Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-16
CEREMONIES LAST NIGHT
Address by Prominent Members of the
Organization.
NEW COMMANDER GIVES VIEWS
Believes United States Yields World
Power - Gen. Burt Discusses
Duty Of Government.

son Hobson. representative-elect from Ala
bama, as captain commanding the Admiral
George Dewey Naval Camp No. T. United
Spanish War Veterans, was effected last
night at st. Joseph's Hall, 9Th and H streets
northwest The hall was we'll filed with
an enthusiastic audience, comprising men
and women. The interesting ceremony of
installing Capt Hobson and the other off,
GERS of the camp was carried out by the
officers of the Department of the District
of Columbia, headed by Department Com
mander ]. Walter Mitchell.
In the course of the speaking that fol-
lowed the service of installation Capt. Hob
son was named by Maj. Fred S. Hodgson
for the nomination next September as COM
mander-n-chief of the United Spanish War
Veterans. This reference called forth
hearty applause and soldier yells. Before
the applause had subsidized Senior Vice Com
mander George w. Brooke was on his feet
with the declaration that Capt. Hobson
might also be the next democratic candi-
date for President of the United States,
provided Billy" Hearst and w. ]. Bryan
could be shelved. Gen. Andrew S. Burt,
U. s. A. made speech from the army
standpoint.
After the department officers had marched
Into the hall Capt G. Leyburn Shorey, the
department mastering officer, assisted by
Joseph P. Ruppel, master of ceremonies,
installed the new officers of the camp,
Capt. Hobson being indicted to his place
as presiding officer and presented with the
gavel the emblem of authority. Being
called upon for speech by those present,
Capt. Hobson responded, thanking the
members for the honor they had conferred
upon him. He urged that every naval man
in the District who served in the war with
Spain, should at once affiliate with the Ad-
miral George Dewey Camp, and added that
there is no reason why there should not
Washington as there are large and -four
ishing military camps. He hoped the
Dewey camp would have a period of re-
juvenatiOn.
He said the soldiers and sailors of 1898
are peculiarly responsible for this country's
welfare.
All Willing to Fight.
whether we all faced the enemy on the
field of battle or not" he added, I'VE all
passed through the mental and psyche
logical experience by responding to our
country's CALI
Commander Hobson said the men who
thus responded were ready and eager to
face any conditions that might have arisen
and to have fought any battles, no matter
how desperate the odds might have been.
One result of the war with Spain was that
this country entered upon a new period Of
national life. He compared this nation be-
fore the Spanish war as a stay-at-home
I'VE believed we should beware Of the
countries beyond the seas. But like the
schoolboy who graduated, the war with
Spain caused the United States to graduate.
We are now twenty-one years of age and
cannot stay at home if we want to. We
must go out in the world for the benef-
cence of mankind
He spoke Of the blessings Of American
institutions as compared with those of the
old world. The rulers here are the servants
of the people, in direct contradiction to the
conditions in Europe, where the people are
the servants. There are no artificial social
barriers here to keep a man down. A man
born a peasant in the old world dies peas
ant. Here, no matter how humble a mans
origin may be, he can aspire to NIL any
place he is fitted to fill.
Il would rather be born a plain citizen
here in America" declared Capt. Hobson,
than to have been born a crown prince
destined to sit upon the throne in any en-
pire under the sum-"
Capt. Hobson defined the responsibilities
of American citizenship, and said there
must be peace.
have not had the Utopian vision of uni
versal peace, but the time has come for a
new era on the face of the earth. Man
now controls the forces Of nature. The
cry now is for more men. We don't have
to kill men now as they did in the devas-
tating wars of the past. Institutions that
are oppressive to mankind in this age will
be crushed into dust. Birds, beasts and
men Of prey are going to the wall.
IF we can only restrain the cruel march
of war; if we can only restrain the strong
over the weak and allow the economic
forces to supplant the art Of war; if our
one century, militarism will be destroyed.
America should go forth and keep the peace
of the world.
I'VE should be the balance of power so
81 l. e.
other, or when the great markets of China
threaten to override the world, we can as
peacemaker make the races friends. We
should be the arbiter of the world. We
The way to do these things Is to give
powerful navy to the peace nation. Let
us then use every effort to bring about
this contamination"
throughout.
Named for Commander-in-Chief.
Maj. Fred. S. Hodgson, past department
commander, U. S. w. ". was the next
speaker. He said every commander-in-chief
OF the Spanish War Veterans heretofore
has been from the army. The time has
come when the navy should furnish ma
tional commander of the organization. The
south has never furnished a commander-in-
chief. Capt. Hobson is both a naval Of
ficer and southerner. and therefore fills
both requirements. Maj. Hodgson then re-
ferred to the gallant work of our match
less navy" and placed Capt. Richmond
Pearson Hobson in nomination for COM
mander-in-chief of the U. s. w. v.
Capt. Lee NJ. Lipscomb said he was
native of the same state in which Capt.
Hobson first saw the light of day. He de-
clared that the hero of the Merrimac" will
be nominated at the forthcoming encamp-
ment of the Spanish War Veterans at Okla
homa City, and that his election will be by
reclamation. He concluded by saying:
THE magic of the name of Hobson would
cause the formation of Spanish War Vet
eran camps throughout the southern
states"
Gen. Andrew s. Burt, u s. A., retired, de-
clared if the matter was left to the women
of this country Capt Hobson would be the
next commander-in-chief. Gen. Burt re-
ferred to his wife as my -commander-in-
Chief and said:
he L. Oh haccad a cd