davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
Maeterlinck's Hopes for Belgium

TRIED as by fire through the suffer
ings and hardships Of the last four
years, a fajrer and more beautiful Bel
gium will rise out of the ashes of the
past. Such is the belief of Maurice
Maeterlinck, who observes in a current
number of lies Annales":
"Let us forget for an instant our fearful
hardships, our fields, the finest and richest
in Europe, laid waste to the point where
their very desolation makes them seem
irredeemable. Let us forget, if such
thing is possible, the women, children, the
old people and the innocent massacred by
the thousand, the number of which will
astound the world when those sinister bar
riers are broken down behind which so
many secret horrors transpired. Let US
forget those who died Of starvation in
country without harvest and homes, scien-
tifcally feeced to the last penny, plundered
and ground down to the last gasp of its
life. Let us forget all the rest Of our peo-
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
y evived by
An Red Cross Food

81 soon began to regain strength on
Red Cross food and started to plan to get
away again. There were twenty-five non
combatants and officers from the raider
Wolff in the Villingen camp and a number
of Russians. Several plans to escape failed
through treachery The Russians in the
camp were starving and would do almost
anything for food. There were few
guards who were not unfriendly, and the
Russians managed to obtain some wire
clippers from them for US. We made an
other pair and had three before the final
attempt to escape was made
"The escaping party was divided into
four groups, who were to make the attempt
at different points of the camp in order
to divide the attention of the guards.
Three groups were to use the wire-clippers
and my own to crawl over the obstacles
by means Of bridge which had invented
Aviator Willis, of Boston, one of the La
fayette Escadrile, was to try to get out
the front gate in the confusion I had
made rendezvous with him at point
about two miles from the camp in case
we made good our escape
"The escape Of my party was to be over
about Is feet of barbed wire from our
window SILL We had to get through
barred window, then over ditch about
feet wide filled with barbed wire and finally
over barbed wire fence about to 10 feet
high We had filed the minor bars of
the window, but dared not file the large
centre bar for fear of making too much
noise. We had, however, prepared it for
being wrenched out.
"An essential part of our plan was the
short-circuiting of all the electric lights
of the camp at given moment. We had
thoroughly investigated the lighting and
made of our work. Meanwhile l had
everything ready for my party. Ever since
coming to the camp | had collected all the
screws could find and had about hundred
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24

the things which perish, but which are re-.
covered as easily as they perish. In ex-s
change we shall have gained something
which Will never die out in our hearts.
Our eyes. were closed once to many things
but now they are open to wider horizons.
Our gaze formerly dared not depart from
our riches, our petty comforts and our
trifiing customs. Yet now it is lifted from
earth and raised on high to heights we
had never taken note of. We hardly
knew ourselves, much less shared a COM
mon love for one another To-day, how
ever, we have learned to know ourselves in
the wonder of common glory and to love
one another through the sore intensity of
the most tremendous sacrifice which peo-
pie has ever undergone. We almost forget
the heroic virtues, free sentiments and
eternal ideas which guide humanity. Not
only do we know to-day that they exist.
but we have taught the universe that they
always triumph, that nothing is lost so
long as faith remains, honor is safe love
endures and the soul does not yield, and
that the most monstrous forces can never
prevail against those ideaistic things
happiness, glory and the existence of man" "
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24

orders The council, perhaps, is ten years
old British nationality has existed for at
least a thousand years. The legal sane,
tion of ten years opposes itself to the in,
stlnct of thousand. l suggest that the
new order would burst like SO much pack
thread before the ancient strength, the
surging, instructive power of nationality.
Here, then, is the danger Of this league
OF nations idea. 1t is not founded ON anv
likelihood of success. 1t affords no real
chance of security against war but it
dlverts the mind of the nation from the
real elements of peace and the true guar
antees of national security. Mr.. Wells
tries to frighten with the alternative,
with Zeppelin raids, submarines and all
the terrors of war War is neither more
nor less terrible than it always was. If we
desire to avoid these terrors we must found
ourselves upon the facts of life and not
upon delusions. Mr.. Wells does not offer
US an alternative to war but an alternatives
to defence"
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24

yards away I saw it WAS no use, so turned
and put up my hands. When they reached
me they turned their rifles and beat me
over the head and body and finished me
off by kicks One man hit me so hard
the head that the stock of his rifle
broke. was taken to Villingen, about
five miles away, where I collapsed com
pletely and had to be bandaged from head
to foot. suffered terribly and the vermin
made things worse. At the end of few
days I could move sufficiently to keep the
vermin off the top part of my body, which
was some relief.
after about week was court-mar-
tailed for trying to esacpe and given two
weeks solitary confinement. I was also
told that if I tried to escape again I
should be shot. Some American officers
in the same camp sent me some books,
so l was not so badly off.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
orning Down to
" Brass Tacks

Discussing the practical formation Of
a league of nations, he divides the pro-
ponents of the idea into two groups,
placing on the extreme left "what is
practically a defeatist proposal, a mere
rehabilitation of The Hague Tribunal.
1t is tirnid scheme for delay and arbi-
tration. No interference with the po-
litical constitution or internal arrange,
ments of any state is contemplated, no
organized disarmament and control of
militarism can, therefore, occur; Ger
many undefeated and unregenerate will,
for instance, be admitted to such
league on the expression of a few pious
sentiments. This is the scope of the
American scheme of Mr.. Theodore Mar
burg. We may call these extremists the
Weak Leaguers' and their proposal the
Weak League of Nations
Coming to the other group, he says:
"But the common sense of practical men
breaks away from this proposal to keep
the peace by gossamer. It breaks away in
two directions, which are not nearly SO
opposed as one may think at the first
glance. One is to reject and abuse the
idea of league of nations ON the assump-
ton that the Marburg scheme exhausts its
the other is TO put more substance into
the proposal. Few of us desire to see, as a
principal outcome Of this world catastro-
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
New Kinds of
L Thinking Demanded

1T is no good clinging to ideals Of a,
world of unrestricted free trade and
laissez faire if the world controls of the
league of nations are to come into exist
ence; it is equally unreasonable to dream
of schemes for self-contaned British
Empire, taxing the foreigner and eco
nomically hostile to all foreigners, includ-
ing France, Italy and the United States.
We have to cease to think imperially as we
have had to cease thinking parochially,
and we have to think now in terms of the
peace Of the world. The league of ma
tions points straight to a pooling of en-
pires, and it is no good blinking the fact
And since it cannot operate in an atmo-
sphere tainted by suspicion, the league of
nations demands for its effective onera-
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24

pie scattered by roads of exile and living
on public charity In word, let us for
get the greatest calamity and most CRYING
injustice of history in order to think of
our deliverancc, which draws near 1t is
not too early to proclaim it. Already it is
in all thoughts, as in all hearts Already
1T is in the air we breathe, the eyes which
smile on US, the voices which applaud us
and the hands which reach out toward us
with their clappng; for it is truly the ad-
miration of the whole world which sets us
free!
Tomorrow we shall return to our fire
sides. Yet shall shed no tears if we
find them in ruins. They will rise more
beautiful from ashes and ruins. We. shall
know days of heroic want. but we have
learned that want does not cast down the
spirits of those who treasure a great love
and who foster noble purpose We shall
return with head unbowed, a regenerated
nation in the midst of regenerated Eu-
rope, revived by our heroic adversity, puri-
fed by victory and shed of the little
meannesses which blinded our eyes to the
virtues sleeping within ourselves, of which
we little dreamed. We shall have lost all
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
T Inder a Salvo
- Of Depth Charges

When the President Lincoln was tor
psdoed going west at O'Clock in the morn
ing Of May 81, / stepped off on raft
With about fifteen other men. After forty
minutes we were taken aboard lifeboat
Then the submarine U-9O, cruised about
looking for the captain, of whose where
abouts we all prufessed to know nothing.
Finally it came alongside our boat where
was hiding my uniform stripes The
commander asked where the captain
vas and said he had orders to take pris-
oner the captains OF all torpedoed ships. I
said ! thought the captain had gone down
with the ship and shouted questions to
several other boats about the captain, and
they replied in the same way. After u
while the submarine commander said that
if the captain couldn't be found l would
do instead I was hauled on board the
submarine and the commander said: Go
below; III have to take you to GERMANY
Afterward we Immediately submerged.
"Soon we sighted two of our own de-
stroyers and depth charges began to fly.
About twenty were dropped altogether.
Every German stood at his post and as
the terrific thuds of concussion struck us
the petty officer at the bow in charge Of
the listening devices shouted to the cap
tain his estimate OF the direction from
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24

trolled the British navy and the British
army, it is obvious that the British nation
would longer be free On the other
hand, if the council did not control the
British army and the British navy it is
equally obvious that the council could not
prevent Great Britain from going to war.
We have, then, to face the situation that
the British nation is to surrender its
weapons of self defence to a government
mainly composed of foreigners Whatever
that government proposes this country will
have to do or risk being attacked by forces
composed partly of its own army and it's
own navy.
"The British people have inherited a
great estate. British statesmen are the
trustees of that estate. Mr.. Wells pro-
poses to broaden out that trusteeship by
handing over that estate to BODY in
which our statesmen must be in perma-
nent minority. 1t is not merely to share
the benefits; it is to surrender the control:
1t is not, in plain language, a broadening
of, trusteeship but change of ownership.
Mr. Wells speaks of a league of free
nations. Should we be any longer free
nation under such a system? This coun-
Gil, mainly composed of foreigners, would
controi our army and our navy If that
control were efficient revolt would be i'm
possible. 1t would control our property
the raw material of our industries and
the shipping by which that raw material
is carried. 1t would control our trade. In
what, if these things are taken away from
US, would our freedom consist? Our i'm
perial government would be locked of its
sovereign powers A nation which once
ruled the seas and governed great part
of the world would be reduced to questions
of water, drainage and education Over
these it would remain the sovereign as long
as the council which controlled the armed
forces of the world chose to leave them in
its hands.
MIR. Wells suggests that love of empire
and fear of democracy are the only two
objections to his proposal. There is an
other. There is something, the power of
which Mr.. Wells does not seem to under
stand, the power which is POLITICALLY called
patriotism, the power inherent in what is
called nationality. For most men it covers
all they hold dear in life, their future.
their past, their pride and, if Mr. Wells
prefers it so, their prejudices 1t is the
natural organization in which men live.
by which they live. Without the nation to
protect them they could never have sur
vived in the struggle for existence.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
Sunk ON President Lincoln, Captivel
ON Submarine, Saved by
Swimming Rhine

by the time the escape was to be attempted.
We had also collected Stats of wood suit
able for making the steps Of ladder and
these with the screws and our tools we
hid in odd places till the time came. The
two uprights of my ladder were to be
two sets Of light double boards about 18
feet long which were used to mark the ten
mis- court. We calculated that Is feet would
take US over the last wire fence, leaving
three feet inside the window on which our
friends could hang while we crawled to the
end and dropped off.
1--WE had to work feverishy the night Of
escape suddenly to assemble all our
preparations during the only short time
when this could be done. | used my tooth
brush and shoe backing to paint the tennis
court markers so that they could not be
seen in the dark and it seems to me my
hands are still sore from screwing on the
Stats to ladder
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
What Is to Become
w Of Patriotism?

ut is this tremendous force which Mr..
Wells proposes to make subordinate to the
rulings of an outside body. Let us sup
pose 1T put to the test. Let US suppose that
a council mainly composed of foreigners
decides upon policy to which the British
government as one member of that coun
Gil refuses to assent. The council pro
poses to force its will upon England or
upon the British Empire. 1t proposes to
use the sea and land forces transferred
by England to the council for that purpose.
Is it likely that these forces, directed by
the council to subdue the nationality to
which they belonged, would carry out these
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
M r. Wells Promptly
AVA Starts Something

This may be regarded as a rather re-
strained expression Of radical opinion
u the Imperialists, but it had the desired
snect of bringing quick reply to Mr..
Weiss views on the league of nations.
IN the beginning Wells set forth as
'oilows some reasons for the necessity
oI the proposed league:
less striking to the imagination, but far
more portentous, is what modern war will
0ecome in preparation. When this war con-
s'aoes' unless It concludes in some abso-
.a'eiy convincing world pacifcation, it is
-sni1est that there will have to be added
the army and navy of our former ideas,
AUG kept always in state of acute pre-
pasedness, vast air feet, vast anti-air-
z e'At equipment, vast extension Of the
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
4 n Exciting
"a Getaway

when all ready the lights sud-
denly went out / leaped at the remaining
solid bar of the window and it came out
with crash The alarm was raised in
stantly, but in the darkness and confusion
we managed to put out our ladder and
first the lightest, then the next and then
the next lghtest crawled over. AS
tries between the wire rushing about and
shouting, but they evidently hadn't thought
any one could escape over their heads Out
side the last fence there was a sentry
every 30 yards, but all three of US man
aged to get over the wire and drop to
darkness and fired. We scattered mme-
ately. dashed for the hill about 400
yards away, while bullets buzzed in all d-
rections. When jumped clear of the wire
there was guard not more than ten feet
away side and another not much
further on the other. I was proabIy ten
yards away before they could do anything.
When got to the rendezvous found Willis
had also got away. l know some of the
others got out of the camp, but ] never
knew exactly what became of them. One
passed me at right angles as I was going
night.
During the first three days / think
Willis and 1 made about rs miles We
slept in fir brush during the day and lay
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
\ mother Fruitless
~ Dash for Freedom

"On the way to Villingen l decided to
try again to escape. A sentry was sitting
on either side of me in the train, so there
was little hope of success. Nevertheless,
l waited till the train had gone pretty far
south and then when one of my guards
was doing and the other was looking away
l dived through the narrow window before
they could grab me and fell on the line.
The train must have been going at about
forty miles an hour, so l was dazed by
the fall. My head was hurt, but this
would not have stopped me if hadn't hit
my knee in falling Nevertheless, l tried
to run. My guards must have stopped the
train Immediately, for I soon heard them
shouting 'Halt!' and bullets came whizzing
by me. When they we're only about Is
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24

tion change in diplomatic methods.
The world has become too multitudinous
for secret understandings. In this swarm
ing world of half-taught crowds, with it's
imminent danger from class hostility and
dlstrust, governments must say plainly
what they mean and stand by their declara-
tons unambiguously. 1t may at times be
difficult and tedious to inform whole
population upon the values of some inter-
national situation, but the danger of mis-
conception and spasmodic crowd action out
weighs the desire of the expert for an
uncritcsed freedom. There must be an
end to secret diplomacy. Nations must
understand their responsibilities The well
fare of the world requires that the very
children in the elementary schools should
be taught the broad outlines Of the agree
ments and treaties that bind their nation
into the mosaic of the worlds peace. They
have to grow up understanding and con-
senting, if only on account of the grim
alternative which the precedent of Russia
suggests"
Now come the Imperialists with their
reply. Ian D. Colvin represents them
and it at once becomes evident that
Wells succeeded in "getting the Imper-
ialistic goat" eve must all be CRATE
full for his solicitude as to our difficulties
in accepting the project" says Mr.. Col
win.
The case for the Imperalists who op-
pose the league of nations is stated as
follows:
"The British Navy, for example, would
be no longer under the British government.
1t would be under council in which the
British government was in a minority of
one. And so, we may suppose, with the
British army. If this council really con-
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
Lieutenant lsaacs's Thrilling Dash
Out of German
Prison

which the bombs were coming and how far
away they were. The vessel shook from
stem to stern and everything loose on
board jumped and ratified. Five of the
explosions were very close. Not word
was spoken by the crew at their posts
until finally the explosions became fainter
and fainter When they could no longer
be heard we came to the top.
"There was absolutely no animosity
shown toward me on board the submarine
and l dined at the officers mess We lived
on the best food Germany could provide
We had sausages, sauerkraut, fresh eggs
and real coffee, among other things We
had four meals day and all the men
on board were strong and husky. Captain
Kenny was very courteous to me, and said
he couldn't understand why America came
into the war.
While we were cruising about we
sighted another American DESTROYER hotilla
looking for us and as the captain thought
things were likely to get too hot for him
in those parts we steered for the Kiel
Canal via the Skagerrak and Cattegat. Dur.
ing the trip to Germany we were once sub
merged eleven hours, while, presumably
avoiding or going through mine field.
"While passing through Danish waters
l made my first attempt to escape. We
were on the submarine deck and I deter
mined to jump overheard as soon as it
became dark enough to give me some
chance of escaping. We were about four
miles from land and I had a Iife-bet on.
l waited till 1890 a. m., but it was still
light in these northern latitudes. I saw
there was no hope Of its getting darker,
SO l man@uvred to jump over the side
and was about to do when the captain
seized me. had no other chance of get
ting away before reaching Wilhelmshaven
The captain sent me below, but said very
little about my trying to jump overheard
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24

phe, collection Of eminent jursts at The
Hague making nervous gestures at the
forces that will prepare the next. What
most sensible people desire is either a
strong league of nations or no league of
nations at all If the beast of modern war
is to be chained, it must have a chain to
hold it and not a packthread; and the drift
of recent discussion Of the league of ma
tions lies all in the direction of estimat-
ing what weight of chain is absolutely
necessary, and what we must do to get
that chain"
Describing the chain, Mr.. Wells con-
tinues:
"a world control of ornaments implies
and there is no good whatever in shirking
the fact-some sort of world council, some
sort of pooling of the naval, military, and
air forces of the world under that council,
and a representation OF the states of the
world thereon to a degree commensurate
with their strength and will. This Is going
beyond league; this is an approach to
world federation.
"The present war has made nothing more
manifest than that the effective control
OF nilitarism must extend out to issues
that are not in themselves military
An effective world control Of militarism
implies effective world control of food
supplies and Of the supplies of staple arti-
cles generally, of coal, iron, and the like.
world control of miltarism will
lead, it will be found, to world control
of shipping and of the world distribution
Of staples, to restraint upon tariff wars,
and, indeed, to a general control of inter
national trade. This is large order both
for the free trader and the tariff re-
former, but it is necessary part Of any
scheme for an effective control of
war.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
ing Down to Brass Tacks ON a League of Nations

navy for submarine and anti-submarine
work, a huge, constantly developing tank
force, a drilled population, and huge es-
tablishment of war factories There will
be constant competition of new designs
in all these things. We shall have to make
and scrap, even if we do not fight We
shall indeed be eaten up by armaments,
compared with which the armaments of
1913 will seem trivial miniatures Peace
under insecure conditions, even if it bring
a certain cessation Of the slaughter, will
bring but little relief Of the burdens of
armament The masses will be called upon
to bear these burdens still, without any
of the stir and excitement Of actual war
or any hope Of an end. Labor, no longer
under military discipline, will be packed in
armament factories, engaged upon the end
less tasks of preparedness. Food, clothing,
housing, and every amenity of life will re-
main as now the skimped production of a
fringe of inferior workers. Prices will
continue to soar, dragging wages with
them Few observant people believe that
labor will stand the new armed peace for
long IN any country of the world, and
Russia has shown what may happen to a
population strained beyond its breaking
point When a government goes another
government may take its place, but when
a social system breaks, it is debacle. The
nature of the prospect grows so clear that
intelligent men of every party and every
type of social prepossession are coming to-
gether upon this fundamental necessity of
putting an end not only to war but to the
threat of war. There is no party in the
political world that has not given promi-
nent adherents now to the league of ma
tions idea"