The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-30

With welcoming addresses from educa- tors, state, city, and college officials, the biennial meeting of the Phi Delta Theta convention was called to order yesterday morning in the ballroom of the Tutwiler hotel. The college men from over 7S leading colleges of this country were rresent
 After the welcoming addresses which lasted well past noon, the meeting ad- journed for lunch At ? o'clock the off cial delegates met again and started the machinery of the organization to work pr. Guy Potter Benton, president of the Phis, delivered his annual message, while committees were appointed and other business of routine nature transacted
 The meeting was called to order by Gen Louis " Clarke, president of the Bir- mingham Alumni club. He said only % words and introduced the Rev. Willis c. Clarke, who delivered the invocation. General Clarke next introduced Hugh Morrow, local attorney and a trustee of the University of Alabama, who well comed the delegates on behalf of the Birmingham Phis and assured them the honor that was Birminghams by reason of the meeting in this city was appre- ciated. MT. Morrow turned the meeting over to Dr. Guy Potter Benton, who pre- sided from that time on.
 The address of Dr. Benton wak-given the closet attention. He described a college boy and the way he was sized up by some of the men of the world in a word picture full of humor. He then launched into a feeling tribute to the college bred man. He said the ideal of the Phi Delta Theta's was high and the attainments were in keeping with that ideal pr Benton said that he considered the col. lege man of the very greatest value to the world and its civilization and he con- sdered further that the fraternity was valuable to the college man so that if the college man was valuable to the country then the fraternities were also and should be given the support and the consideration to which they are entitled.
 Governor Unable to Come
 Dr. Benton spoke for nearly one hour, and at the conclusion of his address read a telegram from the governor of Ala bama in which the latter expressed his regret that pressure of official business prevented him attending the opening, as he had promised to do. In the telegram the governor requested that the welcome on the part of the state be delivered by Dr. George H. Denney of the University of Alabama, who was present Dr. Denny was then introduced. He compi- 
 then expressed his surprise that he was to welcome the delegates for the gov- ernor. He ventured the prophecy that the Phi Delta Thetas would not regret their visit to Birmingham. He said that the visit would reveal to the visitors from all sections of the country a different country than that imagined and would re- veal the rebuilding of section which generation ago was red with the stripes pressed his cordial greetings to the visi- tors upon their visit here for the state and the University of Alabama.
 Dr. Denny was followed by pr. c. c. Thach of the Alabama Polytechnic insti- ute at Auburn, who touched briefly on the value of fraternity life, and said that at Auburn it was considered of great worth. pr. Thach, who is widely known in educational circles, was given close .ct- tention.
 For the city of Birmingham the dele gates were welcomed by James Weath- erly, a member of the city commission
 MT. Weatherly's speech was of unusual interest. He held the audience of visitors with a picture of Birminghams distre : ful financial condition and told them of tho appointment of the committee of 100 which he said he did not know but what (COntIuue6 on Page NiueD