask of them some tears in tlie true perform
ance of it. One is moved, with Bully Bottom,
to condole in some measure. Let them not quite
despair! There are indeed women whose foun
tain of affection is ever flowing and never spent,
to whom life at its best affords little scope for
all the riches of their nature. They are quite ca
pable of loving their husbands one and all, their
children if they have any; the butcher's boy and
his mongrel dog, the cook and her canary. All
the world they love, except perhaps themselves.
And no mere man is ever quite able to appreciate
the heroic, the truly epic, proportions of their
love. La grande amoureuse alas for her!
Like Mary Queen of Scots, however, she is a
product of the pleasant land of France. No na
tion instinctively puritan could ever produce her
or appreciate her. Even in France she is, like
the great lover of our stage essentially a charac
ter for comedy. The mistake is to take her quite
seriously, as one must do when she is trans
planted to Scotland or presented upon the Amer
ican stage.
Those Old Inn Signs
There doesn't seem any connection between
the "Bag o' Nails" and "Bacchanals," but there
is! This is how it came about: An inn keeper
put the sign of the "Baccha"nals" over his door,
but his customers, not understanding it, pro
nounced it like "Bag o' Nails," so it means
practically the same thing as the "Jolly Topers."
"The Goat and Compasses" was once the
"God Bncompasseth." Another of a similar na
ture is the "Pig and Whistle." It is very old,
being derived from the Anglo-Saxon phrase,
"Piga Wassiil," or "Hail, Virgin!" The "Lamb
and Flag," is also religious in origin, but it re
tains its form unaltered. The "Swan with Two
Necks" ought to be the "Swan with Two Nicks,"
for its beak was marked with two cuts, or nicks,
to show who owned it.
Some inn signs are historical. The "Bull and
Mouth," for example, is the Boulogne Mouth,"
from a sea fight which occurred outside the
mouth of the harbor. So is the "Cat and Fiddle."
It should be the. "Cotton fidele." or "faithful
Caton," after a governor of Calais. . Others are
distinctly humorous. The "Good Woman" ha a
head, while trying to wash a black boy. white is
the "Labor in Vain."
Signboards have often been painted by fa
mous artists, including Holbein, Hogarth' and
Millais, some of whom are still extant. In the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the signs of
taverns were often very elaborate, that of the
"White Hart," ar-ScoIe. in Norfolk, costing $5,000.
Another in London was so heavy that it brought
down the side of the house, killing four people.
The result was an act of Parliament prohibiting
dangerous signboards. Answers, London.
Mr. Marshall's Wise Decision.
We applaud Thomas Riley Marshall for his
decision not to write a book about his impres
sions of Washington. Tom Marshall is honest,
and if he recorded his real impressions in a book,
it would be barred from the mails. Columbian
Record.
Address Wanted.
"You can go into a shop, buy a cigar and
in its wake you get wine, whisky and brandy,"
declared a Boston anti-tobacco orator recently.
What interests most of us is. Where is this par
ticular shop located? St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Inevitable.
A pure-food expert declares that the use of
sugar in soft drinks will satisfy the craving for
alcohol. Sh-sh! Now there'll by an amendment
forbidding the use of sugar in soft drinks. Ta
coma Ledger.
Good Old Times.
The first thing Noah did when he loft his
houseboat was to plant a vineyard; but Mr.
Harding's ark will go into dry dock. Dallas
News. I
OX
For the Bonus Bill.
Genoa. Neb., April 4. To the Edl
tor of The Bee: Allow me to voice
my opinion, In regard to the soldier
bonus bill.
In the first place thoso men who
onnose the Dassage or this Donus are
all men of financial means and what
do they care for the poor soldier as
Ion as they are well over-burdened
by the almighty dollar? If it wasn't
for those soldier boys that willingly
save un everything, positions, homes,
work and even their lives, where
would this country be today?
And to whom do we owe this
bonus but to the brave boys who did
their duty and camo out with flying
colors? They say nothing is too
eood for the soldiers. AVell. let them
prove it then by paying them that
bonus as quick as they Know now.
It's a disgrace to the country to
think that it harbors men that
would even dare to think of re
fusing to pay especially for such a
worthy cause and to think that we
had such a man as Senator Thomas
of Colorado to be allowed to make
such seditious remarks as he did
about the soldiers and bonus bill.
He certainly should be transported
to some island infested by canni
bals or either paroled to Kaiser Bill.
Some claim it would make our taxes
higher to pass the bill. Well, what
It it does? Hasn't this country sub
scribed all kinds of money for for
eign countries and causes? Now let
them begin at homo for a just
cause. No honor or money too great
for those brave men.
Give to those that are in need and
vour reward will be fit Heaven,
if any measure of justice is to be
given the returned soldier In the
form of compensation for his sacri
fice it should be given now while he
is young and able to invest it profit
ably in a. life's work. To this end
it should be the duty of every true
citizen to support some measure that
gives a reasonable degree of com
pensation to the returned soldier,
the bovs that defended Old Glory.
A FRIEND OF THE SOLDIER.
Again the High School Fret.
Omaha, April 1. To the Editor of
The Bee: Welcome, C. D. H., you've
thrown down the gauntlet. I accept,
and after reading your letter touting
high school "frats," my opinion
against them is even more strong.
You admit, in your letter, C. D. H.,
that you did not belong to a frater
nity while in high school. Well, old
timer, I did. I know whereof I
speak. But do you?
All charges that have ever been
made against secret orders Of all
time, especially against the college
Greek letter societies in the days
when legislation was sought in many
states against them, may be laid at
the door of the high school "frat."
They promote snobbishness; they
tend to teach the lad in high school
to disregard his parents' rules; they
tend toward fast living; they tend
toward lawlessness; they tend toward
serious misconduct.
Mind you, C. D. H., I belonged to a
national high school fraternity, and
know whereof I speak,
In college, the youngster has al
most got his equilibrium, and if he
hasn't, the upper classmen of his
fraternity assist him in establishing
it.
Why do the upper elassmen have
more effect on freshmen in college
.nan father and mother does on the
sigh school lad?
Because the college freshman lives
tt the fraternity house all the time
and gets in closer tffuch with college
mates who are near his age than the
high school lad who lives at home.
but has his fun away from home, does
with his folks. Tou can't deny it,
C. D. H., for I know. You see, I've
been through both experiences and
the upperelassmen of my college
fraternity took out of me that snippy
idea that I was somebody wonderful
when I left high school with honors
in three and one-half years instead
of four.
So please don't say nny more
that this statement I mado in my
other letter in nonsensical: "College
Greek letter societies are a good
thing but bar the high school kids."
Because your defense of "frats" in
high school shows lack of experience.
ETA BIT A PIE.
Efttfcr for the Home Stuff.
Omaha, April 4. To the Editor of
The Bee: .The Stillman ease in New
"York bids fair to outshadow the
Hamon case In Oklahoma which is
now history.
Why is so much space given in
your newspaper to such stuff? New
York is a long ways off. I grant
that Stillman is one of the richest
men in the country and that the
great American people eat up with
avidity any scandal of the rich. But
why, Mr. Editor, (five so much space
to a divorce battle 'way off in New
York, when right here in Omaha
there are plenty of cases which
might make almost as good reading
to the public. Do you keep out the
local scandal and Just print that
which is so far away they can't come
in your office and threaten you with
violence. How come only a short
write-up was given to the Brandels
divorce? They're rich and I venture
to say Omaha would rather read the
details of the -local divorce cases
than one of the Stillnians clear off in
New York. Let's have some local
scandal and lay away from this.
GEORGE BARRINGTON WILD.
Newspaper English
Defended
(From the Boston Transcript.)
It is evident that Mr. Wyndham
R. Meredith, a University of Virginia
man, resident at Richmond, who has
been boosting the university's
"drive" (What is a university with
out a drive?) does not share the
opinion of certain timid and possibly
over-sensitive scholars who think
that the English language is being
driven to the dogs by the newspa
pers. In Some remarks at Richmond, the
other day, Mr. Meredith distinctly
placed his approval on the side of
the "short, pithy style" of the news-
odic style of the great prose writers
of the eighteenth ana nineieentn
centuries. The newspaper, we may
learn from Mr. Meredith, is written
in the "Atlantic style," as opposed to
the "Ciceronian style." The Increased
1. i. t a nnn,niili.f hi Ufa la whflt I'll
UliOWU VI- LWl'IJ.li. ' ......
responsible for this so-called news
paper or "nervous siyie; ana in ins
language of the newspaper. Mr.
Meredith expresses the opinion that
it has "come to stay," because not
only the newspapers, but in great
part the magazines and books of the
;.,, a o a nnw u-Httfln hv newsnatip.r
men.' As a proof of the vitality and
the attractiveness oi mis Aiiannc
style, Mr. Meredith cites all the
writings ' of Theodore Roosevelt,
which, he says, are of the direct,
the nervous, the journalistic order.
Alt la rAflfiaiirlnD- AS Well AS
interesting, but is it true that the
newspapers are actually responsmie
for the decay of the "periodic"
etirtA? Am tVlA Yt a-tl'Rrtfl nATS thp.m-
selves not rather a result of a great
cnange mai came hdoui in pne vi
them quite as much as' because of
them? Our newspapers of the early
nineteenth century were all written
in long-winded, expanded, circum
lnmiinnr etvlo The smaller thev
were, the more they seemed to re
joice in largiioquent aeuverarrce.
Manifestly the blue pencil had never
been invented, in the diffuse and
windy forties. Every letter to the
editor was an imitation or Junius or
a rehash of Burke. But already,
outside the newspapers, men had be
gun to write in a cleaner-cut and
veritably more Attic style. In Eng
land Hazlitt, in this country Emer
son, had adopted the method of
simple directness and laconism.
Carlyle, though often elleptical and
nKm.n ha.l Intrnriucoil the VOtTUe Of
rugged directness of speech; we find
him orten aDsura, dui no suuhucu
the knell of the diffuse and ramb-lino-
nr-hnol When Horace Greeley
came in, and dared to write "You
lie. you villain, you lie," u was noi
necessary for American journalism
to plead lack of space or time as an
excuse for the short or pithy utter
ance. Then came Lincoln, not in
journalism but in politics, and gave
us the model of the second inaugural
and the Gettysburg address. The
old style had died the death. A new
era had arisen; nor was the change
more marked in the newspapers
than in the permanent forms of
literature. The nervous and direct
style of Roosevelt was in his educa
tion as well as in his nature. He
was the child of hie time.
Beyond a doubt the compression
which is necessary in the columns
of the newspapers has had Its' effect
on the prevailing literary expression.
ti,o nueat'nf the brass tack, other
wise the essential thing, the simple
basic fact, in wnicn me newspaper
Is necessrlly alnvolved. Is a good in
fluence n B:nlgllsh literature. Under
it pressure we can never go back to
Junius or even to Macaulay. Y'et
newspaper English would fall upon
evil ways indeed if it had no other
model than its own day-to-day ex
ample
Wt-ar Blinders.
Omaha, March 28. To the Editor
of The Bee: This is a delicate ques
tion and I have hesitated long before
putting it up to the consideration of
you and your readers. However, it
is a matter which concerns so many
of us, especially of tho panted sex,
that I feel it no more than a public
duty to bring up the matter for
some sort of decision. The problem,
is is it proper to look at a young
women's limbs on the street?
Now I am of a long line of
preachers, though not one myself,
and when I say that I have looked
at several, I hope that you will un
derstand that it has been merely
by chance and because they hap
pened to be exposed so that so to
speak the world might look. But
upon looking up from the limbs to
the faces of their owners I have
usually encountered an insulted
look, a sort of "how dare you!" . so
to speak. This has filled my heart
with sadness. I have intended no
Insult and I have wondered why
these young women, oftentimes
pretty, have taken offense in view
of the fact that they wear their
garments at such an elevation that
it is often quite impossible for a
man, or anybody for that matter,
making his way carefully along the
yublic thoroughfares and watching
where he is walking to avoid trip
ping over a curbstone or something
of the sori, to avoid looking at
limbs, oftentimes quite attractively
stockinged, when they come into
his range of view. The eye is some
times drawn as if by a magnet, in
fact.
I really think that something
should be done to promote an un
derstanding between the two sexes.
I have even thought of suggesting
that any young woman who desires
that males should not look at their
limbs when they are so in sight, so
to speak, should wear a heliotrope
or some other kind of distinguishing
flower as a warning not to look be
low the waist, or the knees at the
very limit. But I fear that this is
absurd and would arouse ribald
laughter from these so-called
comedians who infest our cities.
I fear that smoked glasses would
impair my sight.
What shall I do?
INNOCENT BYSTANDER.
Why Get Bergdoll?
Omaha, March 31. To the Editor
of The Bee: There was a slam at
the Amerloan Legion published In
your "Letter Box" today which I
cannot allow to go unanswered. The
writer, a Benny FInkelstein, stated
that "there's a hue and cry going up
among a few American Legion sisters
about bringing him (G rover Cleve
land Bergdoll), back to face his
crime, why don't they take precau
tions to keep Eugene V. Debs behind
prison bars."
If Benny will just cast his wild eye
over tho editorial columns of the
United States he will find that the
hue and cry ij by no means confined
to "a few American Legion sisters."
As to taking precautions to keep I
Debs in prison, there has already
been a Legion protest against his
release. WThether or not Debs is i
"kept behind prison bars" is up to !
President Harding, as apparently j
everybody except Bennle- knows.
Henry Ford at least did not defy
the laws of the United States in
keeping his son out of the service
even if he did get around them as
a few others of our "respectable"
citizens of means, some right in this
city, have done.
I'll agree with Benny that Berg
doll oiled the palms of dishonorable
boobs somewhere in order to get his
release at.d that many of his ilk is
justified in employing such means.
But "why get Bergdoll?" Because
he is the personification of all who,
owing their wealth, their prosperity,
their very lives to the United States,
sneered at the Stars and Stripes
during the war and ran away like
skulking cowards when the flag was
challenged by a foreign foe.
We have had enough of these
malicious attacks on the American
Legion whi'ih is founded on ns patri
otic and lofty principles &v. the very
constitute n of our country and
which has ever been in the fore at
Washington fighting for tho 5,000,
000 ex-service men and his already
obtained $300,000,000 in legislation
for the Men who were wounded or
disabled in their defending the flag.
When you slur the Legion you slur
the organization which pushed
through the measure which raised
the pitifully inadequate compensa
tion of $S0 a month to permanently
disabled men to $80 a month.
There have been rash and foolish
actions by a few Legion men and for
these It has become a popular pas
time among Legion enemies to con
demn the entire organization. Wre11,
if anybody wants to attack Si
mon pure Amerlcaniim, let him hop
to It. The Legion was never too
proud to fight. OVERSEAS.
ALTERNATING CURRENTS.
There are certain persons who
may attribute their straitened cir
cumstances to following their nat
ural bent. Memphis News-Scimitar.
How to Keep Well
By DR. W. A. EVANS
QuMtions conctrnim hyi.n, sanitation and prevention of diseaia, ubmltud
to Dr.' Evana by raadara of Tha Baa, will ba anwrd p.nonally, ubjact to
proper limitation, whera atamped ddreaeed nvelopa I. encloeed. Dr En
will not maka diagnoeia or prt.cribe for Individual dUeaeee. Addreea letters
in earo of The Bee. ,.'
Cojryrisht. 1921, by Dr. W. A. Evana
"The day of the vampire Is wan
ing," observes Theda Bara. A few
gray hairs and some wrinkles do it,
eh? Lexington Leader.
Surf bathing is an exhillrating
sport, and then, too. you're not liable
to Rlip on the soap. Florida Times-Union.
Georgia farmer pays four cents in
come tax. Most farmers will wonder
how he managed to pay that .much.
Muskegon Chronicle.
The idea seems to be that this year
it will be good farming to raise two
blades of grass where one talk of
cotton grew before. Greenville (S.
C.) riedmont.
THE LETHARGIC ENCEPHA
LITIS SITUATION.
The first case of this disease was
reported from New York at the end
of 19 IS. It was here before that
date, because almost simultaneously
It was reported from three widely
separated sections of the country.
The disease is seasonal In its oc
currence, but since it was new to the
country in 1919 there were few eases
reported during the spring. During
tho summer and autumn months the
number reported to the United
States public health service aver
aged six a month. In December,
1919, 37 cases wero reported. The
number of cases reported in the
winter and spring of 1920 in the
weekly report was as follows: Jan
uary. I2; February, 41; March, 47;
April," f.6; May. 56; June. 34; July,
After this the number reported
monthly for the remainder of the
year was 13. In January, 1921, the
number reported was 97. In Feb
ruary, 194. The figures for March
are not yet available. "
If 1920 is to be taken as an Indi
cation the present high rate may be
expected to continue through May at
least. Then it should slump and run
low until December. These figures
are not to be credited for more than
they are worth.- The reports are
most incomplete. Many states do not
report any form of contagion to the
United States. For instance, states
with well developed health depart
ments such as Pennsylvania, Ohio,
and Michigan are not listed In the
weekly reports of contagion preva
lence put out by the United States
public health service.
New York state is In the list, but
the paragraph relating to that state
carries in brackets ("exclusive ot
New York City"). Many states re
port ordinary forms of contagion,
but do not include lethargic enceph
alitis in the list. The disease is
not reportable in those states and
TOluntary reports of cases are not
rent to Washington.
Practically all the cases are re
ported from about five states. Cali
fornia, Illinois, Maryland, Connecti
cut, and New York almost make up
the record. A lew other states re
port an occasional case. The con
clusions as to seasonal prevalence
are justified because tho list of re
porting states has remained the
same.
As a recent investigation of lethar
gic encephalitis shows, a fair pro
portion of the cases so reported are
wrongly diagnosed. But the proba
bility, is that this loss is far more
than offset, by the number of cases
of genuine lethargic encephalitis that
are not reported.
It is not exaggerating to say there
are well over 50 cases a month oc
curring in the country. There is a
fair possibility that the organism re
sponsible for this disease has been
discovered, but the information Is
not in shape to be availed of prac
tically this spring at least.
In a certain sense the disease is
communicable. It occurs twice or
more times in members of the same
household or family in rare instan
ces. The rule is that no channel of
communication between cases can be
proved. Even though we know so
little about what to do to avoid it
we should remember that late win
ter, spring, and early autumn is the
season of prevalence of lethargic en
cephalitis. Those communities not
now having it reported will do well
to follow the example of those states
that take cognizance of It and not
only report it but set their force to
observing it and doing what they can
to centrol it.
Popcorn for Babies.
A. W. W, writes: "Is it injurious
to her to give our little girl, 2
years oid, popcorn, one piece at a
time? She is very fond of it and we
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find it keeps her bowels regular. If
there are objections, would they ap
ply to an older person?"
REPLY.
The cellulose in popt-orn is sup
posed to bo a little too irritating fni
children of 2S months. If your child
likes it and Ih benefited by it con
tlnue as you are doing. Be careful
to feed slowlv and to see that each
grain is well chewed. For older chil
dren popcorn is all right. It is some
what laxative by reason of the outer
layers of the grain.
It's Not Alarming.
F. .1. writes: "1. I am 56 years,
old. My blood pressure is 13. Is
that normal, or does it mean hard
ening of the arteries has begun? If
it means the latter, is there any way
to check it?
"2. If it is normal, ran I eat any
thing T like, or should I diet?
"3. Should I drink a cup of coffee
in the morning?"
REPLY.
1. Your blood pressure is a U'M
high, but not enough to disturb you.
2. Eat about as 5 ou have been do
ing. 3. Yes.
Diet and Goiter.
0. O. O. writes: "1. What diet
would you recomment for poisonous
goiter? 2. What are the first symp
toms of rheumatism?"
REPLY.
1. I judge you mean hyperthy
roidism or too much goiter secretion.
Be careful not to gorgo nor to eat
anything which causes indigestion.
Beyond this not much can be done
in the treatment of goiter by dieting.
2. If you mean rheumatic fever:
concentrated urine, sweats, and pain
and swelling in one or more joints.
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"The Most Sensible Thing
I Have Ever Done"
That's what a young man said
the other day to Mr. Solomon,
Manager of our Savings Depart
ment, when speaking of the time
he opened his savings account.
"Today," said he, "I have a nice
little sum of money to my credit,
but best of all I have acquired the
Savings Habit."
This young man spoke truly.
There are many good habits", but
the Savings Habit stands well
towards the head of the list. Open
a Savings Account today in the
Savings Department of the First,
and form this good habit which
will pay you big dividends-
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