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ADDRESS BEFORE ASSOCIATION NE BY EDWARD B HOI PREPAREDNESS. 1 am going to talk to you this morn ing about preparedness. Not that kind j of preparedness in which Newberry college is engaged; not that kind of preparedness whicL fits a man for the world to come; but a kind of preparedness, the basis of which is the most important issue which the United States faces today. And tfcis is the preparedness of this country to resist sudden attack?the preparedness for war. Yes, I realize that all of us are sick of war. I know you do not wish a nroi. onrJ T r?n nnt want to talk! war. But, as I have stated, the most serious of all national questions today is "Are we prepared?" Are we prepared to successfully defend American liberty and all ti:at American liberty stands for? Are we prepared to safeguard American homes from _ i the ravages -of war?to protect tne lives of innocent women and children? I am not going to expound any new doctrines this morning, or bring forth a new theory. Any school boy could get up here and say tfae same thing that I will say, and perhaps do it betT f not T on AmnnVQn' tCi v j_> ui, J. ICC1 jl, <*11 ivwu citizen, who loves the Stars and Stripes as mud-, as any man can?I feel that if I shall leave a thought with you this morning?be an inspiration, as it were, for just one of you to help this country to get on the right track, the two thousand miles which I have traveled to deliver this talk will fcave been repaid. T /v/\in rr i-r\ I.A lr A f V? A ni?ACAT> f 1 <1111 11UI QUlUg LU LCLXV C t,u.c yigc&ai, \European struggle for a basis upon w11:ach to talk. I am going back farther than that, and I am coming closer home. Some months ago?weeks before the present world war?an army of the United States of America invaded a neighboring State?Mexico. After a bombardment of the most considerable port of that nation, and af ter Having lost u.e lives or seventeen American marines?entered Vera Cruz and took possession of it. The reason for this most amazing military expedition in the history of this country is supplied by President Wilson himself, who said at tf:-e time: "We are in Mexico to serve mankind if we can find a way." I say to you that when a nation is in the hands of rulers, either elected or enthroned, who, without a formal declaration of war?without satisfying the requirements of common international law?when that nation does not Hesitate to invade a neignbonng state, is it unreasonable to inquire as to the supplies, ammunition and other incidentals of war-making possessed by the army and navy of such a nation? And, at this time, there were such inquiries. There was a demand from American citizens for an official report on tf'-e naval and military strength of this country. And at the same time, there came protests from earnest Welfare ministArs onllpp-p nro fessors and college presidents, if you please upon such an investigation. Why? Because, these men said: preparedness is not a guarantee of peace. In the same breath I ask you: When was unpreparedness a guarantee against war? ; -Have any of you forgotton 189S? Never in the history of the world , was a nation more unprepared for war than was this country in 1898. Our army and our navy had been neglected for thirty-tfc.ree years. But did this unpreparedness delay the declaration oi war one instant: i>ia tnis unpreparedness delay actual hostilities one hour? 'Seventeen years ago, hundreds, yes< thousands of lives of tibe flower of this ' nation were lost because of unpre-! paredness. You know the story. In "battle and out of battle these brave boys died because the country over which floated the Stars and Stripes, the nation wfcieh guarantees life and! liberty, the nation for which they | fought and died?this nation toad been negligent in those things which make for the defense of the nation?which guarantee -tfcat the integrity of the nation shall be preserved. But, some people tell us that things are. different now?that the United States will never haive another war. Therefore, they say that there is no use to prepare for or against war. The efforts of tihese well-meaning, peace-loving people, their desire for a world-wide abolition of arms deserves the higtoest commendation. And' I as an American citizen; and you as a true American, desire peace. iWe are 1 devoteed to commerce, the arts and industries. We are not a military nation, and can not be made a military nation, but so long as war seems to be the accepted mode and means of settling grave international disputes, just THE ALUMNI w&c&pv rmicr.c TV liJLiim 1 l/UJLLLUL J SEAL, CLASS '06. so long will this nation be forced to maintain an efficient army and navy to protect its integrity, its independence, its women and its children. We mi'* tt-oll cat.- WP will not DTO -1AAC4.J UO ?? Lll T v>-v.v * w xvide ourselves with rubber overshoes and umbrellas so that we will not 'have unexpected showers. Or that we will suppress winter clothing so that we will not have cold weather. There were people long ago who did not believe in preparedness, for when Old Xoah and his three sons were building ark, these people murmured and said: "Why are you building this great ark? Why the very fact that you are building it is enough to bring on a flood." But when the ark anchored on Mount Ararat, Xoah knew that beneath him in ten fathoms of water were a world of people who did not believe in preparedness. And, yet Mr. Wilson?for whom I have the highest regard?and who I think is the greatest president of all time?Mr. Wilson says: it A ? J ?? * * - ' + if* rn nrnrr*r?^A/1 Alia W Uctl lb 11 Liia-i, is that we are prepared to do? To defend ourselves against attack? We l ave always found the means to do that, and shall always find them whenever necessary." -Oh, how could a man who reached maturity before 1898?a man who Ibas ?'' ^ i.U - wnuen a greai nisiory ui me uaaeu States?say: "We hare always found the means?" Has any one o*f you orgotten that the lives of hundreds of brave and noble young men of America were sacrificed, because while the soldiers of Ag-uinaldo were armed with modern rifles," with smokeless powder, the American boys were armed with old fashioned Springfield rifles tJh-e smoke of whose antiquated ammunition revealed the American firing line? Has any one of you forgotten how the boys who volunteered from Newberry went away to war, anarmea ana in citizen cloties? How men suffered in camps because of lack of adequate supplies, because of lack of proper food and proper medicartreafment? Has any one of you forgotten that seventeen years ago, within sight of New York city on Hoffman's Island, because of insufficient preparation, because of the lack of simplest medical treatment, men lay and suffered, wrhile in their eyes there flamed the red fire celebrating tfte fall of Santiago? Seventeen years ago in fever camp, in loathsome transport, in battle and out of battle unpreparedness cost this nation the lives" of many who volunteered for the noblest cause for which young men can serve. Yes, I agree with Mr. Wilson that we can always find a means. I believe tJ'at .we would lick any nation or any body of nations on earth. in a finish fight, but that we would get a mishtv finp trounomsr in the first fif teen or twenty rounds. And I think that Mr. Wilson meant, wlhen he said that we will find the means that Americans will invariably rise to defend tf eir homes; that there need be no force "to drive men to enlist. Yet, was the courage of the Belgians any protection against the ruin that has befallen that nation? Does not the present war teach us 'that courage, devotion, sacrifice, is as nothing with preparation? Before the fire of 42centimetre guns, the body, if not the spirit, of national defense crumbles. And 42-centimetre guns are not the work of months, but years. Courage, unfortified by preparation, becomes mere wanton waste when war begins. The simple question that the American people must answer is this: "Si-all we arm or shall we disarm?" Since 1898 -the United States has taken on greater responsibilities, for example, Panama'and the Pi':illipines. These possessions must be defended if we are to defend them, for they must excite the avarice and invite the attack of those nations who are looking for their "place in the sun/' and these nations believe that the ri-gfbt to hold them rests upon the preparedness to defend them. The question therefore, is, "Shall we provide forts without guns, guns without ammunition, battleships without target practice, artillery without the necessary gunners? " If we shall we shall commit a crime which will some day be paid for in Ifoe lives of young men of this nation who have responded tn thp rni2<h^st and nrwhl?*= t ^n.hr -WM4VWV ^"".1 that young men know. fWlhat shall we do? On one hand we have China, and on the other hand we have Germany ? io waicn are we jeanmg, as regaras preparedness? The Chinese, being unprepared are not strong enough to compete with the Japanese with fleets and armies and hajre submitted to Japan, and yet China has four hun I [ dred millions of peoples within her l own borders and Japan only a hana-! j ful in comparison. China coul j < old | | a commanding position in Asia if she would only put a comparatively small ! percentage of Ler ample population ; under arms, and for the lack of this | I ? _ ? J _ , ,-.^1 InA r. .. U i i pi trpcu truucss sue tuiu^ciicu iu auu- ; j mit to the insolent demands of a smaller neighbor and perhaps lose' I her sovereignty. Will you say to me, | that this country should follow the footsteps of China. On the other hand what do we rave?; Germany. *nd since I have chosen I Germany as a nation presenting the t j I highest efficiency in preparedness, you j will pardon me if I say that f believe j that Germany is right in what we are! wont to term militarism. I know! that if the United States was located : as is Germany, as regard to geography, and likewise as regard to enemies, you would demand that your son learn the rudiments of warfare, i and you would demand of the nation \ that she wou!d arm to the hilt. For what do we have? On one hand we. i have Russia?great growling bear, I j who because of her successful war j witi'n Japan, found it somewhat incon-, venient to gain exit to t!he ocean1 through the Yellow Sea, must turn the other way. It was not for idle sport tf: at Russia j nade her military strength, her military' forces available for immediate mobo-, lization five fold, in the years immed-; iately after the war with Japan. And statistics show that the German army grew faster; t!':at it was raised to a (higher point of efficiency in the last ten years. So that the latter did not require a keen sense to fathom what ' Russia was after. . . . Coupled with this, there was France and hsr people crying for revenge and France was' also the first nation of Europe to increase her military strength on a large scale. And again, last, but by no means least is England?a nation whose pages of history are written in til:e blood of men?England proud mistress of the seas?growing jealous of the rapid strides of Germany in commerce?saw an opportunity to strike. 11 believe tlfcat Russian aggressiveness, ; French revenge and British jealousy of three words, "Made in Germany," brought on this war. ' But, in keeping with the topic, I ask you why is Germany on top? Is it because she has more men to draw irom tnai nave ner adversaries uo | figl t the great battles of the world war? Against a combined Austro-Germanic world population of 132,000,000 ! she has 722,000,000 of t':.e allies | against her. (This not includes Turkey). Then it is not because of this. 1 i Is it because of money expended? In 1912 Germany spent in round numbers $170,000,000 for the maintenance of her armies. France in the same year spent $180,000,000. Russia $230,000,000 and England $150,000. Yet with an annual expenditure of less than one third of her combined opponents si:e has successfully carried i on this war on Eastern and Western fronts, and with the aid of Austria has - -x t V? i- AT- ^ ? i."U almost i>rtmg'UL lue wieaiu ui mtr uiiai battle to her brow! Is it because of natural superior fighting qualities of the Germans? You know that the German by nature is a child. He is not a fighter. Is it courage? The allies are courageous too. Is it bravery and long suffering? No. What tihen? Efficiency of preparation. But wait, as the disarmament people of this great country of ours would say to you, Give the allies time. Mr. Kitchener said the same thing: "Give us time." When he was asked in parliament: "Mr. Kitchener, can you tell us about when the war will end?" he answered, "I can not tell you when it is going to end, but it is going to be ! ging inj May." 'Mir. Kitchener was ! right. T':e war did "begin" on England the first day in May of this year, or April 28th to be exact. It began tten in earnest for England, but not as the lordly Kitchener anticipated, for the English were on the Teceiving end, instead of the sending. You know the story. | But, you ask, "What has all this got to do with America? Wfcat has it got to do with the army and the na'vy of tine United States?" We will not discuss the army, for lightly speaking, we have none. Moreover, it is the navy to which we look for national defense. Then what about the navy? You tell me: "WTay didn't out good neighbor, Mr. Josephus Daniels of North Carolina tell us that the navy is all right?that it is bigger and better than it ever was?and that it is ready on a moment's notice to successfully cope with the navy of any foreign power?" Yes, Mr. Daniels tell us that we have more warships than ever before in the history of tibe nation and that we are building more every day. But Mr. Daniels did not tell you what kind; of war ships! People seem to forget j that a 'battleship becomes antiquated. The Cumberland, was no match for the Merrimac in Hampton Roads, andj fifteen battleships like the Orgeon w:;ioh gained world-tame for going practically aio;.:nd the globe to get into battle line?fifteen Ore^ons would be no match for one modern dreadnought! O", but you tell me, we launched the biggest battleship in the world a few weeks ago. T'r.e Pennsylvania, you mean. The press talked about her great tonnage?the largest of any ship afloat. It told us about her big guns, her armor and her general ability to fight. But let me tell you this, in a recent battle between English and German squadrons in the North Sea, the German battle cruiser Bleucl er was sunk. Why? Because she was t i t- rt \' n . lacKing in oig guns: .no. oecause, si':e was lacking in armor? Xo. Because her gunners were not efficient or were not brave and courageous? Xo. Why? The Bleud er went down because she was slow. It was a running fight and the ship could not keep up in the battle line. She lagged behind, | the fast English boats closed in on j Vior onr? tnic miclitv- eo^-fic'-tor u'ac i sent to the depths of the ocean. And yet, my good friends the Bleucher was from two to three knots an hour faster than ti'is great ship Pennsylvania over wf:ich we raised such a hullabollo! There may have been some excuse for the Bleucher's slowness, for she was a comparatively old boat. But what excuse is there for the slowness of the Pennsylvania? We know that submarines are playing a great part in the naval game of tf: e present war. 'What kind of submarines has the United States? A montn ago eleven submarines, practically the entire strength of this country in boats of such type, were on review at the naval shown on Hudson River. The pictures of four of them appeared in one of the New York dailies, and with them a picture of a modern German submarine. 'There was no comment. None was necessary. The pictures told tJ.'e story. Three days later eleven little submarines went out with the rest of the fleet for maneuvers. In three hours' time two were put out of commission by a make-believe O rri'U_? V, ? ~ eutruiv : jl ucv \ucu\ t; uccu i cicoatcu the dump-heap. What would become of the remaining litte nine if they faced a real enemy? Mr. Daniels goes farther and tells us that we not only have enougj'a boats, but we have enough men to man them. In fact, ?e says, there is a waiting list of officers. I do not tell you that Mr. Daniels does not know what he is talking abou$. I do not say that he is trying to 'mislead the people, but I tell you this: Less than four months ago t) e German auxiliary cruiser, the Eitel Frederick, sought re fuge in the harbor at Norfolk, Virginia. At the same time, British menof-war appeared off the coast, and it appeared that these British boats were steaming within t):e three mile limit. A call was sent from naval headquarters to the scout cruiser Binning):am, to go to Norfolk to prevent any British boat from violating our neutrality ?to keep them out of American waters. And what happened. The piUminlgthiam was then 'Stationed at Philadelphia, and it required drawing from tne enure neei assemoiea mere to get enough men to make a full complement for the cruiser Birmingham. And furthermore, in ti':e dead i hours of night, when all Philadelphia was asleep, policemen of that city went into the slums to get enough Italians .and peoples.of other nations I to not as stokers?to shovel eoal he Tieath the boilers of the Birmingham ?to carry the fighting boat to Norfolk ?a night's journey from Philadelphia! We are further told by this same man that the guns of defense of New York city, our principal port, have a range "the greatest in the world." Yet Representative Gardner has pointed cut tl_at the guns carried by battleships like the superdreadnaught Queen Elizabeth of the British navy, which have been in the action at the Dardanelles, with power enough to carry projectiles weighing from 1,500 to 2,000 pounds from 15 to 20 miles?these guns could reduce the forts tfcat defend New York, and while they were about it, remain out of range of our guns. In other words, the guns of the Queen Elizabeth can shoot four miles farther than the guns off Sandy Hook. And once the forts that defend New York are reduced, wfaat would bappen? The enemy fleet could tfcen move in closer and destroy the city if it did not surrender. And once New York city was in the hands of a foreign army and navy, it would be but a day's work to take over our powder making plants, wfhich are all located in the New York district. It would require a short time to pulverize our small standing army. And once this happened, I fear it would require a greater genius than a Wood row Wilson to find the means to defend our liberty, to preserve our independence and to safeguard our homes and our women and children from the ravages of an invading army. What is wrong? I ask. Are we appropriating enough, money? 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