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WHY LORD JELLICOE WAS REMOVED

ESSENTIAL IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST "

SIR ERIC GEDDES'S ACTION

, . The 6nbjeot of Lord Jellicoe was raisI ed in the House of Commons during the j first week in March by Mr. Oeorge'Lani- • bort, who was once a Civil Lord of tho ■ Admiralty. He asked if the reorganisaj tion of the Admiralty was eimply on es(cuse for the dismissal of Lord Jellicoe. I Tho dismissil was preceded oy methods i with whioh they were strangely familiar. 'There were attacks in "cartain news- 1 papers," and Sir Edward protested againaf thorn in a epeeoh at tho Constitutional Club, and paid tributes to Lord Jellicoe. Was Sir Edward Carson, as a member of (Jie War Cabinet then, consulted as to the removal oi Lord Jellicoa?

"Certainly hot 1" said Sir .'Edward Carson emphatically. Proceeding, Mr. Lamwrt haid that tho Navy and Army were now controlled not by men like ],ord I'isher. Sir William .Robertson, and Lord Jellicoo. but by seoond-rate sailors and soldiers. Either the Press was controlled by tho Government or the Government - vas controlled by the Press.

Sir Edward Carson replied, at once to the part of tho speech which toncorned himself. "I cannot let the occasion pass," he said, "without etating hero what I havo stated before, that from my experience of Lord Jellicoe while I was at the Admiralty I saw no one and knew no one who was at ail his tqual for tha partioular position he occupied. When I made the reference to Lord Jellicoe in my speech at tho Constitutional Club 1 was' smarting under the constant nnd persistent efforts of a section of the' Preos whioh might indeed he Miid to bo associated with the: Government to try and get Lord Jellicoe turned out of his post. One of the greatest difficulties I met with vas the constant persecution that oocurred—l can call it nothing else •—of certain'high officials cf the Admiralty, who conld hot spjak 'or themselves, a persecution which I could have traoed, no doubt, to i f a most malignant character. Over >nd over ogam whilo I wai at the Admiralty persistent pressure was put npon me—l need hardly say I resisted t—to remove , offioials, and among others Lord Jellicoe. Questions to First Lord. , "I asked over and over again, 'For what reason?' The sooner this country understands that thess attacks in tho Presa on high permanent - fecials carrying out anxious war duties can only have the result of weakening the administration of the war the hotter it 'will be for'the country. It is utterly impossible to expect a .nan like Lord Jellicoe, working from morning rill night and sometimes all night, to fulfil the duty to the State, calmly and deliberately acting solely on his own jndgmont, if every second day he is to bp attacked in some wretohed rag of a newspaper I Ido not care what it calls itself—whether _ 'The Friend' or 'The Sailors' Friend,' or what (Cheers.) Ir, my judgment any Government worth its salt oucnt to take ■the most drastic steps possible against Buch papers, and if they havo not got the neoes3ary powers they ought to obtain them to prevent their officials bein2 maligned in this way. "As to Lord Jelliooe's dismissal, I am not quarrelling with that now. It is Sir Eric Geddes's business, not mine. All I can say is that' while I wm at the Ad. jniralty Lord Jellicoe had not only my most' absolute confidence, but also, I believe, that of 9 per cent, of the Floet. I never met a more competent man or one with greater knowledge, and for my, part, although I do not know the reasons for Lord Jellicoe's dismissal, I look upon liis dismissal as a national oal amity. I am bound to say that in justice to Lord 'Jellicoc, who has never said a single word sinoe he wont"

Sir Edward said he was not oonsulted, nor, so far as- he knew, was tho War Cabinet. He fast heard of'it whilo snowbon'nd On .a railway, station returning 'from his holiday.' "Two countrymen were speaking of it. Orto said that Jellicoe had been dismissed, and made a Peer. The pthcr was puzeled. 'I suppose,' he said, 'that if they turned him out it was because he had done some thing wrong. Why, then, did they niakg him a lord?' And I could not but feel tEat there was a. great deal of commonsense in that statement.

"Is the First Lord really going to tell Jib that in this crisis of the country's fato the greatest living sailor is to remain on tha -unemployed list? That would bo an outrage not only to Lord tJellicoe but to the country. I agree with la young naval officer who wroto to me on the subject from America: 'Toll whoever is the author of this outrage, from thirteen of ps here in America, that he has oonferred *he greatest benefit on the German Fleet they have had Bince tho (war began.'" (Cheers.)

Sir Hedworth Meux,

A'dmiral Sir Hedworth Meux said it iwas clear to him montlis ago that thoro iwas a determined attempt on tho part of some people unknown to get rid of Lord Jellicoe. He entirely acquitted the Prime Minister of any complicity iu the matter, "I asked him myself if hp approved of the attacks on Lord Jellicoe, and he ussured me that ho did not."

He wanted to know who really was responsible for tho dismissal. He did not Itnow who were the present First Lord's forebears, but was there not one Jonny Geddes who threw a stool at a bishop? (Laughter,) In the same way the First Lord had flouted not only' Lord Jellicoo ■but also the entire Navy. "When I heard of Lord .Tellicoe's dismissal I was so furious that I could not go to church." (Lould If. ugh tar.) While ho was sure that tlie First Lord meant to do tho thin? courteously, he knew from Lord Jellicoft's friends that tho admiral's feelings were .seriously wounded.

Sir Frio Geddea said ho had depro. oated and still deprecated tho attacks that had been made. "During the few months that I was associated with Lord Jellicoo there were few subjects on which we wore more in accord. I discussed with iim the best way of preventing these attacks, which distressed me, and I did my best to 6top them." After consultation with the First Sea Lo-d he saw certain representatives of the Press and protested. "I also raised the question, if not at a Cabinet meeting ut least -vith members of the Cabinet, and I acted in accordance with thoir advice." Ho had been accused of convoying the decisi >n of tho Government to Lord Jellhne is to his removal,' in a way which l.urt his feelings. i

"Sir Edward Carson has told us that the War Cabinet was not consulted," Mr. ]?och interposed.

Sir Eric Geddes paused for a second and then said: "Wsll, if technically I was responsible I accept it."

Mr. Roch: But Sir Edward Carson stated expressly that the War Cabinet was not consulted. Therefore tho responsibility of tho First Lord i 6 not technical but actual.

Sir Eric Geddes: 1 was responsible from the position I held. I notified my views to certain of my colleagues in tho War Cabinet.

"Wto were they?" demanded 60veral members. /

Sir Charles Seely: Is there a Government at all? We have a '.ight to know whom the First Lord did consult. In the old days we at least knew who the Government was.

Sir Erie decides: I regret I cannot go into this matter further, llevortini to the point of "his letter to Lord Jelltcoo, he could only say that if ho had hurt' the admiral's feelings lie was extremely sorry. "After considerable thought ns to liovr it should 1m done, I wrote n letter, because I thought that was the most considerate and most lactful way of informing so distinguished a man of tho decision and 1 mentioned that I TTflfl at his disposal for tho rest of the evening and afterwards if re r-ished to talk matters over. As regards tlie fulmre employment of _ lord T e llicoo, it is intended, when a suitable ojvportunity ocours, to employ him and make use of his great experience. I hope snoh an opportunity will occnr &h'jrtly, and thit Lord Jollicoe frill sea his way to accept tit ■

It is extraordinary," commented Mr. Eoch, "that a distinguished publio servant should be dismissed without a decision of the War Cabinet on the matter.'' Mr. Bonar Law,

Mr. Bonav Law, who intered the Houso whilo Mr. Koch was making this complaint, replied at once. "Tho last thing I would dream of doing," he said, ''would bo to use any words which might imply anything but great admiration for and a' gront belief in the_ ability of Lord Jellicoe. The suggestion is made that the decision concerning him was a responsibility that must-be taken by the War Cabinet as i whole. So far as my experience goes, that is not, and never has been, tho method in which appointment ! of this kind are regulated. My recollection is that in the case of a former First Sea Lord, b'ir Henry Jackeon, his appointment was made before the Cabinet was aware of it. As to other appointments, equally vital, the rule has always been that tho Minister m charge of the Department concerned was responsible for the men serving under him. I think Mr. M'Kenna will bear me out that during the last Government the appointments of the Commander-in-Chief in Franco and of tho Chief eral Staff wero made by the War Secretary without other Ministers being aware of what was being done. "It is the right method. The Firat Lord must bo for_ those who 6ervo under him, and it is the same in the Army. It would be a very bad precedent if the House of Commons laid down the ruling that a change < of tlat kind should not be made oscept after full discussion in the Cabinet. Ho admitted tho existence of a practice that Ministers should obtain the approval o tho Prlmr Minister, snch ° lrcul ? stances as these it is Mutable tot the responsibility must bo diwtod between the Minister at the head of the Depart ment and tho Prime Minister. "I understand that Sir Lrio Geddes Mid that some other nioir.bcrs of tho Wa Cabinet were consulted;. I was one,. but it was almost by an accident. Tho Prime Minister sent a messenger to me and I went to tho Cabinet room. The lir=t Lord said ho had come t'o the conf usion that it was essential in. tho public in terest there ought to be a ehal Jf® First Sea Lord. 1 did not attempt to differ. If Sir Edward Carson had been available the Prime Minister would donbtless have eent for Mm. "He would have got very good ad' vicol" said Sir Bdward Carson. "1 do not doubt it,-"' replied Mr. Bonar Law. "But, after all, any Minister is liable to make a mistalco. It is possible that Sir Edward Carson is right and that Sir Eric Geddes is wrong. But Jin responsibility is that of the ftrst Lord, I gathor that if Sir Edward Carson had been First Lord no ohansre would havo take plaoer ' _ , "I should have resisted the putting out of Jellicoe," said Sir Edward Carson. Mr. Bonar Law said tho House should give the First Lord the credit that there, was nothing personal in the dwdßion. it Sir Eric found it necessary in the public interest to make the change, he did it for. that reason, !.nd for that alone. Mr M'Kenna reminded the House ,hat the First Lord had sstd he the dismissal to Lord Jellicoe as the de cisioit of the Government.

Premier's Approval. Sir Erio Cteddes: I hope tho House will Dxoußo my Inexperience of • tho way- in whioh these things are put. I thought that the advice whioh I gave, when accepted by the Primo Minister, became n decision, of tho Government. From the day I beoame First Lord to the day Lord Jelllooo left thero was never by tvord or suggestion any pressure brought npon mo to change any officor in tho Admiralty. ■ i Mr. Bonar Law concluded his interrupted speech by stating that Sir W was so unwilling to take this step that he more than once told him (Mr. Bonar Law) that he would have been glad U it had been possible for him to get some other employment, so that he would not have been compelled to undertake a duty -which he regarded as disagreeable. Mr. Bonar Law assured' tho Houso that the Prime Minister and Sir i3rio Geddes had both told him in private that tho Press campaigns had lothlng whatever to do with the action they took as to Lord jellicoo.' There was no member of the Government who would not think it a despicable course to try by public prosure to discredit tho reputation of men who were serving their country. (Cheers.) Mr. Pringle saidthoy knew there had been a continuous campaign in the Press against Lord Jellicoe, and' they know what "570.9 tho Tcsu.lt of that campaign. (They now saw Lord Rothermero, Loru Beavorbrojk, and Lord Northcliifo holding official appointments. It was no use saying there was no Press nmuelWe in Downing Street. Everybody knew it. The PrcfH campaign could have been stopped if tho Prime Minister had lifted his littlo fingor. Commander Bellavrs insisted that tho reason for Lord Jellicoo's departure mTisfc necessarily remain secret Ho believed one point ms the defence of tho Straits of Dover. Sinco then th© straits had been closed and submarines prevented from going through. 'Dr. Macnamara, replying to other points raised In tho debate, said the pensions granted to tho widows and orphans of meroantile ratings had been raisod so as never to be below tho minmiuni scale for the widows and children of seamen In the Royal Navy, and in certain oases they might be greater. Eecsnt changes "at the top" in the, shipyards were in the direction of efficiency. Tho debate then ended.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19180515.2.26

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 202, 15 May 1918, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,369

WHY LORD JELLICOE WAS REMOVED Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 202, 15 May 1918, Page 5

WHY LORD JELLICOE WAS REMOVED Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 202, 15 May 1918, Page 5

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