Evening star., 1915-01-30
FISHER HAS MADE
THE BRITISH NAVY
First Sea Lord, Man of Steel
and Steam, Is Not
Popular.
RESPECTED, HOWEVER,
FOR HIS GREAT ABILITY
Dodos and Dodderers No Longer
Hold Strings to Fleets.
Through Favor.
opygisbt. 1915. by Herber; Corey,

oNol'
'opsgislt. 1913. ty Herbert Corey.'
LONDON, January 11.-Lord Charles
Beresford discussed the sinking of the
Formidable the other day. He said
that this magnificent warship had been
sacrificed by the stupidity of the Eng
iish admiralty. He declared that she
should not have been trusted in sub
marine e-infested waters without an es-
cort of destroyers to guard her.
Maybe lie was right. Maybe he was
wrong. In any event, it is another
proof of the great gulf that is fixed
between Beresford and "Jacky'' Fisher
the first sea lord They never did agree
on anything. There is probably no topic
in TINS world-there is no small, mod
est. inconspicuous part of any topic
ON which these two great men cam Ut
disagree. 1t is not merely that they
'leteSt each other. They cannot think
alike. And yet both men have been of
tremendous value to the British navy.
Sample of Differences.
Here is just 4 sample of the Reres-
ford-Fisher inability to harmonize:
Beresford believes that submarines will
ultimately drive the dreadnaught from
the seas. They Will at least greatly
limit the effective field of the greater
ships, he holds. He published Il letter
TO that effect last spring over which Il
tremendous rowdy-dow was raised.
Fisher doesn't think that way at all
More than that-perhapS because Beres-
ford favors NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. thinks
they are inhuman. hellish and unfor
SIvable contrivances. Shortly after .le
had retired to what might have been a
life of ease. if ease were possible to
him. lie made his position known:
IF there ever Is a war; said he. "and
| am in "A position of responSi bility,
and my ships are attacked by sub
marine. and we capture the crew of
that submarine - III hang every
,lamued man of it from the Sardarm."
Well. there's war. and he is in a
position of responsibility. One wonders
If Fisher would NAL ke good on Inat
promise if the opportunity came.
He Is Not Popular.
Because Fisher always has made
GOOD on promises. He is hard man.
He is man of steel and steam. BY no
stretch of the imagination can he be
considered a popular man in the navy.
He is not even liked-not to say well
liked. And yet a chorus of genuine
thankfulness went up in England and
in the navy, when it was announced
that Prince Louis of Battenburg had
resigned his position as first sea lord,
and "Jacky" Fisher had taken his place.
Because Battenburg was at best only
Z naturalIzed Briton, who had married
into u royal family and a job. He had
been an excellent offioer-almost good
enough. perhaps, to deserve that job
even without the marriage lines. Butt
men of all ages. He has done more
for the British navy. perhaps, than
any other man of the century.
Shakes Up British Navy.
Eleven years ago Fisher went to
Whitehall for the first time as first sea
lord. The British navy was then dusty,
dry and rule-ridden. Englishmen will
not like to read that statement. They
didn't like = even in 1904, when Fisher
made it. Part of the navy was pos
sibiy better than an equal section of
any other navy The remainder of it
was impossible. The navy had been
run by sons-in-law. dodos and dodder-
ers. The admiralty was drydock in
which needy relatives drew large sal
aries. Fisher blew them up and out,
He got rid of the well bred, well con-
nected. hopeless incompetents. I'M
three months he "Scrapped' 120 YES
sells. England had been carrying them
on her navy lists as assets. Fisher
said they could neither attack nor de-
fend. They were Il standing tempta-
tion to the enemy.
1t was at this time that he issued
his statement of his proposed policy
IN time of war-a policy which is
strangely Liz. the announced plan of
his national enemy today. The essence
Of war Is Violence. said he. "Modera
tion iii war is imbecility. When you
have to wiring a chickens neck. you
wiring IT. You don't stop half way and
tell the chicken you hope you are not
mountaineering him. | don't believe
IN fighting with intervals for refresh
lnents'