The Washington herald., 1920-05-26
In the linelight
BY George Perry Morris.

III
BY George Perry Morris.
An incident indicating that how
ever much Italian and American
I statesmen may differ there is no cor
responding friction among the in
tellectuals" Of the two nations. is
the decision of Columbia University
: to award the Nicholas Murray But
Ter gold medal at the coming COM
meneement exercises TO Signor Ben
edetto Croce, an Italian philosopher
OF eminence and also a senator in
Parliament He and Bergson. the
: French Jew, are undoubtedly the
two outstanding figures on the con-
tinent in the philosophical world.
Bergson had much vogue" in this
country when his works first ap-
pesred- Croce never has been suf-
ficiently well known or adequately
valued Bertrand Russell won this
medal in 1915, even though at the
time he was political outcast" by
order Of the British government for
his "pacifst" opinions and influence.
Signor Croce's thought, as might be
expected. has had its reactions on
the aesthetic as well as the ethical
and strictly metaphysical concepts
of his contemporaries.
Baltimore is to have a police
commissioner with military expert
ence. Gov. Richie has nominated
Gen. Charles d. Gather. a National
Guard. Spanish-American war vet
eran. with a creditable record in
the recent war. His salary is So
600 a year. The recently enacted
State law concentrates power in
( the hands OF ono man now. instead
| OF in three as formerly. The sys-
tenn may seem undemocratic and
/ nonreprcsentative: but it is ono to
which the larger cities Of the coun-
( try with their mixed populations
and venal politics have had TO re-
sort.
III there is ono person in the
country who knows tho inner life
( Of tn" prisons of the country and
I'll" effect upon them Of laws that
deal with increase or diminution
OF inmates il il Mrs. Maud BaIIipc-
ton Booth. Thomas Mott Osborne
Is a novitiatc compared with this
veteran worker in prison investiEa-
ton. Mrs. Booth is a witness for
tn" cause of prohibition who can
not be discounted by the VETS. {"
She says that prohibition is cutting
down prison and workhouse popu-
Iation in a remarkable way because
IL stops at its source the cause OF
so much crime, economic ineficiency
and despair
The illness OF HELEN Keller will
call forth sympathy for a person
who at one time had concentrated
| upon her what was virtually ma
| tional interest. OF late years her
! radicalism" has alienated consider
able Of this feeling. Had she evolv-
| ed from a protected girlhood into a
! progressive" woman the change of
attitude would not have been as
marked. But her environment be-
came radical" and she responded
( TO it. Filming" of her life story
has much increased knowledge OF
her exceptional career.and her ap-
/ pearanCe on the vaudeville circuit
, contributes to the same result
Prominent on the Dutch-Ameri-
can commission which has charge
of the celebration in Holland next
August OF the Pilgrim Landing ter
| centenary is the Rev. DR.. Abram
, kuyper, thcologian and Statesman
who once was Prime Minister OF
/ Holland leading forces differing rad
iCallN on matters of creed, hut
agreed in opposition to secular
socialism. He. as leader OF the Re
! formed Church. was quite willing to
come to terms with the Roman
Catholic CleriCals in order TO combat
common foe. He is mot unknown
/ in this country. which he visited
at the time nf the Fan Presbyterian
Council. held in this city. Prince ton
! honored him with a doctor of laws
degree. and he gave a course Of lee
! lures there.
1t will b" recalled that when
Stcfansson. tho Arctic explorer
subsidized by the Canadian govern
ment to investigate its vast terri
/ tory in the North. returned to
!
/ ion might at once increase it's sup
ply OF meat by breeding musk oxen
and establishing on a commercial
basis a large meat producing in
duStry. Rumor has it that he is
now in Great Britain working out
tho capitalization of such a scheme
managed by individuals incorpor-
at"d for the purpose. Meantime it
iss interesting to note that the
Canadian government has sum
moned to Ottawa Donald r. Mac
MILAN. the American Arctic eN-
plorer. whose ofIcial reports have
confirmed those of Stefansson: and
with Canadian officials he will plan
for thorough study of the problem.
Former President Taft. who il is
said might have been chosen pres
ident of Yale University in 1899
had he not been a Unitarian, and
who lost not few votes when he
ran for President because of his
''heterdoXy." has accepted the
honorary chairmanship of the Uni
tartan campaign committee. which
is to do work throughout the cOun-
try in unifyinE the denomination
and in raising additional funds for
its extension.
THE TYPIST