» * ,/ ^ ^ '1' .^^.v-V o THE LIFE OF ADMIRAL MAHAN NAVAL PHILOSOPHER Rear-Admiral United Htates Navv; D.C.L. Oxford; LL.D. Cambridge; LL.D. Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Magill and Dartmouth; President of THE United States Naval War College ; President of the American Historical Association ; etc., etc. BY CHARLES CARLISLE TAYLOR LATE BRITISH VICE-CONSUL AT NEW YORK WITH ILLUSTRATIONS NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 1920 TO AMERICA THE LAND OF BOUNDLESS OPPORTUNITY THIS WORK IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED " I will, therefore, in conclusion only say to any of you who may not yet have read Captain Mahan's books, read them ; to those who have read them, read them again ; read them a third time ; for in them you will find the best exposition of the blun- ders and the glories of our forefathers, the best explanation of the influence of Sea Power." Professor J. K. Latjghton. INTRODUCTION This work is the overflow of an English Iieart full of admiration for an American who by force of character overcame well-nigh insuperable obstacles and, as the result of years of strenuous work and skilful applica- tion of his superb mental powers, earned for himself in the eyes of the world the highest distinction yet accorded a naval philosopher. My primary motive in undertaking so serious a respon- sibility is threefold. I am eager to perpetuate the memory of a great American ; and in so doing to bring one step nearer together the people of his country and of mine ; and at the same time repay, even if in limited measure, the debt of gratitude I owe to America for priceless opportunities in days gone by. Le temps passe, Vamitii reste. I also must pass on, but I should like this work to carry a message of lasting friendship to the earnest and hospitable people of the great Republic of the West. Haply, moreover, a word here or there may, like a good deed in a naughty world, shine through impending gloom and carry a message of hope or comfort, of encouragement, inspiration, or good cheer to some soul distraught. As a shameless optimist in the throes of his first literary effort, the author craves the indul- gence of his readers. Without the friendly co-operation of the Admiral's family, who placed unreservedly at my disposal all the correspondence and other available material in their ' viii INTRODUCTION possession, this review of the life of Alfred Thayer Mahan could not have been written. I have striven to make it " a faithful portrait of a soul in its adventures through life," resisting the while a very natural temptation to mix the colours with an over-abundance of rose-water. As research and analysis gradually revealed the true character of the man, the task became a labour of love. Rarely perhaps have been found such commanding gifts of intellect allied with so genuine a modesty. Mahan has been described as "the greatest writer America has yet produced." What is greatness ? Webster says that he is great who is " extraordinary in genius or accomplishments." Of the vast number who aspire to literary fame, few, alas ! become known outside the limits of the^little circle in which they move. Seldom does an echo of their earnest voices reach 'the ears of the listening world. Mahan' s masterpieces not only won instant recognition in the navies and among the statesmen of all lands, but have for years successfully withstood the matured judgment of the most eminent authorities in the intellectual hierarchy of the twentieth century. In truth a supreme test of " extraordinary accomplishment.' In contradistinction to the lives of many famous literary men—such, for instance, as Longfellow or Sir Walter Scott—Mahan' s career does not lend itself to voluminous biographical treatment. Owing to his exceptionally reserved and retiring nature he did not seek the personal acquaintance of the interesting and distinguished personalities of his day, nor did he cor- respond, except to a very limited extent, with leaders of thought or makers of history either at home or abroad. Among his papers are but few letters suitable for pub- lication, other than those which have been herein reproduced or referred to. Apart from his writings and lectures and a few religious addresses and news- INTRODUCTION ix paper interviews, he made no public pronouncements of significance. For so notable a man his circle of associates was remarkably small, even among naval officers, and the number of his intimate friends was even more limited. With the exception of Admiral Sir Bouverie Clark there seems to have been no one to whom he freely disclosed his views on matters of public moment, and even in his correspondence with him Mahan seldom departed from chatty discussion of current political events and references to family affairs and his own state of health. Few words of serious self-revelation seem to have escaped him. On account of his innate and intense dislike of pub- licity, the incidents of his daily life were not such as to furnish material for graphic description ; neither did he disclose himself in memorable utterances to friend or foe. So far as can be ascertained, he kept no diary after the age of twenty-eight, and apparently did not to any appreciable extent read current literature or comment upon it publicly. Such characteristics do not make for that kind of personal popularity which is apt to invite the confidences of men of note and bring about occurrences worthy of record. Except for a brief period in England, his association with men and women of distinction was extremely limited ; and even there the intercourse was entirely unsought and seem- ingly was dropped after his return to America. Mahan won the respect of all who knew him well. The religious side of his nature was the most pro- nounced, and towards the latter part of his life may be said to have been an open book from which all might read ; but even in this regard he was habitually reti- cent. Apart from this religious aspect, the chief interest of Mahan' s life for the great mass of humanity centres round his three great masterpieces, in which he reveals the historic secrets of naval power—a revelation which the dramatic incidents of the world-wide conflict, now ; X INTRODUCTION happily brought to a victorious close, stamp as one of the most momentous in the annals of warfare. I gladly avail myself of this welcome opportunity to express my sincere and grateful thanks to Mrs. Mahan and the members of her family for their invaluable and sympathetic assistance, as well as to the Hon. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy ; the Hon. William Redfield, late Secretary of Commerce ; the Hon. Franklin Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy ; Dr. Edwin Wiley, Librarian of the Naval War College, Newport ; Admiral Sims ; the late Mr. Theodore Roosevelt ; Admiral Bradley Fiske ; Dr. F. G. Brath- waite ; Admiral Count Togo ; Miss Mahan ; Admiral EarlBeatty; Mrs. Vernon-Mann; the Right Hon. Arthur Balfour ; Mr. Clive Bayley ; Admiral Sir Bouverie Clark ; Admiral Oman ; Commodore Parker ; Senator Lodge ; Mr. J. Herbert Johnston and Mr. George G. Hall, executors of Mr. Loyall Farragut ; Mr. Samuel Ashe ; Admiral Eberle ; Commander Ravenscroft Mr. Charles Stewart Davison ; the Editor of the Daily Mail ; Lieutenant Lemuel Hillman ; Mr. James Barnes ; Admiral Goodrich ; Mr. William Alexander ; Mr. Robert Bridges ; the members of the House and Library Committees of the University Club, New York ; the ladies who have deciphered and transcribed my manu- scripts ; and all others who have so kindly helped me and contributed towards the successful launching of the ship " Life of Admiral Mahan." Given that Marcus Aurelius rightly claims that a man is worth just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself^ then indeed is Alfred Thayer Mahan worth, not only to his own country but to the world at large, more than readily lies within the compass of mere words to convey. Charles Carlisle Taylor. London, May 1920. CONTENTS PAGE Introduction vii CHAPTER I. Heredity and Environment 1 i/II. Early Naval Career 7 '/hi. The Inspiration . 21 ^^IV. Naval War College 28 • V. Sea Power . 40 VI. Farragut 53 VII. England 57 VIII- The Life of Nelson 78 IX. Naval War Board. 88 X. The First Hague Conference 94 XI. The Chesney Gold Medal. 102 XII. Other Public Services 107 XIII. Later Publications 112 XIV. The Margin of Naval Strength 130 xii CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE •^ XV. " Freedom of the Seas " 144 XVI. Then and Now 161 XVII. Peace Views . 172 XVIII. Two Admirals . 178 XIX. As Statesman . 190 XX. As Prophet 208 XXI. Anglo-American Relations 215 '- XXII. Mahan's Message to his Countrymen 228 XXIII. Literary Traits 245 XXIV. Religious Convictions 257 XXV. The Autumn of Life 272 XXVI. The Peaceful End . 284 XXVII. Summary . 296 Appendix .... 308 Bibliography .... Chronology .... 342 Index ..... 345 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Alfred Thayer Mahan Frontispiece FACING PAGE Alfred Thayer Mahan, Age 17 . 2 Mahan Hall, Naval Academy, Annapolis . 8 " " United States Frigate Congress . 14 Admiral Stephen B. Luce, U.S.N. 28 United States Naval War College, Newport Rhode Island ..... 36 Admiral Farragut's Letter to his Wife . 54 " " United States Cruiser Chicago . 70 The Naval Board of Strategy, 1898 . 88 American Delegates to the Hague Conference 1899 96 Theodore Roosevelt ..... 110 Ex-Kaiser's Telegram to Mr. Poultney Bigelow 130 " U.S.S. " Pennsylvania " and U.S.S. " Chicago 164 Rear-Admiral William Sowden Sims, U.S.N. 170 Vice-Admiral Sir Bouverie Clark, K.C.B. 182 Map of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico 192 Mahan's First Letter, Age 7 .