davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
MIR. BONAR LAW SPEAKS

In his first concrete expression on the separations situation Prime Minister Law perceives 'rea1 danger that differences in the public opinion of the countries will be so strong as to make it difficult, if not inn possible, to reach an agreement In the United States we find that public opinion is a strong factor in our government, but that it operates somewhat slowly to accomplish its desires. In England, France and Italy. however, public opinion operates much more promptly and directly, both in the overthrow of ministries and in the actual transforma- tion of the partisan complexion of govern ment itself. We have our elections at stated intervals. European nations may have them at any time. Nevertheless, it is probable that even in England public opinion has had little to do with the foreign policy and with the attitude on reparations. The fear of public opinion has been potent Likewise in France, if there had been prompt decision and aggressive action, public opinion would have followed rather than led the policy re- garding Germany and the reparations.
 Either MT. Bonar Law is not so cautious in his utterance as MT. Lloyd George, or else ne acIualiy SJdTuS SLep nearer rdHCe tIlsI his predecessor. For example, while desir ing to mediate as between the French and the German position, he says Having fixed reasonable conditions, if Germany does not then take necessary steps forthwith 'o carry them out, the necessary steps must be taken to force her to comply" Aside from the actual terms of the conditions, this view is not different from the French view. France, however, believes that the terms of the Versailles treaty should be enforced as a preliminary to further agreements. On this point the British statesman is silent
 As to the alleged desire of the British to protect Germanys financial, industrial and commercial status in order that they may profit thereby, Mir. Law says: "It is my belief that from purely selfish view point if an earthquake were to come along and swallow Germany up, we would gain. not lose, since Germany is our trade rival 7 If this is to be taken at it's face value the French must revise their estimate of the British stand for leniency towards Ger many. It appears that the best policy now is to agree on the amount of the reparations and then put to the test the British pre-, mier's promise to enforce collections.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
A MISTAKEN VIEW

It is understood that some members of the county board of revenue are opposed to granting any further appropriation for car rying on tick eradication in Jefferson coun- ty and will test the constitutionality of the act passed by the legislature which requires them to set aside money for this purpose
 If it is the intention of the board to make test case in court, it should be informed that the question has already been decided by regular court process in the case of Mobile county. That decision would apply with equal force to Jefferson county. The only course is to obey the law. Certain members of the board are quoted as saying that approximately $500, ,000 has been spent for tick eradication in the county, but vats have been destroyed, dipping has not been done and 1t would be waste of money to make any more appropriations. That is rather short-sighted view to take of the mat ter. If such conditions exist they are due to laxity of law enforcement, and the respon- sibility rests on officials who have failed to do their duty. Ticks can be eradicated by dipping The system itself is not at fault. Its efficacy has been amply demonstrated
 If it is continued and strictly enforced the money already appropriated will not be lost
 but to stop dipping now would cause the for feiture of the sums already spent as well as the benefits of freedom from tick fever.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
WEAK TESTIMONY AT HEREIN

The alleged "terforizing" of peaceable citizens by mine guards at Herrin, H., is not proved by the statements of ten witnesses for the defense. In fact, with the excep- tion of the charge that guards used profan- ity, most of the testimony indicated that they were simply performing their duty when they ordered or escorted persons off mine property. In comparison with such an atrocity as the Herrin murders, testimony to the effect that guards swore in the pres.
 ence of women is trivial. That, apparently
 was one of the most reprehensible of thelr offenses, according to the ten witnesses who were heard when the trial reopened. Only one witness testified that he had been the victim of actual assault and in his case he was escorted off mine property by 3 guard who pushed him with his fist" Un- der cross-examination all the other witnesses said they had not been hurt. If it is the purpose of the defense attorneys to show any justification for the outbreak at Herri, by that kind of tcstinfony they are not pre-.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
 BUILDING THE WARRIOR

The Warrior needs more equipment for adequate service and Alabama shippers have again aligned themselves with the manage ment of the barge line in asking for the equipment But there is sure way of mak- ing the Warrior earn net profit. Every Birmingham shipper and every Alabama shipper in the Warrior rate territory owes it to himself to use the northbound facilities of the river Smore than is done. The north bound movement is increasing but not at the rate that it should and would if shippers were more alive to its benefits There ;s now an agency at Birmingham and general agent in charge. Shippers are in position to have rates quoted and other details re- specting freight handling attended to ill the same prompt manner as by railroad agencies. The goods brought from the Pa- cific coast and from the northern Atlantic seaboard, thence up the Warrior, have bean handled the same as though they came all the way by rail, but at twenty per cent. saving over the all-ra rate The Warriors capacity to serve has been proven. While asking the government to make larger an- propriations for it's equipment shippers can do still greater service to the cause of the Warrior and themselves by bringing in all the freight they can through the northbound service, and by urging ether Alabama ship pers to do the same thing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
NEED OF FIRE DRILLS

The fire which destroyed a school build ing at Lanett, Alabama, calls attention to the value of fire drills to prevent stampedes. The chief object of fire drill in schools Is to create discipline so that when an alarm is sounded children will instinctively fall into line and march out, through mere force of habit. Fire drills are now a recognizeo feature of public schools. They should be carried out with sufficient frequency to make them effective when they are needed most. No other method has been discovered which insures more safety for children when a school building catches fire. The greatest danger lies not in the fire itself, but in the unreasoning fear that causes stampede
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04

licans were forced by police pressure to evacuate, the Free Staters had the better of the argument. Such episodes have hu- morous side, but they also reveal certain pecuiarities of the Irish temperament
 There is no such thing as a recognized Irish republic in existence and no official recog- nition can be given by American authorities to movement that is regarded as illegal in Ireland itself. The Free State, on the contrary, does exist, was established in treaty negrotiated by properly accredited representatives of Ireland and Great Britain. and is held by the United States to be the government of Ireland. With almost equal reason an envoy hailing from Utopia might claim official recognition, but he might have some difficulty in establishing the claim.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
CEMENT FOR STATE ROADS

A cement plant owned by the state and operated with convict labor would offer substantial advantages to the people of Ala hama. An undertaking of this kind would not compete with private business, but would rather supplement- work already being done. Road cement manufactured by the state would be used exclusively on projects for the general welfare of the people and any plan by which it may be obtained more eheaply is therefore in the public interest and not directly in conflict with private enterprise.
 The more roads that are built in Alabama, the greater will be the incentive to con- tinue improvement of the states highway system. Cheaper material will make the money appropriated for roads go further and give a larger return to the taxpayers. Since Alabama has but recently entered upon a new era of road construction and $25, ,000 has been authorized for that purpose, the problem of obtaining an abun- dant supply of materials at a minimum cost is important.
 The proposal that the state crush lime for sale is on different basis. That would be in direct competition with private enterprise, It is fundamentally wrong for the state .c engage in any enterprise not of general public nature. The states function is to serve all, without discrimination.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
THE IRISH IN NEW YORK

New York, where Irish sympathizers are strong, vocally and numerically, has been the scene of another clash between republi- cans and Free Staters. But for the vigilance of the police, there might have been Sc. rious riot in the struggle for possession of the Irish consulate. Mayor Hylan refused to be implicated and lodged picketers at the city hall by slipping out at side door un- observed. As the Free State representa- tives had paid rent for the building and succeeded in getting inside, while the repu5-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
BETTER BANKING SITUATION

Increase of eighteen per cent. in Birming- ham bank deposits during the period from September 15 to the close of the year, three and half months, is testimony to the pro gress of this district to the large volume of business done by Birmingham merchants and to the surplus above living costs earned by workingmen under the higher wage cf- fective September 1 and the steady indus trial plant operations during the last half of the year. It is also testimony to the prosperity of Birminghams widening trade territory, which is doing larger and larger business here on account of Birmingham's distributing advantages and the metropolitsn character of her wholesale houses.
 The Birmingham branch of the Federal Reserve bank also made great gains during the year, adding many new members. The daily items handled show a marked increase. the volume of business growing by twenty five per cent. over the previous year. Bir- min2ham and other large cities outside New York are becoming the money centers that they are entitled to become by reason of the business done in them. Money is no longer concentrated in New York and the nation no longer pays exclusive tribute to that money center. For example, Bir- mingham bank with surplus funds now de posits those funds in the federal reserve branch here and automatically, on notice of the federal bank of such deposit, the money becomes available in New York for call money loans there; whereas, prior to the fed eral reserve system, this money, to be avail : ,& connections, had to be shipped, express and insurance charges paid, and was not earning a return until the cash was in New York bank vaults The year closes with money easy and all legitimate enterprises of the district in position to secure loans at reason able rates.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
Poor Boys Who Succeeded
 By FREDERICK HoUK LAW
The Shepherd Emperors of Rome

When ancient Rome was ruler of the world and the Balkan lands were remote outposts of civilization, two little shepherd boys, some seventy years apart, and of diff ferent races, watched their sheep. Both were ignorant and unskilled. By freaks of ~fate both became emperors of Rome, masters of vast armies, and controllers of the worlds destiny. They are known in history as "The Two Maximini.''
 The first, Gaius Julius Varus, grew into a giant over eight feet tall. Gibbons his tory says that he could crumble stones in his hands, move loaded wagons, drink seven gallons of wine and eat nearly forty pounds of meat day. The Roman soldiers captured the huge shepherd and made him a soldier. Because he was 70 huge they made him an officer, and then a general. For his sake, they assassinated the emperor and made the giant ruler of Rome. For three years the uncouth shepherd waged cruel war, until at last he and his son were assassinated and their heads sent to Rome, where they them selves had never been.
 The second Maximus kept sheep in Alba mia. His uncle, Galerius, had kept sheep also; had risen in rank because of bravery; had married great Roman lady, and had seized imperial power. It was he who raised his nephew, Daia, to high position. When the uncle died Daia became emperor. Both uncle and nephew remained wild shepherds at heart while they lived. Both persecuted the Chrstiar.; and both were rude, tricky, cruel and uneducated in everything but the
 
 world was rid of tyrant.
 The giant Maximus was emperor for three years; Garerius' and his nephew each held power for six years. All three hunted men as they had hunted wolves in their shepherd days. They were the playthngs of fate, and their tragic stories well illustrate the fact that true greatness comes from slow and steady growth from within the soul, and never from any sudden lifting into place and power.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
The Peoples Forum
Good Christina. Seal Sale
To the Editor of The Age-Herald

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 Please give us space in your pa- per for the following statement which we wish to make at this time ::
 The Alabama Tuberculosis Asso- ciation would beg the privilege of giving expression of its gratitude to the newspapers of Alabama for the invaluable aid of their editors, re- .porters and columns in bringing be- fore the public the tuberculosis conditions, the work that is being done, and the call of the sufferers and the exposed as indicated in the presentation for sale of the little tuberculosis Christmas seals. The results of the seal sale cannot be given now because all reports are not in. One thing is quite clear, however, and that is that more peo- pie were reached in the 1922 seal sale than in any other year. This fact is evidenced by the greatly in- creased number of buyers of seals. If it had not been for the hard work of Mrs. John R. Hornady of Bir- mingham, MT A. B. Tucker of Montgomery and others in assem- bling publicity material setting forth facts as to the conditions throughout the state. and the gen. erous contribution of space in the papers, including timely appeals from the pens of the editors, we should never have reached so many people. More and more it is made plain that the newspapers are the medium of greatest value in doing any kind of work that involves the securing of the attention of the public.
 JAMES M. GRAHAM,
 Field Director.
 Birmingham, Ala, Jan. 3, 1928.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
QUERY STUMPED CAPTAIN From the Neptune News.

Ship captains are asked a variety of questions by their passengers. Many of the questions are answera- ble, others but bring gray hairs to the heads of the ship commanders. Capt. Jonas Pendlebury, command ing the steamship President Adams of the United States line. met with stumper just before sailing from New York. He was halted on the deck by woman passenger, who inquired:
 "Captain how high from the wa ter are the portholss in my state room?"
 About fourteen feet" politely replied Captain Pendlebury.
 "Thank you, captain retorted the inquiring female. Now, will you kindly tell me the distance be- tween my portholes and the water at high tide?"
 "Well-erLer-well, you see CT" began the badly dunrfound- ed captain, and then he fled to the safety of his bridge.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
CRASHING IN" By REV. H. C. OFFERMAN

Most of us never cash in on the talents and abilities we have. Yet the world has right to expect such of us.
 Millions of days of work cry for laborers' hands, millions of un- churched cry for spiritual attention, millions of physically distressed cry for medical care.
 The world should expect some thing of you. Wealth, talent, hap piness, ability, are sorely needed, if not here, then elsewhere.
 Find the greatest need, throw yourself into it heart and soul. and then cash in on your God-given tal- entS.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
When public .employe is found engaged

When public ,employe is found engaged in irregular financial transactions involving the public money there is no course open jo his superiors except to discharge him. No considerations of clemency may apply, for the first duty of officials is to the people. Therefore the recent action of the city com mission in dscharging an employe of the city is upheld by public opinion. If, as hinted by some commissioners, there are other employees chargeable with similar ir regularities, it is their duty to bring forward their proof. If the hints were merely the last resort in losing contest they should be recalled.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
A Timely Editorial
Passenger Air Routes

From the Springfield Republican.
 Habitues of Newport would be expected to relish form of trans. portation that combined novelty and excitement, and it is not surprising that plans are being developed for a regular weekend air route be- tween New York and the Rhode Island resort during the summer and fall. This year a number of hlgn.. spirited young New Workers of wealth formed the habit of hopping over and back in their own planes. Next year common-or uncommon carrier planes will be in opera tion. Whether the machines shall seat 12 persons and make the trip in two and a half hours or whether a machine of smaller capacity and higher speed shall be placed in ser vice is yet to be determined. bus the schedules favored point to the smaller plane, for it is deslred to leave New York at 2 on Friday and be in Newport at 3:15 and to nave a Saturday trip starting from the metropolis at noon and ending at Newport at 1:15.
 With A clientele assured in ad- vance, and with backing from Vln. cent Astor and other young men of vast fortunes. there is no reason why the New York-Newport air route should not have stapiiity comparable to that of the Lonooh- Paris passenger route or to the transcontinental mail route m tnls country. It may be noted that gov ernment backing is furnished for both these lines, and an acute con- troyersy has arisen over the former Bv a recent decision of the Brltlsn government, the subsidy IS to De paid to only one service between England and the continent. The me favored is the London-Paris passeh- ger line. The result is that the car rying of British newspapers to the continent, probably the most use1ul of all the transportation services furnished by British airplanes, has heen discontinued. Under the pre- vious arrangements as much as 1900 pounds of British newspapers was carried to France every day, copies were on sale in Paris ecrly in the business day, and bundles were dispatched OF early trans to French watering places and to the south of France and Italy.
 Needless to say, neither the Pri., ish newspapers nor the news agents look with favor on the action of the government. They point out that the London-Paris service is mostly patronized by Americans and other foreigners. Up to May, 1922, ove: 80 per cent of the total number of passengers had been Americans, and in the busiest part of the year over 60 per cent were foreigners. "It is safe to estimate," says the manager of continental news com pany, "that of the total number of passengers, foreign and British, well over 75 per cent were pure Joy riders" Only minute number of business men has employed the route for business travel, and the remonstrants do not hesitate to charge that British taxpayers hard earned money is being spent chiefly on providing joy-rides for foreign CTS.
 The commercial uses of the air plane so far are restricted to the mails. The passenger services ap- peal to those who want rapid trans portation plus adveD.ure-ehiefly the latter.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
A GIittering Generality

"The United States ought to participate in European affairs" remarked the pom- pous citizen.
 What for?" asked the precise person.
 "Why-er-to settle things"
 What things?"
 There you go, trying to pin me down ! Can't man make general observation without being drawn into an argument that will expose his ignorance?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
EcYPrs DENSE POPULATION

From Current History.
 Egypt has an area of about 350,- 900 square miles. The bulk of the country consists of inhospitable sand and desert. Practically the only settled portion consists of g very narrow band of cultivated ter ritory on each side of the Nile. The Nile valley and delta, the only set tied portions of Egypt, have an area of 12,226 square miles, almost ex- actly one-fourth the size of New York state. This narrow area con- tains the densest population in the world. At the moment it should come to approximately fourteen million. If New York state were as densely peopled it would have near ly sixty million inhabitants, while the United Kingdom would on the same basis have one hundred and forty million.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
A Foreign EntangIement

"My boy writes me that he has joined a Greek letter society at college remarked the self-made man. "It's the Alpha, Gamma, Lamma, or something like that. I'm going to give him piece of my mind."
 What for?''
 'l don't want any boy of mine joining one of those foreign organization. And, besides, everybody knows Greece is in a. bad way"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
Irrepressible

For some reason, 1923 started off on the wrong foot, but we managed to register smile when copy of "Flapper," magazine that is all it's title indicates, drifted into the sanctum from Chicago. The cover design shows personable young woman in scant attire and across the top in red printed, "Church Number"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04

senting their case in a convincing way. Even if there had been terrorization of un- armed and peaceful citizens who were at tending to their legitimate affairs and were not transgressing on mine property, there was recourse in the law, One evil does not remedy another.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
INVISIBLE
From the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
 A Back Bay lady tells of over- hearing her newly hired girl mak- ing her first attempt to answer the telephone.
 "Hellor came from the receiver.
 Hello" answered the girl, flush ed with pride at being able to give the proper answer.
 "Who is this?" continued the voice.
 T don't know" exclaimed +re maid. ]" can't see you"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04

Germany has proposed no-war agree ment among four powers for generation The terms of the agreement were to stipu- late that there should be Eo war within the period without the sanction of plebiscite. France has rejected the proposal She may fear that she will have to wage war on Ger many to collect the reparations
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
Adrift With the Times
Old Friends

The books thumbed in days gone by l love the best, While novels new neglected lie,
 Though warmly prest . Upon me by those readers who
 Unblushing shun Balzac, Hugo, and Dickens, too,
 And Stevenson.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04
Meant the Same Thing

Didn't you call me nonentity?" "No"
 What did you say, then?"
 q merely remarked that if you went into telephone booth I wouldn't consider it occupied"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-04

It is recalled that the present mine wage agreements expire with this coming March The coal commission urges the miners and operators to reach an agreement before that time. Such an agreement would be of mu. tual advantage as well As relieve the public of great anxiety. Certainly the prize is worth striving for.