The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-14
Possibilities of Hunger and Rended Hearts Are Not
 Yet Realized
PATRIOTIC TREVOR
 IS RULING PEOPLE
They See Now Only Waving Flags and Feel the Thrill of March ing Battalions While the
 Future Awaits
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

By HUGH w. ROBERTS
 Washington, April 13.--tSpeciaI.D
 "Tbere is not person in the Unit
 ed States-unlcss 1t be n woman
 wko experienced in the south the
 horrors of the Civil war-who
 gives a thought to the awful pos
 abilities of the pepdinG struggle
 against Germany"
 very important government official made that remark to the correspondent of The Age-Herald.
 We are drunk with patriotism" he continued. By the waving of the flag in the breezes, by the tread of martial feet. by the booming of signal guns, by the thrill of marching battalions, and by the constant call of trumpets our reason is apparently upset
 There will be suffering not only by those called upon to shed their blood There will be oppressive taxation There will be hunger There will be heart- breaks.
 KNOWLEDGE IS ESSENTIAL
 1t is just as well that one in the beginning does riot realize what the omi- nous situation really portends. Otherwise II gravest emergency-such as this-we would not respond to the call of our coun- try even when the honor of our country is at stake If it was given to one to real ize, he would hesitate, and there would be no man willing to sacrifice himself in the effort to free the throat of liberty from the bloody grasp of the Hapsburgs.
 It is practical, however. that the American people give thought to that which will probably occur. They will then go about the business of prepa ring of steeling themselves. Citizens of the United States, especially those of the south have never exerted themselves in q systematic effort to take advantage of every priceless opportunity. The south, comprising the greatest agricul- tural empire the world has ever known has never fed itself. In the future the United States must not only feed itself. it's soldiers in the field but the allied countries of Europe, their civilians and their soldiers.
 The time has come when everybody must get busy. The greater burden will not fall upon the soldiers in the trenches, and not on the administration. It will fall on the shoulders of the people,
 THE COMMON PHENOMENON
 This official declared the present in- ability to appreciate the dire consequences of war common phenomenon.
 At the beginning of the Civil war the south, in its pride, expressed belief that it could wipe the Yankees off the face Of the earth in one decisive engagement fo, f A unorsanized troops of the south to stand against the regular army of the United States, believed that it would secure and hang Jefferson Davis the day following the first battle clash.
 Tt is a matter of record, that south boys who died at Bull Run, danced the night before in Richmond It is also matter of record that when Washing ton was informed that on the morrow the federal and Confederate troops would meet at Bull Run, the American Congress adjourning, donned it's silk hat, tele- phoned it's sweetheart, and with roses and champaign drove uown into Vir- ginia to witness the unusual sport.
 The prevailing sentiment then and now differs in only slight degree If there is any difference. it is attributable to the fact that constantly for nearly three wears, we have been presented with the horrid picture of war as painted in the
 
 PRESENT SAD CONDITION
 At present domestic conditions through out the United States are not good Mrs G. Fl. Mathis of Alabama, at present in Washington declares that in certain Alabama counties, depopulation is under way because men, even white men. can not support their families: that negroes are surviving on the roots of grass
 se in the heart of the nations agricul- tural belt.
 Just recently there were food riots in Chicago and New York, the richest cities of the world. Women, with starving babies at their breasts stormed lobster palaces where the rich drank wine and danced to the alluring music of orches- traS.
 War conditions must intensity this sui fering The President is of the opinion that the present generation must pay for the preservation of world liberty. This means increased, in some instances, bur densome, in others. runous, taxation. That era which dawns will be an era of American sacrifice.
 BURDENS OF WAR
 Senator Reid of Missouri, in a recent Sneech in the Sepata decla rcd thnf fAuder