davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
The Book and the Pilgrim

To the Editor OF The Tribune:
Sir: There appears to be belief in
scme quarters that the Pilgrim and the
Puritan were illiterate people, 70 k
that confined reading to the pages
OF the Bible, preferably to chapters OF
The Old Testament that picture a stern
God. A recent editorial in The New
York Times states that "the number Of
books among them was remarkable In
some cases an eighth or even fourth
Of mans estate was in books. Viii
liam Brewster had 400, of which GO
were in Latin"
The problem of the book, the Pill
grim and the Puritan is pretty well
solved in a recent publication Of the
Yale University Press, Literary Cul-
ture in Early New England, written
By the late Thomas Goddard Wright,
who was an instructor in English at
Yale. In this book, the last word of to-
day on its subject, we are told that
Miles Standish left about fifty books,
that many Of Brewster's volumes bore
dates Of publication later than 1920,
showing that they were imported from
Eng and, and that Governor Bradford
had library of about eighty titles.
But the real reply to the skeptic is in
this paragraph: VERY few of the Pill
grims were without books. The in
ventories Of estates filed among the
wills in the Plymouth colony records
give proof Of this. OF over seventy
Inventories examined in the first two
volumes Of the wills, only q dozen
failed to make specific mention of
looks, and among these were some
whose entire estates, including house
and land. clothes and tools, amounted
t. only s25 or $50. Such people would
rot be likely to possess books in n
frontier town even to-day. The
colonists were not unfurnished wlJn
books when they arrived; and there is
much evidence that their libraries
were constantly increased by ship
ments from England
The first sett ers on the shores of
assachusettts Bay were men who read
and thought There is abundant evi-
dcnce to prove that many man sat
by his big fireplace on winter nights
with an open book on his knees
SAMUEL ABBOTT.
Nov York. Dec. %, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
The Peace Test

Senator Hiram Johnson is right
when he says that it is within the
present power of five nations to pre-
vent war, but wrong concerning the
way they can do it.
The scheme Of universal and COM
plete disarmament offers no hope of
peace. In the first place, no agree
ment to this end is feasible. In the
second place, there is no sufficient
assurance, were an agreement made,
that it would be respected. Toward
limiting armament, thus relieving
the world Of crushing burdens, some
thing doubtless can be done, but it is
trifling with great subject to talk
of disbanding all the armies or of
scrapping all the fleets.
Nevertheless, five nations, ever
since the Germans sued for peace,
have been able, if they so wished,
practically to assure future peace.
All that is needed, all that ever has
been needed, is for them to perpetu-
ate the war alliance.
The great defect Of the Wilson
policy was its failure to see and act
on this simple truth. Instead of the
nations with which was lodged power
sticking together, they have been di-
vided by backbiting and the discus
sion Of abstract questions.
The best test of whether a public
man is real friend of enforcing
peace is in his attitude toward the
French insurance treaty. If he is
not willing to pledge his country to
protecting France should another
unprovoked attack be made on her,
let him not talk Of his solicitude for
peace. Let him not argue for Ar
ticle X, with its supposed guaranty
of all frontiers, when he refuses to
join in a guaranty Of the one from
tier, next perhaps to that of Poland
which is most conspicuously men,
aced.
If Senator Johnson is an advocate
Of the ratification of the French
treaty the public is unaware of the
fact. He has not shown any rhetori-
cal heat in urging it on the Senate.
Such being the case, for him to dwell
on the beauties of an impossible uni
versal disarmament is to indulge in
merely the circulation of proftless
words.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29

date hotel, designed by the most ex-
pert architects, that money can buy.
That Is the bright side Of the
picture-as it was in Aladdin's case.
But what can you do with a ready
made palace-or ready-made hotel !?
There is the weakness of the whole
Aladdin system. Hotel keeping is
one of the most difficult Of crafts.
So in particular is cooking. 1t is
much to have built-in bathtubs and
three eating rooms; but it is even
more to have good food-not neces-
sarily an elaborate international
menu, but expertly cooked dishes,
however local or limited their char
acter.
In England or France inns have
grown by slower method. They
have grown stone by stone, almost,
from generation to generation, and
the business therein conducted has
been a matter Of family pride and
local fame. They lack the facade
and the hygiene and the luxuries =;
but they are very strong on the
essentials, which only tradition and
natural local support can perfect.
We cannot very we'll develop this
older method in America; for better,
for worse, we must stick to our
Aladdin's lamp. But we hope that
Steubenville and all the other hus-
Ting emporia of Ohio and points west
will not be blinded by the radiance
of their palace to the larger problem
that follows after.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
A Billet-Doux From Moscow

Loudly cursing the government of
the United States, and particularly
President Wilson, Tchitcherin, the
voluble young aristocrat who is
head Of the Foreign Bureau of the
Lenine tyranny, instructs Martens
not to wait to be deported, but to
come home at once. AS to one mat
ter, therefore, Soviet Russia and
America are in accord-namclv that
TINS country is nc place for q Red
agent.
IN his message Tchitcherin seeks
20 discriminate between the wishes
OF the American people and the pol-
icy OF the present Administration
lie IS kind enough to acquit our peo-
pie Of blame. This shows about as
much knowledge Of American condi-
mons Is Lenine slowed when he re-
Gently referred to the Communist
party here, which mustered about
10000 votes in November, as a polit-
zeal organization which is nuncri-
cally important.
The American people are not ad-
mirers Of the Wilson Administra-
ton in all respects; but it is in most
cordial agreement touching the
MARTENS Issue. The only complaint
of the Administration as to this is
that it has been too slow in giving
the "ambasSador" lis going papers
Az it was too patient with Won
Papen and Bernstorf, who had mis-
taken notions of what alien agents
could do here, SO it has been too
patient with Martens.
Not the lssst amusing feature Of
tha Tehitehaxia blilat-doux a ia
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29

admiration that this disciple Of
Marx discloses for American capt.
talism and its works. According to
his principles, trade is wicked, its
machinery a foul device of the bour-
geosie to exploit the masses. Yet he
would traffic with us. He is griev-
ously stirred because American cap
italists are to have no share in pick
ing the bones Of Russia--that juicy
concessions are not to enrich our
get-rich-quick operators. Remark
able, indeed, it is for sworn foe of
commercialism to be so sympathetic
toward plutocratic America for her
refusal to swallow bait of gold.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
Not Fighting Children
New York. Dec. 27, 1920.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: was both amazed and horrifed
to read the letter of Frank Whalen in
your paper, especially upon Christmas
Day.
l did MY humble share, together with
100000 others, to beat Germany. We
licked her once and we can lick her
again if she tries to "double-cross" Us.
However, I am proud to say, We did our
fighting against men and not against
women and children; and anybody who
suggests that we continue a war Of eX-
termination, far more cruel than war
of actual fighting. long after the enemy
has placed herself in our power by sur
rendering, is both q coward and saw
age. Even the so-called Huns were
more humane than this after the
Flanco-Prussiar War and fed the Pari-
SLAMS Immediately after the surrender
OF Paris.
If we are to continue this spirit Of
hate any longer we will merely be en-
genderng hate IN others and provoke
more wars instead of peace. To call
poor. famished child of any race or
nationality wiper" bespeaks an eI-
treme degree OF narrow mindedness.
LUCIUS f. HERR.
First Lieutenant U. S. o. +. c.
Member of Caduccus Post, American
Legion.
New York, Dec. 25, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
Enright's Latest Excuse

For two years, in the wake of the
war, Mr.. Enright vehemently denied
the existence of "crime wave"
During those years, instead of re-
enforcing the police to meet the
emergency, he degraded the force to
political tool and destroyed it's
morale.
He has now been compelled by
public outcry to concede the exist
ence of what every one else knew
AS might be expected, his endeavor
is to shift to this worldwide phe-
nomenon responsibility for his own
stupidity and inefliciency.
1t is true that certain other cities
in America are almost as badly off
as New York is. 1t is true that Mr.
Enright faces-has faced for over a
year--a situation calling for ex-
traordinary efforts for the maxi
mum of intelligence and integrity in
his post. But is the urgency of the
situation any palliation of the gross
and persistent decentralization Of the
force which Mr.. Enright has
worked? To the contrary, the re-
sponsibility resting upon Mr.. Hylan
and Mr.. Enright is all the greater.
In grave emergency, facing
confagration of crime, these public
servants have turned over the forces
of law and order, the protectors Of
life and property, to corrupt po-
litical control. The indictment Of
Mr.. Hylan and Mr.. Enright could
not be graver.
The frantic efforts which Mr.. En-
right is making are a confession of
all this. And they accomplish
nothing. The force is being ere
organized" daily New orders, new
schemes, new systems, fill the news.
The burglaries, the assaults, con-
tinue undisturbe
Why should they not? The body
of "Monk" Eastman, the best
known crook in New York City, lay
unidentified for four hours the other
morning. 1t was identified not by
any of the detectives who viewed
the body but by a tag in the coat.
Mr.. Enright is making a great noise
about guarding the approaches to
the city. But by whom? By his
politically protected detectives, who
do not know by sight the most. no.
torious gangster in the country2
What is the use of any order, any
system, that is carried out by in
competents protected by political
pull and allied to corrupt political
organization?
A worldwide crime wave is in
deed upon us. And it finds the city
with police force hopelessly under
mined by politics, its good men
pocketed, the men with pull on top,
Incompetence in command at Police
Headquarters and the City Hall.
The responsibility of Mr. Enright
and Mr.. Hylan is correspondingly in
tensified and the need for prompt
action at Albany a hundred times
more urgent than if crime were
at an ordinary level.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
Cherchez Les Femmes
A Prayer for the Return of
Humor to the COLLEGE Man

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Unfortunately, this mornings
quip about the devastating influence
Of the American coed will be appre-
ciated only by cold grads" some of the
unfortunates who never went to col
lege and other adults.
The overadvertised sense of humor
attributed to the college man seems to
have been lost in the shuttle of things
Yet in his own activities, limited to
his own narrow sphere Of life, there is
a wealth of material available for those
who can enjoy the ludicrous, the farci-
cal and the comical.
Not so long ago a coed entered a
well known medical school. She was re-
ceived with alarm and distracted, pam
icky fright. When she went to chapel
on her first morning she found seated
on the steps some hundred or more So
called gentlemen students, who refused
her entrance.
Up in Ithaca all of the so-called "big"
fraternity men we're recently shocked
into state bordering on the speeches.
by the appearance of band of co-eds
at the ell-Dartmouth game in New
York. All sorts of whisperings and
backstairs conclaves followed, in which
were brewed some so-called manly po-
litical schemes, aimed at depriving the
coed of any and all rights in Cornell
affairs.
1t was only last year, think, that
the supposedly progressive Westerners
in the University Of California took it
upon themselves to publish a rotten
piece OF college journalism printed in
appropriate red-most viciously attack
ing the goods there through the chief
medium Of insinuation, distinctly Of
curbstone quality.
When the blue Sunday comes we can
spend it in no better fashion than pray
ing for the return of light and sense
of humor to our American college man.
PAUL " KEARNEY.
New York. Dec. 27, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
The eConning Tewer
AS To CATS

To Mistah .oet described az tho most
beautiful cat In North America.
The poems that Oliver Herford has
written
Regarding the charms and the tricks Of
the kitten
Arouse in my bosom an ardent desire
To wallop--in praise Of the kitten-the
Tyre.
And Mr.. Van Vechten's most valuable.
volume
Invites me to dedicate all of q colyum
To lauding-in metrical manner-the
And some Of his antics performed in my
fiat.
But just as turn my poetical light on,
He jumps on the paper I'm trying to
write on;
And I'd rather just look at him, hour
after hour,
Than write anything for the terrible
Tower.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
Who Captured Vigneulles?
The 10th National Guard Divi-
sion, the Record Shows

TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: TIE news articlt dated Boston
in this mornings Trib ne, relating to
the capture of Vigneulles in the St..
Mihiel salient by the I'd Regular Army
Division or the 26th National Guard
Division, is matter of official record
IN favor of the latter-by platoon of
Company f, 102d Infantry, under COM
mand of Lieutenant Clifford w. Henry.
New York boy, who was killed in ac-
tion the next day
Major General Cameron, in his re-
port and congratulations to Colonel
Hiram l.. Bearss, commanding the 1O2d
Infantry, stated: "Your regiment took
up the march about 81 o'clock g o'clock
IN the EVENING" on the night of the
18th. Its leading elements entered
Vigneules before O'Clock the follow
ing mornins. You were in complete
possession Of Hattonchatel and Vi
gneulles by g o'clock. A little later you
had seized and garrsoned Creuc and
Heudicourt, blocked the roads leading
from the southeast across the Grande
Tranchee de Calonne, and patrols seek
ing contact with our forces advancing
from the south had started. on their
mission. This contact was gained and
the complete brigade mission was
thereby fulfilled. You captured nearly
LOCO German prisoner: and Il consid-
cradle amount Of stores of all kinds"
In the affidavit Of Captain Samuel c.
Pickett, U. s. A, recommending that
the Congressional Medal be postum
mously awarded to Lieutenant Clifford
w. Henry, he states: "Vigneulles was
reached before da break and found in
flames. One of the platoons in nv
company under command Of Lieutenant
Henry surrounded the town and cap
turcd 254 prisoners. Having the great
est confidence in Lieutenant Henry's
ability, placed him in command of a
platoon to advance through the enc
my's territory and gain contact with
our forces advancing from the south,
which he successfully ace ,mplished, re-
urnng five hours later and reporting
the salient closed"
IRA W. HENRY.
New York, Dec. "a, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
Still Breaking Faith

Germany's opinion Of the Yer
sailles treaty has always been that
it is binding only in so far as the
Allies can compel its enforcement.
The Germans defaulted on the sur
render Of their war criminals. They
dcfaulted on the provisions limiting
the use of troops in the neutral zone
east Of the Rhine. They didn't turn
over the coal they had promised to
ship into France. They haven't
lived up to their original engage
ment to replace cattle stolen from
occupied territory. Now after hav
ing secured one respite, they have
again broken their word to reduce
the size of their army.
Article 100 of the Versailles treaty
fixed the strength of the German
army at 100000 on and after March
81, 1920. But or that date the regu-
lar forces numbered more than
2UO,O0O, and there were large bodies
OF auxiliary troops still in existence.
At the Spa conference last spring
the Allies gave Germany until Janu-
airy !, 1921, to get within the 1OO,-
600 limit. General Nollet, head of
the lnter-Allied Control Commission
IN Berlin, has Just reported to the
Allied Council of Ambassadors that
this reduction of the regular arm
has not been accomplished and that
the Einwohnerwehr and other mill
tia bodies have not been disbanded.
The Berlin government itself admits
that it hasn't dissolved the local
military organizations in East Prus
sia and Bavaria.
When the Germans violated the
treaty by invading the neutralized
Ruhr district the French countered
by occupying Frankfort and Darn
stadt. If Germany persists in main
tanning more troops than the treaty
allows, the Allies will be entitled to
extend their occupation beyond the
Rhine. Wheth~r they do so or not
will be, in way, a test Of their atti
tude toward treaty enforcement. So
far they compromised whenever Ger.
many has defal tied, thus encourag
ing Berlin to continue it's policy Of
avoidance and obstruction.
Inc trouble is that France has
been left pretty much alone in her
night for adequate military guaran-
ties and war reparations. There is
threat to her in every penalty
which Germany escapes. The other
Hiiled powers are all much better
insured against German recovery.
has France any substantial guaran-
ties against German defiance of
the treaty, in the absence Of the mil
ltary cooperation incffcctively prom
lsed by Lloyd George and President
Wilson? AndrA Tardieu contends
that She has, and that If Germany
keeps on trimming down the treaty
and the Triple Alliance treaties with
Great Britain and the United States
go by the board, ns they probably
have done, the Versailles convention
itsel3 pxovsdss for an unlimited
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29

French occupation Of the west bank
of the Rhine and the Rhine bridge
heads.
That occupation is, IN fact,
Frances only substantial safeguard
against German had faith and the
wreckage of the treaty 1t would be
curious irony of history if the
Rhine barrier which the peace con-
ference denied France should. become
hers eventually through German OBJ
stinacy and duplicity.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
Have You Police Whistle>

10 the Editor of The Tribune.
SIR: Referring to the crime wave
"n'cA Is sweeping New York, would it
not be we'll for citizens to use police
Whistles more generally-that is, have
them at their homes and Offices and
also carry one when on the streets ?
one or more of these whistles, blown at
the proper time, might prove nerve
racking, to first offenders, anyway. Why
not try it? NJ
New York, Dec. 27. 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
Aladdin in the u. S. A.

Inc American way Of doing things
bears a certain striking resemblance
to the fashion in which young Mr..
Aladdin, of China, rubbed his lamp
and got a ready-nade palace while
ne waited. Here the lamp that is
rubbed is labeled "Civic Pride" and
when you rub it, especially in the
Middle West, you can get almost
anything you want from a sidewalk
to a million-dollar hotel.
1t was the latter that Steubcnville
Ohio, wanted. Mr. Irwin Cobb had
come and seen and attempted to
sleep in the old hostelry of this ex-
cellent town, and had written emo
tlonally of the animal life thereof in
The Saturday Evening Post. Where
upon the Steubenville press and the
Steubenville Chamber of Commerce
arose in their might and resolved
that such things must not be, that
so imperial an Ohio metropolis must
have the latest and grandest things
IN the way Of hotel, one that would
house safely the most pernicketv
humorist that ever made copy out of
a cockroach.
This week the stately cdifce was
opened with the usual banquet, the
Chamber of Commerce sent it's COM
pllments to Mr.. Cobb and the shame
Of Steubenville is no more. In it's
place stands, we have no doubt. p
perfectly good hotel, beautiful to
look upon, equipped with every hy-
gicnic appliance and every comfort
and luxury, not to mention restau-
rant, a grill room and a Jazz floor.
Such is the way Of the Middle West
Rub that old lamp "Civic Pride" and
the tlghtest wads will uncurl and
with the usual American efficiency
there will ha erected the most up-to-
New-York tribune., 1920-12-29
By
Heywood Broun

certain magazine, less than a mile
from Forty fourth Street, we now share
an Office with another member of the
staff, who conducts coluxln called
"The Well Dressed Man" Nothing has
happened yet, but such an association
cannot be long continued without hav-
ing an effect. Our only worry is
whether it is to be reform for US or
corruption for him.
When Wells speaks of Rome and of
Greece and of the mighty plans Of
Philip of Macedon we are becomingly
impressed, but nothing in his narrative
so far has amazed us so much as the
revelation that The Outline of History
was written in longhand
The newspaper folk of Huneker's
Painted Wells ere curious lot They
seem to spend their time in conversa-
tions, each line of which begins "Women
are"-- and ends "that's Stendhal' or
Baudelaire said that" or you'll find
that in Max Stirner.' One of the char
acters, in fact, even quotes at consid-
cradle length from Huneker, although
she does not express the opinion that
his style is not yet formed. Having re-
marked in an earlier review that
Painted Wells was uneven in merits, we
must add. now that we have gone on to
the end, that it comes to be even enough
in time. 1t is, we think, just a trash
book.