The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-01


 the war.
 When I see some of my fellow citizens spread finder where the sparks are fy- ing, I wonder from what their ideal of Ame1canism issued and I dare say, you realize the solemnity of the feeling with which come to audiences of my fellow citizens at this time. I cannot indulge in the reckless pleasure of expressing my own private opinions and prejudices. l speak as the trustee of the nation, called upon to speak it's sober judgments and not its individual opinions and, therefore, 1t is with the feeling of this responsi- bility upon me that I have come to you tonight or have approached the other au- diences that I have had the privilege of addressing upon this journey.
 NAVY IS IN SHAPE
 T am told by the experts to whose Judgment I must defer in these matters | that the navy of the United States in respect of it's enumerated force ranks only fourth among the navies of the world. l entertain and I indulge myself with the opinion that in quality it ranks very much higher than fourth place and that the United States has never been negligent of it's navy despite what some gentlemen may say; least of all has it been negligent in recent years. Three years ago there were 1o2 vessels in com | mission. There are now 238. Three dreadnaughts and 15 subordinate craft will be added within a month or two. There have been added 5000 capable sail ors to the ranks of the enlisted men of that navy. The Congress of the Uni ted States in the last three years has poured out more money than was poured out on the average in any previous years | of the history of the United States for the maintenance and upbuilding of the navy. It has spent $44,OO00OO a year as entrusted with a previous average of not more than $33, 100000.
 "All the subsidiary arms of the service have been built up. Three years ago there were four officers assigned to duty con- nected with aviation and they did not have a single available-at any rate, usa- ble-craft at their service. Now there are 37 airships, 121 commissioned officers, a large number of noncommissioned of- ficers, and a sufficient force of enlist ed men in the school and practice at Pensacola. And that is only the begin ming because the Sixty-third Congress, the last Congress, was the first to make an appropriation for aviation in connec- ton with the navy We have given to the present fleet of the United States an organization such as it never had be- fore am told by Admiral Fletcher, and we have made preparations for immediate war so far as the navy is concerned.
 q have proposed to Congress that for one thing we at once build our own armor plant; not for the purpose Of making all the armament that our ships need, unless it should become necessary, but for the purpose of keeping the price within reach; and I have proposed to Congress, also, that we prepare to man ufacture also the munitions which the government may need; for the same purpose not to drive other people out of business, but merely to serve other people with notice that, if necessary, we will manufacture all the munitions we need.
 We have had some experience in this matter The navy now makes very large proportion of it's own powder. Before it began it paid 53 cents a pound for it, and now it pays 36 cents, which shows the very interesting effect of government competition upon the price And so all along the line we mean busi- ness, and we are going to see that busi- ness characterizes the processes of na- tional events We would not be Ameri- cans if we did not.
 But what army have we availabl can tell you, because it has been necessary for us to take care of the patrolling of the very long southern bor- der between us and Mexico, that we have not men enough in the United States army for the routine work of peace. And the increase in the regular army that is being proposed to the present Congress is intended only to bring the regular army up to an adequate peace establishment. I say that is all that is being proposed with regard to the regu- lar army. The United States has never, my fellow citizens, depended upon the regular army to conduct its wars It has depended upon the volunteers of the United States. And it has never been disappointed either in their numbers or in their quality.
 T have been asked by questioning friends in Washington whether I thought a sufflcient number of men would VOL unteer for the training or not. Why if they would not, 1t is not the America that you and I have known. Something has happened. They have said Do you suppose that the men who empty young men would give them leave to take this training" I said, Certainly, I suppose It. l know it. Because I know that the patriotism of America Is not a name and an empty boast, but a splendid realty
 SORRY FOR SKEPTICS
 IT they did not do it I should be ashamed of America and I never expect to see the day when America gives me the slightest reason to be ashamed of her. am sorry for the skeptics who peheve that the responsibility would not be tremendous by gruding, but overflow ing Tn It's abundant strength, and it is to prove that that We want to trv the plans that are before the present Con. gress. You will remind me of the great National Guard of the country but how great is it. ladies and gentlemen? There are lOO,OOOOO0 people in this country. but there are only 129,000 men in the National Guard, and those 129,000 men are under the direction, by the constitutional ar engagements Of our system, of the gov ernors of more than twoscore states The President of the United States fs not at liberty to call them out of their states excet upon the occasion of actual invasion of the territory of the United States.
 "The destiny of America lies written III, the hnes Of poets, in the characters of