The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-01-28
THE LINE OF THE NAVY.
Address by Captain J.. n. Miller be-
fore the Navy League

Address by Captain ,. n. Miller be
i fore the Navy League
I, Following was the address delivered
, by CaptainJ. w. Miller at the annua
meeting Of the Navy League Of Thu
United States at the New Willard, il
Washington, D. Of, January 10:
II this association be not always
ready to discuss with candor any topic
Of interest to the Navy it will fail in
its duty.
| / therefore trust that I may be per
1 mitted to speak for few moments on
the Line and Staff questions, a sub
| ject which has been prominent Of late
and one Of vital Importance to the ser
vice.
l. The success of any organization,
i governmental or commercial, depends
upon an exact knowledge of what the
final aims of that organization are.
One Of the reasons for the late panic
| in civil life has been the failure OF GER
tain corporations to appreciate that
their aims were at variance with moral
and economic laws, and that, there
fore, disaster was certain These laws
apply with even more force to mill
tary body, as patriotism places it upon
the highest plane Of lofty ideals. The
question then always before US is,
what is the ultimate aim of navy !?
the answer being, lighting on the sea
in defense of it's country.
All material preparation in the way
of equipment or ships is of secondary
l iY1oY1 rf a M 70
ment of the human being whose re-
sponsibility and duty it is to fight the
vessels in time of war. In an age of
materialism, and especially in this
country of inventive talent, material
can and has been produced. 1t is the
province of staff to create it, of the
line TO handle it.
From our universities, technical col
legeS, and even from the Naval Acade-
my qualified experts to the fighting
cause are readily obtainable To these
should be given the highest reward
within the range of their scientific or
other attachments rank and title
being expressive of the duty per-
| formed. Up to within few years
admiral has been synonymous with
seamanship. To-day it has lost its
| Significance through misapplication.
ii. How should the fighting man be
educated? The United States selects
youths from every portion of the coun-
try and every walk of life; educates
each at cost of approximately S25,-
GOO at the Naval Academy. There
they are taught, in early years, while
their minds are pliable, through the
school OF obedience, the power to com
O1qnd Whotovov daponnrof in II ~
of life they may have absorbed as chill
dren, are, at that Institution
rightly nodded, through rigid disci-
pine, into the stern requirements es-
Sential for the Navy of republic.
Training. through system of increas-
ing authority, over subordinateS is
developed until the youth becomes a
leader of men. If on account of alb
normal conditions, such as occurred
Immediately after the civil war, he
drifts away towards scientific pursuits
and becomes a specialist, he fails at
some supreme moment; his trend of
mind having lost the executive habit
50 essential for the quarterback of
man-Of-war
Contrast such man with the type
OF sea officer, and there are many such
IN the Navy, who. in season and out
OF season, have ever kept before them
the true goal. During years of routine,
and often OF diScOuragement, they
have never forgotten the main object
for which they we're educated, and
have studiously added to their knowl-
edge OF SeamanShip the larger diplo-
matte and other qualifications essen
tlal for representative of the United
States in foreign waters. They have
thus physically and mentally fitted
themselves through long experience to
face a war crisis, and are, equally,
ready with dignity and wisdom, to
stand or fall. in time of peace in de-
Tense of what they conscientiously be-
lieve to be the good of the service.
Ii this nation was wise in establish
ing schools for the training of the
fighter at great expense, then it is
manifestly waste OF money to intro
duce into the line, civilians who have
not had that governmental training.
This argument should be plain to the
people at large.
LII. But there is far weiehter one
Which is not always appreciated by
persons who do not fully understand
The traditions OF military service,
namely Maintenance of esprit de
corps. from Une moment boy enters
one OF our academies he is impressed
both officially and unotficially with the
idea that desire for rank and position
is higher motive than the wish for
money and salary that the spirit of
his. profession prohibits favOritism,
and that merit alone will prevail. 1t
is the duty OF the United States to
encourage such feeling.
1t is to be regretted that graduates
OF the Military Academy are not all
lowed frankly to tell the sad story of
lost ambition and hope deferred felt
by those who have given the best years
OF their lives to their country only to
see themselves supplanted by persons
from civil life.
| The Navy has been free from such
abuse up to the present time; require
ments for fighting wind and wave
have prevented it. Has the time ar
rived for an entering wedge permit
ting those, who perhaps have not OBJ.
tanned proper scientific recognition,
to exercise command.
| Nv. 1t Is further of paramount inn
portance to a navy that each unit Of
the fleet be placed in charge OF one
whose p0ucaf,iOn and pxnnrianaa hos