davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16
w ashin gton Is On
the Defensive

couples on their honeymoons continue 70
beam happily at each other, Indifferent to
bloodshed and starvation. Bored ladies in
very decollet@ dresses seem to be just as esv
over their glass of milk as they used to
be over their cocktail. There is plenty Of
money in Washington, but you have 70
spend it all, very often on undesirable
things
"In the smaller hotels, even in the newly
adorned lodging houses, where signs blazcn
forth the fact that ladies as well as gentle
men can be accommodated for 75 cents a
night, one sees the country bread In little
groups, hayseed father, oid-fashjoned moth
er, tall pig-tailed daughter, and boy grow
ing faster than his clothes, shambie out ef
these places into the white lights of WASH
ington. Appalled, at the size of the Treas
ury Building, hushed on the curb at the
White House, awed by the fake cannon on
the military statues and squares, they walk
till they drop, and finally end up in some
peoples eating place, too impressed to eat
The colored population in Washington re-
CARDS the city as it's own. There are moro
of them on the streetcars than Is pleasant
They crowd in with market baskets, laun-
dry bundles, live chickens, anything and
everything needed in the colored home.
They are original Washingtonians."
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16
Prodding the Fat Ease of Decadence

time, our prosperity was becoming our ruin.
Divorce in the United States had nearly
reached the alarming total of million cases
in twenty-five years; and in the freest re-
public Of the world Mr.. Wells assures us
that million and half instances of child
labor could be counted.
France was known to have been, like
England, on the eve of civil war She had
thrown over patriots like M. Delcasse-just
as we had thrown over Lord Roberts, Just as
Greece had thrown over NJ. venizelos-for
criminals like Bolo and traitors like Call
laux- Belgium was enjoying without pro-
test the ugly spells Of the Congo. Poland,
like Belgium. had long been undermined by
Jesuit intrigue. Russia, with her corrupt
oligarchy, uneducated peasantry and effete
religion, had fred on the mob on Red Sun
day and systematically prosecuted the harm
less Jews. The humanity of italy had not
shone in her last African war All Europe
stood in need of purge If she was not to 90
down, like old Rome, to an early grave
Britain above all needed a change We
had become race of actors. The spell of
commercialism, with its unutterable selfish
ness and lack of high ideals, had all but
sainsd ". OF cssta!a birthday heAers Thu
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16

Quarterly Review has Justly pointed out,
this war is only the honest and outward ex-
preston of that spiritual strife in the soul
OF the nation to which in peace time the
corrupting principles Of commercial greed
had legitimately led.
Peace says recent writer, has its
cruelties no less than war. The world was
sick Of a surfeit Of wealth and ease on the
one hand and Of envy and desire or the
other. We dreaded the advent of the ANGEL
Of Death. But it may be that he has
brought healing in his wings
This war is laying the foundations Of a
new Europe. Just az the wars of Rome de-
stroyed Jerusalem to make way for the
Christian Church; just as the Roman EN-
pire in turn was swept away by the wars Of
the bsrbarians to bring in the Catholic
Church; just as the wars Of the thirteentb
century (heralded by the Black Deatbl
swept away one-fourth Of Europe to intro
duce the Protestant era of nationa,
churches, so to-day this war has come Ia
introduce new world in which science
shall become a new ally to the old faith and
democracy learn to govern itself:
Till crowds at length be sane and
!. crowns be just"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16

and arsenals had migrated to Germany.
"Disraeli, in his we'll known novel 'Sybil'
had remarked in England the existence of
two nations. Those two nations were now
at strife. My ministers inform me- ran the
Kings speech, that my people are on the
eve OF civil war; 1t required no prophet to
foretell that issue. AS far back as 1909 Mr..
G. f. G. Masterman, Liberal NJ p, had
forecast the inevitable necessity of an Euro
pean war:
"A life in which there are no high
aims, no severe duties such
life God has never suffered
men to lead on earth long. :. It
is society organized from top to bot
tom on money basis with
everything else as side show
The first experiment on large scale Of
society organized on positive basis
the Roman Empire] came to an end
through the intrusion of Christianity
and the advent of the barbarian.
What guarantee does the present offer
against the repetition of a similar catas-
tropher
The barbarian has now come and paved
the way for revival Of Christianity And.
Az the dean Of St. Pauls in the January
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16

Times of June 4, 1917, boldly challenged the
authorities with either selling nearly all of
them for cash down or bestowing them as
the result of party pledges long overdue.
There is great future it added, for the
statesman who has the courage to reward
real service to the state This was plain
speaking, indeed The same year the War
Office announced a Mascot Day for the sale
OF replicas of Peruvian idol advertised as
being at least five thousand years old and
warranted to keep off bayonet thrusts and
bullets. But Church newspaper. THE
Guardian, on June Z opened upon the War
Office such violent bombardment for this
revival Of heathenism' that the wretched
performance had to be ignominiously with
drawn. "'s''
internal disorders in the nations Ef.
were loudly calling for reform. Class had
been set against class. There were cries Of
labor versus capital, the army versus the
people, imperialism versus free trade. Eng
land versus Ireland, the rich against the
poor. The government of the day had not
only threatened Lord Roberts for his warn
ings OF Germany's preparations. but had ,e-
duced our army and our fortifcations. while
soms o. the best workers In cur dociyards
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16
The Streets Reflect
/ The New Order

But there is more than congestion IN
Washington. There is speed! The old
lettering, jogging regime seems quite to
have vanished. We have a picture of
street life:
"The oldtime hospitab1e one-horse Ian
daus, driven by the ingratiating black coach
men of the Southern plantations variety,
have been entirely banished The Washing
ton taxi man is the supreme pirate of trans
portation. He refuses to inspire his clutch
for less than a dollar. His taxi, painted a
battle gray, dashes through the formerly
quiet streets of Washington with metropol-
itan risk. And there are very few of him,
not enough to meet the emergencies of the
people who are willing to pay any price for
his abominable service. Of course, nearly
every one residing in Washington owns a
hivver. Official automobiles on government
service abound. Washington, being a city
managed by the wisdom Of a committee,
really has no personal rights outside the
will Of this committee. This commission
runs the city according to its own mental
disturbances.
Recently it was decided the streetcars
could stop only at certain places where the
commission ordered. There was no appar-
emit consideration of whether this would be
CoiIAoIIsD1c 1or the passengers or cOnve-
nient, or whether it was an advantage to
traffic. You were instructed to look for a
yellow sign on the sidewalk, to keep walk
ing till you found one before car would
stop to take you on.
1.-THE result has been that the streetcars,
as confused by this as the passengers, wan
der through the city, making what they
call skip stops. There are more skips
than stops to the streetcar traffic on this
account. The traffic policeman, given all
the signalling paraphernalia of metropoli-
tan guardian, feels his Importance Under
a huge umbrella he stands at the intersec-
ton OF certain streets gesticulating grace
fully and lesurely. He is an ornamental
figure, useful parade day"
Hooverism is one Of the most universal
Of the new cults in Washington. The
appeals for food conservation appear on
all the hotel menus AS a consequence,
in the opinion of Mr.. Wagstaffe-
"indigestible bread costs twice as much as
good bread used to, and meat portions have
become microscopic French waters are
quite as smiling and attentive as if they
were proud of the food they were serving,
and the tables in the restaurants are still
in the dim lights of happier days. Bridal
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16
Smiles In and Ont
of Church
coLoRED minister Of tn. nsnt,,,

A coLoRED minister of the Baptist
Church, so runs the story in "The
Argonaut," in order to strenethe, and
confirm the faith of his CONGREGATION
took as his text: an those DAYS came
John the Baptist, preaching IN +bo I'll
derness of Judea" ooh. said he aho,v
l like to read these precious word. IL
the blessed Bibiei You don't read anv-
where about John the Presbvter;an or
John the Methodist, or John the rn;..o.
palian. No, brethren. it is John n.
Baptist"
bishop Paul Jones, of Utah. was asked
oy committee the other day to sup
port rather extreme Sunday ordinances.
says The Detroit Free Press
Gentlemen" said the bishop. "the
wlfe OF one of my ministers saw her
little boy last Sunday morning chasing
the hens all over the farmyard with .
club.
"I'll learn you,' he was shouting, Tqi
learn you to lay eggs on the Sabbath
A colored Baptist was exhcrting.
Now, breddern and sistern, come up
W LAG aiIar and nave yo' sins washed
away"
All came up but one man, says "The
Argonaut"
why, Brudder Jones, don't yo' want
yo' sins washed awayf"
y done had my sins washed away
"Yo' has? Where yo' had yo' sins
washed away?"
"Ober at the Methodist Church.
All, Brudder Jones, 20, amt been
washed; yo' jes' been dry cleaned"
The chaplain told story that went
the rounds of England when the hrst
American troops landed there, says Tho
Ontario Post" An English sentinel
shouted to an advancing figure:
Halt, who goes there ?"
What in he'll is that to you 7" WAS tbs.
reply.
"pass In, American" erisd tie ssnr
tinel.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16
Metropolitan Magazine.

of martial interest, and that, individually
the Jews are lacking in personal courage.
There is a grain of truth In this conten-
ton, but only q grain. Warfare is alb
voice of prophecy, not the roar of cannon;
the triumphs of the spirit, not the vic
tories Of the flesh, are tho signs and sym
bols, the flowers apd fruitage Of Hebrew
life
The Jews cheerfully admit that they have
produced no Caesars Of Napoleons. Those
conquerors were the scourges Of humanity,
the imperial butchers of mankind. Caesar
slew a million of Gauls and sent into sla-
very and exile still another million. Three
millions of Frenchmen paid the last debt
due to nature and to God while following
the standard of the Corsican.
Hebrew repugnance to military glory and
Hebrew pride in civic achievement are
clearly reflected in the following lines from
a great Jewish historian:
If eve1 the time comes 1vhen the pYopl-
ecies of tho Jewish seers are fulfilled
and nation no longer raises the saUord
against nation, qUhe1a the olive leaf IN
stead of the laurel ado17as the broao OF
the great, and the achievements of noble
minds are familiar to the daVellers IN
cottages and palaces alike, then the his
tory of tho aUorld Wiu haze the same
character as Jewish history. On its pages
aUiU be Inscribed not the qUGvriors Droav-
ess and his aactories, nor diplomatic
schemes and t-iatnaphs, but the progress
of culture and its practical application
IN real life.
Whether the individual Jew is cowardly
or courageous depends upon the viewpoint
taken. Truth is gem Of many facets, and
the angle of vision determines the amount
and quality of light supplied the brain.
Too many people mistake coarseness for
courage and brutality for strength. Some
men are sensitive, spiritual and physically
delicate. Others are muscular, brutal and
phlegmatic. The Jew belongs to the for
mer rather than to the latter class; hence
his aversion, from sense of inequality, to
physical combat.
Nevertheless, after all apologies have
been offered and excuses made, the fact
remains that the Jews are not lacking in
military genius or in personal courage
when the lofter sentiments of religion and
patriotism call them to the field of battle
The Old Testament more than once bears
witness to this truth. The war song of
Deborah is filled with martial music. The
Battle of Gideon was a battle of heroes.
Judas Maccabaus, "a lion in his deeds
and lions whelp roaring for prey" is
the great military hero of ancient Jewish
history. He was the Robert Bruce, the
William Wallace, of ancient Palestine.
With band of devoted followers he de-
scended from the mountains, won a sue
cession of brilliant victories over the best
generals Of Syria, and finally drove idolaters
and profaners Of the temple from his ma
tive country. His glorious deeds are re-
called and invoked by the following thrill
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16
The Throne
i Room of War
Here is a picture of Capitol Hill:

mere Is a picture OF Cap1tot I'LL:
"The crowded side Of Washington is by
no means its inherent character The
throne room of war is the Capitol The
ministers of war representing the people
are the Senators and Congressman. The
politics of Congress no longer interest
these men; they are in the throes Of mill
tary and naval preparedness.
occasionally the atmosphere of that
beautiful, sunny legislative hill crowned by
the Capitol is singularly inspiring Of poetic
thought. With it's magnificent slipping
lawns, its beautiful abundance of flowers.
with the stately marble columns and wide
balconies, of the most artistic bit of archi-
lecture in the United States, it becomes
the most inspiring hilltop in America.
"The modern Senator's chief regret ia
that he cannot wear q uniform. He has
undergone a political change of heart Poll
tics seem small compared to the splendor
Of national defence. Washington is no
longer a place of individual ambition to
him; ii is the national theatre in which he
plays his part in war. The leaders, the
men who endure by sheer force of patriot
ism and hatred of Germany, are tireles,
workers; the physical strain due to the vast
responsibility put upon them seems to
vltaiize their strength. They grow younger
instead of older. They have gained i'm
pressed dignity from the wide scope Of
their energies.
The issues which some of them NAV
nave with the policies of the Administers
ton have mo political impulse Their OBJ
jections are opposed, not bitterly, but mag
nificently; not merely with technical ora
tory, but with the fire of intense patriotism.
These leaders are the national giants. who.
gathered on the crest of Capitol Hill, sur
vey this surging sentiment of war among
the people. The rest the Senator's and
congressman who have not the gift of lead
ership, who have not the physical initiative,
turn white to the lips in their emotional
support of the leaders"
Over In the House
"the fre-eating Southern Congressman ia
still the explosive menace of the Legislative
sessions. Every now and then Southern
gentleman is offended, he reminds the
House of the courtesy Of the Confederate
history, he manages to create an uproar
and stimulates action"
In Washington there is far more Off
clal espionage than the public knows any,
thing about. However little, you may be
aware of it
Secret Service men look you over as YOU
step on the train. Your private opinions
are known. While there is the utmost
freedom OF talk on Capitol Hill there is
extreme reserve at the bottom Of the hill
Sentries with wicked bayonets patrol the
barred gates of the White House and the
executive buildings. Men who came to
washington with the idea that they could
talk freely have been taken from Washing.
ton and sent to Atlanta penitentiary by
orders OF the Department of Justice. The
men who are in power, and these are the
men who make Washington the master key
OF our war policies, are much more seces-
sible than they should be.
;. washington is on the defensive because
IL Is often badly misunderstood"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16

WV = AR-TIME Washington is an
M unending source CT inspira-
Wv ton. New phases, as well as
new angles and new per
spectives of old phases, are continually
being discovered by newspaper and maya
zine writer's.
Beautiful Washington "has lost its
former individuality in the war emergen-
cies that are centred there" observes
William de Wagstaffe in "The Forum"
It has lost that sense Of social leisure
that used to distinguish it. The diplo-
matte force has taken on wholly new
Clock" Indeed, writes Mr.. Wagstaffe-
"the foreign ambassadors themselves are
at high tension; rarely sees them
Their families have felt the pressure of war
disaster, and the diplomatic hatreds Of Ger
many have embittered the former graceful
sensiblity of diplomatic gayety. The home
life of Washington, which used to be social,
peaceful, has almost entirely disappeared.
The men are overweight with war prob
lens; the members Of Congress are con-
stantly at the Capitol or in their Offices.
Their wives and daughters are occupied in
various committees Of war work, with seri-
duties that have been imposed upon
them, SO that the former drawing room am
bition which made Washington so attrac-
tive to them scarcely exists any more.
There is no leisure in Washington now.
Innumerable ramshackle buildings, former
ly adorned with Colonial memories, have
been reprinted, camoufaged with bristllng
signs which endeavor to convey the i'm
preston that they are hotels. The real aris-
tocrat, the naughty person Of Washington
to-day, is the hotel clerk. He patronizes
you, he challenges you, he defes you and
he robs you. You tell him you have no
home and he tells you how comfortable his
own Is. You ask him if there is any hope
of finding shelter in his hotel in the near
future and he shakes his head joyously.
He rebukes you for not having telephoned
a week ago. He resents the fact that you
should dare to come to Washington without
first asking his permission. He seems to
regard you as an irresponsible imbecile
and Is merciless in his manner. If you
have a riend in Washington (Which is q
very improbable prospect, because friend
ship has long been inexpedient in view Of
the money that can be made by household
ers from renting their rooms), that friend
will not ask you where you are stopping.
ing your tale Of woe. He silently assumes
that you are fixed up somewhere"
And this, the writer maintains, is the
condition in Washington that is defen-
sive. The city is too small to hold the
crowds that keep pouring in.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16
40 THOSE who feel and maintain
that war in general, this war in
particular, offers nothing to the

that war in general, this war in
IL particular, offers nothing to the
appalled, eye of the world but
ruin and disaster, Mr.. A. H. T. Clarke's
article in "The Nineteenth Century,"
called "Thc Allies Assurance Of Victory:
A Historic Parallel" will come as an
important contribution, even though it
unequivocally strike down through the
mists Of smoke and poison gas to the
broader, the historic, even the philosophic
significance. And naturally, it will
appeal as a writing of even greater i'm
portance to the opposed camp which
holds. with many psychologists, that war
is biological necessity, and therefore,
despite its present horror, inherently
benefcent
The war, declares Mr.. Clarke, has a
high, providential purpose. Indeed
"the war then has high providental pur-
pess. It was needed fer the publication of
tAs verdi. A. vita the Jews q Davida
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16
Dut There's Another
- Sort of Diplomacy

Now, that would be open diplomacy
of a kind. 1t is not, however, the
open diplomacy intended by Senator b.
rah, who had in mind not so much the
strategic advance, the scouting party of
diplomacy, as the actual and definite ne
gotiation of treaties, which he believed
ought to be in the sight of every one.
The debate had been going on fitfully
on Monday, but Tuesday there were signs
of growing heat. A number of Senators
had their say, Senator Lodge notably on
Monday, Senators Fall and Reed on Tues
day. Senator Reed gave signs from
the start of the Tuesday session Of want
ing to talk. He made several fairly good
starts, indicated his opinion of the matter
under discussion by declaring he was spa
tiently awaiting the day when some SEN
ator will propose to amend the Lords
Prayer or to change the Ten Command
ments and to set aside the Apostolic
Creed" He ended up in the centre aisle
of the Senate chamber, red faced, embit-
tered mouth, in fine burst of power to
point out that the United States cannot
afford to practise so ideal principle as
open diplomacy until every nation has
adopted it, and to start otherwise would
be to fare as the Russians Jared at
Brest-Litovsk.
Senator Borah begins his chief at
tack somewhere about 2 o'clock in
the afternoon and for that hour has an
amazingly large and representative au~
dience. There is Senator Lodge, with
his head resting often in the palm of an
artistic hand; Senator Cummins, in Palm
Beach, Senator Weeks, Senator Gallinger,
Senator Curtis, Senator Lenroot, Senator
Underwood Senator Pomerene, Senator
Vardaman, in pure white, and Senator
Knox. Senator Hitchcock must not be
forgotten, for as head of the Foreign Re-
lations Committee he takes principal
part in the discussion. Indeed, for a
period the talk becomes debate between
Senator Borah and Senator Hitchcock on
what Mr.. Wilson meant by open diplo-
macy.
The debate provides an interesting con-
trast between two Western Senator's.
Borah IS man of youthful energy but Of
impressive proportions. His face is large
and powerful. He wears heavy head of
dark hair, cut so that its bulk remains
unimpaired. 1t is parted in the middle.
He is deliberate, has many reserves Of
power in his face and voice, appears not
to be budged from any position he may
assume. Behind this vigor is delicacy
and subtlety in the temper Of his speech,
an ability to bind sheaf Of grave and
heavy facts with the finest silk Of irony.
Hitchcock is closer to the Mississippi
Valley, not SO hewn as Borah, a slender
appearing, well nnodulated man in white
flannel trousers and blue coat. He has
gary, rather wavy hair, that falls full
and almost peptissily On sns sida Ais