is the objective paramount to all others; because the control of the sea, by reducing the enemy's navy, is the determining factor in a naval war.

ing; but when one thinks of acting contrary to the weight of experience, the reasons for such action should be most closely scrutinized and their preponderance in the particular case determined.

These remarks are offered with no view of empty criticism of a mistake-if such it were in which the writer was not without his share. In military judgments error is not necessarily censurable. One of the greatest captains has said, "The general who has made no mistake has made few campaigns." There are mistakes and mistakes; errors of judgment, such as the most capable man makes in the course of a life, and errors of conduct which demonstrate essential unfit

Without dogmatizing, however, upon a situation which did not obtain, it appears now to the writer, not only that the eastward voyage of our Havana division was unfortunate, viewed in the light of subsequent events, but that it should have been seen beforehand to be a mistake, because inconsistent with a well-founded and generally accepted principle of war, the non-observance of which was not justified by the conditions. The principle is that which condemns "'eccentric movements. The secondary definition of this word- -"odd" or "pecul- ness for office. Of the latter class was that iar" has so dislodged all other meanings in common speech, that it seems necessary to recall that primarily, by derivation, it signifies away from the center," to which sense it is confined in technical military phrase. Our center of operations had been fixed, and rightly fixed, at Havana and Cienfuegos. It was subject, properly, to change -instant change when the enemy's fleet was known to be within striking distance; but to leave the center otherwise, on a calculation of probabilities, however plausible, was a proposition that should have been squarely confronted with the principle, which itself is only the concrete expression of many past experiences. It is far from the writer's wish to advocate slavery to rule; no bondage is more hopeless or more crush

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of Admiral Byng, when he retired from Minorca. As instances of the former, both Nelson and Napoleon admitted, to quote the latter's words, "I have been so often mistaken that I no longer blush for it." My wish is to illustrate, by a recent particular instance, a lesson professionally useful to the future: the value of rules. By the disregard of rule in this case we uncovered both Havana and Cienfuegos, which it was our object to close to the enemy's division. Had the latter been more efficient, he could have reached one or the other before we regained the center. Our movement was contrary to rule; and while the inferences upon which it was based were plausible, they were not, in the writer's present judgment, adequate to constitute the exception.

"OUT OF PRINT."

THIS IIS phrase is equivalent to "Standing in these pages. Any one who feels qualified Room Only" as employed in the theaters. to write special articles for this Magazine is Although we are printing of MCCLURE'S invited to suggest his ideas or contribute an MAGAZINE 70,000 copies more a month than article. we printed a year ago, we are compelled each month to keep many new subscribers waiting.

The year 1898 was a most prosperous year for the Magazine, and the year 1899 opens with a much larger promise. We believe that the Magazine for the coming months will please our readers better than ever.

We are already making plans for next year, and we need one or two new staff writers. Mr. Moffet has sailed for Europe on a most important mission for the Magazine, and Mr. Baker, the author of the article on “Liquid Air" in this number, has more work than he can do. The latter joined our staff a year ago, as the result of an announcement

A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR TWELVE IDEAS.

One thousand dollars will be paid for subjects or ideas for twelve articles for MCCLURE'S MAGAZINE. The suggestions may be for a series of articles or for single articles. The only condition is that they prove available to the editors of the Magazine and are not on subjects already under consideration. The prize winners will be given the first opportunity to write the articles. For a smaller number of successful ideas a pro rata sum will be paid.

S. S. MCCLURE.