Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1920-05-19
HOLDNESS WAS
ORDER TO NAVY
Nilsson Told Officers in 1917 to
Win by AUdacity.
SHOW BRITISH, He URGED
Throw Trsditiors 90 Wind and Crush
U-Boats By New msthocs-seere-
tary Daniels Reveals Speech
20 the Public.

Washington. May l.. President
Wilson's hitherto unpublished war In
EtructIOns 10 the officers OF the Allan
tie feet. given IN person on the quar-
terdeck of the flagship Pennsylvania
on August IL. and bidding them
throw tradition 20 the wind" strike
;he word prudent from their vocabu-
laF4es" and do the thing that Is auda-
clous 10 the utmost point 81 risk and
daring" were made public here By
Secretary Daniels.
In opening his address TO the ofh-
Gers. Mr.. Wilson said.
Admiral Mayo and Gentlemen:
Il have not come here with malice
prepense 10 make a speech. but have
come here TO have a look az you aud
20 say some things that perhaps may
be intimately said and even though
the company IS large. said In COLI
fdence:
This Is an unprecedented war. AMI
therefore. Il Is a war in one sense for
amateurs. Nobody ever before con
Quoted a war Ike this and therefor
nobody can pretend "a be profess
sionaI in a war like this. Here are
Two great nayiesa not 20 speak 81 the
others associated with uS-Our own
and the British. Communicating hy 4
very great margin the navy 10 which
we are opposed and yet casting about
Tor n way in which 10 use our su-
periority and our strength.
I'VE are hunting hornets all over
the farm and letting the nest alone
None 81 US know how to go 10 the nest
and crush a.. and yet ! despair Of
hunting for hornets all over the sea
when I know where the nest Is AMI
know that the nest Is breeding hornets
as fast as I can find them.
Asks for Suggestions.
4 am willing FOR my part and !
know you are willing because | know
the stuff you are made of am Will
ang 10 secrifice half the navy Great
Britain and we together have 10 crush
that nest. because II we crush II the
war j. won.
Il have come here TO say that ] do
not care whether Il comes from the
youngest officer or the oldest. but
want the officers 81 the navy to have
the distinction ~ saying how ;his war
Is going "a he won.
Il am willing "a make any sacrifice
Tor that. mean any sacrifice of time
or anything else. I am ready to put
myself az the disposal 81 any officer
IN the navy who thinks he knows how
10 run this war I viii not undertake
10 tell you whether he does or not.
because know that ! DO not. but
win undertake 20 put him Ia communi-
cation with those who can ind out
whether hIs idea viii work or not.
Il have the authority To do that. aud
viii DO @ with the greatest pleasure.
only Way 20 Win.
ave have got Go throw tradition O.
the winds. As have said. gentlemen.
i take Ia Tor granted that nothing
that I say here viii be repeated and
therefore I am going 20 say this:
Every time We have suggested any
thing q the British admiralty the ne
ply has come hack that virtually
amounted TO this. that IL had never
been done that way. and l felt like
saying. Wei. nothing was ever done
- Systematically as nothing Is being
done now
Therefore. should like % see
something unusual happen. something
nhnt was never done before; and. ia
aSuuch as the things that are being
done "a you were never done before.
don't you think Il Is worth while to
rry something that was never done be-
fore against those who are doing them
20 yonF
There Is no other way 10 win. AMI
the whole principle % this war j. the
Kind ~ thing that ought 90 henrten
and stimulate America. America Is
the prize amateur nation Of the world.
Germany Is the prize professional ma
ton 81 the world. Now when II comes
10 doing new things and doing them
well. I viii hack the amateur against
abe professional every time. He knows
- little about Il that he is fool enough
20 try the right thing. The men thar
d. not know the danger are the rash
est men.
please leave out ~ your vocahu-
lary altogether the word prudent
10 not stop 70 think about what Is
prudent for a moment. 10 the thing
that Is audacious % the utmost point
Of risk and daring. because that is
exactly the thing that the other side
does not understand. and you viii win
~ the audacity 81 method when you
cannot win By eircumspection and
prudence"