New-York tribune. [volume], December 17, 1921, Page 10, Image 10

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

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The Work's Bigness
The signing of the naval limita?
tion agreement marks something
new in human history. It con?
cretely introduces into international
relations principles that three years
ago or even three months ago were
deemed impossible of realization.
Of secondary consequence is the
particular ratio of strength ap?
proved. What is of the greatest
significance is the fact that there is
any ratio. Fix your mind on this. I
Consider some of the implications. ;
It is recognized that one nation may !
legitimately take notice of what an- j
other is doing. The don10'! of the j
common concern is thus immensely i
enlarged. Heretofore each nation ?
has assumed that what it did in the
way of arming itself was exclusively
its own affair; that no questions
could be asked; that it was justified
in resenting anything that even
hinted at restraint of its liberty of j
action.
This doctrine is scrapped. In its
place is established the one that the j
naval program of one country is the j
proper business of all. Cast down j
is the artificial logical barrier which ;
separated nations one from another j
and inevitably led to competition in j
armaments. Henceforward, in re- j
gard to armies as well as navies, it !
wfll be possible for one country to ask j
another, "Why your zeal in weapon-'
making?'' It is our right to take
note of the fact. Here is a whole- j
some novelty in international law, !
and the seed planted at Washington
will multiply. National independ?
ence remains unimpaired, but it j
must face its responsibilities with j
more regard for realities.
Another innovation is of almost i
equal importance?namely, that one
nation can trust the word of another
with respect to matters of *the most
delicate nature. The Hughes agree?
ment takes for granted that Creat
Britain and Japan will in good faith
be true to the bargain they have
signed. No machinery of mutual
espionage is provided for. None is
deemed necessary. It is believed,
anil rightfully so, that no one of the
signers will depart from the agree
ment.
Such confu,r:nce, a confidence that !
asks for no hostages, is something
new in human annals, and now, as i
always, trust begets trust. The food
of confidence is confidence. We have
a right to think that the habit of na
tions of watching one another out of
suspicious eyes will weaken. When
suspicion is dead there will be foun?
dations for enduring peace.
The bigness of the work done at
Washington is not yet adequately
appreciated. Time is needed to
show it in true perspective. If there
ever is a universal annual holiday
December 14 will have high claims to
world-wide recognition. Yet some
restricted souls study the terms of
the compact to see whether or not
they can torture from it an inter?
pretation that there is not perfect
equivalency of self-denial.
Still Uncorrected
In book form Mr. Tumulty's
"Woodrow Wilson as I Know Him"
repeats the error of misdating ex
President Roosevelt's "Outlook"
article on Belgium's appeal to us in
1914 to alter our attitude of neu?
trality.
This inaccuracy, made to serve as
the basis for a charge of Incon?
sistency brought against Colonel
Roosevelt, originated with Mr.
George Creel. Mr. Tumulty evi?
dently copied it without question
from Mr. Creel's book. "The War,
the World and Wilson." Mr. Creel
wrote :
"As for Mr. Roosevelt, who devoted
the latter part of 1915 and the first
six months of 1916 to attacking
President Wilson for his failure to
protest in the matter of Belgium, the
following articlo from his pen ap?
peared in "The Outlook' under date of
September L'3, 1915."
The article in question appeared
on September 23, 1914. Mr. Creel's
slip didn't escape notice. But that
fact didn't deter Mr. Tumulty from
duplicating it in the recent seriali?
zation of his book in "The New
York Times." The error is patent
to anybody familiar with the events
of 1914, 1915 and 1916. Attention
was once more called to it by read
ers of "The Times." Yet it wasn't
corrected. Mr. Tumulty now cm
balms it in his book.
Colonel Roosevelt in the first
weeks of the war accepted the Wil?
son policy of neutrality. But as
the implications of that policy
became clearer ? especially after
the German submarine blockade
declaration and the sinking of the
Lusitania and other unarmed pas?
senger ships?he turned vehemently
against it, as did millions of other
indignant Americans. What can
Mr. Creel and Mr. Tumulty hope
to accomplish by perverting the
record ?
Article I's Meaning
A difference of opinion has arisen
as to the meaning of Article I of the
four-power Pacific treaty. The text
of the article is:
"ARTICLE I
"The high contracting partios agree
as between themselves to respect
their rights in relation to their insu?
lar possessions and insular domin?
ion? 5n tho region? of tho Pacific
Ocean."
The grammar of the article is de?
fective. Its phraseology isn't very
happy. Yet what does it mean? A
common-sense interpretation of it
would seem to be that each power
binds Itself to respect the rights of
the other three powers in relation to
insular possessions and insular do?
minions acquired in Pacific waters.
France has Pacific colonies. Great
Britain has self-governing domin?
ions, colonies and mandate territory
assigned to the United Kingdom and
to the self-governing dominions. The
United States has a territory, Ha?
waii; a dependency, the Philippines,
and minor possessions like Guam,
Wake Island, Midway Island and
Tutuila. Japan has Formosa, the
Pescadores, the Kuriles, Saghalin
and the mandated German islands
north of the equator.
It is said by some that the Jap?
anese homeland is included in the
phrase "insular possessions and in?
sular dominions" because Japan
consists in the main of islands.
Japan clearly ha3 insular posses?
sions and dominions in the Pacific.
But is Japan the holder of these
possessions at the same time an "in?
sular possession" of Japan the
treaty signatory?
A reasonable reading would put
the four powers on the same basis,
a distinction 'being drawn in each
case between the holder and the
holdings. A distinction of this sort
is made in the proposed agreement
as to insular fortification. "Japan
proper," as the communiqu? puts it,
is not affected by the status quo re?
striction. Neither are Australia and
New Zealand, self-governing domin?
ions and signatories, nor Hawaii,
which as a territory is already a
half-sister in our union of states.
Great Britain, France, Japan and
the United States -are all Pacific
powers. Can Japan be put in a spe?
cial category because the seat of her
sovereignty happens to be in a Pa?
cific island?
The Jitney Traffic Remedy
If low fares plus increased effi- !
eiency could be secured by replacing ;
the surface cars with jitney busses
the public would approve the change. !
But in spite of Mr. Hylan's advocacy
of busses all the indications are that
they would bring only increased con?
fusion and higher fares.
Apparently no figures as to the
actual cost of the present bus lines
?equipment and operation ? are
available. But Mr. Shearn, counsel
for the Transit Commission, esti?
mates that the purchase of enough
busses to carry the normal traffic of
I one billion passengers a year would
! require $75,000,000. Furthermore,
the junking of the surface lines pro
i posed by the Mayor would cost $200,
; 000,000. This would make the jitney
! business a pretty expensive enter
1 prise right from the start.
Lines that are run at a loss will
j not be run for long. Therefore it
i is necessary to secure the sort of
| transportation whose permanence
j can be assured by its profitable opcr
| ation.
How to do this is something that
the Transit Commission is patiently
seeking to discover. Mr. Shearn, its
counsel, long an advocate of public
ownership, can be acquitted of any
prejudice in favor of the estahlished
transit lines. He seems persuaded
! already that the jitney scheme is not
workable. John A. Ritchie, presi
I dent of the company that operates
I the Fifth Avenue busses, told the
j commission that it costs the com
! pany 8.4 cents to carry evei*y pas?
senger. The fare charged is 10
' cents. At a 5-cent fare the com
| pany would have had a deficit last
i year of $1,300,000.
Wherever jitneys have been suc
' cessfully operated at a lower fare
than 10 cents they have served only
as feeders for surface, elevated or
! subway lines. In suburban districts,
! where there is no traffic congestion,
they do very well. To operate them
in the crowded streets on Manhattan
Island would be both difficult and
troublesome, as any one who has
ridden through town in a touring
car or a taxi can testify.
What is needed just now is some
method of reducing or diverting the
automobile traffic, not of increasing
i it by the addition of hundreds of
i cumbersome busses. There is no dis
j position on the part of the public to
'reject any suggestedVcmedy merely
because it comes from Mr. Hylan.
But there is a disposition to insist on
a 5-ccnt fare, with better facilities
for getting about. It is manifest
that the jitney scheme will not pro?
vide this, and it will therefore bo
rejected, no matter win) is its
sponsor.
A Building Armistice
If all parties concerned accept the
suggestion of the board of governors
of the Building Trades Council that
the present wage scale bo continued |
for sixty days New York City is
likely to enjoy peace in the building !
business for tho entire year. It is
the best method yet offered of avert?
ing a disastrous strike of 115,000
workingmen in various building
lines.
I Tho proposal is tTiat a board of
arbitration bo composed of members
appointed by the presidents of the
American Federation ,of Labor, of
the Chamber of Commerce of the
; State of New York, of tho Mer?
chants Association and of tho New
I York Chapter of the American In
! stituto of Architects, and fifty mem?
bers to be appointed by the Gov?
ernor. No employing builder is to
be on the board. This body could
deal with such dis-outes as might
arise in minor mw-vt-ers, leaving
i wages as they are for another sixty
; days.
Building begets building. Build?
ing booms are epidemic. If opera?
tions are continued on a large scale,
as they will be under this arrange
! ment, tho house shortage soon will
i be taken care of. Also, there will
be an increased demand for labor,
| which will tend to adjust the wage
; scale satisfactorily.
j It is to the credit of the Building
', Trades Council that it put forward
I this plan. It is conciliatory in its
: purpose, and will result in benefit
all around if it is accepted. If it is
rejected and the strike takes place,
building is going to suffer a setback
! which will cost millions of dollars to
| workin; i::en.
After Bolshevim Is Attained
Paxton Hibben, who recently com
i pleted a 5,750-mile tour of European
I Russia, estimates that three million
i Russians are doomed to die of starva
I tion in Russia in spite of all the
American Relief Administration can
? do. He adds, however, that the help
| given will make it possible to save
! twelve million who otherwise would
i perish.
I A good deal of loose talk about
! going Bolshevist is heard. This or
that country is about to be attacked
by Bolshevism if something is not
done. But the conversation seldom
i goes so far as to discuss what occurs
i after the Elysium is reached. Bol
! shevism is spoken of as if it were a
?finality. But time and events do not
stop, and what happens following an
j arrival at Bolshevism is indicated
I sadly by Mr. Hibben. Heavy were
i Russia's war sacrifices, but much less
than the price she has paid for listen
j ing to such as L?nine. If the outside
I world had been practically friendly
to Russia it would have brought Bol?
shevism to a quick close when there
was a chance. The French policy
was the right one.
Captain Hibben thinks the world's
unemployment problem will be. solved
when Russia once more is fully op?
to trade. It is not perhaps well to j
cherish lively hopes. Russia has lit?
tle to sell and has not wherewith to i
buy. How, under such circum-1
stances, are large scale exchanges !
possible?
No, it will take years for Russia
to recover from the economic effects
of applying communist principles, no
matter what element is in political j
leadership. It is easy to destroy, but
it takes long to rebuild.
The Judge With Two Jobs
Were a grave and reverend jurist
of the type of William H. Taft to
step down from the bench every day
or two to settlo a row between
baseball players and baseball man?
agers the public would be properly
scandalized. Mr. Taft couldn't drag
his robes over the diamond without
losing something of the veneration
generally accorded him.
But Judge Kenesaw Mountain
Landis is a different sort of judge.
We make this statement without a
shadow of contempt. Since his eleva?
tion to the bench he has been an
individualist rather than a stickler
for convention. He interprets the
law for others and makes it for him?
self. Furthermore, he gets away
with it.
For the second time a bill has been
introduced in Congress whose pur?
pose is to send the judge back to
the bench and keep him there. Yet
nobody seems enthusiastic about its
passage. The fact is that the judge
has done a good deal to purge base?
ball of some of its unpleasant fea?
tures. The boys in the ball yards
regard him with awe. What he says
goes. And baseball, when he took
its general management over, needed
a lot of cleaning up.
W?i feel sure that if Judge Landis
were deprived of his title and ex?
alted vocation he would lose prestige
with the somewhat uncultivated per?
sons he now rules so successfully.
To them the law is a fearsome
enough thing when administered by
a police officer. When handed down
to them directly from the bench it is
overpowering.
Congress may well let Judge
._- ' - - - -? , ... ^--j!,
Landis alone. Millions of people
derive a considerable part of their
happiness through the summer in
witnessing organized baseball. Thoy
have confidence that Judge Landis
will keep the game sweet and whole?
some. They regard him as a public
benefactor. And they would be sorry
to seo him shorn of any part of his
power by being stripped of his robes
of office.
Those who do not think possession
of an unpronounceable name is in?
dispensable to a musician and who
have a liking for the harmonies of
amateurs that believe in art for art's
sake have a chance to assemble this
evening at the 7th Regiment armory.
The Police Band will discourse and
I conquer care at its annual reception
and benefit. The rules of the Police
I Department forbid the bandsmen
j accepting any pay for their work,
I and rehearsals are held on the
j men's own time. But they are hard
? put to it to get money for uniforms,
pay of an instructor and other inci?
dental expenses. Hence the annual
benefit. As to tickets (price four
bits), ask any policeman.
On Thursday our neighbor "The
.World" said that it favored ratiflca
| tion of che four-party treaty. On
j Friday it fiercely attacked Senator
Underwood, who favors the treaty,
demanding his retirement from the
Democratic leadership. Queer, isn't
it, the sudden dissatisfaction with
Senator Underwood?
The Tribune to Move
(Fruvx The Brooklyn Daily Eagle)
The rapidly increasing requirements
for the publication of great newspapers
are emphasized by the announcement in
The New York Tribune that it will
build for itself an adequate new home
on Fortieth Street, between Seventh
and Eighth avenues, and will move to
it in a little more than a year.
The Tribune has been published at
the corner of Spruce Street and Park
Row for eighty years?it is just a few
months older than "The Eagle"?and
during all that time it has been a force
in the journalism, the politics and the
intelligence of the country. When Hor?
ace Greeley started it and wrote his
copy on a board laid across two barrels
there were twelve daily newspapers in
the city. Newspapers were not then
great commercial enterprises but of?
ten the personal venture of some man
who wanted to write and who ran the
business end of the paper from hand
to mouth. But The Tribune, as the
champion of the Whigs and later the
Republican party, attained to a na?
tional reputation and following which
made Horace Greeley a great political
force for the last twenty years of his
life.
But the building which The Tribune
is now to abandon has a history also.
In the '70s there was not a single
tower, except on churches, in the City
of New York. When Whitelaw Reid
shot up the then new Tribune Building
for thirteen stories Charles A. Dana
called him "the young man in the tall
tower," and the Tribune tower became
as much an object of interest to sight?
seers as the Woolworth tower is to?
day. That was before the days ot
skeleton frames of steel, and a good
deal of valuable rental space in the
Tribune Building is lost through the
thick walls of the lower story, needed
to sustain a weight at that time with?
out precedent. Of course, with se
costly an undertaking, provision was
made for every development of tin
newspaper which could be foreseen;
yet to-day The Tribune will move be
cause the contracted space for it?
mechanical department limits its sizi
to twenty-four pages. In I'ortietl
Street it will find room according t(
its strength. An uptown location als?
will bring it nearer to the two grea
railway stations and facilitate its de
livery outside the city. Its move i
part of the strong uptown trend, bu
there is no institution whose departur?
would lend so much emphasis to tha
change.
Still Thinking of Big Berthas
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In view of the efforts at Wash?
ington to bring about disarmament and
the effect of the successful delibera?
tions of the conference upon the future
of the world, there is a whiff of poison
gas in the following extract from an
article in the current number of a mag?
azine by the officer of the German
General Staff who was called the
"father" of the Big Berthas:
"In addition to the scientific con?
struction of the gun (which plumped
shells into Paris, seventy miles away)
and projectile and the Quality of the
powder, a main requisite is an ex?
traordinarily highly developed steel in?
dustry. England and France have not
such an industry, and their fear of the
Germans' efficiency led them to provide
in the peace treaty that nothing larger
than short-barreled 28-centimeter can?
non may be manufactured in Germany.
And so we cannot carry on our experi?
ments.
"But it would be interesting to in?
vestigate further the question whether
large caliber guns of extreme range
really have military value. A condition
precedent is that all the weaknesses of
the long guns which we used against
Paris shall be overcome. If this can
be done such guns will be of extraordi?
nary value, especially for battles on the
high seas, for coast defense and the
attack and defense of fortresses."
Page Mr. Hughes.
COSMO HAMILTON.
New York, Dec. 14, 1921.
"Why Can't Germany Pay?"
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Kindly allor.- me space to ex?
press my hearty approval of the an?
swer to the above question by "B." in
to-day's Tribune. The men of war did
their part But the men of peace arc
throwing away the fruits of the victory.
V. H. ALLEN.
Brooklyn, Dee. 18, 1921.
-""._' "1_Z^ 'JJ?JL^^J-Z
,~--|]
The Tower
Violent and passionate I? our quarrel
with Professor Ileywood Broun's oracu
Inrness, when, in Tho World, ho Bay*:
"As a matter of fact, there Is nothing
which a man can do on a newspaper
which some woman cannot do just
as well or a little bettor." That
it* not a matter of fact, but a matter
of highly deb?tanlo opinion. A? a
matter of fact, if facts are under dis?
cussion, there is nothing which a man
can do on a newspaper which a woman
can do as well.
"Christmas this year will be espe?
cially joyous to all men whoso labors
and property aro protected by Cyclone
Fences," runs tho C. F. Co.'s adver?
tisement in Tho Satevepost. But how
can tho reindeer get over tho fence?
A jolly lot, tho advertisement copy?
writers. "You may never have a Happy
New Year if you don't use Quced
Chains," we can imagine one of them
writing. Or "your Christmas will be
unhappy if your gifts are stolen. A
policy in the Kris Kringlo Casualty
Company will protect you."
The Motorist.'*' Bartlett
How happy I'd be with the flivver,
Were t'other dear Chalmers away.
B. V. N.
a a a
Where Hank tho lowly ??ivver ran
Past taverns pleasureless to man. . . .
L. C. T.
? ? *
Rolls Royce, thou dark and deep blue
auto, roll. LUCULLUS 4d.
It strikes us that the comparison be?
tween Babe Ruth's barnstorming and
Judge Iandls's baseball job is no good.
There is nothing in the rules or by?
laws or constitution to keep Babo Ruth :
from running a billiard parlor or a {
book store or a livery stable in addi?
tion to his baseball business. Prob?
ably there would bo some objection
made if Judge Landis tried to sit as i
Judge in St. Louis three days a week
and in Chicago three days a week.
But why, if he has the ability, ho
shouldn't take a $42,500 baseball job
on the side, we, for one, can't see.
No objection by tho baseball man?
agers ever was voiced because Mr.
Ruth and other players "wrote" news- I
papor articles, but that probably is j
bccauBO most baseball players write
with as little effort as they read.
"That Reminds Me"
Editor of The Conning Tower,
New York Tribune,
New York City.
Dear Sir: Something in your
column recently reminded me of a
story told mo when I was teaching
country school. The trtory was about
like this:
In a neighboring district thero for?
merly lived a man named Jake who
was noted for wearing leather boots j
after other folks had discarded them
and for enjoying many a ?rink when
ho went to town. [Hardly necessary to
explain this as being prior to the
eighteenth amendment.!
One day he had partaken very freely
at the village hotel, so much co, in fact,
that instead of driving back homo he
decided to go to bed right whero he
| was. On being shown a room, Jake
i immediately rolled into bed, boots and
all, much to the proprietor's disgust.
The latter's remonstrance brought
? onlv the sleepy assurance, "Never
?mind, Mister Walker, they aie just an
I old pair." Yours truly, V. M. B.
Walton, N. Y.
| What gave us a sleepless afternoon
' wa3 not that story, but, as we tossed
! about from side to side, wondering
! what it was in this column recently
'that reminded V. M. B. of that story.
THE DIARY OF OUR OWN SAMUEL PEPYS
| December 15?Early up, and to the
office, and did some work, and Hilda
and Mistress Anne Colby came to
luncheon, and left soon thereafter, and
I finished my stint, and so to Mistress
Martindale's at tea-time, and had some
cakes, and had some talk about
' journalism, and all said thev thourht
i newspapers should bo printed without
?any editorials, which is not a bad idea,
I save for this: there is no law com?
pel! ?ng readers to read editorials, a law
most readers know and take advantage
of, methinks. Home, and found J.
i Kern and Eva there, and M. Glass, too;
i and wo had a gay time of it, playing
a game called Shedding Light, wherein
one describes a character in history,
mythology, or literature, and all try
' to guess its identity.
16?Lay later than T like, and so to
the office, where all day at my stint,
which I thought 1 never should finish.
"There are 43,000,000 bricks in the
yarda at llaverstraw," testified Mr.
Dent Fowler jr. "I haven't sold a brick
in two months." Aud when one says
something about bricks without Haver
straw one has exhausted the already
weak possibilities of that wheeze.
Since bootlegging whisky?and a
Washington dispatch says only 1 per
cent of it is real whisky- has grown
so common, a new meaning is attached
to the phrase the Burden of Troof.
In Kin Ilubbard's new Almanack
there are some keen animadversions on
Loving Cups; but they were made be?
fore Marshal Foch had received a gold
; card of membership to some club or
' other.
"Well," said Chicot, crashing his way,
past women and children, to the office,
"why, since the Marines are guarding
the mails, don't they call 'em letter
necks'.'"
If these pre-Christmas burglaries
and holdup3 inspire Mr. Sherwin An?
derson to write a book, here is the title
. . . "The Triumph uf the Yegg."
Germany, as we understand it, is the
Joe Weber of nations and can't pay
us unless we lend her tho money.
Speaking of theatrical revivals,
there is the hardy perennial Ban on
Speculators. F. P. A,
HOW DOES ANY ONE EXPECT WE CAN HAVE A GOOD CROP?
Copyright, 1921. Now York Tribune inc.
The Inter-Ally Debt
Reasons Advanced for Partial Can?
cellation by America
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The foreign debt situation
brings to mind tho warning of old
Polonius: "A loan oft loseth both it?
self and friend." American statesmen
seem to think that we have only to give
our debtors plenty of time. On the
other hand, some foreigners, whose
backs already are breaking under heavy
taxation, think that the debts to us
have been largely or wholly offset and
that we ought to agree to cancellation,
at least to some extent. Herein lies
danger to international good will.
We cannot get any money from
Europe and we should not expect any.
The debts originated in our lending
money, but with the understanding that
it should be spent here. It was so
spent for food, clothing, weapons, am?
munition. No money left our shores
and there is none to come back. If
foreigners pay up it would have to be
through the sale of their goods in our
markets. What economic disturbance
would result from a flood of foreign
goodri!
An important point is that in pre?
serving our neutrality we loaned noth?
ing until after we had entered tho war
ourselves. All our loans were to our
allies and to enable them to fight in our
interest as well as in their own. In the
eyes of those who had already suffered
for thirty-two months the incalculable
losses of blood and treasure in the
worst of all wars, America, coming into
the fray without any preparation, ought
to havo been willing to contribute
money freely rather than merely to
lend it.
We should remember, too, that our
delay in declaring war made a period of
tremendous profit to our people. They
sold vast quantities of goods to our
war-stricken friends and at very high
price?. We drew from Europe all of it3
! loose gold, then we drew tho American
securities which happened to be owned
t there, and then we drew European
I *
? bonds and became the one great
creditor nation in all the world.
From every point of view the intcr
Allied debt situation demands study, not
to find out how much we can possibly
collect but how much of what is owing
to us we ought voluntarily to wipe out.
Surely wo are not entitled to any?
thing at all from countries which were
devastated by German armies while we
were pocketing huge profits.
America's great deed3 in the last
year of the war do not warrant the
ignoring of the earlier period.
J. HOWARD COWPERTHWAIT.
New York, Dec. 15, 1921.
The Soldiers and Sailors Club
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: There are many hundreds of sol?
diers in the camps near the city. There
are always many sailors here on shore
leave. At present there are about six?
teen iiundred marines in the cjty guard?
ing our postal service. These boys ?re
practically homeless when they are in
the city. At the Soldiers and Sailors
Club, 261 Madison Avenue, we are of?
fering them the hospitality which will
prove to them that New York has kept
alive the spirit of friendliness for
which it was famous during the war.
This club also reaches the convales?
cent sick uni] wounded, for whom there
is a special rest room, furnished by the
Lest We Forget Committee.
We do not want to claim alone the
privilege of being the friends of these
men. We want others to help us, as I
I
believe they would like to do. We are
making a special effort to raise money
to run the club for the coming year,
The loneliness of the men at Christmas
time makes a special appeal. They
were responsible for our welfare in
time of war, and wo know how glorious?
ly they stood the test. Are we not re?
sponsible for their welfare now?
Checks will be welcome, payable to the
Soldiers and Sailors Club of New York,
and sent to me there.
Mrs. FRANCIS ROGERS, Chairman.
New York, Dec. 14, 1921.
Alaska's Forests
Opposition to Transfer to Intcrioi
Department
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: It was indeed a pleasure toread
your editorial supporting the wise pol?
icy of utilizing but not devastating the
Alaskan forests. These forests contain
enough timber to supply annually
1.500,000 tons of paper, or about half
the requirements of the United States,
without depletion. This represents
the interest on the forest capital
owned by the United States, and can
bo secured in perpetuity if the income
is utilized and the capital is kept in?
tact.
Tho Department of Agriculture,
through the Forest Service, is develop?
ing the forests of Alaska on sound
forestry principles. It provides for
cutting the present mature crop of
timber and producing future crops. It
is managing the forests efficiently and
in tho best interests of the local com?
munities and of tho country as a whole.
But there is a movement on foot to
undo the work of the Department of
Agriculture by transferring these for?
ests to the Interior Department. This
is ono of the provisions of a bill?S.
2382?now before tho Senate Commit?
tee on Territories and Insular Posses?
sions. I sincerely hopo that every ono
interested in the permanent and wise
utilization of the Alaskan forests under j
skilled and experienced management
will write to the chairman of the above
mentioned committee urging that the
rrovision in S. 2382 taking the forests
Irom the Department of Agriculture be
stricken from the bilk
BARRINGTON MOORE.
New York, Dec. 11, 1921.
Wells on Washington
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: H. G. Wells is attending the
Washington conference as an observer
and to write for our information about
the members and the debates which
clarify opinion and lead to agreement.
In hi3 widely read "Outline of His?
tory," to fill in the outline of United
States history he speaks necessarily of i
George Washington. There was no man I
whose life is so open to the student, j
no man in our existence as a nation !
more active nnd industrious in public
affairs and private interests. Yet in I
Wells's book, Volume 2, Chapter 37,
Paragraph 6, he says that Washington j
was "a man of conspicuous indolence" |
?not that he enjoyed periods of well j
earned leisure, but that he was in?
dolent, conspicuously so. We know j
that this is not true. Would a person i
competent to judge men and writo his?
tory say it? W. H. D.
New York, Dee. 15, 1921.
A Going Concern
(From The Kansas City Stcr)
The Irish Free State already has two
emblem? of sovereignty: a flag and
som? outstanding bond?.
More Truth Than Poetry
By James J. Montague
Ads and the Man
My wants, about a month ago,
Were relatively few;
I did not care for style or show,
Like certain parties do.
Enough to wear, enough to eat,
A little money saved,
A house upon a quiet street,
Were all I thought I craved.
Content I roamed the city when
The Yuletide season neared.
Unconscious of desires?and then
The Christmas ads appeared.
And now my peace of mind has
fled;
I wan: a Restwell chai".
A Hammock ?Spring Sleep-easj
bed.
A Zin electric flare,
A Kit-Pact Bag for Motor Trips,
A Find-It letter file,
A set of Grippy Clothing Clips
That keep your pant? in style,
A Last-Forever Limousine,
A Chime-Tone parlor clock,
An Ajax bottle-tip machine,
A Guardwell cellar lock.
Ala?, an altered man am T.
My means are very small;
A month ago I would not buy
This kind of thing at all.
But all these ads before my eyes
Parade each day, until
They fairly seem to hypnotize
A weak and yielding will.
And as my shopward way I wend,
When my day's work is done,
If but my coin holds out to spend,
I'll gee them, every one.
Phenomenon
Despite prohibition, money seermi
to be tighter than ever.
Natural Inquiry
Soon our grandchildren will be ask?
ing us what wo did in the great
Stillman case.
To the Conference
More scrapping and fewer scrspi.
(Copyright by Jumes J Montana?)
The Careless Pedestrian
To the Editor of The Tri!;me.
Sir: Your editorial "Don't Blaffl*
the Autos" appealed to nre particular!;?'
because it status both sides of tba
question. For some reason newspapers
and legislators and even the courts
seem usual!;,* to ignore the responsibil?
ity of the pedestrian.
Tho Police Department, under fe?
rner Commissioner Arthur Woods, found
that 90 per cent of the accidents are
due to carelessness of pedestrians
Commissioner Enright has testified be?
fore a traffic committee that 7S pef
cent of the accidents arc due to the
carelessness of pedestrians.
To reduce accidents it is necessary
that a campaign of education be car?
ried on instructing pedestrians that
they must use more care. The City c
Buffalo a year ago last summer earned
on a regular poire?: cumpaign ag.v.?.*>t
'what they call "jay walkers"?namely,
careless pedestrian::? and actually ?r*
rested those who walked aimless!;/
about the middle of the btreets aai
haled them to court.
I have driven an automobile around
the streets of New York for sb??!
twenty-three years find T wan* ?* +&*
my evidence to that of Commissioner
Enright and ex-Commissioner Woods,
and also state that in my opinion ???
per cent of tho pedestrians arc ciu-le?l
and -0 per cent are reckless.
SIDNEY B. BOWMAK. j
New York, Dec. 18, 1921. ? ^