The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-07
CROWD ASSEMBLIES AT COURTHOUSE IN B|G MASS MEETING Open Air Affair Threatened to Assume Ugly Aspect
 for a Time BARNETT DEFENDS
 LOYALTY OF NEGRO All Speeches Were Full of Loyalty to the President and Urged
 Every Citizen to Do
 His Part

Birmingham first patriotic mass meet ing was held last night.
 Four hundred people gathered around the steps of the courthouse, under the rays of a full moon and heard appeals that, in this critical hour, they uphold the President in his fight for the right and the honor of the United States.
 The meeting developed one issue that threatened to take an ugly aspect. The first speaker, declaring he was citizen of Mississippi, avowed that due to his activity enough evidence had been pro- cured to turn up agents of the German government who had tried to incite the colored race to array itself against the white; that the negroes were armed and were prepared. To meet this issue, he ad- vised that the people of Birmingham get ready.
 However, Frank Willis Barnett, who appeared and delivered the principal ad- diess. declared that the negroes of the south would be found loyal, and that it was entirely too presumptuous to indict a whole race for the activities of a few criminal negroes. He urged the full SUD- port of the President, refused to deal in any personalities and advised that the people, upon the epochal day in Ameri- ca history, face the crisis calmly and bravely.
 He announced that through his sug- gestion. the Chamber of Commerce had appointed a committee to arrange for a great patriotic celebration and parade in Birmingham. f
 CALLED BY RUMOR
 By an undercurrent of rumor and whis- perings. it had been noised about that there would be a mass meeting at Second avenue and Twentieth street at clock last night
 That such an event had been begotten of rumor and that such a throng was without a leader, was evidenced when 900 congregated at the corner and waited for something to happen" Finally Cur tis Shugart, who declared he was noth- ing more than curious bystander, es- saved to speak, but Chief Eagan of the police department refused permission for a meeting, inasmuch as no permit had been granted.
 The suggestion having been made that tiO SOuIl lHOuSS WOulu dllOTQ d SulIdDlc forum, the crowd, embracing all ranks and youth and age, moved onward.
 A. J. ROGERS SPEAKS
 After a lull, during which the sugges- ton was raised by desultory yells and murmurings, someone assumed cnarge of the mass To the surprise of the listen ing ones, he was not citizen of Bir- mingham. "I am a citizen of Mississippi, your sister state" he cried. It developed that the spokesman was A. J. Rogers, who has moved to Birmingham from Gulf port, Miss
 He addressed the meeting and urged them to support the great President of the United States. He declared that it was he who had furnished evidence which had led to the discovery of certain plots in Mississippi and avowed that Birming- ham, with it's great industrial plants, should exercise every precaution to pro- tect it's industries and to prevent any internal strife by preparing for it.
 He introduced Curtis Shugart, who an- nounced that he was unable to speak, but declared that he did know a man who could speak and who would. Frank Will lis Barnett, having been sent for at the