16 ON THE MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS OF SHIPS, 
ordinary peace conditions. Hence they have been made very broad in 
relation to their draughts of water—even after allowance is made for the 
increase in draught (deep laden)—as compared with their predecessors. 
{d) Their moderate range of stability (when intact) gives to these ships 
a less margin of safety when injured in action by gun-fire; and, in many 
instances, the distribution of the armor is of a character that adds to this 
risk, because it leaves without protection large areas of the sides which are 
reckoned as water-excluding in calculations of stability, although they 
can be rapidly riddled and destroyed by shell-fire with high explosives. In 
later designs the areas which are armor-protected have been considerably 
increased; but the addition to the weight of armor placed high above the 
water-line has necessarily been accompanied by a rise in the position of the 
center of gravity of the ships. The breadths have been still further increased 
in porportion to the draughts, and even then the range of stability in the 
intact condition is very moderate. 
(e) Modern warships, notwithstanding their greater size, are not, and 
cannot be as steady gun-platforms as their predecessors; because their great 
initial stability causes them to have relatively short periods of oscillation. 
As a consequence they are more likely to be set rolling by ordinary conditions 
at sea. Experience has shown them to be less steady in a seaway than ships 
of earlier date and smaller size. Some of these ships are so large in relation 
to the available dry-docks that their bilge keels are either very shallow or 
non-existent at the midship portions of the length; and as a consequence the 
check upon rolling is greatly reduced. 
(f) Thedevelopment of under-water attacks proceeds rapidly. Torpedoes 
are now larger, have greater charges, are much faster and can be used at much 
longer ranges. Submarine mines have been used with great effect in actual 
warfare, and will be used in future with greater effect. Submarines have 
been developed, and are now being made of dimensions, speed, and radius of 
action which probably enable them to act as auxiliaries to fleets over con- 
siderable areas of operation. Advocates of very large dimensions in war- 
ships admit that one successful under-water attack will probably put the 
largest warship out of action. It cannot be questioned that the increase 
in length and speed of recent ships will necessitate an increase in the intervals 
between successive ships in the line of battle, and the danger of successful 
under-water attack will be increased because both individual ships and the 
line of battle formed by a certain number of ships must be made longer. 
(g) In view of the foregoing considerations it appears to be desirable to 
put a limit upon the size and cost of individual warships, and the concen- 
tration of so many guns in a single ship; because a single successful blow 
may bring about a serious proportionate loss to a fleet by one ship being 
