davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
Unions by Land and Sea

The complete unionization of
brainworkers makes slow headway
for various reasons. The difficulty
of measuring and grading brainwork
and reducing it to one level, or at
most a few levels, of reward and
working time offers one funda-
mental objection. Voluntary organi-
cations, defensive in their aim, that
simply seek to prevent fraud and
exploitation by employers are an
other matter, as the Authors League
and the Actors Equity have demon
strated.
Now comes the organization of an
important group Of brainworkers,
officers at sea, to resist unfair dicta-
torship by unions of sailors and
stokers. This is a new kind of at
tack which it is sought to organize
against labor dictation instead OF
capitalistic dictation. But the gen.
eral purpose is not unlike that of
the other organizations of brain
workers. That is to say, the aim is
primarily one of defense. There is
no proposal to force higher wages or
any wage scale or to ask anything
other than fair play and the disci-
pline inherent in the work seamen
are called on to do.
The charge against the seamen' S
unions is that they have sought to
compel the discharge Of officers who
have enforced strict discipline on
their ships. Captain David, of the
White Star liner Regina, went to
the saloon for breakfast after being
all night on the bridge. The steward
told him it had been arranged for
him to eat in his cabin. To which
the captain replied, "While | am
master of this ship ! will cat break
fast where please" This utterance
was reported to the union, and in
due course "c.nplant was filed
with tt ne. In other cases officers
have been discharged to keep peace
with unions, to the decentralization of
discipline. Stokers, seamen, stew
ards, alike, are said to feel the new
unrest.
There is the soundest reason be-
hind this movement. The custom of
the sea which gives the master of
a ship supreme authority over his
crew is based on dire necessity. In
no other way can the perils, small
and constant, and the grave disas-
ter that is, sooner or later, inevita-
BILE be met courageously and eff
GENTLY. Officers are already begin
ming to fear their grip upon their
men in face of danger. TO let the
unions of seamen carry their threats
and influence further would imperil
every passenger aboard ship.
Every bgainworker can look on
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04

and applaud this new organization
in behalf Of every one. 1t sets an
instructive and potent example.
Commanders at sea have an old au-
thority which they cannot in honor
abandon. If driven together by
necessity they can hold the carrying
trade at the mercy of their brains.
So would it be on land if the brain
workers ever felt compelled to or
ganize. To talk of a general strike"
with the brainworkers left out is to
talk exactly the sort of nonsense
that ruined Bolshevist Russia in
dustrially. The sooner the vital i'm
portance of brainwork is scared into
the soul of every one the better for
us all, by land and sea.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04

United States nor Great Britain can
be induced to participate in coercive
action and that France will hesitate
about acting alone.
Marshal Foch was ignorantly at
tackled as an imperialist because he
insisted on practical guarantees for
the treaty's enforcement-such as
the occupation of a large zone Of
German territory until Germany
met her obligations. This was not
imperialism, but common sense. He
had intelligence enough to- foresee
exactly what Germany would do if
pressure were removed. The hope
of getting the treaty peacefully
obeyed rests on the occupation of
German territory. The marshal
was not able to secure the advanced
line he asked for, but he did sue
ceed in preventing complete evacua-
tion.
1t will, of course, be said in the
way Of propaganda that the failure
of this country to act on the treaty
has encouraged Germany to be re-
calcitrant. There will be little merit
in this contention. If the treaty had
been ratified here it would still be
necessary to get an agreement to act.
Such concert of action can occur now
if the interested nations are willing
President Wilson can order our
forces remaining in Europe to as
sist in disciplining Germany. His
freedom to act is greater than it
would be if the treaty were ratified.
Yet it is not reported from Wash
ington that he has any notion of
forwarding marching orders.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
The Tribune of the People

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir Every morning will find me scru
tinizng every line of your paper. and
if you will permit just a wec-bit O.
fattery, III tell you what l think of
The Tribune
What has happened to "The City's Jar"
the adornment of the back page? Sure
ly witty column like that is enjoyed
by everybody. The one thing that l
always find time for is "The Coming
Tower truly a fine piece Of humor.
But sorry to say that I'm not good
enough to have any of my comics in it.
Do have to say anything about your
sporting pages? guess the name
Grantoldrice is enough for that.
And then the "big noise"-thc edi
torials What other paper approaches
the clean-cut type of article put out
by The Tribune? And what other
paper can boast of better Public
Forum?
Will you allow me to say that The
Tribune, which really is the tribune of
the people, can have my meager two
cents any day?
TRIBUNE'S FRIEND.
New York, Dec. ]. 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
The Anti-Sufragist in Politics

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: l admir- mugwumps. They are
the saving grace Of politics. They
make it possible to retain ones faith
in the freedom of the individual. But
a leader in a political party should not
be a mugwump. The Republican party
has no logical place in it's governing
committees for mugwumps. When
Mary Garrett Hay calls upon her fol-
lowers to vote the Democratic ticket
rather than vote for a gentleman with
whom she happens to disagree person.
ally, she automatically reads herself,
not out of the Republican party, but
out of its governing body.
The Republican party may make
mistakes; it may not have kept to the
high standard Of citizenship which it
maintained during the war, and for
which it has never received acknowl-
cdgment from the reigning Adminis-
tration; but it is not and has never
tlemen who are responsible for the
leadership of the party permit mug
wump woman to dictate to them, to
break all the laws in the game of party
management, then there has crept into
the grand old party a pusillanimous
strain which is Notifying to all who
love its honorable heritage. Let the dis
cipline be bold and swift. or with
| the official head of any one who ynde,
any circumstances advocates the cleo
tion of a Democrat
Furthermore, to hesitate to do sc
would show more than cowardice; il
would show a lack of political acu.
men; for if any one fact has beer
made clear in this state, it is that
the candidates for whose scalps the
suffragsts have maneuvered have ir
every case been reelected Ask fol
the resignation Of Mary Garrett Hay
and put in her place Il woman who is
more concerned with the success oil
the Republican party than the success
of the Federal enactment of suffrage
a woman who realizes that a Senator'S
stand on military service, on prepared
ness, on protitcering, on the treaty
on the budget and on many other i'm
portant issues, is of far greater conse
luence to the state than his stand or
the womans force bill.
ANNIE NATHAN MEYER.
New York, Dec. I, 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
American French

That marvellous invention of the
human tongue, complete language
that never was on sea or land
American French, so deliciously easy
for our misinformed ears to compre-
hend, so miraculously OWNED almost
before uttered by the patient nim-
blcness of the French mind, comes in
Tor deserved rating in the current
Harper's. One c. M. Francis (of
whom echo answers nothing) calm
ly and ably laughs out of court
French as spoken not only by our
callow college students but by our
serious gentlemen Of culture
This may seem like a brutal and
unnecessary slaughter; for Ameri-
cans are not chesty about their
French. Most of them suffer great
ly from lack of confidence. They
envy surprisingly the Englishman's
imperturbable assurance that he is
improving, not to say honoring,
French by accenting it like a rather
sing-song English. But the only
way to get French taught Alright is
to expose vividly the colossal waste
OF the seven years of French which
so many Americans spend in school
and college without learning how
even to pass the butter. At the risk
Of closing down a number of hope
tut American mouths, we quote
from the Francis article this de-
scription of the table-talk of "a seri
Gus and by no means unintelligent
man." a finished product of the ex-
isting system:
ale begins, Of coarse, almost in
varably by telling the French person
that sits next to him that he is a
woman or that ne is not woman.
He will then say T.. at he is in the
rear because a long time ago he was
held underneath the city; that he filled
the soil of his Office slowly; that he
did not jump till 6 o'clock, though he
usually jumps at 5; that he likes cats
and oaks and that he had Il cat and
an oak once who would eat in the cup
together; that his aunt had a cat who
killed six smiles in one day; that he
had dropped piece of bread on the
ceiling; that it is good time though
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
The Automatic Shut-Of

According to figures compiled by
the editor Of the circular of the Ma
tional City Bank, the country's gold
production in 1915 had the price OF
S101, 100000. Last year it was
down to $68,00O,O00, and this year
will probably be about $4,000, 900.
Similar decreases in production are
reported from other gold-producing
countries. The worlds total this
year is likely to be less than $780,
100000, against $45O,0OQ,O00 in
1916.
And in this country the jewelers.
are absorbing practically all of the
gold mined. For the first six months
of 1919 the Withdrawals from the
New York Assay Office for manu-
featuring purposes amounted to
$31, 100000, or at the rate of more
than $60,O00,000 year.
Fewer ounces of gold are produced
when miners get SS day than when
they get S4. The low-grade gold
mines are shutting down, and we are
seeing the beginning OF an automatic
shut-off to rising prices. Initiation is
meeting its natural foe.
When will prices begin to come
down? The best guess is that it will
be when gold available for money
use and for the base of bank and
currency credits does not suffice to
offset the demands of expanding
business exchanges,
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
Germany Recalcitrant

1t is no surprise that Germany
manifests an inclination to violate
the agreement she made as the price
of peace. The Ebert republic enter
tains about the same ideas Of the
sanctity of treaties that the Hohen-
zollern autocracy did. Pledges are
to be kept if convenient, or if their
redemption is forced, but not other
wise.
The present rulers of Germany
have watched not so much our att-
tude toward the covenant as the
concrete facts Of rehabilitation.
The question she has considered is
whether or not the Allies would re-
mobilize and order their soldiers for
ward. Apparently she has con-
cluded it is safe to regard the Yer
sailles treaty as another scrap of
paper She assumes that neither the
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
Strengthening Out

The Republicans of South Dakota
are of the same mind with respect
to the league Of peace as are the
Republicans of Massachusetts,. The
two states are separated geographic
eally and one Us industrial and the
ether agricultural, but there is
striking community of idea.
The Republicans of South Dakota,
like their brethren of Massachusetts,
are for ratification of the treaty
without amendments, but with reser-
vations that "wil tend to safeguard
the integrity of the nation and pre-
serve the Monroe Doctrine" This is
all they ask and they will be con-
tent with nothing less.
They believe it possible so to i'm
prove the faulty and ambiguous in
strument which President Wilson
brought home as to reconcile the
Just claims of this nation and it's
Constitution with full allegiance to
the principles associated with the
names of Roosevelt and Mckinley,
of world responsibility and of devo-
ton to a maximum practical plan
for general peace.
In the confusion engendered by
the treaty discussion some Republi-
cans have gone astray--have seemed
to countenance opposition to any
league. But the rank and file has
been more discriminating refuses
to abandon support of moral ideas
fealty to which is the proud boast
of the party of Lincoln and Roose-
welt.
The true doctrine takes form and
it is equally opposed to aloofness and
to an acceptance of an enlargement
of Presidential power which would
destroy one Of the most vital pro-
visions Of the Constitution and tend
to convert the Republic into a dicta-
torship.
The Republican position, as de
fined in Massachusetts and South
Dakota, represents the opinion Of
the vast majority of Americans.
Only minorities follow President
Wilson and Senator Borah as they
make common effort to defeat rati-
ficaton with safeguarding reserva-
tions-one because he would be sole
master and the other because op-
posed to entry into any league.
On the issue as defined in Massa-
chusetts and South Dakota the
party may confidently appeal to the
country. Especially will it be able
to do this if the President continues
to dragoon his party against its will
into defeating ratification except on
his precise terms.
4 Republican opinion is straightcn-
ing out, and the wisdom of the
many, as has been shown in the
past, is proving itself superior to
the wisdom of the few.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
For the Families of Prisoners

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: From time to time Your paper
has printed a little message from me
about my Christmas work for the fam
lilies of prisoners. Last year | had to
send my message to the American pub
lie from Verdun, as | spent the winter
amid its ruins with our boys of the
A. +. r. at the front. This year am
back again in my own prison work, and
find the need as great as ever. Nv
long absence abroad depleted my funds
and need help more this year than
ever before. Many have said that the
poor will not be as needy this season
because Of higher wages and improved
conditions. This does not hold good for
the unfortunate wife and children Of the
man who is serving in prison.
want to provide hundreds OF little
ones with clothing and toys. l do want
to help these mothers with good cheer
for the Christmas dinner. Not in a
spacious way in some big hall, but right
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
Carranza, the Recognized

On January 6, 1916, the Senate
asked for information as to what
assurances, prior to the recognition
of his government, Carranza gave
concerning paymsnt for damages
for loss of American life and prop
erty in Mexico and what guaran-
tees had been given of future pro-
lection.
Mr.. Lansing responded with a
batch of documents which showed
that Carranza promised to give full
satisfaction for the past and to pre-
vent further murders and confisca-
tions, and to conduct his govern
ment according to the usages of civ
ilized nations. If concessions were
Cancelled full compensation was to
be paid and complete religious free
dom was pledged.
Carranza has openly and brazenly
broken his promises Instead of rul-
ing constitutionally under the Juarez
constitution of 1857 he repudated
that instrument and practically de-
creed another constitution which
placed arbitrary power in his hands.
The man who opposed Huerta as a
unconstitutional despot became a
similar despot.
So, aside from the considerations
that Carranza was practically an
ally of Germany and has since
busted himself trying to stimulate
a Bolshevist insurrection in the
United States, his recognition is
properly forfeit because the condi-
tions on which it was made have
been disregarded.
Withdrawal of recognition is,
perhaps, as far as this country
should now go. But withdrawal Of
recognition seems fully justified.
The spectacle of a Mexican minister
honorably received at Washington,
while representatives of less arbi-
trary governments are treated as
unclean, is surely an amazing one.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
French Mascots
A Call for Funds to Finance
Our Adopted Orphans
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
diers' magazine conducted By the former
editorial council of "The Stars and
Stripes" the 4. f. f. newspaper that
adopted the first of more than three
thousand French war waits that were
cared for by American soldiers fighting
in France during the war. has been en-
gagged in the work of transferring the
guardianship of these same children to
posts of the American Legion.
When "The Stars and Stripes" closed
up its Paris shop and sailed away
from France with a check OH the United
States Treasury for $4,000 as sur
plus baggage, profits of sixteen months
journalistic effort with the A. E. F., it
was the desire of the staff of 1.-The
Stars and Stripes" to have this money
used for the benefit of their large family
of French kiddies. There is bill now
pending in Congress dealing with the
final disposal of the profits of the SOL
uleiS paper.
But meanwhile the tiny French mas
cots of the A. E. F. are in dire straits.
Hunger, cold and all the privations of
winter in a sheil-shocked land face
them. Peace has meant only one thing
to these several thousand French chill
dren. 1t has made them realize that
the Americans have gone, and that the
blessings Of peace are infinitely worse
than the horrors of war. War killed
their fathers and peace took the kind
American soldiers away. Posta of the
American Legion seem to have deter
mined that their old French mascots will
never be able to say the Americans for
got easily.
1t costs s75 to provide for the com.
forts of one of these Franco-American
mascots for one year. "The Home Sec
tor" will be glad to handle and admins
ter this fund. Money can be sent direct
to this Office and forwarded to Paris
and administered by the american Red
Cross. Arrangements have already been
made to do this.
EDWARD B. VAN ZILE.
"The Home Sector" New York City,
Dec. ?, 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
The Coming Tower
Wcstchester
(With apologies to rupert Brooks)

fWith apologies to rupert Brooke)
A ghastly gas lighs fills my room
With jaundiced fame of Pickering
gloom.
There is no radiator here
To warm me, comfort me, or cheer.
Oh! how l think of home, sweet home,
And VOW that never will I roam
From Scarsdale's happy heights again
To come and dwell with Englishmen.
At home right now there's pumpkin pie,
And how my heart doth fondly sigh
For grapefruit, clans, and succotash,
Or griddlc cakes with corned beef hash.
OH damn! l know it, how I know
That Westchcster is all aglow
With parties, dinners, dances gay,
That laugh the feeting hours away 80.
In mind these golden joys trace
While l sit here and freeze my face.
| wonder where the Shonks are now,
And if the Branns have sold their COW?
| wonder if the Shrcvcs arc we'll,
And Rollin Kirby and Estelle-
In fancy both of them l see
With Mrs. Christensen at tea.
Does Robbie Walker with his pals
Still cast sleeps eyes on Crestwood's
gals?
And Willard Winslow-how is he?
And Freddy Pope-docs he miss me?
Does Charlie Townc still make them
laugh
With his Teutonic songs and chaff?
The Collinses! Are they the same3
Still pondering upon that game
They play with such devoted zest,
Which Cert and Herbert so detest.
And Cosmo and the fair Juic2
Are they still full of jeu d'estru?
I wish that could see Frank Ayrcs
To tell him none Ive seen compares
With Vcra's sweet and simple grace
Or Comics smiling morning face. :.
I'd give my soul if | could dine
Tonight with all these friends of mine.
| long for Westchester once more,
Where | can hear the friendly roar
Of that dear train the old 8 0S,
Arriving twenty minutes late.
Oh how I wish and wish I were
In Westchester, in Westchcstcr
London. Nov. 10 P. w.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04

the paper promised tears; that he
swims better in dirty water than in
cool because 1t throws him up in the
air. And he will ask for the follow
ing objects, all Of which he believes
can be found on the table or easily
obtained: A saddle-hc wants to put
some Of it in his soup; hillside; a
little more of the poison; pear tree;
bass wind instrument full Of milk;
the hide Of any animal; farmers
daughter Of shameless character, and
a portion of wcll-set, thick, short
backed horse"
Some exaggeration may be here.
Some Of the most delightful utter
ances we have not been able to
translate into American French.
More expert students of it's dialects
may succeed where we have failed.
The point is that here is just about
the sort of thing seven years of
French enables us to push forth by
gigantic mental labor.
The writer cites the caustic re-
marks of President Butler Of Co.
lumbia on this situation and then
leaves us. We hope he will return to
renew the struggle. 1t needs renew
ing daily. The habit Of learning book
French and scorning that of the
tongue as something negligible and
unimportant is too deeply .ingrained
in our educational systems to be
easily erased. The united efforts of
all our college presidents will be
needed. Cohorts of parents must
join the great push. Every teacher
of French should be required to
learn this quoted paragraph by
heart and repeat it to his or her
classes once a day. Only thus can
"Ici on parlc Francais" become any
thing more than an old and accepted
American farce.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-04
The Frick Monument

Like other rich Americans, the
late Henry c. Frick was not unmind-
full Of his obligations to the public,
which was his partner in his un-
dertakings. Hence the will under
which art treasures of an estimated
value of $30,OOO,OO0, with a gallery
for their proper display and funds
for their accretion, are to become
part Of the common estate.
The coal and coke Of Pennsylvania,
taken from seams where it did no
good to man, has built bridges and
edlfices, and now, in a final trans
mutation, is converted into beautiful
canvases, contact with which will
enlarge the souls of oncoming gen
crations. The Golconda wealth of
Pittsburgh, so far as it passed to the
steel mlllionaircs, now largely pro-
Vides the means of education and of
happier life to the masses of Amer
lea. AS the waters from the sea re-
turn again to the sea after complet-
ing a fructifying cycle, so wealth
from the people finds it's way back to
the people.
A man has life estate, the fun of
heaping up, but the public more and
more tends to be his heir. The pro-
fessors, the artists, the workers for
humanitarian progress, not the rich,
chiefly will be incOmmoded if there
is general confiscation and new
economic start is made. AS the pal
aces Of the old kings and aristocrats
are now the museums and the pleas
ure houses of the many, so our men
Of greatest energy create new pal
aces for the people.
Mr. Frick was not inclined to self
advertisement. He did not proclaim
his virtue in public places. He had a
reserve which led him TO screen his
benefactions. So his magnificent
gift has elements of surprise. That
it is made, that despite the abusive
huffetings to which he was subjected
he kept his heart free of misan-
thropy, sets up a monument whose
significance must penetrate even
the dull intelligence of those who
prize their prejudices.