Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-12
| ord Beresford's
Parliament Campaign
Special Correspondence Of The Star.


LONDON, December /. 1909.
10 ORD CHARLES BERESFORD, who
may without exaggeration be de-
- scrtbed as England's most popular
admiral. has been defeated in the first
| round OF his fight with Lord Fisher. the
frst sea lord of the admiralty. but he
has appealed from the cabinet to the
people.
Some time ago the cabinet appointed
committee to investigate his charge that
| the navy was being weakened by the
policy of Lord, then Sir john Fisher, and
that it was in no condition to meet the
feet of the kaiser II the need should
arrive The committee found that the
navy was all right, and while, Of course,
lit was not SO impolite as to say so. the
inference was that Lord Charles was all
wrong.
Now Lord Charles has appealed to the
highest power under the British constf-
tution-the people at large-and he is
asking them to send him to parliament.
where he will, If elected, prove a thorn
in the side of any government which at
tempts to econOmiZe In connection with
Brftains first line of defense.
An opportunity was offered to him by
the death Of the member for Portsmouth,
and he is now running there as the
unionist and tariff reform ,(protectisnist)
candidate. He couldn't have found a
better constituency for his purpose, for
Portsmouth is the great English naval
depot and is full Of retired navy men Of
all ranks. In addition to that a great
have their homes and vote In Ports
mouth. What the navy thinks Of Lord
Charles was shown by the reception
which was given him wnen he arrived at
Portsmouth from London the other day
to begin his campaign. The crowd had
given out that 'tCharley''-no sailor ever
calls him by any otte. name-was COM
ing, and by the time the train arrived
several thousand naval men. serving and
retired, were crowded round the entrance
to the station. His agent had motor
car in waiting to take him to his hotel,
but the sailors would have none of that.
Before he could set foot or the platform
he was dragged out of the railway car
riage. hoisted shoulder high and carried
through the crowd to the car. By this
time other sailors had cmptied the petrol
from the cars tanks and hitched ropes to
It, Lord Charles and his agent were
placed In the car and half q hundred
sailors tailed on to ropes and dragged the
heavy motor car all round the town be-
fore they deposited the admiral at his
hotel, where q guard of honor, composed
Of sailors in uniform, was waiting to
cheer him.
ing with politics. Every sailor who can
get shore leave Is out working for Lord
Charles, and often he works as actively
with his fists as with his voice. To pro-
claim ones self supporter OF his liberal
opponent in nautical company Is to invite
a fight.
There is some doubt whether Lord
Charles will have a chance to go to the
poll before the end Of January. Under
ordinary circumstances the election should
he hol dx.,ifn hin q weak fUn hrYf in Vinu,
Of the approach of the general election 1t
may be decided that 1t is not worth the
trouble and expense to hold special
election for member who may never be
able to take his seat in this parliament.
II this decision is arrived at 1t will simply
mean that the turmoil in Portsmouth will
be continued for couple of months more.
for the sailors wont be satisfied until
they see their most popular admiral in
parliament, where he promises not only
to vindicate his own reputation as naval
expert, but to look after the rights and
comforts Of his old shipmates.
Lord Charles has been in parliament
couple of times before, when he was on
the inactive list. Such man could not
remain inactive. so he put In the time by
fighting politically for the causes which
he believed in. When the opportunity
came to return to active service he re-
signed his seat and went to sea again. An
in cident during one OF his campaigns re-
veals the character Of the man. He was
bescg heckled by the liberals. and one of
them, a mild. meek-looking little man.
who was known in the town as an advo-
cate of universal peace. asked:
What would you co, Lord Charles, if
we elected you to look after our interests
in parliament and u war broke out?"
Resign and fight roared Lord Charles.
1.-The interests of the nation are jolly
lot more important than yours"
One might have thought that frankness
Of this kind would have injured his can
didacy, but 1t did not, for the British
elector loves a fighting man. The crowd
rose and cheered him for half an hour.
and a few days later he was elected by a
majority larger than was ever known be-
fore in this constituency. which In this