davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

From the Rochester Democrat and
 Chronicle
 It has remained for the greatest battle
 of the war in Europe thus far to demon strate in a measure the value of earth- works for defense against the most pow erful modern guns and explosive shells ever devised by the mind of man. For, considering the actual value of defensive
 works sand has shown it's superiority
 over concrete in resisting attack upon
 the outer line of forts at Verdun.
 The permanence of earthwork forti- fications has been abundantly demon
 strated in this country. In the town of
 Portsmouth, Rhode Island, there is an
 earthen, star-shaped fort, constructed
 during King Philips war, early in the
 seventeenth century. It remains sub-
 stantially intact today, excepting where it has been encroached upon by building operations. It was effective against the attack of the Indians in Roger Williams experience at Verdun in the last few days, be more generally proof against modern gunnery than the re-enforced concrete which yields so readily to modern shells. One of the demonstrated merits of mas sive earthwork defenses is the manner in which they lend themselves to speedy re- pair after vigorous attack, as compared with stone, iron and concrete construc- ton. The spade and shovel used now so
 extensively in 'digging-in tactics," loom large in the equipment of modern armies; hence the means for repairing even an immense earthwork fortifcation are con- veniently at hand. When a fortress made of a composite of re-enforced concrete steel bars and stone is struck by few
 42-centimeter dynamite shells, its useful ness is ended.
 At moiety of the cost of concrete for | tifcations, immense earthworks could be constructed with such advantages as they possess; and it might thus well happen | that an offensive army would exhaust its resources in an impetuous attack, with out putting defensive works out of com l mission and beyond hope of quick repair.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
MIR. BURR'S DISCLAIMER

, ever circulated in Alabama. It was timed at strange hour. Why the strange cir-
 cumstances about the circulation of the attack? Why the fury of it if MT. Burr
 and his friends wish to avoid the injec- l tion of prohibition in the campaign this year?
 l q have no feeling of hostility toward | Senator Underwood * disclaim
 any intention of charging thinking that
 Senator Underwood has been corruptly controlled, directed or governed by any whisky influence" declares MT. Burr. l Neither statement squares with the writ | ten words of the circular in question and
 the general import of the words employed.
 But the two statements do indicate feel l ing of repentance on the part of Ar.
 Burr and his associates.
 | The circular has raised storm as fs I indicated by the comments of some of the
 state papers. Already we fancy that the signers of the letter are beginning to wish they had let somebody else do the sign | ing. Even Mir. Burr all but apologizes | for the harsh character of the criticism,
 although he says bravely: 1T have no apologies to make for differing with him on the question of referendum for the District of Columbia on the liquor ques- | tion."
 Surely no one wishes MT. Burr or any
 other prohibitionist to apologize for ''dif- l fering" with MT. Underwood on this or any other question. What the senator's | friends demand is that the personal char
 acter of Oscar Underwood shall not be attacked so long as it is above reproach,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

it would be absurd in the extreme to sug- gest that we are not abundantly able to pay the cost of insurance by developing a condition of preparedness which would prevent the conflagration that is sweeping over Europe from spreading to our land.
 AS well might one say that a city should not provide a fire department be- cause of the cost, as to say that this country should not develop an adequate navy and army because of the expense.
 Tt is estimated that our wealth is in- creasing at the rate of $500, ,oO00Oo month, and yet many people are arguing that we cannot afford to spend one months sur plus or accumulated wealth during the next 60 months in the enlargement of our navy."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
ATTACK ON UNDERWOOD

From the Alabama Courier.
 Senator Underwood can afford to com placently regard the latest attack of his political enemies which carries on it's surface the design which prompts it. Beaten to a frazzle on the issue they would again Haunt for vitalizing pur- poses. the senator's old foes recognize that in him they would find ready subject through whom to whoop up a resentful fighting crew that might be provoked to serve their longings for a revival of the prohibition row in Ala bama.
 So thoroughly are the people of Ala bama in mood for political peace that Fit would require an anomalous cause to arouse them into passionate division and bring about a return of the hostiities of two years ago. Senator Underwood is still remembered and unforgiven by those who were worsted in that contest for his leadership and victory in it. For this he must pay the penalty always in store for the victor who leaves behind an unsatisfied enemy. Senator Under woods foes simply haven't got enough and want another hand at him. As a means of starting scrap. they have be- come sponsors for the morals and af- fairs of the people of the District of Columbia, and are giving their charges there proof of imaginary power over the senatorial leader of the wicked Column bian hosts. The proceeding is as mar vicious as anything that has ever hap pened in Alabama annals.
 Colonel Mallory, whose name heads the list of names subscribed to the re- markable document that impeaches an Alabama senator's course for serving a conviction of public duty, is in a strange role of performance for one who hitherto in democratic leadership roles has ef- fectively preached the gospel of local self government. What have Colonel Mallory and his co-petitioners to do with the local affairs of the people of Wash ington City? And what does he, and they, think of the propriety of Alabam- ians abusing a senator of the state for consistently serving a principle of the propaganda upon which that senator was elected to represent the people of Ala bama by majority. of 30,000 sovereign voters?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
The New Secretary of War

Newton D. Baker of Cleveland will make an admirable Secretary of War in the place of Lindley M. Garrison, resigned, and the President was for tunate indeed in securing his consent to serve.
 He is a lawyer of distinction, but although prominently identified with the political and professional life of Ohio, having recently completed his second term as mayor of Cleveland, he is of old southern stock and was himself born in West Virginia. His university affiliations are southern, too, and among his academic degrees is that of IL. B., conferred by Wash ington and Lee.
 Mr. Garrison was one of the ablest men in President Wilson's cabinet and had taken a leading part in the na- tional preparedness movement. He had applied himself earnestly to the work of the department over which he presided and had advanced several original ideas relating to the pro- posed reorganization of the regular army and the creation of a large auxiliary army and reserve corps. But with all his good qualities, MT. Gar rison proved to be lacking in temper amental fitness.
 MT. Baker is not only a man of large experience in affairs and ex- ceptional capacity for dealing with administrative problems, but those who know him-and he has a wide acquaintance among democrats of na- tional prominence-speak of him as temperamentally qualified for any high undertaking; most agreeable man to get along with.
 MT. Baker may have given little at tention to military matters, but he will be quick to learn and will soon have the department routine we'll in hand, but it is as a councillor in the cabinet that his constructive views on governmental policies will tell.
 The entire country is to be con- graduated upon MT. Bakers accept ance of the war portfolio.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
From the Montgomery Advertiser.


 Tx TR. BORDEN BURR replies to the MI editorial criticisms of himself ! V x published in The Birmingham Age-Herald In it he makes several in teresting statements For the moment we are not interested in MT. Burr's re- lations to the forthcoming vacancy on the national committee. We are inter- ested only in his relations to the recent circular attack upon Senator Oscar Un- derwood
 In spite of that attack upon the sena- tor, signed among others by MT. Burr one of the prohibition leaders of the state, MT. Burr assures The Age-Herald: :: If this race is pitched on a prohibition basis 1t will be against my protests
 If that is true, it puzzles us. If MT. Burr would protest against the injec- tion of the prohibition issue in this cam paign, why did he participate in circu- lating that amazing attack upon Mr. Underwood wherein it was charged that the Alabama senator was thinking more of the 3o,00o negroes in Washington and the liquor traffic than he was thinking of the white people of the country? What was the motive behind this rude and un- justified assault upon the integrity and sensibilities of MT. Underwood? Surely no one could object if MT. Burr and his prohibition associates criticized the posi- ton of Senator Underwood on public question. Certainly every citizen has that unchallenged right. But this circular was one of the harshest political documents
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
CAUSE FOR SATISFACTION.
OVER THE CIRCUIT.

OVER THE CIRCUIT. To print a kiss upon her lips He thought the time was ripe; But when he went to press, she said T do not like your type''
 Boston Transcript kiss he printed on her lips And showed her no contrition, Because the artful minx inquired: ''Well, whens the next edition7"
 Birmingham Age-Herald A kiss he printed on her lips, And she made this oration: Please please continue doing that! It boosts my circulation!"
 New York Evening Sun. kiss he printed on her lips, But father was about; He didn't like the ardent swain, And so he led 'it' out.
 American Press A kiss he printed on her lips, She smiled, the artful creature, And modestly inquired of him, Was that a special feature?'
 Moscow Qdaho) Star-Herald. He tried to kiss her lips again, But couldn't quite get at her; She held a book in such a way They were next to reading matter" Boston Courier kiss he printed on her lips, The smack he thought would vex her. She turned away and back again, What she wanted was an Extra"
 The Three Partners kiss he printed on her lips, It brought her no distress; She threw herself into his arms And said Lets go to press.'
 -Interborough Bulletin
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
National Insuredness

The Baltimore Manufacturers Record
 has issued in book form the vigorous and timely editorial articles on National
 Insuredness Through National Prepared
 ness, by Richard H. Edmonds.
 It is a small book-only 100 pages-but it will prove a valable contribution to the literature of the national defense ques- tion in it's larger aspects. The price of the book is 50 cents copy.
 In pointing out 'our ill-adjusted indus trial development, which makes the na- tion dependent for between 90 and 95 per cent of it's steel upon one source of ore
 supply which could be instantly cut off in the event of war. Mir Edmonds says: The individual does these things for
 his family and his property. If they will stop to consider the matter the O0,0OO, ,0Ot people in this country are individually and collectively as much concerned about it's safety from war, and in having protec- | tion from overwhelming destruction of | their country, their property and their | freedom as they are Individually of their
 own families. The destruction of the
 country would mean the suffering of ev- cry individual.
 | 'If the individual now protects his fam 1 fly by insurance. despite the early teach | ings of opponents of insurance as con-
 trary to their interpretation of the Bible
 and as lessening mans faith in God, is there any possible reason why in the az gregate all should not unite for a whole
 sale insurance protection of their coun- try, their families and their property? Tc
 say that the country cannot afford this is 1 to say that it would be wiser for man | to leave his family to starve rather than II put small percentage of his income into l insurance, or for him to lose all he has {! by fire because he was too short-sighted and narrow-minded to pay for insurance
 on his dwelling or his store. Moreover,
 this country is so enormop2sz rich that
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
The Motor speedMax

The interest shown by our citizens In the proposed Birmingham Motor speed- way, which will be built around the lake or the Birmingham Motor and Country club, is remarkable" said Solon Jacobs, vice president and general manager of the Birmingham Motor Speedway com pany. Offices in the Empire building, on the third floor. have already been taken and work on the project, which will be of great value to Birmingham, has already been started. The organiza- ton of the company has been completed, and the active cooperation of the peo- pie of Birmingham has been felt already.
 T have always been a great booster for anything that would make of Bir- mingham a greater city. The advantages of the speedway will be numerous. Peo- rle who never before thought of Bir- mingham will make it a point to come here at the time of the races. Once here, they are bound to take cognizance of the fact that we have one of the best cities in the United States to live in. If they are the kind of people who are looking for some place to invest their money or to live in and earn a livelihood, they are bound to seriously consider the Magic City of the South.
 Probably half a million people will be attracted to this city yearly by the speedway and the hotels, merchants, in- dustries, real estate men and others are bound to reap a golden harvest. I SUD- pose I have talked to at least 50 business men in regard to the building of this magnificent speedway and every one ot them without exception was heartily in favor of the proposition Birmingham people are alive to the magnitude of this undertaking and nothing but success can be the result
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
The MOewe

The identity of the mysterious con- merce raider which, among other notable achievements on the high seas, captured the Appam, has been estab- ished exclusively by the arrival of that vessel at Wilhelmshaven. It would be interesting to know how the Noewe eluded the vigilance of British cruisers and patrol boats which are popularly supposed to guard, not every square mile, but almost every square yard of the North sea. The British fleet, for all it's efficiency, was set at naught by the seamanship and daring of the ships officers, whose brilliant exploits equal those of other German raiders which did not succeed in reaching port.
 Battles in the air between the crews of hostile aeroplanes have fur nished some thrilling Chapters to the history of the war, but the achieve ments of the German commerce raid CTS, particularly the Emden and the Karlsruhe, have stirred the imagina- ton of newspaper readers the world over, for they have brought back to modern, and somewhat prosaic times, the romance of the sea. The pluck and skill shown by these lone raiders, lurking on the edge of the sea lanes waiting to bounce on enemy mer. chantmen and eluding at the same time the warships of Englafd anc France which would have sent then to the bottom in a jiffy, is something the Germans may well be proud of Their submarine activities, though vastly more destructive of human lift and property, do not appeal to tht sporting instinct of people who be- lieve in fair play and propersregare for the humane side of warfare, SC far as it is possible to observe g paradox.
 me commerce raiders did work that
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

A French inventor named Jean Monca-
 inert de Saint-Rene has recently discov- cred method for carding, spinning and weaving kapok and has created new textile industry, according to an ar-
 ticle by Jacques Boyer, in the Scientific
 American supplement. Kapolx Is produced
 by the silk cotton trees, which are plen-
 tiful in the tropics, especially in the West
 are now 50 establishments in Java en-
 gagged in collecting kapok, which is com posed of yellow threads. silky in texture and from one-half to three-foutrhs of an inch in length. The floss is contained in the fruit of the trees, which is shaped like a capsule. The flores are extremely light, due to central tubes filled with air and are impermeable to water. Because of this quality and the fact that it dries very quickly, kapok does not rot It will
 support a much greater weight in water than ordinary cork, and at the end of a month experiments have shown that it's ability to float is but slightly lessened
 Because of its elasticity and lightness kopak makes an ideal stuffng for cushions and mattresses. It is also well adapted for making life preservers. The seed contains an oily substance which is used to aduterate other vegetable oils. M, de Saint-Rene spent several years ex- permenting before he discovered a way to card kapok Previous to that time the delicate flores.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
NY COUNTRY. ITS OF THEE

Y " = v v ~ NY My country! .'tis of thee. Sweet land of liberty,
 Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died! Land of the Pilgrims pride! From every mountain side
 Let freedom ring! My native country, thee Land of the noble. free
 Thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills. Thy woods and templed hills; My heart with rapture thrills
 Like that above. Let music swell the breeze. And ring from all the trees
 Sweet freedoms song; Let mortal tongues awake; Let all that breathe partake; Let rocks their silence break.
 The sound prolong. Our fathers God! to Thee. Author of liberty,
 To Thee we sing; Long may our land be bright With freedoms holy light; Protect us by Thy mtght ''''r Great God. our Kt1gi
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
BEGINNING THE DAY-Lord, I

BEGINNING THE DAY-Lord, thank Thee for my work. Help me in my thinking to tie up my IT. with aII the work of the worid' May it become q universal and age old thing upon which I labor. May my companions be all the noble sons of toil have been and are and snail be. May | find myself working TO- rether even with God in the buiid- ing of the world. In Christs name. Amen.-H. M. F..
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
DUBIOUS OUTLOOK
. Pittsburg Dispatch.

From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
 "Dyspeptics can't fight" has become a slogan, and housewives in favor of pre- paredness are studying up on healthful foods, while those opposed are looking for the things that provoke poor di- gestion. The outlook for the hungry hus- bands is not flattering.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
FIVE HE LOST

patch.
 Corse Payton, the ten. twent', thirt heavy, dropped into one of the Broad way havens of thirst this afternon. wbere he met several other thespians Payton bought the refreshments. pulling out a bill from roll of green goods that was as large as any carried by the war babies. One of the actors heard opportunity knocking. Say, Sorse," said he, 'Iet me have ten" Payton looked at the boucher in quizzical way, and peel ing off five-spot. handed it to him. 'But I asked for ten." quickly respond ed the actor. Payton first put the roll in his jeans and then said: That's five I've lost and five you've lost'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
TO BE SURE.

TO BE SURD. "Pa, what is an anomaly" Not very long ago defined the word for you, son, by saying a deckhand on a submarine would be anomalous "Yes, pa.''
 "But, to fix it in your mind, I'll give you another definition. A town without a moving picture palace is an anomaly nowadays"
 AS SHOWN BY THEIR ABSENCE. Tt must be hard for congressman to stay in Washington and attend to busi- ness when their political. fences back home need repairing Hard say you? There are times when it is utterly impossible
 SPEAKING LITERALLY. "Is that car of yours satisfactory" Tt suits me-"
 From the ground up, eh?" well, not exactly. I've had some tire trouble"
 UNEQUAL TO EFFORT. q met the champion lazy man yes- terday."
 "Where?"
 "He was standing in front of a re- volving door. waiting" Waiting for what?" For somebody to go in ahead of him and push the door around.''
 EXCEPTIONAL CASE. Thinks well of himself, doesn't he?" 'I'll tell you the sort of fellow he is." "Yes?"
 "He takes off his gloves to shake hands with himself.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
OH, OF COURsE NOT
le New York Telegram.

From the New York Telegram. Connecticut man jolted by fall from his horse forgot his wife for 23 years Of course this isn't why the horse is
 called mans best friend.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

Two prominent Alabama politicians who recently changed their places of residence for political reasons vii, have to explain to the voters if home is where the heart is or where the votes are.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

The Baltimore newspapers these days brlstle with the epigrams of Billy Sunday, regenerate of that city the superior ad- vantages of the sawdust trail.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

Washington bureau POT Hibbs build ing.
 European bureau, Henrietta street, Covent Garden. London.
 Eastern business office, Rooms, AS to 50, inclusive, Tribune building, New York city; western business of1lce' Tribune building, Chicago. The ,: S' Beckwith Special Agency. agents ior- eign advertising.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

Colonel House is back, but if you are waiting for something to drop, you will probably be disappointed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

The Age-Herald invites the candidates to state their claims in its columns free of charge. Was ever candidate averse
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

Human flesh may be more dgestible than any other, as a Wisconsin scientist declares, but it is more agreeable to knock one's neghbors than to eat them
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

There are some curious people in this world, including Tom Marshall. who wants to be vice president again.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

Japan already has a casus belli against the United States, says a magazine writer Oh, well. we'll have to stick up for Cali. fornia in a pinch.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

The German crown prince knows now that it is considerably farther to Paris than it it is to Tipperary.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

When foreigner is caught with a suit case full of explosives it is reasonable to suppose that he is not, strictly speaking, a humanitarian.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

If MT. Jean Crones is ever captured he will doubtless have an interesting story
 of his movements to tell the police.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
VALUE OF EARTHWORKS s

The consensus of opinion seems to be that the Moewe is entitled to long rest.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

Perhaps former King Manuel of Por- tugal is thankful that he has no throne to lose.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

The Paris press should quit trying to define the attitude of Congress until that esteemed body gets its bearings.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

Victor Murdoc5 says the war will end by November. There is no law in this country against making predictions.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07
ALABAMA PRESS

Gadsden Times-News: If the dream of John Wallace, state game warden, comes true in a few short years we will see elk roaming the forests of Alabama. May he live to see his dream come true
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

Miss Bessie Shaw and w. D. Brum- beloe are the only authorized travel ing representatives of The Age-Her- aid in its circulation department. The Age-Herald is not responsible for money paid to out-of town carriers or dealers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-07

You can always tell 8 man who has
 plenty of time on his hands by the careful way in which he studies a war map.