davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1925-02-08

But even when all of the necessary
the thickly populated parts of the
District, in accordance with the pro-
gram of the library trustees for
branch library development, the large
and evergrowing suburban population
of the District will be without con-
venient centers of library service, un-
less branches are established in each
neighborhood. The library authori-
ties have wisely decided that they
would not be justified in seeking to
secure "a separate branch library in
each such suburban neighborhood, in
volving, as it would. not only the
original cost of building, but also the
continuing expense of maintaining d
separate heating plant with neces-
sary janitor service. Instead they are
proposing to meet the library needs
of suburban residents by means of a
series of branch libraries in school
buildings for both white and colored,
so distributed as to furnish books and
library information service within rea-
sonable walking distance of all homes
1t is important to secure the ap-
propr'iations for the three branches
carried by the budget; first, because
the child and adult populations ad-
jacent to these schools have been
eagerly asking for them, but still
more to establish the principle so
long contended for by the library and
school officers and communities and
heartily approved by citizens. The
act of Congress creating the Public
Library declared it to be supple
ment of the public educational system"
of the District, so that there is not
only no legal impediment, but rather
sound legal mandate for the ar
rangement. The superintendent of
schools, who is member of the
board of library trustees, earnestly
favors the plan. In view of the ex-
pected rapid building of public school
houses during the next five years,
many of them to serve suburban com
munities and populations without sep
arate branch libraries, it is important
that the way shall be opened for es-
tablishing branch libraries in schools
wherever they are needed to give IL
brary service to children and adults
not otherwise served.
Evening star., 1925-02-08
Branch Libraries in Schools.

Among the very few items approved
by the Bureau of the Budget that
were omitted from the District of Co
lumbia appropriation bill as reported
to the House We're those providing for
branches of the Public Library in
three public school buildings. These
consisted of librarian at ST $50, for
a branch library in the Eastern High
School, for which fine room has been
set apart and equipped; librarian to
serve on alternate days in branch
libraries in the Bell and Deanwood
Schools. both of the latter to minister
to colored readers, and $4,000 to pur-
chase the original stocks of books for
these three branch libraries. An ef-
fort will be made to convince the Sen
ate subcommittee on District appro-
priations to restore these items is a
wise measure of economy. one that
will result in large service at small
cost.
For several years the board of H.
brary trustees has been working to
secure the establishment of branch
libraries in certain public school
buildings, particularly in the sub
urbs, to serve the school and adult
populations of such neighborhoods.
This proposal has been cordially in
dorsed by successive Boards of Edu-
cation and superintendents of schools,
and repeatedly approved by the Dis
trict Commissioners of today and yes
terday. 1t should likewise be in
dorsed by Congress as a sound and
economical policy.
Washington has a highly intellectual
population, reading people of omniv-
orous appetite. The central library
is thronged and overcrowded by eager
readers. and each new separate
branch library always has more read.
ers than it is able to take care of.
Evening star., 1925-02-08
The Lamond Grade Crossing.

1t is confidently expected that to-
morrow, when District business is
considered in the House of Repre-
sentatives, one Of the measures to be
brought forward for passage will be
that which provides for the elimina
ton of the railroad grade crossing at
Lamond. Under this bill the Commits
subway and approaches to carry
Van Buren, street under the tracks of
the railroad. This is one of the notori-
Gus danger points in the District, one
of the few remaining since the gen.
eral abolition Of grade crossings ef-
fected in conjunction with the con-
struction of the Union Station. 1t has
taken a heavy toll of life, the roadway
being much used and the railroad
operating on a frequent schedule. The
conditions are particularly conducive
to disaster. Action upon this bill is
demanded in the interest of public
safety.
There should be no grade crossing
within the District, and none, indeed,
in the area Immediately adjacent
There are several exceedingly danger
Gus crossings in Maryland at which
the lives of Washington people have
been sacrificed. One of these is at
Hyattsville, where the main highway
between Washington and Baltimore
crosses not only the railroad tracks.
but the trolley line at an angle. The
immediate conditions add greatly to
the risk, for view of the tracks is
obscured by buildings. Dependence
upon gates has proved to be faulty.
Gates are, in the best circumstances
a makeshift only.
Grade-crossing elimination is de-
manded by the people of all the East
ern States where the road traffic is
heavy. State Legislatures are impor-
tuned to enact laws requiring the sink
ing below or raising of the highways
over the tracks on a general scale and
putting a time limit upon the opera
ton. Upward of 1000 lives are taken
at these crossings in the course of a
year. Washington, the seat of Govern
ment, should surely have no such
death traps within its boundaries. and
this present bill to eliminate this
Lamond crossing should be passed
without fail at the present session.
Evening star., 1925-02-08
The British Embassy.

Sale of the British embassy, on Con-
necticut avenue, means that "a land
mark will soon pass from view in
Washington. a new embassy is to be
erected on Massachusetts avenue near
the Observatory Circle, and the Con-
necticut avenue building will be razed
to make room for d commercial struc-
ture.
For more than 80 years the British
embassy has been notable structure.
When it was erected i'll 1873 it was
rated as one Of the most elegant pri-
Sate buildings in the city. 1t was de.
signed in accord with the prevailing
type of architecture, which has long
since become obsolete. That it would
ever be too small for it's official uses
was not within conception half a cen
tury ago, or, indeed, for many years
after it was completed. But even be-
fore the great war began the estab-
lishment of the British Ambassador
had become cramped, and when the
war broke the business of the emba ssy
increased so greatly that ii was neces-
sary to add temporary structures TO
the premises.
Countless times the British embassy,
on Connecticut avenue, has been
pointed out to visitors with the re-
mark that the title to the property
rested in the Queen of England, later
n 4 q, n o,
ample of the wisdom of a foreign gov.
ernment in providing a permanent
home for the use of it's representative
at a foreign capital, and contrasted
making no such provision for Ameri-
can diplomatic representatives abroad.
Later other European governments
made similar provisions here, while
the United States continued to lag in
this respect. 1t was not until practi-
cally every major power had housed
the Washington ENJOYS in their own
official homes that the United States
moved in the same direction.
There will be regret for the passing g
of this historic structure, which has
been the scene Of many notable gather
ings and festivities and ceremonials
1t has, however, been outdated, as per-
haps it's successor may in turn be out
dated years hence. When 1t has been
replaced by business building tablet
should mark its site and tell the sim
pie story of its half century as the
home of the British Ministers and Am
bassadors who have in turn presided
there while they were representing &
their government at this Capital.
Evening star., 1925-02-08
MEN AND AFFAIRS
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

There has beer so much aviation
talk and testimony in Washington
this past week that it has left every
one more or less up in the air. The
truth of the matter is there have
been overstatements on both sides of
the controversy. To paraphrase the
words of Admiral Schley, there is in
warfare glory enough for all-glory
for the airplanes, glory for the in
fantry, glory for the artillery and
glory for the grand old battleship
OF course. there are those who ask
What price glory?" so the word is
written here purely from the fighting
mans point of view. Glory or hell,
war still has room for all the imple-
ments of destruction that man has
devised
The Navy is holding in reserve a
broadside which 1t soon may fire at
the Army flyers, who claim that, given
free rein. they can sink fleet in less
time than it takes to tell the tale
The Navy wants to know why it was
that Germany, with her constant COM
mand of the air during the early
years of the war, did not seek out
and destroy the British high-sea fleet.
Many Germans to this day are of the
belief that it was the British fleet
which defeated the Kaisers ambition
TO rule the world. 1t was the British
feet which held Germany vise-like
in a grim blockade and kept her from
all supplies from overseas. victory
after victory fell to the German arms
on land, but always ahead was the
British command of the seas. 1t was
the British fleet that made it possi-
BILE to transport the British armies to
France.
The British and American fleets in
cooperation made it possible for the
United States to send safely more
than 100000 men to France. These
were the things which broke the Ger
man morale. The German fleet made
but a single sortie from its base. 1t
hit-hit rather hard-but hustled
back to the protecting guns of the
home shores.
Where was Germany's aerial fleet
during the fight off Dogger Bank =?
Why did it not sally forth and knock
the proud Britons forever to their
doom?
Germany found Zeppelins with
which to bomb London on dark
nights. She found giant airplanes 10
bomb both London and Paris while
the moon was shining bright. She
even sent her aerial bombing squad
rons against the English capital IN
the broad daylight of Summer
Saturday afternoon. But not once
was there an attempt TO bomb a
British battleship.
Perhsps there has been some I'M
proyement in bomb dropping since
those days; perhaps the Germans
were novices in the air after all But
it also is argued that battleships to-
day are better protected against
Evening star., 1925-02-08
The Second 0ratorical Contest.

Announcement is made today of the
terms and conditions of the second
National Oratorical Contest, open TO
the school children of this country.
Elsewhere in The Star appears the
initial statement of this enterprise,
differing only in slight degree from
those which governed the first con-
test of 1924.
The oratorical contest last year, un-
dertaken as an experiment in the en-
couragement of the school pupils of
this country to study the Ameri-
can Constitution, proved an unquali-
fed success. over 600, 600 students,
in approximately 14,000 secondary
schools in every part of the country
participated. For months prior to the
National final tests in this city these
students We're studying the Constitu-
ton, writing their orations and pre-
pairing for their delivery. The educa-
tional value of this work was recog-
nized by all school authorities, who
co-operated heartily and with en-
thusiasm. 1t is accepted that as a
result of that competition at least
100000 of the younger Americans
are better informed ON the funda-
mental law of the country and the
principles upon which this Govern
ment is founded and are indeed better
citizens in the making
This contest will this year, as last.
be conducted by a group of news
papers contributing to the fund re-
quired for its promotion and for the
prizes which are offered. The Star
will be the headquarters paper" as
1t has been found to be more suitable
to have the contest directed in the
National Capital than from another
city. Save for "a readjustment of the
grand prizes in the National finals, all
of the participants in which will re-
ceive rewards, the conditions of the
contest are the same as those of 1924
1t is expected that even a greater
number of school pupils will enroll in
this competition than last year.
Those who heard the orations de-
city on the 9th of June last were
thrilled by the spectacle of these
young people delivering with ease
and grace and force their judgments
upon the fundamental law. They had
come from all parts of the country,
from all conditions of society. They
were a crosS-section of young Amer
lea. They represented a million boys
and girls, who had been quickened
by this contest in their appreciation
of the meaning of America. Another
such spectacle will be presented in
this city next June, when once more
the seven finalists will assemble for
the National test.
President Coolidge, whose letter ap-
pears in The Star today, declares that
the National Oratorical Contest is a
means to the end of intoxicating re-
spect by the younger Americans for
the fundamental fabric of our laws
and life. 1t is in that spirit that this
second competition has been under
taken.
Evening star., 1925-02-08
World Not Ready for Peace,
Marshall Says, Expects War

and our own duty. i subscribed. with
out reservation, to the covenant or
the League OF Nations, yet l doubted
IL it was better than the treaty drawn
at the close of the Napoleonic wars.
The holy alliance, you win recall,
had the same object as the League OF
Nations. The crowned heads of the
civilized world entered into solemn
compact that never again would they
resort to force to settle the differ
ences of their peoples. The settle
ment of all disputes was to be left to
the rule of the Savior of mankind, to
His law.
The principle involved was the cor
rect principle. 1t is impossible, i re-
peat, to end war except by the strict
est application of the Golden Rule. A
document decreeing peace is not
worth the paper 1t is written on IL 1t
is not backed by the conscience and
will of the people.
Training Is Necessary.
We are America. America is not
the Congress, the President. Wash :
ington. America is you and / and
other citizens. Therefore our train
ing is the first essential to peace.
We must be trained to be peaceful
and peace-loving. How can America
establish peace when the citizens who
make up America are flying at each
others throats because of personal
animosities and class prejudices?
1t does no good to talk peace, to
write peace. to preach peace. We
must be peace personified.
Much as l would like to believe
otherwise, i believe that another war
is at the threshold of our dream
castles of peace. The peoples of
Europe are bitterly divided over the
causes of the last war. Even the
central powers contend that they
fought a war of self defense. Hatreds
were instilled into the hearts of chill
dren. These will come to the sur
face when those who were children
in the war become men. 1 can't
bring myself to believe that war is
a thing of the past.
Golden Rule as Guide.
The solution lies in education. But
it will require years on top of. years
ITO rebuild the hearts minds and
souls of people. The people must be
taught TO wish peace. 1T must be-
come their desire to practice the
Golden Rule. Business men must not
do business at arms length with one
another. Husbands and wives must
live amiably In their homes If their
children are to grow to manhood
and womanhood in a spirit of peace.
We must carry peace and good
will into the world If the end of war
is to be in the parliament of mankind.
We must abandon our petty preju
dices, social racial, religious and
class, if we are to have world of
peace. viii it come? i hope so. !
am willing to try out any expert
ment designed to speed its coming.
Copyright, 1925. by 2lst Century Press.l
Evening star., 1925-02-08
BY THOS. II. MARSHALL,
Former Vice President of the United
States.

WAS for Woodrow Wilson's
League of Nations. 1 was for
Warren Hardings four-power
i treaty. I am for President Cool
idge's World Court proposal. AS
matter of fact, / now and always
have been for any experiment that
leans toward peace or points the way
to the establishment of peace.
Yet ] have a feeling that for some
time to come all peace experiments
will reach the scrap heap. / fear that
the people of the world are not ready
for peace. Until they are ready for
peace proposals like those of the
present and of the immediate past
will not accomplish much.
Peace, L am convinced, will come
only after long years of education. 1t
first must be developed in the in
dividual and practiced by him in his
private life. in his home, his business
and in his relations with men. Men
and women must take it into their
social organizations and community
life. Not until peace has been es-
tablished in the hearts of men and
practiced by them in their everyday
life will nations adopt it as a policy.
Jealousy BaIkx Peace.
To my mind the fundamental cause
of the mightier person, jealousy of the
miEhtier nation. This will have to
be eliminated if individuals and ma
tions are going to embrace peace.
How to eliminate it is the question.
My solution is re-enactment of the
Golden Rule and its adoption by every
person who believes he wishes world
peace.
The problem of peace Is not a new
problem on this old earth. 1t is as
old man himself Strife is as old
as the breath in the body of the first
human. Yet. it is possible to build
character so that the Golden Rule will
be the accepted regulator of human
conduct.
Men have talked about peace from
time immemorial. 1t is the eternal
question burning in the BREASTS OF
men. 1t is the deepest rooted desire
of mankind. But we always have at
tached some provisos, added some
qualifications, named some reserva-
tions. We wish peace, provided the
other fellow will make lit and pro-
Yided we do not have to bend our own
will to it. After the World War men
talked peace when they were not
talking about what they wished as
the result of the war and about what
they believed they were entitled to.
If the world had been three times its
size 1t would not have been large
enough to GO around.
Doubted Leagues Efficiency.
We still are talking peace, but, 10
my mind, we are relying too much
on documents decreeing peace. We
ought to rely more on our own will
Evening star., 1925-02-08

with Il9 per cent. as compared with
| ga per cent for 1924
1t is an Interesting feature of the
vote analysis that the State which
furnished the Democratic candidate
for President in the recent campaign
has the best voting record. West Vir-
lgfnia got 74.8 per cent of her possible
voters to the polls last November.
Indiana and Rhode Island being tied
for second honors with 71.7'per cent.
Utah ranking third with IL per cent
and wyoming fourth with 708 per
cent.
And not only was West Virginia ont
| in front of her sister States at the
frecent contest, but her average per-
formance of 1926 per cent for the last
two elections Is the best of all. In
diana's average of 72.9 per cent en-
titles her to second honors, while Del
aware is third with an average of
72.4.
This is considered by many of those
interested as the best test of voting
performance-the maintaining of an
average that is so far in advance of
| the average for the country as a
whole in the two elections, which was
but fraction over SO per cent. These
observers say that the percentage in
crease shown by a State is not i'm
portant if its average is less than
| that for all the States Such was the
case with Mississippi and with Texas.
poth OF which States were far below
the 1920 average and were still far
under the 1924 mark, although their
percentage increases ranked them
| second and third among all the States.
California made a conspicuous show
ing with a percentage increase of
26.1, but in 1920 she was below the
national average with 4S.9 per cent,
and her performance in 1924, 61.7 Der
| cent, brings her average barely above
that of the country as a whole for the
| two elections.
National Average Exceeded,
Thirty-two States exceeded the ma
tional average of 512 at the recent
election. West Virginia, Indiana,
| Rhode Island. Utah and wyomin 2
made records Of 70 per cent or better.
North Dakota, Missouri. Nebraska,
New Jersey, Kansas, Iowa, New
| Hampshire and Delaware were all
better than SIS per cent, although un-
der the 70 mark.
Idaho, Nevada, Kentucky, New Mex
| leo, Minnesota. New York, South Da :
| kotas Colorado and California were
the States that got out percentages of
their possible votes ranging between
80 and IS.
Oregon, Nebraska, Vermont, wiscon-
| sin, Massachusetts, Connecticut.
Washington, Montana, Michigan and
Ohio all exceeded the national aver
| age of 51.2 per cent, but did not ar
| tain the so mark.
| In the vote compilation upon which
this analysis is based account is taken
not only of the ballots cast for the
three leading candidates for Presi-
dent-Coolidge, Davis and La Fol
lette-but of all votes cast for all
presidential tickets. In ono or two
States as many as nine candidates for
| the presidency were voted for. al
though 1t would be worse than a
crossword puzzle to figure out who
| some of them were.
Evening star., 1925-02-08
SHOOTING STARS.
by PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Congress.

Congress.
CriticiZin' Congress.
It's what we've always done.
Sometimes it's in earnest
And sometimes it's in fun.
But congressman are patient,
While drawin' modest pay,
And try to get elected
In the good old-fashioned way.
Criticizin' Congress
Our privilege is such.
Yet in our hearts we always
Respect it very much.
If, in the Land of Freedom,
Old Congress jumped the track,
Oh, how this population
Would fight to bring it back.
Evening star., 1925-02-08

ters to Gen. Washington, he fell in
love with Mrs. Washington's grand
and, after gaining the ap-
probation of her guardian by invest
ing largely in Washington City lots,
he married her. The marriage was
SO unhappy that 1t resulted in a di-
vorce, and the real estate, which cost
100000 in gold, was finally sold for
less than one-fifth of that sum. Law
sold the house which stood where
Gen. Butler has now built to the
Bank of Washington, and & part of
it was used as the Supreme Court
room for many years"
A number of years ago the Gov
ernment bought the Butler house"
and 1t hes for some time been the
home Of the Public Health Service,