davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
()f, I'll the
" w Wagon

Senator Wolcott, who admits being q
"dry," somewhat timidly suggested that
possibly it was the hard work ra..er than
abstinence from wine that reduced his
weight. But Mr.. Brisbane was not through
with his testimonial as to the benefcent
qualities of claret.
Zone morning" he said, ain the house in
the country where | went to sleep, and
from which l came back to the Office to
work, l woke up lying fat on my back,
with lamp in my hand which fortunately
had gone out. ! was looking for water
which, apparently, was not my natural
beverage. | had this attack of heart fail
ure, and my doctor said: Tt is very fool
ish. Go back to your claret Tomorrow"
Mr.. Brisbane recounted other expert
ences. When he was very i'll few years
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22

ury as one of the ablest members Of the
Democratic Administration"
The same writer concludes:
"ln this view of the case it would be
mmaterial that successful government
operation would be at the expense of the
public, Of the shippers, of the Taxpayers 1t
would be immateral that it would 'denat-
ure,' devitalize a great industry of the
American people and make of it mere
machine, dead to individual energy and
ambition, destructive of individual indie
pendence and opportunty-a mere machine
to run the railroads and the politics of a
people who have built up republic on the
theory that they were able to run both
their business and their politics.
"And worse still, the turning over of the
great railroad industry to government bu-
reaucracy would inevitably open the wav
to turning over other great industries to
government bureaucracy and convert q
nation whose pride it has been that it is
the land of the free into a land of the
sluggard and the eunuch."
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22

ago the doctor told him he must never
drink any more claret or anything of the
sort Said Mr. Brisbane then:
Doctor just as soon as | eat my next
you do not take claret, in my opinion, you
will die long before do"
And if you do not believe in the power
of Mr.. Brisbane's reasoning let it be re-
corded that he is alive and the doctor is
dead.
Economists have given great thought to
the settlement of the labor question, but
Mr.. Brisbane disposes of it just as easily
as that Here is his solutions:
Light wine and beer are required by
workmen to keep them contented, in my
opinion"
AS to the charge of un-Amercanism, Mr..
Brisbane disposed Of it very shortly. Didn't
he prove his loyalty by devising scheme
even while he lay upon bed of sickness
to whip the Germans by shipping hydrau-
lie machinery to Europe and turning the
hose on the Huns?
MIR. Brisbane said he revealed his plan
to Lord Northcliffe, but that nothing was
done about it. Possibly the English re-
garded Mr.. Brisbane's illness as very seri-
Gus indeed.
Mr.. Brisbane declared that from the day
he owned "The Washington Times" he
wrote "as vigorously. as savagely and as
earnestly on the subject of the war against
the German side and in favor of America
have ever done on any subject in my
life"
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
Give the People
W a Voice in 1t

The Union," of Springfield. Mass.
touches on the same theme when it saws:
Even assuming that Director McAdoo
himself is entirely guiitless of politi-
cal motives or of a hidden desire n
prevent the return of the railroads to Dri-
Vate ownership, the temptations for politi
cal manipulation provided by his proposal
might be almost 900 much for some of the
more susceptible political managers of the
present Administration"
The Free Press" of Detroit saws that
only the privately run enterprise can
be kept out of politics." and The News"
OF Cleveland protests that 1T is not for
dying Congress, in the hands of de-
teated party, to say that for five years
TO come the experiment of governmental
operation of the railroads shall be con-
tinued''
The State Leader" of Cheyenne, be-
heves the plan is worth trying, but
The Examiner" Of Ogden, Utah, says:
IF the American people desire Federal
ownership of utilities-which is generally
considered as state socialism and which
has been sought by the Socialist party in
the United States for number of years
they will firmly indicate that desire in tho
electlons The very recent election did not
ladlcate that tendency"
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
Government Bound to
" Return the Roads

"The Republican," of Springfield,
Mass, believes that the best course is to
return the roads at once and make cash
payments in compensation for the dete-
rloration of the roads under government
control. 1t says:
"Let US be frank about the railroads II
the period OF government control is to be
extended, the chances will be greatly dimin
ished that they will ever be returned to
their private owners and managers on any
basis whatever. Mr.. McAdoo argues very
forcibly, perhaps unanswerably, his side of
the case, yet those who are uncompromis-
ingly hostile to government ownership can
not listen favorably to his proposal with
out virtual surrender. If the extreme on
ponents of the naturalization of the rail
roads are not to lose their fight at the out
set they will not risk the state of the pub
lie mind five years from now, when half the
people would have forgotten that the rail
roads ever had private management. The
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22

only way to haul down the flag is to haul
it down."
"The Republican," of Scranton, Penn,
believes that a vast ajority Of the pub
llc of this country is opposed to govern
ment ownership, but comedies that
whether they do or not is a matter
easily determinable by nation wide
election" "The Sum-" of Baltimore,
points out that the government is in
honor bound, under it's agreement to re-
turn the roads twenty-one months after
peace, and adds
"From the public standpoint five-year
trial of government operation might be
valuable in throwing some real light upon
the question of the merits and demerits
of government ownership. The expert
ment up to tie has not been useful in that
respect, as the roads were operated pri-
marily with reference to war needs. and
properly so. Five years of operation in
peace times would very probably give us a
pretty good idea of the comparative value
of government and private ownership.
The danger would be that even though
that test demonstrated the mferiority OF
government ownership it might set in mo-
ton forces which would rush US pell nell
into that policy. Any way you look at it
the problem is not one of easy solution, nor
one to call for hasty decision'
"The Intelligencer," of Wheeling. W.
Va, is sarcastic concerning Mr. Nc
Adoo's declaration that his plan would
take the railroads out of politics. saw
ing:
THE railroads of the United States have
never been more in politics than they have
been during the past two and one-half
years, and never have railroad heads more
earnestly sought to use the votes of tn.
railroad employees than during the period
IN which Mr. Wilson and Mr.. McAdoo have
been playing with these great properties"
The Times -Unon," of Jacksonville
Fla, says, There is no excuse for re-
tanning under Federal control propertv
of individuals longer than the emergency
Tor which it was taken exists" and from
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
Couthern Democrats
~ Are Hesitating

"The Courier Journal" of Louisville,
sees danger ahead. in the McAdoo plan.
which "precipitates an issue, that of
government ownership, which, unless it
is blocked, will play smash with some of
the most distinctive of our American in
stitutions' "The Courier Journal"
whether by accident or design, speaks of
the plan as longer and boder" step
toward government ownership chan has
been expected by Democrats who still
believe in the vital principles of democ-
racy," and then, changing its tense, "and
who regarded the Secretary of the Treas
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
Could Not Force
~ Payment

And there is no interest" continued
Senator Wolcott. you to repay the
loan, you obligated to repay the loan;
you are ob'igated to repay it only out Of the
profits that the paper makes; and then it is
left entirely to your discretion as to how
much Of those profits, and when, out Of
those profits, you shall make payment"
Eyes; that was the dea," replied Mr..
brisbane; "that while ran the newspa-
per, using my influence as always have
done on this side, these men would be well
repaid, and in the end Of course, they would
get their money with inserest"
Mr.. Brisbane said that he could make no
promise as to when he would repay the
money or pay the interest. but that as
matter of fact he paid the interest at the
end Of six months
you were not under obligation, though,
to do that?" Senator Wocott asked.
"No, but l preferred to do it, and 1 ex-
pected to do it, and l was able to do it, and
SO l did," said Mr.. Brisbane.
"But, l say, from the viewpoint of the
lenders of the money, it really was a gift;
that is to say the money was gone out of
their reach, and they could not force you
to repay. They would have to trust en-
tirely to your disposition to repay or not ?"
Mr.. Brisbane answered that the brewers
could have taken over the paper, but ad-
mitted that the loan did not operate as a
lien on the paper in any way
The inquiry swung back to Mr. Bris-
bane's editorial attitude and Sena-
for rl,pcr
lowing extract from one of the Brisbane
editorials
Glow many millions do we want to
spend? How many men do we want to
kill, in order to get not only the peace
that would satisfy US, but the peace that
would satisfy England and the other allies?
Which is the dominating voice in the
peace making question? Is it the voice Of
America, which is paying the bills, supply
ing the food and asking nothing but an
end of murder? Is it the voice of England.
not always renowned for her unseiish-
ness ?"
"Now," asked Senator Sterling, "is not
that an editorial calculated to arouse sus-
picion of England, or opposition to Eng
land, calculated to weaken our force and
our spirit in this war;"
Mr.. Brisbane replied that he considered
it very important that it should be known
whether America or England was making
the peace terms, and that that was why
he wrote the editorial and more along the
same lines. He refused to admit that Eng
land, in fighting her own battles was
lighting ours also, and he persisted in his
nDfp ant hat
was selfish
The inquiry closed with the arrangement
that Mr. Brisbane should later put into
the record more of his editorials showing
his attitude toward Germany and England.
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
K ep5 n 1t

"They lent me this money because l was
on their side of public question:" said
Mr.. Brisbane. "The point l want to make
is that have always been on that side,
and could cite to you hundreds of edl-
torials that | wrote before ever met
brewer. exactly the same lines as those
| have written since publishing a news
paper of my own purchased with money
that | borrowed from brewers"
"You gave no security?" Senator Over
asked
"No. Senator" was the reply, "for THIS
reason: asked Mr.. Feigenspan to take
mortgage on my real estate and he de-
clined because he said q do not want to
go record as trying to influence the
press He said: 'We are glad to lend it
to you, but we do not want it known And
| said: Very well, it does not make any
difference to me-"
Mr.. Brisbane denied, in response to
question from Senator Overman, that the
purpose of the brewers in lending him
money to buy "The Washington Tines
was that they might have an organ where
it would be in position to exert it's in
huence Congress-
"Do you regard that transaction as
loan, strictly, Mr. Brsbane?" Senator VOL
colt asked cor does it not come pretty
close to being a glft?"
ut is absolutely loan," the witness re-
piled. "These men, believe, would, if
asked them, considering what have done
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
Peep Into the $2,0O0-a-W Week Mind of

or endeavored to do first by the advice that
gave them as to what was going to happen
to their industry because Of selling whis-
key and, second because Of my attitude
always on the subject Of prohibition-if
mad asked them to give thousand dol
lars or five thousand dollars or fifty thou
sand dollars, they might have done it."
But" persisted Senator Wolcott, from
their point of view it is tantam ount to
gift. That is to say, they cannot collect
it."
Eyes, they can" Mr. Brisbane insisted,
"because Mr.. Feigenspan has my note at
the present time"
But the terms of that note" said Sena-
tor Wo!cott, "as | recall. briefly stated are
about IS follows You are given an unim-
tied tine in wb'ch to repay the loan"
without interest" interjected Senator
Nelson.
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22

tied for them ''by Congress dominated
by the political party which they have
repudiated"; and the Journal" of Min
neapolis, says, "Mr McAdoo's proposal
looks like a foreclosure of the case
against fair study and test"
The Inquirer" of Philadelphia, re-
gretfully admits that, successful as Mr..
McAdoo has been as Secretary of the
Treasury, he has made failure as Rail
road Administrator, and, expressing the
belief tat it is his plain purpose to post
pone the settlement of the question till
after the 1920 elections, says 'It is onlv
to be hoped that he has no personal in
terest in making such a suggestion"
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
MIR. Brisbane

in different places; and write under press
ure dictate to the phonograph, or to
stenographer, and my chief difficulty
is to read the stuff after ! have written it.
If | have a good stenographer | frequently
do without reading it. Just as | talk very
rapidly now, | write under pressure, and
it would be difficult for me to write every
day for thirty years, and to write through
out this war without having done things
be susceptible of false interpretation"
Senator Wolcott, who evidently enter
tained that old fashioned idea that editors
write thoughtfully and studousy, asked
if it were not advisable, considering the
possible i'll effects Of false or misleading
statement, that an editor be very careful
about what he said. Mr.. Brisbane ad
mitted that care ordinarily advisable,
but that his readers did not form their
opinions from one Of his statements. but
But it was while he was being interro-
gated about the secret loan from the brew
that enabled him to buy "The Wash
ington Times" that Mr.. Brisbane gave evil
dence of that massive intellect, that power
Of deductive reasoning that has placed
him on his proud pinnacle He was con-
tending that it was not because the brew
ers had lent him $375,OOO without security
key and favored the use of wine and beer
but because he believed in the use OF
an incident from his own experience
When he took charge of Hearst's Evening
Being resolved to increase the papers cir
culation to a certain point, he made a
more claret or any other liquor until that
point was reached. During this period he
at work at 5:l5, and put in long day
During this period of abstinence and ter
rife work his weight dropped from 100 to
1853 pounds. So, feeling that this absti-
nence was injuring his health, he resumed
his consumption of claret-and shortened
his hours of labor.
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22

another Southern paper, "The Tele-
graph" Of Macon, Ga, is this:
Give years of programme such as Mr.
McAdoo outlines even though the five years
yere specifically devoted to building up
each system and correlating them on an
enduring basis so that they might go back
to private ownership and operation on an
initial footing, to go ahead with their SER
vice as one great system-fve such years
would in every probability so inextricably
involve the railroads in the public treasury
and the public treasury in the railroads
that it would become a physical impossi-
biity to work out the divorce; while in
the same period of time public DISGUST with
the quality Of human service rendered, if
the existing ratio is to be continued would
rise to such volume no administration dare
longer retain respons bility for them"
"The Pilot" Of Birmingham, Ala, sees
in the government ownership propa-
ganda" the danger of starting the gov
ernment upon a course leading to au-
tocracy, absolutsm and all their kindred
and attendant evils"
"The Times" of Ell Paso, Tex. detects
IN the McAdoo plan a forecast of the
lineup IN the next Democratic National
convention when the advocates of semi
soclalistlc doctrines may be expected to
be arrayed against the old line Demo-
Gratis who believe, like Thomas jefferson
the best governed people are the least
governed"
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
F MR.. M'ADQO, in bringing for
ward his plan for five years more
~ Of government control of the rail-

Of government control of the rail-
roads, sought to retire to private
life in the warm glow of public commen-
dation, he must be a sadly disillusioned
man Rarely has such a unanimity of
public disapproval greeted any proposal
put forth by man of Mr.. McAdoo's po-
sition and standing as has greeted this
proposed disposition of the governments
transportation problem.
The press of the country is almost one
in commenting on the discrepancy be-
tween Mr.. Wilson's statement in his ad-
dress to Congress that he had no rail
road plan and Mr. McAdoo's declara-
tion that the plan he was advancing had
the Endorsement of the President Edi-
torial opinion is also agreed that five
years additional control of the railroads
means government ownership, whether
the country really wants it or not, and
there is an insistent demand, even from
some Democratic sources, that the uues-
tlon be submitted to tho country for a
decision and not left to the verdict of a
Congress that has been repudiated by
the country.
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22

Mr. Brisbane replied that he could not
borrow the money from the bank because
the paper was not making money and the
ton. SO Mr.. Brisbane decided to capitalize
his attitude on the matter of wine and
beer.
81 thought Of buying 'The Newark STAR"
he said, "ofTored by former Senator Smith.
who got into financial difficulties and want
ed to sell it, as is a matter of public record
| went out to look at it and talked the mat
ter over with the president of the trust
company in Newark, Mr.. Fegenspan
wanted to get the money to buy q paper,
and said to him: Mr. Fcgenspan you
know my attitude and what have written
on your industry. My is attached to
it, and you know what my opinion is
think it is to your interest to increase my
influence If you can. If | decide to buy
this paper, would you lend me the money
to buy it help me to finance it?' And he
said he would"
Mr.. P~isbane decided not to buy "The
Newark Star" however, and turned his at
tention to "The Washington Times" He
returned to Mr.. Feigenspan and repeated
the statement he made in regard to "The
Newark Star"
$50 1 went to Mr.. Feigenspan," he said,
"and | said to him: 4 want to borrow
this money. l shall pay it back, and pay
you interest. | cannot borrow from
bank And he was glad to lend it. He
said: I may not lend it all to you, but |
will guarantee, among my friends, that
will let you have the money And he
agreed to lend me $5OOO0O. | did not be-
lieve that would be sufficient to establish
the paper, really. and thought | should
have to borrow elsewhere later on When
you begin TO get paper in shape you can
borrow money However, all | have ever
borrowed on this paper was $375 900. be-
cause the paper succeeded very rapidly"
Mr.. Brisbane said all the transactions
were carried through Mr.. Feigenspan
and that he did not know, until the report
Of A. Mitchell Palmer, the Alien Property
Custodian, was made public, what other
brewers had contributed.
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22


K VA most treasured of these invests
the great editors of the nations
newspapers with an attitude of calm and
studious dignity 1t is picture Americans
love to cherish of such men as Greeley,
Dana and Watterson, seated in their IL
braries in the circle Of the evening lamp
and surrounded by the accumulated wisdom
of the worlds sages, giving thought to the
preparation of o-morrow's editorial on the
great question of the hour.
That's all very archaic, really. Such
practices may have been au fait at one
time, but that before Hearst revo-
lutionized the newspaper world and en-
poyed Mr. Arthur Brisbane as editor. Mr..
Brisbane is the "highest priced editor in
the world" but that is fact both Mr..
Hearst and Mr.. Brisbane have modestly
sought to conceal from the public and have
so far succeeded that they do not find it
necessary to mention it more than once or
twice month. Indeed, so reticent is Mr.
Brisbane on the subject that he only al
luded to it casually in the course of his
testimony before the Senate committee
which is conducting a postwar inquiry into
German propaganda in the United States,
to say nothing of Senatorial curiosity
regarding the sub-rosa loan from the
brewers by which Mr. Brisbane was enabled
to buy "The Washington Times"
But we were speaking of the modern
editor. 1t might as we'll be admitted that
our thoughts on the subject were inspired
by Mr.. Brisbane, or rather by what Mr.
Brisbane told the Senatorial committee of
why he is "the highest priced editor in the
world"
To tell the truth, the glimpse Mr. Bris-
bane gives US into his $4,000 week brain
is rather bewidering to ordinary mortals.
There is a confusing picture of, to make
use of an Irish bull. Mr. Brisbane debating
editorials to q stenographer with one hand
and to phonograph with the other When
MI Brisbane rides on a train he does not
waste golden moments on the fleetng seen
cry; instead he dictates editorials either
to secretary or to one of Mr. Edison's
machines.
1t is interesting and instructive to note
that when Mr.. Brisbane has thought the
thoughts that are to be read by the mil
lions" who are his audience and has die
tated them to one of his human or hu-
manly contrived machines they are gone
from him forever. A stenographer tran
scribes them, but Mr.. Brisbane rarely re-
vises or reads them before they are printed.
This phase of Mr. Brsbane's activities
came out when the Senatorial committee
characterized as unfortunate" sentence
in one of the Brisbane editorials that 1--WE
can afford to spend more for international
murder than for national organization"
Explaining this sentence, Mr. Brisbane said:
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
4 Shield for
L "A Mr.. McAdoo

"The Times-Picayune," of New Or
leans, declares that:
Sound public policy requires that the
people be consulted in this vital matter
or at the very least, that the Congress- Of
thelr latest selection, and presumably clos
est to their views, be permitted to deal
with it,"
The Press" of Portland, Me-, says
the people are not to have ANYTHING TO
say about the question. it is to be set
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22

w English Parliamentary committee
on the treatment Of prisoners of
war by the Germans. The report deals with
the men captured in the great German Of
fensive which began March 21 and was COM
piled before the signing of the armistice. In
reading the report the feeling of indignation
against the Germans who perpetIated such
brutalities is almost submerged IN the relief
that is felt that such prison camps as are
described are thing of the past.
In presenting its report the committee in
sists that it Aas carefully sifted the evidence
and has gained its facts from cross-exami-
nation of seventy English soldiers who
capped from the different camps and made
their way back to the Allied lines 1t is
even sought to find an excuse for the hard
ships inflicted on the prisoners the first two
days after their capture, on the ground that
the Germans may have been surprised by
the large number of prisoners taken and
been unprepared to care for them. This
excuse could not hold good after two
three days, however, and the committee is
forced to the conclusion that the only differ
ence in the treatment of the prisoners capt
ured in March and those that had been
longer in captivity was that the later pris-
oners merely had shorter time to endure
what the other prisoners had been sub
tO
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
IT dictated but
81 Not Read"

"lf it was bad judgment on my part, as
the Senator intimates, you must consider
that write an editorial every day of my
life, seven days week for morning news
paper; Sand, in addition, l run newspapers
New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
By Woodman Morrison

A MERICANS have lot of foolishly
~ old-fashioned ideas. One of the
Il A- most treasured of these invests
tho crnnA nAitnrr &C 4l.. ia,A,r