The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-12
Impressions Gathered at
 Recent Community Sing
By BoB M'DAvID

uniform of France, came upon the stage.
 had seen the thousand horrors of the
 bloody conflict. The leader introduced
 him.
 He spoke, and when his tale was done
 the smothered sobs of men and women
 alike bore down upon me. Blear-eyed, I reached for my handkerchief The
 three little girls were crying as if their
 hearts would break.
 The leader came forward. A negro choir sang an old-time southern melody and were encored many times Way Down Upon de Suwanee Ribber and "Ole Black Joe" echoed into the hills and back again. I was dreaming of the Old South, when another speaker stepped to the front of the rostrum. Ladies and Gentlemen he said, This will be the last community sing l turned to my companion in astonishment. The speaker went on.
 He told of the financial difficulties l that had beset it's path. An hundred and | twenty-five dollars each week is required | to pay all expenses he said, and at present we don't see where it's com | ing from"
 1 The leader raised his stick and the audience rose. Three thousand throats sang out the national anthem and then saluted the flag. The crowd dis- persed. Thrilled with all I had seen and
 heard I wandered back to town wlsh my companion. Neither of us spoke for a long while. Suddenly he broke l the silence
 ' q don't know much about it," he I said, "but it does seem to me that Bir i mingham, with all her population, for patriotic service, could raise $125 a week for these sings. Why, man,
 venture to say that nothing has done 1 as much to bring all classes of peo- pie together"
 BOB LAWRENCES APPEAL
 The following statement from Rob ert Lawrence, former director of the
 community sing, has been made pub lie by the committee:
 'To the People of Greater Birming
 ham: The call for my services in con
 nection with our armies in Europe
 has been persistent and my under
 standing of the great need has mad' me feel that I would be remiss in my
 duty as an American citizen were not to respond. It has not been eas, for me to arrive at this conclusicl and the thing that has made it hard
 est is the Birmingham communit. sings During the past year have re ceived expressions of gratitude iron thousands of people for the servo that I was rendering my city. If it l true that I have been of service l. Birmingham and her people and 1 these people are truly grateful, I aal them now to show their appreciation by standing behind this grand insti tuition and seeing that it never cease during my absence at the front. Many have said that my absenc virtually means the collapse of the ell tire proposition. I consider this to b unthinkable and it would seem to m to be a great shame and disgrace fo the patriotic city of Birmingham L allow the community sings to ceas because of the departure from the cit of one lone man.
 ."All that you have to do to prepet uate your sings with constant1 growing interest is to attend the con certs, support them financially, an boost them on all occasions It woul be a great sorrow to me to know tha l this institution which I have promote In Birmingham, was allowed to di through lack of support because I Ina ! answered a calleto go with our armie to France for the purpose of bringing as much cheer as possible to our sol diers 'ROBERT LAWRENCE