Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-23
CONGRESSMAN MOORE'S
LETTER
Philadel phians at Walls les Bains.
Robert Nj. McWade's Visiting
Card-Some Local Historians
Washington. y. C.. Arril o3. 1919.

Washington. y. G., April %. 1919.
LNNACTMENT of espionage laws in certain
- of the states may not chime in alto
gcthcr with national sentiment. There seems
to be disposition to remove from the statute
books of the United States many of the re-
strictonS imposed by espionage and other
Sumptuary laws made necessary by the war.
1t is known that many prisons throughout
the country are now holding in leash men
who have friends who will agitate for their
release on the ground that they were the
victims of prejudice or fanaticsm. The at
torney general has indicated that he docs not
now desire the co operation of what have
been called "snooping" or Spying socic-
tics that made life miserable for men and
women who expressed themselves too freely
about war conditions Nor is Congress dis
posed to add to the restrictions that have
been imposed on the individual The ten
dency will be rather to encourage the indi-
vidual upon Amcricanization lines and to
release business from many of its war limi-
tatons. There is talk of bills to repeal some
of the burdensome war regulations, and much
of this is due to the discussion of court
martial procedure. which, despite the defense
set up by Secretary Baker, does not seem to
be- in favor with the great mass of the repre-
sentativcs of the people.
rTIIERE is ono place in France about which
we are hearing through the activities of
the Young Mems Christian Association, and
that is Nals les Bans, which as interpreted
into plain English suggests ''thc valley of
fountains" Here the Y. NJ. &. A. cstab-
iShcd itself as a resort for soldiers on leave.
1t is Il playground and garden spot thrown
together where the soiOurnng 'Ganks' may
drink of the fountains. canoe on the lakes,
,1 ,1,
of the legions of Caesar. Some phiadel
phans are located at this place. Captain
Theodore II. Maui. Quartcrmaster. is one of
them, and David s. Bradcn, of the y. NJ.
{. \. personnel. is another. Miss Katherine
w. Barnes, of l1aycrfOrd, is among the hos
tcsscs and entertainers, and there are several
others from points in Pennsylvania and New
Jersey.
DOBERT VI. McWADE. now senior cx
~ pert concilation commissioner of the
United States Department of Labor. has the
George W. ChildS habit of mcmoriaizing the
dignity of labor. On his visiting card h has
the motto. "I.aborarc est 0rarc.' very much
as Mr. Childs used to have an inscription at
the portals of his Office. Robert also pays
his respects to those who persist in labor
troubles by adding. STRIKERS are n menace
to our nations progress and prosperity
That also was favortc sentiment of George
w. Childs. When some Philadelphia friends
chided the former city editor of the Public
Ledger about his being n 'cOnciiator.' he
blandly remarked. 1T takes fighting Irish
man to stopfa fight; and that now is the
business in which Robert is engaged. lie
has been sent by the secretary of labor on
very important missions to the Pacific coast.
to New Orleans. to Florida and, in fact, to
most of the states of the | Mon.
Az ANONYMOUS writer who appears
to have been South recently, but who
claims to be a Pennsylvania taxpayer. ad
vanc"s the following inquiry: 'Now that
the United States naval training camp, Key
West. Fla. has been closed, why have they
five officers and twenty four men as care
takers, when same can be taken care of by
three marine guards?" Bearing in mind
that it is not good newspaper practice to
publish anonymous communications and
that the same are always accepted in the
departments with a grain of salt, it does not
necessarily follow that every writer who does
not afiX his name to the information he for
wards is wholly obivious to what is going
on around him in the expenditure of public
funds.
DHILADELPIIIA has more authors and
L writer's than is generally known. In fact,
Philadelphia always has been n great lit
crary center without the advantages of pub
lirity which seem to hold in Boston and New
York. Whenever former Governor Penny
packer met Bay State author he usually
held his own from the historical viewpoint.
The American Philosophical Society. whose
hcad0lIartNrS are still on Independence
Square. is filled with authors and writer's
whose works are of value and who can quote
| history far in advance OF anything New
| York has produced. The Congressional Ii
| brary at Washington checks up these things.
| Recently two volumes. entitled "Chroniclcs
| of PENNSYLVANIA from the English Rcvolu
| ton to the Peace of AK In { Chapelle 1888
| 174S." by C,arics =. Keith. have been en-
| tered up there. They highly creditable
to PENNSYLVANIA aud Philadelphia to whom
| Mr. Keith has devoted his unsclish labors
! This sam" Philadelphia author some years
| ago produced THE Provincial Councillors of
Pennsylvania. l733-l716." and The An
ccStry of benjamin llarrson.
WILLIAM COPELAND FURBER, who
! w takes an active interest in the business
Science club of Philadelphia. belongs to that
artistic group Of builders who put ideas into
practice When John Barrett. the globe
| trottcr, who is director general Of the Pan
| American | mOn was hoOn0bhlug with An
| drew Carnegie and others about the laS-
American Union building in Washington.
which is one of the show places here Furbcl
was frequently in consultation with him. If
any one who Gatrrni2cs with Furber at
the Union League, or at the business Sci
cncc Club or New Jersey Society, happens
TO note IA sort Of league of uations tone to
the conversation. the Barrett connection may
account for it. for John Barrett claims tC
have helped establish a real league of nations
in South and Central America before the
Big Four" got down to work.