davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21

been encouraged, and it is known that the
fishermen have been told that, useful as
they are in recruiting the navy. they will
on no account be taken until they are
needed for training In tho reserves. The
production Of margarine will be quad
rupled by next summer, and It is hoped
that in six months the supply Of fats will
be as great as it was before tho war. But
In the meantime the shortage in many
essential foods will probably increase, and
something must be done at once to meet
the conditions prevailing to-day.
The discouraging prospect is that the
immediate occasions of dissatisfaction will
not be removed. The people have been
warned that some equality Of sacrifice is
the most that is aimed at. The food
queues will continue and perhaps grow
worse, and absolutely just distribution will
never be established. In fact, discomforts
will in all probability increase The only
consolation for Britons is that they are no
worse off than the Germans wero two
years ago, and much better off than they
are to-day.
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
A. G. c., Pacifst or Hurnbug

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: Mr.. Wilson must have a poor cnse in
defending A. G. Gardiner if he has to RELY
upon the dead bones of Charles Dickens and
your men in the Civil War.
We are living now. not dead, as is sThe
Daily News"
If Gardiner is not pacifst. he's hypo-
critic, for he has supported all the pacifists
in England, including the conscientious OBJ
jector, Ramsay Macdonald, King Philip
Snowden and Morell. He has opposed every
war measure, beginning with the appointmen mt
of Kitchener, of Lloyd George as Minister of
Munitions, Of the same as Prime Minister.
He opposed conscription and urged the
trade unions to stand up for their rights.
and opposed every application in England Of
every measure which the President has seen
TIT to take here, and if later he has supported
any OF them it has only been when that sun
port was unneeded.
His virulent attacks on Lloyd Georpe,s sc-
cesslon to the office of Prime Minister will,
never be forgotten by those who, like mvse]s.
nave been fed on 4The Daily News" with
their mothers milk, and see with regret and
shame to what depths it has fallen under
A. G.. Gardiner.
HERBERT S. STONEHAM
New York, Jan. ID, 1918.
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
White Turnips Not Food
To tho Editor Of The Tribune

To tho Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir; Anent the complaint Of Raymond
Fuller that his agricultural friend cannot sell
his crop Of white turnips except for cattle
food, owing to the "whims of nearby con-
sumers," it is to be said on behalf Of those
"whims" that they are founded upon the most
substantial scientific intelligence. White tur-
nps are, in fact, the poorest in food value OK
all farm produce. Their food content is:
Proteids LA per cent; sugar and starch, GIT
per cent and fat o.18 per cent. That means
that in eating 100 pounds of turnips one
really gets only 1850 pounds Of assimilable
food. Why should any sane person stuff him
self with SO great bulk Of refuse for the
microscopic bit Of food content? And why
should any man processing to be farmer
raise such crops except for the cattle, which
must have the bulky food in order to keep in
health when bulky pasture is not available?
Had this misguided Cornell graduate (not
of the agricultural college, surely) raised
beans on the same land he would not have had
to look for q market because the eating pub
lie knows that beans are food and that tur-
nps not.
Moreover, those white turnips were prob
ably sown broadcast after the harvesting Of
sweet corn on the same lana, hC no extra ex-
pense for fertilizer and with labor cost
except for sowing and harvesting, and 33
cents bushel is good pay. I have sold hun
dreds of bushels of such turnips for Is cents
bushel and made money. And 81 bushel
for carrots is big money, if you have All acre
of them-30O to 600 bushels.
1t is very unfortunate all around that the
Humiliation" and actual money loss" of this
would be farmer are not placed where they be-
long-on the young mans ignorance-nstcad
of upon the consumers, who knew more about
eating than he did about food producing. And
as for Mr.. Fuller, he may be we'll assured that
no "machinery of political system" will
ever be able to make white turnip into food.
1t always has been and always will be no
more than relish.
COLLEGE-BRE FARMER.
Hackensack, N. j., Jan. 16, 1918
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
Rationing in England

1t IS not surprising to learn that a ra-
tioniny system is at last to be established
in Greet Britain. Sooner or later it was
bound to come. Meat has grown scarcer
Before the war, as the Food Controller
pointed out some time ago, 20 per cent of
the meat consumed by civilians was i'm
ported. At present only about 10 per cent
is imported, most of the foreign meat 90
ing to the army. The importation of but
ter has, OF course, been seriously curtailed.
not only by the work of the submarines
but by the difficulty of securing supplies
from neutrals. In November and Decem-
Der of last year only 5000 tons were i'm
ported. as compared with $4,000 and more
IN November and December, 1915.
Great efforts have beepi made to meet
The needs OF the day. The fisheries have
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21

that these propagandists say nothing of the
burden which would be placed on the tax
payers If the government essayed to pur-
chase a transportation system representing g
a capital investment of about eighteen bill
lions of dollars.
1t is unQuestionable that the vast majority,
even of those opposed to possible government
ownership, sincerely desire the success of
present Federal control because Of the pur-
pose which inspired 1.-THE defeat Of the arch
enemy of liberty and civilization. The propa-
gandists will not, Of course, credit railway
managers and owners with anything but self
lsh and ulterior purposes. The creation OF
suspicion, the appeal to mob feeling, is the
usual course of these propagandists- Tt is
for the decent newspapers to keep the facts,
simply but comprehensively, before the pub
lie, SO that such new policies and methods as
are developed out Of our experience under
Federal control may take their wise and
logical course in the determination of future
policies. KIRKLAND A. WILSON.
New York, Jam 16, 1918.
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
Sell the Canals Surplus Water

The water power development plan rec
commended by the Attorney General, the
State Engineer, the State Superintendent
Of Public Works and the Conservation
Commissioner, behind which is Governor
Whitman, will necessitate constitutional
amendment, and consequently may mot be
put into effect for considerable time 1t
proposes the putting into effect of what
has for long been the state policy-publc
ownership and development Of power
sites. 1t does not contemplate the gener-
alton Of electric power from the hydraulic
power created; water power is to be leased
to private companies which are to dis
tribute electricity--that is, to market it
their rates to be supervised by some state
agency, either the Public Service Commits
sion or specially created commission.
This is sane and sound attack on the
problem, which has been too long one of
the unsolved questions of state govern
ment. These state officials, constituting
a committee selected by the Governor to
study the matter, say that the official rec
ords of the Conservation Commission show
that nearly 100000 horsepower is an
nually wasted in New York State--a
waste bad enough at any time, but almost
criminal with the country in it's present
straits industrally 1t is the equivalent,
roughly, of the waste of some 20,O00,0OO
tons of coal. Harnessed and converted
into energy, these waters would be boon
to factories and househoders through
their furnishing cheap power and light.
They would be a source of income to a
state which, with constantly increasing
demands on its treasury, sadly needs new
sources of revenue
1t is unfortunate that this important
matter has been neglected for SO many
years, though the desirability Of harness
ing the running water has been called to
the attention of officialdom and the public
many times by Governors, legislative COM
mittees and eminent engineers Now,
when the emergency is at hand which
would make this potential energy almost
priceless, the necessary procedure of gov
ernment cannot be FASTENED. One thing
can be done, however, to mitigate this
calamity to certain extent. By the
completion of the enlargement of the
barge canal a surplus of water has been
accumulated which at various places along
the route could be sold for hydraulic
power development without interfering
with navigation of the states inland wa
terway. From such sale snug revenue
might be obtained for the state "a lcgis-
lative committee in 1912 estimated the
sum at $250,000 year,, the COM
monwealth's industry would be the better
off for this use of what is now unused, and
the demands on the coal mines and the
railroads would be lightened to the extent
of such use.
Governor Whitman recently called at
tention to this situation. 1t could be re-
lieved by the enactment Of lava process
involving slight delay This at least
should be done. The Legislature is now
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
Let Soldiers Ride Free
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: have noticed in some of the papers
letters In regard to the railroad fares Of our
enlisted men. These fares are unouestiona-
bly, burden to them. I hope YOUR paper
will advocate, and strongly advocate. that all
men IN the service below commissioned rink
be allowed to ride free, especially the pri-
Yates. I believe the pay that the latter are
receiving is $50 month
A great many of these young men have
been brought up in nice homes, and so long
as they are within easy reach of them I think
it very wise that they should be allowed to
keep in touch with the home people and uti
lie their leave for this purpose. It surely is
a great deal better that boys Of decent morals
do this than have them hang around their
barracks (where temptations of all kinds are
thrown in their way) owing to the fact that
they cannot afford to pay the necessary rail
road fares to their homes
FREDERICK MILLER.
New York, Jan. IL, 1918.
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
No Yellow Peril
Importation of Chinese Laborers
Would Not 4 Iarm This Country

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: May l be permitted to reply to a
letter contained in your issue of January L.
under the caption "The Yellow Peril"?
Characterizing as an enemy of our country
any one who advocates the admission of the
Chinese wordngman to our shores would take
me IN The author of that letter has my
permission to place me No. on that LIST Il
he thinks he can get away with it.
He evidently does not know the Chinamsn
nor has he been privileged to live in China
Inc Chlnaman's sense of integrity is de-
veloped to degree. In China il is an under
stood thing and proverb that Chnaman
VINO breaks his word cannot show his face A
sense OF honor among the Chinese forces
them to commit suicide the first of the new
year should they be unable to meet obga-
tlons. | fear for our population were that
sense of honor in vogue here Many of u.s.
fancy, would have been long since dead
The American Federation of Labor is pos
sessed OF moral sense and would welcome any
work1rgman regardless Of race, creed color
sans contract.
The author of "Yellow PERIL refers to what
ne IS pleased to call our negro problem
twin brothers.
United States?
We may have nice soft white bodies and
hard heart, with soul as black as the hinges
OF Hades. 1t is the soul that counts This
body of ours that we love so much and
smooth down tenderly, in spite of all class,
color, race and creed distinction, changes and
decays and goes back to the worms with
ancient and holy things, king, pauper, black
and white
In the glorious Cathedral of Chartres'
France, one finds one of the oldest Virgins n
the world the celebrated Verge Noire. This
tlack-faced, carved in wood image is cen
turies old. She is placed in the most impor'
tant chapel Of the cathedral. She is sur
mounted by hundreds OF fickcring wax
candles and guarded b. priest from . a. m
till night. Each year thousands OF pilgrims
journey to Chartres to offer their supplics-
ton to this Black Virgin. AS many 6O,uVV
pilgrims each year make the visit. THESE
supplicants are mostly mothers. who come 70
place their children under the protection o.
the Black Virgin. The devotion toward the
Black Virgin is most remarkable. One hnds
at ali hours of the day faithful followers Of
Jesus Christ hneeling in prayer before TINS
Virgin Before leaving the chapel each sup
picant kisses with great reverence the pedss-
tai on which she is placed
Are the French more Christian than W
real Americans, with whom the author o.
I elbow Perll' is out Of patience?
Are we Christian nation
MRS. GEORGE ALEXANDER wHFELOCK.
New York, Jan. II, 1918.
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
Unsuspicious Americans
Take All Germans and Austrians
Hero on Trust

Here ON Trust
To tho Editor Of tho Tribune.
Sir: 1t was an American general who
issued the command, "Put mono but Ameri-
cans on guard tonight"
Nightly throughout tho United States the
skies are rcddencd with reflections Of arcs
and silhouetted In the great mass Of flame
and smoke we read the words "Mystcrious,
unknown"
We arc At war with Germany and Austria
and yet men from those countries work In
muntion plants, in mills, elevators and fac
tories; como and 20 without lot or hindrance,
while the Ares go on with answering regu-
larity, destroying provisions, clothing ana
munitions. How long must this state of
affairs continue7 How long should 1t con-
finue7
In the great warmth Of our democratic
feeling we are overlooking our real obliga-
tlons He who Is not with US is against
us, and 1t is Just as reasonable to suppose
that q man convicted to hang would not cs-
capc at an opportunity as to assume that
IN alien enemy from Germany, Austria-Hun-
gary or Bulgaria would not apply the torch If
by 60 doing he know he would imperil our
progress In the war. All through the United
States we have looked too lightly on the
situation and are too much inclined to re-
gard man as an American at heart because
he lives among us, and know not the con
trary until some nearby factory goes up IN
smoke, and then only too late to investigate.
The harm Is done, the products Of the mill
or farm are gone and our soldiers are with
out.
Put mono but an Ally on guard tonight.
every night JOHN SEWER ALDEHOFF.
Dallas, Tex, Jan. Is, 1918.
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
Beer and Fuel Saving
Editor of the Tribune

To the Editor of the Tribune.
Sir: Senator Calder in advocating the con-
scrvation of daylight by setting the hands Of
time forward one hour claims there would
be saving of 100000 tons of coal year.
The present shortage of fuel is due to un-
necessary waste. 1t is estimated that there
are twenty-five miles Of drinking places in
greater New York. These places are heated
and illuminated eighteen hours day. There
is no effort the part of Senator Calder
and the authorities to prevent this unnec-
essary waste of fuel; 100000 children are
obliged to remain away from school for lack
of fuel to properly heat the school build
lngs; the lights on Broadway are dimmed.
Churches are consolidating for worsh;n.
Thousands are out of employment for lack
are employed. Railroad transportation is in
sufflclent to transport army supplies to head
quarters. The shipment of beer and malt
liquors reaches destination promptly and
unmolested. In the last fiscal year therc
were manufactured in the United States 60 :
729,509 barrels Of beer. f. D. Leach. Fuel
Administrator of Ohio, estimates that it re-,
qulres 24S pounds of coal to produce A bar
rel of beer. In other words, the brewers in
America used up 7,530,395 tons Of coal dur
ing the year in making becr-enough coal tn
supply 100000 families year
II the Senator will advocate a saving Of
fuel along the lines suggested, he will render
to the country and state service thousand
fold greater than the one he is engaged in
at the present time. H. H. uAWTEY
Malone, N. Y, Jan. 16, 1918.
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
What Is Chicago?

Mr.. Meredith Nicholson was born and
bred In Indiana, so he Is by inheritance
equipped to write Of "Thc Valley Of De-
mocracy," his current series of articles on
the Middle West in "Scribner's." Super
licially he has seen all tho points, and he
sets them down painstakingly enough
What is lacking is the sort of imaginative
insight that creates unity in a portrait
and gives some Interpretation of antece-
dents, present activities and fate to come.
Mr.. Nicholson in his latest article, on Chi
cago, has counted the 800 sleeping cars and
the 4,600 people who enter the city every
night. But he fails to explain why oil
Middle Western trails lead to CHICAGO
what the interest of personality Is that
makes fiat, dusty city Of magnificent
stockyards the light and leader of our in
land nation.
The guess of an outlander is only n
guess. But Chicago has survived insults
and compliments from all the world, from
Mr.. II. G. Wells all the way back to Mr..
Rudyard Klpling in his prime. So one
more attempt at definition cannot do great
injury. Our feeling of Chicago personality
is that Of gigantic, youthful vitality, plus
a remnant Of New England will to mount.
Chicago has an appalling ambition to be
beautiful, to be wise, to bc good. She faces
appalling obstacles. Yet they only spur
her to greater activities. Any other city
with lake front, her one great chance for
beauty, ruined by mess Of railroads
would have given up the fight In despair.
Not Chicago. A colossal plan Is devised
for redeening colossal failure. So the
story runs through all her blunders and
triumphs.
Perhaps we are wrong in tracing the
ambitions Of Chicago and her folk to New
England blood and tradition. Certainly, it
is New England conscience much diluted
and transformed by untold mixtures and
adventures. But there is relentless desire
to learn and develop in the Middle West
that has family resemblance to New Eng
land will, at any rate. Only, and most i'm
portant, this will in Chicago is buoyed up,
vitalzed, by an overwhelming youthfulness
and vigor. Conscience is one thing in an
elderly, self-conscious community. 1t is
quite another in an onrushing, devouring
youth of city like Chicago. Her people
are interesting in life, first of all, and in
themselves only on the way to doing some
thing interesting and new.
New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
Who Is the Liar :?

There is not reader of good under
standing who will think Mr.. George Creel
too fastidous in complaining that "much
Of the war matter printed in the press to-
day could be thrown into the waste-paper
basket with profit" But those who had
the privilege Of hearing his address before
the Ohio City Editors Association must
have been sorely puzzled when he under
took to illustrate the mischief done by "a
correspondent in search of story" The
example he chose was. the denial or modi-
ficaton of that ever memorable narrative
of an attack "in force" on the transports
CARRYING General Pershing's expedition
ary army to France, and he denounced as
"a cruel lie" the avowal "that the Fourth
CT July announcement was merely an elab-
Grafton" The most puzzling circumstance
Of all, however, is in the sequel, for, ac-
cording to the report of his speech, Mr.
Creel went on to describe the sad fate
that befell the impostor. "a British court
of inquiry" he said Cor is made to say)
"branded him liar and expelled him from
the fleet
Now, this makes a story originally full
Of difficulties more perplexing than ever.
First of all there was the Fourth of July
announcement itself, with the fireworks
which proved so difficult to swallow and
digest. That story was given to the world
by Mr.. Daniels. Hard upon it came the
confession that it was not word for word
a transcript of the dispatch received by
the Navy Department. but an "elabora-
ton" of the "cryptic" original. This con-
fesson was attributed to Mr.. Creel, who
modestly declared himself the author.
Next day, however, he denied that he had
ever said anything about elaboration" !"
end though three reporters understood him
so and used the expression in their several
papers, all three, it seems, misunderstood
him entirely.
About a month later came Rear Admiral
Gleaves's official report, showing clearly
that the attack "in force" was a pure flight
of fancy, but that the transports were
attacked twice and that one submarine was
possibly sunk. The picturesque details
We're wanting, and there was apparently
no "reason to believe that others We're de-
stroyed," as the first announcement indi-
Gated. In fact, the plain story took all the
beauty out of the "elaborated' version.
The real puzzle is to determine who the
cruel liar was and exactly what happened
to him. The person who was principally
responsible for smashing the elaborated
story to atoms was Admiral Gleaves. OBJ
viously, however, he could not be "expelled
/ from the fleet" by British court of in
quiry On the other hand, it is clear that
Mr.. Creel himself continues to hold his
own, and as he never was with the fleet
his expulsion is a manifest impossibilty
The same is true of Mr. Daniels, who, be-
sides, contrived at a very early stage to
wash his hands Of the affair. Are there
then two Mr.. Creels, one the lecturer on
veracity and the other the elaborator of
the cryptic? If not, who is the liar?