The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-30

eign aggression. But somehow the thought has never managed to get through his head that it is his duty and not his neighbours to do the preparing. He believes in the other fellow being prepared, but he cannot see his way clear to being prepared himself
 If anyone doubts this statement, let him go out into the byways and hedges and attempt to interest those he meets in military training. He will quickly see that we are telling the truth. He will find that the sentiment for prepared ness is almost universal but it is all ways for the "other fellow" Let him propose that his friend attend the gov ernment training camp at Chickamauga this summer. Nine times out of ten he will find that the friend is entirely too busy for any such foolishness. The idea is all right, of course, and doubtless the training would do fellow good, but really a man can't waste so much time on such things. Be away from his business several weeks? Well, hardly.
 Then try to interest him in the National Guard Surely any man can give one evening out of the week to his coun- trys service. But there again we make a discovery. Our friend has so little time that he cannot get off for one evening week. Besides, let the other fellow join the guard. None of that for him.
 Finally, as a last resort, try to interest your friend in rifle shooting. Surely man who is worthy of the name would be willing to learn to shoot military rifle. Certainly no man is so lgnoole that he would be unwilling to put himself out to that extent. But let's see what happens. We go to great pains to ex- plain to him the value of marksmanship to the nation, upon the value of the eX- ercise to the individual, upon the pleasure of the sport. But somehow, 1t fails to "get by." Ten thousand reasons can be advanced to show that our friend, who has never failed to find time to go fish ing or to play golf or to take in the baseball game or to loaf around the street corners cannot find any time whatever to give to the United States.
 The United States is supposed to find time to care for him. however He IS loud in his denunciations of the govern ment if it fails to go to war to protect every fool American who chooses to go adventuring in the seven seas, but he IS not willing to go to the slightest trou-' ble to help the government out II the trouble really comes. some men nave even been known to decline to learn to shoot for the reason that they might be called on as sharpshooters in case of war For men with such contemplate idea as that nothing need be said.
 The great trouble seems to lie in the world old fact that no man ever faces trouble until he has to. The average man down deep in his heart never be- lieyes that trouble can reach him until it is actually there. He takes out in surance. not because he believes he is going to die, but in order to save money on the policy. soldier never believes that he is going to be hurt His com rades may be killed by the dozens. but somehow he expects to live through 1t all, This perhaps is the trouble with this country today. It is not lack of patriot ism or courage or manhood. It is simply that the American people cannot beheve that they are in any danger of war. And they cannot imagine themselves sui fering the horrors of warfare even if war should come The idea of civilians here in Alabama being blown up by long range cannon or murdered in their homes by raiding airships has never occurred to them. If it should, there would be an awakening.
 DEPENDS ON INDIVIDUAL
 With all the world at war, and with each days news colored to suit the coun- try from which it comes, one fact stands out clearly in the midst of all the slush with which we have been treated. That is. that in spite of the terrible engines Of destruction that have been invented since the last war. the result depends at last upon the individual soldier just as if has always done. No machine, no mat ter how perfect or how terrible, can take the place of the individual soldier It is "the man behind the gun" today Just as it was 150 or 20 years ago. We hear much about the banishment