New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-11
LITERARY CRITICISM
AND BOOK NEWS
Our Navy as 1t Is and as 1t Should Be-Cotton
and the Economic Interpretation OF
Ilistory-Other Reviews

it is instructed in the ways and means
Of attaining that efficiency. Perhaps
we should say that such instruction is
offered 10 America, instead of e. the
world; for while il is indeed offered
10 all, it is apparently only in the land
Of Josephus Daniels that il is needed.
There is a peculiar fitness in the call
ing forth of Admiral Fiske's work by
the present war, because of the re-
lationship which may. without wild
phantasy, be imagined between that
war and Mahan's epochal volume. 1t
was Mahan who suggested TO the Ger
man Emperor the need of naval de-
velopment in order TO secure for Ger
many her "place in the sun; and II
was that development which was one
Of the causes OF the war.
Admiral Fishes preface is one Of the
most concise and yet most compre-
hensive Of which We have memory.
Here it is:
What is the navy for?
OF what parts should it be COM
posed?
What principles should be fol-
lowed in designing, preparing and
operating it, in order TO get the
maximum return for the money ex-
pended?
To answer these questions
clearly and without technical
language is the object of this
book.
The author answers those questions
in general and in detail, in a way
which we doubt not will command the
respect of his professional colleagues
who are experts in such matters, and
which we are certain should command
the confidence and support of a nation
which only awaits authoritative lead
ership to engage in an appropriate re-
habilitation of navy which has twice
marked epochs in the history of sea
power the world around and when by
every rule of prudence and on every
principle of equitable balance should
be at least what it was at one time
the second in the world.
Without duplicating Mahan. Admira:.
Fiske briefly reviews the record OF
naval sea power sufficiently to demon
strate the dependence of tins nation
upon il for security; and 70 demon
strate, also, the folly OF relying upon
the protection of that supposed isola-
ton which in fact never existed. Az
the very beginning of our history the
Atlantic was not wide enough 70 pre-
vent the British feet and hirellng- laden
transports from coming hlther at WIZ
or Paul Jones from visiting Whitehaven
and Marlborough Head; or De Grasse
from coming TO our assistance nj the
end. In lS12-'14 it was not WIDE enough
TO prevent a hostile fleet from entering
the Chesapeake. ravaging Washington
and attacking Baltimore. Certainly. II
has not been widened since by the IN
ventions which, according TO our own
boasts. have so nearly ANIMATED
time and space. :
The answer to the first question IN
the preface, "What is the navy for
is. then, Defence. To TINS Admiral
Fiske systematically adds wnaI
some do not always seem TO reaiize:
"Defence must defend" The case OF
the Chesapeake and Shannon is re-
called, in which the American snip
was cruelty vanquished in ilfteen min
utes. lust off our own coast, by a
shin of almost identical size and
strength which had come three thou
sand miles. Why was that humillat-
inc tragedy possible? Because the
Shannon was fully prepared and IN
perfect trim. and the Chesapeake was
not. Now, it is perfectly possible to-
day for a powerful feet to come across
the Atlantic in a fortnight and enter
our coast waters in complete, readiness
for action, with the highest known de,
Gree of efficiency. In order to avoid
q repetition of the Chesapeake, and
Shannon tragedy on a larger scale we
should have 10 meet it with a fleet
not only equal to it in numbers, weight
speed and all other such factors. but
also in readiness that is, in tamiiiar-
ity with the game of war and IN the