Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-01
NAVAL SUPREMACY
CAPTAIN RICHMOND PEARSON
HoBsoN LECTURES AT THE
cHAUTAuQUA.

Urges the Increasing of Naval Strength
of America as Means of Bringing
| About a Peace Compact Between Ma
| tions-
Captain Richmond Pearson Hobson,
late of the United States navy. who
won imperishable renown by his dar-
ing deed in sinking the collier, "Merri-
mac" in the Santiago harbor, deliv-
cred his lecture, America. the Mis-
tress of the Sea-" before large audi
ence at the Ottumwa Chautauqua on
I Tuesday afternoon. For nearly two
i hours, part of the time under most try
ing circumstances, he held the atten-
ton of his hearers as he told in his
earnest, forceful way his reasons for
advocating the naval supremacy of the
United States.
Captain Hobson is convinced that
American naval supremacy is the only
sure guarantee of American peace and
security and the only effective means
of establishing a peace compact be-
| tween the nations and bringing about
Peace on earth, good will toward
men," He states that America has
never shown a disposition of oppres-
sion toward weaker or conquered
nation, and that there is no danger OF
the country becoming bully because
of It's power At the close of his lee
lures he reads a set of reolutions ia
voring larger navy which he requests
/ those present to adopt. The resolutions
request the mayor to appoint COM
mittee of three to notify the congress-
man of the district, the United States
senators and the President of such ac-
ton He stated yesterday that OF
tumwa was the ninety-frst place to
adopt these resolutions since January
i 1.
I. Sketch Of His Life.
Captain Hobson is a son of con-
federate veteran and was born in
Greensboro. Alabam4, in 1870. He en-
tered the Southern university in 1882,
but after three years accepted an ap-
pointment to the United States Naval
academy, where he graduated in 1889.
He then took a postgraduate course at
j the Ecole- Rationale Superieure DIES
Mines and the Ecole d'Application du
Genie Maratime in Paris. He served
on various naval stations and at the
New York and Newport navy yards
and in 1897 was ordered to Annapolis
to organize post graduate course for
those officers who intended to enter
the construction corps. He served
during the war with Spain and won
fame by sinking the "Merrimac" in the
Santiago hart or to bottle up Ceveras
fleet, being captured, imprisoned and
subsequently released After the close
of the war he had charge of the raising
of several of the sunken warships. He
I resigned from the navy in 1903.
For Naval Supremacy.
Captain Hobson in his lecture stated
that an era of industrialism was tc
supplant the era of militarism and that
; heaven had raised un America to be
; the peace maker of the world. The
mighty forces working the evolution
of the world are bringing about the
time when destruction will cease and
construction will take it's place.
"In the old days man went killing
others in order that he might live. Civ
is the result of organizations of men
.
) fensive and offensive purposes. But
the necessity for destruction no longer
exists Ottumwa does not ask that any
one be destroyed. You do not have
to kill others in order to live yourself
"'The new era will cause the sur
vival of those who are fit to serve, MOI
those who are able to kill The indi
vidual, corporation or nation, that ex
lists for the sole purpose of subjugat
; ing the weak and helpless will go tt
!, the wall 1t is the nation that seeks
, to help others that is going to sur
vive. The death knell Of the old era
has been sounded and a new era is tt
prevail an era that shall fulfill the
masters prophecy, the peaeemakers
shall inherit the earth.
America the Nation.
america is the embodiment Of thi!
era and is to become the great peace
maker. Some say that our country
with large navy and so great +;
: power would become bully. America
has ever been merciful to the veal
and helpless nations. while the Euro
pean countries are cruel and oppres
sive. We opened up Japan to the com
t merce Of the world and never fired {
| gun, simply because we were reason
, able and had so many battleship!
! available that it was not necessary tt
| do any firing. After the Boxer disturb
, ances in China and the European
) countries had agents at work raisin,
t their claims to the largest possible
| amount, the commission allowed tn,
: United States s22,O00,OOO. 1t was foun,
/ that 100000 was sufficient to pay al
: claims and the remainder was return
ed to the Chinese government. Whel
Spain was conquered, instead of ez
acting an indemnity fee from a nation
6 already burdened with debt, tn
United States paid her $20,000,000.
America is the one great nation q
mercy and is the one religious natior
9 America is now mighty factor 70
peace in the world. AS the first Chris
tian nation and her population repre