Thursday, August 2, 1911,
tacks you, make him do it, if you can, where
you are strongest.
The gist of military strategy is, to bring
your greatest strength to bear upon the
enemy’s greatest weakness.
For example, Oliver Cromwell gained the
battle of Dumbarton, by drawing the Scotch
army out of its chosen position of strength
on the high ground.
The Southern Confederacy got its mortal
wound at Gettysburg, because the Federate
were given time to fortify the high steep
ridges which constituted the decisive factor
of their strength.
Both at Malvern Hill and Gettysburg, the
Confederates made the awful mistake of at
tacking the enemy where he was strongest,
and on ground which he had chosen for the
very purpose of defense.
Now, the military men at Washington are
committing an infinitely worse mistake than
General Lee made at Malvern Hill and
Gettysburg: a worse mistake than the British
made at New Orleans, when they undertook
to march across level ground—in deep rank,
fully exposed to rifle-fire—and get at Gen.
Andrew Jackson, whose men were posted on
the opposite side of a wide, deep ditch, which
the British could not have crossed, unless
each soldier had had a step-ladder!
Take the facts, and consider them:
Our military men—War College, General
Staff, &c.—incubated for three years, and
raised all sorts o f sand for Preparedness.
Preparedness, for what?
To defend ourselves, if attacked.
Japan was sure to do it, but did not. Hob
son would have been a hero, if the Japs had
been so kind as to attack us; but they were
“contrary,” and wouldn’t.
Then we shifted our ground, and said that
our Preparedness was a get-ready, to resist
the Germans when they should attack us.
