The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-07
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

The Rhine Is much in the thoughts of
 America just at present, for some of our
 boys in France are not very far away
 wishing to cross it.
 The name Rhine, which is apparently of Celtic origin, is of uncertain etymology, | the most fayorite derivations being either from der Rinnende the flowing), or from
 Rein (the clear1, the latter being now the
 more generally accepted.
 
 i The river may get it's name from being clear, but it is by no means clear what ] disposition is going to be made of it when
 the war clouds disappear and the diplo.
 matic tansle about nationalities is cleared up. One thing, however, is clear at this present writing, and that is Alsace and | Lorraine are to revert to France. | This thought gives me a great deal oi personal pleasure, for when just lad I was sent to Paris and put in private l school and soon learned to long for ''ths | revenge" against the Germans for taking
 the two fairest Rhine provinces from | France. It didn't take me long to line up with the French boys.
 1 I have never before publicly stated the 1 fact that later when I found myself student at the Sorbonne and there was talk of War with Germany, for it was in l the zenith Of Boulanger's career, meant h ioi II, against the Kaiser. I went so far as to inquire about enlisting, but was told that if I did SC 1 would be put in a colonial
 regiment, which rather dampened my ar. dor.
 The Rhine is one of the most pic. turesque rivers in the world, and I carrs to this day vivid pictures of it's natural
 beauties, and I treasure the historic and legendary traditions told to me as WI
 drifted past them. also have pleasant
 memories of summers outing to the ia
 nous Rhine resorts.
 It rises ia the mountains of one of tas
 Swiss cantons, and flows for 233 miles n
 Swiss territory, within which it's drain.
 age basin includes nearly 15,0OO square
 miles, and every canton save Geneva.
 After passing through the Lake of Con-
 stance it ferns the falls of Schaffhausen,
 visit to wh, oh is still fresh in my mind. Now, the Rhine is some river in length the size Of it's basin, and the volume of it's commerce. It's direct course is 46a
 miles long and it's indirect course aboC. 800 miles. This may be the reason we hear so much about the Rhine maidens
 as it babbles it's way from the snow -clad hills to the open sea. If you want to get
 a good idea of the battle line, just keer
 before you the stream which flows from the Alps to the German ocean. Our own mighty Mississippi does some mighty queer stunts, but the ancient Rhine lnalned few tricks itself and gave Julius Caesar something to talk
 about when he got back to Rome, for while it's general course is north north
 west, it makes numerous deflections ard at one point is found running in a dia.
 metricaily opposite direction. 
 Between Basel and Manz it is known as. the Upper Rhine, from Bingen to Co. logne as the Middle Rhine, and from Co. logne to the North sea as the Lower Rhine. The most picturesque portion is l between Bingen, where the narrows have been periodically widened since the first improvements were made in the seven teenth century, and Coblenz, the river winding between mountains on either
 side. q feel sure that the schoolboy reel tation about Fair Bingen on the Rhine' may have prejudiced you against the
 whole river and it's claim to notice, but forget, if you can, the times you have suffered as ycu had to hear the sad poem at some commencement exercise). .
 It is a swift stream as it rushes through Switzerland while on reaching Germany it's surface is not more than 800 feet above the sea. It is easy to know why Falls of SchaffhGusen Cor Rhine Falls) are so famous, for the river has made descent of nearly 7o0 feet since it left it's Alpine source. Its breadth at Basel is 75o feet; between Strasburg and Spires from 10Oa to 1200 feet; at Mainz 1900 to 100 feet, and at Schnkerschanz, where it enters the Netherlands, 215O feet. Its depth varies from to 2S feet, but at Dusseldorf amounts to even 50 feet thought these figures migh. be of interest at present. The Rhine has had many battle royal over its possession. Since long before Caesars day this great stream has been the scene of stirring events in the world: drama. Nercingetorix, Charemagne Frederick the Great, Napoleon Bonapafte
 and Moltka are some of the names in tha long roll of warriors who strove along it's banks for command of this great
 waterway But never braver lot strug. gled to cross it than are the men waiting
 Black Jack" Pershing's orders to go for
 ward.
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