Name/Title
The Laws of the Navy [Plate I]Description
The Laws of the Navy Plate I (of four) of an edition of the poem of cautionary tales and fatherly advice:
"Now these are Laws of the Navy,
Unwritten and varied they be;
And he that is wise will observe them,
Going down in his ship to the sea;
As naught may outrun the destroyer,
Even so with the law and its grip,
For the strength of the ship is the Service,
And the strength of the Service, the ship.
Take heed what ye say of your Rulers,
Be your words spoken softly or plain,
Lest a bird of the air tell the matter,
And so ye shall hear it again.
If ye labor from morn until even,
And meet with reproof for your toil,
It is well – that the gun may be humbled,
The compressor must check the recoil.
On the strength of one link in the cable
Dependeth the might of the chain;
Who knows when thou mayest be tested?
So live that thou bearest the strain!"Context
The July 23, 1896 issue of the British "Army and Navy Gazette" presented a poem that was destined to become one of the Naval World's literary classics. Written by Royal Navy Rear Admiral Ronald A. Hopwood, this work, entitled "The Laws of the Navy", set forth what might safely be termed the "wisdom of the ages" for all who seek to make their way in large, hierarchical organizations, with special emphasis on the seagoing versions. During the World War I era Lieutenant Rowland Langmaid, R.N., made a series of etchings to accompany the poem, which was published in the version presented here.
By the mid-1920s, the virtues of "The Laws of the Navy" having crossed from the "Red" side of the broad Atlantic and penetrated the consciousness of the "Blue" side, the poem began to appear in the U.S. Naval Academy's "Reef Points", a little handbook presented to Plebes ("Freshmen" to those unversed in things U.S. Navy) for their edification and guidance. It has been featured in the annual editions of this publication up to the present day, and many a hoary former Plebe can recite its words by heart, having been made to memorize them as an essential part of the educational process.
Starting in the early 1970s, "Reef Points" provided a brief introduction to "The Laws of the Navy", which is quoted here (as printed in the 1998-1999 edition) for the benefit of All Hands:
"As a word of advice, we include 'The Laws of the Navy' by Admiral R.A. Hopwood, R.N.(ret.). These twenty-seven laws contain words of wisdom that few of you will appreciate fully now, words which you may wish you had heeded twenty years from now. Read these laws, then apply them. See how those above you apply these rules--and how they sometimes disregard them--and the consequences. Be alert to learn from others; only through experience will your understanding of others broaden. You will become a richer and fuller person, a better naval officer."