The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-04

Birmingham turned out in full force to
 hear the patriotic address of MT. Heflin
 last night. The Jefferson theatre was
 filed as he picked up the different
 threads of his story of how, and why,
 and for what we are at war with Ger
 many round after round of hearty ap-
 plause shook the building. Col. Jesse F.
 Stallings introduced the speaker with a
 few remarks on his past and present, life,
 the fearless work of exposing those
 thought to be traitorous, work he has been actively and wholeheartedly en- gagged in while representing the people of Alabama.
 Some persons have said that the Pres- ident jumped into the war pell-mell and without aforethought," said MT. Heflin.
 T want you to bear with me while We
 take little review of the war from the
 beginning. Back in 1909 there was held a world conference for the provision of la worldwide peace arbitration board.
 Pyactically every one of the 20-odd na-, tions of the earth were represented there but Germany was at home making guns. Everyone was rejoicing in the fact that all the world was again at peace. Ger many was invited to join; she was too busy In 1914 the assassination of the archduke and his wife by a crazy socialist schoolboy gave Germany all the opportunity looked for to wage war. INVASION OF BELGIUM "I have talked with one of tho noble generals of Belgium who fought so yaliantly against the invading Teuton en- emy. He tells me that the day before the war one of the German generals rode through Belgium in his automobile shaK- ing hands with the people and scofing at the idea that Germany would ever invade so peaceful a country, declaring to the people there that there was not war cloud on the horizon. 1t was the very next day. said the general, that IT opposed this same brute bringing hls army into our lana to pillage, burn, pun der and mistreat our women ana slrls.
 He told me this not so very long ago. ''President Wilson took insult after in- suit. we were hampered in our commerce on the sea by the proving "dachsnunds of the water our ships were sunk, ana yet he repeatedly showed that our peo- pie wanted peace, to remain neutral Tor the formation of a worldwide peace Diplomacy was indulged in to d greater extent than ever known heretofore Final ly people began to say: If Old Hickory was there we would have already had them half licked.' and still diplomacy was tried. Finally American lives were lost, noncontraband shipments to neutral na- tions were sent to the bottom of the seas; the press and public officials took up the cry of Whip 'em.'
 USE OF THE HIGH SEAS 'The Lusitania was sunk. war seemed
 imminent. The German ruler sent an- swer to the Presidents note promising the changing Of his method of warfare | and the undsturbed right to the use of {. the high seas by our merchantmen fleets. Later. after period of prepared ness. a note was sent to our government
 stating that all promises were broken
 and that hereafter no mercy would be shown ships of the United States found upon the seas.
 Having already done everything in It's power to prevent war and retain
 peace. the United States was at last 'drawn into the conflict unprepared and
 against it's will Let no man say that
 President Wilson or any other man