INTRODUCTORY PROCEEDINGS. 73 



ter how difficult may seem the future, skill, integrity, and high standards of performance 

 will, even under the keenest international competition, achieve the results most to be desired. 

 As in the days of the sailing clipper ship when the American shipbuilder excelled all 

 others and the American Merchant Marine was at the forefront in tonnage and efficiency, 

 we may confidently look forward to a period when efficiency of design, construction and 

 operation of the power-driven cargo and passenger vessels of the future will place the 

 United States again among the leaders of maritime development, and it is to be hoped 

 that die rivalry through which such results may be accomplished will be of an entirely friendly 

 character largely as represented by efficient passenger and cargo vessels rather than by vessels 

 primarily designed for destructive purposes. 



The reading of the President's address was greeted with applause. 



The President : — I am requested to announce that arrangements have been made for 

 visiting the Leviathan. Full information can be obtained through Captain McAllister, at 

 the entrance to the hall, or his accredited representative. 



We vi^ill now proceed with the reading of papers. Obviously, several papers on this pro- 

 gram were prepared well in advance of the meeting. Some of these papers deal with naval 

 matters. Even the naval papers, however, deal with tactical or technical subjects. They 

 will be presented by the various authors in abstract. It is hoped that the discussion which 

 will ensue will throw light upon the tactical and technical features involved in these papers. 

 The discussion should not, of course, in the slightest degree, touch upon subjects which are 

 within the special province of the International Conference now in session in Washington. 



It is a very real pleasure to the Chair to announce that the first paper will be contributed 

 by a distinguished officer of the United States Navy, who himself occupies a very impor- 

 tant relation to that conference, and who bears a name which is especially distinguished 

 in the annals of the United States Navy. I take great pleasure in presenting to you Rear 

 Admiral W. L. Rodgers, U. S. N., an Associate Member of the Society. His paper is en- 

 titled, "The Tactical Relations between Different Clases of Men-of-War and Their Embodi- 

 ment in Design." 



Rear Admiral Rodgers presented the paper. 



