The Washington times., 1920-12-17
Today
Your 3-Ring Circus.
A Picture Puzzle.
Some Money Left.
But What Penr0Se Gloom.
ARTHUR BRISBANE
Copyright. 1920.

ring circus, the rings being
"AVARICE, JEALOUSY, AM
BITION"-or name them your
self.
Men studying world events are
like children at the circus. Watch
ing one thing, they miss the oth,
ers. IL they see the clown fall
over his feet, they miss the lady
on the slack wire. If they see
her, they miss the trained pig.
Historians tell you truly that
We know more today about world
events In the time OF the Pharaohs
how they lived, why they con-
quered and killed, what their re-
hgions meant, thousands of years
ago-than they themselves knew.
The Phoenicians knew nothing of
the Chinese or the Chinese OF the
Phoenicians. We know a great
deal about both. The future will
know us-our motives, meanness,
ignorance-far better than we
know ourselves. News items, scat
tered, are pieces Of jig saw puz-
zle that history will gather into
q clear picture.
For instance:
The council of "civilized" ma
tions decides TO do something
about the traffic in women. That
helps to define the word "civiliza-
tion" in our day, as their kidnap-
ing Of .Grecian youths for slavery
or human sacrifice helps us to un-
derstand the civilization" Of
Crete.
China, oldest continuous civili-
zation on earth, manages to
squeeze into the council of nations,
thanks to her clever Mr.. koo,
whose ancestors were scheming
and philosophizing when our an
cestors were cannibals, hunting
each other through the valleys.
A judge in Boston suggests life
Imprisonment for robbery, which
has been multiplied by ten as a re-
suit of the war. War, like public
executions, increases crime by set
ting the criminal example. When
a nation says "it is all right to kill
and rob-" latent criminality whis-
pers to the individual, "There is a
hint for YOU"
China while philosophizing sawed
living criminals in two, length
wise; killed others with single
drops of water falling on the head
at intervals, causing insanity and
death; killed them also by waking
them from sleep at intervals of a
few minutes.
Such "cures" did not abolish
crime in ancient China. Excessive
punishment will not end robberies
in modern America. To diminish
crime, deal with the criminals
brain and THOUGHT. You can
not do much with his body.
There is some money left in the
country. Uncle Sam wanted to
borrow five hundred millions-citi-
zens offered for his Treasury GER
tificates two hundred millions more
than he can use.
A Non-Partisan League lady, at
a public banquet last Tuesday, told
a story about animals claiming
credit for Americas victory: II
won," said the horse; "soldiers
rode on my back" The mule said,
81 won; hauled the ammunition
and guns"
Excuse ME-" said the jackass; ;
81 won the war; l bought the Gov
eminent bonds"
These Treasury certificates,
which banks and wise men gather,
are unlike Government bonds
they hold their value.
Senator Penrose, head of the
Senate's Finance Committee, talks
a streak of the bluest indigo.
Closed mills and empty dinner
pals are coming, he said. His
remedy is simple-cut down work.
mems wages, a. cut down high
income tax anG excess profit tax
that have discouraged poor, plod-
ding wealth.
You may or may not say to
yourself: What could be fairer
than cutting the rich mans taxes
and the little mans pay? A re-
duction on both sides seems fair
enough"
Perhaps we are going to have
all that pessimists predict. Prob
ably NOT. Panics HAPPEN, they
are not predicted. Anyhow, Rus
sia is sadder than we. There, ac-
cording to late news, the small
est bank note printed stands for
10000 rubles, once worth $4,000,
now worth % cents in foreign
countries-presumably as a curl
osity.
Fortunately for Russia, she does
not depend on what other coun-
tries think of her money. Sixty
years ago Mr.. Rockefeller's /. o. U.
for fifty millions could not have
been sold at any price. Now it's
worth par, which is more than you
can say for a Government bond.
England decides, for the League
of Nations, that Turkey may keep
Constantinople and the churches
on which the crescent replaces old
torn down crosses. But Turkey
-. MOTT Loo,, Tho norJ n pol nc