davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
No League Better Than
Bad League

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Mr. George W. Wickersham. in a
letter printed in your columns on the 18th
instant, suggests rather remarkable argu-
ment in favor of the acceptance Of the COW
enant of the league of nations in its present
Objectionable and dangerous form.
The argument is twofold.
His first point comes down to this: that
while a majority vote will suffice to amend
the covenant, solid Democratic vote may
then prevent the ratification of the covenant
as amended, because tWo-thirds vote is es-
sential to ratification. These premises are
sound enough. 1t is the conclusion sought
to be drawn from them that invites atten-
ton. That conclusion is that the majority
should accept the covenant as it is, without
attempting to improve it, because if it is
improved the Democrats will reject it alto
gcther. AS no league at all is better than a
bad league, this argument proves the reverse
of Mr.. Wickersham's proposition.
His second point is like unto HIS first. 1t
amounts to this: that if the Senate ratfes
the treaty after making substantial improve
mentS, the contract Will not blnd other ma
tions unless they assent to the changes
True again. But surely this is not reason
for refraining from making the improve
ments., The strong and wise would present
a sorry spectacle if they were always to
withhold their convictions lest they should
not receive the assent of the weak and
foolish.
Let the majority in the Senate make the
three radical amendments needed to unload
the high explosives which the covenant at
present contains. If the minority then make
ratification impossible, the responsibility
will be theirs. If, however, the covenant
is ratified as amended, we need have no fear
that the other nations will refuse assent
G.. w. PEPPER.
Philadelphia, Penn, July 16, 1917
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Second Hand "Pron1s"

10 the Editor Of The Tribune.
sir: Because there rs NOT safc.frt
money in their homes 20 hav h.f. ear-
riages and go-carts HUNDREDS of poor |t'is
babies of the tenement dlstlicts afe seni
indoors all summer long. Jus' nfa' lnlt
means IN illness and mortality fs nat rssf
TO determine. but one needs huf cors.ir-
the devitalizlng effects wh ch confna,ntn.
in dark. sticky. bot homes means fa Ne.e
unfortunate children 90 get oa a.... .ts.
tion Of their needs
Would 1t be possible for taa e. r.
TINS letter or news item uere.
least one hundred second .rant r.tr..,a
Tor these helpless little tot. Nr aav
nave about twelve hundred roor faa les
under our care. and our anarcial resources
are barely sufficient TO pro, llc living nee
ceFslties. much less furnish 50. carts nri
carriages, much as We should l.i.. ia la .o.
Our appeals IN past hot-Wcaihrr saa.pns
have met with hearty r,soon .e. nra pt ht-
leVe that among your renders tsrir rfe
many who have these carriaecs or hsna
not in use
II would be appreciated very mfea
they could be sent TO Mrs. Helene ir.i.a.
care of the New York Association far
proving the Condition Of the Poor. ioa fss-
Twenty second Street.
WARREN L. llcnIFOef
Director Of Publication.
New York. July Is. 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Creelism in Diplomacy

1t is reported that the permanent
members Of the diplomatic corps greatly
resent the manner in which they have
been recently shunted aside. Paris
swarmed with diplomats of the amateur
type during the early months of the
peace conference. Astonishing selec-
tions were made for confidential mis-
sions. The Creel Bureau of Public In
formation apparently took oyer the
work of telling The American delegates
how things stood in Eastern and Central
Europe and of telling the Eastern and
Central European peoples how they stood
with the United States.
The qualified diplomats who have
made their way by merit feel that they
have been ignored. Recent promotions
have increased the suspicion that anna
teurism and tendency to Creeism are
the best qualifications for recognition
There is talk of "strike" and of whole
sale designations.
The war has upset standards gen.
orally. But in delicate business like ad-
justing the relations of sensitive states
and collecting impressions in strange
lands trained judgment and familiarity
with alien conditions are more desirable
than ever. The United States started
in a dozen years or more ago to create
permanent, experienced body of diplo-
mats. But interest in Washington in
the maintenace Of such body has
lamentably waned. 1t should be revived.
Men who make career of diplomacy
are useful both in emergencies and in
ordinary times
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
A Democrat Approves
To the Editor of The Tribune.

10 the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: To say that was very much
amused, we'll as pleased, to read an arti-
Gle in your paper this morning, headed "A
Disappointed Reader is putting it mildly
Now, to begin with. the disappointed one
is doubt dyed the wool Republican
who can see only one side of ISSUE and
that is his side. The writer has also been
a subscriber to your paper for number of
years, and his politics lean Democratic and
! must say you got under my skin a num-
Der Of times particularly during the Will
son campaigns. Several times | felt like
writing but on second thought | came TO
the conclusion that, after you saw your
mistakes YOU would acknowledge them
which you did like man.
Then, again, you almost got my goat
when once more you came out in your true
colors and this is the spirit you Are being
criticised for by dsgruntlcd reader 1t
is better you lose reader of that calihrc
and retain those who like an honest opinion
AN ADMIRER
New York, July 10, 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Wet DIouth

A little faith in signs and portents
makes life more bearable than all the
science and wisdom of our unjustly cele-
brated modern times. SO at least one
>, IS pessimistically disposed to hold in a
universe leaking at the caves, mud to
the knee and sodden with MUSTER wet
ness than any 275 keg, place the decimal
where you will
8 = Back in better times forty davs of
rain was good for a brand new faith
and eternal fame for an otherwise in
conspicuous Bishop Of Winchester. That
vas IN the ninth century, when st.
Swithin remained buried where he willed
.soeeause the rain fell for forty DAYS,
beginning July Is. Now, in the nine
ieenth century. we embark upon a fresh
sea OF ram, and if ever portent was
intended there it drips. When in a
thousand years would siege of rain
De as pat and neat and significant a
retort as in this year of omniscience.
when hundred million Of people set for
themselves an indetermnate sentence If
utter drouth?
"ha' does the portent mean? Is it
approval Of the Eighteenth Amend
rnsntC-or jecring condemnation? Are
the gods weeping with tears Of iov or
tears Of laughter? All, there, alas, is
where our century fails 50 grievously!
tn ths1ntter darkness Of the ninth CEN
lsury nothing was simpler. Every one
= Knew at once They we're used 10 signs
IN those comfortable days and read
them as handily as we Of to-day can
.,decipher box score or plot the moec-
nlar structure of sugar. All this wis
dom we have sacrificed for our science
which can only utter from day To day
the dreary, unintcrpretsd words "More
t>showers." Or if we turn to the news
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
The angled A. E. F.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: General Butts's recent letter,
suppose, was intended to invite reply
from those who were lover there"
Of course, there were many officers and
men in places of responsibility who were
inexperienced and many who were incom-
petent worse. We have only ourselves
to blame for our shortsightedness in prep
aration If it had not been for few men
like our late sPrcsident Colonel Roosevelt
and General Wood we would have hat even
fewer and less trained officers.
One night in September, 1918, on the
road south of Avocourt I found whole
division stalled. was told that some of
them had been there two days. I under
stand many officers were relieved as re.
suit of the jam. I know it took me near
two hours to walk from the head 20 the
rear Of the column on the way back TO my
batteries from a reconnaissance trip. That
same night and the next | saw columns of
ambulances moving, hating, crawling slow
ly from Avocourt to Esnes. Some of the
drivers told me their men had had nothing
to eat for two days and no treatment
The traffic regulations were undoubtedly
badly managed. AT first there was no sys-
TEN Of one-way two-way roads. Trucks
and tractors, guns, horses and everything
tried to get through wherever there was an
opening; result chaos Aftorwnrd they
used coloneIs and majors as NJ. P's. and
then began to get order Later road maps
were issued showing the permissible direc-
ton of traffic, but so far as know these
were not issued to any one except the NJ
P.s, so you had to take chance with YOUR
ammunition trains and other vehicles. and
perhaps make detour Of ten or twenty
kilometres.
North or Esnes were directed 20 rec
onnoitrc for new battery positions for our
1b5 G. p, F.'s after the September 26 often
sivc. In Malincourt we found an ammuni
'tion train headed back toward Haucourt.
They claimed to have been turned back hy
an NJ. T. Thinking perhaps some one was
afraid TO 90 on, We advanced toward Mont
faucon whcrc were supposed 10 20
into position. It looked perfectly safr ln:l
shells began 90 pass in over our heads and
machine gun fro in front and on our left
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Europe Would Agree

That intimations have come from
London and Paris of a willingness on
the part of Great Britain and France
to agree to the reservations to the COW
enant of peace that the Senate is dis
posed to make is no surprise. Only among
the gullible has there been any fear that
the treaty would fail, or that the COW
enant would fail if interpreted in ad
vance.
A tom-tom has been loudly beaten to
arouse apprehensions along these lines;
but the tom-tom beaters were not them
selves deceived-their tongues were in
their cheeks They abandoned the claim
that "peace" was in danger when the
embargo on trade with Germany was
lifted; and the claim that the covenant
would everywhere be rejected .if we al
tered a word is put forth more and
more feeby.
The statesmen of London and Paris
we're placed in an artificial position.
They were compelled to deal with the
President as if he were the whole of
when he declared that America wanted
what he wanted. No channel of COM
muncation with the Senate was open
10 them, and as they wished very much
to please America and to cooperate
with her, the only possible way to pro-
iced was to agree to what the President
asked
But they knew it was doubtful
whether they were pleasing America.
When it developed that America wished
Changes they were quite willing to ac-
cept them. AS sensible men they assess
the covenant for about what it is worth.
They see some good in it, and also see
..aat the proposed reservations do not
destroy this good
So they gladly coincide with respect
10 the proposed reservations. What they
seek is to have this countrys name at
the bottom Of any sort of agreement;
and if this is achieved other things seem
# inconsequential
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
The Red Cross of Ships

The repair Of ships which have suf-
fered from the depredations of the tor
pedo and the mine during the war was
carried out under the supervision of the
British government Department for the
Control of Mercantile Ship Repairing,
which was established in June, 1917, by
Sir Eric Geddes, then Admiralty Con-
troller. The director in chief was Colo
mel H. M. Grayson, M. p, who organized
the work not only at British ports, but
at American, French and Italian ports.
The department was created at time
when the shipbuilding output was de-
creasing, enemy submarine efforts were
increasing and various ports were con-
gested with damaged ships which were
being neglected in regard to labor and
material. The first step which Colonel
Grayson and his associate, Mr.. G.. s.
F. Edwards, took was to appoint we'll
known ship repairers in each of the
large ports of the country to act as
district superintendents. These were re-
sponsible, under the directors of the
department, for the ALLEGATION of dry
docks and the distribution of repair
work. Surveyors inspected and report
ed upon repairs in hand and daily de-
tailed reports were forwarded to the
head Office at the Admiralty Here d
complete record was kept of the move
ment of ships in and out of drydocks,
both to assist the expeditions handling
of urgent repair cases and for the in
formation of the naval forces.
When the department was established
there was not only congestion Of dis
abled ships at different ports, but forty
two ships, representing 250,000 tons,
which had been attacked by submarines,
were lying ashore on the Irish coasts and
the south coast of England. In co0pera-
tion with the salvage section of the Ad-
miralty and private salvage organiza
tons these ships were speedily refloated
distributed to ship repairing centres and
turned out again for active work under
conditions which combined highly scien-
tifc methods of temporary repairs with
the adoption Of labor saving Devices
many of the ships are now undergoing
the more complete repairs necessary for
prolonged service during the present
shortage Of tonnage
During the period of intensive subma-
rne attack the War Cabinet, at the re-
quest of the Allies, appointed Colonel
Grayson to act also as an adviser Of ship
repairs at the chief ports of the United
States, France and Italy. In recognition
Of the organizations which he assisted in
promoting he was recently decorated as
Commander of the Order of the Grown
of Italy and an officer Of the French
Legion of Honor
The enterprise Of British ship repair
ers under the guidance Of Colonel Gray
son is shown by the official record that,
from July, 1917, to the end of February,
1919, there we're repaired $1,000 ships,
representing 55,000,O0O gross tonnage.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Double Fares and Transfers

In the statement accompanying his
order to the Corporation Counsel to liti-
gate the order of the Public Service
Commission authorizing 2-cent charge
for transfers, Mayor Hylan says:
"When we stop to consider that the
Eighth Avenue Railroad Company is
getting 26.5 per cent on a capitalization
of S1000,000, the Twenty y-thrd Street
Railroad Company 2113 per cent on its
capital stock, the Forty-second and Grand
Street Railway Company 224 per cent on
its capital stock, and other lines getting
large return on their capitalization,
then the sympathizers with the transit
corporations are bold enough to tell US
that the poor transit lines are unable to
make profit"
Receiver Hedges, Of the New York
Railways Company, fatly contradicts the
Mayors assumption. He says that his
computation took no account of rentals
In one column he placed fare receipts
and in another the sum paid for wages,
etc. Says Mr.. Hedges:
eve showed that during the six months
ended March 81, 1919, the system earned
in operating income above operating ex-
penses and taxes only $2O1 ,265. During
those six months the system not only
completely failed to pay its rentals, but
failed to pay the interest on the small
underlying mortgages the railroads
actually owned by it by over $4,000"
What is the property worth? One ap-
praisal places the replacement value at
S126,000,000 Another, made on a pre-
war basis of prices and with generous
allowances for depreciation, was $780,
100000. The city's expert admitted that
the latter estimate was low, and the re-
ceiver himself says the value Of property
used in the public service, judged as
property and with no capitalization Of
leases, is more than $100,00O,OOO. SO
earnings were but one-Gfth to one tenth
on actual values, at per cent.
bargain is bargain The predeces-
sors of the present owners, taking the
risk of loss in the hope of gain, agreed
to carry for 5 cents. During the
profitable business the owners had profits
Ai"4i oiicil DdISdlN. lncy SUUcf now
that the tide swings the other way. But
the public did not guarantee the integ-
rity Of the investment.
NO issue Of coniiscation is involved.
Though nothing is left for the owners,
even though every penny is lost which
mas been invested, the public would seem
TO have moral right to insist on
carrying out Of the bargain
The question to be. considered. then, is
whether the public will be better of from
enforcing its contract or from modifying
1t. Here is q matter Of expediencv and
Of judgment. 1t is we'll known that the
large traction systems are made up from
consolidation Of antecedent small
ones. Together, except by public per
mission, only one fare may be charged.
But here comes the rub. There is no
way to compel the scattered lines to
keep together. Indeed, when there is
default in rentals the leased property
goes back TO its true owners.
This means that under present cond
tions there shall be a splitting up, with
5-cent fare on each line. Many persons
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Respectfully Referred to Our
Readers

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Two gentlemen have a controversy
over the proper New York pronunciation Of
Greenwich One gentleman contends TINT
our Greenwich Village in New York should
be pronounced the same the word is
pronounced in England that is. "Grcnitch. "
The other gentleman claims that in New
York this section Of tho city. locally and
colloQuiaily, should be pronounced as it is
Spelled that is. Green wich.
NATHANIEL GINSBvRG.
Newark, n. J., July l6. 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22

HEINZ IN auueu thlS year the clamo,f.
of centennial to the customa..
pleasure of a trip through the VIII,
Mountains.
Those who reach the mountains by ~,
limousine trail in these soft and easy t;r,o.
as we'll as those who earn hv thoir ou.'
strength the thrill Of standing on Mo-.
Washington's topmost point and seq IL,
whole world rolling and glistcuing at tho.
feet, will renew their venerat:on this Gun.
mer for Ethan Allan Crawford. who ,...
the first bride path up the mountain -
1919
Even in these days Of automobile ro,s,
and perfectly marked trails. With the A..
lightfully appointed hnts Of The Ann,is
chan Club to make the way coflYars4i,..,-.
easy forsthe climber, il is easy io ,iena,...
the mountain of one hundred years aqo
SO grudgingly does Nature admit man ,
her topmost retreat that one has ori,, :,
peer sharply into the savage ,yelter 80
rocks and rotted pine stumps fifty feet
from the tracks of that thorouph.v co,,,o
tent and civilized little railroad tha. CON.
veys the twentieth century visitor to ,ho
summit or has only to venture a few stems
from one OF the broad trails to ind him
self Immediately in &. painless waste of
fallen logs and scrubby underhrush
waste no less cruel and forbidd;nc +ba,
that which tempted Crawford one hundred
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22

from Washington in heartsick effort
to learn the bearings and future of our
drouth (that is and ever shall be, let
the heavens pour down what they wilD
we find only the same sort of message,
more Congress"
Let the rain fall on!
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
A Spine. After All

Gfrom The Omaha Bcc)
Secretary Baker has shown some signs Of
backbone. having denied General Anscll's
request that all courts martial sentences be
referred to him for review. A little of this
hrmness earlier in the game would have
saved lot of scandal.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Bad and Worse

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: It's bad enough to have +. ?. A. in
the middle of tho editorial page It's add
ing insult TO injury to have to hunt for
Briggs. G. l.. f. and f.. Nj. f.
New York, July II, 1919
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Where the Trail Starts

The fact that this first path was not only
cruelty rough, but also that ' lay nnoa
uneven ground, compelling the traveller %
climb up and down one hill after another
IN truitlcss waste of strength. led Ffhsa
Allan Crawford in 1919 to seek or. Fl more
comfortable route to the ever heekorirr
summit. After three days in company with
surveyor, the route Of the famaa birdie
path was discovered, following itc bod Of
the Ammonoosuc River to the f0o. Of
Mount Washington, comparatively love
stretch for seven miles. then startin,
abruptly up a spur Of the mountain The
path was cut by Crawford and his WORK
men IN the summer just before ha, ny
1t was the anniversary Of this cutting
which was celebrated last week hy 'hc Gree
ton of shaft and tablet n the ber.nn. sg
OF the trail near the Crawford House The
explanatory tablet was the gif, - Ire
United States Forest Service. which las
found, after one hundred years. thar Fthnn
Allan Crawford's trail was the best .n the
mountain, and has made it Uncle SAM,
own.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22

To the Editor of The Tribune.
SIR Wouldn't We have n grand and
glorious feeling" to have Briggs back in
his old pew on the last page
c. r. ROpENBoUGH
Eaaton, Penn, July 10. 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
GUARAN TEE

purchase merchandise advertised In ThE
TRIBUNE with absolute safcoT II dissatisfaction ro-
salts In any THE TRIBUNE guarantees to pay your
money hack upon request. No red tape. No auibDns.
We make good promptly II the advertiser does not
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Gaseous Citizrnship

From The bridgeport STANDARD Tficsee.sA
All tho imitation isn't confined TO .hs cHH-
rency Sometimes schemes 10 change e
slow and orderly Improvement Of the hum.s
raee become distcndcd with Raa.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Perhaps Both

fFrom Vhe Columbia Record)
ITO beer or mot TO beer 2" that is the
question.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22

waste no less cruel and forbiddinc +ba,
that which tempted Crawford one hundred
years ago.
The Cra,cford Giant
He was gigantic figure I'VE read in q
musty old book), nearly seven feet ia.
accustomed since childhood 10 the hard.
ships Of pioneer life in the log cabin whjc,
stood where the Crawford House now
stands, but which was then thirty miles
from the nearest village of Fryburg over =
road to be traversed only on horseback
Until he was thirteen years old he had
never hat or mittens or shoes but be-
came so hardy that he could perform all
the ordinary chores of mountain life, har
Messing the horses and chopping down
trees, barefooted in the snow This child
hood prepared him (nasmuch as il did not
Kill him) for the feats of strength which
afterward endeared him to summer travellers
IN the mountain, to the heroines of the
William Dean Howells period, who were
wont to faint on the trail It was not -
all unusual for him to go to the rescue of
women IN distress and carry them down
the mountain side on his shoulder. One
such, legend declares, he carried half way
down the side of Mount Washington.
AS late as the year 1913, the hardsnips of
the climb, even TO these mountain giants
are described as follows:
"As they ascended the trees changed
from the maple and birch TO the spruce
and hemlock, became much smaller in size
at the same time thicker. while their wav
was much more broken and rough -
length from forcing their way through the
thick growth, they were compelled to stoon
and go under the scraggy branches Of the
rough, stiff hemlocks and spruces that sent
out their long limbs and interlaced them ~
form barriers that practically inpass-
able At each ascending step they were
forced to stoop still lower, until from rieh-
angles they almost touched the ground with
their faces When they could proceed 70
further in this way, they forced their wsg.
up through the matted tops Of the tree,
and walked on the low stuntod voeeta-ion
as upon moss.
Their clothes were not only almost ,orn
from their backs, but their bodies we're
lacerated sorely by their pcrilous ma,ca
under the dwarfish growth
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
MEMBER or TILE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Associated Press exclusively entitled to the use
,cr republication OK all dispatches credited to 1t or
not credited in This and also the local
news OF Spontaneous origin published herein.
AL rights republication o, all other matter herein
also reserved
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
In Praise of
An Old Trail
By Emma Bugbee

tt HERE is added this year the clamo~s
of centennial to the customsr.
pleasure of trip through the VIII,
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22

fortabe classes and every aapper had been
pressed into service. And at the same time
the interest is constantly stimulated by all
sorts Of "stunts" along the roadway and in
the air
New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Pennsylvania Ia Heard From

Newark, n. j., July l6, 1919.