The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-12-17
Secretary of Navy, Assistant
Secretary of War and Chair
man of House Committee on
Naval Affairs Stir Hesrers al
Great Charleston Gathering
Speakers Declare That Pre-
paredness is Necessary in
South's DeveIopmenf-Urge
Military and Naval Needs.

/ Charleston, Dec. 15.-The note of
adequate military and naval prepared
ness as necessary for the fullest de-
Velopment of the South and the ma
tion, the avowed object of the South
ern Commercial congress in session
here, was the key to today's sessions
when the congress, turning from the
subject of world peace generally, de-
voted national defense day" to a dis
cussion of measures by which the
United States might be safeguarded
for it's true pursuit of ideals and as
pirations.
TO strike this chord the congress
authorities had brought to Charleston
a trio of Speakers intimately associat-
ed with the problems of national de-
fense. Secretary Daniels of the navy
department, Assistant Secretar,
Breckenridge of the war department
and Lemuel P. Padgett, congressman
from Tennessee and chairman of the
| house committee on naval affairs, ex-
pounded this pressing topic of the
day from their viewpoints.
Mr. Padgett in ringing logic as
sailed critics of the navy department,
| citing reports and figures to show that
man for men and ship for ship the
American navy is the equal, or su-
perior, of any other and that under
the administration of Secretary Dan
iels the personnel and material of the.
navy had improved to a notable de-
gree. His severe charactelizations of
| the ignorant or malicious critics of
| the secretary struck a responsive
chord in the minds of his audience, as
was 'attested by applause of his refuts,
tion and argument.
I Mr.. Daniels theme was "The South
and the Navy" In the course Of. his
Tspcceh-ssss tsuchsdl Ton the interest of.
@the South In a greater nav. -,s,.gs-
the building up of a merchant T. IT,
in consonance with the increase in tn.
sea power of the nation Hes smoke
often of South Cardinals part in the
past glories of the navy and of the
part her sons today are playing in
maintaining the sea forces of the hna-
tion at high pitch of excellence.
Mr.. breckenridge, speaking for his
chief, who was unavodably detained,
explained the continental army sys-
TEN proposed by the administration
and declared that one of three things
must be accepted-a voluntary sys-
TEN, conscription or national helpless
ness and humiliation. He proposed
the continental army plan as the best
solution of the problem.
Senator B. r. Tillman followed
with few words of good will to the
people of Charleston and then the
great morning session adjourned the
peace and defense idea to be further
emphasized by the parade of 1000
bluejacketS, marines, coast artillery
men, naval militia, citizen soldiers
and the trim, gray clad youths from
the Military College of South Care
lima.
The Artillery hall was packed to
the doors for the morning session
with Senator Fletcher presiding.
Se9ator Tilman. chairman of Tho
senate naval affairs committee, was
present, as was Gov. Manning, to-
gether with other celebrities in vari-
Gus lines. In the gallery in the rear
was the Citadel band, which opened
the program with selections. Clos,
to the front were seated the girls I,
the Confederate Home college.
hind them were the gray clad caUe.
of the Citadel. Delegates to the COM
mercial congress and citizens file
the remainder of the hall. ..s
Charleston, Dec. 15.-Marching in
ordered ranks through the streets of
Charleston, which aforetime hav.
echoed and reechoed to the bursting
of hostile shells, when the Swamp
Angel" barked from its lonely pit in
the marshy lands by the sea, nearly
1000 men of varied arms of the SER
vice gave to delegates to the South
ern Commercial congress and visitors
an impressive demonstration of the
practical appearance of nations de-
fense force. Doubly fitting was the
setting of the parade, with the gray
hulks of the battleships looming silent
in the harbor as symbols of the force
which will preserve inviolate the
coasts of the country and with a host
of earnest men gather from all
parts of the South as guests of the
city which today saw the soldiers and
sailors pass through its streets.
The combined military and nava,
parade was the crowning symbolic
touch which marked day devoted to
considSration of the imminent prob
lems of the nations safety from out
side interference.