Italian Philosopher-Martyr

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 22, 1919

February 17 is the anniversary of the burning in Rome, in 1600, of the Italian philosopher, Giordano Bruno. He was subjected to continual and terrible persecution for seven years prior to his death, in the hope that he would recant. In 1889 a monument was erected to him under papal protest at the place where he perished at the stake.

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Time For Action In Mexico

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 22, 1919

The time has just about arrived for Uncle Sam to take the bull by the horns in Mexico and settle that vexatious question once and for all. The continued depredations by itinerant Mexican desperadoes on American people has become so exasperating that it cannot be overlooked for a great length of time.

The exploitation of Mexico by Americans in recent years has had a bad effect in some instances, but as a general proposition it has been a good thing for the country. Mexico covers a very wide area and has not had a responsible head for a decade. The natural result has been that the machinery of government has decayed and become almost useless as power to police the various states.

What is required in Mexico is a power similar to the power that civilized the Hawaiian and Philippine groups and brought to them stable government. Sooner or later that power will have to be furnished by some substantial nation that can enforce its dictates for good and stable government in Mexico.

Our people have taken much from Mexico and tried to get along with the people of that country. Mexico has not progressed like other new countries, either in education or the art of government. On the other hand, it has decayed. Far-seeing men, with an eye to developing the natural resources of that country, have invested great sums of money. It is too late to stop the advance in that development.

When the Mexican is educated to decent living, to the value of thrift and to the necessity for advancing instead of declining, then and not until then will that country progress. It has just about come to the point where Uncle Sam will be forced to take a hand in bringing about a stable government, even if it takes an army to do it.

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Demonstration Against The Treaty

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 8, 1919

These Germans gathered in front of the reichstag in Berlin were making a protest against the signing of the peace treaty. The scene was repeated in many places, but most of the population of Germany favored the acceptance of the terms.

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Little Changed By Time

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 8, 1919

Dwellers in Mountains of Tyrol Live In Much the Same Way as Did Their Ancestors.

The mountains of Tyrol shelter one of the few remaining unspoiled peasant people of Europe – a people that wears a native costume, remembers its folk legends and follows customs centuries old.

The mountain Tyrolese are robust, hard-working folk. Life in the mountains demands work from every member of the household from daybreak until after dark. Then, on winter nights, the Tyrolese peasants play.

Dancing is a favorite amusement after the day’s work, and this is all the more surprising because the dances of Tyrol are more strenuous than those of Russia or Poland. To swing your partner up to the ceiling, and to fall down and spring up again without using the hands for support are among the “steps” of a good dancer’s repertoire.

While the dancing couple excitedly swing and caper, the others sing and play the zither, the favorite Tyrolese musical instrument. Original songs are in high favor, and also the old folk songs of princes and peasants, shepherdesses and hunstmen. The peasants sing lustily and well. Only a realization of tomorrow’s work puts an end to the affair, and sends guests trooping home still whistling or humming the last song.

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How It Began

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 8, 1919

Customary figure as the boy scout has become in the United States, General Baden-Powell’s visit added much to American knowledge of the movement. A good many newspaper readers were probably surprised to learn that it owes its beginning to the Boer war and the siege of Mafeking, without which it may be questioned whether there would be any boy scouts. In command at Mafeking, General Baden-Powell looked far beyond the siege and saw that a great and useful organization of boys might be developed from the corps of boy messengers organized to serve the forces holding that hard-pressed town. That was the beginning of it, but the same force of character that defended Mafeking carried forward the boy scout idea until it was generally recognized as a project for character building rather than encouraging militarism in the young. Another bit of information that probably surprised many Americans was that Baden-Powell is descended on his mother’s side from Capt. John Smith.

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Germany Reduces Cost 50 Per Cent

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 8, 1919

Germany has reduced the cost of living 50 per cent since the ending of the war. In America it has continued to rise. The action which brought down prices in Germany might well be emulated here. The German government took the bull by the horns and run the profiteering scoundrels out of business. When they learned that the German government was goin got get busy they brought out their great stocks of hoarded foodstuffs and almost before anybody knew it they weer going on the market at half price. The result was that prices soon became almost normal.

Drastic action is necessary in the present contingency. The profiteers must be driven to cover. The government should go right into the storage houses and bring out the immense supplies that are hoarded there. Of course, a lot of these fellows would stand for a frightful loss. But they have made frightful profits in the past and the sooner things are evened up the better. If Germany could accomplish such a thing in so short a time America certainly can do as well. tI would be pretty tough to say that Germany was licked to a frazzle from an army standpoint, and have to admit that that country was the greatest victor from a standpoint of economics.

When this big stock of foodstuffs is turned loose there is going to be a crash. It should be turned loose before half of it decays and becomes worthless for food purposes. The country is up in arms and is going to make a cleaning of the hoarders and profiteers. Let’s make a good pob of it.

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Indemnity For United States

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 1, 1919

The question of whether or not the United States shall share in the indemnity which Germany will be forced to pay is still an open one. Under the terms of the treaty this country is entitled to a share of this indemnity,  but there is a very clear-cut feeling that the money should not be accepted.

This indemnity business is a moot question. There is no particular reason why this country sould participate unless it be with a view to recouping the losses sustained as the result of our shipping being sunk. We entered the war neither for glory or money, but rather as matter of self-protection. The president has intimated that we should not demand a share of this indemnity.

The matter will be one of the weighty problems to be settled in the senate, where it is said there is a considerable difference of opinion. The relatively small amount that would come to us would amount to very little, from an economic standpoint. To accept it might obligate this country in a fashion that would not be at all desirable.

The United States will naturally be a big financial gainer as a result of this world war. It has already been such a gainer. In the future we will dominate world trade almost entirely for a long time to come. It would hardly appear proper that we should demand the pound of flesh at this time, when so many European countries are almost ready for the receiver. We submit that this country will do well to forget the indemnity business, except to see that it is properly distributed among the other of our allies in Europe.

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