Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1921-06-02
URGES MIDDIES TO
COMMAND RESPECT
OF ENLISTED MEN


attainments. / have no doubts
that On the deck or with the en-
gines, in the turrei or in the plot
ting room, you Will be able soon
TO take your places as technically
qualified officers.
But do you know men? If not
your most important work must
he dcne Yea must SO conduct
yourselves thai your saperiors in
rank shall respect you. your
eansis love you. and those under
your command obey You with
saile. Tai - the challenge of
the Navy 10 its commissioned and
enlisted personnel. Can you
meg it? If nor, you stiIl have to
acquire the greatest attribute of
al officer. Ycu must be officers.
but not gao0s. Your commissions
are i'll bestowed unless you are
free from a foolish vanity OF
rank. Pride should be yours, a
ycry just and honest pride in
your uniform That pride may be
best shown BY so wearing the
uniform that all must honor ii
and you. But there should be no
room in the heart of an officer for
the :oopceit that shows itself in
arrogance. Do not fear that The
uniform will not be properly re-
sp6ctcd If you, who wear it, are
worthy OF respect. The world
usually recognizes and respects a
gentleman. 1t must be your task
to run true to form, to live up 10
the great traditions of the Acad-
envy and to prove, as your thous-
anas Of predecessors have done,
thai the phrase. "an officer ana
gentleman is not a meaningless
shibboleth.
No one knows better than |
with what great respect the en-
listed man looks upon an officer
who is every inch a man" No
one knows better than | with
what contempt the enlisted man
views an officer unduly burdened
with tie weight CT his own i'm
portance. All. we need not
worry about our rank Our fit
ness for it will be justly APP
praised by those associated with
us. The enlisted man will quick
ly size you up, He wants to like
you He wants TO respect you.
He quito properly feels that he is
too much q man himself TO want
to be Commanded by one lacking
any essential element of man
hood. If you go to the enlisted
men whom, in due course, you
will command. with the certain
expectation of receiving all Gus
tomary military Difference, but
never forgetting that 1t always
becomes an officer to be friendly.
kind and sympathetic, you viii.
think, find him not only first
class fighting man" but a good
comrade as Well. Many a young
officer worries upon his first con-
tact with enlisted men through
fear he cannot get on with them
and that they may not like or re-
spcct him. He gets irritable and
exacting, imagining Sights that
never occurred or were never in
tended. and finally sometimes he
himself brings about the catas-
trophe he so breads. Go 70 your
men simply and naturally. a man
among men. giving the best that's
in you and expecting good work
in return. You will get it, and
that makes team work and that
SPELLS success. There is a smile
in the Navy and Marine Corps
that tao men reserve fer those
they respect and like. 1t is better
Inan any decoration. Try to win
it. Remember. too. that the rec
orded history Of humanity proves
one thing, if no other. and that is
thai in spite of many inventions
and the tremendous increase in
human knowledge, still 1.-The pro-
per study of mankind is man"
Today as of old the best man
wins, be it in peace pursuits or in
war The same attributes that
led the dauntless Decatur in the
Bay of sTripoli, that caused Law
renee TO cry with his dying
breath. Don't give up the ship"
that dashed Farragut in the rig
ging when his ship went in, that
took Dewey over the mines past
Corregidor, still remain the nee
essary complement to scientific
learning in the making of an Of
ficer
If you are 10 he fit inheritors
and transmitters of the glorious
traditions of our Navy, you must
dedicate yourself today to lives
OF self sacrifice and absolute de-
votion. Most particularly our
eounsfy-s honor and material in
terests are in your hands. There
neea re no dull day in your SPLEEN
did profession if you view your
service in the right light. There