davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
wILHELM's "BoURBoN MIND"

In his criticism of the former kaiser's me- noirs, Count Von Bernstorff sheds addi- tional light on events in Germany which caused the downfall of the Hohenzolerns. According to the former ambassador, if Will helm had not been obsessed by the egotism' which Is his most salient characteristic, and had not attempted to retain the crown of Prussia when the nation was on the verge of revolution and his own fate had already been sealed, the monarchy would have sur vived, with the ex-kaiser's nephew on the throne. The abdication of Wilhelm would have satisfied Scheidemann who, Bernstorff declares, was mot pressing entirely for the revolution, but held the abdication of the kaiser in favor of his nephew as a condition sine qua non for the retention of the monarchy, which was otherwise impossible" Won Bernstorff says the abdication was not proclaimed with Wihelm's consent. He had agreed to abdicate, but wanted to draw up the proclamation himself. In the meantime it had already been issued in Berlin
 All of this belongs to the past. It doesn't matter particularly now whether the former kaiser might have prolonged the Hohenzol- Tern dynasty by promptly abdicating when his prestige was gone, instead of trying to temporize andsstave off the inevitable. He hesitated until it was too late to save any thing from the disaster which had overtaken him while he was still nursing fatuous be- lief in his own greatness, and obstinatcly de- clined to admit that he had lost his hold on the German people. Wilhelm is one of the most unsuccessful apologists in history His memoirs, attacked in Germany and abroad for their inaccuracies and attempts to put all the blame on others while picturing their author as tragic victim of circumstances for which he was not responsible, have sim ply emphasized the kaiser's vanity, his weak ness as a ruler and his utter inability so learn by bitter experience.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
NAVAL TREATY NOT sCRAPPED

Representative Buckingham of Massachu- setts has introduced resolution requesting Secretary Denby to give the House full in- formation regarding the warships scrapped or disposed of by the United States and other powers who took part in the disarmament conference at Washington. The main pur- pose of the naval treaty was not so much to scrap ships already in commission as ro put .limits on future construction. The full intent of the treaty has not been carried out because it has not been ratified by all the nations concerned. Neither America, Great Britain nor Japan, according to available information, is building new battleships. In this country construction work on vessels that come within the scope of the 5-5-3 treaty has been stopped. The three powers have been charged with merely scrapping ships that were obsolete, but the British em- bassy declares that eight capital ships have already been sold and removed for breaking up and eight more are being scrapped. The embassy states that none of these vessels was obsolete, as defined in the naval treaty
 Adjusting the naval ratio will necessarily be slow process, but eventually the terms of the Washington agreement can be met by so regulating the building program for each nation that the specified tonnage will not be exceeded So far as the American govern ment is concerned, it's good faith cannot be questioned It has kept it's pledges. At best, the life of a battleship is only few years. The ship that is not obsolete today will be so tomorrow. It was the heavy ex- pense of keeping paee with improvements n ship construction and modern armament by constantly building new ships that imposed the frightful burden on the naval powers, and really brought about the Washington con- ference.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
ARABIA FOR THE ARABS"

potamia. Native leaders woxk against Feisal and the Englishs Feisal works with the English to hold his job; but first of all he is for Feisal, the Pan-Arab state and the dynasty which the English have called the House of Mecca, in pious imitation of their own royal family.
 If the British have bitten off more than they can chew, things arc none too easy for the House of Mecca. There is gentleman in central Arabia named Ibn Saud. His family has a hereditary feud with the Mecca dynasty. Sometimes one side wins, sometimes the other; but it is plausibly suspected that Ibn Saud could run Hussein out of Mecca in stand-up fight. When Hussein's sons became kings in Moab and Chaldea, however, Ibn Saud was surrounded. Naturally he was restive. The British, are keep ing him quiet by an annual pay ment of S30O,000, but there seems to be some fear that the French may overbid them at any moment, in which case British schemes and Meccan schemes might get serious setback. Arabia for the Arabs" is an attractive program, but there are other Arabs besides the family of Mecca who want to have their say about it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
 Prince Habib Lotfallah, who is on his way here as minister from the Hedjaz, makes some remarks about the future of the Arab state which are likely to cause shivers in London as we'll as in Paris. "We are setting up one kingdom under King Illus sein." which extends from the Tau rus mountains to Persia, and takes Tn all Arabia as well. This is sad news to European diplomats who thought they were going to use the Arabs for their own purposes. The territoEg takes in all Arabia; King Hussein of the Hedjaz rules only a plrt of Arabia. It takes in Syria, 16eld by the French; Palestine, which has been promised government by a sort of British-Jewish dyarchy; Mo- sul, now in dispute at the Lausanne conference-all this as well as Transjordania and Irak, now ruled by Hussien's sons, Abdullah and Fer sal; not to mention the hot sands of the desert, where there are chiefs who hate Hussein and all his tribe.
 The British diplomats who con- jured up the Arab dim seem to have rubbed the magic ring once too often. Of course, these dreams are still dreams. So long as most of the British air fleets are at Bagdad and not at Dover, Feisal will have to
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
HALTING THE BOIL WORM

Prompt measures taken to prevent pro- gress of the pink boil weevil in Texas seem to have had good results. The state board of control and adjustments reports that ''ravages of the pink boil weevi, which last year threatened the cotton producers with ruination, have been s.opped until no trace of the pest is to be found in the principal cotton producing areas of the state."
 Damage by the orig.na. boll weev.. might have been stopped as quickly if acton had been as prompt. The pink boil weevil was taken in hand as soon as it appeared and an embargo on his progress was imposed by quarantining territory where he had ap- peared. The remedy was the more suscep- tible of immediate application because pro- ducers have become educated into apprecia- ton of the necessity of prompt and exact methods in the extermination of farm pests. With cooperation between the farmer and the scientist the farm pest will be handled efficiently.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
Recent Verse
The Deer of Ireland

Padriac Colum, in the London Mercury. An old man said, q saw The chief of the things that are gone; A stag with head held high, A doe, and fawn; "And they were the deer of Ireland That scorned to breed within bound; The last; they left no race Tame on pleasure ground. "A stag, with his hide all rough With the dew, and doe and fawn; Near by, on their track on the mountain l watched them, two and one, Down to the Shannon going Did its waters cease to flow,
 When they passed they carried the swiftness And the pride of long ago?
 "The last of the troop that had heard Films and Oscars cry;
 A doe and fawn, and before, ' A stag with his head held highr
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
BEAUTY OF TREES

rom the MUCK 1SlhHQ ATRuS.
 Trees are popularly supposed to shed their beauty with their leaves. The average person is scarcely con- scious of their presence until, in spring, their buds burst forth, bringing color back into the land scape. During the summer, as masses of green, they are appreci- ated, and in their special glory of autumn there are none so mentally poor as to ignore them. But where beauty of color is a simple language, beauty of form is relized only by the aid of a somewhat finer sense. Trees invariably have it. They are more fortunate in this respect than many other works of nature. What ever the accident they have suf- fered, however broken or distorted they may be as the result of too rude elements, they retain their su- preme quality. Only the ignorant butchery of. man can take it from them. The strong lines of trunks, the lacery of branches and twigs, the texture of bark, all contribute to the winter beauty of trees. The person who looks from his living room window and fails of conscious ness of this beauty can gain it read fly enough by looking from bleak windows which afford no view of trees.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04

keep within. bounds. If anybody takes Syria away from the French it is more likely to be the Turks shan the Arabs. Still, the Arabs can make a good deal of trouble, and much of it will be due to the fact that the British elected to back Illus
 sein and his family to the exclusion of other Arabs. A few years ago Hussein was only a local chief; but he happened to control Mecca, and consequently got rich out of the Moslem pilgrims. However, Illus sein is now a king. An incautious British official addressed him in that style by way of flattery, early in the war, and Hussein not only took it seriously, but persuaded the British to provide Kingdom for him and others for his sons.
 Feisal, most distinguished of these sons, set himself up in Damas- GUS. The French soon ran him out, so Feisal got Mesopotamia asa con solation prize. Apparently all Arabs looked alike to Downing street. The Mesopotamians are Arabs, or at leasts speak Arabic; so they ought to Je flattered at getting such distinguished Arab for king, Feisai was put on his throne after some local dignitaries had been ar rested and carted off to Ceylon; but there is continual trouble in Meso-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
My Favorite Stories By IRWIN S. COBB
The Blame coe. With the Maine

George Barr McCutcheon, the author, walked into Boston book. store-Boston. the home of culture, mind you, and, idlinS about, found a copy of his own book, Grau- stark. Slipping a fountain pen from his pocket he surreptitiously scribbled his name on the fly leaf. McCutcheon writes an al- most illegible hand.
 He fiddled about bit, then picked up the book, and, carrying it in his hand, ap- preached the proprietor.
 What kind of yarn is this?" he asked.
 Petty fair"
 "How much is it?"
 Dollar and a half"
 McCutcheon opened the volume at the page bearing his scrawled signature. How about this?" he asked. What do you want for it with this in it?"
 "Oh," said the book dealer, that's muti- lated copy. Take it for 75 cents." Copyright 1922. by The McNaught Syndicate, Incl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04

in keeping them posted on rise and fall of Warket prices for farm prodhcts, giving warning of approaching frosts and storms and in maintaining their touch with the cities where they exchange their products for what the city in turn supplies them.
 A particular feature of the new Birming- ham station is to be series of terse sum- maries of Birmingham industries delivered by men who have been successful in their respective lines This valuable data will be delivered throughout the country, the new station having a power that will carry US messages over the union and into Canada. The radio is just another of the modern in- ventions that deny isolation and will serve to uproot the ignorance, handicaps and prejudices arising out of isolation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
SPEEDING STATE PROSPERITY

The close connection between the indus tries of Birmingham and it's seaport at Mo bile finds proof every week in the departure from that port of cargoes of Birmingham products for the Pacific coast, for the West Indies, South America and the Orient, as we'll as to points on the gulf. One of the steadiest movements is that of steel prod ucts to Japan, China and Korea. The third cargo of 5000 tons of these products this fall left Mobile Sunday on Steel corpora tion ship. It carried rails splice bars, angle bars, nuts, bolts and other finishing mill products. The Orient is regular customer of the Ensley, Bessemer and Fairfield mills and has kept them going at times when but for that business they would have found it difficult to maintain operations. The antipodes serve us well and we retain this business by reason of our proximity to Mo- bile and our dual means of low-eost trans portation thither. These steel products go to Mobile almost exclusively by Warrior river barges at saving of 20 per cent of the all-rail rate. Birmingham's connection with Mobile is as basic as the proximity of raw materials enabling low-cost assemblage ct converting mills. What is true of Bir- mingham is equally true of other parts of Alabama, because the seaport offers the lowest cost gateway for all Alabama prod ucts to the outside world and to our own coasts. Whatsoever speeds establishment of cargo-handling devices at Mobile will speed the prosperity of Alabama.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
TO MAKE ART POPULAR

From the e\Brooklyn Eagle.
 A novel and striking plan to make Amer ican art more widely popular is to transform the dome floor of the Grand Central station into series of show rooms and sales rooms for American pictures and sculpture. The remodeling is expected to advance far enough so that the first exhibition in the new galleries can be held in January.
 The serious character of the undertaking is shown by the names of many wealthy art lovers, while the names of the artists who have agreed to join the plan are headed by John s. Sargent and Daniel Chester French. The artists who exhibit in the galleries agreed to contribute one work each year in lieu of rent and those pictures and sculp- lures will be distributed by lot among the subscribers to the fund. The commission for selling goods shown will be as low as the maintenance expenses will permit.
 The idea is to extend the interest in art and the patronage of it to far wider pub lie than is now affected by picture shows. The location is admirable. People from more sorts of people pass through great railroad stations than any other buildings. Access to the big new gallery will be easy to that mixed throng; mere idle curiosity will take a good many travellers there, and most Americans travel with pretty full pockets. After an American "has made his pile" he is commonly supposed to acquire an interest in art, frequently as a social asset. But thou sans of Americans who are able to buy pie lures never become infected with the taste. This opening gallery in what is almost an arcade in railroad station is highly com mendable and seemingly rather shrewd attempt to spread the infection.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
TOO MUCH

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
 Mrs. Asquith said at farewell dinner in New York:
 "Women's dress has always been allur ing, even provocative, but never to such an extent as since the war to end war was ended.
 And Englishwoman went into one of your Fifth avenue shops the other day and asked to see some gowns of the latest fashion.
 "'We' have all the latest fashions in gowns, madam, said the naughty sales woman. What sort do you prefer---the kind. that is too short, the kind that is too trans parent, the kind that is cut too low in the back, the kind that is too
 'sBut the Englishwomsn, blushing vio- lently. had already Ssed.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
GOOD LEGISLATIVE PLAN

Very often our lawmakers claim to repre- sent their constituencies without having taken any pains to find out what the peo- pie want. Such men are not truly repre- sentative. While legislator should not ser vilely stand for such measures as are not right, yet he should be completely informed of the legislative needs of his community and of the state in general. It is there- fore of timely interest to know that Jeffer- son countys newly-elected legislators will hold three-day session in Birmingham to study the needs and to hear the Legislative suggestions of all their constituents. With this invitation before them the intelligent and forward-ooSing people of this city and county can well afford to formulate their views in writing and present them to the members for consideration. Of course, mem- bers arc not bound to foster every measure proposed but the plan should give them good idea of what this people wants. In similar manner, the legislators of Mobile county are meeting with the new county commissioners in study of local legislative needs. When they go to Montgomery they will go fully informed of local deficiencies. The opportunity is really a challenge to pro- gressive citizens and alert civic organizations to survey this field and to convey to the legislators complete data on local conditions. Nnsystematic and ill-considered legislation Is an obstacle only slightly less obstructive to progress than ack of needed legislation. The newly elected members have invited cooper aton. The invitation should be accepted.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
GREECE DOESN'T LEARN

The pope adds his voice to the worldwide protest against the execution of former civil and military leaders in Greece. Per haps Premier Mussolini will follow suit. The drastic penalties imposed on men who served their country are not condoned by public sentiment in the United States and Europe. Whatever mistakes they, made in conducting the war in Asia Minor, thefr treatment has been barbarous and inhuman. It smacks more of the middle ages than of the twentieth century, and Greece will find it hard to justify her actions. In spite of representations from foreign government
 and the withdrawal of the British ministe- 1t is announced in dispatch from Ather |.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
WOMEN AND POLITICS

From the Washington Star.
 Representative Robertson of Oklahoma, defeated for reelection, is quoted as follows on the result:
 went to Congress determined to be
 entirely guided by my conscience and
 I have faithfully performed my duty.
 I have learned that politics is good
 thing for woman to keep out of. But
 don't want to say too much-it just
 seems that "party" comes first, regard
 less of our duty to our country.
 But in saying that "politics is a good thing for a woman to keep out of" Miss Robertson had already said too much.
 It is to be remembered, however, that she was speaking in the shadow of great dis appointment. She had wanted to be re- turned to the House and was entitled to the reward, but tickle constituency had fa- vored the opposition. In time she will come to be better loser. She will learn the art of picking her flint and trying again.
 Women cannot keep out of politics, for they are always there. And being there they should play the game to the limit. Uncle Sam expects every woman to do her duty.
 And that duty includes seeking office whenever the desire for office is felt. The enfranchisement of women would fail of a large part of it's object if women contented themselves with voting for men for office. They are expected to share with men in all the responsibilities of citizenship; to do a part in framing and executing laws; to bring the full force of their influence to bear on the uplifting of politics
 There is authority for the statement that Rome was not built in day. It will take time for women to reach their full stature as citizens, but time and patience and zeal will win.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
A Timely. Editorial
OCCUPATIONS IN THE SENATE
From the New York Post.

From the New York Post.
 With, the swearing in of Dr. Royal s. Copeland of New York there will be two men in the new United States Senate who will be entitled to write M. D. after their names. The other physician who has deserted prescriptions for poli- tics is Dr. Ball of Delaware, who won his medical depree in 1885. There will be one dentist, Ship stead, the new senator from Mime sota, and one chemist. SenatorLadd of North Dakota, who also, with Fess of\ Ohio, will give the Senate it's two college presidents. Of the 96 senators almost 80 are not law yers.
 It is probably a larger dent in the legal monopoly than the public has suspected. The senators who describe themselves as business men" are only seven or eight. To make that number we must deny to Mckinley of Illinois the first part of his title to farmer and banker" and assume that the farmer part is amateur. We must incl fdentally do the same for Medill Mccormick, who calls himself a writer and farmer, and classify him with the newspaper men, of whom there are four in the Senate-Mc- Cormick, Capper, Edge, and Carter Glass.
 New York. the citadel of big busi- ness, has hitherto been represented in the Senate by real estate man and--of all things-a stock, raiser and farmer. It will now have doc- tor and the same farmer-stock raiser in the person of Jim Wads- worth. His is the profession that tics with business for second place after the lawyers. Perhaps there Is some connection. The stock growers supply the sheepskins for the lawyers to write on and the calfskins for the lawyers to bind their decisions in. There are seven stock growers, with mining on the side, in the Senate, two of them coming from Wyoming and one each from Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon and, as we have said. New York.
 The two most attractive occupa- tions come from Vermont, where Senator Page calls himself dealer in raw calfskins, and from South Dakota, where Norbeck follows the fascinating pursuit of "well driller." In matters of grave public policy he should have no difficulty in getting down to the bottom of things.
 Just two men-Phipps of Colorado and Weller of Maryland-make no attempt either to palliate or deny the atrocious crime of being re- tired business men. There must be a great many men in these United States who have made as much money as they care for. but who have stayed tied to the wheel be- cause the only apparent alternative was bleak prospect of golf, gar dening, and picture collecting. Who, after all, is in so excellent a posi-. tion to do something for better poli- tics than the man who is not de- pendent upon the masses or the bosses for his income or his opin- ions3
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
yENIZELos EvADEs THE ISSUE

The friends of Venizelos, in America and Europe, cannot but regret his refusal to com- ment on the executions at Athens. Inter- viewed at Lausanne, the former premier said, q am finally and definitely out of Grecian politics. I am doing what l can to help my country abroad in this great crisis in which we are plunged, but it is not for me to med dle in home affairs nor express an opinion either approving or disappearing the recent incidents at Athens. 1t would only lead to misunderstanding"
 On the contrary, as the accepted spokes- man for Greece, it was the duty of Venizelos to tell the world where he stands. He Is regarded as the ablest and most enlightened Greek statesman, and for him to evade the issue in this manner is a distinct disappoint- ment. Instead of being definitely out of Greek politics, it appears that he is still very much involved. Otherwise, what reasQR would he have for not wishing to express an opinion on a matter which has gravely in- iured Greece in the eyes of other nations? If it is his purpose o~help his country abroad as he declares, he could accomplish that object in at least one respect by ex- pressing disapproval of the barbarous con duct of the Greek government, which is viewed with abhorrence by the very nations venizelos seeks to conciliate.
 Instead of avoiding misunderstanding by his evasion, Venizelos has placed himself in an unfavorable light which calls for an ey- planation. Does he or does he not counte- nance the execution for political reasons of military leaders in Greece?