NAVY NEVER BETTER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 575, 11 June 1913, Page 2

NAVY NEVER BETTER.

SIR PERCY SCOTT'S GLOWING EULOGY OF FLEET. BRILLIANT OFFICER RETIRES - FROM THE SERVICE. I Admiral Sir Percy Scott, one of the ableßt of British naval officers, speaking at the banquet of the Association of Chambers of Commerce, announced his immediate retirement from the navy. "At the end of ths week,," he said. "I shall be out of His Majesty's Navy. There is no reason for me to remain where I only block the path to promotion of those who are junior to me." "The Navy Estimates," said Sir Percy, "are large, but, concerning a factor of efficiency that lam very interested in, I do not consider they are large enough. The factor of efficiency alluded to is hitting the enemy, and it is only hitting an enemy that will decide a fight. But if you will not hit your enemy in war time if you do not have sufficient practice in peace time because we do not spend sufficient money on ammunition. Economy in ammunition in peace time means bad shooting in war time, and that means losing an action." Continuing, Sir Percy said:—"As regards the efficiency of the fleet, the Chamber of Commerce must be guarded in accepting all they hear. The First Lord of the Admiralty, being an interested party, will, of course, tell you that everything is well with the navy, and that you can sleep in your beds. Having slept comfortably, in the morning you pick up your paper and read that the British Navy is a fraud and a danger to the State; that if we went to war we Bhould suffer a crushing defeat; that our ships have no bottoms, and our admirals no brains —laughter —that our Admiralty administration is wilfully culpable and criminally wrong; that the fighting efficency of the country's first line of defence is imperilled; that in our fleet there is nothing but disorganisation, demoralisation and confusion; that the very existence of our colossal Empire is the greatest possible danger and that if the country only knew the truth there would be a panic. Laughter. No navy can be perfect. The administrators can only be expected to keep on importing it by introducing new ideas, new methods, and new mechanism. The officers and men can only be expected to improve themselves in education, in science, and in acquiring the necessary knowledge to fight our modern ships. In these respects greater have been made during the last eight years than in any other eight of the 47 years that I have served in His Majesty's Navy. Without hesitation I can say that the British Navy has never been in a more efficient state than it is to-day—and I have no axe to grind.—Cheers.