davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1916-12-26

To THE EDITOR OF THE SrN-Sir: It
Is inconceivablc that any Republican
Secretary OF state could have made the
~inexcusable blunder which lies at the
door Of Secretary Lansing in his state
ment that this country was on the verge
OF war. thereby precipitating a liquida-
ton OF stocks OF such magnitude as
the country has hardly ever seen before
and bringing ruin to thousands Of men
and women.
Is It true. as has often been charged.
that the Democratic party is destitute Of
such diplomatic ability as the position
Of Secretary Of State calls for:
First we have Bryan, who made his
great office ridiculous in the eyes of
the world. Next Lansing. with his in
discreet tongue. and whose greatest SER
vice to the country now would be to
hand In his resignation. But who next?
Is there any next. bearing the brand
Of Democracy, capable OF occupying the
position Of Secretary Of state?
What a relief II President Wilson
would so far sink partisanship as to
offer the position to Elihu Root.
NEW York. December IS. NJ T. II.
The sun., 1916-12-26

The resemblance Of this city to a
mining camp grows greater every
winter. The pride Of New Workers in
their excavations Is not less than that
Of the Romans. Foreigners pay much
attention TO our skyscrapers. New
Workers. merely pick their way over
accumulated hills of OdorOus subsur-
face. or watch with fascinated eyes
the latest process Of quarrying in
Union Square.
1t will never be necessary to dig
u New York as Pompell was laid
bare. Were all Manhattan to he del
uged by Il volcano the inhabitants
would proceed TO dig their way to air
and go about their work, merely re.
marking to each other that the town
looked about ms usual. There would
be some grumbling over the work OF
the Street Cleaning Department.
The task Of building subways is
likely to go on for " many genera.
tions In this city and to involve SO
many upheavals that 1t sometimes
seems as II it would he easier to root
over our streets and make a new
ground level one story higher. But
to do this would deprive Is OF the
greatest pleasure known to children
aud men-disglng.
The sun., 1916-12-26
h Government.

In numerous discussions OF Presi-
dent WILSON'S project for a league
Of nations in which the United States
shall pledge itself to fight for the pre-
yention Of war such sentences as the
subjoined find place:
"Diniculties involving the continuance
Of what was regarded a. a hxed and
settled policy OF the United States are
already appearing in connection with the
willingness Of this Government to enter
Q world league to prevent future wars."
The Willingness Of this Government
10 enter q world league to prevent
future wars" has never been recorded.
The United States has never com.
mitted itself to approval Of the sug-
gestion. The making of alliances Is
not the function Of the Executive
alone; they can be created only by
treaty, and the treaty making power
Is us much the Senate's as the Presi-
dents. No pledge to a foreign nation
given by the Executive alone can be
binding on this country, and the SEN
ate on numerous occasions has re-
fused its sanction to Executive enter
prises, which In consequence Of those
refusals have come to nothing.
The Executive Department does not
yet constitute the entire Government
q the United States.
The sun., 1916-12-26
ARTILLERY HONORS.
Rhode Islands Battery 4 Pr0claims
Its Superiority.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-SU: The
letter of Capt. l.. II. Richardson of
Battery A. Mass. r, A, clouds the r
ranking OF the militia field artillery bat
teries. Battery A of Rhode Island was
ranked frst by the War Department re-
Gently, with IA total OF 1885 points.
Battery \ OF Boston was outrated by
over 1900 points.
During the period OF service firing At
FL Paso. In which the Massachusetts and
Rhode Island batteries took part In the
same battalion. Rhode Island outshot
the Massachusetts batteries. and rs the
Rhode Island battery is the only field ar
tillery organization in the United States,
either militia or regular. that ever pulled
out on the road with a complete rcGula-
tion nine section battery, fully horscd
and manned. It Is plain that Battery \
Of Rhode Island is superior to any field
artillery Massachusetts can show,
Both Massachusetts and Rhode Island
outranked any New York battery in
qualified expert first class and sccond
class gunners. which ranking includes a
knowledge of horses. material and a
working knowledge OF the gun,
c. Il. ADAMS,
Private. Battery A, II. |. +. \.
P~AwrUcKEr, II, l., December IS.
The sun., 1916-12-26
The Uneounted CsIories.

Few know food values, lament the
food sharps. These wise men regard
with sorrow. II not with alarm, the
inability or unwillingness Of the pub
lie to delve into the scientific side OF
domestic economy. Even the doctor
may not know why he Is eating
what he eats, for in a report made by
o committee Of famous food scientists
We read:
at is regrettable that the scientific
data rega riding food and diet are known
large. and. indeed. many physicians are
but III supplied with this knowledge and
suffer accordingly"
As part proof Of its assertions, the
committee demonstrated that $6.77
worth Of ray oysters, producing $500
OlOries, could be equalled In heat
energy by the more humble home
made oyster pie or fried oysters. cost
ing respectively 81 and u cents" We
are inclined to believe that an oppO-
sitiOn party. If one existed, could af.
ford to let the case go to the people
on this very demonstration. Did Eel
q hungry man order $6.77 worth Of
oysters II there was anything else to
be had? AS for the fried oysters w
fancy, without having counted calo-
ries, that Is cents worth Of baked
beans would supply as much heat,
more joy and hardly a worse attack
Of indigestion.
We will agree with the scientists
that mankind Is slow to keep up with
them. 1t Is hard enough to count
collars, let alone, calOries. The chill
dren Of ADAM forget whether the
prOteid Is more advantageous than
the carbohydrate. They engulf the
pumpkin pie without having taken 1t
apart I'm the laboratory. They spear
and devOur the fried potato, needless
Of its low character. And vet, as
HERMAN METZ once sagely said, many
Of our grandfathers lived beyond their
Infancy.
1t must he that there is a wire he.
tween the innards and the brain and
the message that goes over 1t says, IT
want what ! want and l know 1t
when the eye secs It," This Is true
not of man alone, but of all animals.
Consider the dog: He swallows his
beef at a gulp, but he chews a choco.
late drop rs II he were at a matinee.
Why? Certainly It Is not instinct, for
his ancestors did not eat bonbons. But
he knows.
Until the great hour of human uni.
formity arrives, each man will eat
that which his chemistry. as JACK
LONDoN called II, demands; assum.
ing, Of course, that his wife knows
how to cook IT,.
The sun., 1916-12-26
K~aiserthum In the White House,

To II EDITOR or THE SUN-Sir: Are
we to hide our faces in shame FOR our
selves and our country because We have
a KAISER acting as President OF these
United States Is he superior to the
law OF the land
Why do WI send Congressman aud
Senators TO Washington? Are they our
representatives or do they just 20 there
to give their votes to pass the measures
this Kaiser" thinks will make his name
famous on history's page?
Must our representatives staud back
Of this Kaiser" when called upon by
him to do so after he has sent notes
to other Governments without consult e
ing them Why does our Kaiser
write notes and declare them To he the
American peoples sentiment when lac
knows not whether they are or not"
NEW YORK. December Is. y,
The sun., 1916-12-26
lively NUISANCES.
The Man who Crosses HIS Legs In
Public Ranks second.

To THE EDITOR OF FIJI SUN-Sr: four
efforts to suppress the man who crosses
his legs in public to the annoyance OF
his neighbors are highly c~ommendable.
but I fear they are from the start
doomed to failure. Like the poor. this
man we have always with us.
When the last righteous man and
woman uIon the earth are patiently
but wearicdly brushing away the last
determined fly that is buxzing about her
nose and his bald head, outside the door,
ready to get In their fine work upon
them as they issue forth (and even be-
fore they issue forth). will be found this
hardy. graceless crew.:
I. The man who walks upon the wrong
side OF the sidewalk.
9. The man who crosses his legs in
public.
3. The man who throws banana peels
upon the sidewalk and in the street.
4. The mar who smokes In the pres
enc Of women.
6. The woman who doesn't take her
place In line.
6. The man who opens and shuts win
dows.
Z. The man who whispers.
s. The man who coughs and browns
the parsons saw.
D.. The man who stands in the way OF
others.
10. The man who slaps you on the
back.
II. The man with a mania for telling
funny stories.
~. The man who growls II you look
at him.
And a few others.
Suppose you try a little easier reform
say. the elimination Of Bryan from
politics. CHARLES HOOPER.
SEATTLE, Wash. December 81.
The sun., 1916-12-26

the first item authorizes the expen-
diture Of $4,000 for a site and build
ing ut Algona. Iowa. The population
Of this town is zoos, postal receipts
are $15,21O annually, and the post
Office there is housed Mt u rental Of
$500 n year. Now 3 per cent. on
$4,000 is $3.50, or $3.50 more than
the rent paid. This takes no nc
count of several thousands Of dollars
which must be spent annually to main
tain the Government building an cx-
pensc to which the Government Is
not put In rented quarters. by Mr..
CLARx's own test AlgOna could not
nsk for n site and building costing
over $28.667. Three per cent. on that
sum would cost the Government $500,
an equivalent Of the present rental.
The items which similarly riddle
Mr.. CLARK's defence Of the bill are
innumerablc. Mr.. CLARK has a second
line Of intrenchment. He insists TINT
the bill merely authorizes maximum
expenditures. AS II Washington des-
patch to the Ercnin0 Post says. Mr..
CLARK "refers, politely. to the pres
ent policy Of the Treasury DEPART
ment to reduce such expenditures for
Government buildingsl despite the OPP
position Of Congress. In the last two
fiscal years the Treasury Department
has saved the public pOcketboOk on
an average 81. 500, 900 by refusing to
buy property offered Mt the price fixed
by Congress or by refusing to let bids
which ate up the bulk Of Congress
sional appropriation"
Could President WILSON only have
bestirred himself to work as ehec-
lively for IN executive budget as he
did for other important measures the
Treasury might not be facing a deficit
Of possibly $500, 900, 1000. and the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury might not
have been obliged to warn Congress
that in the wasteful erection Of Gov
eminent buildings It Is mourning an
nual charges which the Government
may soon be unable to bear.
The sun., 1916-12-26

Representative FRANK CLARK Of
Florida defends the pork laden pub
lie building bill, saying that as the
United States n borrow money ut o
per cent. 1t Is good business for the
Government to borrow large sums and
erect post offices ut every crossroads.
At present Government buildings are
going up all over the country at the
rate OF one every four days,
How far does Mr.. CLARk's defence
extenuntc the swollen items In his
bill now pending; Examination hus
shown that 1t does not justify many
Of the appropriations.
Dor example, It 10 pointed out that
The sun., 1916-12-26

Now that the holiday greeting cards
are nearly all disposed Of 1t may not
be considered unkind to suggest that
one new fashion in cheer by mail Is
a pest. we refer TO the little piece
Of pasteboard. about the size OF a
visiting card. enclosed in an envelope
just big enough to hold II. . II is un-
handy for the sender. who requires
the aid Of micrography to crowd the
address into the space. 1t must be a
nuisance in the post office where the
stamping Is done by hand. hut the
letter carrier suffers most. The mis-
sive is hard to sort. hard to hold In a
bundle. hard to read. with its small
writing all postmarked over, me hard
to pick out Of the bag or the bundle
with cold, gloved hands. Economy in
paper is to be encouraged. but the
freak greeting Is a painful form Of it.
The sun., 1916-12-26
The Great Adventure.

Hurled from tho peak OF Jove
with a roar like the crack OF doom
Shoots the hurting hulk OF a fiery bulk
And the lanes Of space make room.
Like n witch astride her stick.
Nenomous. snarling. blind,
TT lung where the chart OF God Is hung
And Its name hair noats behind.
In the glow Of a hell III way
IT speeds like n mad thought sped,
While the waves Of space that It spurns
apace
Bruise It's undiylning head.
And always the comet dies
Through the fields OF the endless miles.
while a million years are AS wInging fears.
or as hopes wan a~fterwhiles.
And always It's way lies dark
In the Name Of Ito raging stress.
Its tail Ia a dream that bares the scheme
Bu, Its head is no%thingness.
q fate to Mich our tears,
n destiny tipped with gall
For the question nies where the answer lies
Ner sees ner knsws at ali!
oLi4 L LsxAx.
The sun., 1916-12-26

To II EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: Car
rying out the plan which she has prac-
tised consistently since the days OF
Frederick the Great and has preached
through her Treitschkes and Bernhardis.
Germany In this war has attacked. the
Entente with the aim OF conquering her
neighbors and annexing their land while
protesting that they are attacking her.
In view OF her past practice and preach
ing we know that her present pretence
that she Is now fighting to prevent being
attacked again is false, and We know
that his same claim on the part OF the
Entente is true.
Is Mr.. Lansing fair when he say
that both sides make the same claim
and thus suggests doubt as to whether
Germany is the attacker or the at
tackled:
The attacked Entente is now fighting
to prevent in the only way known being
again attacked. We have stood by and
failed to help the attacked against the
attacker. Mr.. Lansing now asks the
attacked 10 cease fighting To proven,
later attacks because she IL inconvc-
niencing US. Is that fair?
On a policeless islet the lifelong bully
attacks a neighbor who struggles To-
prevent another attack. A b~ystander
who has refused to aid the attacked
while enriching himself from the strug.
gle. says stop your attempt to pre-
vent that bully attacking you again, be-
cause you bother me- Is that fair
II is II wise when the attacked alone
stands between the bystander and his
eventual despoilment by the bully. as
| the Entente's effort alone stands between
us and our later overthrow by Germany
in case she energies victorious from this
war upon her path OF world DONNA.
| ton: HENRY MARION HOWE.
BEDFORD HILLS. December %.
The sun., 1916-12-26
Armed Merchant ships.

In the view Of Lord CHARLES Der.
EsFoRD, the activity Of the German
cruiser submarines has made Eng.
lands importing of food and raw ma.
terials a question "of unparalleled
gravity He advocates the arming
Of merchant ships with guns both
fore and aft to resist capture and
even to attack submarines. There
may be-" he says. diplomatic diff
cultles connected with the arming Of
merchant vessels for attack, but
surely these difficulties could he cas-
lily surmOunted." Evidently the Brit
ish Government, judging from an in
timatiOn that the larger British
liners are to make Halifax. instead Of
New York, their port of call on this
side Of the Atlantic, does not agree
with the Admiral that diplomatic
difficulties could he easily sur
mounted"
Secretary LANSING on April -,
1915, published a memorandum to
define the position Of the United
States with regard to armed mer-
chant vessels in neutral ports and on
the high seas. Prior to that date. on
January 10, the United States Gov
eminent had permitted the Italian
liner Giuseppe Verdi to sail from New
York with two 3-inch guns mounted
aft, on the understanding shat they
should be used only for defence and
not to attack a submarine while the
liner was being warned. Mr.. Ian.
SINGS memorandum admits the right
of enemy merchant ships ito arm for
the purpose of self.prOtect.on," and
he says that "a merchantmen en-
titled to exercise the right of self
protection may do so when certain
of attack by an enemy warship, other.
| wise the exercise of the right would
he so restricted us TO render it inef'
fectual."
Obviously the Initiative in attack
may be taken by the armed merchant
man, as Mr.. LANSING understands the
| rules Of warfare sanctioned by inter
national law. But no stress need be
laid upon the words certain of at
tack" in the paragraph last quoted
Consider the relation Of this state
ment. the only means of avoiding
loss is by flight or successful resist
%ance," to the following: IF the
hostile character Of the property l.
known the belligercnt warship may
seize the property without exercising
the right Of visit and search, which
Is solely for the purpose of obtaining
knowledge as to the character of TIL
property"
Mr.. LANsING's interpretations jus
tify n German submarine commander
in tOrpedOing without prellminaries
except due warning and opportunit.
for escape Of crew and passengers
and also justify the merchant shii
captain In anticipating capture" b.
attacking the submarine. IAN arme,
merchant vessel on the high seas" Il
quote n Of his headings. present
no great difficulty but what abOu
an armed merchant vessel in neutra
ports? With IL gun aft she Is arme,
"for the purpose of self.prOtection.
as the italian liner was. Doubles
the ruling would he different II sh
carried IL u at the how also. MI
LANSING in the following stptemen
seems to have anticipated the ne,
British policy:
ARMED merchantmen OF ~belliEercn
nationality under a commission or OF
ders Of their government to use .
their armament for aggressive purpose
10 ere not entitled 70 the sam
The sun., 1916-12-26
hospitality IN neutral ports 40 peace
able armed merchantmen"

hospitality in neutral ports 40 peace
able armed merchantmen"
Lord CHARLES BEREsFoRD Is there
fore unduly optimistic when he thinks
that diplomacy car smooth the way
for the merchantmen specially armed
for attack. The British Government
seems to have no illusions. An awk.
ward question does intrude, however.
1t Is this: Will the German I'm
perial Government agree with Secre-
tary LANSING that there Is any diff
ference between what he terms
~"peaceable armed merchantmen" and
merchantmen armed for aggressive
purposes? His memorandum permits
the former to enjoy the hospitality Of
our ports. and sanctions armed re.
sistance to capture. The Germans
have practically given notice that
"peaceable armed merchantmen" are
to be treated as warships. Vigorous
renewal Of Submarine warfare"
would therefore endanger the dis
tinctiOn which Mr.. LANSING makes
In his memorandum and could hardly
fail to provoke complications.
The sun., 1916-12-26

tutes an unimportant factor In the
transmission Of disease. While clean
paper money satisfies nj aesthetic
sense, 1t has not been proved that
solled money is likely to become a
medium Of disease transmission.
With regard to books, It Is the us
tom to dislnfect them. when soiled,
by exposure TO sunlight and air, but
It is a fact that the hyglenic labOra-
tory Of Johns Hopkins has not found
germs Of %dlphtheria, for instance, on
books coming from bones In which
children had been suffering from this
disease. The fact is that the ma.
jorlty of bacteria found on books are
the same as those found in atmos-
pheric air, and that the colon bac-
terlum. which Is frequently found on
the hands Of school children, has
rarely been found on the books they
handle. There Is really no material
risk involved in the reissue Of books
recently read by consumptives, unless
the books are obviously sOiled. and
even then the risks are very slight.
Since, however, bacteria like the ty.
phOid and diphtheria organism have
been occasionally discovered on arti.
ficially infected books, there may be
good reason for subjecting all re-
turned books to direct sunlight be-
fore redistribution.
Practically the danger from soiled
money and books Is no more obvious
than the danger from the mOuthpiece
Of the telephone.
The sun., 1916-12-26
Disease Germs In Books.

The recent epidemic Of infantile
paralysis has intensified the unwhole-
some dread of disease germs with
which the public mind has long been
Obsessed. The health authorities are
%endeavoring to educate the public In
the matter of cleanliness. which Is
inimical to the propagation of these
germs. Addition Of the hands before
eating has been especially insisted
upon In this propaganda. A similar
cleansing after soiling of the hands
needs not to be emphasized. Unfor-
tunately the majority OF people do
not realize the Importance Of these
simple precautions. while OF the other
hand there are many persons with
whom disease germs are a bette nolr.
They see death and sickness lurking
everywhere, and like the thief who
sees n policeman behind every bush,"
they live In constant apprehension Of
germs. To these timid individuals a
recent article in the journal of the
American Medical Association on
Bacteria on Paper Money and Books"
may bring comfort.
THE Sun has ~endeavOred to pre-.
sent only the most reliable scientific
aspect of the subject of germ dis
eases, because the usual hasty gener-
allzatiOns of science and baseless as
sertiOns which continually appear in
print under the guise of scientific au-
thOrity sooner or later rebound to the
discredit OF real progress. An un-
warranted scepticism Is aroused and
the distrust of an obvious misstute.
ment unconsclOusly becomes mngni-
fed into n reactionary Indifference
to the better contributions of scien-
tifc men. The championship Of half
or %conjectured truths inevitably acts
In the course OF time as n barrier to
the very objects which are sought in
public reforms, for In the end truth
always prevails.
Some years ago THE SuN called at
tentiOn to the II idea that
tuberculosis may be contracted by
persons using the telephone mouth,
piece which has been used by many
others. We showed that the Post
master-Gcneral of Great Britain hnt
the m%onthpieccs on the telephone,
under his control examined bacteria
logically, with the result of no dis
ease germs being discovered upOI
them. The journal comments upOI
the popular opinion of II few years
ago that the handling Of soilPd paper
money was extremely dangerous OF
account Of the bacteria that may nd
here to It. The fact Is that bank tel
lers do not share this aversion. no
do they present evidence Of cXcep
tional liability to infectious diseases
II has been positively nsccrtalned IN,
published In. the Popular Scienc,
AoetA'y that paper money consti
The sun., 1916-12-26
MR.. WILSON'S NOTE.
Some Citizens Opinions Of the Admin.
i%stration's Ststesmanshlp.

To nj EDITOR or THE SuN-Sir: II
seems to me that American public opin-
ion should express itself instantly and
overwhelmingly SO that England. France.
Russia and proud Japan need not feel
that the American people have 10 far
lost their senses a IL the news from the
United States would seem to indicate.
Putting the opening of mail on a parity
with the sinking Of American citizens
in torpedoed ships is characteristic OF
the lack OF balance that has always
f~ersonian doctrines.
RAYMOND SPEARS.
LITTLE FALLS, December 20.
The sun., 1916-12-26
MeddNng In EurOpe's Politics.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: The
President should know what secret di-
plomacy and meddling in European poll
tics will bring to the United States, as
he condemns Madison. in the History
OF the American People" for the same
thing he is doing, and he says that the
muddling and secret diplomacy OF Madi-
son brought on the war of 1872.
$. g. BRACEY.
NEWARK. y. j., December IS.
The sun., 1916-12-26
The Department Of Water Supply

The Department Of Water Supply
expects to turn the Catskill water into
the city mains on April 1, thus in
creasing tho pressure in a numDer Of
districts. Householders have been
warned to look to the plumbing in
their homes and prepare 1t to meet
the demands made on 1t. The ex-
pense in many cases will be heavy:
in some districts the pressure will he
raised from ten to thirty pounds. The
New Year will open auspiciodsly for
the plumbers: they a AFFORD to cele-
brate its arrival with open pocket
books.