The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-03
M E N w O M FEN
 A ND T H N G s

a small outlay of money to save the life of child.
 Americans are the freest spenders in the world, but the average citizen of these United States is one who wants to get his moneys worth. This land of ours Is perfect Elysium for women, and even men who are in search of marked down things.
 Pick up any of our papers and read the pages devoted to clearance sales and you will see that there is perfect craze among buyers. everywhere throughout this country of ours to get in on the ground floor The greatest trouble in the commercial life of the nation at present comes from the fact that the public is waiting for goods to reach the lowest level.
 But when it comes to a chance to pick up bargain in blue-eyed boy or dark-eyed girl there is no use wait ing for further drop in the human market. as they can be had at starva- ton prices, We as a people like to think about things in the way of dol lars and cents and this in spite of the fact that as a nation we are the great idealists among the races of mankind.
 What. does it cost? This can be heard from the lips of true-born Americans from the days when as infants they first begin to lisp until they reach the babbling stage of old age. It was held to be Jewish trait, but it cannot be truthfully charged against them alone, for it is in the Gentle blood in a most marked degree. If you doubt it try it out on the young Americans who call you daddy. It's easy to do. just take home a top, a cap, a pair of shoes, or whatnot, and about the first thing you will be asked. and that long before they have looked over the article, 'sWhst did it costr'
 The desire to know what things cost is deep in the blood. It runs from the smallest items of personal wear and household things on ID into the great business world. gets curious when ques- tions of religious matters are consid- cred. inyades the oomain of education, becomes acute in government expendi- lures, and is always asked when charity for any cause is sought.
 It's a very practical and natural question to propound to all who seek to separate one from his dollars. I hold that man should use care and judg- ments in the. distribution of benefit cences I have, however, never been an ardent advocate of the cold. storage
 variety of scientific charity which seeks to standardize sympathy by keeping 1t at a temperature so low trat the milk of human kindness freezes in ones veins.
 But every man who has worked for, or even inherited his money. has a per feet right to demand of all who seek gifts to make reasonable showing that the money given win be nsefuliy and economically administered. There |isn%t the sli gnteest doubt in my mind that many worthy causes have been prejudiced on account of the solicita- tion of money for enterprises which will not stand the white light of pub |licity.
 I have said this much to clear the ground for the statement that when we are told that child's life can be saved and nurtured until the gathering of the crops in the fall for the small sum of $1o, it would be questionable if idly made, but when we know who stands for it, it is easily believable. for Herbert Hoover has kept faith with the people in the administering of funds intrusted to his care to relieve destitu- tion and suffering in Europe.
 Now, an appalling emergency exists in eastern ana central Europe If we wait to place the blame before we give succor hundreds of thousands of chill dren will die before a commission can get at the facts and make its report. And how would it help things if the guilt was fixed and the guilty pun ished? Would it put food into the mouths of starving children! Not at lall but it would give preachers. edi- tors, reformers and statesmen data for sermons, editorials, philanthropy and policies, But this is no time for, chew ! ing the rag" while the hungry mouths have no food for mastidation.
 Tho hope that widely planted crops would yield an adequate harvest last fall was not realized. Hunger, priva- tion. suffering and death still march unchecked, and cannot wait upon earth,
 the great mother, for gestation. because I 1t will take months before she can ac- icomplish her labor. Economically and politically, the ruined world must wait
 but there Is one insistent cry that can tnot be stilled. and there. Is one chal- lengc that cannot be put aside care.
 iessly without blood guiltiness. and thai is the wall which comes to psfrom pit. Iifully poor. outstretched hands of fam line stricken children.
 I know that John Hay has been crit
 icized in certain religious circles be-
 cause he voiced the followipg lines. bui | I think they are applicable to what ]
 want to get deep into your minds. and therefore I quote them and give to the sentiment any boistering which my approval might carry: