374 BANQUET. 



ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT-ELECT WALTER M. McFARLAND. 



Mr. President, honored guests and fellow-members of the Society, such an introduction 

 as Admiral Capps has just given me, and such a reception of it as you have tendered, is 

 enough to make any man very proud. As the Admiral has truly said, I have worked faith- 

 fully and devotedly in the interest of the Society. It has always been very near my heart. 

 I do not think that I can hope to make such a record as he has made, because he was one of 

 the charter members and one of the organizers of the Society. I was one of the early mem- 

 bers, and I have worked faithfully ever since. It has always been a great delight to me. 



Many of my best friends are members of this Society, and at one time, when I had gone 

 beyond the Allegheny Mountains and supposed I was cut off, in large measure, from marine 

 affairs, it was always the greatest pleasure of the year for me to come back here and attend 

 our annual banquets, so as to be able to see all these dear, familiar faces and to have the old 

 ties of association renewed. 



Now, as has been pointed out, and as is in everybody's mind, this is a time when things 

 look somewhat blue for the marine interests, but, while sitting here, I was thinking about 

 what our boys said on the other side when things looked blue — they said "Are we dis- 

 couraged?" The answer came — "No," and I believe in my heart that is the way all 

 of us feel. Americans are not the kind of people to be thrown down. We will face 

 the situation, and we will do our very best to go forward. I only ask all of you, who 

 have the interests of the Society at heart, just as much as Admiral Capps and Mr. Taylor 

 and all the rest of us who have been working for it all these years, to give me the same hearty 

 support in carrying out my duties as your president that you have given to those very dis- 

 tinguished gentlemen who have preceded me. With such support I know that we can con- 

 tinue to make the Society, as has already been remarked tonight by a distinguished for- 

 eigner, one of the greatest instruments for the advancement of the maritime interests of the 

 United States. (Prolonged applause.) 



At this point Commander Stevenson Taylor arose amid great applause. 



Commander Taylor: — Gentlemen, I arose not to make a speech, but to say that 

 tonight practically ends the term of a president than whom no man has given, since the 

 organization of this Society, more careful thought for its advancement and for the culti- 

 vation of its interests. The past three years' service has only added to our obligations of 

 all of the previous years, and I ask you to rise and with our best wishes drink the health, 

 the perfect health, if such is possible, of President W. L. Capps. (Long and loud applause.) 



President Capps: — Gentlemen, I greatly value the words of appreciation uttered by 

 our former president, and the way in which you have received them. You well know how I 

 cherish such sentiments, but at this hour I shall surely not detain you by saying anything 

 further. 



We are now at the end of a very successful annual meeting and, in spite of the many 

 unexpected obstacles, I believe we have had also a, most enjoyable and a most successful ban- 



