The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-01

Of Tolstoy a writer has said what I believe might be said of pr. William States Jacobs:
 ''The work he has set himself to CO., operate in is not the expansion of an empire nor Is it the establishment of a church, for mans perception of truth is progressive, and again and again finds itself hampered by forms and dogmas of state and church The work to which Tolstoy has set himself is a work to which each of us is also called; it is the establishment on earth of the Kingdom of God--that is, of truth and good,r
 pr. Jacobs is here for month. Happy Birmingham, Though the well come visitor halls from the port where seventeen railroads meet the sea-" one small city of 100000 like the business center of Houston, Tex, can't hold all there is of him. His magnetic per sonality brims over the corporate linn its into every other city where his presence is known and his magical messages are heard So it happens that Dr. Jacobs belongs to the great centers of the United States, which, Of course, include Birmingham, despite all controversies regarding the accuracy or inaccuracy of the late census.
 Hundreds of people who remember 1 Dr. Jacobs visit here one year ago, i when he was delegate to the interna e tional convention from the Kiwanis | Club of Houston. are hastening to re- new the friendship and are expressing their appreciation of pr. Edmonds in Vitation which brings this minister of national repute to fill the pulpit of l the Independent Presbyterian Church while the pastor is away on his va cation Every Sunday morning at the l temple and each Sunday evening al i the Lyric theater the people will seek l the messages of the Texas pastor whose interest in religious work f. l broader than any denominations lines.
 Dr. Jacobs speaks to the passing throngs with authority, because h. knows their problems. the trend O their thoughts and the conditions un der which they live today. He [ aware of every danger signal alonl the way of this age His sincerity an' fearlessness declare them, while hi faith and optimism point to the light houses that safeguard this restles aftermath of q world conflict An
 man who can fill the same pulpit fiji
 teen years of one of the larges churches of the south as Dr. Jacobs has, and who can continue to hol week after week overflowing audi ] ence has q message to deliver tha belongs to all. His is a message O practical, everyday common sens Christianity that he lives, not as partisan ecclesiastic but a sa frien' to man.
 CIVIC AFFAIRS
 That Dr. Jacobs is vtauy intereste
 in civic affairs is proven by the fac
 that his advice is sought in every i'm 1 portant measure for the upbuilding D Houston. It was due largely 10 his in
 fluence that the delegation was ap pointed which secured the co-operatio'
 of Congress 10 the extent of an ap propriation of million and a quarte
 dollars. with the same amount adde
 from the Texas city for opening II the deep water ship channel that vii
 make Houston one of the importau
 ports of the new world As a membe
 Of the expansion board appointed b
 the mayor, pr. Jacobs counsel is ofte
 sought by the city officials, while hi
 popularity with business men is rec
 ognized as organizer and president O he Kiwanis club. and as an acttv
 participant in the civic organization
 of the city.
 The knowledge that from time {
 time pr. Jacobs has refused choic
 ecclesiastical preferment at the hand
 of his own denomination is as refresh
 ing as the lack of doctrinal firstliei
 secondlies. thirdlies and fourthlies i
 his sermons To hear him preach is [
 recognize the sincerity of the thinke
 and the man of action. who has a kin
 ly way of speaking the truth he ha
 found for himself which he present to others through the medium of personality at once persuasive an compelling, and voice that is fu
 and unsteady modulatcd. This is tn
 limited little photographic pen pictur ] .I.ss rFs.F \ viewpoint Of one who sat in a pe' , rather far removed from the speak [ who could be seen only Gin a mi'
 darllly" through the fuss and feather . that encircled a nelghbors hat.
 CLOSER PERSPECTIVE r But yesterday, upon closer perspectiy while Dr Jacobs and I chatted lover fl f ten cups. decided [ couldn't put hi ! on paper at all, for the simple reasC z that he is not one of the kind of peop % who stays put" Perhaps Walt Whi a man might compute in vigorous measu r the strength of q strong man born V America who is a friend to all oth
 men; or Tolstoy might reveal some f the motives that prompt such a mar f daily religion but the portrait of l f Jacobs would stnI be incomplete wit . out the modest little lyric of the DO - who sang of a man whose eompassii
  2. "A drowning honey bee. wet wi e rain" The gospels give the history n one who went about doing good" fire - whose life Dr. Jacobs patterns his ow
 recognized in the genial gentlem S across the table one who might ha $ chosen to be a successful business ma n who had indeed been offered lucrati l. positions in the business world that ma
 might covet. I thought of the influen t of such an one. whose success wot ' never burden the shoulders of the wes e and whose power would never be weild y "by right of the strongest"
 ,- There are so many ways bringi n good to the world I suggested irl l. levantlv-"Dr. Jacobs, why do y e preach?"
 IT ''Because I like to preach he repl r. with quick and simple directness. "t ,f rather I have some convictions that d like to tell others" he corrected mode
 ly T have chosen the ministry as = profession, because it is what I want le do That is my call.
 d "Of course no man can do the thir
 ing for other people," he continued, ''t