Admiral’s Joke.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 December 1921, Page 1

Admiral’s Joke.

11EVAL, Oct. 21. British Treasury accounts recently published, showing that some time ago the British Admiralty presented Poland with an old warship, seem to .have given some of the small Baltic States the impression that Great Britain has any number of war vessels to give away. When Hear-Admiral Wilmot Nicholson. commanding the Second Light Cruiser Squadron, recently visited Riga, a deputation of Lettish officers called on him to talk about a message in The Daily Mail on the Lettish Navy, and to ask him if he could see his way to pr-c seating Lettland with a few destroyers. The Rear-Admiral said “(ertainly, anil produced a note-hook and pencil with the air of a bagman taking down orders for his firm. “Wlmt shall we say?” lie continued, affably. “Half-a-dozen destroyers? Will that be enough?” The Letts thanked him. and said that half a dozen would he quite sufficient. -And we have a nice line in light cruisers at present. I’m rather a specialist in that lino myself,” continued the Rear-Admiral; “shall we sav a couple of light cruisers? Something like those I’ve got here, only newer.” The Letts agreed that they could do with two light cruisers. "Good,” said the Raei-Ailnural, bopkiti<r the order, “and now might 1 suggest something in the Dreadnought stylo? You would certainly need a Dreadnought. Dm* would be quite enough, 1 suppose, tn go on with r ’ At this stage the Letts saw the joke.

The present Lettish battle He'd consists of three armed tug-boats ami an ex-German gustrdship. L glers.