The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-28
Strenuous Stuff.
The text of the Presidents letter is as
.The White House,
washington. d. G.. FEB. 81. 1905.


washington, u. c.. Feb. q. 1905.
'The Secretary OF War,-In the re-
cent war in the East Admiral Togo
took his place among the great sea
fighters OF all time. His message to
the united squadron which he COM
manded on the occasion of its dispersal
at the close of the war, is 50 note
worthy that l deem it proper to have
it Inserted in a general order of the
department.
"The qualities which make for
midable fighting man, on sea or on
shore. and which therefore make Il
formidable army or navy, are the
same for all nations. The individual
men must have the fighting edge; there
must be In them courage, determines
ton. individual initiative, combined
with willingness to learn and subordi-
nation of self together with physical
address. in order that they may form
the stuff out of which, in the aggre-
gate. good armies and navies are
made but. in addition to this, there
must be,.preparedness; there must be
thorough training in advance. Every
American officer and enlisted man.
whether serving in the army or the
navy, should keep ever before his eyes
the fact that he Will not be fit thor
oughly to do his work in the event of
war unless in peace he has thoroughly
done the work of preparing for war.
IL In peace the soldier and the sailor
abandon themselves TO ease and sloth,
when war comes they will go down be-
fore rivals who have been less self
indulgent. Nor is it only the men of
the army and the navy who should
constantly remember these facts. In
n great self-goverring republic like
ours, the army and the navy can he
only so good as the mass of the people
wish them to be. The citizens of
our country owe Ii to themselves and 10
their children and their children's chill
dren that there shall be no chance of
having the national honor furnished,
the national flag stained with aught
that is dlscreditable.
Responsibility of Natives.
The men of the army and the navy,
in any great crisis, such as even the
most peaceful nation may at times
have to face, Will be those upon
whom the especial responsibility will
rest of keeping the natioms honor
bright and unsullied. They cannot do
this If the nation does not exercise
forethougtt on their behalf We must
have an adequate navy and an ade-
quate army In point of size; they
must be provided with the most effec-
tive mechanism in the form of weapons
and other material; above all, they
must be given every chance in time
OF peace to train themselves so that
they may be adopts in handling the
mechanism, and be fitted in body and
in mind. ynainchingly, TO do the ire
mendous. Hcain and bear the tremen-
dous responsibility of war
The President here quotes the addres
Of Admiral Togo, emitting. he says, ce,
Vain illusions having no bearing on on
conditions. and concludes as follows:
~ commend the above address TO
every man who is or may be part of
the fighting force of the United States.
and 10 every man, who believes that
If eyer, unhappily, war should come,
it should be so conducted as to reflect
credit upon the American nation.
tsigned)
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"