The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-07-25
Most Glorious independence Day
in History of the United
States Celebrated.
HUNDRED VESSELS LAUNCHED
President Wilson Declares There Can
Be No Compromise With the Foe
Secretary Bakers Heartening
Statement - Confusing
State Of Affairs in
Russia.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARD.

With more than a million Americans
in France fighting for the freedom Of
the world; with more than another
million Americans In training for the
same great contest; with the subma-
rine menace finally overcome, the
bridge across the Atlantic" completed
and It's maintenance assured by the
tremendous amount of ~shipbuilding ac-
complished and underway; with guam
tity and quality production Of airplanes
and artillery announced; with huge
crops in prospect, and finally with the
nation solidly behind the government
In it's plans for the prosecution of the
war to a victorious finish, the people
of the United States very properly
made the celebration Of h Fourth OF
July the greatest celebration in the
history of the country. No task so
great and glorious ever before con-
fronted them, nc more lofty idealism
ever inspired them to perform the
task, never was their confidence in
their power so absolute.
With reason, too, was the national
holiday celebrated by the allies OF
America, and especially gratifying was
the fact that the day was made a ma
| tional holiday by many of the Latin
American republics for that indicates
| that the unreasonable jealousy and
fear of the United States some of them
have entertained is passing away.
-A-
Though last Thursday was not so
noisy as the old-time FOurtns, there
was one most glorious noise that, fg-
uratively speaking, must have been
| distinctly heard in Berlin and Vienna.
That was the grand splash" when
about one hundred vessels were
launched at the various shipyards OF
the country. Between sunrise and
| sunset approximately half a million
| tons of dead weight shipping was add
| ed to the fleets that are defeating the
| submarine pirates, carrying our armies
to France and transporting the food
and munitions for them and our al
| lies. This greatest ship launching in
| all history was the most significant
| feature Of the days celebrations.
In the fiscal year just ended 1922
| new ships were numbered by the bu-
reau of navigation, their gross tom
| mage being 1,43O,793. This was a rec
| ord output and one-half Of it was COM
pleted in the last four months. In the
new fiscal year this record will be
eclipsed. for many new shipyards are
| Just getting started. The loyalty and
devotion Of the shipyard workers were
| Justly recognized by the government
| officials from the president down, n
by the people, and the praise for their
| efforts is shared by the railroad work
ers. without whose devoted co-opera-
tion the achievements of the vessel
| builders would not have been possible.
Pa
Beautifully dOyetailing In with all
| this was the announcement by Sena-
for chairman of the naval
affairs committee, that with the coop
| GRAFTON of the American d~estroyers the
| allied naval forces have destroyed 90
per cent Of the submarines sent out by
Germany, and that they are now de-
stroying the U-boats faster than they
can be replaced.
IA
Secretary of War Bakers detailed
statement TO the house committee on
military affairs was made just In time
to give added zest to the celebration
of the Fourth. He said the American
army now consisted of 100000 officers