The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-12-14
QUOTED
NAPOLEON
Secretary Bonaparte Beior
Navy League at Capital
rs NOT NAVY SMALL"
Called Upon Militia TO Assist In
popularizins and UpliIilis
Service.
rs NOT NAVY SMALL"

wAsiiiNGTnN. pe a. sfriffs
~ lhr Nn,y iiunnnnfir nn,l' an inter
esiins ad'iross before joint galhrrIns
81 tho Navy iragiir niid i,.e Ass's'la
ton "f Naval Militia ~ ih. United
siairs. hnih ~ which organizations
az holding conventions here.
IN this address S'sfriary Hanapafir
spok" ~ the personnel ~ lhe navy an,i
urgs~i ~" development ~ public srl,
tlni"ni fayorahi. 10 tho navy IT, said
u Was enoouu gins io him a. aplrar
before such q gathering "and. be-
adde'i. ''it l. time when N. scrr-
iary ~ the navy nc~is friends and 90
cpnras-mrnt We want your MD Tor
various reasons nni Ia various cnds q"
he said the National Legislators ought
10 b. impressed with The idea that Tics
should l,c ~ lilsrFai Ia the navy D. They
ran be- without fear II popular disap.
prevail.
lie called upon The members Of the
naval militia to assist in I,npninrlEing
the navy. III" department. be- said.
did not want the navy nii~i with I,s.o.
ole who - iuio IL with ~" i-lief that
they arr {. have goei time 4 very
vide mlsconccp,lon. d" mid. exists
among very many people - a. the
navy. und this H. ,u.,qi hy certain
a.wspai-.s "frr insinnrr.' be- said.
the question j. raised. 4, our navy
too lnrger The important question IL.
IL not our navy 80 small for national
safciyY"
10" ""rlHr'.i ihHi lhr rrfy must bc
rcckonci with us u nghiing organ.zn.'
iion. In the neat few years ihls coun.
try may have fewer ships GA IT, regis.
try. hut b. said there would be- no ~.
duciion la the quality u the ships of
the several classes.
Addressing himself Ia the subject Of
the personnel OF the navy. Secretary
Bonapnric said the navy department
had been cxncting IN thRt particular.
The service could be- filed 60 its full
complement hut for these cxactions.
one thing that could be- done. he said.
was 20 remove ignorance aud mistakes.
lie declared that In recruiting the off.
GERS too often skim over the surface
The province ~ the naval militia. he
said. was Ia supply the regular navy
with men. and II they were not thor
oughly trained men they were trainn.
bic. as already the rough edge had been
taken on. II was. he said. a matter Of
Importance 10 the navy that the Asso.
citation Of the Naval Militia lives and
prosgers.
Secretary Bonaparte recalled the
words OF Napoleon l.. that ~ man IN
not n soldier" and paraphrased them
by saying that likewise n man Is not q
sailor. meaning. as he explained, that
not all men. no matter how good other
wise. were naturally adapted 10 sail.
or's life.
lie made an eloquent plea for the de-
velopmeDt Of a public sentiment that
would cause people 10 look with honor
upon the sailors uniform and would no
longer permit the country's defenders
to be turned away from entertainments
amusement because they wore the sail
or's blue suit His expressions on this
point were greeted with great applause.
The delegates to the league were re-
ceived ut the White House by Presi-
dent Roosevelt during the afternoon,
when there was handed to the presi
dent copy of resolution adopted by
the league having in view the restora-
ton Of the old frigate Constitution as
nearly as possible to her original con
dition and her preservation as source
of patriotic inspiration and as monu
ment to the gallant men who fought
with her