聯合艦隊解散之辞

　二十閲月の征戦已に往事と過ぎ我が聯合艦隊は今や其の隊務を結了して茲（ここ）に

解散する事となれり　然れども我等海軍軍人の責務は決して之が為めに軽減せるものに

あらず　此の戦役の収果を永遠に全くし尚益々国運の隆昌を扶持せんには時の平戦を

問はず先づ外衝に立つべき海軍が常に其の武力を海洋に保全し一朝緩急に応ずるの

覚悟あるを要す　而して武力なるものは艦船兵器等のみにあらずして之を活用する無形

の実力に在り　百発百中の一砲能（よ）く百発一中の敵砲百門に対抗し得るを覚らば我

等軍人は主として武力を形而上に求めざる可らず　近く我が海軍の勝利を得たる所以（

ゆえん）も至尊（しそん）の霊徳に頼る所多しと雖（いえど）も抑（そもそも）亦（また）平素の

錬磨其の因を成し　果を戦役に結びたるものにして　若し既往を以て将来を推（お）すとき

は征戦息（や）むと雖（いえど）も安じて休憩す可らざるものあるを覚ゆ　惟（おも）うに武人

の一生は連綿不断の戦争にして時の平戦に由り其の責務に軽重あるの理（ことわり）無し　

事有れば武力を発揮し事無ければ之を修養し終始一貫其の本分を尽くさんのみ　過去の

一年有半彼の風濤と戦い寒暑に抗し屡（しばしば）頑敵と対して生死の間に出入せしこと

固（もと）より容易の業ならざりしも観ずれば是れ亦（また）長期の一大演習にして之に参加

し幾多啓発するを得たる武人の幸福比するに物無し　豈（あに）之を征戦の労苦とするに

足らんや　苟（いやしく）も武人にして治平に偸安（とうあん）せんか兵備の外観巍然（ぎぜ

ん）たるも　宛（あたか）も沙上の楼閣の如く暴風一過忽（たちま）ち崩倒するに至らん　洵

（まこと）に戒むべきなり

　昔者（むかし）神功皇后三韓を征服し給いし以来韓国は四百余年間我が統理の下にあり

しも一たび海軍の廃頽（はいたい）するや忽（たちま）ち之を失い　又近世に入り徳川幕府

治平に狃（な）れて兵備を懈（おこた）れば挙国米艦数隻の応対に苦しみ　露艦亦（また）

千島樺太を覬覦（きゆ）するも之と抗争すること能はざるに至れり　飜（ひるがえっ）て之を

西史に見るに十九世紀の初めに当りナイル及びトラファルガー等に勝ちたる英国海軍は

祖国を泰山の安きに置きたるのみならず爾来（じらい）後進相襲（あいつい）で能く其武力

を保有し　世運の進歩に後れざりしかば今に至る迄永く其の国利を擁護し国権を伸張する

を得たり　蓋（けだ）し此の如き古今東西の殷鑑（いんかん）は為政の然らしむるものありし

と雖（いえど）も主として武人が治に居て乱を忘れざると否とに基ける自然の結果たらざる

は無し　我等戦後の軍人は深く此等の実例にかんがみ既有の錬磨に加うるに戦役の実験

を以てし　更に将来の進歩を図りて時勢の発展に後れざるを期せざる可らず　若し夫れ常

に聖諭を奉体して孜々（しし）奮励し実力の満を持して放つべき時節を待たば庶幾（こいね

がわ）くば以て永遠に護国の大任を全うすることを得ん　神明は唯平素の鍛錬に力（つと）

め戦はずして既に勝てる者に勝利の栄冠を授くると同時に一勝に満足して治平に安ずる

者より直に之を褫（うば）う　古人曰く勝つて兜の緒を締めよと

　　　　　　明治３８年１２月２０日

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　聯合艦隊司令長官　海軍大将　東郷　平八郎

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

１９０６年２月２１日　アメリカ大統領セオドア・ルーズベルトは、この東郷司令長官の

「聯合艦隊解散の辞」を読んで感動し、陸海軍長官に対し、隷下の陸海軍軍人に教示する

よう命じた。

Squadron, having completed its function, is to be herewith dispersed. But our duties as naval men

are not at all lightened for that reason. To preserve in perpetuity the fruits of this war; to promote

to an ever greater height of prosperity the fortunes of the country, the navy, which, irrespective of

peace or war, has to stand between the Empire and shock from aborad, must always maintain its

strength at sea and must be prepared to meet emergency.

immaterial ability to utilize such agents. When we understand that one gun which scores a

hundred per cent. of hits is a match for a hundred of the enemy's guns each of which scores only

one per cent. it becomes evident that we sailors must have recourse before everything to the

strength which is over and above externals. The triumphs recently won by our Navy are largely to

be attributed to the habitual training which enable us to garner the fruits of the fighting. If then

we infer the future from the past, we recognize that though war may ceases we can not abandon

ourselves to ease and rest. A soldier's whole life is one continuous and unseasing battle, and there

is no reason why his responsibilities should vary with the state of the times. In days of crisis he

has to display his strength; in days of peace to accumulate it, thus perpetually and uniquely

discharging his duties to the full. It was no light task that during the past year and a half we

fought with wind and waves, encountered heat and cold, and kept the sea while frequently

engaging a stubborn enemy in a death or life struggle; yet, when we reflect, this is seen to have

been only one in a long series of general maneuvers, wherein we had the happiness to make some

discoveries; happiness which throws into comparative insignificance the hardships of war. If men

calling themselves sailors grasp at the pleasure of peace, they will learn the lesson that however

fine in appearance their engines of war, these, like a house built on the sand, will fall at the first

approach of the storm. From the day when in ancient times we conquered Korea, that country

remained for over 400 years under our control, to be lost immediately as soon as our navy

declined. Again when under the sway of the Tokugawa in modern days our armaments were

neglected, the coming of a few American ships threw us into distress, and we were unable to offer

any resistance to attempts against the Kuriles and Saghalien. On the other hand, if we turn to the

annals of the Occident, we see that at the beginning of the 19th century the British Navy which

won the battles of the Nile and of Trafalgar, not only made England as secure as a great mountain

but also by thenceforth carefully maintaining its strength and keeping it on a level with the

world's progress, has throughout the long interval between that era and the present day

safe-guarded the country's interests and promoted its fortunes. For such lessons, whether ancient

or modern, Occidental or Oriental, though to some extent they are the outcome of political

happenings, must be regarded as in the main the natural result of whether the soldier remembers

war in the day of peace. We naval men who have survived the war must take these examples

deeply to heart, and adding to the training which we have already received our actual expriences

in the war, must plan future developments and seek not to fall behind the progress of the time. If,

keeping the instructions of our Sovereign ever graven on our hearts, we serve earnestly and

diligently, and putting forth our full strength, await what the hour may bring forth, we shall then

have discharged our great duty of prepetually guarding our coutry. Heaven gives the crown of

victory to those only who by habitual preparation win without fighting, and at the same time

forthwith deprives of that crown those who, content with one success, give themselves up to the

ease of peace.

The ancients well said:

(Dated)21st December, 1905.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

the United States, and to every man who believes that, if ever, unhappily war should come, it should be

so conducted as to reflect credit upon the American nation.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHARIES J. BONAPARTE,

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Secretary.

（日本語訳）

　余は以上の訓示を合衆国の軍隊の一員たる者並びに、

もし万一不幸にして戦いが生じた時、祖国の名誉を護る

ために身を捧げんとする人たちに推薦する。

　　　　　　　　　　　　セオドア・ルーズベルト