1894.] Mr. W. H. White on the Making of a Modem Fleet. 207 



WEEKLY EVENING MEETING, 

 Friday, March 9, 1894. 



Sir Frederick Bramwell, Bart. D.C.L. LL.D. F.R.S. Honorary 

 Secretary and Vice-President, in the Chair. 



William H. White, Esq. C.B. LL.D. F.R.S. M.B.I. 



The Making of a Modem Fleet. 



The special programme of war shipbuilding embodied in the Naval 

 Defence Act of 1889 is now approaching its completion. Of the 

 seventy ships therein provided for, all except eight or nine will be 

 completed and ready for service at the end of this month, when the 

 five years' period contemplated in the Act will terminate. The few 

 remaining ships will then be far advanced, and in the Navy Esti- 

 mates for 1894-5 less than 300,000/. will have to be provided for 

 their completion. What has been done constitutes an unprecedented 

 feat, whether it be considered on the basis of expenditure, or in the 

 addition made in a comparatively short time to the naval strength of 

 the empire. No other country in the world could rival this perform- 

 ance, which furnishes an object lesson, on a large scale, of what has 

 to be done whenever the making of a modern fleet is undertaken. 



Regarding the transaction from this point of view, the principal 

 steps may be summarised as follows : — 



1. The selection of types, and the numbers of ships of each type 

 to be built. 



2. The preparation of designs for each type, fulfilling the con- 

 ditions laid down for offensive and defensive powers, speed and coal 

 endurance. 



3. The making of estimates of cost ; these estimates including 

 the unit costs for each type ; the aggregate cost of the whole scheme ; 

 and the incidence of expenditure on each year of the period of con- 

 struction. 



4. The allocation of orders, so that the actual construction of 

 ships, machinery, and armaments may bo completed within the stipu- 

 lated period. 



For ships of the Royal Navy, the Board of Admiralty is the 

 responsible authority in the selection of types, and determination of 

 the numbers to be built of each type. Since actual experience in 

 modern naval warfare is almost entirely wanting, differences of opinion 

 necessarily arise respecting the relative values of different types, the 

 best methods of protection, the most suitable armaments, and other 

 features of construction. In the ancient fleet of unarmoured sailing 

 vessels, long-continued experience in actual war, associated with 

 practical stagnation in the construction^ armament and propulsion of 



