Show y I 1YERY SOUND SPEECH J i i 1 That was a great occasion yesterday when the battleship Missouri was launched The crowd was large and enthusiastic and the new ship dill her expected duty on the sliding scale No accident marred the joyousness of tho day and all went home happier in the I knowledge that another powerful I defender I de-fender had been added to theprotection and prestige of the country The I speech made by Secretary i i Long at the banquet which followed < < the launching was one out of the ordinary course I and was a triumphant vindication of the Department from tho carping criticisms criti-cisms of those who would leave the country defenseless before Its rivals and enemies It hOpU of the most remarkable I re-markable thIngs of the time that so I many good men want the country to stumble along In the oldfashioned happygolucky style as if no power on earth wished us 111 and no nation would ever declare war upon us Experience Ex-perience has abundantly shown the peril of this and the piteous waste of life treasure and effort that ensue when we are caught unprepared Secretary Sec-retary Long glories In the growing strength ot the navy and he makes plain the reasons why he does so Those reasons ought to appeal to every patrlotrand they will do so But from r this must be l excepted those optimistic patriots who believe that all we have to do ff any foe attacks Is toshow that we are in the right and tho war will cease It is the more astonishing that they should be oC this opinion when they know so well the history of the world past sand present To all others we commend a careful reading of Sec iretary Longs speech it is wise pa 1 trlotlc and in the best style of ora tOry |