The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-08
The Old Gentleman Has Secret
Plans Stored Away
United States Navy Is In Need Of More
Men, Fifty thousand, n Is
Claimed
BY BURTON x. srANolsH.

Washington. January 6.-Stored
away in the vaults or the army and
navy departments today are secret
plans for war. These show just what
moves this country would make In
event of hostilities against our
shores. Every possible plan of APP
proach of IN enemy has been con.
sidered. and with IL has been evolved
by the military strategIsts a method
for meeting such an attack. Not nm.
I'll the recent agitation over national
security was IL known that this ma
tiOn is prepared for war. in the
sense of having such carefully laid
schemes OF defense and offense AS.
sistant Secretary OF Navy Roose-
welt himself disclosed one of the Sc
crets when he indicated that fully
10000 more men would have to be
added TO tho navy. II foreign power
we're 10 make war on this nation
But for the most part. the views of
and the strategy Of the military
planners is guarded with jealous
care.
Back OF all these confidential war
moves lies two great organizations
the army and navy war colleges.
Their game boards" in conjunction
with the fleet have developed these
IN nsn rxshsn -.
believe would stand the nation in
good stead In case of actual practice
instead OF theory. The relation be.
tween the "game-boards' and the
actual fleet operation, in the navy
for instance. has been admittedly
weak I'm recent months. But the navy
department has turned it's attention
10 making these problems of attack
and defense as practical as possible.
To this end. work is now under way
TO make the relations between the
theorists and the admirals and cap
tains closer and more practical. The
game board" is just what its name
signihes-a huge board on which the
game OF destruction is played by
men trained TO the arts of death.
The United States navy is repre-.
scented by miniature ships of q Ger.
tain color. The ships of an enemy
are designed by another color. They
are moved around like chess men.
but the elements of mathematical
calculation. OF unerring accuracy. of
naval strategy enter into every move.
ment. One tactical mistake may de-
stroy the miniature United States
feet. To err on the game board Is
serious business for Il means that
the man In charge might do the
fame were he engaged in life and
death struggle. Then make the board
more realistic. the intricate problem
suggested by the board are
transferred to commanders of the
big dreadnoughts. There. these
ideas are put into actual practice
when maneuyers are possible. Prob
lens suggested by the naval en-.
counters Of the European var have
been transferred to the game board
so that Americas stragetists may
benefit from the spectacular defeats
of British and German vessels alike
And the army, too, works out man
euyers along the same line. Both OF
the military colleges develop officers
in all the tricks OF the trade" For
instance. these colleges have develop
ed-in theory at least-that battle-
fleet from Europe might approach
Americas shores, halt at a distance
OF fully 600 miles from New York.
and then send out over the waves
an aircraft loaded with bombs to
drop on Americas metropolis. In
these colleges officers of both serv.
ices are given the benefit Of a world
training In strategy. They are taught
to go TO the other fellow one better
And the training is invaluable. OIL
Gals contend Rear Admiral Fiske
is authority for the statement that
Germany's war planning is respons-
ibie for the remarkable escape of the
German vessels from Kiao Chau and
their subsequent sally into Chilean
waters where they sank two vessels
larger than themselves. Such an es;
cape. he fully believes, was develop
cd by the wonderful, strategists-war
planners OF the German empire
long before the war broke out. Then,
too. he believes that superior skill
was responsible for the German vic.
tory against two larger vessels-a
feat unparalleled in naval annals.
And America has taken leaf
from Gefmhny's book She has laid
her plans carefully and thoroughly.
and II war Games. no move can be
made by m enemy which Is not al
ready anticipated In those secret
papers that repose under lock and
key In the gray. Granite building OF
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