Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-05-17
Emperor Williams Advice tc
Naval Cadets Concerning
Strong Drink.

(Speecn before naval cadets, Flens-
burg, Nov. 81, l9lO)
will give you in addition, some
advice upon a question which, in
the interest of the nation, I have
very much at heart, the question of
alcohol and of drinking.
I know very we'll that pleasure in
drinking is an old heritage of the
Germans, but we must, by self-dis-
cipline, free ourselves from that
evil.
can assure you that in the
course of my reign of % years, /
have observed from experience that
of the great number of crimes which
have been appealed to me for decis-
ion, nine-tenths were due to alcohol.
Formerly, it used to be consider
ed very smart thing for youth to
take and carry a great quantity of
alcohol, and / myself, as a young
officer, had occasion to see such ex-
amples, but never initiated them.
Those ideas belong to the Thirty
Years War and no longer fit our
times.
Without speaking of the results
of drink, which Il do not need to
describe, wish to call your atten-
tion, especially, to one effect of in
temperance which touches your fu-
ture profession. AS you will OBJ
serve for yourselves, in the course
of your service on shipboard, naval
service demands a height of effort
which is hardly possible to surpass.
1t is necessary that you be able to
endure this continual heavy strain
without exhaustion in order TO b&
fresh for emergencies.
The next war and the next naval
battle will demand. Of f.,,you sound
nerves. Nerve power will decide the
victory. Now, the nerves are under
mined and endangered from youth
up by the use of alcohol.
Later, you will have opportunity
to see the target ships and the effect
of modern projectiles upon vessels,
and from this you will be able to
form an idea of the condition in a
battle. If you are in one, you will
see frightful devastation and null
titude of things happening. Victory
will lie with the nation that uses
the smallest amount of alcohol.
That, gentlemen, must be your po-
sition. Then through you the troops
will be shown an example, and that
goes farthest with the men.
Therefore, this is what I expect
from you-that here in the naval
academy or on shipboard, in all
comradeship and'i. i.iendliness, which
need not suffer in any thereby, you
watch yourselves and each other in
this regard, that you do not count
the use of alcohol one of your priyi.
leges.
There are in the navy in the
course of formation or already form
ed, Good Templar Lodges and Blue
Cross societies. Many officers and
some hundreds of men belong to
them. 1 hope that you will do every
thing which you can to persuade
the men to join. I do not need to
call your attention to the example
of the British navy, where 10000
officers and men already belong to
these societies, to the very great
benefit of the navy.
This is a matter of very great
Importance to our navy and to our
people. If you train the troops to
renounce alcohol, ] shall have sound
and sane subjects. This is matter
of great future Importance, for the
men when they leave the service
will carry the thought back to the
whole country. If you will uphold
these principles, i: will uplift the
people morally. I pray for your CO.