davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
British Naval Victory

Admiral Sir Christopher Craddock
and his Inflated squadron are re-
venged.
In the most important naval en-
gagement of the war three German
cruisers, the Leipzig, Scharnhorst and
Gneisenau, went down off the Falk-
land Islands under the guns of "a Brit
ish squadron commanded by Vice Ad-
miral Sir Frederick Sturdee. The
Nurnberg and Dresden are in flight
with British ships after them and their
capture is apparently a matter of a
few days.
Although the battle was fought in
the South Atlantic ocean the stake
won by the victor was the control of
the Pacific. 1t was the German Pa
cific squadron which was destroyed
and one which worked much havoc
among British shipping.
The accomplishment is a notable
one for the British navy and goes far
to wipe out the memory of Admiral
Craddock's defeat. The battleships
came from home waters and prob
ably set out as soon as news of the
| first battle became known. The Sc
crecy with which they made their jour-
ney was remarkable and the dispatch
with which Admiral Sturdee carrier
out his errand speaks volumes for
British seamanship.
The official announcement of the
victory mentions the names of none
of the British ships. 1t is probable
that those dispatched to the Pacific
were among the swifest and most pow
erful in the British navy, so it does
not seem possible that the Dresden
and Nurnberg can escape. Both these
ships are comparatively slow and be-
ing without coal will be forced either
to inferno or fight with the certainty
of defeat.
| Only the elusive Karlsruhe remains
of the German warships at large ir
the Pacific at the beginning of the
war and the battle practically frees
| British commerce from all menace.
The victory of the British is the
most romantic in the war; Admira
Won Spec on November / was hero
He had defeated the British in oper
action. A little more than a month
later he and his ships are pounded
to pieces and he tastes of the despair
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
As to National Defense

In these modern days of heavy ar
maments and scientific war equipment
much thought is being given to this
country's navy, its coast defenses and
its military strength generally. The
question of preparedness is one that
concerns all patriotic Americans.
Every good citizen likes to feel that
the country is secure. But navy Off
GERS and army officers alike usually
ask for additional equipment, which
means more money appropriation for
their respective departments of the
service, but the civilians in Congress
are usually slow to accept all the
emergency ideas advanced by even
the most highly esteemed army or
navy man. Rear Admiral Fletcher
told the House naval committee yes
terday that the United States navy
was unprepared to cope with the most
powerful navy in the world; that 1--WE
are not prepared for the worst emer-
gency that might arise to protect our
selves from the greatest force avail
able" The rear admiraPs words did
not mean that he expected this coun-
try to be attacked in the near future
by the greatest naval power, but he
evidently thought it to be of great
Importance to have in mind hypo-
thetical case.
Beginning with President Cleve-
lands first administration, when he
urged the building of new navy
Congress, ever since has, as rule
manifested broad views and has beer
liberal with its appropriations fol-
building up a great sea fighting es-
Enlistment, but every high officer
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10

The Modern Christmas Tree

The old-fashioned highly inflamma-
Bile Santa Claus having been found
more of menace than benefactor,
the next step has been to eliminate
the dangerous Christmas tree candle.
A twinkling candle on a Christmas
tree is beautiful still, and doubtless
more in keeping with the spirit of
the occasion than some of the modern
devices, but the tiny incandescent
lamp is safer, while at the same time
it gives opportunities for much more
elaborate lighting effects.
The resinous character of Christ
mas trees and the inflammable ma
terials with which they are decorated
makes them extremely hard to extin-
guish when once twig catches fire.
The department stores have long since
adopted the "safety first" idea in
Christmas tree illumination and the
electric lamp is widely used for this
purpose. In rural regions where there
is no electricity and no wiring posi-
BILE, the candle naturally survives.
The small electric lamps that are
now used to light Christmas trees are
arranged in long strings which can be
festooned from the boughs of the tree
without the slightest danger of igni-
ton. They are made in many colors
and designs. Some of them represent
fruits, birds, animals and men. In
fact,i there is no limit to the variety
of designs in which they can be made
or the ways in which they can be
used for decorative. purposes. The
cord is provided with an ordinary
screw plug which can be affixed to
any light socket. The whole tree can
thus be illuminated by merely turning
a button. The tedious, as we'll as dan
gerous, way of lighting candles one at
a time is thus done away with.
BY all means, the electric lamp for
Christmas trees should be used instead
of candles. Much more beautiful eff
fects can be obtained and the risk of
Christmas fires can be greatly
minimized.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
ALABAMA SANCTUMS

Admission Star: 1t may be a long way to
Tipperary, but we bet any healthy Aus
trian could run there on a stretch.
Huntsville Times: 1t must be CALLING
the pessimists to see the optimists going
right ahead enjoying a full measure of
prosperity.
Livingston Southern Home: The trou-
BILE with the Mexicans is that they had
rather execute each other than to ex-
eoute their laws.
Gadsden Journal: At last, tight shirts
are to go. Fashion has decreed that hey
must be gone by Easter, 1915. Now we
will see an increase in cotton consnmp-
ton.
Huntsville Mercury Banner: If the Ger
mans continue to capture Russians by
the army corps and the Russians to cap
ture Germans by divisions there will be
nothing left for the Austrians to 60 but
take care of the prisoners.
Montgomery Advertiser: Every German
thinks it is preposterous to think of Ger
manys losing this war Every ally is
equally sure that a man is a lunatic who
thinks Germany won't be crushed We
should like for one side or the other to be
sustained by events in the near future.
1t doesn't take much war to satisfy us.
Ashville Southern Aegis: Governor elect
Henderson's mail is enormous, but he is
onto his job, and no man knows to whom
he will give the good jobs. We admire
Henderson's way of doing business and
the office seekers had as well let up, as
Charles Henderson is going to be gov
ernor in fact as well as name, and his
personnel in office will be business men,
who have been successful in their own
affairs and not made up of political office
seekers. Mark the prediction.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
Great Prosperity Next Year

EARLY in November we began to hear
of Improvement in business, but it was
very slow and only in spots; now, how
ever. the improvement is more generally
observed, said Joseph w. Fielding of
New York city.
From all accounts there has been more
business activity in the west than In any
other section, although there are sew
eral southern cities where business is
showing now considerable briskness. But
the western grain growers have done ex-
ceptionally well. and the prosperity of the
west is now benefiting New York. If
other cities felt the business depression
caused by the war New York seems to
have felt it, even in a most serious de-
gree; but there has been wonderful i'm
provement in the east within the past two
or three weeks, and the best of it is there
is consensus of opinion that 1915 will
be a year of high record prosperity. 1t
is the opinion of many prominent men
that we will have the greatest boom in all
our history
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
THE TURK AS A FIGHTING MAN

From the Scientific American.
AS result of the showing made by
Turkey in the late Balkan war, the i'm
preston has been created that her army
is composed of poor material, and that
her presence in the present hostilities VIII
be of little moment. That this is a mis-
taken idea is the opinion of a military
expert who writes on the military re-
sources of Turkey in the fourth war issue
of the Scientific American of December 5.
or the Turk as an individual, he says:
The Turk, when properly differed, is
a redoubtable. fighter; and we say this in
spite of his overwhelming defeats in the
Balkan war; for in that struggle he was
taken unawares and the leadership was
poor Under German guidance at head
quarters and German control in the field,
he will undoubtedly give good account
of himself in the present war, in which
his chief handicap will be his numerical
inferiority to his Russian enemy. For it
is the opinion of the best informed mill
tary men in this country that if the Stam-
boul government places 100000 we'll
equipped regular troops in the field, that
figure will represent its maximum effort.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10

who borrow In this way. aud the Hughes
laws OF this etate make II mandatory
upon New York companies TO lend. One
is the commercial holder uho regards the
Investment IN insurance az n reserve. and
borrows to meet emergency demands, or
where he can handle the money (which
is loaned At per cent? mote rfofitnhly I'm
his business. This. 80 lar sa the greatest
companies are concerned. represents the
bulk of the borrowing. and merely lndi-
Gates financial strlnsency, which Is al
ready tending 10 right itself.
The other class Is that Of The policy
holder now allowed by law to cancel the
name of the beneficiary In his policy
usually his wifel. and does not require
his consent To withdraw his savings In
this way. The arrangement ia bad one.
and the New York Insurance companies
should certainly be allowed discrimination
In the matter. as the two classes OF hor~
rowers are quite distinct. OF one-halr
the number OF borrowers mot Of the total
amount involved, great insurance COM
pany in recent month found that the
average loan was less than $500.
This sort of borrowing is usually due
TO personal extravaganza, and IL the poll
cyholder could not get the money he would
eVut down on his personal expenditures.
No doubt il is necessary to keep up a GER
tain show in commercial business But
expenditures for social position, with
maintenance of needless automobiles and
servants. are usually waste. They con-
tribute nothing to commercial credit The
banker is not deceived.
'1n this respect the position is mend
ing. The question deserves the attention
of thoughtful people. and even of thought
full legislators. 1t is interesting AMI sig
nificant rather than financially impor-
tant."
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
THE BATTLE OF FLANDERS

From 1.-The War in It's Fourth Month" by
Frank H. slmonds, in the American Re-
view of Reviews for December.
Tn late October, while the outcome d
the vistula campaign was still in
- doubt, there opened in the western
field the most terrible of all the cam
paigns of the present war to date. For
% miles and with a depth of hardly 10,
some hundreds off thousands of men by
day and by night struggled for the pos
session of score of villages between the
North sea and the Lys. At the end of
five weeks the battle line at many points
remained unchanged, and if at few
places the Germans had advanced mile
est decisive advantage to either side.
The purpose of the German strategy
was plain. Antwerp taken, Ostend cap
tured, there was an apparent opportunity
to sweep down the coast to Calais, to
Boulogne. to seize Dunkirk, the last
French fortress in the north, to take root
on the eastern shore of the Straits of
Dover to bring by canal and river the
submarines, already so fatal to British
warships, to threaten England as Napo-
leon had theatened 1t with invasion. to
menace London by Zeppelin fleets, by
heavy artillery and mines to close the
Straits of Dover and leave the port of
London as dead as that of Hamburg
Once Antwerp fell, the army corps re-
leased from this operation drove south
upon the heels of the retreating Belgians.
From every corner of the German empire
garrsons and artillery were gathered up
for supreme thrust-a thrust through
France, but in fact aimed at England, the
ration now become the object of the con-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
SLEEPING CAR HOGS

From the Dallas Journal.
There has been heap OF fuss over
the street car hog the street car
uses from two to four chairs in the day
coach, although lie is entitled to but one
All of these have gotten nearly all that
was coming TO them. But how about the
sleeping car bog?" He has been rather
overlooked in the shuttle. He is the man
who rises early and wakes everybody
up in order that the porter mag get his
suit case from under No. 7 and act as
an amateur velet. He is the man who
having donned his apparel, proceeds to
use the dressing room as a smoking COM
partment.
If there are two or three of these s. G.
hogs aboard, the man who has asked
to be called as far up the line as Lam
caster has a deuce Of a time getting
dressed for the stop at Dallas; for nc
room Is left on the seats for the opening
out of his grip or suit case. II, perchance
he finds a bit of room, 10 chances to ]
$. O. hog will set the open grip on
end. What care the s. c. hogs for the
discontinue and inconvenience of the
late risers? II is Of first Importance to
them, that they shall smoke. Women
travellers complain because of the skimpi-
ness of the woman's dressing ROOM They
insist that there is rank discrimination
in favor of the men. But they do not
understand that the mems dressing room
usually is merely a washstand and q
water cooler completely surrounded by
s. c. hogs and thoroughly permeated witt
smoke. Perhaps sometime in the not fal
distant future smoking in the mems
dressing room will be prohibited between
the hours of 6 and $50 a. m. Stop smok-
ing? Oh. no. Let the smokers go tc
the smoking car-that's what a smoking
car is for. In some schools pupils are
taught how to board a street car Would
II not be well to add course in travel.
ing manners-a sort of a DO unto Others
as you would have others do unto your
proposition?
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
LUKE M'LUkE SAYS

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Things could be worse. Not all of the
boys are combing their hair back so thew
will resemble sea lions.
The Maxim slencer for guns seems to
have been a bloomer. But the Married
Mems Protective association will make it
worth Maxims while If he will revamp
the silencer so it can be used by a
woman.
that mother has to go down in the cellar
and heave coal in the furnace while
father goes out and heaves a 15-pound
ball down a bowling alley.
1t may be wrong. But I'll bet that the
fellows who have stock in the suspension
bridge that runs between here and Ken
lucky were hoping that Ohio would go
dry.
When you are feasting your eyes on a
pretty girl it is hard to believe that her
batting average in the snoring league is
about 500.
A wise wife doesn't attempt to reform
her husband If she will feed him well
and treat him well and trust to luck, she
will be happy.
Before you laugh at the way other peo-
pie walk Just get in front of big mirror
| and walk toward it and laugh at yourself
A soul mate is a woman you can GO
to for consolation when your wife is mad
at you.
| When two men have quarrel, each OF
| them will go around and tell people how
| much he has done for the other fellow
| and that il it hadn't been for him, The
other fellow would be picking rags for a
| living.
boy will slam the door and make all
the noise he can pounding the steps
when his feelings have been ruffled. And
| a man is only grown boy
/ Some of these days a girl is going t.
get married and the papers will forget tc
| say that the bride is beautiful and &C
| complished.'
| You may have noticed that the mar
who takes the wrong umbrella by mis-
take never makes the mistake of taking
worse umbrella than his own.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
GOOD COOKS

GOOD COOKS
From the Kansas City Times.
wouldn't it be fine il there were \
revival of that old-sasnioned inter.s. in
good cooking that inspired the mothers
and grandmothers of the women of to.
Gay? Everyone can remember the tims
when every community had its best
COOK and all the women Of the COM
munty who were worth while coveted
that title. 1t was more to be desired her
neighbors should say of her she was
the best cook than that she rode TO
church in the best carriage or lived in the
biggest house in the nelghborhood.
When the pilgrim fathers landed in
America, there came With them, also,
some pilgrim mothers" 1t was a DESC
late outlook they had in those days for
the cooks. There was no ready -to-eat''
counter at the corner grocery and no can
ming factory at hand to provide quick
lunch" such as modern women have
But the pilgrims found some Indian
corn, and they found it could be ground
into meal and could be utilized for cook
ing mush and cornbread and other things
and the pilgrim mothers made the
best of it. Then they found turnips and
cabbage could be boiled into palatable
dishes.
Out of the scanty resources the good
old pilgrim mothers found on the bleak
shores OF the new country, finally came
the famous New England boiled dim
ners," and all the expert cooks of two
intervening centuries have not been able
to improve on the cooking of thos-
pioneers.
The American women of today have
unbounded resources not only in the
matter of things to cook but in the
way of utensils. to cook with. There
is no reason why American cookery
should not become famous all over the
world.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
Borrowing on Insurance Policies

Men now living can remember when life
insurance was in its infancy. Many men
had a sort of religious dread against TAX
ing out an insurance policy on life.
Wives were extremely sensitive But
where is the provident man in the BUSH
ness world who does not carry about all
the insurance he is able to pay for? Life
insurance has become more and more
scientific and more and more commercial
in the best sense. The policy of every
well established company has fixed
financial value and in times of stress the
policyholder borrows money on it,
In this connection a writer in the Wall
Street Journal says: I'm the strict mat
ter of its effect upon financial stability,
the increase in loans made by the insur-
ance companies on policies is more inter-
esting than important A tabulation in
the Boston News bureau of December 3
showed selected increases for nine
months. In that period policyholders in
Is companies had increased their loans
from 1921 S2s, 901 at the end of 1918 to s24S-
6lo574 on September 30 of this year.
1.-The largest loans here included were
those of the Mutual Life, which rather
notably showed only 1.5 per cent increase,
and next, at a considerable distance. the
Prudential with an increase of 1872 per
cent. 1t need hardly be said that the
greater part OF the increase was made
during the strain upon all financial re-
sources caused by the war.
"But two of the largest companies were
! not included. During the nine months In
! question the Equitable Life increased
such loans from $50, 555S74 as of December
81, 1873 to $92. 500. 49, on September 30. The
New York Life, showing the largest fig.
ures of all, increased its loans on policies
during the same period from $13S, Sol, 81!
to sl43,565,114 There is. sufficient au'
thorty for saying that during the pas
six weeks these loans have been reduced
There are two kinds of policyholder'
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
ABSENT THRILLS.

centrated hatred and wrath of all Ger
many
Not less rapid was the concentration of
the allies. Coming north across the
French frontier, French regular troops,
British forces slowly withdrawn from the
Aisne, Sikhs, Ghurkas, all the Indian
contingent now to have their baptism of
fire, Senegalese and Moroccan rihemen,
Turcos and Legioniares-inaly the re-
treating remnant of the Be1gians iein-
forced by French and British marines
gathered around the sleepy little Flemish
town of Ypres, on the shores of the Ncrth
sea at Newport behind the User river
and the canal that Joined it to the Lys,
to meet the storm.
A more admirable country for defense
II is difficult to imagine. Eastward from
the dunes stretched an intricate maze of
river, canal and ditch, much of the land
liable to inundation, once the sluices were
open-all of 1t certain to become a swamp,
should the first storms of winter begin
On this front dozen large and small
villages, and hundreds of little stone
farmhouses offered cover. Trenches dug
today might be flooded tomorrow; artil-
lery dragged within range over level fields
might be submerged and bemired tomor-
row.
Such was the country between the Lys
and the sea. Here for more than a month
there continued with slight interruption
one of the most intricate confused and
indescribable conflicts in all the history of
war, fought by men of more races. re-
ligions, colors and nationalities than any
battlefield in western Europe had known
since the onrush of the soldiers of Islam
was halted on the field of Tours. Asia,
Africa and even America end Australia
shared in the glory and the slaughter.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
A Popular Mans Return

"All the old citizens and many of the
younger generation have had a cordial
geeting for Lew Lazarus, who with his
widely esteemed better half will settle
down here once MORE" said a member of
the Board of Trade.
"A few years ago Mr.. Lazarus went to
Little Rock to make his home because his
daughter had married a gentleman of that
city, and had gone there to reside But
Mr.. Lazarus never got weaned away
from Birmingham. He says he found Lit
tie Rock a very pleasant city, but for him
there was no place like the industrial cen
ter of the south. Few men who have lived
here have had more personal friends than
Mr.. Lazarus, and the hearty welcome he
is now receiving must make his heart
glad"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-10
A RESOURCEFUL INTERPRETER,
From Golfers Weekly.

While we were talking with the peo-
pie of Crecy, what appeared to be a
cavalryman rode up. From his uni
form it would be impossible to tell to
which army he belonged. as part was
French, part English, and the rest
heaven only knows what. He said he
was an interpreter with the British
forces, and invited us to accompany
him to headquarters, where we would
be permitted to explain our nearness to
the scene of operations
When l assured him this was exactly
what / had been trying to do all day,
he became friendly, and informed US
that he was the Marquis de Villneau,
spoke seven languages, had been
through five wars, was blood rela-
| ton of the King or Queen of Greece
/ don't just remember which-and that
he was the hardest worked interpreter
in the army. in which fact he gloried.