Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1917-07-19
BY REAR ADMIRAL BRADLEY A. FISKE.
Formerly Aide for Operations, U. S. 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 rapidly
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 neglecting any
unauthenticated accounts of her stat
us before 1t started, we know positive
ly that in 1913 the maneuvers of the
German fleet were executed by force
of 81 battleships, battle cruisers, 8
small cruisers, fotillas of destroyers
IL submarines, an airship, a number
of aeroplanes and special service
ships, % mine-sweepers-all in one
fleet, all under one admiral, and ma
neuvred as 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 feet capable as to both
material and personnel of going to
sea and maneuvering together, con-
sisted of Is battleships and % de-
stroyers, mine-depot ships and
Undertaking ship, and 4 tugs fitted
as mine-sweepers-with no subma-
rines, no aircraft of any kind, no
scouts tun,ess the Chester be so con.
sidered. which was cruising alone off
the coast of Liberia, and the Birming-
ham, which was the flagship to the
destroyer flotilla). This was the only
feet 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 Lave had to he 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 welltrained 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.
8. In case our system Is not so
good as that of-say Germany-or of
any other country having a 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
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 fleet
under Themistocles defeated and al.
most destroyed much larger Persian
fleet 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.
lation of the globe Russia, France
German, and the United States govern
most of the remainder.
"O iO0uiIS we're drought ABOUT
almost solely by the exercise of mill.
tary force:-and of this force, physi.
cal courage was not a determining
element, because 1t was just as evi.
dent in the conquered as in the con.
querors. The determining element
was strategy that lunder the behest Of
pohcy) prepared the military and nav.
al forces in material and personnel
before they were used, and directed
operations, while in use.
OF all the single factors that have
actually and directly made the his.
tory of the world, the most important
factor has been strategy.
CIVILIAN is RESPONSIBLE.