New-York tribune., 1910-01-16
Observation-Disclosures
copyright. 1910. by George w. sma,lev

and made an inspection of the feet.
Then he came to- Washington, and there
he told me of his visit to the fleet and In
what good condition he found it,
"A fine fleet, we'll commanded, we'll
found, fit to go anywhere and do any
thing-or to go anywhere for which it
has coal enough, or coal transports
enough"
Thus early had ne put his finger on
the weak spot. which all America was
presently to discover for itself, when
Mr.. Roosevelt sent the fleet around the
world with an escort of foreign coal
carrying steamships: foreign because
there were no American ships to be had.
Lord Charles added:
Good as all Evans's ships are, the
Missouri is perhaps the best of them. I
have never seen a smarter ship any
where in any navy. Cowles is as good
an offer as any navy need ask for
You know he is Mr.. Roosevelt's
brother-in- law?'
"Yes"
'Why don't you tell the President
what you tell me?"
II have told him"
I asked if he had seen any gunnery
trials. but he seemed to doubt whether
they would care to show a British naval
officer all they could do.
Although added Lord Charles Il
don't see why they should not They
are always publishing the results of
their shooting. I saw a report the other
day. 1t was good shooting. but when
they say 1t was world record they are
guessing little. We don't publish the
results of our gun practice or target
practice"
l was left to infer, and perhaps was
meant to infer. that the British were
still little ahead. Another British off
GER said:
''Mr. Roosevelt announced lately that
the only shots which count in war are
the shots that hit. Quite true, but Mr..
Roosevelt was not the first to discover
that Perhaps he was the first to put
it into neat phrase"
Lord Charles also is capable of neat
phrases, and I will part from him with
one example. He was going by the mid
night train to New York I asked,
why do you go by the night train?
It's anything but comfortable. and the
sleeping accommodation is bad" oh"
he answered, '1t doesn't matter to me; 7
can sleep on a clothesline.''
OF all his sayings, none is SO famous
as his telegram refusing an invitation:
Sorry can't come. Lie follows by
post" The piquancy of which Is en-
hanced when you hear that it was sent
to the Prince of Wales, now King.
He transacts even the common cour-
tesies of life in an unexpected manner
When the appointment of Admiral Sir
Arthur Wilson as First Sea Lord, in
succession to Sir John Fisher was an
nounced, Lord Charles called to offer
his congratulations. Then he added:
Sir Arthur, I will give you one piece
of advice. Get rid of both Fisher and
me. AS long as we are in the navy we
shall always be scrapping'
! Sir Arthur and Lord Charles had
served together. Sir Arthur was in com
mand of the Mediterranean feet of
! which Lord Charles was second in COM
/ mand. The comma nder in chief ordered
| q. sham fight: he to have one division of
! the feet and Lord Charles the other
He told his own officers they would re-
| ceive no written instructions. Orders
would reach them by wireless teIegra-
| ply. Lord Charles somehow heard of
| this. and the two fleets moved into
| action set all his own wireless instru-
ments working in order to intercept and
confuse his opponents messages and
! prevent them from reaching the ships
| they were addressed to. The result was
that Admiral Wilson's captains had to
fight without orders.
But by common consent Sir Arthur
! Wilson is the most competent admiral in
| the service, and best fitted for the post
! of First Sea Lord, a post of supreme i'm
portance He has not only knowledge,
administrative capacity, genius for or
! ganization and the confidence of every
| body in the navy; he has courage and a
| devotion to duty so absolute that in
naval matters he will bow, they say. to
no authority whatever. If he is not al
lowed to do what he thinks right for the
navy he will resign. Precisely the man
| now needed. G. w. S.