The Washington times., 1920-12-19
Today
Queer Patriotism.
Has Carpenter a Chance?
How to Be Robbed.
One Minute Per Man.
ARTHUR BRISBANE
(CopyrIght. issO).

ing ABOUT DetS OH tne coming PtiIS
fight between Dempsey and Car
pentier. America will bet five or
six to one on Dempsey, mixture Of
American-Indian and Irish blood.
The inquiring Frenchman says
ne can lose no money, because,
while Americans give odds on their
man, French patriotism" will bet
even money or better" on the
Frenchman.
Taking odds here to be laid off
In France, with the help of French
patriotism, makes loss impossible
Tor the international bettor.
What is patriotism? Why
should it make American crowds
howl with Indignation at the sug-
gestion that the Frenchman's fists,
obsolete weapons, may beat the
American? The answer is that,
while fists as weapons are obsolete,
admiration of fighting and the
wolf instinct are still with US.
The years are not many, fifteen
thousand or thereabouts, since
among our ancestors "the old man"
aged thirty to forty ruled the fam
lily by the power Of his fists and
arms, terrorized the Young men,
and thought he owned all the
women, which, luckily for these
generations, he did not.
Once the only thing that counted
was the power to knock another
man down. That is all there was
to Richard the Lion Hearted, and
all the chivalrous knights from
Launcelot to Don Quixote. They
put the gallop of a horse back Of
their punch" and sometimes
fought for an idea instead of gate
money. There was no other diff
ference.
Ten thousand young voices ex-
claim: "Never mind the has-beens.
Has Carpenter any chance against
Dempsey"
He has, young men; all the
chance Of rapid-fire gun against
a whippet tank. The tank, prob
ably, will roll over the machine
gun. But the gun MAY put a bull
let in the right spot and stop the
tank.
The American fighter has the
more powerful muscles, the
Frenchman the better nerves. And
he will not be in the least afraid
Of the champion, which is 80 per
cent of every fight. Don't bet. Let
your patriotism find some other
expression.
"A lady with fine earrings, dia-
, tnond rings, best clothes on, is
bound for dinner dance in the
evening. Her husband sees "a
white taxicab trimmed with green"
running along and tells the driver
to 60 for his wife. The driver
goes, takes the wife to a spot in
the park, where two gentlemen are
waiting A pistol is pointed, the
lady steps out and waits while she
is robbed of rings, earrings and
money, even her stockings
searched. Then the driver and
robbers, genial confederates, drive
off together, leaving her in the
road, fortunately not injured physi-
cally.
What better encouragement to
crime than sending an unknown
taXicab, most convenient machine
for robbery, to take Il well-dressed,
bejeweled woman on an errand
through the park or through lone
some streets after dark?
There are responsible taxicab
companies, with reliable drivers.
There are associations of independ-
ent taxicab drivers, careful in
admitting members to their organ
izations, thoroughly reliable.
There are il vidual taXicab
owners, operat e individually,
perfectly honest There are also
Jail birds and professional Grim
inals, scores of them in every big
city, running taxicabs as a side
issue for part of livelihood,
waiting for a chance to rob women
or men as their serious business.
II you don't 1Cdnt to be robbed,
call a tdricdb With a reputation
k:no9cn to yoa.
Don't believe that any license
number protects you. A number
is easily changed. Responsible cab
owners outside of big companies
should all enter some organiza-
tion of owners. The irresponsible
should be put off the street.
Congress has decided to add
forty-eight members to the lower
house. Salaries Of the new wise
ones will amount to $360,000 "a
year. Secretaries, free postage,
mileage, and sundries will cost
nearly as much more. Is anything
gained by the increase?
The idea is TO give added repre-
sentation to increased population.
With the increase there will be
1873 members Of the lower house,
one for $4,000 of population.
When our population rises from
1O5 ,0O0, 900 to 310,000,0OO. as it
will do presently. shall we have
s66 Congressman, TO be ruled by
ninety-six Senator'S and vetoed by
ono President?