Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 55:20-56:23

What did it mean for imperial planners to entertain a proposal?

Discussion meant retaining Singapore among possible plans, while entertaining it meant moving toward action when the threat, timing, and resources made the proposal viable.

Committee Of Imperial DefenceImperial DefenceNaval PlanningSingapore Strategy
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Question

What is the difference between a committee discussing a proposal and entertaining it?

Short answer

Discussion keeps an option under consideration, while entertaining it means moving toward action when it becomes viable or necessary.

Notes

A viewer asks about the parliamentary distinction between discussing and entertaining a proposal. In this usage, discussion places an option among relevant plans, whereas entertaining it implies that officials are prepared to act on it. Earlier committees could therefore revisit a Far Eastern base while deferring construction because Europe, the First World War, or other defense priorities came first. Earlier inaction did not prove that the base had never been considered strategically useful.