Dreadnought Science: The Cultural Construction of Efficiency and Effectiveness

Abstract

I have only just this moment received your letter of April 12th sent me by a special messenger by our Ambassador at Rome, and he calls for the answer to go by a King’s Messenger at 5 p.m. today, so I have not much time for reflection; but no reflection is required, as the whole matter of your letter is absolutely without difficulty, and it is just astounding how all the arguments you use are precisely identical with those employed by me with the support of Lord Kelvin in the verbal and informal discussions that took place on the ever memorable meetings with that great man in regard to the Dreadnought design. Admiral Lord Fisher writes from Naples to Winston Churchill (1912)1