THE SOUL OF THE NAVY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 143, 12 March 1919, Page 7

THE SOUL OF THE NAVY

NELSON'S SAYINGS Nelson has becomo for many of us littlo more than a traditional figure, oneeyed, ouo-armed; a man who, like Wolfe, fell in the- hour of his greatest triumph, having displayed a signal for a singlo battle which lias become an inspiration for a race. If he is not a of history, it is because of his association with the- most beautiful woman of his period. But, when wo look closely into his sayinge and doings, wo find that he was for all time the nicdel of a British naval officer—thoughtful for others; steadfast in truthfulness; unfaltering in zeal for hia profession; inflexible in will- , power; ruthless in decision; well aware that deeds are everything, words nothing, in warfare; and so constantly inspired by tho spirit of loyalty that the phrase "King and Country" runs through nil he wrote like the burden of a song. The soul of the Navy was in him, and his lofty spirit has lived on and inspired I those who are to-day receiving the surrender of tho German battleship. , ! as a I pledge that the evil dream of German I eea power ie over for ever. It was a felicitous' thought (says a reviewer in tho ".llorninf[ Post") to collect his most pregnant sayings into a little book. "The Nelson Touch," boing a little book of the great seaman's wisdom,' .selected and arranged by Walter ■Terrold and having an introduction by H. W. Wilson, certainly appears at the psychological moment, for the thoughts of all of lie are now turning to the last act, so glorious for the Britisli Navy, of the vast sea drama of the Inst four years. It js a book of wisdom indeed— the ripe wisdom of one who was tho Napoleon of naval warfare, but absolutely free from any if tho spectacular weakness of the would-be worldconqueror. Duly is the first thought and the last in all his reflections. "Duty," he writes to his fiancee, "is tho great business of a sea officer. . All private considerations must give way to it." He has no patience with time-sorving politiclifA Writing to his brother about the Wnlpoles he eaye: "They are altogether the merest set of cyphers that ever existed. Mr. Pitt, depend upon it, will stand against all opposition; an honest man must always in time got the better of a villain; but I have done with politics; let who will get in, I ehall be left out." Elsewhere ho scoffs at officials, who think the pen mightier than the swqTd even in war, and it is clear that his whole life is lived in the brotherhood of the eeas. To his midshipman ho wrote: "Recollect that 3'ou must be a seaman to ,be an officer, and also that you cannot be a good officer without being a gentleman." That is a definition the Germans have not succeeded in living up to under the stress of war. There is a very modern touch in his eaying (1795) that "As for the German generals, war is their trade and peace is ruin to them." He, "like Na-1 poleon, knew that war is the German's chief national industry. Here is an interesting note on a great surrender after the Battle of St. Vincent: "On the quar-ter-deck of .a Spanish first-rate, extra.vagant as the 6tory- may seem, did I receive the swords of the _ vanauished Spaniards, which, as I received, I.gave to William Feamey, one of my bargemen, who placed them with the greatest eang-froid under his arm." A surrender, not inglorious as to-day's, for the Spaniards had fought their best. He himself had never met fear (as tho story of his childhood reminds us), but he could console a midshipman who heard with alarm the enemy ehot flying over his head in an action with a French seventy-four off Malta: "Charles XII r/n away from the first he heard, though he was afterwards called the Great because of his bravery. I, therefore, hope much from you in the future." Here is a great axiom of statesmanship in forcible terms: "I hate your pen-and-ink men; a fleet of British ships of war are the best negotiators in Europe; they always speak to be understood and generally gain their point; their arguments carry conviction to the breasts of our enemies." He owned himself a man of peace, having seen so much of the horrors of war. But "peace," he thought more than once, "is only to be had through. I trust, our still invincible Navy." Of the "dominion of the seas" (his own phrase) he says: "We have it, and all the devils in Hell cannot take 1 it from us, if our wooden walls have fair play." As his end drew near, .silently, invisibly, his words gather power. The last thing he wrote before Trafalgar his famous prayer, can never be too often quoted: "May the great God. whom I worship, grant to my country, and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious 'victory; and may no misconduct in anyone tnrniflh it; and may humanity after victory bo. the predominant feature in the British fleet! For myself, individually, I commit my life to Him who made me, and may His blessing light upon my endeavours for serving my country faithfully. To Him I resign mwself and the just enuse which is entrusted to me to defend. Amen. Amen. Amen." One of two of his last sayings- arc not authenticated; for example,-the remark when asked to cover his stars during the action so as not to attract the attention of enemy snipers: "In honour I gained them and in honour I will die in them." But we do know that his last words were: "God and my Country."