The sun., 1893-07-08
Tho NnNnI Mar College.

The transfer OF Capt. A. T. IAHAN from
his duties Mt the school for officers on
Coasters Harbor Island to the command Of
the flagship Chicago is undoubtedly a
loss to that school. Not only Is Capt
MAHAN n great teacher. but his famous
work, "The Influence OF Sea Power upon
History" has given him n worldwide repu-
tation as naval strntcglst. which has re-
Elected corresponding celebrity upon tho
college of which he was the head.
The policy OF the Government should
be to make up for this loss. ns far as possi-
BILE. by increased care for the interests OF tho
Naval War College. Not only should there
beno curtaiment Of It's facilities for instruc-
tion, but every effort should be made to keep
them up to the standard of past years.
Hitherto the Naval War College has had
0 checkered career. Sometimes it has been
neglected and even suspended in conse-
Quence OF doubts rs to whether it's work
was OF practical value. Tho experience OF
foreign services, In which tho education Of
officers after as well as before they secure
their commissions is carefully provided for.
certainly favors such an institution. The
analogy OF our army. with its Fort Leaven-
worth and other schools, favors 1t. Yet
only after prolonged period OF Interrupt
tion in its usefulness was the college re-
opened last autumn.
At that time Capt. MAHAN. rs its Presi-
dent delivered an address devoted to ex-
planning the practical value Of its instruc-
tions. This he illustrated by comparing
them with the study, plotting. and planning
which go on in the office OF an architect
before brick is laid or sod is turned.
These are, in one sense, only students
work, yet they are in the highest degree
practical and even essential. Capt. MAHAN
also quoted what was said by French
naval officer nearly hundred years ago.
-The art of war is carried to great degree OF perfoc
tion land, but 1t s far from being a. Itis
tho object Of all naval tactics but scarcely known
among except as a tradition. Many authors have
written on tho subject OF naval tactics but they have
confined themselves to the manner Of forming orders
or passing from order to another. They have
reiy neglected to establish the principles for regua
ting conduct In the face OF enemy for attacking
refusing action for pursuit retreat according to
position according to the relative strength OF tho
opposing forces"
When Capt. MAHAN was ordered to the
War College he sent to foreign and domes-
tic booksellers for treatises on the art Of
naval war. and the entire collection thus
Nearly half Of 1t was upon the tactics OF sail
ing ships. from PAUL l. HosTE to CHoPART.
and Of the remaining books none could be
quoted as authority. and the names of
their authors suggested nothing. He came
to the conclusion that while there was
abundant life in the construction Of ships.
engines, and guns. there was room for the
college in its special field of strategy
and tactics. He also decided that war;
fare ON the sea rs well as on the land
could profit by advice like that OF NApo-
LEON to those who wished to become great
soldiers: "Study history. Study the cam
paigns Of the great Generals. ALEXANDER,
HANNIBAL. CESAR. as well as those Of TU-
RENNE FREDERICK. and myself" There Is
time for preparation as we'll as q time for
action: and 1t is unwise to postpone study
until the time OF action or until reaching
the command Of q ship.
Capt. MAHAN might have drawn another
lesson upon the value Of the institution to
teachers as we'll rs to students. from his own
experience. The two books on naval his
tory and strategy which he has recently
published were the fruit OF his preparation
for his own lectures. He frankly says in
his preface to one OF them that he won't to
his task at the college without any special
knowledge Of his subject: so it was solely
his study Of what it became necessary to
teach there. that produced a work recognized
by foreign critics as unequalled.
The Naval War College. we believe. gets
the very meagro appropriation of Ss.OOO
AS the postgraduate school of our navy. it
aims to give a course Of six months to sue
cessive classes OF officers without interfer-
ing with their sea service. 1t should not
be subordinated in any way to the appren-
tice training station on the same island,
valuable as the latter is. The institution
Tor the officers is quite distinct from that
for the lads. and should be developed to It's
full possibilities of usefulness.