The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-24
Mrs. Lillian B. Parsons Talks Of
 National Marine League U. $. A.
By DOLLY nALRYMPLF

1N h( RS. LILLIAN B. PARSONS of
 NWlI Louisville, southern represen-
 OVS tative of the National Marine
 league, who is in Birmingham for the
 particular purpose of establishing
 branch of the National Marine league
 here. is enthusiastic over the prospects
 of securing many recruits for the
 work.
 A woman of agreeable manner and
 broad knowledge, Mrs. Parsons pre- sents her subject logically, cleverly and concisely ana before going into her plans about organization here she gave me a little resume of the estab- lishment of the league, it's mission and it's work.
 MT. P. H. W. Ross, the president of the league" said Mrs. Parsons, "at our annual dinner held in New York, out lined in a few words the origin of the National Marine league and I can do no better than to quote him as saying that in 1912 a few interested people got together and started the National Marine league. Later as the magnt- tude of our work developed, we estab- I lished our headquarters in Washington city and obtained a perpetual charter from the District of Columbia, as corporation whose objects were benev- olent and educational. but not for any 1 purpose. of profit or money-making.
 We are doing for the United States" Mrs. Parsons said somewhat, the same sort of thing that the Primrose league has done for Great Britain and the German Marine league for the GerN man empire. In both these cases tre- mendous economic results have been accomplished by the co-ordinated ef- !! fort of the population at large. Just what Birmingham possesses in order to cooperate and become a great factor in the National Marine work" Mrs Parsons continued, may not De realized by the people here, but I would like to say that in my opinion there has never been a time in the I history of Birmingham when co-opera tion is so much needed in the conser vation and development of our Ameri- can merchant marine. The best locat ed city in the south is Birmingham, young. vigorous and hustling, number ing among her inhabitants some of the ablest and most conservative business | men and the most skilled labor the country affords, attracted here by law | ish gifts from natures bounteous store house. I see in the not far distant fu- | ture city of million inhabitants, 1 all employed and drawing good wage. Situated ideally regarding shipping, beng directly connected with the south Atlantic ports of Savannah and Bruns- l wick, the gulf ports of Pensacola, Mo bile and New Orleans, and with the revival of our American merchant ma rine why should she not be able to place her iron, steel and manufactur- | ing products in all South and Central American ports in competition with the l world trader"
 | AS vice president of the Alumnae club ! of the Girls High school in Louisville,
 and chairman of the conservation com 1 mittee. Mrs. Parsons submitted "The | National Marine League. U. S. Az for | their indorsement At their regular
 monthly meet. February '. 1918, the Alum
 nae club gave their indorsement unani-
 mously and enthusiastically to the | league as an organization, which will be
 a means to the end of keeping the Stars