Quotes by John Arbuthnot Fisher

So _anything_ would kindle a war!... The banner unfurled on October 21st, 1904, by the d--d scoundrel who on that day became First Sea Lord had inscribed on it: “_The fighting efficiency of the Fleet_” and “_Its instant readiness for War_.” and, as Winston bravely said, that is now the case and no credit to himself, but he ought to have gone further back than McKenna for the credit. _It was Balfour!_ He saw me through--no one else would allow 160 ships to be scrapped, &c., &c., &c. But you’ve had enough! * * * * * 1912. _April 25th._ ... When I was a Delegate at the Hague Conference of 1899--the first Conference--I had very animated conversations, which, however, to my lasting regret it was deemed inexpedient to place on record (on account of their violence, I believe!), regarding “Trading with the Enemy.” I stated the primordial fact that “_The Essence of War is Violence; Moderation in War is Imbecility_.” And then in my remarks I went on to observe, as is stated by Mr. Norman Angell in the “Great Illusion,” where he holds me up as a Terror! and as misguided--perhaps I went a little too far when I said I would boil the prisoners in oil and murder the innocent in cold blood, &c., &c., &c. ... but it’s quite silly not to make War damnable to the whole mass of your enemy’s population, which of course is the secret of maintaining the right of Capture of Private Property at Sea. As you say, it must be proclaimed in the most public and most authoritative manner that direct and indirect trade between Great Britain, _including every part of the British Empire_, and Germany must cease in time of war.... When war does come _“Might is Right!” and the Admiralty will know what to do!_ Nevertheless, it is a most serious drawback not making public to the world beforehand what we mean by War! It is astounding how even very great men don’t understand War! You must go to the Foreigner to appreciate our Surpassing Predominance as a Nation.

An uncle of mine had a snuff box made out of the Salt Beef, and it was french-polished! That was his beef--and ours was nearly as hard. There were many brutalities when I first entered the Navy--now mercifully no more. For instance, the day I joined as a little boy I saw eight men flogged--and I fainted at the sight. Not long ago I was sitting at luncheon next to a distinguished author, who told me I was “a very interesting person!” and wanted to know what my idea of life was, I replied that what made a life was not its mature years but the early portions when the seed was sown and the blossom so often blasted by the frost of unrecognition. It was then that the fruit of after years was pruned to something near the mark of success. “Your great career was when you were young,” said a dear friend to me the other day. I entered the Navy penniless, friendless and forlorn. While my mess-mates were having jam, I had to go without. While their stomachs were full, mine was often empty. I have always had to fight like hell, and fighting like hell has made me what I am. Hunger and thirst are the way to Heaven! When I joined the Navy, in 1854, the last of Nelson’s Captains was the Admiral at Plymouth. The chief object in those days seemed to be, not to keep your vessel efficient for fighting, but to keep the deck as white as snow and all the ropes taut. We Midshipmen were allowed only a basin of water to wash in, and the basin was inside one’s sea-chest; and if anyone spilt a drop of water on the deck he was made to holy-stone it himself. And that reminds me, as I once told Lord Esher, when I was a young First Lieutenant, the First Sea Lord told me that _he_ never washed when he went to sea, and he didn’t see “why the Devil the Midshipmen should want to wash now!” I remember one Captain named Lethbridge who had a passion for spotless decks; and it used to put him in a good temper for the whole day if he could discover a “swab-tail,” or fragment of the swabs with which the deck was cleaned, left about. One day he happened to catch sight of a Midshipman carefully arranging a few swab-tails on deck in order to gratify “old Leather-breeches’” lust for discovering them!