BRITISH SEA POWER.

Mataura Ensign, 3 July 1914, Page 5

BRITISH SEA POWER.

NAVAL MOBILISATION. BT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COPYRIGHT. PEE UNITED PRESS-ASSOCIATION. * 7 LONDON, July 2. The 'Daily Telegraph' says, "The mobilisation and commissioning of -193 ships, of which 200 will assemible at Spitbead, is an interesting operation, being the first time ■•thai the whole fleet has been placed on a war footing by the utilisation of 14,000 of the reserve, but it is dangerous because it exhibits the country's strength after ■long preparations, whereas the only criterion of Britain's sea power is' its Standing at an average moment. There is an increasing tendency throughout, Europe to relegate to tie background all reserves l and train a larger number ■of regular ratings, thus keeping every ship cf war on a footing ready for rapid, energetic andi decisive action. The reserves are only valuable as a reservoir to make the casualties of a long campaign. They are a negligible quantity in the early phase of .hostilities."