d the force from
Guantanamo have to pass around the main body to attack the train;
it would again have to pass around the main body to get back to
Guantanamo; whereas a force operating from Culebra could make a
direct attack upon the enemy's train, and then a direct retreat
to Culebra.

This comparison assumes, as has been said, that the matter of resources
and strength are not in question; that is, that they are equal in
our two supposition bases. But, as in practice they would not be
equal, the practical point to consider is how much strength and
resources can compensate for inferiority of position, and how much
position must be insisted on.

Of course, no correct quantitative answer can be given, except
by accident. The problem, unfortunately, cannot be solved by
mathematics, for the simple reason that no quantitative values can
be assigned to the various factors, and because no mathematical
formula now exists that expresses their relations to each other. It
may be pointed out, however, that if a position be good, strength
and resources can be artificially supplied; and that the cost of
doing this, even on a tremendous scale, is relatively small compared
to the cost of the fleet which the base will support, and in distress
protect. In other words, we may be able to form an estimate of
the relative values of bases, say at Guantanamo and Culebra, even
if we cannot ascribe arithmetical values to each, and compare
arithmetically those arithmetical values. If, for instance, we see
that a fleet costing $500,000,000, would, if it operated from a
base at Culebra, be 10 per cent more effective than if it operated
from Guantanamo, and that it would cost $20,000,000 more to make a
strong base there than to make an equally strong one at Guantanamo,
we should conclude that, since 10 per cent of $500,000,000 is
$50,000,000, it would be wise to spend that $20,000,000, even if
we had to forego the building of one battlesbip.

We should come to the same conclusion, if we realized that no matter
what their comparative values might be, a base at one place would
not meet our necessities, and a base at the other place would. If
a base at Guantanamo would not meet our necessities in case of
an invasion of the Caribbean by a naval fleet superior to ours,
then it seems idle to discuss the value of Guantanamo relative to
some other place, no matter how good the position of Guantanamo
may be, and no matter how nearly it may approximate t