40 LEGER POD
24 lines✦
1.His isle, the mightiest Ocean-power on earth,Our own fair isle, the lord of every sea—Her fuller franchise—what would that be worth—Her ancient fame of Free— Were she . . . a fallen state? of anxiety, so far as the colonies were concerned, was theapparently insufficient provision for the rapid manufactureof armaments and their prompt despatch when ordered totheir colonial destination. Hence the necessity for manu-facturing appliances equal to the requirements, not of GreatBritain alone, but of the whole Empire. But the keystoneof the whole was the necessity for an overwhelmingly power-ful fleet and efficient defence for all necessary coaling stations,This was as essential for the colonies as for Great Britain,It was the one‘condition for the continuance of the Empire.All that Continental Powers did with respect to armiesEngland should effect with her navy. It was essentially adefensive force, and could be moved rapidly from point topoint, but it should be equal to all that was expected fromit. It was to strengthen the fleet that colonists would firstreadily tax themselves, because they realised how essential apowerful fleet was to the safety, not only of that extensivecommerce sailing in every sea, but ultimately to the security
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