The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-12-18
To The Older Folks

through the intelligence and courage
and loyalty Of her officers and men,
the battleship Florida will ever carry,
throughout the world, the sweet,
gentle suggestion of sweet, lovely
peace as symbolized in the jasmine and
the orange blossoms represented on
this beautiful service.
You will observe the American
eagle, the proud bird of our great ma
tion, in which every state has a per-
sonal interest and in which no state
has a greater interest than the state
of Florida
The power and strength of our
great nation, and the courage and 10y
atty of our men and women to the
flag, has been thoroughly established
until there is no nation or combina-
tiOn Of nations on earth who would
dare to invade our borders. There
may be some who. if we were unpre-
pared, might be foolhardy enough to
try conclusions with US on the wa
ters. On all occasions, even when our
navy was so small as to be inSig-
nificant in it's armament and the
number Of it's ships, the navy has ever
upheld the honor and glory Of our
flag. Such results could not have
been accomplished but for the men
who built our vessels strong and true
and but for the officers and but for
the men behind the guns. In our in
fancy. twice have we successfully ar
bitrated with the foremost naval pow
| ers of the world, using the persuasive
arguments of shot and shell. In our
own titanic struggle. among ourselves
| we showed the world that there could
be no such heroes as they who wore
! the blue and gray, and no such hero
| ines as their mothers, wives, daugh-
| ters, sisters and sweethearts. 1t was
in this war that armored vessels We're
| first used. In our more recent con-
| test with the old mistress of the
| western hemisphere, we showed how
results could be accomplished, as Ad-
miral Dewey wired without Casual
| ties and how sailors could be
| thoughtful as we'll as brave. 1t wa:
Captain Cook of the navy. who, at the
battle of Santiago. said, Don't cheer
boys, the poor fellows are dying
Brave and noble men are ever gen
erous. 1t was the same captain tt
| whom wire was sent cautionin G
him to look out for the vessels of {
certain fleet. He replied, 1--WE are
| looking out for them
| OF the three great nations, the Brit
ish French and Spanish who hav,
done most in the discovery and settle
ment of this continent, Florida is tn,
only land over which the flags of tn.
three have floated. We have inherited
the best qualities and characteristic:
of them all The best of every stat.
in the nation and the best of ever,
nation on the globe is represented il
our population. This is a distinctive
feature of the people of our great ma
ton. In no other state is this dis
tinctive feature so prominently rec
ogniZed as it is in Florida. We are
therefore. more national than an!
other state.
In conclusion. it is therefore, highl.
appropriate for the state whose pro
ducts contribute so much pleasure an.
so much joy and so much comfort I
all the people of the nation, and who's
population is more national than tina
| OF any other state, should have il
name borne by one of the creates
battleships of one of the greatest ma
tions OF the greatest world in whic
any of us have ever lived, moved an
had our being"