C ['BRENT LITERAT URE.
THE STATE OF THE NAVY IN 1907.
. The State of the Navy in 1907. By Civis. (Smith, Elder, and Co. Is. 6d.)—Though we cannot review or criticise at length and in detail matter which has appeared in these columns, we desire to draw the attention of our readers to the republication of the letters of " Civis" to the Spectator. They have been reprinted with three additional chapters, and with an introduction by Mr. St. Los Strachey, the editor of this journal. The announcement made this week that Lord Charles Beresford had made his accept- ance of the command of the Channel Fleet conditional on a change in the arrangements made by the Admiralty renders the appearance of this volume specially timely. The defence for the reduction of the Channel Fleet is that it is to be compensated for by the creation of a Horne Fleet which is to be a fleet "in Commission in Reserve," or, as an inspired statement on behalf of the Admiralty phrased it, a fleet composed of ships which are "practically ready." The introduction to The State of the Navy in 1907 deals specially with this point, and shows how grave is the danger of counting upon "practically ready" ships to secure to us that command of the sea without which we are of all nations most miserable. Ships in full commission are our working capital. Practically ready" ships are capital the full use of which can only be attained after a month or two's notice. Therefore to take ships ont of full commission and to put them into the practically ready" category is to withdraw working capital from the national business. But what business man does not know how immensely dangerous it is for a firm exposed to severe and persistent competition suddenly and without adequate reason to sanction a large withdrawal of working capital. We trust that this reprint of " Civis's " letters will be largely circulated, and that speci4 attention will be given to the demand reads both by him and by the writer of the introduction that an adequate inquiry shall at once take place into the recent developments of Admiralty policy and organisation.
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