The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-06
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

l the words of Horace Mann. in his last commencement address to the students i of college in Ohio.
 i This idea was realized in the army which went abroad to fight the battle of democracy against autocracy, and we will do well to honor them as victors when they come marching through our streets, for they return worthy to be, crowned as saviors of civilization.
 
 It was no Cadmean victory which they won, for. while they suffered much they overwhelmed the enemy and for centuries to come the Germans will have to read how the best troops of the Kaiser were met and put to flight by men who made no pretense to being professional soldiers
  If in the lexicon of youth there is no such word as sfaiL" in the Ameri- can army there was no such word as | retreat" This was graphically brought out by A. Mitchell Palmer. the Attorney General of the United States, in his speeches while here in Birmingham. For fear you did not hear. him, I will tell you briefly some things which he said
 It seems that his nephew, who was invalided home, but not until he had won the Croix de Guerre. stopped over in Washington to see him. and to con- graduate him on having become a cab met member-realizing a worthy am bition fore any lawyer. It seems that his young kinsman is also lawyer, and able to appreciate what it must mean to his uncle to occupy so impor- tant a position in the legal world. As he related the interview, MT Palmer felt bit ashamed that theI brave lawyer who had risked his life and plucked out of the hell Of modern warfare the coveted cross of honor should be looking upon him as bringing fame to the family wholly unconscious of the part he had played overseas; and that his deeds would be cherished as precious heritage in the annals of his race. The Attorney General told how it took him 10 days to draw out of his nephew why he had been sig nailed out to be decorated. In drawing him out he asked about the way in which his regiment re- treated, only to be informed that the American army knew nothing of re- treat that he had never heard the word mentioned, and certainly had not been instructed in the tactics of re- treat. A few days after this the At torney General met General March, chief of the staff, and told him of the conversation with his nephew, and ex- pressed his great surprise at the infor- nation.
 But he got a still greater shock when he was informed that at no army camp either in America or abroad was there any instruction in the art of re- treat, but the whole emphasis was put on going forward. Now, do you won der that an army which had not even so much as heard the word retreat"
 
 Berlin and was only stopped when the masters of Wilhelmstrasse read the hand writing on the wall and yelled "kammerad?"
 Every American soldier in the front line trenches, when the order came to go over the top, had the spirit of Nel- son, for Southey in his life of the great naval hero, tells us that in the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Nelson gave orders for boarding the san Josef" ex-- claiming, "Westminister Abbey, or vic- tory" Pershing knew that when he gave orders for his boys to go for ward that every American would ad- vance, just as Nelson was confident that every Englishman. would do his duty. I am glad to see flags and streamers waving from our streets, hotels, stores, public buildings, clubs and homes. It is a time for decoration. I am glad to know that committees are busy ar ranging for the comfort and amusement of the men who are to be our guests There is nothing too good that we can put in their way to make their visit one long to be cherished, and to show them that we hold them in love and admiration.
 For they are worthy to receive the homage of grateful city, for no regi- ment will go down in history as having played bigger part in the winning of the war than the 167th Alabama, made up of our own blessed boys. who in valorous battle, where regiment aft CT regiment was winning fighting laurels. yet got for itself a name that put terror into the heart of the enemy and songs of praise from the lips of the allies, and drew unstinted praise from the whole American army.
 
 We will get to see men who faced death with smile and did impossible things, for they met the whole power of the greatest military nation of the twentieth century and not only held it but rushed it in spite of the most momentous barrage ever hurled against an enemy, and took their bar ricades one by one and actually swan river and captured their machine gun nests and put to flight the pick and flower of Prussia's seasoned shock troops.