The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-10

ent with Dewey at Manila. "Joe'
stickney. whom some OF us remembe
as one OF the staff of the old Provi
dence Press and Star, himself an ex
naval oficer makes statement o.
| which even the iayman will recognize
the truth and significance. 1T is the
custom Of American naval officers, =
says stickney, ITO take nothing Tor
granted In war time"
we all know how we'll this has been
! illustrated. II the maxim of taking
nothing for granted has been once neg
lected 1t was upon the occasion OF the
hot fight when Worth Bagley and sew
eral of his shipmates were killed and
the torpedo boat winslow was knocked
OUT. Encouraged by success, the DASH
ing fellows on the torpedo boats had
come to take 1t for granted that they
could run up TO anything Spanish and
slap its face. The price paid for that
assumption was heavy, but perhaps it
was worth what IL cost. At any rate,
that the naval operations, as whole,
have been conducted with such insig-
nificant loss. with no mistakes of con-
sequence, and with unqualified success
has evidently been due to the studious
slillful, complete preparation for every
step based on the maxim of taking
nothing for granted. At no time, with
the single exception of the winslow's
attack, has the enemy been underrated.
He has not been overrated. He has
simply been definitely and accurately
"sized up and then logically demol-
ished.
The force of the maxim illuminated
by the naval example is still further
demonstrated by the contrary pro-
cedure in the management OF the army.
Gen. Skaters latest communication as
to the responsibility for the hospital
ship horrors is a recent illustration of
the. propensity in the administration of
the army to take a good deal for
granted. Indeed, the whole Santiago
seems to have been carried
out on the take-it- for granted prine-
pie. shafter writes that the chief quar-
took 1t for granted that the |
hospital ships had sufficient water" |
The medical department seems to nave |
taken 1t for granted that the COM
mander of the expedition would land
he supplies provided. The commander
of the expedition, Shafter, seems to
nave taken 1t for granted that the STAFF |
departments would perform miracles.
rhe commissary department sent ship
Dads of provisions to Cuba, and took 1t
'or granted that the soldiers would get |
the food which was later sent back to |
New York. shafter himself took II for
granted that he would capture SAM
iago forty-eight hours after landing,
md when he found his mistake he took
for granted that he would have to
etreat and await reinforcements. In
he sending Of an army too small for its
york, in storming Santiago without
iege guns, in leaving provisions on the
hips instead of bringing them ashore.
n furnishing too few surgeons. too few
Ioctors. and in about every detail of
he campaign which American grit car
led to triumphant conclusion. despite
III drawbacks. there was evidently
e-it-for-granted spirit all along the
inc and right up to the Secretary OF
Var, who wanted his fellow country
nen to believe that the result OF inefi-
iency, neglect and indifference was
war and war would not be war" unless
here was unnecessary suffering and
hardship.