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"Enemy In Sight!" In July 1914, just eight days before the World War broke, George V reviewed 228 war boats off Spithead in the greatest steam-past of his reign. Last week he scanned 160 war boats, including the Australian flagship, H. M. A. S. Australia which recently brought H. R. H. the Duke of Gloucester home from his tour Down Under (TIME, April 8). Last week Gloucester was marooned on the Australia while the King's other three sons were with His Majesty on the brass-funneled Victorian royal yacht Victoria and Albert. From her forepeak flew the Leopard of the Lord High Admiral of England, the King. Sixty-four special trains chuffed in with a trampling, eager throng which other means of transport swelled to 250,000. In all 54 females fainted. With the sun blistering down, George V received on his yacht slews of gold-laced admirals, sea-peacocks who arrived in glittering barges, plus the more drab captains of liners sent to the review as "floating grandstands," the Berengaria, Alcantara and Arandora Star. On some of these, British spenders paid as much as $250 per head for the day's outing in a deluxe suite. Snapping their Kodaks, they caught the Victoria and Albert steaming up and down eight lanes of sheer, breathtaking Sea Power. Twenty-one-gun salutes rang agreeably in George V's ears—for the thunder of a three-pounder is not noise but music to His seagoing Majesty. That night the British Fleet was "lit up like a Portuguese Carnival"—as an admiring Portuguese diplomat remarked— but next day the King's delighted subjects were left behind, the floating grandstands were signaled not to follow, and His Majesty led the fleet to sea in war formation, flying from his yacht a signal meaning "THE ENEMY IS IN SIGHT." No enemy was ever sighted, but the big guns pounded away at H. M. S. Centurion, a target ship controlled by radio. Of 320 "dead" shells fired at the Centurion, 56 hit the mark. Last of the maneuvers was the one stunt feature of this month's air, land and sea reviews. The King, who despises stunts, barely consented to watch a new-fangled gadget called a Queen Bee zip off the deck of an aircraft carrier and fly without a pilot by radio control to attack H. M. S. Rodney. To the oldfangled Monarch's immense satisfaction the first Queen Bee tumbled into the water almost before it got started and the second was shot down by Rodney's quick-firing 4.7 in. guns.
Happy as the great review closed, George V, as Lord High Admiral of England, ordered "Splice the main brace!" This used to mean that every man aboard got a ration of rum nicely calculated to make him feel elated without getting him too drunk to be of further use— ⅛pint. Today those who do not wish to become elated can ask for a limeade, never mentioned by the King without picturesque additions.