The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-07-25
4ftero of Merrimac Speaking at chau-
tauqua, Wednesday Night
Speaks of Americas
Aims.
DEALS WITH PROBLEMS
Naval, Social and Army Works Enter
Into Masterfui Address of
Spanish War
Hero.
IBy winona Evans Reeves.l

All previous records for attend
ance at the Keokuk chautauqua were
broken last night in the crowd
which gathered to hear Captain R1ch-
mond P. Hobson, who for nearly VITO
hours held the closest attention as
he spoke of America and the World
War. His lecture was careful
analysis of the philosophy of the war;
He discussed the war policies and
war problems and found the solution
of the war problems in the annlhiia-
ton of the liquor traffic.
Captain Hobson's right to re
spectful hearing comes from the TACT
that for thirteen years he was an
American naval officer, graduate OF
Annapolis. In the opening OF the
Spanish-American war he was at
tached to Admiral SIMPSONS fleet
After the Spanish squadron was To-
Gated in the harbor at Santiago Liea-
tenant Hobson conceived the plan OF
sinking ship in the narrow entrance
of the harbor and thus preventing
the escape OF the feet. With seven
companions he took the collier, Mcr-
rirnac. into the entrance to the har-
Dor on Friday morning, June 5, 1873,
and sank the boat in the channel. In
his speech last night he described
his fear and how he oyercaule 1t IN
the early dawn of that morning. The
sinking of the Merrimac, it will be
remembered, did not accomplish the
desired result. Lieutenant Hobson
was picked up by Spanish boat and
was held as a prisoner OF war until
exchanged few weeks later. At the
close OF the war he was sent by the
u. S. government as naval con-
structor in the Philippines. In 1903
he resigned from the navy to speaS
for national preparedness, and the
American people thought he was
crazy. Twenty-three years pass be-
fore the outbreak OF the present
war, Captain Hobson, in an essay
printed in the Naval Institute, an
a1yzed the conditions which were
tending to bring about world war
Talked Greater Navy.
He sought election to congress in or
der to better urge national prepar-
edness, and during all the years he
was in congress he talked for
greater army and greater navy and
was laughed at for his pains. He
said that if the world is to have
democracy the German army must be
crushed, and If that democracy is to
be perpetual the liquor traffic must
be aunihilated, and he argued logic
ally to prove these two points. He
said that the world had reached
stage where the old element of brute
force had been eliminated and ma
tions had come to know that wan
fonness, so far as human life is CON
cerned, was a bad policy. When this
thought Of good will among the great
nations Of the world seemed an es-
tabiished policy, Germany arose and
thrust into international relations
that old element OF brute force. That
is the only international policy Ger
many understands, and IN the inter
est Of future time the German army
must be crushed. This war must es-
tablish universal democracy. Ger
many might be willing to give up her
western holdings, but she will never
give up her hold on Russia until her
army is annihilated Those Russians
who have lifted their hands in a
PRAYER for self-government must
have that right given them by the
Iibefty-loving nations of the world
Strategic Position.
The strategic position of Germany in
the convex side of the curve of the
battle line, demands that in the inter
est of those on the convex side OF the
curve, all fighting must be held tc
one line. there must be but one bat
tie front. AS soon as the enemy
u,avers at one point, our forces mus
: he able to strike. In speaking OF the
naval powers he said that Germany
dominates the Balkan sea, which i
{ the KEY to Finland and Russia. HI
, said that America should inaugurat'
7 a daring naval policy and undertake
E aIone the defeat Of the German nav.
!, and demand that they come out int
the Adriatic sea and fight it out. h
I, saw. too, that it is absurd to ALLOW
q submarines to roam at will. We hav,
: the money to build vessels to hgh
a them and conquer them. But the mill
h 4arv and the naval features of tn,
: war are not our to settle, but thu
is question Of policy is our problem. |
+. the people at home say the war shall
stop, it will stop; if they say con
tinue and furnish the means for it
ri maintenance in money and food, /
). will continue. Ny fellow country
. men, I'll tell you when the war is go
va ing to end it will end when we wiz
. and not till then. We will fight t,
the unconditional surrender of tn
lie Enemy and to this end we at HON
=, must consecrate ourselves. A hgh
y 10 the finish is then our war policy
10 Now as to the war problems, the.
20, are the problems of food, fuel, trans
portation, money and man powei
an The liquor manufacturers use on
90, hundred and ten million bushels o
:, grain year, or the equivalent o
To eleven million loaves of bread day
The solution of the food problem