REPORT OF SPEECHES AT THE TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL DINNER 
OF THE SOCIETY OF NAVAL ARCHITECTS AND MARINE 
ENGINEERS, HELD AT THE WALDORF-ASTORIA, NEW YORK, 
N. Y., NOVEMBER 13, 1920. 
After the service of the dinner, Mr. Homer L. Ferguson, acting president, called 
the company to order and, as toastmaster of the evening, said:—‘‘Gentlemen, as is 
usual on occasions like this, our first toast of the evening is ‘To the President of the 
United States,’ which I ask you to give standing.” 
The toast was given standing, and the orchestra played ‘“‘The Star Spangled 
Banner,” in which the company joined in singing. 
THE ToOASTMASTER:—Gentlemen, we had hoped to have here this evening General 
Bullard and other representatives of the Army, and also several naval: officers and 
admirals in addition to Admiral Glennon, who we are glad to say is with us. Our second 
toast on occasions like this is ‘‘To the Army and Navy of the United States.” 
This Society is closely affiliated with the Navy and always has been. In 1892 a 
band of officers, of whom your president, Admiral Capps, was one, started the Society 
with the assistance of an equal number of civilians. Our work has always been identified 
with that of the Navy. The Army has also been friendly with us and has always been 
represented here, and as I have not any speech to make tonight, and nothing in particular 
to say, I hope you will pardon me for taking a minute of your time in referring to the 
Army and Navy. Having been brought up in the service, I suppose I am somewhat 
partial to the Navy. Yesterday was Armistice Day. Two years ago yesterday the 
country resounded with the huzzas of the people for our Army and Navy. Today you 
hear little about it. The cry of militarists is in the land more or less, and yet during the 
great war we had a phenomenon in this country that has never before been seen here, 
and that is that the work of our Regular Army and our Regular Navy was so well done 
that there was not one note of dissatisfaction over all this country, nor a demand to 
return to this country any of the officers in command. (Applause.) That is a wonder- 
ful record, and whatever may be said to the contrary, General Pershing and Admiral 
“Sims had their own way in France and in England. ‘Two million of our soldiers went 
over on ships provided by us and by our Allies without the loss of a single man, and our 
soldier boys showed by their performance at the front that they were well trained and 
demonstrated to everybody’s satisfaction that West Point was justified a thousand times 
in the character of the men that it sends out to train your boys and mine. (Applause.) 
But at this time, when we are so taken up with affairs of business and in our effort 
to make the world perfectly good and beautiful and true, it is just as well to remember 
that when we needed them the officers and men of the Army and Navy were on the job, 
did their work to the Queen’s taste, and came home victorious, claiming nothing and 
getting less in many cases. (Applause.) 
I think that on the anniversary of Armistice Day it is up to us who have profited 
