REPORT OF SPEECHES AT THE TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL DINNER 

 OF THE SOCIETY OF NAVAL ARCHITECTS AND MARINE ENGI- 

 NEERS HELD AT THE WALDORF-ASTORIA. NEW YORK. N. Y.. 

 NOVEMBER 15, 1919. 



The president of the Society, Rear Admiral Washington L. Capps, after the service of 

 the dinner, called the company to order and said : 



A word with which you have become very familiar in the last few years is the term 

 "camouflage." You may have noticed on the program of toasts that at a certain period 

 the president would make some introductory remarks. As originally written for my use, 

 that appeared as "Introductory Address." I changed it to "Remarks," and I am thinking 

 of still further amendments, all with a view to abbreviation. 



In making any remarks at all, the president labors imder a slight disadvantage, because 

 when one of the members of the Commitee of Entertainment came to his office in Wash- 

 ington a few weeks ago, he remarked very politely and naively that our dinners were fine, — 

 they were even inspiring in a way, — but they were too darned serious. That cut out one 

 line of remarks. This forenoon I had occasion to interview the director of the music. I 

 noted that he had a very choice selection. He assured me, however, that he had positive 

 instructions to liven things up and not let it get too serious. Under the circumstances, 

 the sooner I get through my remarks the better. 



One hundred and forty-three years ago there was disagreement between those who 

 live in this part of the world and the country which is so well represented by some of our 

 guests here tonight. A number of very earnest and distinguished representatives of the 

 American people got together and formulated a document. One of the most pregnant sen- 

 tences in that document is: — "That all men have an inalienable right to life, liberty and 

 the pursuit of happiness." 



Now we have been through — all the world has been through — a very serious experience. 

 The armistice was signed more than twelve months ago. Peace is not yet declared. There 

 is an unrest, a difficulty of readjustment which may well take us into another year. We, 

 as professional men, scientific men, have a great duty quite apart from our professional 

 work. • As men of trained minds it is our duty to let our influence for the best type of citi- 

 zenship be made manifest wherever we are, and we should not be so much engrossed in 

 our professional life that we do not take our proper place in the great governmental work 

 of our country; in other words, we should make ourselves acquainted with politics, using 

 that word in its broadest and finest sense as descriptive of the science and conduct of 

 government. . ' 



