Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-11
FOR A NEW ARM0RY
SoIons Promise to Aid LIST
Battery, N. G. D. c.
LAUD ARTILLERY BRANCH
Speaker Clark and Representatives
Sulzer, Hay and Hobson
Address Guardsmen.


Address Guardsmen.
The 1st Battery. Field Artillery. Ma
| tional Guard of the District of Columbia
and conspicuous part Of the Congress
OF the United States met at the battery
armory on Missouri avenue last night.
Speaker Champ Clark, Representative
Hay, chairman of the House committee
on military affairs: Representative Rich
mond P. Hobson and Representative
Sulzer addressed the batterymen prais-
ing then for their military zeal and
patriotism. telling them of the pride the
nation feels in the volunteer soldier, la
menting the lack of adequate armory ia
cilities in the District Of Columbia and
promising their help in correcting the
discouraging condition.
All seats in the drill hall were filled by
the District artillerymen and their
friends from Batteries D, E and F of the
d Field Artillery at Fort Myer when
sembly was sounded and Capt. Shannon
set the festivities rolling.
Hay Commends Discipline.
Representative Hay was the first speak,
er. He made an address of some length
and frequently stirred the crowd to tumul-
tuous applause and cheering. He admit
ted he had had much to do with mill
tary legislation for many years. He had
Striven to promote the efficiency of the
Nationa! Guard and would pursue this
policy throughout the rest of his career,
because he be ieved that the guard was
the great bulwark of defense of the re-
public. He would like to see a wider
and more enthusiastic .popu ar recogni-
ton of the work of the patriots who
delve for living and spend their leisure
and often neglect their own business in
the upbuilding of the citizen so diery and
in keeping alive that military spirit
which has carried the republic victOri-
ously through so many wars. He, Of
course. hoped the time might never come
when the cali TO arms would be heard in
this country. but due preparation for
such a contingency was a proper pro-
ceeding. and discip inc, as he observed
it in the bate. y. was good thing in
itself for young men.
Be Prepared, Says Robson.
Mr.. Hobson. the succeeding speaker.
was greeted with enthusiasm. He was
impressed with the perseverance of the
guardsmen, their determination to MAIN
tain effective military organization and
the high spirit of the battery. He knew
that in coming wars artillery would play
more important part than in previous
conflicts, and, because of the remarkable
development Of ordnance, battles would
be settled by artillery. He said it was
an arm Of the military service requirlng
the highest technical knowledge and in
which efficiency could be attained and
maintained only by close and steady ap-
plication to the subject. Mr.. Hobson said
he had been repea tedly misrepresented
in his attitude toward the future. But
it was as certain as that night follows
day th.-t the era of universal peace is not
at hand When war would come he did
not pretend to know, but in these days
developments come quickly and things
happen fast Up to within a recent
been an exporter of farm products to the
great manufacturing nations. A change
had come about. The United States had
become manufacturing nation. Compel
ing with the older countries. invading
their markets and reaching out for new
ones. Friction must result as foreign
nations see their trade and business be-
ing absorbed by new and aggressive
industrial power.
War Not Test of Resources.
Wars, said Mr.. Hobson, had become
not test of resources. but test of
preparedness. The power best pre-
pared won. Prussia and Austria fought
prepared. Austria accepted defeat.
Germany and France fought Ger
many's preparation was better and she
won. France accepted defeat. Russia
and Japan fought and Russia accepte1
defeat after few months. In none OF
these instances was there any test of
resources. Not in any case was the
vanquished Frustrated.
In this country, compared with the
military powers OF the world, there was
no preparation. Conflict would re-
suit in American humiliation. The
licked. Accept your defeat. In the in
terest Of humanity and civilization stop
this war. You have no right to demon
alize the trade and business of the
country would call for peace. And the
United States might accept defeat with
out ever bringing into the contest it's
ma gnificent resources.
After such defeat desire for revenge
would possess the newer generation. The
lesson of preparedness would have been
dearly learned. Twenty years later the
war would be fought over with a different
result. Everything is to be lost and
nothing gained by Indifference and lack
of preparation. Mr.. Hobson made deep
impression on the guardsmen and the
regulars, who cheered him at intervals.
Ovation for Speaker Clark.
When Speaker Clark walked across the
drill hall a storm of cheering and ap-
plause broke loose. 1t was some time be-
fore he could speak. He explained he
didn't know as much about war as Mr..
Hobson did. and that serving as Speaker
Of the House Of Representatives and be-
ing a candidate for the presidency at the
same time kept him busy. But he was
glad to come down and get some first
hand information about National Guard
problems, ambitions and hopes, and
whether he became President, or remain
ed as Speaker of the House or got turned
back into an ordinary congressman, he
would continue to feel an interest in the
men who make IN the National Guard,