The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-21
M E N ;, w o M FEN
 A N D T HIN c s

The past week was a great week Tor America. as it was the coming together of father and son Into closer relation the one with the other. It's one of the human fellowship drives which paid big dividends in better understanding.
 This is busy day. It might be called the rabbit age, for no man has any time to tarry, and races from home to his business and back at night too tired out to give the kiddies square deal. am speaking of just the average man who has few social aspirations, and gets what pleasure he gets out of his family. Sure there are a lot of men whose club life impinges on their home life and who get their joy at the theatre. cabaret. or some social function. There is a growing number of men who are losing the family habit by the many pleasure calls from the outside. It's one of the penalties which comes from living in q large city that mans home too often fails to be the center of attraction.
 This state of affairs in connection with those wh6 still cling to home as their sheet anchor and to those who seek their pleasure on the outside is back of the movement to see if anything can be done to save the situation and impress on fathers the absolute need of giving some of their time' as well as their money to their sons. Many men who are known as good providers are chary when it comes to giving themselves to their boys
 Now the father and sons week gave splendid chance for fathers to have brought to their attention the fact that they were missing great chance when they failed to get acquainted with tnelr sons It's one thing which cannot be started too soon, for the boys of this generation who live in cities have way of forming friendships which soon grip them and woe to the father who let's tue leader of the gang get hold of his son before he grips him to himself with ties of. love and confidence.
 This is a time of all kinds of special days and weeks, but none is more im- portant than the one we have just passed through. It was to be a period for every father to take stock of himself and find out just what is his attitude to his son. It is not enough to give him clothes, food shelter and a chance to go to school These things every parent should feel obligated to do. but when they are done his obligation is by no means ended
 This is day of specialization, and particularly so in cities. Say what you please, but city life has robbed family life of much, This is no queroulousness indictment of the city, but from the very nature of things is unavoidable It's much harder for the city father to get close to his son than 1t is for the one who lives in the country. The average city worker keeps strict office hours and his time is run by the clock, while country man as a rule measures the hours by the sun.
 A city boy would be constantly Tn the way of his father in office. store. bank
 
 or factory; but the country lad can fol- low his father from the rise to the set- ting of the sun. and not only be com panior but feel that he has a part in tue days work I think that one reason so many country boys come to town and make good in spite of their educational handicaps so far as book learning IS concerned can be accounted for by the fact that they have been unconsciousiy trained by being. in hourly and daily contact with their fathers.
 It's harder to get hold of ones soL in town than it is in the country, as there are so many more distractions An city life to eat up the time both of fla ther and son. I found during the war, and even in peace time, that it is mighty hard to get an evening at home T one is willing to answer all the calls which are made upon him by worthy causes There is always something coming up which seems important, and not to serve is to be shirker.
 
 am writing out of a knowledge or the situation as it's affects the city man. A son is born and in a few years he flnds his way to Kindergarten, then to the public schools during the week and 10 Sunday school on the sabbath. father let's go of his boy earlJ in the game, ana just because he trusts him to secular trades during the weelS and Sunday school teachers on the seventh daN he soon loses his personal interest and hold over him and excuses himself by thinking that his guiding hand is not needed until he finishes the. high school, but that when he gets ready for- college he will function,
 1 But the father who waits until then will never grip his son. and when he returns after four years in college, he will only have himself to blame if his son turns out to be almost stranger. Any, man who wants to be the pal If h,s boy will have to do it before he enlerges linto the teen age, and by the way its the teen age in which son needs the constant care of father. If you can get your boy safely through his teens the chances are he will run straight in his early manhood and make good in his thirties
 | I am sure that many fathers love theii sons wholeheartedly but seem to them selves to fail wholly in getting on good friendly footing with their boy. Il k1 An blff find mo