The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-09-14
I oday Wise Lending. One-third of Cent on $1. Brain-Power House. Dollars, Soldiers,
 Orators.
 By ARTHUR BRISBANE
OFAIOfB.
 By ARTHUR BRISBANE


 The Hartman National bank in New York lent s2oo.ooo without ooi- lateral security to the striking coal miners to help them buy food for ilies dispossessed. Whoever made that loan had intelligence. It was the decent thing to do. The mine workers will pay their debts It was also good business and very sensible end intelligent as a bolshevik anti dote, much sought after just now.
 One demonstration of magnificent American efficiency in war ends. Yesterday Chairman Lasker of the shipping board, sold the American fleet of 22s wooden ships for s75o,oOo.
 Those ships cost. in the days of high patriotism and s1-a-year ef- ficiency. ssoo.0oo.ooo. The sale. there one-third of one cent on the dollar.
 In New York last Monday the Edi- son company provided a dinner Thomas A. Edison ate 1t to com memorate the fortieth anniversary of central electric illumination. Forty years ago Edison and other work men, in overalls, gathered at No. 267 Pearl street. threw the switch that started light from New York's first central power station.
 How much does that light mean to the world? Slowly men get what they need. First letters with which to write. then presses and movable type with which to print, then ligat to use the night hours in reading.
 And all depends on the real light, that of thought, with the brain for it's powerhouss.
 Charles M. White of Cleveland says the Brotherhood of Locomotive En- gineers. besides buying an office building for s2.5oo.0oo, is buying West Virginia and Kentucky coal mines with capacity above 5000 tons a day.
 AHe engineers VIII sell coal to workers in big cities and pay their miners we'll
 Several hundred engineers will own In the ground about s2O0.O0o.ooo worth of coal.
 That Is the way for organized labor to show intelligence and power. Do what other successful men do--get something and develop 1t. A few coal mines and big buildings owned by labor will have more effect than any number of sad stories and pitiful ap- peals. Dollars are the successful soldiers and orators of this age
 Old fashioned republicanism takes a happy, deep breath. Maine is safe and sound; no roaring progressivism there. It doesn't mean much. Maine has no prohibition problem--that was all settled comfortably long ago. and this is good apple year,
 Extinct volcano kipling, having made rumbling remarks about the United States entering the war too late, France, England and the United States discuss that question. What is ''too 1ate?" This column offers to the gentlemen another question. which they might ask and answer. If the United States had been at tackled by half dozen nations and l <1 I am fighting for life; come and help me-" how soon do you think Eng land, France or anybody else in Eu- rope would have sent 5000 900 men and s1o.ooO. 100000 across the ocean to help us?
 Louis Louchur of France. success ful bettor, bet that the German mark would go to one centime, which is a fifth of a cent, in 1922. It went to enc twentieth of a cent. He is bet ting now that before the end of the year, there will be a democratic rev olution in Germany. He bets that the democrats will win the coming con gressional elections in the United States. He says that will result in decisions in which we-France-will felicitate ourselves
 He is an intelligent Frenchman, for the republicans are certainly go- ing to have heavy losses this fall. But his hope that more democratic congressman will mean more league of nations nonsense is false hope. The people of this country decided that question at the last national