Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1917-05-10
German VS. AmeicanStrate3
Results of Two Radically Different Systems in
Startling Comparison Strategy Most Import
ant Factor in Making History of Nations.
By REAR ADMIRAL BRADLEY A. FTSKE,
Formerly Aide for Operations. U. s. N

| counts show that Germany, like al
the other Belligerent Powers, has beer
adding units OF material and person
mel to her navy much more rapidly
than they have been destroyed; as
well as perfectinE 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 negleetlng any
unauthenticated accounts OF her stat
US before It started, we know positive.
ly that In 1913 the naneuVers Of the
German fleet were executed by force
Of 81 battleships, battle cruisers,
small cruisers, 6 fiotillas Of destroyers
that is So seagoing torpedo vessels)
III submarines, an airship, q number
OF aeroplanes and special service
ships, % mine-sweepers-all in one
feet, all under one admiral. and ma.
neuvred as q unit. This was nearly
three years ago and We have never
come anywhere near such q perform
ance. In January, 1915. 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, Q mine-depot ships and 1
Undertaking ship, and 4 tugs fitted
as mine-sweepers-wit no subma-
rines, no aircraft of any kind, no
scouts (unless the Chester be SO con-
sidered, which was cruising alone of
the coast Of Liberia, and the Birming-
ham, which was the flagship to the
destroyer flotilla) This was the only
fleet that we had ready to fight in
January, 1915; 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.
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 1t. Eleven thousand Greeks
under Miltiades, highly efficient and
thoroughly trained. defeated 10000
Persians at Marathon. A Greek feet
under Themistocles defeated and al
most destroyed a much larger Persian
feet at Salamis. With an army of less
than $4,000 men, but highly trained by
Philip of Maceden, 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
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.
III century nearly all the land in the
world that was "unoccupied" by Eu.
ropeans or their descendants was TAX
On in possession by European Powers.
Great Britain Is now mistress OF about |
one quarter OF the land and the popu.
alton of the globe. Russia, France,
German, and the United States govern
most OF the remainder.
These results were brought about
almost solely by the exercise of mill.
AIRY force:-and Of this force, physi.
'al courage was not determining
element because It was Just as evi.
lent In the conquered as in the con.
luerors. The determining element
vas strategy that (under the behest of
'olicy) prepared the military and nav.
u forces In material and personnel
'efore they were used, and directed
'perations, while in use.
of all the single factors that have
'ctualiy and directly made the his.
DRY OF the world. the most important
actor has been strategy.
CINIIIAA n n-a-A.