davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
"A Weasel Word
Objection to Demand That Germany
Meet Gust Obligations

To the Editor of The Tribunes
Sir: The different tone in which on
the same day the Republic Of Panama
and the Republic of Germany are adj
dressed on the subject of fulfilling
obligations is matter whereof history
will take note. The Republic of Pan
ANA, as has been decided by competent
authority, is TO surrender a portion Of
what she enormously regards an in
tegral part of her national territory.
She is warned against the violation
of international obligations and threat
ened with war for failure to live up
to them.
The Republic of Germany, as has
been decided by competent authority,
must make reparation for destruction
done. She is strongly urged to meet
her just obligations. Attention natu-
rally centers upon the qualifcatory
word Gust" It is an example Of what
Mr.. Roosevelt denominated weasel
words in official communications. They
are sanctimonious expressions capable
Of being taken in divers senses, tend
ing tosencourage subterfuge, fomenters
Of dissension, instigators of strife. yet
capable Of being appealed to as evil
dence Of virtue. The employment of
such phrases condemns before the tri-
bunsl of conscience.
An unrepentant world power is asked
TO make sc most partial restitution for
crirne--for wrong persisted In for years.
1t is but mockery to employ hypocriti-
cal phrases to qualify her obligation.
1t is patent that the effect of the recent
maneuvers has been to aid Germany,
Public opinion has brought change in
the method pursued. The result ia now
intended 60 be accomplished by becom-
ing one Of the Judges instead of the
advocate or the mediator. But dissen-
sion has been sown between the Allies.
The force Of Americas power has been
Brought TO bear on ITALY and Great
Britain 20 tsks stand against Belgium
and France, which will enable Germany
to escape as far as possible.
Therefrom she will again attack
France and Belgium within at most
fifteen years. Denisls Of such wish or
intent have been volunteered. He who
excuses himself accuses himself. The
subtle suggestion appears to-day that
the pocket of every American citizen il
involved In aiding and preserving Ger
many. Will this last device prevail?
CHARLES STEWART DAWSON.
New York, May a, 1921.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
These Wild Young Comets

We humans are really very lucky
to be part Of quiet, well behaved
planet like the earth ~ although
naturally in the press of other and
more immediate matters not very
many thoughts are given to what
might have been had our earth not
formed and "jelled" and cooled and
taken to revolving and spinning on
a regular schedule exactly as it did.
But with this wild young creature
of the skies, the comet Pons- Win
necke, rushing in our direction,
there is occasion for some practical
speculation, at any rate. The tail
Of this creature is to brush the earth
in June, and the astronomers pre-
dict large crop Of meteors at the
time.
Why does meteor never land
On trolley car or in a baseball
crowd? Because it never has, seems
to be the only reason. Our earth
is, after all, stable affair, and
trolley cars do not loom large to q
blazing meteor, fresh from race in
a comets tail, sweeping earthwatd.
The chance that human being will
ever come into collision with a
meteor is too small to worry about
even in the dullest times Of peace.
The astronomers know something
more about comets I ran the rest of
us, but not enough to plot their
careers with any certainty. The
capture theory represented comets
as neubla on the loose, wandering
across space. and being accidentally
sucked into our system by attraction
Of the sun. But this view is doubted
to-day. All that is definitely known
is that somehow these conglomera-
tons of earth stuff, gases, n,eteors,
ETC., instead of spinning on their
axes like the distant, well regulated
nebula or our own planets, swoop
rather like rockets in strange curves
very different from the neat orbits
Of cur system.
Their substance may we'll be the
same as that nebrslous matter which
once was all that existed of our
earth. Fate has used them very
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
The investigation

TO make thorough investigation
of the government Of the City of
New York, looking to revision of
the city charter, is the official task
that faces the Meyer joint legisla-
tive committee, which is to meet to-
night for purposes of organization.
This committee, composed Of mem
bers Of both houses of the State Leg
isiature, representing both parties
and including men from upstate as
well as from the city, win be, if pre-
dictions are verified, under the lead
ership of Senator Meyer as chair
man, with Elon r. Brown as coun-
sci. Senator Meyer represents the
younger element in politics and Mr..
Brown is an able lawyer and man
of large experience in public affairs.
With them, among others, is also
Senator Robinson, nephew of the late
President Roosevelt, who has much
OF his uncle's energy and civic cour-
age.
The committees labors will be Of
consequence 60 every dweller in
greater New York. BY thorough
and careful examination Of the city
IN all it's branches the penetrating
light Of publicity will shine where
darkness prevails and the smoke
screen viii be dispeiled behind which
nolitical parasites have been fatten-
ing on The public. The committee.
regardless Of politics, will seek the
truth, and those whose hands are
unspotted need have no fear.
The conditions disclosed by the
committee will later be laid before
the Charter Revision Commission
and will serve as a basis for the
drawing up Of new city chaster.
This commission. TO be appointed by
the Governor, VIII consist of trained
lawyers and experts on city govern
snent, and will have It's first meeting
in November.
Three things may be regarded IS
assured--tirst, the thorough invegti-
gstion OF conditions in the city gov
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06

differently, however. Perhaps some
day this comet, any comet, may
chance to fall into solar system
ready to absorb &c; and ont Of It's
chaos may be born anything. For
the present PonB-Winnecke Is simply
another maverick Of the skies, able
TO shy handful Of pebbles nc the
orderly old earth, but not DETECTING
her from her path by an inch or
counting at all In our solar system
save as q long-haired smudge in
the telescope.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
The Silesian Explosion

The Polish demonstration In Up
per Silesia is primarily 3 protest
against the excessive delays in the
execution Of the Versailles Treaty.
1t is also a symptom Of dissatisfac-
ton with Allied policy, in go far as
that policy has operated to favor
Germany at the expense Of the new
Polish commonwealth. The govern
ment at Warsaw cannot be held re-
sponsible for the outbreak Of the
Silesian Poles. The latter, carried
away by patriotic fervor, are trying
TO emphasize the injustice Of turning
back a considerable part of the min
ing and industrial district to Ger
many. In this district the Poles
cast 444,384 votes and the Germans
40S,891 votes. But more than 100,-
900 German non-residents were al
lowed to go to the polls.
At Paris Lloyd George INSTRUCTED
the creation of powerful and self
supporting state. He deprived Po-
land Of Danzig. He insisted on a
plebiscite in Upper Silesia. He OPP
posed Polish expansion toward the
east and into Ruthenian Galicia. He
seemed entirely reconciled to Po-
lands humiliation in 1920, when
1enine's armies were close to War
saw. Poland rallied and routed the
Russians, but she did it without as
,sistance from any Western power
except France.
The Poles remember all this. They
are fearful that British and italian
hostility will deprive them of the
fruits Of their plebiscite victory in
southern and southeastern Silesia.
Polish volunteers have followed the
example Of d'Annunzio at Fiume.
But they have not occupied territory
set aside for another Allied power.
They are seeking to reclaim Polish
iYTedenta, formerly under German
rule, which should have been award
ed to them at Paris had the Council
Of Four carried out it's pledges to
establish strong Poland, a barrier
against Communist Russia, on the
one side, and counter weight to an
unrepentant Germany on the other.
The Polish volunteers have chal-
lenged the Allied Councils police
powers. But they will find many
sympathizers. Germany has been
defying the Council for nearly two
years. She has no claim on Upper
Silesia except through the Councils
clemency. The Allies have crossed
the Rhine. They are about to take
over The Ruhr district because of
German contumacy. The Germans
are meanwhile being dispossessed in
southern Silesia. The sanction I'M
der which the dispossession has oc-
Cured is irregular. Yet it is logical.
viii the Council, after all it's ex-
perience with German bad faith,
resent the expulsion and seek to re-
store this rightfully Polish territory
to German sovereignty?
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06

ernnent; second, the preparation OF
o new charter by d body Of experts,
and, third, che intelligent considera-
ton By the State Legislature of the
city's sroblems through familiarity
with them gained and disseminated
by the Investigating committee.
The public hearings, which will
start in June, promise to be highly
interesting, II the committee per-
forms its task courageously, not
needing selfish would-be hinderers.
It has one Of the greatest oppcrtuni-
ties ever offered to improve the gov
eminent of the greatest city In the
world.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
The Submarine FgotiIEa

4 me Submarine FEOtIktn
The submarines at the review were
of the coast defense type, or they were
SO faulty in design and so slow that
they could not possibly accompany the
battleships in cruise at sea. Their
endurance and speed were so limited
that they could not operate with the
fleet as tactical unit in battle, nor
could they be effectively utilized to CO.
operate with feet in offensive war
fare overseas. The T-3, which led the
iotilla, is one Of three boats designed
as feet submarines; but their engines
are unreliable and they cannot be
counted upon.
Three types Of submarines are
needed in overseas war--fieet SUBJ
marines for tactical work with the
fleet; cruiser submarines with great
sea endurance for scouting upon and
for attacking a distant coast: and
mine-laying submarines to lay mines
and operate Extensively off an enemy's
sea ports. Not one Of these three i'm
portant types 10 present with the
feet to-day, and only few ars under
construction. The situation in this
respect is as alarming as it 10 amazing
II We are TO dream Of carrying war
beyond our home coast.
An Inadequate Air Force
A few seaplanes--not more than
twelve-took part in the review. These
planes had made cruise to Panama
and ha& worked with the fleet in it's
target practice and maneuvers at Guam
tanamo. 1t is proper to emphasize
that the personnel Of the naval air
force, officers and men, has attained the
highest standard of intelligence, fear
iessness and general efficiency, But
the force is totally inadequate In
strength and in equipment through no
fault Of It's own. There has been no
Organization at the Navy Department
with authority 60 secure proper de-
| velopments no airplane carriers have
been built, and for these reasons the
naval air force cannot accompany the
fieet in war overseas--it cannot possi~
| bly, control the sir above our surface
feet even when that feet is at anchor,
If our enemy has strong air force
and Is supplied with carriers that can
cruise with its feet az sea.
Vulnerable TO dir attack
!
! Vis~ing the Atlantic Fleet as is lay
at anchor in Hampton Roads its
vuinerablility to air attack, should it
be required in the near future to leave
the home coast and proceed overseas
with its present forces, is positively
appallingl Be the chances of hitting
ever so small, feet of surface ships
losing control of the air cannot long
exist II constantly attacked by air
forces under cover OF smoke screens
or darkness. One s00-pound bomb of
INT landed on the deck Of o battle-
ship may not sink the ship, but it will
probably place her cut OF action. One
150-pound bomb landed on the deck Of
destroyer or cruiser will render her
useless.
A surface feet must not lose control
of the air above itself. There are air
planes which can carry two or more
9oo-pound bombs 400 miles from their
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
Our Own Travelogua en-

Sir: Here in these quiet hill towns
May comes shyly, and on the mountain
side her footprints ara filed with
water laughed forth from the winter
free springs. Yesterday walked
through q valley FAR more beautiful
than its name. Along the roadside
song sparrows sang cheerful hymns
while congregation Of young birches
stretched slender green ears toward
the choiring. Listening, too, came
to square white-painted building
from which issued voice rumbling
harshly enough almost to startle the
heifers that sampled the new grass In
upland pastures above the valley road.
BY the door Of the vibrating barren
structure a yellow-iettered sign an
nounced: "After Death, Judgment.
Be Prepared" But the birches lis
tened only to the bids. and the dark
eyed heifers grazed heedlessly, as of
Sunday morning ! passed ON up the
beautiful valley with the ugly name.
Hensonville, N. z. Adm BALLOU.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
BY Quarterback

must be fully manned all the time
not some of the time otherwise their
torpedoes will be useless. There is no
alternative,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
Ask the Bootleggers

fFrons The Baltimore SHn)
In these Voistead days, one can't help
wondering what New Workers find to do
after midnight.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
The Reuielu of the Atlantic Fleet
An analysis Its True Po and Inherent Weakness Time of WY

base and return for more ammunition
after making an attack. Smaller bombs
can be carried in greater numbers. A
small messenger airplane, which esn
be built for $4,000, can carry 100
pound bomb with ease. These planes
are now in use in our army and navy.
One thousand such planes can be built
for 0,009-the price Of one de-
stroyer! Eighteen thousand planes Of
this type can be built for the price Of
the destroyer fotilla that took part in
the review at Hampton Roads. Imagine
the attack of $4,000 planes, each drep-
ing q 150-pound bomb on a feet and
then returning 60 renew the attack
Conclusion
Facing the truth, we see that the So
called fleet reviewed by the President
st Hampton Roads was no feet at all
measured by naval standards and naval
weapons Of 1921:
]. 1t had no cruiser force.
2. II had an inadequate destroyer
force.
s. It had q totally inadequate sls
force.
4. II had q totally inadequate sub
marine force.
Lacking these forces this surSaes aees
Is powerless in modern WY sgainss
fleet that is supplied with air and sub
marine forces. II cannot carry vsE
oversees. It must stay at home.
The so-cailed Pacific Fleet Is equally
deficient. 1t contains but eight lighting
dreadnoughts and s1~sll aotilla OF
effective destroyers.
Moreover, the two sesdadrons tno'
feets) are separated by distance Of
five thousand miles, and are unorgau-
ICED and undrilled as 8 surface feet
There can NJ but one verdict-tbs
navy OF the United States as it exists
to-day is totally impotent, totally I'M
ready to meet the emergencies o.
modern war. We can only hope THAI
our future enemies are equally un'
ready. They cannot be more so.
The Remedy
It is wrong to criticize and pee
flaws without suggesting q remedy. ID
this case the remedy is perfectly
plain:
/. Unite the feet and drilI Il As
team.
2. Place every useless ship ous o.
commission to economizs men aro
money.
8. Man all our modern dessrcser
and drill them Co use torpedoes s''
skill and accuracy.
4. Build airpiane carriers and sap'
ply an air force without delay.
5. Build feet submarines, cruiser
submarines and mine-laying supHs
rines as quickly as possible.
There Is TO harm in calling sttsa
ton to these deficiencies in oar neeS
On the contrary, there is great nssD
in not doing so. Our future enssA's~
know all these things. Our cws pss.
pie and the Congress that repf ssshss
them are alone uninformed. They nS'.
been deceived. The truth was Asp'
from them by che preceding Admins
tration. Secrecy and deception ~
actual conditions in the navy rs's's'S
for eight years.
We should no longer bury our ass.
in the sand like the ostrich, seeing w.
hearing nothing. Lee Us face the -
and tell the truth.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06

GUARANTY

YEA eas sarsAess merchandise advertised In THE
TRIBUNE with absolute safesy---fae II dissatisfae
siss rcsufs Ia any case THE TRIBUNE aaaran.
tess 10 aas your neaeY hack upea request. No rsd
fsre. Nc salhhHg, We make seed promptly it
the sdterttser does not.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
wrssBra OF THE ASSOCIATED pauss

Ths Associated Press q exclusively entitled to
the uss FOR republication Of all news dispatches
credited 70 u not otherwise credited In this
pager, and also the local news Of spontaneous
erigin published herein.
ku rights Of republication Of all S.hss matter
herein slso are reserved.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06

The review of the Atlantic feet on
April 2S by the President. accompanied
by. the Secretary and the Assistant
Secretary of the Navy, will have an
electrical effect upon the whole serv-
ice. The Presidents ringing words
expressing at once his belief in a
strong navy and his confidence in the
spirit and efficiency of the personnel
Of the fighting force afoat will bring
great encouragement to the officers and
men and inspire in them renewed effort
to reach the standard he has fixed for
them.
But while duly evaluating the effect
of this review upon the personnel of
the feet it is important critically to
examine and analyze the actual power
or the weakness OF the naval force
gathered at Hampton Roads as meas
ured by the standards of modern times
and by the possible demands upon it
in the event of war in the near future.
In grasping the shadow of naval eff
ficiency and readiness for battle we
must not lose the substance.
A Squadroyss Not Fleet
In the first place, 1t must be realized
that there were only four dreadnoughts
and four super-dreadnoughts present
at che xeview, forming q battleship
squadron Of two divisions. These were
tbs only ships that could properly have
found place In modern battle line.
The older ships of the pre-dreadnought
and auxiliary classes were of no value.
Similar vessels in the fleets Of JeIlicoe
and Won Scheer at Jutland were pro-
nounced hindrance. All such vessels
in our navy should have been placed
out of commission after the armistice,
following the sensible action Of Great
Britain, with great saving of men
and money that are needed for more
modern and more useful fighting craft.
The Destroyer FEosiIIo
In addition to the squadron Of battle
ships there was fotilla of eighteen
| destroyers and like number OF cub
marines present at the review. Con-
| sidering the fact that there were no
| light cruisers and no battle cruisers
present and none available in the war,
| 1t Is manifest that the small fotilla of
eighteen destroyers was totally made
quate as screening force for the bat
| tleships. Under such conditions every
available destroyer in the Atlantic
should have been utilized IL the battle
| squadron was supposed to be ready to
meet hostile force properly screened.
We have about 800 modern destroyers
| In our navy. They are fine boats. If
| fully manned with skilled crews and
| drilled to the minute in the use of
long-range torpedoes this overwhelm-
! ing force of destroyars would go far
toward making up for the lack of
cruisers. We can count upon the
young officers and enlisted personnel
Of our navy fully to utilize smoke
! screens and push home torpedo at
tack with a valor and determination
| that no enemy feet can successfully
| resist. This is powerful asset, and
yet 1t appears that we have only thirty
six OF our 800 destroyers fully manned
to-day-eighteen in the Atlantic and
eighteen In the Pacific. ALI others
/ bsve skeleton crews.
| II is well known that unskilled mer
cannot handle torpedoaa. II our de-
strcysrs are TO be ready in war they
must BIS ready In time OF peace. They
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06

Nor are the ways Of traffic cop
with maid comprehended by us. A
young woman motorist, reprimandsd
by policeman for having parked her
car said that she saw many other cars
parked near by, and thought, there
fore, she was within the law, "But
they all had chaufHeurs sitting in
them," he said. emo, they didn't"
said the motorist. "It's no use,n
said the laws minion, "trying TO put
anything over on lady" What is the
law about parking2 And why isn't it
enforced?
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
The Coming r .oer
ANTIoUARIAN QUERIES


Alb yess be lodged hare ones, shey say
The Marquis LaSaystts.
He tarried Cor might and dsyt
And dined and danced end went @ways
Precisely when this happened. they
Seem wholly to forget.
Was hs nineteen or sixty-oads
The famous Gsneyus7
When the old ballroona's door he erod,
How was he clothed, one asks, how shod
Alas, the local Homers nod
They do not know mt all
Was 10 in peace, or in the din
And violence Of war7
And was he sprightly. liths, and thin,
Or dozy, with double chin?
The legends snd as they begin,
And tell one nothing mora.
The beaux of silver-buckied Knee,
The bellies OF yesteryear,
We cannot question now, and we
Need not to question; FOR, you see,
He never came, 10 cher Morqstis,
Within two leagues Of hera.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06

Hold to Party Lines, Harding wire
Women.--World headline.
Hence the frequent busy signal.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06

Summer Is icumen In, and vista Of
guest rooms situated directly over 6
q. m. coffee grinders induces insomnia.
Productive, however. Of q summer cpl
gram.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06

It's great life Ii you don't waken.
y. r. a.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
FOR ARBOR DAY

Four years ago--or maybe fve---Ehis
spring,
Outside my window in the city street,
The landlord (it may yet redeem his
soulD
Planted tree.
The sapling stood awhile with droop-
ing leaves,
And then, as If 60 servo the human
need,
It's cropping roots beneath the concrete
found
The spring of life.
And so it came that when the summer
sun
Transformed apartments into Mttle
bells,
Mothers would bring their babes TO
rest within
It's friendly shade.
Wet asphalt and speeding motor
truck,
A moment when the driver lost control.
A crash that was reQuiem-for the
tree.
The lout drove on. G. y. M
NEW YORK, May 2-"How times
have changed" sighed Gus Kerker. the
famous composer, at q rehearsal of
"The Belle Of New York" last week,
when I wrote 'The' Belle twenty-four
years ago girls knee was merely g.
joint. To-day it seems to be an OBJ
ject of a. particular intere st."-Karl
K. Kitchen In The Cleveland Plain
| Dealer.
We prefer Mr.. Percy Hammond's
counsel to the producers Of q Winter
Garden show, imploring them to re-
[ member that the human knee is a
joint, and not an entertainment.
| The Subway Takers
"Say, didja see that pickchah in TO-
days paper? The bankruptcies out West
somewhere in Indianner, think"
"Quadruplets
"Yeh, you know. Two pairs o. twins
bankruptcies, you know"
"Yeh9"
"surep four born at che same times
"Yeh? bankruptcies, four born se
the same time. You don't say"
"Yeh, sure. Like triplets; only four,
you know. Seo?" AIDA GAVIN.
1t was not, however, until we had
been advanced into the Second Grade
that we sang
Listen, in the April rain,
Brother Robins here again.
Songs, like showers, come and go:
He is house-building, I know.
Chip! chipl cheeryi
He is singing,
Lightly on an
Elm tree swinging.