Evening star., 1915-06-26
NEW WAR METHODS
NEED OF THE HOUR
Secretary Daniels Draws Les
son From the Great Con-
fIict in Europe.
POINTS TO THE FAILURE
OF OLD-TIME THEORIES
Urges Officers at Navy War College
to Profit by the Present-Day
Developments.

NEWPORT, r. T., June 26.-In an ad-
dress at the opening session of the Navy
War College here today Secretary Daniels
appealed to American naval officers to
| profit by the lessons that are being taught
by the great war in Europe. and to fear
lessly discard all theories which fail to
stand the acid test. He referred briefly
to the navy program for the coming year.
and expressed confidence that Congress
would authorize any increase recon-
| mended.
'In personnel and maerial he navy
| is larger than ever before Mr.. Daniels
said. Its men are trained and fit. Its
experts in every department are active
to remedy any defects of the past, and
to take advantage of all that has been
learned in the true school in which this
| knowledge may be obtained, by observing
through our experts in Europe all that
may be learned from actual war.
Old Theories Crumbling.
"As you look abroad, you see the
foundation of all old theories crumbling
every day. Old tactics. old strategies, old
theories of naval warfare which have
stood unchallenged, as almost automatic
since the triremes of Carthage and Rome
grappled together in the Mediterranean,
are disappearing over night If war upon
land was reverted to the bayonets and the
hand grenade. war upon the sea mas
leaped forward at a single stride and
broken almost every shaclsle of ancient
convention.
1--WE have seen the main fleet of the
greatest sea nation in the world with
drawn from the seas to some secluded
h. orhn "a shot
ing the first year of a mighty con-
fiict. We have seen battles begun at
ranges believed to be impossible and
ships disabled by shots from guns as
vet Invisible. We have been told that
/, modern sea fights would be determined
in the arst ten minutes, yet we have
ssen that it took six hours to decide
one Of the greatest ocean battles of
of shallow draft used as fortresses to
protect land armies on the Belgian
| coast.
Submarines Pass Unchallenged.
1--WE read only yesterday of sub
marines gliding unchallenged past the
imrregnable fortress of Gibraltar and
the guardian ships that watch the
straits. We have seen fast cruisers
! ra!dfng the coast and eluding their
pursuers by the help of dirigibles.
lowering far above and warning
through the new miracle, wireless
telegraphy. the ships beneath.
With what weapons. by what STRAIT
egy. shall We meet the terror Of the
submarine, the still unrevealed posi-
bilities of the airship? 1t is to you,
gentlemen, that this question must be
put. 1t is to you your Secretary of the
Navy looks for an answer. My ear
nest word my solemn plea, today is
to urge you fearIessly to discard wor-
ship of all things that are old and to
adopt courageously anything that is
new the moment that some develop
ment Of the present convinces you that
the old way is no longer the right way,
or that the new way points the path
to victory. 1t is the courage of the
American people in facing new condi-
tions from the time our forefathers
dared and mastered the terrors of the
wilderness and built therein a new ma
ton, with a new government. that has
made us great today. Holding wisely
to what is good in the past to such
principles as stand the acid test of this
great war. do not fear to cast aside
what have proved to be mere shackles
of convention and daringly to go for
ward.
p1oc,ar us-