When Gibraltar was being besieged a hundred and thirty years ago by
the French and Spaniards on land and sea, the British Troops holding
the place stuck it out valiantly for three long years, and were in the
end relieved by the Fleet from home. But though there were many who
wanted to give in and were dead sick of the whole thing, General
Elliott, the commander of the garrison, showed such dogged
determination, and insisted on such strict discipline, that he held
the garrison together.
His measures for defence were so successful that every man realised
that the real road to safety and success was strict obedience to his
orders. In fact, it was a case where obedience won the day. And they
loved and admired the old general, too, for his pluck, his humanity,
and his sense of humour.
On one occasion a man ventured to disobey an order that was given to
him, and when he was brought before the commander the General said
that if a man could disobey an order at such a critical time he could
not be in his right mind, he must be mad. Therefore he ordered that
the usual treatment accorded to a lunatic should be applied to the
offender. His head was to be shaved, he was to be blistered and bled,
and kept in a padded cell on a light diet of bread and water--and also
be prayed for in church.
Well, the General was quite right. If a man cannot obey orders when
there is danger to all he must be mad. But it is difficult for a man
to be obedient at such a time if he has never learnt to be obedient in
ordinary times, and that is why discipline is so strongly kept up in
both the Army and Navy in peace time.
A man is taught to obey even the smallest order most carefully and
without hesitation, until it becomes such a habit with him that when
an order is given him, a big or dangerous one, he carries it out, at
once without any question. And, when everybody can be trusted to obey
orders, it is an easy thing for the commander to manoeuvre his troops
and conduct the battle with some chance of success.
You remember the story which I told you in _Scouting for Boys_
about the ship _Birkenhead_, on board of which discipline and
obedience were so splendidly shown by the soldiers.
The ship was carrying about 630 soldiers, with their families, and 130
seamen. Near the Cape of Good Hope one night she ran on to some rocks,
and began to break up. The soldiers were at once paraded on deck
half-dressed as they were, just out of their hammocks.
Some were told off to get out the boats and to put the women and
children into them, and others were told off to get the horses up out
of the hold, and to lower them overboard into the sea, in order that
they might have a chance of swimming ashore.
When this had all been done, it was found that there were not enough
boats to take everybody, and so the men were ordered to remain in
their ranks on the deck, while the women and children, with a few men
to row them, moved off from the sinking ship.
The boats had not gone far when the ship broke into half and began to
go down. The captain shouted to the men to jump overboard and save
themselves, but the Colonel, Colonel Seaton, interrupting the captain
ordered the men to stand where they were, and to keep their ranks, for
he saw that if they swam to the boats and tried to get in they would
probably sink them too.
So the men kept their ranks, and as the ship rolled over and sank,
they gave a cheer and went down with her.
Out of the whole 760 on board only 192 were saved, but even these
would probably have been lost had it not been for the discipline and
self-sacrifice of the others in obeying the order to keep their ranks
and not to try to get into the boats.
So you see the value of discipline in a difficult crisis or moment of
danger.
The great Duke of Wellington, who was Commander-in-Chief of the
British Army, when describing this heroic act on the _Birkenhead_,
praised very highly the discipline of the men--he did not praise their
bravery. It was brave of them, but he considered that all Britons are
naturally brave--he expected bravery of them. But discipline is another
thing; it has to be learnt.
In battle or in a big danger a brave man may be very useful, but if he
does pretty much as he pleases he is not half so valuable as the man
who, besides being brave, has also learnt, to obey every order at
once.
Watch firemen at work. They are all brave enough; they would all like
to be at the top of the ladder fighting the flames, but their
discipline makes them work at their different jobs, each playing in
his place, obeying orders, and doing his share in order that the fire
may be put out, not that he should win special glory or excitement for
himself.
Even in the streets there is discipline. The policeman regulates the
traffic so that all vehicles moving in one direction keep to one side
of the road, and thus allow the traffic in the opposite direction to
keep moving along the other side. But if one 'bus-driver did not feel
inclined to obey orders, but dashed about in his own way, not caring
to which side of the road he went so long as he went ahead, there
would be accidents and delay in no time, and the whole traffic would
be upset. If you are in business with a large number of others, it is
useful for the good of the whole that you obey the orders which you
receive from those who are in authority over you. If the seniors can
be sure that their assistants will carry out their orders, they can
carry on the business properly. Discipline is necessary everywhere,
but the thing is to learn while you are young to carry it out in small
things, so that you would be able to do so when it comes to your turn
to do it in a great difficulty or danger. In order to do this you have
to be able to command yourself in the first place.
The soldier does not go into a battle because he likes it. It is a
dangerous place, and he feels inclined to run away; but he commands
himself, and says "I must go whether I like it or not, because it is
my duty."
When he gets his orders from his officers to attack the enemy, he
would probably be more anxious still to go in the opposite direction,
but he commands himself and says: "I must obey the orders of my
officers."
And the officers obey the orders of the general, and so the whole
force moves everywhere to the attack simply from a spirit of
discipline, each man making himself do his proper share, so that
although he may lose his life, yet his side may win the battle.
So it will be with you every day. You will have your duty to do, when
often you would much rather do your pleasure, or play some games; but
you have to command yourself and order yourself to do your duty in the
first place, and amuse yourself afterwards.
When you succeed in doing this, and in always obeying the orders of
your officer readily and cheerily, in small things as well as in great
things, you will soon find that it becomes a habit with you and not a
trouble, so that when the time comes for you to carry out some
difficult and dangerous order you will be able to do it at once,
without any hesitation and with complete success for the good of your
side--that is, for the good of your business, your employer, or of
your Country, without thinking of the difficulty or danger to
yourself.
With a Scout, your "_Duty_" is to do a good turn to somebody
every day. Your "_Discipline_" makes you command yourself to
carry this out, even though it may be irksome or dangerous, and though
nobody is there to see you do it. You do it because it is your duty
and you are trusted, on your honour, to do it.
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