Fusion and beam weapons transform the prewar balance

What changes if Canadian scientists discover practical fusion and beam weapons in 1910?

Under the scenario's assumptions, the British Empire gains a major naval and air-defense advantage that could delay aviation's military development, while heavy guns retain a bombardment role.

In this counterfactual, practical fusion-powered beam weapons reach Canada in 1910 and give the British Empire a major naval advantage. If reactors sustain the assumed rate and range of fire, defensive batteries would no longer depend on conventional ammunition stocks. Zeppelins and early aircraft could face effective defenses before faster aircraft or jet propulsion developed, although the outcome depends on how quickly the new weapons enter service. Heavy guns would still provide explosive shore bombardment beyond a beam weapon's direct line of sight. Beam weapons could replace secondary batteries and require their earlier installation in turrets. Clarke raises the difficulty of keeping a low-mounted beam clear of waves, while another participant argues that sufficiently high beam energy could overcome that obstruction. These are competing assumptions within the scenario, with no agreed performance specifications for the imagined weapons.