davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1923-04-24
Fires and Water Supply.

\ vivid illustration of the absurdity
Of doing out District money for
municipal improvements in inadequate
amounts from session TO session is af-
forded by the shortage of water in the
Brookland region incident to the great
lumber yard fire of Sunday morning.
1t was necessary, TO subdue the flames,
to pour an immense quantity of water
upon them. Many steamers were in
use for number Of hours, and in con-
sequence the mains in this region
We're almost completely drained. The
fire apparatus was inadequately sup
piled, and a wide area of residences
was deprived of water service Sunday
morning and for the greater part Of
the day. Had the recommendation
made by the Commissioners five years
ago for appropriation for thirty-inch
main in Rhode Island avenue been
granted promptly this condition would
have been averted. But it was not
until the past session that the item
was allowed, and then in a much
smaller sum than the conditions re-
quired. An appropriation Of $4,000
will become available July l next, suf-
ficing TO carry the thirty-inch main
barely past the point of Sunday morn
ing's fire.
Every drop of water pumped at
fire in this District must come from
the filtration plant through the ordi-
nary city mains. In case of large
blaze lasting several hours. and calling
for a great volume of water, the city
supply is dangerously depleted. 1t
was proposed a long time ago to es-
tablish a high pressure system for the
downtown section, supplied with water
from the river, which is just as ef-
fective for fire extinguishment as fl
tered water, and much less expensive.
Despite repeated demonstrations Of
this need Congress has refused to
make the necessary appropriation,
and the cost has meanwhile risen high
above the original estimate.
OF course, the proposed high-pres-
sure system for the business area
would not reach into the outer resi-
Dental territory. but it is plain from
Sunday mornings fire that there are
centers Of fire danger apart from the
business section that might well be
included in such a service. A lumber
yard is necessarily danger point Of
this character.
In view Of the known risks that are
possible lack Of water in the ordinary
service mains to cope with large
fire and of a shortage in the supply
for the essential of household use
this case Of Sundays blaze should be
cited to Congress at the next session
in strongest terms as an argument
for immediate provision on large
scale of water main extension and
high h-pressure installation.
Evening star., 1923-04-24
Courageous Leadership.

II required moral and political cour-
aGc of high order for President
Harding. in the face Of threats and
dire forebodings by leaders of his own
party, to make the speech he did today
in New York at the annual luncheon
of the Associated Press. But if ii was
evidence Of political courage, it was
evidence also Of political wisdom. The
American people have always admired
and responded To courageous leader
snip, and if they are to be won to sup
port of the propose! for membership
in the Court of international Justice
twill be by just such bold and logical
. championship as that OF the President.
by d review of party history and his
own utterances Mr.. Harding cuts the
ground completely from under those
who charge him with inconsistency in
advocating court membership after
having opposed membership in the
league of nations. Not only does he
show that the republican party has
been a consistent advocate Of the ad
Judication of disputes between nations,
but he quotes his own speeches. made
when he was candidate for the
presidency. in support of the policy he
now is pursuing as incumbent of that
office. If any one is guilty of incon-
sistency in the matter of the interna
1iunal court it is not Warren @ Hard
ing.
g.. II. 81, -
party and personal consistency. the
President proceeds to S!ay the buga-
boo of league membership and entan
element in European politics. He
demonstrates that the way is clear to
enter the court without entering the
league by any door whatsoever, the
proposed Hughes reservations making
assurance doubly sure that it would
not mean either seeking benefits
from the league or assuming obliga
lions under it. And as for European
entanglements. he bluntly asserts that
even should the Senate consent to an
agreement which involved US in such
entanglements he, as President, would
exercise his power of veto to prevent
its becoming effective.
He comedies that the world court
may not be perfect, but he argues that
I'VE can do vastly more to perfect it
in the capacity Of an adherent than
in an aloofness in which we arrogate
10 ourselves the right to say to the
world that we dictate but never COM
ply
Certainly the President voices the
thought and best aspirations Of Amer
lea when he says:
have indulged the dream, nay. a
justified hope, that out of the encour-
aged and sustained court might come
the fulfillment OF larger aspirations.
In the proof of it's utility and spirit
of concord among nations might come
the voluntary conference of nations.
OUT Of which could be expected a
clarified and codified international
law TO further assure peace under the
law and, bring nations that under
standing which is ever the first and
best guarantor of peace.
Evening star., 1923-04-24
"The Dangerous Age"

1t is an interesting thought, ex.
pressed by DR.. Vernon Kellogg Of the
National Research Council, that
scientists pass through a dangerous
age" Just after they have completed
their work for a Doctors degree. The
world has become habituated to the
thought OF dangerous age" in sex
life, but has not given due considera-
ton to the fact that there are other
dangerous ages as well.
Speaking before the American Geo.
physical Union. recently in session
here, DIR. Kellogg declared that there
are two avenues usually open To the
man who has just acquired his doctors
dsgree-he can go into one of the In.
dustrial research laboratories, or can
become an instructor in some college
or university. For the main thing is
that he must earn his own living. Now
the time has gone by when he can
live in the academic shades without
thinking much Of his bread and hut.
Evening star., 1923-04-24
Chauncey M. ,Depew.

It must be a fine thing to have a
whole city celebrate your birthday.
the Associated Press carry half a
column about it for publication
throughout the country and to be con-
graduated by Presidents and kings.
This was the experience Of Chauncey
NJ. Depew yesterday upon the eighty
ninth anniversary Of his birth. The
Depew birthday has for many years
been an event in New York city, as
the statesman, orator. wit, f1nancier
and philosopher added another year
10 the toll of his longevity and then
cast it off with n smile, declaring it
no burden at all.
II is the spirit of the man that the
public rejoices in: the undininished
enthusiasm in life. the zest in living;
the sane. normal doctrines to govern
everyday existence which he breaches
and practices. He stands as a living
monument to the efficacy Of them. He
is the human embodiment of sermon
and a moral. When a man on the
threshold of the nineties can say that
the eighties are a wonderful decade,
hut that he looks forward to the nine
ties with relish, he furnishes proof of
what he breaches.
Happily he promises to continue to
make speeches for our delectation and
enjoyment. He has only twelve pub.
lished volumes now. 1t We're happy II
he will compile enough to fill a three.
foot bookshelf. May you live long and
prosper. Mr.. Depew. You have a good
running start.
Evening star., 1923-04-24
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE

More than meets the eye may be
| discerned in the announcement that
Senator and Mrs. Mccormick took
luncheon at the White House the
other day with the President and Mrs.
Harding. Elimination of William
Hale Thompson in Chicago has made
Medill Mccormick practically the un-
crowned king Of Illinois G. o. P. poll
| tics. Probably no republican member
of the Senate comes so near to being
an absolute boss" in his own state.
Twenty out of twenty-five Cook
county republican committeeman, and
committeeman are said to have sworn
undying fealty to McCormick's leader
| ship
The Illinois delegation at the 1924
| national convention Is likely to be
| completely under the young senator's
| domination. with fifty Eight votes at
/ his command. Mccormick will be a
! factor to be reckoned with. COM
, parable only to the leader who con-
trolls the delegations from New York
or Pennsylvania. Incidentally. there's
no man in the United States 50 inti-
mately in touch with abroad"
McCormick's weekly mail frequently
is burdened with communications
from some European prime minister.
member of parliament. worldfamed
scientist or international celebrity in
another realm.
i X 4
Young Americans, men or women.
ambitious to shine in the diplomatic
career should turn up for examina-
| tion at the State Department during
the week of July 9. They must be
strong of mind. and. like a good horse.
sound in wind and limb. az we'll The
examination consists of three parts
written. oral and physical. Six sub
Jects are included in the written tests
international law; diplomatic usage;
French. German or Spanish; natural.
industrial and commercial resources
and commerce of the United States;
American history, government, and
institutions; modern history (since
$500 Of Europe. South America and
the far east. The oral examination is
FOR the purpose of determining to
what extent candidates possess the
peculiar qualifications essential to
diplomatic success. The physical
examination by government surgeons
is to determine the fitness of candi-
dates to live in any climate.
X * X
Secretary Weeks is gratified over
the country's response to his crusade
against paciflsm and it's mollycoddle
minions. From coast TO coast his
warnings against the false teachings
of anti-preparedness zeaIots have
aroused commendatory comment Mr.
Weeks is satisfied that the \men and
women who would prevent war" by
making America defenseless will have
hard shedding in the future when they
try to propagandize. During recent
times various personages and organi-
cations at one time affiliated" with
the pacifiist clique have withdrawn
their names and support. Secretary
Weeks red-blooded attack is likely to
lead to other defections. Millions of
patriotic and right-minded Americans
have been affiliated" with the pacifist
movement against their knowledge or
intent.
4 X
lnsistence by the Senate upon at
taching rider to the recent
Evening star., 1923-04-24

ter. Bread and butter is necessary. If
pure science must be sacrificed, then
pure science must suffer.
Selecting certain qualified men, the
National Research Council is helping
carry, these scientists through this
dangerous period" by allowing them
to work some few more years upon
research work, untrammeled by the
requirements of some Industrial con.
Germ. or by the taxing exactitudes of
classroom teaching Or. marking Of
examination papers.
Research fellowshipsa are granted
the selected ones, so that each man
gets between s1.SO0 to $4,000 a year,
depending upon his status as a bach
elor or married man. Even science
must bow to this. But then. with a
living provided. the man is free to de.
vote his entire time to research.
There has always been a dispute
about the relative value Of "pure
science" and practical science. with
the decision more and more coming
to rest upon the value Of each branch.
Modern chemistry has wrought some
wonders that affect the life of all. Yet
the man who worked upon his dream
of a. talking bottle" at last achieved
the radio 'itube." which has turned
into tremendous commercial possi-
bility. Today's radio-receiving stations
stand as tribute to pure science.
showing what may come out Of a
mans dream of bottle that talks.
Pure science" and practical science
are almost one and the same thing.
although at times they may seem
very far apart. 1t is good for America
that some men will have the oppor-
tunity of working away at their
dreams. although they may not seem
TO be leading anywhere. No one can
say, looking at d scientist delving into
his mysteries. whether or not what
he is doing will lead to something
big or not. One may have his opin-
ion. but that is all. Members of Con-
gress and other practical men" at
times are wont TO speak lightly of the
"grubbing scientist" and sometimes
are inclined to laugh at the man who
spends his years counting the num-
ber of hairs on f1ea's legs.
Yet from the work Of such grubbers
after the truth have come some Of the
great wonders of this age, and some of
the largest commercial successes. 1t
is a good thing the National Research
Council is doing with its research
scholarships. helping scientists over
their dangerous age" The only
drawback to it all is that there is a
similar dangerous time for many men,
and there is no benevolent council TO
stand behind them.
Evening star., 1923-04-24
Decision Will React Upon the Su-
preme Court Itself,

The most marked effect of the latest
opinion of the United States Supreme
Court, by which the minimum wage
law OF the District of Columbia is de-
clared unconstitutional by five jus
tices and upheld by three others, will
not be upon woman wage earners,
editorial opinion holds. Following so
closely upon the adverse decision on
the child labor law, this new decision,
it is very widely felt, will react to
the detriment Of the court itself. with
the result, the New York Evening
World predicts, that "curbing the Su-
preme Court is likely to become an
important political issue"
The majority decision has many sup
porters among newspapers, which de-
fend Justice Sutherland's opinion as
good law and constitutional interpre-
tation, as well as sound economic
judgment. But drawing conclusions
from the mass of editorial comment
on the decision and on the economic
principle involved. the Cleveland
sertion that american thought and
feeling found far better expression in
the dissenting opinions filed by Chief
Justice Taft and Justices Sanford and
Holmes"
1t is but "another of those strange
ir-splitting decisions the logic of
which one must seek far to discover"
as the Wilkes Barre Record analyzes
It, while to the Louisville Post 1.-The
opinion is sound as dollar so far as
constitutional matters are concerned,
and it is sound from the viewpoint of
public policy" To hold the balance be-
tween 1.-The due process Of law clauses
Of the Constitution and the modern in
stinct for social justice is" the New
York Times thinks, perhaps the hard
ceding this difficulty. the Baltimore Sun
suggests, however. that there ,have
been cases dn which the court by an
elastic construction of certain statutes
and on the ground of public policy has
indicated that the fundamental law
all the complex necessities Of a period
in which industrial and social ameliora-
ton Is recognized as one Of the GER
tainties OF progress" even though, in
the opinion Of the paper. "the bulk of
its recent decisions have been distinctly
in the opposite direction And the
minimum wage decision. the Reading
(Pa.) Tribune fears, will be viewed as
another attempt on the part OF the
highest tribunal to sustain the en-
ployers Of women and child labor
On the contrary, according to the
1<hNdh liC oCSiSAoii 40 a
sensible and reasonable defense of the
well established American constitd-
tional principle of the inviolability of
the individual right to contract" a. con-
stitutional safeguard which the Milwau-
kee Journal declares to be "of far more
value to individual human liberties than
any particular law which may be held
to infringe 1t. But freedom Of con-
tract" observes the Chattanooga News.
''can be made to hide a multitude of
SINS" and admitting that, ''of course, 1t
was an invasion Of the right of free
dom Of contract. in the economic
sense" the Indianapolis News suggests,
however. that "there has probably not
been a law passed in this country or in
England in the last seventy years for
of "pne Justice can repeal a law of
Evening star., 1923-04-24

durance of Shakespeare, and for the
prospect that his plays will continue
during centuries to come to be the
favorites Of thoughtful men and lovers
of the beautiful. One is that they are
close to perfection in form, and the
other that they express universal
emotion. .
I, From time to time it would seem
that the stage is neglecting Shake
speare, that his plays have been
shelved. Then, when public hope is
dimming, there comes a revival. Per-
dramatic armament, a man or a wom
an capable Of adequately portraying
one or more of the great characters
in the Shakespearean repertoire. A
producer comes forward with the
means to stage the revival" and then
another period opens with the great
name written frequently upon the
bills. Continually. however. whatever
the fluctuations in the metropolitan
dramatic market, Shakespeare is being
pltS GU iii oOSilout liiS ieiHu pS
companies. is being studied by groups
and acted by ambitious amateurs.
In the great revivals there is
tendency at times toward overelabora-
tion, appeals to the eyeIto camoufiage
inadequacies of acting. But public
taste in matters Shakespearean is too
high to permit such efforts to succeed.
The plays are too well known. the
standards are too definitely fixed. to
allow mere picture to suffice. 1t is
gratifying that in the latest Shake
spearean production in this city. just
Witnessed not only was the picture
beautiful. but the rendition was ar
tistic.
American audiences do not tire Of
Shakespeare through repetition. The
more familiar they become with the
lines the more they enjoy the perform
anceS. provided they are adequate. The
very familiarly of the lines is a delight.
Constant study Of the text does not
lessen the hold of the play upon the
public sympathy and appreciation.
This is because il is the greatest
dramatic text ever written.
Evening star., 1923-04-24
A Call.

A Call.
Hey. You with the downcast eye,
And you with the giistening tear,
And you with the faint. regrstful sigh,
And you with the icy sneer!
Don't you know that the sky is smil-
ing
And the flowers are out in bloom,
And the world Is bent on beguiling
Each heart from the haunts of
gloom? :.
And you with the bitter word
More bitter, perhaps, IL WISE. -
How many a mind is to envy stirred
BY your fortunes which you despise!
There is always some chap whose
grieving,
If his grief were only known,
Would bid you to its relieving
And help you forget your own.
Evening star., 1923-04-24

American-Cana halibut fisheries
treaty is causing a first-class rumpus
among the dominions Of the British
empire. The Senate proposed, and
Canada accepted a clause affirming
that the treaty applied to nationals
of all parts Of the British empire. AS
the pact was signed by NJ. Lapointe.
the Canadian minister Of marine. and
not by Sir Auckland Geddes. the Brit
ish ambassador. other daughter
states" Of Britannia are by no means
readv TO recn~rize canada's right to
legislate in their name The onDosi-
tion nartv in the Canadian rarliament.
ind hy the forne~ premier. Arthur
M"iphen, Is attacking the treaty.
which has not vet been ratified at
Ottawa Premier Bruce of Australia
wants to know "wT1ethe- Carada'e ar
tion means that G-Aat Britain will in
future he resnonsibla for whatever
one Of it's don1inions does" He added:
"In anv event. the position created is
more serious thar anrears on the sur
face. There will he a British i'm
Derial conference in london this fall.
and the humble haIibut is likely to
bulk big in it's deliberations.
u: X y r
DR.. Wilhelm Kiesaelb1ch. Ger
many's representative on the Ameri-
can German mixet claims commits
sion. together with his collaborators,
Herr Won Lewinski and Herr Kiep.
have just returned from Berlin. They
have been abroad for two months in
consultation with their home govern
ment over the billion dollar claims
America is about to file against Ger
many. The members of the mixed
commission will meet at once with a
view to setting Il date for the begin
ming of hearings. The month of May
will find these in full swing The
s350. OOo. 0ON-odd Of German assets
held by the alien property custodian
rank as "a moral pledge" for the pay
ment of adjudicated claims.
The new head Of famed Scotland
Yard. Gen. Sir William Harwood,
X. c. &. d. s. O., will arrive in Amer
lea in a day or two on a special mis-
sion from the British government.
His official rank and title is that Of
chief commissioner of the British
metropolitan police. He will be
formally welcomed to the country at
a dinner in his honor on the evening
OF April 80. rendered by the Pilgrims
Of the United States. Chauncey NJ
Depew, president of the Pilgrims. will
inaugurate his ninetieth year by pre-
siding at the dinner as toastmaster
The veteran jokesmiths voice is still
sonorous and his wit unstaled.
Representative Israel VI. Foster Of
Ohio is the proud possessor of a gold
watch. presented by the young woman
residents of government hotel KY.
The gift is a token Of their appre-
citation Of Mr.. Fosters services in Sc
curing "reprieve" for Mrs Jesta NJ.
Richards, who was discharged as
manager Of the hotel on March Is,
but who has been given a chance for
reinstatement on June l. Mrs.
Richards is immensely popular with
the KY household. She halls from
Representative Fosters home town OF
Athens, and her case seemed hopeless
until the congressman cleared for
action. Foster has carried a time
piece of civil-war vintage, so the
girls modern substitute was well
come remembrance.
fCODyricht 1902