The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-07
By BASSETT STAINS.

Ask any man in the British navy
who will be England's next Nelson If
che has to struggle for national exist
ence tomorrow in a war with some
continental power, and he will un-
hesitatingly reply:
"Why, 'Jacky' Fisher, of course"
Everybody in the British navy
knows Fisher-Vice Admiral Sir John
Arbuthnot Fisher K. C. B., R. NJ
and believes that he Is the strongest
and ablest man in that service. The
officers of foreign navies respect him
for his strategical skill and technical
ability in handling a fleet. But the
world at large does not even know his
name.
Very few of his fellow subjects
could say offhand Z who is Britain's
chief living admiral, and yet he holds
the greatest position in the British
Empire to which a subject can aspire.
His work is more responsible than
that of the Prime Minister, because
he is the first man in the fighting
fleets "whereon" Gas the Articles of
War say under the good providence
of God the wealth, peace and safety
of the country doth chiefly depend"
The strangest thing about this man
who bears upon his shoulders the
weight of the British Empire is that
he is not an Englishman at all, in the
strict sinse of the word. His father
was a captain in the Seventy eighth
Highlanders who settled in Ceylon,
and his mother was a Sinhalese wom-
an of high rank. Thus, he has
strain of Oriental blood in his veins.
His Oriental Craftiness.
1t shows very lightly in his face;
only persons who have lived in the East
are able to detect it. In countenance
Admiral Fisher shows the irresistibility
of a bulldog, and he has that simple,
bluff, hearty manner which is asso-
ciated with the typical John Bull.
Sometimes his subordinates and for
eign diplomatists with whom he has to
do are deceived by this manner into
thinking him an innocent, guileless
sailorman with plenty of pluck but no
brains They discover too late that
touch of Oriental subtlety is grated on
to the strong stem of Anglo-Saxon
directness and iron will, and that Fish
er has been playing them with Asiatic
craft.
"Jacky," as he is always called in
the navy, was one of Great Britain's
representative at The Hague Peace
Conference One who was present says
that nobody made a greater impression
than Admiral Fisher did upon the as
sembled diplomatists of the great Pow
ers. He holds the opinion that "hu-
name" warfare is both foolish and
cruel aand he advanced that opinion
he with
skill
when you have to wiring chickens
neck" he said "all you think about is
wringing it quickly You don't give
the chicken intervals for refreshment
and recuperation. 1t should be the
same with warfare"
Fisher does not hesitate to say that
any war he may have to make will be
hell" He has a bitter hatred of sub
marine vessels and their crews, and
frequently declares that if he catches
the latter in time of war he will string
them up to the yardarm, even if he has
to face a court-martial afterwards.
Man of Great Sternness.
He showed the sterness of his
nature after the bombardment OF
Alexandria in 1882. AS captain of the
"Infiexible," he was given the task
of organizing a police force ana re-
pressing disorder ana IoOtlnS dlter
the capture OF the city. He shot the
guilty on sight and restored order
in few hours. Some of his intimate
friends. even officers of his own ship,
were caught with looted goods. They
begged in vain for mercy. He had
all OF them court-martialed and
severely punished.
Admiral Fishers subordinates re-
spect him. but do not love him. He
works them too hard for that. and Is
too quick 10 detect their faults. He
tolls from . a. m. 10 . p. m. and ex-
poets everybody else to do the same.
Men who have served under him are
apt 20 curse whenever his name Is
mentioned.
Fisher knows this and takes a sar-
donic pleasure In a. He H. fond Of
telling the story Of an old boatswain
who served under him in several
ships. The hoatswain eventually re-
tired on pension, and Fisher paid him
visit az has country cottage in De-
Yonfhire. lie NOTICED a man-nerfant
o H. HH.NH