fact of big opponents has always rendered their victory more difficult, and at times half neutralised it. Nelson's 'Only numbers can annihilate' surely meant very clearly Since the bulk of available ships are of moderate size there must be plenty of them to secure victory,' or more baldly still, 'Since you cannot give me quality, give me quantity.'
Those who wish to do so will always go on seeing in the victory of the Japanese ships at Yalu a triumph for moderate dimensions in modern days; but the thoughtful will remark the defects of personnel, ammunition and leadership from which the Chinese suffered, and remember, too, that the big battleships held out to the end of the day and covered the retreat of the beaten Chinese. Also that the Japanese subsequently ordered mastodon battleships in preparing for the war with Russia, though advised not to by all the advocates of moderate dimensions. The Russians, on the other hand, went in for moderate dimensions.
Of the mastodons, and the modern trend towards having nothing but monster ships with quite small auxiliaries; history can say nothing except that to strive after the mastodon has been the invariable tendency; though in all ages there have been those whose voices have been raised against it. When ships were of 100 tons there were many who advocated 75 instead; just as when in the future 100,000 tons is reached there will be men to argue for 75,000 tons. In dimensions there is no finality, to plead for
