Lessons of the War With Spain Author:Alfred T. Mahan Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: now are greatly changed, through the occurrences of last year; and that henceforth the risks from neglect, if continued, will vastly exceed those of former days.... more » The issue lies with the voters. How The Motive Of The War Gave Direction To rrs Earlier Movements. — Strategic Value Of Puerto Rico. — Considerations On The Size And Qualities Of Battleships. — Mutual Relations Of Coast DeFence And Navy. IT is a common and a true remark that final judgment cannot be passed upon events still recent. Not only is time required for the mere process of collecting data, of assorting and testing the numerous statements, always imperfect and often conflicting, which form the material for history, but a certain and not very short interval must be permitted to elapse during which men's brains and feelings may return to normal conditions, and permit the various incidents which have exalted or depressed them to be seen in their totality, as well as in their true relative importance. Thereare thus at least two distinct operations essential to that accuracy of judgment to which alone finality can be attributed, — first, the diligent and close study of detail, by which knowledge is completed; and, second, a certain detachment of the mind from the prejudgments and passions engendered by immediate contact, a certain remoteness, corresponding to the idea of physical distance, in virtue of which confusion and distortion of impression disappear, and one is enabled not only to distinguish the decisive outlines of a period, but also to relegate to their true place in the scheme subordinate details which, at the moment of occurrence, had made an exaggerated impression from their very nearness. It is yet too soon to look for such fulness and justness of treatment in respect to the late hostilities with ...« less