davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1921-01-04
: Birds on the Farm.
Their Superiority to the Cat as an
Asset Is Asserted.

To THE New YORK HERALD: / had
not supposed II possible that in 1920
any correspondent of your paper could
make the assertion that "a eat is more
useful than all the birds can possibly
be" to farmers Therefore | was sur
prised to read A. c. Weeks's letter.
For some years in our public schools
in the country even the children have
been taught the great value Of birds
from an economic point of view. The
migratory bird law has attracted SO
much attention and the bulletins of the
Department of Agriculture have been so
carefully studied that 1 thought every
one living in the country or the suburbs
understood the devastation wrought by
insects. and that apart from the costly
and difficult job of spraying trees and
bushes the only way of keeping the
hordes of marauders in check is by the
help of the birds.
Elaborate calculations have been made
by biological experts and it has been
determined how many insects are put
season by single pair of adult birds
through the destruction of the insects
themselves and their eggs and Larvae,
which would later develop into insects
The amount when multiplied by the
number of birds in a single State be-
comes almost unbelievable.
The cat is valuable 70 the farmers s
wife BY killing the mice in the pantry,
but carefully set traps would dispose
of these and very few cats would or
could cope with the gray squirrels or
the great rats which prey upon the grain
in the farmers granaries. AS for the
field mice so destructive to fruit trees,
the slow sailing hawks, not the swift
small chicken hawks but the buteos.
cope with them more effectively than
domestic cats, whose name implies their
nature and habits.
or all the farmers assets insectivorous
birds are among the most valuable.
+. l.. RUSSELL.
New YORK, January 3.
The New York herald., 1921-01-04
How Men Stay in Congress.

In the celebration of the memorable
record of Congressional service of
Uncle JOE CANNON several speakers
gave their opinions as TO the causes
which account for reelection of Il
Representative in Congress. CHAMP
CLARK, himself pretty well qualified
to judge, said: I'm the first place the
politics Of his district must remain
the same. In the second place he
must be man of force and ability.
In the third place he must remain as
faithful as the north star"
Mr. GARRETT of Tennessee thought
that HERCULES himself could not lift
and throw Uncle JOE as he did AN
r.EUs. mo one has been able to do
that with the gentleman from Illi-
nois," he said. ut is true that twice
in his political career he has been
tripped, but he landed upon his feet
among the people. He renewed his
strength. Throughout all his days he
mas hau the correct comprehension OF
The elements and fundamentals of
human nature, and has always been
abe TO keep his feet upon the earth
rmong men"
Majority Leader MoNDELL found the
reason for Mr.. CANNoN's many re-
elections in "the courage of his con-
vlctions," and said that "men can
serve here long even If they do not
always yield to temporary popular
clamor."
The House gave its approval most
generously to Mr.. GARRETT's assertion
that those remain longest in Congress
representing the people who most
firmly keep their feet upon the earth
where the people are.
The New York herald., 1921-01-04
Over MIR. Wilson's Veto.

On November ., 1920. the people of
the United States voted for Il reversal
of the administrative policies of our
Government. Yesterday the United
States Senate started the reversing
process. The President vetoed the
bill reviving the War Finance Cor
poration, measure urged by banks
and business men and passed by Con-
gress to help clear up the chaos in our
export trade. The Senate promptly
rcGnssed the bill over the Wilson veto.
The vote was 53 to 5. 1t is expected
that the House will take similar ac-
tion without delay.
President WILSON cited our export
trade for 1919 and 1920 as proof that
the War Finance bill Is not needed.
But. whatever the merits or dement's
of the War Finance Corporation plan,
the farmers and manufacturers who
urged the bill and the Senators and
Representatives who passed it cannot
believe that the trade of 1910 and
1920 is any guarantee for the trade
of 1921. For the matter of that, how
can anybody?
The New York herald., 1921-01-04
TUESDAY. JANUARY 4, 1921.
To Control Brindellisrn.

The proposed legislation to put busi-
ness, trade and labor combinations
under the supervision and control OF 4
central State authority is not in con
flct with the common sense policy
and economy programme of the new
Governor and the new Legislature.
They are pledged to cut out waste OF
material, men and money, and they
must cut it out.
But because the State Government
is going tc~scrap scores of overlapping
duplicating, needless bureaus and com
missions, thousands of useless job
holders going along with them, is no
reason it should not set up other ma
chinery that is wanted and can give
efficient public service.
The proposed control of the combl-
nations which, until SAM UNTERMYEB
got on their trail were as bold and
arrogant as freebooters on the high
seas, is not q dream Of visionary up
iAitClS VIII want " a. lNAANte
world by creating public Offices and
multiplying public job holders to in
termeddle with every function of work
and life. 1t is the well considered
plan Of the keen, successful UNTEB-
afyER, who has gone to the bottom Of
the greedy practices which have
astounded and outraged the people of
New York. He knows. If anybody
knows, what such combinations Of
brains and daring are capable of doing
TO prey upon the public. He can ap-
preciate, il anybody can, what it Is
necessary to do to hold Brindellism
down. He ought to be able, with his
legal genius and practical methods, to
devise sound and workable means to
do It,
The New York herald., 1921-01-04
EVENTS TO-DAY.

Meeting OF the New York Entomological
Society, American Museum of Natural His
Herbert Hoover will speak ut mass
meeting in behalf of the European Chlldren's
Relief Fund, Brooklyn Academy OF Music,
Il. NJ.
Board OF Estimate hearing on the building
situation, City Hall. 1880 a. NJ.
Dance Of the Briarcliff Holiday Association
for the benefit OF foundlings at the Happy
) sa15es 80 = n. Mome'' h''ie' N \" Hotel riaAa'
Auxiliary of ST. vincents Hospital. Waldorf
Astoria. 80 p. NJ.
Elihu Root will speak at the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the establishment of the
Appellate Division Of the Supreme Court.
Ma Gen Georges Nivelle of the French
Army will be guest OF honor at an entertain
ment. dance and supper by the New York
Chapter. Military Order OF the World War.
Hotel Astor. 3 j. NJ
Tuesday evening dinner dance, Hotel Bit
more, Z. NJ.
Meeting OF the Working Class OF The
Junior Emergency Relief Society, Hotel Bit
more
Smoker. the Surveyors customS Welfare
Dinner. Baltic State Bank, Hotel Pennsyl-
Luncheon. Retail Millinery Association.
Luncheon. Boolxbinders Association, Hotel
Pennsylvania. 1890 7. NJ
Convention OF the College Presidents AS
sociation Hotel Astor. 10 A. NJ.
Luncheon of the Theatre owners Chamber
OF Commerce. Hotel Astor. i: NJ.
Dinner, New York Physicians Society.
Hotel Astor, z. NJ.
Dance. Cathedral Boys Association. Hotel
Astor, . T. NJ.
Manhattan Matinee Club. bridge. Waldorf
Astoria, u. M.
Meeting of the Kentucky Society. Waldorf
Astoria, y. NJ
National California Club. bridge. Waldorf
Astoria +. M
Meeting OF the Pekingese Club of America,
Waldorf-Astoria. Il. M.
Meeting of the Railroad Relations Commit
tee. Waldorf-Astoria. 10 A. NJ
Highway Transportation Show. Twelfth
Regiment Armory and First Field Artillery
Armory afternoon and evening.
Thomas G.. Miller viii speak on Friend
ship at n dinner OF the Rotary Club at
the Hotel McAlpin, 6:i5 II. NJ.
DR. Jessie Wallace Hughnn VIII give the
first of n series OF lectures on The Truth
About Socialism," under auspices OF the
Intercoliegiatc Socialist Society. SO East
Twcnty-fifth street. Ar r. NJ.
Jerome Davis will speak on Three Years
In Russia" nj the forum of the broadway
Tabernacle, Broadway and Fifty-sixth street
S:15 +. NJ. ,,.,
Charles w. Furlong viii speak on The
Passing Of the Old West" before the New
York Historical Society. ut 40 Central PARK
West go +. NJ.
The New York herald., 1921-01-04
Joseph ruehs,s Violin Recital.

Joseph Fuchs. a young local violinist,
who came before the public this season,
gave his second recital last evening in
Aeolian Hail. He played HandeFs E
major sonata, Saint-Saens's minor
concerto and some shorter pieces, in
cluding one by Samuel Gardner, who was
graduated from the same school as the
player Mr.. Fuchs confirmed the good
impression made at his first recital and
proved that no error had been made in
setting him down as one of the most
promising OF the new violinists.
The young mans tone is good, but 1t
is probably not as brilliant as Il will be
when he has attained more maturity.
His bowing. while free and elastic. is
also yet in state of prograss. In in
tonaton he is excellent. while in phras-
ing, manner and general style he is
already a violinist of excellent parts.
His repose and his good taste are quail
tiles which add to the attractiveness of
his performance.
The New York herald., 1921-01-04

sanitary conditions. IF infant NOR
tality were arrested" the report says,
''and children given a better prospect
of reaching adult life the population
might not improbably be doubled in
the next thirty or forty years.
The Arabs are difficult to govern.
The British understand them better
than do any other Europeans, and Ii
was largely due to British influence
that their Kingdom of fIeijaz was es-
tablished. Before the armistice the
people of Mesopotamia were resigned
to the prospect of living under British
administration.
The first turn in the native mind
came, according TO the report, through
the publication in Mesopotamia of
President WILSON'S Fourteen Points
ana OF the Anglo-French declaration
of an intention to establish among
the people long oppressed by the
Turks "a national government and
administration drawing their author
ity from the free choice Of indigenous
populations Events in Syria gave
malcontents opportunity to advocate
resort to force In Mesopotamia. The
result was that the political pro-
gramme of these disturbers gained
ground as the weakness of the British
garrisons became apparent"
The one point gained by the British
administration IS settlement of the
hereditary disputes among the differ
ent tribal chiefs. The Turks kept
these tribal strifes alive and on the
principle of divide and rule managed
to exercise control over the country.
But in this reversal Of policy the. re-
port does not attempt to show that
British influence has won the tribal
chiefs support or has secured any
specific benefits.
The report is instructive and iilumi-
mating. but it Is neither cheerful nor
encouraging. An English writer who
processes a knowledge OF conditions
IN the East says in the British politi-
cal review The Round Table that if
Mesopotamia is assured OF the same
status as Canada or Australia it will
cost no more in money and men than
these countries do. "The only alter
native" he says, 'is to hold on with
ever lessening force till anarchy is too
expensive and we let 60" This may
or may not represent British opinion,
but it is very evident that to the Gov
ernment the occupation and admins
tration Of Mesopotamia appears Il
much more formidable undertaking
now than 1t did two years ago.
The New York herald., 1921-01-04
Disarmament.
Effect of the Inventors Labors on
National Psychology.

To THE NEW York HERALD: As the
inltiator Of provision In the 1916 naval
bill. quoted in your paper of January /, |
may perhaps be permitted to throw some
light on its application.
am OF course aware of the fact
that neither he who proposes legisla-
ton nor lawmakers who adopt It can
claim any other role than that of COM
mentators in respect to its interpreta-
tion. That important operation must.
In the first instance. be performed by
administrators. and, in the last instance,
by courts.
The provision in question gives to the
President power to suspend an adopted
programme of naval construction. "if, at
any time before the construction au-
thorized by this act shall have been
contracted for there shall have been
established. with the cooperation of the
United States of America, an interna-
tlonal tribunal or tribunals competent
to secure peaceful determinations of all
international disputes. and which shall
render unnecessary the maintenance OF
competitive armaments."
II seems to me that the foregoing
conditions cannot be established by any
OF the plans of international action now
being contemplated In our distracted
world / believe. and have elsewhere
attempted to demonstrate. that no in
ternational tribunal can secure the
peaceful determination Of all intcrna-
tlonal disputes unless IL disposes of a
centralized. non-competitve force on
land and sea and unless at the samo
time national competithe forces cease
C. 1e.
a limitation Of armaments by inter-
national agreement does not take away
the competitive character of such ma
tional military force as -rnay be cre-
ated under the agreement There Is
neither rhyme nor reason in maintain
ing such forces. whatever be their mag
nitude. unless they be considered as po-
tential competitors in war against other
similar national forces
When in 1916 I appeared before the
Senate Committee on Naval Affairs TO
urge consideration of this provision the
Government OF the United states was
not ready to cooperate with others in
the establishment of true international
Justice OF the peace. with his consta bic.
Nor Is It now ready for such action.
Even IL public sentiment were ripe FOR
the Great Remuneration, our Constitu-
tion forbids. Thinking that in the full
ness of time the world Of nations might
be prepared for peace. ] suggested that
our Govcrnment--fearful giant OF the
West--might. by continually reenacting
this provision give a rallying cry 70
tmen in all countries striving toward a
distant goal.
About the same time I drafted and
Senator Shafroth introduced Consti-
tutional amendment permitting--not re-
/ qulring--our government 20 make en-
gagements for the creation OF q really
effective international tribunal armed
20 enforce It's decrces.
We got as far as one hearing before
the Judiciary Committee of tho Senate
The New York herald., 1921-01-04

workshop of students and scholars
who, attracted in large numbers by its
resources for research and reference,
make Washington, DIR. FEss believes,
the intellectual as Well as the political
capital Of the nation.
The library is rapidly approaching
in size the French National Library
and the British Museum, and it is sig
nificant Of It's growing Importance that
reference readers in Washington al
ready number as many as those who
visit the national libraries in Paris
and London. In not n few respects
it stands first among institutions of
its kind. It's catalogue system has
been adopted by 2,991 Libraries in this
country and by 13S in foreign coun-
tries; each subscribing library buying
from ii the catalogues 1t requires. As
TO one interesting department Dr.
FEss says:
Its collection of music Is probably
the largest in the world. Developed
for the needs of the serious investi-
composer. critic. historian.
conductor-it is rendering signal SER
vice to such investigators in America.
For instance, in no other institution
in the world could the history of
modern opera be studied or written
as here"
Or. FEss has made a careful study
of the library and assembled many
interesting facts, and if, cannily, his
undisclosed purpose was to prepare
Congress for request for an appro-
priation for an additional book stack
in the library park and a modern
archives building to contain invalu-
able original papers, it is to be hoped
that he will get the money--when
Uncle SAM has 1t TO spare.
The New York herald., 1921-01-04
The British in Mesopotamia.

British administration of Nesopo-
tamia has come in for considerable
criticism in England. One of the rea-
sons for this is that despite the
loss of men, the expenditure of large
sums Of money and the apparent lack
of satisfactory accomplishments there
was for long time practically no
official statement regarding the policy
of the Government or of the results
attained. The report on the Mesopo-
tamian civil administration which has
just been issued rs a White Paper by
the India Office is designed TO answer
some OF this criticism. Consequently
it has attracted an unusual degree
Of interest.
The report covers the period from
the landing of the British forces mt
the mouth of the Shat-el-Arab in
November, 1914. to the arrival of Sir
PERCY Cox at Bagdad in July Of last
year for the purpose of taking pre-
liminary steps to establish an Arab
Government In the first place. the
administration was successful in an
unexpected way; it accumulated in
the first four years, "A considerable
surplus, although in that time roads,
bridges, ports and other works of II
lasting benefit to the population were
constructed. An explanation of this
surplus may he found in the fact that
much of the public work was done by
sthe army AMI charged against the
military administration. 1t is esti-
mated that the value Of the perma-
ncnt improvements made by the
army of occupation alone is upward
Of S30.000.OO0.
The problems Of population and Of
conditions which may bring about eco
nomic progress have not been satis-
factorily solved. While the railroad
mileage has been greatly increa sed
the demand for both skilled and un-
Shllltu luDpI II. uHu lOI II COnSlNcT-
able time will be, far In excess OF the
supply in the country. Less than Is
per cent Of the railway workers are
natives and mt least so per cent. are
Indians
Man power is very important
matter IN Mesopotama. A substan-
tlal addition TO the population n o..
solutciy necessary n TIE naturai re-
sources are to be developed.
The Introduction OF foreign settlers
Of alien race or creed might be at
tended by grave political consequences
while the Persians, Kurds aud other
peoples who would he acceptable TO the
Arabs will not emigrate TO Mesopo-
tamia In numbers sufficient to make
mp the deficiency The only hope ap-
parently Is In improved henlth nd
The New York herald., 1921-01-04

where the proposed amendment now
sleeps so quietly.
Its discussion in Congress and its
subsequent discussion in State legisla- =
lures would powerfully tend to enlighten
our people on the realities of any
scheme for the establishment between
nations of that relative peace which
we enjoy within each nation through
the existence OF centralized force in
stead of competitive forces. Yet it
would be helpful. But l fancy that.
ere the an9sthetic given by the com
mittee to our proposal shall have worn
off Senator Shafroth and I must wit
ness many efforts by cropping govern
ments to have their cake and eat it
too.
1t Is even probable that some limita-
ton of armaments will be written on
paper And some money will thus be
savod-for n time. This Limitation can
not be inteiligently expressed in terms
of tonnage. gin power or such like
physical units The variety and COM
plication of our modern machinery for
war will render the task impossible.
So 1t will be gravely written. sup
ion dollars; Great Britain so many mill
ion pounds; Japan so many million yen,
and so on, for others.
But I know man--and you know
him also. Mr.. Editor-who will then
turn another covenant into a scrap OF
paper His name is The Inventor. He
never sleeps, and he is the spirit of the
age. OF him it need only be rumored-
IL need not be true--that in his labora-
tory at Kissingen or Kalamazoo he has
perfected some new DEVILS breath Of
death then will the sweet brotherly
love OF the new covenant be turned into
the sour milk of suspicion and defiance.
1t will be declared that the dreaded wiz
ard can produce with one dollar as
many units of destructive capacity as
ten dollars would have produced when
the compact of limitation was signed.
Then, fear taking hold OF the hearts of
men. 1t will be said: 1--WE meant to
limit destructive capacity. and now, 10 .
an enemy may be at our gates bearing
in his hand an abomination not known
TO us and surprising our powers IL we
observe the pact we made. IT is matter
Of life and death--we cannot be bound.
Let us fall upon him who possesses the
secret ere he can fully equip himself
with its force, or let us build and build
yet more of the enginery known to U.S."
And the last state OF the world will be
worse than the first.
Is this only the dreaming OF Jere-
miah or n Cassandra? Nay. IL was
the fear just pictured which animated
q French Minister of War ten days ago
to demand control OF all the laborato-
rics in Germany. OSCAR T. CROSBY.
WARRENroN, Va, January 1.
The New York herald., 1921-01-04
DON Carlos Starts Operas Eighth Week
Verd's Opera Heard by Monday Subscribers for
First Time

verdfs Don Carlos" revealed its
hitherto unknown values to the Monday
subscribers at the Metropolitan Opera
House last evening. The performance
was observed with considerable interest.
but without any evidences of enthusi-
astic appreciation. The listeners doubt
less failed to discover any of those re-
markable foreshadowing OF Verdis later
style upon which some Of his biographers
expended so much learned comment.
Only to the close student of the score
do these disclose themselves. but not
laudation.
The more sceptcal commentator will
be likely to suspect that the discoveries
of the biographers were made after
Aida" had been produced and with the
rather improbable hope OF accounting
for the peculiar dullness and heaViness
Of this score. OF the Metropolitan Opera
House production enough has already
been said to show that IA sincere effort
has been made to present the work eff
fectively
The cast was that heard at the first
BETA, Nine. Matzenauer as Princess
Ebol, Mr.. Martinelh as Don Carlos and
Mr.. de Luca as Rodertgo were the chief
singers. A special. word of praise is due
Mr. Didur for his admirable makeup and
costume as Philip III. He looks like ono
of the old portraits of the Spanish King.
One OF the most brilliant audiences of
the season marked the beginning Of the
eighth week of the subscription.
Mrs. Vanderbilts guests were Countess
Laszlo Szechenyi Mr.. and Mrs. Lewis
Iselin, Mr.. F. DE Peyster Livingston
and Mir. Frederick H. Baldwin.
Mr.. and Mrs. f. Egerton Webb were
with Mr.. and Mrs. Henry White
With Mrs. George l.. Rives in Box 2
were Mr.. and Mrs. Lucius X. Wilmer
ding, Mrs. Work Hewitt. Messrs. Ben
jamin S. Welles, Karrick Riggs and
George Ledlie.
Mr.. and Mrs. Otto FL Kahn's guests
were Mr.. and Mrs. ]. Chauncey Nc
Keever and Mr.. and Mrs Charles Dana
Gibson.
Mrs. j. Borden Hartman, Mrs L.
Stuyvesant Chanler and Mr. Charles A.
Mum were members of the party in
Box II.
Lord and Lady Camoys and Mrs.
Richard Cambria and Mr.. w. Rhine
lander Stewart were in Box with Mrs.
w. Watts Sherman.
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson 'Shaughnessey
had as their guests Mr.. and Mrs. Oliver
w. Bird. Jr.. and Mr.. and Mrs. j.
Henry Harper. Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Carroll l.. Wainwright
and Miss Virginia De Haven were in the
Gould box.
The guests of Mr.. and Mrs. Charles
II. Sheriff. in the Astor box were Mr..
end Mrs. Lawrence L. Gillespie, Mrs.
Charles a. Childs and Mr.. Rutger B.
Jewett.
The New York herald., 1921-01-04
Income of a Mechanic.
IL May Not BE as Large as the Rate
Of 50 a Day Suggests.

To THE New YORK HERALD: The COM
parson made in letter printed in your
paper OF the pay of policemen and
mechanics Is urfair
There is a vast difference between a
job and a permanent place.. between
wages and salary, between being re-
tired with honor, "A medal and n pension
when one is past the working age and
being kicked out with a curse into the
scrap heap. There Is also a difference
between mechanic and n watchman.
New York carpenter in the house
building line at present gets 50 a day
Ten holidays. nfty-two Sundays. flfty-
two half days Off for Saturdays, or in
al eighty-eight days. taken from 365
days leaves 277 working days. At SO
a day that makes s2,4s3 for one years
w ses provided the carpenter doesn't
take vacation and hasn't vacation
of the periodical want of job kind.
which in normal times causes from two
TO four months Of enforced idlcncss every
year The $4,000 a year carpenter is as
scarce as hens teeth. How come your
correspondent had him booked for S4.14O
a year? MECHANIC.
YoNRERs, January 3.