New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-18

Captain Mahan has undertaken a WoIN "i'''n
has long needed doing though II Is easy e''ousi'
10 see why il has not been done peI"ic' nc
influence If sea power upon history is study
which could only commend ltsell III 'he iiisO III
stance 10 n seaman for the historian OF lana move
,ponts AZ q rule neither comprchcnds nor apprecl-
otos tho Incidence of naval action But sailors
are seldom writer's and perhaps still less frequently
do they take those large and comprehensive sur
vovs which can alone demonstrate the iuIl Sig
ni6cance of sea power Naval historians as zap
tain Mahan Justly observes, have troubled 'heih-
solves little about the connection between seh-
cral history and their own particular topic' HINT
ing themselves generally TO the duty OIL simple
chroniclers of naval occurrences. Ana hc Is
probably right in the assertion that rhere Is ioo
any work that processes the particular o"J'cC
here sought namely, an estimate oil une c'cO' VI
sea power upon the course oil hls'"'S an" Wv
prosperity of nations" WHAT nc "i"'s at - '"''
avnresscd As other histories deal with the wars
roltics social and economical conditions oI conn
trcs touching upon maritime matters only Incl
1,ou,. and generally unsympatheticaliY, 50 the
nrosent work aims at putting maritime interests
IN tho torccround without diVOrclnS them now
over from their Surroundings OF cause ana cl!c''
in reneraI history but seeking 10 snow no" "'S
modifed the latter and were modlhed p' '''
Tho ncriod embraced is from 1861 "hch INT S''''
inr-ship era. with its distinctive features nav
fairly begun, to 1888. the end oil 'he A"''
Revolution" Though the choice oil 'he p''io'
selected nav appear to have been sohe"h"' a.
trary. and though the fixing oil 'le 'o,i' ~,
pror 10 the Napoleonic wars eAciu"V'
most important and influential eNa'nPie.
the exercise of sea power 10 he loHh" !" A.;
Captain Mahan has found sufficient eNo",' Xa,sa,,
cussinp the great actions of Jcrvis ana -c4'V"'
f,rh
lessons of the period directly loI4o"i"7
alone he attempts to chronicle ..,
At the first glance the student OF history VIII
M donbt be tempted to suspect undue n"Ei'
6c,tion of the influence of sea power "s ''e
,o,ural effect of professional pride on the p'IV
If the author Such an apprehension, ho"e'C''
would wrong Captain Mahau, whose WORK 'nroU-.
out is sober. restrained, exact ana loelc"' j" 80
conclusions The feature which DISTINGUISHES
from other histories is its full recognize" '',
clear appreciation of factor III all hS'"IE
has heretofore failed TO receive ah|'hiNs I'M
due attention. But the importance u
studv allies it with the future as wei aS WIN ',
mast Naval experiences are not. captain N"I,''I
a,,+ords n;tbont value any more because OF the
changes Of MODERN times in ship archlec." NV
orrpor wcanons and methods of defence anu az
tack 1T is doublv necessary. he says '''"7
70 study critically the history ana eNi"iie"'"
If naval warfare in the days OF SALINE S''p''
because while these will be found to ahofd TISSUES
Of present application and value Steam '''
have as vet made no history which can De quo"'"
rs decisive in its teaching. O: the one we nav
much experimental knowledge OF 'he o'nei
practically none Modern views resH"l"I '''
novo1 warfare Of the future the author considers
must be received with much hesitation ana "'lo"
apce. They are at hes, only prcs1mptivc' ana III
bn,Co any q latest
will turn ont in actual service. Sore very oo'-
fdentlv held opinions have indeed been 50 ais
credited even ny the imperfect tests possloe
in naval sham battles that they may nave |" "e
abandoned The future, therefore Is 'he un-
known. and it is not Unsuitable TO assert that INT
past in naval warfare can have no VaiNe'
Certain questions will always Le OF prime
Importance in connection with naval war A'io"7
these are "the proper formation OF the navy
in the war; its true objective. the point OF points
upon which il Should be concentrated me cS-
establishment Of detotS Of coal and supplies tc
maintenance Of communication between the|
depots and the home base, the military Naluc u
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES as decisive or secondary
oreration Of war, the system upon wmch COM
Notwithstanding can be most efficiently con-
ducted. whether by scattered cruisers OF by
holding in force some vital centre through which
commercial shipping must pass. All these are
strategic questions, and upon all these history
has great deal 10 say Captain Mahan IN two
preliminary chapters analyses the elements Of
sea mower carefully and thoroughly. The most
pregnant example, OF course, Is that Of England
and historical comparisons from French ana span
ish and Dutch records illustrate the development
Of the British Navy imprcssively. The naval
policies of the European Powers durln" the seven
tecntb and eighteenth centuries afford most in
tercstng and suggestive material. ana lcaf Ou' Inc
authors cor1cntions strlncly. Louis Fourteenth
Captain Mahan holds. might al one point IN hiN
reign have made France great sea power This
was Cobcrts aim and ambition. lie revived
tlc navy and infused life into it. But
whom Louis determined 70 put all his strength
unon war by land he signed the doom Of Inc
country as a sea power, for by The adoption
of this policy he not only pralyzed french
naval progress, but proporuonatey stimulated
that of his rival, ENGLAND.
The examination of the evolution OF sea power
involves recapitulatiOn Of the history OF I'M
French, Spanish, English and Dutch wars OF IN
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries WIFE
view TO demonstrate the importance OF naVa
action all through these struggles. Captain Ma
han conducts his task with admirable impair
tialitv and sobriety. With politics he has lltt'
10 do; with ethics, national and international
nothing He does not pause 10 moraII/c over "'
greed of this country, or the want of stamina Z"
that one, but confines himself 10 the facts anC
their obvious infcrcnccs. There is thus dis
,irct fascination in viewing the course OF dcNcl
op,nent Of sea power, and in watching the ehec
Of blunders. disasters. ncgligcnceS and oyer-con
Ndence in checking or Fastening the process o
evolution In one respect only should we fee
at all inclined to question Captain Nahan's eN
tre,nely ingenious deductions. lie has pcrhap
nut too little weight upon tie influence o
national character in the production Of some o
the momcntous changes noted. Does not the de
tcrioration of Spanish character, Tor instance
play important a part III me declihe oi ic
sea power as the mistakes Of her rulers? Doe
not the Dutch parsmony in like manner descrv
20 he treated as n grave factor in the decay o
~ na.A,a .anri,irnc s1rennth . We kn0W Tia