The Dominion. THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1909 ADMIRAL BERESFORD AS ALARMIST.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 488, 22 April 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1909 ADMIRAL BERESFORD AS ALARMIST.

weigK. : ;very.".iittle. with'jhim.'.- 1 are aware of his' barlior'''ach'ibveme.'nts, ; of-j his gallantry and disregard,!.?!!-:; ganger;;:" and some, know,.■ of. 'his personal' sacrifices of office : and : 'po'a'itipn'v rather '.tha.n;.:.;a'ccopt;' high honours, under, conditions whiphj in: his opinion, "■were : ;'inimical,vto the* interK' ests-of theVcouhtry; ;! office of 'Junior :.:B|ea:lord 1 ; of; the; Admiralty, for instance, ■ ho.'made!;V'sfifenuqus effort to ..securo : the. creation of ai. general: staff and an. intelligence department,...and. when all his. efforts failed to convince his, superiors he did not hesitate to. tender his resignation of the office. The result was that the intelligence department was created. Again,.; when some three : ;years ago he .was offered the highpost of Com-, mander of the Channel' Fleet, he declined tho command because the fleet had been so' weakened that in his judgment-it: would have been in danger o£ defeat!in tho .event of sudden attack. His concern was not personal, but he felt that the interests of the nation demanded that he should make this protest. In the . end certain conditions which he 'had stipulated for were complied" with and the fleet strengthened. All that he asked, .however, ■was not granted, and although he accepted the command, it has ■ been generally understood that he has "never been satisfied'with the strength of. the. Home Fleet. His latest warning but endorses his previously expressed opinion. How far his differences with the First Lord nf the Admiralty are differences of opinion, or differences arising out.of'the inability of Sir John Fisher .to procure from tho Government sufficient funds' to carry out all that is needed in tKe way of naval development, can only be guessed at. Which of these two great naval experts is right, and which wrong has formed the subject of so much discussion and has produced. such diversity of opinion that it is practically impossible, to judge. Lord Beresford's retirement from active service is a. serious loss to the Navy, but it /should, however, have a beneficial effect in two directions.' It should assist to, remove the friction which ■ is said to have grown \ip •; within the Navy itself between the. Fisher school and the Beresford school of naval .officers; and it should strengthen the,hands of' Sir John Fisher by compelling the Government to place; at his disposal a more liberal al-. lowance for naval purposes. \- Admiral Beresford as a campaigner in favour of increased; naval, development would probably arouse, the people of Britain-as no other man living could do, and the Government dare not ignore, public opinion on a matter of such vital importance as the Bafety of the country. It is possible that the dark ; ;.suggestion; conveyed , in Lord Beresford' s , communication to the Navy League might be minimised wore the'whole facts upon which it is based bxposed to the criticism of the Admiralty. Buti in any case it. is sufficiently disquieting' to be certain .to 'provoke a further outburst of popular/feeling on naval' .matters... '..:;;..■ .V--...',-" ■;.'"

1 Lord Charles Beresford, who retired from the command of the Channel Fleet and from active service a few weeks ago, has, according to a cablegram published this morning, appealed in a role which must have an important bearing on the vital issues now under discussion affecting Britain's naval supremacy. He is reported to have written, to a Navy League gathering that "if the country knew the real truth [in regard to-Bri-tain's naval strength] there would be a panic." Grave words of this nature coming from an officer of the standing and experience of Lord Charles Beresford must carry weight with thoso in authority; but their effect, probably, will be most felt.through tho impression they will convey to the public, with whom tho Admiral is perhaps ,thc most popular naval idol of his time. It is common knowledgo that Lord Beresford and the First Lord of the Admiralty, jSm John .Fisher, are not in agreement on certain, questions of naval policy,. Both aro undoubtedly great, naval officers, both have splendid records and a wide experience to guide them, and both aro actuated by the highest motives, and are possessed of the one idea of'maintaining the unquestioned supremacy of the British Navy. But they are in disagreement, how far it is impossible to say, and the friction which has occurred between them has been, a source of concern to all who placo tho well-being of tho nation before 'personal partisanship. It is to be feared that the alarmist note now sounded by Lord Charles Beresford is but a further evidence of his disagreement with the policy of the First Lord, although, on tho other hand, it may be designed to strengthen Sir John Fisher's position in tho direction of enabling him to force, the Government to carry out tho full naval programme respecting which they continuo to temporise. Lord' Charles Beresford has mado it perfectly plain that although he has retired from active service, his activity in matters of naval policy will be in no way diminished. And when he has arrived at a conclusion as to the right courso to pursue he has a habit, of going through with a thlng—poroonul considerations