Commerce protection changes the fleet plan

Corbett rejects the claim that destroying the enemy fleet always solves commerce defense. If that fleet refuses battle, trade remains exposed to squadron and cruiser raids while the stronger navy waits for a decision. Economic endurance and public pressure can compel commanders to protect trade even when doing so disperses forces or produces a less favorable battle plan. Positions near an enemy coast can therefore serve both contact and trade protection, rather than being judged only by their chance of producing a fleet action. Corbett's warning is practical: a naval maxim that ignores commerce may be logically neat but strategically unusable.