davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
In the Matter of Bergdohl.

lntrinsically, the case OF Grover Cleveland
Bergdoh, Stacker and fugitive from justice,
holds little OF importance. He is but one OF a
considerable number Of draft dodgers who have
so far escaped punishment. Outside Of this
fact, however. the case takes on nature that
lifts it far above the ordinary. The circum-
stances that surround his escape from prison
are such as demand great deal OF careful at
tention A report is just laid before congress
in which certain former officers OF the United
States army are roundly scoded and some still
in the service are accused Of such gross negli-
gence in the matter as to warrant their dis
mssal. Whatever action the house may take
on this report, it should develop the facts to
such an extent that opinion with regard to the
culpabity of the censured officers may be bet
ter established than at present.
Colonel Hunt, who was in command at Gov
ernors Island when the prisoner was permitted
to 60 on the hunt for pot of gold, has been
singled out for the most severe condemnation
His offense appears to consist mainly in deal
ing too lenienty with the prisoner. II consid-
Grafton is given to certain other circumstances,
perhaps the act of Colonel Hunt will not seem
so evil. He had been assured by Bergdohls
counsel, one of whom was Colonel Ansell, but
lately relieved from his duty as judge advocate
general of the army and returned to private
practice, that every care would be exercised to
guard and return the culprit in safety. Per-
haps sufficient care was not exercised in the
way of manacling and setting watch over Berg
dohl, but with the pledges given him by men
he could afford to place confidence in, Colonel
Hunt, on the surface at least may be justified in
doing what he did.
So also may the course of Colonel Cresson
be understood. He is condemned because he
did not press the court-martial proceedings
against Colonel Hunt more vigorously. The
trial developed just what the house inquiry has
brought out that no criminal culpability at
tached to the accused officer, and that if he had
erred it was in dealing mildly with prisoner
who was in his care
A great scandal has been blown up over this
matter, and one that is not going to be quieted
soon Some phases of it are curious as indicat-
ing the twists of the public mind. = Hard
Boiled" Smith was sent to prison because OF
his brutality to prisoners; Colonel Hunt is sent
to Coventry because he was too easy. Some
where between may lie the point where justice
is; what Americans chiefly would like to see is
Grover Cleveland Bergdohl serving his sem
tence in an American Jail; not so much because
he is a Stacker, but because he has so brazenly
houted the government, and insolently deceived
and defrauded the authorities. 1t is pity that
officers of the army must have otherwise fine
records sullied because of this miserable Of
fender.
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
Substituting Men for Lows.

The American people should squelch the in
sidous tendency of substituting men ior laws;
President Harding, under the tariff bill, asked
for stupendous power to raise or lower tatn
schedules as he might see fit Secretary OF the
Treasury Mellon asked congress to give HIM
an entirely free hand in handling everything
connected with the $l0,000,000,000 owed Us by
foreign countries American importers, under
the tariff BILL as drafted, were to be placed
at the mercy of appraisers in this country, who
were to decide market value of certain classes
of imported goods, thus preventing the Ameri-
can buyer from being able to know what the
goods would actually cost him. The method
of enforcing prohibition appears to be lett to
the Judgment of each individual revenue OF
fetal. with the result that certain practices are
held legitimate in one district and lilegtlmate
in another district.
The United States should be governed by
clearly defined laws The delegation OF untet-
tered powers to individuals, no matter how
exalted, must be guarded against. The citizen
should know what his rights are under the law
and should not be subjected to the caprice OF
any individual outside the regular courts OF
Justice. 1t is bad enough to have the country
overrun with Commissions" OF more varieties
than there were colors in Joseph's coat 10
delegate untrammeled power to any one in
divdual is not in accordance with the American
system of government and certainly not in
accordance with the desires OF our Citizens
Forbes Magazine.
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
Potash History.

Omaha, Aug. II. To the Editor OF
The Bee: Your regular correspon-
dent Holland" gives us long story
tc put over a rumor of the discovery
of a deposit of mineral potash in
western Texas. Mr.. Holland evident
ly got his information from the
United States geological survey al
though the only clue he gives to
his source of information is Incl
dentally to mention an endorsement
Of the report by DR.. Christner Of the
University of Texas. In his "story"
Holland goes into much detail re-
garding the efforts that have been
made from time to time for many
years to discover a source of potash
in the United States which would
make this country Independent of
Germany as a source for this very
necessary ingredient Of all fertilizers
and which is used in many branches
of the industrial arts. Holland re-
cites propaganda of the geological
survey for recovering potash from
sea wood, (kelp) on the California
coast; recovering it from the Chin
ney SCOT of cement manufacturing
plants and from feldspar, and err
1eneously points to its recovery from
Stag of the Bessemer steel factories.
phosphorus and not potash is the
fertilizer ingredient contained in
steel Stag, steel being the result of
removing phosphorus from iron by
forcing air through molten mass
of that metal.)
Butin this long discussion Of sources
Of potash in the United States
not one hint is given that Nebraska
contains probably ineXhaustible re-
sources of potash in the potash
brine of her alkali lakes Nor is it
even limited that the potash re-
sources of Nebraska are the basic
resource to agreat manufacturing in
dustry in which more than $6,000,000
have been invested and which pro-
duced in the neighborhood of 100,-
600 tons per year of crude potash,
and were essentially the sole de-
pendence of the nation for this in
dispensable product during the en-
tire war period.
In order to keep history straight
let US here record, also, that it was
a Nebraska farm boy, Carl Mod
isett, educated in Nebraska's state
university, who discovered the potash
element in Nebraska's alkali lakes.
and who worked out the system of
recovering the potash so as to make
it a. commercially profita BILE industry
at least under war conditions. The
Nebraska potash industry may be
sacrificed to help Germany out of
the hole. But the resource remains
in spite Of ignorance of newspaper
writers and an apparent design of
the geological survey to slight or
discredit it, as has been apparent for
several years. Fl. +. M'lNTOSH.
Manager Agricultural Bureau. Oma-
ha Chamber of Commerce.
Editors Note-The preliminary
summary of mineral resources of the
United States for 1920. published by
the United States Geological Survey.
credits Nebraska with an output of
crude potash for 1919 of 95,276 tons.
valued at S5,240,352 and for 1920,
an output of 1882 tons. valued at
S3,755, ,0S4. The total output of the
United States for 1919 was 1866
tons, valued at s11,271,269, and for
1920 it was 1853 tons, valued at
$7,463026.
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
aKSz8ee;:{ :::Z=szMz6dTA3ox M

the episode occurring Saturday eve
ming involving a member of our race,
and your editorial on the same ap-
pearing in this mornings edition are
other straws indicative Of a favorable
wind. Gladly would l doff my hat
to the spirit manifested by that
group, l cannot call it mob, that
stood firm for fair play and thrice
would 1t be doffed to the heroine who
acted so nobly in the face of so great
odds.
And in such actions exists the true
spirit Of superiority, the true spirit
of chivalry, true knighthood. To be
fair to equals SO considered Is COM
monplace. To do honor to acknow-
ledged superiors may be the simple
expression of a fondling spirit. But
to stand for the right and protection
of one considered an inferior mani
tests the highest possible spirit.
You do we'll to commend such
manifestations. You do we'll to note
the existence of such spirit in Oma-
ha. And in doing that you are con-
tributing to the betterment of not
only the negro, but to the best in
terests of all concerned IN developing
and making permanent the spirit
of true democracy.
Russell TAYLOR,
Pastor of st. Paul Presbyterian
Church
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
Denoturing the Prize Fight.
Presbyterian Paper Suggests One
Method of Preserving the Sport
From the Continent.

However deplorable the amazing widespread
interest in the recent prize fight at Jersey City,
it should not to anyone seem surprising or unac-
countable. 1t is no mysterious degeneration OF
popular morals which has made over formerly
banned disturbance of the peace into sport en-
listing the simultaneous enthusiasm OF two con-
tinents. The cause of the change should be pat
ent to everybody who had any knowledge of the
camp life of American troops here or in France,
during the war.
The simple truth is that when all persons Of
inhuence-army officers, welfare workers and Y.
NJ. c. A. secretaries alike-joined hands to make
boxing the pre-eminent sport of leisure hours in
camp, they rendered certain general revival Of
pugism i'll civil life after the war and insured
its recognition III the category OF proper Ameri-
can sports. There could be no other effect rea-
sonably anticipated Two men spar in ring
+ one proves better than the other; the better one
is soon challenged by another who believes him
self better yet, and shortly champion appears
who cannot be worsted by anybody in his class
or his locality. So all sport goes--rowng, run
ming. tennis, base ball or golf-and it is idle to
think of having boxing matches and not having
pugilism
The real question Of the moment is then
whether the Y. NJ. c. A. and other agencies do
ing welfare work among the American troops
erred in encouraging the soldiers to engage i'll
and be interested in the exercise of boxing Is
boxing in fact essentially brutal and unmanly
game? Is it in and Of itself degrading? The
Continent does not imagine that one in fifty of
Christian men who were privileged to live the
soldiers life with them in the camps of the late
war, then reprehended or now regrets the popu-
larity which boxing-gloves and roped arenas at
tanned in those circumstances And if that be
true, those same Christian men will have poor
success now in convincing those same soldiers
that attending so-called "prize-hght" in peace
time is shame and degradation.
No describable line can be drawn between. the
pugilistic battles fought by soldiers in the army
and those fought by professional pugilists today
except that the latter get money for the per-
Torrance. Any law which permits boxing ex-
hibtions" can be used as cover for prize fights
IT, therefore, one is not prepared to go the length
of former laws on the subject and forbid by
statute all sparring encounters, the only resort
is to enforce stricter responsibility on referees
and oblige them under heavy penalty to stop all
such contests short of the knockout blow Under
usual circumstances it is perfectly plain, long be-
fore the disabling stroke falls, who is the winning
contender, and decision required as soon as
that superiority is manifest would take from
pugilism its often condemned brutality and leave
sport of sufficient interest to those inclined
to it.
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
TRAGEDY of the Tennis Court.

When Mile. Suzanne Lenglen was compelled
bv nature to default in her match with Mrs.
Molla Bjurstedt Mallory more than ordinary
disappointment was felt by lovers OF clean sport
in America. Lawn tennis has great hold on
the popular mind, keen rival OF golf, ana Is
getting great deal more OF attention than Is
generally credited, because it is not quite SO
clamorous as base ball or the play on the Inks
So when this brilliant French star, whose tame
had preceded her here and whose performances
at home warranted the enthusiasm with which
she was expected, was matched in the early
progress Of the play at Forest Hills to encounter
Mrs. Mallory, whose own name rang through
the nress of America and England when she was
MoIla Bjurstedt, lovers Of the sport looked to a
real treat The contest would have shown the
qualities of the two in such light as PROMISED
tennis classic. All must concede that Mile.
1enolen made brave but injudcious attempt TO
carry out her part OF the program. sne fet she
,y,s .oo III to undertake the strain OF SO serious
. match. and vet she did not wish to encounter
the adverse criticism that surely would nave io'-
lowed default without trial. Public Judgment
u;l, be kind to her, and later on, when she mas
recovered she will find plenty of opportunity 20
give Americans examples Of her wondrous Skin
An the courts. Her opportunity to win the
championship this time is gone, but 1t is qu0e
,;kely she will gain something OF compensation
in better knowledge Of the quality OF American
.,ortsm,nshin. Hers is a tragedy that may be
redeen1ed
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
TYpHUS FEVER AND LICE.

DR.. Copeland, health commits
sioner, has found fair number OF
cases of typhus fever in New York
/ City. Although the proof that this
contagion was brought In by immi-
grants was not found, he threw all
of his influence to get a better in
spection for typhus and lice at
quarantine.
In April he printedfa list Of cases
of yphus recognized as such by
physicians and in which the dag
nosis was confirmed by health de-
partment inspectors. In the six
weeks elapsing just prior to to June
/, six additional cases were found.
All Of the patients had been in this
country many years. Most of them
were Russian Jews who had recently
been in contact with newly arrived
immigrants. None had lice on their
bodies or heads.
This was about the history: A
fever lasting almost two weeks, red
eyes, large patchy red splotches on
various parts Of the skin looking
somewhat like scarlet fever, but
without red pin points which char
acterize the latter disease. fever run
ming as high as 104, sometimes hem
orrhages. great prostration. white
blood cell count of 5000 to 5000.
All of these cases got well. I
have recently had two 'etters from
the southwest. These said Mexican
typhus had crossed into the United
States. The Mexican typhus en-
countered in the southwest is due
TO a far more serious strain of the
bacillus than the one now threaten
ing New York City.
II the people of New York City
will give DR.. Copeland halfway f8ir
support he will end this menace
before it has threatened the health
Of the community or prosperity Of its
business in spite of the fact that it
already has secured a foothold in The
city. More than once cholera. a
more difficult disease to control, has
got by the quarantine. the outer
wall of defense of a port, has be-
come established among the popula-
tion only to fade out when a wide
awake health department and wide
awake people have gone after it.
In order to wipe out typhus the
inspection of immigrants must be
better done. Neither sick immigrants
nor infected lice must be allowed to
land. On this point. Drs. Cope
land and Cumming are in accord and
the money to carry out their views
has been found, am informed. But
that is not enough to do since the
enemy already is within the gates.
The physicians have part to
play. They must learn typhus. 1t
is the family physician who will see
the cases first. Although he never
has had an opportunity to see a case
he must get down his books and
learn how to recognize It from the
text. The people themselves must
learn to look with suspicion on any
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
Our Railways and Br1tain's

There could be no more timely setting for
the discharge of the obligation of Great Britain
to the railway lines of that nation than just
now, so far as the example to the America
congress is concerned.
Only last week the House of Commons
passed the bill appropriating to the lines the
sum of EoO0O0,000 as the compensatory pay
troll which has been in force nearly seven years:
To those who fail to appreciate the need OF
congress paying to the American transportation
organizations the amounts due them III accord
ance with President Hardings urging a little
scrutiny of the comparison between our own
problem and Britain's should be OF interest.
The total mileage Of the American railways
is 253,52o. The total mileage Of the United
Kingdom is 40808. The amount required to
compensate the British companies for the war
time seizure Of their lines and equipment, trans
lated into American dollars at the present rate
of exchange, is $220,000,000.
While the British Parliament is willingly
Welding this vast sum to the railway corpora
tions Of the nation we are confronted with OPP
position here, opposition vehement and vtrIollc
In other words, the British Parliament is
providing for the payment OF a sum practically
half the size of the American commitment, but
for the use of service only 10 per cent the
size of the American transportation organlza-
ton.
Literally they are paying three times as
much as we are asked to pay, on the basis OF
the service acquired, and the vote in the House
OF Commons was 237 to. e.. Rather convnc-
ing majority!
And furthermore, when Uncle Sam separates
himself from the proposed $500000,0OO OF COM
nensation to the lines here he will receive back
refunding of railway obligations to the federal
government in a very material form OF onseI-
Baltimore American.
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
Sky FloWers.
tFrom the Cleveland pIaindealer1

BotanlstS are ever seeking for new
flowers and trees. and their searches
are abundantly rewarded by interest
Ing discoveries biologists, includ-
ing specialists in all forms of animal
life. conduct expeditions to the
tropics and to the Arctic regions and
TO every obscure quarter of the globe
In the quest of new mammals and
fishes and bugs and animalcules, and
they never come back without re-
suits. The chemist Is constantly
delving for new elements and new
compounds, and his labors are fruit
ful. In these branches of science
the fields of research and exploration
seem almost lmitless. But the
astronomer Is commonly supposed
to be a student of fixed and stable
things. His work is to CLEAN new
facts concerning established condi-
uons and phenomena. He is. of
course. supposed to pick up new
comet once in a while, and his SUI
per-sensitive Photographic plate is
likely to record new nebulas and to
disclose hitherto undiscerned aster-
oids. But, on the whole, the field
OF the sky is looked upon as perma-
nently and unalterably mapped.
Each star, each planet. each nebula
Is classified and pigeon -holed.
Yet there are devoted watchers
of the skies who diligently scan the
heavens night after night in search
OF something new. Occasionally their
Vigils are rewarded. The discoverers
of the brilliant new star which
blazed forth in June. 1918, were as
elated as any botanist could be over
the finding Of a wonderful new
orchid or any chemist over the isola-
tion of some hitherto elusive ele-
ment.
When botanist finds new
flower he proceeds to classify it.
When an astronomer finds a new
star. a new flower Of the skies, he
begins to speculate. New stars are
always mysteries. And before the
speculation has died down, before
it's status Is definitely established, the
new star either vanishes or dwindles
to extreme obscurity.
One OF the most mysterious OBJ
servations of modern times is that
recently recorded by the director Of
the Lick observatory as observed by
and six other persons on the
evening of August Z. 1t was a bril-
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
True Evidence Of SunerioritN.

Omaha. Aug. 16.-To the Editor
OF The Bee: Honor to whom honor
is due is a trite saying, but ever ex-
pressive of very worthy sentiment.
For sometime it has been my purpose
to express appreciation for the fair
ness in which The Bee has dealt
with the colored people of this city.
at least in the few months it has
been my privilege to take cognizance
OF the matter.
Being member and a regular at
tendant at the meetings of the Oma-
ha branch of the National Associa-
ton for the Advancement of Colored
People. | am not unmindful of the
requests made of The Bee as well as
other publications of our city to
temper down those hurtful express
sfons that though unintentional, per-
hapS, tended to place the race at
issue in an unfavorable light. 1t is
a pleasure to note that the offense
In that line has shown remarkable
decrease and for which commenda-
ton is herewith expressed.
The straight forward account Of
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19

Kant heavenly body. brighter than
any star or planet. and II was visible
for but a few minutes after sunset.
or the accuracy Of the observation
there can be no doubt, But the APP
partition did not appear the next
evening. or the next. nor has 1t ap-
peared at any subsequent time. The
sky flower vanished In the glow OF
the setting sun, and all the worlds
astronomers are still watching and
waiting for its reappearance.
What other science can offer so
delicious a mystery? What new
orchid or bryozoan could be so won
derful. so weird, so bewildering as
this great luminary that showed it.
self briefly to seven pairs OF human
eyes and then went into hiding be-
hind the sun or crawled into some
unknown crevice of the heavens?
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
Three on a Seat

In one or two towns in Massachusetts, the
local officials are forbidding three people from
riding upon the front seat OF an automobile,
claiming that it is dangerous, as conditions arc
too crowded for the driver to have proper con-
troll over the car. Undoubtedly there are cases
where this is true, but there are makes OF auto
mobiles which can easily accommodate three
people on the front seat and give the driver am
pie room to operate them. Before this regua-
ton becomes general there should be careful
examination OF the various types of machines
to see if some may not very properly be left
out of this restricted class--Portland Express
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
Fond OF Shredded Wheat.

r. e. H. writes: For information
of w. II. c. and other aged people
who are afflicted with constipation,
I have to advise that they eat freely
often of shredded wheat For sew
eral years I have made it my sole
food, two meals out of three each
day. I eat from two to three bis
cults in milk and am very fond of
the wheat flavor"
Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
Give Us the Facts.

What Douglas county taxpayers most want
to know is whether they are getting square
deal on the big job of county paving.
Published reports from the state engineers
office tell of compression tests and surfaces too
rough to lay brick paving on, and contain vague
and inconclusive references to some parts OF
the paving that may have to be torn up and re-
laid, but not positive statement with reference
to any material point.
The people are not especially concerned over
the rivalry or row between contractors. That
is an easily understood phase OF the situation,
and goes along with any public work Only
when there is collision between contractors
does the public interest seriously suffer
The public is entitled to know, however, if
il is getting what it is paying for. Will the work
now being done on the country roads in Doug
las county come up to requirements or meet
expectations when completed That is the ques-
ton that ought to be definitely and fatty an
swered. State Engineer Johnson is the only one
authorized to give such an answer. He is the
head OF the department that is charged with re-
sponsibilty for the great road Improvement pro-
gran, that is being carried out Douglas county
is expending millions for hard surfaced roads,
and is entitled to its moneys worth.
One set of newspaper reports indicates that
one group Of contractors is almost lily white and
that another is just shade lighter than black;
another puts the case the other way around.
Contractors defend themselves, and one county
commissioner says, II told you So" Yet in all
this is nothing that gives the public assurance
that the paving is being done as it ought to be-
Let the facts be made known in clear Ian
guage, so all will know.