NAVAL BOOKS OF REFERENCE.*
PRIOR to the publication of the first number of Lord Brassey's Naval Annual in 1886 there was no yearly publication, in English, giving in a summarised form particulars of the war fleets of the world. In the modest preface to the first Naval Annual Lord Brassey expressed the hope "that it may be the means of bringing together a large amount of information on naval subjects which has hitherto been obtainable only by consulting numerous publications, chiefly from foreign sources." This hope has been fully realised. From year to year a series of volumes has been issued by Lord Brassey and Mr. T. A. Brassey which contain materials for the history of modern naval construction. From the first it went beyond its foreign competitors in size, wealth of illustration, and range of subjects. For the most part the Naval Annuals published abroad had taken the form of pocket-books. The Austrian Navy, for example, had its Marine-Almanach, which is still published in a much improved form. The French Navy had its Carnet and its Aide itemoire for the use of naval officers, both of them serving as pocket-books. Lord Brassey's scheme went much beyond this ; but there was room for such a publication in this country, and about twelve years ago Sir William Laird Clowes published the first number of The Naval Pocket-Book, the last issue of which (edited by Mr. Geoffrey Laird Clowes) was published in July. In this little volume is brought together in a compact form a great mass of information, including the particulars of warships, their armour, arma- ments, and equipments; lists of the docking facilities existing in all parts of the world ; plans showing the distribu- tion of the armour and the armaments in various types ; and other details of value to naval officers and readers interested in modern warship construction. From the first The Naval Pocket-Book took rank with its foreign predecessors, and it has been improved from year to year. Its illustrations might be still further improved, we think, for in this respect the Austrian Almanach and the German Taschenbuch der Sriegsflotten have undoubtedly an advantage at present. This matter is worth the consideration of the editor in the preparation of the next edition. It may be that the foreign publications are to some extent State-aided; so that they can be produced in a more expensive style, and yet sold at a moderate price. The value of The Naval Pocket-Book is, how- ever, so great to the Royal Navy that the Admiralty might with advantage distribute considerable numbers to the ships of the Fleet, and in this manner give assistance to its further improvement.
One notable feature in The Naval Pocket-Book is its practical avoidance of controversy, and limitation of the record to facts so far as they can be ascertained. There is, it is true, a simple classification of ships, and a comparative summary of the fighting fleets based upon that classification ; and there is a brief article entitled"' Notes on Torpedoes "
• (1) The Naval Pocket-Book. 1907. London: W. Thacker and Co. [7s. Gd.
net, (2) Fighting Ships. Founded and Edited by F. T. Jane. Loudou Sampson Low, Marston, and Co. [21s. net.]
which is almost wholly descriptive. The system that has been followed is obviously the right one for a book of this character, to which readers turn for facts rather than opinions. The editor takes care to indicate the lack of definite official information in certain cases by the simple process of leaving blanks in his tables of dimensions, engine- power, armour protection, and armament when he has not trustworthy information to go upon. He also endeavours to revise and correct the tables in successive issues ; so that The Naval Pocket-Book, although not a rival to the larger and more costly Naval Annual, meets a definite want, and will, we trust, long continue to appear.
Fighting Ships is a publication of an entirely different character. It was founded about ten years ago by Mr. F. T. Jan.., and for several years bore the title of All the World's Fighting Ships. Mr. Jane is well known as the inventor of a naval war game, as an artist who has devoted great attention to portraiture of warships of all classes, and as a writer on naval subjects who has the courage of his opinions and claims considerable authority as a critic of naval policy. It is un- necessary to express any opinion on these claims in the present notice, the whole object of which is to indicate the character and scope of the book. As a summary of information in regard to modern warships it has much to commend it. The illustrations are very numerous, and on the whole excellent. They include reproductions of photographs of the ships described ; plans showing the disposition of armour and armament; tabulated dimensions ; details of offensive and defensive power, machinery, boilers, and other features. Silhouettes of the ships are given in all cases, and notes are appended as to details in external appearance by means of which the identification of the various types may be assisted. Mr. Jane has also brought together information in regard to the steaming capabilities, coal consumptions, manoeuvring powers, and supposed condition of the several ships. He has evidently bestowed immense labour on the compilation of this information, and has been assisted in the task by a large number of official and unofficial persons.
A new feature has been introduced this year, and has special interest in connexion with the possible use of mercantile auxiliaries in naval warfare. Particulars and drawings are given of the great ocean-going steamships which receive subventions or subsidies, and which may be employed for scouting or other services. An endeavour has been made to indicate the localities in which the important liners are likely to be found in the course of their ordinary service. As a matter of fact, one governing condition in the employment of such auxiliaries must always be the prearrangements made for arming, equipping, and manning them. Each Admiralty that contemplates using mercantile vessels will obviously frame its own lists, and make its own preparations.
While Fighting Ships contains much valuable informa- tion, well arranged and well summarised, and is excellent in its graphic record of facts, it undoubtedly suffers from too marked an impress of the personal opinions of its founder and editor. No one is likely to object to brief and occasional statements of opinion by an author or compiler who has made a long and special study of his subject ; but Mr. Jane exceeds reasonable limits in his comments. The real value of the book for purposes of reference lies in its facts ; and Mr. Jane would do well to bear that distinction in mind. As an assessor of the relative fighting values of different ships, and as a critic of naval policy generally, he assumes an authority to which he has not sufficient claim. His facility as a draughtsman leads him to multiply illustrations of new types said to be contemplated by various navies, many of which are admitted by him to be either aban- doned or of a doubtful character. It would surely be wiser and more helpful to readers if in such cases it was frankly stated that no trustworthy information was yet available. The drawings representing new German battleships illustrate this criticism. Three dia- grams are given of designs that la.ve been considered, and then a note is added : "All discarded, it is believed." A fourth diagram shows in detail the design which it is thought has been approved; there are also tabular statements of thicknesses of armour, calibres and number of guns, engine- power, &c. But in the preface one reads that " it is impossible to guarantee that every ship will be completed as designed," and that " the plans given are those decided upon at the time of going to press." It would be preferable as well as simpler if Mr. Jane had produced no drawings until the inten- tions of the German Admiralty had been made known. The Dilke Return, issued on the authority of the Admiralty, gives seventeen thousand nine hundred and sixty tons displacement, twenty thousand horse-power, and fourteen to sixteen eleven- inch guns as particulars of the ' Ersatz Sachsen'. and Ersatz Bayern' ; for the two battleships in this year's programme the only information given in that Return is that the armament will probably be as in the 'Ersatz Sachsen.' Broadly speaking, therefore, the German ships will rival the Dreadnought' class in size, power, and cost. These are the essential facts available at present, and they suffice.
Similar remarks may be applied to the facts and illustra- tions given by Mr. Jane for the last-designed battleships and cruisers of Japan and the United States. Apparent fulness of detail is accompanied by lack of definite information. What is certain, however, ie that both these countries have ordered or laid down vessels of about twenty thousand tons dis- placement, whereas the Dreadnought' is under eighteen thousand tons, and the three later vessels of her class are eighteen thousand six hundred tons. With equal skill in design—and this is a reasonable assumption—these larger ships should have greater offensive and defensive power, even if endowed with speed equal to that of our ships. Further, it is notable that in secondary armament they are markedly superior. Whereas the ' Dreadnought' has only 3 in. guns, and her sister-ships are said to be intended to carry 4 in., the American ships have 5 in. and the Japanese 6 in. and 41in. Our new battleships, in consequence of having been laid down before their competitors, will consequently be inferior to .these foreign vessels ; and this is the more to be regretted since we • can and do build warships more rapidly than our rivals, could have deferred with safety the date of beginning construction, and yet have ensured earlier completion of more powerful vessels.
Professed secrecy respecting new designs is rather the fashion at present, the lead having been taken in this policy by the Admiralty in regard to the Dreadnought ' and `Invincible' classes. France adheres to the older and better course of publicity, well knowing that after ships have been laid down secrecy is virtually impossible. The Danton ' class of battle- ships—six of which are authorised and in process of construc- tion—have been officially described in all their main features, and the design is one of which the French may well be proud. The serious fact in regard to the French programme is the slow rate of execution ; due largely to financial reasons. The fiist two ships are not to be finished until the end of 1910, and the other four some months later. In othOr words, four years or more will be occupied in their construction, as against two years allowed for contemporary British ships, and about three years for German and American ships.
A second section of Fighting Ships is devoted to short papers on special subjects, contributed by the editor and other writers, seine of whom are anonymous. This part of the book has not equal interest with the corresponding section in previous issues, when distinguished foreign contributors assisted Mr. Jane. There is a good deal in these articles open to serious criticism, and some of them are marked by a breezi- ness of style and loudness of assertion not well suited to the serious nature of the subjects discussed, which include coast defence, programmes of construction, armour and armament, and progress in warship engineering. The article on engineer- ing furnishes a pleasing contrast to its neighbours in method and style, being one of a series written for successive issues of Fighting Ships by Mr. C. Sells, M.Inst.C.E. This year he has dealt fully with the progress of turbine-engines and water-tube boilers. As a summary of information on those subjects his paper will be read with interest, while his opinions will command respect. It is to be hoped that the editor of Fighting Ships will secure in future a larger number of similar contributions, and so bring the second part of his book into more suitable relation to the valuable compilation of information embodied in the first part.
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