The Alaska daily empire., 1918-01-21
SIR ERIC GOT YANKEE TRAINING
Current Opinion)

Current Opnion
 More than any other Brton now holding eNalteu office in London Sir Geddes, ruler of the King navy exemplifies traits recognized in England aS e merican They are not Yankee characteristics however as London Truth is at some pains to ex pain seeing this ceancut and brisk Scot galnec his practical experience Of our ways Tn the s oouIn M Even in his speech, it seems, the first Lord or the Admiralty suggests the other side Of the Mason aho Dixon line, he says "hoase' and not house ano .ah" for "I" His somewhat soft and liquid accent blended with the northern burr in his speech lmparH highly original and piquant flavor to the oDserva tions he makes from time to time in the Commons. non When Sir Eric is up, as they say over there there debates in the House. There are conversations Sir Eric his best when interrupted with ques tion, obesrvaon He is most impressive when ne sticks hands in his pockets, stands very straight leans back and remarks: "Ah suppose sir ah nave right to thing as ah please sir" quite in the Ken tuck manner There are, in the opinion of this states man, but two places where educate themselves in the school of greatness-our own South and Kip Iing's India. The First Lord of the Admiralty knows both as we'll if they were his own pockets
 Sir Eric Geddes is the head of gifted Scotch family long known, according to the London World for the pushing ways of it's sons. Sir Fries father was railway magnate in India years ago. civil en gneer by profession, keen Scot who made fortune out of his personal qualities of thrift foresight and industry. There has been distinguished Geddes before the world for generations sometimes in science sometimes in commerce, often in the army ana no" and then in the Church. They are all extremely clan nish and all to arrive" The younger brother of Sir Eric, Sir Auckland, is another Geddes whom the has rendered notable. Sir Eric is now forty two and London journalists impressed by his re markable resemblance his published photographs They do not says the London World, convey idea breeziness of his personality, the eagerness of the voice in which he dwells upon the blockade his earnest tone as he expounds the truth that the North defeated the South in our Civil War by the persistence and effectiveness of the blockade The naval history of the American Civil War is always tip this Scots tongue. He has studied it long and profoundly. He is well informed the subject blockade running and he seems to share the gen eral British impression that Stonewall Jackson was the brilliant military commander in the struggle Nevertheless. according to Sir Eric the South had hopeless task the first owing to the rigdity of the unrelaxing blockade The lesson is obvious and the First Lord of the Admiralty fails to state it. Germany is whipped because the be hers, whatever be the deeds of her submarines Here have the whole case of the socaed ginger school against Sir Eric He risked a sea fight He talks about but in the end he is always hark ing back that blockade.
 Administration, organization-these said in our London contemporary to be the trump cards of Sir Erie. He intended for the army, and lad he was home to Scotland from India and spent some years Merchiston Castle School, in Edinburg. where the head finally observed" We've no metaphysics, yeve leeterature, we've art; but state of astonishing ignorance all these themes, but the wisdom of the world he is conceded to be a marvel At the Oxford Military School he did bril-
 antly but abandoned army career for business. He lad in his teens when first he reached this country and looked about him for job. He not above turning his hand anything and he worked in lumber camp down South for many strenuous weeks, wearing overalls, experimenting the labors gang and initiating himself into the mysteries of forestry His success dealing with labor" and the esteem affection he inspired in the under his or. ders first drew the attention of high official of the Baltimore & Ohio road to the youthful Sect. In due time he filling responsible position the line, directing the operations of station agents and super intending the construction of houses and yards
 He practiced such thrift at this period that his
 living expenses exceeded dollars a week and often much less. He had accumulated a snug when he received flatt eriug offer from railway line in India.
 It is to the Indian experience of Sir Eric that he is indebted observes WI iter in the London News, his remarkable insight into the nature of what is called for this purpose railway human nature" Fresh from America the young Scot applied to the manage of the the ideas he had picked up in our