davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1928-12-10
Shows Modern Trend
OF South America
10 the Editor OF The Star.

To the Editor OF The Star:
The other day correspondent of
The Star, referring to the long journey
OF Mr.. end Mrs. Hoover to the tip of
Continental America, claSsed several
important commercial posts and out
posts in one sweeping generalization,
such as the tabled home of the big
footed Patagonian giants, the Falk-
lands, Punta Arenos, TERRA del Fuego,
called by the natives "Tierra del" and
others bordering the Strait of Magellan.
AS unknown, regions of desolation and
decay.
am reminded of an incident during
my own visit to that part of the world
several years ago.
The day our ship was anchored in
front Of Punta Arenas group of us
were invited to go ashore and take tea
with an English family who lived there
pleasantly coming pounds, shilling and
pence by way of millions of sheep.
was possessed of an idea similar to that
OF your correspondent.
'Nonsense!" exclaimed our charming
hostess. Lonely? On the contrary
Why. here we are in the midst of the
shaping currents OF the world and of
life. Three European ships visit us
every week; we are In direct touch with
CIle markets Oh Europe, ana one Gay
with a tone slightly sardonic-"w
may be in touch with those of North
America"
am sorry my little picture of Punta
Arenas, which was snapped there in
1898 is not clearer, but even so 1t
shows you that the Southern Antipodes
had begun to twitch and stretch with
many signs Of awakening and the dream
has been fulfilled
Every one knows that Punta Arenas.
or Sandy Point, is the southernmost
town in the world, and it may interest
geographers and others to hear of its
prosperous English shops displaying in
their windows such signs as Regent
Street coats and skirts Latest undies
in London" and so on, and while
was doing a bit of window shopping
1 was particularly intrigued by a tall
Ona Indian who was taking an intelli-
gent inventory of various feminine gar
| ments, which 1 hoped he would take
home to madame! 1 wondered who
would buy the French bric-a- -brac and
the nude prints.
What varied story another 80 years
will unfold! Ona may be the fashion,
able language then of the elite and
great world and one may say cynicallv
enough, "Oh, yes, knew that 80 years
ago!" PAULINE G.. SWAIN.
Evening star., 1928-12-10
Rail Fight on River
Traffic Is Attacked
From the Portland OREGON Journal

From the Portland Oregon Journal.
The railroads evidently fight barge
transportation on the Mississippi where
IL Is successful, as they do on the CO.
iumoia, where barge transportation will
win.
The Mississippi Valley Association at
ST. Louis heard this from M. j. Sanders
OF New Orleans, member OF the ad-
Vlsory board of the Inland Waterways
Corporation
1T evidently is unjust in the public
interest to delay and cripple the de-
Velopment of river traffic. We contend
that an intelligent, broad consideration
OF the commerce of the country and
Its necessities justifies the demand for
cooperation instead of opposition by
our great railroad corporations and
tnelr mighty competent executives"
II there Is one thing more than an
otner to be expected from the railroads
IL IS an intelligent, broad consideration
OF the commerce of the country"
Presldent-elect Hoover holds that, at
the present rate of increase within 25
years both railroads and rivers will be
taxed to move the commerce. He holds
tnat the future relationship of rail and
water carriers will not be competitive in
the destructive sense, but compliment
tarv and cooperative.
The railroad executives do not show
themselves highly competent" when
they fight water transportation They
snow themselves short-sighted not only
as to the needs of the country, but as to
the public's good will toward them
III a barge line on the Mississippi
brings more prosperity to the MissiS-
sippi Valley, the railroads will prosper
with the rest. If barge line on the
Columbia brings more prosperity to the
Columbia Basin, the railroads will pros
per with the rest
But above and beyond all. the people
OF the Columbia Basin should no more
be required to fight the railroads in
order to navigate and improve the Co
lumbia than to have to fight them in
order to breathe the air.
Evening star., 1928-12-10

Hearing The name Of = great poet
mentioned In = crowded room We felt
that poetry was again tegaining It's
place In the lives of men,
Then We realised. with some little
amussm Hnt, that the man had inno-
Gently asked fot a popular brand OF
Cigari
That was all
Poetry had fallen fat, tobacco was In
come again. however when the divine
art shall regain ita prestige and enter
into the daily life OF the people
II Ia hopeful thing that even a
cigar can be named after maker of
word melodies For once upon time
poetry was something read by the aver
age man and woman
We do not choose to believe that II
was the social status OF poetry which
gave 1t Its prominence during certain
periods In the life OF nations. but rather
| that 1t answered certain need for ex-
preston felt by human beings.
Prose Is one thing. II answers mul-
titude OF purposes, and has A charm all
! It's own. No one would say that 1t Is
less than poetry. Surely the greatest
writing In the world Is In prose form,
although some OF 1t Is imbued with
poetic feeling
Poetry Is merely part OF the total art
OF writing. Poetry Is more elemental,
especially the rhymed form. To many
1t has always seemed that the moment
verse forSakes rhythm and meter 1t
loses its ancient right to universal con-
! sideration.
Poetry once occupied greater place
than as 1ingles for soup advertisements.
Poets strode in their own right, rather
than as names for smokers to call
cffhand
The history of the race is wrapped
up in its poets. AS elemental as THE
1liad" as subtle as a verse by Emerson.
! the poetry of the world expresses the
| tender, deeper thoughts of mankind.
This is the province Of poetry.
AS long AS there is something to be
said which is entwined with human
affection, with love, with tenderness,
there will be place for poems.
! Not that every poem must deal with
gentle things, or that every prose work
must consider merely hard-and-fast
matters.
| There can be no such distinctions.
! One runs into the other naturally
enough; there is much great prose that
! is written with true poetic exaltation;
tneTe Is some poetry InaC ueaS Win
! subjects commonly treated in straight
, form.
In the main, however, poetry is
! poetry. and prose is prose. TherA is
no necessity for text book definition.
! Even the man who never reads poetry
knows poetry when he sees 1t, except
! in some rare cases when he may be
| forgiven for not seeing what is not
I there.
Poetry had It's place In the begin
ninss Of every great nation. The early
days of the United States brought
forth a blossoming of verse, much OF
| 1t fine, some Of 1t mediocre.
It has now become the fashion in
! certain circles to Sneer at the elder
poets" of this country, but appreciation
of them still fingers In the schools and
! in the hearts of hundreds of thou
sands perhaps millions. who do not find
| it necessary to say much where merit
already speaks so plainly.
| +
Poetry is the expression Of youth.
Young nations and young people love
poetry. Often the poems they like
b4sS are not such wonderful affairs
Evening star., 1928-12-10
The Drive for Unpreparedness.

Events definitely fcreShadowed in
The Star four weeks ago have at length
naaterialized. The concerted drive
against the cruiser bill is now on in fun
force. II emanates from three infucn-
tial and respect-commend quarters
the Federal Council of Churches, the
National Council for Prevention OF
War and specially organized protest
committee" headed by men and women
Of national prominence.
Though not nominslly working to-
gether. these three agencies are pursu-
Ing q common purpose Their arowed
object is to smash the Coolidge admin
istration's naval-huildine program.
They argue that its enactment, stimuli
taneous with the ratification Of the
kellogg anti-war treaty, would null
lify" that pact. defeat Its purpose and
stultify Americas peace protestations
before the world
Undoubtedly before many hours are
past the Senate will be drenched on
well known lines with the external
manifestations of this powerfully backed
and slarewdly directed campaign for
naval unpreparedness. It's fomenters
blandly take issue with President Cool
idges reasons for. advocating the au-
thorization of the cruisers ut seems to
us idle to insist" says the protest COM
nittee's" proposed memorial to the Sen
ate, fer instance. that the naval pro-
gram has been conceived without refer
ence to the program Of any other ma
ton, since the cruisers to be author
lied are clearly in the class Of vessels
which we're the bone Of contention in
the Abortive Geneva Naval Limitation
Conference"
Il Is not easy to reason with ad-
voeates of peace By unpreparedness.
They have contempt FOR facts, i'm
patience with the stern reali-
ties Of international relations and pro-
found ignorance of the conditions which
guide the Nations responsible leaders
Ia formulating defense policy When a
man like President-elect Hoover pleads
for sea power that will keep America
respected" 1t is the dogmatic convic-
ton Of Predetermined zealots that the
first Quaker elected to the presidency
plots in reality feet that will make
America aggressive.
The House Of Representatives auailed
under the organized pressure Of the
folks back home" last Winter when
the Anti-prepAredness groups torpedoed
the administration original naval con-
struction bill. From the same hostile
quarters and for the same destructive
purposes mines and depth charges
again are being laid. with view to
blowing UP national defense sentiment
In the Senate. II is to be hoped that
the upper branch Of Congress will re-
veal a sitter backbone against this as
sallt than the House had last Winter,
when 1t curled up in the face of the
pacifst crusade.
All America wants peace. But no
thinking American believes peace can
be had by letting our sword rust and
our powder dampen.
Evening star., 1928-12-10
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

to the Jewish Welfare Board OF the
United States. Gen. Dawes will be the
principal speaker. Capitol Hill won-
ders whether he may not choose the
occasion for some temperamental re-
view of his four years in Washington,
including his valiant but vain venture
to persuade the Senate to muzzle itself
Pending events in that loquacious body
would make such an utterance peculiar
ly timely. Boulder Dam once again Is
generating far more lung power than
any bydroelectric energy yet wrung
from the Colorado River.
Once again Charles Evans Hughes is
hurled into the breach as chief pro-
taaonist for the United States which
he has served so long SO effectively and
in SO many different capacities. Hughes
will bear the brunt of representing this
country at the Pan-American confer
ence on arbitration now in session at
Washington. Secretary Kellogg leads
our delegation. but Hughes will be its
spearhead. Latin America remembers
him we'll from the Havana conference
of last Winter He bestrode its de-
liberations like colossus of Rhodes.
Knowing no Spanish, or hardly any
he waded into the hottest of oratorical
trays with the warmest-blooded Of Latin
spokesmen. When the translations
were made and the smoke of wordy
battle had cleared away, 1t was usually
Hughes position, stated tersely, that
was found to have been vindicated
He'll probably have plenty Of chances
at the arbitration conference to plead
the cause of his admiring Uncle Samuel
X X **
Representative Henry Allen Cooper
nestor of the House, looking 10 years
younger than usual. Is receiving the
congratulations of his affectionate col
leagues for the splendid race he re-
Gently ran for reelection in Wisconsin.
His district. the Racine region, gave
him 80 900 votes out of a total Of l03,-
900, his Democratic opponent receiving
20 600 -odd. Cooper Is now completing
his seventeenth term in Congress and
In 1929 will embark upon his eighteenth.
He was defeated once-tOr the Sixty
sixth COngreSS-but otherwise has served
continuously since the Fifty-third Rep
resentative Haugen. Republican. of Iowa,
and Representative Pou. Democrat of
North Carolina are the only other
members of the House whose long terms
OF service come anywhere near the
generation to Cooper's credit
y \
Approach of the Christmas season
reVives the question of granting extra
holidays to Government employees.
President Coolidge recently took oc-
casion to condemn the practice now in
vogue in the Government departments
Of agitating for extra days of" just
preceding or following a national holi-
day. The Vermonter is heartily in
favor OF considerable treatment of the
Nations numerous workers. but feels 1t
unnecessary to indulge them in extra
vacations every time the country OBJ
serves an anniversary. AT the White
House 1t is thought that this matter
should be definitely regulated by Con-
gress and not left up to" the Presi-
dent, who Is unfailingly subject to
pressure on these recurring occasions.
There is TO be no extra leave this
Christmas.
tCopyrisht, 1927
Evening star., 1928-12-10

"Usurpation," impertinence" and "un-
ethical" are some of the disapprov-
ing terms showered by large section
of the American press upon the action
of Representative Britten of Illinois,
chairman of the House naval COM
mittee, in suggesting to the British pre-
mier that committees of Congress and
Parliament confer on the naval arma-
ment problem. There is quite general
agreement on the point that the pro-
ceeding was irregular, to say the least
and many critics are as severe as the
Milwaukee Journal. which thinks mfr.
Britten should be called before the bar
of the House and given a good stiff
cenSure."
Yet there are others who evidently
feel that, regular or irregular, the Illi-
nois members move was worth while.
Considering the spirit in which the
message was sent, the New York World
independently finds that it represents
the idea Of the average American THAI
something ought really to be done about
naval limitation" while the Hartford
Times tindepende t DemocraticD adds
that Mr.. Britten may have done some
thlng TO arouse the public so that Sec
fetary Kellogg and President Coolidge
and the British leaders will discover
that the fact that they alone have the
right to conduct negotiations does not
necessarily llean that no negotiations
are to be conducted"
The pother which Is being made
over the affair, as If Mr.. Britten's inter-
terence were fraught with disaster to
national policies, Is wholly unneces-
sary," in the opinion of the Philadel-
EVENING
publican). The Baltimore Sun Cinde-
pendent Democratic) is convinced that
many things that have happened re-
Gently show that the people in several
countries are getting tired of The petty
squaoDilng OF experts, and they would
welcome consideration of peace and
disarmament by men better capable of
understanding and expressing the COM
mon mind" The Worcester Evening
Gazette independently remarks, too:
The experts have been unable to agree.
IL would be desirable to know il civilians
could do better Job
Approval Of the idea OF a conference
Whlcn might be held as committee
meeting OF the Interparliamentary
Union, Of which Mr.. Britten is vice
PRESIDENT is given by the Asheville
Times independent DemocraticD. The
Topeka Daily Capital tRepublican)
thinks that at least everybody must
agree that l. would be terrible If world
peace should actually be established
and then be found by the lawyers to be
unconstitutional"
1T would lead to chaos" declares
the Cincinnati Times-Star (Repub-
lican), "if parliamentary committees
could thus formally discuss information.
al relations. Yet Chairman Brit.
tens proposal represents a popular
yearning. The diplomats of the
two countries but echo the barks of
the sea-0ogs. Chairman Brit
ten is thinking Of the landlubbers who
pay the bills and who love peace more
than they love armament"
law Of the United States covering
certain forms Of private interference
with matters of diplomacy Is men,
toned by a number OF those who con-
denim Mr. Britten. The Detroit News
independently offers the Judgment on
that point: I'D probably cannot be con-
strued that Representative Britten Ia
attempting to defeat the measures Of
Evening star., 1928-12-10
Britten Is Roundly Denounced
But Rallies Some Defenders

the Government of the United States
by communicating with a foreign gov
ernment, for. a person who did that
would come pretty close to subiecting
himself to fine of $4,000 and three
years imprisonment under section 5
of the criminal code" That paper.
however, describes his act as "usurpa-
ton of power given by law to the
President of the United States"
"Shirt-sleeve diplomacy and dollar
diplomacy must now give way to cor
respondence school diplomacy oh
serves the Binghamton Press ,inde-
pendent Republican,. with the further
comment: Mr.. Baldwin passed very
warm and unexpected buck to Secre-
tary Kellogg when he tried to answer
Britten through the American State
Department. OF course. that was the
only proper diplomatic way to answer.
but 1t made the whole unoficial thing
horribly Official"
Apparently there is need every few
years Of instructing certain members of
Congress in the elementary distinctions
between domestic and foreign affairs
made by the Constitution" suggests the
New York Times independently. while
the Springfield Republican Cindepend-
ent states that the message violates
precedent and perhaps violates law"
and the Atlanta Constitution Demo
cratic) expresses the view that he
acted in a most unusual and certainly
in most unethical manner" and holds
that the institutions Of our Govern
ment cease when We ignore the author
lied channels o. diplomacy"
He might have taken lesson from
hQ rsttk hxy
Borah when he sought information as
chairman OF the Senate foreign affairs
committee from Mexico" says the Reno
Evening Gazette independent Republ-
cam. The Louisville Courier journal
independently Is among those Who OBJ
serve "a patent invasion OF the province
of the executive branch Of the Govern
ment" and ''usurpation Of the powers OF
the State Department"
The House has virtually nothing to
do with the international affairs except
indirectly through appropriations, re-
marks the Pittsburgh PoSt-Gazette
Republican,. and the Norfolk Ledger
Dispatch independent Democratic)
directs attention to the lack OF author
ity on the part OF the British Parlia-
ment without the consent Of the pre-
mier himself or through the admiralty
members of the cabinet sitting on the
floor of Parliament"
Mr. Britten either made a bid for
notoriety which would justify the House
removing him as chairman of that COM
mittee or he Is singularly lacking in q
comprehension of our governmental sys-
tenn and the reasons for it." asserts the
Kansas City Journal-Post independent
Republican,, and the Dayton Daily
News independent Democratic) assails
Mr.. Britten's plan to short-circuit the
regular channels of diplomacy" The
Charleston Evening Post independent
Democratic) concludes that 1.-The Incl
dent has become comical. and 1t Is not
quite certain as to who b the butt Of
the joke
Evening star., 1928-12-10
New Bedford Mayor
In Office "a Years

From the Providence Journal.
OF course. he is not literally a per-
manent mayor. but Charles Sumner
Ashley has so strikingly manifested the
qualities of permanence in his service
at the head of New Bedford's munich
pal government that he might fairly be
considered as holding a life job. On
Tuesday he was elected by the citizens
of the Whaling City for his twenty
fourth term as mayor. and year from
this January he will complete his
twenty-fifth year in that office. When
his term expires-there is now a tenure
of two years-he will have been mayor
OF New Bedford for 26 years
BY virtue of this unique record 1t
may be reasonable to regard Mr.. Ash
ley as New Bedford's most distinguished
citizen. He began this mayor habit
in the early part of the gay nineties,
and for the most OF the time since
with the exception of four years as
the city's postmaster under the second
Cleveland administration. AS might
be suspected on this basis of fact he Is
at least nominally a Democrat. but
partisan lines apparently are not at
tached to the local situation as far as
he Is concerned. In connection with
the mayoralty there seems to be a
regular Ashley party and it has been
pretty steadily dominant for nearly 30
years.
1t would be a phenomenon straining
the sense of credulity If the Ashley sem
timent were unanimous in New Bed
ford. There has always been some op-
position and usually there have been
several other men who thought they
would like to be mayor. This time
there we're four of them. but it is an at
testation OF the strength of the Ashley
sentiment that the mayor carried the
ely by a majority of 1850 votes over
all four opponents. and had a plurality
OF 1896 over the contestant who rar,
second. The mayor is now 20 years of
age. but it looks as If he would so on
being mayor until the end of his chap
ter. AS remarked before. New Bedford
has the Ashley habit.
Evening star., 1928-12-10

confronted. They have been acquainted
with Washington and With their col
leagues before entering the House 1t
Is quite obvious that the selection OF
the widow of member OF Congress
to All his political and legislative shoes
merely because she happens TO be his
widow is not sound, but sentimentallty.
But when the widow Is well qualified
to serve In the House, as, for example.
Mrs. Edith Nourse Roeera OF MaSsa-
chusettS and Mrs. Florence r. Kehn,
and, In all probability. Mrs, Pearl Old
field, the choice Ia we'll made,
Evening star., 1928-12-10
Hope Seen for Fewer
New Laws This Session

From the Jersey journal.
This is large country.
We do things in a large way.
The Congress had proposed to 1t at
its last session some six thousand bills
for enactment into law. Fortunately,
the Congress was unable to enact them
ALL
The 'lame duck" session has begun
auspiciously. Only 500 bills were in
troduced the first two days. II the Con-
gress is as inefficient as usual-and no.
body objects to an inefficient lame
duck" session--the country may escape
the necessity of enFErging by very many
pages the tones OF Nav which now must
be printed after each session Of the
Congress.
Evening star., 1928-12-10

A play is on the way which starts
early in the afternoon and makes
necessary downtown dinner. Resteu-
rant keepers ought to be depended on
for a guarantee fund.
Evening star., 1928-12-10

Many personages once acquainted
with Washington, D. c., as a place Of
residence are inclined to return. Presi-
dent Coolidge may feel the same way
about the matter.
Evening star., 1928-12-10

When a European statesman indicates
an inclination for more war, he should
meet the obligation Of explaining
whether he thinks his country can
afford It.
Evening star., 1928-12-10

The New York stock market has
called attention to rapidly rising ticker
quotations as indicating feverish tenn
persture liable to be followed by serious
relapse.
Evening star., 1928-12-10

Inquiry relating to the Vestris disaster
indicates too much reliance on mechan-
ical efficiency and not enough on plain
human sense.
Evening star., 1928-12-10

A noble effort was made, but Vice
President Dawes must concede that a
few years as presiding officer cannot
suffice to reform the Senate's old habits
Evening star., 1928-12-10
Smaller Now. Bit Efficient.

From the San Dieeo Union.
Scientists have discovered the skele-
ton Of three-eyed plesiosaurus. 30 feet
high. 10 feet wide and i00.000.000 years
old. This proves that II took evolutien
= long time TO produce the modern
highway hog.
Evening star., 1928-12-10

In the political roo there IA some
doubt as to whether the term progress
sive" applies to a distinct species or a
hybrid
Evening star., 1928-12-10

When Mussolini declares his opinions
regarding another war" it Is not made
precise whether he is expressing q r1a.
ticnal fear or personal hope.
Evening star., 1928-12-10
Msu,h.r y, the Associated Press

The Associated Press Is exclusively entitled
TO the use for repu9lieotio0 cf all ewS ais
PATCHES credited to ~ or No. otherwise cred
tied IL this naper and also tfe lncal news
puhltste6 herein Al RIGHTS ~ p'thli"atio7 ci
SpeciaI dispatches herein are also reserved.