davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
JAPAN, AMERICA, AND
CIVILIZATION

Japan is only a nominal belliger-
ent in the war, as matters now stand.
She has done her part for the time
being, in her own part of the. world.
The United States is the worlds
greatest neutral.
Japan and the United States have
received great and peculiar affront
in the sinking of the Yasaka Maru,
Japanese ship with American life
aboard.
Americas patience has been we'll
nigh exhausted by repetitions of
such outrages. Japan's is now to be
tried.
Suppose the United States and
Japan should unite in putting an end
to talk, and determine upon action
to end the reign of savagery on land
and sea?
Suppose they should jointly, or at
least simultaneously, take their
places, with all the naval, military
moral, and economic resources at
their command, among the forces
that are trying to save human So
ciety?
Would there be any further un-
certainty about the outcome?
Would there be room to doubt that
the future would be safeguarded
against a repetition of the present
murderous assault of barbarism or
civilization
The coincidence of the Ancona anc
the Yasaka Maru forcibly suggests
the possibilities of such an alliance
in the common cause of humanity
now sadly needing the support OF
every power that can be brought t'
! its aid.
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
SENSE ABOUT THE INSANE

DR.. William A. White, in his an
nual report as head of the Govern
ment Hospital for the Insane, makes
two recommendation entirely in
keeping with the advance in meth
DDS of caring for the mentally sick.
He would have the practice of try
ing by jury persons to be admitted
to the hospital abolished, and he
would have the name changed to the
Government Hospital"
The first reform has been advo-
Gated by The Times on several occa-
sions. 1t is a relic of barbarism that
a mentally afflicted person should be
subjected to the ignominy and the
nervous strain of a trial" We
build hospitals of all sorts to care
for the physically afflicted. Emer
gency and Casualty Hospitals yawr
for the person who breaks an arm
But the only refuge in Washington
for those who suffer a more delicats
form of injury, and one requiring
more expert care, is equipped will
every barrier, because of archaic
laws, to keep out those it is intended
TO serve.
Every now and then examples O.
tRs futility of this arrangement
The Washington times., 1915-12-25

come up. Recently a well-known
business man of Washington, who
had been working at high pressure,
needed the treatment Of alienists,
and, after short stay at the Gov
ernment institution, it was found the
law no longer could be stretched in
his case, and, if he is to have the
necessary treatment, he must under
60 this nerve racking process Of
trial by jury for being mentally ill!
The second change advocated by
DR.. White is prompted by the same
humanitarian motives. Persons re-
ceiving communications from rela-
tives in the hospital, many Of whom
will later regain their normal facul-
ties, are stigmatized by unthinking
neighbors because of their connection
with those in an "insane hospital" y"
The word Hospital" expresses all
that the institution stands for, and
it should be given that freedom for
exercising it's functions that is
granted to any other hospital.
Recently a. society was organized
in Washington for the betterment Of
the condition of those who needed
mental treatment. Clifford Beers,
now famous as the author of "The
Mind That Found ITSELF" was
brought here and told the vivid story
of the medieval treatment he re-
ceived from an institution where a
sickness Of the brain was treated as
an abnormality. Many other per-
sons, like him, have come out of
these institutions cured and ready to
take their places as useful citizens.
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
JAPAN AND THE SUBMARINES

Tokyo is quick-tempered and
temperamental capital, backed by a
people that has both spirit and self
respect. There is likely to be some
thing doing when Tokyo realizes
exactly what happened in the case
of the submarine sinking of the
Yasaka Maru. Her mercantile ma
rine is dear to Japan's heart; her
national honor is quite as sensitive
as that of any nation capable of
perpetrating the Belgian outrage,
the Lusitania murder, or the An
coma horror.
1t is inconceivable how either Ber-
lin or Vienna, just when the war is
being projected into the eastern
world and the legitimate sphere of
Japan's especial concern, could have
permitted the attack on the Jap
anese steamship. Something akin to
madness must have taken possession
of the authorities, if they imagine
that they can toy with Japan as they
have done with the United States
Our Japanese friends have an un-
comfortable way of meeting this sort
of trouble half way; of putting theii
last diplomatic word on the wires
and then giving sailing orders to the
fleet without waiting to see whether
the other party is going to have his
feelings hurt.
Japan has been constrained from
the beginning to keep out of the Eu
ropean field of war. But she founc
ample justification for taking the
Kiao-chou territory from Germany
and occupying the Marshall Islands
These were Asiatic and Pacific af
fairs, with which Japan correstly as
sumed that she had real concern.
So likewise would Japan be war
ranted in insisting that when Ger
many presses the war into western
Asia and menaces the Suez canal
Japan's vital interest is involved
That conviction must be enforced b,
such an event as the sinking of tn
Yasaka Maru. If japanese shipping
is unsafe from barbarous assault il
the Mediterranean under presen
conditions, what chance is there tina
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS FOR
AMERICA

Il 10 ruC needful to remind Ameri-
cans of the blessings Of peace and
prosperity which, as a nation, are
theirs in impressive and contrasting
abundance this Christmastide. AL
most year and a half of watching
the worlds travail has taught them
the measure of their own good for
tune. Perhaps they do not SO fully
realize as they ought; but they real
ize. Not to have seen and felt and
lived some of the experience that
racks the old world, is to be in
capable of fully understanding.
Perhaps this nation owes some
thing more, by way of recognizing
its own peculiar station in the world,
than to be thankful for immunity
from disaster. The time is come, it
would seem, when this great free
people might we'll search it's soul
and inquire whether it is doing all
it should to deserve the blessings
that have been bestowed on it. We
are happy in being at peace; but
that does not meet our obligation to
perform our part by way of restor-
ing honorable peace to the rest Of
the world. We rejoice that we are
strong enough to be free and to
maintain our freedom; but do we
not owe to others the duty to make
freedom a world-condition? Shall
we be certain that our islet of free
dom in a world enslaved will always
be secure? Shall we wait, for our
contribution to freedoms cause, un-
til perhaps it shall be too late?
These things demand our thought
this day. They have been pressing
themselves upon US for months; we
are beginning more definitely to for
mulate an adequate conception of
them. A high resolve that our part
shall not be left undone, that free
dom shall not be sacrificed because
we failed to do that part, would be
worthy of this season and of this
nations ideals.
The Washington times., 1915-12-25

it would be respected in the Indian
and Pacific oceans, if Germany were
in possession of Egypt and the Suez |?
This is the sort of inquiry Tokyo is
making, and making most search
ingly, these days. ~
Japanese military power has from
the beginning been looked upon as
the last line of reserves of the al
lies; line, too, that would certainly
be sent to the front, wherever that
front might be, before it should be
too late to insure victory To carry
the war to Japan's back door is the
very move that invites such inter,
position.
The Yasaka Maru may easily
prove the turning point in the war.
The Lusitania might have done it
if the United States had been a
Japan.
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
Got LIQUOR From TrOtline.

HUNTINGTON, w. Va, Dec. 25.--Ed-
ward Pine was fined 500 and costs for
criminal court.
Pine was accused of placing pints of
whisky on a trotline in the Ohio river.
He then rented boat to his customers
for a doller, and they would row out TO
the trctline and get the whisky. Pine
rented his boat to Joe Dalby. who gave
him marked dollar furnished by the
police. Dalby secured a pint of liquor
from the trotline. Pine is said TO have
had SIX other trotincs at the sam"
place.
nv Pines method the boat cost a dol
lar and pint of whisky nothing.
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
HARD WINTER AHEAD
FOR INCOME TAX LAW
Fate of Act and Amendments
Planned Rests Largely on
Supreme Court Decision.

The income tax law is in for long.
hard winter. The President, the Sn-
preme Court, Secretary of the Treas
ury McAdoo and any number OF com
mittees and factions in Congress have
designs on 1t. 1t may appear strong
and well in the spring. 1t may be Grip
pied and it may be dead.
The fate of the law and Of the ma'.y
amendments which are being planned.
rests largely upon the Supreme Courts
decision in five cases pending. II the
law comes through that ordeal whole,
1t must still pass into the hands Of
Congress.
President Wilson wants the exemp-
tions of the tax lowered, and the sur
tax started at lower figure and ir-
creased more rapidly than at present.
Secretary McAdoo wants the rates
of taxation on both individual ari
corporate incomes increased, the ex-
emptiOns reduced from $4,000 to $4,000
for single persons and from $4,000 so
3$GO for married, and the surtax
started at $4,000 or $4,000 instead
of $4,000.
Would Amend Law.
Many Administration men in Con-
SItSS Will seek TO amenu the Ia" III
conformity with these plans. Sen.
ator owen wants the tax increased 10
so per cent on incomes of s50.0O0
year and up. Republicans are ex-
pected to introduce bills removing the
"collectiOn at the source" feature ana
possibly tightening the surtax.
The income tax law became effect
i've October 8, 1913, after a constitu
tional amendment for it had been
ratified by three-fourths of the States,
Most tax authorities favored it b..
cause it was to be the largest trial On
this continent of a system designed TO
make tax -dodging difficult. The Ad.
ministration liked it because II
brought a revenue of 1000, 600 d
year.
Now the administration wants to
raise more revenue by this means and
opponents of income taxation want to
amend it. to raise less.
The law provides an exemption UP tC
S3,rN of income fer single persons and
A,C0 for married persons. One per cent
is collected on incomes up to 5000 on
amounts betV cen that and 5000 An ad-
dit1unal per cent and further increases
up to 6 per cent on incomes over $500,
90. 1t is this increase atoNc l per cent,
ffIt surtax, that with collection at the
source is being fought.
Congress to Go Ahead.
To prevent the hiding of incomes the
! law ordered that all companies paying
dividends or. stocks and bonds deduct
the amount of the tax and pay it 70
the Government before they paid the
dividends to the stock and bond hold
crs. This is the collection at the
source feature. There was an imE'e-
diate vail when tho tax first tool; effect,
and several taXpaerys took their cases
into court. These have sifted down to
| five now before the Supreme Court. IN
! tine five cases almost every provision
of the law is attacked, and Upon the de-
| Cision of the court rests the constitu"
tionality of all Ct these provisions.
A decision is expected at any time
| but it is possible the court will wait
| until Justice Lamar. now i'll. returns
| TO the bench, before making a decision
| Congress Is expected TO go ahead with
its amendments, It the court decision
| is not returned soon.
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
THOUSANDS JOIN IN
MIDNIGHT MASSES
Christmas Ushered in by Burst
of Praise and Song in Catho-
lie Churches.

ON tho stroke Of midnight. thousands
Of voices to the accompaniment OF
deep-toned organs. burst into Christmas
praise in Catholic churches in all parts
Of Washington. Christmas Day, for
thousands who attended the impressive
and beautiful midnight service, was
ushered in with the celebration OF hal
lowed masses.
Out on Rrookland Heights, where the
Mt. St. SeDulchre Monastery crowns
the "Langdon Ridge" Franciscan
friars celebrated solemn high mass,
and then observed the traditional custor'
of filing through the catacombs to the
Crotto of bethlehem, as they chanted
"Adesto Fidelcs," Holy Night" and
centuries in commcmoration of the first
Christmas morn.
Two Choirs at st. Patrick's.
Two chOrs sang and echoed respon"
ses at st Patricks Church, while E
Holy Trinity, in Georgetown; the
Church of the Holy Rosary, Holy
Name, Church of st. Anthony. ST.
Peters, Shrine of the Sacred Heart. ST.
Vincent de Paul. Immaculate Conccp-
tiOn, St. Aloysius, and st. stephens mid
night masses also were celebrated
under the direction of r. Mills SelbN,
sang responses, and mixed choir. d.
rectcd by Miss Jennie Glennan. sang
Haydn's First Mass Solemn hlgh
mass was celebrated by Mgr. w. T.
Russell assisted by the Rev. Fathers Nc
Guiggan and Mcnamara.
At St Peters the Rev. Mgr. j. NJ.
O'Brien celebrated high mass, and the
singing was under the direction Of Mrs.
Hattie Ritchie Prescott and Miss CATH
crime Nc konna, DrEaniSt.
At Holy Trinity, in Georgetown, greax
crowds also attended the service, ana
high mass was celebrated by the Rev.
Father Corbett, S. j., assisted by a
sanctuary choir Cf men and boy"
Mgr. Cossio Officiates.
The Very Rev. Mgr. Luigi tossio
preached the sermon at the Church of
the Holy Rosary, and before the mass
an italian pastOrale was sung by con
| gregation and choir.
At St Stephens HHydnt Imperial
mass was sung; % Mira NoN (BledCr-
| mani, "Adestc iNdelcs," and Nazareth
! were sung before, during, and after the
| mass.
At the Holy Name Church the Rev
| Thomas KcrViCk preached the sermon
! and the "Adeste FideleS' and .olheI
! HYMNS were sung by the senior choir.
| Sermons were preached and special
! music sung at the other churches.
| In many Cath hDIic churches service
| began at o'clock this morning, and
! high masses were celebrated hourly IN
] til noon.
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
Lover Refused to Call,
So Girl Hangs Self

BEVERLY. Mass. Dec. 25.-Dorothy v
Larcom twenty years old. n student at
the Beverly High School. hanged her
self in the barn at hei homo be"aGs sc
her sweetheart wrote her that he would
not visit her on Christmas Day.
The girl was found lying on the foc r
OF the barn by her brother Joseph, still
alive. The rope she had thrown over a
beam had broken.
According to the girls friends she re-
ceivGd Il letter from her sweetheart III
Salem saying.
Il cannot be with YOU Christmas"
The girl had gone about the Christ.
mas prepsrt tions in her home gayly
but after the letter came she went to
her room. This morning she seemed
downcast. She would not tell any onG
the young mans reasons why he would
not spend Christmas with her.
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
Heads of Departments
Send Seasons Greetings

Members of the police and fire de-
partments received today from Com
missioner Brownlow. who has super
vision of these departments. the follow
ing Christmas greetings:
In sending you my greetings. I hope
that each of you will have a merry
Christmas and that the new year Will
be for you one of greater opportunity
greater usefulness. and greater happi-
ness"
Major Raymond w. Pullman, superin-
tendent of the police department. sent
the following greeting to his men:
Hearty Christmas greetings and all
good wishes for your health and happi-
ness in the coming year. May 1916 he
filled with days of right thinking. right
calmness, and cheerfulness always he
yours"
The Washington times., 1915-12-25

Ramon Nillalobos. whose sentence is
comparatively recent, at Florence in Oc-
tober last var, for participation the
previous August in the .nurder, near
Ray, of Deputy Sheriff rhin Brown,
Earl Miller. Frank Bacon and a young
Frenchman. Following four MexiCanS
who had stolen horse. the deputy and
Frenchman were ambushed by the quar-
tet. Miller and Bacon then being slau8h-
tered more in sport than for the small
possessions around their camp. One oe
the murderers was killed in the hills at
Superior and Villalobos was caught. But
there is little prospect that the prisoner
will be hanged, for a number Of
eVasions still remain untried by the
State executive department.
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
GREAT BRlTAIN'S TREASURE
GOING INTO THE WAR


cash to fight out this war as no
other nation ever raised it or could
raise it. This purpose to throw into
the war all the financial power that
may be needed is made evident by
the manifesto of the British states
men and financiers. They have been
gathering up from private investors
great quantities of American securi-
ties to be used in this country for
the purchase of war supplies. And
now they call upon the British peo-
pie to cut down their consumption
of commodities, not only luxuries
but necessaries, in every way they
possibly can.
This is matter of tremendous
Importance in increasing British
war-purchasing power abroad. For
not only will there be less to pay for
such things bought abroad, but all
the articles that are produced in the
empire but not consumed there will
be exported. AS purchasing
power abroad they will do everything
that gold can do; they will do every
thing that securities used in foreign
markets can do; they will do a great
deal more than both of them put to-
gether can do.
Nothing could better illustrate
how the British people are in the
war to fight it out to finish than
this planning far ahead the mobili-
zation Of all their resources for that
objective, this programsof placing at
the disposal of the government not
only the enormous accumulated
wealth of Great Britain, but a great
er and greater proportion of the
products of the empire to exchange
abroad.
On that basis, with every ocean
highway free to the merchant fleets
of the allies, and therefore with the
neutral markets of the world open
to both their buying and their SELL
ing, there is no measuring the re-
sources which the British people can
thus call upon to throw into the war.
1t is a conservative statement to say
that this incompatible mobilization
Of treasure-the treasure accumu-
lated in the past, the treasure pro-
ducing in the present and the treas
ure to be created in the future, can
go on as long as the war can go on.
To the United States this policy of
vast mobilization is hardly of less
moment than to Great Britain and
her allies. 1t is in our financial
market that the British are going to
sell the securities which they are
now gathering in heaps. 1t is in our
commercial market that they are
going to sell articles of consumption
which they themselves are not to
eat up and wear out.
Where we have seen our imports
of merchandise rising by the thou
sands of dollars a day we may see
them rising by tens of thousands
Where we have been buying back our
securities by the millions a week
they may be offered to us by the
tens of millions.
But this country is prepared fol
just that thing. We shall be buying
back our securities with our surplus
supplies of wheat, corn, cotton, steel
and many other commodities. We
shall be exchanging our munitions
which give labor to our wage
earners, into commodities which al
the American people can use.
Whan Crock o1aatc Craak tbf
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
The Beauty of Christmas.

Christmas is the greatest day of the
year. What tender. beautiful. and
mighty thought it should arouse. How
dear to the simple. pure mind Of little
children. And how great when we Of
old age contemplate 1t. in memory of
the wonderful Child of the Manger.
What heart Is not tender. what eye is
not fearful. what voice is not soft at
the thought Of the sweet. merciful. and
suffering Jesus. The fulness OF His
wonderful life OF love. and the truth and
majesty OF His teaching overwhelm US
with silent transport.
To everyone. however poor and
miserable. He has message of cheer
and comfort
He is life's supreme sacrifice. show
ing life's highest happiness and attain
ment.
Let us. therefore. I'm the noisy Joy of
Christmas give some thought to the real
beauty of the day. and with the heart
and loving faith of little children. realize
the birthday of our Lord.
cHAS. BENEDICT CALVERT
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
Eggs and tuberculosis.

TO the Editor OF THE TIMES:
In The Times recently mention is
made of Eggs from worshouse farm
for Tuberculosis Hospital" or all arti-
clcs OF food for a tuberculous patient
TO produce disastrous results eggs head
the list.
In the last stage of the disease nature
r2V"lts, cuts Off the appetite in order
TO prevent the absorption of the toxins
In the blood caused by decomposition OF
such articles Of food. II Is not what a
man cats that nourishes. but what he
digests and assimilates
If not diEested II decoinposes. and
torms poisonous compounds. When the
appetite goes tho average medical at
tendant gives a so-called tonic or appe-
tiZer. In order to force more of the
death dealing toxins in the blood. When
Will the profession awake to natural
methods and stop this destruction Of
life? GEOPGE ROBERTS.
Washingt ton. December 23
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
Senators Remember
Pages and Officials

Senate pages and officials were re-
membered vest srday with Christmas
gifts by Senator oliver OF Pennsylvania
and Senator MARITIME OF New Jersey.
The pages. who were given a feast OF
TURKEY. cranberry sauce. oysters. and
mince pie by Vice President Marshall
yesterday. each received crisp new
dollar bill from Senator oliver
Senator MARITIME sent fruit and other
presents to all the officials and pages.
The chief pages. j. +. O'Toole and E.
A. Halsey. received gifts from the
pages.
The Washington times., 1915-12-25
MAIL BAG
(From The Times Readers)

Communications to the Mail Bag must
be written on one side OF the paper
only; must not exceed 200 words In
length. and must be signed with name
and address of sender. The publication
OF letters In The Times Mail Bag does
not mean the Endorsement br The Times
Of the opinions OF the writer. The Mail
Bag Is an open forum, where the citi-
zens Of Washington can argue most
questions.