The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-23
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Birmingham mas SnOWn us paIr4ot- ism in buying liberty loan bonds in oversubscribing the Red Cros fund and in going ahead of some of her sis ter cities in the south in the matter of registration.
 Birmingham is a new city and it may be that we have lacked some thing of the clannishnes and get to- gether spirit of older towns. as most of us were strangers to one another and all anxious to get ahead
 But the war has worked wonders in causing everyone to realize that the idea preached by Jesus of Nazareth, the great teacher, on neighborliness was not merely the idle talk of . dreamer and enthusiast but the sane, sober wisdom of sage who saw how it would leaven the whole and cause a revolution in society if put into ef- feet.
 Today we are hearing much about the social message of the gospel. Per haps it is being overemphasized, but be that as it may, it is in the air and the twentieth century man de- mands that religion makes good or give way to sociology.
 New, here in Birmingham we are beginning to feel the transforming power of the spirit of self sacrifice in a great cause. We are beginning to see that selfishness is sin, and while many may not believe in it in a theological way, yet they have got q vision that selflessness means saliva tion, not merely for the individual but for society.
 On the crest of the wave of pa triotism many new ideas are afloat and it is necessary that we steer care fully or We will run the ship of state on the rocks. We need men of vision, courage and perseverance, Leaders al e in demand, and anyone who can show the way will have a following. AL ready men are arising in this commit nifty and doing things who have never before taken much interest in civic affairs. or merely done so in a half hearted of amateurish way
 Now some are disposed to criticize or knock the attempts made by our public spirited men who got it into their heads that Birmingham ought to have some of the great enterprise that the government had under way to better care for the needs of carrying z on the great war.
 We had a wise committee to get the data and arrange the hearing for Ad- miral Fletcher and his party, and the way they staged the hearing at the Tutwiler and the showing they made was an eye opener to the whole city. It was splendid presentation and reflected credit upon the commit tee and the city. But we lost
 
 Then came Secretary of War Baker and his party, and again committee made great preparation and pulled off as great a piece of work in the .n- terest of the water power sites of Alabama as was ever seen on the con tinent. The maps, the exhibits, tre speeches, the whole presentation was a gem, and showed that as exhibitors of our natural resources the commit tee was on it's job. But we lost.
 
 Then came the flag raising celebra- ton with the presence of General Leonard Wood and to add martial glory to the occasion everything ros- sible was done to let him and his party see what Birmingham had to propose in the way of an ideal To- cation from typographical, from a sanitary. from a transportation, and tee in charge overlooked nothing. They did remarkably well But we lost.
 But did we lose? It is true we lost so far as getting the things we tried to get from Uncle Sam was concerned, but we found something that in the long run will compensate US for fail- liS u SSl llt pluInS we were dIItT- We learned that Birmingham could get together and if we will just grip that idea so strong that nothing can loose it from us, in the end we will not be losers. but will have garnered that civic spirit which will go after things in such way that not even the government can stand against it,
 Let's quit talking about the things we lost and let's go after the things we can yet get, and let's not be down. hearted but let's be thankful that d private enterprise has faith enough in the Birmingham district to add at one time $11,OOo.oO0 to the s32, 2,ooo,OoO already spent by it in our midst. This is no time for crepe wearing, but q time for rejoicing and so far as I am concerned I am going to spit on my hands and take a fresh hold and go my way rejoicing and boosting like Paul of old that am "citizen of no mean city"
 eAs1AaMzX4AOueel