South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-25
BRITAIN SEA LORD
IS TORPEDO EXPERT
Sir Henry Jackson Is Called
"TOrpS" of British Navy,
and Received Training at
Several Schools.

LONDON. June 25.-The appoint
ment Of Sir Henry Jackson as hrst
sea lord to succeed Lord Fisher, rec
ognizes the part which the torpedo
and the submarine are taking i'm the
warfare of today. Sir Henry has not
had much active service i'm the ordin-
airy sense, but he is unquestionably
the leading torpedo expert of the
British navy.
When he entered the navy in 1868
the world was still chiefly thinking
about the crude spar tOrpedoes
which Cushing and other Americans
had used in the civil war with the
result that they were apt To blow UP
the tOrpedoer as we'll as the torpedOed.
In 1881 he was appointed TO the
Vernon. the old torpedo school ship
at Portsmouth, as young lieutenant
for a course of instruction When
that was completed he was able to
start his career as tOrpedO-heutenant
on bauleship, and that soon brought
him TO he command of,the Nesuvius.
This craft was attached TO the YER
non as an experimental vessel ana the
captain of the Nesuvius showed SO
much zeal and knowledge thay ne was
sent off TO Fiume for torpedo service.
InlS was at the time WnGn the
Whitehead torpedo, invented by the
Englishman. Robert Whitehead and
manufactured at his Austrian works.
was beginning 10 force itself ON the
naval world and Commander Jackson
went TO F'iume To learn all about it.
j. "TOrps' OF Navy.
"Torps" is the nickname of the
tOrpedO-iieutenant on batueshlp.
Sir Henry Jackson is the "Torps' of
&
There is a fine fitness in this seIec-
ton because there is little doubt that
the tendency of the British navy from
the lower deck TO the quarter deck
has been to undervalue the Subma
riue and the torpedo They have seen
their limitations, but have not been
always open TO realize how those
limitations miCht be removed.
This is very natural attitude for
the torpedo is the weapon of the in
ferior navy. and the professional
esprit de corps of q dominant navy
like the British must always tend 10
cryStalliZe against such inventions and
20 admit their value with reluctance.
Originally 10 was not reluctance but
horror that the torpedo inspired in
British naval circles. Ii is quaint TO
think that "a century aEO the Annual
REGISTER" for 1873 was describing the
attacks made ON the British block
aiding SQuadrOns ny the Americans IN
these terms.
Attempts were also publicly en-
c0uraged for the destruction of the
British meu-of-war upon those sta
tiouS hy torpedoes and other cNplo-
sive machinerv which. If considered
as unfair modes of hostility were
unfortunately FIRST encouraged by
the British ministry. one of the
concealed methods OF doing mis-
chief practiccd 10y the Americans
appears 90 merit unqualified repro
batiou from truly insidious char
acter"
This "insidious" device was the
scnding OF a sloop laden with provi-
sions which was deserted by her crew
when British mau-of-war came in
sight She was captured and several
casks OF gunpoWder soon afterwards
exploded iu her bold. having been set
off by clock work.
The great problem that still awaits
the British navy lis the evolution OF
the counter-stroke To- the submarine.
10 may not Doe one answer. there may
be several But Sir Henry jackson is
aHr