davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02
The Springheld's Defects
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: 7 read with much interest Lieutenant
Coloners" criticism of the government
Springfield rife in yesterdays Tribune, and
| agree with most Of his statements. ! be-
leve that free discussion Of such things
by men who have had practical experience
with this rifle may result in some improve
r1ents. or. al least a correction Of some of
the faults or defects in the arm.
In my opinion there is another serious
fault aside from the ones mentioned by the
writer of the above mentioned article, viz,
the distance from the eye 10 the rear sight
as placed on the rifle. If the sight were placed
as far back on the barrel as possible and
the peepholc enlarged to twice its size it
would be a great improvement.
cannot agree with "Lieutenant Colonel's'
statement that the Springfield is fright
ful kicker" / am feet 10 inches tall
and weigh only 80 pounds, and | can and
have shot all day with service ammunition
in this rifle with absolutely no i'll effects.
qualified As distinguished expert every year
while member Of the National Guard, and
believe tina, any man can use this arm with
out having his shoulder pounded black and
blue if he has been instructed in the proper
way TO hold MS gun. NOT 90 UNDERSTAND
how lenCthening the stock two inches would
reduce the recoil. or course. in the excite
mcnt of battle such things might be forgot
ten. and I would suggest more efficient
remedy that an easily applied soft recoil
pad might be supplied This could be issued
for all rifles now in use as we'll as those man
ufacturcd later, and if made in two or more
different sizes, varying only in the thickness
Of the pad. it would help to correct the short
length of the stock for long armed men.
The battle sight should be changed at once.
! can offer no suggestions as to how this
could be done. except TO make up new sights
to. ft the present sight bases. swinging
cover could easily be incorporated in this
new sight. arranged as to cover the peep
sight when the open sight was in use, or vice
versa. PRIVATE.
New York. MAY 20, 1917.
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02
Revealing a Secret
The facts set forth in the following let
ter might as well be made public:

The facts set forth in the following let
ter might as well be made public:
To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: Received letter to-day from London,
and a clipping out Of London paper, about a
terrible battle at sea at Heligoland ships
sunk!
Why is nothing in your paper about it
An constant reader. Is the American press
ment?
i II is an open secret that the Navy Yard
Hospital and Governors Island are full Of
crippled and wounded
free people like ours ought TO know the
truth. 1t is criminal to keep such things
secret.
For Gods sake, give US the truth and relieve
our anxiety! You will receive the thanks Of
thousands. JAMES ROBIN.
New York. May 80, 1917
For the sake of the thousands it is only
right and proper to reveal the great secret
or at least that part of it which is not
already open.
Herr Robin will not be surprised to
learn that the London paper lied. Unfort-
unatey. the original clipping is not in
closed in his letter, so we have no way of
knowing what paper it was cut out of, nor
can we tell whether il came from a local
edition or from one Of those expurgated
versions which the English publishers las
the Germans have told us) prepare espe-
cially far circulation abroad. But, at any
rate, the London story is false.
The true story was given out from
IIoboken some time in the month Of May,
and il must be nearly four weeks now
since the terrible battle was fought. At
least one New York paper published an
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02
Diving of Pro-Germanism

It may be that the Socialist party has
not been pro-German consciously and OF
set design. II is quite possible that ITS
machine leaders may only have been
among those whom Samuel Gompers called
the Unconscious allies" of the Kaiser. But
the fact has been toerably plain to Amerl-
cans for a long time past that the 30
cialist party has been with notable uni
formity on the German side as Mr.. John
Spargo. one of its most respected members,
saws sadly in quitting it. If the fact had
not been plain, the criticism and protest
of such members as Russell, WaIling,
Stokes and Spargo would have made 1t so
despite all the explanations and denlals OF
the Bergers and Hillquits.
The United States can have little pa
tience and no sympathy with a socialism
which has repeated all the miserable eva
sions and apologies of German statesmen
and been silent upon those questions on
which the German interests required
silence" as Mr.. Spargo so pertinently de-
scribes the situation. Good Americans can
have no understanding of some vague
brand of "internationalism" which swal-
lows German words in spite of German
deeds and lends its adherents and agencies
to the bringing about of German-planned,
German desired scheme of peace about as
compatible with internationalism and
brotherhood as a Krupp gun. For that
reason Americans are not likely to weep
copiously over the dsintegration of the
Socialist party as it has existed recently.
The Socialist machine in this state has
been ridiculous ever since it expelled
Mayor Lunn of Schenectady for refusing
to take its dictation regarding the ap-
pointment of officeholders and for daring
to appoint the men he considered best fitted
for office regardless of party affiliations.
The Socialist machine in the nation is so
ridiculous as to be pitable when it drives
its best men out of the party by course Of
conduct neither Socialist nor American.
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02

account of the affair as soon as it reached
this side of the river.
To say that only 113 ships were sunk Is
obviously an effort on the part of the Brit
ish to make light Of the disaster. for ac-
cording to careful observers in Hoboken
the Germans alone lost AZ and the British
end Americans at least GA total OF l4o.
1t was undoubtedly great German VIC
tory. the like of which has not been seen
since the editor of the "Staats-Zeltung
single handed sank number of British
Greadnoughts in 1914, and promised to dis
pose Of half the fleet before January, 1916.
The report that the Germans have already
converted the sunken ships into submarine
commerce raiders is, however, believed to
be premature.
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02
The Negro in Harlem

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The tendency is, right or "rons' =,
minimize the good points of the negro anu
to magnify his shortcomings.
Il is unfortunate that a people ALREADY Az
such disadvantages should be stiymatized a.
every turn. while the better side OF tne"
character passes unnoticed.
read in this mornings Tribune o. raee
riot at Lenox Avenue and l31th street on
Memorial Day. As one Of the many out ~
that part of town. from early afternoon uhu'
late evening. never heard or saw anything
Of the kind as described by your informant
in which il is claimed that bottles and orehs
were hurled from every housetop,' until
read it this morning. take II from the se
count Of what occurred that saloon brawi
in which a disorderly negro deiied arrest ana
injured the officers nccessitated the callhs
out Of the police reserves. 10 IS deplorsope
that valuable space is given IN your paper "
such incidents in manner to stir up 'h'
antipathy of the two races.
On Memorial Day the negroes OF Harlem
turned out en- masse TO review the annun
parade of the Grand United Order OF oda
Fellows. the which was most orderly and eN'
empifed good citizenship.
OF late there has been too much OF cry oi
race rioting. and too little Of what goes 10
cement the bonds OF good fellowship bet"een
the law-abiding and self-respecting citizens
Of the two races. c. ALBERr EL"iN
New York, May 81. 1911.
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02
Nurse the Coal Bin


There is one industry which begs you 10
avoid buying its commodity if you can. This
s the one which mines coal. Speaking
through the National Coal Board it asks
people to conserve their supplies Of fuel.
use daylight As must as possible in order 10
save light made Of coal or with coal. stand
n little lower temperatures in their homes.
TIE reason for it is that in spite of the
enormous beds OF coal in this country il can
not be mined and shipped fast enough to
keep warships supplied. trains moving and
muniton factories going without a heavy
strain on energies. Further, il is asked that
dealers discourage boarding. factory pro-
prictors establish smoke consumers and
fuel-savlng methods.
II any one feels reluctant to respond TO
this patriotic appeal. let him begin at once
20 set aside as many dollars n week as he
can. For II coal isn't conserved now there
will be such prices for coal next winter a.
will make rccent charges seem like getting
the stun as gift.
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02
JaiI Before or Afterp

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Kindly let me have particulars re-
gsrding jail sentence of those not registering.
Some people think men are to serve their
terms Of one year at once and be drafted
later while | contend they would be drafted
first. and when the war is over they would be
compelled to go to Jail. naturally if they re-
turn. MARGARET A. SHELLER.
New York. May 81, 1917.
THE cOnscripton law is not absolutely
Self-explanatory as to the time when the
sentence begins. The language is: "Upon
conviction in the District Court of the
United States having jurisdiction thereof
The SHALL be punished by Imprisonment
for not more than one year and shall there
upon be registered. "-ED.
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02
Personal Treachery' Among Socialists

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: sense of fairness will, ! have no
doubt. cause you to print this correction OF
error that crept into your news columns
to-day.
You say that Winfield r. Gaylord and
Alge VI. Simons were expelled from mem
bership in the Socialist party because they
did not favor Germany. No one in the So
ciaist party fayors Germany. We did not
have TO wait for our declaration of war TO
oppose kaserism and Junkerthum with all
our might Nor did we wait for the out
break of the great war on the other side
We have always fought hard against kaiser
ism and czsrsm and imperialism in all coun-
tries. Nor is it true that one must" oppose
the Allies to be good Socialist. There are
many prominent Socialists who earnestly
favor the Allies and even some who advocated
entering the war upon the side OF the En-
tente and who now favor vigorous prosecu-
tion Of the war. They are permitted TO SPEAK
freely within the party, although the party
is committed to work for an early peace
The offence of Gaylord and Simons un-
heard of in all Socialist annals in any coun-
try was this: When the party did not do as
they desired. instead of protesting within the
party, instead of appealing to the party mem
bers they made direct appeal to the au-
thorties for a discreet use of authority"
to prevent the members from voting upon
certain referendum. and as r direct result of
this appeal several Socialist headquarters
were raided, illegal arrests made, great in
convenience caused and much money lost.
although the arrested ones were later re-
leased
The Socialist party is the freest and most
democratic organization in America. There
ho VII Of INpry-
thing proposed is voted upon by referendum
vote of all the members But personal
treachery is unendurable And so Gaylord
and Smons, long beloved and trusted mem
bers of the party, may now appeal 20 the
police to arrest internationalsts from their
new Offices in patriotic leagues in Miwau
kee. but no longer as Socialists.
MORRIS WILLIAMS.
Brooklyn. May %, 1917.
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02
A Lost Month
be premature

The official weather observer could find
only three sunny days in May, and for once
the official record squares with experience.
It was also the coldest May in the forty
six years of the Weather Bureau, and there
again the facts Of the expert bear out the
shvering bunch of plain humanity.
We understand from poetical young
souls with a taste for exploration that
some of the paraphernalia Of spring has
braved the cold and reached the country
side. Crocuses are declared to have come
and gone. Beans are up. Peas, or at any
rate ones neighbor's peas, are ready to
bloom. There is even a rumor that last
Sunday dogwood was flashing and apple
blossoms falling. Nature, like the poets,
the clothing manufacturers and the car
toonists. works by the clock, and this being
the season of the year when spring gen.
erallv is to be expected, the rudimentary
motions of the season take place, whether
or no.
But ordinary human heings, for whom
spring is not a thing of business, take no
such mechanical stimulus from an astro-
nomical season. Either May is May or she
is not. Spring is not spring simply be-
cause the sun crossed an imaginary line
on the DIST of March We feel and know
that we have been cheated out of one whole
month in this year 1917. and the substitute
was. like most substitutes, neither just as
good nor good for anything much.
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02

is unmistakabe. II is lure and trap.
Germany. unbeaten. will never consent
to the peace terms which her Socialist stool
pigeons are parading at the Swedish capl-
tai. Germany, beaten, will have to consent
to terms far more stringent and salutary-
terms which will definitely end the Ger
man peril and safeguard the worlds peace
and progress in civilization.
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02
Slackers Of Our Allies
tor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: ! wish you would start "A campaign TO
have a law passed by Congress giving power
to all consular agents of the Allies 10 draft
the citizens Of their respective countries of
military ages not having citizenship papers
in full They are shielding themselves here
under the Stars and Stripes, and it would be
right to have them serving their countries
and fighting for the principles the Allies are
fighting for before we send any troops across
+. LEGRANU.
New York June 1, 1917.
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02

You car purchase merchandise advertised IN NE
TRIBUNE with absolute saety-'or = Dissatisfaction results
n ann es.. THE TRIBUNE guarantees 70 pay your money
ts.s ,,-,r rerYsst so red tstc No qubhing We make
.ood promptly u the advertiser docs not
New-York tribune., 1917-06-02
SUBSCRIPTION RtTEs-Ry Nan. Postage r'Id' '0''
CANADIAN RATES.
.9rN ANrn GTNnAN

Entered ,t tn. Fos'onse at Ner York I" Second q '
Mail Matter
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-17
IOWAN PREPARED
FOR THE SUBS NOW

McGfgor. Aug. 15.-Fred Phillips,
one Of McGregor's volunteer soldiers,
has fo1nd out, so he says. just what to
do in CASE submarine gets his ship.
He has written his father, j.. Phillips,
that his regiment was a part Of the ex-
peditiohary force on the transport Sar-
atoga which was rammed by the liner
in New York bay.
II lost everything I had in the
scramble" he says. except the clothes
on my back. All the rest Of my pos
sessions are in the bottom of the bay.
didn't care so much for my clothes.
but I sure did hate to lose those pic
lures And the other little things that |
had bought from home. We are here
at Fort Totten to be given new outfits
all aroilnd"
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-17
ENJOY.

Miss Helen Frazier Of Bentonsport
is visiting here with her grandmother
Mrs f. r. Allen.
Mrs. Bales of Fairfield spent the
week end here with her daughter Mrs.
O. c. Banded.
Rev. Chas. Hankins Of West Liberty
filed the pulpit here Sunday evening
at the NJ. e. church
Fred Bell and family of Oskaloosa
visited here Sunday at the Benjamin
Heller home.
Elaborate plans are being made for
the home coming picnic which Is to be
held here Wednesday August p IN
Whipple's grove.
DR.. and II. w. Bradley of Kellerton
visited at the j. NJ. Sirles home FIJI
day.
Born. Saturday, to DR.. and Mrs. {.
S. Reed, a daughter
John Jones and two daushters Edith
and Florence visited relatives in Mis-
souri, last week.
The official board Of the M e.
church will hold business meeting at
the church Tuesday evening.
Mr.. and Mrs John Warren held a
reception last Thursday evening at
their. home near Ashland in honor of
their son and his bride, Mr.. and Mrs.
Bert Warren. Two course refreshments
were served to about fifty guests. DR..
and Mrs. II. W. Bradley of Kellerton
were out Of town guests.
The regular monthly meeting of the
Ladies' Aid was held Tuesday after
noon with Mrs Fannie Giltner. Circle
No. served refreshments
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-17
ELDON

The Women's Foreign Missionary
society of the Methodist church will
give tea at the home of Mrs. Nc
Blains Thursday afternoon, August
16 A good program will be given and
everyone Is cordially invited.
Mr.. and Mrs. Guy Hughes are the
proud parents Of a baby girl, bofn
Monday. August 10, at p. m.
Mr.. and Mrs. G. H. Cunningham and
Mr.. and Mrs. Chef Reynolds of Agency
motored to Burlington Sunday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Geo A. Black, Mr.. and
Mrs. C. A. Appleby. Misses Cuba Car
ter and Sylvia Carson and Messrs.
Ralph Taylor and Ralph Weaver begin
camp this week near the Davis farm
along the Des Moines river for a few
week
Mr.. and Mrs. c. C. Boxx have re-
turned from Trenton. Mo-, where Mr.
Boxx has been playing during the
chautauqua The regular Wednesday
night concerts will begin tonight. /.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-17
"BUslNEss AT HOME"

Des Moines, Aug. live have
important business at home,' declared
two Des M6ines ministers, when they
received kilograms from officials of
the international Y. M. C. A., urging
them to go Immediately to France to
spread the gospel among the
soldiers.
The preachers were Rev. f. NJ.
Evans of Trinity Methodist church and
Rev. Elmer E. Higley OF Grace Meth.
odist church. Roth divines said pres
sure of work in Des Moines would pre-.
cJude all thought Of an overseas
Journey.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-17
6S ACCUSED BY
RACE RIOT JURY
ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE iNDlCT.
MENTs SEQUEL TO EAST ST.
LOUIS DISORDERS.

Belleville, ILL.,, Aug. 15-Although the
nameb of only few of the sixty-eigh1
persons indicted by the grand jury thai
Investigated the recent riots in East
ST. Lpuis have been made public many
of them are expected to be arrested
during the day.
Difficulty in obtaining bond for many
Of the accused is anticipated, because
OF new law requiring bondsmen tc
give the state lien on all their prop
erty or it's equivalent.
THIRTY-TWO MURDER CHARGES.
The persons named in the indict
ments are accused as follows:
Murder 80; conspiracy Ga arson 81;
rioting SO; assault with intent to com
NIT murder 63; burglary 4; malicious
mischief q arson for the purpose OF
defrauding l..
All capiases have been taken to
East st. Louis and arrests are being
made there today. All the prisoners
will be held in the city Jail there for
the present.
Sixty-eight indictments AGAINST los
persons were returned last night.
A special report accompanying the
indictment goes into the history OF
the riots and gives what is believed to
have been conditions causing 1t, recon-
mending remedies.
ONE WHITE MAN JAILED.
Richard Brockway, claim agent FOL
the East st. Louis & Suburban railway
charged with conspiracy was arrested
in East st. Louis and taken to Jail al
Belleville on his request that he be
permitted to apply for writ Of habeas
corpus.
The following negroes, in the Jail at
Belleville, where they have been pris
oners on coroner's mittimuses since
the riots. were served with warrants
charging murder, the offense alleged
being the fatal shooting of Detective
Sergeant Samuel Coppidge and Detec.
tive Frank Wadley at Tenth and Bond
streets on the night of July l; Fayette
Parker. Othaniel Peoples, Charles Eos
ter and Marshall Alexander.
Other negroes arrested and jailed
are Ben Smotherman, Matt Hayes,
George Roberts, Thomas Tackett, Guy
Moore and Robert A. Hughes.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-17

Washington, D. c., Aug. 16.-The
liquor and income tax sections Of the
war tax bill were taken up when the
senate resumed debate on the measure
yesterday. The latter section, together
with the war profits and the publish
ers' tax sections, offer the most diff
Guilty for the senate.
The leaders hope to dispose OF the
bill before the end Of the week as re-
suit of the rapid progress made on the
finance committees amendments to
the house bill Approval of the soft
drink, tobacco and most of the public
utilities schedules already has been
given. Prospects are that efforts soon
will be made to reach an agreement
for limiting debate and fixing date
for a final vote on the bill.
The house ways and means commit
tee will meet August rs to consider the
question Of raising part of an addi-
tional $4,000. 100000 asked for by the
administration to meet war expenses
for the remainder of the fiscal year
ending July 1, 1918, including further
loans to the allies. 1t is expected that
bond issue of between $4,000, 100000
and $4,O00,O0O,000 and authorization
for an additional $500,000,00o in taxes
to be added to the war revenue bill
now pending in the senate will be pro-
posed. The remainder of the $4,000
100000 will not be authorized, accord
ing to present plans, until the regular
session of congress beginning In
December.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-17
MEN
TO BE SORTED
EACH WILL BE ASSIGNED TO
SERVICE FOR WHICH HE
IS FITTED

Washington, D. c., Aug. 15.-Army
officers who will organize the national
army divisions face the task of making
the best possible use of the men select
ed for military duty by the local
boards. They will come from all walks
and conditions of life, Among them
will be highly trained individuals, spe-
cialists in particular lines and efficient
mechanics. 1t is the intention of the
war department to get the maximum
advantage for the nation out OF each
mans special qualifications and his
previous occupation will be carefully
considered in assigning him to duty.
TO LIST QUALIFICATIONS.
To accomplish this, it was pointed
out today, descriptive lists of all draft
ed men will be made out as soon as
they reach the training camps. They
will contain an abstract of the list his
tory Of the soldier. showing the occupa-
tons in which he has been engaged.
From these preliminary classification
can be made subject always to the pri-
mary necessity of organizing great
body of infantry for duty in the
trenches.
During the months Of training at the
IL Will NC pOSSlOic Lol
company commanders to form esti-
mates of the character and special
qualifications of their men. A process
of shifting and transfer undoubtedly
will ensue as individuals are sorted
out.
One man will be assigned to trans
port trains because of his special
knowledge OF horses or motor trucks;
another to hospital work because Of
previous training in that line OF work:
another to aviation because he
has worked with gas engines: still an
other to the artillery because he shows
special ability in that line or his civil
occupation has trained his sight and
hands
CLASSIFICATION At CAMP.
There is hardly civil trade or occu-
patton that has not its counterpart in
the army. from clerk to clergyman. and
no effort will be spared to get the right
man in the right place in the new
forces.
Already officials are being besieged
with requests from men already held
for military duty for assignment to
particular arms of the service Little
can be done in that regard in advance
of actual mobilization of the forces, but
1t is hoped that the wishes of many OF
the men can be met at the camps. Il
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-17

Round the corner of the street a dark
figure lad come into sight-the figure
apparently, Of youth running with
his heal thrown back his face CHASTITY
white Under the lamp as he passed.
His kn}es seemed to be shaking. He
threw Up his arms as though about to
fall.
Them with a final effort, he zig
Jagged across the street and crept in
! under pile of tarpaulin covers which
had been left near one Of the stalls.
He disappeared there, barely dozen
yards away from the spot where Bliss
was standing.
ITO ha continued