Los Angeles Herald, Volume 37, Number 122, 31 January 1910 — The Public Letter Box [ARTICLE]

The Public Letter Box

TO I'flKKI-I.I'OMU'N l' — l.'-tlt-rie. Intended for publication must 111" accompanied by the mime anil address of the writer. Th« Herald -time the widest latitude to correspondents, but mammae no responsibility for their views.

AIRSHIP PERFECTION WILL PREVENT DEPLORABLE WARS

FRANCE LEADS WORLD IN SCIENCES, SAYS WRITEF

LOR ANGELES, Jan. It.— [Editor Herald]: Under the editorial captain "Airship Progress" Tin- Herald says: "It is deplorable thai these modern inventions, which should and eventually must add to the comfort and convenience of mankind, should flrst of all bo consider) as war machines, and that is the world-wide Interpretation which will be put on th,' announced intention of Zeppelin to construct a monster ship. The logical conclusion is he intends to use the space that could be allotted to 300 passengers for artillery, projectiles and explosives that would wreck any city and reduce it to flaming debris within a few minutes after the flrst explosive was dropped In my opinion if no other use -was ever made of flying machines than that deplored by The Herald they would yet constitute the greatest aid to the cause of universay peace anil prosperity of the human race. It would make war Impossible, It would place weak nations, like Switzerland, Belgium and Holland, on an equality with their powerful and aggressive neighbors. . In a war. for instance, between France ami England, or between France and Germany, the capitals of those countries could be reduced to smoking ruins within forty-eight hours after declaration of war. The most powerful Dreadnaughts could be sunk before they could leave their pints. The most strongly fortified forts would be demolished in a night, armies would be wiped out of existence as fast as they could be mobilized.

LOB ANGELES, Jan. 24.—[Editor I Herald]: I take exception to a state-1 ment made by Mr. J<snson in a recent letter to The Herald, where ho says that France Is a decadent and immoral nation., Mr. Jenson lias evidently read extensively and his opinion has some weight, but In" this matter I do not agree with him. There artdegrees in immorality, and ii would not lake' 11 Diogenes with -Hi lantern to find some in this fair land.

I fall to find any evidence of decay in Franco today. We had a directly opposite Instance In our own neighborhood the other day of her enterprise when one of her citizens showed his daring in the conquest of the air.

Prance stands today In the front rank among the nations in art, science, literature and industrial progress. Prance after the disastrous war with Germany showed her wonderful recuperative power whert she so quickly recovered from its effects, when she paid off the huge war Indemnity without having recourse to a foreign loan.

We have a more recent Instance of her enlightenment ami progress when her government threw off the domination of a foreign ecclesiastic (who claims p. be infallible in matters of faith and morals) and wrested from the priesthood the, control of the education of the young and has assumed lt Itself and given freedom and equality in religion to all.

I suppose the sole grounds of Mr. Jenson's hostility to France Ilea in the fact that her population is stationary, by some artificial means. At any rate, she is a self-contained nation, able to retain her children within the borders of her own country and colonies. If France iluinoM tens of thousands of emigrants upon these shores yearly she would then free herself from the charge Mr. Jenaon has brougl.t against her, in his opinion, 1 suppose, 'Ctnitraat tlle conditions In' France with those in China. China is full of inhabitants to overflowing. Human life and labor arc so cheap that men do the work of horses and the diet of the common people is limited to a handful of rice a day. I say contrast the two and choose between them.

All modern wars an- wars of aggression, for the purpose of securing advantages in tradelat the expense of the losing nation, tor which purpose they are as foolish as they are wicked. It cost Great Britain $1,000,000,000 to subdue the Boers. Does any one believe that the conquering nation, as a nation, will ever get that enormous amount back? Does any sane person believe that supposed trade advantages possess".! by the leading nations of Europe outweigh the enormous cost of the armaments of those nations? Does it pay this country to build Dreadnaughts to hold the Philippines? The cost of armies and navies Is a tax on the poor, the gain, if there' is any gain, goes into the pockets of the rich. There is ii" real economic necessity for war. Nations should be forced to keep the peace to the same extent as Individual citizens in those nations. There should be an-international tribunal that should have power to decide all questions between nations," just as courts have power to decide between individuals. Th" adoption of flying machines for war purposes will make, as 1 have said before, war impossible and hasten' the era of universal peace, and with Improved Industrial conditions remove the burden of poverty from tin- backs of the workers. W. H. STUART.

In the conduct of the discussion in reply to my critics I have never been

rllity and I am glad to say the same of Mr. Jensen, a man who Is manly and honest in his opinions, temperate and courteous in Hie expression of them. I respect such a one, though I differ with him in opinion. Since it was a letter of Mr. Jenson's that gave rise to this discussion, .Mr. J. is entitled to the last word If he chooses.

Perhaps on some other question at some future time I may enter the lists with him again. J. BUTTERPIELD.

SAYS BEEF TRUST IS REALLY A GENERAL PRODUCE TRUST

COMES TO DEFENSE OF OLD BIBLICAL STATEMENTS

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 29.— [Editor Herald]: There are two letters In today's Herald that seem to invito a word of comment. Mr. George M. Parker is doubtless correct in bis prophecy that the meat boycott will prove futile—that is to say, as a remedy for high prices. And In this connection there is a point which no one seems to have touched upon, namely, that when we stop eating meat we by no means escape the beef trust, since that very same trust also controls very largely the supply of those alternative articles of diet to an Increased consumption of which our abstention from meat must of necessity drive us. Howsoever little known to the average person, it is none the less a fact that our butter, cheese, eggs, dairy produce, also poultry, fruit and even vegetables largely— everything that goes into cold storage and refrigerator cars—is "beef" to the beef trust. In other words, by virtue of the control of the refrigerating system of the country the beet trust is today no longer merely a beef trust, but a general produce trust. You can't, .at an orange wltout paying tribute to the beef trust, strange as that may seem. It may be no great remedy, but it is to me a very gratifying sign that people are waking up sufficiently to become conscious— collectively conscious—of the evil; that they are developing enough grit and public spirit to want to do something in unison is an Inspiring portent. Let us once cultivate the "kicking; in concert" and we shall act "with effect" when we do at last hit upon the right thing to do. . . In considering the minimis who suffer through dear food wo must perforce overlook the probable hardship to a few hundred workers in the packing plants should the boycott displace them, which, however, Is doubtful. l have no Illusion about the meat strike; but for its psychological value 1 am with it. ' Mr. A. Q. St. George's explanation of high prices hardly "explains." if. as he claims, it is not the combines or trusts that are accountable for high prices, but simply the aggregation of large' population into towns and the non-production of sufficient food from the land, how does he explain the facta that on the one hand in London (with its 6,000,000 of population) bread costs less than half what it osts here in a farming country; that butter, cheese, bacon, eggs and fish and some fruits are vastly cheaper than in the average American city; and on the other hand, thai while fruits and vegetables are so high In price in our cities, vast quantities are wasting on our farms for want of a paying market. Tin- real explanation takes us back to the beef (or produce) trust, which controls the refrigerator service at exorbitant and even prohibitive rates, and the grain trust with Its monopoly of the ■■levators. And still 1 don't cry "Bust the trusts!' There's a better way than that. VAL STONE.

LOS ANGELES, Jan. ■£.—[Editor Herald]: Your correspondent, J. O. Colbert, seeks relief of mind anent the varied opinions regarding the meaning of the Bible, and says he seeks truth; and I fain would believe that he has received the "Love of th.- Truth," else It were well nigh Impossible to perceive the "truth" itself.

The promise- of life and the conditions by which It can be attained, runs like a golden chain all through the Book, and It is true that "a wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err" In seeing this chain, provided ho first removes the veil of unbelief. Millions in Christendom rejoice in the realization of the power of "the living word."

Souls who have been quickened by it, and by it have been begotten unto a "lively" hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (a well attested fact), could not well call it otherwise, and the question whether the narrative of Jonah, or even the deluge, and many others in the Bible, were allegorical, similitudes, or visions which God multiplied by the ministry of the prophets, or whether they actually occurred, i.of secondary moment to the great ■'message' of life." The writer accepts the King James Version, and claims there are no mistakes touching the "message '.I' life" from Genesis to Revelation. To lome student.- the whole Book is a mistake. Mr. Colbert cites eminent names to Show that credence cannot he placed in the Book, or certain portions of it, because these men tailed to comprehend the truth in its fullness. The Epistle of James was not written to or Intended for the Gentiles. Note In the first verse to whom addressed. Hence Luther and countless others today lack wisdom to rightly divide the word of truth. Neither Is the story of the Garden of Eden a fable, though all "Babylon" declare ii to be so. It being a masterful stroke nf the devil, in the controversy of '/ion. with him to blind the eyes of this generation to the offense of Adam, causing death to fall on the whole race, be (Satan) being the author of it. J. It- KITTS.

CRITICISM OFFERED IN REGARD TO BOYS' BRIGADE

LITTLE CHANCE TO BREAK ' MEAT COMBINE BY ABSTINENCE

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 24—[Editor Herald]: 1 was Interested In a news Item in The Herald In regard to a boys' brigade officer being honored, having once been engaged In the boys' brigade work myself. To use the military feature was only a bail, with which to attract and hold boys while I taught them the principles of the Christian religion as the church had taught them to me, This is in tin' nature of a confession of my tardy development of a sense of humor, for I was unable to appreciate the ludlcrousness of trying to harmonise the law of the lowly Nasarene and the Dick military law. However, I was very earnest, had the confidence of the boys, a competent military instructor, the co-operation of the parents, the pastor and the janitor, and the company because quite expert In military drill an.l Bible lore. i have always felt that if unmitigated good could come from a boys' brigade it should come from that company. As a matter of fact wooden guns and bedizened uniforms create,l a desire for the real guns and all that the military means. As the boys grew older they graduated into the state militia, ready for the .ail of corporations to go out and shOOt down their fellow worklngmen. When Cuban sugar and tobacco plantations looked good to greedy American plutocrats some of these boys patriotically faced fever camps and embalmed beef for a chance shot at their Spanish brothers, with no understanding of the situation. Whatever the motive of those who conduct boys' brigades, the result is iniquitous, developing tin' barbarous instincts, a spurious patriotism, unthinking obedience, ill.' hateful war spirit—all that is opposed to the humane position upon this subject of

BURBANK, Jan. 31.—[Editor Herald]: The agitation over the abstinance of meat now going on for thirty or sixty days Is misdirected, from the fact that the meat combine have only to wait till the rush comes In order to recover their prestige In the meantime it will reduce the price >'' animal* in the farmer*' hands, thereby adding to their pronts. The much better way is very evident, that of buying meats which the retail butchers kill themselves and buy direct of the farmers, leaving out the combine g (together. In this way the people would not he deprived of the use of meat, could be equally effectual and perpetual. Armour once froze out a butcher that came out to the farmers and bought stock and killed himself by putting another shop close by and selling at half price, closing the butcher out. - Then Armour closed his shop. This has been done repeatedly. W. li. THORNS. .

the peace societies, tin- labor unions, the Socialist party, the advance guard of the women's clubs and our best educator* GEORGIA K.

TRUSTS NOT WHOLLY TO BLAME FOR. HIGH PRICES

HERMOSA BEACH, Jan. 25.—[Editor Herald]: Will you kindly allow me a little space In your valuable paper and will the middle .lasses give me their attention for a tew minutes? I am near the three -score and ten mark ana have been in business for twenty-five years', so I have seen a few things. " AYe blame the trusts for everything. Lord knows they are bad enough, but there are others -some retailers. For instance, the Standard Oil company will and ides deliver oil to the retailers for 71 . cents a gallon, and the consumer is forced to pay 15 cents for it. Then take the merchant, say, on eggs. Saturday I gold eggs for 35 cents in trade, and they were sold again to the consumer for (6 cents. This was for cash, and at a net profit to the merchant of at least 20 per cent. Take veal. The price quoted to the retailer is. I think, 5 cents, yet ask for a veal cutlet and you pay ."in cents n pound tor it. Does not that appeal as though someone besides the trusts was trying to hold up the people? When I was in business we sold for trade and bought in trade, but the merchants now try to get a profit both ways. ii must be, as one merchant said to me lie' other day, "If 1 can't make every dollar of mite invest. pay 20 cents a month I will quit business." Another said, "I am forced to extend credit so much I am forced to charge higher for my goods," making the man who pays pay for the one who does not. I could cite hundreds of install," showing where the trusts are not alone in their rapacity, but until the people think for themselves there is but little use In advancing information. However, they will awaken to the fact that trusts are not all big concerns. The little trusts exist also. S. C. TRACY.

RECOGNIZES HERALD AS FACTOR FOR CIVIC GOOD

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 27.— [Editor Herald]:- As a temporary resident of your city, I read your papers, absorb your sunshine, enjoy the good food and accommodations your city affords, and generally enjoy my three months' stay. I Ignore and discount your hot air real estate advertisements and the nauseating stuff about the climate. But there Is one thing I can neither , ignore nor discount, and that is your splendid city government you did so much to create. This In my estimate is ynifr best asset, and . oil should herald to tin whole world the tact that the people of Los Angeles (and not the Republicans or the Democrats, nor the thieves and rogues)^govern themselves. Los Angeles has the most enlightened government of any city in the United States, and to these two champions of liberty and progress, the Express anil Herald, the, citizens owe more than they can ever repay. - However, your work is only begun to cleanse the county and stale , and to help cleanse the nation and to help convince the public. What many now know, and many others suspect, of the venal character of the Times and Examiner eel' this city is your further duty. This I feel certain you will do and may the gods hasten you In your good work. JOHN BURNS.