COSTLY PUBLICITY

The recent manoeuvres at Hawaii, although they have been described at great length in the press, have not resulted as yet in a conclusive victory for either the "attack" by the invading warships and seaplanes or the "defense" by the territorial forces. Although it is natural that, with eight hundred Army and Navy officers debating the issue, the prospect of ascertaining who won should remain remote, the operations themselves showed clearly that neither force gained and indisputable advantage. Hence the claim of both army and navy that the operations demonstrated the inadequacy of the present forces must not be taken too seriously.

What exactly did these Pacific manoeuvres demonstrate? To be sure, they were educational for all participants, against the value of which, however, must be balanced the expenditure of several millions of dollars. The navy and army both had a splendid outing, some experience in testing theories, and, despite the feeling aroused by the contest, unanimous pleasure in conducting the sham manoeuvres. The significance of aviation in modern warfare may have been brought out more emphatically than before, but surely this disclosure is searcely so new that it needs a whole fleet to test it.

When all is considered, the recent manoeuvres in the Pacific have amounted to little more than a naval holiday, which has proved little and cost much. The operations received tremendous publicity, the net result of which has been to keep the military forces unconsciously in the public mind, for the army and the navy are not less skillful in keeping themselves constantly before the public than they are in the actual details of sham battle.