- He quoted Burke's saying, that reason is but a part
and by no means the greater part of human nature, and he applied it to naval discussions. The naval officer's bare duty, .apart from any professional enthusiasm, is to defend his country's shores,. and he would be wrong to let politics or sentiment enter into his -calculations, when he is asked to, advise. . It follows, as we all now see, that the naval officers of different countries have no proper relation to one another which is likely to lead to any success in a conference between, them. Nor is any " give and take " between them compatible with their professional duty. General Dawes probably realizes that the politician is much too timid to ignore his expert adyisers ; upon him responsibility will fall, and if he is. to share the representation of his country and the responsibility, it should be with a trained diplomat. The first step for -the -nations to talk and in General. Dawes's opinion the time is fully ripe, is towards the " fixation of the yardstick," of which Americans haVe been talking for long, anglice,,the definition of a measure ; that is, let each Government and its experts seek for formulae, or what you will, by which the values of fighting ships can be measured relatively.
