sh-speaking white man, under our lead, from
ruling the world, without any treaty or entangling alliance
whatsoever. If, when you went to Berlin to talk to your gentle and
timid friend, the Emperor, about disarmament before the war--if
about 200 American dreadnaughts and cruisers, with real grog on
'em, had come over to make a friendly call, in the North Sea, on
the 300 English dreadnaughts and cruisers--just a friendly call,
admirals on admirals--the "Star-Spangled Banner" and "God Save the
King"--and if General Bell, from the Philippines, had happened in
London just when Kitchener happened to be home from Egypt--_then,
there wouldn't have been this war now_. Nothing need have been
said--no treaty, no alliance, nothing. For then 100 or more British
naval ships would have joined the Panama naval procession and any
possible enemy would have seen that combined fleet clean across the
Pacific.

Now this may all be a mere Christmas fancy--a mere yarn about what
might have been--because we wouldn't have sent ships here in our
old mood; the crew would have missed one Sunday School. But it's
_this kind_ of thing that does the trick. But this means the
practice of courtesy, and we haven't acquired the habit. Two years
or more ago the training ships from Annapolis with the cadets
aboard anchored down the Thames and stayed several weeks and let
the boys loose in England. They go on such a voyage every two years
to some country, you know. The English didn't know that fact and
they took the visit as a special compliment. Their old admirals
were all greatly pleased, and I hear talk about that yet. We ought
to have two or three of our rear-admirals here on their fleet now.
Symington, of course, is a good fellow; but he's a mere commander
and attache--not an admiral--in other words, not any particular
compliment or courtesy to the British Navy. (As soon as the war
began, a Japanese admiral turned up here and he is here now.) We
sent over two army captains as military observers. The Russians
sent a brigadier-general. We ought to have sent General Wood. You
see the difference? There was no courtesy in our method. It would
be the easiest and prettiest job in the world to swallow the whole
British organization, lock, stock, and barrel--King, Primate,
Cabinet, Lord