ea. The next most powerful navy was that of France; but
it was not nearly so large, and seemed to be no more efficient,
in proportion to its size. Owing to Britain's wise and continuing
policy, and the excellence of the British sailor and his ships,
the British navy proudly and almost tranquilly held virtual command
of all the seas.

But shortly after this century began, British officers discerned a
new and disturbing element gradually developing on the horizon. The
first thing which roused their attention to it was the unexpected
attack of the Japanese torpedo-boats on the Russian squadron in
Port Arthur. No war had been declared, and the Russian squadron
was riding peacefully at anchor. The suddenness of the attack, and
the distinct though incomplete success which it achieved, startled
the British into a realization of the fact that there had been
introduced into warfare on the sea methods and tactics requiring _a
higher order of preparation_ than had ever before been known; that
the scientific methods which the Germans employed so effectively on
land in 1870 had been adapted by the Japanese to naval warfare, and
would necessitate the introduction into naval policies of _speedier
methods_ than had hitherto been needed.

Another event which had happened shortly before showed that naval
policies would have to be modified, if they were to utilize recent
advances in scientific methods. This event was the unprecedented
success at target practice of H. M. S. _Terrible_, commanded by
Captain Sir Percy Scott, which proved that by a long and strenuous
training and the adoption of instruments of precision, it was possible
to attain a skill in naval gunnery never attained before. Up to this
moment the British navy had almost despised gunnery. Inheriting the
traditions brought down from Howe, Rodney, and Nelson, permeated with
the ideals of the "blue-water school," proud of being British seamen,
proud of the pure white of their ships, enamoured of the stimulating
breeziness of the quarterdeck and bridge, imbued with almost a
contempt for such mathematical sciences as were not directly used
in practical navigation, British naval officers exalted seamanship
as the acme of their art, and took little interest in gunnery.
All the battles of the past had been won by dash and seamanship
and dogged persistence. Ships had always fought close alongside
each other. No science had ever won any naval battle of the past,
so why should they