davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12

programme still in progress when war ended
This, however. does not preclude the fact
that the next estimates may contain pro-
vision for capital ships, though nothing def
mite has yet been decided. The Admiralty
are not, however, idle, but are keeping a
very close eye on foreign naval construction
The naval construction department is still
fully manned and should 1t he necessary to
bring in new programme next year the Ad-
miralty would be fully ready for all eventu-
alities.
1T is certain. however. that whatever ships
may be built In the future coal is a past
number so far as the navy Is concerned.
No ships will in future he constructed by
the navy to run on coal and an a few years
coal will be as obsolete In the navy as the
four decker of Nelson's day. The introduce
ton of oil has proved so excellent that the
efficiency of the fleet has greatly improved.
This in itself means a slight reduction In the
number of ships. 1t is certain that until an
Improvement on oil is obtained oil will re-
main the motive power of the British navy"
Sir Percy Scott remarked that the Japan
csc were building battleships of $4,000 tons
and the Americans were doing likewise. He
said the head of the constructors depart
ment of the Admiralty. who is an advo-
cate of big battleships" told him that he was
building a battleship which could not be
sunk by torpedo.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
Capital Ship Plan Alive
But Has Many Opponents

There is no intention on the part of the
British Admiralty to discard the capital
ship" n highly placed official of the Adj
mralty told a New YORK HERALD CORE
spondent THE statements of the First
Lord of the Admiralty in the House of Com
mons well as all the evidence to be adj
duced from the debates on the naval esti-
mates show that the technical advisers OF
the Government are quite satisfied with the
work done by the big ship in the late war
and have no intention of abandoning this
class for any experiments"
On the other hand. Sir Percy Scott, an ex-
pert on naval armament and torpedoes, says:
II am quite sure that we will never get
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
Luminous Camouflage
Recalls Shallard Plan

A S early as May %, 1916. a novel plan
~ to lure enemy aircraft away from
cities and munition plants by means
of luminous camouflage was submitted by
Dillon Shalard to the British War Office
Mr.. shallard is a teacher of singing at pres
ent in New York
In his letter addressed to Lord Curzon he
gave n brief outline of his proposed method
1t was to arrange areas adjacent to any
town--London. Newcastle Hull &c.--and
mark It out with dummy FORCES, furnaces
factories, &c, showing lights appropriate to
such places and draw the Zeppelins within
those areas to drop their bombs harmlessly.
The Air Board sent him word that other
steps had been adopted with view to the
same end. This answer was under date
April 10, 1917.
In reading the article published recently
by THE New YORK HERALD descriptive of the
plans of luminous camoufage which the
French military authorities were considering
quitting into effect about the time OF the
armistice Mr.. Shallard hunted up his CORE
spondence and sent IL to this newspaper IN
February. 1918. he proposed to Commandant
Ducros, Minister OF War (aviation). plan
for constructing an imitation OF railway.
with illuminated trains. signals. stations, &C.,
not far from Paris, and. second. plan to
camotfage certain sections of the Seine in
Paris by smoke clouds. These ideas covered
the ground that the French War Office SUBJ
sequently admitted they had been consider
ing.
In his answer Commandant Ducros pro-
nounced Mr.. Shallard's ideas ingenious
meriting the sincere praise OF the National
Defence. He said. however: The grouping
OF projectors has been done in another form,
az has also the realization OF the incandes-
cent projectors That you have thought OF
the same is remarkable. and I reiterate here
the thanks that already addressed TO you
at the time your ideas were submitted.-
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
Notes From Abroad
Of Genuine Interest

TIME people of different countries have
different ways of hunting the tiger.
Traps, pitfalls, spring guns and nets
are called into play. The Chinese are said to
employ the mirror to lead the animal into a
trap. The tigers curiosity is excited when
he sees his image in the glass. and he imme-
diately proceeds to investigate the mystery.
The Persian method of conducting the hunt
is more sportsmanlike.
A spherical, strongly woven bamboo cage,
with intervals of few inches between the
bars is erected in some spot near the haunts
of the tiger This cage is firmly and securely
picketed TO the ground. Inside man pro-
vided with several sharp and powerful stab
bling spears, or with a keen and pointed
sword, takes his post at night, with dog or
goat as companion.
In due time the tiger makes his appear
ance, the man, If sleeping. is walked by his
four footed companion, and after vainly
smiling and prowing round the cage to find
an entrance, the tiger. rears against the
walls.
The man instantly takes advantage of the
brutes unprotected position. and with a reso-
lutte stroke Of the spear or the sword puts
him 70 death.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12

TIME Soviet Government takes good care
Of artists. particularly it's famous
singers. with his fees the singer
can indulge himself in Injuries not generally
obtainable at this time in Russia he can
have chicken eggs and white bread and
quarters are provided for him i'm one of the
former palaces.
The following is the schedule of rations al
otted to artists, actors composers, doctors
and journalists: Flour, 80 pounds a month
butter. 3 pounds a month; sugar. 3 pounds
month, tobacco. half-pound smoking and
500 cigarettes behring's, % month"; cereal.
20 pounds month; rice Is pounds month,
and raisins. pounds a month.
The wife Of an artist who In not a perform
er herself receives the rations Of an ordinary
la rer; 5000 rubles a month and half loaf
o. cad and a free dinner each day.
Livery place of amusement is open 70 chill
drsn without reservation. Bathrooms Of
once fashionable hotels in Petrograd and
Moscow are used entertainment halls.
The Metropolis ballroom in Moscow has
been converted into a picture house and
there domestic pictures are shown.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
No Limit to Torpedoes,
Asserts Sir Percy Scott

II am fraid I had to be rather rude TO
him." said Sir Percy, because there is no
limit to the size of torpedo. You can put
into the head of a torpedo a charge of half
a ton of TINT A 500 pound charge Of TINT
Is quite big enough to blow a hole big
this room CT was a large ROOM In a battle
ship"
One reason given for the rumors of a re-
duction I'm the British navy and many other
startling innovations is the enthusiasm of
the Air Ministry. The alrmen would like TO
see all navies scrapped. There Is much talk
Of the transportation OF troops by air, but so
far this Is only talk. Nothing practical on
large scale has been attempted.
The old thought men OF the British navy
do not take seriously the astonishing claims
Of the Air Ministry and they confident
that In the next war the British navy will
be riding the waves in her old majesty
transporting the army and keeping the lines
of communication.
But with the claims OF the Air Ministry
Il In remembered what a few fieeting years
have done with new ideas like air transpor-
tation and undersea warfare. Now, with ex-
perimental work so widespread what might
another brief period, no greater than the
time Il takes to build a battleship, prove TO
the world Powers7
Britain is not building. but neither is she
idle And she is taking a keen interest In
the work OF her allies America and Japan.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
Powers Spending Billions on Armament

the battleships back again The Admiralty
are very anxious 10 pursue their old policy
of building so many ships of one type and
so many ships of another type every year,
whether they are useful or not and they are
very anxious to build battleships now. told
them the other day that I did not think the
country would be quite so agreeable to
spending 100000 on battleship that could
be sunk by one torpedo. Just at present
they are In a very undecided state of mind
There is divided opinion. Some say fast
cruisers. submarines and torpedoes, and
some want battleships. but I don't think we
will get the battleships.
The Admiralty official says England has
two reasons for not laying down capital ships
now at the rate of other powers, notably che
United States and Japan. First England Is
well provided with capital ships as result
of the war. and as she is doing all she can
to support the League of Nations she sees
no reason to add to the constituencies of the
world by increasing her already large navy.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12

school of thought has maintained that after
al. the capital ship idea was successful. The
other school is just as persistent that while
the big ships of the British navy pulled
through once they may not have as much
luck another time.
Clearly the question is one for more ex-
tersive experiment and, while Admiralty Off
Gals will not say as much. Britain's attitude
of watchful waiting may be inspired by de-
sire TO observe what this experiment as con-
Quoted by others will prove.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
Revision of What America
Will and Will Not Accept

But with the Paris experience and the
Geneva example in mind 1t seems not too
difficult to fix in advance the questions with
which the American members of any inter-
national association shall and shall not con-
Germ themselves In doing this we shall re-
ject once for all the whole conception Of the
superstate profoundly un-American, and
promote the idea of an international court
of justice and well established body Of
international law. causes which have enlisted
our efforts over long years.
As an attempt to run the world, Geneva
broke down just as Paris broke down and for
the same reasons. In Geneva, as at Paris,
the little nations were ranged against the
big, the big against each other, the victors
against the vanquished. The effort to build
a barrier against war was blocked by the
coinciding efforts of the several nations to
shape that barrier to their own peculiar
necessities. And the shape thus given was
of little real concern to the United States.
But notwithstanding the manifest failure In
performance. resulting from the effort to
follow an impossible pathway. the need and
the use of international consideration and
action along other pathways was again en-
phasized and the possibility, even the neces-
sity. of American participation in such path
making clearly indicated.
But IL the United States. IL President-elect
Harding and the new Administration. do not
save the League of Nations from itself and
from the course 1t entered at Paris and fol-
lowed at Geneva, its swift and complete ship
wreck is now assured.
Copyright. 1920, by the Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
British Admiralty
Splits on Policy

Special Correspondence TO THE NEW YoRK
HERALD
COPYRIGHT 1920, by THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
London. Dec. 2.
w nth America and Japan concentrat-
w ing on naval production England IS
standing still. Or is she marking
time?
Britannia's two nearest rivals in naval
strength are holding to tho big-ship Idea, but
this has been a subject OF much controversy
in Admiralty circles during the study of les
sons Of the great war. In fact. II might be
said that for probably the first time In his
tory the British navy has two schools one
thinks that batteships are a good thing; the
other does not
Before the war the Lords Commissioners oil
tho Admiralty looked upon the submarine as
more or less A toy, but the Germans tor-
pedoed that idea. Then came the battle OF
Jutland. and whatever else happened the
Germans went back and did not come out
with their feet again until they brought u
out with a white flag hyins Since then ono
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
Effort Made at Geneva to
Carry Out Work Begun in Paris

But these were only minor details. What
exactly the Geneva conference did was to
continue the attempt. made at Paris with
such disastrous consequences, to preserve
for the League of Nations the double char
acter of an international conference designed
to abolish the causes of war and partner
ship of the nations which had defeated Ger
many, to preserve the fruits of the victory
and the approximate domination of world
affairs which resulted from German defeat
Thus the nations which had been defeated
Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey,
were excluded from membership in the
league. and in some degree the solidarity
between the conquerors was preserved by
form of bargain counter exchange.
Exactly here however, American interest
manifestly ceases and we encounter the pre-
else causes for American apprehension and
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12

Such briefly are some but not all of the
questions opened at Geneva, which have
real and undeniable Importance for the
United States. If one choose to argue that
the League of Nations is necessarily the
only body capable of dealing with these
questions, then the United States has every
reason to seek membership in that body.
But II will be plain that all of these ques-
tons are in their essence, legal-they do not
concern alliances, territorial guarant S. the
invasion of the sovereignty of any State or
the acceptance of contractural obligations
which might involve the invasion of our OWL
sovereignty by any other nations. In point
of fact they are all questions which we have
already consented to discuss at the Hague
conference, except in the case of the man.
datories.
All of them. moreover, are questions the
proper solution of which contributes to maxi
ing war less likely, to making general war
almost impossible. II one conceive of the
League of Nations as body created and
maintained to deal with such questions hav-
ing the legislative function only in the sense
of debate, with It's decisions in all cases
amounting to no more than recommended
tons to the proper bodies of the several
nations represented in the league, 1t is clear
that one instantly eliminates all the details
which reused American opposition to the
covenant Oh the lIedBue VI I>dtlOHS as fTeSl-
dent Wilson accepted it and 1t corresponds
exactly to the American conception Of con-
tributing to making war unlikely without
undertaking foreign obligations and incur
ring foreign dangers.
BY contrast with the foregoing subjects,
the Geneva conference undertook to deal
with whole range Of totally different ques-
TONS For example it sought to settle the
dispute between the Poles and the Lithu-
anans by enforcing a plebiscite in the dis
puted region and sending troops to carry out
such a vote. 1t undertook to deal with the
Armenian question by inviting the President
of the United States, together with the heads
Of two other nations. to mediate, without
taking the smallest measure to insure the
enforcement Of any decision or the restora-
ton of order provided the Turks refused to
accept the mediator or to listen to his advice.
At the same time. the League of Nations
undertook to fix the status Of Danzig. doing
violence thereby both to German and Polish
aspirations.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
hing Only War Programme
As Measure of Economy

Secondly, there is the question of money.
With the continual cutlery for economy IL
has been thought best so far to confine naval
construction merely to a rounding off of the
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
oh Going On in Geneva in Which L. S. Might Share

porary and ephemeral as the liquidation OF
war with something which to be valuable
at all must have enduring character, namely,
the maintenance of world peace and the
avoidance of war.
Had our representatives sat in the Geneva
conference they would have been called upon
to favor or oppose British and French views
in Lithuania, to favor or oppose the plan
for the admission of recently enemy nations.
We should have been asked for troops to
serve in Armenia and in Wilma, we should
have been asked to undertake responsibilities
exactly like those bestowed upon President
Wilson at Paris. We should have been
asked not to be partners in establishing
world peace, but In maintaining the peace of
Versailles.
In word. we should have been entangled
Just as we were in Paris, obliged to take to
our own detriment one side or the other of
a question which did not concern us and in
which our intervention could neither pro-
mote sound settlement nor do anything
but injure us in the eyes of the parties at
interest.
Possible to Form a New Policy
In Accord With Our Ideals
To-day as a result of the Geneva episode
il becomes possible at last for the United
States, for a new Administration. to formu-
late real national policy which falls in with
DOtn american eHOtlOTS, lnat WHICH is eN-
pressed in the desire to share with other
nations in the work of making war impossi-
BILE, or at least difficult. and that which is
expressed in our Oldest tradition to avoid
ENHANCEMENT with European affairs.
Provided our representatives go to any
League of Nations to discuss principles, not
frontiers; to establish laws. not boundaries;
to guarantee our obedience to principles acted
for us by our own Congress, after they have
been formulated by an international con-
ference not to compel such obedience by
other nations or to purchase such adherence
by private guarantees of our own, all criti-
cisms so far directed against the idea Of
league of nations in the United States are
met and disposed of.
But this is something far different from
American membership in the League Of
Nations as conceived by President Wilson
or as provided for by the Senate reserva-
tons. The one carried us into waters from
which the majority of American people de-
sire to remain far distant. The other merely
restricted the character of our action in
those same troubled waters. Both involved
US because in both cases our representatives
dealt with questions of territory and from
tiers affecting other nations. whereas one
left a question as to the rights of other
nations to interfere with similar problems
Of our own, while the other expressly for
babe this.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12

A early as May "a, 1916. a novel plan
~ to lure enemy aircraft away from
= cities and munition plants by means
The Washington times., 1920-02-21
KEEP THE SHIPS" URGE
VERMONT LEGISLATORS

BOSTON, Feb. 21.-Vermont Legis-
lators are strongly opposed to the
sale of the confiscated German ships
at a sacrifice. Eighty-five per cent
of those with whom the matter has
been discussed, expressed themselves
against the plan to sell the vessels
for a sum far below their real values.
Because of the fact that the, Legis-
lature is not in session and that many
of the members are storm-bound in
remote rural districts it was possible
to get in touch with only 9S Of the
members. or these eighty-five were
opposed to a bargain price sale Of the
liners. Ten believed they should be
disposed of even at one-eighth their
worth, three had no definite opinion,
and one thought they should DO re-
turned to Germany.
A large majority Of those who gave
opinions felt that the ships should be
retained by the Governhaynt for the.
PURPOSE of building up the United
States merchant marine a. should be
operated by American fr4s under the
United States flag withta provision
In the articles of the sale whereby
the Government would have the right
to use them in case Of war or any
other emergency. a..
The Washington times., 1920-02-21

The allied and associated gov
ernments whose signatures are
hereto affixed severaliy agree as
TO regards the merchant shipping
as follows:
The reparation commission
will as soon as possible compile a
list giving fullest particulars
available on all enemy ships still
In existence captured, seized or
detained by any allied or assoc
cciated government during the
war, and also all other enemy
ships or boats which the enemy
powers are required to cede I'M
der the treaty OF peace.
1.-The reparation commission
will take such steps as will Sc
cure that eachh OF the allied and
associated governments Will re-
tain as its own the compiete title
to and use of all ships captured,
seized or detained during the war
as a war measure and prior 10
November IL, 1918. and will own
the same free from any claim OF
any of the allied or associated
governments.
In all cases where the ships
and boats so to be retained by any
allied and associated government
are in excess of the claims OF
such government, respectively.
for war losses in merchant ships.
such government shall not make
any claim for a share in other
ships and boats ceded under the
treaty of peace.
3-In ali cases where the ships
and boats SO to be retained by
any such government are insuf-
ficient to satisfy in full the claims
of such governments, respec-
lively, for war losses in merchant
ships, the enemy ships which re-
main and which are to be coded
under the treaty of peace will be
divided into three classes, viz:
Liners, other merchant ships and
fishing boats, and will be dis
tributed to such governments on
the basis of ton for ton and class
for class of the ships and boats
lost and not replaced by the ships
and boats retained, but in pro-
portion to the balance due on the
claims of such governments. re-
spectively.
As the ships and boats so to
be retained will, in the case of
Brazil, China, Cuba, Siam and the
United States, exceed the total
amount of tonnage which would
be aIlocated to those countries
were the total enemy tonnage
captured, seized, detained or still
in existence shared In proportion
The Washington times., 1920-02-21
VOTES TO KEEP
SEIZED GERMAN SHIPS

AUGUSTA. Feb. 21.-With the same
unanimity which impeded the iegis-
latures of Massachusetts, Rhode Is
land. New York, and Virginia to take
action, a majority of the Maine legis-
lature has placed itself on record as
against the sale of the former Ger
man ships. or the 1872 members of
the Legislature, ninety-six. or four
more than a majority. polled by the
Boston American. are opposed to the
sale of the ships until after an in
vestigation has decided their true
value. A majority of the legislators
interviewed are opposed to the sale
OF the ships unless they are sold to
Americans and sailed under the
American flag.
The Maine Legislature. like the leg
islatures of the other States, bases
it's opposition on patriotic grounds.
Party affiliations are not allowed to
warp their patriotic judgment, or
the Maine Senate, consisting of thirty
one members. nineteen Republicans
Joined one Democrat in opposition
to the sale.
or the seventy-fve representatives
fifty-nine Republicans
lined up with sixteen Democrats and
cast their influence with the drive of
william Randolph Hearst against the
sale Of the ships.