The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, December 30, 1918, Page 4

THE BISMARCK TRIBUN Pen rl ara Pentland oan Entered at the Postoffice, Bismarck, N. D., as Second Class Matter, ‘ GEORGE D, MANN - - + - - - ~~ Séitor E G. LOGAN PAYNE COMPANY, Special Foreign Representative WEW YORK, Fifth Ave. Bldg.; CHICAGO, Marquette Bldg.; BOSTON, 3 Winfer St.; DETROIT, Kresege Bldg.; MINNEAPOLIS, 810 Lumber Exchange. MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS The Asociated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news credited to it or not otherwise credited im this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. MEMBER AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION RATES PAYAB IN ADVANCE Daily by carrier per year .. $7.20 Daily by mail per year (In re 7. Dafly by mail per year (In State outsid Bi Daily by mail outside of North Dakota...... THD STATE'S OLDEST NEWSPAPER. (Established 1873) ee —{=—— WHAT IT MEANS TO “DO THE DECENT THING” “Well, captain, I’m glad Y’ve done one decent thing, anyhow, in my life.” A soldier’s last words. Both hands gone, life ebbing, soul pouring out at his lips. . Why can’t we all do the “decent” thing more often in life? Yes, yes, we “play the game according to the rules.” The rules! How their elasticity favors us! How we excuse ourselves to the “tiny voices”! We're fair, more than fair to ourselves. The “decent” thing? It means a mite more consideration for the luckless loser. Baron Byng is certainly some name! ue HARD KNOCKS SOMETIMES ARE CARESSES --Same:of,eur hardest knoeks are really Fortune’s tenderest caresses. mela oo Nature must run the gamut of all emotions to become balanced. Hence all kinds of experiences must be endured and enjoyed. Grief is necessary to emphasize the value of delight; the same is so of the relation de- pression bears to elation; bitterness.to sweet; hardship to ease; failure, success; luxury, priva- tion. Comparison establishes standards for us. Suffering awakens consideration for others. 4 : What. we regard as direct, tragedy may be rar- ; y te est blessing—in the end. ’?)“4 One job for the Manhattan air police will’ coft- sist int tryna Peel pilots. THE SQUARE DEAL IS DOUBLED The Square Deal should be one of Life’s com- monest,.experiences. Most of us always try to AG received it that we wholeheartedly trust the next ‘man in faith establidhed by our transactions with the last one. a The Square Deal‘was never intended to call for gratitude. ty Each time one is the recipent of a Square Deal, thé is strengthened aid fortified tw his ‘determina- tion to unfailingly give it to others. So, the good resultant is more far-reaching than those who extend the Square Deal ordinarily realize. Yale law school is opened to women. Perhaps a married professor has discovered woman’s ca- pacity for argument. WE’RE ALL IDEALISTS The insistently practical man is an unconscious idealist. His ideal is action. The sternest iconoclast is an idealist. He wants to realize simplicity. Ideals impractical in one stage of human devel- opment become the realizations of later genera- tions. Ideals are the oars of Progress. The higher the ideal the nobler the character of the individual can become. Sneers at idealists and idealism are wasted. They are too often self- condemnations. The Great War was a clash of ideals as truly as it was a conflict of men. The higher ideals won. They always win. Ideals create enthusiasm. Thrice armed is he who has enthusiasm. “Tons of Dates to be furnished U. S. sailors.” The girls will have thousands of dates for them, too, when they get back. ; JOYRIDER OF THE AIR IS HERE AND THERE’S NO LAW TO DEAL WITH HIM! The air joyrider is here! What are we going to do with him? There are no laws to fit his case. In New England the other day somebody took a flight in a big naval’balloon. i Navy officers found the balloon in a treetop on Sarah Mills’ farm, near New Canaan, Conn. There'll be other and more joyriders of the air —pretty soon. America is going to need a lot of air laws. Britain is making them now. Aviation is developing fast. Britain is making airships to carry 100 passengers. So is Italy. Germany Was preparing to do so. United States ‘makers are busy working out the problems of com- -. Captain Lipsner is developing an air passenger ship to fly from New York. pews | their views in the matter. -/ownership before them the people at the polls de- give ‘it; none of us, however, have so invariably Federal 8 hands to put to use. Maybe. As air ships increase the joyrider of the air will increase, too. Ohio may soon have the first air law in the United States. A law to prohibit shipping booze by airplane is proposed. With the development of air-problems such as joyriding, careless dropping of tools, landing plac- es, flight levels, etc., laws must be made for safe- ty not only in the air but for the safety of the people below. We'll need legislators educated in air-science. Perhaps Philander Priestly Claxton, United States commissioner of education, might be in- duced to drop his hobby of pushing German study in the schools and to devote some attention to this up-to-date subject of air science in the schools. If not, why not get a broader, bigger man and give Aim Philander’s job? “Ty Cobb salf at home”—after the longest round trip hit ever made in baseball history.” { Fashion tip: Wear your hair long for style and it passes as temperament; wear it uncut for econ- omy and it’s considered lack of brains. Fred Hohenzollern’s wife is going to visit him; in Holland. But his mother-in-law isn’t. Sailors speak of “the ship’s waist.” They didn’t spell it that way at Go-It-the-Whole-Hog Island. “I see,” says, Cynical Sadie, “that the recipe for curing social anarchy is the same as for pleasing a man—feed the brute?” When Hun navy is officially sunk, if ever, why hot put Tirpitz aboard? ; | WITH THE EDITORS (a | POLITICAL OWNERSHIP PROPAGANDA AT THE PEOPLE’S EXPENSE The sensational*reduction in long distance tele- phoning tolls and tlegraph rates made by Post- master General Burleson, is a palpable piece of campaigning in connection with the attempted legisldtion fastening political ownership upon the country without permitting the people to express With the present’ ad- ministyations record of rapid extension of political feated the party in power. Yet an effort is being made to utilize the repudiated majority in con- gress to ram through legislation to which the peo- ple are evidently hostile. THe postoffice department has not had the tele- phone and ‘telegraph lines in its possession long efidugh to have an understanding of.the cost and needs and demands of the service that would just- ify sweeping changes in rates. Of course, Uncle Sam has a long pocket book, and the party in pow- er has shown that it has no particularly hesitancy about digging down into the treasury to carry on political experiments, but what good reason is there to tax the man who does not use the long distance telephone in order to enable the man who does to employ this service at a greater cost than is represented by the fee charged him? For many years we have had in this country two cent letter postage, and there was an extensive agitation under way for one-cent postage. But under the very same administration which now re- duce elephone and telegraph tools as a part of the campaign for political ownership, the. price of ¢he poor man’s postage stamp has beert increased fiffy per cent. Would'it nét:be better to get the fetal of letter postage batk to the old Republican basis, before creating a deficit ffom the operation of telephone and telegraph lines, to be paid for out of the public treasury ,and made up, presumably from the income derived from three-cent letter postage? The people know something about the results of political ownefship of utilities the administra- tion has been operating for some time. Freight and passenger rates on the railways have been in- creased one-half, and about all the increase ex- pended in meeting increased costs of operation. Recently, under political management, there has been an increase in express rates. If the Treas- ury department cannot run the railways without at once impairing the quality of the service and hoisting the rates up fifty per cent, what reason have we for believing that the Postoffice depart- ment can do any better? Would it not be better for this department to turn its attention to bring- ing order out of the chaos it has created in the postal service proper? For the first time in our history there is delay, doubt and uncertainty, in the dispatch of mail. If the Postoffice depart- ment cannot handle its regular job, what reason is there for believing that it can take on a few ~ FORMER FELLOW — ‘Stanton, N. D., Dec. 28, 1918. Editor Tribune, Bismarck, N. D. Dear Sir: You will remember that some tlne since I sent you an article from the péi of one Lieut. Mahle, a German boy, whose early ‘environments were ubout the same as in any German settlement and went into the vice a pro—. Well, the cause of his’ complete conversion to genuine Americinfsm was-so strongly. and clearly given that we called it “good stuff” and I appre- ciate and thayk you for giving it spac ‘ I am enclosing another from his pen, just before entering battle, which if! you can use ‘it, will be appreciated. 1 wish to add that the young Heutenant was’ wounded in the battle. I get this by letter from a friend. s » Yours truly, J, A. HARRIS, A letter written by Lieutenant Earl B.. Mahle, of Blooming Grove, to) his uncle, Rey, W. E. Mahle. and published some weells xo in the Journal-Chron- icle, excited. widespread interest over the country’ and was recently repub- lished in fu bythe? TAterary Digest with exceedingly ‘complimentary men- tion by that publication. Lieutenant Mahle recently wrote another letter to his uncle which is equally interesting in that it reveals the philosophy which has grown out of his participation in some of the bitter battles of war. The letter follows: Oct. 16, 1918. Dear Uncle: Your letter of August 8 came to me some several weeks .ago. I noticed particularly that you said you knew 1 was doing my. duty.as a good soldier should, and that without. murmur or complaint, That has been the cl aim toward avhich I have: ditected ery thought ‘and effort. I have alway deemed that a thing worthy of one who has the privilege of being born ba reared in the most blessed coun- tr: nen earth, # Country which many of u am sorry to say, had little appre- ciation of before this awful emergency arose, This may be the last letter that T shall ever be able to write to you. In a short time.I am going into the lines in a section. which an officer just des- ignated as the “last place. God made,” you, of course. can readily understand the meaning he wished to convey. I cannot tell you @ny more about the place. you will understand, but I can assure you that-not all will come out of it alive. “It is not the first. time that I have gone into similar places. I have seen death. I have seen men pay the full price, It has not been asked of me yet. I! still possess my. every. faculty ‘and physically I am more fleshy than I ever was, and the fact that I have been able to endure the hardships of a number of campaigns shows that my health has‘hardly been impaired. I may continue to avoid death. However. I realize that some must pay the, fall price, and I may be the next one. Not long ago I received a letter in which the writer said in part, “I know, Earl. that God has been good and has spared your life.” There used to be a time when I looked at my relation to God in practically that way. But the more I see of this war the more T am convinced that God has nothing more tasks and perform them efficiently ? Just why there is this feverish anxiety on the part of the Postoffice department to retain con- trol of all means of communication in the country. remains to be see. The scheme adds, of course, to the amount of spoils to be disposed of. It adds to the power of the politicians. It gives them an opportunity to listen in on every communication in the country. It enables them to gratify what seems to be the national desire of a professional office holding politician, to stick his nose into ev- erybody’s business. But the people are getting to do with it. “This war has been caused by man himself. He has sown the seeds of if, And now he is reaping the harvest in horrors. For this bad CLE, GET YOUR G UNCLE JIM HARRIS TELLS HOW TOWNSMAN WAS tur In the final analysis all must pay. even though they may be allowed to do so on the installment plan, in Jong easy payments.” God has nothing to do with it. remains goodness even ‘though I in. full tomarraw. No one has a ri ‘to define God’s. goodness in ‘terms: of the protection..he gives to, those who are fighting in, Frence.or .on other fields... Whenever man,,thus: defines God's, goodness, he. puts,.Him’ on a level with man himself, and_ takes away is qualities, which, make us look upon Him. as God. Because I believe the-aboye I: have. never, prayed God. to.protect me from harm. on. the battlefield, but I have prayed that He give me, the necessary courage and strength to,do my du regardless of what the consequences may be. In the “Soldiers’., Book of. Worship’: which you gave me. and which ‘I always carry. in my pocket. are these words: “If Tvescape death now, it must come ‘sooner or later.” If I do my duty today as is given me it matters little when my time.comes. My boys who have gone before me loved life as much as I do. They had a great longing to see again, those who mean so much to us, those who stayed at home. What wouldn’t I give to be at home once more. There is not a day gone by, in which I have not thought many, many times of my moth- er and dear old dad, and the sisters and brother. ‘ He Oct. 17, 1918. I am going to take as much time of this day as I can to finish this. It is a-long time since I have written you. As usual, it is a most disagreeable kindof a day. I can not, remember the ‘last. day the .suy, shone; neither can I remember the last day it has not rained. It almost seems impossible that such weather can continue so uninter- ruptedly. During the last big. drive inade by division it poured so that EVERETT TRUE i | [ THE WAY THEY — 1 RATE AGAINS seed sown by the hands of man all over the world, today, man is struz- gling to find his way out of a vile growth of evil fruitage. Not all men are responsible for the wrong that has been done, but where can you find those who in some way do not suffer. A. good farmer tiay Cultivate his soil Me manner, but still the hail seed bors la) fly You OuGuT To SEE MY TAX BICC FOR THIS NGARS Tey HAVE BOOSTED THE WHY, IT'S SIMPLY FIERCE Ce Give US A LITTLE VARICTY YOU. ALWAYS CHEW AGOUT THE PEW 18 I NEVER HEAR You Kick ABOUT G5 THE RISE IN THE PRICE CF THE CocKtaiLs You PUT UNDER Your BELT ff! I almost felt as though it would dam- pen the ardor of our troops, but no such thing happened. Fer a number of days we knew an CONVERTED INTO AN AMERICAN | nttack ‘was coming and we knew we were the troops to make it. During those days the men suffered consider- ably from the cold and wet, but their minds were entirely on the big event to come. Every man had plenty of time to think it over and in his- own mind was determined ‘thit jas far ‘as his indiyidual actions were concerned there would be no faltering, Nothing could have stopped us“and nothing did. After 4 very heavy‘ and’ continuous bgmbardment of. many hours, tlie likes of which, is enough to set any man’s nerves on: edge, we assembled for a hasty breakfast’ under thé cover of a high hill. After every one had eaten quite heartily, we went into formation to go, forward into. the attack. At a given time, the command was given and we were on our way to “do or die.” There was nowhere a feeling of, de- pression, Instead: those wonderful boys were singing and whistling the song, “Keep your head down Allemagne. If you want to see your father in your old fatlterland, keep your head down, Allemagne.” If it had not been for the incessunt roar af; the artillery’ T know the Germans would; haye heard us coming, Realy ee T can say nothing about the’ details of that attack. We accomplished in 27 hours what we were given a num- ber of days to do. During that time we were always on the go, and up until dark, continuously under fire. It was a sight long to be remem-. bered and very encouraging to see the prisoners come in by thousands and to feel that we were gradually reclaim- ing for France thousands of square miles of territory which for four years had been in the hands of the enemy. But as we moved forward we were not making prisoners of all the boche. Some of them succeeded in making their way to the rear, and as they re- treated they once more gave evidence that their heart was the heart of the barbarian, and their methods, those of the savage. The little villages which had housed them were given to flames and_those inhabitants which had slaved By Conde MONDAY, DEC. 30, 1918. | tor them and ‘starved forthem were bereft of everything which even through the long four years of impri- sonment they had been wont to call their own.’ On all sides and far out ahead of us were the’ flames of burn- ing homes. March as fast a8 we could, yet the work of destruction was faster, and tve could .do. nothing to save. It was a picture. of frightfulness which will eyer remain imprinted on my memory, relentless flames touched off by the torch of ‘the terrible Hun, cast- ing on the low. hanging clouds a most gruesome glow. , God sent His rains, but the flames were too well fed. They could not be extinguished. But if the experiences of the night were sad, those of the morning were sadder, with the daylight, the utter horror of the destruction became more evident. One particular incident tells - the story of thousands. An ancient little French woman, with only a worn old shawl thrown over shoulders that were bent with toll, sat on a curbstone before the smouldering embers of her burned house, Occasionally she cast ber eyes in sorrow at a pile of rock which represented to-her the remnants of years of toil./and; the happiness of home life, and Conjugal felicity which would never more:be hers. Everything was gone. Her’ two’ sons had been ikled-in-battle: and-her husband was dead as a result of the war. Her home, everything she-owned was behind her in ashes. German kultur had cast her out into the chill of the morning, scan- tily clad and‘with no”prospects for the futures eg - Suddenly there appeared from around the ¢drier the khaki clad sol- diers of Uncle Sam. The old woman slowly arose and a beautiful light came to her wrinkled features. She had heard of the soldiers in khaki, but her captors had minimized our strength. Now we came marching ito the vil- lage too late. to save, ’tig-true, but conquerors just the same. ‘Yor a min- ute there was joy in:her Sorrow, for she felt that a new force had come to liberate. her land and. the .people she loved so well. Shie took our hands in both her horny ones and in a voice that was cracked with age and scarce- ly audible, she said “Vive*la Ameri- que.” We felt as though!.a blessing were called down upon All we could do was bow our heag@ in silence —there were no worde for an answer. Her story is not the story of one person, but of thousands upon thou- sands. Not one village alone suffered the fate of this particular village. Thousands are in needless ruins, but the story does not end there. Time will tell of a terrible suffer- ing inflicted upon a defenseless and innocent people. I alone ‘could con- tinue to enumerate incident upon inci- dent which would show only in a small way the terrible ‘crime of the German people. As I said in the beginning of this letter,-; I am going to,a duty from which I am not. sure that I will ever return. If I stay here:with some of the boys when all the others return, 1 donot want anyone to.be sad about it. , I,.do, not want anyone to wear bigek ‘tor me.” ue Somewhere I have read. a little verse which I haye ¢opied.’* It ‘reads as fol- lows: . , Ze “So the gate swings wide at my knocking," Across endless, reaches. I see Lost friends with’ laugtiter come flocking ola To give a glad weleome to me, Farewell, the maze ‘has been readed—’ 4 This is the ending of ‘strife, Siiy’’ not’ that death’’ Should - be *dreaded— "Tis but the beginning of life.” Let us look.at it in the way ex- pressed so beautifully above. God knows I want to see you all again, but it is not my will that shall be done. T feel sure that God will give me the strength to do my duty and if I do this why should anyone have any regrets. Give my love to grandma. She is truly a wonderful woman. If the world had her philosophy of life there would be little use of talking of a paradise in worlds beyond. There are many others that I would like to mention in this letter, but time does not allow it. It is about time for me to go to a new duty. With love to all and best wishes that everything good may come your way, I remain as ever yours, i EARL. '° \ PEOPLE’S FORUM | ABOUT DR, CLAXTON. Washburn, 12 28, 18. I am glad to see thé stand you take against. Commissioner of ‘ducation ‘Claxton. . ‘Keep it up! I hope you may be the means of getting the proGerman whelp put out of office. Instead of teaching the Hun language in our school, we should teach our children to forget (not. forgive) not only the fanguage but everything Cerman. Here's hoping everybody will take the same stand that you do and that Kais- er Claxton gets what's coming to him, (a kick into Germany). ‘ B. B. ELLIS. ° ‘¢ Fallen For Freedom Killed in Action. Corporal Richard A. Burkhardt, Beach, N. Dak. Died of Disease. Private Howard L. Cotten, Cleveland N. Dak. ‘Private Manley Marriott, Wales, N. Dak. Wounded Severely. Erivate Samuel. Hunter, Ryder, N. Dak. Private Edwin J. Nesheim, McVille, N. Dak. SECTION NO. 2; Killed in Action. ‘Major Maxon Shafford ‘Lough, Far- go, N. D. ‘Wounded Severely. ‘Private George Buzzelle, Jr., Bis- marck, N. Dak. Wounded Severely. Private John E, Holter, Grand Forks N._ Dak. Private Ole J. Tisdel, Detamore, N. Dak. . . Sieh Charles Fox, Osnabrook, N. ‘Wounded, (degree _ undetermined. nreviousiv reported missing: ‘Private Werner Wieman, Drake: Private Pe- ter Labek, Egeland; assigned to duty, previously missing in action,