McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-05-19

places. In tight enough pinch, We
could raise a volunteer army Of sew
eral millions of as brave men as ever
lived; but bravery alone will not save
us. We may have to meet the skilled
soldiers Of scientific peoples. But,
on the other hand, we do not want to
become too war-like a nation, for that
would, some think. invite trouble, and
harden our own hearts. 1t is time for
deep thought, prayer, and above all,
single-hearted devotion to American
ideals. Our navy will be our main
bulwark Of safety. wish all your
readers could go through the navy
yard at Washington and see the can
non being turned out there. Many
Of them are five feet thick at the
base, sixty feet long, and weigh 100,-
600 pounds each, and can throw a
l2OO-pound projectile Is miles. You
can see hundreds of these monsters
slowly turning in the lathes which
are shaping them up for use, and
thousands Of men are at work at as
many different machines, shaping up
the numberless parts Of the gun, car
rage, projectiles, etc. Some Of these
guns are mounted on disappearing"
carriages, which allow them to rise
up out Of a pit, FIRE, and fall back out
Of the way Of the enemy's fire.
Many of these cannon are built up
in layers, or Jackets" as they are
called, the first long tube Of thick
steel having one jacket after another
'shrunk on it while very hot, so that
in cooling it is like one piece. Some
times the long tube is wound with
square steel wire, drawn on while it
is turning. the wire stretched with a
pulling strength of thousands of
pounds. That makes very strong
gun. The Aero Club of America
wants us to spend four hundred mil
lions Of dollars in providing aero
planes and air ships to float in the air
all around our coast lines. and warn
us or fight when the enemy's ship
comes in sight. Rising to height
of a mile or more, these war-ships of
the sky could drop explosives on the
ships on the sea, and make it hard
for an enemy to lombard our shores.
And if the great Zeppelin air-ships
now dropping bombs on London and
Paris should be so perfected that
they can cross the ocean to our
shores, we certainly will have to fight
them with air craft as we'll.
How grand it would be. if the prin-
ciples Of Jesus could govern this
planet! But the Bible itself is full Of
lessons Of self-defense. and the peace
propaganda Of William ]. Bryan is
now almost universally regarded as
untimely. His picture is ridiculed in
the theaters, and he is just now one
Of the most unpopular Americans.
Some day his principles will prevail,
but they will not do now. There is
no use for quoting the Golden Rule
when you see burglar climbing the
back stairs with his pistol drawn.
Bryan is great man. saw his sig
nature, at the Russian Embassy in
Washington, on an arbitration treaty
between this country and Russia, and
he has signed a couple Of dozen Of
them with other countries. But what
good did q treaty do the countries Of
Europe in August, 1914?
Ipray, with Daniel Webster, that |
may never behold the downfall. Of
this glorious republic; that the silver
streams Of Tennessee may never run
red with blood Of friend or foe, as
the rivers have done in Europe now
for many day; that my life and that
Of all who are now living, may pass
away in the course of nature before
an alien footstep shall soil our hal
lowed ground. Stronger than love Of
parent for child, of man for woman,
of the miser for his gold, or even the
hope of a better life in the hereafter,
is the tie that binds us to our native
land. And the flag that exemplifes
that land-we will know fully what it
means when it waves over our hosts
advancing to defend it from an invad-
er from without.
We know not what the future holds,
Nor where that flag may bid us go,
But gathered meath Its radiant folds,
We fear no earthly foe.
The Hand that safely led us here