

" Down to the Sea in Ships " 



and if Great Britain would keep her present 

 position, this is no time for slackening of effort. 



Powerful though our Royal Navy undoubtedly 

 is, it has not that vast preponderance over other 

 Fleets of War which our Merchant Navy has 

 over other Mercantile Fleets. 



The aim generally set before Great Britain 

 of late years has been to make and to keep the 

 Royal Navy strong enough to be able to cope 

 with any two other War Navies existing. 



But if we had a War Navy proportioned to 

 our Merchant Service, which might seem only 

 reasonable, it would have to be nearly equal in 

 tonnage to all the other fighting Navies in all 

 the world. 



Is our present aim high enough, in view of 

 the tremendous interests, the enormous risks, 

 involved ? 



275 



