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

~ scientific, rigidly efficient system. The
element of competition has been elimi-
mated. That, army and navy officials
find, is bad for the morale of the compel
ing forces, is destructive to politeness
and the higher sentiments, and makes
the veins of the neck swell The land
and sea forces will work out certain
military problems presented to them in
a spirit Of chill inquiry only. No decision
will ever be rendered. About November
some conclusions will be printed in
book. The funny part Is that this game
will do both sides more good than if they
went whooping in and competed all
around the place.
On that imaginary line across the
mouth of Long Island sound imaginary
mines have been planted by the coast
defense people. The waters have been
named by sns ne 4er The Sg s snd
Wright have been so trained that their
shells would cover the channels colan-
der fashion. The great searchlight
would. theoretically, make every inch Of
the channels impracticable even for
rowboat. IF all the plans work out to
100 per cent efficiency, an invading feet
would be collection OF knotholes and
scrap iron before before u got near az. enough any
Il is an axiom of modern war that
given a test between fleet and battery
the battery will always win. That axiom
mas Only DeSn teSIcu once III InO06Tn
times. That test took place at Port
Arthur. The battery won. 1t is pre-
sumed that II a fleet approximating In
strength the North Atlantic squadron
would never get by the door to the sound
Only Theory, After All.
The trouble is that this is largely the
sory. The mobile army has a chance to
work out it's problems OH a large scale.
Company is sent against company and
regiment against regiment The navy
plays its war game feet against fleet. The
coast defense artillcrymen alone have to
work out their problems on a slate. They
may not turn their searchlights upon a
passing vessel for fear the pilot. blinded
by the light, jam that vessel ashore. They
may not explode even a teeny little mine
under service conditions. because some
rowboat. They may train their guns upon
a tug-but il the captain OF that tug hears
about IL 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
ofnce-s of the navy may develop. Care
fully figured tables show the precise per
centage of probable hits which may be
registered by given gun at an invading
ship at given range. When the north
Atiantie squadron comes boiling In
through that back door the batteries OF
the three forts will begin popping at them
Hits will be scored according 10 carefully
worked-out statistics. Each observer with
battery or mine will be given bag con
tanning 1UO dice. numbered from one [,
twelve. When a gun Is fired. he pulls out
die. Ii the chance oil hit Is one in
three. and the die he gets is numbered
FOUR OF lower. hit is scored. II it il
numbered Ave higher. a miss is re
corded