The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-11
Surcst Guaranty Of Peace.

ga In clOSlnS,g TRENDS ana e1ellOW-CltlzenSI
of Georgia, let me say ono word sug-
gested by tho recent ceremonies, IN
which you have Just taken part, in con-
nection with your: gift to the noble
battleship named after your State. Our
battleships and great armored cruisers
our fighting craft, are named after the
States Of our Union. and this symbol
ICES the fact that the navy Is a COM
mon possession Of all Of u.s. and that
Its honor and its triun1phs are as dear
dwells anywhere inland as to true
American who dWells anywhere on the
seacoast.
The navy is our surest guaranty for
peace, and, II war should ever come, it
will be the greatest safeguard for our
honor and our interest. As is likewise
true Of our army it is manned by a
volunteer force; for it must never be
forgotten that all our soldiers and
sailors. whether regular or not. are
should be given to our navy, and no
public servant should be pardoned for
falling to do everything in him to see,
that we have the best type Of ships
enlisted men are held to the strictest
accountability for 50 practicing with
the ships and guns that no navy tnttoat
shall. ship for ship. 3. squadron for
squn Or on, be our superior
II the officers and enlisted men do
their duty-and am thankful to say
that in our navy the cases where they
do not do their duty are relatively few
in number-they put US all under a
deep obligation to them, and we should
|agement in our power. The higher a
man. is in the service, the greater
should be our insistence upon having
the best kind Of man. We should have
a system Of promotion either by elm
ocre officers could not come to the top.
Tho officers in responsible positions
should be watched with peculiar care.
Each captain Of @ ship must do his
duty Just as emphatically as the en-
way they do their duty will largely
depend upon the way he does his He
must keep his officers and men In good
order, and he must remember that It
hill. If they. deteriorate in discipline
or become Disseminated. Modern wars
are in reality decided long before they
are fought. earnestly hope that we
shall never have another war; but, II
we do. its result Will have been deter
minden In advance; for its outcome will
mainly depend upon the preparation
which has been made to meet 1t in time
of peace. 81 W. . IA I 49,. t.i5
This lesson OF preparedness does not.
relate merely to war: 1t is Just as true
Of our ordinary civic affairs. It Is as
true Of the nation as of tho Individual.
Each OF us does any given pieco OF
work well or III. largely according to
how he has previously trained himself
to do 1t. The nation, which is but the
aggregate OF the individuals composing
| it, will rise or fail to rise in any great
crisis, according to the ideals and
standards that It has kept In mind IN
ordinary days, nnd, according to the
way in which 1t has practically trained
itself to realize these ideals and come
up to these standards. We must insist
upon justice and fair dealing as be-
tween nann and man. We must strive
each OF us to treat his fellow with
an eye single to what his conduct
warrants. We must work hard and
We must be kindly and conslderate.
and yet show that at need we have
iron in our blood. II we live our ordi-
nary everyday lNes after this fashion,
wo need have no fear that the priceless
gift of free government VIII wither In
our hands. ;tsis 5s IS