The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-09
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

The speech of Frank A. Vanderhp opened so many avenues of thought that I haven't been able yet to assimilate or coordinate 1t, and I am constantly find- ing myself trying to think out parts of 1t.
 Now Is the kind of talk that l llke' for it was suggestive. It wasn't cut or dried or conventional. It makes little difference to me whether l agree with a speaker or not in the entirety of his message just so he makes me think. Now thinking is about the last thing some people want to do for themselves. They prefer to have some one else do 1t for them and then give it to them in capsules,
 His address was stimulating, for IL brought up some new questions in eco- monies and finance that we must face in this present war. I was fond of po- litical economy at college and it has had a fascination for me until this good hour. I am fairly familiar with the different schools of political science and moder- ately up on the literature of the subject. I have sat under some of the greatest po- litical economists in Europe and in America, but do not pose as an expert, but as only one who tries to get at the bottom of some of the big issues which are now thrust upon us by the great world war.
 
 I cannot say that I am orthodox as political economist, but frankly confess that I am an electic, and that in en- thought of the past and the present, l am apt to be classed as dilletante rather than serious student for it's the fash ion to join some particular school, and be properly labelled, just as one becomes a member of a certain church and is known as a Baptist, Presbyterian, Meth odist, or some other type of faith. A man doesn't have to be a church mem- Der to be unorthodox. I even heard a great mathematician boast that he was unorthodox in mathematics. Until he explained it to me I thought it was im- possible to be heterodox in such an exact science.
 The thing I want to get before you today is not the mere lesson of doing without things because you may not be able to afford them, or to discuss where Is the proper dividing line between neces- sites and luxuries insofar as it relates to individual expenditures. I want to get at the bigger problem that was the essence of MT. Vanderlip's message, that in wartimes, the individual must get out of the way of the government. and see to it that Uncle Sam has the right of way not merely on the railroads, and the sea- but in the factories, the farms, and all places where he needs labor.
 Our allies have had to fight out this intricate question as best they could and not one of them has found panacea, but each has had to grapple with it with due regard to national conditions and traits. But this does not mean. because Amer ica must find her own way, that it will be unprofitable to study what England, France and Italy have done. It's too big a subject to try and exhaust it in a column, and I will merely hint at what England has done and is doing as she is more like us in breed and her spirit of democracy, I will also briefly try to show why Germany has been able to ac- complish so much under what to us seems a terrible handicap. I gather my facts from many sources and freely use them, and choose my conclusions from those who seem to me to have best un- derstood them.
 MT vanderlip stated that he had been out from New York travelling constant ly, and in that time, although he had used the railroads in the northwest and south. he had not arrived at any place on schedule time. He told it to show that the railroads were congested ant | that while the government had the right | of way, much of the blockade was due l to the fact that private business had not ! yet learned that in wartimes it must no expect to go on as usual deranging traffic and then blaming the operators and gov ernment because the transportation sys tenn of the country had broken down As the war advances we will learn more | and more that transportation frequently spells success or defeat. It has beer Germanys strong point.
 i We might as well learn it now tha the present war is war of nations. ! is fought quite as much by workers em 1 ployed on the land, in the factories ant In the mines as by armies in the field This lesson hasn't yet struck home tt the American people. Every one of ou allies knows it by heart. It has beer burn into their souls by costly error which have cost the lives of thousands i The army cannot win the war. Never be fore has the civilian had such an impor tant part to play. God grant that w l may not be overlong in learning tha while our soldiers fight abroad we mus l fight at home.
 We are just beginning to feel that tn draft upon our man-power for the arm. is thinning the ranks of the workers i,
 the stores, the fields, the shops, tn mines, the professions. A long drawn out war means that the American labo
 market will be depleted and that we wil have to make the sacrifices already mad by our allies to fill up the gaps. The cal i will come first by trying to utilize thos