“A great number of men have failed at camp because of inability to articulate clearly.  A man who cannot impart his idea to his command in clear distinct language, and with sufficient volume of voice to be heard reasonably far, is not qualified to give command upon which human life will depend.  Many men disqualified by this handicap might have become officers under their country’s flag had they been properly trained in school and college.  It is to be hoped therefore that more emphasis will be placed upon the basic principles of elocution in the training of our youth.  Even without prescribed training in elocution a great improvement could be wrought by the instructors in our schools and colleges, regardless of the subjects, by insisting that all answers be given in a loud, clear, well rounded voice which, of course, necessitates the opening of the mouth and free movement of the lips.  It is remarkable how many excellent men suffer from this handicap, and how almost impossible it is to correct this after the formative years of life.”

Perhaps the most concise summary of the relative values of exercise in the three different forms of communication through language was enunciated by Francis Bacon in his essay entitled Studies, published first in 1597:  “Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.”

Speech and Talk.  The high value here placed upon speech must not be transferred to mere talk.  The babbler will always be justly regarded with contempt.  Without ideas, opinions, information, talk becomes the most wasteful product in the world, wasteful not only of the time of the person who insists upon delivering it, but more woefully and unjustifiably wasteful of the time and patience of those poor victims who are forced to listen to it.  Shakespeare put a man of this disposition into The Merchant of Venice and then had his discourse described by another.

“Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in all Venice.  His reasons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff:  you shall seek all day ’ere you find them, and when you have them, they are not worth the search.”

But the man who has ideas and can best express them is a leader everywhere.  He does the organizing, he makes and imparts the plans, he carries his own theories and beliefs into execution, he is the intrusted agent, the advanced executive.  He can act for himself.  He can influence others to significant and purposeful action.  The advantages that come to men who can think upon their feet, who can express extempore a carefully considered proposition, who can adapt their conversation or arguments to every changing condition, cannot be emphasized too strongly.