The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-11-04

IS ENGLAND'SlD idol
Supreme Commander of British
Fleet Has Been Tried and
Proved, People Think.


leaders Of the war, Sir John Jellicoe,
commanding the British grand fleet, Is
least known to the world, and his Is the
portrait which receives the most cheers
when IL Is thrown onto a screen at a
London theater. But the British pub
lie knows nothing OF him except that
he Is the fighting commander OF the
invisible" power Of the British navy.
When war was threatening 1t Is re-
lated that q meeting of admiralty lords
and others who would have the say
was held to decide who. In case OF
hostilities. should command the British
fleet The opinions ran something ike
this, 1t is said:
"Jellicoel He has the brains"
"JellicoeI He is young. He has the
health to endure the strain. He has the
nerve"
"Jellicoe! He has been tried in every
branch Of the service"
"JeIlicoe! His fellow officers believe
In him"
He Has Made Good.
It was that sort Of accommodation
that helped. When the great war came
he was given supreme command ana
the rest left to him. sH r..
from the time he was midship-
man, Jellicoe has been q marked man
In the service" said one of his ad.
mirals. He Is one Of those men who
seems to be born with tireless energy.
No matter what difficulties arise, ne
Is always smiling. Both he and Beatty
were In the first attempt to relieve the
Peking legations at the time OF the
Boxer rebellion. Captain Jellicoe was
then Admiral Seymour's chief or starr.
When he was wounded and the little
band Of seamen were surrounded by
Boxers and IL looked as IL every minute
might be their last, he was smiling as
cheerily as IL he had been on the
quarter deck. Nothing ever seems TO
ruffle his equanimity. His personal
charm would win him his way any
where; bat when you have served with
him, then you realize what master OF
his profession he is. ..J. =
Only the commander in chiefs flag
which she flies distinguishes the flag
ship, which Is in the center Of the fleet,
from the rest Of the gray fighters In
their precise lines at anchor In har-
Dor. Sir John takes his exercise and
his holidays pacing the quarter deck.
He never leaves the fleet even for q
few hours. The -chtef Is
the one man who must take no risk
OF being absent II the German fleet
should come out. ..f.
Not tan, spare, his face tanned by
the breezes, he walks up and down the
deck, sometimes with one OF his aides
or with his chief Of staff, again with
one Of his adnirals Everyone in the
fleet Is familiar with the quick, light
step OF that slight figure with tele-
scope always under his arm. If a ship
should come to anchor with a bow out
OF line, he knows It.. All his fighting
ENips are under his eye and every hu-
an n being on the fleet feels his per
sonal presence.
No Sian Of Detail.
Descend a ladder under the shadow of
two great 13.5-inch guns and the visi-
tor is in a large cabin extending from
side to side Of the ship, which In
house would be called a dining room.
Here when he was In port in time OF
peace the commander-in-ch would
give his official dinners. In time Of war
the cabin is partly screened of, as there
is more room than Sir John and his
staff need for meals. Aft of this Is
what would be called in a house the
sitting room. The furnishings are OF
the simplest. Everything inflammable
could be removed promptly in case OF
action. The few names in the visitors
book on a table were suggestive Of the
fleets isolation from intercourse with
the rest OF the world. One name was
the kings and another the Prince of
Wales, and a few high officials.
The visitor looked about in vain for
signs OF the immense amount Of official
detail which would seem necessary for
the focal point Of a vast campaign.
Some staff officers and few records
were all. The flagship is kept cleared
for action in this as in all other re-
spects. The actual direction of the
5000 ships and auxiliaries of the
British navy is carried on in a
space occupied in a New York office by
q lawyer and two or three clerks. An
orderly went and came with messages
from the wireless room, which, aside
from the installations, had space
tovk, a xJfr n
stand and no more.
Officers said that II was difficult to
contemplate how such a naval cam
paign as the British in this war could
have ever been conducted without the
wireless. Sir John could talk with the
admiralty in London or with any ship,
whether off Heligoland or Iceland. He
knew what each man was doing. Let
a German cruiser show her nose in
the North Sea and he had the news in
"a minute or two after she was sighted.
He makes II all seem simple and
easy" said one OF the admirLls. THAT
Is his gift-it is the essential gift for
one who has such a great responsible
ity"
Beatty, who sank the Butcher, is the
youngest of Sir Johns young admiralS,
A years Of age, boyish and quick.
Sturdee, victor Of the Falkland islands
battle, smooth shaven, as smiling as
Sir JOnn Is quick spoken. ana rather
studious in appearance; he Is an ex-
pert in naval strategy.
Must Work Way Up.
In the British navy promotion is by
selection up to the grade Of captain.
A man with q single flaw in his record
as lieutenant must wait on others be-
fore he can become lieutenant COM
mander. Those with perfect records in
each grade are canvassed by boards
and those who have shown industry
and initiative are chosen to go over
the heads OF less active men. The aim
is to apply the system OF civil life,
where ability rises and mediocrity
must be content with the lower rungs
Of the ladder.
Jellicose, Sturdee and Beatty entered
the navy as boys of II. None had any
particular influence; they made their
way by industry. Sir John has
served in every branch. He is regarded
as possibly the ablest ordnance expert
in the navy, which means that he
knows the guns which he will fire In
action.
Notwithstanding his amiability, all
agree that he has only one criterion
success. II an officer fails he is super
seeded. Most Of these young admirals
sleep on the bridge even in harbor. For
the last 10 years the average British
naval officer has worked harder than
men of any profession in civil life.
ly,fIl