davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
Noble Smuggler Freed
So He Can Serve CaruSo

NEW YORK, Feb. 20.-Thanks to the
leniency of United States Commission
er Uoughton, Enrico Caruso Is to have
q real noblrman from his own country
a. a waiter on his trip on the Italian
liner Iuuca dAosta. which sails today.
The noble servitor is Emilio SilenZi
Roesler, eldest son of the Due iii Silenzi.
Rocsler, II is said. has run through IA
fortune and has been working as n
waiter on the Italian liner. He was ar
rested for SNUG Cling gloves into tai.
country.
custody ROcsler was paroled, promised
to have him back here March 2S ii tn"
Federal authorities did not. spoil Ca
rusu's trip by locking up the only waiter
to suit the singer.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20

They always did the best they knew
how to terrorize the merchantmen
of the allies. They had very little
success before the war zone procla-
nation; there is no reason to expect
that they will have better success
now.
The Wilhelmina decision, however,
does mark new and world-embrac-
ing development of the war. When
the Wilhelmina sailed from this side
there was no question about her neu-
trality as a ship. Nobody seriously
believed there was any question
about the neutrality of her cargo
The best judgment was that the Will
helmina, under her American flag
and transporting non-contraband
goods, would sail straight into Ger.
man port without British hands be-
ing any too eager to snatch her OF
British eyes any too keen to see her
But, after she began her voyage
the German government proclaimed
its war measure of seizing and ad.
ministering food supplies in the EN-.
pire. That raised the question OF
non on-contraband goods made contra.
band in the presumption that food
carried to Germany must be techni.
cally bound for belligerent desti.
nation since the government, taking
the food, is itself belligerent; and
the Wilhelmina was intercepted.
Yet Sir Edward Grey does moi
seem now to hang his case on that
technical peg. He goes straight tc
the heart Of the principle Of block.
ade. The Wilhelmina's cargo is tc
be kept from Germany because Ger.
many is to be shut out, in reprisaI
for the Won Tirpitz program, from
intercourse with the world.
The allies then have only to sat.
isfy the neutral nations that they
can establish and maintain an eff.
fective blockade of Germany, ant
nobody will claim any right whatso'
ever to go into a blockaded German
port with any article of any sort OF
description.
The Wilhelmina, in this new situa'
tion, has ceased to be of the slightest
consequence. For all ships, belliger.
ent or neutral, for all cargoes, con
traband or non-contraband, for al
articles, food supplies or medica
supplies, the paramount thing be-
! comes the "ring of STEEL"
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
SAYS HENRY COULD
HAVE kVERTED WAR
DR.. J. Newton Baker Pays Glow.
ing Tribute to American
Statesman.

LANCASTER. Pa. Feb. 2o.-Taking
as his subject 1.-THE Patriotism OF Pat
rick Henry and the Spirit Of the
European War" DR.. J. Newton Baker,
Of the Washington College OF Law.
Washington. last night declared that II
any one of the warning countries could
have produced a man of Henry's men,
tality and capability. the present con-
fiict would have been averted.
DR.. Baker. who appeared at the Ship
pen School. Of Lancaster. hailed Patrick
Henry as "the first American who stood
for the rights Of man." and described
him as being "the foremost patriot OF
American history in crisis
DIR. Baker continued:
Death Is drinking the life-blood OF
Europe because the human race, after
twenty centuries Of Christianity. is still
under the scourge Of war. Europe is
bound and dashed to the cannon because
it has not been civilized enough to re-
spect peace and dishonor war. The wal
can destroy the churches. but 1t cannot
destroy the spirit Of religion. 1t kills
the good people who are the staff oi
civilization and institutes therefor fac
tions OF devils incarnate and makes thu
scum of Europe the source Of pro
creation"
He paid a glowing tribute to Belgium
concluding:
THE prayer OF the world should b,
that the hearts of the Kings should b,
softened and that they should repair
the desolations of that down-troddel
people. and make Belgium a more glo
rious country than 1t was at first. While
Kings and Emperors admire greed ant
extortion, they even love war If the!
deem IT is necessary to consummat,
their selfish. mercenary ambitions"
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
SAN FRANCISCO TO-DAY

San Francisco, with the biggest
municipal noise ever organized in
one time and place, is opening the
Panama-Pacitic exposition today. 1t
is huge occasion for the city by the
Golden Gate; and if the American
people set proper appraisal on it,
will be a great occasion for the three
Americas.
The national results of most of the
eNpositions given in this country
may reasonably be viewed with some
misgiving: whether aside from their
effect in the local community where
the shows were put on, they were
worth the candle. The San Fran
cisco show ought to be an exception;
it deserves to take place, for its ma
tional and international signifcances
alongside the Centennial exposition
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
What is q Citizens Association? d?

To the Editor OF THE TINES:
Every now and then sec articles in
the local papers setting forth the fact
that the such-and-such citizens associa-
ton has voted in favor of Senator So
and-so's bill What are these Citizens
associations?" Are they neighborhood
boards of aldermen, duly chosen by the
other citizens? Or are they Just SNUG
little bands of opinionated persons,
meeting for the sole purpose Of airing
their own views?
I have lived in Washington for nearly
thirty years, yet have to confess my
Ignorance as to these so-called "citizsns'
associations" of the District of Colum-
bia, and have an idea that ninety-nine
out Of every hundred residents of this
city are in the same boat. J. r. NJ
Washington, February 49,
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
KreiSler ShOuS
Pover of a Master
Violinists Concert Remarkable
for Technica.. Vigor, Beauty,
and Balance.

The long looked for Kreisler concert
when Washington was to hear the
violinist alone, was given yesterday aft
ernoOn at the New National Theater.
Now at least Is 1t assured that in this
city, too there has come to be such a
thing as kreisler audience. In this
the music world rejoices for 1t meals
not only that it has one Of the greatest
living violinists, but that 1t appreciates
him, and is ready to pay him that hom-
age which is SO often denied the great
until late In life.
kreisler is a man in his prime, an
artist in the full flower of the promises
OF his youth, and for these two reasons
Is able TO play with an astounding tech
nical vigor. coupled with an insight
which is the apotheosis of the fire of
youth. In a justitiable exploitation of
these two elemental characteristics were
the second number of the program.
Tartinis Devils Trill." an dthe Wag-
ner "Preislied" from "Die Meister-
singer" Even in these two widely diff
tering compositions. there was balance,
an infusion of beauty into the Tartini
and of technical perfection into the
"Prcisiied." This Is mastery.
opened the program. which included
prelude and gavotte. Bach: 'Melodie, y
Gluck; "Chanson Louis XIII ct Pa.
vanne," Couperin; "Sicilienne ct Rigau,,
don' Francoeur: 'Tartini Variations,
"Chanson Meditation" Cottenet; Tam.
bourin Chinois.' "Leibes Leid' and
"Leibes Freud" Kreisler; Dvorak's I'm
dian Lament and the Spanish Sere-
kreisler music itself. nothing was more
exquisite than the encore. "A Slavonic
Fantasy" The work of Carl Lamson
as accOmpanist, more than justities his
appearance with the great kreisler.,
+. Y.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
NO INOUESTS, PLEASE

The Times does not feel especially
interested in inquests over the fee
system in the court auditors Office.
1t is dead, and going to stay dead.
Its demise comes as a gratifying in
dorsement to the position which The
Times took and maintained with such
vigor as it could bring to bear. 1t is
rather amusing to observe frenzied
appeals for reconsideration and re-
view of "facts" that will not hold
water. There is going to be no re-
consideration, because there ought to
be none. People whose pet corns
have been trodden on are merely ad-
vertising their hurts by trying to
make themselves imagine that the
fight is still going on. There is no
fight; It is all over.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
WARS SEE.SAW AGAIN

Germany, once more concentrating
huge forces on the eastern front of
the war, has hurled back the Rus
sian armies and made some new
gains in Poland. But it is now un-
like setting a force of men at work
with shovels on the face of glacier
in the effort to stop its advance. All
the operations in the east have been
carried on under conditions entirely
favorable to the Germans, because of
the magnificent system of military
railroads along their eastern from
tiers, which the Russians cannot
match on their side the frontier.
Consequently, while Germany is
able with inferior forces to hold the
Russians back, she cannot advance
far against them. It is not likely
that Berlin seriously intends to go
farther than Warsaw, if it goes that
far. Beyond Warsaw lies that vast
hinterland of Poland, Lithuania, and
Moscovia, into which conquerors
have penetrated, but from which
neither Charles XII nor Napoleon
was able to bring back an army.
For the herculean effort of the last
few weeks in Poland, Germany has
doubtless drawn heavily on her
forces in the west; and now the
western forces of the allies are put.
ting on the pressure in Flanders and
north France, to compel the Ger
mans to swing these highly mobile
army corps of hers back to the
western end Of the arc. 1t is the
same see-saw that has been observed
at least twice heretofore since the
war began. At the very beginning
Russia did a magnificent piece of
work in hurrying great force
against eastern Germany in order to
weaken the pressure on Paris. Now
the western allies are doing exactly
the same in order to ease the situa.
tion in the Warsaw region.
The time is at hand for that grand
advance which General Joffre has
been planning, and which Kitchener
forecast when he said he "didn't
know when the war would end, but
he did know when it would begin: ir
May" The allies will be close tc
their maximum in forces available
! and when the big movement begins
in the west they will keep it up unit
they either drive the Germans bacl
on German soil, or convince them
selves that the thing cannot be done
Germany's business at this momen
is to clean up the eastern front JUS
as thoroughly as possible, so tina
she may have opportunity to Civ
undivided attention, and a maximum
of forces, to the western situation
when it becomes acute.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
Willing To Prove Value of Hypno-
tism BY Subject and Spectators Of

To the Editor of THE TINES:
DR.. Hirshberg says medical men, uni
versities. and medical schools look upon
hypnotism with suspicion. He says only
a few are susceptible to the influence of
hypnotism. That is not true. Every
person is susceptible to it. He saws 1t
Is detrimental to the subject. That is
not SO If the operator knows his busi-
ness Anything the subject does when
under the influence is done more in
telligentlv and more willingly than
when in the normal state.
Only two weeks ago I gave a demon
stration to intelligent spectators Of
some two dozen persons In Washington.
and so skeptical We're some of them
that I had to resort to drastic measures
to convince them Of the truism of the
(and about two minutes was about the
length of time 1t took me to prepare
him). ! suggested to him that he had
no feeling in his hand. and one Of the
audience took his cigar. blew the ashes
off and burnt the hand until it was
blistered. but he didn't finch and said
1t did not hurt. and antoher gentleman
took penknife and stabbed him three
times in the same hand until the blood
flowed. but he never felt 1t. and he
claims he has never felt any pain since
leptic state and he was as rigid as a
| log of wood, but it didn't hurt him.
Now If DIR. Hirshbere doubts these
| facts. I am willing to prove that I did
them by the spectators that witnessed
| them and the subject himself.
ROBERT T. BRAY.
Capitol Heights. Nd. February 10.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
THE FRATERNITlES

The arrest of a group of boys last
evening in connection with the ini-
tiation of a Greek letter fraternity
of Washington high school is an
other reminder that the status Of the
Greek letter societies in Washington
schools has never been definitely
settled.
Many other cities have deemed it
advisable to abolish these organiza-
tions in public schools, and some COL
lege fraternities have given impetus
to that movement by declining to
admit to their ranks members of SIM
liar organizations in high schools. In
Washington the whole question has
been threshed out several times.
Once it was brought up by alleged
hilarity at the meetings of the fra
ternities. Another time it arose be-
cause high school fraternity house
was maintained despite the rule pro-
hibiting such rooms. A third time
it arose because one fraternity was
alleged to be exerting an undue in
fluence upon school athletics.
These fraternities and sororities
were put on probation several years
ago, with the understanding that
their exact status was later to be
determined. They were promised a
clean bill of health, with exact regu-
lations concerning their operations
or they were to be prohibited alto
gether.
Under the present arrangement
by which the principal of each high
school is virtually responsible for
those secret societies of his own
school, there is constant friction be.
cause the organizations of one school
believe they have not privileges ac-
corded to those of others. In view
Of the widespread interest among
educators in this problem the Wash.
ington school officials should face il
squarely and reach some decision.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
Shows Increase of $4,000
In Capitals Population

An increase Of 5000 in the population
Of Washington. between February OF
last year and the present month is evil
denced by census taken in the new
city directory, which will come off
Boyd's press next month.
A statement issued by Andrew BOYD
says reports that business is Oh the de-
crease In Washington and that there is
an unprecedented number of vacant
houses here are not borne out by the
data gathered by the directors can
"! SerS.
While there are now about 5000 va
cant houses in Washington. Mr.. Boyd
declares the majority Of these are To-
Gated i'm alleys or in residential dis,
tricts where conditions are not up tC
the best standards.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
Asks Suffragists More Thoroughl
To Study Georgia Statutes.

To tie Editor OF THE TIMES:
Please permit me to reply briefly to
Antoinette Funk's citation of the Georgia
statutes in your paper bearing date Of
February Is.
Will state in the outset, however. tina:
adhere strictly to my original asser-
ton. I was not unaware at all Of the
provision of the section cited. I sincere
ly trust that Mrs. Funk will prove her,
self the true champion Of honesty and
fair play" which the suffragists claim
are the underlying principles Of the
cause" and place upon 1t common
sense construction.
1t is presumed that she failed to IA
miliarize herself with the other sections
Of the statute Immediately preceding and
following the one cited, for only by do
ing so can one arrive at just and in
telligent Interpretation Of the statute.
II Mrs. Funk will observe:
Section 3O3l. Kinds of Guardians--
saapdSns of nSrs 9s efher
guardians. g. Guardians Of persons and
property, or either.
Section So32. Natural ardians--The
| father, if alive. is the natural guardian {:
If dead. the mother is the natural guard
Then, Section 1884. Appointed by
Widow-The mother. Ii widow. shall
have the power by will to appoint tesla :
mentary guardians for such children as
to such property as they may inherit
| from her.
Now. there can be no other construc-
| ton Of section 3032 than that the moth
| er is the natural guardian of her chill
dren in case Of the death Of the father.
| II either Of the parents be dead then the
| other has the power by will to appoint
| a guardian of her children in case OF
| the death Of the father If either OF
the parents be dead then the other has
the power by will to appoint a qua rdian
fr the minor children until majority.
which is a power that necessity and CIV
| ilization demand.
| I will, furthermore, challenge com
parison of the Georgia statutes with
those of any of the pet" equal-suffrage
States with respect to its justice toward
the good women. I repeat that the idea
which is interviewer through the fibers
OF the photoplay. Your Girl and Mine.
| that the babe can be ruthlessly tori
| from its mothers bosom by the cruel
hand of the Georgia law. by the will OF
another, and against her protest. is ar
| nbsurdity which | do not care to dis
Cuss further. thank you very much
| for your courtesy.
'0 JOHN w. COLLINS.
| WASHINGTON, February 16.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
Wants To Know How Contractor
Can Pay 4Oc Q Pound For Beef.

To the Editor Of THE TINES:
In breaking into your Mail Bag
column I am moved by moral rather
than burglarious impulses. In a recent
issue. under the caption. "Grand Jury
Starts Navy Graft Probe" you state.
in effect, that Paymaster Rays story
Is that he was offered 100. IL he would
pass 2.1O0 pounds as 2,4O0 pounds Of beef
to be delivered under contract for the
Texas, which was to sail for Panama.
This of course means that he was to
receive 40 cents for each of the 3.UO
pounds held out by the contractor.
Please tell US the rest Of the story.
There must be more of it. Your read
ers would like to know how the cou-
tractor can afford to pay 40 cents per
pound for beef. Also. his contract price
ffor the beef per pound. And no doubt
there Is much other interesting matter
belonging to the story.
! think our newspapers are not al
ways as careful and considerate as they
should be in publishing sensational mat
ter involving the credit Of contractors
and others.
LORENssO A. BAILEY.
Washington, February 10.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
Robert Pluym Robbed
Of His Russian Passports

Robert Pluym. who formerly conduct
cd ladies tailoring establishment in
Fourteenth street. and who is now re-
ported to he an agent for the Russian
Government in the purchase of aero
planes with his home in Petrosrad. was
terday
Pluym told the police that a wallet
containing passports from the Russian
government. some gold rouples. and prl-
Nate papers were taken from an inside
pocket.
several years ago Mr.. Finym was the
victim of gang Of baltimore race
track sharpers, losing, it is said, S.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
FROM ALL PARTS OF THE u. S.

to the strawstack through beet field
and set fire to 1t. For forty-seven
days, RAIDER says. he was in trenches
filled with water and mud.
called bravery now" he explained. "It
Ia all q matter of nerves and expert
ence. The fellow who is quietest and
perhaps the most scared on his first day
best soldier in the end. The fellow
who comes in with a great hullabaloo Of
noise often breaks down.
And English Socialist came into our
trenches one day and shouted as he be-
gan firing: This is what my hands and
heart have longed for Our colonel told
us to watch him. saying that the reac-
ton would soon set in. Sure enough 1t
did. The newcomer. after firing steadily
for an hour. began to complain Of cold.
chill. He WAS sick for four days. and
we had many similar cases. 1t Is the
so-called 'rotter' that makes the best
soldier. The men who somehow don't
come cool. calm. and steady when they
come under fire.
Human Nature and Rules.
THE thing that Impressed me most In
the trenches is how human nature be-
| comes stronger than military rules. In
the railroad yard near our trenches was
a huge pile Of coal. We used to go out
at night and get our supply. Of fuel.
After a few nights II developed that the
Germans were doing the same thing
One night a squad Of six Of our fellows
came upon squad Of eight Germans
| carrying coal sacks.
What's the use OF fighting" asked
| the Germans. you've no guns. neither
! have We And afterward it came to be
understood that no man going for Goa
was to be fired on. One night new.
Of the arrangement went out with q
pistol and killed a German. When hi
| came back We severely pummelled hin
| for violating the coal pile truce. Aftel
that neither the Germans nor ourselves
| dared go to the coal pile for fuel"
With RAIDER on furlough is F.. b
| Towle. Of I.archmont, N. Y, who is 8
son of Capt. r. B. Towle. Of the New
York State militia. He has been serv
ing with the second regiment Of th'
Foreign Legion.
Guardsmen's Prowess.
| THE most extraordinary American II
our regiment" said Young Towle. him
self a New York guardsman, "was ,
hulking youth from Chicago namet
Simons. better-known as Athos.
Wrestler. He left our trench and caugh
night. They wrestled for long tine
and finally Athos threw the German
knocking him senseless. Then Atho!
ran back to the trenches. got a coil O
| wire, bound his prisoner and carried
him on his shoulder into our trench
For this he was made a lieutenant ant
given a reward of $30 He spent tn
reward for a feast for his men,
| RAIDER said that there are only Il
men left in his regiment of the Forelgl
Legion Of a total of l.5O0 when it wen
into service.
He says that it was possible to wall
to n point l25 miles distant withou
lleaving the trenches.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
THE RING OF STEEL

Much more important than the
opening of the Won Tirpitz pro-
gram of ravaging the high seas with
submarines is the explanation of the
British foreign Office as to why the
Wilhelmina, an American vessel,
must go to prize court.
The submarines are not really try
ing to do anything more in the Won
Tirpitz war zone than they have
been trying to do all along anywhere
and everywhere. They always had
right to drive British and French
shipping off the seas if they could
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
Virginia Hard Hit by
Forest Fires in 1914

More than half of all forest fires in
the Eastern forest lands during 1914 oc-
CURED in Virginia. according to figures
prepared by the Forest Service of the
Department OF Agriculture.
There were Il total of SOB fires in the
White Mountains and the Southern APP
palachiaus Three hundred and nine
teen. or 60 per cent, were caused by
locomotive sparks. Two hundred and
sevclty-tWu lire5 occurred in Virginia ot
which 227 were started by locomotive
sparks.
The Washington times., 1915-02-20
First Glass Girl Scout
Badge to Be Presented

A rally Of all the Girl Scouts in Wash
ington will be held al the Church of the
Epiphany at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon
when Miss Eleanor Outski will receive a
First Class Girl Scout badge, the first
to be awarded in Washington
The award will be made by Edgar S.
Martin Boy Scout commissioner, and
supervisor Of play grounds for the Dis
trict. Miss Clara Neal. national secre-
tary Of tho Girl Scouts. will preside.