The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-30
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

It was nearly half a century ago Emperor of the French, brought humil- iation upon the second empire and trailed the royal lilies of France in the dust at Sedan.
 The story of the rapid destruction of the army of McMahon, and the shame full surrender of Napoleon TIT lit q flame in the ardent breasts of the republicans which flared up with such Moltke was to realize that he had "a bigger task cut out for himself than he had figured on before he took Paris.
 If you want to get a true line on the difference between the spirit of the French and that of the Germans you have but to recall how the navy with England. and how that of the latter in spite of it's being the second greatest on the seas struck it's flags insloriously and came meekly out to be lowed into safety zone where if could no longer be a menace.
 If this does not satisfy you that the morale of the Frenchman and that of the German is made of different stuff all you have to do is to refresh your memory and note the difference be- tween the conduct of the sons of France who in spite of every handicap. raised an army and fought fight which will live in history as that of nation betrayed which rose in it's might to beat back the invader. while Germany whines and begs behind her great war machine for soft terms d. Ethe peace table.
 On September 18th the German army closed it's lines around Paris. By the end of October says Moltke. q shall be shooting hares at Creisau.' His call culations at that time had not re- vealed to him that some of his most difficult hours were to come, for he had underrated the spirit of France. But do not blame him. for by all the principles of the arts of war the cam paign had been decided when McMahon was captured and Bazaine driven back on Metz.
 To the surprise of the royalists and to the utter amazement of Moltke. an army led into a trap and handed over to an enemy was not to be the end of the war. for nation sprang to arma to defend itself to the last ditch. Amid the downfall of the shams and dunn mics of the second empire. France at last gave birth to man.
 Strange is it not that the vision of Frederick the Great. or rather a re- mark he made about another country and another man. is applicable to ans other land and to another great per- sonality. The old Prussian warrior when the greatest of English war min. isters. the elder Pitt. began to show energy. said: England has long been in labor but at last has brought forth a man. It mas pccH ti uiy iCAldih hCu tA1s Leon Gambetta must rank in history not far below the great statesmen of the revolution. Danton and Carnot. But this story will only halt Ions. enor gh to say that he was the incaraa- ton of the spirit of France which caused the victorious armies of Prus- siA to realize that the nation aroused would not tamely stand aside whil" her capital was invaded.
 I may be wrong. but I take littia stock in the proclamations Issuing from Berlin. and the talk of not ac- ceptins the terms of the allies I be- lieve that when the Germans signed the armistice, they gave the goat sig nal that they were through lighting, and that they were going to lay down 20 far as taking up arms. and that