davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
Rome a True
Empire Builder

Rome possessed the indubitable moral
superiority which reconciles the con-
quered to the rule of the conqueror. The
Roman Iawgiver completed the work of
the Roman legionary. The Roman pro-
consuls brought the subject peoples
peace, order and security under law. So
me golden age Of civilized Europe, Asia
and Africa was the age of Trajan, Had
Ran and the Antonincs.
In the first volume of 1.-THE Decline
anf Fall Of the Roman EMPIRE" pub
nsned in 1776, Gibbon wrote Of this
ssriod: III nan we're called to fix the
prod In the history Of the world during
"n'en The condition Of the human race
@as mort happy and prosperous, he
our without hesitation, name that
~'''en elaD@ed from the death Of Dorni-
~ 70 The accession of Conmodus"
~ Romans we're true ciyiIizers and
'sD'ss builders. SO we're the French in
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

tary terrorism, rapid progress might
have been made in detaching the Elem
lngS from the Walloons.
There had been q century-long an
tagonism between these two Belgian
stocks, based mainly on a difference in
language. The Walloons spoke French.
The Flemings spoke their own ancient
tongue. French had gained a complete
ascendency under the French occupation
from 1894 to 1914. 1t became the legal
language for all Belgium. After the
Netherlands were united under Dutch
sovereignty in 1915 the use of Flemish
was gradually restored in Belgian Elan
ders. This excited Walloon opposition
and was one Of the causes of the revolu
ton of 1880, when Belgium achieved her
independence of Holland.
After independence French became
again the official tongue, although the
constitution indorsed the principle of
free choice in the matter Of languages.
The decade from 1880 to 1910 saw the
oeSlhliliSs VI lne flemlsh literary revival,
which has persisted ever since. At first
1t was merely cultural. But from 1870
on 1t assumed political aspect also.
Aestations for the legalization of the use
OF Flemish in the criminal courts. in the
secondary schools, in the public admin
lstratlon and in official documents were
successful. In recent years the Ella
mlngants," as they were called, had been
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

buffer kingdom, under Teuton protec-
ton. .
Their lot was alleviated by the in
ability of Germany and Austria to agree
on the status of the new state. The
Polish Regency Council was able to PLAY
one claimant off against the other. Both
Germany and Austria tried to recruit
troops in Poland. They succeeded indif-
ferently after the end of 1914. The Poles
had f1ocked by the tens of thousands to
Napoleon's standard. But they baked
at serving either Germany o. Austria.
The Polish Legion. created by tse Re-
gency, became be She end national
rather than a vassai organization. 1t
was peril ,asher rhan help to the
Teuton allies and it taued with the
Regency agaast them both when the
German situation oY the West front be-
came critical
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
No Moderate
Statesmen

The German leaders and people were
handicapped 1t critical stages of the war
~ not knowing exactly what they were
fighting for A wise statesmen would
have saidz Let us consolidate our power
in Central and Eastern Europe Let US
throw q bridge across the Bosporus and
push our railroads to Bagdad- But let
Is stop there That is eSough for our
generation, as the conquest Of Alsace-
iQ1raina and the creation Of the empire
we're enough for Bisnlarck's generation"
But there were no wise or moderate
statesmen left in Germany Whenever
things looked encouraging at the front
al Germans were pan-Germans In the
back Of the German brain was the OBJ
session oG ethical and moral superiority
which the pan-Cerlnan propaganda had
SO powerfully fostered- AL classes of
Germans were more or less conscious Of
a mission TO go out and conquer the
world and then remodel it in the image
Of Aultnr- This spirit was fanatical and
unressoning. And since they were all
deeply affected by it the German leaders
gradually lost contact with political and
military realities They began to en-
usage the war not as a struggle for
limited territorial detectives, or political
priority on the continent of Europe, but
as duel between higher form of civil
lzation {their own, of course, which was
destined to survive), and various lower
ferns those of their enemies, which
were destined to perish).
No illusion could have been more base
less than that the Germany of William
II was elected by destiny to conquer and
transform the world Germany was too
barren spiritually and Intellectually to
play the role Of Rome or of revolution
airy France. She could not hope to es-
tabllsh an empire as extensive and dur
able as that Of the Caesars She could
not even hope to establish one as I'M
stable and transient as Napoleons.
She had by patient labor forged a mill
tary instrument powerful enough to SUBJ
Que many of her neighbors. But she
lacked utterly the moral weapons with
which conquering generation or con-
quering civilization must be sunn1ied 10
It's sway is to become permanent
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
FLANDERS IN
Belgium

Germany undoubtedly envied Belgium
OF coast at the eastern entrance to the
English Channel. German policy looked
forward to the ultimate absorption of
both Holland and Belgium. Statesman
snip therefore dictated an attitude of
cancellation on the part of the German
invaders and powerful emphasis of the
material advantages which might accrue
to the Belgians through closer associa-
ton with the German Empire.
But in the heat of her anger over the
stubborn resistance of the Belgians at
Llege and over some negligible guerilla
fighting in the Liege and Namur dis
tricts, Germany Embossed on Belgium
those monstrous retaliations which
shocked the civilized world A deliber-
ate programme of frightfulness was car
ried out against defenceless civilian
population. After Aerschot, Dinant and
Louvain it was next to impossible for
any Belgian to consider contact with
German civilization as anything but a
defilement.
Germany gained some temporary mill
tary advantages by violating Belgian
neutrality. She secured an entrance
into France and carried the war to the
gates of Paris But she at once forced
the hesitating British government into
the anti-German alliance And her bar
barities behind the fighting lines not
only excited the undying enmity of the
Belgians, but destroyed the last vestge
of German moral prestige in the neutral
world.
The German lifted his mask at Lou
vain. Thereafter no cunning or hypoc-
risy on his part could conceal what a
German domination Of Europe would
mean. Yet in Belgium he had had a
real opportunity to initiate the tactics of
Napoleon and to create local support by
playing on the racial prejudices and as
pirAtions Of large dsaffected native
elerffent. If Berlin had suppressed re-
prisals with an iron hand and had pro-
tected the Belgian population from mill
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
71any Lost War Because She Was Unrpe for World Power
She Had Military Strength Sufficient
TO Create Teuton Middle
Europe

Nh ths issue The Sunday Tribune important series of
articles By F"hom L. McPhersom the general theme Ger
Lost the War; He brings
hnored9e Of strategy and keen uro1ped
outset ir Mcpherson
moral than military second papr u
balance the military of both sides The third Nth Ger
Gnys long streah Of military good fortune The
did not cn the for the Ahe but for Germonu
And With the in full perspective point of time net
enough to be sl Ice topic ats intimate Details this series
ould q1caken acde
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
Unfit to Rzle
THE World

World empire is something incorporeal
as well as physical. 1t can be attained
only by nations which add to military
power some spiritual ascendency, some
sterling moral quality. Germany, as the
war was to prove again and again,
lacked imperial stature. She had none
of the upbuilding, civilizing power of
Rome, none of the crusading fervor of
revolutionary France. In her political
aid military policy she initiated rather
the futile cruelty and n.aterialism of
Spain.
1t was morally impossible for Germany
to conquer the world, since her cause
was bad and her purposes were ignoble.
One clearminded truth teller among the
Germans saw this from the start. That
was DR.. Wilhelm Muhlon. He wrote in
his Diary" on August 4, 1914: II can
not too often din it into the ears of the
Germans that what is lacking in moral
superiority cannot be replaced bv
force" And again: Enthusiasm at the
start is cheap and easily excited. 1t can
l0Se oliiy witch one uSDLS Tor better
cause and higher ideal than his op-
ponent's, and offers even the opponent
the opportunity of freedom and prog
ress"
Germany offered no opponent, even
Russia, 1.-THE opportunity of freedom and
progress" She did not fight to spread
civilization or to benefit humanity. She
fought to stay the progress of the stars.
Therefore, iii the broad sense, she was
doomed to defeat before she drew the
sword.
But in the narrower sense, as I shall
try to point out in later articles, there
was no insuperable obstacle to her cre
ating limited military empire in Cen
trail Europe had she had the intelligence
to make her strategy fruitful. getting
the best results out Of her vast initial
superiority in military resources.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

and trample down peoples. He might
erect military governments. But no.
where was he capable of really construc-
tive and assimilative craftsmanship.
Nowhere could he conciliate or extract
willing service. AS an empire builder
his accomplishment was zero.
German policy in Belgium was the
most hideous possible revelation of Ger
many's moral incapacity. AS Bethmann-
Hollweg admitted, the Germans seized
Belgium in violation of treaty guaran-
tees. 1t was an act of military neces-
sity.' Germany was therefore bound in
prudence to make the occupation as little
oppressive as practicable to the Belgian
people. And Belgium's heroic defence
did not lessen the obligation of the in
vaders to deal generously with a coun-
try which had given Germany no shadow
Of offence and whose sole culpablIity
had been to lie across the easiest path
way Of the German armies into North
ern France.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
BY William L. Mcpherson
tcoQutoAt. 1919, Ne,o York Tribune IncJ

MERE are TWO aspects to the Ger
] man debacle-0ne material ard
one moral Speaking in the mar
rover, technical sense, Germany
lost the war through certain specific err
rors in military policy, By November,
1918 the consequences of these blunders
had brought the German armies in Bel
GUM and France to the edge of a colos-
sal disaster-an exaggerated Sedan or
Jena. The German High Command
elected to escape destruction by sur
rendering
The German military failure was IN
questionable 1t resulted from unintelh-
gent strategy and a misuse of military
resources But the German moral fail
ure was even more decisive 1t resulted
from the inescapable limitations Of the
German character Speaking IN the
broadcast possible sense, Germany lost the
war before she began it. She had the
physical means to achieve victory ON a
limited scale-to create, for a time at
least. a Middle Europe dominated from
Berlin But she lacked the sagacity to
temper her megalomania~ Bismarck was
dead He had left no successors So the
Germany Of William II bungled along,
sacrificing what might have been attain
able through a prudent localization Of
effort to empty and grandiose dreams Of
Teuton world empire.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
German X u!tur
Untruitful

Not a single aIi1n element within the
Prussian or German body polite has
been reclaimed through the PROSECUTING
energies Of German Kultur. Physical
power is in Itself impotent to awe the
mind or conquer the imagination. Only
MORAL viriiity can do,that The prophets
of German destiny looking out over
world on which the stamp of German civ
ilization was to be impressed forgot the
Alsatian, Polish and Danish fizzles. They
clung to the primitive belief that the
sword is the only civilizcr. They carried
the sword into Belgium, Poland, the Bal
tic provinces, Finland, Lithuania, the
Ukraine, Serbia, Albania and Rumania.
But everywhere the result was the same.
The German conqueror might overrun
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

actionsl Yet only historians could re-
member in 1913 that Savoy and Nice had
ever belonged to the present royal house
IF Italy, while the Zabern incident de-
monstrated that Alsace and Lorraine
were hardly more German in affection
than they were in 1371-despite more
than forty years of official PROSECUTING
and persecution.
Alsace-Lorraine went to the Prussian
school Of assimilation for forty-eight
years in all. But she never was re-
Teutonized, although her people are of
an ancient German and Rhine Valley
stock. The Poles of Prussia have been
under German rule for century and a
quarter In all that period they have
been pitilessly restrained and disciplined.
Everything possible was done to eradicate
their race and national spirit They have
been forbidden to speak their own Ian
guage. Their lands have been taken
away from them by a ruthless policy of
appropriation. Yet they have never
yielded to German pressure. They have
relied on the superior tenacity of their
own race instincts and culture And they
have conquered at last Parts of Poland
which Prussia took nearly century
and half ago are still more Polish than
Prussian, and will revert to the rees-
tabished Polish state, on whose coffin the
three sovereigns of Russia, Prussia and
Austria Hungary had sat-but sat in
vain-for generations.
There is also North Schleswig This is
the Danish part of the province of Schles-
wig, taken away from the King of Den
mark in 1864 by Austria and Prussia
These two confederates divided Holstein
and Schleswig between them. But Prus-
STA soon appropriated Austrias share.
By the treaty Of Prague, under which
Austria legalized the Prussian seizure,
it was stipulated that the inhabitants of
North Schleswig should have the right
to determine by plebiscite whether to
remain Prussian or to 90 back to Den
mark. No plebiscte was ever taken. For
more than fifty years Prussia has been
trying to assmilate this little Danish
remnant. But all her efforts-including
a prescription of the use of the Danish
tongue---have failed ANONYMOUSLY.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
No Help from
Russia

The Baltic provinces and Lithuania
were much less anti-German than Poland
was Germany at least promised and
gave them sort of political "self-d
termination" Economically, Courland,
Livonia and Esthonia had closer natural
attachments to Germany than to Russia.
They were in the German Baltic zone.
But their rapprochement to GERMANY
was half-hearted. They were willing tn
accept German princes and grand dukes
as rulers. But they gave Germany little
economic and no military aid.
Ukrainia owed her independence di.
rectly to Germany, and ahould have been
turned into a useful German allv. She
had both grain and cannon fodder to
contribute. But here German rapacitv
again OVERRIDE sound military policy.
The German satraps set out to strip the
Ukraine bare Of food supplies the mo-
ment they were installed at Kiev. They
plundered and misgoverned, quickly dis
placing the government which signed the
treaty of Brest-Litovsk and substituting
a dictatorship. Governor General Won
Elcilhorn was assassinated and GERMANY
began 10 do in the Ukraine exactly what
She had done in Belgium Whatever
power she retained rested on the sword.
The Ukraine was quickly converted from
a political asset into political liability.
In Finland alone the Germans exhib-
tied some CLEANS of political jntelli-
gence. They crushed the power Of the
Bolsheviks and restored a conservative
government. Finland cheerfully accent
ed German alliance and could have
been converted into a valuable German
recruiting ground, except for the fact
that the alliance was concluded too late
Finland was willing to fight for Ger
many between March and August. 1918.
After August she scented German digas-
ter and was no longer willing to fight.
If Germany had broken down the
Russian front year earlier than she
did she would have had it in her power
to develop Finland Esthonia, Livonia.
Lithuania, Courland and the Ukraine
into feeders for her armies, just as Ma
poeon had used Poland, Holland, Swift
erland, Italy and the German states.
But serious mistakes of strategy in 1918
and the utter lack in her makeup of the
empire building instinct fortunately
made innocuous her vast and easy tri-
umphs on the Russian front in the win
ter of 1917l18.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-05

thinking about. DO you think you coult
make deal with Felix AIarchand
Not much. You've got the cinch or
him. You could send him to uuod
and I'd send him there as quick as
lightning. I'd hang him. if could. fo,
what he done to Lii Sarnia. Years
ago when he was boy he offered me
gold watch for mare / had The
watch looked as right as could be
solid fourteen carat, he said it was
lie got my horse, and | got his watch
1t wasn't any more gold than he was.
1t was filled-just plated with nine
carat gold. 1t was worth about $40.
"What was the mare worth? asked
lngOlby, his mouth twisting again with
quizzical meaning.
That mare-She was all right"
Yes, but what was the matter with
her?"
"Oh. a espavin-she was all right
when she got wound up-go like Dexter
or Maud s.
But if you were buying her what
would you have paid for her, Jowett ?
Come, now, man to man, as they say.
How much did you pay for her?"
About what she was worth, chief
within a dollar or two
And what was she worth %
''What l paid for her-$1O."
Then the two men looked at each
other full in the eyes, and Jowett threw
back his head and laughed outright
laughed loud and hard. "Well, you
got me, chief, right under the guard"
he observed.
1ngolby did not laugh outright, but
there was bubble of humor in his
eyes. What happened to the watch ?"
he asked.
Il got rid of it."
''In horse tradeT'
'No, / got town lot with it,"
I'm Lebanon
"Well, sort of in Lebanon's back
yard"
whats the lot worth now?"
"About two thousand dollars :"
WAS it your first town lot?"
"The first lot of Mother Earth / ever
owned" .'.
Then you got vote on it?'
Eyes, my first vote"
"And the vote let you be a town
COUNCILLOR"
1T and my good looks"
Indirectly, therefore, you are a land
owner, n citizen, public servant and
an instrument of progress because of
Felix Marchand. If you hadn't hau
the watch you wouldn't have had that
town lot"
"Well nmebbe, not that lot"
Suddenly Ingolby got to his feet and
squared himself, and his face became
alight with purpose, His mind had
come back from fishing, and he was
ready now for action. His plans were
formed. He was in for a fight, and he
had made up his mind, how, with the
new information to his hand, he would
develop his campaign further.
CTO BE CONTINUED
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-05
BRUNO DUKE, Solver of Business Problems


and crowned king of pies, with lus-
cious crust made of shortening. That's
not ala piquant spicing and flavor
ing gives to this wonderful apple pie
a delight peculiarly its own. A healthy,
grown up portion, twenty five cents -
81 never knew my ice cream was 81
good as that" said Miss Elan. de-
lighted, while Miss Howarth added:
II really could eat some of my apple
pie after hearing that, but we only
charge fifteen cents
';You only used to charge fifteen
cents. 1t is twenty five cents from now
on" Duke said. "Now We'll run that
ad tomorrow and also have little cards
printed for distribution"
II think it's wonderful how Mr.. Bet
terly describes things" Miss Elan said,
with a glance of admiration at Betterly,
who blushed modestly, as he always
does when praised.
''That's nothing" Duke grinned.
''He once advertised house for man
who was disgusted with it. When he
read Betterly's description of it he SO
fell in love with his own house that he
refused to sell it after. all, and still
lives happily and proudly in it,"
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-05

L come down on that bench hard. They
laushed-Lord, how they laughed .
They didn't mind my givn' EN- fits
ali except one or two. That was what
| expected. The one or two was mad.
They begun raging toward me, but
there | was asleep on the bcnch-stony
blind, and then they only spit fire n bit.
Some one threw my. coat over me. l
hadn't any cash in the pockets, not
much-1 knew better than that-and |
snored like SOW. Then it happened
what l thought would happen. They
talked. And here it is. They're 60
ing to have strike in the mills, and
you re to get toss into the river
That's to be on Friday. But the other
thing-well, they all cleared away but
two. They were the two that wanted
to have it out with me. They stayed
behind. There was l snoring like a
locomotive, but my ears open all right.
"Well, they give the thing away. One
of 'em had just come from Felix
Marchand and he was full of it. What
was it? Why, the second night of the
strike your new bridge over the river
was to be blown up. Marchand was
to give these two toughs $500 each for
doing it.
Blown up with WHAT" Ingolby
asked sharply.
Dynamite.
'Where would they get it,"
Some left from blasting below the
mills"
''All right Go on
There wasn't much more. Old Bar
bacon, the landlord, come in and they
quit talking about it; but they said
enough to send 'em to Jail for ten
years"
Ingolby blinked at Jowett reflective
ly, and his mouth gave twist that lent
to his face an almost droll look.
what good would it do if they got
ten years-or one year, if the bridge
was blown up? If they got skinned
alive, and if Mafchand was handed
over to a barnful of hungry rats to be
guawed to death, it wouldn't help. I've
heard and seen lot of hellish things,
but there's nothing to equal that. To
blow up the bridge-for what! To spite
Lebanon, and to hurt me; to knock the
spokes out of my wheel. He's the
dregs, is Marchand."
II guess he's a shyster by nature,
that fellow" interposed Jowett. He
was bOilin' hot when he was fifteen.
lie spoiled girl I knew when he was
twenty two, not fourteen she was-Lil
Sarnia; and he got her away before
we'll, he got her away East; and she's
IN dive in Winnipeg now AS nice
yirl-as nice a little girl she was,
and could ride any broncho that ever
Ducked. What she saw in him-but
here, she was only child just the
mind of child she had, and didn't
He'd ha' been tarred and
'eathered if it d been known. But
Did Mick Sarnia said hush, for his
Tife's sake, and so we hushed, and l.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-05
TODAY'S BUSINESS QUESTION
What is "Good WiH'f
Ansper piH appear Monday.
ANSWER TO THURSDAYS
BUSINESS QUESTION
A "Forced Sale is the sale of
commodities under compulsion of
foreclosure.
Modern Treatment

'The medical ignorance of some peo
pie is staggering, said DR.. Simon FIex-
ner at a dinner. 81 know an X-ray
specialist who got letter from middle
western farmer the other day. The
farmer wrote:
Dear Sir-I have had nail in my
thorax for seventeen years. am too
busy to come to New York, but want
you to come down here to Paris Corners
with your rays, as my case will be
worth your while. If you do not find
time TO come send down dozen rays
boxed, by express, with instruction card.
and l will try to work same myself !.
The X-ray specialist wrote back TO
the farmer of Paris Corners:
Dear Friend-I regret to say that
business engagements prevent a trip to
l'aris Corners, and am unfortunately
out of rays just now. If you cannot
come to New York, send me your thorax
by parcel post, and we will see what
can be done. kansas City Star.