davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
Curiosity and knowledge.

II is a strange and inverted view
Of knowledge which makes the in
crease In the worlds stock of 1t
sort of burden and impediment to
mankind. To-day the sum seems so
immense, so much has been discov-
cred and collated that a man must
spend nearly all his life learning
what Is already known; he Is about
ready to die by the time he knows
enough to contribute anything new to
the great common store" This Is the
proposition advanced by the Va1ager
apropos Of new edition of EvEIyN's
DIARY" EyELYN's virtue was his
curiosity, but we are asked to believe
that knowledge kills curiosity and the
present age has lost its incentive to
inquire.
The whole conception is twisted
and untrue. 1t is a tissue Of falla-
cies. Perhaps the broadest and most
obvious Is the assumption that knowl-
edge has grown to any such burden
some and sitting extent. In reality
the sum total of human knowledge
to-day IS to the great gulf Of the un-
known somewhat as Is the bulk of
the earth on which we live 70 the
surrounding void of space. What we
have learned in the period of mans
existence Is to know how little we
know, how much there is to learn.
To represent such an attainment as
killing curiosity Is to destroy the
meaning Of words.
In fact the great stimulus Of curl
csity-or Of its higher manifestation.
research--is knowledge The hunger
for truth grows with nutrition. The
acquisition OF knowledge and its coll
lation, its reduction 10 system and
classification and theory, 50 far from
making further progress In discovery
and thought more difficult, simplify
and facilitate advance 10 woudcr-
full degree. In the age of JoHN EVE
lin NhANM tbNtANN Ab4l -&AA bliN VI Aht
seventeenth century. much time was
spent by educated people IN learning
untruths. even absurdities, AMI In
then reasoning upon them. Furnished
at the outset with an erroneous
framework. the student spent days
and years piecing into 1t falsehoods
from books and personal observations
Of his own warped or duIled from a
mistaken point or view Only a stray
genius here or there could in some
special direction break the shackles
Of error and give q new truth to
mankind.
The intelligent college boy Ia the
present age has Il safer, q more cor
rect aud luminous view Of the uni
verse than EVELYN enjoyed al the
close OF his eighty-six years. II few
make proportional additions to knowl-
edge II Is not because Of the burden
Of their scholarship but because of
their greater iniirmlty Of intellect and
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
Bonuses on Mortgages.
Side Of Lenders Who Ask q Return
of More Than 9 Per Cent.

To THE New YORK Herald: The ff-
teen questions OF the Lockwood commit
tee 10 financial institutions may be re-
duced TO the single inquiry as to whether
such bodies by indirection secured the
equivalent OF more than 6 per cent.
en- the mortgage loans made by them.
Suppose they did do so and that they
have now ceased to make loans. with
the result OF foreclosure OF properties
subject TO past due mortgages: win the
ruin Of the present owners be q result
to be contemplated with pleasure or be
construed in any way as an advantage
to the State?
Most OF the mortgages now falling due
are for amounts much larger than would
be lent to-day upon 6 per cent. basis.
II they are renewed they become. like
other personal property. the subject of
sale in the open market and are not
worth their face value. An increase
over per cent. whether direct or indi-
rect, does not represent SO much an in
creased interest as it does an offset to
a deprecated principal. The officers Of
a financial corporation would be rightly
open to criticism of their stockholders
il they put funds of the corporation
worth hundred cents on the dollar
into a security which deprecated them
10 per cent in the act Of investment.
There seems to be a subtle difference
which our Legislators are able to draw
between the propriety OF a builder ac-
cepting ten year tax exemption as a
bonus for building and corporation
accepting what is at most only an APP
parent bonus for helping out a hard
pressed owner though receiving in fact
no more than enough to make it whole
in the transaction.
CHARLES E. MANIERRE.
NEW YORK, March %.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
SATURDAY. MARCH %. 1921.
Not on Your Life! Says Britain.

In the British House OF Commons
on Thursday the League of Nations
supersovereignty got under the spot
light. Members were informed by the
Ministry that once British mandates
or British anythings got into the
clutches of the League nobody could
get them out; nothing could be done
about it mo matter what burdens,
financial or other, they imposed"
Straightway the tight little island
begnn to rock under the seats of
Parliament. If the Westminster roof
did not come down and the windows
burst out it was only because the
Britons who never will be slaves
patriotically and clamorously decided
that, League or no League, nothing
could go without Parliament's o X.
Even Lord ROBERT CECIL, passionate
adorer of the League of Nations
though he be, protested that of course
the mandates must be submitted TO
the Commons.
Lord BRYCE follows up in the Times
with the declaration that every man
date, everybody's mandate, every
body's mandate everywhere, no mat
ter what it Is about, must be passed
on by the House Of Commons. Obvi-
ously the League of Nations is all
right in its application to other ma
tions, but when 1t runs afoul of Brit
ish nationalism it hits n rock which
knocks the bottom clean out Of 1t.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
HARDING SUMMER HOME
. YET UNDETERMINED
Vacation Depends on Length
of Extra Session.
Special Despatch to THE NEW YonK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,


Secretary Christian said In response
to inquiries at the White House to-day
that President Harding had not con-
sidered the question of where he would
pass that portion of the summer which
may be left to him after Congress gets
through with its extra session. The
matter will depend largely on when
Congress gets through. With the i'm
portanf questions of tariff and taxes on
hand this may not be until August or
September.
The inquiries were prompted by ru-
mors that Mr.. Harding might go to tho
residence Of DR.. Albert III. Ely, at
Southampton. l.. l., for n time. These
reports called attention to the fact that
there no would be near the summer
places of the Secretary Of State. Mr..
Hughes, and of the Secretary OF tho
Treasury. Mr.. Mellon. at Bridgehamp-
ton. DR.. Ely is n friend OF Mr.. Har-
ding. and II might be that such an ar
rangement might develop. However, it
now Is too early to tell definitely.
Many invitations have arrived ut the
White House for the President and
Mrs Harding offers of summer places ia
almost all sections of the country In
addition pressure Is being exerted to
have Mr.. Harding 20 TO Alaska for
brief visit
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
Boy 'Celiist Makes Debut.

Maurice Brown, a New York boy not
quite fifteen years of age. made his first
appearance before a local audience in a
cello recital in Aeolian Hall last evening.
His programme comprised a sonata In
@ major by sammartini. a concerto by
Jules de Swert, Tschaikowslzy's varia-
tions on rococco theme and some short
pieces. The boy had large and friend
ly audience and was warmly applauded.
He disclosed a genuine talent for cello
playing and a proficiency quite admir-
able In SO young a performer. He
showed good tone and technic, but his
style was naturally wanting In the high
est qualities OF finish. But his promise
is large and doubtless will be realized in
time.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
Nine. Namara Going Abroad.

Mr.. and Mrs. Guy Bolton (Mme. Mar
guerite Namara) took a party of friends
to Carnegie Hail last night for the last
concert of the National Symphony Or
chestra under Willem Mengelberg. In
their party were the Duke and Duchess
de Rlchelieu. Nine. Lipkowska and
Messrs. Jerome Kern and A. B. Adams.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bolton will sail for Eu-
rope May for an absence of two
months. He will arrange for the pro-
duction In London of 1.-THE Night Cap"
Jack and JILL and Sally" Nine.
Namara will join Miss Mary Garden In
Monte Carlo and study the title role in
Louise" In which she will appear next
winter with the Chicago Opera Com
pany.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
"Your Obedient Servant"
More Simplicity and Sincerity in Sign
ing Letters Are Urged.

To THE New YORK HERALD ! have
received a letter which ends as follows:
/ have the honor to be. sir. your obe-
dent servant. (Signaturo)
Now I am not an iconoclast, but /
ask: Why persist in the antiquated form
like this? If it ever meant anything, it
certainly means nothing to-day: is, In
fact, mere humbug.
We hear much about the regeneration
Of the world and the reform OF manners.
These ends will be much more likely to
be accomplished IL we get back-or
rather get forward-to simplicity and
sincerity. AcAsrE.
NEW YORK, March 20.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
Chairman Goods Tax Views.

Representative Coop, chairman OF
the House Committee on Appropria-
tions, sticks to the good old home
spun doctrine than when outgo IS big
ger than income in the case of a
government or of anybody else cut
ting expenditures takes up slack no
less effectively and far more safely
than pumping up tax revenues. He
is also sound in his reasoning when
he holds it is not wise to count on
much more customs ~evenue under
higher tariffs in the next fiscal year
than the Treasury recently has been
receiving from that source.
The distinct purpose OF the Fordney
emergency tariff, for instance. Is to
shut out Of this market foreign prod
ucts now coming here to the extent
Of hundreds Of millions Of dollars and
selling against home products.
Whether such imports are now pay
ing low duty or no duty, obviously
if they no longer come in Mt all under
the new tariff they will contribute no
revenue TO the Treasury.
Other imports still permitted to
come In undoubtedly can be made to
bear higher customs rate, but as
the rate goes up the volume tends TO
go down. In such circumstances
there always will be certain
amount of lost revenue on the share
OF imports no longer coming III to
offset part of the increased revenue
on the share still coming in. Chair
man Coon talks by the book, there
fore, when he sets down the probable
customs returns under higher tariffs
at not great deal more than they
are now.
There is a further important con-
sideration In this matter. Canada,
TO take a specific example, has been
buying from us goods in the near
of n billion of dollars
a year. In part payment for these
stupendous purchases Canada has
been handing over our counter nearly
a quarter Of billion of dollars OF
her agricultural products--grain,
meats and dairy stuffs. IL the Ford
ney measure shuts out those Canadian
products, as IL aims to do, Canada's
purchases here must be correspond
ingly or measurably cut down. Then
our industries now supplying the steel,
the hardware, the clothing and other
which Canada has been
buying and paying for with that
quarter Of a billion dollars Of her
agricultural exports to us must lose
all or a good part Of their business
that has been done with Canada.
This would mean, of course, corre-
smaller transactions, earn
lngs and profits by those industries
to yield to the Treasury correspond
ingly smaller taxes, whether on the
basis OF excess profits taxes, corpora
tion income taxes or whatever 1T
might be.
Even with the strictest Government
economy the Treasury is going to be
hard put 80 It to pay the bills that
come m. without sales tax II is
not going to BEGIN TO meet tlic-n
when our present export business has
been severely crippled and our indus
tries producing goods for that export
business are compelled to slow down
"a, ,,,,t mn thc shutters.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
The Spring Song Of the Car.

This Is the song the fiivver sings
At the first faint whir OF a robins
wings:
II know Of a highway winding down
by woods and waters away from town
To lake rejecting the changeful skies.
A farmhouse topping a distant rise,
Adventure waiting around the bend,
And a wayside inn at tho journeys
end.
"Ah. don't you long for the winds
caress,
A broad. brown road for my tires to
press.
A squirrel chipping greeting gay,
The CLINT Of a tiny brook at play;
Sleepy valley and misty hill,
Azure vistas receding still.
Miles that under US smoothly flow?
Start my motor and let us 60"
MIAnsA IRvr,so.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
Doors of Progress.
Modern Inventions Pronounced SUPER
fuous If Not Bother.

To THE NEW York HERALD: Has 1t
never occurred TO your many readers
that most Of the inventions made during
these last twenty-five years are inva-
riably far from being comfortable or
aimed at the convenience OF the public?
For instance, the dangerous revolving
doors, the heavy iron doors In some
business buildings, also the pneumatic
attachment to hard working glass doors.
All Of these seem 70 me superfluous. not
to say real bother. Our old easily
pushed doors were more sensible. And
SO of host of other inventions.
LOUIS NJ. Eu.sHEMlus.
NEW York, March Us.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

upon the platform, and his orchestra
greeted him by standing. The compo-
sltions In the list were all by Wagner
The second number, perhaps chosen
with reference to the day. and finely
played, was the Good Friday Spell'
from ''Parsifal." Later. from the same
music drama, was given the march OF
the Holy Grail knights. The other Sc
lections comprised the overture TO
The Flying Dutchman," the Sounds
of the Forest" from "Siegfried," the
prelude and Love Death" from Iris
tan and Isolda," the Entrance of the
Gods into valhalla" from "Rhinegold,"
Wilkelmj's arrangement OF the Prize
Song and four excerpts from the
Ring" by Mr.. Stransky.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
PUBLIC LECTURES TONIGHT.

John Erskine will read from his works
at the American Museum OF Natural History.
Sevonty-seventh street and Central Park
West.
Prof Samuel @. Schumacher win lecture
on "The Birth and Growth OF Suns" at
Townsend Harris Hall. College of the City
OF New York. Amsterdam avenue and f3Sth
street.
Poems Rough and Brown" by Or. Harry
w. Harrington, Harlem Branch, Z. M. q.
A., s West 125th street.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
PhHharrnonic's Concert.

The Philharmonic Society gave the
last concert Of its Friday afternoon
series yesterday at Carnegie Hall. when
the second of the organizations three
request programmes given annually at
the seasons three closing entertain
ments was offered. AS he had been the
evening before, Mr.. Stranshy was again
very warmly applauded as he first came
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

To THE Nrw York HERALD: I won
der If your correspondent n. s. w." in
referring TO the contralto Alboni. meant
Mime. Albani. who took her stage name
from the city where, as a pupil OF the
late Or. Du Mochel. she became won
derful singer. Her family name was
La Jeuness. She was native of Cham
bly,, Canada, and IS the heroine Of DIR.
Drummonds poem Madame Albani."
=. r. McGARRxHAN.
ALBANY, March 25.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

The Supreme Court having sustained
the conviction of forty Industrial
Workers of the World who violated
the espionage act in their efforts to
defeat the country in the war, it may
be confidently predicted that the pro-
fessional weepers of the right OF
free speech" will soon be in active
operation again. Nothing else stirs
the sympathy OF these sentimentalists
as does the punishment of traitor
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

To THE New YoRK HERALD: What
schools giving instruction beyond the
three RS were IN existence in the vicin-
ity OF White Plains and southwark
toward or in Greenwich. Conn, to which
children near the eastern State line could
be sent about 1850 or a little later7 or
from the town OF North Castle IN mar
ticuiarY g, III. CrApr.
PoUcH gEEpsiE, March 25.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
The Chicken Garden Problem = K.r.,.

Pittsbur1 correspondence Topeka capttat
John Smith Of scammon. annoyed by neigh
bors' chickens trespasslng In his garden.
tied a grain OF corn on short piece OF
string. 70 the other end OF which was At
tached two Inch square OF cardboard.
Presently an invading hen ate the corn and
ran home. Her cries OF distress attracted
the attention of her owner. who looked nj
the card and read; II scratched up nv
neighbours garden, so you'd better put ma
IN the pen, for the next time wont come
home ae slkSs
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
There rs a Sale for Everything.

From the Liberty (Mo.) Advance.
George Hash, who captured the big eagle
now exhibited I'm the Tyibune's show window.
got q letter from an Indian chief down In
Oklahoma wanting 70 buy the tail feathers
for hts headdress.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

ogan valley region as factor In the
employment of tonnage from the Pa
cific to the Atlantic the canal traffic
win not only increase but be srabil-
ized in highly desirable degree.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

What has become of citizens rights
when his private car can be invaded
and then Uttered up with sixty cases
of liquor? Is a mans abiding place no
longer his castle?
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

A brand OF tobacco advertised as
"for pipes or cigarettes Is barred from
Utah. But how about 1t II some bright
genius in the business advertlses the
brand as "for pipes and little cigars?
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

Postmaster-General HAYS, having
urged postmasters to join civic organ
izations, number Of them are patri-
otically searching for the headquarters
OF the political clubs in their districts.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
Changing Times.

PROM the Arkansas Thomas Cat
II may not be Of much interest TO any
body, but there was a time when the boot
legRers hid out In the mountains. but to-day
YOU can hardly get through the streets on
account Of thcrn@
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

An interesting study for the sum
mer would be the Chinese account, in
the original, of the peace conference.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
II. l.. II. LEFT s2S, 900 ESTATE.

CHICAGO, March 25.--Bert Lesion Tay-
lor known as "B. l.. r." when he con-
Quoted the Chicago Tribunc's column,
"A Line o. Type or Two" died intestate
but left an estate valued at s25, 900, II
became known to-day when letters of ad-
rninistration we're granted 10 his widow.
The Associated Press Is exclusively entitled
TO the use for republication OF all news des-
patches credited to II or not otherwise
credited In this paper. and also the local
news published herein.
An rights OF republication OF special dos.
patches herein arc also reserved.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

This is the day when the silk hat
is inspected.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26

Highest temperature. SO, at T
Lowest temperature. 30.
Average temperature. 40.
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
westchester School History Wanted.

ALBANY, March 25,
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
LOcAL WEATHER RECoRps.

THe temperature IN ElIS CITY yeSte
recorded by the official thermom
shown In the annexed table:
The New York herald., 1921-03-26
Mime. AIboni Was Great Contralto

NEW York. March rs.
New-York tribune., 1921-01-02
Four Drinkwater Plays

DAWNS, slim volume, contains four
l. one-act verse dramas by John Drink
water (Houghton Miinin]. Perhaps not
half the people who saw Drinkwater's
abraham Lincoln" last year and were
stirred by Its moving simplicity rccog-
nized that it was written in verse. 1t
accomplished the fine achievement OF
attaining poetic uttcrance so unpostured
that it passed for everyday speech.
The speech of Pawns is heavy and
ornate, the moods strained and self
conscious. This is aggrcsslvely and de-
pressingly poetry, the kind that we are
vaguely uncomfortable with If we arc
pushed hard. There was a sense Of fit
ness to the subject in the spare and
frugal outlines OF "Abraham Lincoln
that 10 lacking in the long rhetorical
speeches Of the peasant woman in Tho
Storm" the first play Of the series.
The best Of the four plays is "A Night
Of the Trojan War" This dramatzes a
moving and universal incident Of war
fare, and 1T comes the nearest to heat
Of feeling and simplicity Of utterance
that Drinkwater attains in this book.
New-York tribune., 1921-01-02

Robar, RH ANH sooKs AMo elT1Es BY
George II. Doran & Co. New York
A MOTHER man of letters has gone
on a Continental Journey and re-
turned with bagful of notes that
when compiled, ramble, SIS did their
author. This time the route Of the
traveller was over the thin threadline
OF highway from New York to San
Francisco. Robert Cortes Holiday, in
his Men and Books and Cities, gives us
a medley Of reflection and incident, a
little coemos Of whim and observation
whrled into unity by the orderly mind
Of it's author.
The book fultlls expectations, which
were not negligible. It is written as it
should be when composed by one whe
is running to meet we'll known literary
figures for brief chats. The air o,
haste in making connections has beer
softened by Holidays tranquility OF
| manner. The chapters are not stop
gaps, but links in chain of delightful
conversations and humorous episodes
Holiday naturally found open doors tc
Meredith Nicholson and Booth Iarking
ton. His pages, reminiscent of moments
with tho two, and those on short hou1
with the late and sadly missed W. NJ
Rcedy, arc contributions to our iitera.
ture OF the selves Of modern authors
| 1t IS of interest to nOta that 4 Ed,ys re
Newton, the bibliophile, recently de
livered TRADE against Conrad ir
talking with Holiday, and that Reeds
expressed himself concisely in thi.
echo, 81 find him pretty tedious" This
in the face of recent distribution o1
the years big books into seven classe,
by New York literary review, ir
which Conrad figured as writer fol
juveniles from seventeen 10 twenty.
New-York tribune., 1921-01-02
A Convict Hero
War Provides a Thrilling
Climax to Romance
CONVICT B-14 BY II. X. Weekes Pu
lished by Brentano'e.

CONVICT B-1A. BY Il. X Weekes. Pub
lished by Brentano'e.
W. HATEVER bad things may be
" said about the war, it has Ger
tanly proved boon for novel
lists. 1t is the beet imaginable instru-
nent for speeding up the climax and
holding the readers attention to the
very last page.
Convict B-14 is exciting from the
very beginning An accidental MUIR
Ger leads to a train Of tragic conse-
queAces. The widow Of the slain man
pursues his assassin, Gardiner, With
mplacable pertinacity, and finally
brings him to trial. Here he is saved
from a very severe sentence only by
the testimony OF an unexpected wit
ness, VINO proves that the fatal blow
was struck in moment of hot re-
sentiment a. foul Insult which the
dead man had hurled at his own wife.
As i. is, Gardiner is sentenced to
nine months imprisonment, and the
description Of his suffcrings during
this period is one Of the most power-
full features Of the book. The Mere
fact of confinement goads him to@ des-
peration, and he is driven almost mad
when he learns that the war has brok-
ell out and that the girl he loves is
in Northern France, exposed to all tht
perils Of the German advance.
The scene shifts to France. Gardi-
ner's best friend, an aviator, is brough,
down in a deserted region within the
German lines, where two English girl!
(Gardiner's sweetheart and the widow
Of the man Gardiner killed. arc liv.
ing in hiding. After series Of hair
raising narrow escapes, ruses anc
strathgems the aviator escapes anc
Lettice returns to become Gardiner:
wife; but the other girl pays for he,
devotion With her life.
| Convict B-l4 Is a vigorous. cnthrall
ing story. full Of action and advon
turc, mingled with several complicatos
love themes. Tho characters urt
sketched with unforge ettablc vividness
1t should stand out as ono Of til,
most popular novels Of the season. -;