Page:Problems of Empire.djvu/58

 PROBLEMS OF EMPIRE. sea in other words, on sea power. I do not wish to minimise the functions which the Army will have to perform in case of war, but I do wish to insist very strongly that no army which it is conceivable we could raise and maintain would compensate for inferior naval strength.

To those who had grasped the principles of warfare which are applicable to a sea power like Britain, it appeared that if the relative proportions of naval and military expenditure which existed in 1892-3 were reversed, the Empire would be better defended. The proportions of naval and military expenditure though not reversed have been entirely altered in the last few years. The Navy Estimates for 1896-7 amount to 22,800,000l. gross, or 21,800,000l. net. The Army Estimates amount to 20,900,0007l. gross, 18,000,000l. net. It is impossible to deny that the British Empire is better defended to-day than it was two years ago. In 1894 there were 46 battleships built and building for Britain as against 51 for France and Russia. In 1896 there are 55 battleships built or building for Great Britain against 50 for France and Russia. In first-class battleships we had, in 1894, 19 built and 3 building as against 15 built and 12 building for France and Russia. In 1896 we have 12 building and 22 completed as against 14 building and 15 completed for France and Russia. We owe the change that has taken place to the fact that the principles of Imperial Defence are becoming better understood. The deepest gratitude of every Englishman is due to Captain Mahan of the United States Navy for so clearly Setting forth those principles in his two admirable books.

I will endeavour to illustrate the assertion that the 40