The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-12-22
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

hot shot into US so fast and furiou:
that he made US feel that the Hun wa.
at our very door.
I heard him make three talks. He
was the best introduced man that ever
stopped by to take lunch with US, fol
that Is all we gave him. Col. 7. o
Smith. in a snappy speech, presented
him to the high school boys and girls
John Frye was happy In his presenta-
ton of him at the lunch at the Tut
wiler. oscar Wells showed his usual
good sense in making him known
to the audience at the Jefferson with
out fuss or feathers.
He made sensible, straightforward
address at the high school. and he got
a great hand from the pupils that
touched him deeply. He Is very fond
of young people. He made a pro-
found impression in his after dinner
speech at the Tutwiler 1t was a So
bered crowd that filed out of the bali
room when he finished. He made a
speech at the Jefferson which was
/ i
from the lips of any preacher. for this
man of big business was preaching the
gospel: Get ready, for you have a big
job on your hands to whip the bully
of Europe"
! I was at the depot when he arrived.
| He struck me then as being very
much in earnest. and following him
around from place to place the I'M
preston grew that he was taking his
| task very seriously. In private con-
versation never saw him smile, nor
did he attempt to enliven his public
>alks with story. The only one hor-
dering on humor was used not to
| make anyone laugh. but to point q
moral. We were hardly prepared for
such message, as we had been
| through so much hip hurrah business
that we were constantly looking for
verbal pyrotechnics SO that we could
let out a yell or clap our hands or
stamp our feet. He was SO different
from the national stars who had come
our way.
Birmingham is on the big circuit
Commander Clark came and enter
tanned US with the hope of getting an
armor plate plant General Wood
dropped in and we had visions of a
eantonment. Secretary Baker and his
party came and we heard the rushing
nf vent h,-
and sold US bunch Of liberty bonds
William Sloane made US a bow. and
we went deep down in our pockets for
the army Young Mems Christian asso-
citation fund. Henry P. Dawson
looked US over and concluded that as
we had done so we'll that he would
make another drive for the Red Cross.
Now comes Frank A. yanderlip and
wants to get us to put our savings in
baby bonds" and thrift certificates.
We haven't so far got anything out
of the government. but we have, thank
God, put a lot into it, and found the
truth OF the saying that sit is more
blessed to give than to receive"
think the heart of Mr.. vanderlips mes
sage was not so much his plea for
thrift as it was his driving home the
fact to us that in democracy like
ours I'VE are the government" While
his talk was SOLDERING, yet it was in
spiriting. because he made us see that
out of our sacrifices would come n
purified democracy that would stand
the strain put upon 1t by new condi-
lions In politics. In society, in business
and in morals
He drove home as no speaker has
yet done that each one of us must
realize his own responsibility, and
that every mothers son of us was
drafted either to fight abroad or serve
at home, and that it was as bad TO
shirk at home in business as it was to
try and evade service in the trenches.
He made searching speech to the
individual conscience of his hearers |
There was no way of stunning per-
sonal responsibility, as he set forth
the duty in unspeakable terms: "Your
government needs you" 1t was like
the finger OF fate directed to each man,
woman and child in the audience. We
had to sit under the spell of his words
and fight it out with conscience and
stare duty in the face.
80
When preacher looks steadily at
his congregation and thunders out:
Thou are the man." many a fellow
is going to begin TO NOVA ahout nm
easily In his seat When a great
banker who knows world finance and
international trade conditions, and
has his agents in nearly every conti- |
nent, stands up before a crowd and |
fearlessly faces 1t and says: 1--WE will |
not win this war unless you help" it
makes the man who Is not doing his !
dead level best uncomfortable I am
sure that his coming was for the best. |
The time had come for us to hear the |
naked truth.
1t Is so much pleasanter for some !
one to get up and tell us that now that |
our boys are in France, they are going |
right to Berlin. that the American SOL |
der is the bravest and best fighter In |
the world. and that the Stars and |
Stripes will be floating above Potsdam
castle in the spring than it is to lis |
ten to one who has the hardihood to |
hurl into our very teeth the unpalat- |
able truth that the war isn't going |
we'll" and that the winning OF it will
depend more on munitions than men