The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
LONGS VIEW OF THE NAVY.
"PaFt OF the Education and Progress or the
PeOpIe.N says the Secretary.

FeOple,O says the secretary.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 25.-The November num.
Der Of the Hebron Semester, published at the
Maine college which Secretary Of the Navy
John d. Long attended when a boy, contains tho
following letter from him.:
NAVY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON.
"DEAR MIR. EDITOR: You asked me to write
something about the navy for the newspaper
which the boys are publishing at Hebron Aca-
deny. / am always at tho service Of that
institution, for it is associated with my youth
and start in life.
when l was a little fellow. 10 years old, I
remember my father drove to Hebron, taking
my older brother and myself to go to school
there. The little old brick building was then
standing. and as we drove up in front Of 1t there
were two gentlemen conversing together on the
doorstep. My father asked them II they could
inform him where he could find the principal
OF the academy. One OF them. not a very large
man. but instantly strengthening up and erect
ing himself into what seemed to me to be the
size OF the Bunker Hill Monument. answered in "A
We6steriana manner, very much rs the monq bafen6
you / have no idea that It entered into his
head. as it certainly did not enter into mine,
that | was ever 10 be Secretary of the Navy, nor
can !. with the utmost exercise of ingenuity,
recall anything in my career from that day to
IL. tho supreme qualification of u Secretary of
the Navy is that the incumbent of that office,
DtIOre entering upon It's uu'leb, bnoulu nave hD-
solutely no knowledge or experience In that
ITO be serious, the navy is by no means a
mere war function OF government. 1t Is really
one of the great departments OF the affairs Of
state. 1t very rarely has anything to do with
peppering anybody with shot or shell; and about
all tho anxiety / have ever felt In connection
with 1t is that, with its enormous. guns and pro.
~jectiles and means of destruction. somebody
might possibly get hurt. Thus far. however, all
these things have hCCn rather more harmless
than the ordinary Fourth of July frecracker,
which once in Il while does put out an eye or
main n finger.
For nearly twenty years after the war we
had no navy to speak OF. For the last fifteen
years we have been building some OF the finest
battleships in the world, making cruisers OF
tilla OF torpedo boats that are capable OF in
finite mischief, and would think nothing of
dropping In under a battleship of l1.oOO tons
displacement. and of n cost of some six million
dollars. and sinking it and its crew of $50 men.
go marines. and 80 officers quicker than you
can say Jack Robinson.
1.-THE interesting thing to me is that in all this
development there has gone, along with IL
30 much activity of human brain. 80 much
wonderful inventive genius, and 80 beneficial
an employment OF human labor: There are not
only tho officers who command and the men
who serve at the guns. but there are the arti'
sans. who do the most stupendous and ingenious
work OF construction. and the skilled mechanics
and engineers, who develop md apply all the
that our navy IL really nj once n product and an
impulse OF modern civilization. II has TO dc
with the survey OF our coast. with making thc
path of the mariner. safer, with extending the
lnterchanges OF foreign commerce, with astro
nomical studies, and with bringing. our trained
and educated officers and seamen into interest
ing communication with our people. In Other
words, like every other part OF The government
i like to think of II Hs "A part OF the education
"JoHN ID. Lose"