"Such strong control can be exercised when such an artificial waterway is located entirely within the territory of a powerful country. www.biquge.info For example, a canal through the Isthmus of Florida would be controlled by the United States, and all ships would be prevented from reaching it, while the United States itself would have great strategic advantages of concentrating through this canal to deal with an enemy whose fleets were scattered in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and whose passage through the Florida Strait was restricted. If the forces of the enemy and ours are equal, the enemy will not dare to make such a division of forces, and will be forced to abandon this or another sea area. When a canal is located within the borders of a distant country, it goes without saying that a sufficient force must be stationed to ensure safe passage, which requires an extremely powerful navy to protect its communication with the country. The Suez Canal and the completed Mesoamerican Canal can rightly be called bridges, the former connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the eastern sea, and the latter between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean; But they are all located in the distant territory of a weak country, and no country can control them alone, so that they can be used for their own use and not against the enemy, unless a strong army is stationed there, which should have at least one side a secure line of communication between it and its own country, which requires a superior navy to deal with its sabotage. Controlling the only line of communication between the two oceans is a great advantage to repel the enemy and force him to make a long-range detour, such as around the Cape of Good Hope or through the Strait of Magellan, while you can move on the inner line; However, in order to maintain this favourable condition, it is necessary to use huge forces. ”

"The entrance to any given battlefield, if narrow, is too wide for the fortifications on either side or in the center to cover, and requires a mobile force to control it from a nearby fortified position. In the maritime battlefield, the navy, a mobile force, relies on strong seaports to achieve this control. New London or Narragansett Bay provided the American fleet with similar favorable conditions against an enemy attempting to control the coast from Norfolk to New York. ”

"There are many other inlets to the Caribbean besides the Windward Channel, but none of these entrances can escape the troublesome detour of the distance, and the Windward Channel is closer to the Isthmus of Panama than any other. Thus any country which is able to control the strait by means of an appropriate naval fleet, relying on a strong seaport nearby, is in the rear of any force from abroad that might fight on the isthmus, and threatens the lines of communication of this force from the flank. For the United States, the Windward Strait is of another value, as it is a direct route from New York to the Isthmus; For the European countries that control the strait, all their shipping can converge at this point, thus obtaining the shortest and least exposed and therefore most protected route to Panama and Central America. Once a country has controlled the Windward Channel, it can extend to the Gulf of Samana at the eastern tip of Haiti, and thus also the Mona Strait, without unduly dispersing its forces or exposing the communication between its advancing detachments and main forces; Because the Mona Strait is unobstructed, there is no need to detour Puerto Rico if it is not guarded. It should be noted, however, that these lines of communication would be very long if they were so extended; There are also a number of ports on the north side of Haiti and Santo Domingo that threaten these lines of communication from the flank, and are likely to be used by enemy cruisers to harass supply ships and so on. In the present situation of political possession, such use of Haiti's ports is a trivial matter for the overall question of dominant sea power. None of these ports were fortified and could neither provide local bases nor resources for the belligerents. ”

"The best naval position for the control of the Windward Strait is undoubtedly at the eastern end of the island of Cuba; Because of its proximity to the narrowest part of the strait, and because Cuba is a large island, it is expected that its resources will be able to support the defence and maintain naval depots strongly. San Diego in this area is the best port to use as such a stronghold; But in the United States, it was replaced by Guantanamo, which is also a very advantageous location and port. The Gulf of Nipe, located at the same longitude on the northern side of Cuba, also has a port of excellent quality, but it is not colonized like Santiago. Santiago and Guantanamo are closer to the Isthmus of Panama and, in view of their location, they have special merit in diagonally facing Jamaica and holding back the island's port of Kingston. ”

"Kingston and San Diego are two strongholds, in terms of their situation, able to control the Windward Channel. It should be noted, however, that although Santiago, because of its proximity to the Strait, was best suited to prevent the passage of the enemy, the position of Jamaica had taken away from Cuba the use of the Strait entirely as a direct route to the Isthmus of Panama by unarmed vessels or inferior forces. Ships sailing from Europe to the southern side of Cuba can be protected by Santiago in the same way that littoral ships are protected. In the event of a war between Great Britain and the country that occupies Cuba, Cuba may blockade its enemies to the Feng Shui Channel, provided that the forces of both sides are equal, while maintaining an internal line of communication for itself; However, its merchant ships and supply ships could not sail along this route to the Isthmus of Panama unless they were escorted by a strong convoy, as Jamaica threatened the route from the flanks. On the other hand, Bermuda, the two main British naval stations, had a line of communication with Jamaica that could only pass through the Mona Strait, which was three hundred nautical miles longer than through the Windward Channel, or by a longer route to the east; If Puerto Rico were to be in the hands of the enemy's forces and the two sides were assumed to be equal, all lines of communication to Jamaica, particularly from Halifax and Bermuda, would be seriously threatened. Thus, between the United Kingdom, which owns Jamaica, and the countries that control Cuba and Puerto Rico, the geographical advantage belongs to the possessor of Santiago. ”

"The weakness of setting up a military port in a socially underdeveloped and politically semi-civilized country is as bad as setting up a military port on a very small island; Such a military port was not backed by an abundant and prosperous region and provided with resources, so it had to draw support from the mainland by water. ”

"The western end of Cuba, with its advantageous position, controls the two waterways into the Gulf of Mexico and thus the entire entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. This control was centered in Havana, which became the key to the Gulf of Mexico, despite being challenged by Key West. The extension of the island of Cuba, which by its full length separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea, extends to the east the power of Havana; In terms of its position, it again controls the Windward Strait. In the hands of the strong, this power could be extended to Haiti by a fleet based on Santiago across the waters to prevent the enemy from crossing the strait. Due to the Haitian crossing, the enemy had to go east through the Mona Strait to maintain traffic. In other words, to occupy the position of Cuba is to control the Gulf of Mexico on one side; and on the other side control the waters of Haiti and the straits and waterways adjacent to it. ”

"In order to illustrate the ability of Cuba to control this position, we may assume that the two most suitable ports, Key West and Isla Mujeres, at the two entrances to the Gulf of Mexico, are held by a single power, and Havana is an enemy, and that both are equally armed. The country that occupies these two strongholds must divide its ships in two places, which makes the forces that remain in each place inferior to those of the enemy in Havana; Or keep their fleet in one place, which would have to relinquish control over this or the other strait. In short, Havana has the advantages that a central location usually has; the ability to move in either direction with a dense force and subsequently achieve control in that direction; The imaginary enemy would have to choose either one side of Havana or the other, or risk dispersing his forces. ”

"Owing to changes in the political situation, in the event of war between the United States and the Cuban occupiers, traffic from Pensacola and the mouth of the Mississippi River, the closest and natural bases of the United States, must pass through the Yucatan Strait, within easy reach of Havana; Just as ships from the Atlantic coast must pass through Santiago's reach, unless they agree to abandon their shortest route, i.e., through the Windward Channel. Assuming that the land and navy of the two sides were equal, and that Cuba and Puerto Rico were in the hands of one country, as they were at the time, the United States would have to make the greatest detour if it wanted to reach the Isthmus of Panama militarily in wartime, at least through the Strait of Anegada; After that, the remaining route to the Isthmus of Panama was threatened more or less from the side of the two islands. In short, an enemy with a naval force equal to that of the United States and possessing or exercising military control over Cuba and Puerto Rico, or even possessing or exercising military control over Cuba alone, would be an absolute obstacle to United States influence on the Isthmus of Panama. ”

"This is so evident, and the Isthmus of Panama is so important to the world, that it goes without saying that the United States, with the exception of Great Britain, cannot allow any nation's naval power to prevail over it; For, in order to effectively control the obstacles posed by Cuba and Puerto Rico, it was necessary to rely not only on position, but also on naval superiority. The general military and economic condition of the British Empire, its commercial dealings with the United States, its international relations, and the consequent general tendencies of naval policy, are evident in the changes in the disposition of its fleet, which guarantee a lasting peace between it and the United States, whatever may happen in the future; This peace is more reliable than it has with any other naval power in the world. Therefore, there is no need for the United States to compete with Britain in naval power, and it would be the wrong policy to push Britain into exhaustion. And Britain's dependence on the navy is indispensable, and this cannot be ignored. ”

"In the event of a struggle between the United States and a European country for control of the Isthmus of Panama, the possession of Key West, Guantanamo and Puerto Rico and Culebra, to which they belong, would constitute an insurmountable Line of Control, which would provide enormous support and protection for the routes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Isthmus of Panama and the Canal Zone, and would almost completely secure the routes from the ports of the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, Cuba is likely to adopt a neutral approach of good faith, which would allow it to facilitate the delivery of supplies to Guantánamo by land. ”

"After all the above inferences, Santiago or Guantánamo and Havana should still be considered as strategic locations of paramount importance. Taken together, if the country that owns these two ports is equal in military power to the enemy, then the two ports have the advantage that the naval strategy provides for the ports of the Oshima, that is, to have two lines of interconnection; They can communicate with each other both on land and at sea. The direct land distance between the two ports is four hundred and ten miles. Circumnavigation from the sea to the side of Gubasi through the Yucatan Strait, the distance is seven hundred and twenty nautical miles; The circumnavigation of the eastern side of Cuba and the old Bahamian waterway is 645 nautical miles. Because of the long distances at sea, there must be fortified intermediate ports, which do not necessarily need to be of first rank. Such a port was needed not only to support the cruisers that patrolled the coast, but also to defend the coast itself. The island of Cuba is narrow and could be subject to sudden landfall, which could cut off its railway system; However, the vast shoals near the north and south shores of Cuba were an insurmountable obstacle to landing. ”

"In order for a country to fully reap the advantages of Cuba's position, it must improve its natural forces, both offensive and defensive, and develop its resources. By doing so, the island is largely equipped with three strategic elements: location, strength and resources. In order to fully control them, the ports of Santiago and Havana would need to be properly fortified to enable the army and navy to hold on; Moreover, there should be intermediate ports between the two ports to connect them, and these intermediate ports only need to be fortified against the sea, forming a complete system of coastal defense and naval attack. ”

"All of the above is just a few of my personal superficial understandings, but in short, under the existing international relations, the superior rights and interests of the United States in the Isthmus of Panama will not be immediately problematic, and its position in the Caribbean Sea will not be jeopardized, and most importantly, in the event of war, the US Navy members should pay prominent, comprehensive, and detailed attention to and consider the strategic relationship between the long series of positions from the Strait of Anegada to the Yucatan Strait and the control of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico."

When Lin Yiqing finished this speech, the people sitting in the audience couldn't help but stand up and applaud enthusiastically.

"Brilliant presentation, isn't it?" Theodore. Roosevelt clapped his hands and said to Colonel Mahan, "But why doesn't he tell me about his battles in Japan or Korea?" Today's speech has always focused on Cuba and Panama. Actually, I'm more interested in his own combat experience. ”

"He's giving us a hint in this way." Mahan replied, "Cuba and Panama are extremely important to the United States, and he is deeply aware of this, and he hopes that through such speeches, the United States Government and people will be able to re-understand the importance of the United States Navy. ”

"Yes! The current US Navy can be said to be a mess, and even he, a cadre of the country, can no longer stand it. "Theodore. Roosevelt said in a mocking tone.

"Change starts now." Mahan said firmly, clapping harder.

"By the way, the old guys of the Rifle Association also want to invite Mr. Lin Yiqing over, but not to give a speech, but to participate in a shooting competition." Theodore. Roosevelt seemed to suddenly remember something and said to Mahan.

"Shooting competition?" Ma Han was stunned for a moment, but immediately understood, and couldn't help laughing, "They want to make things difficult for him, right?" I remember that they seemed to be very dissatisfied with the high praise given by the press to Mr. Hayashi Yat-ching's achievements in Japan, and that the war against the Russians could not be compared with the battles of our civil war. ”

"Hehe, are you interested in going over and having a look?" Theodore. Roosevelt asked with a smile. He himself was a member of the National Rifle Association.

"Of course I'm going to go over and have a look." Mahan immediately agreed, "However, if my guess is correct, the result of this match is likely to be unexpected." ”

"Really? That's a good look. "Theodore. Roosevelt's gaze returned to Lin Yiqing, which seemed a little meaningful.

The next day, Lin received an invitation from the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association.

"I don't feel like it's coming." After reading the invitation, Chiho Kirino frowned, "I'm afraid there will be danger, you should bring more good hands." ”

After listening to Chiho Kirino's words, He Yunqing and Li Sizhu both changed their faces.

"Where do you feel that? Chiho? Lin Yiqing asked quietly.

"The invitation says that you are invited to watch the historical restoration performance of the major battles and participate in it deeply. If you want to truly restore history, you must use guns and cannons, and you may also use live ammunition, in that case......" Chiho Kirino stared at Lin Yiqing, "I think they must not be at ease, your safety will definitely be threatened, and you must prepare early." ”

"Since it's so dangerous, it's better to shirk it." Hearing Chiho Kirino say this, Li Sizhu said uneasily.

"If I don't go, it seems that I am afraid of them, and I just give them the truth to slander me." Lin Yiqing picked up the invitation and sneered, "Actually, I expected it a long time ago, they would come here." ”

As a time-traveler who is familiar with history, Lin Yiqing has long known about the National Rifle Association. (To be continued.) )