If we turn from the Army to the Navy we
shall find our superiority well maintained. Here, no doubt, we started ahead of our enemies, not behind them, and therefore we cannot expect that the change should be relatively so favour- able. But even here our increase of strength has been both actually and relatively most satisfactory. We are not per- mitted to say by how much our naval force has been augmented, but we know generally that a great number of new ships of the highest power have been completed, Rita, further, that the wastage of the German force by the attrition of war has been much greater than our wastage from the same cause. There is only one thing which we must regret, and that is the unwillingness of the German, High Sea Fleet to come out and try conclusions with us. We ask nothing better than that the Germans should put it to the touch to win or lose. Let them come out with their destroyers in front, their battleships in the centre, their troopships behind. their submarines on their flanks, and with their Zeppelins and their Taubes fluttering over them. We shall not refuse them battle.
