The Republican journal., 1898-05-26
Current Fallacies Upon Naval Subjects.
BY CAPTAIN A. I. MAHAN, L. S. n.

BY CAPTAIN A. I. MAHAS, I. S. n.
The author who, as our leading authority
on naval subjects, has been recalled to
active service, discusses the American navy
in Harpers Magazine for June, and shows
that, in order to be adequate for defensive
purposes merely, it must be strong enough
on the offensive to strike quick and
vigorous blow at an enemy on the sea.
We make the following extracts:
THE JUSTIFICATION OF MILITARY AGGREs-
We have always avowed that we will.
and do, act Justly; in practice, like other
states, and like mankind generally, when
we have wanted anything very badly, we
have-at least at times-managed to see
that it was just that we should have it.
In the matter of general policy our hands
are by no means clean from aggression,
General Grant, after retiring from public
life, maintained that the war with Mexico
was an unjust war; stigma which, if
true, STAINS our possession of California
and much other territory. The acquisi-
ton of Louisiana was as great an outrage
upon the technical rights of Spain as the
acquisition of Hawaii would be upon the
technical rights of the fast disappearing
aborigines; and there can be little doubt
that, although we did not 60 to war with
Spain to get Florida we made things so
uncomfortable for her that she was prac-
tlcally forced at last to get out. 1t does
not follow necessarily that any of these
actions were wrong, even if we consider
that the so-called legal rights of Mexico
and Spain were set aside by the strong
hand; for law is simply an invention of
mankind to secure justice, and when jus
tce, the natural rights of the greater
number, is prevented by the legal, not
the natural, rights of a few, law may be
set aside, as it is at every election, where
large minorities of people are forced to
submit to what they consider grievous
wrong. The danger of overlapping law to
secure what is right may be freely adj
mltted; but no great responsibility, such
as the use of power always is, can be
exercised at all without some danger of
abuse. In the annexation of Louisiana
we intringed the letter of our own Con
stitution. We broke the law in order to
reach an end eminently beneficial to the
majority of those concerned.
WAR FOR DEFENCE ONLY.
The phrase "War for defence only
conveys, therefore, political idea, and.
as such, proper and noble idea; but let
there be no misunderstanding 1t is per-
lectly right that the policy of the country
should dictate the character and strength
of the military establishment: the evil is
when policy is controlled by ignorance.
summed up in a mistaken but captivating
catch word for defence only
Among all masters of military art-in-
Guiding therein naval aIt-iti is thorough
ly accepted principle that mere defensive
war means military ruin. and therefore
national disaster. 1t is vain to maintain
military or naval force whose power is
not equal to assuming the offensive soon
or late, which cannot. first OF last 90 out,
assail the enemy, and hurt him in his
vital interests. A navy for defence only.
in the political sense, means navy that
will only be used in case we are forced
into war: navy fol defence only in the
military sense, means a navy that can
only await attack and defend its own.
leaving the enemy at ease as regards his
own interests, and at liberty to choose his
own time and manner of fighting
HOW LARGE A NAVY DO WE NEED FOR
v,copo1-e
The h;nrest nay,, III ~ - 49,
NOT all he Seot ~, ra $500 oaii-
nrol,ahIt s+,4a af 4l,l r,,;.is'i -, al.
mncb smaller fa,oo fa,sN,al,i,. ~, -
,,rodncas an a+fon+ a. bo,5 pI"oeu'
nortionate nnmbers. fo, ~ 1,a+a a'' op r, ~
Ea,Ila',,,1s 49, w 10y az in
nf nnsitio,,s - ,Thie ;1ln, =. a." business
new ave,, ~ ,,nnrlfasa;',,a, ~ ~ iie az
contrary IL l. 81 III +bo+ :. - 80 ~ ~
to soc sncb fa+na,,s 80 80 f'ioi az
NECESSITY, of an,,o1G;,,r C-I l''1 10 ti!o
navy addncad aIains+ 9n soi'a,,,o i' &c
tprnal ,,olic1- Thn a,,,,a-1ti, 50 I1I,-:
to recn 70 that nav, ha Va W. ,oi Il, a.,
many reasons If WIich Lao anl pVileS lol
iud@e. b,1t ae naval st1ldant on 10 ?oo'l
nat +, Sav +ho+ wv. ,'1ii'l.; ."'o
entail hiooe1 navv +ar is l,onad 10y 10y
ion tLa me,a eyaI,,si[,, 80 it"ii''eu lol
from the isIands tbo'ah "tloi IVA s."t9 IT,
NOT think SIT is abSI7l ~ e ,90 tIs ~
sboulI naed ,a,,,, a|1,a1 ~ +i7 1f'1 a..
R,;t.,in l., 1-ni -i''u - y io"t
,,.,+ +bo+ - +I 1~;.5 80, A0i -
ships of the line in commission no otbo,
state would provoke her ennity At1ha+
time Great Britain's navy was relatively
moie powerful than it is now while She
and France We're rivalling each other in
testing the capacitv of Cur countv to stand
kickinp. hut Morris,S as-i,na+a Wa. ,,o