The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-22

Just dS interesting dS MidIlli, fdlil DSaSAt
 Daytona and St Augustine.
 Tampa has everything in geography to
 make it great industrial center. A H-
 foot channel, a harbor that will hold all
 the shipping of the world, a back coun- try teeming with such industries as
 phosphate rock, citrus fruits. early vege-
 tables and fruits, lumber and dairy prod
 ucts And above all climate where you
 artificial heat and with daylight for ten
 hours every day.
 I will be frank enough to tell you that
 the Kiwanis club was formed to develop our port and to get away from catering to. side issues that we ought to leave to other cities in the state who can Co better than ourselves.
 Of course we are a small section of the world. But, brothers, bear in mind that size alone is not an infallible indica tion of true greatness. Take balloon for instance. The bigger it is the more hot air there is in it.
 One thing I have felt keenly. Being the baby, I expected to be bottle-fed while here. But outside the empty one Jeff Bailey stuck in my mouth Tuesday night my epiglottis has not been moist ened since I got off the Atlanta special. And I understand that the confiscated red eye of a few nights ago is being held by John Reese Murray as evidence when the trial comes up.
 like your city, Birminghamers You have broad streets and wide sidewalks, big trolleys, the latter being a special re- lief after looking at the katydids that we have home. Your men are gentlemen and business men of high type, and your ladies Words fail me. But I will saN that if the queens I have lamped since Monday morning are not imported from Atlanta then you deserve the title of the queen city of the south. You have us licked on that point and I will tell it to the world that your wives need never be afraid to let you come to Tampa un- chaperoned.
 Now, I don't know how much space Jeff is going to give me in the paper, but want to say one thing before closing I speak for the Tampa Kiwanis club and the entire state of Florida in tHis connection And I address my remarks to the entire commonwealth of Alabama When in the course of future events 1t becomes necessary for you to tell one of your native sons that his presence is no longer desired in your midst, please see to it that the train that bears him away goes in a norther1y or western direction.
 For some of our people in Florida have recently been foolish enough to think that because a man was born in Alabama he ought to be made our governor. At We now have a Kiwanis club in Tam pa and hope to have them in several other cities in the state in the next few months And if KiwaniS cannot find a man big enough and sensible enough to rescue Florida from it's reputation as the Comedian of Commonwealths" by elect ing him our next governor, why in that case we will follow your own example and "Let Georgia Do It."
 I have nothing but praise and thanks for your treatment of all delegates and visitors. You have helped me to get an insight into the workings of the greatest organization of brains and pep" on earth. I left home thinking I was a
 man of renown, but, like Cal Stewart sings, when I got among this crowd
 felt Hike a rube from a high grass town"
 And when I get back to the old will
 lage I will talk as long as the club will
 let me at the next luncheon. Tampa is
 an Indian word which means Get wood
 quickly to build fires" It must be some
 kind of Seminole shorthand to get all
 that stuff in five letters. But I think
 it appropriate that your 1919 baby is a
 real Indian in name as well as in pur-
 pose. It will be my produest distinction
 to have any of you Birminghamers, At
 lantans or other Kiwanians look me up
 any time when you come to Kiwanis
 farthest south.