The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-05-16
AMERICAN PREPAREDNESS

cles OF Galveston, Houston and Aus
tin. Spillanc is an American Celt. H'
has no use for hyphens. II is his
firm conviction that all citizens
native-born or adopted should follow
the flag. He wouldn't permit an aIier
to live in this land of the free un
less the aforesaid alien renounced al
legianCe to the land of his birth. Al
all-American is Richard Spillane He
isn't of the opinion that an efetC
civilization is threatening this repub
/ lie. He does not believe that our
army is a scarecrow and our navy a
myth. Read the following:
What has become of that Yankee
brag and Yankee brass we used tC
hear so much about? From the repu
tation the British gave us years age
we were a nation of blusterers, al
ways talking to ourselves and what we
could do; always overstating things
never willing to concede that anyone
could equal us in anything. There
was a good deal of truth in the Brit
| sh indictment.
To-day, however the American, as
a rule, understates everything regard
ing his country. If proof is necessary
let us consider what has been said
over and over in respect to prepared
ness. Our army is nothing and our
navy sadly deficient we have been
told repeatedly, In case of war we
would be helpless, or nearly so.
"Our army is not much. Armies of
democracies always are small. What
little there is of ours is good Our
men have done some things in this
Mexican campaign that we would
class as wonderful if we were in the
spirit to appreciate ourselves.
"Our navy is not so good as it
should be, but it is not so bad as
we have been trying to make oursely-
es think.
"What we have not taken into ac-
count is the strength we have demon
strated in an industrial way,
strength that would be of immense
value if we came to war.
There has been lot said about
the magnitude of the Krupp works
Charles NJ Schwab is quoted as au-
thority for the statement that the
Bethlehem Steel company today is
the equal of the Krupp.
There has been great deal of
grief over our lack of shipbuilding
facilities. In the first three months
of this year American yards launch
ed l7S merchant vessels of 94,46i
tons. The British yards launched 90
vessels of SO,561 tons. This is the
first time in many years that America
has led Britain in this field. Accord
ing to the figures of the department
of commerce American merchant
ships now building or under contract
approNimate the British output for
| the future. We may drop far behind
when peace comes, or we may not.
At any rate. our shipbuilding facili'
ties have increased greatly.
zone of the most remarkable of all
our DEVELOPMENTS of strength has
been in the training we have had in
! the making of munitions. If we em-
ployed all our facilities to the fullest
we could make war material enough
for all the armies of Europe.
"What is more, we have one-third of
the wealth of the world
THE most powerful armies or ma
vies of the earth might muss us but
the United states never was stronger
than it is today. Americans will argue
AGAINST this fact and almost convince
themselves that it is not So That
is good in itself. 1t is better to be
modest than to be a braggart; better
to underestimate yourself than to
overestimate.'
Mr.. Spinane is entitled to vote Of
thanks. He has punctured the alarm
list and the terrorist. He has shown
that America is all right; that the
republic of the fathers is not hitting
the toboggan slide, and that should
an emergency arise the sons of Uncle
Sam will give a good account Of
themselves
Americans are building ships.
Americans are sending trade evan.
gels to South American countries.
Americans are sending financiers
to all the civilized countries Of the
globe.
Americans are preparing for
merchant marine. American ship.
building facilities are all right.
All the powerful nations of Europe
are on the road that leads to bank
ruptcy.
All the once powerful nations Of