

And State Papers 121 



have had months and years in which thoroughly to 

 learn their duties. Our shipbuilders and gunmakers 

 must keep ever on the alert so that no rivals pass 

 them by ; and the officers and enlisted men on board 

 the ships must in their turn, by the exercise of un 

 flagging and intelligent zeal, keep themselves fit to 

 get the best use out of the weapons of war intrusted 

 to their care. The instrument is always important, 

 but the man who uses it is more important still. We 

 must constantly endeavor to perfect our navy in all 

 its duties in time of peace, and above all in manoeu 

 vring in a seaway and in marksmanship with the 

 great guns. In battle the only shots that count are 

 those that hit, and marksmanship is a matter of long 

 practice and of intelligent reasoning. A navy's effi 

 ciency in a war depends mainly upon its prepared 

 ness at the outset of that war. We are not to be ex 

 cused as a nation if there is not such preparedness of 

 our navy. This is especially so in view of what we 

 have done during the last four years. No nation has 

 a right to undertake a big task unless it is prepared 

 to do it in masterful and effective style. It would 

 be an intolerable humiliation for us to embark on 

 such a course of action as followed from our declara 

 tion of war with Spain, and not make good our 

 words by deeds not be ready to prove our truth 

 by our endeavor whenever the need calls. The good 

 work of building up the navy must go on without 

 ceasing. The modern warship can not with advan 

 tage be allowed to rust in disuse. It must be used 

 up in active service even in time of peace. This 



