Evening star., 1918-08-05

battlefield. would be to give 1sr.a
and financial support to the aI1lss,
President Wilson fixed the course Of
America when, in his famous war
message, he dedicated all the res
sources of the nation to humauityH
cause.
Made Tremendous Strides.
I'VE have made tremendous strides
in the shipbuilding program and
doubt whether I will ever have a bet.
ter opportunity to state that the vast
scope Of this program was due to the
vision OF the President. Throughout
the world, even in Germany. it is ad-
mitted today that America has made
herself effective in the war. Not
only America, but all the civilized
nations of the world had become con-
WINGED that this country had no sell
fish purpose in the war; that this
country would have kept out of 1t If
its own honor had not been assailed
and the welfare of all humanity had
not been at stake.
1--WE are going through with the
shipbuilding program to the finish.
and we are going through with the
war to a finish. The American gov
ernnent is planning for a long war
because enduring peace will not be in
Germany is broken. Nothing else will
convince Germany of the supremacy
Of right over might. Nothing else will
convince her that weak nations are
not the natural prey Of the strong.
Ship Program Must Go On.
Even then the shipbuilding pro-
gram of America must go on. 1t will
take five years to complete the pro-
gram and place at the service of man.
kind a merchant fleet that will make
enduring peace by bringing nations
closer as the eastern and western and
northern and southern states were
brought closer by a nationwide sys-
tenn of railroads. The end Of the war
will find America master of the pro-
cess of quantity production of ships
We will build ships for ourselves and
for the world.
"The men who have worked on this
ship launched today, and on other
ships that are being launched. and
will be launched, are makers of q new
America. They may well take pride
in the thought that they are helping
to make America effective in the war.
Through the efforts of the shipyard
workers q large Army is now in
France, and through their continuous
work. an Army steadily growing
larger and larger. eventually will
Overwhelm the carefully constructed
military machine with which Ger
many has sought to dominate the
world.
Gives President Credit.
Significant as this launching is
with reference to the enormous pro-
duction Of ships now in sight, It is
still more significant as one Of the
visible results of the poise and de-
termination Of the commander-in-
chief Of the Army and Navy. who,.
more than q year ago. gave the word
that set the energy of the nation at
work and set up the barrier against
the growing aggressions of mill
tarism.
: SIT is 4 happy augury that Mrs.
Wilson should have named this ship,
as well as the other new ships that
are being built by the government
II is an evidence of the interest which
President Wilson has taken IN the
shipbuildtng program from the very
beginning that he should be here to
witness the beginning Of the quantity
production of ships that Will reduce
the potency of the submarines. cons
stantly reinforce the Army In France.
insure victory and. finally. act as one
of the chief Instruments Of an ems
daring peace.