The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-07
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

1 The call was never greater for
 trained men and women. The hour de-
 mands sacrifice on the part of parents
 to give their sons and daughters the
 chance to take college course.
 This is being stressed not merely by
 the presidents of our great universi- ties, but Is emphasized by the smaller colleges, both secular and denomina- tional, and backed up by President Wilson, Secretary Baker and Secretary Daniel
 It's an act of patriotism both on the part of parents who send and the stu dents who attend, and therefore I plead that the urgent question will get the attention it deserves at the hands of all concerned. I am using my pen and my voice to try and stir the people to fuller realization of the needs of seeing to 1t that our colleges open with a greater matriculation than ever before.
 am often in disagreement with Sen ator Lodge, but I thank him for hav- ing so forcefully pointed out the fact that the first and most important function of a liberal education is to fit a man for the life before him and to prepare him, whatever profession or pursuit(he may follow, to be useful citizen of the country which gave him birth.
 This is of vast importance in any country, but in the United States. and never more so than just at this crisis, 1t is of peculiar moment. when we are seeking to safeguard democracy, our glorious heritage, because here every man has imposed upon him the duties of sovereignty, and in proportion to his capacity and his opportunities, he is called upon to use them for his own and his country's good
 The call is loud and clear for true Americans, for Americanism not of the blatant and boastfu1 Chauvinistic type,1l but something widely different from either of these. Neither has loud self assertion any part in 1t, and yet we do not need to repress the feeling that now exists that it Is necessary to fight that we are going to make finish job of it. Let's cut out boasting, but at the same time let's drop criticism and carping, with the everlasting whine of the pacificist who Is not ready to help Uncle Sam just now for lack of sympa- thy, but who may later get into the game if Germans invade America.
 True Americanism is something wide- ly different from this patient waiting attitude until our people see their dead Now here is the great chance that comes to our colleges to take our boys'l and girls, our young men and our young women and put them in sympa- thetic touch with the virile life about them, and make them true Americans and send them forth ready to serve their country with their very lives if the call comes.
 This twentieth century IS d ii<1l sOiou' time in which to live. It is true that its opening years are stained with blood, ana civilization of the Prussian type has run amuck, .and the times are out of joint, but instead of regretting with the mel ancholy Dane, that he was called upon to set it right let's understand the urge that it is full of opportunity to any one who will take part in it's strifes, to put an end forever to militarism which flouts treaties and laughs at international law and tramples upon the rights of neutrals.
 Its the colleges high privilege and mis- sion, to take the young man on the threshold of life and put new spirit Tn him which will enable him to do battle whether with sword or pen, with action or with thought, for cause in Which ne believes True Americans are needed in every walk of life. The call is for men who are saturated with Americanism. This is no day for hyphenated Amerl-. cans. Give us pure, straightforward men who love their native land and are will- ing to defend it against German insolence and aggression.
 Our American system is on trial. If we had refused to accept the repeated chal- lenges of the Kaiser, Europe would have had the perfect right to have said that democracy prepared men to accept insults and humiliation and that Americans were commercialized and sonly worshipped the almighty dollar. It would have put shame on us that would have lasted for centuries. It's up to our colleges to cul- tivate and instruct our sons in intelligent patriotism. ]
 In times of peace there is danger inl colleges losing touch with the world. I This is bad anywhere and at any time. A great publicist has well said that 1t is worse in a republic than anywhere else, and he might have added that 1t would he worse now than at any other time in our history. But I have no fears that our colleges will not be alive with patriot ism or that the leaders will fail to in- culcate true Americanism. This Is why I plead that fathers and mothers shall put their heads together and find way to get their boy off to college.
 If I thought for one moment that col .lege life meant:
 ;,& &<-1,o Ixr ,lf fcta po6