And State Papers 35 



ships and guns in all their details the most perfect 

 of their kind throughout the world. The ship must 

 be seaworthy, the armament fitted for best protec 

 tion to the guns and men, the guns in all their 

 mechanism fit to do the greatest possible execution 

 in the shortest possible time. Every detail, whether 

 of protection to the gun-crews, of rapidity and sure- 

 ness in handling the ammunition and working the 

 elevating and revolving gear, or of quickness and 

 accuracy in sighting, must be thought out far in ad 

 vance, and the thought carefully executed in the 

 actual work. But after that has been done it remains 

 true that the best ships and guns, the most costly 

 mechanism, are utterly valueless if the men have 

 not been trained to use them to the best possible ad 

 vantage. From now on throughout your lives there 

 can be no slackness in the performance of duty on 

 your part. Much has been given you, and much will 

 be expected from you. Your duty must be ever 

 present with you, waking and sleeping. You must 

 train yourselves, and you must train those under 

 you, in the actual work of seamanship, in the actual 

 work of gunnery. If the day for battle comes you 

 will need all that you possess of boldness, skill, de 

 termination, ability to bear punishment, and instant 

 readiness in an emergency. Without these qualities 

 you can do nothing, yet even with them you can do 

 but little if you have not had the forethought and set 

 purpose to train yourselves and the enlisted men 

 under you aright. Officers and men alike must have 

 the sea habit; officers and men alike must realize 



