The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-21
AMERICA WILL NEVER BOW ID THE RULE OF THE HUN, STATES TENNESSEE PATRIOT Major Smith Thrills Audi ence With Patriotic Speech at Civic Bodies Luncheon COUNCIL OF DEFENSE WILL ORGANIZE THE NATION FOR WARWORK Every City and County in the State Must Work Together in Prose-
 cution of the War, States
 Major Smith

When my two boys stood before
 me in the uniform of their country and I kissed them good-by, not know ing whether I would ever see them again. there was not murmur from me and when the little mother and I sit alone and think of them now, or
 of the time when they go to the front line trenches, there is not murmur' TOT will there ever be. even 1T they don't come back for we have God to thank that we had two boys to send over there to fight for democracy, said Mai Rutledge smith, chairman or the state council of national defense Of Tennessee in a speech which had the ring of sincerity and patriotism at the joint luncheon at the Tutwiler hotel yesterday afternoon.
 Major Smith is business man who answered the call of his country as soon as war was declared, and on ac- count of the big sacrifice he made and the splendid ability he has ap- plted to the task assigned him by his state, he has been made major in the army. His home is in Nashville, and he has been identified with coal
 mining and railroad projects of large proportions for several years. He was originally country editor. having ed- ited newspaper at Cookeville, Tenn, many years ago.
 In introducing Major Smith, Forney Johnston, who presided at the lunch. I con, which was sponsored by the | Chamber of Commerce. The Rotary club. Kiwanis club and Civic associa-' | ton, said: Tennessee has responded | to the call of the nation and has l gained distinction through the patriot l ism of a man who has thrown his job i into the discard upon the first call of | the governor of his state and who has ] been breveted a major in the feedral service by the provost marshal of the l United States. I introduce to you that
 man, Major Smith,"
 ORGANIZE FOR WAR ] "I am glad to be here" said Major | Smith. "if l can be of service to Bir- mingham and to Alabama in doing
 her duty We are walking in the very | valley of death. The god of war is walking abroad. His footprints are ev- l anywhere and his hand is on the latch- string of every door. It is the duty l of the council of defense to literally l organize the nation for war, and that can be done only by reaching the in- ! dividual.
 1 Tn Tennessee we have 96 counties,
 and they are all organized with a | chairman. and in each election district | there is another chairman, all of them 1 busy. and in this way we reach ev-
 cry individual.
 "All activities are cleared through
 this council and we have been able to conserve man power, energy and ef- I fort by this coordination We have l eliminated every organization that proposes to raise funds in the state unless it has been able to show us what will be done with every penny l of the money and we have seen fit to 1 stamp our o. K. on its plan of pro- l cedure
 We are in war and there is only one
 way out of it-fight. This war will end
 the very day all America has reached
 the decision that It will end, and put forth it's efforts to that end It will end with blood and money. though The col
 lapse of Russia is pitiful. But it is just
 ignorance on it's part. The Russians did
 the best they knew how. So, the coun-
 ell of defense has great work to do
 here. It can reach the people and remove
 the ignorance that is before the eyes of
 our own people. If your will get right down to the snake hunter, then you
 will reach the man who is the bone and sinew of this country.
 BILLIONS OF INEoev-NITY T present to you toda1 vspterpise that is of more value to yc--a. Is the | securing of blast furnace or the ing
 of new railroad, for if this wa es,-Ss the Germans have told their peopL lhat
 the allies would pay billions and billions of indemnity and that Germany &would rule our people. As Britain, France,
 Italy and Japan are strong, let us fight with our might while they ale our ] friends.
 T have reared two boys, and th<y are
 as fine specimens of the physical ntan as you would wish to see, and whenS they
 left home in their uniforms to go to l the front, and as I kissed them kgood- l by, never did I murmur, nor wiIq or the little mother murmur if theyN never
 come back, but we will thank GSd that we had them to give to our couftry for
 the cause of democracy. for America will never bow to the rule of the Hun2 I have
 not eaten bite of wheat or meat sinte they left, and I won't until, if God. wills, l they return and the war Is over. Last
 winter, though interested in coal opera tions. I never burned pound of coal
 at my residence. I merely mention these l things to show you what you can do. | "The three days when Belgium bled l and struggled and saved the map of the
 l. C.. a