y powerful, very rapid;
and no marksman in the world is so skilful that he can shoot the
musket with all the accuracy and speed of which the gun itself
is capable.

This indicates that the personnel of a navy is harder to handle
than the material, and that therefore the most effort is required
to be expended on the personnel. The strength of any system depends
on the strength of its weakest part; in any organism, human or
material, effort is best expended on the weak points rather than
on the strong.

Recognition of this principle is easy, but carrying out the principle
in practice is most difficult. One reason is the difficulty of
seeing always where the weak spot is; but a greater difficulty is
due to the fact that the principle as above stated must be modified
by the consideration that things which are important need attention
more than things that are unimportant. A weak point in any organism
deserves attention more than a strong point of the same order of
importance, or than a strong point in the same class; but not,
necessarily more than a strong point of a higher order of importance,
or a strong point in another class. It may be more beneficial,
for instance, to drill an ineffective turret crew than to try to
reduce friction in a training gear already nearly frictionless;
or it may be more beneficial to overcome the faults of a mediocre
gun-pointer than to develop still more highly the skill already
great of another gun-pointer; but, on the other hand, it may be
less beneficial to drill boat crews at boat-sailing, even if they
need it, than to drill them at landing as armed forces on the beach,
though they may do that pretty well; or it may be better not to
have boat drill at all and to get under way for fleet drill, even
though the ships are very expert at it.

It is true that in any endeavor where many things are to be done,
as in a navy, it is important that nothing be neglected; and yet,
under the superintendence of any one, there are some things the
doing of which requires priority over other things. The allotting
of the scientifically correct amount of time, energy, and attention
to each of the various things claiming one's attention is one of
the most difficult, and yet one of the most important problems
before any man. It requires an accurate sense of proportion.

Naturally the problem increases in complexity and importance the
higher the position, and the greater the number of elements
involved--b