The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-13
GERMAN bLUNDER
 ID GOAD AMERICA Bowie Reviews Greatness of Nation in Speech to Real
 Estate Exchange

"The German government will find out before the war is over that of all the many blunders it has made since the great struggle began the greatest blunder was when it brought Uncle Sam into the fight We may be little behind now, but we are going to catch up, and when we get there we'll deliver the goods.
 Sydney J. Bowie made eloquent ap- peal for loyal patriotism, prefaced by the above statement, at the weekly luncheon of the Birmingham Real Estate exchange at the Hillman hotel yesterday.
 Mir Bowies speech and the action of the exchange on several matters that have been pending featured the meeting. The body received with favor suggestion of Frank Willis Barnett, that all mem- bers participate in the Liberty Day cele- bration, which is to be staged in Birmng- ham April 19, next Thursday. Presi- dent Bowie wound up his address with a suggestion that Birmingham will have an opportunity to show her patriotism on that day, and asked that everybody who could do so take part in the festivities
 Groom Beatty, Nat Barke and T. H. Motion were named on committee to To- cate sites for the proposed mobilization camp, which various civic bodies are en- deavoring to have located in Birming- ham. Mr. Motion declared that this is one of the biggest things that Birming- ham has gone after for sometime, and said that during the time it was in oper- ation it would mean more than a great industry to Birmingham.
 We Americans have right to love our country, said MT. Bowie, in opening his talk. Tt is fact not sufficiently ap- preciated that we live not only in the greatest country in the world, among the best people in the world. but that indus trially the United States is about equal to the remainder of the entire world.
 We have in this country three times as many miles of telephone and telegraph wires, and instruments all the rest of the world Our railroad system is su- perior to that of the entire remainder of the world. The Bethlehem Steel com pany, one of our subordinate companies, lis greater than the biggest industrial companies in Germany, and the United States Steel corporation has a capacity one third greater than the German em- pire for the things it manufacturers Our national banks have greater resources than those of all the combined coun- tries of Europe. And taken any way. tke United States is first and the rest of the world nowhere
 MT. Bowie declared that he does not be- lieve the war will end or ought to end until the three remaining autocratic coun-
  sa, and have become free and set up a democratic form of government.
 "The secret of the success and progress of the United States is freedom he said. "Here men have an capitalized opportuni- ty If a man is able to deliver the goods, it doesn't matter who he is or where he came from we will accept him as our leader"
 1 He stressed the point that the public officials are servants of the people and not masters, and brought the question home by applying it locally to Commis sioner Arlie Barber.
 l "Tf you don't like the way Mir. Barber | talks, you will have an opportunity at an 1 early date to defeat him for reelection" " 1 he said. '1f there are dishonest men in office you elected them, and you have 1 the power to put them out'
 1 MT. Bowie concluded his talk with an appeal to the members of the exchange l to support the Liberty Day celebration.