Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-05

College, at Newport. r. l.. and all of the
work done by II since It's inception has
oeen based on tho exact lines which the
present emergency contains. In other
words all the study has been concen-
rated upon the possibility Of war With
Great Britain
The students at the college are the
regular officers OF the navy. and the 1895
class includes men of all ranks, from the
very young ensign to the very old cap
'ain and commander The course OF study
IS unique, and quite unlike that followed
IN any governmental institution the world
over. Short-sighted officers at Washing
ton have time and time again questioned
ne utility o. the institution. regarding 1t
rs needless expense OF public money.
'ut the present emergency shows the
fallacy of their complaints.
Captain II c. Taylor, Of the navy.
IS the president OF the college, and he
maps out the problems which tre stu
dents solve. and II requires an abundance
Of theoretical and practical knowledge
70 accurately solve them
II is generally supposed that when n
nan graduates at Annapolis he has had
All the schooling necessary TO make Of
him good and efficient officer. There are
many reasons which disprove this. In
the first place. the nation has been at
peace for thirty years. and there are
yray heads i'm the -srvsce who have
never seen bit Of -ctual war. During
hat period there has been little squadron
ervice. Ships more and more have
ruised singly. Naturally, naval officers
ave insens.by lost sight of the ever
'ressing need OF tactics, strategy, and
ther branches Of the great art of war.
a
al in the history of the college. Below
given the hardest problem witch the
so class had to solve. l. was given out
asst spring on the supposltion that Great
Sritaln had declared war against the
United States, and that the British force
you'd make a combined saval attack on
ne New England coast supplemented by
strong body OF troops from Halifax.
Here is the problem as originally stated:
May lO.-War is Imminent. The enemy
= assembling in Halifax. He is expected
20 descend upon the New England coast.
dis probable plan is TO occupy the coast
ind chief cities from Portland 10 Boston,
thereby secondlng certain movements OF
ais lard forces. His success depends upon
is 20 ting this occupation before June
'yth' maintaining 1t until July 10th.
The destined for this purpose is
me IRE fleets. whose total strength
= thrt, mes that OF our fleet, and 10000
nen In hfty transports.
Oar available force Is ordered TO as
omble for the present In Nantucket
sound
May 2o-War is declared. The feet
caves Halifax. occupies Provincetown
md blockades Boston May 2}d. Is COM
josed OF six battleships. eight armored
ruisers eighteen cruisers, twelve gum
nd
I'D keeps touch of our feet wherever il
nay be. by means OF scouts.
Our force Is five battleships. five arm
red cruisers. fifteen cruisers. ten gun
Joats, ten torpedo-bOats. and one ram. A
neavy monitor at Boston, a light one at
Por smouth. and another at Portland are
% be retained al those points. We learn
hat a much larger force OF the enemy Is
about to leave Halifax. 1t sails thence
May 18th. blockades Portland, occupies
casco bay, and gains touch with its Prov
ncetown fleet, May 9th. Is composed Of
zen battieshlps fifteen armored cruisers
twenty cruisers. twenty gunboats. twenty
torpedo boats. and fifty transports. car
lying 1000 troops OF all arms.
Each member of the class had 10 solve
his prob.em-no easy task, rs the given
force Of the enemy was greater than that
)f the defence Months were allowed for
study and lectures bearing on rs rategy,"
Tactics" and Coast Defences" were
given to aid the students.
THE WAR GAMES.
War games are also played by the
students. and these form the most in
teres ing features of the work There
are three games in all. the Duel" "Tac-
tics" and Strategy"
In the Duel" the object is TO teach the
skllful handling OF a ship II The presence
OF an adversary. There are two players,
each OF whom is supposed to be in COM
mand Of a rival ship The type OF the