davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
Literature and Baggage.

No new subject Of discussion Is
raised by @. X. CHEsTERroN in his
lecture on Literature and Luggage .
The question OF the Indispensable
book or books is as old as the ten
or the hundred best books. Many at
tempts have been made to answer 1t.
Old OMAR-the kalif, not the poet
answered 1t in favor of the Koran
when he burned--or did not burn-the
Alexandrian library; DR.. ELIOT of
Harvard expanded his answer to five
feet of shelving.
Robinson Crusoe on his desolate
island had only Bible, we believe.
He got more pleasure and profit out
of 1t than a majority of readers
would out OF n whole library. The
Bible has usually been set first by
spectators upon literary loneliness,
and that without any, reference TO
it's religious status. Mr.. CHEsTERroN
oplnes that IL any one took the sacred
volume and SHAKEsPEARE's playa
good second in favor--as only books
'they would find themselves reading
these works for the first time" This
seems a gratuitously cynical assump-
tion, but 1t is undoubtedly true that,
read and reread, both would afford
the average mind n virtually unlim-
tied succession Of discoveries. Evei
those who fiatter themselves on hav-
ing read them from cover to cover
might be startled lat some OF the
things they contain both In and be-
tween the lines.
From this point of view they might
he far from unlnterestlng companions
70 the solitary student. For OF course
on desolate island the ordinary
canons of good reading would be re.
placed by the necessity for mental
stimnluA Thus To some minds a table
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
A Cornet Player of the Jubilee.

To THE NEW York HERALD: At the
great national jubilee in June. 1879.
conducted by the noted p. 8. Gilmore.
I played the cornet In the big orchestra
and sat next to the aisle where the an
wills were. Well do / remember when
they sang the Anvil Chorus and all the
anvils were set of in unison by elec-
tricity. I thought Bedlam had broken
loose.
Parepa-Rosa had the most wonderful
and powerful voice have ever heard.
The Coliseum was tremendous build
ing. and yet notwithstanding the size
OF the orchestra. you could hear her
distinctly In every part of the building.
She had TO depend on her wonderful
voice for her charm. for other charms
Of person she had none.
]. II. TRuri,, M. ID. s.. ID. d. $.
NEW YORK, February z.
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
Merchant Marine Optimism.

When w. AvERELL HARRIMAN, head
of the American Ship and Commerce
Corporation, tells us that the Ameri-
can merchant marine is In dying
condition, this nation cannot afford to
ignore his alarming statement. Mr..
HARRrMAN's' purpose is not to give
aid and comfort to our competitors
II the ocean carrying business by
leading them TO believe that within
a few years the American flag will
have disappeared from the seas. He
seeks to arouse the country to the
need for prompt action In behalf of
our ships, which are rapidly losing
their own In competition with foreign
vessels built and operated at lower
cost and therefore able to do business
ON smaller profits.
The fact that American vessels In
1920 carried 43 per cent. of our Inn
ports and exports against 80 per cent.
in 1919, q per cent. In 1913 and 10
per cent. in 1913 does not dislrove
chant marine Is In a precarious po-
sition. Throughout most Of last year
ocean tonnage was In good demand
and voyages could be made at a profit
or at least without loss. 1t was not
until the last quarter Of 1920 that
the crisis appeared. Then the world
depression and the reduced volume Of
merchandise shipments brought out
Immediately the handicap on Ameri-
can vessels due to high operating
costs and overhead charges.
Hundreds Of Shipping Board ves-
sells are idle and many American ship
ping concerns which undertook to pur-
chase or operate these vessels have
been driven out of the business or are
in receivership. England too has felt
the depression in shipping, but the
volume Of her idle tonnage and the
number of failures in the English
shipping world have been only a fly
Epeck In comparison with the figures
for the United States.
The lessons Of the last seven years
and the changed conditions in our
nome production and its dependence
on foreign markets leave us no sane
choice bit to give our merchant ma
1lnc a chance for vigorous and lasting
6svoicpment. This chance II will
never get while our marine laws die.
tate high wages for seamen without
providing a diffcrentlal Of some sort
TO take up the margin above the low
wages paid under other flags It will
never get this chance while the Ship.
ping Board operates vessels in com.
petition with private American lines
over routes already surfeIted with
tonnage. It will never get It while
Government built vessels are tied M
at their piers rather than sold to
private shipping companies at a price
which win not burden the vessels
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 8. 1921.
Our Billions of Shrinkage.

In his annual report the Comptrol-
Ter Of the Currency estimates the
shrinkage I'm values during 1920 at
from twelve to eighteen billions of
dollars. There is something Of a
mathematical margin between $12,-
0OO,OO0,0O0 and $4,000, 100000. In
deed the $1,000 100000 Of difference
is billion more than the total saw
iDgs banks deposits In the United
States. 1t is about half the war
debt of the nation, with the loans to
foreign Powers not included. 1t is six
times the national debt Just before
the war.
But whether the shrinkage has been
twelve billions or eighteen billions of
dollars there is this satisfaction in
the situation from the point Of view
of actual national wealth A billion
bushels of wheat will feed as many
people at S1.60 bushel as 1t viii at
$3.50 bushel. We have exactly the
senfe steel industry, the same textile
industry, the same railroads and ships
after the defation markdown as we
had before. The country is all here,
just as before, and pretty much every
thing worth while In the country is
here just as before, although a lot of
the flashy and false dollar marks are
rubbed off.
We have, in word, our natural
wealth intact and our productive
machinery for handling it intact.
What we need is to get our natural
wealth, our productive machinery and
our man power to working again,
The necessary wringing out Of the
excess imitation moisture, whether to
the extent Of twelve billions or OF
eighteen billions, is what Is going to
do the business.
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
Her Diary. 1891.

Indigo Sunday: We went for a walk.
Since motoring now is taboo.
Blue Monday: i made up a party Of
friends
And spent all the morn at the Zoo.
Turquoise Tuesday: / finished a new
wooilen gown.
High necked and the darkest Of gray.
Sapphire Wednesday: visited Madge
in The Bronx,
Remaining the most of the day.
Cobalt Thursday: In need OF amusement
I read .
De Quincey's Confessions while.
And learned a new song hit. quite popu-
lar too.
Remember You Never Must Smile"
Azure Friday: Downtown In the subway
Jared
A bargain in flannels to seek
Cerulean Saturday: Darned all the socks,
Which ended rather gay week.
MrNNA IRVING.
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
; Traffic Under the Hudson.

Traffic plans for the vehicular tun-
mel under the Hudson have been
drawn up for presentation to the New
York and New Jersey commissions in
charge of the project by G. NJ. HoL-
LAND, the chief engineer, after sew
eral months study by a committee of
advisory experts.
One tunnel Is to be used for east
and the other for vest bound traffic,
and each is to have single fiat road
way accommodating two streams Of
vehicles, the fast and the slow NOV
ing. The average width OF existing
city streets, which it is practically i'm
possible to increase, limits the width
Of motor trucks, except in special
cases, to eight feet. The proposed
twenty-foot roadway, the investiga-
tors decide, win allow room for two
lines of this size, with safe margin
between them and between them and
the side wallis
The report is opposed to any bar
rier between the lines except occaS
sional guide posts, An order that in
case of breakdown or other mishnp
free movement Of both columns OF
vehicles may be maintained. For the
same reason fiat roadway from wall
to wall is recommended.
The double tunnel, four stream sys-
tennis designed to assure free move
inent unde- all circumstances. No
jam can take place such as might in
single narrow tube with contrary
lines Of travel. According to count
made last fall for the Automobile
Chamber of Commerce the number OF
vehicles crossing the Hudson on fif-
teen ferries In twenty -four hours was
about $500 in each direction, being
about equally divided between passen-
ger cars and trucks. Steady natural
growth must be expected and beyond
doubt the mere opening Of the tunnel
will accelerate this.
Wisdom and economy are on the
side of the double tunnel plan, which
not only gives great present advan-
tages but looks to fu-ure needs.
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
EVENTS TO-DAY.

DR.. Max Schlapp will speak on Juvenile
Delinquency, It's Cause and Cure" mt Mcet-
Movement in the New York Training School.
Seventh avenue and 10th street. 6:15 p. M.
F.. II. La Guardia. President Of the Board
OF Aldermen, and Borough President Henry
H. Curran VIII speak at a home rule
meeting under the auppices OF the City Par
Aidermanic Chamber. city Hail. this eve
ming.
James NJ. Beck viii lecture on '.The Origin
Political Education in Town Hall. f13 West
Forty-third street, $50 p M.
Col. Francis II: Pope win speak at meet
Ing or the Motor Transport Post OF the
american Legion in the Twelfth Regiment
p. NJ.
There will be general meeting of the
board OF mnnagers Of the New York Botan-
teal Garden. waldorf-Astoria. $3.50 P. N.
Evil Of Public Opinion i Rumford Hall. %
Ea = Forty-firss street. II A. M.
There win be a meeting Of the school
bration Of "America's Making" in the audi
torium OF Public School 80. 22s East Fifty
The Book and Play " Club luncheon. Hotel
Blltmore. 1890 p. M.
:. S. X. Ratcliffe win lecture on 1.-THE
Empire Post. No 600. v. f. W., meeting.
Fifth District Municipal Court, Broadway
and Ninety-sixth street. P. M.
Union Republican Club OF The Bronx re-
union dinner at sormani's. Pelham Parkway
and White Plains avenue. The Bronx. this
evening.
There will be meeting Of the section OF
eurology and psychiatry. Academy Of Medi-
cine. II West Forty-third street. $3.50 p NJ.
Prof, Charles zuebiin will lecture. on
MOODY and the Great Divide" before the
League for Political Education. Town Hall.
Martha rIadiey. cra-ford Noble and Val
b2ug feeling, musical Entertainment. Bowery
'-iSr'0'; Dr. William j J. Robinson viii lecture su
The Physiology Of Women's Sex Life"
:. PofTA'o N. ha''' 40 East Sr0a'"aS' S''O
There will be special Joint meeting OF
the board of trustees. the Ladies' League.
pital. IN the dispensary room Of the hospital.
Lexington avenue and 18th street, $3.50
Linnman Society OF New York, meeting.
American Museum OF Natural History.
seventy-seventh street and Central Park
DR. Elsie wallace Hughan viii speak on
War and Internationaiism" at supper
meeting OF the intercollegiate Socialist go
ciety, 80 East Twenty-first street. 6:45 p. NJ
Ing, Hotel Astor' p. N.
international SILK Association. luncheon,
Hotel Biltmore, 1890 p. M.
Torrey botanical Club, meeting, American
Museum OF Natural History. seventy.s seventh
street and Central Park West, p. NJ.
G. Richard Davis will lecture on 'Buildins
Construction" West Side Y. NJ. @. A., so
West Flfty-seventh street. s:f5 P. NJ.
Daughters of Pennsylvania. meeting, wal
dorf- Astoria. 2 p. NJ.
United states and Mexico" Broadway Taber-
nacle forum, broadway and Fifty-sirtn
street, s;i5 r. NJ. -
tives. "at PARK View Palace, Fifth avenue
and 1fOfh street, Mt $3.50 p. M.
International SILK Exposition Grano Cen-
trial Palace, i A. to ,rers iO;yo !. M meeting.
Hotel Pennsyivanfa, $50 p. M.
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
Public Characters.
A Start Made Toward Listing Some
Persons Everybody Meets.

Persons Everybody Meets.
To THE NEW York HERALD: sup
pose every man has his pet aversions.
These are few Of mine:
The patrioteers who prate OF the duty
we owe our country while they sell the
stocks they own at the end Of the year
for the purpose Of reducing their income
tax.
The cheerful IDIOT who persists in say
ing "I'll tell the world or It'll say So"
:, The simpieton who attends public
luncheons and is seriously impressed by
paid speakers who deliver messages"
The breezy gent" who is given to
demanding pep" and "a lii more pep"
The unctuous fraud, well stocked up,
who pretends to believe that. after all,
prohibition is good thing.
The SNUG panhandlsr who solicits SUBJ
scriptions from ignorant domestics and
pious old ladies' In order to finance a
reform league" or society upon which
he Is dependent for support.
The professional "uplifter" of what
soever kind.
The common gull who believes that
the late war made this hoary old sphere
"a newer and better world"
SIMON CREEL.
ALBANY, February Z.
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
Quail in the Snake Fence.

Those who are deploring the scar
city Of game birds In this region and
have been attributiug the dearth Of
quail to various Influences have over
looked one Of the most Important
reasons for the shrinkage.
The old fashioned rail fence, rs
angles choked with brlers and weeds,
formed a natural winter refuge for
the birds. Snow might drift noun
taifs high, but all was snug and cosey
ir the depths Of the tangle Of vegeta-
tIon which is no more since the in
PRODUCTION of wire as a fencing una
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
Eugene Onegin" at the Metropolitan
Tschaikovslky's Opera Is Sung for Second Time This
Season Before Large and Brilliant Audience.

Tschailsovskys Eugene Onegin" was
the Metropolitan Opera House last evcn-
ing. good sized and brilliant audience
heard the opera with a seeming enjoy
ment Of the musical, score.
Mr.. Bodanzky was the conductor, and
the principal singers were again Mr.. De
Luca in the name part, Miss Claudia
Muzio as Tatjano, Mr.. Martinelli as
LensIi, Miss Ingram the Ol0o and Mr..
Didur the Prince Gremkin. Miss Flora
Perini was the La,'i,pG.
Members of parties In the parterre
boxes had the opportunity Of welcoming
Miss Chanler, a daughter of Mr.. Robert
Winthrop Chanler, who has passed much
time in recent years in Paris. Miss
Chanler was guest in box of Mrs.
Marshall Orme Wilson, in whose party
also were Miss Harriette A. Post and
Messrs. Maurice Burke Roche and r..
Thornton Wilson. In box with Mrs.
Cornelius Vanderbilt were Mrs. Arthur
Isetin. Miss Grace Vanderbilt, Lord
Abingdon and Mr.. Francis Burial Hoff-
man.
Mrs. Lewis Cass Ledyard and Mr..
Charles e. Sampson were with Mr.. and
Mrs. George Henry Warren in box 13.
The Rev. DR.. and Mrs. Ernest NJ. Stires
and Mr.. Albert M. Post Mitchell were
with Mrs. Hamilton Nick Twombly In
box II. The party with Mrs. Richard
Gambrill in box 29 included Mr.. and
Mrs. Frank Gray Griswold and Mr. and
Mrs. John Dyneley Prince. In Mrs. Van
derbilt's box were Mr.. Reginald c. Van
.derbilt, Mrs. Craig Biddle and Mr.. and
Mrs. Reginald Ronalds.
In box 80, with Mrs. Luther Kountze,
were Mr.. and Mrs. Richard T. Wilson
and Mr.. Chester Alan Arthur. Mrs. Will
lam Post. Mr.. and Mrs. James Lowell
Putnam, Miss Eleanor G. Hewitt and
Mr.. George Ledlie were in box 30. Mr..
( and Mrs. whitney Warren, Mr.. and
Mrs. Cortlandt Field Bishop and Mr..
and Mrs. Francis K. Pendleton formed
a party in box "a
Others present were Mrs. T. ]. Oak
ley Rhinelander and Messrs. Robert
Title Mckee and Albert Morris Bagby,
who were with Mrs. Edward ". Brei-
tung in Box %; Mr.. and Mrs. George
Henry Warren, Jr., who were guests Of
Miss Florence Loew in Box 10; Mrs.
Charles S. Whitman, who was with Mr..
and Mrs. Elbert H. Gary In Box Is and
Mrs. Charles B. Alexander. Mr.. and Mrs.
William B. Dinsmore, Mrs. Henry Clews.
Mr.. and Mrs. Walter Il. Maynard, Mrs.
z. Henry Hartman, Mr.. and Mrs. Johr
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
Parepa the Incompatible.
Even the Tradition of Her Wonder.
full Voice i'm Eclipse.

TO THE NEW YORK HERALD: Reading
the letters about Parepa-Rosa one Is
impressed not alone by the phenomenon
to which the writer's bear witness but
by the fact that the Parepa tradition
had gone into eclipse until restored by
correspondents of your paper.
We Of the present who celebrate Jenny
Lind and know the fam& of the great
Patti what do we knowi6f Parepa the
Incompatible? No doubt that great
singers untimely death is mainly re-
sp"rsible for our ignorance of her. "the
Houbly dead in that she died so young"
Florence McLandburgh exclaims at
seems dreadful for voice like hers to
die" Yes. but how indefensible that
the traditi4 of it should diel
AL GoNouIN.
N YORK. February z.
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
Daily Calendar
THE WEATHER.

For Eastern New York-Unsettled to-
day, probably snow tomorrow cloudy !;
not much change in temperature mod
crate northeast winds.
For New Jersey-Unsettled to-day and to-
morrow; probably rain snow; slightly
colder tomorrow: moderate shifting Winds.
For Nortlsrn New Observation-Disclosures to-
day: probably snow: tomorrow cloudy, not
much change in temperature; moderate
For Southern New England-UnsettIed to-
day; probably snow; tomorrow cloudy; not
much change In temperatnre moderate
For Western New Yorlk--Unsettled to-day:
probabE snow; tomorrow cloudy; not much
change IN temperature.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.-The Texas dis
turbance moved very slowly eastward and Il
was central over Louisiana tonight, and q
disturbance OF marked intensity moved In
land from the north Pacific to-day. Pressure
was higher over the north Atlantic States
and from the region OF the great lakes
southwestward TO Colorado and north Texas.
thence westward to the Pacific coast. This
pressure distribution was attended by rain
to-day in the Ohio Valley and the south At
lantis States and snow In the region CT the
great lakes. the upper Mississippi and riid-
die Missouri valleys, the south plains States
and the south Rocky Mountain region.
The temperature continued considerably
and there was decided rise In Temperature
In the Far Northwest, while much colder
weather. overspread the Southwest.
weather n e Slater S tor eass S s ana
River tomorrow and Wednesday, and siiow
Is probable in north. snow or rain In middle
and rain In south sections except the Flor
ida peninsula. The temperature VIII be
somewhat lower from the Ohio Valley and
the middle Atlantic States southward.
Observations at United States Weather Bu-
reau stations taken at +. M yesterday,
c,SQtV-fift1 INN
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
with interest charges higher than
their total earnings.

with interest charges higher than
their total earnings
In pointing out these faults in our
shipping programme and in criticising
Soth the Republican and Democratic
parties for inaction Mr.. HARTMAN Is
not shouting calamity. If he and
other shipping men believed that when
properly informed the American ma
tion would choose 10 let the merchant
marine drift on to disaster rather
than take the proper measures to save
it they would be engaged now in ex-
Treating themselves from the ship
ping contest instead OF just begin
ming the fight in earnest for a big.
strong American merchant feet.
There is room for almost every
thing else in our merchant marine
programme but hopeless pessimism.
But there must be action.
The New York herald., 1921-02-08
Shakespearian Doubts.
A Byproduct of Biographers Discov.
cred After Milton's Time.

To THE NEW YORK HERALD: E. O..
Weeks answers his own question Shall
we accept tho verdict of Milton or the
doubts of modern writers?''--as to the
authorship of Shakespeare's plays
when he notes that Milton was only
eight years old when Shakespeare died
at Stratford on Avon.
Living on Bread street. London, and
being a precocious child. he might at
that early age even have read some II
the plays of Shakespeare. which were
to be had separately in quarto for a
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. and when at
the mature age of fifteen he might have
possessed a copy Of the great First Folio
(1623), which cost sixteen shillings.,
But Mr.. Weeks must remember that
the question as to whether William
Shakespeare of Stratford on Avon could
have produced any one of the plays
never arose until people began writing
biographies of Shakespeare. Until these
biographies appeared Shakespeare was
as good name as any other for the
author of those plays. Nobody was
called to marry the man to his verse
as Emerson expressed it--when there
was no man and only his verse.
Now Milton never saw a biography OF
Shakespeare. The frst biography. Ger
aid Langbaine's, onfy appeared in 1891.
when Milton had been dead seventeen
years. and the second biography, Mich
olaA Rowe's, only appeared in 1909. Mil
ton having died in 1874, twenty-five
years earlier.
supposing that Milton could have seen
sir Sidney Lees last edition of his Life
of Shakespeare''--his first edition was
merely rewriting of Halliwell-Phil-
iipp's Outline" but this last edition Is
packed with all sorts of data from any
number OF genealogical authorities
would Milton have been able to marry
Shakespeare plays to any one of the
William shakespcares that Sir Sidney
finds to have been Aving at the required
dates in warwickshire?
And then let Mr.. Weeks consider the
facilities existing in Millions day for
research or for obtaining exact informa-
ton OF any sort. Small chance In those
days for metlculous scrutiny Of nice
questions Of authorship Clearly. Mr..
Weeks. the doubts OF modern writer's
in the early days Of the twentieth CEN
tury are safer than the verdict of John
Milton on a matter to which his ntten-
ton had not been called 900 years ago.
There is food for reflection too In the
Communication Of Mr.. webb. The NOR
tality among Shakespearians has been
even greater than is evidenced by his
formidable list of the departed. I recall
DR.. Furness, DR.. Rolfe In America and
Dr. Turnivall. DR.. Theobald, DIR. Churton
Collins and many others in England. DR..
Appleton Morgan, as Mr. Webb asserts.
being actually the only one remaining
on either side OF the sea But have
these gone where all these questions are
solved?
seem to remember that, according 20
Kendrick Bangs's 'Iouseboat on the
styx." Cleopatra and Lady d'Arblay--
pr Johnson's Little Barney''--had the
utmost difficulty in making up their din
ner parties because Shakespeare and
Bacon ware not on speaking terms. and