The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-02

aries! No right thinking man will ever speak in disparagement of their heaven-inspired deeds.
 But the "uplift" that butts in every where-reform that has brought into being the uplift engineer-well, It IS this sort of progress" that makes the average friend of humanity weary. Hence the protests being heard in New York, not by the wicked but by the reasonably behaved.
 xA7HAT appears to be the long,
 w awaited drive" of the British has begun in France, after an intense bombardment over battle line ninety miles long. For five days it is estl- mated that the British rained mil lion shells day British Drive" on the German on Western Front trenches. After the daily bom- bardment raiding parties charged from the British lines in the even ing, completing the work of de- struction and taking, it is reported, many prisoners and guns.
 The "drive" was launched along a front twenty miles long and IS the greatest offensive movement yet made bv the British in the European war. With a force estimated at two mil lion trained men in the field, fully equipped and supported by unlimited artillery, Great Britain seems at last prepared to strike a decisive blow. The allies are now on the offensive in all the war zones except in the Balkans. The brilliant successes of the Russians have already been noted. In Galicia and Bukowina they have put the Austrians to flight and have cap tured an enormous number of prison CTS, as we'll as guns and equipment. The Italians are bestirring them selves and the defense of Verdun IS said to have stiffened materially Just at present the future looks bright for the allies. They have con- sistently stuck to their plan to remain on the defensive on the western front until the time was ripe for change of tactics. They are ready now and the supreme test of German arms is about to be made.
 A s soon as the members of the | "A rural credits farm loan boarc are named by the President and con- firned by the Senate the location oi the twelve regional farm banks will be in order. It may be assumed that the south will be represented by at leas' one member, but as an Alabamlar sits on the fedora Farm Loan Bank reserve board, thi! for Birmingham state will hardly be further honoree
 along the same line when the Presi
 dent makes up his group for the rura
 credits control organization.
 As to the matter of locating tht twelve farm loan banks, however
 Birmingham should make a strong
 bid for one of them.
 | Although the rural credits system
 about to be inaugurated ranks in i'm
 portance close to the federal reserve
 bank system, the question of dis
 tribution of the twelve regiona branches seems to have been littl'
 considered by the public. If cities tha
 are usually alert and pushing hay
 taken any steps for securing the loca
 ton of a farm loan bank, they hav
 kept very quiet about it. But wit the announcement that the genera
 board has been organized and is read, to proceed there will be hustling an
 political wire-pulling a-plenty. Nov
 is the time for the Chamber of Com merce to cooperate with the Alabam
 delegation in Congress in an effor to land one of these highly desirabl institutions.
 For many years the republican
 were talking about the desirability 0
 rural credits legislation, but it re
 mained for the democrats to act. Fey