Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-05-24
CAPTAIN DAVENNYS SPEECH.

The Herald was glad to report Cap
tain Dayenny's speech of Thursday
night at some length. In fact, The Her
aid regrets that the address could not
be given in its entirety.
The speech was timely That of course
was not its only merit. In fact it must
nave merit of its own, great merit 10 he
timely 1t may be worth while to recap
itulate briefly som of the points he
made, remembering at the same time,
that the points he made were Of a ma
ture to come directly home to the people
of Brownsville. 1t was not SO much that
he discussed the value Of water trans
portation of freights, as that he proved
the necessity of it to us.
He showed us how the city of Frank
furt. in Germany, an old city, linked
with innumerablc historical associa
ions with the affairs Of Europe re
NAMED an old city, having, after cen
turtles of ex itencc, a population 10000
Within % years Of the end Of the nine
tenth century. Frankfurt created a ship
channel 500 mLcs long. Ceased from that
moment TO be a slumbering relic Of the
Empire of Charlemagne. and became a
city of 100000, people. with a great com
merce, that is to say with Il high place
in the worlds development.
He also told us of the development of
Manchester, England. by means Of a
great canal which gave her an inlet for
her needs and an outlet for her products
by way of the sea.
He told us of the development of
Bremen, by means Of her water facilities
and showed us why and how New York
Outstripped her great rival Philadel,
phia.
Surely we cannot overlook the great
fact that like causes produce like effects.
Ii Brownsville could secure deep water,
she stands many miles nearer to the
Panama canal than any American city
BY virtue of her situation she must
become an ideal distributing point for
the wealh which must come into the
southwest through the canal. Also by
virtue of her situation she must become
an outlet for the rapidly ~increas bag pro
ducts of the great region which must
inevitably become tributary TO her with
deep water
1t is a great prize that lies ahead
of us. Is it worth c%cntending for? r it
worth working for? Is If worth the sac
ridce Of small conflicting interests? Is
Is worth the pooling of interests that
may be necessary t. get it? Is it worth
the deveiopment of public spirit needed
in securing it?
We were told by the gentleman who
addressed us that a good water way new
or costs nearly as much as it is worth
Proved by the history of Frankfurt. Man
chester. Rrcmen-and over and over
again ii The history of our " land.
BroWnSv3le may now stand ut the
parting OF the ways-as other cities have
stoJd-waES that lead to glory or to
shame. There is a tide in the affairs Of
cities. As well as III the affairs Of men,
which, taken at its flood. leads on to
fortune. Over and over again is this
truth borne out in the history OF our
ouwn country. II would be easy to fiji
columns with instances of this great
truth.
The question of deep water for Browns
vile Is not 4 question of realizing a
dream, but of laying hold of oppor-
tunity.
The pull we have TO make NAV be
q long one: it needs must be a strano
pull: but over and above all
other things, it must be a pull altogeth-
er.