TRIAL BY NEWSPAPER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 5

TRIAL BY NEWSPAPER

NAVAL OFFICER'S LIBEL ACTION SUCCEEDS £3000 DAMAGES AGAINST "THE FLEET" By Tolegrapii-Press AssociaUon-Gopyriuht London, May %. In tho case in which Captain Thomas Webster Kemp, formerly commander of the battleship London, sued Mr. Lionel Yexloy, editor of tho periodical "Tiio Fleet," for libel, t'ho jury awarded £HOOO damages. Stay of execution was refused. Mr. Yexley admitted that ho had only investigated tho men's case; and had not asked Captain Kemp for explanations. Ho stated that Lord Fisher (lato First Soa Lord) and Mr. M'Kennu (ex-First Lord of tho Admiralty) had thanked him for his services to the Navy.

The Judge, in summing up, protested against tho increase of tho pornicious habit of trial by newspaper. Mr. Yoxloy's was tho most ragged plea of justification ho had over seen. If Captain Kemp was a strict disciplinarian tho jury must say whether ho was blameworthy for discontent on tho battleship London.

Captain Kemn was recently senior naval officer in tho Persian Gulf. Mr. Yexley was at ono timo in tho Navy, but resigned in 189S to t-nko up journalism and to fipht tho vicious system of victualling tho Navy , and running naval canteens. Ho has published several books on naval matters. At the opening of the case Captain Kemp's counsel stated that the paper appealed to the lower deck and solicited from the crew criticisms of their superior officers., An article on the battleship London likened the conditions aboard to the swashbuckling at Zabern.' Captain Kemp, in his evidence, denied that tlie vessel was soothing with discontent. Ho admitted that he had not been Teappointed to the command of the London when the vessel was rFcommissioii«li