Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-09-01
History in the Making

llOu no great LnlnS was ever made
The Panama canal is an epic carved
in earth and represents the fruit OF
fancy more daring than that which
conceived "Cyrano de Bergerac" OF
''The Blue Bird" 1t has given rise
to many other schemes almost equal
ly daring. In Scotland the idea has
been taken up and plans are afoot
for converting "the land of cakes
into an island. The proposal is to
so deepen the Clyde river and the
Forth canal across Scotland as to
bring it to the sea level, with depth
of 96 feet at low tide and a width
of 14S feet at the bottom. The pres
ent barge canal is 10 feet deep, 80
miles long and has SO locks. The
estimated cost of the sea-level canal
is 20.000,O00 Among the Ameri-
can advantages of such an enterprise
would be a safer and shorter steam
for vessels to and from the Baltic
and other northern European ports.
Hamburg would be about 300 miles
nearer New York, but more than the
shorter distance would be the avoid
ance of the dangerous English chan
mel
Ireland is Becoming Prosperous.
To Ireland it would be of enor-
nous advantage, and it is interest
ing to note that Erin shows signs of
prosperity more marked than at any
previous period. Instead of a de-
cline there has been an actual in
erase in the population, and though
the number is not large, 1,102 for
the year, it marks the turn of the
tide. Emigration shows a marked
decline, while the death rate from
all causes is the lowest since 1871.
To this many causes have contribu-
ted, but it is generally admitted that
the land purchase act of 1903 has
been the prime factor. Time was
when Ireland held her head up
among the producing nations, but a
policy of free trade, forced upon her
by England, caused the ruin of many
industries. That policy has not been
changed, but it is predicted that
with home rule protective duties will
be adopted and the country will once
again develop its manufactures.
Ulsterites Plan for Civil War.
That there will be fight if home
rule is finally granted seems certain.
With treason aforethought Sir Ed
ward Carson has been touring
through Ulster in the north with
the express object of organizing a
citizen army to fight against Irish
independence. Already there are in
dications that this volunteer force
will number 100000 men, who, ii
they are not bluffing and are really
willing to die for their cause, would
put up strenuous fight. The Lon
don Times devotes columns to the
drilling and general training of this
army which threatens to enter the
field with a Bible in one hand and
sword in the other, but Irish ma
tionalist leaders discount these
movements as attempts to intimidate
the British parliament.
Uncle Sam in Role of SchOolmaster.
While war preparations in this
country are showing no unusual ac-
tivity, despite the Mexican situation,
it is worthy of note that the United
States is adopting in it's navy prin-
ciple which is attracting worldwide
attention. One of the great COM
plants against militarism is the in
dustrial degeneracy it produces
among enlisted men, who when their
terms are up are often worse than
useless in the battle for life. 1t has
been said that they know nothing
and know it worse than most people
because their mode of living has
made them unwilling to learn. The
United States navy is changing all
that. To the 5000 men and boys
who enlist each year Uncle Sam is
playing the role of industrial school
master, and it is claimed that a four
years course in the United States
navy is equal to similar course in
the best vocational school in the
country The means are provided
whereby youths may learn how to
become expert electricians, boiler
makers, coppersmiths, blacksmiths
clerks and many other things. In
deed, it is said that the United
States navy is turning out more arti-
sans than any other schoolmaster in
the nation
New Method of Saving Natural Gas
Another federal department in
which excellent results are being
achieved is the United States Bureau
of Mines. The experts of this bureau
have been giving a demonstration oi
the scientific as distinguished from
the political conservation of natura
re"ources by saving $50, 100000 GU