The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-22

Of conception and of achievement for which
we have no equivalent In Rodneys career
Unfortunately for him. Hood thougf
thus mighty In act. opportunity Tor eres
results never came TO him. The houl
never met the man.
II In worth marking to what extent tht
six British naval officers whom Capt. Mahan
has chosen for portrayal owed TO sociaI
influence their advancement to positions
which gave them an opportunity Tor proving
their capacity for high command Edward
Hiwke, born In 1905, was the son OF q bar
rister who cannot have contributed much
to the young mans promotion. Martin
Bladen, however. q brother OF EDWARD
Hawkes. mother. held an important civil
office as Commissioned Of Trade and Plan
tations, and wa for many years a Member
OF Parliament. II was doubtless due
mainly to this uncle that Hawke became a
Post Captain at the age OF 20. Our author
points out that the attainment OF this
rank fixed a mans standing in the navy.
Beyond that advancement went by
seniority; n Post Captain might, indeed.
be .yellowcd"- retired rs a Rear ADMIRAL
but, while in active service, he retained
the advantage Of his early promotion.
George Rodnev's advancement was even
more rapid. II seems that the Duke OF
Chando., a connection by marriage, OBJ
tained the command of the royal yacht
for Henry Rodney, the Admiral's father.
In one Of the trips which Geor &c !. fire.
auently made between Ell gland and Han
over, he asked tho captain Of his yacht
II there was anythir q he could do for him.
The reply was a request that h King
would stand sponsor for his son, who.
accordingly, received the name OF George:
his second name, Bridges. came from the
family through which ChandQS and the
Rodheys were brought into relationship.
II was doubtless owing to the social position
and surroundings resulting from such
antecedents that George Rodney was a
n Lieutenant at 20 and a Post Captain at "a.
Capt. Mahan does not think that Rodney's
promotion. though rapid, was too much
40 for his professional good, but he deems
il q likely thai neither that consideration
nor the good Of the service counted for
much alongside OF the influence he pos
scssed.- Another incident characteristic
Of the times is mentioned, to-wit: that.
when George Rodney himself was In later
years Commander-in-Chief in the West
Indies. he made his son a Post Captain
ut Is. The Seven Years War, which began
formally IN 1850 found Rodney still a Post
Captain, In May. 1850, he was made u Rear
Admiral, being then 40. AZ the close Il the
war he returned from the West Indies 70
England. a ce-Admirnl Of the Blue. and
he had advanced to Vice-Admiral Of the
Red. when, in january. i771, he was ap-
pointed Commandcr-in-Chie a. Jamaica
He had been made a Raronet in 1904; in
1870, the order az the Bath was bestowed
upon him: and in 1891. upon the death 81
Lord Hawke. he became VicC-Admirnl Of
Great Britain, the highest professional
honor In the service. In 1882. after his
victory over De Grasse. on April ~ Of that
year, he was advanced to the peerage and
received a pension OF a. 900 per annum.
which. apparently was additional 20 a
like grant made 10 him after his destruc-
lion ~ Sangara's squadron. and his relief
OF Gibraltar in 1870.
As for Howe, it IL well known that he
inherited from an elder brother an Irish
~yiscounty, hut he gained for himself the
rank of Niscount and Earl in the British
peerage. Born in 1920. Howe was pro-
NOTED Post Captain when he was barely
20. He had been only recently made n
Rear Admiral, however. when in i770 he
was nominated to command a squadron
destined 10 tho Mediterranean. John
Jarvis. who was TO earn, from his great
victory M the Cape OF that name, the title
81 Earl St. Vincent. was born in 1885 AZ
Meaford In St~aNordshire. lie was the
son 81 a country lawyer who vas glad 10
receive the hppoiutmeut 81 auditor To
Greenwich Fofrital. II seems. however.
that Jeryis must have had some family In
Hu~nce, fCr \" was made n LCu'craLt AT
the age Of 20, and three YEAR later, that j.
20 raw ia l-!', was clo-an for First Lieu
tenan O! -" f'gship. Wien Sir Charles
'lunders wa named 10 comInaud IN" feet
tina was 10 act against QIshec. II va
Tot, however. until 1901, when he was 20.
Ina Jery!s oD'nined The rank & Post Cap
ta4u. and he cd not reoeivr d. E.'rT Ad-
miml's commission uuul 1871 JANIS
Ssumarez Was born in Mhrcl, 1851, In the
island 81 Guernsey. lie WIS eighteen
mpntis older Ia Nelson His father
persuaded a naval captain 10 have The hoy
James, name borne "a the books = a
slip-of-war 81 the early age - g. ~ cunous
custom - that DAY allowed such cuu.trlr-
live ssT,lc. 10 - couIttd iu tho tine
pr scub-d 'ur attaining a Lieutenant
commission The Toy did Lut actually
~ ana Until i57O, SL,r be- vac a
httle Over n ~" vHs Trmuiri 90 l-
Lieutenant after the unhuoDrssful attach
"a foIt huu4tfs Ia 40 lie va mAl" q
Pact aptan m ~: At tlr ago 81 20, having
Commanded a siip - a.. lu., la die, .
haftls IT th- lgth q AIui ~ that Sgaf.
a taito shl'h, sith ga. |rIu.plan b. go.
.idsfsd ty uuf autluf ths musi Lrlilaut
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nav Be- % entay iuf hs ,aptuf. q tAs
ffrr D. fEats hfsHisH m l,sl. hsuu.afss
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