Page 59 - The Interest of America in Sea Power Present and Future

40 Hawaii and our Future Sea Power.

strength, and upon its resources. Of the
three, the first is of most consequence, because
it results from the nature of things; whereas
the two latter, when deficient, can be supplied
artificially, in whole or in part. Fortifications
remedy the weaknesses of a position, foresight
accumulates beforehand the resources which
nature does not yield on the spot ; but it is
not within the power of man to change the
geographical situation of a point which lies
outside the limit of strategic effect. It is in-
structive, and yet apparent to the most super-
ficial reading, to notice how the first Napoleon,
in commenting upon a region likely to be the
scene of war, begins by considering the most
conspicuous natural features, and then enu-
merates the commanding positions, their dis-
tances from each other, the relative directions,
or, as the sea phrase is, their "bearings," and
the particular facilities each offers for opera-
tions of war. This furnishes the ground plan,
the skeleton, detached from confusing second-
ary considerations, and from which a clear esti-
mate of the decisive points can be made. The
number of such points varies greatly, accord-
ing to the character of the region. In a moun-