"FIGHTING LIKE HELL"

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10688, 7 September 1920, Page 6

"FIGHTING LIKE HELL"

SOME FISHERISMS EXPLOSIONS FROM A GREAT MIND. The following are" some of the late Admiral Lord Fisher's most striking phrases:— On Himself:—"l say with St. Paul, 'I boast myself a little.' He was compelled—so *m X." "I sometimes think lam the only sane man." "I .have been 61 years in tho service of my country, and I leave my record in the hands of my countrymen. lam content to wait." On his Career:—"l have always had to fight like hell, and fighting like hell has nutdo me what I am." ''Hunger and tl'.irst are the way to heaven. On the Government:—"Sack tho lot. "But the I-ot are our Masters and wo are the Slaves." On War:—"Hit hard, ihit first, hit anywhere." "Moderation in war is imbecility-." "The essence of war is violence." "You cannot humanise war. You might as well talk of humanising Loll!" "Spend and the cig gun are e\orjthing." "Our motto in tho war was 'Too Late/ " i

On England :—"England never succumbs." "Tho frontiers of England are the sea coasts of her enemies." On the South African War:—"Stead was a pro-Boer and so was I." On the Navy (1919):—"The present Navy will be obsolete for a war ia a few years hence." On Battleships:—"Build few and buili fast. Each one better than the last." "Millions of tortoises won't catch a hare."

On Sir Percy Scott: —"Ho bits tho target. I don't think he ever poured hot water down anybody's back." On. Admirals :—''Wo etill have ancient admirals who boliev* in bo we and arrows." On Oil Fuel:—"l leav9 <ike oil and anti-oil experts to eat each other, but have 110 doubt that oil is the fuel. . ..

And the engine of the future won't have boilers. Not far off wo shall harnew the moon." • "The Admiralty thought of coal in the oil age, it was so safe. Lot's wife thought of her loast»d mttf« Ons."

Ou Gcjiiuii ~"Geniu» ia not insanity; it only means the man is before hi* time."

On Brainy Men: —"I hate a brainy man/ 1

On Secrecy:—"There are three typea of secrecy—(one) the ostrich, (two) the red bos, (three) the reaj thing: The secrecy of the red bos is that of a distinguished admiral who used to have his red despatch box carried before him as containing the most secret plans; but one day, the box being unfortunately capsized and burst open, tho only contents that fell out were copies of 'La Vie Parisienne.' "

On Thinkings—"lf you want to think anything out i-ever go for a long walk—you have to think about turning 1 corr.cre."

On Argument)—"lt's only d d fools who argue." "Never contradict, never exp Jain, nover apologise."

On Economy:—"Economy is the soul of efficiency." On Waste ;—"I havo seen . blankets n ouldering from decay waiting to be wanted, anl mouldering parasites looking aftei*th« blankets" On Efficiency-.—"Favouritism • is the .secret of efficiency.'