davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The latest outburst of DR.. Won Mach
before the Labor Forum brings again TO light
the abuses Of American citizenship. The
champion Of milk for German babies" did
not hesitate, according to newspaper reports,
to warn J. p. Morgan OF possible death
should the American fnancier ever fall into
the hands of the Teutonic allies. The crime
committed by Mr.. Morgan which, according TO
Dr. Won Mach, calls for death sentence by
the Germans consists in fathering the Allies
loan.
The personality OF Mr.. Morgan or Of Dr..
Won Mach does not interest the people Of this
country. But the fact tina: because Ger
man has become naturalized citizen he may,
in his love for Germany, threaten even in
directly co-citzen deserves more than a
passing remark. Liberty of speech is one Of
the essentials of the Constitution OF which
Americans Justly boast, but when that lib
erty Of speech is used to foster i'll feeling,
even animosty, it is time that something be
done to curb such excessive language.
To the impartial observer il becomes evil
dent that the Germans who emigrated 70 this
country in the last fifteen years cannot be
compared with the Germans who came here
after 1913, who helped to build up the United
States. The Germans in those days emgra'ed
10 America with the sincere intention of be-
coming Americans in the highest sense Of the
word. Prussisn mlitarism Disguised them;
repressed liberty prompted them to leave
their native land. The Germans Of those
times were Of the Carl Schurz type-men
broadmnded enough 70 throw of forever the
yoke Of Prussisn King and eager 10 find a
hospitsble refuge in this free country, which
never had cause to regret that peaceful in
vsson.
They became ideal citizens and distin-
suished themselves in every walk Of lie.
But since the small confederate states be-
came the German Empire, with Prussisn
halo, things have changed The new immi-
grants, particularly those who left their
fsthersnd in the last twenty years, those who
were educated in the school of Kutur, those
who came here carrying in their mental bag
gage the Kaiser and ksiserdom, they are not
the immigrants OF whom America can be
proud
The greenhorn who sets foot on these TOO
hospitsble shores, and who later on declares
MS intention 70 become citizen of this coun-
try and in due time is naturaized, must not
consider his naturalization Joke There is
such thing as perjury in national life as
well as in private life. The German or, for
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
Deepening the East River.

~ rom Ih> PfOtidffcr journal
There was no justification for a fight
against the 100000 item in the river and
harbor bill for deepening the East River in
New York. The battleships require 35-foot
channel; the present depth Of water is a
menace TO the hundreds OF millions invested
in the craft on which dependence must be
placed in the event Of trouble with foreign
nations. Yet the small appropriation was at
tackled on the ground Of politics, although
no one familiar with the requirements Of the
navy can see politics ia plan for providing
an adequate approach 10 the New York Navy
Yard.
The bad feature of the river and h-.bS.
bill programme is tho willingness Of the
South and West TO neglect our important
ports in order that more money may be spent
on mudholes OF no particular use to the coun-
try. Fortunately the House retained the
small sum asked for New York, and now it
is in order to see that it is not stricken out
in the interest Of some petty and useless
project before the bill reaches the Presi-
dent.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
Hospitals and Esthetics.

Under this title 4 New York architect,
Mr. Grosvenor Atterbury, has published
a little pamphlet which deserves the wild
est attention. He makes plea for beauty
in hospitals as a curative agency. The
hospital, he points out, is still generally
considered as a shelter provided for the
surgeons, doctors and nurses work as
an aseptc, weli-ventilated workshop.
Glittering white tiles. dead white plaster,
huge windows, their glare undimmed by
curtains; high walls. their rigid lines I'M
broken-angular unrelieved baroness, in
hospitabe, depressing in its meaningless
monotony- is the modern hospital.
The patient is not 50 much human bsing
as a case. His mental reactions TO all this
ugliness are not considered lie is merely
a transient; the sooner he passes out Of
the hospitals portals the greater it's use
fulness.
Who that has ever visited or spent a
period of sickness in a hospital does not
recognize in Mr.. Atterbury's description
his own reaction to this cheeressly efficient
environment? 1t IS monotonous, not rest
full it ends by being irritating, exciting
a mental condition dreaded by oil physi-
clans. II is 10 this lack Of beauty in line
and color that Mr.. Attcrbury, being a
man, oscribes the readiness Of patients to
fall in love with their nurses. "Consid-
cred merely rs piece Of decoration" he
says, "the nurse has done more than any
other one thing to counteract the blight
Of the hospital atmosphere" He might
have quoted in further proof the passion
ate gratitude Of patients for the flowers
brought them by friends in their monoto-
nous, harsh. white rooms.
"ln treating the patient do not forget
the man"-he takes his text from the
inscription over the doors Of Virchow's
hospital in Berlin. And, he holds. it is
20 simple matter 20 make the atmos-
phere Of tho hospital warm, hospitablc,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
Anniversary Wishes.

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: ! desire to extend you my congrstu-
lations on the occasion OF your papers sew
enty-ffth birthday, April TO- none the less
sincere for being one day late
At that time (lS4D | recall that ! wal,
rapidly nearing my own eighth birthday. Al
this writing ! sustain the same relation in
time 10 my eighty-thrd birthday; one Of
the few persons living who through my
father had personal knowledge OF and linn
tied acquaintance with Horace Greeley.
Ny father became an early subscriber. |
believe he had the first number of The Trib-
une. Few years OF my own long life have
been without its welcome visits
This fact, unimportant as it is 20 you and
TO your iatter-day readers. is frsught with
many recolections that have helped TO make
life worth living through years OF peace and
years OF strife, all OF which have been faith
fully chronicled by successors OF the found
ers
Kindly accept the trite but hearty rope
tition Of "Many more happy returns OF the
day" 20 my fathers friend and mine, The
Tribune and its corporation. I. h. II.
New York, April II, 1916.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Your editorial this morning stating
that you are for Mr.. Roosevelt in the coming
election is what your readers and friends
have hoped you would have the courage
10 do
The Tribune is the only paper that has
had the courage and the conviction to come
out and say what il thought. no matter VINO
it nit. and the one paper that has put Ameri-
cauism above party lines. Mr.. Roosevelt has
done the same. so y is only right that the
two Of you, the greatest living American and
the greatest American paper, should be
united TO fight Tor the same cause-Ameri-
csnism.
The American people al last realize their
humiliation, and they will not again put in
the chair a man who shamed the names o.
their forefathers by being "to proud to
fight" They will let the world know that
the blood that flowed so freely at Lexington
and Gettysburg and dyed the snow of Val
ley Forge crimson still flows in their veins
and if necessary will be given just as freely
20 that Old Glory may still wave DER the
land Of the free and the home OF the brave
AN AMERICAN.
New York. April IS. 1916.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
Only One Issue.

TO the Editor of The Tribune
SIR write to thank you for your Leading
editorial in this mornings issue, entitled
Colonel Roosevelt for President" have
been intending TO write out platform for
my private use. but have not had time. I do
not need to do so now. | have adopted yours.
You have expressed my views exactly and
much more succinctly and incisively than I
could have done for myself.
Ny experience and views in the past have
been the same as yours. | am sure that you
have crystallzed the views and spoken the
thought OF many hesitating and inarticulate
citizens. There is but one real and essential
issue now before the country. and Of that
Colonel Roosevelt is the only certain and
efficient exponent available for the Presi-
Gency. THOMAS Is. KERR.
New York, April 10, 1916.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16

soothing. instead of cold, Indifferent, re-
pellent. Quietly tinted walls-no reds. of
course-diamond paned windows instead
of the huge, glitterng expanses Of glass
in their rigid metal frames, Towering
plants. fireplaces, perhaps, and dark pol
ished floors True, the majority of hos
pta patients are not accustomed TO
beauty of color and line. But if it is con-
sidered necessary for their treatment 10
protect their ears and noses against famil-
lar noises and bad smells, why not add
to these negative curative agents a posi-
tive appeal to the eye? Their recovery
will be all the quicker.
1t is here that Mr.. Atterbury ap-
proaches the economic phase of this ques-
ton Of the introduction of beauty in hos
pitfalls. Additional expense, initial and Of
upkeep. would be but small, he points out;
the results would pay in the increase Of
the efficiency of the hospital, which, after
all. is a plant for turning out cured pa
tients as fast as possible.
The pamphlet abounds in striking OBJ
servations, strikingly put: LET US ac-
knowledge at the start that the hospital
has a grewsome reputation to live down,
however undeserved it be to-day" 1.-The
less educated, the loss intelligent the pa
tient is, the more he depends on sensuous
feelings for contentment. Sensuous ideas,
the first to emerge from the mind, are
the first to arouse delight, and constitute
primitive happiness and content" so
ciety recognizes noises and bad smells as
evils against which the individual should
be protected and includes the boiler and
the glue factory, the brass band, and even
church chimes, in the nuisance clauses, but
dscordant, hideous forms and colors are
not mentioned. The sense Of smell and
the sense of hearing are protected, the
sense of sight is left to protect itself or
grow calous."
The architect presents his plea with all
due Difference to science. That he is in
accord with it in his main contention adj
mts of no doubt.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
No Traffic with Muineers.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: | am Republican. By your edi-
torial Of to-day You have shown (what for
some time have mistrusted) that The Tribune
is not When Theodore Roosevelt played the
mutny act and scuttled the old ship that had
carried him through so many hard battles. he
no longer was worthy of any position in her
crew. Neither Is he now.
No one but the rankest apostate. whose
damnation was assured would accept IT, Now
you will travel with such Il sinner. We can
not be your companion. Inasmuch as you
have advertised Republicanism which you
do not possess, you may stop sending The
Tribune to me at once and return the balance
of my subscription for tho same.
II. +. STEPHENS, NJ. D.
Gardiner, Ulster County, y. Y, April 10,
1916
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
Why Throw Away an Empire?

The report Of the minority members OF
the House Committee on lnsular Afalrs
disposes in few words of the latest Demo
cratic argument for the Philippines scut-
tle-that the islands should be abandoned
because indefensble, as part OF the pre-
parcdness programme. On the same basis
of reasoning Porto Rico. the Panama Canal
and Alaska would have to go by the board,
because it would always be easier to give
them I'D than to find an army and NUM-
tions TO defend them if they were at
tackled.
The absurdity Of this line Of alleged
thought appears the moment the abandon
ment of the Canal Zone or Alaska IS men
toned Even the present Administration
has not reached the degree Of absurdity
involved in that suggestion, yet 1t IS
scarcely less ridiculous to propose to run
from the Phiippines-yet unattached
because. forsooth. some day they might
he somewhat hard TO defend. being so far
away.
For those who back the vicious Clarke
proposal, one reason is just about as good
as another. Always there remains the
question, "Why?' "Why throw away an
empire?" queries the San Francisco Cham
Der Of Commerce, in connection with reso-
lutions, sent to both houses Of Congress-
denouncing the scuttle. Why waste all
the money. all the human energy, which
have gone into Transforming those islands
from a misruled, diseaseridden, SEMI
savage community into clean, healthy,
orderly colony. whose people, under Ameri-
can teaching in American schools, are well
on the way to civilization?
Why abandon these wards Of ours In the
Pacific, for whose benefit the United
States undertook the gigantic task 1t Is
performing so well? Why cast aside the
material advantages Of the purchase Of
the Philippines, so legitimately this coun-
trv's. and so important to this country?
Why hand over to competitors the export
business from America to the Islands
S2s 1000 900 in 1914? Why lose this vast
tropic empire. the source Of raw products
Of inestimabe value 70 this country?
"Who is responsible for the adoption of
the Clarke amendment the Republican
members of the Committee on lnsular Al
fairs ask. Not President Wilson, for he
has said he considers II "unwise at this
time" Who? Perhaps if that question
could be answered. some real answer could
be obtained TO the innumerable why's
which beset the scuttle proposal.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
Nitchevo.

"The Russian soldiers one answer to all
the hardships Of war is Nitcheyo-it is
nothing"
God has sent us fire and steel and she'll
Turning Holy Russia into hell:
Who has sinned. and how? We cannot
tell.
What the sickness, Lord, and what the
cure?
We can kill, be killed, obey, endure;
This We know, and nothing else is sure
Birth, love. pain and death, they come
and go,
Sun and rain and harvest, wind and snow:
Why. and why? We know we cannot
know.
Be it good TO live or good 20 die,
Good 20 run with love. with pain 10 lie,
Nothing now we question or reply.
Nothing. Like a tide from Russia's soul
Blind, and great, and terrible. VIC roll
Onward 90 the unknown certain goal.
CHARLES I. RYDER.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
GERMAN ABUSE OF CITIZENSHIP
Right Taken Advantage Of by fkphet e" lhe" 1 Propaganda
-Amemn f the NE Cancellation
Citizenship o

called American citizens who, after In. 60,
ing OF the Lusitanis. exclaimed. Served ,h.N
right have certainly forfeited their 60.
of citizenship.
Do these Gcrmsn-American ors.o,,
know that in every audience there ar. -
minded listeners? Do they not know 49,.
such persons may easily be led TO co,,,,.'
political crime? DO they not think q, -,
moral responsibility in case such GRIM w, :.
committed Or do they really believe -.
the obtaining Of an Iron Cross from ,S.,.
Berlin masters when the war is over eoy,.'
their pernicious conduct,
The discovery yesterday by the New yo,,
police OF German plot 10 wipe out -
bombs nc Allied commerce sailing s,,.
American ports ard the subsequent ar.
of -four OF the consp.rators should Be A..
avowed by leading German Americans Of IN,
country. il their American citizenship ns,,,
anything at all. But. Judging by precesor,.
no such disavowals will come forth. Nh,
certain officials Of the Hamburg. Am.rie.,
Line were arrested. tried. convicted and >,,.
fenced some three months ago for isspir.
false clearance papers, German America,
here should have publicly condemned ,be,,
In so doing they would have shown 70 tho,
co-citizens and 20 the public at large their p.
pulsion az anything that tends TO make m.
country the headquarters OF consp,rs,v
Bat no. Their love for the Hohenzollern AID
not permit IT, They did not understand, thos.
so-called citizens. that Il was their duty as
Jaw abiding Americans TO protcs, against N.
conspirators.
Such a mentality is puzzle. Il behoov,,
therefore, our legislators to 50 amend the
naturalization avs as to make II felony for
any ustugaiized American citizen directly or
indirectly to enter into plot with foreigner,
to disgrace this country. The cancellation IN
such a case Of the citizenship papers, fol.
lowed by the deportation OF the guilty party.
would insure an adequate punishment Such
law would meet with the approval OF every
citizen who is an American at heart German.
Americans 90 well as others. But the freak
citizen must be taught once and for all ths,
when in the presence OF a court he hSs
solemnly sworn allegiance 70 the United
States and solemnly renowned all afiliatior
with his former sovereign such an slleg
ance and such announcement must be car.
ried out effectively and mean exactly whsi
they mean. lie must know that when his li..
lie boy. with hundreds OF other children
sslutes the flag in school and says, IL sWes-
allegiance to the flag and to the republic for
which il stands" these sentiments are sin.
oere. and that as the father of that child, L
Cor no other reason, he must respect and
honor them. II he does not, he is as bad a
father as ne is citizen.
JONAS LIPPMANN,
Formerly OF the journal dAlssee."
New York, April IS. 1916.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
A COMMON MENACE
Whv We Should Join the Allies in Crushing
Prussianism.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: [ believe that many Of your resder'
would be glad If you would explain more
fully 70 them how, in spite Of your belle
that the success Of Germany would be
menace to American ideals" you yet believe
that we should not intervene on behalf Of
the Allies" The Tribune, December l.
1870.
Starting with the former belief our MAJ
ural inference is that the success Of German
would mean that, as soon as she should have
organized the results Of that success. she
would carry out the present irrcpresslo.e
conflict between autocracy and democracy by
attacking Us. directly on or through me
Monroe Doctrine. II the Teutons prscucsNf
alone should be able 70 overcome the present
,cry strong Entente. how could our demo-.
racy alone, msnifestly the weakest form o.
government for resisting aggression, hope 20
defeat them when their resources shouc
have received the enormous increase 70 Do
expected through adding 20 them the re-
sources OF her present enemies? Would no.
that increase very greatly the menace "
American ideals?
Is there not the likelihood that many W,
infer that your position IS; The potehue'
menace 70 American ideals ~ not 10 pe re
sisted by overt steps to-day. when those s'ep'
would be effective but either is not 20 o'
resisted NJ all or else ia 10 be resisted onY
after it shall have become far stronger
the defeat of the natural allies OF America
ideals and By the Strengthening OF the men
acer by his incorporating into his mocnsh''"
the strength Of those natural allies Of our
his present enemies? We arc not % hsn'
this menace to-day when we can hsn' '
good advantage, but either not TO hgn' u
all or 20 fight Il after we shall have lo't o''
advantage. The supporters OF AmcreS"
ideals. Of the faith that is democracy V.'
selves. Britain and France are not 20 req
autocracy together. but 10 fight u ID oe'N-'
so as 20 throw away our natural so'S"Ss
of superior numbers. our chief advan'ass
set against the greater cohesion o. S''''
racy.'
/. for one. cannot believe that this is yo'
real position. But would It not be wen ,
explain why il is not 70 our interest 20 'SN
every overt step 70 aid now in pre'on'.us
the menace 10 US Of German victory e.s'
Entente Powers from occurring! ruin.
than this. il. AZ I infer that you believe T,'
many menaces us in common WIN m' =,
tente Powers. would it not be vel 70 -
plain why this common menace aCea
create common duty TO resist u !o'u.'
If fire threatens a whole settlement 80
not the duty as we'll as the interest Q. -. ~,
owners Of the further houses TO sia '"V'
of the nearer ones 10 arrest IL? I'M.
Bedford Hills, y. Y, April = 1910
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
The Cathedral Haters.

All who visit Rheims are shocked at
what they conceive to be manifest evidence
Of German ferocity and vindictiveness. II
is held by German apologists that the
Cathedral had been converted into an OBJ
servation post, but this circumstance, if
damage done. 1t does not account, for in
stance, for the complete destruction of the
Archbishop's palace.
Modern artillery" as Lord Northcliffe
remarks in the course of his account, ais
mathematically accurate. For some fiend-
ish reason the palace had been especially
chosen as an objective. II is building Of
only two stories, so low as TO be of no pos
sible value as an observation post. The
guardian told us that over a thousand
shells fell therein"
Sundry attempts have been made to ex-
plain the hostility Of the Germans to
Rheims, and in a volume lately published
by the French Minister of Fine Arts NJ.
Auguste Dorchain undertakes to show that
the thought of destroying the Cathedral
has haunted the Germans for at least a
century. lie quotes curious passage
from the "Rheinsche Merkur." dated
April, 1914. in which j. J. Goerres. an IL
lustrious professor in his day. urged en-
Enthusiastically that the Cathedral be re
duced to ashes. as the place where Clovis
was baptized, giving birth to the Empire
of the Franks. false brothers of the noble
Germans" Hence he regards it as quite
reasonable that in 1915 the "Berliner Lo-
kal-Anzeiger" should publish an ode by
Herr Rudolf Herzog "in honor of the de-
struction Of the Cathedral Of Rheims,
clarifying in extravagant terms the splen-
did work of the German howitzers.
It is difficult, however, to believe that the
destruction of cathedrals is nothing but an
insane obsession. The thousand shells that
fell on the Archbishop's palace are still
unaccounted for. Perhaps. after all. the
Germans have as satisfactory an eXplana-
ton as was offered by Garrett FitzGerald
the great Earl of Kildare, when he was
charged before the English King with
wantonly burning the Cathedral Church Of
Cashel. by the Lord said he, 81 would
never have done it had they not told me
the Archbishop was within"