davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The mirror., 1919-03-13
R[KMIllNO 0 one who visited the
NYH41 Government Offices in
1S8%&1H those days will forget
llgSyggQ what he saw there. Mes.

NEE4N Government offices in
NHS%kH those days will forget
lMy@y what he saw there. Mes
sengers came and went at all hours.
dashing up in motor-cars that had
darted through the streets at racing
speed. Telephone receivers we're
never on the hook. Telegraph in
struments clicked incessantly. Day
or night, many of the officials nev-
er left their ofices-and then, in
the midst of their frantic anxiety,
commissions from America, un-
aware of the sudden seriousness of
the situation, would have to be po.
litely received and tremendously
entertained.
There was the moment when
some of US correspondents were
told that the Germans had broken
through at the point of juncture
between the English and the
French; the five days when the
British Fifth Army fell back and
back until disaster seemed newt
able; the hour, when at the highest
quarters, the word was whispered
to a few of us that the road to
Paris was open.
Thanks to the dogged heroism
of the French and the superb rally
of the English, these things are
over now, and we may speak of
them. Then, however, we said
nothing. Even many of the news
paper writer's were in ignorance.
One Friday evening I came home
with the knowledge that the
French reserves would not be COLI
centrated for action before Sun
day, and that the outnumbered
British might not be able to hold
longer than Saturday night. Yet
on the street that evening 1 met a
correspondent usually we'll in
formed who said to me. with the
utmost cheerfulness: ''Well, they
haven't got here. You see, there
was nothing to worry about!"
There have been few such days
of suspense as that which followed.
Even the uniformed came to
know that something was impend-
ing. The boulevard crowds we're
smaller than usual and more rest
less. People gathered in little
knots and spoke in undertones. An
American was more or less ap-
pealed to:
Wont the General Pershing
let your army come in at last?
Surely he will let it come in now!'
The rank and file of the army
were anxious to fight. Down at
the Toul sector and in the Ameri-
can training camps the men were
like hounds at hunt-meet, tug
ging at the leash. Our army's
High Command did not feel that
the time b ad yet arrived for
changing its opinion against SER
vice under the French; but I may
now make public the fact that Ad-
miral Wilson, of our navy, offered
to the French unit of American
sailors manning naval guns.
Meanwhile, in the Paris Offices
of the Government. officials waited
in tense silence. They awaited
what must either be a miracle or a
catastrophe.
1t was the miracle that happened.
The French performed it. Tired
and harassed as they were, the
war-weary army of that people
whom we used to regard as merely
mercurial, said to itself: I'VE have
to do it all over again. and did it
forthwith. The reserves .tha t
couldn't get up until Sunday" got
there on Saturday. They halted
the Boche; they stopped the first
move of the German offensive.
In Paris the gossips said that it
was arguments advanced by Glenn
enceau and Lloyd George which
changed General Pershing's atti-
The mirror., 1919-03-13
WHEN PARIS FACED DISASTER
An Account of the Anxiety Felt in the French Capital
During the Last German Drive

Reginald W. Kaufman. in North american Reviep
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16

willing to rely on sudden professions Of
amity. Germany is still the sore spot
of Europe and something akin to crime
against mankind will be committed if
she is turned loose, with Krupp works
to manufacture more "Big Berthas."
The league of peace scheme does not for
bid the disarming of Germany, but
neither does it enjoin it, and in this
respect there is grave omission.
international peace must rest on force.
just as. domestic peace does-on force in
the hands of those with sufficient conf
dence in themselves to believe they will
use it righteously and sufficient distrust
Of the justly suspected to deny arms
to them. No one regards the plant of
the burglar who says it is not fair for
the policeman to have a gun while he
is forbidden one. Germany bears a re-
pute which must be regarded in all
treatment of her and any peace SETTLE
ment which ignores this essential fact
is unsafe.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16
What People Are Thinking
The Missouri Gr0uci,
BY Godfrey Parsons

X ANsAs CITY, No. Feb. 11:-Mssouri
~ is cantankerous kind Of state in a
good naturcd, Middle Western way.
st. Louis jeers at Kansas City for the Kan
sas germs in its system, and Kansas City
laughs back heartily and remarks that new
oil company has just moved in from Tulsa,
taking 5000 feet Of office space, "having con-
sdered st. Louis" st. Louis knows that it
is immensely wealthy and solid and that it
is the fourth largest city in the country.
Kansas City knows that it is one-quarter
metropolis, three quarters prairie town, only
half as large as St Louis, but that it's bank
clearances passed those of St. Louis in 1917
and that destiny has marked it out to be
nothing less than the third largest city in
America. New York and Chicago are still
safc.)
So each city jokes at the other, and both
boot at the "downtrodden" farmer, and
everybody jumps on the neck of the "poor"
railroad man, whose wages have more than
doubled. All of this dispute is not peculiar
to Missouri But the arguing has peculiar
Missouran tinge. There is history to sup
port this atmosphere, for the streams of the
South and the North met in Missouri, and
before the free soil dixie built in Kansas by
New England there were swirling waters in
the COS
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16
The Rurnanian Uprising

lhe Rumanlan uprising is reflex from
the mlserles of the war. The Rumanians
had bitter experience Entering the
war with high hopes and alluring visions
OF national expansion, they found them
selves quickly deserted by Russia and
left to the mercy of the German steam
roller.
Within three months Wallachia was
lost. So was the Dobrudja. The Ru-
manian army defended Moldavia for
year. But it had no choice except to sign
the Treaty of Bucharest, once Lenine
and Trotzky had signed the treaty of
Brest-Litovsk. The German occupation
stripped the country clean. The armis-
tice Of November II last rid Rumania
of the Teuton locust. 1t promised polit-
zeal regeneration. But it has brought
so far little material relief A. fertile
soil exists for the sort of unrest which
has shown itself in all the countries of
southeastern Europe, Serbia and Greece
excepted. Rumania is neighbor of the
Ukraine, and the Ukraine has been seeth-
ing for a year with disorder and revolu-
ton.
Yet politically Rumania's future is
secure. All she needs is little patience
in realizing her long cherished dream of
recovering the Pennsylvania Irredenta
Germany gave her back Bessarabia,
appropriated by Russia after the Turk
ish war Of l877'78. The peace confer
ence will restore the Dobrudja and in
addition to Pennsylvania will probably
assign her the greater part of the
Banat of Temesvar. She will become,
after the peace, the strongest Of the for
mer Balkan powers. To all Rumanians
with Aationalistic aspirations the stu
alton is one of brilliant promise Such
unrest as exists must come chiefly from
economic distress and war WEAKNESS.
Possibly there is also something anti
dynastic in it. The old King was an UNI
bending Hohenzollern. He would have
committed his people to the German
cause If he had had the power to do so.
He worked always to prevent Rumanias
adhesion to the Entente But the new
monarch's policy has been thoroughly
nationalstic, and the Queen has shown
herself infexibly anti-Gcrman. The royal
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16

the Fastener is likely to bring with him.
mere has been no outspoken shift of vic
IN missouri with respect to Mr.. Wilson per-
sonally at all commensurate with the shift
IN votes. So far as can be observed, there ia
even less downright criticism of Mr.. Wilson
personally as a war leader here han in tho
East. That is the anomaly of the Wilson
SITUATION, that he seems least attacked
where he lost the most votes,
That is not saying, however. that he has
his old popularity of 1916 when "he kept us
out OF war The drift away from the Presi
dent is many sided. Every one comedies it.
Inc party of outspoken doubters has grown.
Inc attacks of Colonel Roosevelt written for
The Kansas City Star" and widely circu
lated by it have had an important effect far
and wide. Here and there you can detect
candid resentment against an Administra-
uon that was elected on the pacifist issue
and then went to war. eve were buncoed -
as one man put it. That is not common.
however. There is no question that the
picture Of the President does not get the
applause that it once did in the moving
pictures whatever that NAV Indicate
There was the gravest question over the
Presidents trip abroad There is a strong
old-fashioned American prejudice against
entangling alliances
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16
Throttling Reconstruction

Information comes from Albany that
the Senate Finance Committee proposes
to throttle the Governors reconstruction
commission, whose membership repre-
sents a mobilization of the best brains
and experience of the state, by denying
the modest appropriation necessary for
its work. 1t is said the sole problem is
one of securing employment for those
who need it, and that this will largely
take care of itself-that the most which
should be done is to place fund at the
disposal of the Governor, to be spent at
his discretion.
1t is not easy to understand the atti-
tude of the Senate committee. Surely
It's members are no longer under the
control of the idea that only silly up
filters are interested in organized social
betterment. All over the world, in everv
country and among every class, the wis
dom of ordering life better is perceived.
No politics" turks in continuing the
commission. In its makeup partisan
considerations were disregarded. The
Governor selected the best men and
women he could secure, with the result
that the commissions unsalaried per
sonnet is guarantee of intelligent and
earnest service.
The assertion that the problem is only
one OF unemployment is foolish. Besides
getting jobs for the jobless, reconstruc
ton relates to housing, to education. to
industrial relations, to food prices and
distribution, to rebirth of profitable
agriculture in New York State, and to
dozen other important matters. We
are entering on new time, and never.
was need of intelligent oversight great
er. The day of each man for himself.
with neglect of team work, draws to a
close.
The Legislature is under Republican
control, and the suspicion has grown up
that reactionary elements survive in
lt-elements which have little vision and
are unsympathetic to reasonable change
and sound progress. This is the partv's
greatest handicap, and every occasion
should be seized to remove it. The killino
OF the reconstruction commission NAV
not IN itself be an issue of the first
magnitude, but by many it will be es-
teemed symptomatic.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16

President, a strong President of all tie
people, and the thing will be solved" Most
business men feel that some real recon
struction of the relations between labor
and capital is coming. But their ideas are
not formulated and they prefer to wait and
see what the returned soldier wants There
is the occasional pessimist Cor wise man)
who sees grave discomfort everywhere and
feels that the whole country is sitting on
a powder key. But he is the exception,
and there visible signs of discomfort
to support him. Specifically there is
neither l. W. W. nor Bolshevism nor Lon
Partisan League in Missouri in any per-
ceptible strength. Unemployment is not
yet serious either in st. Louis or Kansas
City. There are no serious strikes in =.
Louis. There has been and is still out
standing car strike in Kansas City, but
it has been definitely beaten.
The Dissatisf fed Soldier
There is one other issue in Missouri,
new issue only developing, that has
not made itself strongly felt in the east
ern part of the state, but that hits you ii
the eye in Kansas City every way you turn.
That is the issue of the dissatisfied soldier.
The East has not paid much attention to
Governor Aliens charges of waste of life
in the Argonne fighting. Governor Allen is
the idol of Kansas and his voice carries far
out here-even if it stops short of St.
Louis But what he said would go for little
if it were not confirmed by story after
story from the lips of returning soldiers.
This has, of course, all arisen since last
November. The papers are now full of It.
The talk everywhere is full of it. One Or
the abest and best informed men of Kan
sas City, an astute business man and =
political power in the Democratic party,
discussed it thus:
'As I see it, the returned soldiers are
going to decide the next elections. And
I'm sorry to say it, but they all have one
feeling, and that is that they weren't treat
ed right. They didn't have what they
ought to have had to fight with. Baker for
President? Why, he'd be showed under out
here"
Whether this feeling is localized in the
Kansas district. or is widespread remains
to be seen. Certainly there has been moth
ing in the East to compare with it, The
ugliest stories are in circulation. Whether
they will ultimately prove to be only COS
sip of the dsgruntled not, it seems GER
tain that with all the direct charges being
made here there must sooner or later be
Congressional investigation of the Who'll,
military conduct of the A. E. f. The issue
is not at all partisan in its inception
motive. The desire is to know the facts,
let them hit where they will. In the result
the issue may prove to be the controlling
factor in the public mind OF it may lie
dssipated completely. At least it deserves
prominent mention in any account of the
Middle Western mind at the present writ
ing.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16
Full Rights for
Polish Jews
By Elias obenkin

New York Tribune
Foreign Press Bureau.
BERNIE, Jan. 20 (By maD.-Jews will
have all the rights Of any other citizen in
the new Polish state, according to August
Zoleski, charge d'affares of the Polish e
ration here He expressed himself most
emphatically against the recent pogroms in
Lcmburg. He said: "Fifteen hundred per-
sons were arrested and sixty were executed
for taking part in these anti-Jewish out
breaks. A committee Of five has been ap-
pointed by the Polish government to sift
the matter to the bottom. Two Of the COM
mittcc arc we'll known Jews, DR.. Hausner
and M. Diamand, the latter a former Aus
trian Deputy and leader of Galician Social
lists The Polish government has announced
that it will pay damages to the families Of
the pogrom victims. All Polish citizens
have equal rights under the present gov
eminent. The word Jew will not appear in
Ahc Polish constitution"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16
Breshkovsky's Indictment

All other indictments of the Bolsheviki
fade into weakness when compared with
the outburst of Nine. Breshkovsky be-
fore the Senate Overman committee
which is Investigating German propa-
ganda. This woman who has spent the
best years of her life in prison and in
exile because Of her struggle for Rus
sian freedom was asked how she would
choose between the Gar and the men
now in power in Russia Her answer
was: 81 have served thirty-two years
in prison and in exile to save Russia
from the Gar, but l would serve thirty
two more years to put him back if this
is to go on instead. Certainly we prefer
a Car to Trotzky."
That is the testimony of Russian
woman who knows at first hand what
Bolshevism means and what Czarism
ing one of numerous sentences of Danish
ment, imposed by the Cars agents, in a
far Siberian mining town. Released by
special order of the revolution and es-
corted in triumph to Moscow and Petro-
grad the Bolsheviki condemned her to
death because she raised her voice for
popular government, for a constituent
assembly. Only the cunning derived
from life time of eluding the Cars
police enabled her, in the evening of her
days, to escape the Red Terror. In her
flight she recrossed Russia and saw what
had followed the Lenine- Trotzky regime
Her few words of description counter
balance volume of speculation: "They
destroyed" she said, mot only our fac
tories and our mills and our business
they destroyed our brains, for they
strike down the most intelligent people,
the best editors, the best professors, the
best thinkers and leaders of the people,"
Through education she saw liberty for
Russia. And when the revolution came,
eve said Now, at last we can build
but the Bolsheviki came, and the cry is
destroy, destroy, destroy!'"
Attracted by the news that Nine
Breshkovsky was to testify, friends of
the Bolsheviki focked to the hearing
with notebooks in their hands, but they
sat silent and few notes were taken.
The epidemic of hold-ups in New York
does not disturb the police. Thus far,
the bandits have confined their depre-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16

and strengthen the anti-Administration
feeling among independent voters. Let it
be added, however, that it did not arouse
IS much bitterness as might be expected.
The independent Middle West went for
Mr.. Wilson in 1915 because it devo.edly
believed in him, and his partisan plea, while
it hurt these voters and made them feel
that Mr.. Wilson needed JOLT did not by
any means wipe out their admiration for
him. 1t was strong enough to send voters
back to their old party lines-that was all.
Whether they stay there will depend on
the course of the Republican party quite
as much as upon Mr.. Wilson.
The case of the farmer is peculiar. He
comes in for much wrath on the part of
city Missourians. If we are to believe them
he has succeeded to the old unenviable
notoriety of the wellknown capitalistic
plutocrats. So far from being pictured as
The Man with Hoe and pitied and sue
cored by Mr.. Hearst with prattle about
the dignity of ploughing, he should be
drawn IS fat capitalist sitting in a large
motor car entirely surrounded by money
bags,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16
Europe a Far Country

But, save in certain circles, the prevail
ing talk does not centre about the President
or attack him. The old American view Of
the PRESIDENT as a sacrosanct parsonage
probably accounts for part Of this reticence.
The fact that Missouri is long. long way
from Europe accounts for some more. So
far as the Paris conference goes. there is
not nearly the interest in 1t here that there
is East. The general attitude is one Of
silent neutrality. The papers carry the
same news dispatches our papers, but
much less conspicuously displayed. The
movies show President Wilson and Colonel
House entering the Quai d'Orsay the same
week that Broadway sees them. But it ia
all distinctly further away-less real Here
lies an interesting study in group psychol-
ogy. The mere miles hardly explain it, for.
from all accounts, the Pacific Coast was and
IS keener about the foreign aspects of the
war than the Mississippi Valley. Yet GER
tainly, when asked, the Middle West shout
dered its share of the war with will II
surpassed the East in volunteers. and the
st. Louis district was first over the ton in
all save one of the Liberty loans, What
ever the cause, the Presidents course in
Paris is not followed with the same atten-
ton to detail as in New York
These are all factors which may explain
part of the Middle Western silence with re-
spect to the President But they do not
cover all of it in Missouri. There is dis
position here to wait and see. Apparently
also, there is tendency to distinguish be-
tween the President as the nations leader in
war and peace making and the President as
the head of the Administration. AS will ap-
pear, Missouri has made up it's mind about
the Administration. 1t seems to have re-
served judgment on the President as c, =
mander in chief and head of our foreign
policy.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16
Too Kicks

Now, there are two explanations Of Mis-
souri's shift that one hears more frequently
than any others.
The first is the farmers kick about cot
ton.
The second is the Presidents appeal for q
Democratic Congress.
The latter has a bearing on the question
of the Presidents personal standing
Whatever it's exact effect, there seems
no doubt that it helped far and wide to
confirm discomfort and reinforce suspicious
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16


for the payment by Germany of
that immense bill which the Hun has
rolled up against himself through the
theft or destruction of works of art In
urging the settlement of that account by
the transference to France and Belgium
of masterpieces in German galleries,
have had from the start no difficulty in
showing how just are the claims Of the
creditors in the case. But we have not
hitherto been able to cite such tokens as
have recently become available Of definite
action by responsible bodies.
The French are resolved to collect, The
Academic des Beaux Arts has expressed
its views on the subject. Other public
societies have addressed the government
in favor of German reparation in kind,
and resolution has been brought up in
the Chamber of Deputies. 1t appears not
improbable that as the movement crystal
Lies in official form the demand of the
French will be concentrated upon works
of French art in Germany and that Bel
GUM will similarly confine herself to
requisition of Flemish paintings. Mean
while the important point is to get the
peace conference to recognize the broad
principle involved, and to that end it Is
good to have the cooperation of every
organization dedicated to the things of
the mind.
We congratulate the National Institute
of Arts and Letters upon the resolution
which was introduced at its annual meet
ing and unanimously passed by acclama-
ton. 1t reads as follows:
of Arts and Letters petition the peace
commissioners of the United States to
require that the peoples of Germany and
of Austria Hungary shall return what
has been stolen and shall make repara-
ton for all injury and destruction, as
may be juridicaly determined by pay
ing from the stores of Belgian, French,
and Italian works of art, accumulated
in the public museums of Germany and
Austria Hungary; and that. so far as
possible, the payment be made, picture
for picture, statue for statue, object Of
art for object Of art.
Resolved: That this exaction be de-
manded not merely as indemnity in kind
but also decree of justice, to satisfy
the soul of civilized humanity. and to
warn the world in future that repara-
ton is foreordained a reply to dep
relation.
No better service could be rendered to
the cause than is offered through a declars-
ton of this kind. The institute may claim.
from the nature of its membership. to
speak for peculiarly significant branch
of public opinion. It's appeal should have
influence, and, we may add, it is to be
hoped that other American organizations
will follow its example. The peace confer
ence should receive every possible testi-
mony to the widespread conviction that
Germany. in atonement for what she has
done to the artistic patrimonies of France
and Belgium, must pay to the utteruiost
farthing.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16

house has clearly purged itself Of Hohen-
zollernism. In countries passing through
the pangs Of defeat revolution is natural.
1t seems irrational and abnormal in Ru-
mania, which is about to cross the
threshold of new era of security and
prosperity.