The Cairo bulletin., 1914-05-30

most naval and military messes, and
even to this day it is contrary 70 Ell
quette TO have them appear en- the din
ner table when any mclbcr OF tie
reigning family OF England is present.
Ii the Black Watch refrain t-o. Civ
ing this daily toast of the king a
their mess dinner, it is because, hay
ing been raised TO ngh the Stuart
they have always claimed that their
loyalty TO the English house Of Hano-
yer was above suspicion.
While the daily ration Of erog to the
crew is still continued on British war
ships talthough long since abandoned
in the United States navy, set their
commanders have strict instructions
that in lieu of the double allowance Of
spirits formerly served cut TO thc
crews when going into action, not a
drop Of alcoholic liquor. no matter
whether spirit, wine or malt, is all
lowed among the officers and men
when there is any lighting TO be done.
In order to slake the thirst engen-
dered by the heat exsrtion and smoke
iuseparable from a naval combat. sup
plies Of oatmeal and water Tor drink
ing are arranged all over the ship,
This is. OF course, very radical de-
parture from the former practise. But
II is step which has been rendered
imperative by the extreme importance
of sighting, with the utmost degree
OF eNactitude, the guns, upon the pre-
cision Of which the success uf every
action az sea depends In naval eE-
gagements there IS little boarding to
be done in these times Of iruucl2d war
fare il is no longer necessary to pep
per the hull OF man-ofwar full OF
small shot-holes in order 10 sink
her This can be achieved by one
single welldirected shot from any Of
the great guns with which the warship
of the present day is armed Every
thing, therefore. depends upon the pre-
cision of the guunery, and the beliig-
erent whose every shot carries is
practically certain to win the day
Admiral Lord Charles Beraslord,
when last here. during a conversation
with me on the subject. laid sG So on
the fact that the prize gunnera Of the
Mediterranean feet which. when ua-
der his command, made such a aeusa-
tioual record in sunnery, were all men
who did not drink, and who were,
therefore, able to shoot with more pr
cision than those whose pulse WAS IN
the least bit quickened by a stimulant
But total abstinence is merely oncour-
| aged-pot enforced
Similar conditions prevail in the
| Japanese navy, and whereas in that Of
| Great Britain inebriety was formerly
treated with relative indulgence, it is
now punished with such great severity
| as to put a stop virtually to all heavy
| drinking among the officers The lat
| ter do not have TO be completely In
| toxicated and bereft of their senses In
order TO incur court martial The least
departure from perfect sosriety is
nowadays made subject OF disciplin-
| AIRY action, and the consequence Is that
| many officers prefer TO be known as
total abstainers rather than that any
momenAry excitement any departure
! In one word from their normal manner
and frame Of mind, should be untustly
ascribed to stimulants.
Then, too, the modern warship ia
the most complicated piece Of machin-
| la,
thing Is done by electricity The con-
| ming tower, or the cabin from which
| the captain directs every movement
of the ship. has its walls literally GOV
cred with electric push buttons and
! small levers. 1t is necessary that
every faculty of the human brain
| should be keenly alert and sharpened
to the finest point to know just what
| button or lever to touch in a moment
Of emergency, since the slightest mis-
take might result in an appalling ca
tastrophe. with the destruction of the
! lives of all the crew of 600 to 500 men.
The responsibility is overwhelming
| 1t is not only ones own career and
| liAt bldI MANS IA Ni4c bdIobttt but blt
fate of the ship. representing cost
of perhaps as much as 100000 900, and
| the existence of all ones fellow crea-
lures on board Men who have to
shoulder this risk do not dare to drink
The risk is too appalling They alb
stain from stimulants of their own
initiative. They do not need any such
edct as that issued by Secretary OF
the Navy Daniels to keep them from
| drinking.
| Emperor William, who since his nc
! cession to the throne, twenty-six years
ago. has not only endowed Germany
with magnificent feet, but has raised
/ her from almost the very lowest place
on the list of the naval powers of the
world to the second place, next to
/ Great Britain and ahead of the United
| States, France, Italy and Japan. may
! be trusted to know something about
naval matters and naval men. Yet the
! kaiser has cOntented himself with
| warmly recommending total ahst-
hence In the German navy. He has
| carefully refrained from issuing any
orders on the subject He merely
| points out the advantages OF extreme
temperance on shipboard Since of.
GERS and men know that their advance
4.