davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
Our Air Corps.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR Although we who have given the ques-
tion Of national defence any thought know
that our forces are in a condition totally IN
prepared to resist possible foreign attack, yet
there is one branch Of the service which is in
more alarming state than all the rest. /
refer to our air corps, the Immediately nee.
essary increase in which has been wantonly
neglected while preparations have gone on to
keep ordering greater number Of battle
ships or submarines.
While admitting, Of course, that these in
struments of destruction are indispensable in
warfare, | maintain that the aeroplane is
even more vitality of need TO a nation at war.
As has often been said, aeroplanes are the
very eyes Of an army or navy, and without
them a country is in the same condition as a
blind man. The European conflict has demon
strated how essential aircraft are in the
game Of war, and notwithstanding this We
continue to permit our air feet to be a minor
consideration when increasing our military
and naval forces.
The great German advance into Poland
last year was largely made possible by the
superiority Of the Teutons in respect to air
craft. Many additional incidents in this war
could be cited where the mastery Of the air
was the deciding factor in battle.
A recent estimate Of Captain Mark Bristol,
head Of the aviation service Of the navy, who,
although advocating $4,000 900 programme,
called for $l3,6000O0 to be expended for
aeronautics, was cut down by Secretary
Daniels so that when submitted to Congress
it had been reduced to only $2OO0,00O. This
amount g. absolutely insufficient. We need
ut least 1000 acropiancs TO defend our long
coast line and 10 act as scouts for our battle
ships, instead Of the mere thirty-scvcn which
are actually IN service with or under CON
struction for both our land and sea forces.
Since a 10000 aeropane might save from
disaster battleship costing several millions.
surely a far more powerful air feet for this
nation cannot be too strongly urged.
Now York. March -, 1916. A. b. c.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
Somewhat Exaggerated.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir; Your Saturday mornings paper con-
tanned a wonderfully imaginative and an alb
solutely erroneous story, running under the
head. Cory Snow Fight Stirs Columbia"
Obviously, it was the object OF the reporter
who made this up to turn out STORY
rather than TO report facts. lie succeeded
in representing Columbia's students TO TIE
public as an unciylized crowd Of cducat ed
barbarans.
The stones Of which the reporter tells we're
buried under some six inches of hard-packed
snow; the clubs were strangely absent. Ore
of the students dropped a glass of cold water
from a dormitory window, that the reporter
magniied into gallons of boiling water. T' c
"impregnab.e fortress" sprang, up only in
the imagination of this writer OF news"
But TWO panes of glass were broken, although
according TO the story the local glazier
would have had months work before him.
Dean Frederick P. Keppel-which was spelled
Eorpel-has his Office facing on 10th Street
and not on the scene Of the snow fight. This
letter is written with the intention OF co..
recting the too-studied and deliberate 'misre o.
resentation of Columbia College life to the
impressionable public.
PHILIP A. ROGERS.
RICHARD W. WESTWOOD.
New York, March II, 1916.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
WILSONIAN BULLETS
Those Villa Used to Kill Americans
Came from Here.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: The responsibility for the latest Mexl-
can outrage at Columbus, y. NJ, Ike all tha'
have preceded X and all that will follow H.
rests squarey upon the shoulders OF fresi-
dent Wilson. lie has had Mexico in the hol-
low Of his hand from the first. Had ne not
deliberately wrecked the Huerta government
neace would have reicned in that ruined couh-
nv within three months after he took Office
and all the horrors that followed would nave
been avoided.
This Is. of course. matter Of opinion, and
others. knowing something Of the country
may hold different views. ! can, however
uphold my judgment by prophecy on the
subject that has just been strIklngy iui-
filed.
In the Congressional Record" Of March g.,
1914. an article written by myself is reprint
I'd. i'm which | gave list Of all the important
actions President wilson had taken with ref
erence to Mexico-over twenty Of them-and
showed that the logical explanation to those
who know Mexico OF each act was under the
assumption that he planned to be "unwill-
ingly" forced TO intervene at the psyeholog-
ical moment, with reference TO the next Pres
idential campaign lie is now intervening,
and if this is not the psychological moment,
when ia?
The guns and bullets used by Villas men
TO Kill Americans in Columbus were those
furnished by President Wilson to Villa,
against whom he would never listen TO sug-
eestion. "None of that, now; Villa is pa
triot," were his words rebuffing one who
started to tell him some truth about Villa
hen the latter was backing Carranza.
II he would believe nothing then against
the night-murdering road-agent Villa, can
he be expected to believe the truth now about
the feeble and cruel hypocrte Carranza, and
will he use his Intervention 70 maintain that
impossbility upon the throne?
Carranza Is the logical heir TO Madero,
backed By American oil interests. President
Wilson has taken a remarkable series of ac-
tons favoring Carranza all along, and Car
rama had as common counsel, with Henry
Clay Pierce, the oil man, the redoubtable
Sherburn c. Hopkins, Of Washington, until
the connection was exposed By THE New
York Herald"
At the proper time | hope TO schedule
these remarkable actions and give the Presi-
dent an opportunity to apply some "ptiless
publicity" to the reasons for them.
CASSIUS Z. GILLETTE.
Philadelphia, Penn. March 10, 1916.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
COMMON GOOD BEFORE EASE
This Country Must Be Prepared to
Make Sacrifices.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

Sir: Recent events certainly justify the
belief that the great and Increasing material
prosperity Of the United states is producing
upon the minds of many Of our people the
feeling that the most important thing 'o'
CIR government is to act so that this pros
perity shall continue for an indefinite period
Accordingly. we hear from Washington re-
reated assurances that everything possible
will be done to maintain pleasant relations
with Germany.
But when we come to scan closely the Iis'
Of things actually accomplished we mo
that it contains almost nothing that is resH!
creditable to a great nation which We have
always hitherto believed the United states %
lie. Instead, the account abounds n suei
marked evidences Of governmental SesSn'''
and timidity Ito use the mildest term p'''
sible) that the German military rulers nave
felt that they might. with perfect ss"F'
give orders TO their submarine naval oneel''
to their Zeppelin crews and to the luin
to slaughter as many innocent men, "ome'
and children as they pleased. History su'
sponsble for these misdeeds.
A vigorous and courageous protest on o''
mart in August, 1914, would have rehee's'
honor upon the government and poop e o. w
United States. Alas. the prospect OF gl'.
flow Of gold into our Golfers ana oil W..
tinuance of the delightful ease that we VIZ,
then enjoying blinded our moral VISOR %.
We virtually kept silence, both az ths' VIZ
and throughout the succeeding two years :.
is humiliating TO think how many inn0e'H'
lives might have been saved II We hso '9.'
cur full duty, and it is not ii,ue vs. ~.
turbing TO our pride TO reflect tns ".
armies of Belgium, France, England w.
and the British colonies are hghuns '.
battles-are making huge saerhees W.
what we are later 10 enjoy
For many years to come there viii Dc 0'
ger that some foreign nation, enyiou' o. W.
wealth and of our unlimited extent Of ~.
tory, may plot TO lay violent hands upOa ~
country. Let us forestal the possioi'"
any such calamity by making ourseNn
strong that no nation shall ever be 'emS's w.,
to undertake warlike operations again" w.
land. ..I
And. finally, let us have the courage -.
patriotism TO break up the thieying opeiS"',, !,
which for years have been threaenins
ruin our country. | refer 70 the PEI
frauds, the graft connected with PUBIC :,
OF every description, the transforma''0a =.
our state and national legislators in'O ~" :,
neys for all sorts of private corporation, -.
If this country is to advance IN eNn
ton we must be ready 70 make many ps,''sL y.
sacrifices in time. money and pleasure !"
half OF the common good. II IS only ?, -,
means that the individual is able TO in',', -,
his intellectual and moral ststure-AnO "a.
nation is simply an aggregation OF suS ncg
viduals. ALBERT H. DIV
Cornwall, y. Y, March 10. 1916.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
First Victory, Second Campaign.

The Assembly's adoption Of the woman
suffrage amendment by the large vote OF
100 to 80 is the first step toward submit
ting this vital question again to the voters
OF New York State. 1t is an unquestion-
able victory for the women workers LOT
the right to vote, for not so many weeks
ago Albany politicians declared beIllger-
emily that the amendment would never De
permitted to get through the lower house
Since then they have evidently tempered
their valor with discretion, derived from
contemplation Of the genuine public de-
mand which exists for another opportunity
to pass on the equal suffrage issue.
In striking contrast is the attitude of the
upper branch of the Legislature. There
Senator Brown. who almost single-handed
is attempting to sweep back woman sui
frage. has managed to achieve another
delay. By his obstructionist tactics ne has
cause.-the Judiciary Committee for the nth
time to refuse to report the amendment
and there is reason to believe that he has
persuaded some weakened members
pledged to vote for it to abandon their
least temporarily.
A majority of the members of the Senate
judiciary Committee have given their
pledges TO act favorably on the measure; a
majority Of the members of the Senate
have promised to vote for it once it reaches
the floor. To defeat the amendment Sena-
tor Brown must cause some of these men
10 break their word That is recokoned as
legitimate in the kind of political dealing
he is familiar with; but it produces retrl-
button. Those Senators who want to re-
turn to Albany next winter will have to
seek votes in next falls campaign, as Will
Senator Brown himself. If he is actually
trying to beat the suffrage amendment by
forsworn votes, Senator Browns course Is
highly dangerous. If he is merely venting
his irritation at the women workers. his
course is puerilc
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15

enough to give us a moderate-sized deleh-
sjve force on the Mexican border.
lie has never appreciated the serious
ness of the Mexican problem, either from
the military or the political point OF view.
He has trifed with it, has utterly ruined
American prestige in Mexico and destroyed
the last vestige of respect felt by MeNi-
cans for American citizenship. Now ne
faces what may easily develop into armed
Intervention in Mexico and has no military
forces with which to make good the claims
and contentious Of the United States.
Since he has failed utterly to READ inc
situation or to provide the means OF en-
forcing any policy with respect to Mexico
which involves action, not speech making
the country's only remedy lies with Con-
gress. Congress should at once authorize
an increase of the regular army adequate
~ the needs of the crisis. Not the petty
addition Of 10000 which Mr.. Wilson mas
at last grudgingly recommended, or lhe
10000 which the bill Of the Senate Com
mttee on Military Affairs contemplates'
hnt q real increase of 10000. This en-
largement would provide mobile army OF
only 121 900, and all of that force wouia
he needed for the work which the United
States may at any time be called upon to
do in Northern Mexico.
Let Congress act. The country IS tired
Of the childish and ignominious spectacle
of American foreign policy conforming IT.
self to the dictates Of faction chiefs IN
Mexico. of American diplomacy waiting
on the latest bulletins from Carranza
Headquarters at Queretaro.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
WHAT THE WAR WILL BRING
Prediction REGARDING World CEtAmrea Will Export
OF pend,F1ng
Product Dumped

kets open 10 either group will be the r,,,.,
States, South America and such Asa,i. ea
tries as are not within the protec,o,..sa
any of such European nations Exuor,i."
foreign country means importin,
such foreign country-balsncng traSs. ..0n
which il may be deduced that IL exno,,. Va
10 be large TO this country, the imnor,, :"
this country must be correspondence ,,. va
Undoubtedly Europe must take il, g.,
supplies from the United States. ana NV,
ship manufactured goods 10 pay for a.. A
As Europe must have the food summit. ;.
must export manufactured goods. ana -.
price at which the United States will \.
them. In short, il will have TO dunn ia 90.
into America. Dumping goods into Ans,,.'
will undoubtedly disturb American indp,,.s
unless a protective tariff is enacted M
will prevent such dumping. Il therefor. 4.
comes an economic question whether q, -.
America would profit by such ,.rs
America certainly will export its food,,us,
There seems TO be little probability of ..
exporting any considerable amount Of mann
featured goods following the termination =,
the war. II would therefore seem that ~.
United States would profit by a prOtec,iy.
tariff, anyway for at least few years III.
lowing the termination of the war.
| have generally outlined what il appear,
TO me will be the probable situation In I'm.
rome. What the situation in this country
will be seems plain. There has been an In.
mense influx of money; prices of all CON.
modities are rising which is the usual eaes,
Of an influx Of money. Manufacturing cor.
Germs are increasing their factories; ma.
chinery and labor costs have gone up. Fol.
lowing the war, it will be found, as is usually
the case, that at least one-half OF the bust
ness enterprises, extensions and deyelop
ments have been unwsely undertaken
Further. the ten year cycle period for hnsn.
cial collapse is due in the fall Of 1917, and
we will probably get II, to be followed By a
period of reconstruction. condition o.,
overproducton will exist; labor wages must
come down, and great unrest will result The
one factor that cannot be determined is tha,
as Europe and America are largely lacking
in many of the necessaries and great ma
Icrity of the superfuties or luxures which
people have grown 10 demand, It may pos.
siblv require some time to establish the nor.
NAL equilibrium in such articles. Il looks,
however, as though Europe were gong 10 20
without Injuries, while America will increase
its consumption of luxuries until the pinch
of hard times is again felt
Personally, | doubt very much whether III.
war is going to make any radical change in
boundaries, trade relations or the usual
practices Of life and business. Things will
90 on about as they have heretofore, with the
exception that, owing to incomes made
smaller by taxation, the people Of Europe
will cut down their scale of living and en-
deavor by wise economy TO accumulate funds
10 nav off the debt which the war has placed
GEORGE HILLARD BENJAMIN.
New York. March II, 1916.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
Where the Money Went.

BY its suit against the marlborough
Rapid Transit Company and Chief En-
gineer Craven of the Public Service Com
mission the city is going further than
merely seeking recovery Of the Shonts
and other bonuses. 1t is seeking to set
aside not only such items as found their
way into the construction account, but the
prior determination" account also, to
which were originally charged items of ex-
pense supposed to have been incurred by
the traction company in its preparation
for the dual subway work. The action,>i
effect. will compel the lnterborough to go
completely into the details Of all that Mr..
Craven was supposed to have passed on
as guardian of the public funds and to
prove by vouchers and termination of lump
sum charges the merits Of whatever dis
position was made of its claims.
1t is not especially pertinent, so far as
the merits Of this action are concerned,
whether the city has been left "holding
the bag" for all the money for which
Corporation Counsel Hardy is suing or
only for the $4,000 bonus to Mr.. Shonts.
the $4,000 voted to Mr.. Rogers and the
$4,000 to Mr.. Gaynor, the traction COM
pany's auditor The city has no desire TO
hold the bag" for any sum given to these
men for performing work for the company
which hired them or for any sum thrown
into the general fund in order to pad the
construction account.
So far as these bonuses are concerned.
there ought not to be any great difficulty
in learning the truth when the case comes
to trial. If the Interborough paid them
out of its own funds, the city may not re-
cover them; but in that case the amounts
should not be in the construction account
for the total Of which the city has an OBJ
legation. And if the money turned over
to these Interborough officials was meant
to come out Of the city's funds, then surely
the public may hope TO have it recovered,
for manifestly the taxpayers should not
be compelled to reward traction officials
for working in favor of their employer. the
Interborough. The burden of proof Is on
the Interborough. Fortunately, in this suit
their proof will have TO be submitted pub
licly and can be scrutinized as it certainly
was not in the Public Service Commits
son's decisions.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
Federalize the Militia !
BIZ of The Trihune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: By all means Federalize our militia
and then the name national guard" as
loaned by our ever beloved Lafayette, who
was at the head OF the National Guard Of
France.
Here let me relate an illustrative incident
The left wing of the 18th Regiment, National
Guard, OF your city Gin which the writer
served the whole of the ten years Of the 60's),
was giving review to Lady Franklin, wife Of
Sir John Franklin, of Arctic fame, in the
old Tompkins Market Armory on the evening
OF April II, 1861, when entered Major Alex
Shaler and Noah l.. Farnum, lieutenant I'd
Company, just returned from an offer of their
services TO General Winfield Scott, com
mander in chief, at Washington. ID. C., who
told them to return home. as he was about
to ask the Governor of New York TO ask the
colonel OF the 18th Regiment to bring his
regiment TO Washington to protect the ma
tional Capitol, and thought their coming
would be an incentive for the others to follow.
Federalize and cut out possible repeti-
ton Of a like miserable farce of asking.
CORPORAL FREDK. G.. AGENS, Sr.
Newark, N. j., March 10, 1916.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15

man naval ports, and once rumors OF TINS
kind are started they have way Of null
tiplying indefinitely. The story OF the
17-inch guns and great many other CIR
cumstantial stories Of the latest products
of "the best German inventive and con-
structive minds" are for the most part
obviously attributable to inventive minds
abroad.
If it is not to be supposed that the Ger
man fleet will be kept forever inactive,
neither is it likely that we shall have long
warning Of its preparations for that long
promised dash. The activity lately no
ticed in the North Sea is quite possibly
attributable to the late Admiral Won Pohls
successor, but it does not necessarily Imply
an intention TO risk a decisive engage
ment Immediately. The feet is not use
less where it is, and it is hardly to be ex-
pected that the Germans will run dan
gerous risk Of humiliation, though the
Rotterdam observer assures US that Ger
man statesmen take the view that if the
feet is lost its destruction must first cost
the enemy enormous sacrifices"
Enormous sacrifices on the part OF the
enemy would hardly make amends for an
initiation. If the German feet were to
be utterly lost the power Of Britain on
the sea would be even greater than 1t IS
to-day and Germany would profit nothing
by the assurance that half or two-thirds
Of the British feet was at the bottom Of
the sea.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
Preparedness Against Frightfulness

To the Editor OF Tho Tribune.
Sir: In the "Frankfurter Zeitung' Of Feb
ruary 25, in an article inspired because not
forbidden, Germany openly threatens-hrst,
20 use against US the utmost ruthlessness
with which U-boat warfare can be wagcd
second, to destroy without warning all our
ships that enter the war zone. thereby starv-
Ing England TO unconditional surrender within
two months, causing Russia and France TO
collapse automatically; third, to seize the
navies of the Allies. thus giving Germany
rcven times the strength Of the United States
and compelling US 70 pay all the war ex-
ponses OF Germany and her allies.
We arc threatened with that which hap
pened 70 Belgium, the unoifendng, and we
have no Patrick Henry TO warn US against
Tying supinely OH our backs and hugging the
Gclu.ive phantom OF hope"
No preparedness" is possible against this
German Frankenstein save through the navies
and armies Of the Allies with whom justice
and humanity demand our immediate nll-
ance The crushing Of the curse Of militar-
lem and the saving Of millions OF human lives
az yell as the preservation OF our own lib
crty may well turn upon our action to-day
l. W. DIMOCK.
Peekamoss, N. Y, March ., 1916.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
Rumors of a dash to Sea-"

An elaborate story comes from Rotter-
dam Of preparations making in Germany
for an excursion Of the High Sea Fleet.
We are told that "the best German inven-
tive and constructive minds have been en-
ployed in perfecting huge fotilla of sub
marines" and "thc German naval staff is
about to challenge Great Britain's naval
supremacy because they think they can
deal that supremacy "A severe if not a
deadly blow"
There may be some ground for this con-
lecture, but 1t is difficult TO believe that
II is anything more than conjecture. All
sorts Of rumors have got abroad lately
about extraordinary activity in the Ger
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
"Property Rights" Versus Health.

II has been reported to the Merchants
Association that the bills to protect this
city's water supply from the pollution
threatened by locating state institutions
in the Croton watershed are likely to be
smothered in committee. Opposition TO
these measures comes from the political
machine in Westchester County, which
wants the Mohansic State Hospital and the
New York Training School for Boys, pre-
sumably because of the political patronage
expected from them. Other upstate voters,
however, appear to be attracted to the
support of Westminster by the argument
that these measures are only to- fore
runners Of others which will affect prop
erty rights" along the aqueduct as lar
north as Schoharie County.
The situation exists, therefore, that the
health Of New York City is to be balanced
against property rights" Expert testi-
mony has been laid before the Legislature
to show the danger of pollution of this
city's drinking water, no matter how good
sewage disposal system the state lnsti-
buttons might adopt. Pollution of the
citys water means menace TO the city's
health-to the health of more than half
the population of the state. There is no
escape from this. No argument for
property rights" that could possibly be
adduced would offset it.
1t is true, of course, that New York has
acquired at high prices and still pays taxes
on much property in the watershed, in
order to preserve the purity Of the water.
The property rights" Of the metropolis
don't seem TO figure in the legislative dis
cussion. All that, however, can be set
aside. The blunt, unacceptable issue the
lawmakers must meet is whether, for the
sake of anybody's property anywhere, they
are willing 10 condemn this great city to
the possibility Of an epidemic of disease
against which it could not protect itself.