davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
"To Lick Germany" "
Concerning the Sufficient Intelligence
of Certain "Cunfodder"
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: have just read A. Hamilton
Gibbs's letter, in which, with mascu-
line and militant force, he raps Miss
Marion Couthouy Smith for critcising
his pacihst Il presume production
"Gunfodder." 1t has been my pleasure
and privilege to know Miss Marion
Couthouy Smith for the past sixteen
years, and am quite sure that her in
t4lligence and talent are at least of
as high an order as those Of Mr.. Gibbs.
OF course, she COULDN'T and wouldn't
have written "Gunfodder"; but neither
would Rupert Brooke, nor Cardinal
Mercier, nor Captain Fryatt, nor Nurse
Cavell, nor Albert of Belgium, nor,
perhaps, even Woodrow Wilson.
I have crossed those mot less than
5000 nautical miles" that lie between
here and France. / helped to carry
some of our wounded boys from the
hospital train to the ambulances.
talked with them on their cots in one
of our hospitals. None of them showed
any uncertainty or lack Of understand
ing Of what they had fought for. The
same applies to the many British, Ca
madam, Australian and New Zealand
men that l met.
They put it bluntly; they were not
and spiritually befuddled by
the "much learning" that has cloudcd.
and still clouds, the issue in the minds
Of some: they fought to Click Germany"
and they knew clearly and sufficiently
we'll how the war began, how it had to
be ended and why it had to be ended
that way. Other things-'avant ct
apres la guerre"--are beside the mark;
and that's what somc people never have
been able and never will be able to get"
don't believe chat Miss Smith or
any that are IS sane and sensible and
humane as she is, are wasting any
time hating anybody; but sometimes s
when we hear and read some Of the
"fodder" that is showed at us we may
have a temporary relapse into moods en-
gcMdcred in former days by the pranks
Of the playful and pacihst Prussian.
W. HENDERSON WATTS
Halcdon. \. j.. Dec. II, 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
Get Quit"

he deportation bill reported to
House not only reaches aliens
n blatantly preach overthrow of
~ rican institutions, but the more
' ping ones who keep their mouths
|Hhs and operate through revolution
sAyy organizations; and, quite as i'm
POI hnt, it provides punishment for
Aas 'rican citizens who support and
participate in such organizations.
Heretofore it has not been deemed
MM tn while to be strictly logical.
There is a tolerant willingness in
america to allow a good deal of
Bloehing around. There is an aver
sion to the bother Of being exactly
consistent. But Uncle Sam, when
awakened, is not to be triAcd with.
democracy is his rule, and attacks on
at are not to be permitted by mon
archists and imperialists, whether of
the Louis XIV, Napoleonic or Lo-
nin'st variety. There is to be gov
ern' nent by constitutions that all
eqr ally share in making, and all and
svr dry who do not agree to this arc
to get out
It Is scarcely necessary to point
out that this policy in no way
threaters liberty. 1t is to pre-
serve /.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18

Our British shipping friends are
making very frank statements regarding
the newborn American merchant marine.
Ono gentleman informs the world:
Running a merchant marine is
very different thing from building ships,
and our English organization and facili-
ties and experience place us in this vital
business Of operating mercantile ma
rno far ahead of America. Furthermore,
the United States has practically no sea-
faring population whose life and incli-
nations are bound up in the sea. The
average American dislikes the sea. An
American sailor can hardly go ashore
at any Atlantic or Pacific port without
offers of work on land under more
familiar pay and under more congenial
conditions, and already American vessels
are being held up by the week owing to
the difficulty Of obtaining crews"
Tho worst part about these frank
statements by our friends overseas Is
that they are all too true-annoyingly
so, especially with the exhibition of our
representatives in Congress, many Of
whom have never seen ship or the
Atlantic or Pacific Occan-"pussyfoot-
ing" as to whether tho government
should own and operate the American
merchant marine, or whether 1T should
own and let private concerns operate,
or turn the entire feet over to private
concerns.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
The Way to Investigate

1t was certainly an ingenious idea
Of Mr.. Swann's that the grand jury
should be relieved of it's task Of
investigating the District Attorneys
Office and that this labor should be
transferred to magistrates in
quiry, ably assisted by Mr.. Swami
himself. "If you must investigate
my Office, why, Of course, Pm the
man to do it," seems to have been
his idea. Magistrate McAdoo's let
ter will doubtless suggest to the Dis
trict Attorney the various objec-
tions. Some of them are plainly
stated, as, for instance, that the
grand jury has broader latitude Of
investigation and that conflict of
judicial authority might very likely
result from a double investigation
of the same issues. Others are tact
fully limited at as follows:
"In all this I have not alluded to
the question Of public policy involved
and which under the rather unusual
circumstances now existing with ref
erence to the inquiry you have in
mind should in my opinion be kept
in view"
If District Attorney Swami really
desires a public investigation there
is one way easily to attain it. That
is through the investigation Of his
Office and the entire city administra-
tion by a committee of the state
Legislature, which, by a coincidence,
is to assemble within a very few
days. The Tribune has throughout
advocated a public investigation of
this character, and it will be very
glad to aid Mr.. Swami in persuad-
ing the Legislature to take this step.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
An Italian Fiu,nc

bConcerning the occupation of
Yne by regular Italian troops the
r;ous announcement is made
IN Washington that the occupa-
r Is merely in the nature of
hs eeship pending q final DISPOSE
"a by the Entente powers. 1t is
ded that "thc Italian government
willing to take possession on
lese terms"
Zone may we'll assume that it is.
hen to the arguments that Fiume
kDuld be allowed elf-determina-
-. and that Italy should have pro-
&c on is added the nine points Of
IPr ession it is not strange Premier
n / does not oppose this settle
u t. Even d'Annunzio is willing
\ epawt from the place he picked
&t for his grave.
8Ia asst spring the outlook was dark
1br Italy and Fiume 1t looked as
d there were to be left in Italy q
he ing that she had been unfairly
8elted and that another Alsace-
Ifrraine was to menace general
\ ace. The President, possessing
h tain material advantages, was
4 q to compel Clemenceau and
,yd George to agree, or to seem to
1eree, with his views. The Italian
1tates.nan bent to the storm, but the
ALLAN people did not, and furnished
| moral backing which now seems to
lave reversed the Paris verdict.
The demand that italian Fiume
should not be Italian was an unjust
me. 1t was put forth in the name
# America, but it never represent
"a American opinion. There will be
10 regret if it appears that justice
las won--no little dissatisfaction
out the contrary, if the Italian oc
.upation, nominally tentative, is il
fact permanent.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
From, a YeZlotu Dog
Is a Perfectly Proper
Anglo-Sosor Paradise

10 the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: Having read the letter entitled
Ram shackle" in recent Sunday issue
Of the New York Tribune, I-would like
to maze reply, not because I feel that
the letter Influenced any one, for the
heading really characterized the ar
ticle, but because | would like to point
out to the writer few things which
in her academic point Of view she has
not taken into account.
The letter states that Roosevelt was
true type Of American. AS he be-
lIeved that it mattered not what ma
tonailty or color a man may be if he
is true to American principles and
ideals, does not his Amcricanism differ
diamctrica,ly from Miss Leonard's? In
fact, he gloried in ".Americanization.n -
that horrid word which gives Miss
leonard such a shudder. This ram
shacAle' nation, with all its "yellow
dog" population, is conceded to be the
most democratic and altrustic in the
world. To conclude that the Anglo
Saxon race is the one and only branch
which is worthy and desirable is to
DC just as narrow and egotistical as
the Germans, who maintained the same
Dcilef about the Teutons. [ once knew
a girl who was direct descendant
from the purcst Anglo-Saxon blood as
far back as 500, and she was the most
self-satisfed, narrow, gone-to-seed
creature ever met.
I sincerely believe that the world
would never have made the progress
that it has without the Anglo Saxon
race. with its outstanding qualities Of
perseverance. devotion to principle and
high ideals, but also believe that the
rest Of the world has contributed =
very large share to civilization. Doe,
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
Our Public Schools
Fostering Then, Is a Service to
the Nation
TO the Editor of Tha Tribune.

To the Editor of This Tribune.
Sir: Your editorial in this morning.
paper comparing public and private
school preparation for Harvard Jniver-
sity should give comfort and satisfaction
TO the many parents who are wishing
that they could send their children 70
private schools. Those WHO do exercise
this privilege should realize their duties
toward the public schools. which are
educating the large majority OF the
voters in these United States. Il IS TO
the interest Of the rich who perhaps
never were inside public school TO ser
to Il that the majority who are 10 rule
TINS country are educated SO that they
may rule it wisely.
Your editorial proves what our public
schools can do to-day Ii they received
the support which is their due they
would command even greater respect and
would be the only schools necessary for
normal children. Some womens organ
nations are making sympathetic study
or our city schools in the hope OF arous-
'ng more widespread interest in them.
DO parents realize the value OF he in
struction in music given in our schools"
Handicapped as this department is by
lack Of equipment, the results are Of
great value in the musical deve,opmen.
of the child. The ear Is trained. the
child IS taught to think IL tone. He IS
taught TO sing from the printed page o.
music without the aid Of an instrument.
as he is taught to read books A great
deal Of the private music teaching means
simply finding keys on a piano CORE
spending to printed notes. The ear and
musical sense have little to do when the
piano Is taught in this way. and it is
only comparatively recently that the
majority of piano teachers have also
been music teachers. They have beep
influenced in this respect by the bes.
work in the public schools.
In some of our schools the children's
voices are very carefully trained and are
beautiful. If the public appreciates the
good and is willing to pay for II. the
bad Will disappear. There are many.
many fine things being done in our pub
lie schools which the people should know
We single out music because American
ization and music go hand in hand
ELIZABETH 8. BALLET.
New York, Dec. IL. 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
The World That Did Not End

1t is q discouraging world from
whatever view you approach it, save
that Of riding along ON it at its own
chosen clip. Tend your own potato
patch, let sunrises and sunsets. win
ters and wars, crops and friends
and sweethcarts come and go as
they will, and there is muc!, pleas
urc and profit to be taken out of
existence. Once begin to meddle
with the works Of the thing, to Won
der why it has to turn so slowly, or
why it has to turn at all, and moth
ing but disappointment is your lot.
There were undoubtedly better
reasons for thinking that the world
was going to end on December II
than that most proposed reforms of
the human family would be adopted
or if adopted would work. Hundreds
of thousands of people have been
disappointed in their day because
have been heartsick because the
human race did not sit up and bark
like Bolshevik or fatten out social
istically like pancake, or turn into
q Utopian angel cake, all sugar and
icing, and no sour spots anywhere.
Perfectly educated folk who will
guffaw at the notion that the world
is going to end on given day, or at
least that we can foresee the occa-
sion, will prophesy far more unlikely
things in the name of change.
But such is human nature. That
was the real matter masticated in
the Garden of Eden under the name
of an apple-discontent with the
world as it is and an itch to stop it
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
A Ca,noufaged
Subsidy

Il has been suggested 70 the Admin
istration that, owing to the poor phys
ical condition Of the "victory' ships
generally and the political effect OF
the loss on the taxpayer, in order
to settle things Immediately and
get capital and the public to invest
in ships and shipping stocks, the best
thing to do would be for the govern
ment to retain ownership of the ships
in no way to operate them, simply
lease them to we'll informed and or
ganized shipping companies at a lease
figure which would amount to subsidy
and thus enable the ships to compete
on an equal basis with foreign ones
It would be camouAaged subsidy
which the country wouldn't mind. 1t
is the word Subsidy" which causes
the mind Of the laymcn to blaze up
illogically. This owning and leasing
feel sure is the most satisfactory
thing for the Administration to do for
its own political benefit. II will save
the feelings of the taxpayer from an
preciatng the loss Of his Liberty bonds
over ships. as would be the case ii
the ships we're sold outright Most
Of all, this kind of government help
will enable American ships to continue
the good wages which attract Ameri-
cans 10 the sea, and therefore we will
in truth become a maritime nation
once more and not the half-baked one
Englishmen are rightfully saying we
are.
On account of the magnitude of the
shipping problem confronting the ma
ton, the Presidents official family
should be increased. The Office Of
Secretary Of Marine" should be Gre
ated ard matters regarding shipping be
consolidated. Now the departments of
Commerce. Treasury, War and Navy
all have say-so, and red tape and de-
partmental jealousies cause public
welfare to suffer accordingly.
1t is simply a question Of self-pres-
ervation for the American people to
become "ship-minded." as Admiral
Mahan and our English friends have
pointed out, for we cannot any longer
afford to remain blind to the interna-
tional situation forced upon us and
hope to survive as the world power we
like to imagine ourselves to be-
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18

Miss Leonard ever enjoy French, Ital-
IAN or Slavic music, or admire art
treasures from those countries. or
even from China or Japan Does she
refuse to have Persian rugs on her
floors because they do not express :
Anglo-SaXon traditions? Does she ap-
preciate and treasure these things, If
so. the yellow dog" has made these
contributions to her happiness and she
owes something to his uplift and vel
fare.
1t seems hardly necessary to point
out that men such as Jacob Riis. La
fayctte and Kossuth have given lust
as valuable service to America as the
Anglo-SaXoas. not to mention thou
sands of Other business and profess
slonal people Of non-Anglo- Saxon
origin who are the bulwark of America
The following quotation from a
pamphlet issued for use in the every
Name Campaign" of one OF the
churches contains the spirit of the
new day IN America' The hour is
ripe for all the keen acumen. all tho
straight, true penetration into facts
which marks the man of affairs. to
play their part. For every,
true suggestion, disturb what old nrece-
dent it may; for every honest criti-
clsm that is directed to constructive
ends; for every forward looking enter
prise, this Is the opportunity"
Said the cynic, II could have made
better world than this" And the
other answered. THAT is what God put
you here for. Go and do it." Just as
the fonkers minister said who Ameri-
canned the meeting of Rose Pastor
Stokes: I'VE must all work these
Things out together" II America Is to
fulfill her destiny every true American
must work and work hard, and we can
not q for one would not) sit in ma
tional isolation, to live in a perfectly
proper Anglo-Saxon paradise.
A LATIN SLAVIC ANGLO SAXON
AMERICAN yellow DoG.~
Mount Kisco, N. Y, Dec. 13. 1919
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
Reason Makes Its Wav

Senator Underwood is to be con-
graduated. He gives welcome signs
that he is getting the Administra-
tion ring out of his nose and the Ad-
ministration straitjacket off his
body. His statement that he has
sense enough to know when he can't
have his exact way is one of the
most sensible statements recently
coming out Of Washington.
II other Senators on his side OF
the chamber join him there is hope
Of an early passage of ratification
resolution. And if a resolution is
passed by a two-thirds vote it is
likely that the President will dis
cover it does not nullify the treaty.
IL tho President will not accept he
cannot be forced to. 1t is his pre-
rogative to interpose an absolute
veto. But he may be counted on to
relax, on further thought, MS frenzy
to have his exact way and to ac-
knowledge by acts, if not by words,
that he overstated when he said that
the reservations nullified the treaty
Hopeat approaches by Senator
Underwood and those agreeing with
him must, of course, be met in gen
erous and open spirit by Senator
lodge and his roll-call associates.
They have seen in what esteem the
country holds thosef who make
s4Avh Of stubbornness. 1t would be
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18

and take it apart and begin all over
again. Enlarging ones potato patch
only increases the horizon of unrest.
There Is no such thing as ultimate
content with anything. The most
one can do is to watch the revolving
earth and initiate it as best one can
its rolling on is about the most
successful and sensible object lesson
we notional mortals can set our
minds to studying.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
Value of Merchant
Marine i'm War

Are we going to allow our Victory"
ships, which have cost US ten times more
than the Panama Canal, to pass away
in decade and once more find ourselves
the commercial slaves OF foreign mari
time nations who will carry our
goods only to such markets and in such
volume as will least impede their own
foreign trade?
Our Spanish war, the Vera Cruz con-
troversy with Huerta, the past great
war, have shown us that If there were
no other need whatsoever for an Amer
lean merchant marine there would be
sufficient justification for it solely as q
measure of military and naval necessity
Admiral Sir John Jellicoc, in speaking
about the merchant sailor and the mer-
chant ships, has said: "The navy, and,
indeed, England, could not have existed
without them" For it was the lcrchan t
marine which gathered the great armies
Of the Allies from the ends Of the earth
1t was they who fueled the battleships.
With the lives of merchant sailors the
Allies purchased every ton of food i'm
ported.
Admiral Mahan, one Of the wisest
Americans of all times, has further
shown US why We must not allow the
merchant marine we now have to wither
away. For he has written;
'Can this navy be had without re-
storing the merchant shipping? 1t is
doubtful. History has proved that such
a purely military sea power can be
built up by q dcspot, as was done by
Louis XIV; but experience showed that
his navy was like growth which, hay
ing no root, soon withers away"
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
American Shipping
Costs High

AS our English friends say, American
ships will always cost more TO operate
than foreign ships. Very true; but it
is because we insist upon better and
truly decent living conditions and
wages for American crews. This is
but just, for our workers ashore live un-
der better conditions than laborers Of
other countries, and on the sea the men
Of our navy fare better than the men
OF any other navy in the world We
pay more money for the support of
our navy, shin for ship and ton for ton,
than other nations, and we pay this
money out u our pockets in form OF
taxes. We are glad to do this, because
we want the men of our navy to live
better than in any other service Of the
kind. And they do live better and are
better men than in any other navy.
As the merchant marine Is 80 vital
to our prosperity and naval and mill
tary defense, it is logical that out of
taxes we compensate the American ship
operator, for we cannot reasonably ex-
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
JAMES MONTGOMERY FLAGG.
New York, Dec. 10, 1919.
Mr.. James Montgomery Flagg, New
York City, \. y.

Mr.. James Montgomery Tlagg, New
York City, n. Y
Dear Sir: The statement by you In
The New York Tribune, late in October.
that the skunk story related by Stanley
Johnson, also in The Tribune, els impos-
sible to take seriously" is an injustice
to him and us. The story was absolutely
correct, for | saw those "skunk tabbies"
myself, and they did cross Ny Johnson's
lawn IN daylight. Several other Of our
citizens saw them, too. | myself saw
one OF the parents III the evening. And
in every instance they were inotiensivc.
have known Mr.. Johnson since
childhood, and while I cannot vouch for
what he may see and say in New York
City, we have never known, in this
highly respectable village, what a mint
iulep tastes Of or is made Of And Mr.
Johnson, when here in the summer, has
never shown any evidence OF seeing
things, as you intimate, ''from the bot
tom Of a mint jUlep tumbler?'
We feel (for Mr.. johnson was born
here that you have done an injustice
to one of our citizens, and that you
should seek to give reparation in the
same medium where you have accused
Your suggestive observations, once
abroad, are likely to cause incalculable
harm to an innocent individual.
Myrtle ?. CONANT.
Bath. Grafton County, n. H., Dec. 5
1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18

Senator Hitchcock, to adapt a
witticism the French aimed at Cle-
mcnceau, arises each morning and
says: "Now, Gilbert Hitchcock, you
do believe in ratification with res
ervations."
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18

be exercised. Is it not possible for
American college boys to give rs
much concentration and zest to their
books as they now give to athletics?
We do not ask for more; but as long
as America accepts less will it ever
be well-educated nation?
New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
4 Nation of Landlubbers
BY Ralph E. Croplcy

pect him to pay higher wages anu ~
nrov,de more expensive food Tor MS
seamen while competing with 7ore's"
shinowners for freight at tho same
r.+e q ton. II we are to have per-
manent merchant marine, as mat'e'
Of economical and naval defense we
must do this.
Government Assistance
Imperative
r. {. obvious that the relationship
og the government to the merchah1
marine must be close. No natloh !"
recent years hns ever developed d
strong merchant marine without gov
crnmcntal assistance. It cannot De Dy
government operation or control Mr'
Burleson's huge loss with the telegraph
and cable situation and Mr.. McAdoo
with the railroads are experiments TOO
costly for the public to buy Liberty
and Victory bonds for. The real de-
velopmcnt of any great enterprise de-
pends upon the individual initiative OF
the business man. No nation, especial
lv the United States, ever will get the
full economical development of any
branch of industry that is not de-
veloped under private enterprise and
by private capital.
Possibly the delay Of the Wilson Ad-
ministration in forming @ definite ship
ping policy is because it is realized
that If the government ships are sold
Mt prices practical business men will
pay for them the several billion-dollaz
loss resulting will be political weapon
for the Republicans to use In the
next campaign, n weapon associatine
itself with the billion dollar loss II
wheat-the billion and more Of ou!
Liberty bonds which have been lost
over the railroads and the three bill
ions from war waste.