davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening journal., 1915-01-16
Search of American Ships
lFrom the Washlngton Postl

A valued subscriber of The Post,
signing himself Seventy has in
uuired where and how and when did
Great Britain acquire the legal right
to stop and examine vessels flying the
flag of the United States upon the
high seas2'
This is a right which is conceded in
time of war TO every belligerent ma
ton. The United States, if at war,
has an equal right to stop and search
British vessels. and it has always eX-
ercised the right.
Seventy Six" apparently was
thinking of interference by Great
Britain with American shipping in
time of peace. The right of search
during time of peace is a very re-
stricted right being confined sub
stantially to the search of vessels sus-
pectod of piracy or of carrying on
the slave trade. The United States
has no quarrel with Great Britain
during times of peace. There is no
charge that Great Britain has inter-
fered with American commerce in
time of peace.
I'm time of war "the right OF visit
ing and searching merchant ships
upon the high whatever be the
ships, whatever be the cargoes, what
ever be the destinations-is an incon-
testable right of the lawfully commits
stoned cruisers of "a belligerent ma
ton" Is the statement of the general
principle laid down in the case Of
the Maria no / c. Rob. $40, S59),
decided by the British judge, Sir w
Evening journal., 1915-01-16

Two hundred million dollars. ac-
cording to a calculation made by the
Department of Agriculture. is the
amount which the South spends
every year il. the purchase Of agri-
cultural products. The amount
charged to Texas on this score is
S52.251 900. In other words, it takes
1.OOO.OOO bales of cotton to pay for
the food and feedstuns which Texas
alone imports. Still, in other words.
it takes about one-fourth the Texas
cotton crop TO pay for the agricul-
tural products which Texas buys
abroad.
If Il cost us more to grow the
agricultural products which we im-
port than we can get them for from
other growers. this fact would hardly
be worth comment Buying is the
sensible method of getting when the
purchase price is less than the cost
OF home production. But it will
hardly be contonded by any one th5u
Texas can not grow wheat, corn
oats and hay as economically as /
car buy them. and these, IL appears
are the commodities for the pur
chase Of which we spend one-fourti
of onr cotton crop. We can grow
these crops. even by the slovonl.
methods in vogue. at less cost thar
the price we have TO pay. while IL i
probable that If we should ref0rr
Evening journal., 1915-01-16
Spirit of the Delmarvia Press

feature to the administration-that OF
economy. As Governor Of the State, he
has announced a policy of business
methods as applied to public affairs. The
condition Of the State finances has been
presented to the members so that they
can see just what the resources are.
This information, an innovation in it.
self, serves as a check on reckless APP
propriations Far too often in the past,
money has been voted without any idea
whether the State could afford it or not.
Under the present scheme, it becomes a
matter of plain everyday business. The
result can only be estimated A pre-
cedent will be established that will be
unpopular as well as unwise 20 break.
These prominent features are, how
ever, only a small part of the message.
The topics discussed show interest and
detailed information of affairs in all
sections throughout the State. There
/ is not semblance of sectionalism in the
whole address. 1t is truly a State docu-
ment. No message in our recollection
has been received with so much generous
applause by the newspapers. Void OF
party partisanship, it has been accepted
/ bv the commonsense of the State as
worthy of more than ordinary consid-
Grafton The keynote of the address is
service. The members of the General
Assembly will do well to consider, SER
iouslv its recommendations and do their
part in projecting the legislation as out
/ lined
Evening journal., 1915-01-16
Can This be So?
From the New York Sun

Mr.. Bartholdt was born in Ger
many and is a Republican. Mr.. Voll-
mer was born in Iowa and is a De-
mocrat Mr. Bartholdt is a minority
member of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs. Mr.. Vollmer is a member Of
the Committee on Expenditures in
the State Department, but has no
other assignment nearer to the field
OF diplomacy II the foregoing re-
port is true the conference" between
these legislators and the German
Ambassador on the question of Ger
manys attitude toward the shipment
OF war supplies from the United
States to the Allies is one of the
strangest events in the history of
our Government.
Since when has it been considered
fitting for Congressman to seek the
advice and views of representatives
of foreign Governments on pending
legislation; or, for that matter, to
seek official information of any sort
from foreign Ambassadors or Minis
ters. except Indirectly and properly
through the Department of State?
Evening journal., 1915-01-16

Scott
Judge Story, of the Supreme Court
of the United States, in the case Of
the Mariana Flora (NO. II Wheat.
-, held that the right of visiting and
searching merchant ships upon the
high seas is allowed by the general
consent of nations in the time of war,
and limited to those occasions"
The position thus taken by Great
Britain and the United States is ac-
cepted by all civilized nations The
Supreme Court of the United States
has often passed upon this point.
A neutral merchant vessel should
submit to visitation and search by a
warship of a belligerent. If it resists
by force the legitimate exercise of the
right of stoppage, visit, and search,
and capture. such resistance involves
in all cases the condemnation of the
vessel.
II is not the right of search against
which the United States protests.
is the abuse Of this right-the undue
and unnecessary exercise of the right,
as in cases where American vessels
are carrying innocent goods to a neu-
tral port, or in cases where the vessel
is detained too long, or taken into
port for a long and tedious search
causing loss TO the owners Of vessel
and cargo. The United States also
protests against Great Britain's aci
in declaring many articles to be con-
traband which heretofore have al
ways been regarded as innocent ar
ticles Of peaceful commerce.
Evening journal., 1915-01-16
CONTROL on RuRAL scnOOLs.

view OF the present intense interest in educational
uplift in this State and the agitation in favor
Of consolidating and grading rural schools many
OF the bulletins being by the United states
Bureau Of Education of interest and value in shap
ing public opinion. In just issued the Bgroau
recommends county control Of education except for
New England where It asserts the township plan
works admirably I'm other sections the Bureau holds,
county control important factor in the improve
ment Of rural schools.
According to A. C. Monahan author OF bulletin
just issued the county the unit of supervision in at
least thiry-nine States Of the Union and some form
o county control of schools is found in eighteen
states. Comparing county control with district and
township control the county unit to have most
% commend IT," says the bulletin although the dis
irict unit IS str the most common form Of control
Tor the country at large The district unit of organ
zation is in practice in twenty-eight States.
Mr. Monahans Investigation shows that county con
troll has been adopted by the Southern States
while the district is the unit Of organization in most
Of the states west Of the Mississippi river
In the New England States, whore cities and incor-
porated towns are included In the township and
where the township is the unit Of local taxation and
ocal government in nearly all civil affairs township
control has proved very satisfactory"
Where conditions not exceptional as in New Eng
and lIr. Monaghan finds that county control recon-
itself # is already the unit Of super
vision in most Of the Staes gives schools bet
Ter support by giving entire county the benefit o
paid by corporations such railroads; it gives
the schools better teachers with better salaries, ye
The schools run economically; it remove.
Inc scAo- from unwise local Influences and gives op
portuny for the selection of teachers from a wdei
range and upon their merits; niecis business int
the management OF the schools; with t'
grind. no favoros TO reward. a small board for al
schools Of the county provides the best possible schools
Tor ali the children
Evening journal., 1915-01-16

would stop. private competition hav-
ing been killed Off That Is the
great fault of the Wilson scheme. 1t
would not spend a dollar out of the
Treasury to encourage the private
investor 10 spend four or five dol
lars. It would simply use the gov
capital out of the ocean carrying
trade.
The special committee naturally
prefers some plan which will bring
the government and the private in
vestor into helpful cooperation. T.
suggests that the government create
a fund to guarantee the bonds Of
American shipping companies which
put new vessels into commission.
That is a form Of Treasury aid SINH
lar in character TO subventions, sub
sides and the other devices through
which other countries have stimu-
lated the growth of their merchant
marines. But any form Of aid in
wolves financial assistance, and there
is no difference in results between
taking money out of the Treasury 20
ala private shipping ventures and
running government vessels at a
loss and then charging the deficit to
the taxpayers.
The South American trade would
be helped, the special committee says,
by amending the ocean mail law 50
as to allow "a a mile to vessels of
sixteen knots as well as to those OF
twenty knots and 50 a mile to all
vessels making twelve knots. These
changes have been several times ad-
,ocated in The Tribune. but Congress
would never sanction them.
If we are to get anywhere in re-
creating an American merchant mar
inc we must build on what we have
and stick to the general theory Of
government aid. not government
monopoly National ownership might
be tolerable as a means of starting
one or two new lines to South Ameri-
ca for use after trade conditions in
South America become more nor
nal. But national ownership on a
big scale would cost more than It Is
worth and would leave us eventually
worse off as a maritime nation than
we now are.
Evening journal., 1915-01-16
Selling Cotton and Buying Everything
Else
Else
lFrom the Galveston Newsl /.

our methods of cultivation to the
degree that they may be reformed, we
could cut the cost of production in
two. BY buying these things abroad.
we are taxed for at least three or
four profits, and on top of that we
are made to pay a huge freight bill.
This s52,251.O 900 which Texas sends
away from home every year to buy
things which 1t could produce more
cheaply at home does not make the
full measure of our folly, for it takes
no account of other things which we
could as economically provide for
ourselves. We import hams. bacon
and lard. for example, and fruits and
vegetables, both in fresh and pre-
served states, to say nothing of dairy
products.
The cost of these things. plus the
cost Of the wheat, oats, corn and hay
/ that we buy, make tax on the cot
I ton growing industry, an item in the
expense Of growing 1t. and II il .Ds
subtracted from the amount we gel
for our cotton crop. it will be seen
that the profits Of cotton growing
as virtually an exclusive industry. ar,
very much less than is popularl,
/ supposed. II is subject to a charge
that probably amounts to $50 a bale
( The bookkeeping that does not as
sess that charge to cotton CROWNS
enters a liability on the asset sid,
Of the account and buoys Us with
false sense ol sOlvency.
Evening journal., 1915-01-16
The Trouble With fhe Government Owner
ship Shipping Bill
lFrom the New York Trlbunel.

The report of the Chamber of Com
merce's Special Committee on the
American Merchant Marine I'm the
Foreign Trade, presented yesterday,
met with opposition and was referred
back TO the committee for further
consideration. This is not surpris-
ing, since the report contained some
recommendations which on account
of their novelty need to be more gen
orally discussed Public opinion is
still much confused on the question
of recrcating an adequate American
merchant marine We are cropping
along, just as we groped along for
many years on the subject of cur
rency reform. There is no powerful
popular sentiment concentrated be-
hind any of the relief plans now un-
der debate Congress would un-
doubtedly have done something moro
al the last session than pass a bill
admitting foreign built ships TO
American registry If it had any clear
idea of what the country expected 70
to do
The special committees report Of
fqrs some suggestions for government
aid In rebuilding a satisfactory mcT-
chant marine. To clear the way for
these it announces it's absolute oppo-
sition to President Wilson's govern
ment purchase and operation meas
ure. In that. we believe, il reflects
the nearly unanimous sentiment OF
the commercial bodies of the coun-
try These bodies realize that a re-
stored merchant marine. must rest
on a broader economic basis than
government ownership. II must be a
growth in which the business world
itself has vital interest. The entry
of the government into this field as
an owner and operator would prac-
tically limit the development of the
merchant marine to the extent of the
governments participation. Private
enterprise would be frozen out in
stead of being encouraged to take a
hand in the restoration.
What the United States hopes 20
get is a real deep sea service of its
own, such as it used to have But
the government would be reluctant
to go beyond a minimum limit of
investment. There development
Evening journal., 1915-01-16
What Business Freedom Means
(From the New York SUM

One of President Wilson's favorite
phrases is setting business free" As
he conceives the mission of the De
mocratic party under his Administra-
ton, it has been the emancipation OF
economic enterprise in the United
States. In some of his more fervid
rhetorical moments he has proclaim
ed again and again that I'VE" allud-
ing to Congress and himself or him
self and Congress, have freed busi-
ness"
There will be two opinions about
this, but there ought to be no differ
ence of opinion about the splendid
opportunity which offers to set the
American shipping business free.
Once the country had a shipping in
dustry which filled the ports of all
the world. The American merchant
marine was a just cause of american
pride. That marine has all but gone.
and although the chance presented
by the European war is the chance
Of the countrys lifetime, the Wilson
Administration not only proposes to
do nothing which would release
American energy and ambition TO as
eNAt Nh'ih'NAfNn III Ali' ottan 'oA
Ing trade, it proposes to do something
which would make it impossible for
our shipping industry to regain its
lost laurels.
In his recent annual message the
President said:
ITO correct the many mistakes by
which we have discouraged and all
but destroyed the merchant marine
of the country, to retrace the steps
by which we have, It seems almost
deliberately. withdraw our flag from
the seas, except where, here and
there. ship of war is hidden carry
il OF some wandering yacht displays
IT, would take a long time and in
'olye many detailed items of legisla-
tion. and the trade which we ought
Immediately to handle would disap-
pear or find other channels while
VIC debated the items"
Can anybody look about him and
believe that statement after seeing
what is going on in our CONNIE 're
aid finance? Our foreign trade IS
fast attaining new record aggre-
gates. In the six weeks to January
there was an average export bal
ance of S23, ,666,000 a week. This is
81 the rate of $1,237, 100000 a yea,
and the results so far achieved have
beer accomplished by private enter
prise, by American business withou!
Evening journal., 1915-01-16

Reports Of conferences" between
the diplomatic representatives of the
German Emperor at Washington and
members Of the House of Represen-
tatives continue to appear from timo
to time. For example. the New York
Times of Tuesday contained the
following, under date of Washington,
January II:
"An effort to obtain from the Ger
man Ambassador "A definite statement
of Germany's attitude toward the
shipment OF war supplies from the
United States 10 the Allies was made
tonight by hepresentatives Bartholdt
of Missouri and Vollmer of Iowa.
"The two Ccngressmen. who are
authors of pending resolutions to
prohibit such expectations, called at
the Embassy and conferred with
Count Bernstord Later Mr. Barth-
oldt said that nothing could be men
toned ON the position of the German
Government but that a statement
might be expected later. either
through the Embassy or from the
Foreign Office direct"
Evening journal., 1915-01-16

the least adulteration Of any gov
ernmental content
Accompanying this development
the~a has come about a wonderful
change in the International money
market. Today the American banke-
has practical contro of the foreign
exchanges and is preparing to set
up New York in competition with
London as worll financial centre.
Dollar exchange has still some way
TO go to become 2 generally accen-
tea international measure OF values,
but the bill of exchange on New York
may dispute supremacy with the
sterling bill on London.
To the extent that this is the fln-
anciai consequence of the larger lib
ertie1 conferred On our bankers By
the Federal Reserve act, the Admin
istration can be credited with hav-
ing set business free, but II will be
noticed that freedom has not meant
Government banking. The works Of
freedom just reviewed represent the
operations of private enterprise.
If the Government is launched in
the shipping industry by the estao-
lishment Of a Government merchant
marine the American shipping husi-
ness will not be freed; it will he
put in heavier irons. This is as Ger
tain as the taxes which have been
increasing in the Wilson regime.
The possibilities of growth Of
Government merchant navy will lie
strictly limited by the wholly artif-
cial character of the undertaking.
The experiment will prevent private
capital and effort from engaging in
shipping ventures. and when the gov
ernmental mistake is publicly recog-
nized it Will be too late. The oppor-
tunity Of which advantage might now
be taken to foster the creation Of a
great American merchant feet will
have passed away. probably forever.
/ All that we shall have to show for
/ IL will be the Government merchant
/ ships selling at their junk price and
pile of Government bonds issued
to pay for the initial cost of the Gov
! ernment feet and fund the deficit left
/ By operating costs. Yet If American
! business were to be set free by a
! prompt removal of the shipping trade
/ shackles' described in the Presidents
annual message, what vast employ
ment for American brains, labor and
capital is assured by the exhibit
/ which the facts of our external com
merce and the figures of our foreign
! exchange are now makingl
Evening journal., 1915-01-16
With The Paragraphers

Richard Garfield New Yorks premier gambler. left
an estate OF 81 O00 Of the contributions came
from those who could afford e.; some represented
wrecked lives-Duluth News-Tribune
The British Government agrees with the Washing
ton Government that commerce between neutral coun-
tries should not interfered with except when
sary but there seems 10 be difference of opin-
ion as TO how far necessity extends in such There's
the rub.-Norfolk Vrgnian-Pio
n the United States adopts general policy of CO
operation with South America encouraging co-opera-
tive selling banking and credit facilities and doing at
least part OF what Europe formerly did for the South
American countries, this nation will eventually re-
place Europe those countries If this country
y sits back and waits for the game 10 drop into its
lap it is doomed TO disappontment.-Wash Post
Evening journal., 1915-01-16
SMYRNA AND ELECTRIC METERS
From the SMYRNA Times.

From the smyrna Times.
Authority was given at meeting
of Council Friday evening for all
homes and business places using cleo
trio current and not already on a
meter. TO be put on a meter as soon
as practicable. This will mean the
purchase of some 10 meters by the
town and will do away with the fat
rate system which has been In vogue
since the electric light plant was in
stalled. Owing to Town Council be-
ing unable to control the sale Of
lamps, to say nothing of the abused
privilege taken advantage OF in a
fiat rate system. members of Coun-
Gil deemed il wise for the good OF
the town, to have all electric lights
OF a meter, the consumer to pay for
what he used over and above a mini
mum bill Of 81 per month. The
minimum bill heretofore has been
S1.50 per month, and in lowering the
price, Council wants to make 1t In
ducing for every taker to keep on
using the current The meter rate
will continue the same, s cents per
thousand watts.
Evening journal., 1915-01-16
SATURDAY JAN. I6. 1915
BRYAN AND DOMINICAN rATRONAeE.

nREsIDENT WILSON'S investigation Of the Domini-
4 diplomatic scandal has involved Secretary
Of State Bryan in way that perhaps not
tempated when the investigation was begun. Walker
Whiting Wick who formerly Receiver Of Customs
in santo Domingo placed upon the of spe-
cal Commissioner James ID Phelen ,he following let
ter which Secretary Bryan sent to him in August
1913:
Department of State Washington August 20, 1913.
Hon. Walker W Wick, santo Domingo d. r.
MY dear Mr. Wick; Now that you have arrived and
acquainting yourself with the situation you let
me know what positions you have at your disposal with
which to reward deserving DemOcratsl Whenever you
desire suggestion from me IN regard TO a man for
any place there call me.
"You have had enough experience in politics to
know how valuable workers when campaign is
on and how difficult It to and suitable rewards for
all the deserving ] do not know to what extent a
knowledge of Spanish Is necessary employees. Let
know what Is required together with the salary,
and when appointments likely to be made
sullivan will be down before long and YOU and he
together ought TO be able to bring about such reforms
as may be necessary there You will find Sullivan
strong. courageous. reliable fellow The have
seen Of the better satisfied am that he will ft into
the place there and do what is necessary TO be done
wv. j. BRYAN
The sullivan referred to in that letter is James
Mark Sullivan United States Minister to the Domin-
can Republic He receives a salary Of $4,000 a year
ht hold tho Office, because Of his activity in the
matter Of obtaining government contracts for persons
in whom he SIS interested
The Bryan letter is, TO say the least far from a
creditable for the Secretary of State the United
States to write, quite apart from the scandal that has
arisen as result of the Sullivan appointment It
reveals patronage-erubbing instinct that would be
Ciscreditablo TO any Federal official holding a much
less exalted position than the occupied by MIR.
Bryan.
In this connection recall that Senator Salisbury
offered 10 former State Senator Thomas M Monaghan
Of this city, Federal Job in santo Domingo and that
Monaghan refused IT, We wonder II he is one Of the
valuable workers feelingy referred to by Mr..
Bryan in his EFFORT TO the West Indian republic
the pressure of Democratic iob-hunters upon
the Wilson administration here at home?