davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
LAWS STRANGE PROVIS-
IONS.

international law is beyond the com
prehension of most people and some
of its provisions seem founded on prin-
ciples which in ordinary transactions
among men would not be considered
fair dealing The arming Of merchant
men is not the worst of these strange
provisions. Take for instance the law
which allows belligerent vessel to
sail into port with a neutral flag? 1t
is known that English ships have car
lied American flags. A German raider
recently sailed the Morse colors, ac-
cording to the dispatches:
Among archaic sections of interna-
tional law this should be the first to
be changed. A vessel, to the Iayman
at least. practices deceit when it mis-
leads as to its nationality, but this
deceit seems to be allowed by the law
Of nations which we are all expected
to respect
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
Rock Island-Frcm River to
River.
Home Corners
4 TTENTION of Subscribers

TEhNIioN vi SupscIioefs-
~ If you know Of any former
resident of this city or county now
living elsewhere, outside OF a ra-
dius of 90 miles OF Rock Island,
and Will send the name and adj
dress of each former resident to
The Argus, a copy of this paper
will be sent gratis to the name and
address given, daily from May Is
10 July 1.
This proposition is made in Or
der to afford the most extended
opportunity for the widest and full
est cooperation In making the Fort
Armstrong Celebration and Tri-
City Home Coming to be held In
the tri-cities June 18th to oath in
elusive, a happy as well as won-
derfuI historical event, and If you
will send I'm the names Of your
friends you will not only secure for
them a copy of daily paper from
the home town for the period men,
toned, but will be likewise con-
tributfng to the making Of the cele-
bration the most successful event
ever held in the Mississippi valley.
Address Home Coming Commit
tee, Fort Armstrong Centennial
Celebration, care Of The Rock Is
land Argus.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
Selected by Tavenner

United States for generations In all
that goes for progress. Let US show
that we mean peace when we say the
word, and the world will follow in
that, too.
l feel, and I have the worlds his
tory and the spirit Of a worlds
people back of me, that the "prepar-
edness' now being preached is moth
| Ing but criminal waste, a call to
slaughter, disgrace to a nation that
has been the guiding star OF the
world towards liberty, happiness and
peace.
l realize only too we'll that since
the beginning of history the overpow-
ering unanswerable weapon Of wealth
always, down to this very day has
been on the side of slaughter, and this,
l know, has stood as the great barrier
to the peace that men have craved
since civilization was born.
If l can but see the world-and
America is the brain Of the world and
the brain the guide Of all-moving to-
ward that day when war shall cease,
when nations shall not burden the
workers with the enormous expense OF
huge ornaments and then destroy the
workers with those very ornaments,
I shall be content to end my days
where 1 began. an humble worker in
q peaceful world.
Millions Of men, every one Of them
husband, son, father or broth
er, have gone to their death within
year on the battlef1elds Of Europe.
There Is sorrow in millions Of homes,
dozen nations are paralyzed and
filled with mangled, crippled men and
boys who by the laws of nature can
only produce, children who will in
some way bear, in part, the burden
and mark of their parents suffering.
And all for nothing.
It is horrible to contemplate. If these
men who brought on the war were
insane, we could comprehend the
cause OF the war. But when we think
that all is done coldly, deliberately by
these militaristic parasites, and that
millions Of men are torn from the life
that is theirs by right of birth, and
driven to slaughter by the system of
! murder that envelops these nations
we are crushed by the enormous
crime.
The very thought of this makes me
feel that l know of nothing to which
I would rather give my life, nothing
that would give me a more certain
feeling that I was doing a mans work,
nothing that would make me feel more
content in the knowledge that l had
done great duty that had been placed
before me, than to use that which I
have to help to bring to an end 5000
years of this unjustifed hatred, ruth
less waste, destruction and murder.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
A LESSON FROM CUBA.

A writer in the Boston Transcript
says that II the Mexicans, who are so
suspicious of the United States that
they are taking up arms against the
invader" would consort a little more
with their fellow Latins in Cuba they
would learn what fools some of their
leaders, like Villa and Herrera, are
making Of them. The same writer
says that the American people have no
idea Of the fragrant misrepresenta-
lions Of men and things, which are the
customary weapons in Mexican politi-
cal campaigns, or how little regard
for truth Mexican leader" displays
when he has his heart set on getting
something he wants and needs to
hoodwink his neighbors before he can
secure it.
Mexico is much given to the PAM
;phlet habit, which enables irrespon-
ssible demagogues 10 circulate any kind
Of story they care TO manufacture
without the responsibility being
traced. II the pamphlet is too expen-
sive, the circular will do Just as we'll.
These infismmatory documents, max
ing all sorts OF charges against Mex
leans or Americans, as the case may
be, are passed about in the towns,
where the educated read them to the
illiterate and the poor poems accept
everything as the absolute truth. It
Is said that there can be no doubt
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
THE WOMAN'S PART.

A minimum of three babies to every
healthy woman IS required If this
country is to maintain its normal
strength. This is woman's proper
share in preparedness, those who look
into the future are saying. But wom-
an isn't doing her share! The birth
rate in the United States is diminish
ing at a more rapid rate than in any
other part Of the world, except Aus
tralia and New Zealand. The fertility
Of American wives is decreasing at the
rate Of one per cent a year. This
distressing fact has caused certain
professor Of entomology to say that
the human race Is evolving a neuter
type which corresponds to the neuter
bees and ants Of certain species.
These neuters are not necessarily lazy.
They are the workers of their COM
munity.
The women who shirk their share
Of maternity are not always the sal
aried wives. 1t Is the woman who
works for wages, the employed woman
for whom marriage and maternity are
interdicted who will develop into a
class of neuters, says the learned pro-
| fessor. And the alarmists make an
astonishing statement. They say that
if women continue to enter the work
! ing world and to shirk maternity as at
| present, no children will be born in
the year 2012! Evidently, more en-
phasis should be placed on woman 8
part in preparedness programs
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
TAX GROWS POPULAR.

In a recent issue of the Worlds
Work a discussion of the income tax
is INDUCED in. The position is taken
that one of the most valuable positive
virtues of that tax is often overlooked.
This virtue lies in the fact that the
income tax is direct tax. The man
who pays it knows he is paying it. The
strong arm Of the government itself
reaches out directly to him and takes
from his hand part Of his money. In
stinctively he feels like calling this &C
ton highway robbery. So much the
better. For when a man feels that way
he is likely to take keen interest in
the way the ''robber" spends his
money. If the government that takes
his money proceeds to spend it in pork
barrel appropriations, instead of for
wise and considered purposes, he Is
likely to regard it as a personal injury
and make a disturbance about it-as
he ought. Probably no one thing
would so safeguard the public treas
ury as some form Of direct collection
of all taxes.
Another very valuable argument in
favor of the income tax is its incentive
to make business men take keener in
terest in their business. This becomes
necessary in order that an intelligent
and correct report can be made to the
United States government. Taking the
law all around it has proved to be
generally popular. 1t is placing the
tax upon the people who are we'll able
to nav It.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29

that at the present time much Of the
sympathy felt for villa in the terri
tory where he is operating is due to
carefully circulated lies which may
have gone as far as to represent the
United States army as annihilated and
the capital in ruins.
II the deluded Mexican people could
only know the truth about Cuba and
the relations between the United
States and that island, Mexican dem
agogues would cease to flourish and
order might easily be restored. The
United States controlled Cuba until
that country was thoroughly pacifed.
Then 1t withdrew, and Cuba has not
only been independent since, but more
prosperous than ever before In its
history. The American occupation OF
Cuba brought nothing but good to
that island and its people today fully
recognize that fact.
If the Mexican people could only be
brought to a realization Of the fact
that the United States has no inten-
ton or desire Of invading their coun-
try, the Mexican situation would be
much simpIified. This country, act
ing IN disinterested cooperation with
a real Mexican leader, who was work.
ing for the deliverance Of his country
from anarchy and not for his owl
selfish interests. would soon bring
lasting peace to that distracted coun-
try. For the Mexican people invasion
and pacifcation by the United States
would be the best possible solution o.
! the present situation. But 1t is tot
large a proposition for the United
States to undertake except as a las
| resort. If this country should b.
forced to take such action, however
the Mexican people would learn event
ually, as has been the case in Cuba
! that the United States is not nation
Of conquest. Our action toward Cubs
has furnished lasting precedent II
| such matters.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
The Daily Story
Some Easy Marks BY N. Quad.

a heap Of seed potatoes. The widow
didn't have a peck. The FIVE farmers
Clipped in and bought them for her.
They planted them for her When 1t
was time they plowed them out and
hoed them for her. Again, when 1t
was time they dug them for her.
When the tubers were ripe for digging
the potato trust sent man to offer 30
cents a bushel, which was the usual
price. Two weeks later, after it had
been ascertained that not another po-
tato would be offered for sale in that
part of the state, it raised its offer to
rs cents, and the widow took it.
When the last potato had been load.
ed up and drawn away the widow
Ridgeway gave a banquet to the FIVE
farmers, and 1t was known that her
choice was to be announced. The
farmers noticed that eight plates were
placed on the table That meant two
more persons We're to sit down. They
arrived. 1t was Lawyer Hammond and
the Baptist preacher from the village
What business had brought them? in
CURED each farmer of himself, but no
one had solved the question when the
banquet was finished, and the lawyer
rose up and said:
Gentlemen, this has been great
race between who should have the
widows heart and hand. You have all
done nobly. Each one Of you has
shown himself to be a good and true
man. In fact, you all have been so
worthy Of this good woman's love that
she cannot decide which one Of you to
accept. She cannot marry the whole
FIVE Of you. as you must know. and
rather than give herself to one and
make the four others miserable for
life she has decided TO marry the sixth
man. which is me-" The marriage TOOK
place, but there were FIVE men who
did not smile nor offer a congratula-
ton. Their faces were very solemn as
they slid out of the house and started
for their homes, and on their way
thither each one remarked to himself;
Gal durn my cats and dogs. II any
one had told me that ] was such an
easy mark I'd have licked him all over
ten acre lotr'
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
Technic of Home Nursing.

, of anatomy, pathology and oths,
medical subjects. And we thiat
nurses in this country are over-
trained with theoretical matter. tb..
instead Of three years, two years !,
even one year should be the standaa
course OF training. Nursing, whe,
you come right down to every-dav
practice, is not a profession at All
but a vocation. a calling. A nurse e.
doctors helper, his skilled assist.
ant. She is dependent upon his A.
ders. She Is not taught to do tbin,,
on her own initiative-hencs nursin,
is not a profession. One year Of urae.
teal training in a good hospital. WITH
course arranged to eliminate a Ia,
of impracticable theory that is uox
crammed into nurses heads, shouIs
be quite sufficient to make frst-el,.,
nurses out Of intelligent young
women.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
When the doctor, IN an emergency,

When the doctor, IN an emergency,
wishes to give the patient a dose OF
medicine and asks for some water,
this is what he wants: One clean.
empty glass; one glass full OF water;
one teaspoon. II he apparently In
tends to administer the dose himself,
hand him a glass not over half full
Of water If you've ever tried to
drink from glass full Of water with
out sitting upright in bed you will
know why the glass should be only
half full.
In the absence of specific directions
it is generally better to administer a
dose of liquid medicine in, say, one
fourth of glassful Of water. By
diluting the dose 1t is rendered less
irritating to the stomach, and II IT
is bitter medicine the taste is less
noticeable. This little point often
makes all the difference in the world.
The proper way to administer a
dose Of medicine to a patient in bed
is to hold the glass containing the
dose in your right hand while you
place the left hand under the pillow
not under the head-and raise the
head and shoulders slightly from the
bed while the patient drinks. And
don't try to hurry the process-the
medicine will do Just as much good II
taken leisurely.
Nothing is SO essential as a good
nurse in the sick-room. Her services
are cheap at any price, as every ex-
perienced invalid knows. She makes
all the difference between peevish un-
rest and peaceful ease. By her skill
and faithfulness sickness is made en-
durable. And that is her calling.
We know nurses-we keep a grad
uate nurse In the family all the time.
We have worked with them, lectured
to them. plucked them on examina-
ton, and sneaked them through when
their papers were holy fright, be-
cause we knew they were competent
with their hands even If they couldn't
remember lot Of impracticable facts
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
QUESTIONS AND AygwERA
Deaf.Mute Parents and Normal
Children

How do you account for some deaf.
mute parents bearing children with
normal hearing and speech?
Answer-The parents deatnu.,sm
may have been acquired from intauul.
illness. Anyhow, there is a normal
hereditary strain behind the parents
Nitroglycerfn Dangerous Drug.
Is nitroglycerin good for palpita-
tion7
Answer-No, 1t is not.
The Black List.
Here Is another long list OF readers
who have written to me for advice
but who have neglected to enclose the
necessary stamped and addressed en-
velope for reply: J. A. A., A. B. n
G. j.. H. o., A. S., H. R., Mrs. H.JF
G. A. R., ]. A. B., S. J. P, D. H.. Mrs
G., Miss r. NJ, W. T. F., G. A. N, G. G.
NJ, Mrs. G. P, A. L. B., Mrs. NJ. c.. 7
T., H. B. When writing again these
correspondents should repeat the sub
stance Of their former letters to avoid
confusion.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
Millions are Murdered by Military
Parasites.
BY HENRY FORD.

hate war, because war is murder.
desolation and destruction, causeless,
unjustifable, cruel and heartless to
those of the human race who do not
want it, the countless millions. the
workers. I hate It none the less for
Its waste, its uselessness and the
barriers 1t raises against progress and
the development of the world, human
and material.
Surely the world is big enough for
all to live in at peace with all. II
nations want colonies they can have
them without killing their sons and
devastating homes and lives. If Ger
many, as many OF her opponents
claim, wanted colonies, she could
have secured a very extensive place
in the sun" by direct purchases bus
mess transaction-for a fraction OF
the terrific cost she is now paying in
warfare.
| could today make vast sums from
warfare if I so chose, but 1t would
be better to die pauper than that
anything l have helped to make, or
that any though, word or act OF mine
should be used for the furtherance Of
this slaughter.
I shall expect the sneers and con-
demnation of those whose business is
war and of those who profit by war,
But can weigh against this the feel
ing for peace and against war and the
spirit that brings war, which,
know, burns in the hearts Of the mass
es the world over, and in this l will
feel that I am right.
I shall raise my voice in no con-
troversy with those why cry out that
such peace would bring destruction
upon US by martial nations, but who
really mean that they would have
peace by enforcing their will upon
others with cannon and whose con-
slant cry Of prepare" cloaks their
damnable aims. The very thought Of
such men and such ideas cannot
but bring the strongest words OF
condemnation and reproach from any
man.
The building of armament by the
United States is not only a waste OF
itself and a war-breeding policy, il
is still worse, it is an example that
the nations of Latin America and all
over the world have followed, adding
the burden and the danger to the peo-
pies in those lands.
The nations of the world need ar
example to lead them away from war
and this, the country we live in, is,
believe, the land destined to show the
world the way toward the end of this
murder. The world has followed the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
POPULATION IRELAND
INCREASES BY 5000

Dublin The returns just issued by
the registrar general for Ireland
shows that the population Of ireland
increased last year by 9,452. This ioi-
lows on an increase of Ills during the
year 1914. There has been decrease
OF births in proportion to population
OF six per cent in the deaths. The III
crease in the population is due entireF
to the elimination in emigration.
Emigration in 1914 was "a per cent
less than in 1918, and in 1915 there
was decrease of so per cent on the
1914 figures. The increase OF popula-
ton first noted in 1914 and now con-
tinued, is the record Of increase since
the days Of the great famine Of lSH
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29

fiscal year beginning April /. This
: also means the stoppage of all build
ing projects, which in normal times
amounts to at least $2,500,000. The
country would thus save $4,500,000 on
education the next school year.
Mr.. Gautrey says it is not shown
how this saving would aid the war,
and implied that it only eases the bur-
den of the taxpayers.
Picking. - State Councillor Chang
Cheng-hsun has been designated by
the Chinese government to proceed
to Hongkong and Singapore for the
purpose Of enlightening the prom
inent Chinese In those places concern
ing the present crisis, and to discount
any assistance they might be prompt
ed to give to the Yunnan revolution
lists.
The government charges that rebel
agents are offering prominent Chinese
in Singapore and Hongkong all sorts
of concessions in return for financial
assistance, and are representing the
success of the revolution as assured
If sufficient funds can be realized.
neutrality-suspicious. of The
Associated Press.)-The Irish Roman
Catholic bishops, in their lenten pas
toral letters, direct attention to the
necessity for thrift and for raising as
much foodstuffs as possible on the
farms. There are frequent illusions
to the war in the pastorals, the most
emphatic exhortation to recruiting ap-
pearing in the letter of the Bishop of
Tuam, DR.. Healy, who hopes that
while the people will till their fields
they will also be ready to fight for
them against all corners. especially
against the Germans. freshmen are
able to fight" he writes. "as they have
we'll proved on every battle front in
Europe. They do not want their fer
tile acres seized by the foe. What is
to save them but the strong arms and
courageous hearts of the Irish people
and their allies?" He hopes that they
will rally to the flag, mot by compul-
sion or coercion, but from sense of
duty as becomes free men"
Cardinal Logue speaks Of the war as
mot only the greatest and most de-
structive war in history, but a war
that seems to have stirred to their
lowest depths the worst and most de-
PRAYED of human passions. The dis
tinction between soldier and civilian
seems to be ignored. Even neutrals
and their property are no longer i'm
mune from destruction Peaceful cit
liens travelling by sea with their wives
and children are sent to the bottom
without warning. Men, old and
young. helpless women and innocent
children, often in their beds at night,
are made victims OF sudden and ter
rible death"
The Bishop of Limerick in his pas
toral, predicts that the war will leave
the world in a condition of direct pow
erty. and speaks of the storm which
Will break over European society
when the war is over. IF anyone
thinks" he says, that the millions of
working men trained to arms in Eu-
rope will settle down peaceably to
starvation at the end of the war in Or
der to help to reamass fortunes for
their 'betters. he may have rude
awakening"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
Daily History CIass-March ~.

1746-Carlo Maria Bonaparte, father VI
Napoleon. born; died 1ISo.
1S1EJosephine, ex-empress OF frsh'e'
divorced wife OF Napoleon boha'
parte. died: born 1853.
1915-German artillery maintained
steady bomhardment Of the ailies
bridges at Newport, Belgium kus
SLAMS brought from Przemysl csP
tured fortified heights IN the Gar
pathians, with many guns aDs
priSonerA