The record-union., 1898-07-24
MISTAKES OF OUR CRITICS.

A Berlin journal, conceded to be ex-
pert in such matters, said America
could not mobilize an army Of invasion
in a year. We did it in two months.
The 'Fortnightly Review" pointed out
that the crews of American warships
were OF such a heterogeneous character
that discipline was out Of the question,
and effective fighting by them very
doubtful But in Guantanamo Bay, at
Santiago, at Cardenas, in Manila Bay,
everywhere, the American blue jackets
and marines have proved to be splendid
fighting organizations, admirably sus-
ceptible to discipline, and so brave and
effective as to win the admiration or
their enemies.
Fred I. Jane, an English naval ex-
pert, rushed into print to prove by rule
and compass the Spanish ships so much
superior to ours, that, in conflict, it
would be owing to the mercifulness OF
their commanders if they did not sink
every ship of ours across which they
ran Thus far we have not lost one,
while the Spanish are short twenty-five.
We have lost in the navy eight men
killed and twenty-five wounded, while
the Spanish have lost something like
5000 killed and 700 wounded. The
London Engineer" by diagram and
wise words, proved, to its own satistac-
ton, that the more numerous naval
nf
existence. But we are still afioat. while
the best of Spain's ships are ashore or
at the bottom of the sea.
The "Militar Wochenblatt" proved,
apparently, by elaborate reasoning and
military technique, that General Shaf-
ter could not land his troops in a week
time, let alone move them inland. He
landed his entire force in two days, on
sh and occupied the positions Of the
enemy French military authorities ex-
hausted columns to prove that the
Spanish, with their Mauser rifles and
finely drilled regulars, would extermi-
nate the raw levies' Of the Americans,
and that in the first shock of arms our
regiments must be driven back, and
decimated at the least. We are still
on the ground, have not lost more
heavily than was to have been expect
ed and the Spanish lines have not been
advanced a foot, while our raw levies,
on strange ground in a terribly trying
climate, are to-day operating on the
offensive. are handled with ease and
demonstrate their unparalleled courage
and steadiness, after having forced the
capitulation Of Santiago and the sur
render Of 24,OOO men.
More than a dozen European military
critics declared that we could not land
in Cuba inside of six months, and that
it would be madness to attempt assault
in July or August But we have land
ed in less than three months and in
June and July, and are now the ag-
gressive party on that soil. Pestilence
has not invaded our commands, and the
sickness in the camps is not above the
average of that represented in the
Spanish barracks in Cuba.
Really our critical friends over the
water will be driven by the logic of
facts to overhaul their opinions and
correct few errors. In the meantime,
let carping, growing and impatient
critics at home be reasonable, If they
can, and see as a man with a single
eye may, that despite our unreadiness
we have done splendidly, marvelously
well, and proved to all the world that
in the military art, especially when 1t
has to deal with citizen soldiery in a
republic where every man is SOW
ereign.