The record-union., 1898-05-07
TAKING THE STRINGS OFF.


Of our arms Of offense that is going
to give us greatly better results when
ever such arms have to be employed in
war.
Heretofore the American system has
been one Of direction Of movements OF
both army and navy from the depart
ments at Washington, even to the more
inconsequential activities in the field.
This has been due to the extreme jeal-
Ousy with which the founders Of the
Government viewed the danger that
they feared dwelt in giving the mill
tary power free rein. Hence our policy
has been to withhold from naval COM
manders abroad freedom to act when
ever it was possible to maintain COM
munication with them with reasonable
speed
But now with a Strategy Board COM
posed Of skilled and experienced men
of the navy sitting in Washington, and
having in charge the execution Of the
policy Of the Government in the con-
duct Of a war, its direction to COM
manders inaugurates a system vastly
superior to the old, and one promising
the best results. Under it's advice the
Secretary Of the Navy, who is a civil
ian and never a naval expert, gives spe-
cific or general orders, and when the
need is imposes upon the judgment of
our naval commanders abroad the re-
sponsIbility of freedom of action.
This is a distinct and most praise
worthy advance. Under the old sys-
tenn we would not, probably, have so
speedily achieved the success now be-
heved to have been won in the Philip
pines Let us suppose, for instance, that
Manila Bay had been so related by
telegraphic communication with Wash
ington that Commodore Dewey on ar
riving,- lat it's entrance could have COM
municated with Washington Under the
former system he would have been re-
quired to do so before entering upon an
attack If he had not enjoyed free
dom, however, does any one believe for
moment that Washington would have
sent him orders to make that splendid
night dash past the forts and into the
harbor? We do not entertain any such
belief. All our past history discredits
it Our time policy negatives the
thought.
1t is now conceded that the war Of the
rebellion would have been sooner and
hpt f1a,s
tied less to Washington by official
strings. The conviction has been fore
Ing itself upon the American mind that
tae British system is better than ours,
which gives a naval commander abroad
free rein comparatively, trusting to his
judgment, imposing upon him the re-
Eponsibilfty under instructions of a gen.
era1 nature. The result is that we have
found British naval commanders every
where acting instantly and with ef-
fectiveness whenever the interference Of
the<English navy was necessary to en-
force a right or protect a British sub
5ect or his property.
The other day there was call from
Eritons and Americans imprisoned in
an interior town in South American
State. A British Captain to whom the
appeal was made instantly went with
force Of blue jackets to the rescue Of
the men, and brought them safely out
Of illegal detention. He did not wait
to ask for orders from home.
When the gallant English command
er cf a British man-of-war rescued the
ViIginius prisoners on Spanish soil from
beneath the muzzles Of their execution
ers, he did so by virtue Of the power
given him and the confidence reposed
in him by his Government. Had he
waited to communicate with the Home
Office, the unhappy Americans of that
1i-staTred expedition would have fallen
before Spanish bullets.
Only the other day there came an
appeal, it is reported from a Cuban
port for aid to save a British Consul
from an angry mob. An English ship
of-war at Kingston moved at once, not
waiting even to call in all its crew from
the shore, and went to the assistance
of the distressed official. 1t may be
rather extreme statement to say that
had it been an American commander
our Old policy would have made him
timid. and he might have felt it the
safer course to pursue to ask advices
from Washington before getting up
steam to go to the aid of an American
Consul similarly situated.
If Dewey has achieved the victory
which it is believed he has won, it is
due to the fact that for once in our
naval history authority to exercise his
own judgment and act as circumstances
and opportunity suggested was given
an American Commodore. Dewey did
that which the Navy Department form
erly would have restrained him from
doing, if it had knowledge Of his con-
templated dash and splendid feat.
If our army invades Cuba it will go
under command that we can trust fully,
in whose judgment we can rely. Hay-
ing given the commanders general IN
structions as to the desires of the Gov
ernment and the ends it has in view,
the Strategic Board having laid its
plans correspondent with the policy of
the Naval Department, the latter viii