Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-12
GEN. WOODS SPEECH
At TECH IS A PLEA
FOR PREPAREDNESS
He DenounCeS Volunteer SyS-
tenn, Not Volunteer Spirit
and Declares Militia Plan Is
"Rotten to the Core"

In true soldier fashion. General
Leonard A. Wood ex-football star. ex-
Tech student and commander of the de-
partment of the southeast, Monday
called upon the senior class of the
Georgia School of Technology. their IA
theirs, mothers and friends. to stand up
and face the war for themselves and
humanity.
Dwelling not so much on the glory
obligation and the privilege and the
hope that out of it all would come
new consciousness and a new organism,
the great American soldier told them
frankly that millions would go abroad
and many never return.
But we are going to look our enemy
in the face during the war;" he said.
"And we must do that If we look our
friends in the face after the war"
General Woods address was delivered
from a platform raised in front of the
main college building and marked the
occasion Of the twenty-ntnth annual
commencement of Tech.
Though he took particular pains to
stress the Importance of technical train
ing and to warn those present against
the folly of stripping our colleges and
universities of men who hadn't yet
completed their education, the generals
speech was q war speech. He flouted
the unspeakable lack of commonsense
in the policy of unpreparedness, he
scored the volunteer system-not the
volunteer spirit, and declared that the
militia system was rotten to the core"
I'VE are now preparing for the first
time thoroughly to organize our eco
nomic fighting forces. But we should
never forget, he said, that we are MAX
ing our preparations behind "the bleed
ing lines of France and England" New
err again in our national history should
we ever find ourselves in a similar po-
sition of helplessness.
GREAT AUDIENCE PRESENT.
The address of General Wood was the
first upon the program of the commence
ment exercises, following Immediately
after the Invocation. which was pro-
nounced by Rev. Richard Orme Finn,
pa stor of the North Avenue Presbyterian
church.
An immense crowd had gathered under
the shade trees preceding the appear
ance of the graduating class and the
speakers of the occasion. At 1890 o'clock,
however, the seniors formed a double
line and marched down the center aisles
to the seats that had been prepared for
them.
Following them came groups Of alum
nj, the faculty, members of the board
Of trustees, then Chancellor David C.
Barrow of the University of Georgia,
President K. G.. Matheson of Georgia
Tech, Governor Harris and the principal
sneaker of the occasion, General Wood
After being introduced by President
Matheson as Americas greatest SOL
der" the general opened up by recall
ing his old Tech days. He had had a
warm spot in his heart for Tech ever
since they had gone down to Athens and
taught Georgia how to play football.
He was going to make another trip to
Athens for the purpose of delivering
an address on the Fourth of July, but
he was sure that it would be no warmer
then than it had been on the occasion of
his former visit
He noticed. he said, that prominent
among the members of the graduating
class were men who were now taking
the training at Fort Mcpherson. He
hoped that this sight would drive home
to all those present the increasing So
lemnity and gravity of the fact that the
United States was now at war with the
greatest military power on earth.
This necessitated the most compre-
hensive mobilization Of military forces,
of economic forces, of thought and of
oplIAbucA SlACAl6 III lllotl Tie HdIlOn ndQ
ever seen.
FINISH EDUCATION.
But hope we will not take too dras-
tic action in stripping our universities
of men who have not completed their
training" he said, "the Junior classes
should be kept at their training. War
means the mobilization and training of
millions Of men and we will need a
steady supply of line officers to train
need a large and amending supply of
technically trained men; men trained in
chemistry, engineering and the textile
industries. For that reason we do not
want any rushing to the colors Of half
educated en-.
Let the boys in the schools and coll |
leges sit ught and complete their train
ing so that they can take their places
as the war goes when they are best
prepared to render service.
''P do not think We ought to stop the |
normal activities of our colleges either. |
1 believe that Intercollegiate athletics
should be kept up"
General Wood said he could not IN /
derstand how the United States had ex-
ercised so little common sense TO have
never prepared for an emergency such |
as now existed. He laid the blame on
the false teachings of our histories. He /
begin to know that we won the war of
the Revolution because we had the NOR
al support of half of England and of
France and that the principle for which |
we had fought in the war of 1S12-14 \
had never been gained for the right of
search was still exercised.
But all this aside, we are now look |
ing at the future and beginning to or /
ganiZe in a thoroughly comprehensive 4
way. Our initial allotment Of officers
are now being trained. Three months /
of intensive work in the training camps /
will not make them thorough o GERS, |
but at least they will be the best andN
most efficient group Of officers we had
ever had with which to begin a war.
ALLIES PROTECTED US
We should never forget, though, he |
said that we are able to rake such |
as we were making because |
the bleeding lines of our allies stand
between us and the enemy. The speak