The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-25
THE STRATEGY BOARD
ITS DUTIES EXPLAINED BY NAVY
DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS.
Organized for the Purpose of Gath
ering Information, and Not for
Directing Operations.
Mr.. LONGS COAST PATROL
SIGNAL STATIONS FROM BAR HAIR
Dor, ME-, TO GALVESTON, TEX.
How Naval Militia, Life Savers and
Lighthouse Keepers Give News of
Movements of Ships.

w May S4-luS WdI DOdIO,
lately known the strategy board, had a
short session this morning. There appears
to be a great misconception on the part Of
the public and newspapers as to the nature
of this board, its composition. functions and
manner of work According to the popular
mind, this board sits in the Navy Depart
ment, and with autocratic orders directs the
movements of fleets and the execution of
plans of campaigns down to the very small
est details. This conception has led to
good deal of comment, some humorous and
some serious, at the expense of the board
and the idea had even spread to Europe,
where so conservative a paper as the Lon
don Times has delivered itself of this crit
csm: ut would be wise in the future to
leave the direction of operations to naval
commanders. Councils have never proved
capable directors of war. Their proper func-
ton is to obtain information and to forward
it to the admirals, who must be, as Nelson
claimed, the right to be free to act when
the fitting opportunity arrived"
Now, Secretary Long is a member of the
war board; at least, ne is frequently with
it during it's sessions, and he says that the
views of the Times as to the proper func-
lions of war council express exactly the
functions conferred on and exercised by the
naval war board. 1t has worked ceaselessly
and intelligently to learn the movements OF
the enemy and the enemy's plans and to
gather all kinds of information that would
be of value to the United States naval
commanders now at sea. 1t has not under
taken to hamper them with unnecessary in
structions, but supplying them with all in
formation obtainable that might assist, has
kept ever in mind the principle that the
CON nander on the spot is the person best
qualified to act.
THE war board has not made a single
mistake since the beginning of the war;"
was the tribute that Secretary Long paid to
it. Just how little it interferes with our
naval commanders is shown in the epigram-
matte message to Dewey at Hong-kong:
Commence operations at once, particularly
against the Spanish fleet. You must cap
ture vessels or Destroy" There was no
suggestion there of unnecessary instruc-
lions. And again at San Juan, according to
Secretary Long, all that the board did was
to authorize Admiral Sampson to proceed
as he did and attack the place. He like
wise had no vexatious limitations placed
upon him.
The Washington correspondent of the
New York Times says: There is some dis
cussion among naval officers about the
actions of the feet of Admiral Sampson
that suggests a spirit of criticism. Naval
officers who have the highest respect for
the men who are supposed to have designed
the plan of campaign for the United States
fleet are openly expressing wonder that Ad-
miral Sampson was permitted to travel all
the way from San Juan to Key West, to con-
sumo great deal of coal, and then to coal
again merely to sail back over the course
he had just traversed. His personal in
clination, it is believed, would have led him
to remain in the Windward passage, hold
ing a position of great strategic advantage
until his scouts brought him news OF the
presence OF the enemy, and many ofncers
believed him to be there after he had re-
turned to Key West. To the suggestion
made to these officers that the Washington
authorities did not know the Spanish fleet
was at Martinique until Sampson was fair
ly on his return trip the unotncial Strateg1St
answers that the Navy Department knew
week ago that Cervera was at Curacao;
that it had at it's command two or three
swift vessels that could have stopped Samp-
son before he had come half way on his re-
turn, and that Golfers could have been pro
vided to take coal to him and that he might
thus have been able to intercept the Span
ish fleet on it's way to Santiago de CUBA
harbor. AS it was, Admiral Sampson left
Key West the day the news was received
there from Washington that CerVera mad
arrived II the news of SIMPSONS departure
worked it's way to Blanco he probably sent
it by wire to Santiago the next day, and
Admiral Cervera was afforded chance TO
move out and renew his explorations of the
Caribbean sea. But the Navy Department
will forget the waste of time by Admiral
Sampson if it learns tomorrow or next day
that he has arrived at Santiago and found
Admiral Cervera still there When he
started from Key West last Thursday he
had to steam 700 miles to reach Santlago
AT a ten-knot pace he should nave mace
the distance in three days The almost
unanimous opinion of naval officers is that,
whether Cervera has decided to stand ana
fight or run and wait little while before
giving battle, he cannot long postpone
meeting with Admiral Sampson, and per-
haps with Commodore Schley at the same
time.
movements has been very strictly observed
now for couple of weeks. but not so strict
ly that it did not become known here that
Commodore Schley got away from Key
West a little sooner than Admiral Sampson.
If it was but half a day sooner, ne ought
to have been able. with his swifest ships, to
reach Santiago de Cuba on Saturday. 1t is
assumed that he did so by those who con-
clude that the department sent him to look
for the Spanish fleet where 1t was last heard
Of It is believed that Schley went to the
south of Cuba by the Yucatan passage.
Naval officers assume that everybody is
now familiar with the formation OF SAN
tiago harbor and the disadvantage in which
fleet would be placed that retired into 1T
\ to await the coming OF an opponent. Few
Of them believe that Cervera has adopted
this course. They incline to the opinion that
he went towards Martinique to meet golfers
sent over to provide him with the fuel he
must now need, and perhaps be joined by
some Oh the VESSELS OllCLi iNPOi lCN " DC dl
Cadiz or some other Spanish port but
which. some conservative naval officers are
firmly convinced. have long been their
way across the Atlantic to reinforce him.
This last possibility will not spoil the
chance now seemingly good of an early
fight. Very prominent naval officers who
to-day talked with members of the admins
tration expressed very decidedly the view
that Admiral Cervera had neither sufficient
skill nor coal to escape the conflict which
Sampson and Schley are seeking.
"A gentleman who is not connected with
the navy, but who is very much interested
in seeing it do its work well, says that it is
a mistake to suppose that the naval STRAIT
egg board has trammeled Sampson or
Schley, or both. with conflicting embar-
RAISING orders. Practically said this gen.
tleman Admiral Sampson has had his own
way in all that he has DONE If he returned
to Key West when Cervera was at Curacao,
knowing that he must return to find him.
he did so for a reason that seemed impera-
tive to him.