Sept. 18.
Tue appointment of s Royal) Commission "'to report on the means of supply and storage of liquid fuel in peace and war, and its application to the engines of men-of-war, whether indirectly or by internal combustion," foreshadows the advent of the greatest revolution in men-of-war since the substitution of the steam-engine for the great sails of Nelson's day. There has been little in the way of sudden and revolutionary changes in naval construction in recent years, except in the adoption of the turbine engine for men-of-war of even the largest dimensions, but if, as is very probable, oil is to be substituted for coal, the whole position of the naval Powers may be changed, in the event of any dilatoriness being displayed by those nations who at present figure most largely in the discussion of naval and international strategic problems. That Great Britain is alive to the importance of taking definite action is clearly shown by the appointment of a very representative Royal Commission, under the chairmanship of Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, formerly First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, to investigate and report upon the question of oil fuel in all aspects. Both Lord Fisher and Mr. Winston Churchill are said to be in favour of the gradual adoption of oil fuel as substitute for coal, and it would seem, accordingly, that the bogey held up before the eyes of the striking coal miners in South Wales last year is not at all un. likely to assume very material shape. The motor ship Selandia, the property of the East Asiatic Steamebip Ca., has marked the cyming of the motor liner. Meanwhile, in naval quarters, Great \i-tain's submarines, which are, perhaps, fitted with the best mar-me motor engines in the world, reveal the great advantages to be gained by dispensing with coal fuel, and point the way to te final elimination from the bunkers of super-Dreadnoughts.
To look at the other side of the picture, it is obvious that the adoption of oil fuel exclusively in British ships would mean the abandoning of what has always been considered her greatest advantage, namely the possession of Welsh steam coal and of countless coaling stations throughout the world, These supplies con-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.