The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 force. ] happened to be in his~store and the question of Americantsm came up.
 We got to talking about alienism and hypenism, and soon the conversa- ton driftel into neutrality. He took the high ground that man was either an American or a pro-German, and with feeling, he said: "Mr Barnett, I am better American than you are.'
 
 Now, this naturally took me by sur prise for I counted myself 100 per cent patriot Then he began to explain that while I was born free he had been sub jected to all kinds of restrictions in the land Of his birth and that he be- came a free man only in the iand or his adoption.
 Nearly 9o00 years ago, when they bound Paul, another Jew, with thongs, he said unto the centurion that stood by: 'Is it lawful for you to scourge man tha. is a Roman and uncon- demned?" Now, that put an entirely new phase on the matter, for it was great offense to mistreat a Roman citizen anywhere . throughout the breadth of the empire.
 When the centurion heard Paurs statement he went and told the chief captain, saying: Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman" The prisoner Paul arose at once into proud distinction and commanded the respect of the Roman soldiers. It was the turn of the chief captain to come to the despised Palestine Jew, saying unto rim: "Teli me, art thou a Ro- man?
 **s Paul proudly answered "Yea." The title of honor among the peoples of antiquity was "Civis Romanus--a Roman citizen" And the chief cap- obtained I this freedom" It was Paups chance to crow a bit over the chief captain at the tribune at Jerusalem. for he said: "But I was born free.' And the captain was afraid after he knew that he was Roman and be- cause he had bound him.
 like man who prizes his citizen ship. Louis Pizitz is right in glorying in the fac: that he is an American and lives under the protection of the Stars and Stripes, for it's no small privilege in this twentieth century to be able to make use of the proudest Americanus-an American citizen with all the rights; yes, the obligations, which go with the claim.
 I never tire of reading about Paul. the scholar, the traveller, the thinker. confess I sometimes grow weary over the interminable discussions which rage about the interpretation of his theology. But Paul, the man, is of perennial interest. for he was so hu- man and such a lover of his fellow men, and walked through the world with such wide-open eyes, and then l set it down so interestingly. l Now, he never failed to stand up for I his rights. He was no mushy senti- mentalist or spineless citizen but re- spected himself as Jew, Christian and a Roman, and he never whined or apologized when he got into trouble Take the case of his being thrown into prison along with Silas, his companion l I am no. now interested in the con version of the jailer, striking as 1t | was, but thinking of the brave spirits | who could at midnight under such con- 1 ditions pray and sing songs. ] But the point of the incident which 1 I wish here to bring out is that when 1 the keeper of the prison had brought ! word from the magistrates to let them go Paurs dander was up and he said unto them: "They have beaten ,,s , openly and uncondemned, being Ro. mans, and have cast us into prison: and now do they thrust us out pri- l vately, nay verify Ga liberal modem translation would be not on your | lifeD: but let them come themselves and fetch US out.''
 1 There was a stir among the magis- trates. for they knew that they had I violated the sacred person of a Ro- man, and they feared, when the ser geants told them they were Romans. And they came and besought them 10 depart out of the city" There Is cry 1 ing need that we appreciate our citi- zenship. It ought to mean much to | every native born and adopted son of 1 America to live in such a country and out Of this war ought to be born a higher type of citizen.
 1
 1 I believe that a man ought to be proud of his birthright and shoul1 city: Now, this man Paul was an ideal citizen. for he knew his rights as Roman and demanded them, but Ihe never stopped there. for when he 1 got a chance to boost Tarsus, his home | town, he did it in a way which ought 1 to gladden the heart of every civic association in Birmin gham and make every Birminghamer glad to speak a good word for the Magic City when | ever and wherever he gets the oppor- unity
 Thank God, the aliens. the hyphen : ates and the neutrals have been wiped ou. or taken to ''kiver' and that we are all Americans. whether native born