davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06

cuiary exasperatlng to the private
shipping and ship building interests Is
that the war In Europe presented them
with Legitimate opportunity to engage
probably in Atlantic transportation
and the ship purchase bill has com
PEELED them to forego II.
Soon after the war began the British
ship building industry found Itself in
sore need OF men and materials and
could not All the orders that poured IN.
The demand for Atlantic cargo ships
could not be met. II an American eX-
porter went into the market for n
tramp steamer he was lucky to charter
one in the year 1915, and II he could
find a ship dlsengaged the price he
would haye to pay for II seemed extor-
! tionate. SO scarce were ships and so
| high were freight rates that American
builders calculated that II the war were
to last until the middle Of 1915 an
American built ship would earn her
first cost in the foreign trade. and that
was releas ed at the end Of the war and
! the old stress Of Atlantic competition
| had to he faced they could use their
new ships In the Goa stwise trade under
enrolment.
1t was certainly a grand opportunity.
There had been nothing like II since the
old flush days Of American supremacy
in merchant shipping. For the first
! time in more than generation the do
nestle yards could turn out ships as
cheaply as the British, and the ship
could be manned and operated ut n
handsome profit. But the opportunity
might not last long. Elaborate plans
were made 10 take advantage Of II and
capital was provided. when the Admin
istratlOn under some malign influence
decided to go into the carrying trnde
and regulate rates. II was, indeed. -
reversal Of the natural order Of things
10 quote Mr. WILSON. and he did not
seem to understand the perverseness "
his rea soning that the routes OF trade
must be actually opened, by many ships
and regular salllngs and moderate
charges before streams Of merchandise
will flow freely and proftahly through
them"
The ship building and shipping inter
ests were getting ready to open those
trade routes with free ships and take
all the merchandise offered for trans
portation when the Presidents Govern
ment ship purchase bill was put for
ward, in the guise Of n benefaction, "a
blast a meritorious and legitimate en-
terprse There was no more planning
to revive American shipping. The field
was abandoned to the Government
since there could I've no competition
with the Government. Nothing more
economically vicious was ever proposed
at Washington, and If the unwelcome
measure is "jnmmed through" Congress
a day Of reckoning will come with dis
astrous results TO all concerned. The
blow will fall with cumulative effect
upon what is left Of the American ship
ping industry.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
Now May city Hall Have Rest?

City Hall has finally been restored 10
plans OF Its architect There has been
commendable tearing out OF the in
trusive contributions Of the years that
have interviewed since the building was
opened for occupancy, and where the
working drawings of the structure have
been available they have been followed
closely. Consequently this restoration
does not signify the dismal process the
word usually describes. and the town
has every right to be proud of what has
been accomplished.
To the public spirit and good taste Of
Mrs SAGE the initiative in this whole.
some enterprise may fairly he credited.
Others saw the desirahility Of the re-
| construction she put into operation and
assisted her in pushing the scheme, hut
II was her idea TO make the Governors
room what it was when the building
was erected that gave form and body
! to the movement, II has taken several
years TO complete the necessary changes,
but the time has been well spent
Having done this the town should
now insist that the building be main
tanned as IL is For generations it has
been the practice to alter 1t TO accom-
modate the fnncies NJ each incoming
administration. To this habit IL to be
attributed the DETACHMENT and conceal
ment OF its interior beauties Now that
they are again visible City Hall de.
serves to he let alone.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06

ing element seems about to materiallze,
the motive to appear.
At last the truth. The woman her
self had been previously married, and
had gone through the divorce court be-
lieying II the way TO her own true hap
piness and that OF the trlgamist. Let
no one cast that first stone. Who knows
the mind Of the man or Of the woman
Who Of mortal men shall Judge the
quality Of their acts?
Hut the trail OF the ease: one man
robbed Of a home, one woman, SEEM
ingly not hurt, married and divorced
another the legal WIFE FRUSTRATED with
grief or wounded pride or both; an
other woman dying, two children dead
and the neXus Of the melancholy com
plication. the man who spun this web
Of suffering and sorrow what OF him
The woman in the hospital-what Of
her? There Is gull before the law, and
greater guilt before that Higher Court
whose judgments are uncrring.
The tragedies Of the worlds "grea
white ways' are wretchedly simple ;
PEOPLE dismiss them with Il shrug and
n single expressive expletlve: Earned"
They are amentable. but some folks
seem born to "go wrong" fOtsam on n
troubled sea. But this is a chapter In
another book.
People need lessons" and in their
hidden hearts they want them. Set
aside the Unborn. nearly universe pas
sion for uttering judgment; let neither
ympathy nor censure obscure the moral
vision: and say II in this wretched
tangle there Is not the most moving
demonstration ~ the wisdom of stand
ing by n mistake once made unless n
lawful, decent and honorable way ouI
is available Of paying for your own
mistakes instead Of assigning the debt
to others. The virtue Of ten thousand
sermons has been compressed into thi'
newspaper STORY" printed one day t'
be forgotten the next.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
FEW WAR POLICIES PAID HERE
Biz Life Insurance Companies Pro-
tected Against HEAVY Losses.

Reports from Paris indicate that Amer
lean Insurance companies have been pay
ing out large sums on policies held hy
soldiers killed i'm the war. Most of the big
insurance companies do an extensive bus
ness In the European countries and the'
might he expected 10 have been hard MT
by claims from relatives Of men slain In
battle.
Officers OF three Of the big cnmpane s
I'm this city assert nevertheless, that no
unusual pressure has resulted from the
European conflict The Equitable l.ite As
surance Company does not In any cir
cumstances issue insurance policies 20 sol
oilers or reseryists, and consequently there
has been no abnormal Increase In the
number of pol cies presented for paymer'
Since the war began, and In view Of M"
possibility that every male citizen capable
OF bearing arms may he forced into II, the
company has been writing policies at 10
per cent. extra premium
The Mutual Life Insurance Company
has done no business In any OF the Euro
pean countries except England and Rel
GUM for several years. II was said yes
terday that up TO the present time only
one claim has been presented. Since ne
outbreak of the war no policies are beng
written In England or Belgium
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Com
pany also does big business in Europe
but to date only two claims have been
presented FOR soldiers killed In the war
One OF these has been paid and the other
In In course of adjustment
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06

Except for the six weeks that inter
veneh between October "a and Deccm-
Der 7 the Congress has been in session
without interruption since April I, 1917,
or practically throughout the whole NJ
President WILSON'S term TO date. II
has established record for length Of
session. and has tested thoroughly the
endurance of the country. when the
short session began 1t was hoped that
March would bring rest for legls.
latOrs aud nation until the constltu.
tiOnal meeting of the SiXty-fourth Con
grrss next December. hut that happy
prospect is fading.
Every day brings from Washington
now and fear Inspiring reports of the
inability of the lawmakers to complies
the Presidential programme. Even
without general legislation there Is not
too much time for the appropriation
bills, aud of general legislation there is
an appalling amount. ship purcha ~
and opera lion, rural credits, some new
laws TO improve the already thrice per
fected antitrust statutes, the Philippine
bill; Il mere catalogue OF the various
enterprises. many Of them highly con
troverslal. on which the Administration
after n year and II half of steady grind
ing, Is still engaged would al a good
sized book. And to add 10 the con
gestion the majority has pretty pat
ronasc fight within its ranks and q
skilful minority is laying the foundation
for u tilbustcr in The Senate.
In Mr.. TAFT's term Congress was II
session 935 days, Mr. ROOSEVELT In hi
second term had the lawmakers witi
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
COCKTAILS DOESN'T
FEAR CANAL SLIDES
Optimistic Over Naval Pageant
Plans in Testifying Before
House Committee.
CANAL DEFENCES PRAISED

WASH NGrON, Jan. 5.--Col. Goethals
seems to he optimistic over conditions
in the Canal Zone. even in regard to the
slides. He is also pleased with the canal
defences.
In testifying to-day before the House
Committee on Appropriations Col. Goeth-
ais was closely questioned relative to the
recent slides In the Culebra Cut These
slides, according to Col. Cocktails, are
still in progress lie was unable to say
how long they will continue.
lie said dredges work twenty hours
n day to maintain a width OF channel OF
100 feet and depth of So feet. Col
Goethais added that by this means the
waterway could be kept open to tratiic
While he would make no prediction about
the slides he seemed TO be optimistic over
the situation generally In the Canal
Zone.
The Colonel was asked specifically II he
thought there would he any difficulty IN
putting the battieship fleet through 10 the
Pacific ia March when IL Is planned to
transfer the fleet Incident to the celebra-
ton OF the Panama Exposition at san
Francisco
Col. Goethals would not commit him
self on this point, but he gave the i'm
preston that he had not entirely given up
hope OF carrying out the contemplated
naval demonstration.
The house committee was also told
to-day that the Panama Canal i ade-
quately fortified and that II II prac-
tlcally impossible for q hostile fleet 10
| destroy the works on either side OF the
waterway This testimony was given
not only by Col. Cocktails. but by Gen.
| Weaver, chief OF coast artillery, ana
! 81 ahfaf nf ordnance
II was brought out In the hearing that
| 90 far the Government has expended
sl2O50 600 on the fortihcations OF the
canal and that 81, 100000 additional VIII
he expended In the fiscal year beginning
July I next
| Gems Weaver and Crozier was held be-
| mind closed doors n member OF the com
! mittee said Il was the opinion OF eN'
! netts that Il would be extremely hhz'
/ ardous for n hostile fleet TO get withlr
range OF the guns at either end OF tne
canal. Y. =.
| Col Goethals appeared primarily 70
| discuss the estimates OF the amount oi
| money that will be needed To cohtlhut
work on the Canal Zone In the new hsca
! wear Gems Weaver and CroZier ap'
! neared to 20 over the estimates or tins
appropriations desired for fofthcatlons a,
| Panama and elsewhere In the United
States and its possessions
As a result OF the recent agitation toi
larger appropriations for purposes OF de-
fence Gems. Weaver and Crozier were
closely questioned as TO the effectiveness
OF the tortifications on the Atlantic ant
Pacific terminals of the canal.
They testified that the defences were II
the highest state OF effectiveness and tool
occasion to say that Congress had in
variably allowed appropriations for thu
annual estimates submitted by the Score
tary OF War.
II was brought out that the defences o
Panama consist OF IL inch. IL inch ant
8 inch guns and one 10 inch gun, whici
will be soon ready for action. In add
ton there are field howitzers to defen'
the canal In case OF attacks by land
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
NAVY TO DECIDE ON CANAL TRIP
Goetbals Says water Fell seven
Feet In One Day.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 5--The Navy De-
partment will have TO make the final de-
Csion about sending it's dreadnoughts
through the Panama Canal next March on
the ocoa sion OF the proposed official cele-
br.tion OF the completion Of the waterway,
II was learned here to-day. Canal and
War Department authorities, aided by Col.
Cocktails. intend 10 place In the hands or
the Navy Department full information
about the conditions In Culebra Cut. where
the continued movement OF earth IL a
serious menace to the narrow channel
cleared past the slides.
The naval vessels will require a depth
OF at least thlrty-fve feet IN the channel
in Culebra Cut The merchant vessels
can use the waterway even when the full
depth OF thirty-dve feet does not exist,
than n would he in the case of the
drea thoughts attempting the passage
under the present uncertain conditions.
Col Cocktails told Secretary Garrison
that one morning he had depth OF
thirty-fve feet in the channe! psf the
slides, but that at shutdown there was
only twenty-eight feet, and that there
was no telling when this might happen
again.
While il Is believed that the chances
are good Of the vessels escaping beng
caught in a slide, II liz felt here that moth
ing short OF an emergency would really
Justify the hazard until conditions are
improved,
The Navy Department will defer de-
Gliding the matter until the latest pos
sible moment.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
The Deep and Cumming Cat.

To THE EDITOR or THE SUN-Sr. IN.
y. Jr.," is hard on cats, He says cats
transmit ringworm, tapeworm, diphtherla
and para typhoid fever, to say nothing OF
rabies and blood poisoning. So a cat
to him In rot harmless" and necessary
as Shakespeare averred.
! must confess to solemn awe OF
cats. | suppose cat might do almost
anything, even breed disease, but | find
1t a little fllppant to speak of "a harmless
necessary cat" Unless appearances belle
IL there Is a great deal of inner wisdom
hidden away in cat. Cats are deep
they are not given to light chatter and
irrelevancy as are dogs. dog Is a
Philistine. n bonehead but a eat Is an
esthete and a Joy, a model Of Aurelian
contentment and Aristotelian balance.
| have made the acquaintance of two
excellent cats who live below stairs in the
kitchen They have all the inherent vir-
tues of cats and they are good mousers.
WATSON WHITE
New York, January 5.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
GERMAN SEAMEN IN WANT.
Thrown out of Jobs ny War In
Europe.

The Rev. Macmillan Pinkert, who takes
care OF German seamen at the Seamen's
Church Institute, % South street. has
his hands full these days looking after
the interests of seamen stranded because
of the war. He said yesterday that he
cause there were no German ships sailing
hundreds of German sailors were out OF
work. Self-respecting men who had never
accepted charity in their lives have told
him tearfu.ly that they would have 10
beg in order not to starvc.
There are hundreds Of German sea-
men," tho clergyman said, who would
gladly accept work for little or no pay
ment except food and roof to shelter
them at night. Their clothing and hoes
are hardly nj for human beings to wear
For several months they have been with
out homes and some OF them live mostly
on bananas they receive from fruit steam.
ships they assist in unloading, | should
highly appreciate gifts or employment for
the unfortunate men forced out OF work
through no fault OF their own"
Mr.. Pinkert may be reached at the
Seamens Church Institute.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
As the Sowing Was. SO Shall the
RcapIng Be.

Man Graves tragedy, and Is frequently
deceived by the pseudo-traglc. The
moral essence of tragedy is not tempta-
II deliberately yielding, strong as Satan
in Its defiance of the snug worlds cen
sure and ready 10 take the conse-
quences" in fair trade. Fate has lost
ground in human affairs since rs
CHYLUs. There Is no inevltability Of
penalty paying for violations of what is
loosely called the moral law and might
better he denoted the moral force that
permeates the universal constitution
Some who sin suffer vlsiby; many get
on seemingly scot free for the little
fox conscience snuggles unseen and
gnaws his victims vItals without pub
licity. Perhaps the good carry more
Of this worlds overt troubles than the
"bad" have to bear.
A ease" gets into the newspa pers
and attracts attention widely overlap
ping the boundaries Of sensa tionalism
it's apparent content OF the sincere
milk of human experience" comments
Il to the thoughtful consideration or th'
unromantlc. mother has poisoned
herself aud her two babies. Their
father is another woman's husband, dl
yorced from third woman willing t
make him happy. The man has beer
keeping up two homes, each in appear
ance cOnvcntlonally orthodox; one %
them hers 1t looks like plot for thu
novelist: rather deficient in stress 70
the purposes OF the dramatist. Judg
mept is deferred, for there Is no logi
OF homicide and suicide I'm the super
fcies OF the story; there must be hid
den factors.
The woman's part in the history dc
Eelops. She has been waiting for tn
man 10 get his second divorce, max
her legally his wife and give their ittl
son and daughter proper place in lif'
Where Is mention Of money, debt, g
reported, to the lawful wife The miss
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN--Sr: Your
rendering of "Arcades ambo" as two Of
a kind" Ia all right except that It leaves
out the literary and sentimental assO-
ciation OF the words. and In this view II
is hardly n translation at all. The words
have been variously rendered, "herdsmen
both" "innocents both" "rustics both"
musicians both and by Byron black
guards both" which is one OF the best Of
all renderings, provided you know your
Byron well. There Is nothing in Byron's
writings more characteristic than BLACK
guards both" and In truth II Is not 50 far
out as might he supposed. Virgil's yokels
knew a good deal about some things
Really the hest rendering IL that which 10
most obvious. "Arcadisns both" This Is
a true translation and preserves the asso-
Citations OF the words. which are somewhat
extended and always pleasing. | am In
clned to believe that the sense meant to
be conveyed Is musicians both" but by
allowing the words to stand as Virgil
wrote them the reader puts his own in
depreciation upon them, which cannot he
far wrong. THrRsls'
GUTHRIE, okla, January g.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
Cuiebra "

From the Spanish. English Dictionary
Of the estimable Professor MARIANo
vELAzoUEz M LA CADENA We copy this
somewhat sinister definition:
.Culebra tcoo-lay' brazil T. l. Snake.
? Trick, fun. Joke. 3. The worm. spiral
part OF a stll. 4 Disorder. confusion
suddenly made by a few in peaceful
assembly. 'sabe mas que las culebras'
(CollD. He is very crafty and cunning.
'Culebra de cascabel. a rattlesnake.'
Is 1t a snake in it's venomous and
treacherous habit of unexpected strlk-
ing? Is it joke on the American pep
pie who have spent a hundred millions
or so to conquer It? Is II the worm
that turns at last upon the persistent
aggressor? Is 1t the creator Of sudden
disorder in the programme for the
peaceful celebration Of a great historic
event: or. perchance. of sudden confu-
sion in the war plans of naval strategy
M some crisis in the nations fortunes
Is the very crafty and cunning Culebra
cut In the Panama Canal one or all II
these things?
Certainly, Cuebra Is the heel Of
ACHILLES in the anatomy Of our inter
oceanic waterway, that engineering tr!-
umph Of all the ages. In the vast
achievement which has overcome nature
and pierced the continental divide and
Joined the waters of the Atlantic with
those Of the Pacific Culebra II the one
member still vulnerable to natures re
priSais. And the wound TO Culebra Is
paralysis of the entire canal.
A few men really know, and con
siderable number in Congress and else
where are beginning to suspect the truth
Colonel COCKTAILS undoubtedly knows
Colonel GAILLARD. who gave his valua
bic life in struggle with the craft ant
cunning Of the creature, knew only toe
well where the trouble lay and wha
the symptoms portended.
We wonder whether any definite pur
pose of patriotic or governmental ex
pedlence is served by continuing to liz
more officially and blink optlmisticall!
the geological mystery that lies not OF
the banks of the great Culebra cut bu
buried profoundly behind It's slopes. 70
1t Is not question OF superficial land
slides and the limit of the possibiltle
thereof. and the mocha meal methods o
prevention, hut Of underlying strata ant
faults Of formation the extent OF whicl
is at present an unknown factor in tn
canals future.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
RECORD HEALTH IN NEW YEAR
Greatest Danger From Pneumonia
In First Week of 1918.

The city opened tho new year auspi-
ciously by having a lower death rate for
the week just passed than the correspond
ing week OF 1914. which was also a
record. According to a Health Depart
ment report, the rate for the two weeks
under comparison was 1880 and lAt3
respectively, which was equivalent to a
decrease Of fourteen deaths,
Although the rate in general fell on
there was large rise in the number
of deaths due to pneumonia. There
were 277 deaths from this disease reported
during the week, as against 22J for the
similar period ~ last year.
Tho total number OF deaths from in
fictitious and contagious diseases, measles,
scarlet fever diphtheria and Group,
whooping cough. typhoid fever, cerebro-
spinal meningitis and diarrhmsl diseases
was considerably below that oi last year.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
sailing Directions for Baltic Ports.

TO THE EniTOR or THE SuN--Sir, Great
Britain has laid much stress upon the ne
cessity OF ships going through the English
Channel and thus under charge of compe-
tent pilots, escaping the mines on their
way into the Baltic. II requires Captain
Cutie to appreciate the humor of this
For by going north OF the Shetlands, the
natural and shortest course from New
York, one may carry depths Of $50
fathoms through the Skager Rak until
reaching tho narrow waters OF the Katie
gat between Denmark and Sweden, whore
Of course no mines can he laid As mines
cannot he anchored successfully in depths
Of over $50 feet and the depths on the
route mentioned are at least six times
that, II In obvious that the danger il all
In my eye" and the advice given pour
rire." MARINER-
Nsw BEproRp, M-ss,, January .,