davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
Allied Confidence
. ERMAN apathy at home over
From the Literary Digest

X ERMAN apathy at home over
IT the new drive, and the calm
confidence of the Allied peo-
pies in the face of this reverse, both
have one explanation. In the race
between Hindenburg and President
Wilson-to use Lloyd Georges crisp
characterization of the battle of the
western front-the odds are running
every day increasingly against the
German. When the British premier
adds that those who know best
what the prospects are feel most con-
f1dent about the results" he can only
mean, notes the Omaha World
Herald, that "the United States is
winning the race" Allied shipyards
are launching ships faster than Ger
man u-boats can destroy them; AL
lied raVies are sinking U-boats faster
than Germany can build them; AL
lied crops are promising record har-
vests in France and England that
will release further tonnage to carry
American men and munitions to the
battlefield. At the same time, for
Germany, many observers believe,
another year of war will spell bank
ruptcy alike as to her food supply,
her finances and her man-power.
Hence the German thrust against the
Aisne front is interpreted in WASH
lngton as another attempt to smash
through the Allied armies to victory
pefore American troops arrive IN
such force as to make a German VIC
tory impossible.
When, after a comparative iull of
nearly month, the Germans on May
27 launched another major drive in
their great spring offensive on the
western front, they duplicated on a
smaller scale much of the success
that crowned the early days of their
thrust in Picardy. Striking toward
Paris between Scissors and Reims,
the armies of the German crown
prince drove a third great wedge
into the Allied line, it's point pene-
trating to the Marne in four days, a
depth of over twenty miles. BY hurl-
ing into this attack upon a strong
but thinly held position some
100000 men supported by artillery
tanks and machine guns, the Ger
mans captured the famous ridge OF
the Chemin des Danes, crossed the
Aisne and Vesle rivers in force anc
| occupied Scissors before the Allied
reinforcements could impede theil
furious onrush. During these frs
four days, according to Berlin re.
ports, the Germans took $4,000
| prisoners, and tremendous" booty
in war materials, including gums ot
every description, up to railway gun.
of the heaviest caliber" The Kaiser
after watching a section of the battle
from a neighboring hill, telegrapheG
the empress the blasphemous mes
sage that God has granted us g
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
Make Ballot F0oIproof

The working of the non-partisan
ballot reveals it as a source of dam
ger Instead of safety. 1t has a ca
paeity for defeating the wishes of
the people who have any intelligent
wishes on the subject by giving the
nomination and perhaps election to
some one wholly unfit who receives
votes not because the voters want
him but because of the tendency of
voters to mark a cross opposed the
first candidate on. the list.
In this way the alphabet and not
the will of the people determine the
result. Ben Adhem's name will lead
all the rest not because he has been
blest but by the accident of nomen-
clature his name stands first on the
alphabetical list of candidates. Two
years ago we almost elected in this
way an abscure attorney to the Su-
preme bench for no other reason
than the initial letter of his name
placed it on the ballot before his
highly competent competitor. This
year a man named Huselton whose
name was on the judiciary ticket
against his wishes received 117,463
votes for SUPERIOR Court Judge be-
cause his name preceded that of
Judge Porter whom, every rational.
voter wished to have reelected. =
The lack of attention, observation
and reflection of so many thousand
voters is a strong argument against
the direct primary and particularly
the non-partisan ballot. Voters need
guidance else they founder and blum
der in seeking to record their will in
matter for which they care little.
Party lines when maintained on the
ballot offer some guidance. Conven-
tions at least gave us candidates
whose character and antecedents
were known and whose election or
non-election was not left to chance.
1t is an impeachment of a system
that gives to Mr.. Aaron a decided
advantage over Mr.. Zigler in secur-
ing majority of the votes. The bal
lot should be short, simple and fool
proof. At present it is none of these.
Philadelphia Press.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
splendid victory and will help fur.

splendid victory and will help fur
ther."
But the damage inflicted by Ger
man arms on the Allied line has not
dented the Allied morale, according
to all the evidence available; nor is
the rejoicing of the German press, if
Amsterdam dispatches report cor
rectly, as eXuberant as after the
March advance in Picardy. In the
British papers, correspondents tell
us, there is no note of dependency,
but everywhere calm faith in Cen
eral Foch. And in France, says a
dispatch to the New York Times, the
confident watchword is, 1--WE must
hold on until the Americans come"
British and French papers alike see
a hapy omen in the American VIC
tory at Cantigny, west of Montdidier
on the Picardy front, where our
troops with the dash and precision
of veterans fiattened out a small
German salient, took over 200 pris-
oners, inflicted heavy losses in killed
and wounded, and consolidated and
held their gains against many vio-
lent counter attacks. German gen.
erals and statesmen know the sig
nificance of this as well as do Amer
ica's allies, remarks the London
Times, which goes on to say:
1T means that the last great fac
tor between autocracy and freedom
is coming into effective play on the
battlefield. 1t means that they have
but to hold the gap little longer be-
fore their comrades from across the
ocean come in armies pledged never
to sheathe the sword until it has
swept Prussian militarism from. the
earth and established the reign of
Justice and peace. There could be
no reflection more heartening for the
Allies or more dismaying to their ad-
VerSarieS."
I'VE must hold on until October
and stand up under other hard blows
which we still have to face until
then" writes Marcel Hutin, military
I critic of the Echo de Paris and one
of thN few French writers who fore
told the possibility of the Aisne at
| tack. And he adds:
Next October the Americans will
have more than a million and a half
men on the western front. From now
until then, as Clemenceau has very
| frankly explained, we and our allies
must stand up to all the German at
| tacbs. To eccnomize our men until
| then and to keep the enemy is check
even at the price of yielding ground
we must resign ourselves to that"
! Meanwhile Secretary of the Navy
! Daniels, in Decoration Day speech
| in Wilkes-Barre, announces that our
movement of troops to Europe will
| reach the million mark in a few
weeks; that in a few months the two
million mark will have been reached
and that ten million or more mer
] will be sent, if need be.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
A MUNICIPAL LEADER

nENVER has lost its guiding
spirit through the death of
Robert w. Speer. the master
builder of the wonderful Rocky
Mountain metropolis. Forty years
ago he went to Denver from Penn
sylvania to regain his health and he
remained to devote his recovered
energies to the upbuilding of. the city
which he loved. Three times MAYOR
OF his city, Mr.. Speer developed an
aptitude for municipal detail and
management which was the marvel
of all with whom he came into con-
tact. His return to the executive
chair after retirement to private life
Q year or two ago was said to have
been the political triumph of his life.
Like many another public official.
he was cartooned and abused and
criticised without limit by his DO
litical and personal enemies, but
nothing ever swerved Mayor Speer
from the objectives toward which
he was constantly moving. Denver
is living monument of his remark
able vision and ability to accomplish
. big things.
After a reform" administration
which lasted one year. although il
lad been elected for four. the people
hanged the charter and installed
7pmmission government. This lasted
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
THE FOURTH OF JULY
TAYOR KEIsTER should have
VA the support of the entire COM

"A NTAYOR KEISTER should have
lVH the support of the entire COM
W munity in his purpose to ar
range for the city a proper Fourth
of July celebration. If ever in the
history of the United States the
spirit of the nation should find ex-
pression in a fitting observance OF
it's birthday it is now. when we are
fighting desperately against pow
erful and unscrupufous foe for the
very existence of those principles
upon which the country is founded.
In 1875 our forefathers took up
the sword against a German mon
arch sitting on the British throne,
who forced them to fight or pay
tribute to a government in which
they had no voice. Our old school
histories gave us very little light on
how this war was regarded in Eng
land, but if they had told the full
truth, more Americans would know
what more careful readers have
learned-which is, that the course
of King George was almost as un-
Ropular in his own country as 1t
Was in America. And so our fight
then, as now, was against an un-
scrupulous German robber, and as
our first war was won under great
handicap we may take heart from
the hardihood and war-like quail
ties of our ancestors and look for
ward to the complete downfall of
this archetype of the villainous and
tyrannous old reprobate who was
responsible for our first break with
a European power.
With this in mind, we may very
appropriately twine the Union Jack
with the Stars and Stripes, and the
standards of France and of Italy
on the coming Fourth of July, and
our prayer for success may be ad-
dressed to the God of Battles in be-
half of all our allies as well as for
ourselves, marred by no harsh mem
ories of the past. England and the
the colonies of America stood on
that fateful day in 1875, and the
God who guided our sturdy little
armies to victory on those early
fields of contest will bless and guide
the great hosts that now fight in
His name and for His cause on the
far-flung battle lines of the world
Divine invocation, services of prayer
and praise, should be part of the
celebration which the Mayor con-
templates. Washington prayed al
Valley Forge, Lincoln sought heav.
emily intervention and guidance in
the dark days of the Sixties, and we
can well profit by their examples
A nation on its knees is a winnine
nation.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
Over tie lob
IL Pexxa.

we do not need the German lam
guage in America to-day, and to-
morrow, by the grace of God, it
Will be dead language" declared
Dr. Robert McElroy, head of the
department of history at Princeton.
IN mis- recent address at PHILADELPHIA
before the League to Enforce Peace.
The great task of the civilian in
this war is to defeat German propa-
ganda and rob it of its intended
prey. the soul of this nation. For
torty years the mind of every Ger
man child, through a well Thought
out and skillfully planned scheme
Oh education, has been concentrated
upon the destiny of Germany to rule
the world by-virtue of physical force,
This is kultur." w.
Wheh grandma was young, with her
beauty in bloom,
damsel was taught how to enter
room;
IL pains her to-day when a girl
with a grin,
says: Here I am, folks; I Thought
I'd blow in.''
ANY comfortable place vbero
there are free seats and | can eniov
the society of my fellow human
beings will do" says Mr.. Buck
wilmington, as a result of CLOSING
Poolrooms and bars in western
pennsylvania town. Lately. I had
10 go nome before midnight"
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
7 WELL KNOWN PEOPLE

William Potter. the state fuel
administrator, in a statement issued
at Pbtladelphia, says householders
shall have first call on coal.
4 -Congressman e. E. Robbins, who
will speak here next week., is one of
the active spirits in the move to
have Bushy Run battlefield marked
by a memorial. -
&-Professor j, S. L, Killius, of
Johnstown schools, has been put in
charge of the farm labor work in
Cambria county.
IT. #. Crostwaite, of Hanover, re-
elected chairman of the State Asso-
citation of Boroughs, was one of the
prime movers in the organization of
that body. E
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A NEGRO SPEAKS
To the Editor of the TeIegroph:


Seeing the article from Lieutenant
o. E. McKain in your real Ameri-
can paper reminded me of a few
things that procrastination alone is
responsible for the non-communica-
ton to you concerning them before;
however, better late than never
Flag Raising Day here on the
Government grounds in New Cum
berland was a great day. Sew
eral happenings that day put me
to thinking, as it did mony others, I
hope.
One and the first, was: How little
do my race as a whole know or the
thorough democracy of the real peo-
pie OF this country who stand for
something and are fearless in speech
and action?
The great Major Morava first
spoke with his whole soul of this
country and it's actions to free all
classes of people; how in 81 it shed
it's own peoples blood for the black
mans freedom, and how now not
any power great or small will be
lllell VIII IoA NiiOA SAAS
of a successful termination of the
greatest of struggles to free all man
kind from the tyrranical power of
autocracy.
Next was one of Harrisburg S
prominent men who has been active
in the Liberty Loan drives, j. e. b.
Cunningham. His eloquence was
appreciated by all.
The next was the owner OF this
paper, whose appearance alone gave
all who know anything of human
nature from personal bearing that
a man faced them who was all that
the name American implies.
Then last but not least came the
Blue Devils. Mr.. Editor, / believe
those were great men and real
fighters. They were interesting to
look upon, but did you ever see any
Black Devils? Well, I could hardly
resist asking Major Morava to per-
nit me to pick out a few of the men
gazing there upon the Blue Devils
They would be BLACK Devils" but
no devils of any caste whatever
would bring home more bacon "a la
Kaiser" than this brand. Just give
them a show.
Respectfully,
]. I. GREENHOW.
Employe Rates G. Rogers Con. Co
New Cumberland, May 80, 1918.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

]. Denny O'Neil's public announce
ment that he will support Senator
William C. Sproul, in the election
campaign for Governor of Pennsyl-
vania, "and will ask all my friends
to do likewise" fulfills the moral OBJ
legation that rested on him to ac-
cept the result of the Republican
primary. The Gazette Times is glad
that Mr.. O'Neil has made this hon
orable decision. and trusts that, as
the campaign proceeds, he will give
emphatic adherence to Republican
principles and politics and the ad-
mirable platform of constructive
aims on which Senator Sproul made
his successful appeal to the party
voters. We agree with all that Mr..
O'Neil saws about the duty of the
hour being the winning of the war,
and we share his hope that Penn
sylvania shall be one of the 36 states
which will ratify the Federal pro-
hibition amendment, but, as none
knows better than he does. it is not
within the power of T'Senator Sproul
and his associates" to bring about
ratification at Harrisburg. That is
the province of the Legislature, and
of 1t alone. However. Senator Spr6ul
is earnestly in favor of ratification
anu G6HIlSylNdlldlo may 10 otAO AiO
will do all possible in furtherance
of it.
In this connection Mr.. o'Neil says
very truly, 'to win the war we must
conserve food, fuel, labor, money
and tonnage now used by the liquor
Industry" Pennsylvania legislators
should have no difficulty in reaching
the same conclusion and acting ac-
cordingly. Some of them, no doubt,
will seize upon the example of
President Wilson as sufficient excuse
for regarding liquor as war neces-
sity and voting against ratification.
Senator Sheppard, author of the pro-
hibition amendment resolution. yes
terday declared the presidents ap-
position had killed the Randall
amendment to the emergency food
bill, which was designed to prevent
the use of foods in the manufacture
of alcoholic beverages. The coun-
try, as usual. must rely upon Repub-
licans for the enactment of progress
sive measures Of great public Abene-
fit. Consideration of this should
constrain Pennsylvania Republicans
to unite in the coming campaign in
! support of ratification.-P Pittsburgh
Gazette-Times.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

three years. when the people signified
Enthusiastically that they had had
enough. Influential business men
urged Mr.. Speer to again become a
candidate for mayor. and through his
desire to see certain of his construc-
tive plans carried out he consented
to do so, provided the people would
accept him on a charter amendment
of his own making. He believed in
a highly centralized form of govern
ment as more efficient than diffused
responsibility.
Mayor Speer was an eminently
practical man and combined rare
qualities of vision with hard business
sense. He. knew his community in
timately and gave to the service of
the people the best that was in him.
The amended charter vested in him
wide powers, but he exercised these
with regard only for the benefit of
the people. Under the present sys-
tenn of government in Denver there
is a combination of the old mayor
form, the commission form and the
manager form. but. after all. the real
success of the Speer administration
was due to the executive force and
,steadfast purpose of the mayor him
self. The people showed their con-
fidence in his integrity and ability
by entrusting him with this extra
ordinary power, and he conducted
the administration on purely non
partisan basis, appointing Repub-
licans and Democrats according to
their fitness to serve.
Mayor Speer was a lover of chill
dren and on a trip through Europe
he was so impressed with the IA
nous "Children's Fountain" in a
park at Dusseldorf that he obtained
the consent of the sculptor at Paris
to reproduce a similar fountain at
Denver.
1t would be a good thing for all
American citizens could they have
the genius and devotion to the pub
lis service which were the strong
points in Mayor Speer's public
career. He demonstrated beyond any
question that it is not so much the
form of government which counts as
it is ability and vision and con-
secration to the interests of the peo-
pie by the chosen public servant.
While he has passed on. Mayor
Speer has left his impress upon the
life of the United States
and his example will be followed by
scores of cities which are now CROP
ing along in the hope of finding the
light.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
DEFYING GERMANY

DRESIDENT' WILSON, speaking
through Secretary Lansing, has
taken a bold and very commend
able stand in defying Germany to
proceed with reprisals against Amer
lean prisoners in Germany as re-
suit of the Presidents very proper
refusal to release the notorious and
murderous Captain-Lieutenant Fritz
Won Rintelen, who spent millions of
dollars in this country in fomenting
bomb plots which were responsible
for the loss of much property and
many lives.
Won Rintelen came to the United
States as the personal representative
of the Kaiser and he is being pun
ished-very mildly, we think-for
the frightful crimes of which he was
guilty. The Judge who sentenced him
voiced American sentiment when he
said that prison for life or death was
more deserved than the meager
prison term prescribed by the law.
To the insolent demand of Ger
many, doubtless prompted by the
personal interest of the Emperor, the
American government has replied
that If the few American prisoners
held by Germany are mistreated, the
responsibility of reprisals upon Ger
man subjects in the United States
must rest entirely upon the heads of
the German government, and the in
ference is clearly made that. while
such a course would be extremely
disagreeable to the people of this
country. it will be adopted without
hesitancy should Germany make
good her threat. We in America
have been lenient in the extreme
with German subjects. They have
had more freedom than many OF
them deserve. We have in prison
here far more Germans than there
are Americans in Germany. II the
Kaiser harms one American he will
by so doing seal the death-warrant
of Won Rintelen and start series OF
bloody incidents that would result in
a number of other Germans in the
United States getting their just
deserts. A dozen Germans for every
American is not too big a price.
The spirit and thought of the
American people are behind Presi-
dent Wilson and Secretary Lansing
in this decision. 1t may cost us
precious American lives, but it will
cost Germany far more dearly and
would give the Kaiser a lesson in
frightfulness that may hang crepe
on the doors of the imperial house.
hold itself. Let wilhelm start thai
sort of thing with America and
America will take the last toll wher
it hangs this imperial murderer or
the final day of his reckoning with
us. The price of enc American life
in a war of reprisals must be thai
of the Kaiser himself, if not those
of all his fellow conspirators in ad.
dition. America has no desire to in.
stitute reprisals. but we are 9
through-going people and we may be
expected to have the last word in
anything we undertake.
|
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

Necessity for trimming and other
wise protecting the shade trees of the
city is obvious in nearly every street
Low-hanging branches frequently
knock off the hats of pedestrians and
there is danger to occupants of pass
ing automobiles. In order to escape
the ravages of the tree butcher" the
City Council ought to make some pro-
vision for the care and treatment OF
our trees. Let's do it NOW.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
LABOR NOTES

AS long ago as 1853 a farmers
convention at Centralia, ILL.,, advo-
Gated wholesale buying and selling
agencies for farmers.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

In one of the largest British mu-
milton factories where $4,000 work.
ers are employed more than $4,000
are women.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

Memphis (Tenn.) contractors have
accepted the new wage scale of Elec-
trical Workers Union, which raises
rates SO cents a day.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

The IoUe Of the beautiful is becont-
ing not only the possession OF the
rich, but the desire and possession OF
the Very poor.-JoHN BURNS.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

TIL Seamen's International Union
of America is again advocating gov
ernment operation of all shipyards.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

II MIR. Burbank desires real fame
let him develop a vegetable that will
grow faster than a weed.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

Our answer to the U-boat raid i.
that we launched seventy-one ship.
during May.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

The o'Neil declaration for Sproul is
the final note in the new Republican
harmony chorus.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

Z. Half million dollars is being
spent on a scheme for employing dis
abled soldiers and sailors in the Brit
ish diamond cutting industry.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

Herts (England) War Agricultural
Committee has started library of
fiction for girls working on the
farms.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

Mrs. o'Leary's son appears to be
almost as inflammatory as Mrs.
O'Leary's cow.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08

A threatened strike of miners and
steel workers of the Nova Scotia
Steel and Coal Company has been
averted.