davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18
By Associated Press

London, December 17.-Monday's conference in Downing street be- tween Premier Lloyd George and the French premier, M. Briand, relative to reparations, is described by the newspapers here as the most fateful since the Versailles treaty was con cluded.
 The meeting was arranged before Germany's official declaration of her inability to pay the forthcoming rep arations installments, and there Is 8 disposition in some sections of the press to regard the German move az maneuver to bring pressure to bear on the premiers' meeting. This view is confided mainly to those newspa- pers known for r-their strong advo- cacy of a firmer alliance between Great Britain and France. The gem eral opinion Is that the Wirth gov ernment has honestly tried to meet It's obligations and that it will be necessary to grant Germany a delay of few months, if not actual mora torium.
 According to the Evening stan
 dards Germany has offered to pay
 the allies on account the equiva-
 lent of I0,O0O,O00 pounds sterling
 fin January and 1I,OOO,OOO pounds
 or 100000 pounds tn February,
 or about half the actual sums
 due, but there Is no confirma-
 tfon either from Paris or Berlin
 that such an offer has been made.
 m. Briand, however, 1t Is learned,
 received the German ambassador
 at Paris, who made certain expIa-
 atiOns, and 1t is considered pos-
 sible the effort was made then.
 That there are only two alterna- dves is the common opinion here either to grant a moratorium or iny sist that Germany Is able to pay, tho latter probably entailing the fall e the German government The repa- rations commission, 1t is pointed out, may insist under article 234 of the treaty of Versailles. that Germany provide proof of her inability to pay.
 Arrive Tonight
 Premier Briand, Minister of IAber- Rted Regions Loucheur and the gen eral secretary of the French. foreign office. M. Berthelot. are expected to arrive in London Sunday night. Pierre Sheyssons the French financial ex- pert will come with them.
 Sir John Bradbury, the British rep resentative in the reparations com mission, 1t Is reported in certain quarters. favors annulling the debt for military pensions. This would be a course approved by the liberal and labor parties here, who have con- tended that 1t was unjust to demand that Germany pay the allied pensions.
 1t Is thought that Mondays
 meeting must result in another
 convening of the supreme council
 speedily, because some decision to present to Germany must be made
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18
Inquiry to be Held Into Collision of
 Liner and Destroyer
By Associated Press

New York, December 17.-A naval board of inquiry into the collision of the destroyer Graham and the pas senger liner Panama, off Seagirt, N. j.. last night, probably will be named next week, it was announced today at the office of Admiral Hilary P. Jones. commander Of the Atlantic fleet
 Of the seven naval sailors injured when the Graham's plates were crushed in by the liners bow, one of them, w. P. Kelly. 20-year sea man, first class, Is not expected to live, 1t was said at the naval hospital in Brooklyn.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18
tContinued on Page Two)
KILPATRICK TO STEAK

Selma. December 17.-(Special.)- Honor of introducing Capt. Emmett Fitzpatrick, whose lecture here Tues
 day night at the high school will be
 one of the most important events of the season. has fallen to Brucs Craig. an overseas man with the rank of captain. Captain Fitzpatrick will give the second lecture of his course under the Keedrick agency in Selma.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18
WARNING

Information has reached The Age Herald that someone In cer- tain towns of Georgia during the past week collected s1.50 from va rious people under the pretext that he would send them the daily Age Herald for three years.
 The public Is warned against any suoh unauthorized solicitation. The standard subscription price of The Age Herald is well known and no one has authority to collect money for subscriptions except It's regularly authorized representa- tives,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18
STORM WARNINGS
 ARE DISPLAYED
Nv Associated Press

Washington, December l!.--A dis- turbance of marked intensity, attend- ed by rains in the east gulf states and in the Atlantic ss&tc-s north or Florida, was central ouse southeast ern Michigan tonight, tAe veather bu- reu announced. Storm warnings are displayed on the AtlaStsc coast from Cape Hatteras to Eastcsrt. Me.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18
C0NGRESSMAN'S BODY
 IS ESCORTED HOME

Washington, December 17-Accom- panied by Il senators and representa- tives, the body of Representative Els ton, who ended his life by drowning in the Potomac river. left here today for Berkeley. Cal, where burial vii: be made. The funeral party expect ed to reach its destination wednes-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18
Paris GoUernnlent Has Not .ApproUed French NaUal
 Plan Presented to Farley
Direct Conversations Between Japan and China Bring Shantung Question Near Solution-Sarraut Ex
 plains French Views to the Naval Committee
By Assoclated Pres.

December 17Conerenee developments and hopeful tonight that the French Osp building submitted without the approval of the Paris
  Sban+un clos to aseHlen
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18
Conference of Briand and Lloyd George 10 Be
 Very FatefuL Meeting
Decision to Be Made German Reparation-Report Is Persistent That Prime Minister Will Press De
 mand for Economic Farley

before the middle of January,
 when the installment Is due.
 Views. snid to emanate from au-
 thOrftative quarters, are ex-
 pressed that the British govern
 ment would be ready to fOrego
 It's claim on German payments al-
 ready in the hands of the repa-
 ratiOns commission, the bulk of
 which Is to come to England un-
 der the August agreement, which
 France has not yet ratified. and
 also withdraw any objections to
 the Weisbaden agreement, #
 France, on her side, Is ready to
 take n course more i'm accord-
 nnce with the ideas of the Brit
 tsh government.
 The French government is said te be In favor of raid on the Refchs. bank gold reserve. There have beer reports that Germany is even willing to place part of the reserve under al. lied control as security for an Inter. national loan if one can be arranged
 The report Is persistent that Mir Lloyd George intends to press for ar international conference. to include both Germany and Russia, and, 1, possible, the United States in order to get a encouragement on broac lines of the whole European financia relations, in the belief it would be th, best means of restoring trade ant relieving unemployment He also 1, represented as ready to grant Franc, considerable concessions in the shap, of priority in reparations if thereby he can induce her to meet his views.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18

The Age-Herald carries the full day and night Associated Press dis patches seven days a week.
New-York tribune., 1921-01-11

1904, Taft in 1903 and Wilson in
1912 and 1916. 1t almost equaled
the combined pluralities in the
five preceding Presidential elections.
With the expansion Of the electorate
the minor parties have become more
minor than ever. Debs received
914,869 votes last fall, only 1881
more than were cast for him IN
1912. Eight years ago the Socialist
percentage was SO. Now it is only
3.4. The percentage Of the other
"also ran" organizations is negli-
gible.
Inequalities in voting strength
persist under changed suffrage con-
ditions. West Virginia cast more
votes than Texas, Rhode Island
more than Georgia, Delaware more
/, thai. South Carolina and Utah more
than Louisiana. But the states with
restricted celebrates and unalter-
able political affiliations never fig
ured less in an election outcome
than they did in the great land
slide of 1920.
New-York tribune., 1921-01-11
For Legislative Investigation

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Pardon word Of praise. have
been a reader Of The Tribune for TWEEN
ty-two years. 1t is becoming more and
more like it's old self---a real power for
good--fearless and tenacious.
You are everlastingly right in your
fight for Legislative committee to in
vostigate the rottenness of Tammany
Hall in the District Attorneys Office, in
the Police Department, and in several
other departments of our city govern
ment.
From things hear there never was a
time when there was so much rottcnness
in New York City as at the present
time.
Senator Robinson told the truth when
he oaid Whitman was just smoke
screen for Tammany.
Keep up your fight for the legisla-
tive investigation, and you will win
and receive the thanks of every decent
and law abiding voter in the city,
WRIGHT MARBURY.
Now York, Jan. 8, 1921.
New-York tribune., 1921-01-11
Free Discussion Demanded

But this is not all. There is no pub
lished '..atement emanating from the
Navy Department, or from the two
officers who appeared before the Senate
Naval Committee in connection with the
Borah resolution, that would indicate an
intelligent conception as to what con-
stitutes modern fighting navy--a navy
with the types of ships and with the
new air and submarine weapons that
will be most effective in the strategy
and tactics of future war on the sea.
With the record laid bare, can the peo-
Pile and Congress listen to and follow
the advice of the same men who have SO
frightfully bupgled our navys policies
and activities---who have been unerring-
ly wrong in every emergency for nearly
eight long years? 1T is unbelievable.
The vital Importance of this subject
demands full and free discussion by
the best minds in the navy and in civil
life. But Mr.. Daniels has decreed that
an admiral who is really competent to
give an intelligent opinion on this sub
ject Cannot say that two and two
make four" Such is democracy in the
navy! And so Congress and the people
must listen to the Secretary of the
Navy and to those who serve him--to
nobody else! Do they alone know all
things?
New-York tribune., 1921-01-11
The 1920 Vote

{ Most OF the prophets put the
total Presidential vote for 1920 at
3O,O00,00O. They were oversan-
guine. The official count shows a
total Of only 26,759, ,763. The over
estimate was due to an assumption
that nationwide woman suffrage
would bring voting accession of
at least 90 per cent. The increase,
due to the extension of the franchise
and to the natural growth Of popu-
lation was only 43 per cent.
Many states had woman suffrage
IN 1916 - Illinois and California
among the larger ones. California's
vote that year was 939,633. Last
November it was only 883,673. Illi-
nois cast 2,l89,349 votes in 1916 and
only 2,0zo,837 in 1920. Washjl p
toms 1920 vote was about 100 900
short Of her vote in 1918.
In New York, on the other hand.
there was an enormous increase in
the number of votes cast. Harding's
vote here ~- l ,868,4l1 --- exceeded by
tS2,107 the vote for all the Presi-
Dental candidates in 1916. The
1920 total was 2,8e9,3 1862, "a gain Of
1,18S,047, or 90 per cent. Pennsyl~
vania, the banner state in Republi-
can pluralities, yielded place to
New York, also to Illinois. Nobody
in Pennsylvania took Cox's candi-
dacy seriously. Illinois and Ohio,
the third and fourth states in popr-
lation, both cast more votes than
Pennsylvania did.
Haxding's popular plurality OF
q 7,OOi ,763 was greater than the COM
biued uluralitiex Of Roosevelt in
New-York tribune., 1921-01-11

The long suspense between the
first landing Of the three balloonists
ir the wilds of Canada and their
arrival at an outpost Of civilization
was broken in dramatic fashion.
The letter Of Lieutenant Hinton to
his wife is a stark document of ad-
venture, Of desperate risk surmount-
ed by heroic will, hard to equal even
in the annals Of the frozen North,
where each degree Of latitude
records a tragedy and every dis
covery has been achieved through
bitter suffering and hardship.
Read with full regard to the con-
ditions under which it is written,
there is nothing in Lieutenant Hin
toms recital which reflects anything
but glory upon all three men. Ap-
parently Lieutenant Farrell was
slightly the weakest physically Of
the three; but even at the end Of
his strength, when his own fate
seemed sealed, his one thought was
Of his comrades, of not wishing to
sacrifice their lives with his own
life. A nobler spirit could not be
conceived.
Such tragic moments are not in
frequent in exploration. The last
one that comes to mind was on
Colonel Roosevelt's plucky if over
hazardous venture along the River
Of Doubt. His own strength had
been sadly weakened by disease, and
the moment was near at hand, at the
climax of the overland trip, when
he felt that he was becoming a
grave drag upon the expedition and
must insist that the others proceed
without him. Fortunately the next
day brought their objective into
view and with It safety for all.
Whatever the scientific futility Of
the present balloon voyage, its dra-
matte values are high. Chance i'm
periled the adventurers; chance
saved them, by minutes. Lieutenant
Hinton's outline Of their first rescue
reveals human drama as poignant
as it is superb. May no eleventh
hour mischance mar their return
from the silent reaches Of snow and
ice!
New-York tribune., 1921-01-11
Our New Villages

The news that Vanderbilt house.
hold has joined the Sutton Place
colony on the East River at Fifty
seventh Street stresses that revival
Of local dwelling centers which is
the most marked feature Of real
estate development upon Manhattan
Island.
1t is an odd revenge of time which
has thus turned back the habits of
New Workers to the ways Of a half
century ago. The new zoning law
is, Of course, the economic factor
which makes such a return possible,
but very sound tendency of human
nature and real reasons of comfort
and convenience urge it on.
The community center which has
progressed furthest is the Greenwich
Village area. Around Sheridan
Square lies a complete community,
with theater, restaurants and a
wide variety of habitations Of un-
usual charm and all belonging
roughly to general type of SIM
plicity and dignity. Below it to the
soati. lie rich possibilities, some
already in the making-Minetta
Street, with its place and lane of
the same name, for example. To
the north, in the Chelsea district, are
blocks equally astir. On the East
Side Gramercy Square is already
an accomplished fact, with a dis
tinction all it's own. That Stuyve-
SAINT Square and that part of Second
Avenue which lies adjacent will be-
fore long develop along somewhat
similar lines seems highly probable.
Moving further uptown on the
East Side, in the old YorkNille sec
tion and above 1t, the transforms
tion Of blocks and whole thorough
fares goes on apace. Park Avenue
is becoming the show highway of
the city. The Turtle Bay block in
the Forties has now been matched
by Sutton Place, with it's added
charms of river frontage and view
to be e4ualled in few cities of the
world.
The movement is gathering way
constantly and will go far--if the
city is wise enough to stand firmly
behind the zoning law. Here is the
foundation of the whole progress
toward greater variety of hous-
ing communities, a relief of conges-
ton, more light and air and quiet.
The coming law should be guarded
against it's enemies with the same
spirit that protects our parks. The
service to the welfare Of the city is
equally great and equally important
if Manhattan Island is to remain
habitable and regain some of it's lost
charm as place Of homes.
New-York tribune., 1921-01-11

1t is not easy to regard seriously
the proposal to revive the Ku-Klux
Klan and to extend the field of its
membership and operations to all
parts Of the country. Yet there are
many foolish persons in the land,
and race and religious prejudices
are not hard to arouse.
Moreover, the old native elements
have recently been greatly irritated.
A pestiferous crew who are aliens in
heart have been striving to under
mine principles which are dear to
every true American. So there is
some danger Of what may be called
nativist uprising.
There have been some beginnings;
for example, that which led to the
expulsion of the Socialist Assem-
blymen at Albany was the convic-
tion among many that the expelled
were hostile to America and, this
being so, that technicalities should
not impede what was deemed a
needed housecleaning, with an asccr-
tainment Of who are who here-those
who by one hundred years Of alle-
glance to American ideals have built
up great nation with diffused
wealth and general prosperity or
those whose political and social
philosophy is imported and expresses
the spirit Of the discontents Of Eu-
rope, where the effects of feudalism
still linger. Radicals of all brands
should recognize the risk of blowing
down the muzzle Of a loaded gun.
They should realize that it is diff
cult to preach the rightfulness Of
using force to overthrow without
arousing among others a determina-
ton to use force to defend and to
uphold.
But though the conduct of dog
matte minorities has been exasper-
| e@~AH6 VI AC <AIiCilCdLS IuuSL IlOC
adopt from them the doctrine that
the end justifies the means. No Sc
cret conspiracy may be safely al
lowed. to control through terror.
Anti-Americans are to concede q
monopoly Of this. Let us protect the
nations democratic institutions, but
by and under the law. When power
reaches the hands of political So
cieties it is invariably misused.
Sneaking night riders arc not to be
tolerated under any circumstances.
| The Ku-Klux Klan is of unsavory
memory. That those who say the
new organization is different from
the old have adopted the name, the
costume and the ceremonial OF the
old organization is highly signifi-
cant. 1t suggests that no weight
should be allowed to their present
virtuous professions. No doubt ex-
lists as to why Ku-Kluxcrs osten-
tatiously paraded just before the re-
! cent election. There was indicated
not purpose to defend the Aneri-
New-York tribune., 1921-01-11

In the light Of their war expert
ence, and from a practical consider
alton Of modern weapons, naval
minds in Germany are not bemoan-
ing the 'oss Of their surface feet.
And VIII. should they? The high
seas fleet fought a good fight at Jut-
land, but it was glad to get back
to it's base. 1t gave little return for
the billions spent upon it, whereas
their submarine fleet nearly won
the war.
Admiral Won Scheer, who COM
manded at Jutland, has recently ex-
pressed the following opinions:
/. Surface ships are tremen-
dously expensive, and yet they
are very vulnerable.
2. Hitherto only few nations
could afford these big ships. and
so they ruled the sea. But the
submarine has knocked all this
into cooked hat, and "fear of
the British feet as a fighting
weapon has gonew
3. That a great surface fleet
can no longer protect coast or
overseas commerce.
4. That subparines can best de-
fend or attack coast and can
best protect or destroy commerce.
5. In short, an adequate sub
marine navy will enable a com
paratively weak nation to pursue
an overseas policy, "svithout ayor-
rying about surface feet"
These conclusions of Won Scheer
are shared by many distinguished
officers and statesmen in England
and elsewhere. For instance, Lord
Rotherme. ,rmerly Director of
England's ;~.r torce, makes the fol-
1 lowing assertions in an article en-
titled "The Folly Of the Big Battle.
/ ship"
/. Referring to the United
States and Japan: ''They are
obviously building against each
other and not against u.s." "Great
Britain cannot afford to spend
| money on naval construction at
| present"
2. III the United States and
Japan persist in pursuing anti
quated forms Of warfare that il
no proof that capital ships will
| survive"
8. mo nation henceforth will
enjoy naval supremacy. It IL 6
! nasty pill, but we must ywallow
| it,"
These assertions, based on expert.
ence in the World War--that SUB.
marines and aviation have revolu-
tionized naval warfare--cannot be
. ignored. The gist of IL Is that sur.
face ships are between two dan
New-York tribune., 1921-01-11

Mr.. Whitman manifestly struggles
with grave difficulties as he labors to
conduct an investigation into the
conduct Of the city administration
under authority conferred on him by
District Attorney Swami.
While The Tribune does not see
how grand jury under any cir
cumstances could make a complete
investigation, Mr.. Whitman, un-
hampered by a Tammany Office
holder as his official superior,
might bring to light much that
would be of aid to the legislative
investigating committee that will
make the real search.
But unfortunately Mr.. Swami
must always be reckoned with. The
fact that he is connected with the
very organization whose administra-
tion is under investigation is neces-
sarily embarrassing to Mr.. Whit
man and to the grand jurors. Yet
Mr.. Swann's blindness to the inn
propriety Of his taking any person.
al hand in the investigation con-
tinues, and it is evident he has
not the slightest intention of per-
mitting Mr.. Whitman to have, as
promised, an altogether free hand.
He makes it plain to every one
with whom he comes into contact
that he is really the man in charge.
He runs to Mayor Hylan, into whose
administration the grand jury is to
examine, and confers with him on
ways and means of probing the
Police Department. From Mayor
Hylan he returns to the grand jury
with an offer to have the Police De-
partment investigated by policemen,
who, under Rule 184 of the depart
ment, would have to tell Commits
sioner Enright everything that hap
pens in the grand jury room!
He sees and talks to reporters
about the investigation, superintends
the calling of witnesses, assumes
authority in all matters of pro-
cedure.
This is not assistance, itais inter-
ference. 1t leads the members of
the grand jury to wonder who is
really directing their operations. It
raises the same douat IN the public
mind.
Left alone, as we have said, Mr..
Whitman, who is an able and skill
full searcher for evidence, might
disclose many facts of great help to
the legislative committee yet to be
created. But hindered at every steu
by the meddling of Mr.. Swami he
has hard task.
We do not profess to say what
Mr.. Swann's object was in first an.
nouncing that Mr.. Whitman would
investigate and in then taking
charge himself. But we do know
that his activity can only result ir
strengthening the general belief that
the grand jury investigation as Mr.
Swami planned it was not to do an1
,damage to Tammany Hall.
New-York tribune., 1921-01-11
4 War College Conference

In striking contrast to this system of
Pxussian-like suppression, let US rcmem-
Der the frank and full consideration
concerning faults in our battleships that
took place at the Naval War College in
Newport about ten years ago. At that
time the Navy Department ordered a
large number Of officers of high rank,
with diverse views, to convene and
thresh out the matter. This was not q
Prussian method; it was a method con-
sistent with a republican government,
where free speech is supposed to prevail.
All arguments pro and con were heard.
The proceedings were public. The dis
cussion uncovered gla1eng defects in
ship designs. 1t resulted in great good
to the navy.
There are other examples of wise and
intelligent procedure in seeking a sol,-
ton soft important naval problems. In