The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-14
the Editor of The Age-Herald

~ tut EullOT or The ABe-f1STdlus
 During the time that have been back home" recruiting for the Fourth Ala bama infan. l have been surprised at the attitude of many of our citizens. had thought that every one understood the peril in which the country is placed but have learned that many are either too thoughtless or too selfish to know or care what is ahead of us. Instead Of showing the spirit that might be expected of Americans, who have always boasted of their willingness to fight for their hb- erties they present the pitiful spectacle of being willing for other people to do the fighting while they do the shouting.
 If any one doubts this let him inquire a any recruiting station and he will learn that the number of recruits ob- tained is shamefully small; that a few high spirited boys are enlisting, but that of men over 30 there are hardly any at all This means simply one thing, that the great bulk of the men who are ex- empt from the draft law are taking ad- vantage of that fact to secure the safety of their own skins.
 The recruiting officers for the army, navy, marine corps and National Guard have been shouting from the housetops that no man will be denied the privilege of serving the colors who is physically, morally and mentally fit, even though he
 is not subject to draft. And yet the total number of recruits obtained is unworthy of a great state and a free people.
 1t has beehffepeatedly pointed out that the greatest service can be rendered py voluntarily enhsting, without putting the government to the trouble and delay or conscripting. Also, that if a man really intends to do his duty, let h.m do it at once, when delay may spell disaster.
 We have been told time without num- ber by men who are old enough to know better, that they would gladly go to the front if they felt that they were needed. Can any one be so stupid as Lot to know that every man is needed-that We need some millions of sturdy fighting men? When a grown-up man solemnly states that he will Ego if they need me" he insults the intelligence of his hearers. If they need me"-as if men were ever needed as badly as now.
 It is shameful fact, that of those men who are exempt by reason of age. hardly any are enlisting. Yet how can any man pretend that he has done his full duty to ms country Dy OSlll6 pOIli llOl . bhoAi 30 or less than 21 years ago? How can any one deny that he has a moral ob- ligation over and above the legal one set by act of Congress? Yet the country is full of young men who are shameless enough to take advantage of this lucky circumstance of birth to let heir breth- ren do the fighting. 1 have frequently noted that these same average men are the ones who do most of the talking and rryhn pronounced.
 Last Tuesday some thousands marched with flags waving and bands praying in honor of those whose ad fortune brought them into the world less than 30 years ago. Of that vast throng of marchers and shouters and flag wavers, scarcely a score have offered ostrike a blow for Uncle Sam. One might have thought, to look at them, that the mighty host of word warriors would march straight to the recruiting ser geants. Not so. Their motto seems to be, Let the other fellows do the fight ing, we are too busy at home"
 If our scorn is great for those single men who take advantage of their ex- emption to the draft, it is scarcely less for those married men who are hiding behind their families.
 It is bad enough for a man to hide behind the law. But what are we te think of a man who will hide behind . womans skirts? We all know dozens O. men who are perfectly able to do mili tary duty whose families would not sui fer materially from their absence, ane yet who give the excuse of being mar ried. How can any man, whose family could avoid being in actual want in his absence, honorably stay out of the serV- ice?
 When did being married ever relieve 3 man from doing his duty? When in al history did the possession of a wife en- title man to call upon other men tc defend that wife for him? If wife IS
 worth having she is certainly Wortf fighting for, and how can we overlook tht fact that any able bodied man who stays out of this war is defending his home by proxie? If any one doubts that we are defending our very hearthstones 1T this war, l would respectfully refer hin to certain happenings in Belgium ane France.
 It is strange that so many women vii permit their husbands to skulk at home at such a time as this. We know toe well that most women, at heart, detes any men who is too cowardly or too ln- dolent or too selfish to do his duty. wonder what our pioneer great-grand mothers would have thought of such z state of affairs Imagine the scorn o1 those Spartan women for~any man whc whimpered about being a married mar while the country was fighting for it. l life.
 Surely our liberties were not won fo, us by such men as these. Surely oul