The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-05-25

WASHINGTON, D. c., May 23.-Admirals
Dewey and Sampson, with Commodores
Schley and Watson, do the fighting, but
there four men in Washington who
tell them what they shall do and when.
These are the members Of the board or
strategy, who have charge Of the conduct
of the war on sea- and so far possible
direct the battles, leaving only the details
to the fleet commanders.
Some very strange ideas have been cur
rent concerning the board. The popular
idea is that the men are mere book fighters
and do not know the actual details of war.
But each man on the board has been a
good deal of real service and can light as
well as any man in the army. Aside from
this they are we'll skilled in the science
Of war and are able to plan battles with
almost mathematical certainty. The mem
bers of the board Rear Admiral Mont
gOmery Sicard, Captain A L. Mahan, "A. D.
Crownnshield and A. S. Baker. all experts
and one Of them at least is famed through
out the world a naval authority.
The strategy board has it's headquarters
in a room at the navy department. 1t is a
quiet corner, where the naval experts sit
around a big table we'll covered with maps
and plans. On the walls are maps of the
world. other maps of Cuba and Porto Rico,
the West Indies and the Philippines Inc
photographic office has furnished It's finest
plans of the harbor of Havana. San Juan,
Manila and CienfuegoS, as well as Other
important strategic points. These maps
are thoroughly studied. and on them are
marked the movements of the fleets ana Oh
the enemy. The first news OF the movements
of the contending war ships is transmitted
to the board, and kilograms constantly ar
rive announcing the whereabouts OF the
vessels in the two fleets.
The strategy board has evolved a general
plan for the conduct of the war. and every
Chi ylS lS
this preconceive1 plan. What this plan is
has been kept secret for the knowledge or
1t would be of great advantage to the enemy.
The plan was mapped out at the beginning
of the war, and its general scope has be-
come fairly we'll known to the officers OF our
navy, though notifications have been made
necessary by the movements OF the enemy.
1t is the duty of the strategic board to
see that all of these fleets shall work In
perfect harmony, tending toward one plan
of battle The board, being advised OF the
movements of each vessel, and knowing the
final outcome to which everything is tend
ing is able to direct the navy as unit.
This work is done by men skilled in the
art of war. and every movement is dis
cussed by them. and the wisdom Of the navy
is concentrated upon the campaign.
Though they differ widely, strategy is
often COMPOUNDED with tactics. Strategy Is
a science and tactics is an art. AS a science
strategy has many fixed rules and is not
concerned with the fighting OF battle, but
with the conduct of the campaign. While it
has little to do with the actual evolutions
employed in fighting it prescribes the local.
ity in which the fleets will cruise it deter
mines the blockades Of certain ports or
coasts, or the raising Of such blOckades it
seeks at all times to lure the enemy to a
distance, to prevent the safe passage or
the escape Of Sore ships, GOLFERS. trans.
ports or other auxiliaries, and it endeavors
to control all the favorable conditions under
which it's own force may engage and defeat
the enemy. Tactics, on the other hand, is
concerned with the specific and detailed
plans for the execution Of the objects pre-"
scribed by strategy and that is the province
of the fleet commander, who is left untram-
meled by anything except a general accord
ance with the whole scheme and puts into
practice the precepts of the strategists.
The United States naval board of STRAIT
egg will compare favorably with that which
could be gotten together by any other
power in the world. At it's head is Rear
Admiral Montgomery Sicard, who is one Of
the best fighters in the navy, with q good
war record. Born in 1886. he graduated from
the naval academy in 1851. and was a lieu
tenant at the outbreak of the war. In the
first year of the civil war he was on duty
on various vessels in the blockading squad
rOns and in 1862 was promoted to lieuten-
ant commander. He present at the
bombardments Of Fort Jackson and st.
Phillip took an active part in the destruc-
ton of the Confederate flotilla in April, 1862
in the passage of the Vicksburg batteries in
June and in July Of the same year in the
engagement with the Arkansas. In
1896 he was attached to the Ticonderoga
and took part in the attacks Forth
Fisher. Since the war he has had numerous
stations, and in July. 1894, was made COM
modore. In April, 1896, he was made rear
admiral
Captain Mahan is the most famous men,
Der Of the board. His fame is worldwide
and no man has a greater reputation an
authority on naval warfare. He had retired
from the navy to devote himself exclusive
ly to literature and was at work in Rome
on his forthcoming history of the naval
warfa re during the war Of 1872, when he was
summoned to Washington by the president
in order that the country might have the
benefit Of his knowledge. Captain Mahan is
even better known abroad than in the
United States. His book, Influence Of Sea
Power on History" is regarded as a stand
ard work by the great naval powers in
Europe The United States Naval War col
lege, at Newport, is his creation and it's
curriculum was devised by him to perfect
the study of strategy. Captain Mahan did
not much service during the war Of
the rebellion. He was a lieutenant when
1t broke out, and spent one year with the
South Atlantic blockading squadron, after
ward going to the naval academy where he
spent a year, being afterward detailed to
the gulf squadron. At the close Of the war
he assumed various duties and devoted
muci Of his time to studying the art of
naval warfare. In 1885 he was promoted to
captain and stationed at the naval war
college. The next year he made it's
president and continued in this important
post for three years, when he was appointed
president Of the commission for the selec-
ton Of site for navy yard on the north
western coast. He on special duty con-
nected with the bureau of navigation for
three years, when he returned to his old
post as president Of the Naval War col
lege. This Office he held until May, 1898,
when he was placed in command Of the
Chicago Of the European station.
During the cruise of the Chicago with the
European squadron from 1893 to 1895 Captain
Mahan was the recipient of marked atten
ton at European capitals. Especially no.
table was the attention which he received
in English waters On the visit of the Chi
cago to Gravesend. below London, the cour-
tesies extended to Captain Mahan and his
chief Rear Admiral Erben. were Of a char
acter socially unprecedented in American
naval history since Admiral Farragut's visit
to England in 1867. For five weeks they re-
ceved the greatest possible attention be-
cause Of the sensation that had been made
in England by Captain Mahan's great book.
The names of Rear Admiral Erben, Captain
Mahan ana the Chicago were familiar ev
erywhere, and the American uniform be-
came better known in London than 1t is in
some of the American seaport cities. Upon
his return to America, he resumed his duties
at the naval war college, but upon the ex-
p1ration Of his shore leave he left the SER
vice. being unable to attend to his literary
work while at sea.
Captain Mahan's works. upon which his
reputation rests. are The Gulf and Inland