Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-02
j. s. ENGAGED IN
DESTROYING GERMAN
M|L|TAR|SM, HE SAYS
Senator Hoke Smith Delivers
Address on War at Launch
ing of New Steamship at
Brunswick

BRUNSWICK Ga June Ex-senator
Hoke' Smith, of Georgia, delivered a
strong war address here today as tn
chief feature Of the exercises mai king
the launching OF the steamer Alabet at
the rlant os the American ShipbCtdin5
company.
The address was heard by thouSdn''s
of visitors from all over south Georgia,
the workmen &C the shipbuilding plants
| here together with hundreds of citizens
| of Brunswick. 1t was gala occa-
sion for which all business was sus-
pended from 10 a. m. to 1880 p. m.
| The Alabet is a steamer of $500 tons,
was named by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson,
wife of the president, and christened by
Mrs Jennie X. Brown, of Brunswick.
The Alabet was launched promptly at
| 1915, the first of the wooden steamships
| under construction by the American
| Shipbuilding company under contract
with the United States shipping board
| Within ten seconds after the ways were
vacated a new keel was in place, the
| workmen pouring over still hot tlmbers
| to establish a record and it is belleVed
| the record was won for this plant.
! Lieutenant Milleson, of the CANADIAN
army, and Sidney Story, both sent out
by the National Service section of the
| shipbui1ding board, made short address
es. Tie American Shipbuilding band
| furnished music. Presentation OF SerV-
ice badges was made by Dr. Myer
Bloomfield, with an address by h. >.
Brown.
! This afternoon Senator Smith was en-
tertained with boating trip around the
harbor.
senator Smith arrived in Brunswick
| ha
met by a committee of citizens ana
brought to Brunswick in an automobile
| His address aroused much en-
thusiasm and on many occasions the
lhandclapping and cheers of the multi
tude surrounding the speaker could De
heard for blocks away.
Senator Smiths address was review
of the United States participation IN
the war with Germany prefaced with a
few words on how the march of German
ImiIitarism to conquer the world was
blocked by little Belgium. He spoke OF
the development of Prussianism, how
| Germany made war on the united
States, how the United States is now
engaged in the destruction OF German
militarism, the efficiency of the Amer
lean army and navy, how the shipoulld-
! ing program has been increased and the
duty of the people at home. senator
|
J well may we celebrate the compile
| ton of the vessel just launched. 1t was
| built in one of our great ports. 1t was
| built for the service of our govern
ment. 1t was built to carry supplies to
our boys fighting in France, whom we
must furnish with everything they need
despite the German submarines.
I'VE entered the war after Germany
began war on us. Our boys are in France
1 CHI anA
our commerce upon the ocean, and to
defend our homes and firesides
I'm the early part of the fifteenth
century history tells us of a band of
! Huns who occupied a small tract OIL
country around the little towr of Ber-
| lin. They were scarcely more than
robbers, ruled by ambitious and lawless
men. They were then just a little
black spot on the map of Europe.
They began taking the lands of their
neighbors and continued the policy of
conquest until the black spot, repre-
senting their territory, spread over a
considerable part of what is now north
! ern Germany
Their first Frederick came to the
throne and organized a standing army,
founding the first real Prussian military
machine. He was the typical exponent
of Prussian ideals. lie has been justly
described as coarse by nature, lawless
| in destroying opponents and treacher-
Gus in diplomatic negotiations"
with every successive war the black
spot spread until it reached from the
Rhine eastward to the Vistula.
"Prussian military rulers continued
to prepare for war and to teach their
people they were destined to own and
rule the world.
The black spot spread until in the
early part of 1914 it included all of
Germany and control of Austria and
Turkey. Their armies were ready; their
supply of guns, cannon, powder and
shells for twelve months use was in
store, and their factories perfectly or
ganized to continue furnishing what
might be needed.
Completely prepared for war. their
plan was first 10 destroy France. then
Russia, and then England.
The unexpected resistance of little
Belgium gave the French an opportu-
nifty to mobilize their army.
IF we wish TO know what would
happen here if a German army was
quartered on our soil, read the story
of Belgium Invaded and despoiled by
Germans. their movable property WAS
conf1scated and carried into Germany.
the Belgian men were killed or trans
ported the children were manned, m
dignities were offered to the women.
by the latter part of the summer OF
1914 the Prussians had forced practi-
cally all Europe into war, and the ter
rible struggle was under full head
way.
Not content with horrible slaughter
on land, the Huns put into the ocean
their murderous submarine, and destroy
ed from their hidings under the water
unarmed men and helpless women and
children.
They were already engaged in war
with France, England. Italy, and Russia
yet. in February, 1917, they notified our
government of their purpose to sink YES
| sells and drown citizens of the United
States engaged in innocent trade, car
rying the products of our country to
the peoples of the world.
This declaration amounted almost
to a declaration of war. Our great pres
ident dismissed the German ambassa-
dor, called our own representative home
from Berlin, and waited quietly, hoping
this reckless threatened attack might
not be made.
LAS a precautionary measure our mer-
chant vessels were armed for self-de-
Tense. But the Germans carried out
their threat and during the month of
March. 1917. they began torpedotng our
vessels, and our vessels, being armed.
fired upon the Germans in self-defense.
\ stare of We existed. and congress so