The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-15

"The English are wonderful
6f65Ni people. They always muddle
through" This remark was
made to me by an American
during the Boer war when things seemed
to be going very badly for John Bull in
his fight with the little farmer nation.
Then we had tho ridiculous sight of tho
greatest empire in the world finding it
self unprepared to deal with few thou
sand backwoods farmers. just because it
had not taken the trouble to look ahead
and get ready for what everyone knew
was coming. John Bull took long time
to wake up but he "muddled through"
S The Boer war taught him a lesson, but
although he was in much better shape at
the outbreak of the present great war he
was still far from ready for the struggle
Instead of muddling through now, how
ever, he is applying the most scientific
principles of organization and providing
IN hurry machinery that would require
years to perfect in the case of any other
Lation except the United States. We see
1t In the formation of Kitchener's new
ermy which will be ready to take the
field fully trained, armed and equipped
ir the spring: we see 1t In the organiza-
ton of transport and supply for the army
row fighting in France swelled to twice
the size of the ordinary British army; we
see it in the transportation without a
hitch of large bodies of troops from In
dia, Canada and Australia, and we are
seeing 1t now most of all in the great
organization created almost In q night to
provide for the helpless victims of the
war. who are usually the last thought of.
hut whose comfort is almost as essential
n frExr f1aA ~ - 4x&N ~ H.
'front.' for no man can fight with a good
heart knowing that his dear ones are
suffering and perhaps starving at home.
Britain has risen magnificently to the
occasion in the matter of the relief of dis
tress caused by the war and by a stroke
Of genius, with which, by the way, King
George himself is credited, all overlap
ping and waste in the administration of
the war charity, IL it can be called char
ity, has been prevented. This was the
creation of what is known as the Prince
of Wales fund. An appeal for subscrip-
tions was issued in the name of the
young heir to the throne. Every news
PAPER in the kingdom took it up. Bush
less houses, theatres, restaurants, every
place where people meet or where large
numbers are employed organized collec-
tons and the money flowed in. Now 10
weeks after the beginning of the war the
. fund stands at s160O0.000, the largest sum
ever raised by public subscription in
England. and the money is still flowing
In. for in nearly every large business
house In the Kingdom, the employees
have pledged themselves to give 20 cents
g. week while the war lasts Money is
also coming from the colonies and even
from America for the fund. But it is
one thing TO raise an immense fund for
charity and another to administer it prop
erly. The raising has been eminently
successful and so far as 1t has gone
the administration promises to be quite
as successful, although at first there were
few 'regretable Incidents due to the
type of persons selected for personal con-
tact with the applicants for relief.
The administration of the fund is in the
hands OF committee of eminent public
hen, of whom the chairman is Wedge
wood Benn, NJ. p. man who has had
vast experience in the administration OF
public money as a member of the Lon
don county council. Another member Is
Lord Rothschild, whose name is a guar
antee that the purely financial manage