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

ndlt minutes, ana eacn player - gwen
one minute from the end Of the move 20
announce the next
The object OF the game is 60 TO dis
pose of your ships with respect TO one
another to the enemy. 20 friendly or I'M
friendly fortincations, to shoals or pass
ages as to augment their offensive power
You understand. Of course, that each
feet moves Simultaneously ms it would
in actual warfare. and that the net value
OF the relative positions which each ship
assumes after each move determines the
final issue Of the battle.
THE HARDEST GAME.
We now come to the most complicated
and important of all the games STRAIT
egy." This represents not "a single fight.
but complete campaign Of two rival
ornaments. Tie entire class OF students
IS divided into four, each subdivision
being called a committee. Two OF tne
committee. or one half Of the class, look
on as spectators. Each of the two takes
"a fleet under his charge. There is one
commander-in-chlef for each side. and
as many eommar ders of attachments rs
necessary. who receive orders fro.L the
comman 'er-in-chief, but have the same
liberty of action when acting alone as
they would have in actual service.
The game Is started by the presenta-
tion OF the conditions. which are sup
posed Here is one game. as an example;
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. c SITUATION.
War exists between the Red Great
Britain. and the Blue. United States a
Red force for three battleships. three
armored cruisers, six protected cruisers,
and six gunboats, are making Delaware
bay It's temporary headquarters Two de-
tachments Of the Blue are near by--one
In Chesapeake bay. OF two battleships,
two armored cruisers, -pr~ protected
cruisers, and four gunbCats; the other
In Nantucket sound, and OF the same
strength.
At - A. n, October "a (the time being
unknown TO the Blue, the commander-in-
chief of the Red learns that the Blue
Chesapeake detachment sailed at mid
night, with the Intention OF joining the
Nantucket detachment The object OF the
Red is to prevent this Junction OF the
Blue without becoming engaged ny a
superior force. II successful h doing
so. the Red wins; otherwise. the Blue
wins.
Limit of time-Four days from midnight
OF October lst
Limit of play-North or latitude 81,
west Of longitude 6S.
Daylight, a. NJ. to s P. NJ. Weather
fine
Initial points OF measurement:
Nantucket-Great Point Lighthouse.
Chesapeake Bay-Cape Charles Light
ship.
Delaware Bay-Five Fathom Bank
Light-ship.
The Third Committee will take the
Red.
The Fourth Committee will take the
Blue.
After this situation has been thorough
ly understood the two rival committees
separate into different rooms. Each CON-
mander-in-chief issues his general or
ders TO his officers. When they detail
a separation OF some OF the ships from
the main fleet the officers representing
those ships must go into room by
themselves, where one ship is sepa-
rated from its companions that one Of
ficer must seclude himself in single
room.
Thus complicated game may. before
the end, REQUIRE as many rooms as there
are players Each officer or group Of
officers. each room, IN short, has TO work
out its own problem unaided exactly as
a ship would have to do on the ocean.
II describes its movements on chart
All the movements Of all the vessels are
reported as soon as made to an arbitra-
tor In a separate room by himself. who
keeps record of the entire situation.
AS soon as any ships belonging to sepa-
rate rooms come in sight OF one another
those rooms are notified. and action is
taken accordingly.
or course, II two British ships fall in
with one American Of the same class
the American is supposed to be gobbled
up. And so ut every meeting an over
wheiming preponderance OF force on one
side or the other will decide against the
weaker. The game continues until one
side is annihilated by the other. or either
side wins by gaining the objective. with
or without bloodshed.
1t can be seen from this that the United
States are not in the deplorably unpre-
pared condition which the foreign coun-
tries seem 10 imagine them.