Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-08-04
I'M A MIMIC WAR.
Plans for the Joint Navy and Military
MsneuverS.

New York, Aug. 4.-Never in the his
tory of the United States have there
been Joint naval and military maneuv-
eis on II scale approaching those sched-
,led for this month. And for the first
time in the history of the world there
Twill be recognized in such maneuvers
a new and important factor in war
/ the newspaper world.
The newspapers will be considered as
/ cnemys: the fleets must beat them If
they can The government does not
| desire that the newspapers shall not
| try to get the news: indeed, the author
tiles want them to try in every possible
Way. But they want their ships ana
men to prevent them from getting 1T.
So, in one way this mimic war VIII
be real. 1t will be a mimic war for the
! possession of the coast and an actual
| war against the reporters, whose dis
| patch boats will be treated as enemy's
scouts to be avoided or captured.
Secretary of the Navy Moody regards
this as an important part of the maneu-
vers He desires to find out just how
secret the movements of the fleet can be
kept in time of actual war; and he real
ICES that if the movements of a fleet can
be concealed from newspaper men bent
en- finding them out, they can be con-
cealed from anybody.
Just what plan has been adopted to
prevent the newspapers from getting
information meant to be secret the Sec
rotary won't tell, but it is known that a
careful and elaborate scheme has been
prepared, and the experiences of the
Spanish war have been drawn on in
| formulating it.
| If any in formation meant to he Sc
cret is obtained by the newspaper men
| the methods by which ii was obtained
will be carefully and fully reported to
the department, and after the maneu-
vers are over such instances will be
studied With Il view of devising a satis-
factory means of preventing similar oc-
currences in case of actual war.
1t was proved in the war with Spain
that newspapers We're not the only fac
tors of civilization. but We're factors
of war. For the first time in the his
tory of the world great fleets went out
to make history, accompanied by a
great fleet bearing the men who We're
to write. 1t was realized suddenly that
regard the newspaper dispatch boat as
a negligible qauntity. So in these most
up to date maneuvers planned by the
navy department the newspapers have
had a place assigned to them.
The strategy of each of the two OPP
posing commanders will be directed to
mountaineering the hostile fleet and
the newspaper forces, and the strategy
| of the newspaper forces will aim at
mountaineering both fleets. 1t Will be
| Il pretty and most interesting contest.
entirely new to warfare.
The department has refused to give
out even a general sketch of its plans,
but the first part of the maneuvers,
(which Will be purely naval, will consist
of the attempt of a fleet, supposedly
hostile, to elude q fleet watching it and
effect a landing on the coast, in all
probability at some point between
Martha's Vineyard and the eastern en-
trance TO Long Island sound.
The opposing commanders will not
know, except in general way. just
what vessels compose the fleet against
| which they are operating; and some
surprises may be sprung upon them by
1.-The managers of the maneuvers. Some
naval officers would not be surprised if
the European squadron or the south
Atlantic squadron, or both, should sud-
denly appear on the coast. For all any
body knows ships from one or both of
these squadrons may now be on their
way to New England waters.
All the available ships of the North
Atlantic squadron will be employed
battleships, cruisers and gunboats. as
We'll as fleet of fifteen torpedo boats
and twelve torpedo boat destroyers. All
along the coast searchlights have been
established to search with their fiery
eyes at night for the coming of the hos
tile fleet.