New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
ARGUMENTS SPAIN RESPECTS.
FREDERICK W. SEWARD CoMMENps TIM
ADMINISTRATION FOR IT'S WAR
PREPARATIONS.

ADMINISTRATIONS FOR IT'S WAR
PREPARATIONS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: A generation has now grown I'D WIN
fortunately for themselves. have had no personal
experience of war. But most of them have
pronted by the teachings of history. They
have learned that war Is always deplorable and
always productive Of human misery. and vet
that there are times when nation cannot and
ought not to avoid 1t. AS the crimes Of ndivid.
uals must be dealt with by courts and jailers
and prisons so those Of nations must sometimes
be submitted to war as their only tribunal Of
last resort In this the popular understanding
OF war is right snd sound.
On the other hand. some Of the popular ideas
concerning 1t are very crude There is a hay
notion that battles would of themselves cure the
Ills Of the body polite. just as DR.. sangrado
used to hold that all diseases could be cured
by plentiful blood-etting. Hence come clamors
for hasty hostilities. and impotence with all
other methods.
Napoleon, who was master or the art OF war,
defined 1t as being the art Of massing an over
whelming force at a given place and time II
was SO that he won his victories. The object
Of war Is not to kill off a larger or smaller num-
Der Of enemies. but to compel them to yield
withdraw surrender. Every student at West
Point or Annapolis knows-what civilians are
apt to forget-that sangunary. indecisive fight
ing Is a useless mistake. 1t may make a few
heroes and thousand mourners. but It does
not advance the object Of the war. 1t Is so that
savage tribes war with each other as they
would with wild beasts. They hope to exter-
inmate their opponents. OF course they fall
and so live on IN active or passive hostility with.
out results.
All our modern warlike inventions and de-
structive appliances are devised not with the
view of increasing the horrors OF war but OF
mitigating them-of mitigating them by render
ing resistance hopeless and surrender speedy.
The great generals Of modern times seek to
make their campaigns short, sharp and de-
cislve thus attaining success with the least pos
sbe loss of life.
Our present purpose as a nation is TO compel
the Spaniards TO evacuate Cuba. leaving the In
habitsnts in peace and free 70 govern them
selv.s We shall accomplish this purpose, not
nv desultory killing and manning Span'ards
here and there, but by massing such naval and
military force at each point OF resistance as
will compel the Spanish either before or after
battles to quit the island.
II may be n matter Of surprise 10 some I'M
patient readers to be told that we are not pro-
crastinating. but are now and FOR some weeks
have been practising the art OF war. ard
practising II with success. The Joint action OF
Congress and the President in formulating the
issues and providing for fleets and armies. the
rapid preparations Of the War and Navy depart
ments in equipping ships and troops for the
conflict the proffers OF men and money. the en-
thuslastic response OF the peope-all these are
actual and necessary steps in war. fortunately
taken in advance and not left. as too often
happens, till after the conflict has begun.
Every soldier, every sailor. every ship. every
gun. whether they get into action or not. are
arguments that Spain sees and respects. Con-
trast her present attitude In invoking mediation
and enumeratlng the so-caed concessions"
she has made with her naughty defiance Of q
few months ago when she would never never
make a single one"
She will find way to got out Of Cuba when
ever she realizes that she must She will not 60
TIL she does. To show her that the Irresistible
logic OF events requires her going is the next
step that have to take. 1t Is not 80 i'm.
portant that We strike soon as Il IS that We
strike hard. That is the art OF war;"
FREDERICK W. SEWARD.
Montrose- on the Hudson. n. Y. April H. 1898