about eight hundred years thereafter the development was carried
on energetically, but in an opportunistic fashion, following the
requirements of the hour. In 1632, however, the Board of Admiralty
was established; and with occasional interruptions, especially
prior to 1708, the board has continued in existence ever since.
A coherent policy of development has thereby been assured, and a
wisdom of strategy established which more than any other single
factor has made Great Britain the mistress of the seas, and almost
the mistress of the world.

The wisdom of her strategy has been due largely to the fact of
the close touch maintained between the civil government, including
Parliament, and the navy; for by its very constitution the Board
of Admiralty includes some of the highest officers of Parliament,
the cabinet, and the navy. Its presiding officer is a member of
the cabinet, and also member of Parliament; four of the officers
are naval officers, high in rank, character, and attainments; and
the junior civil lord is a civilian versed in naval matters. All
the orders for great movements of the fleets and ships are directed
by this board and signed by its secretary, the board, by a fiction
of the law, being considered an individual replacing the lord high
admiral--which it did, in 1632. The board is supposed to meet every
day with all the members present, the vote of each member carrying
as much weight as that of any other member. Naturally, the first
lord of the admiralty being a cabinet officer and a member of
Parliament, has a far greater influence on broad questions than
any other member; and the first sea lord being the person of the
most experience in naval matters, has the most weight on strictly
naval questions. Theoretically, however, neither of these gentlemen
can carry a measure opposed to the others; and any member, even
a junior, has equal opportunity with the others to bring up and
discuss any question and to attempt to procure its passage by the
full board; but in 1869 the first lord at that time, Mr. Childers,
brought about a change whereby the first lord was made personally
responsible to the government. This vastly increased the power
of the first lord, relatively to the others.

Two other navies, the German and the Japanese, which with the British,
are the most efficient navies in the world, have systems somewhat
different from the British. In Germany and Japan the Emperor is
the head of the navy, and t