In the crisis that naval warfare had reached, any useful consideration of this subject demanded an examination of the purposes in which torpedoes would be employed, the character of the vessels that would carry them, and the instruments from which they would be discharged. The literature on these subjects was already prolific, particularly in France, where the recent budget had shown how favourably Admiral Aube, the Minister of Marine had been impressed with the statements respecting the power and efficiency of Whitehead torpedoes and their carriers, the torpedo boats.