davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
WHY DID 1T FLOP?

The Administration received a re-
buke and defeat when the Senate
Yesterday ratified the London treaty
on Safety of Life at Sea. It is quite
impossible TO understand what in
1uences could have been potent TO
convince the Administration man.
ayers that the course adopted in this
matter could possibly avoid a dis
aster.
Last January this treaty was ne
gotiated in London. 1t was really
result of the Titanic tragedy. 1t has
now been ratified by four nations,
Germany, Great Britain, Spain, and
the United States. II has been re-
iected by only one, Sweden. There
are eight other signatory powers,
most of which are expected TO ratify
IL. In substance, the treaty aimed
TO increase the safeguards of life at
sea.
While this treaty was pending.
Congress was considering the sea-
mems bill. which undertook to i'm
pose certain very specific conditions
on vessels entering and leaving
American ports. A treaty. once rati-
fed, is superior TO a law of Congress.
The ratification of the treaty was
held up last session-before cleo
ton, that is-because If was gener-
ally believed that if the treaty be
ratified without important reserva-
tons. it would bind this country to
certain conditions that would make
il impossible to pass the seamen's
bill. So the Administration sup
ported-before election, mind-a
resolution of ratification which
specifically reserved to this country
the right TO impose the higher stand
ards Of safety, in the waters Of the
United States, that were outlined in
49, seamen's bill. In other words,
The Washington times., 1914-12-17

ratified with this reservation. there
would still have been room for the
seamen's bill to pass and operate;
ratified without this reservation, the
treaty would have elbowed the sea-
mems bill out of possibility. e
So, let it be explained again, last
spring, when the Administration
was seeking votes and posing as the
friend of organized labor-all of
which was supporting the seamen's
bill-it supported ratification with
the reservation. But it didn't ratify.
1t let the treaty hang over till this
session-till after electiony and then
it struck out the reservation that
would have saved the seamen's bill,
and tried to ratify the treaty with
out this reservation.
1t was a performance in crooked
politics pitifully inconsistent with
the lofty pretensions of this Admin
istration.
But it didn't succeed. The advo-
Gates of a square deal, the real sup
porters of the most advanced policy
of making life safe on the ocean, the
men who didn't care to see the Ad-
ministration betray its own promises
of few months ago-these men,
Republicans and Democrats alike,
got together and forced the ratifi-
cation of the treaty yesterday, with
the reservation.
1t takes a two-thirds vote to ratify
a treaty. The extent and emphasis
of the defeat for the Administration
may be gathered from the fact that
this two-thirds vote was easily mus
tered in a Senate that has a snug
Democratic majority.
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Tomorrow.

Masonic-Columbis. No. :; Lebanon, No : 6
p M: East Gate. No y: School n IN
No. 2. knights Templar Commandery: al
mas Temple Mystic Shrine: Martha No
T. and Ascension. L. D.. Eastern Star
Mt Pleasant Lodge. No. 80 Masonic LoIsa
Hall. Fourteenth and Kenyon streets north
west. p. IN.
Odd Fellows-CentraI No I. Metropolis. No
10. Phoenix. No. 81 Mssenenu. No. q En-
Campnent, Miriam. No. C. Rebskahs
knights OF Pythias- Syracusians No 10:
HathbOne Superior. No. -; Rathbone T.uo.
pie No s. Iythian Sisters
socialist Party Local Northeast. Sill z street
northwest. S:l5 =. m.
open House. Home club. "a jackson place
northwest. 4. m.
states Army" Washington Medical Asso-
citation, 3 D
Meeting. 1914 Roller for German Widow. md
Orphans Society, SaengerbUnd Hall 8 o m
Exhibit. Corcoran Art Gallery. . a. m. 10
Lecture. I. \. paly. Nfcmahon Hall c.,bo-
lie University. p. m
Meeting. George Washington University Law
School Junior Class, New Masonic Temple.
Mocting. Cosmopolitan Baptist Church. D.
Lecture "Perils Of Infant Life" DR.. John
A F"ote. National Society OF Keep Wells,
calvary Baptist church. D m
Bazaar benefit OF Belgian relief fund On
tario Road Club. Emmanuel Baptist church.
II a n. to p III.
Meeting Mt Pleasant Citizens Assoca-
lion. Brown BETTY Inu. Sixteenth street
aud PARK road northwest. D. m
Lecture. The Fringe OF Asia Mrs Har-
Tie- chalmers ADAMS. National Geographic
Sprietv. auditorium New Masonic Temple.
Meeting. Erookland Citizens Association.
Masonic Temple. Brookland. D. m
Club night. University Club, S D. m
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
A BELGIAN AT THE DOOR.

A little story comes from Phila-
delphia that is pointed and appro-
pirate to the season. A business
man, owing to slack business, dis
missed a stenographer who had
served him faithfully ten years. A
few days later she read that he
had given $500 to Belgian relief. She
went to him and said:
"Don't you think l need that posi-
ton as much as the Belgians need
your $5OO?"
Knowing her circumstances, he re-
piled, Eyes, you do" and he prompt
ly reinstated her.
Just little thoughtfulness for the
Belgian at our own door will give a
better flavor to the splendid charity
that is being sent abroad.
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Community Tree" Should Be Indoors

To the Editor OF the Mail EaE:
III Washington Is going TO have
community Christmas tree" why not
nave II under cover COMMUNICATION
vention Hall. for instance. This II
not the time OF year 10 have com
munity'' celebrations where women ana
little children have to stand for hours
exposed to the elements. unless the
pleasure OF gazing at a Christmas tree
entertainment is supposed to offset the
danger OF colds and pneumonia Such
building as Convention Hall would
prove adequate for such an occasion
BY limiting the exhibit 10 women and
children. This matter offers the largest
held Of opportunity yet presented 10
Washington's Safety First Societs.
COMMON SENSE
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Believes Leave Legally Provided.

To the Editor OF the Mail Bag:
Although do not particularly care &c
do 50, again. enter the leave discussion
in answer to Government Employe No.
g." To argue such questions in your
paper, or any other paper, is a rather
futile thing to do. The easiest way 70
correct the great mistake that mas been
made in running the Government les
peciaIly in regard to the leave question:.
Is 10 dispense with the present system
and TO place the whole matter In the
hands Of Government EmplOye No. 8
and Business Man" There is no doubt
but what they could run the Govern
rnent in a more satisfactory manner,
I am still looking for Business Man
and Government Employe No. 81 10
''peek' from behind their non de plum
and let US know who they are, and to
give us Instances Of violations Of the
sertIon so susceptible Of proof" Il
would be rather amusing to the publ,
10 know that neither OF them rightly
como under the head Of Business Man"
or Government Employe No g." but
are merely impostors.
"Employe No. 5" states there is no
law by which Government employees arc
legally allowed leave, and then right OF
top OF this statement quotes the Law
g. e. act Of March Is, 1895. The mere
fact that congress passed an ACT tap
proved by the Presidency limiting an
nual leave to thirty days shows that
Congress intended that Government
clerks should have some leave under ths
law-and that the leave should be thirty
DAYS. The mere fact that the heads Of
departments allow this thirty days leave
shows that they consider this act to be
the Law. and that Congress intended that
the clerk should have thirty days annual
leave. Were this act not in the statute
books they (the departmental heads
would be powerless TO allow even a sin
gle day OF leave. The discretionary
words may grant thirty days annual
leave" were inserted in the act In a
wise moment by Congress In order 10
keep a clerk from demanding leave at
a time when his presence might be need
ed. But for that they could get leava
at any time regardless of protests
l am not a lawyer, and even though
connected with the Department u Jus
tics lin a minor degree" have common
sense enough to discern the legal in
tent of an act. 7 heartily agree with
Government Employe No. s. that he Il
not lawyer" r. II. NORFLEET
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
AMERICA AS A MUNITIONS
DEPOT,

George Sylvester Viereck, editor
of the Fatherland, goes to the sup
port of Senator Hitchcock and his
bill to embargo shipments of contra
band to the belligerents with some
data of serious significance and
some curious arguments derived
from them.
If the question as to whether the
moral responsibility for the pro-
longation of the war rests with
America were determinable from the
volume of the shipments of NUM-
tons bought or contracted for here,
and if Mr.. Viereck's estimates are
correct, his case would be practical
~ complete. None will deny the
impressiveness of the fact that we
are selling the allies rifles by the
hundreds of thousands, cartridges
by the hundred millions, field guns
and aeroplanes and armored motor
cars by the hundreds, powder in I'M
heard-of measure. None will deny,
further, that in filling these orders
for the allies we are materially as
sisting them against Germany. Mr..
Viereck estimates that without such
promotion the war could terminate
within sixty days. This is doubt
less far too low a guess; but it is at
least fair to assume that if Ger
many can hold the allies at arms
length despite the supplies we send
them, they could certainly not con-
tinue to hold her off without them.
But, so far as the observance of
neutrality is concerned, it must be
remembered that Germany prepared
for war in full recognition of the
enemy's privileges under interna-
tional law and the probable estop-
page Of the same privilege TO her by
her enemy's fleet. The stock of mu-
nitions which the allies are buying
after war begins Germany bought
before the war began.
She did so of necessity. The very
fact that, because of her necessity,
she made herself Independent of for
eign sources of supply upsets by
practical example Mr.. Viereck's ar
gument that our course is promoting
militarism.
International law is merely prece-
dent. Heretofore, neither England
nor France has felt the impulse to
accumulate excessive supplies, be-
cause they had no reason TO believe
the source of replenishment would
be cut off. We are their chief source.
Once it was understood that we
would not sell munitions 10 bellig-
erents, they would at once fall into
Gcrmany's position. The big ar
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
THE YORKSHIRE RAID.

1t is interesting to recall that
throughout the long period of the
French revolutionary and the Ma
poleonic wars, the coast of Britain
was never brought under the actual
fire of hostile guns as it was yester-
day by the flying squadron of Ger
man cruisers. Vast energy and
treasure was expended by the
French, throughout this whole epoch,
in various efforts to devise a work
irr plan that would land them in
England or Ireland; but they never
got there. In 1876 they actually
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Wants More Motion Pictures For
Children.

To the Editor Of the Mail Bag:
While the question Of motion pictures
is so strongly brought before the public
through your valuable paper. grant me
a few lines to add TO the strength OF
this movement. There is wealth OF
enlightenment in many OF the plays
and topics Of the day. and am an in
terested patron OF the movies" but,
as in many things we are apt to overdo
and go beyond the limit.
1 voice many in the disapproyal OF
the nerye-strained tragedies and OF the
senseless and sometimes vulgar pictures.
Where does the board of censorship
come in on these?
I heartily advocate more plays suit
able for children c. L. X.
The Washington times., 1914-12-17

placed an army of $4,000 on trans
ports and under strong convoy sent
it to the west Irish coast. The mar
vel of that performance is that the
French sustained rather small losses.
Their armada, like that of Spain
centuries earlier, suffered severely
by reason of storms, and was driven
away without a decisive fight.
The last commander to accomplish
anything like yesterdays attack on
the coast of Britain was our own
Revolutionary hero, John Paul Jones.
He had east, west, and north coasts
of both England and Ireland in a
state of terror for long time, cap
turing and burning boats of COM
merce; and when they caught him
at last, with the Scraps, which
ought to have sent him TO the bot
tom, he was unsportsmanlike enough
to defeat his pursuers.
War is-well, anyhow it is war;
and at best it is worse than i'm
polite. People bemoan the dreadful
spectacle of a sleeping coastwise
town awakened by bombardment;
but it is not worth while to find I'M
due fault with our daring German
friends for being "barbarous." Of
course, it's barbarous; it's war. It's
exactly as barbarous as were the
performances of Paul Jones, that
made him our first naval hero. Jones
was officially rated as a pirate IN
England, and they would have
hanged him to the yardarm without
a drumhead session; only they didn't
get their itching fingers on him. He
made other arrangements in that re-
gard. The German cruisers are do
ing just the right thing; giving the
best possible service of which they
are capable; and doing it with an ef-
fectiveness and heroism that de-
serves for them rank among the
great naval figures of history.
Indeed, this repeated demonstra-
ton of the high quality and efficiency
of the German naval establishment
may be set down as a leading reason
why peace talk now or soon is non
sense. Great Britain is not going
to quit this war till she knows that
Germany's sea power is broken, and
Germany's chance of becoming ever
again dangerous rival of Britain
on the seas is ended. There must be
something decisive on the ocean. Vic
tories for the allies in Poland and
Flanders and France and Servla and
all over Africa and Asia would not
mean for Britain so much, nor a
1.-THE so much, as the certainty that
a crushing, wrecking blow had been
delivered to German naval ambition.
There would then be left no possible
rival whom England would need to
fear. The United States would be
the only nation with enough naval
force as foundation, plus the neces-
sary resources, ever to become a
rival of Britain. But the notion OF
these two countries fighting is now
regarded by both of them as utterly
impossible.
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Twenty-Five Officers
Quit Army in Year

Twerty-nine officers have resigned
nom the United States army since the
beginning OF the present year, accord
ing to announcement made by the War
Department in making known the resig-
nation Of First Lieut. Birch o. Mo
haffey. Coast Artillery. and First Lieut.
Charles s. Donavin. infantry.
The Navy Department has accepted
the resignation OF Lieut.. Commander
Edward z. Spafford. who was left a
fortune by the death OF his wife two
years ago. and who has since tried to
obtain release from the service
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Would Allow Citizens To Carry Arms

To TIE Editor OF the Mail bag.
Protests at the inability Of the police
to check hOld-ups. purse snatChiuc and
the like. will accomplish nothing. VIVA
we need Is a change in tho laws con-
corning the carrying OF weapons I hss"
for years protested that the prescott
laws act merely AS a vehicle for i.,-
protection Of the criminal They disaru
the citizen and arm the thug. What ~.
need Is a law. or rather such au arru-
cation Of the present law as wiz mas.
il possible for any reputsbi" citizen. 20,
obtain legal permission to 30 Jrn.E
when he feels 1t advisable.
Until the authorities cease t"Ortrs-
the great body OF citizens lk" "a Tot o.
children. forcing them 10 hide uCrIr.t
the coat tails Of the police. who are
never To be found when wanted. Just 50
long will those crimes Of violence con-
tinue.
II will. OF course. be objected ths. a..
cours, proposed is not advisable --.-
caus,, somebody might got shot Wei.
let them get shot. Better have fewer
peoplc and breed men among those lc;t
than To multiply IN cOwGrd;rc.
There are thousands OF men in This
city fully as well qualified TO aid IN
the preservation OF law and order rs
the average policeman. What Is there
that should be considered out OF place
i'm the suggestion that the city avail
itself Of these men in such work R,l-
can the city expect its citizens to 20
Omntv handed against the armed thing"
That is the present PROPOSE ion. and 10
nv mind IL Is t.tT more on. ra.cous than
the course | propose.
FRANK g. CAMPBELL.
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Rockefeller Board Gives
S39,715,000 to Education

NEW YORK. Dec. 1.-THE general
education board. founded by John n.
Rockefeller. has just made public the
first installment OF report which will
be issued on January !. This rceport
shows the board has made gifts TO cdu-
cational institutions amounting TO SO. %
1900
or this amount s13.55f.Si3 has been
given TO the University Of Chicago and
s1o267 or To the Rockefeller Institute
for medical research
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
LOVE INSURANCE IN
OPPORTUNITY GIVING
One Years Gratitude and AffeC-
ton of Seventy-TWO Persons
Available to the Generous.
After AM. which is thc most fun?

After all. which is the most fun?
Saving and hiding and planning and
living to some one else for Christ
mas. or receiving a lot of things your
self?
The receiving end of Christmas is en-
Joycd most by the children, the CIV
ING end by the grovn-ups.
There no use trying TO blush around
md crawl out of st.
lit is more blessed to give than to
receive" and a great, great. deal more
-un. Any one will tell you so.
Else why would lust before Christ
mas be such a delightfully."- hopeful.
I'D wonderful opening up kind of a
..me, and '.hst after Christmas when
~. perhaps. have what we want, such
i sort Of flat old time, with nothing
40 do but to wonder whether or not
Tommy liked the present which We
gave him better than he did the one
Uncle some one else gave him.
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Opportunity No. IL. Reporting
Dividends on Last Years Invest
ments. 1854.

Holiday contributions n year ago
furnished a Christmas gift to this
deserted wife and her, four little chill
dren- This gift has Abeen bringing
into this family its message of peace
and good will throughout 1914. Not
only did II help to bring to this
wronged woman and her little chill
dren, food, shelter, and clothing.
but 1t also brought improved living
conditions. new friends, and happi-
ness. II never had such a beautiful
home before or such good friends"
said this grateful mother. She has
grown to be an excellent housekeeper,
and is making a splendid home for
her children. All efforts TO locate
the deserving husband 50 far have
failed Shall We continue to give
this mother an opportunity to keep
her little ones together in her own
home for another year2 Surely il
has paid throughout the current
year. We earnestly ask for your
continued interest and cooperation
in extending this Christmas oppor-
tunity. 81 per week is needed. 1854
Contributions: H. s.. 81. Still need
ed $685.
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Opportunity No. The Brim of
the Melting Pot. $500.

Without relatives to help her. but
with her church doing what II can,
= thrifty German widow. handicap
ped hv poor eycsiEht. Is bringing up
il, rnnd~l fashion i've bright. Ameri-
can-boru. future citizens. the oldest
thirteen years. Reports from the
children's school show how well they
are doing at their studies. Tho old
est bow already cherishes an ambi-
ton to become physician IN the
mission field or minister. The fam
uv IS highI.. respected in its own
nciEhborho"d.
:. n.r week, a. S3n 10" Tho year.
Is asked tor Christmas resent for
This famiIv................ $3.50
Contributions: ]. II. ". 81; II. s., 81
sill needed. ycA-
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Crossing Policemen Should Be On ''the
Force"

To the Editor Of the Mail Bag.
Congress. it Is to be hoped. will some
day see the wisdom of including the
street crossing policemen in the metro
politan police force. The salaries Of
these men are paid. under protest. by
the street railway companies. They are
appointed by the Commissioners and
subject to the orders OF the major and
superintendent Of police. The District
government can amply afford TO pay the
salaries of the men who serve II. and
PROVISION for such payment should be
included in the District appropriation
bill Why the District should be forced
to be under obligations to any OF the
public utilities is a question the utilities
and the public would like to have
answered. ]. w. N
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
THE MINIMUM WAGE
CASE.

One of the most important cases
of recent years is before the Su-
preme Court of the United States
for argument today. 1t is the case
from Oregon, in which attack is d.
rected against the minimum wage
law of that State on the ground of
its alleged unconstitutionality. AL
most needless to say, its assailants
charge that it proposes taking prop
erty without due process of law.
Eight States have, to this time,
passed laws establishing minimum
wages for women or adopting the
public policy and providing commits
Sions to determine what the mini
mum wage shall be. Oregon's law
came early, and so its case becomes
a probable precedent for the deter
mination of the others. Another
group of States will undoubtedly
pass such laws the coming winter.
1t was from Oregon that the ia
nous case came, in which the Su-
preme Court sustained a law fixing
maximum hours of labor for women.
In that case the attorneys for the
State presented a brief that was
unique in character. 1t paid little
attention to law and Constitution
and the presidents created by -deci-
sions. Instead, it surveyed the
facts; the worlds experience; the
medical and physiological and socio-
logical and criminal facts bearing
on the subject. What is the effect
on women workers, and through
them, what is the effect on the race?
Are the effects bad? If bad, is there
a power in the lawmaking bodies
to prevent those bad effects through
better laws?
That was the subject discussed in
the eight-hour case brief, for which
world-ranging investigation was
made by Miss Josephine Goldmark.
And her brief, it was generally as
serted, won the case.
Now, in another case from
Oregon, involving the minimum
wage question - another forward
step toward enlightened treatment
of women workers-Miss Goldmark
has again summarized the expert
ence of the world, in another splen-
did brief; a book of 300 pages, that
tells the facts about women's wages;
that argues that they are not fixed
by any "immutable economic law"
but in the most haphazard fashion
without sense or system, and utterly
without relationship to the value of
services performed. 1t describes the
shifts by which women, working I'M
der seemingly impossible wages,
manage to keep soul and body to-
gether. 1t discusses the effect-as
testified by medical and social au-
thorities-of these conditions upon
the mothers; and upon the children
of mothers who have had to exc out
existence under these conditions.
The brief is quite as remarkable
document as was that in the eight
hour case; brief of the sociology
rather than the law of a great case.
Whatever the Constitution and the
law may require, the facts collected
together in this effort to sustain a
series of humane statutes assuredly
justify the hope and strong expec-
tation that the law of Oregon will be
upheld.
The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Family Night at Grotto.

II was family night FOR members Of
EaIIipoIis G-otto. No. l.. NJ. .. '. i.
Z r.. at the National Rifles Armory
last night. the occasion being 'Kallipo-
lie L,iddias' Ehristmas Karnival." Vo-
cal and instrumental solos. monologues.
and numbers by the Kallipolis Orches-
ira undcr the direction of Jaques
Ueidenhcimcr. made up most of the
program. The Kallipolis Military Band.
viii JuIius Hamper as leader. gave q
CONCERT and the GrOtto Glee Club gave
several numbers. Presents wcr" dis
tributed among the children. and the
ladies' received flowers