davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
FIRST AMERICAN PLAYS.
Homely Action and Words: Effects
Obtained by Sentimentality.
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in Arts aud
Decorations.

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in Arts aud
Decorations.
The first American playwrights were
interested in human emotion, elemental
and native And besides they COM
posed plays eminently constructed for
the footlights and entirely made for the
people who would see them. 1t must
have been with a sigh of relief that the
man on the street greeted the simple
problem which he was sure to encounter
when he went to the theatre. The dis
tant, elusive. unimportant to him Sex
ual struggle" of the French dramatist
was not the only form OF recreation to
be found on the stage.
These new plays embodied homely ac-
lions and words. They obtained often
tremendous effects by such simple mo-
lives as sentimentality, tears and blood.
Harrigan and Hart were their first
inaugurators. The brush work which
went into their makeup was often coarse,
but their optimism was refreshing. 1t
is real people who take their places on
the stage. The country pumpkin the
maltreated maiden, the black haired adj
ventures, the gambling villain, the pic
turesque hero pass before our eyes
they are a part of life so close as al
most TO be a part of our own life. They
arc the day dreams that are just within
our reach they are life. pulse Of It's
beat
Their intrinsic value lay in that they
possessed one or more faithfully OBJ
served characters, usually taken from
country life. Their plot was almost neg
ligible. purely conventional, and had it
not been for the development OF the
local characters and the human appeal
would in themselves not have had much
significance. But the character develop
ment was real art and made them OF
big Importance. Denman Thompson in
The "Old Homestead put his indellblo
mark on the time, Tor great art may
be greater than it's nationality. but Il
will Always be part of Il
Some men start for the north pole.
and they are brave others face the adj
venture Of life. and they are brave. IL
was an exploration started by these pio-
neers their attitude was worthy OF the
cause. The findings caught the audi
ences, could almost be scen moving
among them. There was no uplift there
to "epate," no grated sentiment: we
had simply been handed huge acausl-
ton. A drama OF our own was stirpris
ingly born
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
OUR DEBTS. TO EUROPE.
Do They Exceed the Amount Owed
by Europe to Americal

To THE New York HERALD: In criti-
cising Senator Curtis's proposal to col
lect a billion dollars from tariff duties
you say
When practically all the free gold in
the world is In the United States, when
Europe IS up TO its neck In debt TO the
United States, when It's credit has been
stretched to the swapping tension. when
even South America is imploring help.
our greatest foreign customers cannot
pay us for what they want TO buy from
us except with their own goods. Either
Il Is swap or Il is trade.
Here 1 beg leave to differ with you.
In my opinion your statement of the
case Is not correct.
In the first place every dollar of our
boosted stock OF free gold' is owed TO
the vast army of migratory aliens now
in the United States and to japanese
Canadian and other foreign banks. We
are doing business on borrowed money.
In the second place what Europe owes
us is much more than offset by what we
owe Europe. The claim that Europe owes
us about $40, 900, 600. 900 is based on the
Loree estimate, which placed our pre-
war debt at "a 900 0o0,o 900 and assumed
that we incurred no new debts during
the war or since. Now other authori-
ties, quite as competent as Mr.. Loree,
placed our pre-war debt to Europe at
SIT, 600, O00, 900 or over four times as
big as his estimate.
Again our invisible debts for interest
dues, immigrant remittances, expendi-
lures OF tourists and expatriates. cost
of freights did not cease during the war
or since. The outgo for tourists was
very much less and the same Is true as to
freights. But the earnings Of foreign
capital and labor up to the end of last
year were very much larger than ever
before.
Another factor which Is usually left
out of the calculation is our war expen-
ditures abroad after April 6, 1917. The
Government has never given out the
full figures about this factor, but it is
safe to guess that it was not less than
$4,000, 900, 900.
A bankers estimate of these invisible
debts, published in the Wall Street Jour
nal in 1918, placed them at $4,000, 000,-
900 a year. Making all reasonable al
lowance for reduced tourist travel and
ocean freghts. it is safe to say that
the other debts, along with our war out
lay abroad. about equal the amount OF
our alleged loans to Europe.
Our net trade balance in the last six
years is estimated at about 100000
900. But this is. only a custom house
balance. Owing to differentiation of
imports and generalization Of exports
the real balance is much smaller than
officials figures indicate. Hence / con-
clude that in place of Europe owing us
any such sum as $4,000, 600, 900 we owe
her fully that amount. That is to say,
European investments in this market are
$40. 600, 100000 greater than Europe's
actual debt to this country. And there
fore Europe can liquidate some of these
investments il she wants our goods.
This matter will be threshed out in
Congress when the tariff bill is up for
discussion and those who claim that we
are creditor nation will have a chance
to make good w. II. ALLEN.
BROOKLYN, November 26.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
Bolsheyiki Trying to Arouse Islam
to u Holy War.

4 report from Constantlnope which
appears to be authoritative is to the
effect that the Turkish Nationalist
under MUsTAPHA KEMAL Pasha have
entered into an agreement with the
Russian Bolsheviki to undertake the
liberation Of all Moslem countries UNI
der foreign domination and to grant
them Independence. The foreign
domination which is implied is that
of the British and the French, as the
countries especially mentioned are
India. Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and
Tunisia.
The first step apparently In this
movement is the restoration OF Turkey
60 its pre-war status by extending
Turkish control over Syria and Arabia
and reestabllshing the Ottoman boun-
daries MS they existed before the
treaty of Sevres. The force of this
project as an appeal TO Islam lies in
the fact that II means the recovery
Of that temporary power which was
represented by the Sultan.
In reality the scheme is but the
Moslem holy war, the jehad, in new
guise and new setting. At one time
this was threat that held the at
tention Of the world and aroused n
sense OF fear not only IN the French
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
Total Recommendations

In four States proposals to Issue
road improvement bonds were beaten
Mt the election on November .. These
States are Florida, where S20,0O00OO
was sought; Montana, where $4,000,
900 was asked for; Washington,
where the road builders wanted $780,
600. 900, and New Mexico, whose voters
defeated a $2.0OO,0O0 proposal on the
ground the money was not needed.
If the States now contemplating or
carrying out extensive programmes of
road improvement get their moneys
worth great Improvement in our
highways will result. Moreover, good
roads in any state so clearly demon
strate their economy and usefulness
that once the people have begun to
build them they are likely to keep the
good work up.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
Daily Calendar
THE WEATHER.

For Eastern New York-Cloudy to-
day; tomorrow rain; moderate variable
winds becoming east and increasing
Tor New Jersey--Cloudy to-day, followed by
rain tonight and tomorrow; moderate tenn
perature, fresh northeast and east winds.
For Northern New England-Partly cloudy
to-day; tomorrow aunsettled, probably IA IN
or snow: no change in temperature; moder-
ate variable winds.
For Southern New England-Partly cloudy
to-day; tomorrow rain. moderate variable
Winds becoming easterly by tonight
For Western New York-cloudy to-day;
tomorrow RAIN moderate temperature.
moderate variable winds.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-The pressure Is
high generally cast of the Mississippi River.
with the crest of the high pressure area
over the middle Atlantic States Centres OF
low pressure are charted over the west Gult
OF Mexico and the Western Canadian prov
inces. Clouds cover much OF the country
and there have been rains in the last
twenty-fOur hours in the west Gulf States,
the plains States and the northern plateau
region and the Pacific States. except South
ern California. Moderate temperatures Tor
the season prevail generally over the United
States.
In New England the weather will be partly
cloudy tomorrow and will be followed b.
rain or snow on Sunday In the middle AT
lantic States, the upper Ohio Valley and the
lower lake region the weather will be cloudy
tomorrow, followed by rain at night and
Sunday. In the south Atlantic and cast
Gulf States. Tennessee and the lower Ohio
Valley there will be rain and in the upper
lake region rain and snow both days. Nor
NAL temperature win continue east of tina
Mississippi River though storm warnings
are displayed on the Gulf coast. at and he
tween Bay st. Louis, Mississippi and Car
rabelle, Fla.
Observations at United States Weather Blu
reau stations. taken at A. NJ to-day, sew
enty-flfth meridian time:
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
WELCOME A NEW
TENOR AT OPERA
Gigli Makes Debut in 'Mefis-
tofele.' Which Has
Revival.
HAS FRESH LYRIC VOICE
Dances Arranged by Miss Ro-
sina CALI Another Feature
of Production.

Arrigo Boito's opera "Mefistofele'
was revived at the Metropolitan opera
House last evening. The work had not
been heard there since the season of
1907-S, the final performance falling
on February Is. The production was
made on November 20, when Fedor
Chaliapine, the famous Russian bass.
made his debut in this country. His
assumption of the role of the arch fiend
aroused much discussion, too large a
part of 1t being devoted TO his display
of physical proportions His associates
in the cast were Miss Geraldine Farrar
as Mdrgheritd, Nine. Gerard as Martha,
Nine. Rappold as Helen. Mime. Jacoby
as Pdntahs, Mr.. Tecchi as Wagner and
Ricardo Martin as Faust. The Amer
lean tenor was also heard for the first
time. The conductor was Rudolfo Fer
rari.
The opera had been given six years
before that with Plancon as the fiend
and Nine. Calve as Margherita and
Helen. Neither revival stirred much
public interest. Doubtless the chief rea-
son was the book. which is disjointed.
episode and probably not clear to any
one who has not read Goethe's Faust"
The love element is reduced TO a mini
num- The operagoer does not habit
ually steep his soul in the Vaccinations
of devils nor the dissatisfaction of a
morbid human. He rejoices mostly in
soft sentiment abundantly exposed and
ingratiatingly communicated in sensu-
Gus melody.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
4 Fine scheme Of Soldier Coloni-
eaton Falls.

The colonization of Kenya, the new
name Of British East Africa, was con-
sidered at the end of the war the best
lilan proposed for rewarding British
soldiers who wished to become the
possessors of land for their own use
and profit. The scheme of making
The awards was widely discussed and
when preparations for opening up the
country we're finally announced there
was a quick and keen response from
The service men returning to the
British Isles.
But after year the plan which APP
peared so promising has proved in al
most every respect n failure. In the
first place the soldier settlers were
brought to Kenya before the land had
been properly surveyed, and the al
lotment was made by a rough and
ready method. The men found that
the plots awarded them in many cases
consisted Of inaccessible slopes. rocks.
boulders or swamps and marshes. In
the next place It was discovered thar
though Kenya was as delightful and
fascinating as 1t had been described
and had all the attractions of "open
space, freedom and plenty Of COPS
fresh air. ii was not land where
the small farmer could make home
and q living.
The crops which could be success
fully grown there, coffee, sisal and
fax, required capital and time before
returns could be expected from them.
Dairy farming on small scale and
vegetable gardening could not be car
rled on profitably when the towns, the
only markets for the products, were
tifty or one hundred miles away. A
report says that careful inquiry re.
veals only few persons who could
truthfully assert that they made a
financial success of the venture.
The outlook of this soldiers settle
ment scheme Is described as dismal I'm
the extreme. A correspondent of the
London Times commenting upon the
failure says that in many cases men
and women have returned to the
towns weary and dlslllusIoned and
mot having sufficient means to leave
the country have gone to swell the
ranks of the unemployed whites nj.
ready In the colony" In fact, the
scheme met the fate OF many Others
for sending men to settle lands the
conditions in which they we're neither
suited to nor familiar witli-schemes
which In theory appear beautiful but
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27

which in reality are doomed from
their conceptioiNto failure.
The weakness OF this scheme, which
was undoubtedly well meant, Is the
same weakness which has been OBJ
servable in many other projects for
soldier relief. Because in the army
men could do unaccustomed things
well and live under great hardships
It was assumed they would prove
to strange conditions in
civil life. This has not turned out
to be the case.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
Afterwnrd.

l sometimes think that when we shall return
To mystic homelands with the battle won
Bright angels will be gathered round to learn
Tho sights we saw. the feats that we
have done.
Bright angels. strangers 10 all grief and pain.
Who dwelt In beauty while in mire we
wrought.
And we shall look on them and know how
vain
That they should understand the fight we
fought
And therefore shall our stories 20 untold.
As soldiers speak not OF the war. so we
Shall nothing tell, save that our eyes may
hold
A slumberins anger that II had 10 he.
McLANrBuF0H WILSON
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
Mr.. Taft on Our Criminal Courts.

Nothing is more common in the
public utterances Of prominent men
since the war than The gross and
careless exaggeration of matters Of
fact, and on the other hand it is
difficult to overestimate the harm
done by statements of this sort.
A striking example of exaggerated
assertion occurs in an article which
has just appeared in the Philadelphia
Public Ledger from the pen Of former
President TAFT, now a professor Of
law in Yale University. For years."
he says. 1.-THE administration of the
criminal law in many of our State
courts has been humiliatingly inefIi-
cient and real disgrace to our civ
illzation."
This is strong language and ought
not TO be used by such man as
Mr.. TAFT without having a solid and
substantial basis of fact to support
IL. Before he became President Mr..
TAFT held n high position ON the
bench as one of the Circuit Judges
of the United States for the Sixth
Circuit, and he had previously been
a Judge of the Superior Court of Gin
cinnatl and the Solicltor-General OF
the United States He therefore ought
to possess as thorough a knowledge as
anybody concerning the judiciary Of
the country ms q whole, and 1t neces-
sarlly follows that an attack by him
upon the State courts. whose function
it is to administer the criminal law
Of the several States Of the Union,
must be especially damaging in the
estimation Of the community.
Nevertheless We venture to ques-
ton tho accuracy Of his assertion
that in many Of our State courts the
administration of the criminal law
has been a disgrace TO our civilization.
The courts are not perfect, of course
at best they can only approximate to
what is most desirable but we be-
lleve that. considered as whole and
at any rate in n large majority of
the States, the administration OF the
criminal law will compare favorably
with that of any other country.
When public man Of extensive
influence makes such an accusation
as Mr.. TAFT has made against our
criminal courts he should be prepared
to sustain II and should sustain IL by
reference TO specific instances tending
to establish the truth of his state
ment. Does he refer TO the State
courts Of Ohio, where he was born
or to those of Connecticut, in which
State he now resides, or to those Of
Pennsylvania. where his article was
published? IL is hardly conceivable
that he intends to lmpute humiliatlng
lnefficiency TO the courts of this State
or those of any of It's neighbors. We
feel confident that upon mature re-
Election he will conclude that he has
gone too far and been led by few
fragrant Instances of judicial inca
pncity which have attracted his at-
tention to condemn too generally the
judiciary of all the States.
In the article from which we have
quoted Mr.. TAFT proceeds to say that
the theory that ninety guilty
men should escape rather than that
one innocent man should be punished
has been carried to a ridiculous ex-
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
NO PEACE THIS SESSION.
Republican Majority TOO small.
Says Speaker GilIctt.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 2G.-Speaker Gil
lett said to-day that there was little
probability of any resolution providing
for a separate peace with Germany
coming to vote In the House at the
session OF Congress which convenes De-
cember 6.
The SPENCER. who conferred recently
with Senator Lodge OF Massachusetts
Republican leader OF the Senate. sail
Republican leaders were agreed that at
the coming session the party's majority
would be too small TO pass peace reso-
tuition over the Presidents veto. The
attention OF the House, Mr. Glllett said,
would be devoted almost entirely to tho
annual appropriation bills and immigra-
tion legislation
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27

The expression "Hobsons choice"
meaning something with no alterna-
tive. arose from the practice of Thomas
Hobson, livery stable keeper of Cam
bridge, England Q544-1631), who re-
quired each customer to accept the
horse nearest the door, allowing no
choice whatever TO his patrons.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
Total .s1s2, 900 900

In Kansas and Virginia enabling
acts were approved, the voters in vir-
gina Endorsing an issue of $4,000
600. California voted to authorize. the
increase of the interest rate on high
way bonds from Az per cent. to g
per cent. Included in the total of
highway Improvement money is the
amount authorized by the voters of
New Jersey for the vehicular tunnel.
Highway improvement bonds had
previously been authorized since 1918,
in these amounts by the States
named:
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27

A young follower OF ToLsToY who
has refused to accept an Inheritance
of 100000 says he thinks moral
anarchy would be the best govern
ment. SO II seems to some other in
Prospective ideallsts. but experience
teaches us that the practitioners of
moral anarchy are likely to he pretty
immoral lot.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
PUBLIC LECTURES TONIGHT.

Merchant Adventures and the Pilgrims
Of the Mayflower." by j. Wilder Fair5ank.
American Museum of Natural History.
Seventy street and Central Park
West; illustrated
''Mexico. Land of Promise" by James
Carson, Cooper Union. Eighth street and
Fourth avenue.
''Woeher. or From Death to Life" by
Professor Samuel G. Schumacher. Townsend
Harris Hall. G. c. N. Y, Amsterdam avenue.
I3Sth and 10Th streets.
THE Revolutionary Period" by Professor
William Bradley Otis, Y. NJ. G.. A., Harlem
branch, 3 West 12jth street.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27

Carnation Pioneer, North Dakota
heifer, has broken the seven days
world record for butter fat production
in the junior -year-old class, pro-
ducing in the seven consecutive days
24.s77 pounds of butter fat. the equiv
alent of S109 pounds of so per cent.
commercial butter. and the Non-Parti-
san League has already claimed credit
for her performance.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
Tho Omen Season in Arkansas.

Piainfield correspondence MoonoIio Neus.
The yelp OF Old Spot and Joler and the
toot of horn can be heard nearly any
night now, with voice saying 'old
possum, whar am you7" That win also cut
high cost OF living a smissln.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27

ISnickor-Thc ancient pirates made us walk
the plank
Bocker-Now they make us foot the Ship
ping Board.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27

The Associated Press II exclusively entitled
TO the use for republication OF all news des-
patches credited 20 Il or not otherwise
credited in this paper and also the local
ncws published herein
All rights OF republication Of special des.
patches herein are also reserved.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
lesson in Economy.

Jonah emerged from the whale.
This VIII show the Shipping Boa rd how
10 get ship for nothing" he boasted.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
HOBSON'S CHOICE.
The Phrase ImmOrtalizes the Fame of
an English Liveryman.

To THE NEW York HERALD: l should
like to know the origin of the Expression
"Hobson's choice JOSEPH TRUM.
BROOKLYN, November 26.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27

There is talk OF Ku Klux organi-
zation in New York. This town has
a night riding clan now. 1t delivers
whiskey.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
he First Arrival. No Doub,

From TIC Conicob Unit.
Dewey Bird ~ Mayflower was among the
guests at the party Saturday.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
LOCAL WEATHER RECORDS.
The temperature in this city yesterday, as
recorded by the official thermometer,t Is

Highest temperature. 40. at go 7. NJ.
Lowest temperature, 80, at i A. NJ. O.
Average temperature, 40.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
Much Beautiful Music.

There is much beautiful music in
Boto's score and pages of grandiose
proclamation. The prologue in heaven
has always been deservedly quoted as a
mastery creation, an imposing piece OF
choral and orchestral composition, and
it has had the honor of imitation by
numerous masters, including no less a
parsonage than Mascagni, whose Iris
pays generous tribute to it, But with
out doubt present day operagoers Will
be more moved by the tragic accents of
the prison scene and the lovely lyricism
of the classic Sabbath.
1t would be no formidable task to put
forth another essay on the lofty purposes
of Boito, his philosophical and ethical
ideals, his retrospective bent of mind and
his fidelity to the fundamental concep-
lions of Goethe. Many such have been
written and a few have been read. Let
them suffice. The modern theatre is not
an educational institution nor Is the
opera house temple of pure art There
fore this mornings comment may come
to an appropriate conclusion with few
lines about the manner of the return of
this honorable veteran of the stage, re-
ceived last night with patriotic acclama-
ton.
The opera has been splendidly mount
ed Boris Anisfeld's scenery will be
discussed and his early Italian land
scapes debated but about his setting of
Fausts study, the Broken and the
classic Sabbath there can be little chance
for anything but praise The other trap
pings of the opera are such as We are
accustomed to see under the prodigal
reign of Mr.. Gatti-CasazZa. Professions,
ballets, throngs of moving actors, even
horses, are employed to add glory to an
otherwise very solemn drama. The stage
pictures are all we'll planned, and as
spectacle the revival is most brilliant.