So we must be careful to keep those Services supplied with good men who, like the scouts, must Be Prepared to give their lives for their country at any time.
There are always members of Parliament who try to make the Navy and Army smaller, so as to save money. They only want to be popular with the voters in England so that they and the party to which they belong may get into power. These men are called "politicians." They do not look to the good of the county. Most of them know and care very little about our Colonies. If they had had their way before, we should by this time have been talking French; and if they are allowed to have their way in the future we may as well learn German or Japanese, for we shall be conquered by these.
But fortunately there are other better men in Parliament, who are called "statesmen"; these are men who look out for the welfare of the country, and do not mind about being popular or not so long as they keep the country safe.
The British Navy.—Every British boy should study the Navy as much as possible, and learn the history of the different ships, and their power and guns, etc. A collection of postcard portraits of all His Majesty's ships is a very interesting one to make.
You should know the badges of rank of the officers, because it is the duty of a scout to salute officers of His Majesty's service.
Badges of rank on the sleeve or shoulder-strap are these.
Admiral, Captain, Lieutenant, Sub-Lieutenant.
Perhaps you may like to know some facts about the dress of the sailors.
The reason they wear that flap collar on their back is a relic of the time when they wore their hair in pig-tails. The grease used to come off and spoil their jackets, so they wore big linen flaps, which could be easily taken off and washed.