davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02

From the New York World
The scoreboard of naval warfare is
illuminating. although tragic. To date,
after four months of war, 80 per cent
of Germanys merchantile marine has
disappeared from the seas. The record
written against 1t is that 1921 steam
ships have been captured, detained by
neutrals or bottled up in home ports.
During the same period 8 per cent of
ing 1876 ships. has been similarly re-
moved. To begin with, the British tom
mage was 19,541,206, whereas that of
Germany was 4,59S,095. The percentages
given show the commercial status of
both nations on the sea at this time.
To establish this supremacy. Great
Britain has been forced to maintain its
navy in open waters in every quarter
Of the globe, while the greater part OF
the German navy has been under cover
in the Kiel canal. BY this exposure the
British have lost, chiefly by mines and
submarines, 10 warships, large ano
small. with a death roll of more than
5000 men. The number of German wal
vessels destroyed has been larger than
that of the British. but they have been
of lighter tonnage and loss OF life has
| been comparatively small.
The control of the ocean is absolutely
pecessary to Great Britain in war. II
| ~ fails there 1t fails everywhere. 1t has
maid q big price for 1t so far, but its
ascendancy is still unquestfoned.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02

From the Youngstown Telegram.
The art of decalcomania is lost to the
children of this generation. We who
have had Biographies brilliantly set oft
with homogeneous but striking pictures
of little men watering the tops Of noun
tains with watering pots or fish emerg-
ing from a cathedral or perchance a
smokestack, remember the surprises
which awaited the investigating soul who
took a book of transfer pictures to
school; transfer pictures with their gilded
backs which gave little or no clew OF
stuck to a page and the back carefully
mostened with the tongue. All those
were the good old days, but these trifiei
are no longer for sale in the stores, o.
IL they are they are made semi-transpar'
ent which gives away the secret before
the locking process begins.
Only the older clerks in the stores re
member them. They do not sell them
any more. mo" they say, there is ne
call for them"
Imagine the juvenile mind so advanced
that it does not care for transfer pic
lures. But it is SO. We who were SC
happy in the possession of book Of
these mysterious works of art, If they
might be called such, and a stick of lie
orice root, are now the old timers. Trans
fer pictures, like the diplodocus, arr
things Of the past.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
ALABAMA SANCTUMS

Montgomery Journal: Business activ-
ity and not depression was manifest in
Montgomery the past week. Gradually
cotton is being turned loose to pay debts,
and this fact has helped the situation
no little
Dothan Eagle: This country is more
economical than ever. 1t doesn't send the
crowds to the circus that one would ex-
pect.
Montgomery Advertiser: Belgium needs
Alabama funds, and there are families in
Alabama who need immediate assistance.
The people of Alabama are able to meet
these obligations without hurt to them
selves, and they should do it. We are
able to carry big loads in the matter of
free offerings.
Tuscaloosa News: Alabama employs
FIVE men at cost of $3.50 annually to look
after its treasury, and vet there is sell
dom enough money in the till to buy a
ham sandwich.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
Seeing the Light

The mowers that be with the aiiles
have been singularly stupid IN their
underestimate of the power OF news
napers and kindred publications to IN
fluence public opinion.
Aside from fighting, England mas
had two objects in this war One was
the convincing of the world that Ter
many began the war; the other to pre-
vent the Germans from reaching the
ear of the world.
As a preliminary step the cable be-
tween Germany and the United States
was cut, practically isolating the for
mer from this continent. Then war
correspondents of all kinds were re-
fused PERMISSION to go to the front,
even under the strictest kind of super
vision.
The war office imagined itself all
nowerful and gave out as little or as
much as it pleased in regard to the
fighting. Correspondents who slipped
through the net were thrown INTO
prison and the most stringent KIND Oh
regulations enforced to keep them
from the fighting zone.
In the meanwhile, England was
soaking to convince the United States
that on Germany lay the blame for
the war and striving by all possible
means to stir up hostility to the Iue-
tons here. In other words, Americans
who read about the war were fed a
carefully selected diet of what the
censor in London thought was good for
them.
1t was a short-sighted course. The
Germans were much wiser. AT fist
they made the same mistake as did
the allies, announcing that all cor
RESPONDENTS found at the front would
be shot as spies. 1t was not for long,
d however. AS soon as Berlin realized
how completely Britain was succeed
ing with her scheme, regulations were
relaxed.
Correspondents were made well
come. They were given opportunities
of observing the fighting, of follow
ing in the track of the German army
and tracing down the stories of atroc-
tiles. Correspondents were placed
SO that they could intelligently grasp
the situation and intelligently write
about it.
The result has been that the an
tagonism against the Germans en-
gendered while they were cut off from
the United States has largely been
dissipated The announcement yester-
day that General Joffre had received
q party of Paris newspaper men indi-
Gates that the allies are at last be-
ginning to see the light.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
Lucky Ford Employees

As a result of the profit sharing
plan inaugurated ten months ago by
Ford, the automobile manufacturer,
for the benefit of his employees, it is
said that his workmen have pur-
chased on contract homes valued at
$4,000, 900, on which they have made
payments amounting to $1,500,000
They have also taken out life insur-
ance to the amount Of about $4,000, 00C
and have saved on an average OF
$4S.65 per month each, which has beer
invested in real estate or deposited i
savings banks.
About nine thousand of Ford EN-
ployes are already beneficiaries Of
the profit-sharing plan and more are
constantly qualifying. Since the plar
was put into operation the averags
gain per man has been 100 per cent ir
bank deposits, So per cent in life in.
surance and 81 per cent in homes
owned. Some of the Ford employees
have practiced all kinds Of amusing
receptions to qualify for profit-shar
ing, such AS borrowing bank books
and children and inducing women tc
pose Is their wives. It is encouraging
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02

Roubaix and Malancourt are two towns
that have been brought into prominence
by the war in Europe. Roubaix is q
thriving and well built industrial city
on the Roubaix canal, two miles and
half from the Belgian border and six
miles northeast of Lille. 1t is one of the
principal textile cities of France, employ
ing more than $1,000 people in its mills. It
has population at present of 10000 and
during the last century its population
has increased 1000 annually. In addition
to Its textile industries, Roubaix produces
machinery, rubber goods and beer. NAL
ancourt is a small town in northern
France. 1t is situated on a small tribu-
tary of the Mouse to the east Of the
forest of Argonne. 1t is II miles from Va
rennes and 10 miles north of verdun 1t
has button factories and produces lace
and embroidery. Its population is about
1900.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
Good Business Barometers

/ Few barometers in the business
world indicate the degree of local ac-
tivity so we'll as the postoffice re-
ceipts. Another excellent barometer is
the telegraph business.
In the Birmingham postoffice re-
ceipts in November, 1914, exceeded
those of November, 1918. And there
has been gain in each quarter of
this year over the corresponding
period of 1918. In some months the
not a single month has there been a
decrease.
The statement made yesterday by
the president of the Western Union
Telegraph company was decidedly
measuring. He said that about three
and half months ago the business of
his company was Eat it's lowest, II
per cent below normal for the time
of the year, but that since then there
had been a steady gain, until now,
or rather when the last weekly report
was submitted, it was only per cent
below normal. At this rate it should
soon be above normal.
1t is believed that the Postal Tele-
graph company's business is also
keeping up well. Business throughout
the country continues to improve, and
the great barometers of the industrial
world, coal, iron and steel, will almost
surely indicate return of genuine
prosperity before another month rolls
round.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
EXPEDITING WAR.

machine to dig graves for dead SOL
diers has been invented in this country
and will doubtless find a ready sale among
the European belligerents. Modern artil-
lery fire is so effective that Cannon
fodder is piled up in great heaps. 1t is
too much to ask that the important BUSH
ness of saughtering men be stopped long
enough to bury those who have already
been killed. Civilized warfare requires
the undivided attention of those who carry
1t on and burying the dead, although
a most necessary proceeding, is great
bother. Making a bonfire of corpses has
been tried successfully, if we are to be-
lieve the veracious correspondents, but
burying seems more reverential and our
civilization" balks at burning. The me
chanical grave-digger" comes to fill a
long-felt want. No matter how fast men
are moved down by machine guns, this
useful device will be able to bury them.
Doubtless in a short while military men
will be wondering how they ever man.
aged to do without it. PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
------~os--
AN EDITORIAL APPEAL

From the Bailey (Tex.) Telegram
If member Of your family died, would
you print the obituary on a billboa I'd !?
If your wife entertained. would you send
an account of it to the theatre pro-
gramme man? If you were to enlarge
your business, would you advertise II in
a hotel register? If you were going to
nave wedding in your family. would you
get out handful? You would send such
items to newspaper, wouldn't you?
Then' why don't you put your advertise
ments in newspaper? Every man who
uses billboard is adding to nature fax
ing. The newspapers build your town.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
M the London Chronicle.

From the London Chronicle.
TT is awful shooting big, fine men who
have done us no harm, but we do it or
they will do it to u.s. wrote a British
soldier In his diary
A few days later the writer was killed
in action. and the diary, picked up on
the field of battle, has been sent by the
war office to his widow.
The soldier, who was in the Coldstream
Guards. had kept his diary from the
start of the campaign. and on the morn
ing of his death. September 16, appeared
the entry, IS a. M. wet through; we move
on to farm to get under cover"
Hill let loose was the authors COM
ment on his first battle. August q. On an
other date he wrote that the front rank
OF the enemy were dressed In French uni
forms, and on seeing the British greet
ed them as friends, then charged upon
them and inflicted great damage.
IN that Engagement - British were
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
Alabama Schools

The annual report of Maj. J. T
German, examiner of public accounts
on the department of education, con-
tains tabulation of groups of figures,
but these figures are plain and easy
of analysis. Major German has way
of making clear all his reports, and of
especial interest to the general public
is this on education.
The books of H. J. Willingham, ex-
state superintendent of education, and
w. F. Feagin, present state superin-
tendent, were found correct with prop
er vouchers on file for all receipts and
disbursements. The cost of maintain
ing the department of education for
the fiscal year ending September 80
was $9495-not a large sum consider
ing the good work accomplished.
The state paid total of 1885,
866.20 for education, of which public
and normal schools received $2,408,-
ISL. 36, and colleges and miscellaneous
institutions 1868, 939.S4. The counties
raised on the one mill tax $599,991;
city appropriations totaled 1851, 1887,
and naturalization and incidental fees
S429 sos, making a total of $4,948,-
1920 paid for public education in
Alabama for the last fiscal year. The
total sum expended on education in
private schools was 1888, 238, making
a total for public and private educa-
ton of 1851, 1897 20. These are large
figures, and yet they are not large
enough, for Alabama is still very low
near the bottom-among the states
in the matter of literacy.
Major German calls attention to the
noteworthy fact that Alabama as a
states does more for it's schools and
educational institutions than any
state in the union. But the trouble
here is constitutional inhibition
against school districts taxing them
selves for school purposes. OF the
school revenue of the United States
70 per cent is derived from local tax
alton, varying from 81 cents in Massa-
chusetts to "a in Alabama. Seventy
per cent Of the school fund in Ala
bama is paid by the state.
AS Major German well says, Ala
bama has done more than it's duty
for the schools and the only remedy
for additional revenue is a constitu-
tional amendment. Such would pro-
vide for local taxation by school dis
tricts. The present one mill tax and
city appropriations will never provide
sufficient revenue for the schools.
In the next legislature measure of
utmost Importance will be that SUBJ
hitting a proposition for constitu-
tional amendment along the line just
referred to. Such a measure was de-
feated by small vote in the last Leg
islature. 1t shotld be adopted by a
large vote by the new lawmakers.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
LOST LOVE
BY Andrew Lang.

BY Andrew Lang.
Who wins his love shall lose her.
Who loses her shall gain;
For still the spirit wooes hsr--
A soul without stain.
And memory still pursues her
With 1ongings not In vain!
He loses her who gains her,
Who watches day by day
The dust of time that stains her.
The griefs that leave her gray,
The flesh that yet enchains her.
Whose grace hath passed awayi
Oh, happier he who gains not
The love some seem to gain;
a The joy that custom stains not
Shall still with him remain;
The loneliness that wanes not,
The love that ne'er can wane.
In dreams she grows not older,
The lands of Dream among;
Though all the world wax colder,
Though all the songs be sung;
In dreams doth he behold her,
sim 1aif and kind and young.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02

however, to note that not less than
$4,000 has been paid back to the COM
pany by employees who obtained it dis
honestly.
When the Ford plan was at first an
nounced it was viewed as extremely
radical and visionary, but it was
worked out by a highly successful
business man and the results achieved
in less than one year are surprising.
AS practical philanthropist and an
employer worth cultivating Mr.. Ford
seems to stand in class by himself.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
DINNER WITH GERMANS

Irwin S. Cobb in the Saturday Evening
Post.
HHE hour was in the evening, and
we were dining in the big hall of
= the prefecture cat Laon) as the
guests of his excellency. Field Marshal
Won Heeringen. commanding the Seventh
army of the German Kaiser-dining,
might add, from fine French plates, with
smart German orderlies for walters.
Except us five, and one other the 90
odd who sat about the great oblong table
members of the over-general's staff. We
five were Robert H. Thompson, American
consul at Aix-la-Chapelle McCutcheon
and Bennett of the Chicago Tribune, Cap
tain Alfred Mannesmann of the great
German manufacturing firm of Names
mann & Mulag, and myself. The other
was Berlin artist, by name Follbehr
who, having the run of the army, was
going out daily to do quick studies in
water colors in the trenches and among
the batteries. He did them remarkably
we'll. too, seeing that any minute a shell
might come and spatter him all over his
own drawing board.
All the rest, though, were generals
and colonies and majors and such
youngish men mostly Excluding our host
l do not believe there was a man pres
ent who had passed so years of age; but
the general was nearer 70 than 50, being
one OF the veterans of the Franco-Prus-
sian war, whom their Emperor had or
dered out of desk jobs in the first days
of August to shepherd his forces in the
field
Like most of the older officers of the
German army l met, Won Heeringen spoke
no English, in which regard he was ex-
eessively unlike 80 per cent of the younger
officers. Among them it was an uncom-
who did not know at least smattering
of English and considerably more than
a smattering of understandable French.
The courteous gentlemen who sat at my
right side and at my left spoke in Ger
man or French or English as the &C.
ca sion suited.
Considering that we were supposed to
be at the front, the food was good, there
being soup, and the invariable veal on
which a German buttresses the solid
foundations of his dinner, a salad and
fruit, red wine and white wine, and
brandy. Also, there were flies amounting
In numbers to a great multitude.
The talk, like the flies. went to and
fro about the table; and always it was
worth hearing, since it dealt largely with
first-hand experiences in the very heart
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02

killed and "a wounded, but the number Of
Germans killed was estimated at over
1000. -.-.-a-
or another engagement he wrote: / got
good range at 200 yards and dropped
three poor men with four shots Captain
Burton congratulated me on my good
shooting. Captain Burton got shot in the
thigh, and l went back for him under
fire and had to half carry him 200 or 800
yards and landed him in the doctors
hands"
Subsequently it. is recorded that Ger
many left writings on the walls of one
town through which they passed, one of
which read: I'VE shall dance the tango
in Paris on September 10 over the dead
bodies of the English"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02

p. E. London of Glen Ellen, Cal, was
registered at the Florence yesterday. He
is brother of Jack London, the we'll
known writer whose popular novel, John
Barleycorn." has been dramatized and is
making a hit in the form of moving pic
lures.
II have charge of the John Barley
corn films said Mr.. London, "and the
pictures will be exhibited in all the south
ern cities. They will be seen in Birming-
ham within a few days.
Il was in Birmingham about IL years
ago. 1t seemed quite a progressive place
then, but would scarcely know the city
today. 1t has made phenomenal prog
ress and is an exceptional beautiful city,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Substantial Improvement

Two months ago we began to hear talk
OF coming prosperity, but now some OF
the promise is being fulfilled" said p. c.
kresler of Philadelphia.
Until very recently we were familiar
with the saying. Business is quiet, but
the outlook is improving From what
l can see there has been more activity
in general trade within the last week or
SO than at any time since last summer. l
have no doubt whatever but that business
Will We very good, indeed, from now on.
Next spring we will probably see record
breaking prosperity"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02

BEGINNING THE DAY-o 600,
keen alive in me the instinct OF pihy.
Give me a laughing spirit. interpret
life in terms of play. May 1 ne I'M
willing to cheat mt the game, or 10
unit II, when 1t grows hard may l
NAV n with the greater zest may
NV strain and struggle breea
strength in me, and may 1 count II
n, ioy. In His name. Amen.-H. NJ H.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02

OF the fighting. Yet l must add that not
all the talk was talk of war. In peaceful
Aix-la- Chapelle, whence we had come the
people knew but one topic Here, on the
forward frayed edge of the battle line,
the men who had that day played their
part in battle occasionally spoke of other
things.
/ recall their was a discussion between
Captain Won Theobold, Major Humpl-
mayer of the motor corps, on the merits
of painting that filled one of the panels
in the big, handsome, overdecorated hall.
The major won, which was natural
enough, since, in time of peace, he was
by way of being a collector of and deal
er in art objects at Munich
Somebody else mentioned big game
shooting For five minutes, then, or such
a matter, the ways of big game and the
ways of shooting held the interest of
half dozen men at our curve of. the
table.
In such an interlude as this the lis
tener might almost have lulled himself
into the fancy that, after all, there was
no war; that these courteous, gray-coated.
shoulder-strapped gentlemen were not at
present engaged in the business of kill
ing their fellowmen; that this building
wherein we sat, with its florid velvet
carpets underfoot, and it's two chan
deliers overhead, was not the captured
chateau of the governor of a French
province; and that the clear-eyed, white
bearded, deep-voced old man who sat
Just opposite was not the comma nder Of
sundry hundreds of thousands of fight
ing men with guns in their hands, but
surely was no more and no less than
the elderly lord of the manor, who, hav-
ing a fancy for regimentals, had put on
his and had pinned some glittering
baubles on his coat and then had invited
few of his friends and neighbors in for
a simple dinner on this fine evening Of
the young autumn.
Yet we knew that already the war had
taken toll of nearly every man in uniform
who was present about this board Cen
eral Won Heeringen's two sons, both des-
perately wounded, were lying in field hos
pitals-one in East Prussia. the other in
northern France, not many miles from
where we were. His second in command
had two sons-his only two sons-kilied
In the same battle three weeks before.
When, few minutes earlier, 1 had heard
this L had stared at him, curious to see
what marks SO hard stroke would leave
on man. l had seen only grave mid
dle-aged gentleman, very attentive to the
consul who sat beside him, and very polite
to us all.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02

From the Woman's Home Companion.
Come, sir said the teacher to the
boy at the foot of his class how do you
pronounce s-t-i-n-g-y?
The boy at the foot scatched his head.
"Well." he answered thoughtfully. 1T
depends on whether the word is applied to
= human being or to bee.'
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-02
SOMEWHAT cAusTIC.

This is the greatest town in the world"
said the proud citizen. It's so healthy
here that people never die They simply
dry up and blow away"
''Umph!" replied the saturnine stranger.
Some people about here evidently blow
away at such great rate that they
don't know what 1t means to dry up.'