The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-05
lHOBSON'S STIRRING SPEECH
 FOR MORE NAVY CHAPLAINS
Arouse Applause in House by Examples From Personal Ex perience to Show That the American Navy is
 GodFearing Service
By c. n. STEWART

Washington, May -(Special.)--Ala hama can justly lay claim to two of the real genuine orators of the House of Representatives. There are few ora- tors. strange as 1t may seem, in the House. Speaker Clark might be chased as an orator. and Representative Claude Kitchen of North Carolina. who will succeed Representative Underwood as the majority leader, Is one of the great ora- tors of the House. But no state can boast of two except Alabama. Repre- sentatives Heflin and Hobson are both great speakers. No matter upon what subject they talk, they are always as- sured of a good audience. and liberal applause.
 Last Saturday the House had under consideration the naval appropriation bill. The question of increasing the number of chaplains in the navy was under dis cussion. Representative Hobson spoke
 in support of an increase in the number of chap1alns. He pointed out that the navy Is a "God-fearing service and that at Annapolis every cadet was expected to attend church every Sunday. It was not prepared speech, but was delivered on the spur of the moment But 1t won for him generous and enthusiastic ap- plause.
 ''The deepest impression ever made upon me as a boy said Captain Hobson,
 was received my first Sunday on war vessel.
 If L. remember correctly we were at anchor near the capes of the Chesapeake About 10 o'clock Sunday morning the boatswain's mate piped his whistle and called, lay aft port watch of afterguards and rig church. They got out the little portable organ, erected little altar, arranged the campstools with hymnals and prayerbooks. At 10:30 the bell began to strike slowly. It was the call to divine service, and officers mid shipmen and enlisted men began to as- semble aft. As the bell began to strike saw the stars and stripes come down.
 Tt astounded me to see the national flag come down from the. peak. Then saw another flag start up on the yard arm halyards. It had blue cross on a white background-we call it the church pennant. It WAS hoisted to the yard arm Then I saw the national flag start up again. this time on the yard arm halyards. It rose slowly. and then it stopped reverently, just beneath the church flag; and there 1t was flying dur ing the whole service out there under the sky. I watched it all during that service, and the symbolism of the sight was engraven forever in my heart
 "I have since then realized the signifi- canoe; notably once when I was on the deck of one of our ships in the harbor of Corfu, in the Mediterranean, with the first white squadron. on the old Chicago flagship of Admiral Walker who was A I came up on the deck before breakfast one day 1t was gala day ashore, a feast Of the passover of the Creek church. The flags were flying. Looking out I happened to notice hoist of flags on the promontory on which stood the gover- nor's palace. It was the official flag pole. There was hoist of flags. prac- tically of all nations. as it seemed, with the American flag halfway up. There was the English flag. and the French flag. and the Italian flag. I counted sev- eral flags above ours. although ours were the only ships in the harbor. I felt a strange sensation. I did not know what to make of it. I knew that at that time our little navy was the laughing stock of the civilized world, but knew that the nation it represented was not to be made light of, and I wondered by what precedent they were called upon there to put other flags, of other nations, above ours.
 ''At that point Admiral Walker came upon deck. It was his custom to take a little constitutional On deck before breakfast. He saw the scene before him and stopped. and his eyes finally fell on the governors palace, and then that hoist of flags. He was an old sea dog. can see him, now. His brows began to knit; he took out his binoculars. lev eled them on the hoist of flags to make sure. and then turned over his shoulder down the gangway. 'bugler, call away the barge Nobody ever heard of the barge being called away for an official visit at that time of the day. The barge's crew hurried aft to man the boat. Then he turned to his orderly-how well I can see him now as he said orderly, tell the Nag lieutenant to report to me on deck in full uniform at once. Soon the flag