"FIGHTING CHARLIE."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 312, 10 January 1908, Page 4

"FIGHTING CHARLIE."

HIS VIKWS UX TIIK \AVV?~" PROl'I) OF OFFICERS AND MEN". ]/>nilon, November 29. ( lurk'* Ht'itttforri delivered nil iiiteri'aiiug on the navy at a din-ni-r of the Sailers' Company last niglil. I«- of the changes which had taken purr «iO(-g he joined the service 4N year* ago. The liiV, iie said, wa» far harder and the tension greater and the work had extraordinarily increased. There was an idea that seamanship had panned Wause we had got rid of inasth and nails, but thi« was not so. Seamanship was the art of successfully handling a ship or a fleet against the determined efforts 01 the enemy. This would re main. Seamanship required more knowledge than in the old days, greater quickness of the eye, and a quicker turn of the helm, and instant decision of action. If a young lieutenant gave a wrong turn to the h«'liu he might lose three millions sterling to the State, and, what was more important, 1800 men. Seamanship required more nerve, and there was greater tension. The other night on manoeuvres, when they were hard at it all the time in practicing war, he must j say he was proud of his brother officers and men. They were practising to try and train themselves for what would occur in war. They were steaming at great speed with lights out, looking for each other—an operation requiring the greatest nerve possible. They had to run a certain amount of risk in these manoeuvres, but they always laid down that ri?k# were imperative in war. Seamanship had not gone; it was there in to infinitely higher sphere than in the old days.

Strategy, continued Lord Charles, [ meant making ont beforehand what they were going to do in war. Success in war depended Upon the accuracy and forethought of action in time of peace. We ought to have evrything ready and everything prepared before we went to war. That side would win which had prepared itself best in peace. We now took a great deal more care over the comfort and convenience of the men than we used to do. We tried to run our fleets by commendation and not by condemnation. The consequence was there was l«s< drunkenness and a great leas less insubordination than when he joined the ervice. We paid for our navy as insurance for peace. ft had to lie prepared to fight if necessary. But the greatest wish in this country was for peace, because if we went to war there would be a tremendous disturbance in trade, in commercial matters, and in securities. " It is." said lord Charles in conclusion, " our business to have oru navy in such a state that war would l>e impossible." The Petit Parisien to-day, discussing the ftermail Naval Estimates, observes? "There is no doubt that England is rich enough to maintain her naval superiority. but will she always he able -to lay dmvn two ships to one hv Germany 1 Again, could England find the men to man her ships? Germany, on the contrary, by her conscription, can find any number of recruits. It ia evident in I/tndon and elsewhere they foresee the time when England will have l»-t her naval preponderance."