davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
WHY WAIT?
Germany's Message a Declaration Of ",
and We Should Act Accordingly
% the Editor OF The Tribune

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: If Germany should come out Of ~.
war with success, or if the war should r,,,,.
in drawn battle, leaving the Central Power,
in practical control Of the Continent, IL Is %,
tain that Germsny's plans for securing -,
ritory on this side of the Atlantic will ,v,,.
be pressed. Germany has for years t,L..
the ground that "the so-called Monroe n.
trine was a piece Of damned Yankee imn.,,;
hence" and that in any case We were not A..
pared 10 make the sacrifices or TO take ;, |.
measures required to maintain such dee,,..
There are many recent German utteranes, :,
the effect that Germany must be free "a a.
velop its empire in its own way" II Co,
many is unable to collect from the Allie. -.
indemnities with which II promised to mai,
good to the German people their awful Lose.
in the present war, she will hope TO be AL.
TO secure an Offset on this side Of the A,
lsntc.
In a recent Berlin paper is printed T..
statement that Germany will, after IN. vs.,
pursue its plans for securing clients in sou,I
America. If the United States object, :,
much the better. The republic is rich an.
helpless"
1t seems certain that sooner or later y,
must come into conflict with Germany. SUR.
ly it is better to fight now when we h,v,
allies to whom our cooperation may bs a,
service rather than to leave the fight up,l
we should have to carry it on alone. viii
the serious risk Of being crushed as BELGIUM
has been crushed.
We ought to take action at once to hel,
to institute with France and England a ma
rine police for the protection Of the Norts
Atlantic, so that food supplies can be assure!
for Europe.
Our decision to declare war is said to B,
waiting for some overt act. Germany in q,
calling its previous pledges pledges whief
themselves had not been kept in regard /,
the sinking Of unwarned non-combatant YES
sells has declared that it proposes to coz
tinue such sinkings on n great scale. Ger
many makes war against non-combatants, H.
GLIDING American citizens.
The American steamer st. Louis is kept IN
the harhor because of these threats.
Why should it be necessary 10 wait unit
further Americans have been murdered
Germany's message is itself declaration o.
war and we should act accordingly.
GEO. HAVEN PUTNAM,
President the American Rights League
New York, Feb. 7, 1917
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
ACT WITH THE ALLIES
Our National Opportunity to Display an
Unouenchable Force for Right
tho Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir. If war with Germany comes and II
may have been declared even before this
letter is printed shall we Americans realize
our first duty?
That duty will not be merely to look alter
our own immediate interests. For two years
and half we have safeguarded these inter
ests as we shortsightedly saw them, while the
armies of Belgium, France and Russia and
Great Britains navy have brought US rela-
tive safety and the chance to prosper. NOW
our task will be to act on the side OF these
invincible but long tried Allies, and among
possible forms of action one, both from a
moral and from a military point of view, is
supreme. Our navy must keep open the lanes
of commerce.; we must maintain our supply
of food and manufactures to England and to
France.
At an early moment, too, we must jealousy
demand share in England's honor in giving
the financial aid to the Belgian government
which has made possible all the work of Mr.
Hoover's American-Spanish Commission for
the relief of the Belgian people. Private
funds must pour into Belgium at rate still
undreamed of by peaceful Americans. The
children of Belgium are thin and often tu-
bercular after two years and half Of low ra-
tons. As prosperous neutrals we did little
for them, and were beginning TO do more
As fighters on their side, shall we not adopt
these children at last and feed them as our
own?
Meantime tasks must be vigorously
taken up. No greedy panic of munitions for
America first" must be permitted to inter
fere with the more rapid production and
shipment of munitions for the Allies. NUM-
lions, coal, oil, gasoene and, above all, food
must be steadily shipped into England and
France All the possibilities Of our limited
merchant marine must be organized TO that
end-and the German informed ships taken
over and put promptly into commission Thus
Germanys boast--"In thirty days England
will be starving and the Allies brought to
their knees"-shall float back 10 the German
people, finally discredting their pompous and
ruthless deluders the Kaiser's Cabinet. Ad-
mralty and General Staff.
After all, America does not come into the
war of her own free will. on the crest Of n
quixotic impulse. Some citizens have wished
her long ago to leave the role of luxurious and
passive spectator and TO take sdos with those
who fight for sacred things, for the protec-
ton of women and children. for the pledge
that is given and kept. IL remained for Ger
many. intent on her new dreadfulness, 20
consider and accept the necessity Of new
enemy, and somewhat disdainfully 10 make.
as il were. a present of America TO the Allies.
Is 1t not Americas chance to prove to the
whole world that, unprepared as we are. we
are still unquenchably n force for righteous
ness?
RoSALIND HUlDEKOPER GREENE.
Rowley, Mass, Feb. 8, 1917.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
When Women Go to War

There is nothing new in the faith which
prompted the suffragists of New York to
tender their services to Governor Whit
man. From Joan of Arc to Molly Pitcher
women have gone to war with Will; and
those VINO have not actually fought have
done not less valuable service nursing be-
hind the line. What is new in the offer
is suggested in the phrase describing the
half million women represented by the
resolution as organized and trained in
cooperation and service
The war has taken millions of women
from their homes and set them to doing
mems work. We must not forget, how
ever, that these women Of the twentieth
century stood ready to meet the call of
their country more than half way. If the
women of England and France had been
slaves to the ancient faith that woman
place is in the home the process of trans
forming them into streetcar motormen and
munition workers would not have been the
simple task it was. The fight for suffrage
in England had widened the spiritual out
look of her women even though 1t had not
vet prevailed in Parliament. The war
movement of women out of the home and
into the fields and factories came only as
the logical development of half century
of previous feminist progress.
Just what form the demand upon our
own women will take cannot be predicted
1t will not be small if we are to apply the
lesson Of Europe to our own fighting plans
and mobilize our fighting strength eco
nomically and efficiently. In that moblll-
cation it is altogether fitting that the suf-
fragists should take the lead as they have
Their prompt and practical patriotism
gives a fair indication of exactly the sort
Of will and service which they so earnest
" ask their state and country to accept
from them in time of peace.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
Flag Etiquette
r OF The Tribune

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: A few words about flag euq'''.
might be interesting at the moment. qu''
from "The Daughters of the American Kew
luton Magazine:
"The flag should not be hoisted' oei'''
sunrise, nor allowed to remain up srN
sunset. 1t should not be dsplayee wy
stormy days. .s
when the flag is displayed al hall - -.
for mourning. it is to be lowered 70 "'
position from the top Of the STAN y !,
afterward hoisted to the top before i =
finally lowered.
when the flag is formally raised al P,
ent should stand at attention "i'h y.
raised to the forehead ready for The ss'D. ~,
"When our national flag and state OF 10 10,
flags fy together, or are used IN Ge'O n,
together. our national flag should DC '"
right. =, t.
"When used on bier or casket
neral the stars should be placed al sne 4,
In no case should the flag be aI'o"''
touch the ground , hat
1T is an unwrtten law IN the navy sy.
the flag is never to be washed u j.
10 be considered Immaculate. AL,
For indoor decorations the rag 'sH 10
bo used as drapery; it cannot be uses
cover a bench or table, desk OF ooS s,s-
ANYTHING can be placed or set up upon sSoy
"''y '''' WILL II. JoHNsIo'
Melrose. n. Y. Feb. 8, 1911
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
Create a State Police!

Governor Whitman gives 1T as his opin-
ion that the bill for the creation OF state
police will be adopted at this session of
the Legislature 1t is 10 be hoped that he
is correct in bis Interpretation of the leg
islative mind Never before has the state
needed such legislation so badly. The Ma
tional Guard is being used now for GER
tain police work which the proposed state
police would be exactly calculated TO do.
Lacking the police. it is altogether prob
able that the militiamen will have % do
even more police work, possibly at time
when their duties should be exclusively
military. And If they have 10 be taken
from police duty 70 do genuine military
service the state will lack adequate police
protection
This proposal IS not an experiment.
Pennsylvania has had such force for
years. and the result Of It's work, in de-
lection and punishment Of crime. IN lessen
jng Of certain kinds Of crime IN rural dis
tricts, in the patrolling Of rural highways,
IN the preseEvation Pf order and the sup
srss1jor cf kolence and riot, whatever the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
Gilbertian Diplomacy
or of no Trihune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Naturally all correspondents Of news
papers wish to make their contributions IT,
teresting; if something novel and well calca
lated TO arrest the attention is set forth, tt'
article is more readable. Therefore, II MAJ
be supposed that certain deliyerances in th'
Washington letter appearing in "The World
this morning are the product Of It's core
spondent's fertile brain; he does not attrib
ute them to any official high or low. The
read:
"The President has no intention Of bein;
made to take sides if he can avoid IT, Il.
will make clear this fact at the earliest o..
portunity, perhaps in an address to Cor
gress before the end of the present week
or in the form Of communication that viii
tend to dissipate the theory existing at es
capitals of the Entente nations that he is .
be counted on as an ally 10 their cauS
against Germany. His whole concern is nov
for the protection of neutral nations geneT
ally, and the safeguarding Of the rights RI
American citizens to travel peacefully hi
free seas of the world and trade amicabl
with the citizens of other countries viii
whom we are on friendly terms. The Press
dent does not mean that he United States
shall be made a party TO arv entangllng for
eign alliances. 1t will fgt its own battles
against either or both s. in the present
European conflict
It is hardly possible that any one Of IN
tellgence, mere or abroad expects this eous'
try to enter into such an alliance as that
which binds the four main Entente powers
10 stick together to the end, no one Of then
to make peace without the other. But TIE
conception of a war in which we are to have
no ally, except possibly such neutral nstioa'
as we may persuade TO embark IN u, and ID
which, with no existing army and with
navy sadly lacking many things, we may phy
a lone hand against all the belligerents cei'
trail and circumferential alike. reminds ore
of the curious situations which the suIn"
Of the Bah Ballads used to delight IN
Surely it is not in the contemplation
such an adventure that, with splendid ul'
nimity, our whole country is assuring U.
President that touching the pronouneenei
of his address TO Congress we stand behh'
him as a unit f. HENRY LACOMbE
New York, Feb. 6, 1917.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
Licenses for Cats

Senator Theodore Douglas Robinson is
a brave man. If he were not, ne never
would have drawn down on his devoted
head the storm which is bound to follow
the introduction of his bill providing for
the licensing Of cats. The corollary of
this, obviously, is the destruction of cats
which are not licensed. Therefore, there
will be two large and vociferous groups of
protestants against the proposal-those
who cherish Puss for her own sake and
those who believe that the killing off even
Of the backwards grimalkins would be un-
necessary and cruel.
The bill comes from Conservation Com
missioner Pratt II is based on the fact,
substantiated by years of observation by
students Of wild life, that cats are great
destroycrs Of birds and small game. DR..
Hornaday says they kill songblrds, young
quail, ruffed grouse, squirrels A wellfed
housecat has been known, apparently
merely to crafty his predatory instincts,
TO kill young rabbits and young muskrats.
Another. pet IN the same household,
seemed to specialize in robins and ruby
throated humming birds, and in the course
Of summer killed many birds of both
varieties. Such depredations are nothing
10 those Of tramp cats. They Kill not
only for the pleasure of the chase. but IN
order 10 sustain life, and the farmers flock
Of half-grown chickens is no more sacred
than the flock Of young quail or pleas
ants which gun club or the Conservation
Commission may have been nursing tow
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
"Citv Children and Imagination

ITO the Editor of The Tribune.
Cir. II was with interest and pleasure that
read YOUR editorial, City Children ana
Imagination." in this mornings Tribune. Inc
children Of this metropolis can't be blamed
yben ,bey are older. for not being able to
create ideals and ideas as they should Most
of them will be just plain matter OF TACT men
and women. Our municipal government evil
IDENTIFY has. in its efforts to provide New York
cbildren with adequate means Of develop
nent. stumbled them facilities to develop
their physical side only. Has 1t forgotten
that a child is born with other sides?
Mrs. Wnifred S .Stoner brings this point
mt clearly in her Natural Education She
states every normal child has trinity-a
phvsical, moral and mental part. In giving
the children recreation grounds and centres
q niece Of service admirably done thus far,
the city must have assumed that the chlid
receives its moral education at home ana Jus
mental at school, so that is why these TWO
phases have been left out
Thanks to the Parents Association OF the
Horace Mann School that it sees the situation
from a different and more natural viewpoint!
They are giving children chahce' u see"ie'
to let alone the various paraphernalia, TOM
fooeries, etc, and, like children of all other
periods and ages. devise and think out their
own crude but natural method of developing
their little bodies and so make use OF their
own Imagination, as God so meant it. In
making use of their thinking faculty the chill
dren will inevitably become unsurpassed by
ready made plans. They will concentrate
and observe more intensely and rouse in
themselves far more interest than they would
otherwise Remember, Rousseau loathed
having a child brought up IN the ready-to-
order society Of the city, where a child's men
tai powers were narrowed aSd unnaturally
developed lie took the child to the country
where, alone, by itself until 1t reached its
teens), the child had a chance TO look around,
to observe, to concentrate and imagine with
out aTectation of its elders. J. b. NJ.
New York, Feb. 3, 1917.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
The Case of the St. Louis

The refusal of our government TO FUR
nish a convoy for the steamer st. LOUIS
and the natural hesitation of the Ameri-
can Line management to send her to sea
on the simple assurance that she has
perfect right to traverse the new German
war zone if she cares to do so raise some
interesting questions. If all other Amerl'
can steamships follow the st. Louis's eX-
ample, because of Withholding of govern
ment protection, the sea rights for which
the United States has been contendlng VIII
in a few days have been abolished even
more completely, so far as American snip
ping goes, than they would have been II
we had accepted Germany's gracious offer
TO guarantee us one passenger ship sail
ing to and from Falmouth each week.
We seem now to be travelling in circle
and not to be getting anywhere toward a
reassertion Of our abolished sea rights
If our government will not protect mer-
chant vessels bound through the war zone
and owners will not run the risks of pas
sage without convoy through that zone
then our ships must lie marooned IN our
barbors. So far as Western Europe IS
our ports will be closed by an
illegal German blockade. Then Tor the
overt act" which is to be the signal for
a reassertion Of our rights we must wait
until some American takes passage on
belligerent merchantmen which the Ger
man submarines sink without notice or
warning.
We have announced our purpose to de-
fend vital American principle, when
Germany has challenged and whose
validity is impaired every day and every
hour that the German submarine blockade
lasts. But we have limited so strictly our
to take cognizance of Ger
manv's violations of sea law-open and
continuous though they are-that we may
he actually deprived of our rights for
weeks and months to come while still
awaiting that covert act" which we have
chosen to consider as the only convincing
evidence that our rights have been denied
or abridged.
The logic of this situation is twisted 1t
sacrifices reality to appearances. Ger
many has given ample official notice OF
her purpose to abolish all neutral rights.
Wbv not accept the will for the deed and
act accordingly? Why not acknowledge to
that Germany's threats have al
ready had the effect of an covert act
that they have already ended our free use
of the high seas?
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
The KnightIy Villa

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Is there not some way OF making ef-
fective protest against the degradation OF
names still sacred to some OF Us Americans
by dragging them into association with rut-
fans and cutthroats?
Ever since the grotesque failure Of the
punitive expedition" TO capture villa 1t mas
been thought necessary IN certain quarters
at whatever cost, To elevate villa ana ms
gang from their status IN the pub'c nina
az predatory bandits into something more
respectable. in order thus to save the lace
If The Administration This was the secret
motive of Secretary Bakers comparison OF
these Mexican marauders while still red
handed from their murders at Columbus with
the soldiers Of the American Revolution, an
.manation Of patriotism which would have
procured his instant dismissal from any pub
lie service but our own. The same line Of
defence has. / see, been continued IN recent
editorial in one Of the New York papers,
where villa is mentioned in the same breath
with General Marion as having by implica-
ton some Of the qualities Of that knightly
officer of the Carolnas II would be inter
sting 10 have a glimpse Of the mar who
wrote that article
H. maN be that the President. having oe"
,ntwitted by Carranza, - preparing the
Ground for a new alliance with villa; IT may
nc that his apologsts exalt his foe as balm
% hrs wounded reputation; but cannot they
and some means Of throwing dust IN the
eyes Of the American people without gathering
. from the graves Of their veneratcd dead
Z is all TO the same intent, whether scattered
indcr the protection Of "a place IN the Cabi'
let or from the ambush Of an unsigned cdi-
or,aJ g. l.. STOWELL.
Dorset. VI. Feb. .. 1917.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
Lord Kitchener and the Photographer

From The MdhchcSltT '"u'H'N''
"The Daily Mail" which once tried TO MAKE
the world believe that "The Daily Mall had
been wrong in its earlier belief in LORD Kitten
cner's strength, should overhaul ITS new be
lief about his weakness. In review OF LORD
Kitchener's memorial book to-day the journal
saws: "All great men have their weaknesses,
and Lord Kitcheners was TO be photographed.
Nothing could be further from the truth; lie
only sat for his photograph twice IN thirty
years, and despite all the attempts made even
from the most influential quarters, to get MN
TO sit during the time he was Secretary Tor
War. he never would be bothered to do so.
All the portraits published of him were
believe. either snapshots OF sketches made
from observation.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
German Concessions to Neutrals

The newspapers Of Berlin dwell with
one accord on the magnanimous conces-
sions grantee TO neutrals by the German
government and profess to be more than
ever at loss to account for the singular
obduracv of our President. "Mr. Wilson's
plan" says one Of them, must be re-
garded as a failure if even one neutral!
fails him." and they all agree that there is
little or no prospect of fulfilment Of MS
sanguine expectations.
These comments are not difficult to I'M
derstand. When the President announced
the severing Of diplomatic relations with
the German government he said: 81 take
if for granted that all neutral govern
ments will take the same course" 1t may
he supposed that the Germans did not take
this for granted but were rather inclined
TO hone that the other neutrals were Tor
the most part in so delicate position
with regard to Germany that they wouid
not be disposed incontinently to initiate
his example. Mr.. Wilson's confident as
sumption must, however, have caused mo-
mentary apprehension; when therefore II
appeared that he was mistaken the news
papers naturally gave vent to their graft
lication and proceeded to dwell on the good
things that Germany had in store Tor
those who refused to follow his lead.
There is nothing new in this. The neu-
trails in Germanys neighborhood have tor
p long time understood very well the nat
ure of the coercion they lie under. Rela-
tive immunity was promised to some OF
them months ago provided they were will
inc TO make certain concessions to Ter
many. OF this there can be no doubt. The
main and avowed purpose of the suoma-
rine campaign is, indeed, to cut down the
food supply of Great Britain, but sec
ondarv aim is evidently to divert supplies
to Germany.
The kind of pressure brought to bear is
MAINLY manifest in the case OF Norway,
which must have lost about 10 per cent OF
it's total tonnage, even before the latest
orders were issued by Germany. Spain
has suffered heavily, and two months ago
the Canaries were in so desperate a state
that the government was asked to lmplore
Germany for leave at least TO export trui''
II NAV be assumed that such concessions
on Germany's part would be granted only
for a opid pro qi,O. Similarly, IN the past,
the weaker neutrals have been punished
for services rendered to Germanys enc
mics. thus after Holland had come 10 al
aoreement with Great Britain in the mat
ter of the fish supply there was pro
nounced intensifcation of the attacks on
Dutch shipping.
In short. the weaker neutrals have lett
the pressure Of submarine warfare for so
MANY months that their hope lay not SO
much in moral support as IN the practicai
success Of Germany's foes in overcoming
an immediate peril. In the meantime Ger
many bv threats and brides may so coerce
them as to discourage any further trading
with Britain or its allies, and all conces-
sions granted to them will. Of course, be
granted only on conditions contributing to
tbot pnd.