As we have said, elsewhere, we are determined that no
word of party recrimination shall fall from us in regard to what has happened, nor do we desire for one moment to blame the Government, The essential thing now is to lot bygones be bygones, and to strain every effort to do two things,—to Provide sufficient capital ships to secure the command of the sea, and to make such provision for shipbuilding and naval equipment that Germany shall never have as large a number of capital battleships building in her dockyards as we have. Further, we must provide so large a margin of security in slips and ship building and equipping resources as to make it humanly impossible that Germany, however secret and well laid her plans, will be able to catch us napping again. Let us say further that though we hold it necessary to remind the nation of the folly of a policy of national somnolence, we do not mean to assert that Sir John Fisher is in any sense to blame for the increase of German activity. He could not prevent that activity, nor very possibly could he be expected to have discovered any earlier the sudden development of the German programme. Ho is only justly to be blamed for having encouraged the spirit of boastfulness and somnolence combined which has prevented that national vigilance in regard to naval affairs which is our only true security.
