B.C. Saturday sunset, May 22, 1915

              The Saturday Sunset
Vol. 11, No. 23 VANCOUVER, B.C., SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1915 Twelve Pages—Price 5 Cents
f i t is in England as it always has been in defeated ratepayers to sanction these kylaws therefore strikes f l According to the latest report of the Dominion the part oLthe-eiws-authori ties to the observance of
countries. Before admitting defeat, the people try to at practically every wage-earning class for the benefit that despite the recent inter-fix
the blame and to oust from office the responsible of men whose claim to a full dinner pail is based on issued with and by the authority of Sir George Foster, national complications between the United States and
men." This quotation is from an the support they have accorded Mayor Taylor in the "the price for horses other than for army purposes is Great Britain, the danger of a rift i n those relations
Germans in Seattle editorial written by a former citi- last civic campaign. • much lower than last year." Isn't there some mistake was never contemplated.
Seek to Injure Us zen of Vancouver for the Seattle
"German Press." Whether it
was the rotund Dr. Briggs or the lean and hungry
Dr. Weiss we cannot tell, but these two jackals of
Alvo von Alvensleben are busily engaged in creating
trouble at Seattle. Both made a fat living i n Van­couver
for many years through their connection with
German interests and have no doubt supplied the
German Intelligence Office with any information they,
may have been able to pick up, but at the present time
they are exceedingly bitter against this city. It is
a well-known fact that a man usually hates the person
to whom he has done an injury, and this may account
for some of the bitterness. The man Briggs, or Brix,
as he is known i n his own country, victimized the city
to a considerable extent when here and knows that
he will never be able to come back. He escaped just
in time.
The opinions expressed by the Seattle "German
Press" are not particularly interesting, and we made
the above quotation merely to show the venom which
actuates these former residents. When we look back
upon the days before the war, when any cast-off
German or Austrian who chose to give himself a title
could come to Vancouver and become immediately one
of the elite, we wonder at our own gullibility. Never
was there any attempt to look into the antecedents of
these shady gentlemen from Europe. They were taken
at their own valuation and treated with every mark
of respect. For this we must hold many of our lead­ing
citizens to blame. Attracted by the idea that our
German visitors controlled much capital, they were
embraced as long-lost brothers and invited to help
themselves. It is an everlasting shame to the com­munity,
but the lesson has been learned.
We shall never forget a libel action brought by
Alvo von Alvensleben against a little German printer
named Blochberger, in which we were concerned as a
witness for the defence. The fact which weighed most
heavily with the jury was that von Alvensleben had
brought capital into the country and Blochberger was
a person of little or no importance. Blochberger lost.
the case solely on these grounds, for with practically
no exceptions, the witnesses for von Alvensleben were
in his immediate employ or interested with him in
various transactions.
Vancouver has much to be sorry for. The people
have been doubly fooled in the character of the
Germans for the simple reason that they did not
understand the motives of the German people. Admit­ting
thi3, humiliating as it may be, is i t not time to
call a haltf A n agitation has already been started
to have a l l alien enemies interned, and although this
agitation has not yet borne much fruit, there is hope
in the future. It cannot be impressed too strongly
upon the people of this city that Germans who have
not taken out naturalization papers, and many who
have in recent years, are an active menace to the
community. They will stop at nothing to gain their
own ends and surely we need no further proof of
their duplicity and murderous intentions than has been
given during the past few weeks.
C Last year when the mayor and aldermen assumed
office i t was decided to do away with the submission
of money bylaws, with one small exception, owing to
the financial stringency. This . ' .,
Who Pays B i l l year the council by a meagre C T h e submarine game is one which two or more
for Dinner Pail? majority, but a majority all the can play. This is not a novel proposition, but i t is
same, decided to ask the rate- one whose truth is in danger of being overlooked. The
payers to ratify bylaws amounting i n the aggregate performances of the German sub-to
nearly three-quarters of a million dollars, and the Two Can Play marines, which have culminated in
reason given is that there is a money stringency. It at A n y Game the Lusitania massacre, may have
is all the same—scarcity of money, no bylaws; paucity caused many to forget that the
Different mayors see through dif- British underwater craft have a record of brilliant
ONLY ANOTHER SCRAP OF PAPER"
here?" If^our memory serves us aright, two—or was
it three—mallard ducks were deemed sufficient for a
charger. No matter whether the aforesaid charger was,
spavined or not, the price was a few ducks. In face
of that we are told that the price has gone up.
C There is a paper published in Seattle known as
the "Town Crier." Outside the limits of that city
f l e ^ g t e s s l S the ratepayers' footthe bills. "When achievements unsullied by atrocity of any kind." Two" 11 a P P e a r s t o b e unknown, but by some means a copy ^l^n^^^^iv^t^^ is7obe put
the question comes to be decided in the court of of them have recently been working havoc among the w . . c , haf r e a c h e d Vancouver. This estim- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ S i m ^ fact t l
H - - T.»iri<.h « , n i , n o » . . . j *-„ L_ r_ c Weird Storv ahlft nrean nf nrivntp nninimi haa personal amomon. 11 is an unionunaie l a u w
C The question has often been asked why we in
Vancouver who have been holding forth on the
scarcity of money and particularly on the lack of
funds wherewith to relieve local
Vancouver Gives distress, have been so generous
to the Red Cross when it comes to assisting the Red
Cross Society and kindred organ­izations
which have the welfare of the men who are
fighting the battles of empire so much at heart. There
are some who contend that it is the duty of the
government who sent the men to the front to care
for them in every way,, but there arc things to which
official red tape pays little or no attention and that is
just where the Red Cross Society steps in, and that
is why the responses to the appeals have been on so
generous a scale. The British Government, we rest
assured, has not overlooked anything that will tend to
maintain the army as the finest fighting force known.
Still, there are a hundred and one details that must
and do escape attention, and here is where the com­munity
individually and collectively is needed. The
Red Cross Society is doing a work that only the Red
Cross sisters could do and nowhere is this more clearly
recognized than in official circles. Funds are absolutely
necessary to continue that work in the manner in
which it ought to be done. The citizen who remains
at home must come to the assistance of his brother
who is doing a man's part at the front and in no
better way can he do this than by shouldering some
financial responsibility, even as the soldier is shoulder­ing
his, without a murmur. Vancouver has responded
nobly to the appeal. In the face of economic con­ditions
her citizens have put forth a supreme effort
in this hour of the empire's trial, and those who have
contributed, even in small degree, have the satisfaction
of knowing that their money will be expended to
bring comforts, medical and physical, to the men who
are battling i n the cause of civilization.
C The probable formation of a coalition cabinet in
Britain is one of the most unexpected turns i n the
affairs of the Empire that could have happened,
though it is not an unknown con-
Coalition Cabinet dition of affairs there. This com-
Noteworthy Step bination of bodies having one
common object of attainment has
been found indispensable before in the Motherland
and the position in which the country is now placed
certainly seems to be one which demands some extra­ordinary
action along that line. It cannot be expected
that the arrangement will be permanent, though the
war might be the means of bringing about, i f not a
complete abolition of the party system in Britain,
some system under which all parties will be repre­sented
in the government of the day. As early as
1782 the first coalition ministry was formed when Fox
and North found i t convenient to enter into an agree­ment
at a period in the history of the country that
meant the sinking of all political differences for the
time being. The Whigs and the followers of Sir Robert
Peel in .the years 1852-53 similarly relegated all
political animosity to the background for the common
weal. The last occasion on which a fusion of parties
was considered the proper course to adopt was when
the then Lord Salisbury invited both Conservatives
and Liberal-Unionists into his cabinet: The latter at
that time were in the minority, but their services to
the Conservative cause in helping to defeat Glad*
stone's programme of self-government for Ireland
were such that they could not be overlooked.
Today Britain needs a fusion of all political creeds.
By common consent party politics have been dropped
in face of the danger that threatens the country from
without. Events have taken place which have ren-before
appeal—that is, i n the polling booths—it is just prob- Turkish gunboats and transports in the Sea of Mar- Weird Story able organ of private opinion has that the
able that there will be a reply to those members of mora. This exploit involved the passage of the f r o m s e a t « e something to say of Vancouver in
the council who consider that this is a fit and proper Dardanelles, for the destroyed Turkish vessels were . Particular and Canada in general,
time to carry out their schemes, a time when everyone near Constantinople itself when they were torpedoed. R e c e n t events in this city, are referred to i n a way
is systematically following out a policy of retrench- Nor is this raid the only instance of the skill and that indicates the " C r i e r ' s " knowledge of affairs here
ment, both in business and in their homes. But the courage that direct the British submarines. In Decern- *° b e somewhat hazy. For instance, we are told that reelected and such a condition cannot
full dinner pail promise is one that must be fulfilled ber last a submarine commanded by Lieutenant a f t e r t h e fires o n t h e b n<tee s M a n v members of the a™ „ T . l l£
and in order to fulfill it, i t is indispensable that a Holbrook torpedoed the Turkish battleship Messudieh German colony were thrown into j a i l . " We cannot
certain section of the community put their hands in the Dardanelles. The Messudieh was of 10,000 remember that any person was arrested in connection
deeply into their purses and produce the wherewithal tons displacement and probably as efficient as vessels w i t h t h e s e outbreaks, though this Seattle production
to carry out the fulfilling process. There is a time in of the sultan's navy ever become. The dashing British m a v h a v e s o u r c e s o f information unknown to the
which to do everything, and looking at the matter commander was decorated and promoted " t o encour- v a n c o u v e r papers. Further on there is the statement
from a standpoint that cannot be called interested, age the others," who to their credit be i t said have t h a t " n i o D violence" was the order of the day, and
latter element has entered into the present conflict,
but it is equally fortunate that it applies to.j;not more
than two members of the present British, cabinet. It
is, however, recognized that where personal ambition
is thrown into the scale, the interests of the country
be thought of for a moment at the present juncture.
Premier Asquith has taken the only course open to
him at a time when the country requires the strongest
men i t can command in the counsels of the nation.
C While no one will deny that Vancouver is one of
we wonder i f this is the proper time to ask the rate- failed less from lack of skill than from lack of oppor- between the lines there is the suggestion that for any the most beautiful places in Canada, thanks to Nature
payers to pay up and look pleasant, for i n effect that tunity to equal his achievement. German to poke his head out of his domicile was
is what it amounts to. A t the present juncture it's It must be borne i n mind that Great Britain offers tantamount to inviting a bullet. But the cream of this
a case of heads I win, tails you lose. a far more conspicuous target for submarines than e f f u>»on is yet to come. Here is what the " C r i e r " has
But who are the men who will ultimately reap does Germany. So far as is known there is not a
the benefit of a l l this generosity at the expense of German merchant ship of any value on the great seas,
other people? Are they Canadians? Within recent certainly not a liner. What is believed to be the last
times we have had a sample of the class of men that German steamer in the Pacific was snapped up a few
Mayor Taylor and his supporters in the council want days ago. In the open Atlantic there is not a German
to clothe and feed with other people's money, and keel, and with the exception of a small light squadron
this, too, at a time when the mayor and aldermen, or near Ostend all the warships under the Kaiser's flag
a majority of them, declined to agree to a reduction save the submarines keep close to the German coast,
in their emoluments.. We have nothing to say against The British vulnerability to submarine raids is pro-the
men who have made Vancouver their home, no portional to Great Britain's merchant marine and war
matter what their nationality may be, so long as their fleet. There is not an ocean but which bears British
conduct is that of respectable citizens, but what we merchant vessels or British cruisers. German sub-yet
to say regarding the life led by citizens of the United
States who have the misfortune to reside in Vancouver:
Any American who has lived for a considerable
time in either Vancouver or Victoria will reraem
and the artistic temperament of its citizens, much
remains to be done in various
Why Not Start parts of the city that will stand
to Clean Up? a renovating, and in other por­tions
that have already come
under the hand of the gardener. The war and civic
matters have been occupying the attention of house-ber
keenly the hostility towards our nation con- holders, but while we continue to take an active
stantly displayed by a certain element there, interest in the war let us not overlook matters that
Choleric letters given prominent space in the vitally concern the health of the community. What
papers harp on every real and imagined fault or Vancouver requires just now is a thorough cleaning
flaw of our character and protest against the least up, north, south, east and west. Let us emulate the
advantage given us, and this i l l esteem is shown housewife and get about our spring cleaning in a
in a hundred other ways. fashion that will leave no doubt of our intentions.
We had always thought that the relations between Here and there, in places undreamt of, piles of rub-do
say, and what we would impress on the council, is marines can scarcely miss hitting something even i f Americans and Canadians were of the most cordial bish have been allowed to accumulate, and where
that when financial conditions are of such a nature as i t is no more important than a local steamer. Great character in the Dominion. Now, on the authority rubbish is, there will disease breed and spread. Spring
to preclude the idea of heavy expenditure in any Britain is forbidden to. retaliate in kind i f it would, of the " C r i e r , " we find we have been dreaming, that clean by all means. Start right now, make it a daily
branch of business, the time could not have been more for the sentiment of its navy and its people would both parties have only been too anxious to get at each task until it is accomplished and Vancouver will look
ill-chosen to impose an additional burden on those prevent it from committing such an atrocity as the other's throats, and that only Providence and good all the better for it and its citizens will derive incal-who
primarily are the sufferers and eventually on Lusitania massacre. Were there a German liner at sea luck obviated such a calamity. At the same time it culaMc benefits in more ways than one.
another class of the community from whom, in an i t would be in imminent danger of capture, but its is peculiar, in view of these extraordinary conditions, And while we are about it, shouldn't the idea that
indirect way, a considerable amount of the additional passengers and crew would be in no danger whatever that American citizens in Vancouver are so cordially was mooted some time ago to cultivate the vacant lots
expenditure must come., This proposal to ask the of being blown to pieces or drowned. welcomed everywhere, that there is no hindrance oU'be more extensively put into practice?