The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-12
SHADOW OF DEATH

greatest battles of the war, have gone through the valley of the shadow of death, have been wounded and wounded again and again, and the story they tell breathes of action. of trials. of ag- onizing wounds, of death. They grip the nearer and make him feel that he is part of the great machine that stands between the world and the most relentless, the most cruel war lord that ever drove soldiers into battle.
 The theatre had been tastefully deco-
 rated with flags donated by J. Blach x Sons, Loyeman, Joseph & Loeb and
 Louis Saks, and arranged by MT
 Friedman of Blach's, MT. Treman ot Loveman, Joseph & Loeb's and MT
 Barnard of Saks. Preceding the speak
 ing flags of the United States and
 of the allied nations were carried onto
 the stage and held above the footlights
 by Red Cross girls while Memolfs
 band played the "Star-Spangled Ban-
 ner,' with the audience standing, and
 in conclusion singing America" led
 by Howard l. Beal, director of the na-
 tional service section of the United
 States shipping board.
 SHIPPING BOARD
 Forney Johnston, acting as chairman
 introduced MT. Beal, who explained
 that the national service section rep
 resented distinct branch of the gov.
 ernment in connection with the ship.
 ping board. He said it was created
 SIT months ago at dinner in New York
 attended by ship owners and captains
 of finance and industry, at which pr
 Charles A. Eaton of New York stated
 that the foundation of a nation, of ar
 individual, or of a corpora tion, is sul
 MT. Beal added, that for the first time
 the government is organized on the
 proposition that it has a soul
 Ioday there is only one test of q
 true American he said, and that is
 absolute and unswerving devotion to the
 Tag right there" pointing to larg, American flag For 140 years that em blem has floated from the topmost mas of every community in the land w, preach the doctrine of the soul of nation to the employers and to the work. ing men. The man or woman that work here is just as much part of the arm, as is the soldier in France.
 "Pacifists tell us this is England's war or Frances war, or Italys war, but iron the moment the Lustania was sunk an, the Germans declared solemn treat, a scrap of paper, it has been our war and we won't quit until kaiserism i driven from the earth. The message w bring to you is, Never let up.''
 hA0hGol nONOh
 MT. Beal introduced Lieut. A. New berry Choyce of the English army, thric wounded in action, who said If you asl any Briton what he considers the highes | honor, he would answer ITO be a soldie l in the Kings army and I know of bu | one higher honor in war, and that is |, | be a soldier of the United States" H said that for 40 years Germany kept Eng
 land and America 5000 miles ap.stt. bu on July 4, 19lS England joined Americ; 1 in celebrating Independence Day.
 l "As the vessel on which I came t. ! America entered the harbor six week ago I saw a ship loaded with American 1 soldiers My pal told me 1t was one o 1 the largest German ships before the war but it was now flying the American fla. and carrying American soldiers to Franc 1 to fight Germany, and I said to m. pal. The Kaiser told Gerard America l had better watch out, that he would at | tend to America after the war; and nov I look what America is sending the kai 1 ser D
 He told of the Germans cutting off tho ears and nose and putting out the eye of captured American soldiers as warn l ing to other Americans to stay at home l of German spies that ply their trades II allied countries and the United States of the use of gas on the battle fronts sa ying that gas can be used only Wne' | the wind blows towards the enemy, anS asked everybody to pray that when tn' allies begin their great offensive Una the wind will favor them.
 He described trench life, with It's mue waist deep, swarms of lice, Of hart tack, of hunger and cold and sickness of sleeping in open fields while ralI beat upon them, and urged mothers ane sisters to write to their boys every oay Sidney Story. director in charge q the South Atlantic and Gulf States district of the national service secion of the United States shipping board was next introduced. He said Germany is trying to do to America what sns did to Russia, now prostrate, and with anarchy rampant.
 'I visied the shipyards and the cold chills ran down my back when thought of what might have been but for this service section and its work of arousing the nation to it's peril. we wouldn't have had ships to carry our boys over; Germany would have taken Paris. then marched on to the channel and on over here, and would have done what the Kaiser told Gerard he tcontinued on Page seven)