Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-17
CONGRESSMAN FROM ALA.
6AMA LECTURES ON 1.-THE
DESTINY OF AMERICA"
URGES GREAT NAVY
AS PEACE PROMOTER
Lies. He Said, In Power on the Seas
Glasses Alcohol as Americas In
ternal Destroyer-Erucation Of Chill
dren Country's Hope.

Arguing for great navy as d pro-
moter and insurer Of peace, and urg-
ing education as the only great nope
FOR prohibition Capt. Richard P. Hob
son, congressman from Alabama,
and hero of the Spanish American
war, discussed a two phases subject in
his lecture, The Destiny Of America
at the Baptist church Friday evening
The audience numbered about 300, and
the lecture closed the course arranged
by the Baptist Brotherhood.
Dealing as ne did with very broad
subjects Captain Hobsons lecture
could scarcely be classed as popular,
using the word in the sense in which.
it is gen orally applied. The lecturer
did however. compress great deal of
weighty matter into his discussion
which dealt in part with international
and world-W ide policies.
A Navy for Peace.
The external destroyer" and the
internal destroyer were the phases OF
his subject into which he divided his
lecture Under the first sub head he
discussed the chances Of probable war
with foreign countries. Under the sec
ond he discussed the liquor traffic and
prohibition.
Having been reared in the navy il
would be natural for Captain Hobson
TO argue that the surest safeguard
against foreign wars was great navy.
This he did at some length. He argued
that real and serious external dangers
threatened the country. And in doing
SO he pointed out that the nation that
VIII be the world power is the nation
whose ships of commerce and battle
ships control the seas. America can
not become such d nation, he said, un-
til the position on the seas IS IN
questioned.
Coasts Unprotected.
He pointed out that our long Pacific
coast is yulerrla bic TO successful attack
at almost any place, and that the seiz-
IRE of our island possession would be
a compa ratively easy task for a first
rate naval power. New York, ne said,
could be bombarded with impunity
and small risk.
He quoted naval statistics 20 prove
that from rank of second place, that
at the time OF the Spanish American
war. it had now dropped 10 third place.
He predicted by 1918 the United States
would rank no higher than seventh.
To insure peace with foreign nations
he said we must have a navy that
other powers would fear AS to cost,
he said, the expense created by the
Spanish American war would have
built up a mighty navy for many
years.
Education the Only Hope.
The education of the children. he ad :
vanced. as the only hope Of the nation
in promoting sobriety and abstinence
from drink. He went into the scienti-
tfc phases OF the subject of alcohol as
a poison and toxin affecting especially
the brain cells. other statistics were
quoted to show the death toll taken by
alcohol. From the death rate tables
Of the four largest insurance com
panies he showed how the young man
who begins drinking at 20 years Of
age, shortens his life an average Of
thirty years, and the young man of the
same age, VINO drinks moderately
shortens his life an average of thirteen
years. as COMPARED with the non
drinker Similar statistics were used
to show the death rate among the
children Of drinking parents.
Will Make Small Sum.
Captain Hobson sees no hope in the
third party movement. He clings to
the idea that the nations sole hope for
freedom from drink is to be found in
the education of the children. to teach
them tha1 alcohol is a poison AID TO
show them its effects.
The entertainment course that closed
with Captain Hobson's lecture is the
first one the brotherhood has pro-
NOTED. Altho the course was not
planned as q money making scheme, it
is estimated that the brotherhood Will
be ahead a small sum.