The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-30
Nashville's Sympathy Is Against MethOdists in the
 Vanderbilt Controversy
STRONG FACTOR IS
 AGAINST ATLANTA
Many Think Friends of Emory Col lege Would Never Consent to Have That School Lose
 Identity
fly HUGH W. ROBERTS

bs d11H W. NOBfskbS Vanderbilt university may have been
 unwise In divorcing itself from the
 Methodist church. But Vanderbilt does
 not think so. As a matter of fact
 the university is rejoicing in what 1t
 terms its regained freedom.
 l Nashville sympathizes with the uni
 versity. There Is no question but that
 public sentiment is now and has been
 against the church. Relations as re-
 suit Of the decision lin the Vanderbilt
 case are strained. The Methodists in
 their heart have little love for Nash
 vile. and Nashville little for the Meth odists
 l As pesult, Birmingham if it se- cures the Methodist callege may se-
 cure the Methodist publishing house.
 The church takes the position that if
 it has been decreed that the church
 does not own the college it may at
 some later date be decreed that the
 church does not own the publishing house. There seems to be no question
 but that Nashville will lose the pub fishing house unless subsequent in- vestigation proves that to transfer this
 valuable plant would be entirely im-
 provident and impracticable | The publishing house is one of the
 largest in the United States. It em-
 ploys 1T5 men. It does a million dollar
 business. It represents an investment
 of s1,250,000
 1 Nashville people believe that Bir-
 mingham will acquire the Methodist
 college unless this city is entirely in-
 different. The chief reason why these
 people, familiar as they are with Meth
 odist history, are convinced that Bir-
 mingham will secure the college is
 based on their belief that Atlanta, or rather the Gamblers, are not bent on
 securing 1t for themselves.
 l It Is said that Emory college lies very close to the heart of every Meth
 odist in Georgia and especially to that
 of the Gamblers. The story has it that
 the Candler building will be left on the death of MT. Candler as a bequest for that college. There is no question but that should the Methodist church
 locate it's s5.000.000 university in Att
 lanta, Emory college would suffer an Iirreparable injury. would, a matter
 of fact, disappear from the face of the
 educational map.
 There is almost unanfmity of opin-
 ion among Methodists in Nashville that Birmingham will secure the new col | lege with all it's accessories. if Bir-
 mingham bestirs itself as actively and
 as aggressively as 1t should Much has been said and written in an effort to impress the people of Br- | mingham with the idea of the real value of the college which will be built.
 
 general lack of information. Many peo-
 pie believe that the importance of the college will be dependent on the sum of money which Birmingham will raise. Nothing could be further from the truth. Birmingham will be expect ed to endow the college with $1,000,- GOO. The college will be constructed at
 a cost of $5.000,000. It is said that the Gamblers of Atlanta will contribute as | much to the college If 1t is located in Birmingham as they would were 1t to be located in Atlanta.
 The college will be builded by the Meth odists of the south. There are about 10- 0000 Methodists. The sum of $5.000,000 can therefore. be raised by assessing
 each Methodist of the south only 50 cents. The college will be maintained by the Methodsts. It will not injure either the University of Alabama or the Alabama Polytechnical institute. It's students will be drawn from every southern state, for
 the college will be the property of the Methodists of every southern state. Birmingham, in other words, will spend | $1. GOO, ,O0O secure a plant valued at $5,OO0,- | 900, secure yearly trade of s50O,000, and build up it's population by adding people greatly to be desired. This is the prob-
 lem and the situation
 Tn discussing the plan to raise in Bir- | mingham. $l000.000. 1t should be remem- bered that the value of the property of Birmingham college will be included on | the credit side of the ledger. It has been , said that Birmingham college, turned over | as a nucleus for the new college, will | be listed as an asset valued at $500 00O | That valuation, in the opinion of local
 students of real estate values, Is too low | It Is probable that nowhere else in the cities of the south could tract of 66 acres be secured, a site so large, so beau tiful. naturally so fitted for the new en- l terprse.
 Birmingham college should be consider
 ed an asset worth $4O0.O00 Many men
 contend that it should be valued at $500.-
 900. It is unquestionably the one great argument proving that Birmingham Is the ideal place, for the college If Bir- mingham was confronted with the prob lem of selecting a site other than that
 at Owenton, the problem. fin addition to
 that other of rasing large sum of
 money, would probably remain unsolved There is fear in Nashville that Bir-
 mingham will not measure up to the situ- | ation. This is given by local men of public spirit as an indication that Nash vile, despite its great school facilities 1 Is not educated to the point of thorough
 knowledge of Birmingham.