Those who study the conspectus of British sea power at the moment when the fog of war hid from view all that was occurring in distant waters would miss the real significance of the picture which British sea power presented at this dramatic moment if they failed to recognise the means by which the British Navy was able to impose an iron grip upon the great highways which are the life blood of British commerce. When war occurred the British sea power was predominant in all the outer seas in contrast with every other Power engaged in hostilities. At every point the British fleet was supreme in contrast with every other Power now engaged in hostilities. Austria and Italy were hardly represented outside the Mediterranean; Germany had only one armoured ship and two small cruisers in the Mediterranean and a few small cruisers in the Atlantic; in the Pacific, though she had the largest squadron of any Continental Power, the Admiralty regarded our forces as being at least twice as strong. This balance of strength was maintained in accordance with the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. From the moment of the ultimatum all the Empire was at war. At a hundred and one points of naval and military importance a state of war existed. Wherever the British flag was flying--and it flies over about one quarter of the habitable globe--officers and men of the sea and land services stood awaiting the development of events. What precise orders were issued by the Admiralty cannot be revealed, but telegrams which were received during the early days of hostilities indicated that at all the great junctions of the Empire sections of the British Navy had been concentrated, and their commanding officers directed to omit no measure necessary to maintain the lifeline of the Empire. Under the scheme of concentration which for ten years previously had been the outstanding feature, not only of British naval policy, but of the naval policy of all the Great Powers of Europe, the number of ships in distant seas had been reduced, but the fighting value of the British units was higher than ever before. The character of the British naval representation outside home waters when war began may be appreciated from the following official statement of the composition of the squadrons which were held on the leash by the Admiralty, awaiting the development of events: MEDITERRANEAN FLEET. BATTLE CRUISER SQUADRON.--Inflexible (Flag), Indefatigable, Indomitable. ARMOURED CRUISER SQUADRON.--Defence (Flag), Black Prince, Duke of Edinburgh, Warrior. CRUISERS.--Chatham, Dublin, Gloucester, Weymouth. ATTACHED SHIPS.--Hussar, Imogene. DESTROYER FLOTILLA.--Blenheim (Depot Ship), Basilisk, Beagle, Bulldog, Foxhound, Grampus, Grasshopper, Harpy, Mosquito, Pincher, Racoon, Rattlesnake, Renard, Savage, Scorpion, Scourge, Wolverine. SUBMARINES.--B 9, B 10, B 11. TORPEDO BOATS.--Nos. 044, 045, 046, 063, 064, 070. GIBRALTAR. SUBMARINES.--B 6, B 7, B 8.