The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-02
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

This gives a little idea as to how busy. our officers are.
 As stood and talked to him, was reminded that in the beginning of Amer ica's participation in the great conflict, 1t was sedulously given out by the pa- cifists and the pro-Germans that it was Wall street war;" and that the av- craze man need not take too seriously the call upon him to show his patriot ism.
 The letter of certain well-known re- former was given wide circulation throughout the land, in which he thought it fine sport to call attention to the big Wall street leaders who had flocked to callers at the White House, and fa- miliar figures in the halls of Congress, or much in evidence in committee rooms or constantly fitting in the hotel lob- bies The idea sought to be conveyed that their presence was a danger and that there influence was selfish and sin ister. He never told that many were
 
 sums to help win the war.
 It was on all fours with that other infamous German propaganda that the brunt of the war would fall on the laboring man and the sons of the rich would escape. It was a carefully laid plan in which some well-meaning pacif- ists were caught for a while. A few newspapers fell for 1t, but it did not take long to see through the calumny, but alas, the poison had been sown in many minds, and sad to say, it still is working in the blood of some who have not been able to get it out of their system.
 I have been surprised to find in con- versation with 8 number who are aid ing In the questionnaires just how in- different some of those whom they are called upon to help are about doing their bit. There might have been some excuse for the more ignorant among the negroes to listen to the German agi- tators who told them this was a white | mans war, and for them to keep out of it, but even they under the wise lead ership of patriotic colored men turned their backs upon any such insidious i doctrine and are showing by their ac- tions that they propose to shoulder ] cir burden of war and light for Uncle l Sam.
 l And so when I stood in the presence 1 aF ca sented a type of American manhood that volunteered at the first call to duty | ana gave the lie to the charge that the well-to-do would not bear their part of | the stupendous task or safeguarding 1 democracy" Go to any camp in Ameri- | ca and you will find sons of million aires not merely in officers garb but many wearing proudly the uniform of a private soldier. There are so many ] rich mems sons In the camps, that 1t | is camp joke that you can't walk l down any of the streets without bump 1 ing into lot of blooming mllionaires | Captain Henley won his commission ! in a hard competitive examination where only merit counts. This is a war in which money, influence and pull 1 do not count. It's futile to try and bother your senator or congressman to | put you over for they are absolutely helpless. Not only is this true, but even men who have served honorably and ] courageously and distinguished them | selves under fire are put to gruelling l work to test their fitness. This is l shown in recent orders from Washing ton, that only those who can stand the l pace will be sent abroad.
 It has been charged that the edu- cated would in some way find a loop 1 hole to get out of doing any hard worn, but the college men have set such a hot pace for enlisting that they have effectually punctured the rumor started by alien enemies. The ranks are crowd ed with the pick and flower of our universities. What our uwn state uni l versity, and Auburn. and Birmingham and Howard college have done in the matter of furnishing their quota has been duplicated in every other state in the union.
 Yes, better than all, for in spite of the I. w. WIS and other rank labor agi- tators, the laboring men have come ndb- ly to the front and those remaining be- hind in munition and industries upon which the government depends are show. ing to the world that the heart of la bor beats true to America and that
 Uncle Sam, knowing this, is leaning
 heavily upon the man with the picl and the shovel and the saw and the
 hammer, and the lathe. Industrial Amer
 ica is fully awake to her mighty tasl and is going to astonish Europe witt
 the way in which she turns out muni.
 tions
 The damnable German effort to influ ence the farmers not to plant feed crop:
 only stirred them to do their best. ant
 thank the Lord. Alabama did hersel
 proud in breaking all records, for sh,
 is not only able to feed herself, bu
 has an over plus to help feed our sol
 dier boys at home and over the seas
 But, as stated in the beginning, there , are some who have not yet realized their duty, but taken as 9 whole, thu , heart of the American people isS il , !, the war to win it, and, therefore, W, mustn't let the stacker bulk too large il
 our thinking. He is here, but hc i , the exception. We must do everything