A PUNISHED ADMIRAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 460, 19 March 1909, Page 5

A PUNISHED ADMIRAL.

GERMINET REINSTATED, (nt TELEGRAM—PRESS association—copyright.) Paris, March 17. Admiral Germinet, who' was relieved of the commaud.of tho.,MecJiterjftncan Squadron, in December last, has been reinstated in his command. GERMINET'S ALLEGATIONS. ' Admiral Germinet, who some littlo time ago was promoted to the rank of vice-admiral, was appointed to tho command of the Mediterranean squadron on October 3. His career has been a distinguished one, and he has successively been a member of the military entourage of Presidents Carnot, Casimir-Perier, and Fehx Faure. He was commanded of the Pothuau when, during tho visit of M. Felix Faure to Kronstadt aad St. Petersburg, the Franco-Rus-sian alliance was proclaimed in the speeches delivered on board that vessel. In December last tho Clemcnceau Government relieved him of his command of tho Mediterranean Squadron because'he allowed himself to be interviewed by tho "Journal" on some previously published statement's, viz.: that the six newest French battleships had no ammunition for many of their guns, and that after a three-hours' action not only would the fleet bo unable to continue firing, but, owing to tho doficieucy of reserves in tho arsenals, it would" be unable to replenish its magazines in order to renew the .combat Admiral Germinet said to tho "Journal" interviewer:—

, "The statement is unhappily true, and I have the greater justification for saying so because I have hot only spoken but also written to the Minister about it. In my last report. I insisted on this point in a manner which was perhaps rather omphatic. Host of the ships in the squadron have tho regulation supply of ammunition of three hours' action, but the necessary reserves for renewing their supplies are not to bo found in our arsenals" The admiral added that when he was of Brest ho had pointed out that the port had not its full reserve of munitions of war. This condition of affairs had existed for ten or fifteen years. Since the change in naval armaments nothing had been done to complete the reserves in the arsenals. "As for what is said to-day," he continued, "many Deputies and all officers are aware of it, but it is a good thing that public opinion should bo informed on the subject."

In reporting the circumstances, tho Paris correspondent of "The Times" commented:— "There, have been very few precedents for tho severity of the penalty which has been inflictect upon Admiral Germinet, and tlie action of tho Government is subjected to a good deal of press criticism It is pointed out, in the first place, that Admiral Germinet is nn officer whose services tho country can ill afford to lose, and, secondly, that the animadversions which ho passed upon the inadequate nnval preparations of the Government have again and again been brought forward in tho Chamber, and have been endorsed by Ministers themselves. The British Government's treatment of Lord Charles Boresford in analogous oircumstances is cited by way of contrast. On the other hand, it is generally admitted that an officer in high command has no right to communicate to the press or to the public complaints regarding the service, and that he ought to confiiio himself to informing his official superiors. . In view of the present international situation Admiral Germinet's indiscretions were possibly regarded as doubly inconvenient. It is believed, however, that this incident has already produced a good effect by inducing the Government to hasten its measures for remedying the defects of which'the naval commander-in-chief in tho Mediterranean complained." I