Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-02
Secretary Shaw's Speech.

Secretary Leslie NJ Shaw was then pre-
scented to tell how the war was carried on.
The speaker prefaced his remarks by stat
ing that he had never been a soldier, but
that he had once commanded the army and
navy of the state Of Iowa. He then told Of
the organization of the volunteer regiments
for the war with Spain, and Of the patriotic
responses that came to the call to arms.
"One morning that grand man. William
Mckinley. wrote to Congress of the intoler-
able situation in Cuba" said the speaker.
HE said that there might be trouble, and
asked Congress to give him money to pre-
pare for 1t. Within two hours and thirty
minutes by the watch both houses Of Con-
gress had passed a bill appropriating $50
600 600 for national defense, which they
placed unreservedly in the hands of the
executive for disposition. A few days later
the President again wrote to Congress- He
said he had received the money appro-
priated for national defense, that he had
expended It as he saw At, that diplomacy
had failed, and that something must be
done Immediately. Again Congress rose to
the occasion, and before nghtfall had
adopted q resolution authorizing the Presi-
United States to expel Spain from the west
ern continent Partisanism was laid aside
and patriotism rose to the surface. Then
was there q condition made which startled
the universe We had no clothes. no pow
der. no guns, and no food for soldiers With
the money appropriated by Congress the
President set the factories going and the
armories working. Within a few weeks
there was placed In the field an army Of
100000 men. the grandest army that was
ever organized.
'Those soldiers looked back on ancestry
that had fought on every field in every
country. In every cline. Over their cradles
had been crooned the battle hymns Of every
nation and to their lips swelled war cries
in many tongues The man Of the north
the man OF the south, the wild Indian of
the plains-each rushed to the front and Of
fered his services to their country. Were
these the men who had fought in 81? The
veterans of Antietam, the Wilderness, Get
were the young men. the sons Of the men
who fought on both sides. They were eager
for the fight. They longed to show their
parents that the red blood of their ancestry
still flowed full and free In their veins, and
that their patriotism and love for their flag
and love which had driven their forefathers
to the fields of battle. to fight and to win"
The National Guard.
Maj. F. C. Hodgson, commander of the
District Corps. 8. w. ", was called upon
to talk Of ''Our Association" Major Hodg-
son spoke Of the organization Of the vet
erans society and its government. He
traced the short history OF the organixa-
ton and predicted glowing future for It,
Col Edward E. Britton of Brooklyn, N Y,
spoke next of the future Of the National
Guard. Colonel Britton Is chairman Of the
executive committee of the Interstate Ma
tional Guard Association and Is thoroughly
familiar with the National Guard affairs.
He referred to the enactment OF the ma
ttonal militia bill, and told what II meant
for the military organizations throughout
the country, reminding his hearers that