New-York tribune. [volume], February 19, 1920, Page 10, Image 10

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1920.
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i -
Enforcing the Treaty
Senator McCormick, of Illinois,
told the Senate on Monday that the
treaty with Germany was unen?
forceable; witness the refusal of
Holland to expel the former Kaiser
and the German government to ex?
tradite war criminals.
Senator McCormick apparently
overlooked Article 28 of the treaty,
which says:
"As a guaranty of the present
treaty by Germany the German ter?
ritory to the west of the Rhine, to?
gether with the bridgeheads, will be
Occupied by the Allied and associated
troops for a period of fifteen years
from the coming into force of the
present treaty." ?
Beside the Rhine region, Cologne,
Coblenz and Mainz and territories
adjacent thereto are in escrow.
Moreover, the evacuation is not to
occur at all if Germany breaks her
pledges. Does Germany prefer the
society of war criminals to that of
several millions of her people?
Not for vengeance or blood lust
do the Allies seek the trial of Ger?
many's war criminals. What is
sought is to prevent future barbar?
ism. Hague rules signed by Ger?
many forbade atrocities, but these
rules were openly disregarded. The
German staff said it was permis?
sible to slaughter to establish a state
?f terror.
Other wars may come. Are they
to be waged according to the prin?
ciples of Schrecklichkeit? If the
German war criminals go free, peo?
ples that would be humane will be
compelled to retaliate.
By whom the trials are conducted
is obviously a factor of importance.
Unquestionably the proper method
is that contemplated by the treaty?
trial by the Allies on Allied or
neutral soil. Certain practical ad?
vantages are now being discussed in
favor of having the proceedings be?
fore German courts. The danger of
miscarriage of justice can be min?
imized if it is clearly understood
that all such proceedings are sub?
ject to review by an Allied high
court, with full power to reverse, re?
hear or convict upon the record. If
the prosecution is given full oppor?
tunity to marshal the facts, the
danger of farcical acquittal may be
risked, for the error could be cor?
rected by a review certain to com?
mand the approval of the world and
of history. If there is verification
of the massacre of Dinant, for ex?
ample, when old men, women and
children were pushed forward as a
bullet screen, will the court at Leip
sic dare acquit? If it does who
eould question a reversal?
How the war was started and how
carried on are things which need to
be placed beyond all cavil and
doubt. German historians will be
ready enough to lie if allowed an
excuse. One great good of the trial
of the war criminals would be in the
mere trial and its record. Where
the courts meet and whether or not
the judges don black caps is of sec?
ondary importance. German jurists
may be as vicious as German com?
manders and may decide against
the evidence, but the world would
know they did it, and ultimate jus?
tice would be certain.
Getting Ready
The Republican conference-conven?
tion which is to assemble to-day to
recommend delegates-at-large for the
Chicago convention affords an oppor?
tunity to clarify party thought and
do something toward maturing the
policies which are to be advanced in
the approaching campaign.
The results of the last seven years
of Democratic control at Washington
have been such as to make the gen?
eral run in the direction of having a
change in management. A muddle
has been made of some things, a
mess of others, and a colossal hash
of not a few. So prospects are good
for an organization which however
at times at fault has always been
bigger than any one of its most
trusted leaders. The other party
tends to one-manism, always is
seeking a leader stronger than itself
and able to pull it out of a hole. In
the present juncture it is not
?trange there is greater desire to
confide in principles and in great
masses of men than in persons of
swollen wills, and that this feeling
inures to the advantage of the Re?
publican organization.
In 1912 the Republican party,
ft
one wing for a time leaning
too much to conservatism and too
little to progress, became divided,
and a minority party has since
ruled the country. But the causes
for the division have disappeared
and there is complete reunion once
more on the basis of intelligent
service to the plain men and women
whose faces look forward, but who
have too much sense to expect
miracles and too much acuteness to
be deceived by political quackery.
A Sale Discourse
In his speech to his fellow engi?
neers Mr. Hoover indicates that he
is a candidate for the Presidency
(party not yet stated), and sketches
in a vague way what is apparently
to be regarded as his platform.
Not much is discernible which the
most rampant partisan on either
side will quarrel with. Mr. Hoover
would have the treaty ratified and
this country cooperate in the league
of nations. But which version of
Article X? He does not say. He
would return the railroads and
establish private shipping on a
"firm" basis; he would "take steps
to reduce the cost of living" and
"improve transportation facilities,"
"eliminate waste," and so on. All
of this is correct enough, but not
very exciting or disputatious. Not
until he urges turning all preachers
of unlawful radicalism over to the
police does Mr. Hoover speak with
emphasis.
Mr. Hoover is one of the most at?
tractive of Americans. He has solid
achievements behind him. But, like
other candidates, he suffers from
diffidence when it comes to sounding
a keynote. For his indefiniteness he
is, of course, not to be specially re?
proached. Others also are tongue
tied under similar circumstances. A
man, however much he may roar
when safely in private ranks, falls
a prey to inhibitions when he
mounts a platform. Judiciousness
lays its restraints on him and he re?
treats to mild and qualified dis?
course. No candidate much wants
to do this, but, with rare exceptions,
they all do it.
The "Telephone and the Public I
The report of the Public Service !
! Commission and the reply of the \
; telephone company should serve to ;
' clarify the general mind some?
what, even though important ques
i tions of fact are still left in dis- ?
pute. The commission lays stress on I
the shortage of personnel and con-1
demns the company for failing to
raise the wage scale sufficiently to
attract an adequate supply of op
? erators. The telephone company
cites the raises which it has made
and stresses the fact that it is im
; perfectly trained personnel, rather
I than the shortage of hands, which
j lowers present efficiency.
It is common observation that all
labor is below its normal pi'e-war
standard of efficiency. In particu- i
lar, the turn-over, due to the con- !
! stant shifting of laborers from
; job to job, is abnormally and in?
escapably large. The sympathy of
the public should unquestionably
be with the telephone company in
recognizing this factor. On the
; other hand, there is much to sup
: port the opinion of the Public Serv?
ice Commission that the telephone
I company has erred in attempting to
secure a personnel at the wage
scales fixed during the past year.
i The latest raise in wages will be
' taken by many as a practical con?
fession of the inadequacy of the
preceding figure.
Thus, with every allowance for
the injuries to the service worked
by government ownership and the
war and a recognition of the long
period which must elapse before the
old extraordinary efficiency can
possibly be regained, it seems prob?
able that a failure to increase its
wage item adequately is partly re
? sponsible for the present crisis in
service. Thus far the Public Serv
! ice report seems persuasive.
When it comes to the question of
! how these increases in operating
I costs can be met, however, there will
he a prompt criticism of the com?
mission's view. That view ignores
j utterly the question of maintaining
the credit and borrowing capacity
of the telephone company. It sug
; gests that dividends should be cut
! or passed to pay for operating ex
j penses. But to follow any such dis
; astrous and unsound financial pol
j icy would be most costly in the long
run to the whole public; for there
I could be no surer way of alienating
capital from the telephone as an in
| vestment and increasing hugely the
! price which the company?and ul
j timately the public?must pay for
new capital. This leaves wholly
; aside the question of justice to capi
! tal already invested.
From this point of view the crisis
illustrates perfectly the evil plight
which government regulation pro
? duces wh,en an effort is made to hold
j a public utility do^ to inadequate
; i charges. The corporation so at?
tacked can lower the quality of its
? service, or it can lower its return to
investors. Usually it does both, and
: either way lies disaster for the pub
; lie, as the railroads are abundantly
i demonstrating.
The public has learned a lasting
j lesson from tfte government opera?
tion of railroads and telephones. It
? must learn the equally important
I lesson touching regulation. To skimp
j the income of a public utility by in
slating upon inadequate rates is to
lower efficiency and reduce private
operation not to the calamitous level
of public operation but at least far
below the high standard of which
private operation is capable. v
As long as human nature is human
nature efficiency will fetch a high
price. And it should. For, whatever
price it commands, it is still the
cheapest thing in the world. That is
tho truth that the American people
are now in process of learning. We
wonder if a Public Service Commis?
sion will ever have the courage to
say as much frankly and deal with
a public utility upon the basis of a
candid recognition of this fact. Every
telephone user, we will wager, would
to-day be delighted to pay whatever
increase was necessary to secure a
return to the old efficiency. It would
seem cheap at the price?and it
would be cheap at the price. If there
is anything so costly as poor service
the American people would like to
know what it is.
The Nation's Shame
Of all the war and after-war
blunders of an ungrateful democ?
racy nothing that we have seen com?
pares with our tragic failure to care
for disabled soldiers, the record of
which The Evening Post is now un?
covering.
There are more than 300,000 of
these disabled men. More than 200,-"
000 registered for training under the
government's much advertised provi?
sion for making these cripples and
stricken men self-respecting and ef?
ficient members of society. Of these
it is estimated that at least 110,000
are eligible for training. Yet nine?
teen months after the organization
; of the responsible body?the Federal
Board for Vocational Education?
only 24,000 have been put into train?
ing and only' 217 have been trained
and placed in gainful employments;
that is, 217 for the whole country, it
should be made clear. For the three
states of New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut the number is forty
three. Last December the board
paid out $386,807 in salaries to 3,242
employees; it paid only $139,335 for
tuition for 21,537 disabled soldiers.
These last figures apparently give
a vivid notion of the spirit in which
the work is conducted. The disabled
soldier is not treated as a charge of
honor upon the nation, entitled to
every consideration and assistance;
he is obliged to prove his right to
treatment through an endless period
of technical opposition and bureau?
cratic red tape. No wonder men be?
come disheartened and disgusted and
quit! Of the men approved for
training 30 per cent drop out and
throw up their chances. The circum?
locution office vents its months of
weary questionings and applications
and forwardings and filings and
initialings, and at the end the
wounded soldier is often beaten.
Small wonder. The labyrinths of
this government bureau would drive
a strong man to despair.
The whole revelation should stir
an instant wrath in every Ameri?
can's heart and a prompt investiga?
tion by Congress. Probably much
irrevocable harm already has been
i done. But surely something can be
accomplished for the future. The
1 obligation of the nation toward
these men is of the profoundest and
: solemnest description. It was so
I sacred and the corresponding need
j so pathetic and noble that the pub
j lie assumed that it must be met
j faithfully and well. Little did we
i comprehend the workings of bureau?
cracy, which sees in a crippled sol?
dier only another opportunity for
red tape, jobs and new acres of
filing cases!
Lenine's Blood Guilt
When Assemblyman Cuvillier at
the Albany hearing, interrupted the
examination of Morris Hillquit to
say that L?nine' and Trotzky cor
J ruptcd the Russian army, then made
a separate peace with Germany
! which released 1,000,000 German
soldiers for service on the Western
! front, and that this compelled Amer
| icans to pour out blood like water to
stop the Germans, Mr. Hillquit
made the elegant retort:
"Your sentiments are good, but
your history is rotten."
Mr. Hillquit's own brand of his?
tory is not only rotten, but putrid.
He knows L?nine was transported
to Russia by the Germans and
furnished money to work to get
Russia out of the war. L?nine has
never denied the facts?has justified
the receipt of German funds. Luden
dorff in his book openly speaks of
the Germans bringing back L?nine
and of supporting him. Lenine's
only defense is that he merely did
what he would have done without
inducement, thus offering the apol?
ogy that comes from our crooked
! politicians when they campaign for
a candidate and coincidentally goon
his pay rolU
The Russian army was corrupted.
The killing of officers was encour?
aged. The war was denounced as
?'imperialistic." The proletarians of
Serbia, Belgium, Poland, France,
Italy, Rumania and other nations
were abandoned to German bayo?
nets. There was a betrayal beyond
anything known to history, and
L?nine engineered it. Then L?nine
made his separate peace with Ger?
many. At his door is responsibility
for the death of 1,000,000 non-Rus?
sians, including practically all of
our boys. Hillquit may be a skillful
casuist, but the crosses in France
sufficiently refute him.
As to many items concerning the
Bolshevists, there is basis for differ?
ences of opinion, but the chief things
are incontrovertible?are proved by
Bolshevist testimony. The Bolshevik
power, during the critical period,
was the ally of Germany, but now is
a tyranny more gross than that of
the Czar. It rests on military force
and never has permitted a free elec?
tion. Hillquit says that he favors
government resting on consent, and
at the same time that he admires
L?nine. The two things are abso?
lutely incompatible.
Wadsworth Loyalty
With Some Discussion of the Duties
, of Republican Women
To the Editor of The Tribune,
Sirs As a Republican woman I find
myself appealed t? by some of my
party's leaders to support Senator
Wadsworth on the score of party
loyalty. But is It not as much, or
even more, the duty of Mrs. Wads?
worth and the former Miss Wadsworth
to support Mr. Hays, the chairman of
our party? Yet I seldom take up the
paper, "The Woman Patriot," of which
Mrs. Wadsworth is president and Mrs.
Harper secretary, . without finding a
violent and disloyal attack on Mr.
Hays. In an article on January 31,
asking If Mr. Hays is angling for the
Socialist women's vote, it is said that
"the Republican party has submitted
itself to the will of a small body of
women, many of them pronouncod
Socialist and 'Red' leaders." This
sounds almost like a Democratic judg?
ment. And on January 10, under an
editorial humorously entitled, "Hays
ing the Republican Party," the phrase
"the sanctimonious cant of Will Hays"
is used, and the article ends by ask?
ing whether "It is any wonder that
thinking Republican women like Mrs.
Garret Hobart refuse to support the
Republican party." This seems to me
a far more dangerous form of party
disloyalty than an individual voite
against Senator Wadsworth?of which
I fear there will bo a great number
if the party presents him as Its candi?
date at the polls.
CAROLINE SLADE.
(Mrs. P. Louis Slade.)
New York, Feb. 17, 1920.
When Mr. Hearst Received
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: It is with some surprise that I
note in this morning's issue of The
Tribuno that "Mayor Hylan calls upon
the American Legion to help remove
tho snow from the streets." Such a
request for aid from almost any other
official should no doubt be greeted with
approval, but from Mr. Hylan a call
for help from ex-service men certainly
should not be accepted with any degree
of enthusiasm. Although I was in
France at the time, it is my distinct
recollection that it was Mr. Hylan
who seemingly offered an insult to
every member of the A. E. F. by ap?
pointing William R. Hearst as chairman
of the reception committee to returning
soldiers. I well remember the disgust
and indignation with which this bit of
news was received at that time by the
men in my outfit. Is it possible that
Mr. Hylan expects these same men to
gladly answer his plea? E. S. S.
New York, Feb. 14, 1020.
Tags Worth Buying
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Isn't it about time that we heard
something more about women refusing
to buy cheap all-wool coats and suits,
preferring, instead, to pay extra for
trademarks from "swell places" on the
Avenue? '
Personally, I plead guilty. I love to
pat the tag of a high-class, reputable
firm and so unconsciously expose it when
I remove my coat or fur. And why
this satisfaction? Because these firms
cannot afford to and never do put out
inferior tailoring. And who cares a
fig for all-wool clothing whose bumpy,
zigzag seams suggest the combined ef?
forts of an arteginn well driver and the
village blacksmith ?
I prefer, and I think most careful
buyers do, to pay for good tailoring,
and I have nevef dressed so well nor
so inexpensively as I have since I have
"paid for a good trademark."
G. D. V,
New York, Feb. 12, 1920.
Touching the Jacob Jones
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: May we not expect that the
Congressional investigation now in
progress touching naval operations ;
during the late war will finally dispose
of some rumors as to the loss of the
Jacob Jones, which were quite wide-,
spread and persistent, although the
writer never saw them referred to in
the newspapers. They were to the ef?
fect that
1. The submarine was able to get the
Jacob Jones because she had stopped
for target practice; and that
2. The rescuing ship arrived in time
to save the survivors because the sub- '
marine captain, being more humane |
than most of his brother officers in ;
the German navy, sent out two wireless |
calls giving notice of the Jacob Jones's
mishap. E. HENRY LACOMBE.
New York, Feb. 15, 1920.
Will the Senator Answer >
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Mr. Bainbridge's inquiry about
where Senator Wadsworth stands on
the Socialist ousting is timely and in
teresting. We know where he has
stood on suffrage and prohibition; we j
know where he stands on the league of
nations', orfly one point remains, to be
cleared up. Maybe, having jumped
wrong on so many other issues, he ex?
pects to wait until after election to
commit himself on this one. But that
will prove a losing game; we are not
going to choose any more representa?
tives out of a grab bag. H. F. A.
New York, Feb. 14, 1920.
?
The Need for Work
(From The Chicago Daily Newa)
What Is needed along with industrial |
democracy is an industrious democracy, i
The Conning Tower,
The Dinar and th? Pelle????
H? wu a beggar; ...
He did not seem a faker, but as If life bad
Indeed reduced him to th? as kin? of
aim? on publia highway??
He had no leg;?: ?tump? protrud?d from
beneath the bulk of hi? body,
Hi? face ?m weary and hi? ?ye? ?ad:
HI? face, in fact, seemed smudged ovar with
this business of going on somehow and
in ?otne way and to little purpose ?
And ha was resting, a tin cup, a cluster
of pencils extended, where quit? ob-vl*.
ously he had no business to be?
Against one of the pillars of th? subway
station's platform.
A policeman approached him:
A great, burly, red-faced guardian of th?
law,
Huge and Impressive and terrifying.
We watched.
It made us a little sick to think of that
cringing hulk of a man with the weary
eyes, ordered on, commanded on, with
perhaps a sly and ponderous boot to
urge him. . . .
And then th? policeman stopped, stooped
over him, spoke and smiled, and dropped
a coin into the "battered cup.
OSOAB.
Mr. Hoover, largely by personal ap?
peal, made many persons do without
things during the war; and that way
endeared himself to the public, for
the people love whom they sacrifice
for. And the people are sentimental,
and affection influences more votes
than respect. But the sacrifice that
inspires affection must be voluntary;
which is a cheering thought, other?
wise the President of the Telephone
Company were the city's most loved
denizen.
A barytono is without honor in
his Alma Mater, an observation caused
by the advertisement in the New York
University New Yorker of the annual
concert of Reginald Werrewealh.
For Thirty-nine Days
Avaunt yel got along!
Gay dance and ribald revel!
Wine, Women, and Song!
The World, the Flesh, the Devil!
"We are not going to quarrel with
America," the London Globe says,
"over a two-penny strip of Dalmatia."
We believe that utterly, but we do not
believe that it is impossible for one
nation* to quarrel with another over
the one-hundredth part of a halfpenny
strip of Van Dieman's Land.
The Non-Soquitur Contest
ALBANY?"I have run for office sixteen
times and never been defeated," said th?
Governor, "but these skia are one too many
for me."?The Sun.
"I hbve staged twenty plays in five
years," said George M. Cohan, "but
this car ?b too crowded for me."
"I have drawn posters for all the
Liberty Loan campaigns," said James
Montgomery Flagg, "but this steak is
too tough for me,
"I have sung barytone solos for
many years," said Reinald Werrenrath,
"but this ice is too slippery for me."
"I have been a star since I was
eighteen years old," said Miss Ethel
Barrymore, "but these rubbers are too
small for me." K. T. M.
"And," lastlines Old Doc Crane, "as
you love me, cultivate a sense of
humor." Oh, doctor, we try and we
try, but It doesn't seem to do any
Suggestion?J. W. E.'s?for two
generations hence: The Society of
the Sons of Wilson Cabinet Members.
The Board of Estimate
snn:
Tell me, OuIJa, whom I'll marry.
Do not make me bet? and coax 1
Will it be my handsome Harry 7
Tell mc, Oulja, whom I'll nyrry.
If you say that it is Larry,
I will swear that you're a hoax !
Tell me, Ouija, whom I'll marry.
Do not make me beg and coax !
he:
Oulja, tell me why my Carrie
First Bay? "yes" and then revokes ;
Urges "haste," and then pleads "tarry"
Oulja, tell me why my Carx*le
Love3 to quibble, tease and parry,
Makes me butt of all her jokes ?
Oulja, tell me why my Carrie
First says "yes" and then revokes !
ouija:
Je suis spirit of Du Barry,?
Who Is't qui mon ame invokes ?
Aujourd'hui je viens de Paris,
(Je suis Bplrit of Du Barry).
Pour vous dire il faut vous mari?
Ez, comme other bourgeois folks !
Je suis spirit of Du Barry,?
Who ls't qui mon ame invokes T
Janigb.
The flu epidemic Is officially at an
end; which reminds us of the night
a friend of ours was wounded. He
never got over the communique of
that date, which said, "Quiet north?
west of Toul. Nothing to report."
The Diaryof Our Own Samuel Pepys
February 17?C. Riegelman the bar?
rister come to luncheon, and I matched
coins with him and G. Parsons, and
payed for all, as I do five days in
six. Most of the talk is of the snowy
streets and the telephone service, and
not of the Cabinet situation; for peo?
ple talk of what concerns them, and
all use the streets and all try to use
the telephone. At my desk all tke
afternoon, and to Mistress Alice's for
dinner, and thence to see a foolish
play, "The Wonderful Thing," shewing
how a brave man was intimidated by a
blackmailer, but no man one-twentieth
as brave would be so intimidated, it
seemeth to me. Home, and waited for
my wife and R. Hayes, who had gone
ti- see "Abraham Lincoln," which we
talked of till late.
18?Early up, and happy over the
fineness of the day, a few like which
will melt the snow from the tennis
courts. My wife distrait over tho
great cost of things, but I think it
matters little, forasmuch as even if
we could save money, what we save
would not buy much; whereupon she
called me a Pollyanna, so I was sorry
I had uttered so foolish a thought.
Cry of the German ships: "A sale!
A sale!"
The Public Service Commission, in?
quiring into the causes "for the alleged
breakdown in the telephone service,
finds that there is no specific remedy.
It is like a rundown human constitu?
tion, and the Evening Sun says that
the cure must come by way of slow,
steady building up.
In the mean time, the company ap?
pears to be trying the rest core.
F. P. A.
A REGULAR DONATION PARTY
(Copyright, UIO, New York Tribun? Inc.)
Unfinished Business
f?i) Franh H. Simonas
One of the inevitable circumstances
of all great international settlements
h?B been the ultimate sacrifice of the
rights and just claims of small nations
either to the concerns or impatience
of the larger. Invariably the time and
the attention of the great powers are
occupied with the debate of the things
most important for them, and finally
the patience of the world is exhausted
and the peacemakers, patching up an
arrangement affecting their own inter?
ests, leave the rights and destinies of
the small nations to take care of them?
selves.
This is exactly the stage which has
now arrived in the present world set?
tlement. The publics, like the govern?
ments of France, Great Britain, the
United States, are sick to death of the
hagglings and snarls of the Paris Con?
ference. Such reserve of patience as
remains is consumed in the observation
of the attempt to straighten out a
snarl like that over Fiume, which, since
it affects a great nation, is of im?
portance, forbidding total avoidance.
But there are not a few things left
undone which clamor for attention, and
not the least is the case of the Greeks.
In two particular cases the great pow?
ers have totally failed to fulfill theii
duty toward Greece. They have re?
fused to take the necessary steps tc
insure Greek occupation of the JEgea,n
Islands and of Northern Epirus. Or
the subject of the JEgean Islands there
has never been any debate; in th?
very dawn of history these islands
were Greek, and Greek they have re
mained. Yet Italy haj occupied man;
of them, as a consequence of he:
Turkish war, and continues to h?h
them.
Hellenic Islands
A Japanese occupation of Long Isl
and would be no more of an offendinj
against the rights of nationality thai
the Italian stay in Rhodes or the scat
tered islands of the Dodecanese. Ii
these islands the Greek War for Inde
pendenco was gallantly waged, th
centenary of which will be celebratei
next year. The single hope of the in
habitants, more than 100,000, has bee:
to return to the Hellenic nation eve
since there was a Greek state, offerin
them a national asylum.
The case of the islands is every bi
as clear as the case of Dalmatia; th
Italians in Rhodes are offender
against justice exactly as much as wer
the Austrians who held Trieste an
the Trentine. There is no claim th
Italians have urged for the Irredent
which may not be urged by the Greek
in Chios and Rhodes. And if Italy i
to be permitted to establish herself o
Greek Islands in the heart of th
Greek JEgean, then there is the b<
ginning of a new^phase of the Eastei
question out of which came the Worl
War.
Italian Ambition
Nor is the case of Northern Epiru
and particularly of Koritza, less clea
The territory is a part of anciei
Greece; Tepelleni, on the very froi
tier of Greek claim, is, by translatio
the hill of the Hellenes; Dodona
an ancient altar of Greek nationalisi
Koritza is the site, or was until r
cently, of a flourishing Greek scho<
The population of these districts wc
comed the Greeks when the powe
permitted Greece to occupy them du
ing the World War. Without Korit
the whole of the Greek lands west
the Pindug are open to invasion, at
there is no repute of communicati
between Epirus and Macedonia.
Once more it is Italian ambiti
which blocks Greek national aspii
tion. The Italians have occupied Va?
lona, at the Strait of Otranto; they
plan to make this base the key of the
Adriatic; they are anxious to extend
their area of occupation around Valona
as widely as possible. To do this they
are using the cover of Albanian na?
tional sentiment to justify themselves.
They are trying to create an Albania
which, under their domination, will ex?
tend far south into the Hellenic dis?
tricts. In doing this they are per
! mitting and encouraging the Albanians
i to drive the Greek majority out of
Epirus, relying upon the Albanian
minority presently by their votes to
give a color to Albanian claims, which
j here are nothing but disguises for Ital?
ian ambition.
The Aid of Venizelos
No one will expect the United States
to send fleets or armies to assist the
Greeks, righteous as is their cause and
| just as would be such an action, but
! there ought to be some American ap
I preciation of the Balkan situation and
I some moral support, at least, for one
more oppressed race seeking national.
I r?int?gration. The oldest national as
j piration in history is that of the
Greeks; they have been faithful to it
since a time which antedates the very
existence of other nations and of race
consciousness among the other tribes
which still survive.
In Venizelos Greece has produced
one of the very greatest statesmen of
contemporary times, and the services
of Venizelos to the Allied cause, at a
grave crisis in the World War,* were of
inestimable value. Thanks to this man,
Greece has pursued her national aims
with every regard for the peace of the
world. Her confidence in the ultimate
justice of her cause has been complete.
But, unfortunately, there is to-day grave
danger that Greek rights may be sacri?
ficed, because the world comprehension
of the issues in the JEge&n has not been
sufficiently aroused.
With several hundred thousands of
Greek citizens, whose loyalty to Amer?
ica has been strikingly displayed in
America and in Greece, alike, the United
States has certainly a moral concern
in seeing the legitimate aspiration of
all Greeks realized, and American sym?
pathy and interest may yet prove a de?
cisive element. As it stands to-day, more
than 250,000 Greeks are in imminent
peril of being permanently transferred
?so far as injustice can be permanent
?to Italian and Italo-Albanian rule.
Even at the hour when international
sympathies are lowest and American at?
tention is most narrowly concentrated
upon American problems, there must
still be at least an effective minority
still loyal to the principles millions
of Americans were professing only a
year ago. And nowhere more than in
the case of the iEgean Isles, whose
Hellenic character Byron sang, more
than a century ago, are these princi?
ples at stake.
(Copyright, 1920, McClure Newspaper
Syndicate)
His Honor in Wonderland
The Mayor and commissioner
Were walking on the Strand;
They wept like anything to see
The snow and ice at hand.
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand."
"If seven cops with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose," the Mayor said,
"That they could get It clear?"
"They might," said the commissioner,
And shed a bitter tear.
HUNTLEY MONROE.
I New York, Feb. 16, 1920.
Why Teachers Resign
Salary Raises Slow and Whit'
tied Down
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: No man in the elementary schools
has received more than $100 increase is
his salary during the last twenty yean.
The men received practically nothing vt
nothing in the salary bill ' that wu
passed last year. In fact, they are ?ten
being given what amounts to a redac?
tion in salary in accordance with an is
terpretation of the bill by the Board ?f
Education.
No man was given the $100 beton
which was to be given ? to all city ?m?
ployees receiving less than $1,800 a ye?f.
The Board of Education arbitrarily
ruled that the men were to be derde?
this. Inasmuch as most of the men af?
fected thereby were in the service, my?
self included, they could voice no objec?
tion. News of that sort wasn't sent Cat
to France to cheer us up.
It is unnecessary for me to tell you
how those men who are married?an i the
majority are?ara scraping and s ig
gling to make both ends meet, and
ing. Money that should go for the *<
comforts of life, for the education *Z
their children, for decent clothes, .?aft
be used to pay increased rents, focd
products and other necessaries. Tfe
United States Department of Labor bad
stated that a wage of $2,200 per annul?
is necessary to maintain a family wtta
the bare necessities. A majority et ta?
'men receive less than this.
The Board of Education knows these
facts to be true. So does the city ad
i ministration. Their answer is, "Get out
; of the schools." Perfectly right. Th??M
who can are doing so. Those wfco re?
main are hoping to do so. But ther?
are others who cannot take a chance.
Shall they be left to continue sour ani
disgruntled, not caring or unable to gire
efficient teaching because of home wor?
ries? Will they have the inspiration ?
desire to inculcate the lesson of good
citizenship in the adolescent boys ua4-*
their charge? I doubs it.
INTERESTED
New York, Feb. 15, 1*20.
To the Editor of Th? Tribune.
Sir.: A year ago the State Legislator*
granted all high school teachers a ??t
raise of $500, which was to be added t?
present salaries by the local boards *f
education within a three-year perles.
In New York City the high school teach?
ers are given an annual increase of ftW
until they reach the maximum sajara
which increase is connected in no wtf
with the $500 raise granted a year *?*>?
However, this is the way our Bosi?
of Education is construing the M?
law: $500+ $150 = $650; 1-3 of $680=
$216. Each teacher (who has not y?*
attained the maximum salary) receive?
a yearly increase of $216, acquiring
thereby $66 of the $500 granted her If
the Legislature, a sum not sufficient ??
, buy a winter coat?the food inspect?'
' to the contrary notwithstanding! ?
this rate it will take her nearly eifk*
years to get the $500, which the 1?*
expressly states she shall receive l?
three years. One is in doubt whets*
to regard it as pitiable or laughable.
Can any sane-minded individual thiP
I that such treatment tends to produ*
i either loyalty or devotion to duty 9
! those who are the objects?or shall "?
say victims?of this policy? What iS*
j ducement does it offer to the future c*
: lege graduate to enter the teaching pt*
?fession? Has the City of New Yo*
| reached such a financial plight that *
makes up its deficits in other sitSf
tions by depriving its teachers ot $
portion of their salaries?
ESTHER HARMO^
New York, Feb. 16, 1920.
t