New-York tribune. [volume], July 03, 1921, Page 4, Image 22

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

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Our War Motives
Are Nurses Profiteers?
Letters to the Tribune's Editor
/ wholly disapprove of what you say and will defend to the death your right to say it.? Voltaire to Helvetia**
A Memorable Fourth
Curzon and the League
Fourth of Jujy, 1863
Memories of the Siege of Vicksbur^The Daily Citizen
Printed on Wall Paper
Ws the Editor of The Tribune.
Sfr: Tfc* near approach of the Fourth ?
Of July brings to our memory, espe- !
cia?ly to those of us who were with
the army in the days of the Rebellion,
that notable Fourth of July in 1863,
when news came of the defeat of Gen?
eral Lee by General Meado at Gettys?
burg, and of the surrender of Vicks
burg by General Pemberton to General
Grant.
Vicksburg had bravely withstood a
long and agonizing siege. Most of its
inhabitants were living in caves and
cellars to escape the effects of the
heavy bombardment kept up day and
night by Porter's fleet and Grant's
three armies. All that was edible had
b?en eaten and nothing remained for
them to do but surrender.
Many gallant officers had lost their
lives in the defense. Among them was
Colonel Pelligrew, who, scouting out
Bide his lines at night with a small
company, had been shot. When his
devoted wife heard of it she took her
infant child. Coquette, in her arms and
passed through the Union lines at
night, hoping she might find her hus?
band wounded only, and so be allowed
to minister to him. But he had made
the supreme sacrifice.
Little Coquette gained her odd name
. in this way: Entering his wife's room
shortly after the birth of his daughter,
Colonel Pelligrew said, "She is indeed
a soldier's child. She has been born
amid the roar of cannon, the clash
? of arms and the uncertainty of battle.
The fortunes of war are to be likened
unto a coquette and we will name her
Coquette, in memory of this fearful
struggle. "
L,ongr live the Colonel's pretty child.
Her mother's dearest pet?
May she survive this fearful war
And live In peac??Coquette!
Coquette In name, but lot us pray
Not a coquette in life:
May she be pure and happy, and
Br. free for aye from strife.
These lines presumably were written
? by J. M. Swords, editor and proprietor
of The Daily Citizen, a Vicksburg
paper, a copy of which lies -before me,
bearing the date of Thursday, July 2
1863. It was the last number issued.
Printing paper had been exhausted, but
Mr. Swords continued to publish it on
wall paper.
It is a single sheet of four columns,
10*4x19^ inches. It gives very en?
couraging X'eports of General Lee's suc?
cess in the East, saying: "Today Mary?
land is ours, to-morrow Pennsylvania
will be and the next day Ohio will fall.
Success and glory to our arms! God
and right are with us."
It wishes to brand with infamy some
profiteers who "it is rumored are sell?
ing flour at five dollars per pound, mo?
lasses at ten dollars per gallon and
corn at ten dollars per bushel." It
sings the praises of mule steak and
kitten fracass?e. It makes light of the
rumor that General Grant had said he
would eat his Fourth of July dinner
in Vicksburg, saying: "Ulysses will
have to get into the city before he car
eat his dinner here. The way to cook a
rabbit is first catch the rabbit," etc.
Then at the bottom of the last col?
umn we read:
"Note?July 4, 1863.
"Two days bring about great changes
The banner of the Union floats ove:
Vicksburg. General Grant has 'caugh
the rabbit;' he has dined in Vicksburj
and he brought his dinner with him
The Citizen lives to see it. For th
last time it appears on wall paper. N*
I more will it eulogize the luxury o
! mule meat and fricasseed kitten?urg
Southern warriors to such diet never
i more. This is the last wall pap?r Citi
zen, and is excepting this note from th
types as we found them. It will be val
uable hereafter as a curiosity."
On the back of this paper is prlnte
the following:
"Keep this as a momento of the wa:
It is a copy of the last newspape
printed on wall paper in Vicksbur?
Miss., during the siege. This valuabl
curiosity is presented to you by Hetti
Bernard Chase, whose charming pla
'Little Coquette' is founded upon inc
dents narrated in these columns."
ELIAS VOSSELLER,
Corresponding Secretary Hunterdon
County, N. J., Historical Society.
Flemington, N. J., June 29, 1021.
Concerning Hyphenism
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: J. C. Thompson is quite correct
in his assertion that we do not hear
often the terms "British-American,"
"English-American," etc.?solely be?
cause there are so few of them.
Let me call Mr. Thompson's attention
to the speech of Editor John R. Rathom
of The Providence Journal at a recent
meeting in Carnegie Hall, in which that
gentleman said; "The evils of hyphen
t'^ism are not confined to the German and
the Irish propagandists. Equally
worthy of notice, if our country is to
become a cohesive unit, is the unfor
't?nate attitude of many thousands of
Englishmen who live in the United
States and who decline to become nat?
uralized citizens."
Also, Mr. Thompson speaks of the
Americans in England who refuse to
become British subjects. Americans,
those who reside in and intend to
spend their lives there, are scarce in
Britain, and Mr. Thompson could very
neatly list them all under the space
allotted to "X" in the phone directory,
and still have room on the same page
for "Y" and "Z.n
ARTHUR J. MURPHY.
New York, June 29, 1021.
The League's Impotence
Nothing New in Lord Curzon's Ref?
erence to Treaty Error
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Bin When Lord Curson, with a grav?
ity that was possibly assumed, in?
formed the elder statesmen of Britain
than an error may have been made in
making the League of Nations the first
object of the Versailles conference, and
a definite treaty of peace tho second,
he was apparently listened to with ap?
propriate decorum. We remember when
mention of the League of Nations by
Mr. Lloyd George was greeted with a
burst of derisive laughter in the House
of Commons. It is possible that tho
noble lords have become too much alive
to the reality of the mistake that ha3
been made for any such demonstration
of humor.
We trust that Lord Curzon does not
imagine that he is announcing a new
discovery, or that he has suddenly
made one for himself; or that he has
not known throughout those things
which have been so apparent to the
common man.
Somewhere in the works of Dean
Swift (I wish he were living now!) we
read of a certain chief minister of
state who was directed in all his pol?
icies by his valet de chambre, who was
in turn completely under the guidance
and influence of an elderly female of
the nobleman's household; and in this
woman, says Swift, were supposed to
reside ultimately the destinies of the
nation.
Certain performances at the peace
conference have dulled the edge of
this mordant satire. We could wish
that tho great men there assembled
had been guided in their procedure by
some humble personages to whom the
war had been a great and quickening
reality; whose perception of the things
needful was not dazzled by illusory
visions of a world transfigured by at?
taching a few signatures to a cove?
nant of doubtful and obscure import.
It would not be easy to explain or
excuse the participation and acquies?
cence by tho Allied statesmen in the
error then made, which they knew well
to be an error; but it is safe to say
that with ex-President Wilson lies the
chief responsibility for the blunders
which the marquis now deprecates.
The Council of the league has set?
tled the momentous question of the
ownership of the Aland Islands, though
it is uncertain whether the Swedes
will let it stay settled; but so far as
the immense problems left by the war
are concerned it has been practically
impotent and for two years, without
the natural aid and participation of
America, the Allies have been trying
to secure that settlement with the Cen?
tral Powers and Turkey which should
have been the prime object of the
peace conference. What has been ac?
complished has been accomplished not
through the league, but in spite of it.
JOHN H. BEESON.
Brooklyn, June 30, 1921.
I ?The Trained Nurse's Side
Further Replies to Letter Asking Whether or Not
Nurses Are Profiteers
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The graduate nurse is not quite
so "black" as painted by your corre?
spondent "Brooklyn." Frequent acts of
concession and consideration are per
lormed by her for those she serves, and j
many duties done gratis, a*nd yetj
"Brooklyn" accuses her of profiteering, j
I havo heard the views of many in?
telligent men and women regarding
the graduate nurse, both in the home
end in the hospital, and the consensus
of opinion was that mere money could
never repay her. j
In the past she has done twenty-four l
hours' duty and received but twelve
hours' remuneration. She has, there?
fore, no apology to make, though it]
may seem pathetic that she is just as
human as "Brooklyn" and is obliged
to meet necessary living expenses, such
as rent, laundry, carfare, and very
often board.
During the World War, what body
of women did more devoted and un?
selfish work than the American nurses?
I judge, that "Brooklyn" has never
been stricken with a long and tedious
illness, nor ever required the care of
the graduate nurse, but should he ever '
need her, or be at the mercy of the
writer, devoted care would be given |
him, even though it were known that I
he was the atithor of the misguided
letter to The Tribune.
A CONSTANT READER.
New York, June 29, 1921.
Income and Outgo
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: "Brooklyn" says: "The nurse
has reduced her working hours, not
the one or two hours that the
mechanic or the sewing woman fights
for, but twelve hours, if you please, for
which she asks $7 and three meals a
day Included."
On a basis of ten or twelve working
hours the average working woman asks
a reduction to eight hours. Is the
work of the nurse less exacting, men?
tally and physically, than the work of
any other woman ?
The following table is exact ani is
taken from the files of one of the rep?
resentative schools of nursing in New
York City:
IN 1900
Rates for nurses:
General nursing (12-hour duty).... $3.60
Contagious mid mental diseases.... 4.00
Rent of a hull bedroom, a. week. 2.50.
Rent of a large room, a week. 4.00
Uniforms laundered in th? city, each. .20
(Othiir laundry <orresponding:ly cheap.)
Shoes (of excellent quality), a "pair.. 2.60
IN 1921
Rates for nurses:
General nursing (12-hour duty).... $6.00
Contagious and mental disease?.... 7.00
Rent of a hall bedroom, a week...... 7.00
Rent of a large room, a week.14.00
Uniforms laundered In the city, each. 1.00
(Other laundry correspondingly high.)
Shoes (o? poor quality), a pair. ?.00
In twenty-one years the nurses' pay
has doubled! The doctors' fees have
doubled. Mechanics' wages are doubled.
The cost of living, i. e., rent, clothing
and all other accessories of existence
have not only doubled, but Uipled, and
even more in some instances.
The simple figures convey a truth
which does not admit of discussion, as
the nurse has not been exempted from
the strain of the high cost of living.
E. E. PEARCE,
(A graduate of 1899.)
New York, June 23, 1921.
Shortage in Europe Also
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: As a trained nurse with three
years' service in the British army dur?
ing the late war, I feel that "Brook?
lyn's" attack upon our profession is
unjust and undeserved.
Under the old twenty-four-hour day,
the passing of which "Brooklyn" takes
so much to heart, a nurse receiving tho
maximum figure, $7, earned the stu?
pendous sum of 29 cents an hour, and
all this after four years of training
under tho "drudgery, poor food and
long service"?"Brooklyn's" own words.
As for importing girls for the pur?
pose of training them as nurses, where
are they to come from? English hos?
pitals have great difficulty in securing
pupil-nurses, or "probationers," as they
are called. Hoping to remedy this con?
dition, English hospitals are consider?
ing the eight-hour day.
There is also a shortage of trained
nurses in the Scandinavian countries.
In Norway they have one-year-traintd
helping nurses, who work in the outly?
ing districts under the supervision of
doctors.
In Sweden all girls between fifteen
and eighteen who earn their own living
are compelled to attend schools where
special courses in nursing, child-wel?
fare and housekeeping are taught. We
dc not consider these girls as rivals,
nor are they; but they are an asset in
the "small income" family in time of
r.eed, as was proved during the "flu"
epidemic of 1918-19.
In conclusion, may I ask whether,
when the government called civilians
to its aid overseas during the war
the nurses received $52.50 a week, as
did the mechanics who erected piers,
buildings, etc., in the south of France?
They did not. MRS. A. M. CULLEN.
West New Brighton, S. I., June 29,
1621.
A Stormy Petrel
(From Th? Washington Star)
President Ebert of Germany has man?
aged to include in his official experience
almost every kind of crisis of which a
government is capable..
Amendments on Trial
Popular Ratification or Rejection
Year by Year Suggested
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: ? am an ex-service men and
Was in the A. E. F. from 1917 to 1919.
I and many others feel that the passage
of the Elghteonth Amendment, while
3,000,000 men were fighting in France
and many more at home were fully
occupied helping to win the war, was
an outrage. and a travesty upon the
very ideals we were supposed to be
fighting for.
I humbly presume to suggest a way
by which all amendments may be sub?
mitted after trial to tha full vote of
all the people.
First?Each amendment to the Con?
stitution of the United States, having
heen ratified by two-thirds of all the
state legislatures, promulgated and in
operation, shall be submitted individu?
ally to the popular vote of each state
at each Presidential election subse?
quent to the ratification of the amend?
ment.
Second?So long as any amendment,
already legally ratified, promulgated
and in operation shall receive the sup?
port of a majority of the legally quali?
fied voters of two-thirds of all the
states, balloted for at the time of a
Presidential election, it shall continue
in full effect.
Third?Should any amendment that
has been in operation fail to be ratified
by a majority of the legally qualified
voters of two-third* of all the states,
balloted for at the time of any Presi?
dential election, such amendment shall
become void and cease to operate. It
shall not be again submitted to the
popular vote except as a new amend?
ment.
Fourth?Should the total number of
popular ballots cast for an amendment
at tho time of any Presidential elec?
tion equal or exceed two-thirds of the
population of the United States, as
estimated by the national census next
preceding, or should the popular rati?
fication by states be unanimous, such
amendment shall then and there be?
come an integral part of the Constitu?
tion. It shall be considered as an ar?
ticle, and shall only be altered or re?
pealed in the same way as any other
article of the original Constitution.
EX-SERVICE.
New York. June 29, 1921.
Willing to Learn
(From The Springfield Republican)
There doesn't seem to be quite as
much amusement as usual at the ex
spouse of the young graduation orator
who is instructing the world. These are
times when the wisdom of the old folks
is rather put to it.
.Why America Went to War
Response to Mr. Wilson's "Top-Fioor Motives" Re?
garded as a "Contract** Now Broken
To the Editor of The Tribun?.
Sir: There ara some interesting as?
pects to the question, precipitated by
Colonel Harvey, of our reason for en
i tering the World War.
President Wilson stayed out of the
I war as long as possible. He could not
but feel the heavy responsibility of
throwing this nation Into a war three
thousand miles away. Furthermore, he
could not do so until he had back of
j him a nation largely united to make war.
! Accordingly, it required the scries of
| acts resulting from Germany's naval
?policy to put us in such a position that
we had to fight out of self-respect.
Added to this were numerous other
causes, philosophic and ultimate In
? their nature, but none the less potent.
I Two of the most important of these
?were: (1) The struggle between two
| conceptions of government, the one a
I hold-over from medieval times, the
! other democratic, with which our sym
1 pathies were enlisted; and (2) humani
i tarianism. An important economic
cause was bound up in our billions of
dollars loaned to the Allies. One need
not, be a Socialist to estimate both the
conscious and unconscious influence of
this cause.
Thus we went to war. In the causes
that actually existed we. were righteous
and unselfish. President Wilson had
good first floor reasons for war; there
were no cellar motives that needed dis?
guise. But Mr. Wilson was not satis
fled. He went up to th? attic and
pulled out some top floor motives. He
placed the war on the highest of
planes; we and our allies were going
to do for the world what the, founders
of this country did for us; and we
were going to end war. The Allies
agTeed to this, as they would have
agreed to most anything, Inasmuch as
help was needed. With us, Mr. Wil?
son's reasons went big and proved ex?
ceedingly helpful in many parts ol
the country where enthusiasm was no<
marked.
Germany was defeated. We and out
allies assembled for the peace making,
under the gorgeous canopy of Mr. Wil?
son's idealism. The Allies showed s
tendency to stray out from under this
cover. Mr. Wilson had the power tc
keep them within, if not all the time
at least most of the time. But foi
some reasons, so far unexplainable, he
chose not to use his power and triec
persuasion and the arts of diplomacy.
The result was that the Allies spen'
most of the day out in the fields oi
grab-whatiyou-can. They returned tc
the cover of the canopy at night, af
, ter the day's catch was made, so n to
| assure Mr. Wilson that they appre
j ciated th? canopy's cover.
It was this startling reversa! to grab,
bag, imperialistic policies on the part
of nearly every one but ourselves at
Versailles which killed the treaty and
the League in this country. The "ir
reconcilables" didn't do it. They merely
needed to point to what had happened
and was happening in the world. The
disparity between v.-hat was said and
what was done was too great. The
American people woke up with a shock
to the fact that no matter what all
peoples may have thought during the
war they seemed to be the only peopl?
represented at the peace table by a gov
ernment which still believed that the
world should now be organized on a
new basis so as to end war. This dis?
illusionment is what caused the down?
fall of the League, or if you wish to
put it another way, a tolerance of the
League with reservations which would
really make a new pact of it.
Accordingly, it is but natural for ta
anti-league AmbassadoJ- to the Court of
St. James's to strip away the last res?
tiges of Mr. Wilson's reasons for the
war and to state the real immediate
reasons which led our government in
1917 to declare war. But here an in?
teresting question arises. Many peo?
ple, probably the majority of our pec-?
pie, believed in Mr. Wilson's reason?
and went to war in that belief. Which
was a wonderful thing, from any point
of view. For them those reasons were
the causes of the war.
A contract was set up, if you please,
between those people and their govern?
ment. After the people have performed
their part of the contract is it right,
seemly, honest or just for the govern?
ment through an important spokesman
to say to the people: You are all
wrong in thinking you went to war to
help out in the world, to make an end
to war, to give other nations a chance;
you went to war because you were
afraid not to and to protect yor.r own
interests.
Colonel Harvey may be correct In a
sense in his statement, but what is he
going to do with reference to the bro?
ken contract? True, the breaking oc?
curred at Versailles and within Mr.
Wilson's power to prevent or not to be
a party to the breaking. Does that
justify Colonel Harvey in brushing
aside the contract and impliedly say?
ing that the conditions which created
it never existed?
HARRY S. KLINGLER.
Miami, Fla., June 26, 1921.
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