▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁Meanwhile , ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁adjust ed ▁its ▁war ▁plans ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁Germany , ▁econom izing ▁on ▁def ending ▁against ▁less er ▁thre ats ▁in ▁peri pher al ▁areas ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Pacific ▁and ▁Indian ▁O ce ans . ▁Public ▁opinion ▁supported ▁military ▁sp ending ▁out ▁of ▁pride , ▁but ▁the ▁left ▁in ▁Britain ▁lean ed ▁toward ▁pac if ism ▁and ▁de pl ored ▁the ▁waste ▁of ▁money . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Por ter – Mac K en zie ▁debate ▁ ▁the ▁histor i ographical ▁issue ▁was ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁the ▁Imperial ▁experience ▁on ▁British ▁society ▁and ▁thinking . ▁ ▁Por ter ▁argued ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁that ▁most ▁Brit ons ▁were ▁largely ▁ind ifferent ▁to ▁emp ire . ▁Imperial ism ▁was ▁handled ▁by ▁el ites . ▁In ▁the ▁highly ▁heter ogeneous ▁British ▁society , ▁" imper ial ism ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁to ▁have ▁impact ▁greatly ▁on ▁British ▁society ▁and ▁culture ." ▁John ▁M . ▁Mac K en zie ▁counter ed ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁scattered ▁evidence ▁to ▁show ▁an ▁important ▁impact . ▁His ▁position ▁was ▁supported ▁by ▁Catherine ▁Hall , ▁Anto in ette ▁Bur ton ▁and ▁Jeff rey ▁Rich ards . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁survey ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁population ▁by ▁You G ov ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁respond ents ▁" th ink ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁is ▁more ▁something ▁to ▁be ▁proud ▁of ▁( 5 9 %) ▁rather ▁than ▁ash amed ▁of ▁( 1 9 %). ...