The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-10

the money to properly equip our brave men who have to go~upon the held of battle to protect your lives, your liberty and your property. The least that those
 of you who cannot fight upon the battle field can do is to supply the means that uiu enable the government to give to o,,r soldiers the arms with which they can fight. to give them the best equip nent that American ingenuity and skill can produce to supply them With every thing that will make them enectiVe units not alone that they may nave chance to defend themselves and 1ntllet all the damaee they can upon the enemy in or der to bring the war to a quick con c1usion but that they may sell their lives as dearly as possible if they have to make fbe supreme sacrifice for liberty. Are vou willing to do it? Are you Willing in tbis way to enlist in the sacred cause Of libertv2 Are you willing to back your sol diers in the field? Of course, you are! l know it!
 LINE 5 MEMORABLE DAY
 On the 5th of June one of the most thrilling spectacles in the annals of this country or of civilization was witnessed. The Congress of the United States has
 passed a law-the selective dratt law and the constituted authorities Of the na- lion required every young man between the ages of 21 and 31 to present himself and register in older thGt we may know who is eligible for military service The draft mea sure is of the very essense Of democracy because we have no right to let men volunteer and go to the front when they can render greater service to their country by staying at home me government must have the power of say ing who shall be put in the particular places where they can render the great ! est service If it is a skilled mechanic ] who knows how to turn out gun, he | ought to be kept where he can turn out l guns and if it is a man who can hght 1 better in the field, then the government should be able to say that that man shall 1 fight in the field. We must get an eff
 fective organization of all these forces 1 through intelligent direction at the top | in order that we may fight with the l greatest effect If we fight commensur- ! ately with our organized power. "e shall | shorten this war and save lnnumerable human lives and inestimable treasure. l Millions of young Americans, with the l fire of patriotism in their hearts, re- | sponded to their country's call on June ] 3. The legions of Americas youth and valor registered so that their government
 might select those who are best fitted to | go to the front and fight this battle for i you, When they have been called, our 1 duty is to see that they have every 1 thing that is necessary to make the most l effective soldiers on earth, and that they are led upon the battlefield by the pest | military talent that we can produce
 l GRUMBLING ABOUT TAXATION l l hear some grumbling about taxation 1 Is it possible that in this rich country
 when our sons are going to the front l to give their lives for us, there should 1 be any quibbling about the necessary tax ation to take care of them upon the field | of battle? Are we going to be more ten der with our dollars than we are with the l lives of our sons? A thousand times no. We ought to be glad to make the neces- l sary sacrifices of property to enable those ] who are willing to give their lives Tor l America to fight with all their power ana | all their valor. Wars involve sacrifices I of property as well as of life While we must not be unfair to property, While we
 must be scrupulously just in the imposi- 1 ton of taxation and in the treatment or l all the economic questions which gam added importance during wartime, prop erty must bear its just share of the 'bur- | den We must find the most equitable l possible basis of distributing the new tax | ation in order that every one shall bear
 his just share, but naturally, my friends,