modern steamers; steamers which are becoming larger and swifter
and safer every year, more and more adapted for ocean trade. For
not only have the writings of Mahan brought about an increase in
the sea power of every great country; but this increase has so
aroused the attention of the engineering professions that the
improvement of ships, engines, and other sea material has gone ahead
faster than all the other engineering arts.

The reason why the engineering arts that are connected with the
sea have gone ahead more rapidly than any other arts is simply
that they are given wider opportunity and a greater scope. It is
inherent in the very nature of things that it is easier to transport
things by water than by land; that water transportation lends itself
in a higher degree to the exercise of engineering skill, to the
attainment of great results.

The underlying reason for this difference seems to be that it is
not possible to make any vehicle to travel on land appreciably
larger than the present automobile, unless it run on rails; whereas
the floating power of water is such that vehicles can be made, and
are made, as large as 65,000 tons. The _Mauretania_, of 45,000
tons displacement, has been running for eight years, larger vessels
are even now running and vessels larger still will undoubtedly
be run; for the larger the ships, the less they cost per ton of
carrying power, the faster they go, and the safer they are.

Sea commerce thus gives to engineers, scientists, and inventors,
as well as to commercial men, that gift of the gods--opportunity.
The number of ships that now traverse the ocean and the larger
bodies of water communicating with it aggregate millions of tons,