"Well, he always said it was a jolly good thing I wasn't technical. And I did see what he meant by that. I mean to say things _are_ simple really, the big things I mean. You take the sea----" again his eyes wandered far out over it. "People talk an awful lot of bunk about the sea. They think bases are just harbors and ports and coaling-stations and so on. That a base is something fixed. Why, that's exactly what it isn't. You've got to get your coal and oil and stores, of course, but that's only like going into a shop and coming out again as quick as you can. It's only then that the job really begins. I'm afraid I'm talking an awful lot, sir, but I got it down to this: that a ship's only a ship when she's moving. She's no better than a stupid old breakwater when she isn't. I mean to say her real base is her course. Just an imaginary line to make a dash from and turn up where the trouble is. Focal points I believe they call 'em. At least that's the way I worked it out for myself." "And do you mean the air's the same, or going to be?" The look that I have ventured to call discontent came into his eyes. "Well, nothing's quite the same as anything else, of course. But I do think this. There's Germany. Over there----," he nodded out to sea. "North Sea or German Ocean we used to call that, and that was there she said her future was. Well, it isn't, of course. She hasn't got any coast to speak of, and isn't going to have any. But----" And this time his eyes went aloft to the immeasurable fields of the air. "She's got just as much of _that_ as anybody else. Taking a perfectly sound line about it too. And what's the good of our saying she shan't build aircraft as long as the damn dog doesn't know? Of course she'll build aircraft. That's where her future is now, and she can afford to hand over ships. But every Zepp or plane you get out of her you'll have to get with a pair of pincers. Then ... swift? Swift won't be the word.... Oh, don't I wish I could get on one of these Expeditions!" I made no comment on this, since I know nothing about the air. These were merely the words of Charles Valentine Smith, who did. IV