THE GRAND FLEET.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 30, 10 May 1916, Page 4

THE GRAND FLEET.

A few weeks ago there was a special Russian visit to the Grand Fleet, in the North Sea, when Sir John Jellicoe pleased his guests immensely hy observing that,' it might he difficult for the Grand Fleet to visit the Baltic, but it would not be impossible. One prominent Russian journalist wrote of his visit as follows: ( "lt is idle to saj my friends and I .were impressed by this sight* of British seapower. The Grand Fleet is the grandest spectacle I ever, saw in my life. $ looked more than anything else like a great city of gracious yet tremendous shapes and towers; a strange city of streets and roads and lanes, and great hotels that moved, miraculously, as if with wings. The hole sea seemed to be alive with them, with these mobile steel monsters of war. When ivo sighted 'the flagship, tho'lron Duke, our salute to the Admiral was wirelessed, and in less than two minutes back came the Admiral's wirelessed welcome. In Russia Sir John Jellicoe is a national hero, almost a national idol. Our children cherish his photograph, and know his features by heart. Yet when we were at last confronted by the man who directs the immense destiny of the British forces on the seas, I could hardly believe my eyes.. He seemed much too simple and modest and genial a personality to be at the helm of such a terrible and tremendous machine as the British Navy. . . . When we return to Russia we shall have many great and wonderful tilings to relate to our own people; but nothing can surpass the magnitude. the vigilance, the poAver and the immensity of the British battle fleet, as we have seen it with our own eyes, and our admiration is mixed with gratitude, for this 'sure shield' of Britain is no less the unceasing shield and safeguard of Russia."