The Brinkley argus. (Brinkley, Ark.) 1883-current, 1917-05-04
German VS. American Strategy
Results of Two Radically Different Systems IN
Startling omparison---Strategy Niost iilpoi'-
ant Factor in Making History OF Natons'
Rv REAR ADMIRAL BRADLEY A FISKE,
Formerly Aide for Operations, u 5. N

counts show that Germany, like all
the other Belligerent Powers, has been
adding units of material and person
mel to her navy much more raploly
than they have been destroyed; as
well as perfecting her strategy, under
the influence of the wars stimulus
Leaving out of consideration, however,
what she may have been doing since
the war began, and neglectmg any
unauthenticated accounts of her stat
us before it started, we know positive
ly that in 1913 the maneuvers OF the
German feet were executed by force
of 81 battleships, 8 battle cruisers.
small cruisers, flotillas of destroyers
(that is sc seagoing torpedo vessels)'
II submarines, an airship. number
of aeroplanes and special service
ships. % mine-sweepers-al in one
feet, all under one admiral, and ma
neuvred as a unit. This was nearly
three years ago and we have never
come anywhere near such a perform
ance In January, 1916, the United
States Atlantic fleet capable as to both
material and personnel of going to
sea and maneuvering together, con-
sisted of Is battleships and 70 de-
stroyers, mine-depot ships and 1
Undertaking ship, and tugs fitted
as mine-sweepers-with no subma-
rines, no aircraft Of any kind, no
scouts (unless the Chester be so con-
sidered, which was cruising alone on
the coast Of Liberia and the Birming-
ham, which was the flagship to the
destroyer fotilla). This was the only
fleet that we had ready to fight in
January, 1916; because, although more
! battleships could have been put into
commission, this could have been done
only by putting out of commission
| certain smaller vessels such as cruiS-
erers, and gunboats; and the battle
ships would have had to be put into
commission very hurriedly, filled up
with men fresh from other ships, and
no more ready to fight in the feet
| against an enemy (whose ships were
fully manned with well-trained officers
and men, accustomed to the details
Of their respective ships, and acquaint-
ed with each other) than the Chesa-
peake was ready to fight the Shan
non.
! 3. In case our system is not 80
good as that of-say Germany-or Of
any other country having system
equally excellent. we shall never be
able to contend successfully against
that navy, under equally strategic
conditions, unless we have an excess
over her in numbers of personnel and
material sufficient to counterfeit our
4 inferiority in efficiency.
Strategic System the Crux.
The efficiency of navy or an army
is exactly what the strategic system
makes it. Eleven thousand Greeks
under Miltiades, highly efficient and
thoroughly trained, defeated 100000
PerSians at Marathon. A Greek feet
under Themistocles defeated and al
most destroyed much larger Persian
feet at Salamis. With an army of less
than $4,000 men, but highly trained by
Philip of Macedon. his father, Alexan.
der, in only twelve years conquered
ten of the most wealthy and populous
countries Of the world Caesar, Alaric,
Attila, Charlemagne, and all the great
military men from the greatest an
tiquity down to the present moment
have trained and organized bodies of
soldiers and sailors under systems
suited to the times and then waged
successful war on peoples less militar.
lily efficient Cortez conquered Mex.
leo, and Pizarro conquered Peru: the
British, French, and Spanish subdued
the Indians of North America, and
during the latter half of the nineteen.
tn century nearly all the land In the
world that was "unoccupied" by Eu-
ropeans or their descendants was tax.
en- In possession by European Powers.
Great Britain is now mistress OF about
one quarter OF the land and the popu.
iation OF the globe. Russia. France.
German. and the United States govern
most OF the remainder.
These results were brought ahout
almost solely by the exercise Of MIN.
tafy force:-and Of this force. phyaa.
cal courage was not a determi.,,~
element because 1t was just as evi.
dent In the conquered as In the con.
qoerors The determining elemsat
was strategy that (under the behest OF
policy prepared the military and nav.
forces In material and person,a,
before they were used, and dtrectad
operations, while In use.
Or all the single factors that havs
actually and directly made the his.
tory OF the world. the most importan,
factor has been strategy.