The Montgomery advertiser. [volume], April 07, 1917, Page FOUR, Image 4

About The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982

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m Conducted
© '
from IMS to 1*13,
__ Forty-eight
years, under the Editorship of
, _ WILLIAM WALLACE SCREWS.
St y- T. SHEEHAN . Editor.
PACHAS. H. ALLEN .Publisher.
P Entered at Montgomery Postofllce as second
class matter under Act of Congress of March
*, 1879.
Members of Associated Press and American
Newspaper Publishers’ Association.
COMPLETE REPORT OF
TOE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DAILY and SUNDAY (By Carrier or Mall.)
Per Annum ,...|7.80 One Month ....3 .85
Six Months .... 3.90 One Week.IS
Three Months .. 1.95 Single Copies .. .OS
Sunday Edition alone, per year ..82.00
-r
All communications should be addressed
- and all money orders, checks, etc., made pay
able to THE ADVERTISER COMPANY, Mont
gomery, Ala.
KELLY-SMITH CO.—Foreign Representative,
Lytton Bldg., Chicago; 220 5th Ave., N. Y.,
City.
The Advertiser Telephone No.3095
Private Branch Exchange Connecting All
Departments.
MARCH, 1917.
1.....18,481 16.19,020
1.18,499
’3.18,634
4.21,941
6.18,560
6 ■ a • • • * a • • • ■ . 18, 6 1 4
7 .18,659
8 .18,699
9 .18,674
10 .18,676
11 .22,073
12 .18,668
13 .18.670
14 .18,715
15 .18,691
17 . 18,643
18 .21,865
19 .19,786
20 .18,646
21 .18,626
22 .18,892
23 . 18.905
24 .18,920
25 .22.013
26 . 18,900
27 .18,921
28 .18,935
29 .19,095
80.19,005
31. 19,081
Total .. 595.410
Less Returns . 17,981
Net Total . 577.43*
Daily Average, March, 1917 ..
Sunday Average, March, 1917
18,246
21,198
Si
J. L, Boeehans, Circulation Manager of The
Montgomery Advertiser, being duly sworn,
says:
The foregoing statement of The Adver
tiser’s circulation for the Month of March.
1917, lg true and correct and compiled after
returns and spoiled copies have been de
ducted.
THE ADVERTISER CO..
J. L. BOESHANS.
Circulation Manager.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
Second day of April, 1917.
(BEAL Wm. F. Lee. .
Notary Public, Montgomery County, Alabama
g£ HOW TO HELP PIOHT.
g| On* way those who do not wear uniform*
Pi; can help fight the war is to do their full
duty as civilians. What can a civilian do?
Better cay. what cannot a civilian do?
||p* For one thing the women folks can keep
|| • an eagle eye on the family war chest and
guard It against the imps of useless extrav
agance. Once a woman makes up her mind
V to he thrifty she can excel in the practice.
She won't hesitate to argue about a nickel,
nor to walk a block to save a nickel in a
trade. It is not a propitious time for poor
folks to live like lords.
f
It Is a time for the exercise of all reason
able care in the conservation of life’s neces
sitiea The first thing the American people
fe- have got to do to make their position secure
f*, is to eliminate waste, systematically and de
terminedly.
It all comes home to the individual In every
if •
p- walk of life. We must stand together and
p, see the thing through. Comparatively few
|S Americans at best will be required to shoul
der guns—even if a million-men are drafted.
The great mass of the people will be at home,
. but on each member of that great mass rests
!; ’ a responsibility the like of which he has not
seen in this generation.
Thrift, Industry and courage will take us
(V through triumphantly.
$■ AS TO ROOSEVELT’S DIVISION.
.. ■
The War Department's excuse for ruling
that Colonel Roosevelt should not be commis
sioned as major general on the ground that
every other politician^ In the country would
use the precedent to promote himself, is not
plausible.
■■'r Every politician in the coun»ry is not a
former President of the United States. Every
politician in the country la not the trained
soldier Colonel Roosevelt is. Every poll
. * tlclan in the country has not the personal
j ' magnetism to attract men to him that Roose-.
• velt has. Every politician in the country has
not the energy and enthusiasm to build up a
powerful, selected organization that Roose
f velt has.
The Colonel is for this war heart and soul.
He'has been for war almost from the be
>, ginning. Ever since the Lusitania the Col
|vff onel has been spending his money and time
in making up a skeleton organization which
he expected all along that he would en
; , counter little opposition at Washington.
Public opinion would immediately applaud
s-j the War Department for supporting the Col
I’ onel in his desire to lead a division of sol
diers into Franc*.
fr\
The Colonel’s politics should have nothing
t;" to do with it. Nobody, disapproves of the
; : Colonel's politics more heartily than The Ad
vertiser; indeed this paper has a record in
that respect of which it Is rather proud. But
The Advertiser believes the true American
. position is that it does not matter whether
a soldier is a Democrat or a Republican,
•?j‘ whether he is of this faction or that. The
^; one question Is, Is he a loyal, sound Amer
lean? Has he the makings of a soldier In
him? '
It cannot be gainsaid that Colonel Roose
velt is a soldier. How many divisional com
manders can we put in Europe who are bet
ter qualified to lead than the Colonel? Who
can arouse more enthusiasm among young
f ' men who are to shoulder the guns? It will
not be profitable to make a political Issue of
r' the Colonel's military aspirations at this
timet
The Pacifist* want to know If the sup
porters of the President will now enlist. Pre
sumably a full quota of them will enlist: but
what Is more to the point, how eagerly will
Pacifists enlist?
Miss Representative Rankin has voted
twice. The first time she voted for a Mann;
the second time she broke down and cried.
V It would be Inhuman and maybe low-down,
but It would be effective to send a few mil
lion healthy potato bugs by parcel post to
Germany. Germany Is skimping now to sur
vive till potato time.
April Is the war month for your Uncle
gam- All of his great wars started in AariL
as we have been frequently reminded
■ ■ •
\ - •a.*,-- '* .‘1 ' . V . ‘
HEBCHANTS.'fiia AHD LITTLE.
TJ*!' I* » direct word to the merchants of
Alabama. What are you coins to do to help
the farmer raise more foodstuffs In this very
critical year? The rest of us cannot pass
the Issue up to the farmer, tell him It Is hts
business to raise more foodstuffs, and then
wash our hands of the business.
What are you merchants coins to do?
Tou know that prices of foodstuffs *re a
hundred per cent higher than they we're : *ro
years aco and you know that those prices
will continue to co up. Tou know that the
8outh has not been feedlns Itself because
you have sold to the farmer foodstuffs that
he ouffht to have raised on hls farm. Nobody
blames the merchant for that, because It was
hls business, and because If he did not sell
Western meat and Western corn somebody
else would.
But now a Special and peculiar call Is
made to the patriotism of the South. The
American armies and the allies of the Amer
ican armies need foodstuff even more than
they need men. Shall the South be- a con
sumer, Instead of a producer at this crisis?
Shall the richest Agricultural section In the
United States continue to have Its crlst mill
and Its smoke house In the West?
The merchants of Alabama can render a
very direct and vital assistance at this time.
They are brought Into closer touch with the
farmer than any other class. They know
t^iem better and they know their business
affa. rs better than any other class of citi
zens. The farmers lean on the merchants,
not only for credit and for financial assist
ance, but for advice and In many Instances,
direction.
The present situation calls for even more
than advice, even ..though good advice Is of
great value. If your farmer customers have
. »ot waked up to the situation, give them a
heart to heart talk about It. And more Im
portant than this, help them look after the
proper seed. The farmer may be perfectly
willing to grow foodstuffs, but If he does
he will be growing crops for which he has
no seed, and crops In the production of which
he has had no experience. But above all else
he needs seed at this juncture.
Time presses. A few days longer and It
will be too late to worry over seed for the
farmer. The time for the merchant to act Is
right now. Upon him rests the responsibility
for leadership and that responsibility he
should directly discharge, by faithful and
earnest efforti to help the farmer.
And, mark this fact, if the South does not
suffer unduly by a lack of food, if our pres
ent problem Is solved, it will be solved by the
farmer. Our city people are cultivating
vacant lots, and they are mapping out many
little schemes, but all they can do will be
only a drop In the bucket. If the South hast
enough foodstuffs, they will be provided by
the,farmer and only by the farmer.
MISS RANKIN’S INDECISION.
The opponents of woman's suffrage, and of
the feminist movement as a whole, have no
disposition to exult 'over the unfortunate
situation of Miss RanKTh the woman Con
gressman from Montana. Miss Rankin's In
decision and emotion. In a trying situation In
Congress. In which the honor of the nation
was Involved, confirms their previous con
viction that the active and energetic partici
pation of women In the politics of the coun
try Is best neither for the women nor the
country at large.
Sympathizing with Miss Rankin, In the
hard position In which she was placed at the
very outset of her career, we are forced to
admit that her lack of purpose and her nerv
ous worry was more unfortunate than even
a negative vote on the war resolution would
have been. Miss Rankin had doubtless been
subjected, that morning to the visits of the
active pacifists, assembled In Washington
by the wealthy and well organized pro-Ger
man societies. They had doubtless besieged
her with emotional arguments against war,
and of her duty to the women of her coun
try. All Senators and Representatives were
subjected to these unwise and emotional ap
peals, but In the case of Miss Rankin, her
tenderness was touched and she was tem
porarily unfit to act with force and decision
when the occasion arose.
The Associated Press said that she was
visibly frightened, as she steadied herself at
her desk and with a sob In her voice said:
"I cannot vote for war.” Whereupon, with
her frame shaking, she sat at her desk with
her face buried in her hands. She never
voted directly, although the clerk arbitrarily
Interpreted her In unintelligible words as a
vote against the resolution of war.
The suffragists and feminists, who have
been so Industrious In the cause of woman's
suffrage are doubtless disappointed at the
conspicuous weakness of tliclr first repre
sentative in Congress, In a critical hour.
Those who have not fallen in with the well
organized and rather loud movement for suf
frage, have no harsh words of criticism for
the lady from Montana, but they are entitled
to restate their firm conviction that there Is
an Inherent difference* between men and wo
men, one for which Providence and not the
cruelty of man la responsible. This differ
ence is of such nature that women cannot
carry guns, assail trenches, and man in the
heavy artillery of war. Nor can woman be
put Into the harsh and unfeeling strife of
politics, without affecting the whole struc
ture of American life—the home as much as
the course of legislation. We are to remem
ber that the feminist movement Involves not
only the acquisition of the suffrage rights,
but If successful. It will decree also far
reaching changes in the dally life and In the
civilization of our people.
Nations demand force and strength, as
much as pleasant theories and good Inten
tions. The Iron of will and purpose rnuat
be driven Into the soul of a people before
they can become ggeat. and thay ara decsiv
ln( themselves If thay believe thay ean
achieve greatness without a steady courage
to wrestls with "the pythons and, mudde
> mons," over which every nation n.ust pass In
‘its march to Its national goal.
TBAININa MONTGOMERY
CIVILIANS.
Several regular army officers assigned tem
porarily to duty In Montgomery have kindly
volunteered their services to give military
training to such civilians of Montgomery ag
desire Instruction.' Brigadier General R. E.
Steiner regards this as an opportunity which
might well be taken advantage of by those
who desire to take time by the', forelock fnd
acquire some knowledge of military science
pending the call to the colors. General
Steiner suggests that Interested dtlsens or
ganise a committee to 'take up this matter
at once so that the work may proceed with
as little hitch as possible.
The army officers cannot know of course
how long they will remain In Montgomery.
They await orders. .Trained officers are In
demand now as never before, and these of
ficers are liable to call to other assignments
any day. However, while they are here they
will be glad to' give dtlsens the benefit of
what training they can give the citizens.
There are many men In Montgomery who
are willing to give their services to the gov
ernment when the call comes. Ife cannot
know when the call will come - to all who
are eligible, although of course the young
unmarried men will be the class from which
drafts .will be made first.
Every hour of military training the pros
pective soldier qan get will add that much
more to h|s efficiency, and will reduce the
time he must wait before being ready to
move upon Europe.
Whatever army ^we send to Europe must
be made from the ground up. ' The" European
army wilf be the new army. Alabama must
furnish Its usual share of men. Montgom
ery must fgrnlsb Its share of men sooner or
later. Isn’t It well, therefore, that those who
have reason to believe they may be called
Into service should begin now to make them
selves as fit for service as time and oppor
tunity will permit? /
GOOD FRIDAY.
The United States formally declared war
upon Ge’rmany, April 8, which this year fell
on Good Friday.
But it Is Black Friday for the world. We
ko in to force an arrogant world power W
rcspeot human life, to make it tolerant of
opposition and agreeable to a “decent re
gard for the opinions of mankind.” By go
ing in we are to make It a better world to
live In..
There can be no assurance of peace in the
world_that peace which the Crucified Son
so passionately loved—so long as there is
a triumphant Prussian autocracy In the
world, or the prospect of a triumphant Prus
sian autocracy.
Still, home aliens will figure that In view
of the war prices, the best way to make a
living Is to be Interned.
Mr. Farmer, the laws of the government
cannot make you raise larger food crops, but
the laws of economics can make you pros
perous and happy if you grow Increased food
crops.
There are fifteen of us in the w. war.
Brasilians are demanding that their govern
ment declare war; the President of Cuba Is
asking for war, and China could be per
suaded to declare war. There is a possi
bility of at least these three countries add
ing their might (or mite).
Is Cuba loyal? So loyal that it wants to
fight about It!
1 Letters to Editor I
GERMANY’S CRIMES AGAINST US.
Editor The Advertiser;
Never has any country stood on such peril
ous ground, nor borne more insults, and
intrigues than America has for the past two
years. Time after time Germany has added
Insult to injury; she has disregarded every
precedent of ages—and scorned international
]atw. The freedom of the seas has been ir
revocably blocked against us. Time and
again we have in a mild, gentlemanly way,
demanded redress, which has been treated
with contempt. We have endeavored to ap
peal to their better motives, for God's sake,
and humanity’s sake—to desist from their
warfare, fighting In ambush, unseen beneath
the waves, which Is more to be dreaded, and
more cowardly than the tomahawk of the
Indian savage. Their wanton, cruel treat
ment of us, without provocation, has no com
parison in history, however remotg. Because
In their merciless destruction of American
life, and property, those who are related to
her by the strongest ties of consanguinity
have to share and share alike in all the dam
age done us.
In conclusion I will say that Germany’s
standing with the world today lias blit one
parallel—and that in the very beginning of
sacred history. We read about those de
scendants of that hairy man Esau. A tribe
known as the Archers, whose hands- were
against everybody, and everybody's hand
against them.
Following the Bible injunction, we have
turned to these belligerent enemies our right
cheeks, and they gave us a stunning blow.
We then turned the left and they left their
merciless scars upon us there.
Now that war is Inevitable, every patriotic
impulse ought to have full sway. We owe. it
to our colonial fathers, who by their blood
delivered us from British oppression.
Respectfully submitted,
C. C. BAIL,EI\
Faunsdale, Ala
THE HOIR AND ITS ISSIKS.
Editor The Advertiser:
Ai the writer Is a reader of your paper,
and has personally pushed Its sale and cir
culation In this neck o' the woods, he fancied
that maybe a line or two might interest
some, at least, of your many readers
throughout the length and breadth of the
land.
What agitates the mind of yours truly, and
Inspires him to tisk his name and reputation
In a newspaper article In such strenuous
times as this history-making hour Is a bit
surprising to the writer himself, he; being at
all times and under normal conditions sober
minded and tranquil. But, Mr. Editor, these
are Indeed abnormal days In which we live,
move and have our being. Of course the war
clouds hover dense and prospects look murky
Indeed at this hour of going to press, so to
speak.
To be frank about it, your new correspond
Signed Up!
j’
ent is a Spanlah-Amerlean war veteran of the |
aqually days of 1898. He knows, if anyone
does, what actual war means, and will not
hazard any attempt at a better definition
than General Sherman gave. But to be can
did we are strictly up against it. I have
hoped and prayed for a veritable Moses to
spring into the arena at the crux and wisely
and safely lead us out of the sea of despond,
and the mire of mystery, into the marvelous
light of brighter, happier days. When one
contemplates so Serious a problem as hideous
war In all of its harrowing aspects; the tre
mendous cost not alone In money and equip
ment, but loss from the common pursuits,
the privations, the great sacrifices, to.say
not a word about bloodshed, and the making
of widows and helpless orphans here and
abroad; the partings, suffering, God alone
knows who, how many or when some sad
tragedy will flash ill tidings. I say It frank
ly, It's no child’s play, and the thinking. .
calculating mind is appalled by the gruesome !
spectacle. But there's our great and good
and patient sufferer in the White House at
Washington, heaven only knows what our
poor charitable chief executive, who so loves
peace, and has exerted all his resources to
bring about an amicable adjustment, thus
avoiding all semblance of a war-like spirit,
has sacrificed. Mr. Wilson’s name will de
serve a niche In the Hall of Fame and his
example and needs be chronicled in history’s
future pages as among earth's immortals.
Few men like him ever graced the Presi
dent’s chair in the capitol at Washington,
D. C. We are speaking of caliber as to
statesmanship. Diplomacy of a very high
order, an Intellectual giant and withal one of
the best, safest, most conservative Chris
tian gentlemen who ever posed as president
of these United States. To say we are
shocked, chagrined at the conduct of Frank
Furtur Stone and Sauer Kraut LaFollette of
the cut-over lands all the way from Wiscon
sin only expresses what we might feel like
saying, very slightly. Now don't His Honor’s
"Wilful Few” cut a shine when one turns
on the scales and adjusts the weights—com
pared, we megn, with the brand of states
manship of the man whose recommendations
they bdffle, and whose requests they spurn
as though he were' some ordinary hoodloom.
Talk about selfish motives, self-arrpgance,
conceit, and a painful mania to pose in the
limelight—to keep in the cheap advertisers
column and constantly before the public gase.
That’s the verdict, against those traitors
to country, to conscience, to right and jus
tice and humanity.
They are unfaithful to the voters of their
respective States, and deserve to be recalled
by an outraged constituency.
As to Germany’s asslnine stupidity, words
fail to express the writer’s version of that’
brand of statecraft, diplomacy or whatever
they sea fit to call it. After two and a half
years in warfare with the powerful allies of
Europe the Kaiser’s legions are more or less
decimated. They have floundered and made
many mistakes; they are short In the accou
trements of war, many privations and dis
appointments ere this period of the war.
Now to challenge the enmity of their strong,
rich, powerful neighbor on this side of the
great big duck pond, baffles the imagination.
Germany will repent in sackcloth and ashes
for this stupid folly. *.
Russian awakening on the east and the
United States of America taking aggressive
Yankee step* to aid England and France,
already on the Job with a strong controlling
campaign well under way, it looks like a
logpr and sad loser for Germany at this
juncture. ‘‘All things come to him who
waits. Mr. Wilson has done the necessary
waiting, and I don't see how Messrs. Stone,
LaFollette. Norris, Gronna, et al, are going to
sustain their issue In the days to come. We
shall see what we shall see.
E. C. GLENN.
Brewtcn. Ala.
thinks it a good time TO fertilize.
Verbena, Ala., April 5, 1917.
Editor The Advertleer:
We note your appeal on front page this
morning to everybody to raise food cropa.
There la a disposition among the farmers In
this section not to fertilize corn. We are
urging our customers to fertilize all crops
well as there never has been a time when
fertilizer will pay better.
We suggest that you urge the people every
where to fertilize well all crops.
Yours truly.
GULLEDUE BROS.
Papa (sternly)—Come here, sir! Your
mother and 1 agree that you deserve a good
whipping.
Small boy (bitterly)—Oh. yes. that's about
the only thing that yo« and mamma ever do
agree about.—London Answers
The Diversified v
Farmer_
At Last. O Ye Gods!
For the last two years, through a gooff
many discouragements of one form and an
other, we have been hammering home week
in and week out, the vital necessity of “feed
ing ourselves."
And yet only at this late date have ALL
the people realized this truth that should
have been seen by most of the people a good
while ago. /
Nearly two years ago we said, and *ald.
repeatedly, that the time would come when
four or five States in the Central West could
no longer feed the South, the big eastern cen
ters and continue to send food supplies to
| the Allies. That time has now come.
Now, at last, all of our people are awake,
their eyes are open. What explanation, what
facts, what persuasion have been used! Many
saw the truth. Some of the newspapers were
not slow in seeing it. Others are seeing it
only today.
If the people had seen what we hoped they
could see two years ago we would now be in
far better shape than we are. We feel that
we have “done our bit" in blazing a path and
in assisting the government and State agri
cultural workers to present to the people
this great truth which they saw and tried to
get the people to see. • ,
The start has Just been made. Greater
work than ever must be done. There must
be more Individual ejfort, the use of Improved
machinery, more increase in livestock and
forage crops, less waste and more thrift.
Every banker and business man must help
in agriculture. Every home ggrden. In coun
try and town, must be cultivated better and
more of the surplus must be canned and
made Into preserves. Every newspaper must
think less of petty politics and more of this
great effort to “feed ourselves” at a time
when we may not be able to call upon the
West for what we need to eat. We must
learn to do some work ourselves, as other
people In other sections who have far less
labor than we have. We must come to aid
that labor we have and to realize that with
out partnership between employer and em
ployes not very much good can come to
either.
.— t
It is the same old way with most people—
they don’t do things until necessity forces
them.
It’s either go to war or get married. War
for us! .
A fellow asked ua if we were going to en
list. We enlisted two years ago, and now
the "Feed Ourselves” army is getting a world
of recruits. Old Oeneral Necessity is now
conscripting for this army.
"Planting Fence Corners.”
Tou talk about planting "fence corners.’*
Well, you will see this very thing If you hap
pen to be taking a trip into the Central West
within the next few weeks. You will see
there such planting and such cultivation as
you never saw in your born days before. We
should love to take you up and suddenly set
you down in central Illinois, or eastern Iowa
or southern Wisconsin a few weeks from
now. It would open your eyes to what
farming is. This year, with a fair season,
the Central West will produce as it never
has before—and It will roll in wealth If such
a thing is possible. And, by the way, the
Central West doesn’t know what a cotton
plant looks like
/ One of First.
One of the first people In this territory to
anticipate the need for a diversification of
crops was Mrs. Nelly Gunter Elmore, who
back in 1914, wrote several letters to The
Advertiser along this now vital line.
Mrs. Elmore, who has spent her life in
Alabama, believed back yonder in the old, all
cotton days that better things 'would come
for our people If they put themselves into a
stronger position by raising, and not import
ing, foodstuffs.
When the history of the "New Alabama"
—the self-supporting. going-ahead, more
prosperous*Alabama is written on the minds
of the people it will be found that the women
have played a considerable part in It.
Patriotic Wears,
We have received the following, from an
Alabama woman:
"I find myself somewhat resentful towards
the lady you mentioned in your columns who
declared that women would not read articles
on diet and food. She has probably never
made a moje mistaken assertion. The ma
Jority of thinking women are eager for any
and everything that in any way assists them
' in lessening the burden and expense of house*
keeping in these stringent times. Even if
one had no regard for her housekeeping it is
a matter of patriotism and loyalty now to
try to save our food supply. Constant at*
tention to bridge and 'society' sometimes
paralyses the perceptions of some women.’*
—L. M.
HOW TO BREAK INTO PRINT.
Oh! Mr. Editor, my head is so full'
Of bright ideas and ryhthmic verse
Please tell me how to get the pull
That will help me fill my purse.
Of springtime and love X eould write by the
yard, 1
But such "mush" from your readers youlve
wisely barred,
And on one other subject I eould write
' , lengthily.
That’s Woodrow Wilson and our Liberty#
And now I'll tell you, laying all Jokes asides
On Uncle Sam’s warship I want to ride,
I want to help the boys touch off his light*,
ning and thunder.
And make Germany regret her beastly
blunder.
And now, Mr. Editor, let me close anony
mously.
Because fame' would embarrass me enor* •
mously.
Three cheers for you and The Montgomery
I Advertiser,
Three-blankety blanks for Germany and
her old aubm'arlne Kaiser.
From Andalusia, Ala.
/-* . I V
| Our Untilled Lands;
An Opportunity Here
Editor The Advertiser:
I see that some good women, headed fey
Mrs. C. E. Henderson, aided by the boys of
Andalusia, are moving to have the vacant
lots of the city cultivated. Jt Is at good
example worthy of Imitation.
It is a patriotic act and the boyl who will
do the work are animated by the same spirit
that moved their elder brothers to go to the
front.
Now, if the Mayor will see to It that back
yard, stable and pen be scraped clean, and
the scrapings given to the boys, It will be
for the health of the city and the enrich*
ment of the lots.
What Is the matter with extending the field
of operations so as to Include the unculti
vated lands In the surrounding country, tint
men taking hold of It? In Montgomery coun
ty there are thousands of acres which will
not be In cultivation, or even In pasture, un
less some organisation is perfected for the
purpose. With the good roads of our county,
the lands for twenty miles can be reached
from the city and brought under cultivation.
I call So mind, when I was only twelve years
of age, my father ran a farm successfully
five miles away—father, a hired man and 1,
were the force. Our plan was to leave home
by daylight on Monday morning and remain
all the week, doing our own cooking.
The situation In Alabama calls for the
most serious consideration of every thought
ful person. Think of It! Thousands of acres
unfilled In Alabama, hundreds, maybe thou
sands, of able-bodied men unemployed, many
thousands of our strongest young men to be
away In defense of their country, thereby re
ducing the producing and Increasing the con
suming class, and millions of unemployed
money In the banks—add to this the fact
that the people are now on the v^-ge of
starvation and prices for foodstuff soaring
higher every day! Certainly an alarming
condition, but not hopeless. ,
, Organization right now Is the only remedy.
The idea of making money should be elimi
nated. The vagrant laws ahbuld be enforced
for whites and blacks, not harshly, but flrm
Iy‘ 1 *
I am the last man, ordinarily, to advocate f
Interference with the education of our boys: ■
but these are extraordinary times. Every '
boy who can guide a plow should be in the
field. The loss of a few weeks need not
Interfere with their education. Let.us hope
that it will not be needed another year, j
These boys are too young to enlist as sol
diers; but standing behind the plow they are
helping the boys who stand behind the gun. j .
Immediate action Is needed. Delay otfM ■
few weeks will be fatal. Some one will sajjl
this is the cry of alarmist; be it oor
thoughtful men and women will not speaks
lghtly of It. 1
\ i
W. B. CRUMPTON.