ON THE MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS OF SHIPS. 15 
by warships, therefore it is reasonable to follow a similar course in warship 
construction. This argument has already been dealt with indirectly in 
Section X of this paper. The comparatively few merchant steamers of very 
large dimensions now in existence have been built for special service between 
known terminal ports, whereat proper accommodation for them has been 
provided. ‘Their employment consequently differs radically in character 
from that of warships which are intended to seek out and find an enemy 
wherever he may be. In order to secure success, therefore, each navy needs 
a considerable number of ships, and the draught of water of individual 
vessels ought to be moderate in order that their field of possible operation 
should be large. 
Warships are also exposed to special risks, to which there is nothing 
corresponding in the services for which great mercantile steamers are con- 
structed; and as a consequence it is essential to provide for considerable 
numbers as well as for individual power in the constitution of each fleet. It 
is admittedly a correct definition of the problems involved in the arrange- 
ment of an “establishment” for any navy, to say that it must rest on a 
definite plan of campaign, the fulfilment of which requires the construction 
of a certain number of ships of various types suitable for various services, 
and ranging from capital ships—forming units in squadrons and fleets— 
down to the smaller classes of armed vessels and the fleet auxiliaries. For 
each fleet of capital ships it is necessary to arrive at a decision as to the best 
distribution of the total sums to be expended on construction and subsequent 
maintenance; and in reaching such a decision regard must be had to the 
special risks incidental to modern naval war, as well as to the necessities 
of naval operations which must demand the capability of either concentrat- 
ing or distributing the force as the varying conditions of a campaign may 
require. Problems such as these naturally, indeed necessarily, give rise to 
different solutions, and there is room for various opinions as to the best 
possible arrangements in proportion to total expenditure. My personal 
opinions on the subject were expressed in the Paper on “Armaments of 
Battleships” which appears in the Transactions of this Society for last year. 
It may assist the present discussion if they are briefly summarized. 
(a) Multiplication of the heavy-gun positions in capital ships, and of 
the number of such guns carried by individual ships, has necessarily involved 
increase of lengths and displacements. 
(b) Concurrently with this alteration of armament there has been an 
increase in speed and fuel supply: this has involved further increase of size. 
(c) Modern capital ships—with heavy-gun armaments and great 
weights of armor placed high above water—must be endowed with consider- 
able initial stability in order to possess a reasonable range of stability under 
