d the air-ship are recent accessions to the list of
fighting craft. Their role in naval warfare cannot yet be defined,
because the machines themselves have not yet reached an advanced
stage of development, and their probable performance cannot be
forecast. There is no doubt, however, in the minds of naval men
that the role of aircraft is to be important and distinguished.

CHAPTER III

NAVAL POWER

Mahan proved that sea power has exercised a determining influence on
history. He proved that sea power has been necessary for commercial
success in peace and military success in war. He proved that, while
many wars have culminated with the victory of some army, the victory
of some navy had been the previous essential. He proved that the
immediate cause of success had often resulted inevitably from another
cause, less apparent because more profound; that the operations of
the navy had previously brought affairs up to the "mate in four
moves," and that the final victory of the army was the resulting
"checkmate."

Before Mahan proved his doctrine, it was felt in a general way
that sea power was necessary to the prosperity and security of
a nation. Mahan was not the first to have this idea, for it had
been in the minds of some men, and in the policy of one nation,
for more than a century. Neither was Mahan the first to put forth
the idea in writing; but he was the first to make an absolute
demonstration of the truth. Newton was not the first man to know,
or to say, that things near the earth tend to fall to the earth; but
he was the first to formulate and prove the doctrine of universal
gravitation. In the same way, all through history, we find that
a few master minds have been able to group what had theretofore
seemed unrelated phenomena, and deduce from them certain laws.
In this way they substituted reasoning for speculation, fact for
fancy, wisdom for opportunism, and became the guides of the human
race.

The effect of the acceptance of Mahan's doctrine was felt at once.
Realizing that the influence of sea power was a fact, comprehending
Great Britain's secret, after Mahan had disclosed it, certain other
great nations of the world, especially Germany, immediately started
with confidence and vigor upon the increase of their own sea power,
and pushed it to a degree before unparalleled; with a result that
must have been amazing to the man who, more than any other, was
responsible for it.

Since the words "sea pow