The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-05-25
THE BOARD
OF LETHARGY.
What ia Thought and Said of
the Conduct of the War.

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which is fitting arourd 10 Cuban va
ters, as it has beeo in oottiiDg up every
psrtiaole of interesting war news. the
end Of the var weuld be 10 sight. Of
course everybody recognizes the peces-
si.y for keeping news Of contemplated
movements ous of the newspapers, lest
their publication should aid the enemy.
but there is no good reason Why this
state of affairs should ezisi. Had
every cable from Cuba been cus as sooD
as var vas declared. and the same rig
id censorship been put ioso effect upon
Earopesn messages that is oo@ exercis-
ed. Spain could have derived 20 bene-
lit from sbe publication Of war news by
American papers. If she present GEN.
sorsbip be followed tJ results, there
will not not be much complaint. but if
it be merely cloak tc hide the blum
ders of somebody, Congress will not
long remain silent
Orders have beeu issued 10 profusiou
to our fleets in Cuban waters. and there
is. of course, general hope that they
will succeed 10 6uding sbe Spanish feet
30 one doubts that We can lick if
we can get at tbem--bus Secretary
Long seems to take it fer granted that
the Spsniards can avoid fight just as
they may desire TO.
Those who for one or another reason
are desirous Of dragging the war 90 io-
definitely have again beeu trying to
persuade Mr. Mckinley to postpone the
invasion Of Cuba upsil fall. They
have got new argument ow-thas it
will take four mooths to make such am-
munitioa as they think the army ought
to have before being sent to Cuba
They also ring the changes oo the old
argument that military operations on
large scale csonot be carried on iu Cuba
during the rainy season, which usually
begins about the tenth Of Jooe aod
continue. for ak or eight weeks-au
argumeu. long ago disposed Of BY the
active campaigos Of the insurgents du--
ing rainy seasons II the statement
about amm unition be srre. Which there
is reason to doubt, .bers ie something
radically wrong about the War Depart.
ment. It is supposed f.om the hurry
ing of voluoteers to the south. that tn,
invasion of Cuba will be pushed at
once. but plans have been chaoged SO
ofteo that it is difficult tc say what will
be done.
Car Reed has the Hawaiian an
nexationists on the anxious bench.
The other four members of the com
mittee on rules are evenly divided
and it is for him to decide whether
the committee will report a special
rule for the consideration of the an
nexation resolution, without which
the resolution cannot be brought to
vote
As sort of answer to criticisms
from every direction. it has been
semi.offciaIly announced that the
Naval War Board, porularly known
as the BOARD of stategy." and
spoken of by some irreverent persons
as the "board of lethargy,'' which is
composed cf naval officers. has moth
ing to do with conducting the war,
but is merely charged with the duty
of advising Secretary Long This
will strike most persons as an attempt
to make distinction where there is
no difference If Secretary Long
did not consider the advice of the
board worth being followed, the
board would speedily be abolished
1t would be safe to say that every
important order issued by Secretary
Long has been upon the advice of
thir board. 1t wonld be the most
natural thing in the world that both
Mr. Mckinley and Secretary Long,
neither of whom has had any expe
rience in naval fighting, should Geek
the assistance of naval officers in
conducting that branch OF the war.
The unnatural thing is that such
statement should have been allowed
to have been made The Naval War
Board has certainly Gone all the con-
Quoting of the war tina. has been
done from the Washington end /; if
there is any credit. it should not be
deprived of it any more than it
should be shielded from criticism
Senator Daniels made one Of the
strongest speeches yet made against
an issue of bonds, and in favor of
paying the expenses of the war as
we go along. rather than saddling
them upon posterity. Replying to
the contention that the Issue of bonds
proposed was intended for effect
upon Spain, Senator Daniels said that
if the desired effect could be assured
he was ready to vote TO issue the
bonds. But" he impressive)y con
tinued. if Spain was not convinced