The sun. [volume], November 16, 1918, Page 6, Image 6

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6
.w. . , ! of peace averag half the colossal
iElie eWeTeftaiVat 2tUl PrlcC f &ctnal fighting, actual blow
" , Ing billions of dollar of explosives
AND NEW TOHK PnKfS. ., Iu.in t.lll.n. f ,ltlra
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 10. 1018.
MEMBER OF THB ifJSOCIATD.PHESS.
The Associate Pree ( elulTlr
titled to lbs uee fcr republication ot oil
news Mipltht credited to It Of not
ntherwlie credited In this pipr and also
the local news publUbed herein. .
All rlihta ft republlcatloa of special
,riepatches herein are alao reserved.
entered t the Poet OSke t Now Tork as)
Heeond Claai Mall Matter ,
utwctipUaM fey Moll, PMfpvUd.
Oa Six .One
Year. MeoUia. Uoeth.
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All check, money orders, Ac. to bo
inede payable to TuitBCR.
Fubllthed dally, Including Sunday by the
(fun Prlatlac and Publlehlns Association,
'ISO Nassau Herourh of Manhattan. N. Y.
Vrotldent, PrankA. ilontey. W aaaauat.;
VtM.pretldent. Ervln Wardman; Secretary.
It. II. TltharlnftOB: Treae.. Wu. T., Dewart,
eUl of ISO Nassau etreet.
Ixindon oBce, 40-41 Fleet street.
Parle office, S Itueede ta Mlchodler. ctt
,Hua da Quetre Septembre.
Waahlnstan offlce. Muneey Building.
Brooklyn offlce, Itoom 202, Eagle Build
Ins. SOa WaablBcton atreet.
It mut IwLnlM irka faror tu vUk tnaav
rertttt aai tlltitntloni tor patlicofloa c
to Vac rtlMlti trticlit ftvnti laey ataft
4m til eatit tent uampt lor met yryo.
TEL.EPHOSB. I1EEKMAN 2M.
McAdoo's flan to S'op War and
Excess Profits Taxes.
In Secretary McAdoo's recojnmen
datlons to Congress of an Immediate
cessation of taxes on tho excess profits
of Industry and business, even on war
"profits, tiero Is more economic wis
dom (ban will be apparent to the
.casual glance. There Is as well n
ftoree eenae, essential In ell practical
problems but conspicuously absent
tfrotn exono prominent tax layers of
the present Congress.
W say the immediate cessation of
snch bjxoo because what the Secre
tary proposes Is that they shall not
apply to any business done nfter the
ZlA day of December, 1018. Taxes of
tiat kind would bo parable next year
fOBl oo tho business already done In
jt&g year of 1018, now near Its close.
It ( to be observed, furthermore, thnt
i( these recommendations arc fulfilled
.ordinary Industry and business will be
jSoBbly benefited, as follows:
Corporations, partnerships and Indl
Yldtrale that have been making un
usual profits already have set aside
from their earnings the taxes they
expected to pay under the prepostcr
pm Kltchln schedules recently enact
ed. Not only are tLece tax fowls In
Jwnd, but, because the actual taxe
imyable on excess profits of ordinary,
not war business, will now be lower
than they estimated, all those moneys
will not be paid out to the tax collect
or. Again, Instead of having to pay
next spring these lower taxes, he tax
payers will be uble to distribute the
payments over the coming year. This
will give them the use of some of their
tax funds during months of trying re
adjustment In which ready cash will
lie a precious thing to have.
In this economic crisis, therefore,
Industry and business are treated by
Secretary McAdoo as tho foundation
not merely of Federal taxing and
rpendlng but of the Income of the
nation, the earnings of the workers,
the bread and butter of the individual.
It was always economic madness
to hunt Industry and business, as the
Kltchlns would hunt them, Into th!
last ditch. To drive a knife into the
heart of the bird that laid .the golden
pgg was always a p?r!' first to tho
Treasury, then to all. Now r- .ry
McAdoo lights the lamp of e tor
American Industry and business,
which, for the time being, are anxious
mariners on a fog wrapped sea.
And It Is tho horse sense of McAdoo
which sees that In this swift and vio
lent readjustment which has burst
npon the Industrial world the ques
tion of tho moment is no longer In
ordinate "war gains, no longer excess
profits on war business or peace busi
ness; the question Is Just plain profits
any profits at all. The problem
with which this country Is now faco
to face le not how to pay taxes on
huge profits. It Is how to keep busi
ness from going on the rocks.
Of what earthly use could be rev
enue statutes providing for taxes on
eocCess profits with no excess profits
left In the country to bo taxed fur
war or nny other purpose? Secre
tary McAdoo's brain was not confuted
on that subject. The real problem,
tho crucial problem to sustain ordi
nary business was In his mind's eye
as quirk as a flashy And yet we ven
ture to sny that If Secretary McAnoo
has cut some of the ground from un
der the feet of the spenders he has
not cut enough.
Tho man to whom all the bflls come
naturally Is concerned over whether
there will be at his command the,
revenues with which to pay the bills.
STora the point of view of his own
official responsibility he would rather
hove too much than too little. Nev
ertheless, It feeema to us thnt Ills es
timate of what need bo spent between
now and the end of next June In
cleaning up the war Is higher than
the controllable facts Justify.
Iu estimating anew the war cost
for the fiscal year at 518.000,000.000 those divine attributes which the be
Mr. McAdoo appear! to allow an nv- llevera In a living Qod always ascribe
erase of more than $1,000,000,000 a to HlmT Fimdly do we hope--fervently
month for the next seven and a half do we pray hat this mighty scourge
months. But the wholo twelvo of war may speedily pass away. Yet,
months of the flcnl year were to ny- If god wills that It continue until all
eragc, on a war basil, $2,000,000,000 the wealth plied by the bondman'H
n month $24,000,000,000 a year, two hundred nnd fifty jears of unre
Then, with no superlative destruction nulted toll shall be sunk, and until every
of material any longer going on, why drop of blood drawn with the iah shall
in the name of economy should the be paid with another drawn with the
remaining seven and half months swerd, so still it must be said. The
.w uwa whb ufl av awuo v u ee v
of steel shell Into bits, casting bill-
loni of dollars of oil manner of nat
ural wealth Into Uw bottomless pit?
Why even a third?
The war has stopped. With the
war has stopped the need of tire vast
spending, which Itad to go on as long
as there was fighting, which need not
go on, must not go on, when there Is
no longer fighting. The way to stop
this now needless spending Is to etop
It Then do It!
Ambassador Jtuserand'a Portrait of
the American 8ltUer la France.
Yesterday came the ofllclal.- an
nouncement that the last of tlio Oer-
011111 troops were beyond the French
' ..
A few weeks ago when Americans
frlendi of Vnnc Bn(J Krenchmeil
In America were Joining at our City
Hall In the celebration of Lafay
ette's blrthdny, the French Ambas
sador to the United States delivered
an address from which we extract
this striking tribute to the American
soldier:
"A VBlUst army, the prataa of which
Is on every Hp; a youthful, good hu
mored, cheery eriny, whoie every sol
dier U welcome in the castle and in the
hut, and U offered just as heartily the
beet cake or the last crust; an Immense
army that ceaaeleasly stows for month
after month you tend over to France
double the number of men Napoleon
bad at Waterloo. Many French names
written on your map recall (our pres
ence herejitthe time of your fleht tor
Independence, chief among them that of
LxrATETTE. Many American names will
In after time recall tha splendid part
you are taking In the deliverance of
France and of the world."
Wc recall now with a pleasure
which the renders of Tiie'Sun will
share this eloquent utterauce of the
statesman and scholar and constant
friend and proficient student of our
people and their Institutions, who
holds much tlio same relation to us
with regard to Franco that was so
long add so felicitously maintained by
Viscount Bsyos as the representative
of British understanding end good
feeling.
Presidential Thanksgiving at the
Close of Wars.
A citizen whoso piety. may bo too
far In advance of his patience sends
this criticism :
"To the Editor or The Sck Sir; It
is evident that President Wttsorf be
lieves, bo far as any supernatural con
trol is concerned, that men and nations
are allowed tn this world to act accord
ing to their own free will; for In his
addren to Congrese no reference what
ever waa made to the Deity as having
act or part in the cessation of hostili
ties, or Indeed In any relation whatso
ever. Thifl, I think. Is the first ad
dress of that kind wherein such omis
sion baa occurred. Am I right?
, "T. E. W."
"Nrw Toek, November 14.
The United States had no President
until six years after the close of the
Uevolutlonary war. On April 10.
1763, the eighth nnnlversnry of the
battle of I-c-dnton, the cessation of
hostilities between Great Britain and
the Colonies was proclaimed to the
Continental Army. General Wasii
inotok's orders read:
"The chaplains of the several bri
gades will render thanks to Almlchty
God for all his mercies, particularly for
His overruling tha wrath of man to
Ills own glory, and causing the rage of
war to cease among the nation.-!."
Thanks to Providence for the peace
following the war of 1812 were not
expressed by President Madison un
til March 4, 1815, ten weeks after the
Ghent Treaty. Then, setting apart
tho second Thursday of April as n
day of thnnkfglvlng, the President
recommended that the people "unlto
their hearts and their voices In n free
will offering to their Ilenvcnly Bene
factor of their homago of thanksgiv
ing nnd of their songs of praise."
President Poi.k's proclamation an
nouncing the signing of the treaty
which ended the Mexican war con
tained no reference to tho Deity.
Several months afterward, on Decem
ber 5, 1848, In his fourth annual mes
sage, President Polk declared thnt
"the gratitude of tho nation to the
Sovereign Arbttcr of All Human
Events should he commensurate with
the boundless blessings which we
enjoy."
President Lincoln Issued no procla
mation In the few days that camo be
tween Lke'b surrender nnd his own
death. In his second Inaugural ad
drees, delivered five weeks before Ap
pomattox, when the end of the Con
federacy was In sight, ho said:
"The Almighty has Hie own purpose.
Woe unto the world because of of
fences, for It must needs be that of-
fences come; but woe to that man by
I whom the offence cometh.' If we shall
suppose that American slavery la one ot
those offences which. In the Providence
ot God, must needs come, but which,
having continued through His appointed
time. Ho now wills to remove, and that
He gives to both North and South this
terrible war, an the woe due to those
by whom the offence came, shall we
discern therein any departure from
Judgments of the Lord arc true and
righteous altogether."
It was In this immortal Address
that Lincoln remarked boldly thnt
both parties In the war "read 'the
same Bible and pray to tho same
Goo; and each Invokes His atd
ognlnst the other." He felt, as he
said a few days later In a letter to
Mr. Wixo, that this part of the ad
dress would not bo popular:
"Men are not flattered by being shown
that there Is a difference of purpose be
tween the Almighty and thit. To deny
It, however. In this case, I to deny that
there is a God governing the .vorld. It
La a truth which I thoULlU needed to
be told, and oa whatever of humilia
tion there Is In It falls most directly
on myself, I thought other might af
ford for me to tell It."
In President McKiwxY'a procla
mation for thanksgiving and prayer,
Issued on July 0, 1808, nfter the vic
tories at Santiago, he culled upon
Americans reverently to "bow before
the throne of Divine grace and give
devout praise to God, who holdeth
the nations In' the hollow of His
hand nnd worketh upon them tho
marvels of His high will." Mr. Mc
Kixlky, In his proclamation ot Au
gust 12, 1898, announcing tho signing
of the protocol nnd tho suspension of
hostilities, did not deviate from for
mal diplomatic terms, but In his proc
lamation for Thanksgiving Day he
Invited tlio people to give thanks to
Almighty Goo "for the glory of our
victory and the hope of a righteous
peace"
Thero are precedents enough for
that which "T. E. W." considers nn
omlsslpn. President Wilbos's Thanks
giving proclamation Is yet to come;
and after that there Is tho day of
the signatures that will bind tho
world In peace.
New York' First Mayor.
Of tho six men who have been
elected to the office of Mayor of the
present city of New York two only
survive Major McClella: nnd May
or UYLAN. ItOBEKT A. VAM WYCK,
who occupied tho City Hall from Jan
uary, 1808. until January, 1002, IS
dead In Paris, where he went soon
nfter bo was defeated In 1001 as n
candidate for the Supreme Court.
Ills rejection at that election, which
brought "Low to tho Mayor's ofllce,
was the personal condemnation vis
ited on him by the electorate. Tho
organization he bad served was
ousted from power In the city, and
lticiiAr.D Croker, lie boss, quit in de
feat, to live In Ireland, visiting this
country only occasionally. An autoc
racy not less brutal than the Prus
sian wns smashed at the polls and
Its leaders driven from power.
The opportunity consolidation of
fered to Mayor Vas Wyck was un
usual. A man of different mould
would linve made an enduring nume
for himself through statesmanlike
handling of the problems that pre
sented themselves to the Mayor and
the Board of Estimate. The charter
was an experiment, but Its awkward
provisions might have been twisted
to good service. Tho city had then
u bl-cnruerul legislature, consisting of
Council and Board of Aldermen, n bi
partisan Police Commission made up
of four men, and a Board of Public
Improvements to which broad powers
were Intrusted. The men appointed as
commissioners by the Mayor were re
movable at his pleasure for six months ;
the original Police Commissioners
were Tom Hamilton, of the lato
Frederick S. Gmns's following, and
V. E. Phillips of Brooklyn, Repub
licans, nnd 11. J. Yoek of Brooklyn
ami John B. Sexto.v, Democrats. All
of them were pnrty men first, and
Hamilton and PuiLLirs wero removed
by Mayor Van Wyck because their
partisanship did not match his. He
named Jacob Hesr nnd H. E. Aiiell
to eucceed them. Then came the days
of Deveht, "the best Chief of Police
New York ever had," In the Mayor's
judgment, the abolition of the bi-partisan
board by tho Leg'slaturo, and
the Institution of tho (-Ingle headed
commission wo now have. Fred Gums
never forgave Mayor Van Wyck for
his treutment of Hamilton ; whatever
possibility of Tammnny cooperation
with the city Republicans thero had
been perished.
To get Deveby out of power was
the object of the Republicans, and the
Police Commissioner was made re
movable by tho Governor, ns ho now
Is, nnd Ineligible to reappointment.
Had Deveby been appointed Commis
sioner the Governor would have re
moved him, but Tammany found n
way to keep him In authority nt head
quarters. Colonel Mike Muwhy was
transferred from the presidency of
the Health Department to the commls
sloncrshlp of police; lie nnmed Dev
ery as his First Deputy, nnd In that
capneity Deveby ruled the force until
Setii Low came Into power and Gov
ernor Odell released Colonel Part
ridge from tho State Department of
Public Works to take tho Job.
"The people do nut vote to put n
mnn Into olfice any more," said Mayor
Van Wyck In the gloomy duys of
hie canvass for the Supreme Court;
"they vote to keep somebody out of
ofllce." They voted to restore Van
; Wyck to private life, with the title
, Iceman Indelibly Imprinted on his rec
ord, and he quit the country for
Paris. So far as the city that hurt
! done him honor nnd then rebuked
him as fow men have been rebuked
was concerned, ho ceased to exist on
January l; 1002.
His successor, Mayor Low, was
beaten for reelection, but held In
honor by his fellow townsmen; Mc
Cletxan wns elected twice, and now
wears the uniform of the United
Stntes Army; Gaynou died In offlce;
Mitch el, rejected at the polls when
he rnn for a second term, wns killed
J doing his part for his country, and
THE SUN, SATURDAY,
tributes were paid to his memory t
such a few men of his years have
earned.
The New Tork of to-day Is not the
New Tork of Bob Van Wyck's time.
As to Muiiles. '
We answer In tills consplcuouo
place the subjoined Inquiry because1
our correspondent appears to share'
an erroneous belief that has won
wide acceptance:
"To the Editor or T Ben air; To
settle a dispute will you kindly let us
know If the 'mutzle Is eir?
"Can we now speak our minds about
the political gang IX Washington with
out being 'disloyal' or 'unpatriotic!
"I have heard a great many people
expreas themselves In no uncertain way
during the last few days, but they talk
mostly In whispers, as If still afraid of
the 'masters' In Washington, D. C.
"If It has not yet, when will the day
of 'American freedom' arrive? T. J. J.
"Nbw Yobk, November 15."
Plainly, "T. J. J." believes that In
tho period which has elapsed since
April 0, 1017, American citizens have
worn muzzle designed to prevent
them from discussing public affairs
fuly nnd freely.
So far as The Sun has observed,
nobody has worn such a muzzle. Spe
cifically, The Sun has not worn a
muzzle, a fact to which Its readers
can give testimony and of which lta
files nre tho enduring evidence. Po
litical arguments have gone forward
without Interruption, except as they
have been Interrupted by tho absorp
tion of Interest and energy In the
supreme task of winning victory over
the Germans. As no restraint has
been laid on orderly political ratio
cination, there aro no restraints to
be removed.
If anybody has the Cutlon that
"American" freedom" covers disloyal
utterances, words designed to bring
about breaches of the peace, and the
like, he Is utterly mistaken as to the
significance of the phrase, and neither
to-day nor so long as sanity rules us
will they be tolerated by a nation
now fully awake to the meaning of
its existence.
The astounding change from autoc
racy to democracy witnessed within
the lost week in Germany is scarcely
less noteworthy than the equivalent
transformation which occurred eleven
days ago in our own beloved land.
If the German mind retain the
old discipline, anarchy can be brought
about only by making It verbotcn to
pay attention to a verboten sign.
It is exceptionally interesting to re
call that In the sixteenth ccn'.ury
Hekrt IV. of Franco proposed a con
federation to preserve world peace,
known as the "Grand Design." Its
plan somewhat resembles that now
under discussion of a central con
gress with delegates from each signa
tory. But both because of the rivalry
between his contemporary rulers and
his own personal animosity, nhlrh nl
ways brlBtled Into war, toward the
Hapsburgs, the "Grand Design" of the
French King failed utterly.
Resembling tho American legend
"From log cabin to Whito House" Is
the one of which democratic Ger
many can now boast: "From harness
maker to Premier."
Tho German officer who remarked
that Holland is W:miki.m's Klba
should remember that Klba was but
a stopping stone to St. Helena.
Crown Prince joins his father. T
netet.
Perhaps that la the Ideal punishment
for Wimiexm.
Many r-ersons aro curious to know
whether tho members of the Xatlonal
Council of Women of Germany ever
protested to the German Government
against the brutal treatment of the
women of Belgium by the German
soldiers.
The kaisers nnd the kings depart
nnd many doings tickle us, but where
In all this upset world's our friend the
Grand Duke Nicholas?
Help to build huts to house tho new
watch on the Rhine 1
THANK COD!
Thanksgiving and Prayer to the So.
prcme Being.
To TitK Kditob or Tub Sun Sir: I'm
afraid a good many of us In the
excitement Incident to receiving the
wonderful tidings and good news forgot
to thank the Almighty Father fo.- that
which He alone could and did make
poa!blc peace coming out of what
was the most chaotlo condition the
world has ever known. Of course we
all felt thankful for this, ami perhaps
now the people arc In a moro wcrloua
frame of mind.
Could not the I'resldent set aside this
Sunday an a day of prayer and thanks
giving for this, not forrettlng those
nho have given up their- lives that the
world might be free? Kvery one
should go to church on that day If not
In the morning surely In tho evening.
Many of our dear ones have helped
i bring peace about by giving up their
! lives, and there are many, many others
J who will have to be helped over tho
rough spots when they get back.
Let not a single person forget or
neglect to jSle to the United War Work
Campaign, lor If ever the boys needed
, thrae organisations to look after them
' It will be In the coming months prepara-
tory to their coming back home.
Let us give thanks In these two ways
' from now until the end of the drive.
One Who Has Much to Be Thankful
Fort.
Ntw VonK, November 15.
Crowns Immortal.
The world ta Jarring to the thud
, Of Europe's falling thrones,
j And crowna are rolling In the duet
With klnia and crumbling bonei;
Tha blood stained crown of Truisla torn
I From WUhelm a craven brow
' And Ituasla's tragic diadem
. Are uaeleu baublta now.
Uut every town and village 111
America to. day
llooiln ot a crown of Kara that time
Can never steal away,
Immortal aa the morning llcht
On Freedom's mountain cragi,
The golden atara of racrir.ee
Upon their service Can.
UlNXl ItTIM.
NOVEMBER . 16, 1918.
LOVJS THE CLAIRVOYANT.
Important Life Saving Warnings Con
veyed by Mystic Intelligence to
the Supremo Spirit of the Spheres. I
To tub Editor or THa Bus Sir: No I
one of your readers ha ever broached
the subject, of premonition. Out of
many experienced by me a few will be
entertaining.
At Pocono Falls, a summer resort
twenty miles away from Delaware
Water dap, where In 1890 I stopped
wlth the Intention of remaining a week,
a queer thins happen j.
A good sized hotel, with gardens run
ning down to the river, and a number
of charming gtrli to no boating with,
prospects seemed propitious. When 1
was young It was nothing for mi to
find delighted young ladles to walk out
with and go river roaming. And, surely,
thtee of them accepted my Invitation
for an after supper row.
Walking In the garden, all moon
lit by this time, toward the7 fhote1,
while they wero given (o laughter and
rollicking bantering, out of thin air a
voice shouted In my ear: "Leave right
away I"
"Why bo silent V they asked me.
"Oht nothing. Uut I Just now re.
member that I promised my brother I
! i "
next train right to-night" Ith" popie- mu,t ultimately agree with Jt to heavy delay.
j dd 1 tho Spectator. It has cited the one out- A combination of causes is responsible.
Tho next evening at tho Gap, before ! landing modern attempt by free states m tho fint place the International situa
supner, the newspapers were distributed. lo llvfl together under a league. We . t0n has necessitated tho transmission
Sm.ngrh.U hotel0 wat 'burtd era Constitution whlc, re- althou,,, ,1,1s ph ase of rft. s.tuatn Is
downl Oh, and Henry was there with I "'Art cle of Confederation rap dly
his daughter I" Ac. Uulckly I read th. I "avf ur llb,rtl" "nd mad, " n.0"'" ' president of tho Western Union ex
paper. There two hours after 1 had ?,!9'r ".me.nJ Crfat1 "pubUc- ' plained, has occasioned a deluge of bust
left tho wooden structure had been de- . Uut 0,8 1'e1!ral Constitution In tho first ' ne messages, as concerns are relying
stroyed by fire .sentence of Its preamble says: "We. the ' upon thi cables to a great extent to aid
, Tho voice had come from my guard- V'op?-" ,n oth8r word:' t0 fCCUr8 1 f1,em 1,1 tha "sumption of their foreign
,ar ! I effective government and peace, sover- business.
an angei. , . . . ,,ri,.,, mouicn such, for Instance,
. , l , I T , j, I ,
At the time I was fleeing from Mr.
go directly to New York, but I stayed
for two weeks at New Orleans. La.
1 was right in the ml-carerm, bustle.
However. Uiero was such a surfeit of
crowd, noise and scarcity of suitable ;
looms that I determined to take the
-It.rnoon express to fit Augustine for
un uw way to w
depot I suddenly felt faint. I turned'
to the left and entered a glided bar-,
Z,i,.TTmi.wlto not banU'' th0 maivallm of
whom I met at the hotel. We talked. B0VerelBnty. Iyet U3 be(rln wltn tlle An.
. . . - - -
to be a groxd affair to-night and ou'll
be my guest." Of course I accepted,
At noon tho next day newsboys
ihouted: "Ultra! Train wreck!' I read:
"The 5:40 express wrecked In collision
half way to St. Augustine. Twenty pas
sengers killed," Ac.
Some unseen potency had saved ray
life.
1 am keeping the most weird premo
nition I had for tho last. It occurred
tn Europe.
, In 18S7, on leaving Paris to visit my
sister In Hwltxerlund, I made a detour
and ransacked Holland and Uelgtum.
At Rotterdam I felt Inclined to avoid
a first class hotel and try a third class
ono facing a side canal. Of course
the depot guard directed me thero. i
ihought It was safe to go. When 1
remaln only for a day or so I leave my
trunk at the railroad station for sev
eral good reasons and tako only mj
heavy large satahel.
I reached the hotel, a plain house a
thousand years old. The door led to
t dark, long hall hlch I traversed to
tut to the office. There a bulky woman
at. The room was uncanny, half In
utter darkness. She showed me up a
dilapidated staircase to the second
floor, then to a bedroom.
"Wo do not give meals here. Pny
ow for the room," she bruiqucly In
formed me.
The uncajinlness Increased. Who
le was In tho house I did not see
.ny other soul.
I entered the room; i '..xl slxcd, rlchl)
appurtenanced with cxt- vagant lounges, I
gilded armchairs, larj; gold rimmed
mirrors anil a curtain, d old fashioned
doublo bed hidden from view, as tn days
long past. In fact, the room was fitted
out for a princess to bleep In.
t sat on the gold framed lounge,
looking toward the curtain, hiding the
tied. It moved I
Then all of a sudden, distinct as
though from a living pcrton, 1 heard:
"Go away ! Go away I was afraid
lo investigate tho Invisible bod. "Go
away!" Insistently I heard this, Ave
times at Intervals.
Why, the stoutest heart would have
'tared aghast. I quickly consulted my
time table. A train left at 4 p. M. for
Brussels. "Go away!"
I tell you, this tlmo 1 obeyed.
sjatchtl In hand, I bolted down the
etalrs. Yes. In the office there were Ave
burly, wild faced men, two with
rteupons I rushed past, not heeding the
woman's voice to detain me. through
tho uncanny narrow hall to tho street.
I'hero I ran ha. ling a passing rab. 'To
the depot. Quick! I must catch that
train!" Just In time! I escaped u
meustrous adventure In Rotterdam.
There are a score or more housed In
my memory premonitions that had
been tho doing of powers scientists nro
unable to tabulate In their works on
materialistic phenomena
Louis M, Eilsiiumius,
Supreme Spirit of the Spheres.
New York, November 10.
A Quotation From the President.
To the Editor or The Bun Sir; Now
that the voters of America have elected
a Republican Cnncre.-a I tako tho lib -
erty of quoting from the speech of Pres-
Went Wilson to new citizens at Phlla-
delphU as follows:
It w tut a hl.torte.1 hc-lnnt. no
rtn,.ht tht thi. -ri-at eounirv :. rnii,,!
the "VnlteJ Pttc." and yet I am very
thankful that It hn tha word "united"
I In Its title, and ths man who iccki to.',
I divide man from man, group from group,
Interna from Intereit, In tho United States
i la unking at Its very heart.
The recent election demonstrated that
some people think a man can be a good
American even If ho lu a Republican.
Iconoclast.
Jehhet Citv, N. J., November 15,
"o Grain for (lermnn Hecrl
To Titn Editor or The Sun Sir.- If
we nro to feed tlio Legging "Kamcrads"
It should be stipulated that none of our
li.r-iln BlirMtM h ItUPil flit- tho n. 11,1 n ,
ture of beer or schnapps. Many of the
attributable to their supcrswllllng. Tljelr
r.,,.,fr.,nil.. n ,,,.,-,. I...1...J -nu.
superferoclty was superstlmulated, The
water wagon for them. Mint Julep.
New York, November 15.
Yellow I'cier Treatment for Inlluenm.
To the KniTon or Tun Sun ffir,- A
rolored physician of Richmond, Vu.,
has hud universal success with Influenza
by treating It as though It woio yellow
fever. Whiskey was also prescribed.
Paul Morris, U, H. N.
New York, November 15.
uarnin r. ningticy on n
Cloier Union Than That of Mere
SoverelgnUet.
To the Editor or Tai Bur Sir; There
Is an amazing article In the last Insue
-f tho London flpecfofor on the proposed
league of rations. After stating that
Ul future happiness of mankind do-
pends on whether the Allies take tho
rlsl't or the wrong path on this matter.
thl great leader of serious thought sub-
mlts an outline of agreement which tho
nations should sign at the peace table,
One reads and wonders. The pro.
posed agreement Is substantially a copy
of the Articles of Confederation adopted
by tho thirteen States during tho Ileo
lutlon, If there is a clearer example of
governmental Impotence than our old
Confederation, I don't recall It The
thirteen States had to abandon It to
save their liberties.
Can It be that the Spectator, always
so generous to Americans, never heard
of Independence Hall and the conven
tion of 1787, and of John Marshall and
Alexander Hamilton? Did Its writer
ever read the Federalist?
Hut after oil is tho Spectator any
moro wrong headed than others? It Is
Pcnc and so uncovers Its enor. All
.tlrJXZDZl not'
Mr.
' ' fo ' ! I 111 no tun iiiiiiiiuaiiLts uuu lu 1 - ... " , ' . - .
i . . .!..,. .as mnsratulatorv cablegrams over tho
jnerc was a uircerence oil
: pl"'" nbout lhat " South, but
' ""l l"? Wtt fl"a'ly nnd elcrnaIly
, "U"V ,? T
I '".lii " a"d Peaca a" iM
. . - ,, , , .
, frontle8 and tne no ,. IanJ , whlch
diplomats spy on each other and lie.
pct-beiium programme will sa,o
repetition of this horror that
gio-Saxon world and perhaps France,
No ,... ..m sv,i . .(
Is the word. Dabwin P. Kino a let.
New York, November 10.
IDLE THOUGHTS.
Political Speculations on the Conduct
of the President,
To the Editor or Tub Sun Sir.- Sup
pose that Woodrow Wlleon, Instead of
writing his letter of October 25, 1918,
one of which I received by mail, advis
ing the election of a Democratic Con-
ireas, had appointed ex-I'resident Taft President Carlton yesterday, "chiefly as
or ex-President Roosevelt Minister to the result of natural causes over which
the Court of Et James's, would Wood- ,e have no control. There Is a regret
row Wilson not have stood higher ln the ' Jable 'ack f fa.clm'es ln forcf. ,n
estimation of the people of the United
States and of the world? And much
higher now In his own estimation?
An' would not such an appointment,
had he not written that political let
ter, have come nearer electing a Demo
cratic Congreas in the last election than
i.i. n- i. .,.,.1.1,, u ,
hls letter did? It csrtalnly could not
have done worne. And would not such .arui lines here. In fact we are so heav
an appointment, for one at least of his,; ily burdened with messages from Europe
have measured up nearer to the broad that wo cannot arcept any more at
minded appointments made by President nrcnt. We hope, however, that the
Lincoln under somewhat similar condi
tions? 'Wiuliam H. Forbes.
Frankmn, Pa., November 15.
THE EMBATTLED FORCES.
Efficiency Against Character to
Decisive End.
the
To the Editob of Tub Sun Sir: Now
. that the great war has ended historians
and philosophical writers will attempt,
as Ruckle says, "those large nnd com
prehensive studies by whose aid alone
wp can ascertain tho conditions which
determine the tread and destiny of na-
Hons," and I would submit aa the met
tlioushtful and clear expri'binn on t!
subject which ha come to my notice
the statement of Dr. Samuel I- i:mer-
i son, profefcAiir of history at tht. Knlver- which men cooked and kept warm wlth
slty of Vermont, as follows: "I think out any knowledge of the coal lying
, It Is not too much to nay that this world I beneath the surface of the earth?
war may be best described as a conflict
between the forces of efficiency on the
ono hand and of character on the other,
and the event proves how well character
met and withstood the ordeal."
Daniel, U Catjt.
New York, November IE.
OUR
BOYS ARE
HOME'
COMING
. , ,. ... . ... , .
I etroIcum V ,l,b' ro, a,,d '
Poo Stewart Sang the Sonir.
; To the Editor or The Srv Sir: A
' poem, "Our Roys Are Coming Home."
' printed In The Si'.v of No ember 13
without Identification of Its auUior, was
1 written on tho day of the fall of Rich-
I niond. IStir,, by locke, "Petroleum V.
. Vaabv." for n baiiu'iet held In celcbra -
Hon of the event that night at or near
Tiffany, Ohio. Ho took the poem t0 my
( limn-,, ... .w ...v....... .v, ..... j
j earn director of muslo In tha Cleveland
i public HChools, and asked him to write
tho music for It and to flng It nt tlio
; banquet.
' Father wrote music for tho words and
, R at that banquet, where he was
seated between General Sherman ami
i Senator Sherman of Ohio.
Nnsby was on tho Toledo flluf.v. The
K0" wa,s "c;l"d and VopnUr for
a time, but has not been put Into print.
! Father has the original manuscript ot
tho words and music In his possession
now. Ho Is 80 years old, but was lns-
j ing tho hong from the music only a
' short time ago.
Gaumem-i; Stewart Mi lmner.
New York, November 15.
Try It With a Familiar Air.
To tub Editor of The Sun- Sir; In
reading the editorial page of The Sex
' nf Novcmbor 13 I was fctruck by tha
! vortes "Our Boya Aro Coming Home."
1 wonder It nny of your readers did
as I did? I stood up and sang It
through to tho tuno of "S.and Up. Stand
Uu for Jesus." What better victory
, bltM lho au,hor'
AM t.
vert Dat Reaper.
New ROCHEU.E, November 15.
A Cry for (lood Liquor.
To Tim Editor op The Sun str: Now
thnt tho war Is over Is the-i- nny i,-u-
ion why the embargo should not be
...I (V lrll. ..I. I.,
tnken off Scotch and Irish whltkoy? Tho
fcort of fctuff that Is being nerved Is
enough to mako a prohibitionist of a
j mail. USQUEDAl'011.
New York, November 16.
ARE OVERWHELMED
i
"Western UfllOIl BOIUSCS 10 AC-
cept Prlvato Messages Un
til Congestion Ends.
OTHERS WARN OP DELAY
Storm Wrecks Land Lines and
Influenza Depletes Oper
ating Forces Abroad.
A congestion of messages such aa the
cable companies never beforo have ex
Dertonced has forced tho Western Union
Telegraph Company to refuse for the
Mm. ,in tn nnvot mv more private
cablegram, for transmission to Kurope.
The Commercial Cable Company is ac -
centlng messages, but only foi future
transmission, and the French TelegTapn
Cab.. Company Is accepting them "aub.
-. ,."i , i.
uuiea victory aim iiiiuiii
tlves of soldiers ln tho foreign service
regarding the welfare of the latter also
are numerous.
To make matters worse tho cablo
companies are all more or less crlrpled
either by curtailment of their mechanical
facilities through one cause or another
or by tha depletion of their working
forces duo to tho Spanish Ictluensa
epidemic. The Commercial Cable Com
pany, which claims to have all the
wire facilities It needs to handle tne
j situation, has been particularly hard hit
, by tho epidemic. Sixty per cent, of the
employees In Its cable station at Watcr
vllle, Ireland, alono are said to be laid
up with influenza.
The Western Union, on the other hand,
complains chiefly of an impairment ln Its
mechanical equipment, A heavy storm
ln the vicinity of Moncton. New Bruns
wick, played havoc with the company's
wires on Its supplemental route via Syd
ney. Nova Scotia. From 7 o'clock Thurs
day morning until yesterday afternoon
not a slrfglo cablegram could be relayed
over this route. "
Late yesterday It was announced that
ono wire on the route had been cleared.
"Our facilities have been reduced to
tho lowest point In several months," said
--.-I' ui uiio m u nut o mi iiiuiuinniQ
amount of traffic over our wires. Every
body is starting In business again and la
endeavoring to reestablish commercial
n latlonships. Then there arc the Gov
ern ment messages and the newspaper
cablc-srama, which must bo handled
liome way or other.
' "e nave aiao naa irouoio wun ae-
i Uvfrv n. ... Tri..,, ,,.,..,,. ,,,
congestion will, ba cleared up over the
week end."
At the ofllcefl of the Frc. -h Telegraph
Cable Company. 25 Rroad tt, t, tho fol
lowing announcement was pa nod up:
"Owing to nn abnormal trafllc conges
tion the French Telegraph Cable Com
pany can accept mersageH subject only
to heavy delay until further notice."
OUR WASTE OF WOOD.
Wo Cut Flno Trees and Let Fallen
Timber Decay.
To the EotTon or The Sun Sir; Your
correspondent David A. CurtH expresses
concern its to the failure of tho world
supply of coal nnd wonders what will
happen when It Is) exhausted. Has he
thought of the countless aires dnrlnr
i It Is moro than a century since coal
was first used, as It was exported from
Newcastle, England, at tho end of the
! thirteenth century, but It was not ex-
tenslvely mined In this country before
canals and railroads made tho trans
portation easy. Before that time open
tires nnd stoves In which wood was
burned were alone used.
lu many countries of the world there
Is no coal even now. In Russia the
great stove-like ovens that heat the
houses during the long winter are sup
plied with wood only. If wo were not
so wasteful with our wood wo might
have still an amplo supply for our
i houses, hardly perhaps for qur many
fuctorles. Thousands of cords of "dead
; and down" timber 11, decaying on the
j ground, and we cut down lino oak and
' hleknrv trees tn hum Th. i
burn up tho
ties that nro no longer
good rnougl
for the track but make
HHuiii.uMu iiivs iur iieuuiiK. I tirougn-
1 out the antliraclto coal resion black
j mountains of fine coal mixed with slate
that has been .-ejected from tho breakers
j are at Mio mouth of every mine. This
j coal could bo comprusscd into brlrka
; and used for fuel, but It docs not yet
, command a prlco that would pay for
; the labor.
. p0r tho present there seems little
danger of the failure of the -oa! supply
1 in this country, though the nrlcr to tho
, con-rjiner. thinks to tho Interference of
the Fuel Administrator. Is Ktendilv in
crcaslnrr.
If wo could get a few German and
Austrian stoves to warm our houses
we would save an Immense amount of
fuel, but wo should copy their methods
of preserving and cultivating timber.
Q. H. D.
Hazlbtok, Pa., November 15.
A HISTORIC SCENE.
Scenario Snggestlon for Alert Motion
ricture Producers
rouucirs.
To T1,B !-p-Tor or The Sun Sir: In
. .- "me im-iurci
houses for months showing Secretaries
(Daniels. Raker and McAdoo In political'
action Tiiuiures uimooi invariably r. 1
'.-cued wh stony silence but S t'ho )
theatres evidently considered It politic
to show- l sugKcst that we havo for a'
I t i .a . ...
cnuiige uuring mo next week or bo pic
tures of these same gentlemen recelvlnn-
.. ..... , mi.
tne news ot tne labt eieclivns. If Mr,
wreei was on tuinci to take pictures.
They might get some applauwe.
Republican.
New York, November 15.
HOLBERT PIER PLAN
SHUNTED BY CRAIO
Comptroller Injects West Sid,.
Schcmo Into Conference
With U. 8. Officials.
ALL DONE IN SECKKcy
Dock Commissioner's Efforts
to Build Up Port's Trad-Get-
Setback.
Dock Commissioner Murray Htjiht-t ,
plan to save New York's commerce not
a bad setback yesterday when e'emn-
( troller Charles L. Cralg managed to ill.
1 vert th attention of ths Board of 1ii
J-.
1 naum Admlnlstiatlon to his own WS
gid Improvement plan. The rrsult ef
mixing up tne two pians was oeiay of
iwuicc, miu sifiita -tit . ininuiK I 1 rV"
ths Mayor and Comptroller are prha',
hostile to Hulbert's Ideas and woull Mi
the plan If they can.
When the secret conference of n.
terday, which was made up of
Mayor, Comptroller Craig, tnemb-rj of
the Board of Estimate and of the S;n.-.
Ing Fund Commission and of A II
Smith, Regional Director of RaiToad
for the Eastern district; C II. M.irit.
ham. Regional Director for tho A '
Bheny district, and H. 13. Walker, f
rector or coastwise steamsh'ps g
through with discussing the Hulbert aim
the Cralg plans It decided to meet aga
December i. This means that Ct.-t
aloncr Hulbert's desire to get Immc.l'jti
action toward Improving pier facii i
and relieving congestion Is to l i .
appointed and that the entire Hu'oe
plan Is to b carried Indefinitely lnt , :
future.
Crtfr Dran In Ilia Ovrn Plan.
The Cralg plan for settling the WeF
Side problem by building a tunnel cor.
talnlng six tracks from Flfty-n.n'
street oouth to Canal street nnd by em
erlng the tracks northward from Fiftj
ninth street so that Riverside Park coul.
be extended to the marginal way had n
business before the conference called fi
yesterday. It was dragged In by ir.a'
strength by lu own author. The tree'
Ing was called to consider the Huloer
plan. The Comptroller's plan, pjcrtf
Into the situation oxerntght, natural'
sidetracked the Hulbert plan for a go
part of the conference.
Apparently the Comptroller naw not.
Ing unethical In turning the meeting t.
his own plan rather than hold'ns thi
meeting to the purposes for which It i,
called. Obviously he desired to get th
ear of A. H. Smith, the railroad bos, ir
these parts, and about the only wav t'ia
he could get Mr. Smith's ottent'on wi
on the score of the Hulbert pier idea
Mr. Smith himself said yesterday after
noon that he had come to the City Uj
to discuss; piers.
A curious feature of tho conferen
waa Its secrecy. ' When the confer
gathered member of the pres, a st.
nographer and secretaries of some of tr
officials were In the Mayor's recepti'
room. The Mayor himself was uptow
it that hour, 4 P. M. So Comptrol'.
Cralg took the head of the tablo ant
announced t-.t, Oiu reporters and every
body not connoted with the boards mus
take th air.
An Amailng Development.
This seemed nmaalnp In v ew of th
fact that nothing ln city administrate'
Is of more public concern and Intere
than port !vIopment : nothing mnrf
likely to produce Interesting matter di
to the public Subsequently an lnqu "
addressed to Mr. Craig as regard.! re ,
sons for such privacy brought ircir- r
nt rentment from the Mayor who i
stood otherwise silent while Cra'g '
'ho talking fralg's explination .
that the meeting was s "conferenre ' .
that "probably the Railroad Ad r
tratlon representatives preferred jn
vary."
What happened crime about tn th i
Comptroller Cralg, having the fl"t
as chairman of the meeting, got v!"
West S'de scheme before R-gloinl '
rector Smith, the very A. H Smith. .
recalls) easily, that Cralg fought s,.. I
terly when Smith was president -f .
w York Central Railroad, an Ml' e 1
may reassume not improbably in l
not too distant future. This en" tod- n
diverting Craig appealing for t!e
tentlon of the man whoso lr.tere.M '
had so rancorously attacked a ve.ir arr
Tho Regional Director was ..!! t
have smiled from tune to time ! .r'i .
the conference, but he contm'vei
self to nothing. Nor did Reg ":;.U !'
rector Markham commit hlmse.f v
thing. Nor did the Steamship P.-- t
give the slightest Inkling as to the wa
he felt about matters. He left er
early, anyway, not too pleased at :ia
Ing been kept waiting an hour b tv
Mayor and the Comptroller.
Ilolbert Ctli n Chnnn-.
After the generalities of the i ,
downtown tunnel ami upt-'w.i
way plan for West S!do tp-.pri-w
had been touched upon the
rnme to Murray Hulbert's p!er s i e
and for half nn hour or more th,- 1
Commissioner talked nt full speen i
to drive Into tha minds ot his O'i'. j.
the necessity for getting someth.rig '
at once; trying to make them ! -stand
that New York's com - er - I
standing still or shrinking uh-'e '
other Atlantic ports Is grow Ins
and bounds; trying to make t,. -that
great shipping and Hfar",
teresta are planning to move a a.:'
less the city wnkos up port .!
ment matters, and pleadinj: fo: i :
action, action Instead of dela 11.
all of tho details of a well w..rK- '
plan beforo the conferees otnp' ..-
the nocesslty for removing t!.r -steamers
from their present Nor.'i 1
terminal to nn East River tern .: "
trlng at the foot of Eust Tweu".-- v
street. He argued heatedly ami i
slatlenlly
On the whole he was met o'.i - -
w ith littlo sign of support, Craig '
' nar In tnls Bnd tllnt- pnrt'. ul.i
ma'ter or removing tho Sound t-i
pnrasing nis oujectior.s as re.-re-the
views of business IntereM
Mayor, who didn't get to the n -'
until after 5 o'clock, seemed ! I
particular Ideas about anything.
Tho whole discussion ended w
ponement until December i, ur
everybody was Instructed not
obout what had happened or w
been said In the powwow.
sloncr Hulbert, who came ou:
secrecy red faced and prettv .'
looked as If he would liko t
talked, hut he raid that it .
agrcod that Cralg was to rev w
tails of the conference for t-o
of tho press.
TRADE BRBIEFS.
The Norwegian budtet f r l:i
amount t0' 75.O0O,f.0O. Lt year f -"
I a J.UII1I.1IIIII. in rnlll'aur nmtrA A
: . .i..m. - - -
ZVVZ aZ ' "
all voted s.701.000 for i
po.
The rub'jer InduMry l r .
attention In tha FIJI Iir u -Zealand
Yarms hae plant. 1
tallone there that have piol. '
tlea of rubber reported to be
high grade. There are 'thuusji. i '
In the Bill Islands that are wci;
to this tnduetry.
J