The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-02-28
VIGOROUS SEA
POLICY kNTIC|P 4 ED
Retirement Of Jelicoe Expected
to Result in Change Of Ma
val Tnctics.
~ X. Walter

Y Londoa---(by nai15 Although the
change at the British admiralty came
unexpectedly to the public and Sec
ton Of the press, 1t had been anticipated
in naval circles for sometime, and 1t
Is useless to pretend that 1t will be
received otherwise than with delight
by very large number OF men in re-
sponsible naval positions. Ever since,
the battle of Jutland, Sir John Jellicoe's
popularity in the navy has been on
the wane He achieved a half victory
under circumstances which many be-
lieve could have been turned into a.
smashing defeat Of the Germans. The
welcome appointment OF Beatty as
commander In chief was not followed
by all the reforms that it promised, but
opinion was slow to ascribe this dis
appointment to one or the other re-
sponsible heads OF the navy. What
everyone did see was that Beatty re-
tanned Jellicoe's men in high staff posi-
tons under him, and before long it be-
came current gossip that in this and
in other ways Beatty's command Of the
grand fleet was restricted by Jellicoe
ut the admiralty.
great deal was accomplished, how
ever, to the immense satisfaction Of the
eager spirits OF the new schoo. Of naval
warfare. More attention was paid to
those tactics which superior forces
with an enemy whose constant object
must DO to avoid an open battle, Of
withdrawing before the full power OF
the superior forces can come into ac-
ton and laying every imaginable trap
devised by modern science in the path
these tactics, have reason to believe.
was never seriously undertaken by
Jellicoe and his admirals previous to
the battle of Jutland, and 1t was said
it was for lack OF these that large
portion of the German fleet made good
Its. escape. It is impossible to go into
details in these matters but little
intelligent Imagination will Eftng 1t
home even to those who know nothing
OF the sea that a navy which had not
100 years would need some very thor
ough revision Of tactics and personnel
in order to bring its fighting efficiency
Into line with modern inventions.
s l recently gave some hints of these
changes when 1 was permitted to say
that the British navy war SO per cent
more efficient than at the time of the
battle Of Jutland. Forecasts / was
given at the same time prophesied that
with the right man at the head Of
things at the admiralty an increase of
200 per cent in efficiency would be
very soon obtainable.
From all accounts. Sir Rosslyn
Wemyss, the new first sea lord, is the
right man He is one Of the few ad-
mirals known to be in full sympathy
with the men OF the new school. He is
experienced in all branches of naval
administration and for some time has
been for all practical purposes chief Of
operations at the admiralty. Some of
the London papers connected the re-
tirement Of Jellicoe with the loss Of
two conveys in the North sea. This is
a very trivial way Of looking at the
matter. When a hundred conveys sail,
one may still be lost without any re-
Election on the protecting navy. Prob
ably no people except the British, ac-
customed to regard British naval pow
er as unassailable, would make a fuss
over such slight losses.
There is no disgrace whatever at
tached to Jellicoe's retirement 1t is
the passing OF the grand old school. a
change inevitable in the development
of new fighting methods at sea. With
him will probably go the prestige Of
many other men who have held to the
old British theory that navigation was
the sum and substance of naval war
fare. and their places will be taken by
men whose conception Of sea fight
ing includes all the complex uses to
which modern instruments of destruc
ton can be put. The allies owe a debt
Of gratitude to Sir Brio Geddes. first
lord of the admiralty for his business
like disposal OF situation which was
seriously restricting the full develop
ment Of British sea power and was
only made the more difficult to