G.— ENGINEERING. 135 



The defence of our country depends very largely on the efficiency of 

 our warships, and it is impossible to speak too highly of the wonderful 

 reliability shown by the vessels of our navy during the late war, thanks 

 to the efficient engineering service in our navy, and the determination of 

 the various builders in this country to prodiice vessels representing the 

 highest standards of engineering efficiency. Our country, I hope, realises 

 how much we owe to the engineering branch of the navy for the well-proved 

 efficiency and courage of its officers and men of all ranks in the late war. 

 I believe that no vessel of our enormous fleet failed in action owing to 

 breakdown of machinery, and the conditions under which the engineering 

 staff find themselves in active warfare must be a severe strain on their 

 courage. The response to the sudden call on the two battle crmsers, 

 which had already been on active service for a considerable time, to make 

 the voyage at full speed to the Falkland Islands to engage the German 

 Fleet, represented an engineering feat of a very high order. 



In the mercantile marine we have great cause for thankfulness in the 

 developments which have taken place, resulting in a very much greater 

 comfort at sea. These efforts are naturally limited by the sizes of the 

 harbours between which the vessels have to trade, but when we come 

 to ocean liners the study which naval architecture has given to the produc- 

 tion of these great vessels has resulted in our being able to visit different 

 parts of the world with a comfort which is equal to that provided by the 

 best hotels in any of our great cities. Shipbuilding and marine engineering 

 have indeed taken a noble part in assisting the march of civilization and 

 adding to our comforts in every possible way. 



I wrote this part of my address on the voyage to New York on the 

 46,000-tons liner Aquitania. What a triumph of enterprise to the Cunard 

 Company and to the naval architect and marine engineer such a vessel 

 represents. I was watching her driving into a north-west gale from the 

 boat deck during the day, a magnificent battle between nature's power 

 and human skill, a sight which arouses one's admiration for the great 

 minds who have raised engineering to so supreme a height and added so 

 greatly to the advancement of civilization. 



' What does this wilderness of sea portray ? 

 A mighty struggle, constant day by day, 

 'Twixt human skill and nature's changing mood. 

 The ceaseless roar of North wind's subtle blow. 

 The varying power of waves that ever flow. 

 Such is man's battle 'gainst this angry flood.' 



Mechanical Engineering. 



It is difficult to regard mechanical engineering literally as a separate 

 branch of engineering, for although numerically, I suppose, the mechanical 

 engineers exceed the numbers of any other branch, nearly all their duties 

 are associated with other types of engineering. 



In connexion with civil engineering all the plant occupied in harbour, 

 dock and railway construction is in the hands of the mechanical engineer. 

 Also in transport and marine engineering the mechanical engineer is 

 largely engaged in the engine building of both locomotives and marine 

 engines and other types of auxiliary machinery for these purposes. 



