ADMIRALS QUARREL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1748, 13 May 1913, Page 6

ADMIRALS QUARREL.

SIR PERCY SCOTT AND LORD C. BERESFORD. ' SLASHING ATTACK. HISTORY OF FAMOUS SIGNALS. Admiral Sir I'crcy Scott, who has just retired from the active list, publishes in tho current "British Review" a slashing attack oil Lord Charles Borosford, and relates his version of tho history of the famous signals between tlio admirals of tho Channel Fleet. Sir Percy begins by stating that Jn 1907 Lord diaries, then commanding the Channel Fleet, was in a state of insubordination against tlio Admiralty, and lie declined to take part iu the crusado against authority. "Paintwork" Signal. Sir Percy deals with tho famous "paintwork preferred to gunnery" signal which he made to tho cruiser Roxburgh.' On tin's occasion, he says, Lord Charles acted "in a hasty, high-handed, and intemper- I ate manner," and in a report to their lordships the Commissioners of the Admiralty he recorded his misconceptions in the following language:— Tho gross insubordination and contemptuous tone of Sir Percy Scott's signal calls for a severo punishment in tlio interests of discipline and loyalty to command, l am not in a position to try Rear-Admiral Sir Percy Scott by courtmartial, or to relievo him of tho command of tlio First Cruiser Squadron placed in his chargo by the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty without reference to the Admiral commanding the Channel Fleet. (This was a very remarkable statement for him to make to those in authority over him.) I am therefore not in a position to nicto out to Kear-Admiral Sir I'ercy Scott any punishment suitable to so giave and outrageous an offence against my authority as Commander-in-Chief. I submit that after such a public insult to my authority beforo the Fleet under my command Rear-Admiral Sir Percy Scott.should bo superseded from the command of tlio Pir=l- Cruiser Squadron. "Their lordships tho Commissioners of the Admiralty dealt with the case by informing me that my signal mot with their grave disapproval"

The Commander-in-Chief's Leg, Four years afterwards, says Sir Percy, Lord Charles returned to the attack in his baolc "The Betrayal." Uelorc dealing with the details, Sir Percy slates that fleet semaphores are used lor general conversation between commanders, and quotes the following, "to point out that a little flippancy has sometimes been introduced iiHo semaphore messages transmitted and received by Lord Charles:— Commander-in-Chief thinks it is captain of Swiftsure who lias informed Lady as regards the Commander-in-Chief's leg. Commander-in-Chief's kg lias much improved, and only swelled slightly, and then only after a long day. Commander-in-Chief thanks the captain of Swiftsuro for his inquiry." Rear-Admiral to Vice-Admiral. "I hope that you had a good day's 6port, and that the motor-car ran satisfactorily." Vice-Admiral to Rear-Admiral. . "The fishing was a failure, but the car behaved like a lady," Rear-Admiral to Vice-Admiral. "I hope that she was fast enough for your lordship's requirements." Sir Percy then' states that on November i, 190/, lie signalled from his flagship the Good Hopo 'to the Roxburgh:— "Paintwork appears to- be mors in demand tluui guMKiry,' so you had better come in, in time to make yourself look pretty by tho Sth (the date •when tho Kaiser was expected).' "This message was semaphored before the receipt ot any order from Lord Charles to suspend gunnery. 'Two hours later' Lord' Charles arrived, and after anchoring, mado a signal to the Roxburgh to bo 'out of routine,' that is, sho was to suspend her gunnery, and devote her energy to painting. Practically 1 forestalled his order. Someone, whose name I suppress, tapped my conversation with tho captain of the Roxburgh, and communicated it to Lord Charles, who, without calling upon me for an explanation, reprimanded me, and informed mo that lie had requested tlio Admiralty to supersede mo." Not on Speaking Terms, "A further deplorable example to the officers and men under his command was Lord Charles Beresford's order to mo not to speak to him,, but only to communicate with hiin in writing. Such an act was extraordinary and fatal; it made him tho laughing-stock of (he Fleet, and thereby undermined tho _ authority lie should have had, and which it was his paramount duty to support. , Sir Percy then deals with the second signalling incident referred to in "The Betrayal." Lord Charles, ho says, reflects upon his (Sir Percy's) professional ability by "deliberate falsehoods," and this reflection "Lord Charles wishes, by jiis book, to hand down to posterity. Tho intention is dishonourable, and I will crush it."

"An Amazing Signal." Sir Percy relates how on manoeuvres Lord Charles took the command of tho cruiser squadron out of Sir Percy's hands. The cruisers Good Hope and Argyll wore abeam 1300 yards apart when "Lord Charles hoisted the amazing signal: "3rd Division turn together 1G points to starboard. Good Hope turn 10 points to port." To linvo obeyed that signal would lmye been "the Victoria and Cnmperdown over again." The Good Hope ■ turned to slurboard instead of to port, and kept her pennant at the dip, which means, "I sco the signal, but do not understand it." Lord Charles, when tho danger was past, signalled! "Did Good llopo take in the signal to turn to port? If Good Hope took in tho signal to turn to ■ port, and the rearadmiral thought Good Hope was 100 cloSh to Argyll, the rear-admiral was right in turning to starboard. "An officer of my standing does not think that a ship is teo close; he knows whether she is too close or not, and it was unnecessary to tell me that it was right to avoid ii collision. I replied to Lord Charles:— . "Good Hope took m a signal to turn to port, but did not go clo«e up as thero was DANGER ifi such a turn. As the signal to turn to port was hauled down before Good Hope had-answered it, I concluded that tho DANGER had been reali<cd and Good ITow therefore acied 011 the signal to the 3rd Division to turn to starboard. _ "I well knew that the signal was danporous, and so 1 publicly told Lord Charles Reresfoid. The officers i-pstinn-sib'.o for the safety of 11.M.?. Good iTcpi knew that the signnl was dangerous, and Hie navigating officcr of the Argyll icro*,r tlinl: tho sisrnal was dangerous. This particular officer wa? in the Camperdown when she sunk the Victoria.

"Lord Charles Not a'Seaman." "On toco 4 of his hook Lord Charles vwy riffhlly says Hint (ho (vin only lenrn his trails at =oa. In point of view of his education, I have always thnurhf that tlie Admiralty treatnl T.-ord Charles very Wily )>,v not piviufj hi'" sufficient' opportunity 'tit foa' to acouiro the »wssary knowledge for ostablishini: a reputation as a seaman. Oat of the twenty-one years of his service in the Kavy as a commander and captain he only served in a sln'p of war al sea for five years. This eonld not. and did not. niaUo a seaman of him. "I cannot find aiivthini to support (hp assumption that I.ord Charles ever a j-cputnUon as a seaman." For Bronchial CVhirlis and Colds, Woods' Grunt Peppermint Cnro, Is. Gd.* Now methods nC billeting troops arcs beini; tried in the Aldcrshot district. Householders who Rive a soldier a bed indoors and two hot meals a day will bo paid Is. fid.; where the.soldiers avo housed in barns Is. Id. is paid; mid where shelter is pivoii without, food the payment is Gd. ill a house and id. in a iiarn. The two nights' billeting for 10,000 tn.uipj under "fishtinj; orders" will eust nearly .SittOO.