davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13

The intensive work of the court itself
and OF other organizations in obvi-
ating the. necessity Of bringing chill
dren before it and development Of
the public conscience and intelligence
are among them. Even the severity
Of the weather last winter, by re-,
stricting the activities of the children
and the authorities, helped to lessen
the number Of cases brought to no
tice-
If to the work OF the child welfare
organizations could nave been added
better school accommodat tions the de-
crease in delinquent children might
have been even more marked. The
abolition Of the part time system, for
instance, should play great part in
the lessening Of opportunities for
mischief and javenile crime. Under
present conditions not only are the
children left with much idle time on.
their hands, but they also lose the.
benefit of school work and directed
play.
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
which ere not obviously
derived from The Manchester Guar
dian and The London Nation.
We Believe Gladly

The worst thing about the spirits
who joggle tables and blow icy
drafts on the back Of your neck ana
keep Sir Arthur Conan Doyle awake
nights is their boresomeness. There
are excellent explanations Of this
triviaity Of utterance, we know Mr..
Hyslop conducted elaborate expert
ments to show that any living hu-
man, out Of sight and sound, endeav-
oring to convince friend of. his
identity, made just the sort Of
idiotic, trivial assertion Of infinites-
imal facts as the spirits banal
matters being the only unique prop
erty Of the two persons in communi-
cation and the best evidence of
identity. But logical or not, the
stuff that Rain-in- the-Face, the beau
tiful Indian control, passes on is
just about the dullest reading mag
inable-until you come upon the talk
Of some other equally celebrated
control who is shade duller.
It Is in an entirely different frame
of mind that we come upon the crop
OF fairies now active in the English
press. Here is stuff at least delight
full and entertaining. We shall not
say that the evidence is as good as
the evidence of spirits, but at least
it bears family resemblance to the
spirit documents. Miss Elsie Wright,
aged nineteen, of Shipley, and her
cousin, Miss Frances Ealing, Of
Scarborough, have done no less than
photograph these fairies in their
backyard. A Mr.. Edward L. Gard
ner, theosophist, and thorough be-
liever,, transmits the news to the
world. But when suggestions Of q
scientific investigation are made he
refuses in high dudgeon, He is sat
isfied Of the good faith of the pro-
ceeding; why Is not anybody else?
Presently, it is announced, the
photographs will appear in book
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Mr..
Gardner and thus the thing will be
clinched and anybody is a fool who
doubts.
We hasten 20 say that we do not
doubt. We have always been eager
to believe in fairies, and since they
are now shown to be altogether de-
IighSful and beautiful the last
| shadow Of question is removed. Let
us quote from sn interview with Mr
| Gardner in The Westminster Ga.
zette;
One picture shows Miss wright's
cvusin gazing at a fairy dancing in
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
Lincoln on the Stage
Fen Inaccuracies Dkwaters Play Noted BY the Great
Presidents Teegrapher

White House, page 217, the author says:
His frame was gsunt but sinewy, and
he was inclined to stoop when he
walked"
On page 324 ne quotes Herndon, Lin
coins partner for many years: Stand
ing, he leaned forward; was what may
be called stoop shouldered.'
The New York Times, May %, 1920,
quotes from letter from Desha BYeck-
inridge, president Of The Lexington
(Ky.) Herald, assailing the statement
in Drinkwater's play, made by the ne
gro, Gusts, that Southern soldiers take
some black men prisoner. Black men
IN your uniform. Take them prisoner.
Then murder them" -
Mr. Breckenridge resents this re-
Aection upon the Southern character.
and says he feels confident if the
wrong done to the men of the South By
this violation of historical verify were
called to the attention OF Mr.. Drink
water 1t would be corrected"
Another inaccuracy Of che dramatist
is where he says that Lincoln was st
Appomattox the night before Lee sur
rendered april 9, 1860. Lincoln was
not at or near Appomattox. He was
in Washington at that time, and sat to
Gardner for his last photograph on
Sunday, April 9.
Why did Drinxwater not portray
/ 7 lrb s,%n pi4tr Ill
:, with the enthusiastic welcome Of the
colored people, and his conference with
members OF the Virginia Legislature
OF the subject of the withdrawal Of
Virginia troops from resistance TO the
general government, for which Lin
coin promised q specific equivalent, TO
vita remission TO the people Of the
state (except in certain cases] Of the
coniiscation Of their property? This
would have afforded Gae historical
setting.
| In Drinkwa.er's first act Mrs. Lin
/ coin is made 60 say that "no one has
ever known thc President intimately
enough. not evon myself, 70 address
him other than as Mr. Lincoln"
Herndon, Lincoln's law partner. says:
From, the day first knew Lincoln I
never heard any one call him by his
first name" Yet Driakwater sees aim
a. ABE" and Abraham
! Drinkwater''s inclusion Of the char
ecter Hook In the Cabinet seems to me
to be violation Of al. the proprieeies
! and w!thou: excise. as il gives . false
historical impression.
IN marked contrast with MeGIynn'a
portrayal Of Lincola in Dginkwater's
play, secall the remarkable presen-
tation Of Lincoln by the late Benjamin
Chspin in New York in April. 1906.
| Chapia's personal appearance. a.
many may recall, very closely resem
bled that os Lincoln himself. Before
Chasin's tiseek ha cree chs cAsas ae.os
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
Lower Rates to Fill Cabins

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In last Sundays Tribune
read with much interest the article
Large Ocean Liners Fail TO Meet Ex-
penses." The increase In rates OF the
ocean steamers makes the trip i'm
possible for the middle class ocean
traveller. 7 do not hesitate to say that
were the rates lowered to reasonable
price the big ships would be filled to
capacity every time.
There are lots of middle class people
who would like to take trip abroad,
but cannot an account OF the high cost
of travel. Cabin passage is now sI25,
$3.50 and up, which is entirely too high
for the people with limited means.
But if it were SIS and up i. would give
US ali chance and the steamship
companies would make more money.
Those people who want swimming,
baths, gymnasium, tea gardens and
other fancy stuff. let them pay for it.
But those who only ask for plain com
fort, why, give them chance, too.
j. S. TYNE.
New York, Feb. 8, 1921.
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
Delinquent Children

1qe Children's Court reports en-
sVuFaglng progress and more than
.aS1'hes its existence. The annual
ssa'ement shows that lin 1920 the
lumber OF cases brought before the
sart was 2,045 less than in 1919.
9 aae the number of children com
= s'sd to institutions was reduced
u u A,SS2, the smallest number since
- ~ court was established. The
n aoaey saved by placing children on
saooaeion instead of throwing the
s,a saen OF their reform on institu-
~ sAs mas more than paid the cost Of
probation system. The social
~ 'ng to the community in the res
Nv. ~ q Child derelicts cannot be CON-
0u.ed 50 easily.
az. sae reasons advanced for the de-
ss are varied and interesting.
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
Importing British Liberalism

A large amount of alleged British
liberalism is going the rounds in this
country to-day. The argument Of
Keynes and his school against max
ing Germany pay in part for the
damages she did, coupled, with the
familiar denunciations Of French
"unreasonableness" and Imperial
ISM" are dutifully repeated.
Now, the British Liberal is any
thing but anti-l4ationalist in his view
OF reparations. When he urges a
virtual abandonment Of the Allied
reparation claims against Germany
he is not, as some naive Ameri-
can commentators would have US be-
heve, recommending, so far as con-
Germs Britain, policy of high al
truism and self-saccifice. On the
contrary, he recommends q policy
which in some aspects is one Of self
ish nationalisrn.
Premier Lloyd George knows as
we'll as his Liberal critics that Brit
ish industrial prosperity depends in
some measure upon Germany's eco
nomic revival. But he also realizes,
what his critics apparently do not
realize, that it would be an act Of
perfidy on England's part to con-
clude profitable bargain with Ger
many at the expense of France. The
French devastated districts have the
first claim on the worlds solicitude.
France bore the brunt of the war. Il
would be outrageous to ask her to
bear the brunt of the peace as well.
OF our own radicals, who take a
ruthless proposal for the sacrifice of
the French war sufferers to the in
terests of British trade as an ex-
preston of high international moral.
ity, it must be said chat their trust
fulness is more TO be commended
than their judgment Some day, II
they keep at it, they may be able &c
evolve some formulas Of Americas
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

Sir: Drinkwater's play of Abraham
Lincoln" is fine production, on the
whole, but, in the writer's opinion, it
is to be criticized for some of its
snachronisms and Inaccuracies. His
tory, to be of service to future genera
tons, should be truthful portrayal Of
events.
Lord Charnwood, to whose biography
of Lincoln Drinkwater pays just trib-
ute, glimpsed the soul Of Lincoln
through the clear lens of fact.
AS one of Lincoln's biographers, and
having had the honor Of seeing him
nearly every day from April, 1861,
Until the very day Of his assassination
four years later, claim to have been
fairly we'll acquainted with his per-
eonal characteristics, and my recorded
expressions may be considered Of value,
es shown by the letter written TO me
by Robert Lincoln in 1907, from which
quote:
81 thank you earnestly for the pleas
ure have had in your articles. They
bring back very vividly the most ex-
citing and interesting days Of my life,
and the "reminiscences Of my father
make him seem to me to be alive
sgain."
Lincoln's character was so unique
and his career so full Of incidents Of
momentous import that they supplied
an abundance Of illustrations for the
dramatist, so that one is led TO wonder
why Drinkwater found it necessary to
depart one iota from the strictest ac-
curacy in his effort to reveal the soul
CT The martyr President.
Let me point out someNof the drama
lists faults as they appear to me:
Lincoln's leading Characteristic, so
/ far as indicated by his personal aps
pearance, was his uniform simplicity
and modesty, marked at certain times
by an aspect of humility, His usual
pose when standing was slight stoop,
as if in acknowledged Difference to
those in his presence.
rate in every other respect, portrays
Lincoln as standing too erect and self
conscious.
Travis's life-size standing portrait
OF Lincoln, painted from life Grim
forced by photograph by George 9.
Prince, shows Lincoln n natural,
correct pose, slightly STOPPING.
McGlynn, who represents Lincoln IN
tDrinkwater' play, has the knack Of
throwing his head hack almost con-
tinuaAy, which Lincoln seldom or never
! did. His habitual disposition wns to
| lean forward little, and this natural
stoop was indicative of q kindly mod
est character, whereas a backward bend
of the head would imply the opposite
Characteristic.
In Carpenters sig Months in che
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
The Railroad Boards Decision,

The Railroad Labor Board sprang
no great surprise on the country in
declining to terminate offhand the
five nstional wage agreements and
the eleven other sets Of "rules and
working conditions" put In force
when the railroads were In the Fed
eral railroad administration hands:
It held that to abrogate these COM
pacts as a whole was equivalent
70 assuming that conditions had
changed to such an extent as to JUS
tify a reversion to the labor and
wage status Of 1917. The board
thought that the present agreements
ought not to be cancelled except
after inquiry. This was 8 natural
attitude for it to take. Modification
may be fairer than complete cancel
lation. In any case it Is the business
Of the board to give a fair hearing
to both parties TO any dispute.
The board suggested that the con-
troversy be brought before it in con-
crete form, through notices served
by particular railroads on groups Of
employees. That is the ordinary
course, and the railroads omitted to
follow it only because they wanted
immediate action. The board prom
ises a speedy decision. So in the
main the railroads will achieve their
object, which is to bring TO the at
tention Of the board the evils of over
time charges and unproductive labor.
and Of nationwide standards Rar
unslsilled workers which run well
above local or regional standards. $
The Federal railroad sd1riristra-
tion left many unfortunate legacies,
Both the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and the Labor Board seem
to realize, however, that u new era
came in with the passage Of the
Esch-Cunrnins law. The idea Of
that law is to make the carriers q
going concern, locally, regionally and
nationally, strong enough to expand
and take care Of the country's nor
NAL business. They must keep oper-
ating expenditure within revenue if
they are to prosper. Rates have been
advanced, but have not as yet yield
ed the necessary returns. Higher
rates may yield even smaller re-
turns. The real maladjustment may
be in the relation Of labor cost to
earning power. This is q question
for careful consideration by The
Labor Board. It Is in the interest Of
the public, and even of She workers
themselves, to have wages properly
related to sound operation. Every
body will be injured if the t@anspor<
tation industry is driven On the
rocks.
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
Heroes Who Fall Down
With Special Reference to the Fn.
ton of II. c.. Wells
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Your editorial comment on Dr..
Schapiro's criticism OF Welis's Outline
Of History is as clear and just in the
main as the criticism itself. 1t is about
time that Mr.. Wells should be taken
with discretion, but it seems to me
that you follow Mr.. schapiro too lar;
sou follow him even into gross error.
With the stroke Of q pen Wells IS
deprived Of Immortality on the ground
that he begins his works of fiction in a
grand and heroic manner which he
lacks the intellectual virility to carry
t. logical conclusion. Instead, the
hero dwindles from fame to a flicker
ing spark.
But why not9 Is not this exactly
what happens in sctual life? There are
no statistics on the subject, but it
would be an easy matter to enumerate
long list OF we'll known men who
struck the heroic chord early in life
and ended in the popular melodies Of
| the day. For compact instance con-
slider the Brook Farmers.
Man bitches his wagon to star and
soon finds himself in cold, solitary
space. Being human and gregarious,
he soon descends to earth and, when
possible, drives a motor, Iningles with
! bis fellows and faces life as Il is
This is what Mr.. Wells makes his
characters do and there is no rule in
life or in art which should compel him
to do otherwise. 1t is entirely mat
ter Of how he brings about tie descent.
Does the hero's evolution accord with
the indicated Psychology and is the
Transformation managed in an artistic
manner? That is the only question.
Wells's artistic formula is correct and
he may yet attain to the Immortality
OF which you and DR.. Schapiro 80 ruth
lessly seek to rob him.
ERNEST COOK.
New York, Feb. 9. 1921.
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
Social Workers in Demand

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: There may be unemployment in
many ields this year, but the demand
was never SO great for the trained.
capable social worker. Right now I
know Of several high salaried openings
for both men and women OF the right
training and experience. So far suit
able candidates cannot be found.
AS president Of the Charity 0rgani-
cation Society I have been watching
social work grow for thirty years, and
at last its standards and requirements
seem TO be formulating themselves
along professional lines.
Americas cities and especially her
rural districts need sound, trained
community leadership, but where can
they get it?
The New York School Of Social
Work is not turning out anywhere
near the percentage Of trained people
who are needed. l consider che oppor-
tunittes opening up challenge to the
best minds in our mems and wonen's
colleges, and I would like to see twice
the number Of students enter this
semester, that we may begin to meet
these demands. Other countries recog-
nizing the situation are sending their
students to Us for training. One etudent
sent by the Polish government has just
arrived, having won the Willard
Straight Fellowship at the school.
believe the thousands Of dollars
contributed annually to civic and
social work good investment only if
we can produce the right kind of people
to make the public's generosity really
count toward fundamental socia! bet
terueat
ROBERT W. DE FOREST,
Chairman Of the Board Of the New
York School of Social Work, 1o5
East Twenty-second Street.
New York, Feb. 7, 1921.
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
A Week OF Verse
The English Meters


tFror, The Eordon Mercury
T'HE rooted liberty Of flowers in breeze
Is theirs, by national luck impui.
sive. terse,
Tethered, uacaptured, rules obeyed "et
ease,'
Time-strengthcned laws Of verse.
o. they arc like our sessons that admit
lAfiexion, not infraction: Autumn
hoar,
Winter more tender than our thoughts
Of it,
But years steadfass four;
Redundant syliables Of summer rain,
And displaced accents Of authentic
spring;
Spondaic clouds above gasty plain
With dactyIs or the wing.
Not Common Law, ba. Equity, is
Our meters; play and sgIe foot
asksnce,
And distant, beckoning, blithely ra5m-
ing pairs,
Unknown TO classic France;
Unknown to Italy. Az, count, colIace,
Latins! with eye forcseeing on the
time,
Ard numbered fingers, and approaching
= sssM@
In the appropriate rhyme
Nay, aobly our grave measures are de-
creed:
Heroic, ale&aadrine with the stay,
Deliberate; or else Ike him whose speed
Did cutrCn Peter, urgent in the break
Of day.
ALICE MEYNEM.
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
HrLDA CoNKLYNG.
Bows Bathing

tFronl The London Ae-curD)
THEY laugh! They leap! They clear
Cool tapping water parts:
One after one, each starts
From his place on the grass, and shear
Leaps from the bank, without feaY.
Their 1.-THE arms slip ike blades,
Their glowing bodies skim =
Up from the clear and dim
Cayerns Of quivering shades,
And the sedges' secret beds.
One stands aglow with the sun,
His white shape gleamingly wet, =
Like slsbaster set
Against dark grass, and one =
Splashes him, wild with fun. {
And now like statues glowing,
Slim and 1.-THE and free,
They race exultingly,
Their proud heads backward throwing
Happy, untrammelyed, unknowing!
The loud lark's sunny voice
Shivers gut Of the sky;
The lush grass-meadows lie
Lulled in his lovely noise.
Q day, that art passing By,
Hold fast in memory
The wonderful vivid poise
OF naked bathing boys!
+. Il. KENDoN.
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13

the air before her face. The fairy,
Mr.. Gardner had, been informed, was
seen to leap from a bunch of leaves
into the air four times. The fifth
time it took a bigger jump, and how
cred for @ few seconds before the
little girls face, and Elsie Snapped"
it, The most remarkable Of the three
shows several fairies among the foli-
age, from which is hanging cocoon.
Standing inside it, or sitting on the
edge, is an undraped fairy, with its
wings outside, as if emerging. This,
explained Mr.. Gardner, is really a
sun-bath which the fairies use i'll or
der 70 restore their vitality. They
have been noticed frequently by peo-
pie vino are able to see fairies, he
added.
a number Of people are born with
the ability to see fairies, Mr.. Gard
ner explains: but they are "often
mentally unbalanced in a small de-
gree" An absurd qualification, this
seems, in view of the admirable ra-
tionality of MIR. Arthur Racl1ham and
Sir James Matthew Barrie. Upon
details of fairy life Mr.. Gardner is
more satisfactory. There are fairies
in every garden, he declares; they
perform a definite function in the
world, and without them there would
be no flowers. Time was when hui
man beings and fairies lived hap
PLY together, The latter gradually
disappeared, but are now returning,
and in few decades, perhaps in a
hundred years (Mr. Gardner is not
ohjectionably cocksure of his facts)
they will be visible to anybody again
Incidentally, fairies are lepidoptera,
springing full blown from cocoons
and having no sex, Also they have
bobbed hair, according to the photo
graphs taken by Miss Wright and
Miss Ealing.
1t is pleasure to quote Mr.. Gard
ner and we wish him the best of
luck in these new communications
with world that is at least divert
ing and lovely.
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
THE OLD BRASS pOr


FH'HE old brass pot in the corner
Shines and scowls at the kitchen
pans.
Like stubborn king
He sits and frowns
Orders them about
When I'm not looking.
He was gift from the fairy queen
What cGn I do?
He boiIs rice when I want it,
Makes broth when It is needed
He is magic
But he growls all day.
Without him it would be pleasant sns
comfortable
In my little cottage
With Wistaria growing over the OPEN
windows
Wh1t con I Ge9
He tells the frying pan
To stay on its hook
He shouts at the other pans
In gruff voice .: :,
They all might be SO happy
In my cozy kitchen!
, Tell nne-but you must Whisper
Whet can dof
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13

in film play, the prospectus Of which
he submitted to me for criticism and
which was truthful to nature SO far
as the incidents and persons were fa-
milisr to me.
In conclusion, repeat my apprecia-
ton Of Dyinkwater's work as q whole,
but regret its inaccuracies.
DAVID HOMER BATES,
Author Of Lincoln in the Telegraph
Office.
New York. Feb. II, 1921.
New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
Prohibition-Made Criminals
the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir; New York States probation
commission reports that prohibition
has decreased the commemorative
prison population. That may be fact,
but Ut must be remembered that also
IL is fact that if all the criminals
prohibition hes made were in prison
the prison population certainly would
require all the cells the country's steel
plants could fabricate Sor many years
70 come.
GEORGE SEBREE.
New Work, Pes. O. 1874.