Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-27

the same In a general order. letter recr-
ing the achievements of the Japanese ed-
mral, Togo. during the late war between
Japan and Russia and repeating for the
benefit of American soldiers and sailors
the address issued by that admiral upon
the close of the wer. The point of the
Presidents letter Is the necessity of keep
ing the personnel of the army and navy
at the highest pitch in time of peace in
der to be prepared for war The letter fol-
lows:
The Presidents Letter.
white House.
Washington, February 81, 1906.
THE Secretary of War:
"In the recent in the east Admiral
Togo took his place among the great sea
| fighters of all time. His message to the
united squadron which he commanded, on
| the occasion of it's dispersal at the close of
| the war is so noteworthy that | deem 1t
proper to have it inserted in general or
| der of the department.
'The qualities which make formidable
[ fighting man, on sea or on shore and which
J therefore make formidable army navy,
! are the same for all nations. The individual
men must have the fighting edge: there
| must be in them courage. determination.
| individual initiative. combined with will
! ingness to learn and subordnatlon of ser,
| together with physical address. I'm order
! lIldI llltN may form the SUN OAK OF WHICH
! in the aggregate 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 thai he Will not be fit
| thoroughly to do his work in the event OF
war unless in peace he has thoroughly done
the work of preparing for wa II IN peace
the soldier and the sailor abandon them
/ selves to ease and sleth, when war comes
| they win go down before rivals WHO have
| been less self-iRdulgent-
Duty of the Nation.
Nor is 1t only the men of the army and
navy who should constantly remember
these facts. In a great selt-gov ing re-
public like ours the army and navy can
| be only so good the mass of the people
wish them to be. The citizens of our coun-
try owe it to themselves and to their chill
dren and their children's children that there
shall be no chance of having the national
honor tarnished the national nag stained.
with aught that is discreditable. The men
of the army and the navy IN any great
crisis such even the most peaceful ma
ton may at times have to face, will be
those upon whom the especial responsible
ity will rest of keeping the nations honor
bright and unsullied. They cannot do this
If the nation does not exercise Iorethought
on their behalf. We must have an ade-
quate navy and an adequate army in point
of size: they must be provided with the
most effective mechanism in the form or
wea pons 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 un,.,nchingiy
to endure the tremendous strain and bear
the tremendous responsibility Of war.
Admiral Togo's Address.
"Onfittlng certain illusions having no
bearing on our conditions the address runs
as follows:
The war of. twenty months duration
is now a thing of the past. and our united
squadron, having completed its functions.
is to be herewith dispersed. But our du-
ties as naval men are not at all lightened
for that reason. To preserve in perFctuity
the fruits of this war. to promote to al even
greater height of prosperity the fortunes
of the country, the navy, which, irrespective
of peace or war has to stand between the
empire and shocks from abroad. must al
ways maintain its strength at sel and
must be prepared to meet any emergency.
This strength does not consist solely in
ships and armament; ii consists also in.
immaterial ability to utilize such agents
When we understand that one gun which
scores a hundred per cent of hits is a match
for hundred of the enemy's guns each or
which scores only / per cent, IL becomes
evident that we sailors must have recourse
before everything TO the strength which is
over and above externals. The triumphs
recently won by our navy are largely to
be attributed to the habtual training which
enabled us to garner the fruits of the fight
ing If then. we infer the future from the
past we recognize that though war may
cease. we can not abandon ourselves to
ease and rest.
One Unnecessary Battle.
"a soldiers whole life is one continuous
and unceasing battle. and there is no rea-
son why his responsibilities should vary
with the state of the times. In days or
crisis he has to display his strength; in
days of peace to accumulate II, thus per-
petually and uniquely discharging his du-
ties to the fun. 1t was light task that
during the past year and half we fought
with wind and waves, encountered heat and
cold and kept the sea while frequently en-
gaging a stubborn enemy in a death-or-life
struggle; yet, when We reflect this is seen
10 have been only one in a long series or
general maneuvers, wherein we had tho
happiness to make some discoveries; happi-
ness which throws into comparative insig-
nificance the hardshps of war. If men call
ing themselves sailors grasp at the pleas
ures of peace, they will learn the lesson
that however fine in appearance their en-
gines of war. these. like a house built on
the sand will fall at the first approach or
the storm.
From the day when in ancient times we
conquered Korea, that country remained
for over 400 years under our control only
to be lost Immediately so soon as our navy
declined. Again. when under the sway or
the Tokugawa in modern days our arma-
ments were neglected, the coming OF
few American ships threw into distress,
and we were unable to offer any resistance
to attempts against the Kuriles and Sagha-
lien. On the other hand, If we turn 10 the
annals of the occi6ent we that at the
beginning of the nineteenth century the
British navy, which won the battles OF the
Nile and of Trafalgar, not only made Eng
land as secure as great mountain, but
also by thenceforth c3refnliy maintaining
its strength and keeping Il on a level with
the worlds progress has throughout the
long interval between that era and the
present day safes;uarded the country's In
terests and promoted It's fortunes For