Our War-Ships. By Sir W. Cusack-Smith, Bart. (Kegan. Paul, Trench,
and Co.)—Anything relating to the Navy should always find many readers among Englishmen, and this little volume is admirably calculated to diffuse accurate information on the subject of which it treats. Sir William Cusack-Smith is evidently thoroughly an fait with all the details of naval architecture, and his criticisms all bear the stamp of thought and common-sense. While by no means an alarmist, he does not fail to point out several weak places in our naval estab- lishment. He is of opinion that Woolwich is quite unable to supply the legitimate needs of the Navy in the matter of ordnance, and holds that "nothing short of a special naval gun and ammunition factory will ever place us in a permanently satisfactory position, and enable us to keep the armaments of our ships in a condition of constant efficiency," and maintains that many factors likely to be of great importance in a future naval war have been insufficiently considered. Not the least valuable part of this little work, which should be read by every one anxious to know the truth about our "fret line of defence," is the complete list of existing British war-ships with which it concludes. This book is not at all sensational ; but we are not sure that, if it obtains the circulation it deserves, it will not do more to promote the efficiency of our marine service than all the articles of the alarmists put together.
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