davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
Diplomatic Relations Severed

At o'clock yesterday afternoon diplomatic relations with Germany President Wilson had assured himself in advance that the American people, regardless of party a egance stood sody behind him in this mOmentous decision
 Shortly after newspapers throughout the United States nounced the break with Germany reported that Amer can steamer the Housatonc had been sunk by German sub marine near the Scily Islands
 Now that the President has acted quickly firmly, his bit teet critics have been disarmed The period of note writing lis With patience and tact he endeavored by means his command the greatest crisis the history the naon but when Germany made her bold declaration that she would unrestricted submarine warfare in spite of soenn promises previously given and the repeated warnings issued by the American government the end of all temporzng reached It then that President Wilson showed to all the world ha the American has at its head neither coward weakn He persones the spirit of the Amer can people who did wish take extreme with Geany but nc her madness her desperation she has ldsregarded the nvoabe rights of neutral nation which srove to the last to stay friendly terms with her, they are wholehearedy prepared to uphold the national honor
 In his address to the joint session of Congress yesterday MT Wilson said he could believe that Germany intended any overt act against American citizens Germany may not have expected speedy severance of diplomatic relations She may have hoped that the of her submarines would lead tra make final effort end the On the other hand Ambassador Bestor states that Germany anticipated the action of the American yesterday she resumed her career of frightfuness on the
 Continuing further the President sad 'F American ships lives should in fact be sacrificed by the German commanders needless contraventon of the just and reasonable understanding of international law and the obvious dictates of humanity shall take the liberty of coming again before the Congress to ask that authority be given me to that be necessary for the protection of seamen and people the prosecution of their peaceful and eg mate errands on the high seas'
 If Germany is determined to carry out her naval programme the United States will be compelled to declare her. Breaking off diplomatic relations the first step Actual hos
 e may be expected at any ho although the part are Ito play the world will depend largely circumstances
 At this critical hour is hardly necessary to say that the American people will uphold the President They applaud his attitude They confident that he will direct the nations detes along the paths of honor If mems souls are to be tried they will be found wanting patriotism and valor
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
About the Catholics

perhaps connection with the question of Catholics the Catholic church
 held legitimate the illogical or improper dangerous exposition criticism of this knd however The statements of should investigated
 bring task individual or m contrary good morals good definitely saddled Baptist Baptist business
 that criticism and asbe views not really committed corruption and lack That matter of individual ought to look at the evidence andc his conclusion
 But the danger questions sdenc straight way prosecuting these things thereby declaring ourselves poor Americans and Christians
 brought the original settlers to this country From the life of the colonies and written in but ancient passion ideals which birth and nurture forgetting which fathers fought and died being Catholic o debar him from American citizenship
 
 christian Despite dwell with the Catholic Christian work Master saw one casting forbade him because he 1oweh not unto him. Forbid him not for he hatis notag Is for us"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04

"A man looking for 8 gas leak with lighted match Is believed to have caused the recent explosion in Chica- go's Ghetto" However, as he was probably an illiterate foreigner, he had more excuse for his folly than many other persons who. have done the sanie thing.
 Movie producers still contend that the stars get all the money. That isn't going to create any sympathy for them among the movie fans who wor- ship idols of the screen" To them proper.
 A noted female impersonator Is said by his veracious press agent to box daily in order to keep down his waist measure. Being handy with his fists Is also a great help when some face tious person calls him "Elizabeth"
 ak A
 If chronic kicker should ask, What's the matter with Birmingham ?'' for tho thousandth time and worth while citizen were to answer Moth ing" the chronic kicker would never survive the shock.
 
 Incidentally. what has become of the old fashioned man who used to smite himself on the chest when the argu- ment grew warm and shout. I'm cit izen and tasspayery'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
rHE soLnIENs DREAM

By Thomas Campbell. Our bugles sang truce, for the night
 clouds had lowered.
 And the sentinel stars set their
 watch in the sky; And thousands had sunk on the ground
 overpowered,
 The weary to sleep, the wounded to
 die.
 When reposing that night on my pal
 let of straw, By the wolf soaring. fagot that guarded the slain At the dead of the night a sweet vision I saw. And thrice ere the morning I dreamt it again.
 Methought from the battlsfeld's dread Far. far had roamed on desolate track; Twas autumn. and sunshine arose on the way To the home of my fathers. that well comed me back. flew to the pleasant fields traversed so oft Tn life's morning march, when my bosom was young; I heard my own mountain goats bleat- ing aloft, And knew the sweet strain that the cornreapers sung. They pledged we the wine-cup. and fondly I swore. From my home and my weeping friends never to part; My little ones kissed me thousand times o'er. And my wife sobbed aloud in her full. ness of heart. "Stay, stay with us, rest thou ar weary and worm" And fain was their war-broken sol. dier to stay; But sorrow returned with the dawnint of morn, And the voice in my dreaming cal
 melted away.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
Salary Basis and Fees

T have recently heard some comment to the effect that the placing of county officials on salary basis is not prov ing entirely satisfactory said J. w. Walters. T don't suppose 1t tis by the fellow who has been getting rich under the fee system. But I think it is too soon to begin to carp and criticize a sys- tenn that has only been in effect, half a month. It is unreasonable to expect that to make such a drastic change as that of cutting out fat fee offices and putting the beneficiaries on a salary basis would not take sometime to get in working order. In my opinion it will not tane many weeks sto get things running smoothly and until the system has had a fair trial it seems to me 1t would be only fair to refrain from knocking it.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
EXTRAORDINARY
LUKE M,LUKE SAYS

Why is it that in women, horse sense and a horse face usually go together? Don't judge by appearances. The man who roars like. a Hon when he is in pulp | lie with his wife acts like a rabbit when he Is at home with her. We believe in preparedness Every girl should learn dressmaking or stenography before she gets married so that she will be sure of three meals a day after she gets married.
 Don't holler about your luck. Maybe If you had your own way you would be worse off,
 | J. P. Morgan does very little talking. Neither would we If we had about &0,- | GOO 600 to do it for us.
 Trousers for girs who work are the latest innovation. But they'll never be a
 success with the girls who work in the musical comedies.
 l Another reason why we are for prohibit
 tion is because in Kansas you can buy
 all the rotten whisky you want. but you
 can't buy pure alcohol to bathe sick child.
 l The man who is blind to his faults usually has two good eyes with which ! to observe the faults of his neighbors.
 X lot of automobilists who never donned
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
HOTEL LOBBTES
Have Received Ovation

From the moment that the Boston Grand Opera company opened an engage ment at the Lexington opera house, New York, this season." said Max Hirsch, | business manager of the organization, who was with the company in Birming- ham yesterday, "up to the present mo- ment in Birmingham, we have had the | most tremendous ovation. Last year g tour safely ensconced our artists in the hearts and minds of the vast audiences we had on our first transcontinental tour, and this year it is like meeting old friends again.
 MT. Rabinoff is more than pleased with the reception that the opera has had and his dream or giving the people of the United States from east to west, from north to south, ideal grand opera, without them having to go to New York and spend vast sums of money, is at last realized The operas presented in Birmingham include many of our best artists, and we have many more who might have been featured
 Especially popular has been our Japa- nese sopranas Madame Tamah Muiura (who sang Madame Butterfly here last year), in Mascagni's beautiful opera Iris vile Friday evening. Also George Bak- lanoff, the big basso who has made g. hit everywhere. The Boston opera com pany recalls with extreme pleasure the very cordial reception Birmingham gave us last year and especially the courtesy of a luncheon at the Country club, which we have talked about great deal since. I hope next season that MT. Rabinoff will give Birmingham real season of opera and that we may be able to present some of our musical novelties
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04

days each in Gadsden and iusca- loosa.
 The most encouraging fact in con nection with the projected armor plant is that the locating board starts upon it's mission with an open mind. The matter of site is to be decided upon it's merits. That is taken to mean that Alabama will win the prize. The ores of this district not only make fine basic iron from which comes the best quality of open hearth steel, but the metal can be made with singular economy here. In other words the Alabama mineral district seems to be the logical place for Uncle sam's armor industry.
 Metallurgists of recognized ability will consider all sides of the question, and it is hardly possible that they can fail to award Alabama the prize.
 s* *
 It is getting so that bibulous per son hesitates to read his paper in the morning, for fear that he will learn of another state being made Done dry
 k
 Germany's belief that she can fight the whole world is not surprising to anyone who has observed the tone of arrogance which has characterized German utterances ever since the wal started.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04

la baseball uniform have the hit-and run play down to perfection. The vote on the Sheppard bill indicates that the popular election of senators didn't do much toward the election of popular senators. It wouldn't do a prodigal son much
 good to return nowadays, with the price
 of veal where 1t is. There are all sorts of people in the
 world. including the woman who buys
 her jewelry and her cut glass at the lo- cent store.
 Two of the most wonderful things we
 know of are the roses that appear when you place ambush in some ordinary dirt and the roses that appear when a girl
 places some rouge on Q dirty piece of
 chamoise skin. I A highbrow defines the word 'immoral'
 as: anything that tends to destroy the dignity of womanhood or to display the female form in an irreverent manner Huh! According to this, both mice and high street car steps are immoral crit | ters.
 l Marriage sometimes makes a man as
 insignificant as vice president Take
 the. case of MT. Queen WilheImina of Holland for example The reason why It is 50 easy for . girl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
Florida Tourists
 to Stop Over Here

E7THE Florida season will end April U 15, just in time for the tourists to take in the music biennial here. Ar arrangements are being made by the railroads to handle an immense throhg on this occasion.
 April is usually excessively hot in Florida, but as far north as Birming- ham the temperature is delightfully."- balmy. Spring in this climate is ideal, as rule.
 The date for the opening of the music convention is week after East CT and society then will be in it's most Joyous mood. Visitors from the north will see Birmingham at it's best, and never in the history of the south has such a great festival of music been announced as will be presented under the auspices of the biennial board.
 The crowd would tax the hotel ac- commodations of most large cities, but Birmingham now excels in hostelries and there will be room for everybody who will come. The Flor : ida resort places are already agog with talk of Birmingham's music week and reservations cannot be made too soon.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
Arrraor Plant Board
 With Open MiEadl

TFHE navy experts who are to con-
 H slider the question of site for the $11, ,000, ,000 armor plant will reach Alabama the latter part of this month for the purpose of holding hearings as to the merits of the various propo- sitions now pending. They will begin a visitation in the Ohio valley next week, and after making thorough analysis of the irons of that section will return to Washington and short H afterwards will proceed southward. ,They have scheduled stay of three days in Birmingham and two or three
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04

"RESIDENT WILSON'S speech be- I0 fore Congress yesterday shows
 backbone and ginger and the mental sdtness to take care of this country in any emergency.
 Unlike his recent address on the sub ject of peace, there are no qualifica- tions or generalities in his utterances yesterday. The broad guaged man of affairs is evidenced in every sentence.
 The first act of the President will perhaps be the establishment of a lane of commerce between this country and the countries composing the allies. These lanes will be fenced in, so to speak, by American cruisers. torpedo boat destroyers and battle ships, as may be deemed necessary
 American naval vessels will act as escorts to vessels of commerce and will protect them from German submarines.
 In the past, England has kept her navy in the channel and in the North sea as guards against the naval ves- sells of Germany Her commerce from this country has not been sufficiently protected against the submarines of Germany. The American navy will now attend to this and shipping will be. in- creased rather than decreased. Ameri- can cotton can go to the English mar ket and her iron and steel products can be shipped freely.
 A submarine must rise to the sur face, or expose its periscope, to dis charge torpedo. The naval vessel ac- companying the ship of commerce can well take care of 1t in such emergen- cies, for the submarine dares not show its periscope in the neighborhood of we'll armed vessel.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
Neighborhood House

and Its Great W0TE
 I've have a loan fund of $500
 which has been loaned 1T times
 during the year."-Fron the an-
 nual report of Neighborhood House. M7EIGHBORHOOD HOUSE is one 0V of Birmingham's finest and most worty charities. Its most promi- nent feature is the day nursery, where the children of working mothers can be left and cared for during the day.
 But Neighborhood House is now much greater than this single form of activity. It is a community center and in this community live some eight or nine hundred people of many nation alities who utilize the house for their meetings, their clubs, their debates, their study circles, their reading rooms.
 A daily average of thirty children were CdICu lOI III GAiO Ody AuloOAJ during the year. Thirty children are enrolled in the kindergarten. In the cooking classes thirty-five are en- rolled; thirty are in the sewing classes and there is an average of sixty read CTS in the branch library. Sixty are enrolled in the boys club and fifty four in the girls club. Fifteen chill dren have been given dental attention. And so the list goes.
 The public spirited women who sponsor Neighborhood House depend largely upon the receipts from the an- nual ball given for the purpose. This years gypsy ball will be held at the Southern club, February 13, and promises to be the most successful af- fair of the kind ever held in Birning- ham. It will be notable society event and will be given in most noble cause.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
lNED BRACE TALKS ABOUT THE SITUATION T BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE ACTS OF GERMANY

ern hemisphere and England, France, Italy and Russia, and the neutral coun- tries of the continent, it shall have done its duty. The German government has been driven to desperation; but it need not be thought that American participation, and declaration of war against Ger many and perhaps against Austria and Turkey, will lead to an early ending of the European conflict.
 This war may last many years yet. England must destroy Germany as a military and naval power; else Eng land must. in time. lose it's world power.
 It is no easy undertaking, even with all the world practically against Ger many, and it may be 10 years yet be- fore there be world peace. The most pregnant danger is right here at home where there are thousands of Germans, some of whom may have to be put ir detention camps. Several hundred German ships of great value are informed in various ports of the United States of troubles and complications may arise. The Germans in this country must de- clare themselves against the Fatherland and for the United States. But this subject Is very delicate one to discuss at the present time. The American people have confidence in Pres ldent Wilson, and his administration, and whatever the government at Washington does must be endorsed by all American citizens as one man.
 Poor dear old Jay Durham is dead.
 Durham will be remembered by thou sands of people in Birmingham as the writer of the Matt Mynor articles in The Age-Herald back in 1898.
 Jay Durham had been the Washington correspondent of the New York World. the Louisville Courier-Journal and other prominent American newspapers. We were intimately associated in Washington, and, when acquired The Age-Herald, Durham came with me to Birmingham as managing editor.
 He was a brilliant writer, but yielded pen of such facetiousness that he often offended people.
 He repeatedly said that by telling the truth he made enemies. He was Kentuckian. and was always looking for a fight but rarely had one.
 
 On one occasion in Washington, when he was the correspondent of the Dallas and Galveston News, an old, uneducated
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
DAREDEvILTRY ON THE BORDER

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
 The Mexican who took five baths in order to sell his certificates of disinfec- tion to other greasers who wanted to cross over into the United States Is re- ported to be doing as we'll as can be expected" but is not yet considered out of danger.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
Reciprocity

Whenever I hear any one speak birthday presents l am reminded of an incident that occurred in my immediate family said Manager Douglas of the Jefferson. Some months ago my daugh- ter's husband bought an automobile prin- cipally for her use, and she throughly enjoyed it. His birthday came around shortly after and his wife told him she had not forgotten him, and said: T have surprise for you. I have bought you a most gorgeous automobile lap robe He looked at the article few seconds, then said, This is a surprise. and when your birthday comes round am going to surprise you And he did. He bought her an automobile tire"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
Believes in Open Meeting.


 With the assistance of the local press, I believe we shall be able to &C., complish great things for Birmingham said T. l.. Cannon, newly elected secre- tary of the Birmingham Civic association. Without this aid, of course, much could not be accomplished. Having been con nected with civic work for more than 20 years, I realize the value of the press in putting any movement through. And another thing, always like to cooper ate with the papers, not only the edi- torial department, but the reporters. Some of the best friends have ever had have been reporters in the towns in which I have lived. I find that the way to accomplish most through the press is to cooperate with the reporters to the fullest extent. Take them into your con fidence and tell them what you know. and trust to their integrity to leave out what you want left out. Personally, I am in favor of open meetings of the board of directors of organiza tions such as ours. It is better for the reporter and for the paper and for the people gener- all, as the reporter can get a much better idea of the trend of discussion than he can by getting the information second hand"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04

SOBER From Harpers Magazine.
 The Shaw family had recently taken house in the fashionable residential section of the city. Some weeks later au acquaintance of former years called dsMrs Shaw and was viewing the treas ures in the library. ''Is your husband a bbliomaniac?" queried the visitor. "Goodness me. mol" calculated Mrs. Shaw. ''He never nibbles bit Oh. of course. don't say that he wouldn't take a little at his meals if the rest were doin't 1t. but that's as far as the ever goes in them kind of things"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04

ex-Confederate soldier, by name Martin, happened to be in Congress from Texas. life was to blow out the gas in the old Willard hotel. Later he attempted to make tariff speech, and his antics on the floor of the House of Representatives was almost like unto a minstrel show
 After his speech, his Texas colleagues persuaded him to instruct the official stenographers to withhold his remarks for revision, and Jay Durham was chosen tariff speech to be inserted in the Con- gressionaI Record.
 Durham worked over 1t for some ten days, and finally produced splendid speech for publication in the Congress siona1 Record. It was circulated through out the Texans district, and proved so popular with the people that Colonel Mar tin was reelected to Congress without opposition.
 Durham not only wrote the speech, but attended to it's distribution, and Martin  received thousands of letters from Texas commenting him for his great tariff ora ton. The St. Louis Republic printed the speech in full and circulated it to it's thousands of subscribers throughout the southwest.
 Shortly afterwards, Colonel Martin called Durham into his office. threw handful of cheap cigars on his table, and said:
 Durham, have cigar. Put some in your pocket. And now. by the way, how much do owe you for writing that tariff speech?"
 T don't know. Colonel" responded Dur- ham, anything you want to pay.'
 "But Durham I don't do business that way; name your price," said the Texan.
 Well, Colonel" responded the corre- spondent, q don't like to name a, price. Just pay mo what you consider it worth five hundred or thousand dollars"
 Five hundred or 6 thousand dollars!'' exclaimed the Texan. why my God. Dur ham, you was only at work on that speech ten days and I can hire a man down in Texas any time for dollar day."
 "oh. that's all right, Colonel,'' said Durham in leaving the room in disgust, T won't charge you anything"
 The next day, however, Judge Culber- son. Buck Kilgore and other Texas con gressmen made Martin send Durham a check for s1oo A few days thereafter Durham borrowed another hundred from him and that settled the account.
 
 7,eN3,ueo~  IIMME@
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04

The Alabama boys serving in the army along the Mexican border win probably not be mustered out now. They will, however, be withdrawn from the border and held in reserve in camps in the cities from which they enlisted. Or they may be stationed on the Atlantic seaboard.
 Even though complete declaration of war is made against Germany, it is hardly probable that American troops will be sent to the European continent. The allies have sufficient forces there now to take care of this and to grad ually drive the German and other forces back into the borders of their own countries.
 If America takes care of and pro- tects the commerce between the west