The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-05-11
Throw Tradition to the
Wind" Said Pres. Will
son to Officers
"DO THE THING THAT
IS AUDACIOUS"
Sec. Daniels Revealed Re-
markable Speech Deliv-
cred Aug. II, 1917


lantic fleet given in person on the quar-
ter deck of the flagship Pennsylvania
on Aug. IL. 1917, and bidding them
| throw tradition to the win,p strike
the word prudent from their vocabular-
es" and do the thing that is auda
eious to the utmost point of risk and
daring" We're made public to-day by
Secretary Daniels.
| The president spoke as commander
n-chief of the navy at u time when
the German submarine menace was I'M.
curbed In laying the text of his re-
marks before the Senate naval inves-
tigation committee, Secretary Daniels
said they showed the "bold and vgor-
Gus" policy the president had outlined
| for the navy.
''Do not stop to think what is pru
dent for a moment" the president said.
"You will win by the audacity meth
cd when you cannot win by circum-
spection and prudence.
! II think that there are willing ears
to hear this in the American navy and
the American army, because that is the
kind of folks we are.
''There will have to come new ira
dition into a service which does not do
new and audacious and successful
things
Tho president also expressed his dis
| satisfaction with progress then being
made toward crushing the submarine
campaign.
"We are hunting hornets all over the
| farm and letting the nest alone he
said. II am willing, for my part, ard
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
10 crush that nest, because If we crush
| il the war is won"
The British admiralty had met
American suggestions with what
amounted to statements that IT never
bad been DONE" the president said,
adding:
And felt like saying well, nothing
was ever done so systematically as
nothing is being done now
In opening his address TO the Off
GERS, the president said;
admiral Mayo and gentlemen:
have not come here with malice pre-
tence to make speech, but | have
come here TO have a look at YOU and to
saw things that perhaps may be inti
| mately said and. even though the com
pany is large, said in confidence.
"This il an unprecedented war and,
therefore. ii is a war in one sense for
amateurs. Nobody ever before con
ducted a war like this and, therefore,
nobody can pretend 10 be profession
al in a war like this. Here are two
great navies---not TO speak of the
others associated with us-our own
and the British, outnumbering by a
very great margin the navy to which
we are opposed, and yet casting about
for way in which TO use our SUI
periority and our strength.
"Now. somebody has got to think
this war out Somebody has got to-
think out the way not only 70 fight the
submarine, but TO do something differ
ent from what we are doing.
I'VE are hunting hornets all over
the farm and letting the nest alone.
None Of Us know how to 60 70 the
nest and crush IL and vet | despair of
hunting for hornets all over the sea
when I know where the nest is and
know that the nest j. breeding hornets
as fast a. ! can find them. ! am will
ing for my part-and | know you are
willing. because | know the stuff YOU
are made of am willing 10 sacrifice
half the navy Great Britain and we to-
gether have, to crush that nest be
cause II we crush IL the war is won.
I have come here to say that / do not
care where il comes from, | do not
care whether il comes from the young
est officer OF the oldest. but | want the
officers Of this navy TO have the dis
tinction of saying how this war a. GO
ing 10 be won"
Il am willing to make any sacrifice
for that. I mean any sacrifice Of time
or ANYTHING else. ! am ready TO put
myself al the disposal of amy officer IN
the navy who thinks he knows how 10
mn this war. ] will not undertake TO
tell YOU whether he does or not, be
cause I know that | do not, but ] viii
undertake to put him in eommuniea-
tion with those who can find out
whether nj. idea will work or not. |
have the authority 10 do that and viii
do il with the greatest pleasure.
Il wish that I could think and had
the brains 20 think in the terms Of ma
rine warfare because J would feel then
that / was figuring out the future hrs
tory Of the political freedom Of man
kind. I do not see how any man can
look at the flag Of the United Ststes
and fail having his mind crowded with
"reminiscences Of the number of unself
,sh 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 fel- !
iowmen. who have died under the folds
Of that beautiful emblem. wonder if
men who do die under il rcalire the
distinction they have.