New-York tribune., 1905-07-06

such relations as will make them constantly
anxious TO receive invitations TO sit al his mess
table, and his bearing toward them should be
such as 10 encourage them TO express their
opinions to him with freedom and 10 ask his
views without reserve.
1t is always for the best interests of the ser
vice that cordial interchange of sentiments and
clVlliLles should subsst between superior ana
subordinate officers aboard ship. Therefore il is
the worst OF policy in superiors TO behave toward
their subOrdinates with indiscriminate hauteur
as il the latter were of a lower species Men OF
liberal minds. themselves accustomed TO COM
mand. can i'll brook being thus set at nOught by
others who, from temporary authority, may
claim a monopoly Of power and sense for the
time being. If such men experience rude, un-
sehlle rettIllehl from Iher SupetIoIs II VIZ
create such heartburninSs and resentmenls as
are nowise cOnsonant with that cheerful ardor
and ambitious spirit that ought ever 10 be char
acteristc of officers of all grades. In one word,
every commander should keep constantly before
him the great truth that 10 be well obeyed he
must be perfectly esteemed.
But il not alone with subordinate officers
that a commander has 10 deal Behind them,
and the foundation Of all, is the crew. To his
men the commanding officer should ne prophet
priest and king. His authority wnen olshore
being necessarily absolute, the crew should be
as one impressed that the captain like the
sovereign, can do wrong"
This is the most delicate of all the command
ing officers obligations. No rule can be set for
meeting it. II must ever be question of tact
and perception of human nature on the spot and
TO suit the occasion. II an officer fails in this
he cannot make up for such failure by severity,
auSterity cruelty. Use force and apply re-
straint or punishment as he may. ne viii always
have a sullen crew and an unhappy ship. But
force must be used sometimes for the ends of
discipline On such occasions the quality OF the
commander VIII be most sOrely tried. You and
the other members of the honorable committee
Will, sure, pardon me for speaking with
some feeling on this point. 1t is known 10 you
and, I presume. to the other gentlemen, your
colleagues. that only few years ago l was
called upon in a desperate emergency, and As
last resort to preserve the discipline requisite
for the salvation Of my ship and my fever
stricken crew. TO put to death with my own
hands a refractory and wholly lnCOrrlglbie
sailor I stood jury trial for it and was honor
ably acquitted My aCquittal was Que wholly 10
the impression made upon the minds of the jury
by the testimony of my crew. DO not
reproach myself. But it is a case 20 illustrate
the truth of what I have already said, namely,
that the commander should always impress his
crew with the belief that, whatever he does or
may have to do, is right, and that. Ike the SOW
ereign. he can do no wrong
When a commander has, by tact patience,
justice and frmness each exercised in It's
proper turn produced such an impression upon
those under his orders in a ship OF war he has
( only to wait the appearance of his enemyS top
sails upon the horizon He can never tell when
that moment may come. But when II does come
he may be sure of victory over an equal or
somewhat superior force, or honorao-e dereat oy
one greatly superior. Or, in rare cases. some
times iustiiable he may challenge the devotion
OF his followers to sink with him alongside the
more powerful foe. and all go down together
with the unstIIcken flag of their country still
waving defantly over them IN their ocean
sepulchre!
No such achievements are possible to an un-
happv ship with sullen crew.
An these considerations pertain 70 the naval
officer afoat. But part. and often an important
part of his ca areer must be in port or on duty
ashore Here he must be of affable temper and
! a master of civlHIeS he must meet ana mix
with his Interiors of rank in society ashore, and
on such occasions he must have tact to be easy
and gracious with them particularly when
ladies' are present: at the same time without
the least air Of patronage or affected conde-
scension. though constantly preserving the dis
tinCtion Of rank.
IT NAV not be possible TO always realize these
ideas to the full. but they should form the stand
/ ard and selections ought to be made with
view to their closest approximation.
IN old established naVies Ike, for example,
those of Britain and France, generations are
bred and specially educated TO the duties and
/ responsibilities of officers In land forces gen.
erals may and sometimes do rise from the ranks.
[ But have not Yet heard of an admiral coming
! aft from the forecastle
/ Even in the merchant service master mariners
almost invariably start as cabin apprentices. In
/ all my wide acquaintance with the merchant
! service / can now think or but three competent
/ master mariners who made their first appear
/ ance on board ship through the hawsehole.' as
| A navy is essentially and necessarily aristo-
! cratic. True as may be the political principles
/ for which we are now coutendlng they can
/ never be practically applied or even admitted
| on board ship out of port or of sourdings. This
/ may seem a hardship. hut II is nevertheless the
/ simplest OF truths. While the ships sent forth
/ by Congress may and must fight for the prn-
4 ciples OF human rights and republican freedom.
/ the ships themselves must be ruled and COM
/ manded at sea under 4 system ~ absolute
/ desDOtism.
| / trust that 7 have now made fairly clear to
YOU the tremendous responsibilities that dsvolve
/ upon the honorable committee Of which YOU are
/ a member You are called upon 70 found new
/ navy. 10 lay the foundations Of a new power
/ afoat that must some time. in the course Of
/ human events. become formidable enough 10
! dispute with England the mastery Of the
/ ocean Neither you nor I may live to see such
+ growth. But here at the planting of
/ the tree. and maybe some of us must. in the
/ course of destiny. water its feeble and sJrug-
/ Cling roots with our blood If so. let IT be So
! we cannot heln IT, We must do the best we
can with what have at hand From Paul
( Jones. Founder Of the American Navy" BY
AUGUSTUS c. Buell. Copyright 1S0:' By Charles
{ if1ft--