Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-02

passing vessel for fear the pilot. blinded
by the light, jam that vessel ashore. They
may not explode even teeny little mine
under service conditions, because some
maiden lady may be on the channel in
rowboat They may train their guns upon
a tug-but if the captain of that tug hears
about it he acts before the War Depart
ment as though he had been crucified
They hope they have provided against
every contingency that can arise in war
time But they have been able to apply
only bookish tests. This war game is to
drop the acid of reality on their plans.
The aim is to find the weaknesses of the
system.
So the coast defense officers must
work out their standardized defense
against whatever problem the inventive
officers of the navy may develop. Care
fully figured tables show the precise per-
centage of probable hits which may be
registered by a given gun at an invading
ship at a given range. When the north
Atlantic squadron comes boiling IN
through that back door the batteries OF
the three forts will begin popping at them.
Hits will be scored according to carefully
worked-out statistics. Each observer with
battery mine will be given bag con-
tanning 100 dice, numbered from one 10
twelve. When a gun is fired. he pulls out
a die. If the chance of a hit is one In
three, and the die he gets is numbered
four or lower, hit is scored. If it Is
numbered five or higher, a miss Is re-
corded.
Test Of Fire Control.
The batteries must keep in touch with
each other, SO that they may diffuse their
fire, and not concentrate it uselessly upon
single ship which may have been out
of the action for hours. The newly de-
vised plan of fire control is to be tested,
by which the fire of the three forts may
be directed upon a single ship. The diff
f1culty of indicating the particular ship
| to score of batteries viewing it at diff
ferent angles may be guessed at. The
management of the searchlights is to be
tested. 1t is quite possible not only to
| render searchlights valueless by improper
management, but to make them an actual
| shield to the enemy. The use OF the mine
! field is also to be developed, while each
| officer engaged in the Observation-Disclosures
[ operations are SO morally denatured that
the use Of the word "maneuvers' Is bar
red, as suggesting competitive spirit
must write a scholarly essay in which he
will discuss every possible angle of
modern war from aZimuth circles to tai
| cum powder.
| 1t isn't competition-but IL the north
Atlantic squadron should non-competi-
| lively get past the forts unhurt and go
whanging down the sound-where, If they
We're really hostile. they would begin to
| land soldiers from transports and prac-
| tically ruin the truck and cut flowers
| business of Long Island-well, If the
squadron should do all this, as observed
there's going to be a lot of midnight oil
| burned in coast defense circles.
| The coast defense folks know precisely
| what they will debut they don't know
what the north Atlantic squadron on a
| war basis may try to do. Rear Admiral
| Badger hasn't told. But the non-competi-
| tive part appears when you are inform
ed that Admiral Badger and Gen. Barry
will freely consult with each other as to
the various problems offered and the ma
| ture of the defense made-and that. the
commonest considerations Of courtesy
| win prevent the losing gentleman from
biting the winning gentleman In the neck.