The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-25

The slow preparation of an army for a
descent upon cuba, which Is the great
stake of this war; C5) The successful
avoidance of complications with foreign
countries, only one of which, Great Brit
ain, Is unmstakably our friend.
O.
one Of the things which we have proved
Is the fact that our American sailors re-
tain their old efiiciercy. our earlier wars
made us expect much Of the navy in the
way of cash, skill and marksmanship.
The only fleet engagement we have had
has approved this expectation, and even
the little Cuban skirmishes have certi-
fled to the same thing. The war has
shown us where the navy is weak, and
some of our previous opinions have been
upset. Torpedo boats have not proved as
terrible as we thought. Dewey made
short work of those which attacked him
at Manila. We have heard much about
monitors; but the events of the last few
days have proved that monitors are use
ful in very limited field, and good as
they are in that field, out of 1t they are
an encumbrance and not help. ON the
other hand, experience has proved that
we need more armored cruisers of high
speed. We could, undoubtedly, handle
the Spaniards If we could catch them;
but the old saying holds good, First
catch your hare" The hcnors of the lass
week have been won by Admiral Cervera,
largely because his squadron Is so swift.
To hunt the fast Spanish cruisers with
coastline battlcshirs and heavy monitors
is like hunting cavalry with drays.
%
Foreign complications are an element of
large possibility in every war, since bel
ligerents are inevitably surrounded so
closely with neutrals whose interests and
sympathies are always concerned. Yet,
after the experience of our civil war,
when delicate and dangerous questions
were so continually provoked, we may
laugh at the dangers involved in this
Spanish war.
The unreadiness of the army was in
some respects to be expected. Buffalo
could not go to war with a ncighboring
city (were municipal wars still in fashion)
with only her police force to back her.
Yet the regular army has been, practic-
ally, nothing more than national police
force. Volunteers will always be needed
for foreign wars, and the present war
merely proves once more that despite all
the lessons of the past, even national
guardsmen cannot be got ready for hos
tilties in a hurry. What is discredit-
able, however, is the evident lack Of
preparation and of organizing ability at
the headquarters of the guard in most Of
the states. Even more deplorable is the
evident game of Cross purposes which has
been going on at Washington. This coun-
try will perhaps never reduce its military
administration to the machne-like eff
cheney of Prussia; but in the regular
army Mt least, there should be no con-
fusion and things should bO smoothly
as an example to the national guard, If
nothing more.
The most discreditable feature of the
war is the slowness with which the prep
arations to relieve Admiral Dewey have
advanced. The British neutrality proc
lamation appeared on April 26; and it was
known then that this left Dewey without
a base i'm the east. lie sailed from Mrs
bay China, for Manila on April %; he
won the Battle of Manila on May /, and
we knew of it's result May .. 1t is three
weeks today since he fought and nearly
four, since Dewey was cut loose to find a
new foOthold for himself. Yet the cruiser
Charleston. with the first installment of
supplies for him, sailed from California
only Saturday. Uncle Sam deserves to be
laughing stock. If foreign interference
In the Philippines is justified at all, 1t is
justified by this delay.
%
The war altogether has knocked out Of
our heads any mistaken idea Of coping in
q inmate with any nrSt-claSS military
power on the other side of the Atlantic.
We may well rejoice that we did not get
into q fight with Great Britain over Vene-
zuela, and that only poor little seventh
rate Spain Ia our present antagonist.
Uncle sam can fight at need. after get
ting well prepared; but he is not a pro-
fessional warrior, ready to fight at the
drop of the hat.