The times., 1898-05-17
CfrcumIOcution.

In a time of war it is never proper
to severely criticise the movements or
the views of those professional pastors
and masters who have been put over
us. Patriotism and the conventionali
ties forbid it. Hence we will not say
that the country is somewhat disgusted
with the operations of a technical board
which has been confined TO the naval
arTa Of the service, and has made
mess of the campaign on this side of
the Atlantic, so far. We decline to go
to that length, and only suggest that,
if it be true that the War Board" is
about to be dissolved, the chances are
that although late. and at the expense
of much treasure and life. the results
viii be more satisfactory.
As we are not yet under martial law.
a patriotic journal may express its
opinion. We do not wish to denounce
the intentions of the President, or
even of his War Board" We only de-
sire to express the hope with which we
are certain Mr.. Mckinley viii concur,
that he will not in the future be ham
pered by any advisory power which
viii hinder him in making war in the
way that war ought to be made.
In Offering this statement, We dis
claim any criticism upon our Navy. II
has made a glorious record in the East
/ ern seas, and it would have done so in
I the Western, if it had been left to its
! commanders. But it seems that the
! control OF our squadrons has been re-
! tanned in Washington, and that the ac-
! tuaI commanders have been made into
/ telephones to carry out bomb proof
/ pIeconceptions. Against that We pro-
/ testi 1t is useful for an intelligence
! Office at headquarters to ascertain the
] movements of the enemy Everything
| Of that sort is useful to the admiral OF
! the fleet; but he ought TO be the man
I to attend to the strategy and tactics
dictatedrby the situation. and any in
! teTferefice is calculated to be fatal to
good results, supposing the admiral to
be competent. If he be not, then he
| ought to be removed.
| We saw some of the disadvantages
/ and mortality involved in running field
| operations from Washington during
I
/ extend to operating the Army and
Navy by syndicate of naval staff
| officers, sitting in a room furnished
with chairs tables, maps, and cigarsi
/ This thing must stopt
Ii has led to pacific blockade" 4"
which has excited the ridicule of Eu-
rope. 1t has placed the Army at dis
! advantage, and deprived it of golden
/ chance to cooperate with the Navy.
If the latter arm of the service had
been supported, as it would have been
but for this War Board" we should
not have been mortified by peaceful
blockades, followed by inconsequential
bombardments of fortified positions
without tangible results. We have
! pounded Matanzas, Cardenas, Cienfue-
gos, and San Juan, and we do not oc-
/ cupy one of those places as a conse-
| quence.
Now all this we present without the
/ slightest desire to reflect upon the
/ Navy Our point of attack is the cir
cumlocution office. We will close the
argument by saying that while the
/ Government is paralyzed as to land
| ard sea operations in Western waters.
! because Spanish naval strategy" has
prevented US from doing anything, Ad-
miral Dewey has steamed into the
stronghold of Spain in the East, and
destroyed every Spanish vessel on the
| Pacific; so that cur naval and mercan-
tile marine can sail those seas without
let or hindrance.
The same thing might have been
done in the Atlantic with less "strat-
egy" and more American common
sensei