WHAT THE OCEAN MEANS TO 

 GEE AT BKITAIN (Continued) 



IF it be said, as it may well be, that in what I have 

 written about the Navy I have given no details, I can 

 only reply that to those who wish to know what they 

 ought to about the mainstay of our defence against 

 foreign aggression, there are many books upon the 

 subject compiled with the utmost skill and research, 

 such as the works of H. W. Wilson, the late Sir 

 William Laird Clowes, and Fred T. Jane, to name 

 some of the foremost of modern writers who have 

 striven to explain the Navy to landsmen. In a series 

 of brief sketches like these it has been only possible to 

 give outlines, but I do sincerely hope that those who 

 do me the honour to read what I have written will be 

 so interested in the subject that they will be impelled 

 to read up for themselves works treating its various 

 aspects at proper length and in exhaustive fashion. It 

 must, however, be admitted that in the later develop- 

 ment of the Navy under the wise and energetic rule of 

 Sir John Fisher, progress has been so very rapid, and 

 revolutionary events have followed one another so 

 swiftly, that naval historians have not as yet had 

 time to bring matters up to date, and therefore I 

 may venture to summarize briefly up till the time of 



321 y 



