THE NEW BRITISH FIRST SEA LORD

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 127, 15 February 1918, Page 6

THE NEW BRITISH FIRST SEA LORD

AN IMPRESSION. (By One Who Knows Him.) "When a man is high up in the Navy and popular among all ranks, it means « good deal. It means that he is certainly "a good sort"' It means that he is a capable officer, a man of character and decision. If he is trusted by all in addition to being popular, then he may lie accounted with confidence fit to bear a heavy burden of responsibility in critical times. Such a burden has been laid upon Sir Rosslvn lirskine Wemyss, and, seeing that lie has both the qualifications just described, there is reason to believo as well as hope that he will be. both au energetic and resourceful First Sea. Lord. He has several advantages to start with: he is young for so high a, position, he has buoyant, health and spirits, iiis temperament is sanguine, his methods are vigorous and direct. Because he ouco commanded the royal yacht, because he took the Iving and Queen round tli© world in tlio Ophir (.when they were Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York), and the Duke of Conuaiight to South Africa in 1910, Admiral Wemyss has been called a '"courtier." It is true that these employments had up to the war brought his namo most prominent into the newspapers. But ho had done good work and shown himself skilful in the art of manag--111" men without getting any pubho credit for it As commandant, brst at Osborne and then at Dartmouth, he won the affectionate regard cf vaval cadets. When he was in charge ot the Naval Barracks at Devonport he was well liked by the men: his caro for their comfort won their gratitudo; his sense of justice, their respect. Ho was a "jolly good fellow always, who tempered discipline with a twinub ana a ready smile. Then when the war came, active service gave him, as it gave so many others, the first chance to show full> what were his talents as a leader and organiser. His work at the Dardanelles won him special recognition. In landing his forces and in withdrawing them he "rendered invaluable service, to which both naval and m,itary ch:le * paid tribute warmly. This set Ins foot upon the ladder of Higher Pioinotion! He was called to the Admiralty to become Second Sea Lord last Al, ni"re, he quickly made a good impression; which lasted and became stronger. Na one would claim t,.at j.c is either, intellectuiilly or by character a siiperir-an. But it is of immense advantage to have at the Admiralty a man of wide exnerience, of open mind and quick intelligence, readv to listen to the other men's ideas. "J 18 is convinced of the wisdom of advice to act upon it with decision. Admuat Wemvss is in the best sense a man of the world —tliat is, one who takes a world-wide and not a limited view. Ho sympathises with, youth and energy. He is a shrewd judge of. men. . Like Sir Douglas Haig. lie is a c'fflfcr " The Wemyss estate >n Scotland runs for- some distance aloiisrside that of the Haigs. But Adn.nat Wemvss prefers a warmer, eluuate o live in. He finds the sunshine and bine cI; V of Cannes more congenial than }tie erev skiw and the "east haar" of Me?hire His mother was a craiifUuicht ! nf William IV and Mrs. Jordan. His wife is the only daughter of one of our ablest Ambassadors during iho Victorian era. Sir -Robert Miner. Thl admiral brims over with gema - itv and good humour. He has a tl-> li.'ditfnllv boyish sense of fun. Carrjfc) his' fifty-three venrs very licTlooks "every inch a sailor, with V, ove"lass always firntlv screwed in ' nd a rovin? glance, a hustling gait, a resolute, jolly,, i-ind of expression end n'ovement. Ihe fact that his friends cMI him "Kosie shows what manner of man he is in private life. Nicknames arc only for the well-beloved.— "Daily Mail.