Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, November 26, 1915, Page 4

RRBEEE - B 1 §ATBEIOME I0T Lot 4 450 200 BU bbu sl '3 I THE OMAHA DAILY BEE FOUNDED BY EDWARD ROSEWATER. VICTOR ROSEWATER, EDITOR. ‘The Bee Publishing Company, Proprietor. BEB BUILDING, FARNAM AND SEVENTEENTH. Entered at Omaha postoffice as second-class matter. TERMS OF BUBSCRIPTION By r-n;l;r By mail per mon 680, and_ Sunday.. without Sunday. ing and Sunday .. ming_without Su Sunday Bee nn}y..m" ot e et Bend notice of ol e of address or co frregularity in dellvery to Omaha Bee, &mn-u Department. REMITTANCE. Remit by draft, or postal order. Onx two- it ngnd 1 ent small _ae- mm’mfl checks, c:eo:t. on Omaha and eastern exchange, not accepted. OF FICES. ‘The Bee Buflding. Omaha—218 N street. Council Bluffs—14 North Main street. Lincoln—28 Little Rullflln‘f'." Ch Hearst Bull o ew York—Room 1106, 286 Fifth avenue. : 508 New E:'nl of Commerce. " Lowl - Washington—7% Fourteenth St, N. W. CORRESPONDENCE, e ddress ocom: joats relatl to pews and B matier to Omans Des, Baitorial® Doparcment. OCTOBER CIRCULATION 54,744 State of Nebraska, County of o, ”fim ‘Willlams, -l.veu‘;‘lm- ] of The 't: -mu;.&cmm ‘month of Ocloner, 191 was G WILLIAMS, lation Manager, !H'.. m M-a?m sworn to before me, this 4 of ember, 1915, n%v HUNTER, Notary Public. Subscribers leaving the city temporarily should have The Bee mailed to them. Ad- dress will be changed as often as requested. ** Noble deeds are held in howor, But the wide world sadly needs Hearts of patience to unravel The werth of common deeds.” Not quite one month left now for the early Christmas shopper. SEsem——— However, that judicial plum will be an ac- ceptable decoration for a Christmas tree. Time is sliding along on greased grooves. “Christmas don’ts” are beginning to bloom. —— In justice to Utah's firing squad, it should sald that they harbored no gruage against g s 1 @ new Welfare board {s admonished not to tolerate too much fowl talk at the poultry show. Spee—— Cheer up! The Congressional Record will business at the old stand shortly and en- the gayety of the country. S ——— Ploturing Woodrow as a walter bringing in tray of turkey, gives a sort of ironical twist his policy of “‘watchful waiting” in Mexico. of easy money on Nebraska state se- flatters native pride, but It is still more to avoid semi-annual remittances. _Note that the Liberty bell and “Billy” Sun- day both honored Syracuse with their presence At one and the same time without erowding one f Iy % Prohibition of “gun toting" by questionable characters is a kind of prohibition whose en- forcement would invoke no protest from any law-abiding citizen. After an expenditure of $22,500 of funds not their own, two Chicagoans are convinced that the Wall street game is unbeatable. There are a multitude of others. Junior | - senator is opposed to any I plan, but he is ready to show us preparedness by put- million-dollar inheri- 1 iz 1 E it | ; ; i H i E: 5 iy q is the spur of enterprise. The American dyestuffs amounted to @ year before the war. Blockade foreign product promises to lift this 's output to 16,000 tons. In this, as in respects, Europe's misfortune accelerates 3 i 2 4 i P FH i £ THE BEE: OMAHA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1915 26, Bryan on the 1915 Elections, If any one who speaks as a leader can look through rosy-hued spectacles despite surrounding gloom, it is our many- times distinguished Nebraskan, Willlam Jen- nings Bryan. Thrice has our honored fellow citizen been a disappointed candidate for presi- dent, but each time he has come back promptly with the assurance that the prospecis for demo- cratic victory at the next election were never brighter. Reading the signs of the times today, how- ever, Mr. Bryan |s by no means assuring, ‘‘The elections of 1915,” he says in the latest issue of his Commoner, “serve as a warning to the democratic party. They Indicate that the pro- gressives have returned to the regular republi- can party and the democrats can no longer hope to win by division In the ranks of the opposi- tion; neither can the democrats afford to dally with vital issues. Tn Massachusetts our candi- date for governor, an able man with a splendid official record, was defeated. In Kentucky the democratic candidate, Congressman Stanley, made an admirable record in congress and is a great campaigner, but he was badly handicapped by the position taken by the party.” But Mr. Bryan never shuts the door of hope or fails to find a rainbow strand somewhere. “While the elections contain a warning,” he adds, “there is no reason why a democrat should be discouraged. If the party will take up the reform work where it was left at the last congreas, adopt cloture, proceed to carry out the platform and add to its record on economic questions, it has no reason to fear the cam- paign of 1916 There, then, is Dr. Bryan's prescription, freely offered to the democratic party to cure it of what allg it. If it does not take the medicine accordiag to directions, it must prepare for the worst. The only open question is whether the admonition “to proceed to earry out the platform” includes the plank pledging the nominee to the prineiple of a one- term presidency. South American Trade. Treasury department statistics show that trade with South American countries has dou- bled since the outbreak of the war in Europe. In theory, the trade of SBouth Amerfca with out- side nations belongs to the United States in a large measure, but facts have always confounded theory in this {nstance. The building up of this business has been the dream of economists and statesmen In the United States, the late James G. Blaine fathering the first organized and sys- tematic move to divert it in this direction. Others have since done much, notably Elihu Root, while secretary of state, but in spite of all this the South Americans have not traded with us a8 much as natural tendencies would indicate they would, though some progrese has been made. The war, however, has so disorganized trade conditions in Europe that much of the business has been diverted to this country. Ob- talning it now, however, is an easy proposition compared with the one to follow—holding it after the war is over. That Buropean manufac- turers will permanently surrender this rich field without a struggle is not to be supposed, but, on the contrary, the best opinion is that with the war ended these nations will seek out foreign trade with greater energy than ever. They have 80 wasted their own resources and domestic con- suming power by the destruction of war that other outlets must be found for manufactures, and it will be a fight for existence with them, and American producers, If they would hold the field must entrench themselves while they have the opportunity or be compelled to surrender what they have gained. —— Rights of Stockholders. Recent events in the reorganization program ot several large corporations evidently have caused & new light to dawn on men whose in- terests are centered more on the corporation as an entity than on the stockholders who really comprise it. An interview with one of the leading bankers of New York, whose firm fig- ures prominently in corporate finances, indi- cates as much. In speaking of the reorganiza- tion of a big railroad in which the stockholders upset the plan, he said that at first he refused to hear the man who led the fight for the etockholders, but that subsequent developments had convinced him that in such matters in the past the bankjng and big interests had regarded the properties and determined their financial needs, both in recelverships and in operating solvent companies, from reorganization and ex- punsion ideas, without regard to the rights of investment stockholders, but that recent events wust force a different procedure. He con- cludes that it Wall street does not wish to lose its standing Dbefore Investing stockholders throughout the country it must consider not only the needs of the property and Wall street profits, but the rights of investment stock- holders. The logic of this should be apparent to all. ‘While the big financial institutions provide the money for railroad and other corporate finane- ing, the primary source of the money is the widely distributed investing public. The mil- lions poured into such enterprises are made up cf the hundreds and thousands that come from all over the nation, and if the faith of these people who provide the woney is permanently alienated from the banking centers and Invest- ment houses, this stream will dry up or de- crease materially in volume. That recent events will evolve a cure for all the ills of crooked tinanclering would be too much to expect, for smilar lights have dawned on Wall street be- fore, but each one has left an impression, and recent exposures and contests will doubtless tend to check for a time at least some of the plundering of the public and lead in the end to A Dbetter appreciation of the fact that mutual fair dealing will produce the best results for il S ——— If the parole business were operating to turn eriminal characters loose in Nebraska alone we might put some check upon it, but, unfortu- nately, the parole mills are grinding convicts out from prison walls in more than half of the states of the union and, once out, they roam at large until they strike some community in which they come to grief. S —— Twenty-six tralnloads of the half fimished product of war reached the hospitals of Paris in one day recently. Similar proportionate Tegords are frequent at the repair shops of all warring nations. The finished product of war I confined to the names on the mortality lists, Appalling are the crimes committed in the name democratic Sidelights on Suicide | TTT7 Pred 5. Moffman in The Spectator. UICIDE as a life insurance problem has at tracted the attention of executive officers, actu- aries, medical directors and others for man years. The literature of the subject is quite extensive, but generally Inaccessible to the student of life in- surance methods and results. One of the earliest con- tributions is by R. Thompson Jopling, in the firat volume of the Journal of the Institute of Actuaries (the Assurance Magazine for 151), followed by an- other in the second volume (1%62), and a discussion by Bamuel Brown, and a contribution by Dr. J. W Eastwood, in the twentieth volume, issued In 1578 The practice had been common from the outset of insur- ance developments to decline the payment of sulcide claims, irrespective of whether sane or Insane, upon the offer of the return (1) of the premium pald, and (2) of the accumulated reserve Among the more important American contribu- tions to the subject of sulcide in its relation to life Insurance a brief reference may be made to an ad- dress by Ralph W, Breckenridge to the Life Under- writers’ association at Chicago in 1904, which is sum- marized in the statement that a restrictive suicide clause s mors in conformity to sound public policy than excessive liberality, This important contribution incliides many refercnces to the international litera- ture and also to the available insurance experience data, extending, in some cases, over a long period of years, with a diue regard to the exposed to risk ac- cording to age and duration of insurance. The foregoing observations Indicate a broad and growing interest in the more technical aspects of the sulcide problem. There has beeri no thorough inquiry into the subject with a due regard to actuarial methods, making the necessary corrections for varla- tions In the age and sex distribution of the insured, and most of all the duration of insurance. General medical statistica of life insurance companies are not strictly comparable on account of the widely varying length of actual experience. The Indications are that in life insurance experience as well as among the population at large, the suicide rate is on the increase. The important conclusion is once more confirmed by the sulcide returns of American cities for the year 1014, The results of analysis of our compllations are in practical conformity to the corresponding statistics Published in the Spectator for 1913. The seven citles which show the highest suicide rates are San Fran- clsco, San Diego, Sacramento, Hoboken, St. Louls, Los Angeles and Oakland. All of these cities show rates of 820 per 100,000 of population and over and, With the exception of St. Louls and Hoboken, an in- crease in the rate and only two show a slight decline. Out of the 100 cities under review fifty-one show un increaso and forty-eight show a decrease during 1914, s compared with 1904-1913, ‘The suicide rate In small cities is somewhat less than in very large cities. For small cities the average rate was 17.5 per 100,00 population, which Increased to 182, or 4 per cent, during 1914. Foy cities with 250,000 population and over the average rate of 20.4 increased to 21.2, or 3.9 per cent. In othér words, the actual and relative Incresses In the suicide rates were practically the same in both groups of communities, The sulcide rate for 1914 was the highest aince 1906, and the third highest during the twenty years under review. The correlation of suicides to business fallures is only pronounced under exceptionally dis- turbed business conditions which appear not to have prevailed In the country at large, but which seemingly affected the excessive sulcide rate returned for the cities of the Pacific coast. This aspect of the suicide problem has not been thoroughly investigated, but the indications are that on the basis of a specialized analysis of the two sets of returns for the &ive prin. cipal geographical divisions of the country a fairly close degree of correspondence would be shown to exist. It must be obvious, of course, that the num- ber of business fallures reflects In a measure the soclal and economic conditions affecting the popula- tion at large. Orly a thoroughly pronounced and extended, as well as nation-wide, economic depression would, however, be likely to affect the &eneral suicide rate. In a number of individual instances, however, there is & direct relation between business fallures and suicides, resulting in consequence of economic distress. Attention Js directed to the apparently increasing number of suicides resulting from mere suggestion of previous cases of self-murder in the same family, A typlcal case was reported from Springfield, Maass., where a woman committed suicide in exactly the same manner as her husband had done a year pre- vious. The case was complicated by another suicide in the family of a very close friend of tne woman, who had apparently ended her lite in a similay man- ner. Such cases are reported with increasing frequency and they warrant the most serious apprehensions re. rding the future. The psychology of suggestion {8 a much-neglected branch of modern medicine and education. The ever present possibilities of self- murder, regardless of an overwhelming amount of evidence, are generally disregarded and treated lightly 'ven where the Indications point strongly in the direc- tion of unsoundness of mind. Child suicldes are scemingly more common now than in former years. A casq was reported from Seattle of & boy 13 years of age who ended his life by drinking poison in exactly the way his father had done six years before, simply because he had been reproved by his mother for smoking. Also a case was reported from Mount Vernon, Wash., of a boy 13 years of age, who, upon being reproved by his mother for quarreling with his younger r, ended his life by blowing out his brains. Another case was re. ported from New York City, where a boy of 16 Years shot himself because he belleved hiumself to be incurable of an aliment, the nature of which was not disclosed in the newspaper account. All such cases indicate a decided tendency foward moral and mental deterioration, and they emphasize the urgency of greater caution on the part of life insurance com« panies in the assumption of risks, es, amounts and the justice of adequately protects all adverse selection during t peclally for large f & suicide clause which the policyholders against he first year of insurance. The modern increase in suiclde 1s, utable to exceptionally convenient fact murder, particularly by polson. The figures show trat for both sexes, combined, suicides by polson are now nearly as frequent as sujeide by firearms. In proportion ta population the male suicide rate was 8.5 per 100,009 of population against a female rate of 7.6, but the rex differences in the rates ‘ in part, attrib- ilities for self- Among men it 1s show: suicide by firearms was most common, lmu’l‘ln‘ll:v:: to 8.4 per 10000 of populatici, followed by Ppolson Wwith & rate of 68 and hanging or strangulation With & rate of 37. Among women suicide by poison Was the most common, Accounting for o rate of 34 per 10000 of population, followed by as- phyxiation with a rate of 13 and hanging or strangulation and firearms, with rates of, respectively, O8. Throughout, for all specified methods, the rates for males are decidedly in excess of the correspond- ing rates for females. Concerning polson it 1s shown that of the male suicides 24.2 per cent were attributaole to this method, and of the sulgides of women 4.3 per cent. It would seem perfectly feasible to bring about & substantial reduction in the frequency of suicide oy Polson in the direction of more restrictive and even drastic leglslation Umiting the conditions under which Polson can be obtained. Much of the same conclu- slon applies to the sale of firearms. From whatever polnt of view the subject is sidered It is quite clear that the Increasing frequ of sulcide In the United States demands the most earnest consideration of those who may be in a Position to direct public attention to one of the most serious problems of the present day. con- ency The much-traveled youns man had just returned from forelgn climes, and, of course, he must entertain his rich old aunt (with whom he was in favor) with stories of the wonderful sights he had seen. “Yes,” he said, in the course of his remarks, “there Are some spectacies that can never be forgotten.” “Dear me!" exclaimed the absent-minded old lady; “T do wish you would get me & pair of them, John." - Washiugton Sta, o The Pees | LS er Want Risht-nf-Wes for Misstasinpl. MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 24.—To the Bdi- tor of The Bee: It has long been urged | that the Mississippl river ought to be | provided for by congress in a separate | and independent bill, just as was done | In the case of the Panama canal, and the work undertaken in a comprehensive and systematic manner and pushed rapidly to completion In all probability a measure will he framed and presented to the next con- gress to have this great river dealt with in such a way. On October 2 there met here in Mem- phis a number of the senators and con- gressmen from the riparian states in conference with members of the Missis- sippl river commiasion and presidents of | the local levee boards, when the whole | matter was thoroughly discussed and it was decided to frame such a measure and oresent It at the next session of | congrese. This conference, to be held | on November 2, in Washington, will be | participated in by all senators and con- gressmen desirous of*having something done in a definite and specific mannmer, | looking toward the solution of the Mis- | sissippi river problem. We are sending you a copy of a re- port of the Mississippl River Levee asso- clation to date, from which you will see that public opinfon throughout the United States seems to be unanimous in favor of the Mississippl river being treated iIn a business-like way, inde- pendent of the river and harbor bill. JOHN A. FOX. Secretary Mississippi River Levee Asso- clation. The Armeni LINCOLN, Neb., ov. 2%.~To the Editor of The Bee: In order to under- stand the Armenlan atrocities we must understand their history. Geographically as well as topographically Armenia Is the key to the Anatollan peninsula and the lowland of Mesopotania. As the Balkan states are the key to Constanti- nople so is Armenia the key to the in- dependence of the Turkish empire, At present the Armenians are divided among Russia, Turkey and Persia, Since the breakup of the Armenian kingdom in the fifteenth century they have always been under different alien rulers. There are four important races in the Caucasus, namely: the Georglans, the Armenians, the Tartars and the Rus- sians. The Tartars and the Armenians oceupy the eastern provinces, The Armenian people number in all some 3,000,000 souls. In the Caucasus there are about 1,200,000, in Asia Minor 1,600,000 and a few hundred thousand in Persia and the rest are scattered all over the world. In the towns the Armenians often con- stitute a majority, but in the rural dis- tricts they are usually outnumbered by the Tartars in Transcaucasia, or by the Turks and Kurds in Asia Minor. The population of Armenia contains a greater varlety of elements than any other country of the same size in the world—the languages are estimated at forty-five. But the great majority of these races are mere fragments of a few thousands, in some cases hundreds, of persons. In the eighteenth century the Russians began the conquest of Armenia, which after a serles of warg was completed with the occupation of Kars and Batum in 1578 by virtue of the Treaty of Ber- lin. It was then that the Armenian des- tiny became an international problem. The six powers of Europe solemnly pledged themselves to Introduce, through the sultan, administrative reforms into the provinces inhabited by the Arme- nians, The sixty-first article of the treaty stipulates that *“The sublime porte un- dertakes to carry out, without further delay, the Improvements and reforms de- manded by local requirements in the provinces Inhabited by the Armenlans, and to guarantee their security against the Circasslans and Kurds." In spite of that treaty the Armenlans were butchered and outraged In 18 and bardly anything was done to save the handful of stray sheep from the hungry wolf—that is the Ottoman empire, The Armenians crave for a fair op- portunity to develop themselves. They ask to be treated as men and women, They plead to be allowed to live as free citizens of the Ottoman power. At present whole villages are Dbeing wiped out by fire, sword and deporta- tion. It Is estimated that already 800,000 have perished at the hands of the Turks and Kurds in their flendish “holy war.” The innocent Arment¥ns gre paying the penalty of the nations' Mutual rivalries and jealousies. The United States is under obligation to Intervene in behalf of the Armenians for the following reasons: The United States, single handed, is more powerful than the six powers of Europe, becau it cannot be accused of motives of ter- ritorial aggrandizement in any effort put forth for the welfare of the people of Turkey. The volce which defended the cause of Cuba—~which remonstrated with Roumania and Russia in behalf of the persecuted Jews, which stopped the par- tition of China among the KEuropean powers, which spoke to Belgium in the interest of the native of Congo—that same voice ought to speak again in dis- tinet human accent in the ears of Burope. Thus peace and order may come out of chaos to bless the people of Ar- menia. Meanwhile the atrocities are going on without interference. If the surface of the globe were paper, the trees pens, the lakes Ink and our civilized nations were writers, | assure you a millionth part of the cruelty and desolation could not be expressed. FELIX NEWTON Navy League Annouwncement, OMAHA, Nov. %.-To the Editor of The Bee: By way of illustrating a point in & public address, John Wanamaker of Philadelphla made this statement: “General Grant, in proposing the health of Sir Willlam Armstrong at a dinner, laid his hand upon & 100-ton gun and said the inventor of it had produced the most wonderful peace-compelling impie- ment the world had ever seen.” There are many instances proving the truth of Washington's axiom: “To be prepared for war is one of the most ef- fectual means of preserving peace.” These quotations lllustrate the attitude of the Navy League of the United States, which advocates a stronger navy as a means of insuring pesceful relations with forelgn nations. All the literature of the league supports this view of the case, and some of it points out the ac- tual necessity for keepiug a weather eye out for a possible, but not inevitable storm. The Nebraska section of the league i3 sending out free lierature upon request. We ask all university and high school debating teams to ralse the question for clubs and other organizations to -dnpl. Neither,” replied the Major. ‘They ARTHUR C. SMITH, vuti Inquirer. President Nebraska Section Tips on Home Topics Washington Post: It always cheers a man on his way home swelling with big news to be informed on arrival that the furnace is out. Chicago Herald: Nebraska appears de- termined to put some candidate for the republican presidential nomination before | the public If it takes all winter. Brooklyn Bagle: John Brisbin Walker iz still one of the bitterest foes of pre- paredness. What he learned at West Foint at the expense of an Indulgent gov- ernment has been all too easily forgotten. Springfield Republiean: When Justice Hughes was an avowed candidate for the republican nomination for president in 1908 western states like Nebraska did not 1ally enthuslasticallyto his support in the republican national convention. But to- aay the desire to nominate Mr. Hughes | appears to be consuming in the valley of the Platte Washington Post: The story of business Improvement and development in this tnion for the last fifteen months is the viost wonderful and amazing that has cver had a place in the annals of time. He that runs or walks in any town or city or district of the United States can reua it easily, and, if an American, with the utmost satisfaction. Prosperity is here to stay for decades if rightly treated. Washington Star: Those Nebraska ad- mirers of Justice Hughes have erred on two points: (1) They should have applied tor permission to use his name, and (2) tihey should not be talking now about “conscription.” Thelr first offense must have grown out of a conviction that such W request by them would be denied. All the more bound should they have con- sidered themselves, therefore, not to pro- ceed. They should have respected the easily inferred feelings of the eminent jurist. When they neglected or refused to do that they were guilty not only of a viscourtesy, but of a personal injury. GRINS AND GROANS. ‘The tramp looked over his dilapidated garments when at a safe distance from the farm house. “I can't see,’” he mutte “why such a fuss is made over the doj instinet In ettaching himself to man.”—Baltimore American, “Will you have a cherry or an olive in your cocktail, Major?" asked the host. AbsolutelyPure Contains to be u do ?;lgp?pi 7 DISTINCTIVE CHRISTMAS GIFTS wfis which are out of ordina; PEACOCK'S Nn wago, will, of course choose some th Peacock's. But i cannot come,send illustrated Shopping Guide lect by nm}im gifts you CD.PEACOCK JEWELERS ESTABLISHED 1837 State & Adams St “Who was it inquired the stuafnt, “that sald ‘after me the deluge? “Don’t ask me " rejoined the superficial person. “I never did pay much attention to weather prophets.”—Washington Star. DEAR M. KABIBBLE, I WAVE JILTED TWELSE F AM I RIGHT NOW b0 1 N TR OF YOUR HOUSE || ANb CoUN'Y THEM COMING OUT? “Do you tax feminine wearing apparel on this planet heavily?' asked the man from Mars, “Really, 1 can't say. Why do you ask | that?" ‘I thought maybe the ladies were on a strike,” —Loulsville Courier-Journal. Mrs. Highupp—They seem like a very cheap kind rf people. Mra, Wayupp—They certainly are. They | actually had the nerve to buy one of last | ear’s battleships and try to palm It oft as & yacht.—Puck. Hokus—I actually caught Longbow tell« in: the truth yesterday. Pokus—Wasn't he embarrassed? Hokus—Only momentarily. He immedi« ately tried to lie out of it.—Life. OPPORTUNITY. Edgar A. Guest in Detroit Free Press. Men look for me beyond their doors, They think I dwell in_places strange, in_distant fields or foréign moors, And come their lives and thoughts to change. I have been likened to a god That favors few, and many spurns; Scme think 1 am the magic On which the wheel of fortune turna, Men pray to me by night and day: They sit and count the golden sum That sl be theirs along the way In d@istant years when I shall come. They fill their children's sars with tales Of splendors 1 alone bestow, man in anguish wails falled his worth to know. ‘What foolish superstition this! Relic of books on dusty shel How can it be that men still mi That T am born within themselves: That I am with them every day, Whether they travel, far or near, Waiting to help them’ when I may, Ready their eager calls to hear? 1 am that spirit of a man That makes him want to be his best; J am the seed of every plan He cherishes within his breast. Alone I'm nothing but a dream Ot what, perhaps, some day may be; Al' that 1 ever am or seem The man himself must make of me. No Alum ~are alw und at e to s at ou foyy our @X] you to se~ (@5 "«.I RINSES EASILY