The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-05-14

4 VI tHs american government POSI-
| ton in this war? Is that what is be-
hind the boys gone out of my district
! and yours to fight and die on the bat
| tie front in France2 No: 1T misrcp-
! resents my country's position. 1t is
1 ineXcusable and indefensible and de-
! serves to be repudiated by this House
Am / to be accused of playing politics
when l challenge that statement? IA
| triotic duty inspired me to challenge
| that statement. 1 have duty to per-
form here as we'll as the boys over
yonder and so help ME God. this House
| shall not become the forum and the
| Congressional Record the vehicle to
carry German propaganda over the
country, (Applause)
| am not talking about whether the
gentleman wants to run for election in
| Illinois, or whether 1 should run for
the Senate. l lfave never said would
run for the Senate. but if / do run, I will
expect and desire to receive only the
loyal American vote. / do not want
any other kind OF vote No Potsdamer
, has ever got any comfort out of any po-
sition that | have taken here. any
vote that have cast or any speech that
III have made. | am for my country
against Germany In this war applause
Let me read again from taht speech
But Mr.. Chairman, [ did not intend to
discuss and will not discuss further the
solution of the greatest stumbling block
in our way to an honorable peace" Gem
tlemen, he is still speaking of Alsaee-
Lorraine. Do you regard this as a mat
ter to be lightly cast aside? Should a
speech like that turn up in the Record
in the years to come, and some man read
1t and say, did you ever read that
speech by Mason of Illinois? Why, he
says that our position is that we were
over there lighting to transfer territory
from one nation to another and that we
fought on when the only question at is
sue was the disposition of Alsace-Lor-
raine." Gentlemen, do you want to stand
for that in the Record? Did he say in
that speech that the President had SAID
that this war was begun by the military
masters of Germany? Did he say what
the President said, that Germany
dragged us into the war, and that we
could not remain out without being dis
honored and disgraced? (Applause.) No;
ne does not say that. He nags at the
allies. He talks about the only thing that
stands between us and peace when our
very existence is at stake. Let me read
again from that speech: Those who
are willing and anxious to continue to
give the lives of every American and
every dollar of American money to trans
fer the territory of one nation to an
other will not be here to vote" and SO
forth Is this country in the attitude of
doing that? Sending boys over there to
transfer the territory of one nation to
another? l denounce that statement as
one that does not represent my country's
position in this war. Here is another
statement from that speech: speaking Of
the mothers of America. ''They know If
they have been through high school, that
never before In the history of the United
States have Americans been conscrpted
tn In, hr
tween nations" My God; such a state
ment / was in my district week before
last and a mother who works in the cot
ton factory at Lanet came up after my
speech in the interest of the Liberty
Loan. shook my hand and said. "Mr
Heflin, l want to thank you for your
speech and for what you are doing for
our boys. l have got one in France al
ready and I have another who will go,
If necessary, as soon as he is old
enough" And the tears were in her
eyes, and / thought as I came away,
my God, was there ever a more fun and
complete heart offering than that of
mother presenting her boy at the altar
of her country. And then sit silent when
q speech is made here saying that Amer
lean mothers who have been through
high school know that never before have
boys been conscripted to go and fight
to settle ancient questions pending be-
tween other nations, Is that what we
are fighting for? The President of the
United States said. I'VE are fighting
for the rights Snd liberty of the Amerl-
can people American sovereignty is at
stake" and that, ito withhold our hand
was to dishonor the flag" But here is
an insinuation that our boys are be-
| ing conscrlpted to fight to settle dis
putes between other nations. Gentlemen,
were you willing for that speech to go
unchallenged, unanswered. | am not.
Do you know what was done with that
speech? 1t was printed in the RECORD
and then put in phamplet form ana cir
culated over the country. There is not
n clear ringing American note in it;
there is nothing in 1t that exalts the
American cause; there is no tribute to
The merit the virtue and the courage of
the allied armies There is in 1T no
structure upon the brutal German horde
not one What was the purpose OF that
speech Was it intended to help Amer
lea? If the gentleman,---when making
that speech, was standing for our cause,
then cast me back into pagan night.
n take my chances with Socrates for
hiss than be the Christian of faith
like this" Thesgentieman has read what
a paper (The Age-Hera3O said about
me The Chicago Herald, in his own
state. says of him that his attitude has
affronted the patriotism of the nation,
and the Chicago Post; another republic
an paper, says OF him that ne Is der-
man-helping congressman
The gentleman says that | did not
know recruiting station when / see
IL I NAV not be able to recognize
recruiting station, but / cannot be de-
ceived about a Potsdamer (Laughter).
The gentleman says that would not be
able to hit German on the firing line
+ NAV not be able to hit German OH
the firing line in France, but | shoot
with unerrng precision at the bull's-
eve of slackerism and sedition in tho
city Of Washington. tApplause). !
cannot be deceived by the waving Of
hands that resemble those OF the Amer
lean Esau, for / recognize the voice
of the German Jacob tLaughter).
Now, Mr.. Speaker. the gentleman
from Illinois Mr.. Mason. read an edi-
toria1 from The Age-Herald. saying
that I had sent collect" speech in
question. / did not do any such thing.
/ have paid for press dispatches from
time to time. and my reason for II
has been that | have not been able
to get in touch with the representa-
tive of The Age-Herald on those oc-
casions, and when had something that
I thought was of value to the people
of Alabama, statements about the cot
tor situation and other things. paid
for them out of my own pocket, be-
cause / could not get in touch with the
brilliant representative of The Age
Herald in this city. / have not yet
been able to quite understand just
what part The Age-Herald has in this
matter, and just who inspired The Age
Herald to do it, and / am still won
dering who in Alabama furnished the