New-York tribune. [volume], April 15, 1921, Page 10, Image 10

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2?ew ?S?ork Sribmte
First to Laat?the Truth: News?Edi?
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FRIDAY. APRIL 15, 1921
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A Double-Barreled Program
?
President Harding proposes, first, i
to establish peace with Germany by
passing the Knox resolution, which
repeals and negatives the war reso?
lution of April 6, 1917. This done,
he then proposes to ratify, or adhere
to, the Versailles Treaty, minus its
covenant provisions.
The specialists in international !
law and usage are busy arguing
whether or not this double-barreled
program is feasible or legal?some
saying it is and some that it is not.
With all respect to the dissentients,
it is perhaps permissible to say their ;
contentions are absurd. They are !
victims of a vice to which the learned ,
are addicted?namely, the assump?
tion that words and forms are reali
1 its and through their own force
stablish inhibitions. Yet in truth
hey are but images. The realities :
lie behind them.
A state of peace may come into ex- j
istence after ? war without a treaty.
Peace is a condition, a status, and
may prevail without a single scratch !
of pen on paper. The passage of the
Knox resolution would merely mean
the recognition of an antecedent
fact. But even as a method of certi?
fication no serious claim is made that
it is inadequate to the end it seeks.
The international law faculty unani?
mously agrees that peace can be pro?
claimed by resolution.
If the Knox resolution is accepted ;
as furnishing sufficient evidence that '
th? war is over, then this country is : '
free, as a sovereign state, to make '
i
any agreements it sees fit to make
with any nation or group of nations. J
A nation's power is plenary in this
respect. Our state papers are full
of records of qualified adherence to
general agreements. If a qualified
ratification is agreeable to those j
with whom we deal, a reciprocal bar?
gain is, of course, closed.
But it is said that should we pro?
claim peace with Germany various
matters which were settled to our
advantage by the Treaty of Ver?
sailles would be reopened, and, as we
would have no sword to hold over
Germany's head, we would be forced
to make concessions to gain our ends.
Nonsense. If we adhere to the
Versailles Treaty with the approval
of our allies we would not have one
word but the associated sword of
lour other great nations to hold over
Germany's head. Can't it be seen
that the prospect for us or any other
nation to secure the advantages of
the Versailles Treaty depends not on
i he agreement reached but on ability
and a willingness to enforce the
agreement?
The European nations would be
most happy to help us get ours if we
in turn would help them to get
theirs. Any one who can't see this
suffers from dimmed eyesight.
The School Board Bill
A particular center of chaos in the
New York City government of, by
and for Hylanism is the school sys?
tem. The resignation of Mr. Wilsey,
an old member of the board, bears
timely testimony to the mess of
things educational. The blame cen?
ters upon the Mayor, whose inter?
ference has kept the Board of Edu?
cation in a state of incompetency
and confusion.
How end this situation? By oust?
ing Mayor Hylan next; November,
for one method. But the grave in?
jury done to our educational system
in these years of Hylanism urges
safeguards for the future. Such
safeguards seem admirably designed
in the bill introduced by Senator
Robinson and now pending at Al?
bany. This bill ends the Mayor's
single-handed power to appoint the
Board of Education and places this
power in a commission composed of
the Mayor and the four members of
the Board of Regents resident In
New York City.
This proposal is a frank compro?
mise between complete home rule
and state control. Considering the
high character of the membership of
the Board of Regents, it offers a
most promising betterment upon the
present system. Local men would
still have the appointing power, but
they would be chosen, four out of
five of them, by the state Legisla?
ture instead of by the voters of the
city. Any system must be tested by
experience. In view of the appalling
failure of the existing plan under a
Mayor of the Hylan type it would
certainly^ seem wise to give this new
method a thorough test. We hope j
that the Legislature will find time, I
despite the crowded condition of its i
remaining sessions, to enact thy? ox- j
collent and importent bill.
The Faro and Taxes
The meaning of the amendments
which at Governor Miller's request
are to be attached to the traction act
is so plain that there is no excuse for
misunderstanding.
The amendments do not guarantee
a five-cent faro. What they do is to j
guarantee, should there be an in?
crease of fare, that the financial ben?
efit thereof shall accrue to the city, !
The oumers of traction securities ore '
?fo get no more then they now get.
Such is the automatic consequence
of the provision that the valuation i
on which the companies are to get
return is to bring no greater return
than would come to them through
their present franchises and con?
tracts.
As conditions now aro with respect
to the Interborough subway, the five
cent fare about suffices to pay oper?
ating expenses and interest on the
company's bonds. The interest on J
the money the city borrowed for con- j
struction is paid out. of taxes. Should
there be a six-cent fare the extra j
cent would lift the city's taxation i
burden and tend to bring.down rents. !
The traction service?as it should? j
would carry itself, something it now
does not do, with public fund? spent j
to meet the principal deficit.
France and the Harding Program
Comments in the Paris press show
that the French realize the friendly
implications of President Harding's j
peace policy. Naturally they are
pleased that the long Wilson dead?
lock is broken. The last Admin?
istration's gifts to France were of
the Grecian variety. Mr. Wilson
pressed on Clemenceau the League
of Nations covenant, which the lat?
ter valued but slightly. French
statesmen could see little utility in
the league as an instrument to pre- t
serve peace unless it authorized the 1
creation of an international military t
staff', empowered to employ definite ?
quotas of troops to enforce the i
league's decisions. The lack of a :
military organization of this sort I
made intervention on the league's '
part to save Poland from the Rus- j ;
sian invasion or to get Zellgouski ! t
Dut of Vilna an empty gesture. ] '.
Mr, Wilson gave France the draft ?1
3f an insurance treaty, to be ratified '
by Great Britain and the United '
States, guaranteeing her against
German aggression. This also :
proved an unliquidatable asset. And
when the French began to bestir
themselves to make the eastern
frontier secure through their own ?
efforts the President crustily inti- j '
mated that France had re?mbraced \
'imparialisrn" and "militarism."
i
Mr. Harding offers France some- ;
thing less nebulous f.nd more work?
able. He wants to secure for all
the Allies the reparations and ter?
ritorial cessions which Germany
promised at Versailles. The sub?
stantive parts of the treaty must be
preserved, in his view, while the
superfluous League of Nations and
insurance treaty superstructure are
dismantled. We can help France
out of the Wilson bog while she?
helps us out. In return for our co- i
operation in enforcing the body of !
the treaty the United States merely ?
asks to be relieved of those embar- ?
rassing and obnoxious obligations ?
which Mr. Wilson sought to assume i
for us and at the same timo to thrust
on ??ther nations. ,
It is of little consequence to France
whether the United States holds
apart from the existing league if
American support is given to the
main treaty provisions. Here is a |
basis, as the French newspapers see
it, on which the European powers |
can work advantageously with Mr. i
Harding. The Wilson misadventure j
at Paris need not keep America any I
longer out of the peace settlement, j
In the real settlement, which is to i
come, France, as Le Temps says, I
can "without anxiety assist the i
United States" in carrying out ;
President Harding's program
Hush Week
By proclamation duly issued by i
Mayor Hylan the seven days, be?
ginning on April 18 are set apart as
"hush week." The public is officially j
exhorted to refrain from unneces- j
sary noise. The honks of the horn, j
the strident voices of the harbor, ?
the roaring rattles of the elevated j
and the chatter of ironed hoofs are
told to sink to pianissimo.
Not only this, but even more in- j
teresting, as the committee in charge I
announces, there is another injunc-1
tion. It is to "hush the increasing, ;
unwarranted criticism of the nation,
state and city." So it is actually
written down.
His Honor does not like criticism.
His soul abhors it. It is true he
reached office by circulating slan?
ders of the Mitchel administration.
It is also true that he has been bottle
holder and towel wielder to Hearst
as that gentleman has shrieked his
abuse. Nevertheless, tho Mayor is
douhtless sincere in his present aver- :
sion to faultfinding. ? He has not j
liked it since the Lockwood com- ? :
?ittee met?has especially not liked ! :
it since the passage of the r?solu- :
;ion ordering an investigation of his t
administration. i
So "Hush!" proclaims the Mayor, i
So "Sh?sh," whisper the little ver?
min of the City Hall as they dodge
the light. The humors of the mu?
nicipal campaign bIiow themselves
early.
But does exhortation go far
enough? Silence, after all, is merely
silver. Why should not something
bo said or done on the positive side?
Why not an admiration week fol?
lowing hush week and an adulation
week a little later and a worship
week along toward November? All
citizens could wear Hylan hatbands
and wave Hylan banners; cantatas
could be sung in the public schools
and prayers of thanksgiving be said
for the great blessings of his reign.
Livingston's Luck
The old Jake Livingston home?
stead, otherwise known as the head?
quarters of the 22d A. D. Repub?
lican Club, in Brooklyn, went up in
smoke yesterday. It was not so
completely exterminated as was the
Livingston effort to prevent an in?
vestigation of the city government/
But it will not be of much use as a
headquarters for a long, long time.
What caused this wreck of an old
political landmark??the headquar?
ters, we mean. Spontaneous combus?
tion, says one report. A cigarette
butt, says^nother. However it was,
last week Leader Jake was happy
and peaceful. This week he is cast
out and scorned by most of his own
legislators. What did it? Self
starting ignition? All too probably.
If savages can start a fire by rub- !
bing sticks together, surely the fric- j
tion of the thoughts of Mr. Living-!
ston might start a blaze.
It might seem to the casual ob?
server that nothing could be better
than the accident which has come to
Mr. Livingston. When a Republi?
can leader stands shoulder to shoul?
der with Tammany Hall it is surely
;iot altogether bad luck to have his
records burned.
The State Income Tax Muddle
This is the last day for payment
if state income taxes. Yet the Comp
;roller's department has failed to
:lear up a confusion in its instruc
;ions to taxpayers to which atten
;ion was called several weeks ago by
10 less an authority than the United j
States Supreme Court.
The court held that profits from
he sale of securities or real prop
?rty are income and may he taxed.
But it also said that income thus
-axed must be actual income, meas
?red by the difference between pur
maso price and selling price.' The
Internal Revenue Bureau had de?
parted from this sound principle by
ising for taxation purposes the dif?
ference between the selling price and
the market or quotation price on
March 1, 1913, for any property pur
mased before that date. Our state
r.come tax administration made a
still more radical ruling. Since our
law is of recent origin, it held that
in calculating profit or loss on sales
the market price on January 1, 1919,
should be substituted for the actual
purchase price if the purchase was
made in any year before 1919. In
the case of many classes of securi?
ties this readjustment of the pur?
chase price caused a wide derange?
ment of values.
Senator Davenport introduced a
bill to conform the state's practice to
the Supreme Court's decision. But !
it wasn't acted on in time to affect,
this year's payments. On a large
number of returns, therefore, the
state will collect either too much tax
or too little tax. And if rebates are
allowed, thousands of income tax ac?
counts will have to be laboriously
adjusted.
The income tax is vexatious to the
payer because of its many pitfalls
and complications. Good admin?
istration requires that the process
of making returns be simplified and
that state computation methods be
harmonized as far as possible with
Federal methods, since the Federal
return must be filed first. Taxpay?
ers are human enough to appreciate
friendly cooperation on the part of
collecting agencies. Delay at Albany
in repairing a blunder fully exposed
to public view has been disappoint?
ing. Bureaucracy is traditionally
?tiff-necked. Here was an occasion,
unfortunately missed, to cultivate
good feeling by a prompt admission
of wrong.
More Money for Housing
The Albany lawmakers, on the
eve of adjournment, seem to have
failed, as the record now stands, in
dealing with the housing shortage.
Amended rent laws have proved
but a drop in the bucket of ameliora?
tion. The legislation of last year
which offered the encouragement of
taxation exemption for a limited pe?
riod to the promoters of new build?
ing construction in this city has
been in effect long enough to demon?
strate its practical efficiency as an
emergency measure. Under its
stimulus more and more houses are
going up. Nevertheless, there is
lefinite evidence that the abnormal
pressure upon existing housing fa?
cilities would be relieved to a much
greater extent if adequate capital
were available on terms that could
)e accepted by the small home
;eeker.
The practical deduction from the!
'acts in view seems to be that some i
ueans must be devised- for increas
ng the money-lending resources of
he cooperative savings and loan as?
sociations of the state, for these in?
itiations are the chief lenders of
mortgage money to the man of small
or moderato means who would
finance the building of hiB own home
Senator Lowman, of Elmira, is
sponsor for a bill designed to in?
creaso investments in theso associa?
tions by providing that annual in?
come derived by a member shall bo
exempt from the state income tax to
the extent of $500. This measure of
encouragement to thrift might be
justified at any time, but is particu?
larly needed at this time as a means
of increasing the funds intended for
the promotion of home owning and
new dwelling houso construction. If
it results, as it is .designed to do, in
increasing the membership of these
mutual savings associations, its ten?
dency will be, by the creation of new
taxable values and new mortgage
recording taxes, to increase consid?
erably rather than reduce the state's
revenues.
The Lowman bill should be re?
ported out of committee, in order that
it may be considered by the Leg?
islature before adjournment to?
morrow.
Too Easy Naturalization
A Set of Questions for Would-Be
Gtizens to Answer
To the Editor of The Tribun?,
i Sir: Ono of the greatest problem?
that confront pur nation is that o?
making Americans of the aliens who
come to our shores.
Much has been said of Americaniza i
tion. What is Americanization? Amer?
icanization moans to teach him v.hc I
seeks the honor of becoming a citizen ,
of the United States his duties, re- ;
sponsibilities and privileges.
American naturalization is too easily j
obtainable as the law now stand?. It '
is sufficient- to livo here a few years I
after ono has filed his declaration of !
intention, to have two citizens vouch I
for the applicant, and the latter, after |
having answered a few insignificant !
questions, is created a citizen by our i
courts. The two citizens nre generally '
either relatives of tha applicant or\
men who have bus.iness dealings with j
him.
To become an American in that way !
does not mean that the new citizen j
is Americanized. I suggest that when j
the applicant declares his intention of !
becoming a citizen?in other words, :
when he takes out his first papers?he j
be handed the Constitution of ihe j
United States and the Declaration o? |
Independence, both instruments trans- ?
lated into his native tongue. When
the time comes to apply for his final
papers he should be interrogate'! ;
along the lines of the above two docu?
ments. Furthermore, the following
questions should be answered and
sworn to:
1. Why did you leave the old coun?
try?
2. Have you ever been arrested, con?
victed or sentenced for a crime against
society?
8. Have you ever held an office in
your native country?
4. Do you intend to make the United j
States your permanent home?
5. Have you done any military serv
ice?
C. What activities, if any, did ycu
take part in during the great war?
After these formalities the state
should, before granting naturalization,
insert two successive notices in the
daily press as follows:
"John Doc, of Blanktown, Europe,
has applied to obtain American citizen-I
ship. Any information concerning t'ic j
applicant will be greatly appreciated ;
by the office of naturalization, and the i
name of the informant will be kept i
strictly confidential."
Surrounded by such guaranties, our
new citizen will be worthy to enter j
the great American family, and will ?
become a valuable acquisition for the
United States.
That constitutes real and effective !
Americanization.
JONAS LIPPMANN.
New York, April 12, 1921.
April, 1865
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: April 15 is memorable as the !
anniversary of the death of Abraham |
Lincoln?never so greatly mourned as j
in this era of our history. The event I
is indelibly impressed upon my mind, j
for I was present at Ford's Theater on I
that fateful 14th of April, 1865. I !
saw the President carried out of the ''
building to the house across the street, i
where he died the following morning, i
The number of those who saw him
then is growing less each year; also
of those who wcro present at the nec?
essarily small gathering in the White
House on the occasion of the initial
funeral ceremony on April 18. I hap?
pen o fcave been one of that assembly'
and have preserved the letter of invi-,
tation.
At the close of the simple exercises, j
passing by the coffin, I picked up an
ivy leaf which had fallen from the
wreath, and still have it as a precious
memento. JOHN Y. CULYER.
New York, April 13, 1921.
Large "Scotsmen"
(From The London Pott)
Professor Keith, lecturing on the way
man is built, dubbed him the sky?
scraper of the animal world, since he
is built on sky-scraper pattern; and
referred to the extraordinary number
of high cranes to be seen just now in
London. An architect, speaking of the
same thing, somewhat mystified a group
of clubmen by remarking, "I never saw
bo many large Scotsmen in London in i
my life. One in the city haa an arm j
90 feet in length, and can lift seven
tons at a radius of 65 feet at 40 feet a
minute." It turned out that "Scots?
men" is the trade term for the crane.
A Fair Exchange
(From The Indianapolis News)
To be Bure, Mr. Chesterton paid a
tribute to Mr. Wells. All those fel?
lows over tbere do that sort of thing,
for they have one of the greatest re?
volving funda of mutual admiration?
or, at any rate, reciprocal advertising
?that was ever established.
Hylids
Hark, now that day is done,
To this shrill unison
Piercing the dusk; night long
Echoes the strident song.
Whence are these myriad cries
Under the evening skies-?
Have budding trees a voice?
Does the young grass rejoice?
Surely such notes as these
Riso not from grass m ;? trees !
Or aro they festal spritct
That through dim April nights
Dance in a round and sing
Hail to returning Spring?
If you but tiptoe near,
Rumors of sudden fear
Still them at once, and they
Cease till you turn away;
Then into mirth they break?
What a high din they make!
G. S. B.
With tho President's suggestion for
?the establishment of a Department of,
?Public Welfare we aro out of accord.
I We don't believe that tho public,?mem
! bers of which aro somo of our best
| friends, wo hurry to add,?knows what
I is good for it. And wo don't believe
[that a Welfare Department would know,
i cither.
Years ago we sought to guide the
| public, to train it up In the way it
?should go. But it was intent on othor
?tilings, so we abandoned it. All that
matters, in our opinion, aro the per?
fection of an offensive backhand stroke
and the 1921 etyles in straw hats.
And yet we are, we fear, a reformer
nt, heart. If wo should bo chosen head
of the Department of Public Welfare,
our first act would bo to abolish the
sponge, whipped-cream atrocity vended
to the public as Strawberry Short Cake.
The Trolley (Sixth Ave.) Talkers
"W'y, I c'n double yer money."
"Zat right? Cn ye double it?"
"Sure I c'n double it. 'N no time."
"Yeah ?"
"W'y sure! Y' ask any o' tho big
buyers. They'll tell ye I c'n double it."
"?"' can, eh?"
"I'll say so?botcherlife 1 c'n dou?
ble it.."
"Awright, see ye t'morrah."
"Yeah, t'morrah. Wat's t'morrah?"
"T'morrah's Sat'day."
"Sure, I'll see ye t'morrah awright."
" 'Bout twelve clock?"
"Yeah, t'morrah. Wat's t'morrah?"
"Awright, see ye t'morrah."
"Yeah?sure?noon."
"T'morrah noon, awright. G'by."
"G'by?sure?g'by."
"G'by." M. S. M.
"If," hypothesizes Walter Trumbull
in The Herald, "the Giant?, Yankees
and Itobins will keep on advancing at
their present pace the big league war
will be over long before October." The
Yankees, of course, may win all their
games; but the Giants or tho Robins
will find it difficult to keep up that
percentage.
The Hospitality of Billy Phclps
[From The New Haven News-Leader 1
Gilbert K. Chesterton, who sailed for Eng?
land yesterday after ;i profitable lecturing
lour of the United States, which included
New Haven, r.ayu he found prohibition here
"somewhat of a sham," remarking that
wherever he went his "host, if he had no
spirits to offer on my arrival, invariably said
ho would have some next day, and when it
came the spirits came also and there was
sufficient ever after." Mr. Chesterton said
he found no out and out advocate of pro?
hibition.
While in this city, Mr. Chesterton was
the guest of Prof. William Lyon Phelps.
Sack, bag, even base. But since the
Cicotte affair baseball reporters have
ceased to refer to it as tho pillow.
GOOD FELLOWS
/. .Sir John Falstaff
John Falstaff had grave Hamlet's heart,
Jacques' melancholy, and a part
Of Benedick's mirth, Iago's art.
Oh never think that he who laughed
Ho loudly and so loosely quaffed
His tons of sack was strange or daft !
For he who wears the Jester's guise
And barters truth for silly lies,
May often own a mind too wise.
And he who stares life in tho face.
And finds of dead men not a trace.
May scorn the prize, despise the race.
John Falstaff went his idle way,
And knew, when turning nigh*, to day.
Men are but puppets in life's play.
PAUL HERVEY FOX.
We wonder what Senator Lusk would
have thought of the best teacher we
ever had, Professor V. C. Alderson.
He taught Mathematics, but frequently
he devoted a large part of the hour to
expounding the theme that the Theory
of Indices was less important to a
student than respect for truth; which
was fostered by a study of mathe?
matics. Also, Professor Alderson was
fond of insisting that his students
speak in clean English. He used to say
that a person deserved no more credit
for using decent English and spelling
correctly than for breathing.
The Complete Letter Writer
[Received by an Albany want ad appli?
cant.!
Dear Sir;
Noticen in your morning paper that
you have a want for a Automobile me?
chanics I am in serch for an employ?
ment of that Borce I am a Graduate of
Auto' and Electrician work having a
through Knoledg of them with 2 years
Experience Beleaving that I can make
good for you
Your Truly
Our notion of a real Bpace annihi
lator, Professor Einstein, is the man
who gets seven passengers in a seven
passenger car.
Tennis Hymns of Hate
One guy I loathe
Is Old Fred Willet,
Who greets each lob
With shouts of "Kill It!"
Another pest
Is Old Bill Stout;
When shots fly wild
He yells "Just Out!"
E. H. M.
By statistics on civility the shortagc
of-labor curve may be plotted. Car
washers again respond when you say
"Good evening."
Well, let the pennant undulate for
the Yanks!
With a permanent ware,
F. P. A.
The Problem of Ireland ~~~
Reoiewed by Lord Norlhcliffe, With a Forecast of Possible Settlem
Tho following pamgrmph? are quoted
from an article by Lord Northcllffo in
the April issue of The Nineteenth Cen?
tury and After:
I have been asked to contributo a
forecast of tho settlement which must
come to our present unrest arjfl I
should have liked to find time and
npace to deal with all the problems
which confront us, In Europe and in
tho empire, at tho moment. But, as
one with Irish blood in his veins, I
lind myself absorbed, to tho exclusion
of all other interests, in tho problem
of which tho solution is, to my mind,
the key to nearly all tho rest?namely,
the deplorable, but not necessarily in
\ soluble, problem of Ireland.
I am convinced that a settlement
; will evontually be reached and that
Ireland will then become more pros?
perous than at any time in her his?
tory; but this can only be. when the
English public realize the futility of
maintaining by force and under world?
wide condemnation an obsoleto form
of government such as we have always
been tho first to denounce in foreign
empires. It is no use for us to assure
ourselves that wo must alway3 be, be
causo wo always have been, in the
right, and that if we only persist long
enough in the course into which we
have drifted the world will como to
admire our skill In statecraft; nor can
we gain anything by arguing about the
inevitable.
Lost Opportunity
It was in the period immediately
following tho armistice that British
politicians let slip what I regard as
perhaps tho greatest of all opportuni?
ties to readjust the relations between
this country and Ireland. I recognize
that the hands of the new Parliament
were too full to permit of legislation
in regard to Ireland before tho sum?
mer of 1919. But legislation was not
essential. What was necessary and
what might have been given was ar.
assurance on the part of minister;
that they intended to approach the
Irish question in the' spirit of th<
peacemaker and that they were pre
pared generously to recognize thos?
Irish claims to which the debars oJ
the convention had given expression.
Ministers did not do this. As ha?
so often happened in the past, thej
permitted the Irish situation to drifi
until such time as they might find i
convenient to redeem their pledges
Irishmen, on the other hand, fount
that the conditions which, during tht
war, they had suffered understanding
ly, if not uncomplainingly, seemet
likely to be continued indefinitely int<
the peace. Every close student of Irisl
affaira realized that Ireland, if ?ho
wero left alone, would not remain sta?
tionary, and realized also that any
movement must be away from an j
agreed settlement. There was indeed
no time to bo lost, and, on the signing.
of jptacc with Germany in June, 1919,
it sawned to me essential that Parlia- ;
ment should proceed forthwith to the
conclusion of a peace with Ireland.
In tho following month The Times
published a series of articles which ?
presented the Irish situation, as it ]
then existed, to the British puh?k, and
outlined the conditions which then
governed the solution of the problem.
Limited Partition
Since those proposals were made the
Irish controversy has passed through
many phases, but on the whole the
issues, where they have narrowed, have
converged in the direction which The
Times anticipated. The scheme was
based upon the theory that limited
partition was a necessary preliminary
to a vnited Ireland. Ulster T ionists
criticized it strongly, y Ulst<
Unionists /ere prepared. Jt long
afterwards, to accept its principles, as
slightly modified by the government's
bill.
In November, 1919, the Irish govern?
ment issued a proclamation suppress?
ing the Sinn F?in movement and kin?
dred organizations throughout the
country. This was undoubtedly the
gravest blunder they had yet made in
administration. Until that time there
had been no serious political outrage
in Ireland; the young men had found
an outlet for their energies and en?
thusiasm in the political side of the
Sinn F?in movement.
This action of the Executive closed
every legitimate outlet. Those who
knew Ireland best, the older Irelands
and the new, foresaw that its effect
would be to drive the great forces
which were behind that movement into
th sinister channels of the secret so
ci? ties; and events have proved them
r\\ it. Once the campaign of outrage
anu assassination had begun, it was
inevitable that deeds of violence should
lead to others still more violent and
that the conscience of the country
should become inured to actions which,
at first, startled and even appalled it.
It was also inevitable that coercion
should keep pace with defiance.
The old Tory belief in the efficacy of
force in Ireland has survived the shat?
tering of a similar faith among the con?
servatives of Prussia. Coercion, if it it,
to succeed at all, must succeed rapidly,
t ui in Ireland the critical moment has
long passed. Sinn F?in is becoming
habituated even to the very strong
measures which have been taken t*
press it. " t0 r*.
Tho government generally tlittf M
their antagonists in Ireland cJS 5"
relatively small ?umber 0* ?1 *
by whom the population are ?S*!
and that if theso can be re^ .
Irish people will spontaneously 2L^
the friendly attitude mainta ^u'**
tmnalist leaders throughout 2
There could bo no greater^ ?
expert "gunmen" do exist, and in ^
opin.on, are supported by foreien'rl? *
But every Irishman knots thaf-u"''
mate demands of his country ar, '
terable-d that the We^'?...
an Incident, if a dreadful one
A lasting settlement in ?Und
come only when the normal demain"!
the Irish people b satisfied ***
mind, that demand is for complete 2
tonomy within the Four Seas of IreC
The demand for a republic seem, to ~ '
unreal. Ireland does not wish to ma
tain an army, still ?ess . fleet; ^
Lister is a problem disregard of whic"h'
has shipwrecked many well-meant a
lempts at a general settlement Btm
that problem is by no means so J2
as it was. * '
Thinking r,cn. Ulster Unionists ,nd
Sinn F?mers alike, must now reala,
that Ireland cannot remain permanent
divided, and that the question is ,,'J
ceptible of solution, thougn it may be
delayed, by Irishmen and in i'rehnd
Nay, a solution is inevitable once Uln?r'
men' have realized and are prepared to
confess their own dependence upon tho
rest of Ireland and once the rest of
Ireland has realized, as it has rot yet
the strength of Ulster and its value u
an integral part of the Irish nation.
Fiscal Autonomy
It is said, but I cannot think seriously
that the grant of fiscal autonnfcy t?
Ireland will prove a menace to the eco
nomic position of this country. The
Irishman is not a fool; he realizes that
Great Britain is the natural market for
his goods, and one for which no eqniva
lent alternative could bo found else?
where. It the right of Ireland to con?
trol her purse be once recognized, I do
not believe that she will prove ?low :o
understand the importance of adjusting
her own desires to the inevitable facts
Df her environment.
But these may seem no mor.? than
vain speculations at a time when, or.?
after another, every interest in southern
Ireland is being alienated from taia
:ountry by a policy of repression which
involves in its destruction of life ana
property the whole social and economic
fabric of the country. No settlement
:an now, I fear, be reached except
.hrough a truce, the necessity for which
becomes hourly more apparent.
Japan Develops Air Forces Teachers' L?y*y
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: It is of course well known that
England, France' and Germany are ex?
erting themselves to the utmost to de?
velop and perfect air navigation as
a commercial enterprise in order that
it may be utilized aa a part of their
war machinery in an emergency. Great
progress ha3 resulted. Thousands of
passengers and tons of merchandise
are now being carried across the Eng?
lish Channel in airplanes.
And it now appears that Japan has
entered the raco for conquest of the
air. The following excerpts from an
article in The Aeroplane, a London
journal, give information of Japanese
activities in this matter:
"It is commonly known that Japan
has for many years been building up
a navy and an army which have already
placed her among the foremost of the
world's lighting powers. Japan is not
troubled by any nons*r>se about mak?
ing the world safe for democracy. Still
less has the Japanese government
troubled itself, as ours has done, about
making the world safe for hypocrisy.
In the most open and aboveboard fash?
ion Japan has adopted the doctrine of
armed force as the nation's best safe?
guard. For this one has the greatest
admiration and respect.
"So far back as March, 1920, it was
reported that the Japanese military
mission in Europe had bought 300
airplanes, chiefly Spads and Farmans,
in France. Presumably these were
bought from the French Disposals
Board, as there has been no news of
the Spad or Farman factories being
active on Japanese orders.
A Protest
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: As chairman of tho committee
on motion pictures of the General
Federation of Women's Clubs, I wish
to voice for the 3,000,000 women who
compose its membership their indig?
nant protest against the plan of a !
motion picture producer to make
money out of the Clara Smith Hamon
tragedy.
Whether this was to be a presenta?
tion of a portion of her sordid story
or simply a capitalization of her tran?
sient notoriety, the effect upon the
young folks who throng our motion
picture theaters inevitably would be
deleterious. It is simply pandering to
the morbid curiosity of the unenlight?
ened.
As friends of the motion picture in- ;
dustry we regret to see such pictures j
put forth, because we know that similar j
productions must sooner or later re?
sult in the placing of such shackles
upon the motion picture industry as
will retard and possibly prevent its
proper development.
We recognize the great power for
good of motion pictures and would
urge exhibitors to give to the1 public
films which will enlighten theim and
upbuild as well as entertain. Film
men who will produce and exhibit films
of this character will find our great
organization backing them in the most
practical way, so that in the long fun
it will bo found that the best pictures
bring the largest financial returns.
MRS. WOODALLEN CHAPMAN.
New York, April 12, 1921.
"Much about the same time General
Nagaoka, the chief of the mission,
said: 'The next war will be an air
war, and the nation with the best air
service will dominate it3 rivals both
on land and sea.' And subsequent
events show that Japan is acting up to
this obvious doctrine, which seems to
be so strangely ignored by our poli?
ticians.
"So far as one can discover, no air?
craft have been bought in England for
the Japanese army, though a large
number?as orders go in these days?
have been bought here by the Japanese
navy, and it is said that negotiations
are afoot for many more. Also, it is
understood that French pilots and j
mechanics have been engaged a3 in- j
structors for the Japanese army. And !
it is known that an official mission wuj, I
to have Been sent by the Coastal Aera,
R. A. P., to the Japanese navy, but that
this mission was canceled yat the last
moment, it is said as the result of
representations made by the United
States.
"One is filled with admiration for
Japan's energy and enterprise and
self-confidence. It would bo all the
better for this country if our political
people had as much."
Whether there be danger of war or
not, it is manifestly imperative that
the United States shall speedily de?
velop air forces for mercantile pur?
poses as well as for the army and
navy. Invasion of the United States
from overseas will be quite impossible
if we provide ourselves with sub?
marines and air forces. AVIATION.
New York, April 13, 1921.
Decline of Alcoholism
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In tho April Archives of
Neurology and Psychiatry, a publica?
tion of tho American Medical Asso- :
ciation, a review is given of investiga- j
tions by Dr. H. Kirby, which shows j
a perceptible decline in the number of j
cases of alcoholism, as well as aleo- j
holic" insanity, admitted to New York ?
State hospitals during the last few
years.
It is stated that admissions to
Bellevue Hospital for acute or chronic
alcoholism had reached a high point of
32 per cent of all admissions, totaling
75,333 during the last ten years. The
lowest figure was reached in 1919,
when less than 6 per cent of cases ad?
mitted to the hospital were diagnosed
as alcoholism. The figures for 1920 j
were not yet available, but preliminary j
estimates showed a smaller number |
than in 1919.
Of the cases of alcohcL r? which re- !
suited in insanity admitted to all of
the New York State hospitals during
this tim? there was a drop to less than
2 per cent in 1920 from ihe high point
of 11 per cent of all cases which were
previously diagnosed as insane upon
admission.
During this time there was little if
any change in diagnoses, it is stated, !
and the continuous decline in the ratio |
of all classes of alcoholic cases is of j
the mora significance when one takes !
into consideration the increasing
population of New York State.
X. Y. Z,
Baltimore. Md, Aptil 10, 1921.
Pledge ot Allegiance Required in
Rhode Island School? .
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Your readers may be interested
in the following pledge of allegiance
required of all teachers certified by
the State of Rhode Island. I know o?
only one teacher who refused to sign it,
and I understand she was dismissed
from the schools of Newport during
the war.
"I, as a teacher and citizen, pledge
allegiance to the United States of
America, to the State of Rhode Island
and to the American public school sys?
tem.
"I solemnly promise to support the
Constitution and laws of nation and
state, to acquaint myself with til? laws
of state relating to public education,
and the regulations and instructions of
my official superiors, and faithfully to
carry them out.
"I further promise to protect *he
school lights of my pupils, to conserve
tho democracy of school citizenship, to
honor public education as a principle
of free government, to respect the pro?
fession of education as public aervico
and to ob?erve its ethical principle?
and rules of professional conduct,
"I pledge myself to neglect no oppor?
tunity to teach the children committed
to my care loyalty to nation and state,
honor to flag, obedience to law and
government, respect for public gen
ants intrusted for the time being with
the functions of government, faith in
government by the people, fealty to th?1
civic principles of freedom, .eq'J?!
rights and human brotherhood, and the
duty of every citizen to render service
for the common welfare.
"I shall endeavor to exemplify in my
own life and conduct in and out oi
school the social virtues of fairness,
kindness and service as ideals of go<"'
:itizenship.
"I affirm, in recognition of mv officia?
?bligation, that, though as a citizen I
have the right of personal opinion, ?*
i teacher of the public's children ?
have no right, either in school hour*
sr in the presence of my pupi-s W?
if school hours, to express opinion
that conflict with honor to country,
oyalty to American idea's and obedi?
ence to and respect for the laws o*
lation and state.
"In M this I pledge my sacred honor
ind subscribe to a solemn oath that I
A-ill faithfully perform to the best of
ny ability all the duties of the offic?
>f teacher in the public schools."
ETTA V. LKIGHTON.
Tivic Secretary, National Securitf
League.
New York, April 13, 1921.
An Expensive Lesson
(From The San Francisco Chronicle^
L?nine admits he has worked him?
self into a dilemma. Compelled b?
)tark fact to concede the failure of th?
Soviet's plan to nationalize trade and
.ranting the necessity of permittinii
?ffe economic relations between wor*
srs and peasants, his lorie tells hm
:hat this means free trade and tb&:
ree trade means a return to car'ts
sm. The logic is unassailable. How ??
-enine to dodge it? He admits he
loes not know. The pity of it ?* tBit
?ussia had to be ruined ami miH??0*
>f Russians had to die so that Lenin?
night attain to this much wisdo?? ^