New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-29
A Reformed Admiralty

81 can divide the critics OF the BRUSH
Admiralty and navy into several cate
gorics,' said Sir Edward Carson, after n
few months experience at Whitehall.
There arc my political critics.
Then there are the critics who have been
disappointed in the past. There are many
of them When you read criticisms of Sir
John Jellicoc try to find out what is the
origin Of them
II is task Of no extraordinary difficulty
10 trace the bitterest to their source or 10
account for the motives that inspired them.
The way Of those who sought TO depose the
First Sea Lord was made easy by recent
events, and that sooner or later he would
be forced into retirement was almost GER
taintv. In great measure he is undoubted-
~ a victim Of popular clamor caused by q
vague uneasiness carefully cultivated by
his enemies and whipped at the proper mo-
ment into reasonless anxiety by the loss Of
two valuable conveys in the North Sea.
1t is impossible to-day to estimate Sir
John Jellicoe's services. For the moment
he is under an eclipse, and it is the fashion
10 speak of him indulgently as an accom-
plshcd seaman and administrator VINO
would do well enough in ordinary times
but was obviously unfit for the task before
him. lie was, il is admitted, good man
Of the old school, but his successor and
the much advertised younger men--the
new First Sea Lord being some four or
five years his jUnior-are the men on
whom the hopes Of Britain are fastened
to-day. Yet when the naval history OF the
war comes 10 be written it viii probably
be agreed that Sir John Jellicoc did better
than some Of his contemporary critics were
willing to allow. For more than two years
he maintained at sea the greatest and most
powerful fleet the world has ever seen, in
the face Of how many difficulties and veXa-
tions we shall never know till this war
is over.
Considering the magnitude Of his service
he has been dropped with scant ceremony,
yet his experience is by no means unique.
who can, my dear Fremantle,' wrote
Nelson to his friend, command all the sue
cess which our country may wish? We
have fought together and therefore well
know what it is Many of those who
fought with Admiral JellicOe at Jutland
must have the same thought to-day. 1t is
no doubt very proper that the public should
be exacting in trying times. but in consid-
crng the careers Of other admirals Of note
IL is impossible to place much faith in the
popular judgment Of the day. On the very
eve Of his great victory over de Contains a
rabble in England was burning Hawke in
elligy, and had some accident delayed that
event can it be doubted that Bompart's
evasion would have exposed him TO con-
domination as bitter as any that Sir John
Jellcoe has been subjected TO?
In the dissatisfaction caused by the in
decisive engagement off the Jutland Bank
Sir John Jellicoe's opponents found their
account, and once he had been returned to
The Admiralty their way was easy. There
is no more difficult and thankless Office than
that Of First Sea Lord, and few who have
filed it have long escaped censure, even if
perhaps it should rather be said espe-
cially if--they have many friends in the
Fleet. No naval officer OF rank could 20
10 Whitehall without some misgivings.
Hawke himself, though a national hero,
was subjected as head Of the Admiralty to
hearty abuse, and the manner In which
"junius" at last recommended chat no
expense should be spared 10 secure him an
honorable and affluent retreat" is very like
the condescending style of "The Daily
Mali and "The Saturday Review toward
the late First Sea Lord.
Sir RoSslyn Wemyss is trusted in Tho
navy as a singularly able and energetic
officer. lie has now served some month,
as Second Sea Lord, and in the quality OF
administrator has, no doubt, satisfied Sil
Erie Goddes. The process will probably b.
continued and we shall hear Of further
changes in the constitution of the board
but FOR evidence Of the changes so warmly
demanded by the more noisy critics we shall
probably have TO wait indefinitely, and fol-
very obvious reason. The fact is tha
the clamor has not apparently been in
spired by any definite conception Of re
form. Every one is uneasy, every one i
conscious OF being more or less on The
defensive, but no one seems 10 have clear
plan Of action.
For this reason it is impossible to regarC
the ousting Of Sir John Jelicoe as an even
certain TO be followed by extraordinar,
consequences. II it were clear that he wa!
stumbling block, if We had any reason
20 believe that those who drove him from
Office had we'll considered plans FOR deal
ing with the eyer-present Submarine men
acc or for spelling the German fleets th'
changes at the Admiralty might be haileC