The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-29
CAPT. MAHAN'S WAR OF 1912.
1t Will Re Delayed Until Perhaps
This Fall.

correspondence The st. Paul Globe.
BOSTON, May 26.-There is one man
in the United States who does not
know the precise date of the declara-
ton of peace, Capt. Alfred T. Mahan.
He was engag ed to dine with the Navy
league in london, but, receiving or
ders to return home, he wrote from
Rome to the secretary:
las the duration of the war is unc5r-
tain, this necessarily makes it extreme
ly improbable that 1 shall be able to
Keep my engagement. beg
you to assure the members of the
league that I have deeply felt not only
the personal good will toward myself,
but to my country as well. trust that
this may prove only one of many proofs
that the day is dawning when the ac-
cord between the two nations shall be
perfect"
Capt. Mahan set out for the United
States Immediately after writing this
letter, which is dated April 81, and ar
rived in time to silence noisy group of
envious detractors all tenderly solicit
Gus that the country should not be
deprived of his valuable services, and
all possessed by a theory that, in time
of war, America expects every retired
officer to take flying leap to the deck
of the nearest battleship, regardless
VI SuCll lIlllJS DIS previous leUdEsS,
precedence, naval usage and the navy
department. 1t is one of these gentle
men who writes the descriptive text
for the album ''cf naval pictures, set
ting under ore, Doubtless Capt. Sigs-
bee and his chief officers are assem-
bled for an evening of social enjoy
ment." Now, a United States ships
captain does not assemble for any
thing. He stays in his cabin, ard. if
ha 1oic oil no
may invite some Of his officers to en-
ter it. but he has but one 'chief Of
ficer." Lastly the picture so bril-
liantly described represented the
Names wardroonl, and never a cap
tain or chief officer was assembled"
in it. These be the things that cause
jewellers in navy yard towns to Won
der where some other persons accu-
mulate their ignorance.
Until the war is ended Capt. Ma
hans history Of the War of 1872 must
wait but meantime comes the third
volume of Mr.. William Laird Cloves
History of the Royal Navy" tracing
the story of British wars from TIA to
1902. This will be published in June by
Messrs. Little Brown & Co., and about
the same time they will issue Mod
ern Political Institutions" by the Hon.
Simeon E. Baldwin, of the superior
court Of Connecticut. a book belong
ing to the daily increasing class of
careful studies of American laws and
customs. In the way of study of an
entirely different land. Messrs. Harper
& Brothers publish Picturesque ST.
CITY," by Mr.. William A. Patton a vol
ume including many small romance
of history in addition to the landscapes
and architectural views which one ex-
poets from the title. 1t is a good COM
panion for Mr.. Crawford's "Corleone,"
and it describes the real Corleone,
which is town. not a castle.
The only new Boston novel of the
week is ''In Kings Houses" by Mrs.
Julia C. R. Dorr, the Vermont poet,
and the author of ga Cathedral Pill
grimage." The hero is the chosen
friend of the Duke of Gloucester,
Queen Anne's son, and during all his
short life the hope of Protestant Eng
land. The little duke has been neg
lected by the novelists, although his
mother has not escaped their attention.
but he makes very pretty figure in
his boyish playing at battle and siege
preparing for wars in which he was
to have no place. The naughty Sarah
Jennings and the crafty Abigail Hill
take part in the plot
Inc season OF vacations begins next
week in all the publishing houses. but
the printing offices and binderies are
busy on the June and July books. Of
which there are as many as ordinar ;lv
appear at this season. The brilliant
fiction which appeared last week. de-
scribing the appearance of a Spanish
spy near the cadets camp at Nahant
was founded on the entire failure Of
the reporters to obtain admission to the
camp, or to learn any details about If
The First corps has a habit of re-
garding itself as a military organiza-
ton, and its sentries are not purely
ornamental. Birdofredum Sawin foun1
out why bayonets was peaked" when
he tried to leave camp to go to a fan
dango. A man who endeavored to en-
ter the cadet camp with ''You-know-
me-and-I-know-you' air ascertained
beyond a peradventure why guns are
loaded. and departed with swiftness,
but he was an American citizen.
Stephenson Browne.
His Father Was a Card Player.
From the New York Journal.
Toachar-The king is dead-what is the rest