Quote#Homeland
The first great and acknowledged object of national defence in this…
Quote byWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham · 1708–1778
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: Speech in the House of Lords (22 November 1770), quoted in W. S. Taylor and J. H. Pringle (eds.), Correspondence of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham: Vol. IV (1840), p. 12.
English (original)
The first great and acknowledged object of national defence in this country, is to maintain such a superior naval force at home, that even the united fleets of France and Spain may never be masters of the Channel.
— William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
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