BANQUET. 285 



RESPONSE OF MR. LEWIS NIXON. ' ' 



Mr. Toastmaster, Secretary Daniels, ladies and gentlemen, and fellow naval architects, 

 we always feel that somewhere in our evening's entertainment at our annual festivities that 

 we should have some little shop talk such as seems to befit a gathering of naval architects. 

 Our president has not, of course, attempted to give you a substitute "just as good," but he 

 has asked me to say something here about the merchant marine, of its p^ast and present, and 

 even to dare to say something about its future. 



For more than twenty years I have been speaking on the subject of the merchant ma- 

 rine all over this country. In the past, and during that time, I have spoken of the merchant 

 marine we once had and the mercliant marine we hoped to have. Now we seem to feel that 

 we are approaching a time when we can discuss a merchant marine that we have. But 

 when I came to Philadelphia I felt that, if I spoke to the naval architects and those as- 

 sembled with them, I must speak of a man whose name naturally comes to you as associated 

 with this great city, who has carried the flag of the United States and foreign flags upon 

 vessels built in this city, that have been a credit to the American nation, a man who has 

 probably done as much to keep the American flag afloat and to bring about the sentiment, 

 both for naval shipbuilding and merchant marine shipbuilding, as any man in the entire 

 United States, and that man is Charles H. Cramp. (Applause.) 



Our President spoke of the beginning of this Society twenty-five years ago. Admiral 

 Bowles and Admiral Capps came to see me in Philadelphia and we discussed the formation 

 of a Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. I suggested at the time the name 

 of the man who, if we could have him for our first president, I thought would insure a solid 

 and substantial start for the Society upon a field of great and enduring usefulness. I sug- 

 gested that prince of men, Clement A. Griscom. I did it because I thought that before we 

 began a Society such as this there should be no feeling either of rivalry or bias, as the re- 

 sult of possible misunderstandings, and that we should have some man as president who was, 

 in a sense, away from the actual shipbuilding industry, but a man who at the same time was 

 engaged in the labor, and who later brought it to a successful end, of lifting and carrying 

 the American flag in the Atlantic trade. I saw his son that day and told him what we 

 wanted. He said, "I will ca;ble my father; he is in Europe." The next day the cable came 

 back with the message: "Tell Nixon yes." I sent that cablegram to Admiral Bowles who, 

 with Admiral Capps, was the prime mover in the organization of The Society of Naval Ar- 

 chitects and Marine Engineers, and from that day this Society has been a success. Mr. 

 Griscom has been succeeded by competent presidents, men to whom we have looked with re- 

 spect and appreciation, and who have led us on our way until to-day we have this splendid 

 gathering of naval architects. Even in that time, in that twenty-five years, the achievements 



