Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-20

I1RST-In q rolling mil in Carnegie S
Steel Works a, Homestead. Pa.
NEXT-Tallying logs and inspecting
lumber in southern lumber camps.
THEN-"SeIyine his term as signal
man, as train dispatcher and as
engineer while learning practical
raiiroading with the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad.
Hes not n politician, he is merely
a genius" That is one accepted de-
scription of Sir Eric Geddes, First
Lord of the British Admiralty and
certainly the ablest naval adminstra-
tor the war has produced, who has
just returned to America to confer
with President Wilson and Secretary
Daniels on joint naval program for
Great Britain and America But the
story of Sir Eric's preparation for the
high post he fills with such distinction
suggests another name for him--the
Sir Joseph Porter of the Kings Navee.
The real hero "Pinafore' always
earns a laugh when he sings the story
of his life.
When was a lad ] served my term
AS office boy of hardware firm.
I busted the office and swept the floor
And polished mp the handle of the big
front door
/ polished it up so CarCful-lee
That now I'm The ruler of the
Queens Navee."
But is a career with a hardware
firm a more humorous preparation for
the job of ruler of the navy that rules
the waves than varied experience
of numbering, steel making and rail-
road work? Perhaps Sir Eric Geddes
can truthfully echo Sir Joseph's boast
Pm never never sick at sea- Per-
haps he need not qualify this proud
assertion with Sir Joseph's apologize
well, hardly ever!" Yet it Is a fact
that his whole past career has been
that of a landsman, and probably
when Lloyd George jumped him to the
top of the admiralty many old sea
dogs considered the appointment as
humorous a misfit as anything ever
invented by Gilbert and sullivan
Sir Erie however, has been increas-
ingly successful in handling respon-
sbllities which proved too much for
several other distinguished men. And
Americans must be especially inter-
ested in the remarkable story of his
career not merely because he is now
in this country, but because his visit
is truly return" In America the
foundation stones of his success were
laid.
He came here at the age Of seven
teen. According to one story, he
worked his way across. And after
landing he found a job under Andrew
Carnegie in the steel works at Home
stead. Pa He worked year there
in a rolling mill.
He also worked in southern lumber
camps, tallying logs and inspecting
lumber, and those who knew him say
that traces of southern speech still
linger in the conversation of Eng
lands First Lord of the Admiralty.
Then he had three years of practical
experience in railroading with the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad. 1t is
recorded that he SERVED his term" as
signalman, as train dispatcher and as
engineer. Altogether his experience
was that of thousands of plucky,
practical young Americans who begin
at the bottom and are not afraid of
anything that goes under the name of
work.
Long before the war Sir Eric
achieved a reputation in Great Brit
ain, but always and emphatically a
landsman reputation He did i'm
portant railroad development work in
India and later became general man
ager of the Northeastern railway in
England. At first, after the war be-
gan his patriotic service was of a
similar nature. He was director gem
eral of transportation for the armies
in France. He also served as chief
aid to Lloyd George when the latter
became minister of munitions.
And the great little Welshman, with
his usual calm slaughter Of tradi-
ton kicked Sir Edward Carson up
stairs a year ago last July, and made
Sir Eric Geddes-who was not even
a member of ruler of
the Kings Navee." Winston Spencer
Churchill, it is generally admitted.
was an utter misfit for this job.
Geddes has proved supreme success.
The first thing he did was to use
his sharpest wire cutters on much of
the red tape with which his depart
ment was enmeshed. Quietly but
swiftly this brilliant business man of
Just over forty introduced the prn-
ciples of efficiency which have made
him a marvelously successful admin
istrator with which-or so we Amer
leans like to believe-he became ac-
quainted as yourg man in this
country.
The first great thing for the navy
to accomplish was the solution of the
submarine peril. In February of this