The Washington herald., 1909-08-23

From TitBits.
The man who is at the helm OF the ma
val crisis in Germany strikes a popular
note in the national affairs Of the IA
therland. The son OF a lawyer he Is re
garded by the unofficial classes as a man
from the ranks, while in the upper classes
his enterprise. energy breadth OF views.
and determination are tolerated because Il
is growing more obvious every day that
without him Germany's naval policy
would be a mere paper programme.
The official world, the world Of bureau
cracy and OF minds nodded to pattern.
stands aghast at the confidence which
the Emperor places in his 'plebeian" sec
rotary for naval AFFAIRS but none the less
Admiral Alfred Won Tirpitz is the mas
ter mariner Of Germany When future
squadrons Of German Dreadnoughts line
up in battle array the credit Of realizing
the Emperor's ambition for the future
OF Germany will rest solely with this re-
markable man.
Admiral Won Tirpitz has exercised a
controlling influence al the admiralty
for the past twelve years, for it was
in 1897. when in command Of Germany's
East Asiatic squadron, that ne was re-
called from active service TO the ad-
miralty. Previous 70 that year he had
already shown himself to possess a talent
for organization and faculty for grasp
ing essentials which mas brought him
to-day to his exalted position. His rise
has been rapid, but Il has given the lie
10 those who say that the caste system
Of Germany prevents any but those OF
arstocratic birth from finding Office I'M
der the government
His career began at the age Of sixteen.
and to-day he is sixty and in no way in
clined to regard himself as approaching
the close Of his active life. Many years
Of service remain 10 him II he has any
decisive voice in the matter. for Adj
miral Won Tirpitz will not lay down the
Office until the naval laws that he has
fashioned are an accomplished fact
The system by which Admiral Won Tir-
pitt has been evolved reflects rhe tri-
umph and advantage OF continuity 80 a
State policy. A shrewd. practical man,
his knowledge Of the sea has been gained
at sea, and under circumstances which
have shown him the necessity Cor the
Combining seamanship with a ready
grasp Of affairs and a turn for statecraft
the energy Of youth carried this naval
officer rapidly up the ladder Of promotion
until the stage had been reached where
tho radical ideas Of an ambitious seadog
were bound to receive attention. At six
teen cadet. at twenty a lieutenant. and
at five-and-twenty lieutenant command
err after twenty years Of service ne was
flying the pennant OF rear admiral and
was known as a responsible officer with
a habit Of thinking for himself and
contempt for the traditions OF bureau
cracy.
His first work Of an epoch-malxing char
acter was when he was promoted chief
OF STAFF at Kiel, the headquarters Of Ger
many's battle squadrons. To Kiel Ad-
rairai Won Tirpitz brought the experiences
he had gained abroad and the stored-up
observations that he had made in the
days when his ideas could not secure a
hearing. AT that date the German fleet
was IN sad need OF mosquito hotillas, for
the torpedo boat establishment had been
neglected and was undeveloped
When his efforts at founding an ade-
quate torpedo craft northumberland
included schools for the special training
Of ofiicers-had proved successful the |
chief Of stan began to grapple with the !
task OF recognizing the system of con-
troll. which had reduced the navy to a |
state OF confusion. In the years between |
1881 and 1893, the work that he accom- |
plished at KEEL had such an effect upon
the admiralty in Berlin that the dual /
authority which existed between the
naval department and the Kiel headquar- |
ters was abolished, and many other adj
ministrative reforms introduced.
In the midst Of his work at Kial he was /
dispatched to command Of the squadron /
with which Prince Henry Of Prussia made
the tour OF the East In 1896. while IN the
following year he was recalled and given
a free hand 20 carry out fer himself the
changes which he had consistently ad-