Harvesting Clover on Howell Prairie in 1912. WHC Collections, 85.14.30.

Harvesting Clover on Howell Prairie in 1912. WHC Collections, 85.14.30.

By Richard van Pelt, WWI Correspondent

“We Feed World, It Can’t Afford To Row With Cook” read the headline reporting a speech by E. E. Green at the Chautauqua, speaking on “The Burden of the Nations.” The paper reported Dr. Green as saying that “Oregon farmers, along with the other growers of grain in the United States hold the peace of this nation in their hands and are a more mighty force than glittering rows of bayonets or clanking battalions of cavalry or thousands of embrasured cannon; that no nation, however pugnacious, and attack its source of food supply or allow another nation to war on its breadbasket.”  Without America, the paper headlined, the world would hunger.  You “Can’t Quarrel With Landlady” the paper said, citing that England imports 15% of its food stuffs from American and that America dents Germany 19% of all the German empire imports.

When war broke out, the ability of America to ship its produce was severely restricted as everything shipped from these shores came to be contraband by Germany as well as Britain.

The paper reports that the local telephone system is making changes:

“Give me 111 please, Central,” says the local or long distance telephoner. “The number has been changed to 11-X; I will give you that number,” comes the ever-pleasant response even though it does seem unkind because of the unexpected change in numbers.

The paper, reporting the city’s growth, especially in telephone service noted that there were about 3280 local subscribers and 800 rural subscribers to the telephone service.

In Pendleton, the paper reports “Robber Killed By Deputy Sheriff In Attempted Holdup.”Three men bared the train at Kamela (about 20 miles northwest of La Grande and six miles from Meacham). “Sheriff M’Duffee,”as reported “Gets Busy With Gun.”“But for a brass pencil holder in his pocket reflecting the bullet, Deputy sheriff Mcduffee undoubtedly would have been killed,”the paper reported. “He will recover.”

Fears of anarchist plots led Kaiser Wilhelm to abandon his plan to attend the funeral of the assassinated Archduke Ferdinand. The Emperor Franz Joseph did not attend the funeral as well. The news reports stating that his health was too feeble to entertain visiting monarchs.

The editorial page opined that:

“Since the Austrian emperor had a strong dislike for his nephew, Prince Francis Ferdinand, and is also 80 years old, an age that does not forgive easily, it is fair to presume the shock of his nephew’s assassination will not seriously affect him. It looks, though, as if there would be a pretty bad mixup before the matter is settled, and there is a possibility of Austria and Hungary getting a divorce.”

Archduke Ferdinand, the emperor’s nephew, was heir to the throne because the emperor’s son, Rudolph, committed suicide. The crown prince, in 1889, met the 17-year-old Baroness Marie Vetsera. The ensuing affair led to a suicide pact when the emperor demanded that the couple end their relationship.