davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Flames Obliterate
Artillery Scars

Presently the pontoon bridge was
cleared of its derelcts. A soldier. me
toned to US to proceed, and we started
across.
On our way through the country we
came upon the completely destroyed
town of Sochaczew. It's scattered in
habitants were just returning, only to
find that they had lost everything. The
fighting here had been severe. What
German artillery had left standing the
Russians had fired when leaving.
Flames had licked artillery wounds
and covered them with ashes.
We were drawing nearer and nearer
to the south forts, and the thunder
from the guns grew in volume and in
tensity until it resembled the beating
Of gigantic drums. The fort Zegize,
one of the strongest of the outside
forts, was being reduced to fragments
by the 16-inch mortars. The earth
trembled; trees shook and swayed, as
the missiles of destruction rushed
bowling through the air.
That sound of hurting mortar shells,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Lasky Says a Number of Things

think of Roscoe Arbuckle, the war,
the shipping board, taxes, the Liberty
Loan, the legitimate stage, traffic in
New York or the Russian situation
what is it to be-"
He said it all in one breath and with
a smile all the way through.
"We'd like to hear about 'em all" we
said, "but time is feeting. So, what
have you get in the line of the general
situation in the motion picture world? ?"
Mr.. Lasky said lot of things then.
And some of them were:
81 am more enthusiastic than ever
over the condition Of the motion pict-
ure business. believe the public is
learning TO discriminate between the
slip-shod, unintelligent, good-enough
methods of picture producing and those
! methods pursued by the big, respon-
I sible companies in the business. The
more the public discriminates, the bet
ter we like it.
: "The public is learning to buy its
photoplay amusement by trademark as
we'll as by its interest in certain popu-
] lar stars. No housewife will go to the
( grocery and buy good securing soap.
I She discriminates when she comes TO
{ pay her five cents and she asks for a
, particular brand that she knows is
good. No man will 20 to drug store
and ask for good safety razor
$50, nowadays, when Mr.. and Mrs
Public saunter out to a moving picture
show they remember there is a par
ticular brand on the goods they are
about TO purchase. They see that
brand in advertising, in the theatre
lobby, on the screen, and they know
from past experience that it is good
They are discriminating.
81 do not regard present-day condi-
tions in the moving picture business as
uncertain. To me there appear only
indications Of greater prosperity.
"The war hasn't hurt moving pictures
And it is almost a truism TO say that
moving pictures have helped the war
They have the biggest punch of any
publicity in propaganda work. They
are the one thing needed in our can.
tonments and camps and they are serv.
ing the public in providing a legiti.
mate, healthy sane relief from stress
in way that has nothing TO do with
extravaganza. Need ] say more?"
The answer 20 Mr.. Lasky's last ques
ton came In the form Of an insisten'
summons 10 a long diftance call from
Washington. II was all about the Lib
orty Loan, or war tax or food conserya
tion or something, but we didn't wal
20 get III; We just slipped away anc
put this down before we forgot II.
, II. u.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Marching Orders
Had Arrived

Nothing lasts forever. The tension
of waiting came to an end. One morn
ing a soldier awakened me at o'clock
and handed me note from the COM
mandant. / was ordered to bring my
self and my belongings over to his
quarters as quietly as possible. |
thought the boom Of the distant guns
Of Novo Georgeiwsk had , iubliant
sound; my marching orders had come
About an hour later found ME sit
ting in u military automobile, speed
ing toward the River Weichel. The
ancient city was not fully awake. War
saw had learned to sleep when artil-
lery moaned not too close to its ear
observed no defacing marks Of war
as we glided through the town, save a
few bullet holes in the ancient castle
o.. Polish kings, but as we approached
the river the scene was very different.
Here new ard beautiful stone bridges
gpaancd the Weichel. Three arches
had been blown into the river. Fur
tier UP the stream one could see the
two railroad bridges, a mass of
crumpled iron. sticking protesting
arms of steel out of the water. The
stone bridge pillars stood like CHASTITY
sentinels, dead at their post.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Russia Listened
And Succumbed

In Norway, at the time the famous
Ford peace party had arrived at Chris
tiania, ! found there that many Nor
wcgian officials who had considered
giving welcome to this Inflated expe-
dition did not dare to do so because
the agents of Germany had been so
overzea.ous in their stimulation Of a
welcome for the peace party and for
anything which would encourage peace
yearnings in Norway and America that
to give countenance TO the peace party
was TO come under suspicion of being
the tool Of Germany.
In Russia, back in the days of the
Car, industrial leaders OF Petrograd
and Moscow who came in contact with
workmen, bureaucrats in the Offices of
government and officers at the staff
headquarters of the Russian army at
Monliev, and came in contact with
soldiers recruited from various parts
of the empire, told ME that one of the
well defined purposes and special eff.
forts of German agents was to stimu
late among the industrial and laboring
classes in Russia thoughts Of peace, Of
the comforts, the relief and the hopo
of peace, all of which would serve to
eat like a rot into the hearts OF the
pcop.e, leading them away from the
will to fight and the will to make a
final peace upon sound principle only.
and only when the job had been fin
ished.
MEN will not tight hard when there
is peace talk behind the trenches" Cen
eral Alexieff said. And he expressed
also almost the identical idea expressed
to ne by the retired British petty Off
Ger who took me to Scotland Yard
when the latter said: 'lf you see two
men fighting, would you bet on the one
who was wondering when it would be
oyer?"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Experience of Others
Should Teach Us

The experience Of other countries
and our own experience with the de-
sire of Germany that her enemies shall
think, talk and wonder about the COM
ing of peace ought 10 be enough for US.
ANY contribution made by any Amer
lean citizen 10 aid this purpose Of Ger
many is an act which compares with
soldier at the front who turns his face
to the rear.
Such a contribution may be actually
traitorous. There are stir constant in
stances of treason among those per-
sons who stimulate peace talk with full
knowledge that they are aiding and
sbettihg the enemy.
Such contribution may be morally
rotten. There are those who talk peace
because peace to their warped souls
is dearer than the end for which we
have entered the, war.
Such a contribution may come from
Habby sentimentality. There are stu
men and women who can only think OF
the horrors Of this war, Instead OF the
greater horrors of other wars whica
are sure to come if we do rot now
make the menace of Prussian plotting
and miitarism impossible for the ages
dHQ VI hht
Such a contribution may be the re-
suit of love of the sensational. There
are still individuals, and even news
papers, who seek to attract attention
by pretending that they have advance
information of the coming of peace.
Such a contribution may be igno-
rant. There are still individuals so
benighted that the cause of America
is not clear and real in their minds.
They fail to understand that America
has entered this war to make democ-
racy safe; to guarantee small nations
the right of freedom from ruthless
conquest; to crush the doctrine that
the choice of development OF each
human being must be wrested away
from him or from her and put in q
dominant and autocratic machine of
government. Failing to understand
the nobility of our purpose, they en-
dure the war passively and prick up
their ears at any word Of rumor which
concerns the end Of the war.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25

Madge Kennedy will be seen at the
Strand this week 10 a Goldwyn produc-
ton. NEARLY Married" a photo -adspta-
ton of Edgar Selwyn's farce OF the
same name.
The musical programme is headed by
Rosa Lind, soprano, and Yon Coiignon'
barvtone. who will sing the duet from
Hamlet" Helen Scholder will play
mazurks by Pepper and Drago's "sere-
made" The orchestra will play the
Dance of the Hours" from la Clio
conda."
William s. Hart will be seen at the
Rialto this week in "The Silent Man.
n mining camp story, written by Charles
KENYON and produced by Thomas II.
Ince. VIOLA Vale, Robert McKim, j. ?.
Lockney and Harold Goodwin are in the
supporting cast.
A fantasy from az Pagliacci" will
serve as the overture. Greek Evans
will be heard in a patriotic number
called when the Boys Come Home"
A. Giannone and S. Miller will ren-
der a duet, "The Friendly Rivals"
Rielle Dorree and Yvonne Robert,
from the Albertieri Ballet School, VIII
lance TO a minuet by Boccherini.
"Cleopatra." starring Theda Bara,
begins its last week at the Lyric.
On Monday evening, December 8, Mr.
Fox will present for the first time LES
Miserables," a perturbation Of Victor
Hugo's great epic and dramatic work
of fiction, with William Farnum as the
immortal Jean Vatican. Mr.. Fox mod
estly admits that he has produced tho
most intense, compelling, moving, pow
erful picture in the history of screen
craft.
At the Broadway there will be
double feature. any Little Boy" has
an all-star cast, headed by Ella Hall
and Zoe Rae. The other picture IS
called "Bucking Broadway"
At the special children's performance
at the Bunny Theatre, 147th Street and
Broadway, next Saturday morning,
under the direction Of Mrs. Jane Stan
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25

And Mr.. Lasky said:
Jesse L. Lasky-his middle initial
stands for Lochinvar-has come out of
the West. Through all the wide bor-
der his steed is the best twelve cyl
inder touring car you can find. Which
is poetic way Of saying that Mr..
Lasky usually travels eastward via au-
tomobile.
Mr. Lasky is the vice-president and
the after-the-hyphen part Of Famous
Players-Lasky, the largest motion pict-
ure producing company in the whole
huge business, so they say.
He was in his Fifth Avenue Office,
alone, when a Paramount second chief
orderly 10 the lord high castelar, OF
the Watch and off-Visitors de-
partment ushered US in without so
much as knocking.
And he was busy. A man who comes
from several hundred acres Of moving
picture preserve in California with his
mind filled with such little incidentals
as Julian Eltinges salary, royalties for
William j. Locke and the estate Of
Mark Twain, the overhead expense OF a
whole city Of motion picture actors,
mechanics, camera men, directors, po.
licemen, wardrobe women, carpenters,
electricians and few billion candle
power Of Klieg and Cooper Hewitt
lights, the costume appropriation for
the production Of "The Bluebird," what
TO do with 700 900 feet of lumber used
in "The Woman God Forgot" whether
20 bring Wallace Reid 10 the Eastern
studio and send Elsie Ferguson West
or TO establish Mary Pickford in the
Fort Lee studio and ask Marguerite
Clark to take train for Laskyville in
California. what story 10 find for Lima
Cavslieri and how 70 pay government
tax on raw film without going broke
let's see. where were we? Oh, yes; a
man who has those things, as a small
sample, on his mind is not likely to
be In the exalted mood that lends itself
70 happy little interview.
But Jesse l.. Lasky was; that is, 10
say. he did. Was in such a mood and
did lend himself 10 happy little in
teryiew.
What is II 20 be-" he began, "some-
thing about better, cleaner moving
Pictures, how many people are en-.
ployed IN single production, VIVA,
sort Of people are in the movies
what think Of the star system. wha,
picture Miss Clark ia 20 appear in
AFTER she finishes The Seven Swans,
how The Blpebird' is 10 be made into
photoplay, how long photoplsys ought
70 be, anything about war and tn,
movies whether I'm glad women o.
New York have the right 10 vote, wha
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
The Poisoned Dove
Bv Richard Washburn Child

to make Americans talk and think not
of the Job to be finished, but Of peace.
Not move is made by the President
of the United States nor any branch Oh
the government to gather information
upon which a just peace-one wnich
will guarantee the safety of mankind
can be based without the insidious.
German-inspired Interpretation being
made that peace is in sight. Frantic
attempts at these moments are put
forth to make Americans forget that
the government is considering not
peace, but is only weighing and meas
uring, with a conscience, that which
Germany must yield to humanity be-
fore peace is possible, taxable, think-
able.
Back in the middle of China, just
after my country had entered the war,
/ ran across the trail of this policy.
A distinguished Dane, veteran in ON
cial foreign service, told me that a
German diplomatic official had prophe-
sled that America would enter the war.
"But America will not be able to de.
liver a decisive blow" the German had
said. "And America will dilute the
moral strength of Germany's enemies;
The Americans are a soft, contented
people; they are not prepared for war;
they do not love war and will be eager
to make peace. They are very senti
mental, these Americans. They will
soften our way to peace conference
when We are ready to make our terms"
Upon this insolent belief will be
founded all of Germany's attempts TO
dull the edge Of Americas interest in
our obligation to ourselves and to
humanity to finish the job. Upon this
insolent belief will be founded Ger
many's attempts to sharpen our inter
est in premature peace speculation. 1t
is the bait for towards and fools.
Some day there will be exposed in
all its extent the systematic, elabo-
rate methods which Germany has used
in an endeavor to poison the opinion
Of neutral countries and plant among
the weaker and more gullible citizens
of those countries fighting to rid the
world forever of war and the tyranny
of militarism the weed of premature
pesce. It has been Germany's purpose
to choke the crop Of courage and steal
the nourishment away from determi-
nation.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
We Have Not cit
The Calf of War

For America, this question haunting
the minds of its citizens is more dan
gerous than it was lover There
Our soft prosperity, our distance from
the struggle, tempt weak men to cling
to the comforts of peace. We have not
felt the gaff of war. Not yet have we
learned the pain of that full deep
thrust of regret that when democracy
called for US, we, the pioneers of lib
erty, asked why and how and when
but, at first, did not come. We have not
learned even the prelude of that day
when the war will have seized upon
and wrung our hearts, when the ghosts
of our men come back to sit in the
farmhouse kitchen or in the leather
chairs of the club. to click the latches
of village gates, and march in invisible
brigades up the asphalted avenues.
So the fabby men and women among
us still 60 on asking in that voice OF
childish eagerness, "How long Will the
war LAST"
And the selfish retailer. trader or
fnancier, fat with gain and ease or
lean with avarice, thinking OF the effect
of peace upon the market, asks, what
would be your guess about the end OF
the war;"
And the timid, faint-hearted woman
who has a son of thirteen wonders
whether there is a chance that when ne
becomes of draft age the conflict, still
continuing, will call him to the colors,
and she inquiries, Don't you think
peace will be made in the spring.
And even the thoughtless and the
ignorant and empty-headed, who would
Otherwise say, us this hot enough for
vou?" or "Do you think it's going TO
snow?" say now, "Well, when will the
rrarepd 81
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Taking Battle Pictures Between Guns
Witnesses Fort Pounded By
Cannon and Then Taken
By Successive Waves Of
Infantry With Bayonet.

that infantry was hidden there, FOR
shell after shell raised clouds OF dust
and shrapnel continually scattered
white spots over the tree tops.
With my camera intact ! arrived
safely at forward field battery, be-
hind a clump of trees. Its commander
eyed me with suspicion. What bust.
ness had a civilian there?" he asked
where was | going?'
showed him my papers, and told
him | wanted to go TO the observation
stand in Modidlin Novy, where | could
see the main fertilization held by the
Russians.
"You must leave the horses here n.
said, las the next thousand feet Won
are visible from the forts, and any.
thing that is moving will draw fire.
The commanding officer walked with
US to the edge OF the wood and showed
us the best way to cross the interyen.
ing fields quickly.
Our destination, the church at Mod.
idlin, was only a thousand yards dis.
tant, but we were obliged to cross an
open space before reaching it.
| exhibited my pass and was al.
lowed to enter the church.
Just inside of the entrance was a
dark, tunnel-like opening. A few feet
further began spiral stairway, wind.
ing like a corkscrew up into the tower.
The stair was so narrow that two PEG.
pie could not pass at the same time.
About fifty telephone cable wires
wound with the staircase up to the
observation central. Some Of the steps
to be assembled were missing, and |
had to crawl on all tours up this we'll
of gloom.
The bells had been taken down to
afford more room. Planks were laid
in a crude floor. Several holes had
been cut in the roof, and from these
the observation officers, with field
glasses, were watching the effect Of
the shells on the Russian fort. The
bombardment which was going on was,
for the most part, controlled from this
little chamber in the church tower.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Infantry Waves
Finish the Assault


On a signal the firing stopped
Everything was very quiet. After saeh
deafening tumult the silence grew op'
pressive. Suddenly. masses of infantry
were seen rising, as though swept p'
magic out of the trenches. lhey
climbed, swarming, over the walls; ran
a few steps forward, then ducked for
cover as the Russian machine guns
ratified. The next minute they were up
again and forward. The line was tim
ming; 1t wavered for moment, aga.
ducked for cover, when a second wave
of infantry followed, swallowing up Wv
first, and bore it forward By US "
mentum. into the first Russian trenen,
es. Bayonets flashed; man agslns.
man, and soon the human wave sweP.
toward the second line trench. pu.
here fresh Siberian regiments We
thrown against them. The German.
reiterated toward the captured NJ
line, quickly bringing their maenln.
guns into play. and frustrating '''
Russian attempt TO attack.
That was a stupendous evening ~ w.
voytex of war. The weirdness OF gay
scene increased as the artillery nIe
grew in intensity. The twilight wa
suddenly rent with different SCUM.
From the Weichel-Narw sector cam.
several mighty hollow detonatlons. ins
Russians were blowing up their prius'
and ammunition depots. .r,
Like tremendous fireworks mi,''Y ~
of golden stars shot up TOWARD w
darkeninc sky. quickly followed oy
great cloud, licked oy tongues OF IAN
that spread into gigantic pillars OF IT. ~.
In ten minutes one could see the sanis
appalling yet beautiful scene 10 y. ~
places. The night g!owed red from '1 o.
fires. A whisper went from man ~
man. "The fortress is dead" Inc gre.
citadel was burning; all was IN hamsi,
the Russian cannon had ceased 70 spesi,'
The German fire still kept up. quo.
denly they, too, fell silent. and an sa,
comfortable, strange quietness se'"'S
upon us. We did not speak. ~.
From far away came a sound' ~.
lifted our heads and listened. on.
could discern the nature of mar g,
from the happy voices. victory ""
theirs: u,,.
"Novo Georgeiwsk has fallen hur
rah! Hurrah!' A.
This cry heralded the appearance "
the Kaiser on the field.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Camera Man Passes Evening
In Vortex of War, With
Shells Screaming Over
Him From Both Sides.
Bv Allan Everetts, Camera Man.
and Nj. w. Mount

~oR several days had been fre''
ting in Warsaw My . dessln ma.
- ton was at the front-that No
Mans Land where the titanic struggle
of civilization was in progress. The
front was running away toward the
east NJ the rate Of twenty miles a day
I had to wait for permission to Join 1T
Delay increased the danger ard DIFF
fculty Of trave., as it increased the
distance to be traversed, and cinema
camera is no light knapsack for hur'
lied marching orders.
Day and night / could hear the dis
tant booming CT the guns Of Move
Georgeiwsk. The Germans were be-
sieging this fortress. ! could do moth
ing but wait.
With the ceaseless sound Of violent
action beating upon my ears 1t was
difficult to remain inactive. The stage
was set, the actors rehearsing theii
parts; only the reel was idle.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
The Peace Decoy
Is a German Ruse

No man, no woman, who contributes
even by innocent, thoughtless mounting
TO a mental attitude expressed in won
dering when the war will be over is
fulfilling the obligation OF Americans
10 90 straight and hard and together
for the one united, persistent purpose
to which the United States has dedi-
Gated our strength. A job IS to be
done. A job is TO be finished.
Germany will be glad at any moment
TO divert US from the idea that the job
is to be finished, when in our judgment
as possible TO the idea that our job will
be finished some place short Of that
by dangling peace as bait for towards
and fools.
Here in Washington this policy OF
Germany is understood. II is the
primer lesson in an analysis of Ger
many's policies.
The State Department knows well
enough that Germany has tried unsuc
cessfully endless moves to make peace
a decoy-to create a morbid appetite
among the peoples who have been try.
ing TO make democracy safe-an ap-
petite for a rest, for an end Of depri-
walton, loss, suffering. for relief from
stress, for temporary comfort bought
at the price Of prjnciple-the principle
of finishing the job.
Germany will make other attempts
The Britishers who have come TO the
United States on missions for their
government will testify that Germany
has even allowed stories describing her
starving condition to 60 out, timed sc
that the peoples who oppose her will
think not Of the job to be finished, but
of peace.
The secret services of the Allied
countries know well enough that mil;
Lions Of German money has been spent
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25

came back from China and Jspar
a few months ago. A reporter on the
pier in San Francisco said: What DO
they think in the Far East about when
the war will end?"
That was the first expression about
the war heard by an American return
ing to his native country and aching to
know what Americans at home had
been thinking, planning, doing, how we
were expressing our manhood and
womanhood, whether We would soon
find a way to mobilize America and
throw the giant force Of her against
the menace of men.
heard this query with a sickened
spirit. The reporter would never have
asked the question unless in behalf OF
the readers of his paper. Could this
represent the spirit Of the people-the
spirit of America?
had heard the same question in
England, back in the days when the
Zeppelins had just begun to come over
London with the slogan, Women and
children first"
"Over There" however, they learned
long ago of the folly Of living daily life
with the sound of this question in their
ears. They have learned that insid'
iously. quietly, imperceptibly, the per
sistent tap, tap, tap of this little ques'
ton weakens the cause, turns the edge
of determination, enters the subcon-
scious mind like a slow disease. drain
ing off fighting spirit, manhood and the
dash and power Of the one purpose, and
beats upon that which should be the
unbreakable will of people who must
win