The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-08-18

the Naval college, we can formulate problems and work out solutions which will not only afford admirable practice to those engaging in them, but may have solid value. As an illustration, l had occasion recently to ask the au- thorities of the Naval college for some information as to the facilities for land-. ing an expedition upon certain DOT ion of the earth's surface. I was not prepared for their exact and compre-
 epsive knowledge of the country. I egan about harbors and beaches hat they knew all about these goes
 ithout saying. l found them familiar ith the strategic features, the strong ]osltions the railway lines, the roads, he topography; in word they had al- most as much knowledge of this land where few Americans have travelled as he Germans had of France, and what hat knowledge was worth the world 5nows
 Now, is 1t pleasant thought that all his work, which seems to lie directly a our path, should be done exclusively our sister service, and that when we want accurate and detailed information Jii oilliiietl ouDJSSl5 NS ilib9e SoSt AS II Ollt that service?
 But to return to our imaginary col lege While all will be students, yet in l certain sense all will be instructors for the mixture of ranks and ages will end to keep interest alive and cause an interchange of views which can hardly fail to be beneficial. The ardent and ambitious youngster gets hearing, no matter how radical his views may be, while the presence of the veteran puts brake on rashness. It is not enough 1 to hold daring views; he must satisfy men used to weighing chances that they have a reasonab ble prospect of suc- cess.
 We cannot go on indefinitely upon the knowledge acquired in our great civil war. We started that war with practically nothing but men and money and patriotism. Of. an organization that could give proper and effective direction to these resources there was scarcely a trace. Our tactics were so rudimentary that our first large army was pushed into battle without ever having seen brigade drill, and our strategy savored of humble puppy. The man to whom the country natural ly turned for an able and comprehen- sive plan had outlived his faculties But no single man, if he had been the Scott of Vera Cruz and Churubusco could have had his way with that swarm of politicians, fanatics and pen dants that infested the seat of govern ment in 1S61 We were steadily worst ed in the east, where our strategy was elaborated, and our successes were gained in quarters where men of com mon sense simply did the duty which was nearest to them, that duty largely consisting in hitting head when Il was visible. The enemy, in view O. their inferiority in numbers and re sources, had wisely followed the lead ol ancient Rome, which in great straits put all thought of popular government aside, while dictator Wielded every power. They set their politicians tt firing the popular heart, and let thel congress play at making laws to kee1 them busy; but plans were formulated by men who were at least soldiers, ane knew enough of the main principles O strategy to make use of interior lines
 As Napoleon's oft-defeated adversa ries learned from their nlisfortunes, st with us constant fighting developed men who insisted upon Stanton's strat eey being laid aside in favor of a ra tional direction to our great resources Now that the last of these men CIT passing away, 1t Is imperative to per feet a system which will retain th fruit of their labors and not repeat thu wretched stories of the Crimea ant Bull Run and Ball's Bluff over again.
 A War college once set on foot ant pushed with anything like the plucl and conscientious work which have pu the Naval college where it now stands will be the nucleus of staff corps il the modern sense which, while treasur ing the lessons of the past, will see t. lit that we are abreast of the present and will not have to take another sucl plunge into the unknown as we did il t1S61.
 It is only once in a hundred year that there comes heaven born soldier like Give, who leaves clerks desk t. win an empire, and while trained medi ocrity will hardly achieve rapid con quests and deliver dazzling strokes. claim that men of very moderate abili ty, well grounded in the principles o war, who have systematically cultiva ted the faculty of choosing that lin and giving that direction which prom ise the best chances of success, will no divide our attacks, ritter away ou numbers in futile expeditions, and hol, back forces which could scarcely hav failed to dislodge the Confederates 0 the civil war Our embryo Gives usu ally turns out Buffers and Bankses. The truth Is that nowadays an arm. without a general staff is an arm. without brain; and the first step t
 obtaining that sine qua non is to plan l a school ard perfect 8 system where al officer can obtain the theoretical am ! practical training which can alone fl
 him for this corps d'elite of intellect All other means simply end where the, have begun--on paper-and you hay , added to the purely administrative de partments, which are already nor than sufficient for the real wants of tn service, another which is purely orna mental, whereas a real general stat does the silent, inconspicuous, never ending work which moulds and fash ions the instruments without whicl men of genius cannot count upon at taining the aim of their combinations and with which nothing short of imbe [. la,1y ,1yn T irac foi