davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
The Greatest Criminal

The Allied Council of Ambassa-
doris has departed from it's usual
methods Of slow-footedness by de-
manding the surrender of S96 Ger
man officials charged with response
bility for war atrocities or for other
violations Of military law.
How is this company Of malefac-
tors to be tried .concurrently with
anything approaching military or
international justice? To the ordi-
nary observer it would seem that the
great process ought to begin at the
very top. If the Allies are unable to
secure possession OF the ex-Ka aiser,
who as War Lord bears the weight
Of responsibility for all the military
measures taken by the German
armed forces, it will be more or less
of an anti-climax to try Hindenburg,
Ludendorff, Falkenhayn, the Crown
Prince of Bavaria, the Grand Duke
OF Wiirtemberg and other minor
chiefs for offenses of which they,
too, may claim to be personally in
nocent.
The eX-kaiser was the head of the
hierarchy. If guilt mounts it is CON
centrated in him. If it doesn't
mount the Allied courts martial NAV
find themselves compelled to trace
personal responsibility to sub
ordlnates even lower than those in
cluded in the list of 500.
1t would be more effective to de-
termine, first of all, the Kaiser's
culpability. If he is to escape be-
cause Holland doesn't want to give
nm up, or if hc is merely to be
transferred to S ne Dutch island or
colony as an extreme mark of dis
appreciation, the penalties visited on
| lndenburg, Ludendorff and the
q her sub-chiefs will seem unreal
and illogical.
Shall the greatest criminal of all
get OFT easiest simply because he is
the greatest, or because he had the
foresight to eXpatriate himself and
stay expatriated while the treaty
negotiations were under way?
That would be depressing de-
"o@ememt to the great war judg-
ment,
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Cheapened Military Awards

Secretary Baker seems to have
initiated Secretary Daniels in revis-
ing and enlarging the military award
lists. According to the testimony of
Colonel Thomas M. Spaulding, a
member Of the army Board of
Awards, Mr.. Baker, on his own mo-
ton, pinned Distinguished Service
Medal on the coat Of civilian con-
tractor interested in the construction
of the famous nitrate plant at Nitro,
w. Va. Colonel Spaulding testified
that this contractor sublet his con-
tract. He therefore seems to have
been many degrees removed from
any distinguishable military activity.
The Board of Awards was heart
less enough to rule that the Nitro
contractor was not connected with
the military forces of the United
States. Yet he was warrior enough
in Mr.. Bakers estimation to deserve
a military decoration.
This incident is only an added
proof of the unwisdom Of the leg
islation which put the power to
award military and naval distinc-
tions in the hands of officials with
out keen sense of the significance
Of such distinctions. The American
public is very jealous of the personal
houors which it bestows. 1t would
rather see none bestowed than to see
decorations go to men not inds-
putably entitled to them by some
performance of exceptional quality
preferably in action or in the zone of
hostilties.
TO give a contractor a soldiers
medal is to lower the value of the
medal to the vanishing point. There
are other ways in which to recog-
nize meritorious civilian war work.
Morale IN the navy has been greatly
weakened by the awards squabble
now being investigated by Senate
committee. A generous idea has
been vulgarized. A military award
should be beyond the breath of sus-
picion. Yet, as It is, even the re-
cipients are vocally suspicious of
one another.
The most dignified thing Congress
could do under the circumstances
would be to repeal the laws which
have permitted SO many dubious
honors to be distributed.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Rescuing Education
A Call for a Campaign to {.
tobIish It's Worth

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Having carefully read Hanna;
Mitchell's article In q recent Issue d
The Sunday Tribune--"America's Publ;
School System in Danger venture
take exception to one of the sub-cp;
tions, which reads Students Of 81!
uation See No Present Remedy for th.
Trouble"
/ am student OF the situation na
perceive the remedy. Money and inflI
ence to apply the remedy | have no..
1t involves nationwide campsig
and a nationwide organization saa
would correct the unfortunate cone
ton which DR.. Virgil Prettyman hinti
at when he said: AZ am not sure ttss
America believes in education. An,
thing this country believes in Il ID
willing to buy. It has not yet shesa
any willingness to pay the price hr|
good education"
If l have a quarter will give n
to some one for something he hs|
to give in exchange, provided u |
want that thing more than do t.
quarter and 90 cannot get it for lsa
If the people Of community hsS'
$4,000 they will give it to a teschs'
for what he has to give in exchang4
provided % they want that thin
more than they do the $4,000 and CiE
cannot get it for less.
Definite, aggressive action toward d
fulfillment Of the two provisos abe /
IS the one way to arrive at permi |
nent solution of the teachers salsrt
problem.
BY the first proviso it is necessary 4
prove to the people by tests they af
recognize that what their children Gd
getting by the teachers efforts is ST
valuable that they will want it mos
than their 5000. BY the second p'el
vlso it is necessary to bring about Il
the teaching force such condition thsI
the people cannot ge5 it for less.
So far as the "attractiveness" Of III
work is concerned, that will come viii
increased salaries.
JOHN c. GREEN Jr
Morristown, N. j., Feb. l, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07

ture puts the case for the farmers
in an intelligent way when he says
that what they ask Is that "the
banks, railroads, Wholesale houses,
retail establishments, factories, all
of which are vitally necessary to
the farmer, and recognized by him
as such, be speeded up along with
him. This is a fair and logical
request. The farmers disgust at
some of the demands which are ad-
vcrtlscd is easily understood
Secretary Meredith also puts
forth in the name Of the farmer a
plea for economy, asking that "the
work now done by three men may
be done. If possible, by two" At
a time when there is shortage
rather than a surplus of labor this
advice does not contemplate an in
crease IN the number Of the unenl-
ployed. The point is that every
worker Should be employed to the
best advantage.
Tho war bred waste, most of all
in the operations of the govern
ment. The need of haste was an
excuse then; it is no excuse now.
There is no strain upon the imagi-
nation IN the assumption that many
official STATS could be cut down a
third with no damage to the public
business, and that there are cases
in which private business is SINH
larly overmanned.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Look to the Churches

The published appeal is against what
Is termed certain measures incons;der-
ateiy taken which threaten the basic
principles of our government" In all
seriousness, may not this lanruaye era
application to the paper itself in exact
proportion to the success of the annea1,
with all respect, it is Suggested ,b.+
THESE gentlemen might perform mor.
service to their country and the Church
If they employ themselves in a search.
ing inquiry TO see that no objectionable
propaganda secures foothold in Chur.h
buildings, in Church organizations. and
IN Church publications. 1t is not tho
purpose of this letter to discuss this LAT
ter subject, but to some who have oh
served with panied surprise deyeloo-
ments of recent months, it may not
seem an idle suggestion.
HERBERT BARRY.
New York, Feb. 4. 1920
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
A Chuckle for Hrson

10 the Editor Of The Tribune.
Slr; What vast difference it makes
whose oN is gored, AS we all remem-
ber, President Wilson, at an important
crisis IN the peace conference, appealed
TO the Italian people over the head of
ttei' government, and, of course. he
considered it entirely right to do SO.
hut when Niscount Grey plays the same
trick on HIM he is reported as very
angry at what he now consideres un-
justiiiable meddlingl How Esop
would smile if he were still with us!
c. II. SMITH.
New Haven, Conn, Feb. 5, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
The Telephone Crisis

The telephone situation that has
been a trial and an irritation for
months has become tragic and
dangerous threat to life and health.
The death of Mrs. William Forbes
Morgan and her two young daurh
ters has brought matters to a head.
1t is the opinion of Fire Chief Quinn
that these three lives might have
been saved had the alarm been given
but very few minutes sooner; and
it is the charge of number of
neighbors that they tried to send in
the alarm by telephone for from ten
to fifteen minutes before central re-
sponded. If investigation veri1ics
these statements, New York has on
its records laundering tragedy
that would disgrace a country viii
lage
The testimony of hospitals is
equally forceful. Calls for ambu-
lances or for doctors experience un-
told minutes Of blunder and delav.
The service Of these emergency calls
is apparently no whit better than
that of business houses. In the latter
use of the phone it is often diff
cult TO measure damage in dollars
and cents; in the case of calls for
doctors the stake is life and death.
and it needs no calculation to show
that the present defective telephone
service is menace, always present,
Of special peril IN an epidemic like
the present.
What deserves stress is the fact
shat such a failure of a service once
highly efficient and relied upon as a
matter of habit works even greater
damage than il it had never existed
and were not now present in any
form. In the case of the Ninth
Street fire the tardy telephone was
far worse than no telephone, for it
tricked those who wished 10 give an
alarm into wasting valuable seconds.
Had there been no telephone the
alarm would probably have been
sent in on The old-fashioned alarm
system minutes earlier Similarly
with general business Everything
is done nowadays on the basis OF
the telephone. To have it seriously
defective is 10 delay and derange
affairs and slow down transactions
10 speed even below that of pre-
telephone days.
No one viii wish to condemn the
telephone company hastily. Every
one knows the mishandling which
the organization received under Mr..
Burleson. The war retarded de
velopment, delayed supplies, pro-
duced conditions which still hamper
and confuse. But the present crisis
seems to indicate that little progress
is being made; that conditions are
no better than year ago. With
every allowance for the effect Of the
"f1u" upon the operators in the
present crisis, the need of an in
vestigation by an impartial au-
thority seems clear. If private
ownership is to Justify itself it must
demonstrate that it can end the pres
ent menaee without further delay.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Hard Luck of the Grapefruit

10 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Few people were hit harder y
the sugar shortage than the owners Y
large grapefruit groves in the Soup|
The fruit was just at its primo duri'9
the height of the sugar famine %
many growers were forced to seh Z
see their fruit drop off and rot on u
ground.
Wholesale fruit buyers would %
consider grapefruit at any price, e1
cept as they were forced to take II Y
order to close deals for large gress
OF oranges. The fruit they did take w
heavy loss to them, carload lots ns1
ting as little as SIS cents box.
Those growers who held on to tbs1
fruit and trusted to Providence ai
the sugar powers that be for letp
In the sugar shortage are now rseel1
ing s1.2o box for their fruit, althcuf
they have lost great quantities threag
dropping. MRS. HARRY BROWN
hustis, Fla, Feb. 5, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
The Roll of Idlers

1t is not probable any large num-
Der of farmers intend to carry out
the threat recently uttered in their
name-to reduce by lessened hours
of labor their own production as a
rebuke to industrial workers who
demand a week of forty-four hours.
Yet the feeling back Of this threat
is reasonable enough. Farmers do
work long hours; if they did not
the shortage in the food supply
would soon become alarming. Nat
urally they resent .the tendency
toward short hours in occupations
which, to say the least, involve no
severer toll than theirs.
The new Secretary of Agricul-
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Keep the People Home!
he Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: Is no one going to protest
against the disiieuroment of our finest
avenue Horrible little wooden towers
are to appear at intervals all the way
up the most Fashionable street because
Detroit has done so. Since when has
Detroit set the fashion for New York
Why not, as an alternative, make
rule that "Ail Of the people may go
out somo of the time and some of the
people all of the time, but all of the
people cannot go out all of the time!"
j. N. p, A TIRED NEW YORKER.
New York, Feb. ), 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Like the North Star

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Niscount Grey Notwithstanding
obligations to go to war are not as
sumed unless Congress consents, !"
stands out like the North Star. For
the benefit of those to come after us
Would it be asking too much from some
of our fighting Senators TO hold up
the Niagara of wind and have those few
words placed in "The Congressional
Record? P.F. CAMPBELL.
Fall River, Mass. Feb. 3. 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07

last feel that they have turned the
corner. They may be permitted
eventually to practise few. Of the
recognized economic virtues and to
get somehow back into the world
of economic reality.
The new bill is full of fogginess
and unreality. But it at least
abates the rigor Of the commissions s
dead hand policy and gives that
body a last chance to treat the rail
roads as if they were a vital and
deserving factor in our economic
life,
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Decorating MIR. Whalen

1t is not TO be Sir Grover Whalen,
after all. we regret to learn from the
public print, touching the only Com
missioner of Plant and Structures
the City Of New York has ever had
possessing the title and insignia of
the Fourth Glass Of the Royal Vic
torian Order. The handle goes not
with this particular grade of glory.
Was this unfortunate limitation per-
haps tactful recognition Of Mr..
Jeremiah O'Leary's sensibilities as
brother-in-law Of the recipient? We
doubt.not A British government SO
discerning and ingenious a. to find a
membvr of the Mayors official fam
lily qualified to have q badge. a rib
bon and mantle of the empire
thrust upon him would surely heed
these delicate personal details.
1t may be objected that a ribbon
is a ribbon, however narrow-that
Of the Royal Victorian Order, Fourth
Glass, IS IL inches broad, we are
Informed, dark blue, with a Harrow
edglng of red, white and red, and
worn on the left breast. But we are
sure Mr.. OLeary will not be tech
meal and make life uncomfortable
for brother-in-law merely for
giving up one breast to Maltese
cross and bit of ribbon from q
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07

hated enemy. Mr.. Whalen has
another breast, we would casually
call to President de Valera's atten-
ton. Surely, the newest republic
west OF the Irish Sea has something
for the manly heart that, like His
Honor the Mayors, plays no favor
ties and beats almost as cordially for
a friendly power as for its rebels.
Cannot a Celtic cross on a green rib
bon, ordained for the right breast,
be speedily Forthcoming to reward
the open-minded administration of
our great city?
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Plotting Our Ruin

But however faulty preliminary pro-
cedure may be considered, the vastly
more important issue is being disclosed
by the hearings now in progress. 1t is
no supposltltlous controversy nor one
that may at most be a possibility here
alter. 1t is an actual issue to-day. Our
country, by heedlessness and indulgent
tolerance, has allowed revolutionary agi-
tators to nest and breed here unmolested
and plot our ruin. The evidence ne
ported IN the press January 80 shows
tnat close upon our entry into the World
War, in April, 1917, the Socialist party
convention adopted platform contain
ing, among other things, the following:
In all modern history there has been no
war more unjustifable than the war in
which we about to engage
No greater dishonor has ever been forced
upon people than that which the capitais.
class is forcing upon this nation against its
will
In harmony with these principles the so.
e'aAlst party emphatically rejects the pro-
posal that in time of war the workers should
suspend their struggle for better conditions.
on the contrary, the acute situation created
oy war calls for an even more vigorous
prosecution of the class struggle, and we
recommend to the workers and pledge our.
serves to the following course of action:
l. continuance Of active and public oppo
S's'on to the war. through demonstration
mass petitions. and all other means within
cur power.
@. unSieidfng opposition to ali proposed
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
The Coming Tower
Edwin Marcy
(In lucem transitus.) J

I'm iucem transitus.)
Blind Edwin Marcy down the dusty road
Came tapping, weighted with his pedlar's
load
A we'll worn satche and an oiled cloth
pack
tIooked 10 a harness on his weary back.
We children knew him, and felt no surprise
At tinted glasses in the place of eyes.
His wstful smile had always been the same;
Ilc spoke so kindly; and each time he came
He brought us cassa buds, Of which ho had
An endless store for every lass and lad.
We had, indeed, such ordinary joys
AS sweets and sIungshots and our Christmas
But Edwin Marcy was the only ono
Who gave us buds of cas.ia- cinnamon
His shabby bag and shabbier pack were
With many essences that he distilled;
And not alone from pity housewives bought
The plain. old fashioned vials that he
brought,
For all that Edwin Marcy made, they said,
Was pure as water and as good as bread.
Plcccmeal through what our elders some
times told,
We saw the blind mans sorry past unfold.
We saw his ordered home, the human cheer
Ills strength had strvcn for and his heart
held dear.
We saw him in the stone pit. bending Ger
A trcacherous fuse--then, with rumbinc
A storm of ruin shaking all the place
hen Edwin Marcy with his sigh,Iess face.
We saw wife desert true wifcs post
To love traitor when loves need was most,
We saw blind man vowing that SO long
AS legs might serve him and his back be
strong.
A girl and boy, their mothers care denied.
Should never lack for what he could provide. /
We saw him saving day by patient day,
10 place humble headstonc where they
lay.
We saw wounded trust-a broken dream
The thread of life following grevous seam.
Still Edwin Marcy CROPPED the long, blank
miles;
With gentle voice, kind thoughts, and wist-
full smiles.
And when he entered through friendly
door
To spread his wares upon the kitchen floor,
A gracious fragrance round the house was
spent
That soothcd the heart and fingered when
he went
A subtle perfume that contained no hint
of Glove or coumarln or peppermint
1t fingers yet, making one feel he must
BE right who said the actions of the lust
Smell sweet and blossom even from their dust.
C. S. B.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
New Fields for Plumber

'from The Boston Eueaina Transenrf'
lnasmuch as the league of nste'|
PROVIDES only for peace between
tlons and not between planets, dpse
less there will be q scramble bet]sf1
the land-hungry nations to secure N
gun which will enable them to ~
TO the moon and maybe other eusl5
territories.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
be I,nnossible Telenhone

10 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: hope that that inefficient de-
nant and absolutely impossible insti-
tuition the telephone company will
De made to suffer in some way. 1t is
high time something was done.
II. T. RICHARDS.
New York, Feb. 5, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07

One of the arguments advanced
against the old scoring system in ten
AIS is that it takes longer than the
new system would; it takes longer to
say "Flfteen-thirty' than it would to
say "One-two." Which reminds MS of
Old Wild Graham, who says that he
saves enough time not writing "Yours
truly" to letters to lose S215 a dav
at Kelly pool.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Unwilling Mates

fFon1 The Cliccao Daily Neus)
imam d. Bryan wants the. interna-
'lohai issue out Of the way before the
1890 campaign opens, probably feeling
.ha' lie VIII have enough difficulty
driving the camel and the donkey in
oouoie harness without hitching up
an entire menaxoris.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
! he Assembly, s RIGHTS

10 the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: In your editorial Of to-day re-
gardhg Speaker Sweet and the state
constitution you quote Section 12 Of
Article of that document, which
reads as follows; For any speech or
debate in either house of the Legisla-
ture the members shall not be oues
toned in any other place" The Fed
eral Constitution contains an identical
provision.
these provisions, as I understand it,
mean that legislator is not amcnable
to civil or criminal action in the courts
OF the state for anything said in speech
or debate. For instance, a member in
debate might make a statement which,
II made somewhere else, would be H.
leious. The same protection is given
an attorney in the trial of case.
IL occurs to the writer that the
speeches Of the Socialists on trial in
the Assembly are not being questioned
in any other place." but most distinct
ly in exactly the same place where
their originaI statements were made.
Both the Federal and state constitu-
tions provide that each house shall be
the judge Of the qualifications of its
own members. 1t might be reasonable
to suggest that the qualifications of a
member could, to some extent. be prop
erly Judged BY his actions and speeches
in his capacity as a member.
1t is probably true that any state
ments made by these gentlemen in
speech or debate could not be used as
the basis for question by court action.
ARCHIE y. GIBBS.
Norwich, n. Y, Feb. i, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
How About the Godiva Skirt Co., New porp +?

Sir Every morning at 8:55 sharp, as
go up the elevator to the cloak and suit
manufacturer | work for | pass a door
which yells out in huge letters that the
Venus Costume Co. lives here
len minutes later | am marking package
consigned to the Fave Dress House. De
Queen, Ark.
My boss is thinking of changing the firms
name To something with pep" in it. Are
there any more historically famous scanty
dressers left? TRACKS
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07

MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
III, Associated Press is exclusively entitled TO the
ior republication cf all dispatches credited
10 it not otherwise credises In This psper. and
siso the local OF spontaneous origin published
i.eye.i.
All rights Of republication OF An ether matter
herein also reserved
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
legislation for military or industrial con-

legislation for military or industrial con-
scrption.
The issue with the advocates of this
platform was clear-cut in 1917; it will
be found scarcely less well defined to-
day if citizens will inform themselves.
1t is to be presumed that the bishops
and their associates know that the OBJ
iectives Of practically all the so-called
Socialist organizations include "revo-
luton" and that the Importance of
mass action is emphasized; also that
some at least aim at the destruction of
religion and of the family relations, as
we'll as the destruction of our forms of
government and all rights of private
property.
Why is it that in these published
protests, appeals and exhortations we
find no single word Of condemnation for
the noxious advocacy Of revolution
which would destroy and blot out our
form of government and our constitu-
tional guarantees of life, liberty and
New-York tribune., 1920-02-07

Still, not unknown minister, who
says he is G. and S. fan, asked Mr.
Alexander Woollcott the other day
which music Gilbert wrote and which
Sullivan.