quirements of fire-control
have within very recent years compelled the addition of a considerable
number of men to the complements of battleships.

Now the need of supplying enough men to operate successfully any
instrument or mechanism is absolute, for the reasons that the number
of things to be done is fixed, and that an insufficient number of
men in the ratio for instance of 9 to 8 may mean a falling off in
the output of the machine much greater than in the ratio of 9 to
8. A simple illustration may be taken from the baseball game; for
it is obvious that the output of a baseball team, in competition with
other teams, would fall off in a much greater ratio than of 9 to
8, by leaving out one member of the nine. Another illustration, or
rather an analogy, may be found in machinery made of rigid metal--say
a steam-engine; for the omission of almost any part in an engine
would entirely stop its operation.

Not only, however, must we see that the number of personnel parts
is sufficient, we must see that they are correctly divided among
the various material parts; otherwise there will be too many in
one place and too few in another; and while it is better to have
too many men than too few, too many men prevent the attainment
of the maximum effect.

The effect of having too few men, however, is not merely in limiting
the effectiveness of the output of the machine; for, if carried
to a considerable degree, it prevents due care of the material
parts themselves, and causes those material parts to deteriorate.
This deterioration may take the form of actual wasting away as
by rust; but even if the deterioration does not advance so far
as actual wastage, it may easily, and often does, advance to the
stage where, although not evidenced by visible rust or by any other
indication, so long as the mechanism is not operated at its normal
rate, it declares itself very clearly as soon as the mechanism is
tried in service. For this reason, all mechanicians realize that
it is better for every mechanism not to lie idle, but to be used
considerably, though, of course, without being forced unduly.

Not only also must the personnel be sufficient in number and correctly
divided, it must be organized in such manner that the personnel
itself will have the characteristics of a machine, in the sense
that each unit will be so placed relatively to the hope of reward
and the fear of punishment, that he will do his allotted tasks
industriously; th