The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-27
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS


ha.a hard me speak during the pas'
year viii bear me out IN TINS
|
But, friends, words WIN not WIN
war "Talk is cheap" and near =
great many who are saying I just Wis.,
could go to the front but am TOO ON
thsv wouldn't take me, but I've got the
shirt all right and / am just achins ~
get at the Germans.
Sad 20 relate that these wordy patrio's
begin to hem and haw, ana naAe
cuses when you put 1t sauarely up "
them to buy Liberty Bonds. Iney haSe
dozen reasons why they can't SUBSCRIBE
hut we know full well that IN many
cases as because they can pull down
more interest by investing their money
in other things
We have an American expression whteh
fits their case. 1t is this money ta4AS'
and 1 think we should create such sen
timent here against those VINO are Gun
t;nua1lv mounting about their loyaity'
and pretending that they are broken
hearted cause they cant don the hhaAi'
vet are Weighing their dollars against
the bodies Of our boys. that they would
have at least the decency to quit posing
as enemies of the Kaiser.
think we have come to the time When
If is not merely necessary to make 1t not
for Germans who openly express Sym
nathv with the Prussian militarlsts' pu'
to make i. warm for the native born VINO
refuse to join the Red Cross, suoscripe
to the army Y. M. c. A, or puy any oi
the issues of the Liberty Bonds or even
Thrift Stamps.
If a red-headed woodpecker won't peck
wood, what right has he to call himself
a woodpecker? A homely way Oh gettihs
at what / want to drive home. IL an
American citizen in this hour OF stress
for his country refuses to support his
government. what right has he to call
himself an American? | have more re-
spect FOR the foreign born who have the
courage to brave public opinion and take
the consequences of their loyalty TO the
fatherland. than l have for the home
born who claim all the privileges OF the
stars and Stripes and yet do nothing 70
keep it flying in the breeze, symbol OF
freedom.
l have said it often publicly, that SO
far as the Germans are concerned, they
were beaten on the top of the ground at
the hattie of the Marine, and that in the
end they would be unable to meet the
allied arms in the open field, for In spite
of seeming victories, it grows more ana
more sure that the soldiers OF the entente
can, when the chances of war are any
thing like equal, overcome the picked
flower of the German army.
But L have also said that our greatest
danger comes from underground Ger
manism It's the subtle, damnable thing
which undermined the morale OF Russia
and brought her into the valley of her
humiliation. It's enervating, snake-like
propaganda that sent the second Italian
army, one of the greatest fighting ma
chimes the world has ever SEEM in rout
back to the Venetian plains. It's the
slimv. serpentine deviltry that is al
work in America today seeking to stop
or minimize the war spirit which is at
last sweeping over this country and
showing the proud Hohenzollerns that an
aroused democracy has power to stamp
out autocracy.
We are liable to lose sight of the devil
ish diplomacy of Potsdam in thinking OF
the ruthlessness which has character
lied her brutal mode of warfare in Bel
quinn. Serbia, northern France, Italy.
and the Orient. / may be out of tune
with some. but the Smelling of Luvaln
the killing Of women and children ut
range gun miles away, the bombing OF
iunfortified towns, the summarizing OF
hospital ships, and the scores of other
fiendish acts, fail to stir my fighting
blood as does the memory of the un-
speakable Bernstorff.
Can YOU imagine anything which bet
ter incarnates the true German 'kultur'
thai its great accredited mouthpiece at
Washington? Suave, smiling, lying, plot
| ting while openly claiming to be friend
of America and DESTROYS that it and his
country should remain friends When /
| think of his hypocrisy and his ignople
! treachery, and of all the miserable UNDER
handed schemes he was behind to abuse
| his position, | put him down as the pest
representative of his imperial master,
! and | hope that when the day comes to
| denote Kaiser William his ambas sa
dor to America shall be put to open
shame.
! We are in this war to the end, and be-
/ fore we sheathe our sword, let's see to
it that not only shall the German mill
tarists be shorn OF their power to harm
future generations, but that the double
dealing diplomacy shall be made to come
cut of the dark and slime in which it
has wallowed. into the light of the open
day of American publicity,
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