FISHER EXONERATED

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 587, 16 August 1909, Page 7

FISHER EXONERATED

BERESFORD'S CHARGES. . SOME MUTUAL MISUNDERSTANDING. COMMITTEE'S REPORT. (By Tqleßrapb,-l're«» ABiocjaUon.-TOoDTrlrhi.l (Rec. August 15, 5.55 p.m.) London, August 14. The Sub-Committee of tbo Cabinet that was appointed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith—mainly as. the result pf representations by Admiral Lord Charles Beresford-'' has issued its report on recent , allegations made against the Admiralty. "No Danger to the Country." The report declares that during tihe time covered by Admiral Boresford's allegations --namely, Aftril, 1907, to April, 1908—no danger to tho country resulted from the Admiralty's arrangements for wax, whether considered from the standpoint of organieution, or of the distribution of the fleets, the number of ships, or the preparation of war plans. The Sub-Committee continues:

''Wβ feel bound to add that the arrangements made were quite defensible in themeelyea, thougli not ideally poffcot; anil that they were' in praotdpe seriously hampered thwugh the abseppo of qqrdiol.' relations between the Board qf Admiralty ond the Com-mander'in-Cluef of the Channel' Fleet (then' Admiral Boresford), The Admiralty do aot appear to have taken Admiral Beresford sufficiently jpto %}\e\f copfidpnoo 1 regardlng tie reasons for the dispositiona to which he took esoeption, Admiral Beresford, (>n the other hand, appears to have ifailed to appreciate or carry qut the: spirit of. ■'. th? Admiralty Board's instructions, end/to 'recognise their paramount authority," .;. ; .' \

Wanted—A Naval War Staff. ; :The Siib-Qmnmittee infers the existence of differences pf opinion among officers of high rank.on taaval strategy and taotioa, and looks forward with muoh confidence to tho further development of a Naval ; War- Staff,- from whioh. rnprnbe'rs of tho Board of Admiralty, and. Flng OfQpera aid their staffs at, eea, may he expected to derive ft epmjnon benefit. , The B«b'Cominittefl..DO)isißted.'p{,,.Messrs. Asqiuth a,nd Haldnne, Lprds. Morloy -and Orewe, and Sir Eclward QreyV '; \- ~ ■■;•'■/ . jAPMLRAi. FAILURE; > : :■■'../■'■'. -' HIS.MAIN POINTS, >.;..-'> : %, ; It was known in June that the Subcommittee's verdict was in favour of the Admiralty and Sir John Fisher. "The' announcement, • wrote ■Mγ.-"Wm;, Maxwell in' tho "Daily Mail," "that the Committee of the Cabinet appointed to investigate the charges brought by Lord Charles, Beresfordwill give ,:its verdict in favour of'the Admiralty and Sir John Fisher should surprise nobody whp has followed the course of the inquiry. ..;. ," : •';'"." ' r: Reputation not Sustained. ' ,-.-■,..-.'■ f'The inquiry lips revealed two things—that Lord. Charles Beresford is ■. neither so • inti., mately acquainted with the. details of Ad- , miralty.administraUon as.:his : admirers be.' lieva nor so successful in'.the. witness-box as he. can bo on the nlattqrm, ■,' ,' ' ■'' . ."The principal •charges which , be brought against tno Affuiivalty m.ay be put under three heads: ■■'■.. ' .' ; . ,' : . '.;'.'. -•., -.-. ■ <:/'.;.\ ■■;-;'. (1) That the .Admiralty; ,sHowed gross, neeli-' .. gence in not''providing..a greater number. ': 'of small" cruisers , and torpedo , craft; " ■'■ (2) That tho distribution and organisation/.of ■■: the Fleet in home .waters wero. bad. ; ~■ (3) That'the Navy wus not 'prepared for war andr-'that the ■• Admiralty/• had no. .'^var, ' ■ .P lttUS -'- (:!?Vi .A' :-^ : ":'>J>,Ztin l»r :■ "Upon these points the investigation'turned. During tho oarly day.S ,of tho iinquiry,.'Lord Charles Beresford ;wi\s 'lo'Ud '.' in iiis: praise of. the.-conduct 'constitution of.; the. Committee.' Its 'jfloniljerp ■gave , .' him, every.- assistance in. their power, but it was- soon evident that Lord Charles Beresford without a staff at his elbow'was in.no : position to.substantiate his' charges.'.'■;.■ . v ,, / .. ~. ';, |' :

Accusor's Alleged Ignorance, '.'' "■ . "The indictment was' vague ; . in t;rma and grew niore and more shadowy tinder.examination. It may sound hni'fih,. yet it is undeniable that; in., the, opinion of expert witnesses and iropartiaK judges,, Lord/Charles Beresford, while failing to establish his case, succeeded in .proving his own lack of ac : quaintance. with the- condition of the■ Navy: and its . higher administration.' : ~; • " . "TJpon the first point—the lack of ' small cruisers and .torpedo-'craft—ho'showed: want of knowledge of what has boon done and- is being done in that' direction.'.-. '■'■'■:. : "Upon the: question of'. organisation and distribution ho .had no' case' t6'uphold, seeing that tbo' policy' ■Uβ ■ advocated 1 ; is; policy, adopted by the Board of Admiralty. . J "Upon tuo question of preparedness for wa*. Lord Charles Beresford was'eijuallyWunfor-. tijnnte. Liko many others, he may hw imag- , ' ined himself in the secrets of • tho Admiralty or nmy. have deemed the official silence as to plans for defence a proof Of their non-exist-ence.. In either caa> ho was mistaken." .'. /Naval Strategic Department. :■'.:; i\" . ; The Naval War Staff referred to in'the Committee's report bears a likeness to the' Strategic Department, which, in his June speech, Admiral Beresford said wasi But Mr, Maxwell on this and other points in ,the Admiral's speech. ■.. ■.:. .•:.', ■•■-,. .; . '.. "Strategic Department: Such $'Department is certainly most desirable; but it cannot be owsted either by a platform oration, or by a of the:pea. The men for such work aro not ready.-maate.. It is at least to the'credit of the Admiralty that they have;reoogmsed this requirement and have been for three, years steadily creating a Strategic: , Department which is even now boing actually consolidated. It is, by the way, a notable feature in Lord Charles Beresfqrd's oareer as an agitator that he ofton agitates for things whioh ho knows are already decided upon or even 'faits acconjplis,' He is' thus enabled to take his sharp pf t|)C credit for them. ' '.'" ■;., ' '■ ;■■',:''. ..,.' . ."•;-. ■;' •':... •■ Flgating Docks. ■ :.; ''; ' "Lord Charles Beresford kuowsi. that these are' to bo provided, enough —he puts them in his demands. Depleted Stores: Doubtless Lord ; Charles Beresford founds this oharge on the fact; that soon after the.victualling changes were introduced by. the Admiralty, and before tho system was properly established, his ships were unable to draw'the full amounts on the new scale when he suddenly ordered them to complete with three months'. provisions. There is, I believe, no other basis for the Coal: The reserves, of coal everywhere abroad are com-. ploto. At Home we get our supplies direct from the'collieries, and maintain a'reserve only for first needs. Thie reeeuve is also complete. CanWi imagine a coal strike during war? Ammunition: These reserves, too, are complete and ample. Uis to the credit of the Admiralty .that in the past two years or spthey have made good former deficiencies in rdspeot not only of reserves pf ammunition but of reserves of guns. Foreign Repairing Stations. 1 : : , ' "What doqs^'Lord Charles Beresford mean? There is at each station abroad an efficient re, pairing station , ; How otherwise could our ships exist for two years In these seaa? • Does Lord Charles Beresford ask for other stations to be equipped whero they are not now required—on the.bare ohanco that , a stray ship niay use them in war? Surely, Lord Charlos Beresford will agree that every penny .we can get we want for the defence of the heart of the Empire."' ; ■- ~.•■.'.■: ',- .; ■>~..'