The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-05

the attitude of the electorate of Ala bama toward the educational system of Alabama.
 Just how many of the sixty-seven counties of the state are ready for the special tax and how many are not cannot be stated at present; but there are several that can well afford to embrace the opportunity of bettering their public schools without delay, and Jefferson is one of them. If conditions here were less prosperous than they are it would be incumbent upon the citizens of Jefferson to levy 3-mill tax so as to provide for nine-month school term. We have today only seven-month schools, a fact that is anything but creditable to a great in- dustrial county like this.
 February 6 has been fixed upon as the date for a 3-mill tax election in Jefferson, and there can be scarcely a doubt but that the proposition will carry by large majority. This coun- ty led in amendment majorities up wards of nine thousand-and it will be certain to give good account of itself on February 6. The 3-mill tax will yield the county ample revenue to provide for nine-month schools, and not only that, but more and better school buildings.
 Other counties will hold tax cleo tions during the coming year-among them Calhoun-and it is probable that within the next two or three years there will be few counties without school facilities of the highest stan dard. In the meantime let Superinten- dent Feagin continue his alert leader ship with view of bringing about the desired results in due time from one end of the state to the other.
 In the federal census of 1910 Ala bama made a bad showing in Hitter acy statistics. The percentage of adults who cannot read is still larger than in most southern states, but in the next decade it will be reduced to minimum. Never were the educa- tional forces so active or so earnest as they have been within the last two years, and the day will come when rural school conditions in Alabama will be equal to those of the most ad- vanced sections of the United States. Great BriGain's
 CabimeG Tr0ubles
 E VERY warning nation in Europe A and every neutral, too, has its cabinet crisis, but Great Britain oftener than any of the other strong powers. England, because of her un- preparedness, was at serious dis advantage when the war broke out. i She was mistress of the seas and that stood her in great stead; but she was without a trained army and without munitions, and the lack of equipment for fighting Germany held her back a year or more. But to make up for her weakness in numbers on the field of battle was her prodigious credit which enabled her to finance the en- tente allies and in that way contribute immeasurably to the cause.
 But English folk have been so long used to political agitation that no matter how earnestly the government strives to maintain British prestige in leadership there are always galling
 critics. Premier Asquith has been the
 object of bitter attack because; the
 entente powers had not made bet
 ter job of demolishing the enemy. | Lloyd George, the resourceful radi-
 cal, has long been ambitious to sup
 plant the calm but resolute premierI lThe coalition ministry, formed year ago in response to public clamor, has
 been failure, and it looked as ii