davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Norwich bulletin., 1918-05-24

should as soon think of describ- ing farm life as 'monotonous'' as Il
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
The Main Precaution

close search will now be made for
possible German submarine bases on our
coast and possible German wireless sta
tions concealed on shore. The involun-
tary passengers on one of the U-boats re-
ported that its wireless apparatus was
kept constantly busy receiving messages.
: Every precaution in the way of search
should be taken. But another prccau-
tion should be taken. The Tribune long
ago called attention to the folly of allow
ing German subjects to travel about in
our harbors and to have access anywhere
to the coast line.
You cannot establish submarine base
in an internment camp. You cannot
operate secret wireless plant from an
internment camp. Intern all German
subjects, and communication from shore
and aid to the submarine raider will be-
come more difficult than they are to-day.
Putting enemy aliens where they be-
long will help greatly to make our coasts
and coast cities safe.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07

service to Germany as neutral inclined
to interpret neutrality in sense hostile
to the United States and to the Latin
American nations which have sided with
us against Germany.
The Germans find it all the easier to
approach him because he cherishes per-
sonal grievance. Mexico's real interests,
now and after the war, lie with us and
with our allies. Yet prejudices may be
more potent than interests.
Our diplomacy should also make Car
rama one of its chief objectives. We
have no feeling against him or against
the Mexican people. All we want is a
restoration of the old amity of the Diaz
regime. We should work for that. We
can afford to be generous to Mexico. Her
growth and prosperity are our concern
as we'll as hers. The two countries have
every reason for being helpful neighbors.
The United States can we'll afford to
make magnanimous advances toward
reconciliation.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Why Cotton Scars
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: In your editorial of May 20 last en-
titled cone of the Inequalities" you suggest
heavy tax. on cotton, in the course Of
which is stated, Nothing could explain why
cotton, for example, should have been SELL
ing the last six months for from three to
five times its price of three years ago, when
wheat is fixed at about two times"
Is there no way to make urban dwellers
appreciate that for many years the drift
of population has been from the farms to
the city, TO fill up the ranks of manufactur
ing, commerce and mining, in smaller towns.
because labor was higher paid and had bet
ter conditions under which to live. as ia
shown by the 1910 census reports, and since
has been much more rapid? On May 1. 1915.
the monthly crop report issued by the De-
partment of Agriculture gives the esti
mated farm value of cotton lis cents. which
at the price of labor at that time was nrob-
ably an average of / cent below the coat
of production. This year the same author
ity gives tie price May /, for the average
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Afterhand

The Jealous patriot" says Secretary
Lansing, "has no time to grumble and
grieve over errors He is too busy in
aiding the government in the work of to-
day to spend his time picking flaws i'll
the work of yesterday"
Mr.. Lansing misconceives the use of
proper criticism. What is most to be
complained of in our conduct of the war
is the very attitude which he recon-
mends to the Jealous patriot. There is
too much preoccupation with the work of
to-day. The governments critics mainly
insist that more thought shall be placed
on the work of tomorrow. They wish
the lessons Of yesterday to be learned.
They deplore the fact-to be specific
that after the U-boat eruption off the
American coast, and not before, the gov
ernment sends for representative of
Henry Ford to discuss ways and means
of producing Eagle boats more rapidly.
"The conference" says "The New York
Times," lis expected to result in a
material increase in the order for the
ships which are particularly adapted to
the work of locating and overcoming the
submarines in coast waters"
Mr.. Ford has said that he might as
we'll have been building 800 of these
boats as the 100 ordered. The Tribune
for many weeks has been calling atten-
tion to this "faw in the work of yester-
day." hoping by it's criticism to increase
the number of Eagles for tomorrow We
failed to make the desired impression
upon Washington. We had to wait until
the U-boats arrived.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07

of the United States, 2e.5 cents, and it is
probable that the cost of producing the crop
increased Iroportionately because of the in
creased cost of labor and supplies 1t NAV
be said that the cost is not figured rightly.
Grant that, but the same may be said of
almost any kind of production, whether it
be cotton, machinery, coal or printing. and
will vary with each individual who figures
independently. Some will be much higher
than others, depending on conditions and
localities and individuals, but it is the av-
erage that determines, and it is probable
that the figures given above represent a
fair average for cotton.
With virgin lands all taken IN except
in the arid regions, it is difficult to foresee
any permanent lowering of price of aeri-
cultural products. There will be violent
fluctuations of price, but until the farmer
can pay as much wages for labor as tho
other great branches of industry apricu,t,r.
will languish. 1t takes as long to mako
good farmer as a good machinist. or a cooa
clerk, or any other skilled workman. b,t
before this idea is brought into prominence
there are likely to be turbulent social activ.
tiles owing to food shortage.
W. E. HOTCHKISS.
Courtlsnd, Ala, June 2, 1918.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
7 TypesUyiters
By Arthur S. Draper

/ ONDON, May 25.-Fabulous prices a,s
- being asked and paid for typewrhn
in this country. Some enterprising Amer.
can business men have formed a partner.
ship and are doing a lively speculation in
typewriters. Machines which ordinarily
would be entitled to old age pensions are
being collected and overhauled, injected
with a vitalzing serum and sold for more
than the price they brought when in their
prime. However old and decrepit, type
writer is worth at least s1OO to-day have
a little folding machine, for which l paid
S45 three years ago, and even then it had
served long apprenticeship. To-day l
had an offer of 500, which would have been
considerably increased had I shown the
slightest inclination to sell. These Ameri-
can spectators watch closely for concerns
which close up shop; they even study the
death notices in the hope of finding ma
chimes. When they get an especially fine
prize they advertise in the "agony" column
of "The Times" and the same morning
purchaser is waiting outside their ofics
door. The shortage is due to several
causes, chief of which is that no typewrit-
ers are being imported. The multitude o.
government clerical workers requires al
the machines which the British factories
can supply. Before the war America and
Germany supplied great number of ms
chimes. Now the American representative
of these concerns click their heels and col
lect commissions for their sales to the Brit
ish government. The typewriter shortage
will become more acute the longer the war
lasts, and when it is over there will be
big market here.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Who Shall Develop Our Water
Power?

1t is to be hoped that Congress will
pay earnest heed to the protest of Gov
ernor Whitman's commission against the
hasty enactment Of Representative
Floods water power bill. That measure
would enable the Secretary Of War to
St. Lawrence rivers-boundary streams
for a period of fifty years, and to ex-
pend the proceeds of such leases exclu-
sively for Federal purposes. 1t is urged
as war necessity, for the better utili-
cation of water power in manufacturing.
1t runs directly counter, nevertheless, to
the we'll defined doctrine of the states
rights in the extremely valuable prop
erty under consideration.
For nearly half century, as the Gov
ernor has pointed out, the state courts
have upheld the rights of New York to
control and administer water power in
those streams, and the states rights
have been upheld by the Supreme Court
of the United States. Indeed, it could
scarcely be otherwise, since the state
holds the title to the bed of the stream.
The plants now developing power at Nj
agara Falls are chartered by the state,
and, while the amount of power devel-
oped is regulated ey treaty between
this country and Great Britain limiting
the amount of water to be diverted from
the Niagara River, the transaction is
essentially matter Of business for this
state.
The vast economic waste of letting all
the unused water run downhill to the
sea, year after year, has frequently been
pointed out by state officials and COM
missions. But this waste has not been
coudued TO New York State alone, It has
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Whose Right to Strike?


day, cannot be permitted to take place.
If necessary to prevent it, the govern
ment would hardly hesitate to seize the
telegraph lines. But such action would
be tantamount to a confession that its
elaborately devised machinery for avert
ing strikes in war time has broken down
under the first strain.
The telegraphers mainly contend for
the right to organize themselves into
union. The telegraph companies have
resisted the demand, on the ground that
a majority Of their employees, not wishing
to be unionized, are being coerced by a
militant minority. So far the case is
typical. The National War Labor Board,
whose function is to arrange these mat
ters by agreement, awarded the telegra
piers the right to organize and requested
the companies to withdraw their objec-
ton. This the companies have refused
to do, and the telegraphers are prepar-
ing to go on strike.
''The telegraphers," says ]. S. Konen-
camp, president of the Commercial
Telegraphers' Union Of America, "are
reduced to the absurd condition Of being
compelled to strike to uphold the prin-
ciple of the National War Labor Board
that there shall be no strikes or lockouts
during the war"
1t is true that the National War Labor
Board maintains in principle that en-
ployes shall be permitted to organize.
So does nearly every one else. But it is
no more true that the telegraphers are
compelled to strike to uphold that prin-
ciple than that the companies are COM
PEELED to lock out their employees to
thwart it. Either side could yield and
waive the principle, or both sides could
agree to postpone the contest.
What we see here is failure in spirit.
The companies could not justify locking
out their employees and thereby wrecking
the means of communication in war time
to defeat the right of their men to or
ganize On the other hand, the telegra
piers could not justify going on strike,
with the same consequences, to win the
right to organize. 1t is a deadlock in
human obstinacy.
There is a suspicion that both the
telegraphers and the companies are will
ing that the government should solve the
difficulty by taking the lines under con-
troll. But that would merely seal the
failure of the principle of Federal medi-
alton. Thereafter any corresponding dis
pute might end in the same way. Either
the private owners of property or the
employees could force the government to
take control by the simple expedient of
declining to accept an award of the Ma
tional War Labor Board.
There will be no strike of telegraphers
1t is a calamity that will not be per-
mitted to happen. There is the question
only of the manner in which it shall be
averted. If the government is obliged to
seize the properties and convert the
telegraphers into Federal servants,
precedent will have been set, and the
ultimate consequences may easily be
such as to make both employees and en-
ployers wish they had settled their own
c,1arra1c
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07

existed over all the country. 1t is waste
that should have been stopped long ago;
now, when the nation needs to use all it's
resources for the successful prosecution
of the war, it must be stopped. The saw
ing of coal and of labor in mining and
transporting it would be enormous.
The question primarily to be consd
cred, even before that of the states legal
rights in the Niagara and St. Lawrence
water power, is whether the Federal
government can, OR will, mobilize this en-
ergy and make it effective faster than
the state will do it. The government
should adopt policy of development be-
fore preempting valuable property hith-
erto belonging by right to the state.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
"Lights Out"

There is commendable spirit of en-
terprise in the action of our Police De-
partment in improvising flights out"
order to meet supposed air raid peril,
and the citizens of New York will be onlv
too glad to carry out every reasonable
regulation. The doubts which exist re-
late to the source of the order, its mill
tary authority and the question whether
it is being executed in sufficiently drastic
form to yield adequate protection.
1t is stated that the darkening of the
city was not requested by military au-
thority, and there has certainly been no
cooperation by nearby communities to
suggest any such request What is obvi
GUS is that purely local order of this
character is of very small benefit. The
lights on the Jersey beaches and in the
Jersey towns have not been touched and
the route to this city still blazes forth.
II full protection is sought there must
surely be military order covering the
entire Department of the East and. in
deed, the whole Atlantic coast. The call
IS not for a local police regulation but
for sweeping military order.
So far as the execution of the local or
der goes, the chains of lights upon our
East River bridges seem particularly
dangerous exceptions. We are glad to
see that the order is to be applied with
increasing thoroughness We trust there
Will also be clarifcation of the sources
of the order and that its military status
will be frankly explained. The public does
not ask to know military secrets. 1t does
ask, and it has every right to ask in face
OF so stringent regulation, that the or
der be made by competent military au-
thorlty and be applied in pursuance of
comprehensive and efficient plan.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
People and War

-. Professor Thomas N. Carver, of Har-
ward, asks some pungent and disturbing
~ questions in his letter to The Tribune
this morning. He is for turning this ma
ton into an effective war machine as
quickly as it can be DONE
" Others feel Professor Carver's impa-
thence and his fine scorn of fat. But we
wonder sometimes just how much actual
dynamic and vis viua effect such impa-
tience and such exhortatons may have.
1t is hard to say just what moves peo-
pie. 1t is obviously some strong stir of
feeling, and not any device of the intel
lect. Mere exhortation, even when ex-
pressed so cleverly and in such live-a
day language as Professor Carver knows
so we'll how to employ, does not seem
Very greatly to stir or release this strong
feeling. Alcbiades complained of the
Spartans that you could not move their
bodies until you made their blood run
cold.
1t has been said we missed our one
great chance to throw the whole country
into a strongly emotional war mood.
That was when the Lusitania sank.
B Our sense of participation in the war
has come to us gradually after great
many academic discussions. A greater
emotional feeling for the war will come
when we really have a big army in ac-
tion and pages-long casualty lists such
as England and France have had buried
into their souls-when a Chickamauga
or Gettysburg has been fought. Then
60 the war will not seem 5000 miles away.
Until then, apparently, we must wait,
impassive or not too critical of much in
efficiency, incoherence, lack of foresight
and energy and what seems a soul
wracking loss Of time, treasure and life.
This has been true of every other ma
ton in the war, even of Germany; it was
strikingly true in our Civil War, on both
sides, and it has been true of every war
back to the days of Agamemnon, and
a few beyond.
Only the stress of great danger or de-
feat can arouse this nation to real
fighting mood such as Professor Carver
and all of us would like to arouse. Words
are futile things, and serve little more
than to give vent to our own inner dis
contents and impatiences, until they have
the emotional drive and sting of events
and tragedies behind them.
Meanwhile, we like to think that we
are actually being organized and regi
mented for war as fast as existing
psychic conditions will permit. We may
feel differently when we are all paying
IL per cent income taxes, which Profess
son Carver, among others, has advocated
SO strenuously.
That will be real emotion, and to do
it with a fine sense of great duty we
shall summon the heroic mood.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Resources
From The Aroonaut,

(From The Ar0onaut)
man-o'-warsman on a visit to his native
city gave an amusing instance of the readi-
ness and resource of naval seamen. He
had made an arrangement at New York to
meet chum from his own ship, but he had
forgotten the number of the house, and he
ola not care to knock at every door until
he came to the right one. rag and bone
man with bugle passed along. Jack
seized the bugle.
I'm looking for chum," he explained
Then he blew the grog calls for the navv
AS the last note died away window was
hastily flung up and sailors head was
thrust out
"Ah." said Jack, as he handed back the
buc!s, n knew I'd ind him"
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Our Objective in Mexico

One bad effect of the U-boat raid will
be the enhancement Of German prestige
:. in Mexico. Human nature would not be
human nature if the Carranzistas did
not gloat little over the exaggerated
reports of German submarine exploits
- served up to the Mexican public.
'' 1t might as we'll be admitted that we
have few friends left in Mexico We
have travelled far from the earlier days
of the Diaz regime, when Mexican graft
tude for our intervention against Maxi
milan was still general and heartfelt.
The old amity has disappeared. The in
cidents of the Mexican revolution have
= created new temper. That temper,
which is accentuated in the attitude of
the Carranza government, is distrustful
and full of rancor.
a.. You cannot argue against a state of
mind Our policy in Mexico since 1918
has left deep scars. Even if our govern
~sment should still hold that it's policy was
sound and helpful (and that would be an
s-extreme assumption) the fact would re-
main that the Mexcans think differently.
Carranza surprised us by lasting
3. through the revolution. He was the one
entry with staying qualities. But we put
/. our money on other entries. He has been
: an extremely touchy and difficult person
!. to deal with. We showed vast lack of
tact in dealing with him. Yet there he is
the unchallenged head of the new gov
ernment established in power, while
Huerta is dead in exile and Pancho Villa
Ids either dead or has relapsed to his
natural vocation of desert outlaw.
Carranza is one Of Germany's objec-
tives in the present U-boat raid. Ger
many's power to carry terrorism to our
coasts is expected to impress him and to
make him more susceptible to German
intrigues. Mexico can b Of material
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
The Sniper
By Lieutenant Frank Fox
OF the British Army
| T THE very outset there was excellent
q rav material for She working up ~
good snipers in the British armv

A THE very outset there was excellent
~ raw material for ehe working up ~
good snipers in the British armv
The Cana1ian trappcr. the Australisn
kangaroo shooter. the South African b;s
game hunter came to swell the ranks of N.
very considerable portion of the home conn
try populaton which MAD learned to shao.
gamekeepers or gillies Trench war Ysv.
the snper v>ry fair chances But now tho.
conditions of fighting on the Wester,
front are = ;ttle more open he is comcr
even more into his own.
One Of the best snipe' ever met atn.
front was an Australian bushman. IN.
Australian bushman is, of course, whit.
man. "bu 'n" or back country worker; it,,
the South African "bushman" who is
black) He was enjoying himself on tn.
Somme and claimed to have scored seven-
teen Germans in ten days. His division had
moved out, but he remained on. He liked
the shooting he said, in that locality, and
he was great comfort to the area around
which he prowled for he kept it free ~
German snipers.
Bill--every back-country Australian seem.
to be named Bill-was tall, gaunt sun.
ly did he stay long in a trench, coming
"home" at intervals to fill his water bottle
with cold tea and his pockets with beef and
bread. Then he would crawl out into No
Mans Land, and whenever he fred he hit
something. Legend related that if no Ger
mans showed within a reasonable time Bill
would worm up to their trench and shoot
one over his own parapet. For that am
unable to vouch, but certainly he had
wonderful way of concealing his movements
Give him five minutes start from a trench.
and you could not pick him up again. how
ever sharp your eyes.
A French Canadian whose name was
Pierre was good rival to Bill. His method,
were more patient and a little less enter
prlslng, but he was a marvellous shot and
anything that came within his sight died
HIS favorite method was TO go out at dusk
to position he had chosen beforehand
sleep out there in his blankets and trust to
the carelessness of early morning to give
him bag.
These people were artists at the game
and followed their own methods For the
general run of snipers there are more of.
fetal and stereotyped methods very inter
esting, but not to be described too frankly.
lest information be given to the enemy.
In addition to the professional snipers
there are host of amateurs. Almost every
officer who has to spend much time in the
front trenches beguiles the, tedium with
little sniping.
Artillery officers in forward observing
posts generally keep rifle handy and in
dulge in occasional shot when no ar.
tillery targets are Offering
If the coming struggle on the Western
front leads to a further opening out of the
lighting the Germans will soon find that, on
the average, the British soldier is better
rifeman, and that in the number of really
first class snpers the Allies are much su.
perior
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
The Profteers

THERE is no punishment too harsh fos
u those
That use their country's need TO grow racs
fat:
Theirs is the rule of the kakistocrat,
More menacing than army corps of foes.
They are the filth and rot which decompose
The good and clean; they are the roseA
the rat,
Spreading disease; the flching fly, the gnss
Save that they thieve beyond the reach "
blows.
They should be pilloried in crowded stress
And branded with the profits they have mse'
And forced to ballyhoo, "Come, see w
Cheats!"
And wear on earth yellowstreakss
cockade.
Benedict Arnold is a saint to them:
Their touch would blacken even Judsss
hem! Il
RICHARD BUTLER GLAENzsk II
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
These Suspicious Americansl
, the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Apropos of your editorial on "fhs
Dear, Kind German" and the reasons they re'
turned Captain Gilmore's silk umbrella, n
it not possible that there was promp
for such German generosity? In other
words, did the looters suddenly realize sns
utter uselessress of an umbrella sub
marine? G. HORACE MORTIMER.
y New York, June 5, 1918.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Like an Egg Without Salt

tFrom The ST. Louis Post Dispatch
A New York man who read what the
Arkansas darky said about one of our pop
ular soft drinks tasting fine while it was
going down, but not having any authority
after it had got down, says in New YORK
they say it is like kissing your sister.