The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-06
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS
America first.

 the land.
 The time for talk has passed. The time for lining up has arrived. There is no longer any middle ground.
 had hoped for peace, but if it's to be war; then this nation needs to put forth every ounce of it's strength.
 This country must strike and strike hard until German imperialism gives way to true American democracy. |
 The time has come for America to show to the Kaiser that while America loves peace and pursues it, every patriotic son is ready to heed the clarion call of the poet
 Strike-for your altars and your fires; Strike for the green graves of your sires; God, and your native land"
 
 l In talk with Joe Loveman, who made a fine record as an officer of the National Guard, he said: MT. Barnett, this great district ought to raise a regiment. don't know whether any of us will be called upon to assist. The government may not leave to us the initiative, but if 1t does, I'm ready to do what can." He puts America first" and I believe thou test comes.
 Let's celebrate Liberty Day. For once. lot tah aF Moe ocI,1 sett's great day.
 | Please remember when Parliament kept State, it was Patrick Henry of Virginia who was so indignant at the British treat ment of Massachusetts that he said In the Virginia conventions: There is no longer any room for hope. We must 1 fight I repeat it, sir; we must fight" 1 It's true we had to fight England, but we were fighting then as we will fight Germany, for a great principle. The words of a patriot come down to hearten us at this hour. Said he: What we mean in fighting the British was this: We always had been free and we meant to be free always'
 Yes, the war with England was to carry out the high minded political prin ciple, "no taxation without representa- | tion.' If we fought the mother country to preserve this right, why should it be thought strange that the men of America are ready to fight Germany to preserve the lives of Americans As long as men love heroic deeds so long will Paul Reveres wild ride, crying as he rode, Turn out, turn out the British are coming; the regulars are com ing" strike sympathetic chord in every patriots heart.
 On the morning of the 18th of April, the British troops having fired on and killed several minute men at Lexington, they did arrive at Concord. The minute men of Concord 'did turn out" on that day and as Emerson sang:
 Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the world"
 Are we to go back on the blood bought principles handed down 10 us by our fore fathers? Are we men of the twentieth century to calmly sit in our easy chairs and permit Germany to map out a path for us on the seas and sink our vessels, and drown our citizens, if we do not sail in it? do not see how any reasonable man can read President Wilson's great mes sage without believing that he had done everything in his power to avert war with Germany In the days to come, when the war is a memory our children will read with pride the story of his ef- | fort to keep America out of the great conflict, but will glory in his decision in the face of repeated crimes against the United States committed on the high seas to ask Congress to declare war. | The time is ripe, and certain unpatriotic utterances call for every true American in Birmingham to take part in Liberty Day. Every one of us must show where l he stands.
 1 The 18th of April, 1775, was fndeed notable day. It is observed in Massa- chusetts to commemorate the defeat of the British forces at Concord. 1 To New England. the place where the provincial Congress sat Is as sacred as is that hall in Philadelphia in which inde- pendence was declared. July 4. 177s. l 1 It's too long for Birmingham to wait until July to go on record in standing by the President, so let's celebrate Liberty Day April 18th in a way that will show to all the country that this great dis trict is loyal and accepts the challenge which Germany has so insolently thrown into our faces
 How can we show our patriotism? There are many ways. How can we observe Liberty Day? We can enlist the co-opera- tion of our city, county and civic bodies. | We can use our school children. We can make a great day of it at one or our public parks, and wind up at night with patriotic addresses at one of our theatres. Now. let's get together for once. Let the papers take hold of the idea. and make suggestions and let the people talk
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