The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1918-07-05

That was the message delivered to
the shipbuilders here yesterday by
Charles M. Schwab, director of the
Emergency Fleet corporation, in the
first public speech he has delivered
since taking charge of the shipbuild-
ing program.
Mr. Schwab was speaking at the In
dependence Day launching of ner-
chant ships here, which was part of
the national program in which about
a hundred ships were being sent from
the ways to the seas from yards all
over the country.
II venture to predict that the num-
Der of ships launched today is the
greatest record of launchings for a
single day in the history of the
world" said Mr.. Schwab
when the truth percolates to the
German people they will know that.
their leaders have deceived them; that
Americans have their sleeves rolled up
and we have our fighting blood up;
that we are going to win this war if.
it takes the last man, the last ounce
of strength, the last resource and the
last dollar that this country possesses.
"You and all the other shipbuilders
have dedicated your services to Amer
lea We stand firm, determined and
unafraid before the naked truth that
we must defeat Germany or Germany
will defeat us. Wars are not won al
together on the battlefield. Do not
think for one minute that the Prus-
s;an generals are unnoved by what
we are accomplishing. They know
that we launched 5,500-ton ship in
| 81 days from the time the keel was
laid over in Camden, N. j. That was
tremendous accomplishment never
before approached in any country and
it was blow in the face of Prussian
confidence. Our enemy knows, too,
that it is the workmen working day
and night, determined, untiring and
enthusiastic; that they are backing up
the boys in the trenches. The kaiser
knows that with the united backing OF
American workmen, American armies
can never be beaten. The credit for
winning this war viii be shared ec'la'-
lly by the workmen of America and the
fighters Of America The best cap
tains and colonels in our shipbuiidinp
army cannot build ships without tn
strong armies of the priyates, corpo-
rails and sergeants. The heater boy
today is a young hero who deserves
| place alongside the drummer boy
| in that picture you have seen so oft
en-The Spirit of '76.
eve have great army of workers
building ships for this emergency.
There are 100000 of US, and we are all
fighting for America. You men who
swing the cranes are in charge of the
big guns. You men who drive the riv-
cts are operating the machine guns of
the shipyard. Every man who does a
full days work is doing his share to
win the war. The gangs at work on a
ship are holding trench and when
they launch that ship they go over the
top. When they lay new keel they
are digging in and making ready for
another long defense.
every time we launch a cargo or
troop ship or tanker we add to the GER
ltainty that German submarines can
not win this war. Already we have
the U-boats on the run and if we keep
iup the pace we will have them beaten
by next year. And when we achieve
this victory it will be you who will de-
serve; the credit. So far as / am con-
cerned, and so far as the president of
the United States is concerned, you
will get TIE credit.
"Germany's only hope now, if it can
be called hope, is to win this war
by great military victories. Germany
knows that we are building ships and
getting real army across the Allan
tic. The kaiser is making his supreme
effort now in the knowledge that Am
erica will soon be started and will stay
in the war until it is won. If we
complete our shipbuilding program
they will know over in Germany that
not shred Of hope remains. Can we
build these ships in time to keep our
bridge to France unbroken? That is
a question Tor you men in the ship
yards to answer. America has never
lost war and she is not going to
lose this one.
To-day we are building ships faster
than the submarine can destroy them.
Meanwhile, our navy under Josephus
Daniels is destroying submarines. The
German hordes may make some adj
vances on the western front, but are
we doWn-hearted? MOI Our army in