The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-05-22
SAYS He MTas
Only Jokir1g.
SHAW EXPLAINS HIS ARUNDEL
COVE sPEEcHsAsouTsARMY
AND NAVY

l.
WASHINGTON. slay e2.-Naral Of
fcers have been considerably stirre.
up over Secretary Shaw:s criticism OF
the methods IN t:.e Army and Nary.
which the Secretary said discouraged
men OF original ideas.
One OF the oficers-Rear Admiral
Coghlan-wrote letter of complaint
| to the President and the latter refer
red it TO Secretary Shaw, VINO male
the following explanation
May Is. 1906.
Ny Dear aIr. President The letter
OF Rear Admiral J. B. coghlan. United
States Navy. TO you OF May 10 is be.
fore ne. together vito a clipping from
the New York SUI
hope need not deny the report
as published The occasion was the
graduation of t;1e class from the Re-
enue Cutter Service. and the talk was
at Arundel Cove. Il was informal. and
was advised that there was no news.
paper men present. 1t turned out that
there Were two young men who rep
resented newspapers. and who under
TOOK 20 give in half column the par
port of Commute talk
called the boys. attention 10 some
of the advantages Of their field Of
usefulness and TO some of the disat
vantaSeS. told them that their ser
vice rendered sustained industry we'll
nigh impossible and added: II have
said I would go thousand miles e.
see the grave Of man who died f-om
overwork but il / were looking TO-.
such graves 1 would not expect to find
them IN the Revenue Cutter Service.
or. for that matter, in any government
service"
That took in myself. and the boys
smiled their appreciation of the joke
at my own expense. do not know
appreciate this. but the fact that while
those who are on the Northern coas:
during the winter months have pretty
severe work, and some of them On
Serous work. this does not change :ae
fact that during most of the year on
most Of the assignments the work Is
very light said not a word about
lying around waiting for an oppor-
tunity to do some fghrinS. and moth
ing out of which that could have been
gathered
The next paragraph Of the report re-
fers to self-rcliance. tried to teach
the boys the importance of self-reii-
ance- and used substantially this Ian
SuaSe- Il am disposed TO think that
if the average American boy is want
ing in anything it is in self-re.ianc:.
Bear in mind there is a difference be-
tween Self-reliance and self-conceit. ]
said to you that think the American
boy is wanting in self-reliance-
I urged the boys to, practice econ
omy. and said TO them: 1t may be
true that the world owes yoa living
If you can collect it. but the world VIII
stand Serenely by and see you ssarrc
and your family beg bread. and az
wise you TO save something from, your
income You owe it TO yourselves
and to your families that $ou put a
roof over your babies One Of tie
boys reported me in the clipping as
saying t:lat. while you are about col
Letting il you might as well see to it
that 1t is a good one The other boy.
after using substantially the same Ian
guage, added to this effect But II You
do not get all that is coming to your
the world will let you srarve.
I did not say, as quoted in the San,
There is nothing that will take the
as employment in the Army OF Navy
What did say was by way of warning
against the tendencies of the service.
and I used substantially this .aIi-
guaSe: The Revenue Cutter Service
is not well calculated TO develop tie
power of Initiation. In fact TO GOV
eminent service is friend Of original
thinking We take the best blood. :he
best brain the best physiGueS ana
send them to West Point. which. in
my judgment Is the best school in the
world Turning TO a preacher Who
sat there said. If wanted TO manc'
big preacher or a lawyer would
sooner send him through wssr Point
| than any school I know: bur S's5ss-
quenr service in the Army and Navy,
like that which you are ertec:u= is