New Britain herald., 1917-04-06
HERMAN VS. YANKEE NAVAL STRATEGY
ear Admiral Fiske Describes ! How Services Compare

kaich directs it. in accordance with lich all it's plans are lald-plans preparation before war and plans !. operations during war. Strategy Hto navy what mind is to man. determines it's character. its com- sition, it's aims: and so far as eS- nal conditions will permit, the re- sts which it accomplishes.
 One dislikes intensely to criticise his In country, even to- himself. But len a. naval officer is studying-as should continually do-what mus: done, in order to protect his coun- from attack by some foreign foe. would be criminal folly for him to Innate the situation otherwise than hestly; and to do this, it is neces- " to try to see where his country lweak and where strong. relatively the possible foes in question. If
 do this. and compare the strate- Ial methods employed by-say Ger tny and us-we are forced to admit It the German methods are better #hpted to producing economically Ivy fitted to contend successfully in r against an enemy. in Germany
 development of the navy has been ictlv along the lines of a method .efuly devised beforehand; in our tntry no method whatever is ap- rent at least no logical method. hgress. and congress alone, decides Et vessels and other craft shall be lit, how maAy officers and men Ill wear the uniform. It is true It they consult the report of the Fetary of the navy, and ask the hiOns of certain naval officers in- dinG the general board, before king his report. But both the retary and congress estimate the iation from their own points of W, and place their own value on advice of naval officers. And the ice of these naval officers is not valuable. possibly as it might be:
 the reason that it is really ire nsibIe. since the advisers them l Fea know that it will not be taken E seriouslY The difference be- 1 len tn advice of men held respon- te for the results of following IF advice, and the advice of men so held responsible. is we'll recog- kd, and is discussed fully in the tbrts of the Moody and Swift boards 1.-the organization of the Navy de- tment. Furthermore, our officers lnot have the machinery of the egspiel to. help them. It is true at the Naval War college, war le apparatus is installed and that games are played, and war prob- Is solved; but the officers there are properly enga ged in the regular Asf l. <1Rs Fers in the Rrinciples' of warfare,
 nave little time for other work. also true that the war games and 4olems there do lead occasionally recommendations by the War col
 to the general board as to vari-
 matters; but the connection be- len the conclusions of the war col and the decisions of congress via conclusions of the War college and
 decisions of congress via the gen hoard and the secretary of the V is so fragile and discontinuous.
 1t may truthfully be said that 1nnuence of the war games at
 War college has but a faint re- biance to the determining force of
 Kriegspiel in Berlin.
 The Difference.
 Ests often said that Germany is an fire and the United States a re- atc, and that therefore the mili- methods of Germany cannot be fioyed here. The inference is not Fssarily correct however, as is wn by the excellency of the army France, for France, although a pbfic, insists that military strategy
 shall control and direct the army
 American congress can do the fe with the American navy. ether congress shall so decide or
 the decision will undoubtedly be F and we of the navy will do our lost to make the navy all it should
 In this connection, it should be Id that:
 Germany has been following a ain strategic system regarding the y;; we system different from that kny other navy, which has been ! now for more than one hundred forty years. Both systems have h in operation for a time sufficient long to warrant our c6mparing In. by comparing the results they k achieved. j. y ttence 8 much shorter time than lAmericaH navy, belongs to a much populous and wealthy country, ] yet is not only 30 per cent. 1arg- tn trained. personnel, but if We ee by the maneuvers carried on both peace and war. is much bet
 in organization, morale, and ca
 ty for doing naval work upon the Ln. We do not. of course. know It Germany has been. doing since
 war began on Augtf tfst |, 1914, but accounts show that Germany, like
 the other belligerent powers, has
 adding units of material and .onnel to her navy much more
 dly than they have been de- Hcd; as well as. perfecting her kegy, under the influence of the fs stimulus. Leaving out of con- rati0n, however, what she may 5 been doing since the war be- and >neglecting any unauthenti-