New-York tribune., 1910-01-09
Observation-Disclosures
sgREsFoRp IN PRlvArE ANn
Copyright. 1910. by George W. smallev,

fore, no jurisdiction Lord Charles
very clever and effective letters for GER
tain purposes. but not always conclusive
On the merits OF the case. Not, for ex-
ample, when he appeals from the Cab
met commission whose capacity he has
recognized to the so-calied tribunal OF
the public: which has, on technical mat
ters, neither capacity nor competence.
He has a letter in "The Times this
morning The Times is always kind to
him and prints his letters in its best
type; a compliment worth perhaps as
much as its editorial approval; which it
withholds from Lord Charles in his re-
cent campaigns. Perhaps 1 may quote
this letter-as an example IF Lord
Charles Beresford's controversial man
. ner, when he is on his best behavior:
To the Editor of The Times.
Sir: In a letter in The Times" Of to-
day 1 notice that Lord Lochee takes ex-
ception 10 a report in your paper of the
21st Of a speech made by me at Penn
broke on the goth.
never stated that "this government
scrapped $50 ships and dismantled the
repairing stations"
What I said was that "the public had
been informed that 155 ships had been
scrapped" and that "a number of repair
ing stations abroad had been dismantled:
| also said that a number of vessels
which the public wereainformed had been
scrapped were brought back into the
service.
was commenting on the fact that the
public had frequently been misinformed
on naval questions by the Admiralty
press bureau.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obe-
dent servant
CHARLES BERESFORp, Admiral.
l, Great Cumberland place, w, Dec. p.
The remark about the Admiralty press
bureau is Characteristic. There may be
such an institution-I do not know. But
the battle for Sir John Fisher was fought
in the press by Mr.. Garvn with consum-
mate address. Mr.. Garvin is a journal
-ist of renown, who at present edits THE
Observer" a Sunday paper, and by far
the ablest Of the Sunday papers in Lon
don He is a writer for the reviews and
o student of public affairs in much
larger sense than is true Of all Journal
lists. He led the fight for the eight
Dreadnoughts, and did as much as any
body to create that public opinion which
~
instead of four, although at least two
Cabinet ministers thought even four too
many. Seldom has the immediate,
direct personal influence of a single
journalist been more clearly seen.
But let u$ get away from these contro-
versies. No controversy can alter the
fact that Lord Charles Beresford is one
Of the best adnirals in the service, and
d leader whom officers and men would
follow joyfully to death. He is a leader
of men, By nature and by training. He
understands men. Once on board a bat
tleship. there are no Irishmen and no
Englishmen,-they are all just sailors
and seamen and lighting men. What is
thought of Lord Charles by men Of the
sea and those having TO do with the sea
may be seen from the choice of him as a
candidate for Portsmouth. when that
seat became vacant the other day and
the Uhionists sought to recover it for
themselves. His victory appeared so
certain that the Cabinet came presently
TO the conclusion that with a general
election imminent it was not worth while
TO have q. by-election. But Lord Charles
IS not to be got rid of in that way. He
Is to stand at the general election. He
mas been often in Parliament. and is
good Member of Parliament, good
speaker. and a. good fellow in the House
and out. IF it be not thought oJi+e re-
spectful to speak Of a man whose fame
echoes around the world as a good fell
low, I can only say that I think Lord
Snaries himself would like it. and would
at any rate forgive it and accept it as
e"ioss' G. ". s.