Last week another battleship slid down the ways of a British shipyard. One anchor broke after she left the ways, but the second held and the vast shell of the 35,000-ton battleship Prince of Wales floated easily in midstream of the River Mersey. Launchings have lately been commonplace ceremonies in the ceremonial-ridden British scene. Last twelvemonth has seen two battleships, one aircraft carrier, two cruisers, 16 destroyers, seven submarines launched.
But there was nothing perfunctory about the launching of the Prince of Wales. It came less than three months after the launching of her...