The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-06
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

NOW, We can all put our llNSS va 49,
altar of our country, but thank God each
one of us can serve in some way. Are
YOU doing. not your Bit. but your best?
If not, get into the fightsat once.
The third Liberty Loan drive is row
on IN earnest. You can't close your eyes
to it, you can't shut your ears to 1t; you
ought to be privately shamed, as you
viii later be publicly reprobated, if you
fail e open your purse and buy Your
fda share.
10 YOU really want to get bit of bad
news to the Germans? Would you like to
shake the equanimity of the Prussian
m:litalists? Are you anxious to puneture
the xaisers dream of conquest? Then
help to send by wireless that the tnird
Liberty Loan was greatly oversubscribed
in record breaking time.
I was at the lunch given t6-the county
charmen at the Tutwiler on TUESDAY
and saw representative men from ~
counties who had come together to pledge
their counties to raise the full quota
asked Fred Jackson chairman Of the
Birmingham zone, set the keynote IN
speech of seriousness that made every
one present realize that the hour mad
come for sacrifice.
1 was glad that DR.. William Mather
Lewis. secretary of the executive com
rnittee of the National Patriotic socie-
lies, had no time for compliments or
oratoricaI camouflage, but got down to
business and spoke with a punch which
went home as he warned us that the war
wasn't going to be won by Boosting, but
that it would be when America was
ready to pay the price.
But the message which startled US all
by the evident bitterness of the speaker
was that of George Pearson, the Cana
dian soldier of the famous princess
Pat regiment, which will go down in
history as one of the greatest fighting
units ever gotten together. We sat silent
and awed at the thought that in our
presence was a soldier who had seen
service with the troops which placed
halo about the heads Of the colonlals
that rushed to the defense of the
mother country.
This fact made us ready for his an
athemas which he hurled against those
who sit at ease at home while their own
blood are being torn by shot and shell
and say that they will hug their money
for better rate of interest or spend
it for luxuries as their vitiated fancies
may elect. He used terms of reproach
which would have been resented if it had
right by living through the hell of the
trenches to speak his mind without fear
or favor.
We need some one back with the breath
of battle still hot in their nostrils. and
the memory of the dead still before their
eyes, and the shrieks of the wounded
still sounding in their ears to wake us
'out of our comfortable sleep and make
Jus visualize the inferno in which men
are fighting to save us from some of the
unspeakable things which have come to
France and Italy and Belgium and Ser
bia
There ought to be today a ringing OF
bells a shrieking of whistles, a beating
of drums, u sound of martial music. and
a roar Of cannon to make it impossible
for any one to doze while the honor of
America and the peace of the world are
being challenged by a mailman with d
nation drunk with dreams of lust and
conquest racing madly at his heels as he
seeks to erect in Mittel Europa an empire
in which ne can be crowned as the twen-
tieth century Caesar, and the kaisers
dream will come true unless we arouse
ourselves and get into the fight before
it is too late.
This ought to be memorable Saturday
in the annals Of this great city. Let's
make it the greatest day in all our his
tory, not holiday, but holy day-a
day in, which all may see that we fight
not merely for democracy. not alone for
our country and for our homes, but that
we are fighting for God and for right,
and that Christianity shall not perish
choose Christ rather than Caesar. Yes.
It's ours 10 lift the Prince of Peace high
above Mars, and to do it we are ready
to pay the price in blood and in money
Don't forget that while we are rally
ing today to raise money for our govern
ment that Birmingham has given some
of her very best sons who are now in
France TO throw their young lives fear
iessly INTO the breach to stop the ruth.
less Huns who are battering at the gates
Of Paris Soon we are going to begin
will come close to many of our homes.
OH men and women. think of the
fathers and the mothers who have given
their loved ones and then think of the
boys themselves, and if YOU are willing
to weigh your dollars against their
bodies. then YOU are not MS worthy OF
respect as are the Germans who meet
i them in open battle, for they risk their
lives while you are trying to save your
money. We might Just as we'll face the
facts and tie brutal in proclaiming them
If we are beaten. it will not be by the
Germans "over there, but by the slack
ers'' here ut home The time for showing
ones eolors is here. Let's shoot the
/ German spies. intern the pro- Germans,
and drive the "slackers'' out of our
social political and business life.
y