Ehmm Jim regarding the following statement and question:

""Britain in 1914 did not need to fight to "Rule the Waves"

Then tell me Jim, in 1914 what navy in the world could seriously challenge the might and power of the Royal Navy?"

I know that you rarely if ever actually deal in facts but the first part of that - in 1914 - was a simple statement of fact reflecting the reality of the age, a reality that had existed historically since the 21st October 1805.

The second part is a simple straightforward honest question that once again you have ducked, if it is indeed "posturing" as you claim (You do tend to claim rather a great deal Christmas without ever providing any substantive evidence to back up those claims) then here is your chance to prove me wrong - the floor as they say is yours, but I will make a prediction - you will provide nothing, you will continue to ignore the question just as you did the one about your previous claim about Kitchener being forced to resign (Remember that one??)

By the way Christmas the other question you ducked (And you do duck so many of them) related to your definition of "the powers that be" - Care to enlighten us as to exactly who they are? We all know the organisation responsible for organising and hosting the dinner was the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Reported Fact - Even in the Guinard) so where does this come from?

" the insulting fact that while the commemoration wa taking place the Government was facilitating arms fairs."

Christmas, since when has the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry formed and been recognised as being the Government of the United Kingdom?

"Can our pro war mongers explain what the fuck any of their bluster and waffle has to go with BBC Radio 2 and Oh What a Lovely War?" - One Musket or probably several

Think it has something to do with the fact that some think that this play and latter film represented what actually happened during the First World War, others, myself included, pointed out that it didn't, that it was crap based on and inspired by, crap (Alan Clark's book "The Donkeys") and "all this bluster and waffle" as you call it has been backed up by well documented facts and the considered opinions of historians who have spent a great deal of time and effort studying a great deal of evidence (written, visual and audio) sourced from people who were actually present at the events they were writing about.

All neatly summed up in the printed version of the Kings College Lecture delivered by Professor Brian Bond that I provided a link to previously. I understand your question Musket and more importantly the reason why you felt the need to ask it - after all you did admit yourself that "you didn't read anything"..