Without any doubt (I have it from an eye-witness of part of the machinery for her at Nuremberg) a big German oil engine Cruiser is under weigh! We must press forward.... These d--d politics are barring the way.... “_What!_” (say these trembling idiots) “ANOTHER _Dreadnought Revolution!_” and these boneless fools chatter with fear like apes when they see an elephant! The imagination cannot picture that “_a greater than the Dreadnought is here!_” Imagine a silhouette presenting a target 33 per cent. less than any living or projected Battleship! No funnels--no masts--no smoke--she carries over 5,000 tons of oil, enough to take her round the world without refuelling! Imagine what that means! Ten motor boats carried on board in an armoured pit in the middle of her, where the funnels and the boilers used to be. Two of these motor boats are over 60 feet long and go 45 knots! and carry 21-inch Torpedoes that go five miles! Imagine these let loose in a sea fight![15] Imagine projectiles far over a ton weight! going over a mile or more further than even the 13½-inch gun can carry, and that gun has rightly staggered humanity!--Yes! that 13½-inch gun that all my colleagues (bar one! and he is our future Nelson! [Jellicoe]) thought me mad to force through against unanimous disapproval! _and see where we are now in consequence!_ We shall have 16 British Dreadnoughts with the 13½-inch gun before the Germans _have one!!!_ So it will be with the “Non-Pareil”! WE HAVE GOT TO HAVE HER ... _I’ve worked harder over this job than in all my life before!_[16] * * * * * 1912. DEC. 29TH. ... I’m getting sick of England and want to get back to Naples and the sun! and the “_dolce far niente_!” What fools we all are to work like we do! Till we drop! CHAPTER XIII AMERICANS My very best friends are Americans. I was the Admiral in North America, and saw “American Beauties” at Bermuda. (Those American roses and the American women are equal!) And without question they are the very best dancers in the world! (I suppose it’s from so much skating!) My only son married an American lady (which rejoiced me), and an American gentleman on the steamer complimented me that she had come over and vanquished him instead of his going, as the usual way is, to America to capture her! I had such a time in America when I went over to the wedding! I never can forget the hospitality so boundless and sincere! I really might have spent three years in America (so I calculated) in paying visits earnestly desired. The Reporters (25 of them) asked me when I left what I thought of their country (I tried to dodge them, but found them all in my cabin when I went on board!) I summed it up in the one word I greatly admire--“HUSTLE!” and I got an adhesive label in America which I also loved! Great Black Block letters on a crimson ground--