When the Crimean War brought the two navies together as allies in ’54 the full effect of the new policy of the French had not yet been made apparent. Some apprehension existed in this country as to the adequacy and efficiency of our navy, when compared directly with that of France. But from then onwards this country became aware of the increasing hostility of the French public and government; speeches were made, and letters appeared in the press of both countries, which tended to fan the flames of fear and suspicion.[159] It was not till ’58, however, that general attention was drawn to the great strides which the French navy had made in recent years, and to the skilful way in which its position, relative to that of its great rival, had been improved. An article entitled “The Navies of England and France” appeared in the _Conversations Lexicon_ of Leipsic, and caused a great sensation. Reprinted in book form, with a long analysis and with a mass of information about the French, English and other navies and arsenals,[160] this notorious article brought apprehension to a head. Though written by no friendly critic, it was in most respects an accurate presentment of the respective navies and of their condition. The analysis of Hans Busk, while ostensibly exposing its bias and its inaccuracies, in effect confirmed the main contentions of the German article; in addition his book gave in spectacular columns a summary of the units of the rival navies, which gave food for thought. The article itself professed to show how much France had benefited by the bold and scientific manner in which she had handled the problem of naval construction since the coming of steam. Other factors were discussed, the forms of ships, the Paixhans system of armament, problems of manning and of education; but the factor which had caused the greatest accession of strength to France, by her wise divergence from the English policy, was (according to the critic) steam propulsion. In the case of paddlewheel steamers England, by her unscientific and ruinous experiments, had squandered millions of money and produced a series of crank and inefficient war vessels. In the case of screw ships England’s waste of exertions and money was even more surprising; the building of new ships and the conversion of others was carried out at an enormous cost with many galling disappointments. The French, on the other hand, took longer to consider the principle of the screw, but then, when their more scientific constructors had completed their investigations and analysed the new power, they acted thoroughly and without delay. From all of which the German critic inferred that England had good reason to watch with anxious eye the significant development of strength on the part of her neighbours across the Channel. “We must pronounce,” he concluded, “that with a nearly equal amount of _matériel_, the French navy surpasses the English in capacity and in command of men.