282 A Forgotten Maxim 



guns and torpedo-boats are indispensable, and the 

 last, on occasion, may be used for offensive purposes 

 also. But in the present state of naval and military 

 knowledge we must rely mainly, as all great nations 

 always have relied, on the battleship, the fighting 

 ship of the line. Gunboats and light cruisers serve 

 an excellent purpose, and we could not do without 

 them. In time of peace they are the police of the 

 seas ; in time of war they would do some harrying of 

 commerce, and a great deal of scouting and skirmish- 

 ing; but our main reliance must be on the great arm- 

 ored battleships with their heavy guns and shot- 

 proof vitals. In the last resort we must trust to the 

 ships whose business it is to fight and not to run, 

 and who can themselves go to sea and strike at the 

 enemy when they choose, instead of waiting peace- 

 fully to receive his blow when and where he deems 

 it best to deliver it. If in the event of war our fleet 

 of battleships can destroy the hostile fleet, then our 

 coasts are safe from the menace of serious attack; 

 even a fight that ruined our fleet would probably 

 so shatter the hostile fleet as to do away with all 

 chance of invasion; but if we have no fleet where- 

 with to meet the enemy on the high seas, or to antici- 

 pate his stroke by our own, then every city within 

 reach of the tides must spend men and money in 

 preparation for an attack that may not come, but 

 which would cause crushing and irredeemable disas- 

 ter if it did come. 



Still more is it necessary to have a fleet of great 

 battleships if we intend to live up to the Monroe 



