Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-11
Be AUDAC|OUS,
W|THNOPRUDENCE,
WILSON BID NAVY
Presidents Final instructions
in 1917 Made Public by
Secretary Daniels.
VOICED DISSATISFACTION
WITH ALLIES METHODS
Was Willing to Sacrifice Half
Combined Fleets of U. S. and Eng
land to Accomplish Victory.


President Wilson's hitherto unpub-
lished war instructions to the officers of
the Atlantic feet, given in person on
the quarterback of the flagship PennsyL-
vania on August IL. 1917. and bidding
them throw tradition to the wind.
strike the word prudent from their vo-
cabularies and do the thing that is
audacious to the utmost point of risk
and daring" were made public here to-
day by Secretary Daniels
The President spoke as commander
in-chief of the Navy and at time
when the German submarine menace
was uncurbed. In laying the text of his
remarks before the Senate naval inveS-
tigating committee Secretary Daniels
said they showed the bold and vigor-
ous' policy the President had outlined
for the Navy.
DO not stop to think what is prudent
for a moment" the President said. You
will win by the audacity of method
when you cannot win by circumspection
and prudence.
Il think that there are willing ears
the American Army. because that is the
kind Of folks we are.
There will have to come a new ira
dition into service which does not do
new and audacious and successful!
things"
Dissatisfied With Anti-Sub Fight.
The President also expressed his dis
satisfaction with progress then being
made toward crushing the submarine
campaign
I'VE are hunting hornets alf over the
farm and letting the nest alone" he
said II am willing, for my prt. and
] know that YOU are willing. because
know the stuff you are made of am
willing to sacrifice half the navy Great
Britain and we together have to crush
that nst. because il We crush it the
war 10 won"
The British admiralty had met
American suggestions with what
amounted to statements that ''it
never had been DONE" the President
said. adding:
"And felt like saying. Well. moth
ing was ever done 50 systematically
as nothing is being done now"
In opening his address TO the officers
Mr.. Wilson said:
admiral Mayo and Gentlemen:
Il have not come here with malice
prepense to make speech, but have
come here to have look at you and
TO say some things that perhaps may
he intimately said and, even though
the company is large. said in conf
6ence.
p H16 10 du uupIcCSuChtNu wal anu,
therefore, it is war in one sense
for amateurs. Nobody ever before
conducted a war like this. and there
fore nobody can pretend TO be pro-
fessional in war like this. Here are
two great nayies-not to speak OF the
others associated with us-our ow.:
and the British. outnumbering by
great margin the navy to which We
are. opposed and yet casting about for
q way in which to use our superiority
and our strength.
Now. somebody has got to think
this war out. Somebody has got to
think out the way not only to fight
the submarine. but to do something
different from what we are doing.
Willing t. Make Great SacFiAee.
We are hunting hornets all over
the farm and letting the nest alone
None Of US knows how to go to the
nest and crush it. and yet despair OF
hunting for hornets all over the sea
when ] know where the nest is and
know that the nest is breeding hornets
as fast as ! can find them. l am will
ing for my part, and l know you are
willing because l know the stuff you
are made of am willing to sacrifice
half the navy Great Britain and we
together have to crush that nest, be-
cause il we crush il the war is won.
have come here to say that l do
not care where it comes from. ! do not
care whether it comes from the young
est ofiicer or the Oldest. but ] want
the officers of this Navy to have the
distinction of saying how this war
is going to be won.
II am willing to make any sacrifice
for that. / mean any sacrifice of time
or anything else. l am ready to put
myself at the disposal Of any officer
in the Navy who thinks he knows
how TO run this war. ] will not under
take TO tell you whether he does or
not because I know that do not. but
] will undertake to put him in COM
munication with those who can find
out whether his idea will work or not.
] have the authority to do that, and
] will do it with the greatest pleas
ure.
II wish that could think and had
the brains TO think in the terms of
marine warfare. because / would feel
then that ! was figuring out the fu-
fure history of the political freedom
of mankind. ] do not see how any
man can look at the flag Of the United
States and fail having his mind
crowded with "reminiscences of the
number Of unselfish men. seeking no
object of their own. the advantage OF
no dynasty. the advantage of no group
Of privileged people. but the advantage
OF his fellow men. who have died un-
der the folds of that beautiful EN-
bIem. l wonder il men who do die un
der it realize the distinction they
have.
There is distinction in the privilege
and / for my part am sorry to play so
peaceful a part in the business as | my
self am obliged to play. and 1 conceive
II privilege to come and look at you
men who have the other thing to dc
and ask you to come and tell me or tel
anybody you want to tell how this
thing can be better done. and we will
thank God that we have got men OF
originative brains among us.
Throw Tradition to the Wind.
Eve have got to throw tradition to
the wind.
"As I have said. gentlemen. take
It for granted that nothing that 1 say
here will he repeated. and. therefore,
am going to say this: Every time we
nave suggested anything to the British
admiralty the reply has come back tina
virtually amounted to this. that 1t had
never been done that way. and l fell
Ike saying:
We'll. nothing was ever done sc
Systematically as nothing is heins done
now. Therefore l should like to see
something unusual happen. Something
rnat WAS never done before: and mas
much as the things that are being done
tc you were never done before. don
YOU think IL is worth while to tr,
something that was never done before
against those who are doing them tt
YOU?
There IL no other way to win, ant
the whole principle Of this war is the
kind Of thing that ought to hearter
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