davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12
There Was No Escape.

The conversation in Washington club turned
to the beauty of having tenacious grip, when this
anecdote was httingy related by Senator Key Pitt-
man, of Nevada. -
A tourist was going through section Of Ala
bama one afternoon, and CHANGING to pause before
the door of colored family's cabin he became
greatly impressed by the masterful way in which
pickanniny was going through dish OF chicken
and large slice of pie.
"Just look at him, remarked the tourist ad-
dressing the father "He has surely got fair
enough appetite"
"Yes sab. boss; yes, sah," proudly replied the
father. "He some artist at eatin. Just look
at him gwine aftah dat pie"
"He is right there with the clutch, all right,
smiled the tourist. up to the present time he has
not lost single crumb."
mo indeed, sab; no, indeed" assured the par
ent "Once he git his upah lip obah a pie it am
his pie, boss; it his e"-Philadelphia Tele-
graph.
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12
The Presidents Message.

In the sIcss Oh Senatorial inSesug atoms; the
placing OF our boys on q definite sector OF the
French line and the sinking OF the Tuscanis, the
American people had almost forgotten about the
peace messages that have been banded back and
forth recently. President Wilson's answer to Won
Hertlng and Czernin. yesterday, opens the discus
sion, but almost as Immediately closes it
There will be no turning back until military
autocracy is crushed by force, says the President
This statement is but a reiteration of previous
messages, but it disposes of any thoughts that
might have existed of Americas wavering.
Frankly comparing the words of the German
leader and the Austrian spokesman, the President
in but conglomeration of words not
germane the issue; in the other he detects bit
of understanding and real leaning toward peace.
The President barely reviews the reply of Won
Hertlng, evidently deeming it unworthy of serious
consideration, insofar as it concerns the purposes
of the United States Count Czernn's answer is
treated sympathetically and appreciaye of the fact
that Austrian alliances and dependency on Ger
many hinders frank compliance.
1t is the peace of the world that is at stake
and new international order based upon right
and justice must be accomplished, said the Presi
dent as he emphatically waved aside any agreement
that would be partial and temporary.
He leaves opportunity for further parley,
however stating four principles that would supply
test for acceptable peace negotiation:
Each part of the final settlement must
be based upon essential justice to bring per-
manent peace.
Peoples and provinces are not to be
bartered about like chattels to establish bal
arcc of powers.
5-Territorial settlements must be for the
benefit of people concerned and not merely
adjustment of rival states claims
4-Wcll-dcfned national aspirations must
be accorded all possible satisfaction.
Apparently afterthought to his general
discounting of Won Hertlings reply to his former
message the President as reminder adds that:
Our resources are in part modified now,
and we shall not pause until. they are mobil-
lied in their entirety. Our armies rapidly
going to the fighting 'front.' and will go more
and more rapidly. Our whole strength will be
put into this war OF mancipation-emancipa
ton from the threat and attempted mastery OF
selfish groups of autocratic rulers-whatever
the difficulties and present partial delays
Almost Immediately he declares that in way
are his words threat, but the voicng of the spirit
of America that justice and self-government are a
passion but not merely passion of words.
The President has, if anything, taken all his
former utterances, weeded out nonessentials, and
added compelling message that we will not turn
back or deviate one iota from those principles for
which we entered the
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12
Wants u. S. to Build City
In Virginia for Workers

Of land or materials or Iaborers. The
other warning nations have had to
face the emergency housing problem
and have met it IN this way. Is there
any reason why the government
should not take the acres OF land IL
owns on the Virginia side OF the Poto-
mac - the Arlington experimental
farms-and erect upon them acres OF
small houses, or larger dormitorieE.
or living quarters for female workers.
making this new town accessible by
spur tracks and ehuttle electric trains
across the bridge, running for a >
cent fare or furnished free at gov
ernment expensef
The whole living cantonment could
be completed In six weeks with plumb
ing. water system. shuttle railroad
and even amusement halls and gar
den plots all ready for spring plant
ing.
The government needs 5000 or 90
900 more clerks Immediately. II has
already filed the city. taking up all
the space In the way OF accommooa-
tons 70 be found here. To appeal 10
private householders to take IN
strangers as boarders, or 20 leave the
latter to the tender mercies Of the
shyiocks is not handling the prob
lem in an Intelligent manner.
Neither IL Il doing % 20 pass q
law threatening penalties for land
lords who raise rents beyond a GER
tain percentage. This law may be AL
right as far as Il goes, but II VIII
not meet the needs and Il N not
fundamentally sound
Does not our need for co-ordinauon
and war efficiency demand that Ne
face this housing problem IN tne
tons Capitai frankly ana inteinseh
ly as well as honestyi
Very truly yous.
oIISoN oAKprH
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12
"H's All Right"

Addressing the business men of Washington
yesterday, H. Gordon Selfridge, the London mer-
chant in the words, cts all right" epitomzed the
spirit with which the English people meet the costs
and the sacrifices of the war.
Taxed to the limit-his own excess profits tax
totaling over S5ooooo-Mr Selfridge told his hear
ers story of patriotism that created a profound
impression.
The function of the London merchant in time
Of outlined with great modesty insofar
his share concerned. point mem
toned, and not emphasized beyond the mere state
ment, that the firm Of Selfridge & Co. sold
liberty bonds to customers of the store to the
amount of $1I7,oooooo.
Mr.. Selfridge advised the merchants of Wash
ington to "earry on" to remember that an en-
ployer owed an obligation to the employee fully as
important as the employee owed the employer. "The
nan strength Of our store when the war began
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12
The Final Touch.

The General Staff of the army Is to be a
General staff. 1t Is going to have touch Of the
power and scope Of that possessed by the German
staff, or the British, or the French In nutshell,
that is what Secretary Bakers order means.
The War Department indeed is coming into its
own. Think of what the last two months has seen
in the way of reorganization. Goethals, an execu-
tive whirwind, is the <uartermaster General; Stet-
tinius one of the great organizing geniuses of the
world, is surveyor general Of purchases, with power
far surprising his legal authority; Gen. March is
the new Chief of Staff, with every promise of
measuring up to the golden opportunity before him.
These are only the major changes; the remarkable
reorganization effected beneath the ken of the head
lines is even pregnant with promise of reform
The army, therefore, is coming to itself. and
by route which the administration itself has
chosen. Congress has differed with the President
and Secretary Baker as to the means to the end
but will not quarrel much longer over the means
if the end be in fact attained. With the Overman
bill before the Senate, and meeting with steadily
decreasing opposition the road to war efficiency is
OPEN Red tape need no longer be bugbear when
it is attacked in this style There is only one
way to deal with red tape and the petty, stubborn
formulae of bureaucracy. They must be led to an
abbatoir. We think that the administration is now
ready to administer this form of rightfulness, no
matter who is hurt.
The clouds are passing Out of our winter OF
discomfort and our period of doubt, renewed
strength and confidence are coming. Americans
have fought the grip of morbidity to a standstill
have accepted their leaders at their own valua-
ton, and with confidence that great task Is to
be proudly done. The period of performance draws
near, and we we'll "heeled" for it
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12
In Training with a Base Hospital.

For we have gone to school to pain,
And learned the A B C's of death,
In the one-syllabled words of war;
Measuring this years refrain
That carols youths last given breath
Rich in its efforts still in store
As children strum out melodies.
How unlike our other learning
OF Chaucer's knights and Shelley's rhyme,
The legends of old pageantries,
And sage saws of mans discerning
Well knowing in how brief time,
Just at the choicest hour of day,
We should be back again at play.
John Chaplin Mosher.
Armory. Troop B. Albany. N. y.
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12
THE SENATORIAL ARENA
By FRANCIS GRIERsON.
Author Of The Invincible Alliance" Etc.

ticos. Daniel westsr was one OF
the Augustdn Romans. Henry Clay
one Of the classical AthenianE. Web
sters appearance alone was enough
to spellbind an audience. and Clay
had the gift OF the grand manner.
Some Of the names. Ike Alexander
Hamilton and Stephen A Douglas.
suggested ducal titles Of Scotland:
others. Ike Calhoun and Lyman
Trumbull. historical romance; men
like Charles Sumner had the culture
OF scholarship. and patriots like Pat
rick Henry had the passion for lib
erty.
In these days me odor OF the pork
barrel hlls the air. Il is dificult to
ind oratorical inspiration IN ham sni
eggs At present at least half the
Senators resemble somnAmbulists.
who move about in their sleep. Ot
those who are sincere some are
scarcely'able to explain anything in
public. while others can talk well
enough. but have nothing to say.
never having had strong convictions
about anything, pro or con. They ind
themselves corralIed by the greatest
crisis in American history-sheep and
goats, horses and mulss. all IN one
herd. Some blest and some kick. In
the meahtime there IL a fracas out
there in the sprouting regions west OF
the Mississippi. where the farmers
have taken the bull by the horns and
Townley and his henchmen are max
ing things lively for people who
neither know why nor where they are.
The fact is, the section OF the West
that lies north OF Missouri and reaches
from the Mississippi to Idaho is in a
fair way 70 impose its will on the
lethargic East. backed. as Il is, by
the new element in the South and
Southwest. Western ideas are moving
eastward. instead OF eastern ideas
moving westward. The farmers are
just beginning to be srticulste. The
war has changed conditions within the
space OF six months, and those Sena-
tors who were boosted into their seats
without rhyme or reason cannot take
in the situation
The European mixup Is a nightmare.
the food question an obsession. and
no wonder they are nightly relieved
10 call in experts like Hoover to take
on what they cannot csrry.
There are Senators who now wish
they had never left the psrlor for the
drswing-room. In the House they
could pass in the crowd and not be
conspicuous by reticence or foolish
by a faux pas. There. one is seen by
matchlight. in the Senate by limelight.
While the House gives nothing worse
than sectional indigestion. the Senate
tends to national insomnia. ending in
a sort OF international incubus.
What would they do without ths
President, who is their lighthouse and
port or anchor in one? What would
they do IL man from Missouri were
seated at the White House7 In that
case hayseed would have time to
sprout around the Capitol before he
could be shown"
And this thought makes some mil
lions OF Americans mighty thankful
that there 10 q Providence directing
affairs from above while Woodrow
tWilson presides on terra firma.
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12

Editor The Washington Herald:
have noted with the deepest interest
steps taken in Congress. intended to
relieve rent payers OF the District OF
Columbia from the extortionate de-
mands Of greedy landlords. I am In
hearty sympathy with the purpose Of
the johnson bill. am wondering,
however, whether the method adopted
is not Fundamentally wrong and one
which will not give relief. As a gen
eral rule, It has been found impos-
sible to overcome economic laws by
statutory regulation. To decree prices
is always ineffective. The answer
must always be found by resort TO
economic law. in this case the law OF
competition.
II rents are to be reduced In the
District of Columbia II win be be-
cause the government enters the
housing field as competitor with
the profiteering landlords. II living
quarters were erected on government
land with government money, and
rented at reasonable rates. II would
not be possible for the hard-hesrted
landlord to raise rents on helpless
tenants. The tenant would then have
some place TO 80. This is not social
istic any more than It is socialistic
for the government to take square
block Of ground at Sixth and the Ave
nue. and put up temporary ofnce
quarters for war clerks.
Can you or any reader OF your pa
per think Of any reason why the gov
ernment should not build, temporary
living quarters for war clerks. or for
others who need them in the emsr'
gency caused by the warf There =,
no lack Of money. There 10 no heA
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12

While the eyes OF the world are
fixed on the United States Capital, the
ears OF America are glued to the tele-
phone that leads to the Senate.
The Senate may be divided into
three social sections-the Eastern, the
Western and the Southern The old
Bourbons OF the East have lost their
crowns and the younger are mere pre-
tenders TO the vacant thrones.
Power has shifted with the popuia-
ton. Unlooked-for opportunity has
arrived with new conditions. Old
timers Of the East, like Aldrich and
Platt, would be like goldfish out OF
water In the present Senate At the
same time there are twoscore mem
bers who find themselves out OF place
in a war Senate. They would rather
be in Halifax or Kamskatka than
have international imbroglios- The
financial upheaval gives them poliu'
cal tic douloureux. Yet they have al
had the common satisfaction Of heay'
ing the responsibility onto the shoul-
ders Of the President. They have
made him the Atlas OF Democracy.
AZ for the Senators individually
some are awake, some are In a doze,
some in q trance.
Fate has accorded to q small num-
Der a name that adheres 10 the men,
ory much longer than a porous plaster
to the back. The lucky ones are few,
but they are all there. not in patches
but In solid chunks Borah sticks "a
the memory as easily as borsx
When he speaks you are apt 10 re
member his words along with his
l.. vna mi
easy to shake on; II suggests heft
Penrose makes you think OF 4 per
dipped in altar OF roses, and when
he makes an attack the contrast pro-
duces something like astonishment
The Pennsylvania Senator Is thorn
In the flesh Of some.
Senator Smoot makes us think oi
our old friend, Gen. SHUTS, OF Boel
war fame, now one of the idols oi
the British army.
Pomerene is not to be forgotten
But La Toilette suggests one o.
those breeIes that come down from
the Wisconsin pines and strikes Ier'
when II arrives in Washington: h
can blow a cyclone with as muci
ease as q child blows bubbles from
a pipestem-a name associated will
long sieges before the gates OF th'
enemy, starvation for the fortui
tously fat, dispersion OF the twelv'
tribes Of multi-milionaires by tn
crusaders of the democratic milien
MUM.
Gronna is another name that re
fuses to be forgotten. He can groal
with the most menacing OF grizzlies
his utterances Suggest both teetl
and claws. so be CAREFUL
Lenroot digs around the roots o
the subject while others sniff at tn
posies on the stem.
Do names harmonic with partic
ular epochs:
Senators have changed with tn
times. In the grand days ther
were Senators whose eloQuence har
monized with the Capitofs match
less dome, whose looks suggeste,
the polish of marble pillarS, an
whose manners were as finished a
| the fret-work of the halls and por
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12

and 10 the great cause Of human
freedom as freely. es manfuliy, a.
unoompisininsiy as thefr comrades
who happened 70 be sent 10 France
gave theirs But we look In vain
TO the oriciai Bulletin or 70 ths
press for their n4mea
For them there N no Roll Of
Honor.
whyf Il cur government 40
fearful OF the fatal effects Of its
own handivork that Il must needs
deny 70 its own soldiers the sliEht
tribute OF honorable mentionf II
the necessity OF covering up blum
ders and averting accusations OF
neglect 90 grcat. that even 90 little
comfort OF natural pride and spIsn-
did patriotism cannot be accorded
the anguished hearts at homer La
Ia proper and righteous demand for
3ust publicity again 20 be pushed
aside ruthlessly upon the dsmnably
false notion Of conveying infor-
nation 70 the enemy"7
Millions Of dollars are being s1-
pended by the COMMITTEES on PUB
lie information In propaganda de-
signed solely. TO excuse and 20 e1-
ploit ineficienx in public Office.
Cannot a few hundreds be allotted
to grateful mem6ry Of our honored
deadf
Nothing. we take for granted.
can be expected OF an Oficiai Bull
letin 30 debased that it prints pages
Of refutation by a Cabinet officer
OF an arrAignment by q Senator OF
the United States. 70 which Il gives
few scant lines
But the Congressional Record is
an official document and still un-
der the control OF Congress.
May we not then. In the name OF
the American people. ask the Amer
lean Congress to publish in their
own imperishable record the names
OF all American soldiers who have
already given their lives to their
country and 20 inscribe daily there
after the names OF the thousan nd 8
who are yet 20 die upon
THE NATIONS ROLL OF HONOR
to the end that the splendid sons
OF the great republic shall not pass
into the Beyond 'unwept union
our'd and unsung"7
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12

not hesitate to do 50, we are told by
some Of his close friends. IL he saw
1t necessary.
No one even suspected the Republi-
cans would play petty politics in their
Congressional activities. They have
too many relative and too much money
at stake themselves to do such a thing.
They want to see America win and
they want to see her win quickly. To
doubt this IL to attribute to Republi-
cans a desire to sweep away their own
homes and to invite vicious autocracy
to enter our country. And these things
any man Of sane mind knows the Re
publicans do not want to do. And
the broad-minded Democrats have
known this all along. Just q few OF
the Democrats who would themselves
not hesitate to play politics in a crisis.
IL the shoe was on the other foot, have
charged the Republicans with prepar-
ing a spring political drive.
Arthur Brisbane's friendship for the
cause of beer and light wines has not
frightened any Of the Congressional
members who voted in opposition to
his wishes. Discussing it the other
day, one member remarked that
somehow or other he had been able to
exist in Washington since he voted as
A. B. thought he shouldn't-and that.
in fact, he had even been so fortunate
as to get coal and sugar when he
needed it. What do you think of thatg
Endorsement Of the dry amendment by
Maryland and the probable indorse-
ment by several other States In the
near future, are due to send more
shivers down A. BIS spinal column,
and then, we know. words will utterly
fail him.
We hate to desecrate this column
with a pun. but well risk it to star,
out the week. You have heard in your
studies of civil government, and by
your personal visits to the Capitol tha,
Congress consists of two houses. That
is not true. Just now. Their are three
the Lower House, the Upper House
and the White House. And II you
want to add Colonel House, well-bui
that's enough for now.
THE OBSERVER.
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12

Columbia Is smiling. gentle read
er.
The trouble over management of
the war is rapidly disappearing. We
are told. as one Of the late de-
velopments. that President Wilson
has made these superimportant de-
cisions:
1. To do away with red tape In
the war management.
2. To name the equivalent Of q
munitions minister-perhaps endow-
ed with that very name. who knows?
3. To ask for power to organize
a war cabinet along his own lines.
named by himself. and possibly to
consist OF as many as ten mem
bers.
4. To hold conferences with both
Democrats and Republicans over
ways and means whereby our ineffi-
cheney can be supplanted by efi-
cheney.
No wonder willy the Damned Is
looking cross. He has been smiling
for some time past, doubtless, at
our dIldLlhS bbN al NhS 40
ture his smile is due to change to
frown.
Now we are coming to something
like a businesslike conduct of the
war: May it be brought on by an
amalgamation of all forces in Con-
Eress and by a compromise between
the President and all factions and
parties.
All have admittedly been woking
! toward the same end. The highest
motives have prompted the men OF
both sides. They have all wanted
America to win-and they have
wanted her to win at the least out
| lay Of men and money.
We are getting ready to go over
the top" in grand style.
And the investigation which was
brought on with President Wilson's
sanction and which the President
said he welcomed, has turned out
to be the driving power that put
| this over. Credit is due TO Sena'
tor Chamberlain and some Of the
men who stood by him in insist
| ing that we change our ways.
Compromises will be reached this
week, we understand, and low
| feasts, in some quarters, will b'
| the order of the day.
From the first the military com
| mittee took the stand that 1t woult
condemn only our pernicious busi
ness system and not individuals
and that policy has been shown Il
be not only wise but full of pa
| triotism and decidedly most ad
| vantageous to the nation in thii
| war OF wits against the Hun mon
ster.
It can be definitely announced
at this moment-and we are saw
ing the committee the trouble tina
Robert NJ. La Toilette will continu'
to sit in the United States Senate
The only power that can remov'
him Is the people Of his State. Th'
Senate will not do so. Petitioner
may rest easy for they have seei
] nothing from Fighting Bob's ton
que for so long they must imagin'
he has been on q vacation. Ant
the chances are they will SCI
nothing Questionable for man,
moons to come. The incident Il
closed. Thirty can, be signed.
The big point OF battle over the rail
road bill will be the time limit featur'
for governmental operation. There ar
many of the leaders who believe IL
fixing a time limit There are man!
others who believe the operation
should continue indefinitely. and. II
fact, forever. II they had their way
The government ownership men ar
the ones who want the time limi
stricken out-the anti-public owner
ship advocates are the ones who wan
It maintained In the legislation. Tn
President hopes not to have to step u
10 ssttis the difference. but he woui'
The Washington herald., 1918-02-12

Fifty-four years ago we were in the throes Of
the Rebellion and the great man then in the White
House thus clearly stated the issue. Today the
great man in the White House might have, and
indeed has, expressed the thought in our con-
nection with the world
"The war will end when the worthy object for
which we accepted the gage is attained" "And
not minute before" might be added We are in
the war to achieve results for which millions of
lives and of have been sacrificed and that
sacrifice would prove in vain if we deviated hairs
breadth from our path of duty.
Lincoln and Washington are greater as we
get the true perspective We believe Wilson will
likewise prove to have been the of all men
the country needed in even a greater crisis.
We not yet in the far enough to make
unit. We will forget unfair criticism when in
the next column read killed in action" before
the names of and neghbors sons.
Let US, therefore, be ready, but let US begin by
being the issues of the war.