davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
The Shipping Bill Failure and the
Presidents Prestige.

President Wilson bowed to defeat with what
grace he could when he allowed the latest version
OF the ship purchase bill to go to its death in con-
ference committee. The conference committee is
not 10 make report before February q, and no
report which it may make is likely to be acted
upon before noon Of March 4. The President
Welded even further to the pressure OF pubic
opinion when he announced that he would not
call an extra session of Congress, no matter what
the fate of the ship purchase bill might be.
Much water has run through the mirace since
Mr.. Wilson IN his jackson Day speech at Indian
apolis charged the Republican Senators who were
fighting the ship purchase scheme with denying
the will Of the country. He admits now By his
surrender that the opposition in the Senate was
right and that IL was he himself who was out Of
touch with popular opinion. II he had not lost
his self-conhdencs as a reader Of the public mind
he would have held Congress to It's work after
March 4, Just as he refused TO permit Congress
10 take a recess so long as the currency bill re-
NAMED Enacted upon. He is unequal any longer
70 the task Of forcing Congress to do his will,
because Congress knows as well as he does that
his prestige as a leader has been shattered
There was never anything substantial behind
the ship purchase bill but Mr.. Wilson'S obstinacy.
The emergency which he thought he was going
TO meet through the device of government deep
sea shipping monopoly never existed, except for
a week or two, outside his own and Secretary
McAdoo's imagination. They have continued TO
hold. in spite Of the facts, that American exports
were not being shipped abroad because there
were no ships available in which TO carry them.
Yet excepting to Germany and Austria-Hungary,
which have been isolated, our European export
trade has been retarded very little since the close
of the first two months Of the war. Enormous bal
ances are now being created in favor Of the
United States, gains in exports OF foodstufs
overcoming in large part losses in exports of cot
ton. copper and iron and steel manufactures.
There are now at from American ports ITO
vessels which will he affected by the German war
zone" proclamation, and that proclamation does
not in any way endanger trade with Europe south
Of the English Channel.
In stalking his prestige on the passage of the
government ship purchase bill Mr.. Wilson acted
on O mere hallucination. He cannot escape pay
ing the penalty which fate exacts from those
who confuse illusions with facts. The attempt
70 rush the ship purchase bill through has been
hasco comparable only to the Presidents luck
less cropping in the dark in Mexico. These two
incidents together constitute record of inca
pacity which Mr.. Wilson will find it difficult to
live down with public now more than ever
alive 10 his grave deficiencies as statesman.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
The Panama.Pacific Exposition.

The Panama-Pacifc Exposition opens to-day.
The European war, slides In the canal, business
depresson-none Of these things has daunted its
promoters and hackers AS veterans of the San
Francisco fire they are Injured to discourage
ment They have carried through their under
taking on schedule time. To them, first of all,
the country owes a debt Of admiration and graft
tude.
The exposition itself to those who have seen
il developing, Is entirely adequate as an artistic
celebration of the worlds greatest engineering
triumph. That is saying great deal. With the
evidence Of those exquisitely tinted and proper
toned palaces rising beside the Golden Gate to
rcfute such charge it cannot be said that any
narrow, commercial or militaristic impulse
prompted the digging of the canal. They offer
concrete proof Of the ideals and imagination of a
people capable of conceiving a monumental labor
and carrying it through TO completion for the
benefit of the whole world.
AS such they should become shrine for the
pilgrimage of true Americans. As far away
from the scenes of devastation in Europe as it is
possible in this world to place them. they stand
like a shining goal for the peace loving patriot.
He NAV 20 out by land or sea and return by sea
or land He has the choice of deep winter or
deep summer on MS journey, with 'Ho oooN'eii~'
Of beautiful spring on his arrival. A land of
balm and blossoms incasing the exposition awaits
him. Splendid hotels, standard railroads, hun
dreds of miles OF paved automobile highways
beckon with their promise Of luxury. San Diego,
with second fair equally striking in its way,
completes for recognition. Never was pill
grimage made more inviting.
The size and quality Of the exhibits at the
fair have not been materially affected by the war;
Those nations making no official displays had de-
cided on this course before the outbreak Of hos
tilities. Their merchants and manufacturers
will be represented individually and collectively
mach as il nothing had happened. South America
and the Orient have put forth extra efforts
The war has cut off European travel. So much
The less excuse for the failure of Americans TO
visit the exposition. Too close attention to the
conflict has upset our sense Of perspective and
divided our sympathies, There could be no bet
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
The Costly Legislature.

Senator Bennett is not likely to make himself
popular with his colleagues by calling for an
investigation of legislative expenditures, but he
is doing good service nevertheless The Legisla-
ture Of 1914, he shows by compilation of stats
tics, cost the taxpayers more than $1,000 per
member exclusive of the 81 500 year salary and
the allowance for mileage. That is approximately
the rate of expenditure for recent legislatures
The money goes for printing, clerk hire, sup
ples-which in some years have included every
thing from spring water to playing cards and
cologne-and expenses of the numerous legsla-
tive Investigations which have been popular late
ly, with their honest graft" in the way of coun-
sci fees, clerk hire, stenographers' minutes and
the like. This rate of expenditure makes each
legislator, whose salary is modest enough figure
out about $4,000 year in cost to the state
One great trouble is that the legislators-most
Of them--are not $4,000 year men. The legis-
latve methods impose huge expenses on the state
which are unwarranted There is politics-small,
Degrading politics-in the distribution of
clerks places, and there are clerks and stenog-
raphers drawing pay from the state who are of
no more use than teeth are 10 hen. The "con-
tingent funds" are grab bags for expenditures
many of which no efficient business house would
sanction for a moment in the conduct Of its
affairs. Most of the legislative Investigations
are sheer waste of money, so far as produc-
ton of results in laws is concerned, and there
are few in the memory Of the present political
generation which have not been more junket
than investigation.
Senator Bennett can do good public service by
hammerng away on this line The present ad-
ADMINISTRATION is talking economy at the top of its
lungs Maybe it will really try to save money
which is shamefuly wasted by the Legislature, If
enough attention is called 70 the waste.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
The Wool Shortage.

By next summer most of us may be wearing
cotton clothes. 1t has been estimated that the de-
struction of woollens in the European war will
exhaust the worlds supply before another years
wool clip can be made available. The wool stua-
ton is like the wheat situation, only very much
more so.
Unfortunately, Uncle Sam raises no surplus Of
wool, as he does Of wheat In a normal year he
must import, largely from Australia, from 20 to 40
per cent of what he consumes. He can't do that
this year because Great Britain has put an en-
barge on wool. Furthermore, as fast as the mills
Of this country can turn out woollen cloth and
blankets their product is being shipped abroad
for military uses. This is another factor in the
rise of wooen prices. Already the clothiers, like
the bakers, are complaining of the increasing cost
of their material
The South is looking on compacently. 1t has
begun to figure on a growing demand for cotton
with which TO clothe both Europeans and Ameri-
cans. We in New York shall find our summer
climate more comfortable for the lack of woollen
suits. Possibly necessity will make even shirt
sleeves fashionable.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
RIGHTS OF PEDESTRIANS
Infringed Upon by Vehicular Traffic,

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: 1t was good to see you print the
letter entitled slaughter in the
Streets" in this mornings issue. The
usual daily item of some form or other
of criminal negligence of which motor
lists and chauffeurs are guilty has APP
parently Injured us TO their appalling
frequency.
| should like to draw your readers
attention to another gross abuse of the
rights of pedestrians which, despite
the vigilance of the efficient traffic pa
trolmen, has now become a nuisance on
Fifth Avenue. When the cross street
traffic is held up for the passage Of
traffic on the main thoroughfare, &C
cording TO the rights of pedestrians We
are entitled to continuous sidewalk
passage until the patrolman signals for
the release of the cross street I Iffc.
But the contrary seems to be the Gus
tom. Everywhere we find the cross
street traffic infringing on the space
between sidewalks, thus blocking the
pedestrians until the patrolman sig
nails the chauffeur's passage. IL seems
10 me that if the patrolmen are so
placed as to be unable to take note of
this infringement few extra patrol
men, with arrests TO follow. would soon
rid US of this nuisance.
PEDESTRIAN.
New York, Feb. 18. 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
Great Barrineton's Scandal.

OF course. every one would like to know Just
what happened at the Great Darlington banquet
The defence is particularly anxious for bill OF
particulars. Scanty attire and scandalous dancing
are two allegations against the three young
women employed to entertain the Berkshire hus-
bands. But in this day and age such generalities
have lost their force. A few years ago they were
applied on every hand to what we Of Manhattan
consider now the pink Of decorum.
The president of the Great Darlington Cham
Der of Commerce, against whom the wives OF
Great Darlington loudly championed by the CHIEF
of police and feebly supported by their sheepish
spouses, are hurting their javelins of scorn, has
expressed the wish that "those Great harrington
Puritans would come TO New York and see some
Of the regular shows here" This sounds ike
clew. New England settlements midway between
Boston and New York contain two social types
those, mainly men, who look our way, and those,
mainly women, who face toward Beacon HllI' Mr..
Cornell forgot, possibly, how great percentage
of his townsfolk had the CLINT Of the State House
dome in their eyes. In his patriotic attempt TO
put the Great In Great harrington" he should
not have borrowed It from the Great White way
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
The Coming Tower
THE GRAND TOUR.

To Mr.. Arnold Bennett or Mr.. William De
Morgan the Grand Tour would present no ter
rors When Hlda Lessways gazes at herself IN
the mirror Mr. Bennett describe her Narcls-
san sensations in more time than it takes to tell
them: and searchingly, iuminatngly, entertain
ingly. And if Joey Vance, on page 473 should
decide to cross the street, Mr.. De Morgan would
get him to the other side on page 53l. Unless
he should be stopped and driven back by a
policeman or run over by a notorious. If the
policeman. Mr.. De Morgan would tell how the
poiceman's father wanted the boy to go into the
ministry, and how he got to be bobby and how
perhaps there isn't much difference, after all, IL
you want to help people, and what was the police
mans name only they called him Vance. II the
notorious, how a lovely passenger took him home.
But page 532 would begin telling about the lovely
passengers babyhood, and she wouldn't rescue
Joey before you got to page 62O-or wouldn't
you?
And by these details Mr.. De Morgan or Mr..
Bennett as the case may be-and as, about nlne
times out of ten it is-would divert and interest
YOU. That is because they have not been doing
ierky and unrelated paragraphs all their litry
lives.
But the Bennett manner must be easier than
the paragraphing style. Mr.. Theodore Dresser,
travelling, fills endless large pages with his OBJ
servations; Mr.. Julian Street is not bound by
the obligation to have laugh or tear in each
line. They take their time these gentlemen; and
l. about to go on vacation, intend to have the
easiest and pleasantest Of times. Mr.. Simeon
Strunsky tells me that it is easier to write 1900
words on a subject than it is to pemmicanize it
into a 1O-word paragraph, or quatrain. begin
to believe him. This for instance, has been no
trouble to write, thus far; and look where / am
already!
How pleasant not TO have to write heads
How restful to gaze at things without attempt
ing to interpret them! Perhaps the Grand
Canon Of the Colorado has meaning | shall be
unable TO translate; perhaps it means no moro
than the Mianus River, or a snowstorm on East
3Sth Street. Perhaps I shall not even see the
Canon. But how luxurious to be privileged to
write long, diluted things.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
Gloom for the Submarines.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: | see by the papers that no et-
fectual method of evading the subma-
rine has as yet been devised II you'll
take it from me, this is not the only
instance where the world has waited
for the artist to invent needed de-
vice, whether il be a telegraph or an
Gcetylene curling iron. Hence this in
trusion upon your valuable space.
Protection from the submarine can
be invariably obtained by method so
simple as TO be almost ridiculous once
it has been suggested. My plan is
merely TO eject by powerful force
pumps a volume Of India ink into the
water surrounding vessel in exactly
the same manner as that by which the
we'll known cuttlefsh eludes his enemies
by enveloping them in an ebony black
ness that no light can penetrate. One
barrel Of India ink-aye, one gallon
will make ten miles of any ocean as
black as ore of Weeds gloomiest car
toons. What's more, it will stay black
for several weeks. AS the cartoonists
are all going in for crayon now, ink
ought to be cheap enough TO make my
method quite as economical as it Is
practical and ingenious. Having APP
piled for patent on this idea, with all
rights reserved, would like to discuss
the subject with other naval experts.
WALT MDOUGALL.
Rockledge, Fla, Feb. Is, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
SUFFRAGE AND THE EGO
Most Temporarily Declared To Be
Exaggerated.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: There are few subjects which
your esteemed paper discusses edto-
rally to which even the most captious
reader could take exception, as all your
articles are couched in language re-
spectful to the opinions of others,
while consistent with the policies you
advocate. Approaching these features,
! was somewhat surprised at reading
in your issue Of the 9th inst. caustlc
criticism of 1.-THE New York Times
for its attitude on the suffrage ques-
ton.
Now. the subscriber holds no brief
for "The Times" but he is certainly
disposed 70 compliment it on its fear
less opposition to movement which
you will undoubtedly be generous to
concede is not only opposed strcnu-
ously by several millions of husbands,
fathers and brothers, but by as many
wives, mothers and sisters, who have
rot the remotest idea of reviying the
"age OF the spinning wheel and the
stage coach" but who would perpetu.
ate the home loving propensities and
respect for the functions and calling
of maternity, which form woman's
noblest sphere in so far as mundane af-
fairs are concerned. The reading pub
lie is being daily RECALLED. or surfeited,
according to the point of view, with
suffrage pabulum, of which sophistry
and sentiment are the chief ingredi-
ents and which is served TO them with
stale and unsavory condiments in the
shape Of such platitudes as present
ing the woman's point Of view" "wom-
ans ideals" etc, all of which are too
specious for serious consideration, for
the simple and logical reason that, as
the five or elk millions OF women added
70 the voting list would inevitably be
distributed between the Republican,
Democratic, Progressive, Socialist and
Prohibition parties, there cannot be a
"woman's point of view" in any more
specific sense than there can be a
mans point OF view, while woman's
ideals, like mans ideals. are formed
and governed by education and en-
vlronment
At the risk OF being stigmatized as
"reactionary," "Unprogressive," etc,
the subscriber does not hesitate to ex-
press his belief that the movement TO
enfranchise millions Of women, there
by adding materially TO the cost Of
elections. and incidentally creating
family dissensions which would in
many instances furnish business for
our already oyerburdened divorce
courts. is but a symptom OF the dis
ease which seems 10 have taken pos
session Of the body polite, the other
symptoms being the extravsgant pre-
tensions 10 almost omniscient knowl-
edge on the part OF so-cslled think
crs" afflicted with exaggerated ego"
the agitation against capital punish
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
Good Words for B. r. T.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: SO constant are the attacks that
are being made upon all public service
corporations that we have been led to
forget the value of those organizations
For months the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company has been the particular object
OF attacks. have lived in Brooklyn
since 1898, and during all of that time
there has been constant improvement
in the service rendered by the b. r. T.
True, the service is not all that we
would have il, but what human effort Is
perfect? The 3. r. T. finds its greatest
weakness at the Manhattan end OF the
Brooklyn Bridge ard under that handi-
cap it's service suffers. But where in
the United States is there another
transportation company that handles so
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
Shrewdne.s or Despair!

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: was much interested in your
answers to the four pointed questions
put by Mr.. Ridder, who can no longer
have a shadow Of doubt in regard 70
the position Of The Tribune in regard
to the war. -,
The insistence on the right to ilnk
merchant vessels without search 70
ascertain their connection with De-
ligerent enemies is a natural eorol!siy
of insistence on the right to invsd'
Belgium after signing a neutral guar,
antee. On the surface il seems poley
of desperation, but it may be eun.
ming stroke to embroil neutral nations
and give excuse for peace negotiauons.
on the ground that Germany esnne'
fight the whole world, though she esa
any three nations. ,,
CHARLES S. HARTWELL
Brooklyn, Feb. l6, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
ResuIts of the Ford Plan.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: About q year ago Henry Ford,
of Detroit, expressed and put into prac-
tce some new ideas on the subject
Of wages to employees in his factories.
| have not seen in any of the news
papers an account of the results OF
the experiment, either of the advan-
tage or disadvantage to DIR. Ford, as
to his workmen, or both.
What results have been produced?
INQUISITIVE.
New York, Feb. 16, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
Investigate the Sullivan Parole !

Governor Whitman should heed the appeal OF
the depositors Of the wrecked Union Bank OF
Brooklyn, and grant an investigation Of the
parole of Sullivan, who smashed it. 1t is within
the province Of the Governor to investigate the
acts Of the Parole Board. There has never been
a case since that body was established where in
vestgation to put on the record before the public
the whole transaction by which convict has been
released has seemed more necessary.
Sullivan, the beneficiary of favoritism all
through his prison career, for which one state
official has been dismissed in disgrace, seems to
his victims to be beneficiary of favoritism in
his release Nothing could be more vicious in its
effect on the parole system than such belief on
the part of any considerable portion Of the pub
lic Il must be assumed that the Parole Board
has good and proper reasons for granting a
parole to Sullivan at the expiration of his mini
mum sentence. If that be the case, its members
can have no objection to stating those reasons in
an official investigation.
There is an issue here bigger than Sullivan
the individual. That is the justification o. the
operation Of the parole system, which is ques-
toned by Sullivans victims. 1t is the firm con-
viction of many Of them that the Parole Board
has blundered grievously Nothing short of an
investigation by the Governor can clear the at
mosphere and restore the confidence Of this Sec
ton Of the community in the workings Of an
important agency of government. By all means
there should be such an investigation.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
Against the "Silencer.'

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: In his letter to The Tribune
Hudson Maxim has hardly succeeded
in his defence of the public sale of the
Maxim silencer. The advantage"
which he claims for il are substan-
TALLY summed up in this declarations:
"A silencer has peculiar and impor-
tant uses, not only for the sportsman
hunting game in the woods, but also
for the marksman in target practice"
Is it not equally clear that this in
vention has peculiar and important
uses" for the criminal and for the
crafty insane in the execution OF their
designs? And is not the game in the
woods" entitled to a sporting chance
for life? II will be clear as daylight
to any disinterested observer that the
public advantages" mentioned by Mr.
Maxim are exceedingly small and Of
minor Importance as against the pos
sible dreadful consequences TO innocent
human life if the free and indiscrim
mate sale of the silencer is allowed
In my humble and unprejudiced opin-
ion the invention in question is more
potential for evil than for good.
PRO BONO PUBLlCO.
New York, Feb. 10, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
MEAT IN HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY
A Necessity of Diet.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: With every one thinking, talk
ing, writing about household econ
omy," and even the Mayors commit
tee sending out a we'll meant but some
what misguided circular on the sub
iect, let no one forget the important
place of good meat in the human diet.
Among others, G. II. Brinklee, an
expert on dietetics, says: mo one
who eats chiefly a starch diet can be
mentally active for long. Brain work
ers must eat plenty of lean, tender
meat, fresh vegetables and juicy
fruits, or their alertness decreases and
they become dull and sluggish"
So let the household economists
remember that "proteids" (meats) are
a necessary article of diet, and to dc
away with them is to lose efficiency.
LENA KURZ.
Brooklyn, Feb. Is, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20

Travelling to please your friends must be like
writing to please them-fooish and ill-advised,
not to say impossible "When do you leave?"
asks one. You tell him. you're making great
mistake" he tells you. "The time to go to Cali
fornia is between July 16 and July 19-thats
when they have the finest weather. Better change
your plans"
How are you going out?' another asks. You
confde. "Why didn't you tell me you were
going?" he grieves. 'You ought to go by way Of
Montevideo. Finest trip in the world. Took it
myself in 1896. No, it wasn't, either. 1t was
1897. Sure Of it. Year before the Spanish War.
That was '9S, wasn't 1t? Well, anyway you'll
regret it if you go by the Penn Central. .
Good-by."