AUSTRALIA'S NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1665, 4 February 1913, Page 7

AUSTRALIA'S NAVY.

ADMIRAL/SIR PERCY SCOTT ASKED to command: . . ' _ i. - .:''.' Br Telegraphs-Press Association—Oopyrlßht ,;:• , :.,■■.,'■.■: ■•'.;.';;.Melbourne,;February X . '^Efforts'aro being madetd induce ViceAdmiral Sir Percy, Scott to accept tho position of Admiral of tho AustralianNavy.: .The negotiations aiti n'tit'lyet com- ''•'; •;'" ',' '■■'■ .-,' /' '" ! ."'' :." ,'■ Vice-Admiral'Sir, Percy Soott'is 59 years of age, and has served 46 years in the Navy! Beforo he, attained the rank of captain in 1893 he saw service'in Ashanti, in the Congo expedition of 1875, and in thc-.Egyptian War.of 1)82.i In the South African War Captain Goott scrvedUn the early months on nhoro; with ' the Naval Brigade,, and rendered great service in transporting, heavy guns. It was while he was captain of the Scylla in 1898 that Captain Scott developed tho theory of gun practice, with-which his name will always be associated in the Navy!. Captain Pcroy Scott was made commander of tho gunnery school at Whale Island, and with the support of Sir John Fisher,.then First Sea Lord, he introduced a new system of training, tho principle underlying which was that the men should be trained by repeatedly doing: the thing and not by reading cut of a book how it'was to bo done. When he was promoted to flag rank, at,the commencement of 1905, Rear-Admiral Scott was appointed to tho newly-instituted post of inspector of naval target i practice. For the first time the system was given a chance, and the results of all the gun practices were phenomenal. '. ' ;'