davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Raymond NJ. Thurston wants some
one to explain to him "why it is that so many
females feel impelled to engage in business
etc Well, it is not because we do 1T for
pin money, but because some Of US are com
PEELED to earn not only our own living, but
help toward the support of others. As FOR
any we'll bred girl becoming Slightly coars-
ened after going to business with men Tor
any length of time" wish to state that !
have been employed as private secretary Tor
a number of years in the executive offices OF
the largest corporation of its kind in the
world and do not think, nor do any OF my
friends and acquaintance, that j. has had
this effect on me or any of my trlends
who have to help bear the burden.
And another thing: in any well conducted
Office language is not used in the presence
of women employes-even if a man should
be addicted to it at home in the presence
of the good, modest home girl"-that would
in any way offend Where | am employed
there are at least 200 male clerks and fifty
women stenographers, and most OF US nave
been with this corporation a long time, and
we are Just as safe here, morally ard phys
ically, as we would be in our own homes.
Such conduct on the part of any nan IN TINS
office which Mr. Thurston claims is accorded
business girls would not be tolerated for
one moment by the president of our company
or any officer in it. And | do not think we
are any exception to most reputable business
houses.
Aren't the stay-at home girls, coming home
at 5 and o'clock in the evening from their
afternoon cabarets and shopping expeditions,
Just as rudely-sometimes unavcidably-
iostled in the trains as the business girls ?
As for the "short-skirted limb-showing,
painted and powdered, peacock-acting, pea
nut Drained apologies for real women" pick
up any of the Sunday papers with illustra-
tions of society girls at this horse show or
that tennis tournament, or look at the Book
Number of Life" for June 10, 1915. and gaze
on the picture "In the Public Eye" and Mr..
Thurston will see what he has mistaken for
group OF business girls.
MARY F. KAVANAGH.
New York, July 10, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
Business Improves Women

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Brother Thurston is that type o.
reactionary that may be classed with s'''
meuaces to progress and democracy as =,
a,or Root, BOSS" Barnes and Boss Au'P"'.
1t has been my privilege since oesS-
working 10 be associated in business "'y
with women. and the experience WITH NV
as co-workers. more than anything e.se' !,
What is going to make my vote Yes " ~
coming election in favor Of the woman
frage amendment. 80.
Mr.. Thurston would keep the woman 20.
sive to our demands, relying on our pro-,
ton, in the home, and thus restore " -
that weeping willow Dickens-Victorah Et
who. with all her virtues, was pest -.
the strong. vigorous type Of woman no" pi'i, 4,
alent in the business world, and o'a"' II
as vicious falsehood that the maJoIY
these women go wrong. To the eon'ISt{; Let
think the old-fashioned women were suo's
to greater temptations than the ou''Ls ~
women of to-day, because they were ~
so innocent and their very lack OF NnT".s -.
of things worldly made them yie'o ia
quickly to the Gathering rats that su''01
them in their reception rooms. .,.,,.s
EDWARD Z. FUOh0
New York, July 10, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
Modern Ways of Making War.

Some of the minor naval and military
critics are never satisfied to comment on
current events without discovering some
wonderful circumstance that separates
this war from all others in the history oil
the world, and renders speculation con-
corning its probable course vain ana
worthless.
This tendency is more obvious in occa-
sional comments on warfare at sea- pe-
cause of the obvious opportunity that sub
marines offer TO make new mysteries; puI
even on land the dilettantish strategist Is
very fond of showing the extraordinary
conditions that prevail to-day and dwell
ing on the great differences between mod
ern war and old war. This comes out
even in such obvious truths as the I'M
portance of holding out against odds
Consider this passage from writer
lamenting the consequences OF driving the
enemy out of positions (which he can SO
much better afford to lose than we to
take" and specializing on the wisdom OF
letting tne courage VI CIiS iH'
rate in futile assaults:
81 see nothing else in the modern way
of making war but that the side which
can hold out longest will end it with most
advantage. In such close country as
Flanders. where it is carried on by sieges'
the army that acts Extensively is at a
much greater expense of men and money;
and there is hardly a trench taken, IN the
common forms where the besiegers have
not the worse of the bargain. | never
vet knew a soldier who would not affirm
that any trench might be taken If you
we're content to be at the charge. If you
will count upon sacrificing so much blood
and treasure, the rest is all regular, es-
tablished method, which cannot fail"
In the original of this complaint about
"the modern way of making war"-a
COMPLAINT followed by speculations on the
wisdom of letting the courage of the IN
vader evaporate in futile assaults-the
word tower appears in place of trench. 1t
dealt with another war in Flanders and
was written more than two hundred years
ago.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
ENDLESS LETTER WRITING
A Form of Diplomacy That Is
Flouted in Germany.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune. $500, q,
Sir: Your tribute to the French. publisheu
on the anniversary of the taking OF the pas
tile, was a credit to what has now become, III
my opinion, the best edited paper IN Ne"
York Il shows an appreciation OF that great
people that has been very rare, ana whlch ~
particularly grateful TO me, as ! have lived
years among then and have often piesdeu
vainy with my compatriots for recognition
of the fine qualities which you SO appro-
priately extol.
Your editorial calling on Americans to sup
port the President is fine in the patriotism
il DISPLAYS. and /, like many others, would
gladly support him in his foreign policy II ne
had one. But how can you stand by TINS
plan of endless letter writing? IL IS houted
in Germany. and very few take it seriously
here. If Bryan told Dumba that the note OF
February 10 was not to be taken seriously, ne
committed an act that was treacherous, put
he came very close to the truth.
The Tribune says this morning that II the
Orduna had been torpedoed it would have
meant war with Germany, wherein thlnk
The Tribune errs in attributing its own ad-
mirahle attitude to the administration IL
would simply have meant another IN tne enu-
less series of letters. Whatever resolution
Wilson may have in his character is invarla-
bly, in foreign affairs "sickled DER with the
pale cast of thought" and its current turns
awry.
If President Wilson wishes to be upheld he
must acquire some frmness. for one do not
believe that Wilson's protection OF Amerl-
cans will go beyond phrase making, and
should like to know whether The Tribune
thinks that war would have followed had the
Orduns been struck because the people would
have insisted upon it or because wilson
would have acted to assert our indisputable
rights EDDAk ~ Ia DUN
Baltimore, Md, July 20, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
The Labor Troubles and Policeman
Intrigue.

TIE public will undoubtedly think that
there is more than coincidence IN the
sudden outbreak Of strikes in various in
ldustries furnishing munitions of war and
other supplies 70 the Allies. Mr.. GomperS
has charged that the inciters of the labor
troubles at Bridgeport were in the pay OF
the pro-German propagandists. 1T is nat
ural to suspect similar alien influence
behind the disturbances in the Bayonne
oil relineries and among the 'longshoremen
who are loading vessels carrying war ma
terra! to Europe.
L would be we'll worth the Department
Of Justices while 10 investigate these
troubles and determine whether or not q
conspiracy exists to prevent American
manufacturers from carrying out their
contracts. If there is such a conspiracy
on foot, it must be uncovered and pun
Iished. since it is not only unlawful in it.
self. but constitutes breach of neutrality
in so far as it permits a belligerent to
conduct within our territory operations
having an undeniable military purpose.
There are, of course, some economic
causes of unrest among workmen in the
munitions, oil and shipping industries
The munitions people have closed very
large contracts, which the men have been
led to believe will be enormously profitable
Wall Street has helped to spread that be-
lief by specializing madly in the so-called
war stocks" This mania has fostered
the delusion that the munitions manu-
facturers can afford to pass along at
once to their employees a good portion OF
their constructive profits. The situation
is the same to some extent in the shipping
trade and in the oil industry, both of which
feel the artificial stimulus of war con-
ditions.
Any purely economic controversy car
be composed without much difficulty. The
munitions industries, which are now on q
boom basis, will increase wages and better
working conditions rather than delay the
execution of their contracts. If there Is
an increase in profits, a part Of 1t shoulc
naturally 90 to the workers. But if there
is an ulterior, non-neutral motive behinC
the present strikes the employers would
be wrong to yield an inch. They would
only get themselves deeper into trouble
by 50 doing. For if the pro-German propa
gandists are melting strikes, they vii
continue to incite them long after all rea
sonable concessions are made as to wages
and hours. They will not even stop a.
seducing the labor leaders. They will at
tempt to cripple machinery and to destroy
plants.
1t ought to be determined promptly
whether the labor troubles which have
been filing the newspapers for the las
few days are genuine and solvable b!
ordinary means of mediation, or whether
they are due to the intrusion of an alier
propaganda seeking to use our labor
troubles to accomplish military results.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
Time to Rationalize the Impeachment
Process.

One thing which the Constitutional
Convention should not fail to do is to
clarity the article covering impeachments.
The Sulzer trial exposed the poor work
manship of those who drew the present
article. The Legislature did not know
exactly what its powers were when it
proceeded against Mr.. Sulzer, and the
High Court Of Impeachment had prac-
tically to construe the constitution as it
went along.
The constitution vests the power Of i'm
peachment-thato Of bringing charges, not
trying them-in the Assembly. Yet a
Joint committee Of the Senate and Assem-
bly, investigated the charges against Mr..
Suzer and the Senatorial members signed
the report on which the Assembly acted.
These same prosecutors subsequently
acted as judges in the High Court, When
called in extra session the Legislature is
required to act only on matters mentioned
in the Governors message. Yet the As
sembly impeached Governor SulZer on the
theory that it could exercise the power of
Impeachment at any time, some Of its de-
Tenders going so far as to say that the
Legislature could convene itself in order
to impeach an executive officer. More
over, the constitution throws no light on
ths main question in dispute in the Sulzer
case-whether or not a Governor may be
properly tried and punished for acts COM
mitted before he assumed the Office of
Governor.
In his brilliant volume, "The Constitu-
tional History Of the State of New York, y
Mr.. J. Hampden Dougherty thus summa-
rizes the main questions raised but not
very satisfactorily settled by the Sulzer
trial:
Is the power Of impeachment, if it is TO
remain in the Assembly, to be capable OF
exercise by it at any time? Shall any Judge
or Senator however clear his disqualitica-
tons TO the moral sense of mankind, be
permitted to sit in judgment, and must the
plea prevail that his associates have no
nower 20 remove him from the court? Should
a public officer be impeached for acts COM
mitted when he was not an officer of the
state? Does il rest with the court for the
trial Of an impeachment 20 say what are
Improbable acts?
The convention ought to straighten out
all these antiquities in the existing
process, instead Of letting future courts
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
The One Bright Spot.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: No wonder Mr.. Henry James is think
ing Of surrendering his citizenship for that
Of Great Britain, since thinking and patriotic
Americans must feel shame for the hesitat-
ing policy of our government during the
crisis with Germany.
Are we to be cowed and shaken by the
aliens we have admitted into our midst
Have the aliens of any other civilized land a
voice in a national crisis? Would such in
reference be tolerated b. the French, by the
Germans, by the Russians, or even by the
phlegmatic English?
The one bright spot during these trying
weeks has been The Tribune editorials. And
take the liberty to write and thank you
again and again for those splendid utterances
;hst echo the Yankee spirit. Such a bonn
bardment of indignation must surely drive
the Peace at-Any -Pricers out Of their dugcuts
and into inglorous retreat. +. +.
Scabright, ~ j., July Is, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
Women Have to Work.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Our friend asks some one to please
explain why so many females feel impelled
to engage in business, many of them enter
ing what formerly were mems positions
This is my answer: Necessity, plain, unvar-
nished necessity. No; most women do not
work because they like to, or because they
want extra pin-money with which TO buy
unnecessary gewgaws or even beautiful!
clothes. In the main, women work for just
the same reason that men do-to support
themselves, and ofttimes not alone them
selves but others dependent upon them.
And they take positions formerly filled by
men because they have to, they need to;
they must live! There ara not enough posi-
tions in distinctly "womans sphere" to sup
ply the large and ever-growing demand
Hence they must needs push outward into
mans domain Yes, and there are some very
up-to-d date, reputable, yea, prosperous, bust
ness houses that are willing to employ
women They even have a sneaking idea
that they can do the work almost as well
as the men. Yes, and I've heard that in
most cases they come out at the end of the
year without suffering very heavy losses due
to woman's "incompetency."
And what of this vast, ever-increasing
ever-progressive army of business women
Some are we'll dressed refined and evidently
we'll educated Others there are who are
unsuitably dressed, unrefned looking and
evidently sadly in need of education along
many lines. But we must not make the mis-
take of condemning a whole army because
few fall short of the highest ideals
A. J. IRVINE.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
A Reflection on Him.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In this mornings Tribune you pub
llsh a letter on women in business, in which
the author has evidently exhausted his sup
ply of condemnatory adjectives. His ad-
mission that he feels an unconscious preju-
dice whenever he enters business office that
employs females" Classics him accurately
without further discussion.
As an opening gun he asks why so many
women beg his pardon, females feel i'm
PEELED to engage in business. The answer
is obvious. though it has apparently escaped
his intelligence. They are there 10 earn
their living What pity that 80 many firms
feel impelled to employ them, generally at a
lower salary than they pay men for the same
work,
His Characterization of the women he has
seen leaves one wondering what kind of Of
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
What the President Should Know

In the present crisis in the interns-
tional relations of the country the Presi-
dent of the United States is entitled 70
feel that he has the support of a whole
nation in his task Of uphoding American
rights and defending American lives.
No man ever tried more sincerely more
honorably, more industriously to find a
friendly solution for a problem posed by
the murderous act Of another nation than
mas Woodrow Wilson in recent days.
A great many Americans, believing that
no solution was ever possible and there
fore that from the beginning the Presi-
dent should have made his first note an
ultimatum, have criticised and may now
continue to criticise Mr.. Wilson. But
such a course will merely play into the
hands of those who are eager to discredit
him not because he has moved slowly and
cautiously but because he has acted at all.
1t is the recognition Of this fact which
impels The Tribune to repeat its advice to
Republicans. We have come to grave
crisis. The gravity is largely accentuated
by the fact that within our. gates are
many who feel that their loyalty to Ger
many controls. even when American lives
and rights are at stake. In this CRISIS
the President has already been attacked
by alien sympathizers and betrayed by
certain ambitious Democratic politicians.
In such a situation the plain duty for
all of us is to strengthen the Presidents
hand and make him yet more certain that
what he has done to assert and assure
American rights is approved by people
some of whom found his past hesitation
and forbearance irksome, but none OF
whom is willing to lessen the meaning OF
the present message by comment which,
however well understood at home, will be
oleefullv seized upon abroad as inspra-
tior for q new massacre or a fresh insult.
President Wilson's message doubtless
will not say all that many hoped it would
But in what it does say, to the extent 1t
does affirm American rights and indicate
the meaning of further invasion of them,
II should be indorsed by people already
perceiving the degree to which the appear
ance of division at home is being employed
TO provoke insult and injury from abroad
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
Accommodating the "Rubberneck, "

New Workers should be, and no doubt
are, sufficiently proud of their city and its
history 20 applaud an arrangement which,
without inconvenience TO them, permits
strangers the more readily to do" New
York on schedule. Such an arrangement
is now awaiting the approval CT the Mayor,
having passed the Board of Aldermen as
an amendment to the public hack crdi-
nance. 1t permits the "rubberneck" buses
stations of their own, provided with wait
ing rooms, from which they may depart on
their runs with regularity approaching
that of railroad trains.
Really TO know New York, if it ever can
be known, takes, Of course, lot Of money
and time. But New York may be done"
in a few days by way of the sightseeing
bus and the fluent lecturer" so that the
visitors from the hnterland may return
home and refer glibly ever after to land
marks GENEROUSLY impermanent, to be
sure) synonymous with wealth and fashion
and dissipation. There exists, therefore, a
demand for "rubberneck" accommodations
in New York comparable with that in
Washington. To meet this demand hun
dreds of thousands of dollars have been in
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23

fees he frequents As to the tangoing. short
skirted, bepowdered, ETC. variety, they are
quite as likely to be discovered in the shop
ping district during business hours as down
town Rather more so. I should say since
a business woman works from to and
must be in her office at in the morning,
preferably with a clear head.
have been more fortunate than Mr. Thurs
ton in my acquaintance with business women
for those | meet are both intelligent and ca
rablc and IN general, attractive in appear
ance and manner.
I have also found that the rude, boorish,
inconsiderate man does not pause to inquire
whether il is a mice home girl" or a bust
ness woman whom he roughly jostles in the
subway ANNA MARTIN CROChEk'
New York, July 10, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
"WOMEN AND WORK
- TLe Readers m Recent eer-Raisng Familiar Question

and helpmate, for the simple reason that
she knows the value of money (Which home
girl does not know and also is better
companion.
Mr.. Thurston speaks as though all bust
ness girls were gum-chewing, tango-loy'ng
etc. am happy to say he is mistaken Tor
the real business girl is not. L is the girls
who are at home who go to afternoon tango
teas, etc, not the business girl She has no
time for that
The true business girl does not lose her
modesty. She commands respect and fur
thermore, she is respected. Where there are
nice girls in an Office you will not hear the
men cursing and swearing Il they attempt
to they are very soon asked In kindly
wav) TO refrain from such speech, and the
men learn that it is not necessary 10 curse
and swear, either during business hours or
outside. A BUSINESS GIRL.
New York, July 10, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
Why Women Engage in Business

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: | would like to write few lines IN
answer to Raymond NJ. Thurston's letter of
July 10.
First. Why do women feel impelled to
engage in business? For the simple reason
that men are not making high enough wage
to support them and keep them at home.
Second. A woman in an Office commands
respect l. e, if she is the right sort. 1t is
not necessary, as our friend" says, that
she become coarsened and lose her refine
ment.
Third Why don't the men give business
women seats? Because they have no re-
gard or respect for any woman. Why, even
the business woman gets up and gives her
seat TO an elderly lady or gentleman, and
the business man looks on. If man is a
true gentleman he will respect the business
woman as much as he does the home girl.
Fourth. Why do men employ women as
bookkeepers, etc? Because they can be
trusted more than the men. They are more
faithful and conscientious. They do not
leave business to go to ball game or the
horse races, etc.
Fifth. Is the business woman superior to
the home girl? In great many respects
she is. For one thing, she can earn her own
living. She does not have 10 marry man
making SO or SIS week and then have 70
take in washing or dressmakng to support
herself and her family The business girl
has more sense. In the majority of cases
she (the business girD makes better wife
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
What a German Belgium Would Mean.

Since the German press continues to
exploit the views Of those who believe that
Belgium should be held as part Of the
war "booty," it is worth appealing to
the record to see what this would mean.
There are, fortunately, very large
number Of interesting documents reveal
ing the German attitude toward other con-
quered provinces which supply necessary
evidence. Take, for example, the gentle
spirit of the following, written by a Ger
man theologian before the war about the
Polish subjects of the Kaiser:
Solomon has said: "Do not be too good;
do not be too just" The Polish press should
simplv be annihilated. All Polish societies
sbould be suppressed without the slightest
analogy being made for such a measure. Tins
summary procedure should likewise be ap-
nlied to the French and Danish press, as well
as the societies of Alsace, Lorraine and
Schleswg- Holstein.
Especially should no consideration be
shown anything relating TO the Poles The
constitution should be altered with regard
to the latter.
The Poles should be looked upon as Helots
They should be allowed but three things-tc
pay taxes, TO serve in the army and to shut
their jaws tight
Such is the spirit Of German Kultur in
its relation to the Poles. In this spirit
have been fashioned the laws that have
been aimed against everything but the
right to exist Of a fraction of another race
violently annexed something over a century
ago. Is there not something here for
the pacifsts to think about? Would peace
on such terms be better for Belgium than
war, even war on the German plan?