The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-05

1 book Whlch recently Fedu, WIltlSH py d live American, inspired me to write this tribute.
 I am going to give my readers the story in capsule form, because believe it's a splendid tonic and will do us good just at this juncture, when our Sam mics are going to fight side by side with Tommy Atkins"
 England. for millions of us. is the home of our ancestors, and in spite of our wars with the mother country we glory in the fact that our forbears were Eng lishmen. And why shouldn't we? We speak his language as we inherit his dar- ing.
 We are fed on English literature, our laws are soaked through and through with English Jurisprudence, our history is interwoven with that of "Merrie Eng land" It is unthinkable that England and English institutions should ever be controlled by Prussianism, and that's req son enough for our siding with our Brit ish cousins against the invasion of the Teutons.
 If I lived in England I would be ashamed to be a little Engiander," but proud to cast in my lot with the inn perialists. Not that I dearly love a lord, or that I have turned my back upon democracy, but because the present rulers of England think in continents.
 It has been a big question in America as to whether we would sit in our splen- politics and permit the Kaiser to carry out the Pangerman dream of "Mittel- Europa which if realized meant Prus- sian domination of the world; or whether under God we would shoulder our re- sponsibility and safeguard democracy for the world"
 Parties in the United States may quar- rel and quibble over dependencies, for our island possessions have been a bone of contention over which politicians. pulp licists and statesmen have fought. but the Englshman dotes on overseas areas.
 The Engllshman has shown himself to be greater colonizel than the Roman, and no higher praise as colonist can be cited. Your true Britisher is the most successful colonizsr and settler that the world has ever known.
 others may use the Ocean as their
 road;
 Only the English make it their abode''
 The German Kaiser piioted his country on the rocks the day he dropped his pilot Bismarck. and determined to drive the English off the seas under the pretense that he wanted place in the sun.
 
 Everywhere the Brtisher is the pioneer and his flag flies in every port in the world. Wherever the English flag flies. investments are safe. His word is his bond; he is square in his dealings. He respect of the commercial world for his probity.
 The Englishman marches into unex- plored regions, makes terms with the na- tive chief, and the flag of England flies over one more protectorate No wonder it got on the Kaisers nerve when every where that Germans went they found an Englishman on the best ground. Elm peror Williams mistake was in thinking that Germans could compete with Eng land in subduing subject races.
 
 I remember reading somewhere the ac- count of traveller in Africa who was marveling how a pink-faced, boyish- looking Englishman could land in. the heart of jungle of man eaters and with cannibal chiefs, and make them his will ing slaves. And yet the English have been doing that thing for hundreds of years.
 The Englishman's ability to rule Is un- questioned, since he governs one-fifth of the worlds territory and rules over one- fourth of it's population. Germany said that Icnglands colonies would fall away and set up republics as soon as Bri- tannia got into war. It was case in which he was badly informed
 
 Everyone counted on the loyalty of Canada, Australia. New Zealand and the English speaking communities, but many doubted if India with the unrest would remain true. The test came, and instead ing the East Indians Hooked to the Eng fish colors and regiment after regiment has stood shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers of the tight little isle" on the blood soaked fields of France.
 have infinite faith that the Germans, in spite of their audacity. in spite of their reckless courage, in spite of their organi- zation in spite of their fanatical determi- nation to win at any price, will in the end be beaten by the English bulldog and his allies, and now that Uncle Sam has got his lander up, the day of victory is nearer
 One by one Germany's colonies, upon which she spent great treasure and many lives of her picked sons. have dropped into England's colonial net, for all other nations are amateurs when they sit in the game of colonizing with England. the past mistress in hagging islands and con- tinents.
 There is this consolation: Wherever John Bull puts down his foot, order and civilization are sure to come and stranger than All. he seems to have the ability to make even those who fought his coming the bitterest turn round and give him honor and love.