davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

today. The Mexican question was the
subject of conversation, and all had
doubts whether the bill which passed
the House on yesterday would pass the
Senate today" Another entry later in
the day runs: AT Z o'clock pm. my
private secretary returned from the
Capitol and announced to me that the
bill which passed the Ho. Repts. on
yesterday, making a formal declaration
of war against Mexico. had passed the
Senate by a vote of 40 ayes to 2 noes,
with some immaterial amendment in its
details"
The following day. he wrote: "A
very large number of visitors called
on me this morning. consisting of
senators and representatives. citizens
and strangers. All took a deep interest
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22
ON, EN- ROUTE TO CHURCH

coin. it was concurred in by the mem
bers of his cabinet and was signed by
him. 1t was then sent to the State De-
partment, to pass through the regular
channels, making it an official docu-
ment and appeared the following
morning in the newspapers.
In the proclamation issued by Presi-
dent Polk there was no call made for
an armed force. This was carried in
the act of Congress itself, in which
state of war with Mexico was declared,
and which provided for the services of
$4,000 volunteers and an appropriation
of s1o,00o,0oo for carrying on the war.
The war with Spain in 1898 brings to
mind an incident in connection with
the signing of the declaration of war
by President Mckinley. The resolution
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

tween democracy and autocracy was
begun"
That's the basic issue in the war
into which our country has entered?"
oueried-
ITS a stand-up. worldwide fight of
tho peoples against Prussianism." an
swered Mr.. Rockefeller. tersely. Then
he went on. after a moments intro
spection:
Billy Sunday made this clear in one
of his sermons 1 recently heard him
preach. He spoke highly Of the Ger
man people-of their efficiency. domes-
tic good qualities, fondness for art,
science. music. literature, philanthropy.
civic well-being. But he deplored and
lambasted the brutality and heather
deviltry of the Prussian militarism. It
is Uncomfortable to him. as 1t is to me.
how a people possessing the kindly,
highly civilized traits of the Germans
can allow themselves to be led as they
have been. Billy Sunday has very
clear understanding Of many things.
but he can't comprehend Prussian mill
tarism Neither can l."
You admire Billy Sunday" 1 asked.
Hes q very earnest and sincere
man." replied Mr.. Rockefeller with en-
phasis. He puts a vitality into re-
ugton that 1t sorely needs. One can but
regret some of the methods which he
finds are necessary in order to rouse to
action the people who mako up our
ton. But no other course of procedure
has proved equally effective. If the
churches had accomplished to the full
the task that devolved upon them.
there'd be no necessity for Billy Sun
day."
TT may be-" I suggested, that re-
ligion, like our whole social structure.
needs characterization"
BILLY Sunday certainly gets hold of
the people," commented Mr.. Rockefeller.
He hits straight from the shoulder
and makes no compromises with the
powers Of evil. He was urged to go
easy on the liquor traffic, but he re-
fused He will never make a conces-
sion to the saloon. It's this quality in
him. this refusal to see two sides to an
intrinsically moral question. that wins
for him the confidence of the people at
large"
But you admit, of course. that he Of
tends against the canons of good TASTE
IT met a soueamish friend the other
day." remarked my host. smilingly,
who asked me how I could stand
Billy's crude. almost savage. course Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

procedure. I told him that it must be
superior to what we get from the
churches because It is effective in lead
ing men to Christ. while 80 much that
the churches do is not effective. OF
many Of our church services it can be
said that they are fine. but they do not
get hold of people. They don't grip the
hearts and souls of men and women.
~
Billy Sunday gets results That's
the main point. Criticism must be
dumb when any man by any means
proves that he can and does save souls.
Sunday has his head among the stars,
but his feet on the earth. and the trou-
BILE with the churches is that they are
either too visionary or too worldly and
thus fail to make the appeal that this
ex-base ball player. who thoroughly
understands the psychology of the mob.
pushes homo to all sorts and conditions
Of men,"
There's nothing succeeds like sue
cess" commented.
That's the answer" agreed Mr..
Rockefeller. BILLY Sunday sets out to
accomplish a certain purpose. a lofty
purpose and difficult of achievement.
and he gets there. And thousands at
his tabernacle who come to scoff re-
main to pray. When conservative
church members who object to his way
Of preaching salvation can point to
temples overcrowded and full of re-
pentant sinners. they may have some
ground for Directing to the Billy Sun
day type of REVEALS. But until then
they should either refrain from carping
or admit that. in his sometimes vulgar,
slap-dash way. Billy Sunday is doing
a noble and needed work in a wicked
world"
"Some time ago. Mr.. Rockefeller" I
remarked, "ex-President Eliot of Har-
ward asserted that. after two thousand
years of effort. Christianity had been
shown to be failure by this war in
Europe"
II had not heard that DR.. Eliot had
made such a statement" said Mr.. Rock
efeller. in some surprise. Far be 1t
from me to debate any question with
DR.. Eliot. for whom I have profound
respect and regard, but, in my judy
ment. the great war is an Indictment
of mankind. not of the teachings OF
Christ. If man had lived UP to the
Christ's behests, this horrible catas-
trophe could not have taken place. The
failure of civilization to safeguard 1T
self against a worldwide war is not an
argument against Christianity. but
rather a proof conclusive that Chris
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22
American Snob Obsolete
Rockefeller the Country's Richest Young

tianity is eternally right. II modern
had been true to the teach
ings of the Christ. the cataclysm that
has befallen it would have been
avoided"
wherever the fault lies. we're in It
the war. I mean"
I'VE are" he commented. land we
must go into It whole-heartedly and
effectively. We must not merely
threaten things. but do things. wheth-
er we should send forces to Europe TO
take part in the fighting there I'm not
sure. but there should be no halfway
measures taken to put us in state of
absolute preparedness.
TT is not merely a temporary prob
come so well prepared in military and
naval way that we won't be Obliged to
and efficiency that we exhibit in the
near future will be form of insurance
against trouble in the more remote fu-
ture. Every dollar we spend now on
defense may save us thousands of dol
lars in the years to come. What we
must have is not temporary, but per-
manent preparedness.
I'm glad the government is making
such comprehensive and carefully ma
tured plans for mobilizing all the mar
tia1 resources of this great nation.
Haste may be necessary. but it is sat
isfactory to realize that. whatever may
happen to US at the outset, the hitherto
scattered and unco- ordinated dynamics
of this powerful nation will eventually
enable us to achieve the purpose for
the furtherance of which we entNed.
in the name of righteousness. this stu
pendous conflict"
(which is essentially" 1 suggested.
a struggle between dulOCTdCy anu oc-
mocracy. between the powers of reac.
ton and the forces of progress"
YES" agreed Mr.. Rockefeller. That
basic feature of the struggle is clearly
brought out in President Wilson's great
address to Congress. 1t was splendid
state paper. destined to take its place
among the utterances of statesmen that
the world treasures from generation to
generation"
AS look back upon the hour / spent
with young Rockefeller" my optimism
is revivifed and 1 realize that those
WHO assert that the possession of great
wealth of necessity makes a man mar
row. unsympathetic, exclusive and un-
patriotic are talking nonsense.
Copyright. 1917 by the Wheeler Syndicate. Ine.).
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

declaring state of war, as passed by
Congress-. was carried to the White
House by Representative Hager of
Iowa, chairman of the committee on
enrolled bills of the House He was
accompanied by Representative Over
street of Indiana. Clerks Palmer of the
Senate and Davis of the House and
Chief Page Buchanan Of the House.
The resolution reached President Nc
Kinley at half past 1 on the after
noon Of April 10. After receiving it
he placed it on his desk. Every one
expected that it would be signed i'm
mediately. but nothing was done that
day.
The next morning at 1890 President
Mckinley signed the ultimatum to
Spain. but not the resolution declaring
war Immediately upon the signing of
the ultimatum it was put into cipher
and a copy telegraphed to Minister
Woodford at Madrid. Another copy was
carried to Minister Polo. minister from
Spain at Washington. Senior Polo re-
Seiyed &um 4be6pSeA1 sAndans
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

Minnesota said to me last summer that
preston upon him because of its unique
qualities as a plant in which real de-
mocracy was manufactured. He and
other educational authorities realize
that the employment by undergrad
yates Of the months from May to No
yember in camp and drill would be of
vast benefit to them in countless ways.
not the }east of which should be the
total humiliation of that spirit Of snob-
bishness that is to be found in some Of
our colleges and universities"
you were a graduate of Brown"
Yes" he answered. And Brown has
learned the value of military training.
I have FIVE sons. I'm endeavoring to
spirit. I'm impressing upon them that
the important factor in their lives is
not what their father is. or has. or has
not. but what kind of boys they are.
IF boy develops tendency toward
snobbishness or tho big head. or any
kind Of false pride. the best place for
him is military training camp. From
the moment he reaches 1t he'll find that
all artificial and external features of
his life are valueless and that he will
rise or fall. win or lose, wholly upon
his own individual merits.
The historic caste distinctions, rem
dered seemingly indestructible through
centuries of hardening, under the stress
of war. have practically disappeared in
England. it is said. They have been
buried in the trenches of the firing line,
where the costermonger and the peer
of the realm have taken each others
measure as men. In the hot fires of
heroic endeavor, British class preju-
dices have gone up in smoke. and the
foundations of a real English democ-
racy have been laid through the crucial
test that war makes of the actual man
Illness of individual men"
What If. in the end, we avoid real
warfare?" asked.
What 1 have said" answered Rookie
Teller. jr., does not apply merely to
the present crisis. Whatever may be
the outcome of our war declaration. we
must. through compulsory universal
military service. carry on permanent
hostilities against a great evil that had
crept into our American social system.
We must destroy forever caste feeling
and undemocratic aloofness upon the
part of the few toward the many by
maintaining from now on a military or
ganization that in it's structure and ac-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

side of ten minutes sent request for
his passports to the State Department.
This information was carried to PreSi-
dent Mckinley.
At 11:22 President Mckinley affixed
his signature to the resolution. declar-
ing a state of war. 1t later developed
that Senior Polo had expected the Presi-
dent first to sign the resolution, and
with this in mind had made arrange
ments with some one stationed at the
White House to be Immediately in
formed upon the signing of that paper.
He then intended to ask imm ediately
for his passports, the intention being
to break diplomatic relations with the
United States before the signing of the
ultimatum. thus making its transmissal
through the regular channels impos-
sible. President Mckinley had either
actually known of this arrangement or
had surmised such possibility. and
thwarted ii.
At the time President Mckinley sign
ed the ultimatum there were with him
Secretary of the Interior Cornelius N
Bliss, Secretary of Agriculture James
Wilson, Attorney General John W.
Griggs and Judge William r. Day, Sec
pared and brought the ultimatum to
the President Others who witnessed
the signing of the ultimatum were Sena-
tor Elkins, Representative Cannon,
Charles Emory Smith. editor of the
Philadelphia Press, and Secretary of
War Russell A. Alger. All these were
present later. when the resolution was
signed. Immediately after placing his
name to the latter document the pen
President Mckinley had used was hand
ed to Secretary Alger. More than fifty
requests for the pen had been received
at the White House, but that made by
Secretary Alger had been the first. The
presence of Senator Elktns and Repre-
sentative Cannon at the signing of the
war resolution was accidental All
morning a stream of visitors. mostly
senators and members of Congress. had
besieged the President, and these two
happened to arrive at that time.
President Mckinley signed the reso-
luton declaring war on April 20. but 1T
was not until three days later that he
issued a proclamation. Unlike that is
sued by President Madison. President
McKinJey's proclamation took the form
of a call for troops. $4,000 to serve for
two years, and was shorter than the
similar proclamation issued by Presf-
dent Lincoln. With him at the time he
Hasped this call for volunteers were
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22
EDWARD S. VAN ZILE.

,a7 AM most emphatically in favor
W of compulsory military serv-
~ ice l became convert to the
idea long ago. and recent
events have strengthened my belief in
its desirability."
John D. Rockefeller, jr., possibly the
richest young man in America. II not
in the world. is a forceful personality
and knows how to put his convictions
and opinions into clear and emphatic
English. AS / faced him recently across
his desk in his private office in lower
broadway. New York, l was greatly i'm
pressed by the youthful multimillion-
aires magnetic qualities, the outcome
apparently of clean living. clear think
ing and high purpose. He could well
AFFORD to be on the golf links In the
afternoon, but he evidently prefers to
be on his job.
moment of this possessor of. and pros
pective heir to. enormous wealth are OF
interest not merely because of his
UNIQUE position in a nation at present
long on multimillionaires. but because
they are the conclusions reached by
man of forty-he looks ten years
younger than his age-who is tempera-
mentally incapable of making snap
judgments and comes to his decisions
only after careful examination of the
data upon which they are based. That
young Rockefeller" as he is still
called, despite the fact that he is the
father of FIVE sons and one daughter,
is oetriotic and democratic American
will be evident to whoever reads what
follows:
Since my first perusal of the Cham
beriain army bill 1 have highly ap-
proved of that measure" continued
John d., jr. TT makes practicable the
only method of which 1 have any
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22
SOME OF JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, JR's SAYINGS

Every dollar spend now on defense may save us
of dollars in the to come What we must
have is not temporary but permanent preparedness
| know of no better way of putting upon parity
of putting them parity of work.
the churches had accomplished to the full the task
that devoved upon tem thered be necessity for Billy
Sunday
The great is Indictment of mankind, not of the
teachings of Christ.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

knowledge whereby real democracy
can be substituted in this country for
existing class distinctions"
caste exists in our country, Mr..
Rockefeller"
"As a nation increases in wealth." he
answered. after moment of thought,
social capitalization is bound to take
place. If there is no influence intro
duced to counteract this undesirable
tendency. The different strata of So
ciety refuses to coalesce unless there is
something stronger to weld them to-
gether than merely theoretical democ-
racy."
And compulsory universal service
solves this problem" I queried
YES" he answered. with emphasis.
Il know of no better way of putting
men upon parity of manhood than by
putting them upon a parity of work.
You see. fundamentally there is no
great difference between given groups
of men. Glass distinctions are largely
a matter of dress. of costume, of out
ward seeming. Let crowd of average
American workingmen appear in public
CARRIED by 5th avenue tailors and hat
tiers and an observer would find it diff
cult to believe that they were not on
their way to their country clubs. And
as for real manhood. you'd find at least
as much of that quality among them as
I'm not sure. indeed. that the percen-
tage Of fundamental virtues would not
be largely in favor of the working
men"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22


he sent his agent around with the
money and thus closed the incident
The officer who told this tale. with
many humorous embellishments, also
described a quaint native device that
is utilized for frightening birds who
damage fruit
1.-The only time that I myself have
arrested a native" said he. was when.
one night, a fellow service man and
myself were driven nearly frantic by
the terrific din that was being made
in the supposedly Silly watches OF
the night in an adjoining orchard.
This was during the mango season.
Much injury is done to the fruit by
night birds. particularly the so-called
flying foxes and to keep these off
with the minimum or inconvenience to
themselves the natives have invented
an interesting continuance. First of
all they bedeck long bamboo pole
plentifully with tin cans and other
noise producing utensils. and fix this
up among the branches of one of the
fruit trees. To this the native ties
cord reaching down to the ground, and
the other end he ties around his ankle.
By this means he can lie in bed. and.
while resting the remainder OF his
body, can work the noise maker with
his legs. You can easily imagine that
four or five of these things in con-
slant operation produce a hideous din
that effectually prevents any light
sleeper in the vicinity from success
fully wooing the drowsy god
Accordingly. on this night my
friend and myself. after being kept
awake for some hours. descended on
the natives and put them in the Jug
for the night. AS a matter OF fact. we
later had bitter cause to regret this.
for the thing made a deuce of a COM
motion, and a letter of rebuke came
down from the lieutenant governor,
written by his own hand. From what
1 have been telling you you can see
that our laws out there have been
carefully framed to guard the natives
against persecution, and can assure
you that they are rigidly enforeed-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

There's where our Plattsburg camps
are doing a great and splendid work."
he went on presently. They make for
democracy. obliterate artificial class
lines and put a searchlight upon those
who flock to them that makes real
manliness the measure Of superiority.
President Vincent of the University of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

PRINGTIME and wartime. When
ever the grim god of war has
-. stretched forth bony hand to
" grip the United States In his
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

tianity is eternally right II modern
civilization had been true to the teach
ings Of the Christ, the cataclysm that
has befallen 1t would have been
avoided"
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-05-21
MINISTER'S PENSION
REV. Il. =. SHAW. Oh KANSAS,
WILL TAKE HOLD OF WORK
IN THIS STATE.

Mitchell. May 21.-In connection
with the proposed raising of an an
nuity fund of 100000 BY the Con
gregational churches Of the United
States as a fitting eommemoration Of
the tereentennial anniversary of the
landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth
in 1920, Rev. II. s. Shaw, Of Topeka,
Kan, has been appointed field eere-
tary for such a work in a part Of
South Dakota. He came here a few
days ago. and has already begun the
work. The annuity fund is intend
ed TO provide suitable pensions for
old, disabled or retired ministers Of
the denomination, as well as for the
widows and orphans Of clergymen.
Mr.. Shaw was for 20 years pastor
Of Congregational churches in North
Dakota, once living in Fargo i'm such
a capacity. He was also associated
with the work of the Congregational
Home Missionary society in North
Dakota, being assistant superintend-
emf and helped build churches and
do q general work that was most sue
cessful. For the past two years he
was financial secretary OF Washburn
college, Topeka, Kan, and won out
in a strenuous campaign for a $780,
600 endowment. MIR. Shaw's family
will join him in South Dakota at the
close of the school year. and they
will very likely make their home in
Mitchell till Mr.. Shaw's work is
completed.
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-05-21

the smile is made a mockery and the
joy is being taken out of the world. 1t
may be that there are many people who
do not consider this war seriously, but
those who have Il husband. son, sweet
heart, friend or relative i'm the service
cannot be gay all the time. They have
read too much of the slaughter in Eu-
rope: they have heard too frequently Of
the sudden death from the submarines;
they know their loved ones are facing
an enemy INSCRIPTIONS aud without
the least compassion or mercy.
And so it appears that one feature of
this war is to destroy merriment and
pleasure; il has eliminated the laugh in
a nation.
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-05-21

to collect freight bills. While en-
gagged in this, an engine passed, the
team took fright and broke it's moor
ings and made the dash, running in
to the large electric wire pole at j..
A. Johnson's corner The huge pole
was broken almost clear through by
the shock, the horses thrown back on
their launches by the collision, the
harness gave way and as the heavy
dry suTged forward il struck one Of
the animals on the back, presumably
breaking it, as it could lot rise, the
animal lingering in pain for a short
time and died. 1t was a most unfor-
tunate accident and a heavy loss to
Mr.. Craney.