NAVAL SCANDAL

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 245, 9 July 1908, Page 7

NAVAL SCANDAL

A COLLISION-SIGNAL. BERESFORD AND SCOTT ACAIN. ■ WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN. (by telegraph—press associatiox—copyright.) London, July 7. A correspondent has furnished "The Times" with an account of a strango evont alleged to have occurred in connection with tho operations of the Channel Fleet last weok. Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, Com-mander-in-Chief, signalled the cruisers Good Hopo and Argyll to perform an bvolution which, if it had been obeyed, would (the correspondent sta.tes) have brought, tho vessels into collision. ■ The Argyll (Captain Reginald Alleuby) obeyed tho signal, but Admiral Sir Percy Scott, aboard the Good Hopo, signalled doubts regarding the' accuracy of tho signal, and refrained from obeying it. Many newspapers a.dvise the Admiralty to take a decisive step with regard to Lord Beresford and the naval authorities. "SUBMIT OR RESIGN." "THE TIMES" ON LORD CHARLES BERESFORD. . A DRASTIC REMEDY."(Rec. July 9,. 0.40 a.m.) London, July 8. "The Timos". says that unless the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. M'Kenna) j is able to answer the House that the naval dissension is greatly exaggerated, and that there is no disunion in tho Navy, he will be bound to apply a drastic remedy, regardless of individual and personal susceptibilities. In other words, Lord Charles Beresford must submit or' resign. His> paramount duty is to act as a shining > example of discipline and subordination to constituted' authority.

FLAGSHIPS' GUNNERY.! The fact .that Admiral Lord Charles Beresford is at loggerheads, with Sir John Fisher (First Sea Lord of the Admiralty) and with Rear-Admiral Sir Percy Scott (Commander of the First Cruiser Squadron) has been mado patent by a number of incidents which have ■been recorded. Ono which has not received nfuch notice occurred early in the present year, when the following general signal was mado by Admiral Lord Charles Boresford to tho Channel Fleet "Tho battlo practice return for tho year 1907,' just issued, docs not includo seven ships of tho Channel Fleet, which made the following hits:—Commonwealth, 35: Hampshire, 32; Good Hope, 29; Africa, 26; Roxburgh, 22; Sapphire, 18; Hindustan, ,llv "These ships were delayed in their practice until March, 1008, owing to weather, refits, and other causes. In tho circumstances and conditions under which tho Channel Fleet fired the Commander-in-Chief is satisfied with tho results obtained. Immense trouble was taken by the slrips of the fleet in order to get.good results. "Their efforts were not always successful, notably in tho cases of tho King Edward Vll. and Good Hope." It is interesting to note that the King Edward VII. is Lord Charles Beresford's own flagship, while tho Good Hope (lies tho flag of I?ear-Admiral Sir Percy Scott, tho Navy's greatest gunnory expert.