davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
A Census Injustice.

Few cities in the country can boast
of higher standards of education and
refinement among the native popula-
tion than can the fine old Buzzards
Bay metropolis, New Bedford, in
Massachusetts. Yet tie remorseless
facts assembled and digested by the
Census Bureau reveal New Bedford
with its 1921 Inhabitants as the
most illiterate city in the country.
New Bedford men and women re-
sent keenly the fact that their home
is held up to view in this unenviable
plight. This is natural. They are
proud of their beautiful city, proud
Of its long tradition Of intellectual
development, which goes with hon
orable ambitions conserved in fami-
lies and sanely applied. Now to be
branded as statistically the least lit
crate city in the United States is
indeed humiliating. That the nu-
mer;cal facts justify the stigma is
not to be denied. On this ground the
census analysis may not be success
fully challenged. In proportion to
its population New Bedford is indis-
putably the unfortunate possessor Of
more illiterates than any other com
munity in the entire country.
But accurate as is the census ex-
hibit in this respect II none the less
does New Bedford a grave injustice.
It carries an implication Of laxity
and indifference to school facilities
which is wholly at variance with the
truth. New Bedford has exerted It.
self as vigorously in the promotion
OF public education as any city in
the country. The high illiteracy rate
is the city's misfortune, not its fault.
The census statement should carry
an explanation 10 avert the false i'm.
preston It now indubitably conveys
That explanation New Bedford has
and It's newspapers and citizens have
lost no time in presenting It.
IL Is that the heavy illiteracy per
centage is due solely to the fact that
it has been New Bedford misfor
tune TO be inundated with immi
grants more ignorant in mass than
any others who come to our shores
These for the most part are Portu
guese speaking negroes from the
Cape Verde Islands. The white Por
tuguese who come here average vel
in point of education and READINGS,
TO adapt themselves to the standard,
OF America. With the blacks Of Por
tuguese origin it is quite the reverse
Nearly all of them are wholly litter
ate when they reach this countr,
and are obdurate in so remaining.
New Bedford has an exceptionally
large number OF them. II IS tru'
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
Flaubert's Centenary.

In the last months of this year
France has turned with unusual fire.
quence to the centenaries Of her ia
nous writer's. Not long ago she un-
veiled at Montpelier a monument to
RABELAIs and a statue to BRnLAT-
SAvAErS at Belley, his birthplace.
Neither of these celebrations, how
ever, aroused the same interest or
awakened French literary memories
as did the unveiling, few days ago
in the Luxembourg garden In Paris
OF a monument to GUsTAvE FLAUBERT
on the one hundredth anniversary of
his birth.
Not much more than sixty years
ago, when his first work appeared,
the man thus honored was cited with
his publisher before the French courts
for the publication of an immoral
book. The change OF popular senti-
ment in these comparatively few
years which brought about this mark
OF favor to FLAUBERr revived in all
it's academic asperity. but with a
remarkably different outlook, the con-
troversy that ragged In the COS and
'70s over FLAUBERT's Madame Bo-
vary" and "Salammb6."
France can smile now with keen
sense OF amusement over the recep-
tion to Madame Bovary" when she
recalls the books that poured unop-
posed and unquestioned upon the
country from the pens OF DE MAU-
PAssAgr and ZoLA and others OF the
same school OF realism only a few
years later. These writer's could
scarcely be called followers OF FLAU-
PERT. even though he gave with
Madame Bovary" "the formula Of the
modern novel" which some OF them
affected to accept and follow. Neither
could FrArBERr, in the strict sense
Of the word, be considered the
founder Of a school OF novel writing.
This is true principally because
he stood alone; there we're no sue
cessors Ia that indomitable industry
by which he attained his wonderful
precision of statement and his fault
less style.
Guy DE MAUPAss MT, his godson,
was his one pupil. FLAUBERr trained
him in style and thoroughness and
would not permit him to publish
story until FIVE years after he actu-
ally began to write. The one quality
which the master instilled In the
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
A New Doctrine Proposed.
Would Promise France Our Aid
Against Unwarranted Attack.

Walter II. Moy,ard ~ the Independent.
Peoples are governed to q great ex-
tent by traditional Ideas and phrases.
washington's Farewell Address will al
ways echo IN the ears Of a reverentfai
people. His warning against permanent
foreign alliances has become q basic
political doctrine among our people.
They would not without years of per-
Congress in an effort TO ratify q formal
treaty of alliance with France.
Is there any political device which
would be acceptable to the people and
which would meet the requirement out
lined above, namely, calm the fears Of
France and serve stern notice on Ger
many to drop her ideas, IL they exist,
of new aggression?
In December 1929, President Monroe
In his annual message declared that the
United States would not regard favor
ably any attempt OF European Powers
to colonize or exercise control In South
America. This Presidential declaration
has, with the lapse OF years, as the
Monroe Doctrine. become q cornerstone
of our foreign policy, and. while in no
sense a treaty or an entangling alliance.
has assumed a sanctity--a solldity--of
the most unchangeable character.
The United States has only recently
sent her armed forces to fight on French
soil. She would doubtless DO so again
IL Germany unwarrantably attacked
France. Why not say so7 II President
Harding were TO express with due So
lemnity his conviction that II France
were again unwarrantably attacked the
United States would defend her, such a
declaration made with the proper de-
gree of ceremony would be hailed as
an epoch making event. The new "Har-
ding Doctrine" would echo around the
world
The Harding Doctrine" with the
passage Of years would assume tho same
intangible sanctity that the Monroe
Doctrine has gradually acquired. II
would justify a progressive French land
disarmament.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
A Woman Astronomers Work.

BY the death a few days ago OF
HENRIETTA SWAN LEAvIrr of Cam
bridge. Massachusetts, the world has
lost ore Of Its most intelligent and
console tiously painstaking workers
in the field of astronomical research.
For more than twenty-five years Miss
LEAv1TT was a member Of Harvard
University's observatory staff. She
began as an assistant. She closed
her career as an authority in the very
difficult branch of astronomical
science to which she chiefly directed
her studies.
1t was to stellar photography that
Miss LEAvrTT devoted her exceptional
talents. Her determination OF the
relative Photographic brightness Of
the stars known as the polar Sc
quence, the group about tho polestar
varying in rank from the fourth to
the twentieth magnitude, is now
generally accepted among astrono.
mers as the standard OF Photographic
star measurement. In addition to
this Miss LEAvITr, with persistent
patience and minute care, explored
the entire celestial expanse in search
Of new stars and Of stars OF periodi-
cal variance in brightness.
Her intense concentration Of effort
was rewarded by the discovery OF
four unknown stars and OF 2,400
variables. Her discoveries just about
doubled the number of variable stars
known when she began her work. 1t
was while she was studying the ten
degree square area OF the smaller Of
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
by w. j. HENDERSON.

The old man in "Adonis" used to ex-
claim: Twenty years ago on dark,
tempestuous night. when the lightning
lightened and the thunder thunder
ed and at that instant Adoftis
Dixey used to interrupt him, saying !:
Here are two dollars; so and drink
yourself to DEATH"
Eheu fugaces, as Horace remarks.
Those good old days are gone. Old men
are not allowed to drink themselves to
death now, and even if they were. they
could not even made u start with two
dollars But just the same, people who
persist In talking about twenty years
ago are nuisances and should be sup
pressed.
However. it ought to go on record
that Antonio Scotti has been singing
ScGrptG in "Tosca" at the Metropolitan
more than twenty years--twenty years
1t was last February 4. His first Tosca
was Nine. Milka Ternina and the CdvG-
,-ddosst was Cremonini. Last evening
when the work was given once more at
the Metropolitan the CavdrGdossi was
Gigli. new and youthful tenor. and the
ToSo0 was Nine. Marie Jeritza, latest
sensation in the role Of the Roman
singer.
But no one would have thought of
quoting ''superfluous Iags the veteran
Oh the stage" Scotti as Scarptd is right
in the middle of things, and as long as
he can chase Tosoas around the furni-
ture as friskly as he did it last night
he will continue to be as vital to TIE
opera as whole generation of new
tenors and prima donnas.
Mime. Jeritza. 1t was said here the
morning after her first Tosca, would
put new life into the old work. She has
done 1t. The opera house was packed to
the walls last evening and the storm of
applause which followed the second act
limited that If Mr.. Gatti-Casazza chose
to alter his policy he might ladle out
"Tosca" performances to an Unsuitable
public as Mr.. Grau used to give Carmen
Calve repetitions with almost endless
Don Jose and EscunilIo variations.
What was said about Nine. Jeritza's
first Tosod y1lght be repeated about her
second. 1t was again passionate and
very real woman that she presented
and again she made every phrase elo-
quent by her skilful use of vocal color.
Her impersonation is admirable. 1t is
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
The Christmas Tree.

Deep In the woods enchanted heart
l saw a Christmas tree,
An evergreen with slender trunk
OF perfect symmetry,
From topmost twig to lowest branch
That swept the frozen drifts
On all its tasseled boughs were hung
The loveliest of gifts.
Long strings of pearls and diamond
stars
And strips OF ormine rare.
And soft white feathers light enough
For fairy queens 20 wear.
And silver tinsel of the frost.
And crystal beads. for 10!
A winter storm on Christmas Eve
Had trimmed il up with snow.
MINNA IRVING.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
Winter Begins.

NiuiNA pSSGh dI Sl5At ul1HuLSo pdSL
o'clock this morning. You may
have thought, what with the ring of
the skates and the squeak of the
coal shovel, that winter came long
ago; but the almanac says No.
Winter among the forefathers was
period devoted to preservation Of
life and preparation for spring. The
roaring wood stove is rust of the
ages; but there is the thermostat to
adjust or the janitor to adjure. The
coonskin cap may not adorn the seat
OF intellect, but the high hat needs
polishing against the banquet season.
The greasing of boots is an extinct
pastime. but spats require dry clean
ing. There are fewer horses to bed
heavily, but the motor car must have
its draft of wood alcohol.
No city dweller may have the sci
entific JOY of sorting seed corn, but
ne can separate the pinochle deck
from the whist cards. He need not
make sketch of the thirty acres
planted to rye, but he can memorize
the boundaries of Esthonia for use at
the weekly meeting of the Culture
Club. 1t is not for him to pick the
sprouters out of the potato bin, but
he can examine and prune his neck
tie stock. He has no farm accounts
to cast up, but what farm figures
were ever SO fascinating as the calcu-
iation of the supertax?
Winter in this great city is fear
full and wonderful thing. Weak man
dons his twelve pound ulster at the
first breath from the north and he
keeps to it until May, even when
most of his outdoor life is spent in
the subway. Strong woman goes
about as for garden party. She
may be the mother of a race as dis
dainful of cold as the Highlander,
for more and more the little boys
run barelegged.
When two inches of snow hit the
great bold town there is a terrible
time. "City writhes in grip of storm, y
the headlines say; and it's true.
Street Cleaning Commissioners call
out the guards. Surface railroad
managers utter sobs of panic and
dash home Tin a cab) to bed, sick
with worry. Commuters have rare
tales OF desperate battle with the ele-
ments. The citizens pretend to be
amazed at the dreadfulness Of it all.
But as most of them came from
places where two inches of snow IS
only the cocktail preceding regular
two foot storm they secretly despise
the precipitation. The city may
writhe in the grip of storm, but the
old boy from New England or the
Great Lakes region writhes in the
grip of laughter.
New York has no winter worth the
name. We burn a lot Of coal from
force of habit. We buy ulsters be-
cause they look pretty in the win
dows. Once a year the thermometer
goes below zero just as, once a year,
every man decides that he will take
regular exercise with Indian clubs.
1t is q gesture, as the literary fellows
say. Winter is an excuse for going
to Cuba. 1t is something men be-
lieve in after the demon of doubt has
assailed SANTA CLAUS.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
Jeritza Wins New Honors as Tosca
Packed House at Metropolitan Hears Old Opera Int
Which New Life Has Been Infused.

one of the most interesting this public
has had the privilege Of watching. 1t
has immense dramatic value and It is
musical
At the first performance the soprano
entered the church without head cover
ing, which is contrary to the require
ments of the Roman Church. She after
ward said that she intended to wear
scarf but when about to so on the stage
forgot 1t. Last evening she wore the
scarf. This seemed to be the only modi-
fication she made In her performance
There were two changes In the cast
Mr.. d'Angelo. instead of Mr.. Ananian.
was the An1olottt and Mr.. Paltriniert
replaced Mr.. Bada as Spoleftd- Mr.
Moranzoni conducted.
Mrs. Adolf Ladenburg. Bris. Gen.
Charles II. Sheriff. and Mr.. and Mra
Robert l.. Livingston were with MI.
James b. Clews in Box ~.
Mrs Lawrence Townsend, Miss Louisa
Stdednan Wilson and Miss Carlotta
Havemeyer were with Mr.. and Mrs.
Richard I. Wilson in Box /.
The guests of Mrs. Adrian Iselin IN
Box G were Mr.. and Mrs. Frederick II.
Allen and Miss Sylvia Van Rensselaer,.
The party in Box 81 with Mr. William
e. Shepherd. Jr., included Mr.. and Mrs.
Ernest Harrah, Miss Adelaide Landon,
Miss Katherine Miller and Mr.. Philip
Goodwin.
Mr.. and Mrs Francis l.. v. Hoppin
and Mr.. and Mrs. Stuart Duncan were
with Mr.. and Mrs. William Fahnestock
in Box 10.
With Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Steele In
Box 81 were Mr.. and Mrs. George Bar
ton French and DR.. and Mrs. Louis de
Bonnesset.
Mr.. Frederic A. Juilliard's guests in
Box We're Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph II.
Choate and Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Brew
ster.
Mr.. and Mrs. Carl A. deGersdorff.
Miss Ellin S. Parks. the Rev. DR.. Leigh
ton Parks and MIR. Charles T. Mathews
were In Box II.
Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph Earle Stevens
and Mrs. r. Burnham Moffat were in
Box 23 with Mrs. Louis T. Hoyt
DIR. and Mrs. w. Kinnicutt Draper
were with Mrs. w. Bayard Cutting In
Box %. With Miss Georgine Iselin In
Box 13 were Mr.. and Mrs. Alfred Seton.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
Daily Calendar
THE WEATHER.

For Eastern New Yorlr--Fair and con-
tinued cold to-day; tomorrow increasing
cioudiness with rising temperature, prob
ably followed by snow, diminishing
northwest and west winds. shifting TO
east by to-mbrrow.
For New Jersey--Fair and continued cold
To-day; tomorrow increasing cloudiness.
Win rising temperature. probably followed by
SNOW diminishing northwest ana north winds.
shifting to easterly by tomorrow.
co,S Nortlern New England-Fair and
ness, with rising temperature, probably fol-
lowed by snow: Diminishing northwest and
,,n, ,or.n winds. shifting to easterly by to-
For Southern New England Fair and cold
.'.,., % .o-osy; tomorrow increasing cloudness.
WIN w rising temperature. probably followed
~ snow diminishing northwest and north
WINDS shifting to easterly by tomorrow.
TOT western New York--GeneralIy fair
anu a, continued cold to-day tomorrow SNOW.
VEST ana north winds. shifting to easteriy
by Tomorrow.
w ,'WNAsHINGTDN. Dec. .2i.-The disturbance
moved rapidly eastward with marked in
Me,s cMIeass IN intensity. and i was central over
iist rsin sSot or s aSnisht ~, Il was attended BY
northeastern States. and II was followed by
rapidiy risinF pressure and decidedly colder
lake region. the upper Ohio Valley and the
middle Atlantic and north Atlantic States.
Ihe temperature was much lower In the
upper lake region, the lower Ohio and middle
Mississlppi Valley, Tennessee and the interior
CT the west Gulf States, while there was a
west.
The disturbance west Of the Rockies has
remained practically stationary during the
last twenty-four hours. but there was q
decided fall in pressure over the plains States
ana the Northwest to-day, and there were
local Gnows In the northern plains States.
the northern Rocky Mountain and northern
plateau regions and the north Pacific States
ana rain N California. Utah and Nevada.
Inc Indications are for generally fair
wcaher IN the Atlantic States and upper
cay, but precipitation will again set In over
the upper lake region. the lower Ohio Valley,
western tennessee and the east Gulf States
iantic coast during Friday. The precipita-
ton VIII be In the form of snow in northern,
snow or rain IN middle and rain In southern
sections. The temperature will be lower in
the Atlantic States from Maryland south
ward, and II will continue low In the north
Atlantic EtAtee, but 1t will rise almost gen
orally east of the Mississippi River Friday
storm warnings are displayed on the Al
,antic coast from Cape Hatteras to Eastport,
Observations at United States Weather Bu-
reau stations taken at 8 r. NJ. yesterday
seventy-fifth meridian time:
The New York herald., 1921-12-22

that nearly half of the city's popula-
tion is of foreign birth. But with
the exception of the Cape Verde ISL
anders the average of illiteracy
among the other nationalities in New
Bedford is about the same as it is
elsewhere. 1t is the colored Cape
Verde population which tips the illit-
eracy scale so adversely to the old
home Of the rugged whaler captains
of days gone by.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
Taxation A B Cs.

President PERCY II. JOHNSTON Of
the Chemical National Bank states
one fundamental principle of sound
taxation so simply and clearly that
any mind should be able to grasp
it's import. Prosperity of trade" he
says, "is just as much factor in the
tax yield as is the rate"
A tax rate that is excessive, ruin
Gus or unavoidable, indeed, always
fails to raise as much revenue for
the Treasury as an unoppressive and
easily applied tax. AS long as capi-
tai is free to move from one invest
ment to another it will as surely
flow away from taxation danger
points to safety zones as water flows
down hill.
AS capital, to escape destructive
taxes, thus shifts from overtaxed ac
tive industry into tax exempt securi
ties it drains the public revenue
sources in two ways. In the first
place it steadily diminishes the
amount of taxable capital and in
come. The 40 per cent. rate, say,
that yielded S40o,000,000 on billion
of income earned by capital actively
engaged in a certain field obviously
will yield only s2OO,OOO,O 900 after half
such capital takes to the tax exemp-
tion tall timber. The tax cannot be
safely raised to squeeze more reve-
nue. out of what capital is left in
the field, because this will drive out
still more.
In the second place, as the actively
engaged capital transfers itself from
the taxation danger points to the
safety zones the workers who had
been employed in the industrial ac-
tivities lose their incomes as the en-
ploying plants are slowed down or
abandoned. Not only, therefore, is
there less actively engaged capital
with its earnings to be taxed; there
are smaller numbers of income earn
ing individuals in such industries
to be taxed.
All this is the cs OF sound tax
alton; 1t is plain sense. But a GER
tain legislative element goes on at
tempting just the same to gather
revenues by getting rid Of the revenue
producers. A certain elem ant of the
public is fooled by that kind Of states
manship until its workers wake up to
the fact that they are losing their
Jobs while the Treasury is losing it's
revenue and for exactly the same
reason.
The lightest tax on the public, the
most productive tax for the Treas
ury, the tax which can be made to
hold on the best for all concerned, is
the tax that does the least damage to
general industry and business. AS
Mr.. JOHNSTON puts it, "Taxes should
be adjusted to business rather than
business to taxes"
President HARDING is going to put
this vital national question up to
Congress again, and IL Congress does
not do something about It and do It
right the American people simply
will have their business and their
jobs sacrificed by politicians trying
to get themselves reelected with
the votes Of those who haven't
learned yet the folly and the penalty
Of bad taxes.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
Recompense.
From tho Kansas Citp

From the Kansas Citp Stdr.
The glowing summer blooms are dead,
The ieafy ways are cold and bare.
No wild sweet songs of birds hear
And yet. l do not seem to care.
For on the hearth glowing fire
Is sending forth its ruddy glow,
And tales are told and songs are sung
And winters CHEEKY joys know.
KATHERINE EpELMAN.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
LOUVRE TREASURES PICTURED.
Prints and Engravings of Master
pieces to BE sold.

Engravings from The great master
pieces of the Louvre form a highly edu-
cational exhibition in the Anderson Cal
leries for the balance Of this week. The
prints have been brought here by the
Fine Arts Importing Corporation, which
has obtained the rights OF all these
prints for this country.
Consequently It is possible for the
student to study at close range the
engraved records Of such things as "The
Enton,bment" by Mantegna, the Burial
BY Titan. the great portraits by Rem
brandt and Raphael and the long Sc
uuence Of immortal works of art housed
In the great palace by the Seine. The
Louvre itself puts its stamp upon each
impression, and there are various states
of the important plates. including print
ings before the lettering.
A sale Of the art will be held for
the benefit OF the St Vincent dc Paul
Orphan Asylum.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22

Two Chicago thieves robbed the
treasurer of a Santa Claus fund of
$3.50 he had collected to provide Christ
mas cheer for some poor children. A
jury OF mothers who have seen De-
cember 25 pass with no toys for their
babies should decide what punishment
ought to be inflicted on these wretched
creatures.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22

The number of suits for divorce
filed in New York county in 1921 Is
1.107. against 1854 in 1920. This de-
crease has been contemporaneous with
many lachrymose laments over the
impairment of morals resulting from
war. Perhaps IL may turn out that
after all human nature was not
changed very much by the nervous
strain of the conflict
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
TO AID CHILD STUDY.

For the benefit Of the circulating
library of the Federation for Child
study an Interpretive recital OF 'Haen-
sci and Gretsr' will be given by Caro-
line X. Goldberg next Thursday after
noon at the home of Mrs r. u. Pollsk,
80 East Seventy-seventh street.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22

Senator TOM WATSON of Georgia has
held UP the bill to provide food for
starving babies in Russia. 1t seems
useless to say anything more about
this than that It is exactly the sort
Of thing Senator TOM WATSON Of
Georgia is capable OF doing.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22

Sugar has reached a price SO low
that some folks have forgotten there
ever was a time when sugar hoarders
were scorned by patriots and prose-
cuted by the Government.
The New York herald., 1921-12-22
ELMIRA, December 20.

So-called surface 'parlor cars" were
once run to Coney Island, special
higher fares being charged for the
service. They aroused great popular
opposition, just as the attempt to in
troduce pay chairs in the parks did.
Public opinion, unless it has changed,
would not tolerate this proposed sub
way innovation.