The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-06-17
THoUGHTLEss UTTERANCEs

We all make some thoughtless ut
terances at times; and when we have
our attention called to it we are
ashamed or panied that we could have
been guilty of such unfairness.
We have reproduced many fine
piece Of sense and wit from the Ocala
Star, and we are therefore panied to
see the evident thoughtlessness that
permitted this paragraph to get into
print:
Secretary of the Navy Daniels is
going around making speeches at
college commencements. That's some
thing he can do better than he can do
anything else"
The Star has forgot than Secretary
of the Navy Daniels has "put over"
approximately million of our sons
and brothers and husbands; and that
the loss of life from German attack
of all kinds has been far less than
100.
| 1t has forgot that there has been
kept going steady stream of ships
bearing the necessary food and mu-
nitions of war to sustain this million
men and to make them effective
against the enemy.
1t has forgot that the navy has
been the only branch of the govern
ment during this war that has abso-
lutely escaped the carping criticism
of pro-German and pessimist, because
| it has been plain to every man and
woman who stops to think, that for
efficiency and for activity the Ameri-
can navy is 100 per cent there!
Secretary of the Navy Daniels
makes a fine commencement speech;
and he also makes fine commander
| of the greatest navy in the world, and
he is making of that navy one of the
most efficient protectors of this coun-
| try that even the optimism Of democ-
racy can picture.
Here's health, then to the man
who drinks grapejuice, but whose
men shoot grapeshot into the enemy
Here's to the man whose transport
protection is such that the Sinking
German submarine, after lying
around for weeks hoping for a place
to strike when unexpected or because
a ship is left unguarded, finds nothing
for him to do but vent his wrath on
a few harmless, insignificant CONNER
cial schooners and steamers and then
dodge for his life from the guns of
Secretary Daniels navy.-Tampa Tri-
bune, 18th.
After reading the foregoing, we
feel like the Jew, who being hungry
and unable to obtain anything else
ate a ham sandwich. Shortly after,
there was a violent thunderstorm, and
the Jew said, in indignant dismay:
What helluva lot of fuss about
such little piece of ham,"
"Thoughtless Utterances" are bad.
Utteranees resulting from an over
trained imagination are sometimes
worse.
We have great admiration for the
talented editorial writer of the Tri-
bune, and daily peruse his page with
pleasure and profit. Consequently we
feel deep regret when he catches the
poor old bull by the tail and sings
him around his head as a cowboy
would twirl lasso Al man singing
a lasso is interesting and sometimes
useful. A man singing the bull is
ridiculous.
II our friend Nc. is competent to
write editorials for such a big paper
as the Tribune (and we think he is)
he knows the work of the navy would
be done, and would be done as well, il
Mr.. Daniels had never been born. His
reference to the navy as Secretary
Daniels navy" is offensive to every
| American.
The Star knows what the navy
does; it chronicles and praises its
deeds every day. and the naval re-
cruiting men of this district depend
on the paper as one of their most in
dustrious assistants.
| Really, we don't think we commit
ted any crime in writing the para
graph that aroused the Tribune's ire.
1t was thoughtless-we didn't think
much of it as we wrote it and wouldn't
have thought of it again if our friend
Nc. hadn't rushed in where an angel
would have wiggled his wings and
flown off to attend to something worth
while. It's safe bet that lie Mr..
Daniels had seen said paragraph he
wouldn't have been thoughtful enough
to think of it again, for Daniels is an
editor and knows how to take such
things.
No doubt that Mr.. Daniels is an
able man. He ranks higher as an
editor and a politician than any other
man who combines the two occupa-
tons in the South. One of his trou-
bles has been being too able in the
wrong place.
It is one of the faults of our politi-
cal system that civilian is appointed
secretary of the navy. The fault is
partly atoned for by the fact that the
civilian generally contents himself
/ with the honor ard lets the naval
men run the navy. Mr.. Daniels I'M
! fortunately was not that sort. He
/ probably knew less about naval af-
fairs than any other man that ever
filled his place. Tho he knew less
about battleship than an admiral
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