LORD FISHER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1036, 27 January 1911, Page 5

LORD FISHER.

HIS SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY. By Tcleeraph-Prcss Assoi-.iation-Couyriebt London, January 25. Admiral Lord Fisher to-day celebrates his 70th birthday, and retires from official life. THE KITCHENER OF THE NAVY. Lord Fisher was born in 1811, and entered the Navy in 1854. He served in tho Crimean AVnr, tho China War, and the Egyptian War, being in command of the lullexiblc at the bombardment of Alexandria. In IS9I he was appointed Admiral. Superintendent at Portsmouth Dockyard, and lias since held various distinguished positions in the service. Iu 1904. Admiral Fisher was appointed First Sea Lord, retiring last year; . He was made Baron Fisher of Kilverstouo in .1909. Lord Fisher, said a recent writer, is without doubt the strictest of disciplinarians. Ho is prepared to ride fough-shotl over any man. in carrying' out necessary reforms, and he has little patience with red' tape. He is willing, if needs be, to sacrifice,life to secure efficiency, oven in times of peace, as is shown by his policy of night manoeuvres under' war conditions. He counts, the individual as nothing compared with the good of the service. Hide-bound officials havo ever been shocked by his methods. Some time since the Admiralty established wireless telegraphy over its buildings in Whitehall. Lord Fisher knew that if other .Departments were informed there would be endless delay. Accordingly nothing was said, but one day a largo batch of sailors were brought up to London, and the apparatus was fixed and in working order in a very short time. Tw.o days later there came a horrified protest.from the Post Office, and in due course a high postal official interviewed the First Lord himself. "Your wireless apparatus is liable to kill any girl telegraphist in London at any time," he declared. "It has been in full working order for a week," his Lordship replied. "How many girls have been killed?" That apparatus stands to-day, still in full working order. In private life the First Lord reveals at every turn a great gift of humour. His store of sailors' yarns would set up anv professional raconteur for life. He is ready in speech and keen in repaTtce, and ho has various mottoes of his own which he drives home at every turn. "I- believe in the three ' H's,'" he once told a youni naval man: "'Hit first,' 'Hit hard,' and "keep on hitting.' That is what you've got to do." Queen Victoria once told him how anxious she was that a. distinguished French admiral, who was visiting Portsmouth, should bo treated with the utmost distinction. "Madam," the old sea dog replied, "I will kiss the admiral if you Eire tho word." '