davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.

Davenport Times: The basic cost
of print paper is wages. The govern
ment has not relinquished control
over fixing wages at the mills or in
the woods and continues to grant in
creases here and there. This tends
to counterfeit any tendency to lower
prices due to increased output.
But paper, as everyone knows, is
made of spruce wood. This is cut
and brought out Of the woods to the
railways in the winter. There has
been a great shortage of labor in
the woods, the number of men re-
leased from service who know how
to do that sort Of work not yet hav-
ing had any effect on the supply
The wages of these men have been
tripled since the war began. The
men go into the woods in November
to get out the spruce from which
paper for the next year is made. The
men working in the woods this win
ter are producing the logs with
which the paper supply of 1919 must
be made. With this first cost of
print paper for 1919 continuing high.
there can't be any reduction of price
of paper unless manufacturers stand
a big loss. With the world demand
upon America and the home demand
increasing there is no prospect they
will have to stand loss at any time
in 1919 AS a matter of fact they
are demanding higher prices. The
federal trade commission cannot now
be expected to order cut in prices.
While print paper has increased in
price ITO per cent. during the war,
no manufa cturers of paper will quote
q price today for any newspapers
supply for 1919 at less than lbs per
cent. above the pre-war normal price.
Under these conditions there ap-
pears to be no prospect that the sub
scription price of newspapers can be
reduced during the coming year.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
THE PANAMA CANAL.

Indianapolis News: What is known
as the League of Free Nations asso-
citation of Massachusetts has been or
gained in Boston and the officials
have now set about to reform the
world. Edwin " Gay, dean OF the Grad
uate School of Business Administration
at Harvard. made an address to the
charter members in which he insisted
tina this country must make greater
sacrifices than are now contemplated
il order to place America on a common
level with the other free nations that
so to make up the proposed Internal
ional league. Professor Gay believes
that it may be well. for this country to
give up control of the Panama canal.
settle the claim of COLUMBIA against
the government and cut off what he
terms exceptional trade facilities with
the Philippine islands.
The country will hardly agree with
Professor Gay that there is any neces-
sity for giving up the Panama canal
The canal is an American institution,
built by Americans and paid for with
American money The Monroe doctrine
and everv American tradition argue
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
its record on them-that they are moving from
the class Of aimless drifters into the reflectlng
and discriminating class.
LEAGUE OR ALLIANCE.

Anyone who sees picture OF Louvaln, SO
wantonly and completely ruined by the Huns,
will understand why league of nations IN
GLIDING Germany is imprecticable Anyone
who realizes how the parents of Lille feel about
their fifteen thousand daughters carried oil TO
a fate more terrible than death will know why
the idea of such league is utterly intolerable
to France. Anyone who has seen, as many
have, manly, clean, chivalrous British soldiers
die of tuberculosis or some loathsome disease
injected into them while prisoners in Germany
will know why Great Britain will never be
party to such league as certain American
pacifists propose
Yet league that excludes Germany would
be only an alliance Of nations, like many others
hitherto made to hold in check some power
which was distrusted and feared. Such an al
lance may have already been made between
Che entente powers. If SO, some states which
have been neutral doubtless will enter it glad
"; and if America does not formally join 1t,
American sentiment and interest should en-,
sure our harmonious cooperation Herewith.
To such league Germany might be admit
ted in time; but that time is not yet Hence it
is that league or alliance of the honorable,
faith-keeping nations which may eventually
grow into a world league, seems the most that
we can Immediately expect.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
WHAT TO DO WITH HELGOLAND

ing descents on the British and French
coasts. as well as for German aviators
and for submarine warfare. 1t is Hell
goland, however, that prevented the
! entente blockade of the German
coast from ever attaining its full Ell
ficicncy, and it Is no exaggegation to
assert that il it had not been for Hell
goland the war would haveT cen ended
VIGOROUSLY for the entente long ere
this.
Former Emperor William realized
all this when on memorable occa-
sion he remembered that Helgoland
was the trouser button that held to-
sether the entire garment OF armed de-
Tense of the German empire. And when
one reflects ON the relic which it has
played in the war, 1t becomes more
difficult than ever to understand
the blindness which led the late Lord
Salisbury, as premier and foreign Sec
rotary. to cede it to Germany in 1880
I in return for the abandonment OF her
purely mythical rights and baseless
pretensions to share In the Brltisn
Irotectorate of Zanzibar. To this day
no one can comprehend the action OF
Lord Salisbury in the matter except
on the basis that he was convinced that
! q war between England ana GermoHy
was beyond the bounds Of possibility;
that, in the words Of Bismarck. 1t was
"unthinkaible," and that, anyhow, IN
his opinion, the crumbling island was
utterly valueless and useless for pur-
poses OF fertilization or of naval war
fare.
Emperor William lost no time. how.
over, in converting it into an enor.
mously powerful stronghold, and I'M
less England now retains 1t the only
sensible thing to do with it would be
to blast out Of existence the entire is
land, half OF which today consists Of
concrete defenSeS.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26

in favor of control OF this watery
by this government No one has III
gested that England give UP Gibraa(
or the Suez. England has used Il
power wisely and had 1t not been ID
the British navy and British nav|
strongholds the German navy wou1
have overrun the whole world il
short time.
The Kiel canal may have to Re givd
up by Germany for the reason It'd
Germany has misused its power, a1
also because it gives Germany col
troll over the Baltic sea. The Dnrdal
elles will be open to the world Decaus
the nations hitherto controlling TIL
waterway have violated the trust ,
the world. America went into the va
for no territorial gains and for no cor
merical advantage, but it does not pr
pose to give up any of its territol
and turn over to the league of natiol
the Panama canal. There is no int
national demand for the neutraliz
ton OF the Panama canal and it Is u
fortunate that an American collie:
man should advocate such proc
dure.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
DANGER FROM DRIFTING MINES

Washington Star: 1t is stated that
twenty-five mines were sighted by
steamer recently off the Atlantic
coast. There will probably be many
floating mines for months to come,
and doubtless some marine accidents
will result. OF course. measures will
be taken to pick up and destroy
these menaces to navigation, but it
is almost impossible that all should
be found. and ship captains must
run q certain degree of risk. After
the Russo-Japanese war ships were
sunk for long time after the ces-
sation of hostilities, as mines were
carried out into the Pacific ocean,
some of them torn from their moor
ings and others being drifting mines.
II is not known how many free
mines the Germans set afloat, but
it is believed a great number were
thus started forth on missions OF
destruction. Fortunately, the trend
of currents in the North sea is into
the Gulf stream, flowing toward
Spitzbergen. There is a return cur
rent west of Iceland which might
bring mines back by the. Labrador
current into the navigation zone be-
tween the Gulf stream and the coasts
of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and
northeastern United States, which is
the principal steamer lane. Mines
that chance to work their way
through tne English channel might
get down into the Canaries current.
and so flow into the Gulf stream
from the south. Were the current
conditions otherwise than they are
the danger from this source would
be extremely grave. Mine sweeping
must be continued with unremitting
diligence until the seas are made
safe again.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26

Washington Post: Among the many
difficult questions which will engage
the attention of the peace conference
at Versailles will be the disposal OF
Helgoland. The Germans. realizing
that neither England nor France will
ever consent to their retaining posses
sion thereof. have already started an
|insidious campaign. through a numb er
of different channels. with a view OF
its being restored to Denmark, to
whom it belonged prior to It's seizure
by Great Britain In 1907, and its as.
lsignment to that power by the con.
81 ess OF Vienna in 1914. The Germans
point out that In olden times it was a
fief Of the sovereign Dukes Of Schles-
wig and Holstein and that when these
were brought to the throne of Den
mark 1t passed into the ownership OF
that kingdom.
If they are anxious for it's return 20
the Danish crown. 1t is because they
believe that either through political
intrigue or through armed force they
may eventually recover control of the
island If 1t belongs to a small and
weak country like Denmark, whereas
in the event of England retaining it,
lit would be far more difficult to recov-
er possession thereof. and it would
constitute a standing menace to their
oversee trade. commanding as 1t does
the entrance to the ports of Hamburg
and of Bremen, as well as the mouths
Of the rivers Elbe and Weser, and
the western entrance to the Kiel can
al.
1t is unlikely that either Great Brit
ain or France will consent to this Ger
man-engineered disposition of Helgo-
land. They know through cruel exper-
fence the extraordinary value which
Helgoland has been to Germany in the
last war in serving as base for raid
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
AT WORK FOR GOOD ROADS.

Clinton Herald: Must Iowa and
Iowa counties go through all Of the
discouraging experiences of other
states, many of which Iowa has al
ready had, before road laws that will
insure permanent highways are en-
acted?
Or will Iowa profit by the expert
ences of other states, and by its own
experiences to date, and secure at
once adequate road laws, backed by
long term bond lave, that will make
possible, compulsory, paved high
ways?
Which seems the more reasonable
course?
Near at hand, Iowa has an exam
pie that almost any Clinton motorist,
who has motored over the road be-
tween Sterling and Dixon, ILL.,, dur
ing the last few years, will remem-
Der.
Originally that stretch Of road was
dirt highway, like almost any
Iowa road today. The energetic and
progressive citizens of that locality
graded and drained the road and sur
faced it with gravel.
For a time, 1t was one of the finest
stretches OF highway etween Fulton
and Chicago. Eventually traffic
wore off the surface and it became,
IL possible, one of the worst sec
lions of road in the vicinity.
But the citizens had not lost heart.
So they worked and spent their
money, hauling material for miles to
make 1t paved road. Today 1t is
paved with brick on concrete foun-
dation-a road that will be there for
generations.
And Illinois is going to profit by
their example. The people of the
state have voted to issue bonds for
S60,000.000 to build 1880 miles OF
highway just like it. Some OF the
improved Illinois roads will have
their western terminals at Missis-
sippi river crossings. notably one at
Fulton.
Can Iowa afford to take back
seat for Illinois? Or will Iowa organ
ize at once and make supreme
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
posToFFlcE AND WIRE CONTROL

Philadelphia Public. Ledger: If the
federal administration is determined
OF press the issue of government
ownership and operation Of public
utilities, 1t is displaying mighty poor
tactics in pressing for the purchase
of the telegraph and telephone sys-
TENS and their incorporation with
the postal service. For the question
is going to be decided by the Ameri-
can people on practical, not theoreti-
cal, grounds, and the argument based
on logic for adding government con-
troll of wire to, postal communica-
lions will not have much force as
long as the public has before it the
fragrant incompetence with which the
postal service is conducted. More
over, the present postmaster general
is the very last person who should
have been permitted to put himself
forward as the protagonist of govern
ment ownership OF the wires. For
the moment, at least, Mr.. Burleson
himself is the most powerful argu-
ment against the purchase of the
telegraphs and telephones by the fed
eral government No administration
in recent years has turned the post
Office SO frankly and cynicaily into a
political machine, and under no ad-
ministration has the service degener-
ated SO seriously lin efficiency and
trustworthiness.
Whatever may be the logical basis
for adding wire communications to
the government postal monopoly, the
chief objection to the extension of
that monopoly in the manner pro-
posed by Mr.. Burleson is that it
would put 1t into the power of parti-
sans like himself to build up great
political machine, with the result of
still more disastrous deterioration
in efficiency and reliability. The
postal service is vital to the we'll
being and security of our mercantile
and industrial life. Already the bust
ness community is unit in its con-
demnation Of the mails and Of the
utter impossibility of securing re-
dress or relief from the present man.
agement Of the postofffce department.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
PUBLIC LIBRARY TREASURE SHELVES

More than eleven hundred volumes have
been added to the thousands on the shelves OF
the Keol1uk public library during the past
twelve months. Few persons who find pleas
IRE and profit in books can contemplate these
additions without sigh of regret that life for
most of them is too brief and busy to admit OF
reading half the books they should most like
to read How fascinating the history, travel
biography and adventure titles are. How
much of science, sociology and the trend of
modern religious thought there is to learn, If
only the days were not as swift as weaver s
shuttle: if only the hours were not so short
Yet most Of us have time, if we only thought
so, to enrich our minds with one book Of value
q fortnight or a month. And it pays. What
else contributes more to make life significant
than to absorb some part Of the newest, best
thought of these hurrying times when change
is normal and little is to remain as it was be-
fore? What does the war mean7 Many of
these late books attempt to tell. What will the
Immediate future bring7 Many profound
thinkers try to show The policy of the Keo-
kuk public ibrery is to secure all these and of
fer them free to all who would read. And the
men and women who absorb the thought of one
such book month soon differentiate them
selves from nei ghbors who live on the super
fcies of things. They really put themselves
in another class and show it In their attitude
toward life, their interests and their talk. The
somewhat higher tone In their families shows
it. Their children show it; and even their faces
come to show-for what men think does write
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
The DANGER of Applause.

Des Moines Capital: The beaulnu
actress is the only one who can sa.ss
receive applause. 1t is a part Oh ne
business. 1t buys her meal ucAs.
The orator is on dangerous grouu'
when the applause is the iouoes'
Then is when his vanity takes w.
troll and his intelligence goes OUT
take a rest. =.
Applause is the intoxication oil ~
senator and the representative.
Applause is fattery in anolne
form, 1t enlarges the bump OF conce,
Some men who have been CAM
dates for office and counted appiaa.
as SO many ballots, insuring elecuo'
early found out their mistake. !,
1t is wise man who can proper
estimate the things that are hana'
to him.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
TODAY's BIT OF VERSE
! WANT TO TALK TO THEE.

WANT TO TALK TO THEE.
I want to talk to thee of many things
Or sit in silence when the robin sings
His little song. When comes the winter bleak
want to sit beside thee, cheek by cheek.
/ want to hear thy voice my name repeat
To fill my heart with echoes ever sweet;
l want to hear thy love come calling me.
L want to seek and find but thee but thee.
j want to talk thee of little things
So fond so frail, so foolish that one clings
To keep them ours-who could but understand
joy in speaking of them, thus hand in hand
Beside the fire; joys, our hopes. our fears,
Our secret laughter unchidden tears;
Each day old dreams back with beating wings,
I want to speak of these forgotten things.
I want to feel thy around me pressed,
To hide my weeping eyes upon thy breast;
/ want thy strength to hold and comfort me
For all the grief had in losing thee
Dora Sigerson, in The Sad Years"
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
What's spartaeus7

Karl Liebknecht, leader of the oo'
shevist movement in Berlin, IS ~ o.,
satisfied with the name OF bolshe.M
and has delved into Roman nsilo''
and created brand new name
Spartacus group-and his follower
are now known as the Spartacides.
Spartacus was slave gladial,o
from Thrace who led one OF ~
bloodiest revolutions in Roman d.
tory, from 73 B. c. to II b. =.
the end 5000 of the rebel soi I,,..
were crucified on the Appian WAY ,,,s
Spartacus died like a true soiu''
with a sword in his hand :,
The spirit of Spartacus kept u,
army alive two years. His cause We We
worthy. But a touch of power tuih'
his men into vandals.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
which is usually. all that can pos

which is usually. all that can pos
sibly be extorted.
Perhaps the cost will be the great
est of the troubles. so far as the new
biographies and histories are con-
cerned. 1t is quite safe to assume
that so far as the great majority of
Americans is concerned the news
papers have taught them more world
history and more world geography
during the past four years than they
had ever known before. At that 1t
is not SO very much. Even news
paper compositors at the present
day. not all OF them. but an occa-
siona1 one, use the words Austria and
Australia indiscriminatively, and very
many still have the haziest notions
of world geography, not to mention
world history.
Perhops the cost of the new book
will not be extravagant, IL only the
people get any good out of them.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
NEW TROUBLES.

Burlington Hawk-Eye: Some of the
newspaper men of Iowa are worrying
over the new biographies and the
new histories and the immense cost
of the new books. Right you are, SO
far as the cost is concerned. Per-
haps the state government or the
national government might concern
itself with such cost. The people
have no recourse. There is no COM
petition. They are told what books
the children must have and they pay
the price that has been decreed.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26

The hidden beauties of standard authors break upon
the mind by surprise. 1t like discovering the hidden
,prine in an jewel. You take up the book in an idle
moment, you may thousand times before.
perhaps wondering you the leaves what tho
world finds in it to admre when suddenly as you read
your fingers press closely upon the frame
thrills and the passage you have lighted chains you
like SPELL wildly true and beautiful Miiton's
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26

Judge John w. Golf, one of tn'
noted. justices of the supreme coa.,
of New York county, reaches the as,
Of 20 January /. and rettres from ~.
bench under the age-limit law. JUGS,
Golf won his legal honors in 1871 ..
counsel for the Lexow investigatin,l..
committee and has presided at wv
trials of many notorious cri'rirais-
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
IOWA PRESS COMMENT.

4 Cedar Rapids Gazette: American
labor will find it hard to take much
stock in the unprecedented pros
perity predicted by American bust
ness men if the latter go through
with their scheme to .'liquidate"
wages.
Knoxville Express: Any talk about
democrats being in a hopeless mi
nority in the Iowa legislature next
month is bosh. If we should have
but one member he would not be a
hopeless minority IL he were the
right kind of democrat. You can
outvote democrats, but You can't
rob them of hope.
Manson Democrat: Under the com
petitive bid system Jim Pierce has
secured job of state printing. Now
let's watch Jim get rich at It.
Fort Dodge Messenger: Not being
a politician, but business man, Mr..
Rawson has seen present political
problems with new and fresh vision.
He was full of the initiative and en-
ergy that wins in the business con-
tests. He knew how to organize. He
was able to win. The public
likes that Rawson style. Now that
he has at last decided to work for
himself little there will be many
others who will enjoy doing some
thing for MIN.
Marshalltown Times Republican:
McAdoo is going to Los Angeles for
a three months rest. Just like an
Iowa farmer who has sold the farm
and taken his second wife.
Waterloo Times-Tribune: Germany
must pay. She must be taught the
big lesson, not only for her own
good but as an example for the fu-
i ture. The debt she really owes she
| cannot pay; it is beyond the posi-
bilities, but she must be made to
pay all she can.
Des Moines Register: Part of the
postmaster generals plan for tele-
phone reform is that If you call
| somebody in another town you pay
for the message whether you talk
to the man or not. Mr.. Burleson has
the uncanniest knack in history for
| looking the public over and telling
where sore spot ought to be.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26

effort to formulate comprehensive
permanent road and long term bond
issue laws to be presented to the
forthcoming legislature for enact
ment?.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26

If we are not responsible for the thoughts
that pass our doors, we are at least respon-
sible for those we admit and entertain
Charles B. Newcomb.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26

How time and events changed W. Hohen-
zollern is no longer the central figure in world
situation.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26

1t is going to be safer to be a small natior
from now on than it ever was.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26

Germany appears to be in condition that
would excuse the issuance of blue book