element  so  necessary  for  information  in  a  naval
campaign,  and  of  such  great  value  in  opening  and
protecting  routes  of  trade  for  our  own  commerce,
and  prohibiting  such  routes  to  the  commerce  of  the
enemy."  *

"Leading  the  torpedo  flotilla  came  the  Birming-
ham, a  sad  reminder  that  we  have  only  three  light
cruisers  of  considerable  speed,  and  these  vessels,
compared  to  the  numerous  craft  of  this  type  in  the
British  and  German  navies,  would  present  a  sorry
contrast  in  their  relatively  low  speed  and  weak
armament."  ^

We  have  not  a  single  fast  scout  boat  built  or  even
authorised  since  1904.  The  three  we  have  are  not
armed  adequately  and  are  too  slow  for  use.  None
of  them  has  ever  made  more  than  twenty-six
knots.  Up  to  the  present  time,  we  have  not  been
able  to  secure  firemen  able  to  live  before  their  fur-
naces, for  whenever  there  is  a  little  wind  they  draw
into  the  faces  of  the  firemen,  instead  of  upward
into  the  stacks.
England  and  Germany  have  been  adding  scout
cruisers  at  the  rate  of  from  three  to  eight  each
year.  Each  is  able  to  make  thirty  knots  or  more  an
hour.  Before  the  war  Germany  had  fourteen  and
Great  Britain  thirty-one.
We  have  less  than  seventy  destroyers.  We
should  have  at  least  three  hundred.
The  less  said  about  our  submarines,  the  better.
THE  GUARDS  WITHOUT  136

Nearly  a  year  ago  Commander  Sterling  testified
that  one  out  of  the  twelve  on  the  Atlantic  Coast
could  efficiently  take  part  in  the  manoeuvres  at  sea.
