86 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



it receives their heartiest support and co- 

 operation, and I am glad of this oppor- 

 tunity to express the gratitude of the 

 Red Cross for their assistance. 



I am tempted here to relate a little per- 

 sonal incident, and crave the forgiveness 

 of the officer present: When this officer 

 left the fleet he had commanded on its 

 great voyage from our eastern to our 

 western coast, he made his farewell 

 speech to the men of his command. On 

 his return to the East, a phonographic 

 company requested a record of this 

 speech, and this request was granted, but 

 when they wished to send in return a 

 generous check, the admiral refused to 

 receive it, and requested that it be sent 

 to the American Red Cross. 



The other day, when I was selling the 

 Christmas stamps at the post office, a 

 rosy-cheeked, bright-eyed Jackie came 

 along and asked for what the stamps 

 were intended. When their purpose 

 was explained, he exclaimed, "That's a 

 good thing. I want to help that. Give 

 me this much worth," pulling out a hand- 

 ful of uncounted change from his 

 pocket. Do you wonder that the Red 

 Cross loves the generous-souled Navy, 

 from the Admiral to the sailor boy ? 



If the terrible misfortune of war falls 

 upon us, may our Army and our Navy 

 know that the Red Cross of America 

 stands ready and prepared, with strong 

 armies of human aid and sympathy, to 

 fight for them against suffering and 

 death. May it be ever ready, like some 

 beneficent angel, to move amidst the car- 

 nage of war, unscarred, on its mission of 

 love and mercy. Remember this : The 

 wounded soldier lies watching and 

 waiting, not for the flag of his own dear 

 country, but for that other flag, whose 

 coming may mean life to him, whose 

 emblem is the symbol of love's sacri- 

 fice — the flag of the Red Cross — and 

 may we be its standard-bearers. 



the: toastmaster 



It is ever "the man behind the gun." 

 Great achievement is only possible when 

 power is intelligently directed ; and there 

 is but one thing that the American peo- 



ple are more proud of than they are of 

 the technical skill and efficiency of the 

 officers and men of the United States 

 Army and Navy, and that is the high 

 standard of personal integrity, of manly 

 virtue, that is practically universal 

 among the officers and that is reflected 

 throughout all ranks and grades. When- 

 ever the military arm of our Government 

 is in control, there is honesty, efficiency, 

 and a high standard of work ; and our 

 two military colleges are the pride of 

 every patriotic American citizen. This 

 toast of the "Navy in War" will be re- 

 sponded to by one who is a graduate of 

 Annapolis, and now an honored member 

 of Congress from Massachusetts. 



the) navy in war by hon. john m. 



weeks, member of congress from 



MASSACHUSETTS 



The American Navy has been the most 

 successful military organization, from its 

 very inception, which the world has ever 

 seen. That is a pretty broad statement, 

 but if you will investigate you will find 

 that it is absolutely true. There are good 

 reasons for this. 



In the early days we were a commer- 

 cial people. We were natural sailormen. 

 Our people lived along the shores. They 

 made their money in commercial pur- 

 suits. The men who commanded mer- 

 chant ships were not only good sailors ; 

 they were good merchants, and the foun- 

 dations for many of the great fortunes 

 of this country have come from that 

 source. In order to protect themselves 

 they were obliged to go armed. Their 

 ships were armed as were privateers in 

 time of war. The result is that they not 

 only knew navigation, but they knew 

 gunnery, and combined with these quali- 

 ties the intelligence which makes great 

 merchants. 



Naturally, when those men came into 

 positions where they commanded men-of- 

 war, they were equal to the occasion, 

 although they had had no naval training. 

 As time went on they acquired a naval 

 training, so that in the later wars, in the 

 early part of the nineteenth century, they 

 met every requirement, and in the recent 



