Evening star., 1941-12-21
Admiral King Best Known
In Navy as DiscipIinorion
New Commander
Has Twice Won
D. S. M. for Service

By the Associated PRESS.
The United States Navy got for its
boss yesterday one of the strictest,
toughest seadogs ever to fly the
four stars of full admiral from
his personal flag.
That was the enthusiastic opinion
in naval quarters when word spread
that President Roosevelt and Sec
retary Knox had entrusted Ernest
Joseph King with the gravest re-
sponsibility yet placed upon an
American naval officer-the respon-
sibility of fighting naval war ON
two oceans with fleet that has not
finally grown to tWo-ocean size.
Among naval men, there was no
doubt that the job had been given
to Admiral King-a veteran Of two
wars before this one-principally be-
cause OF his work this year as chief
of naval forces in the Atlantic.
AS commander of the Atlantic
Squadron since last December and
admiral of the Atlantic Fleet since
February he has had charge OF or
ganizing patrols and convoy escorts
for protection against German sub
marines, and it was recalled as sig
nificant that in recent months re-
ports of merchant ship losses from
U-boat attacks have sharply de-
clined.
Runs a 'Taut Ship
Admiral King at 63 is tall, square
shouldered, firm Of step. athletic Of
build and possessed OF piercing blue
eyes that have seen through the en-
emy,s strategems ant subordinates'
mistakes with the same relentless
penetration.
He is best known in the service
| itself as a disciplinarlan. Navy men
say he runs a "taut ship" His
officers and men in peacetlme were
required to be as much on the alert
as if they had been at war.
1t is said of Admiral King that he
is most impatient-and he is not
/ reputed to be a patient man-Wlth
those who offer excuses for work
/ poorly done. An honest mistake,
honestly admitted. may bring from
him a sharp reprimand but not an
explosion. But Heaven help the
| officer who tries to explain away
what shouldn't have happened but
! did.
Admiral King entered the Naval
Academy in 1897 and was graduated
/ first in his class. His classmates
dubbed him Dolly" and wrote in
their yearbook:
He is class beauty No. 2, with a
laugh as rosy as his cheeks"
But in a somewhat prophetic vein,
the yearbook also added this char
acter note:
Temper: Don't fool with dyna-
mite"
Awarded Navy Cross.
Admiral King served in the Span
ish- American War aboard the
cruiser San Francisco, which en-
gagged in patrol duty of the Allan
tic Coast.
/ After more duty at sea and ashore.
he went through the World War as
assistant chief of the staff OF Ad-
miral Henry T. Mayo, commander
/ III CIll6l VI tlIc OIlllcO SNoeSS AS>S,
and was awarded the Navy Cross.
But it was in the years after the
war that Admiral King achieved
the rare distinction OF being twice
decorated with the Distinguished
Service Medal This came about
because he decided that to his other
accomplishments should be added
knowledge of submarine operations
He was given command Of ths
submarine base at New London
Conn, and was there when th'
submarine S-5l went down of Bloci
Island in September, 1925. He haC
charge of salvage operations ant
for his work was awarded the D. S
M. In December. 1927, he won hi
second D. S. M. for conducting
similar salvage operations on thu
submarine S-4 off Provincetown
Mass.
Meanwhile, his interest In nev
developments affecting the art O
naval warfare led him to become
one of the first high-ranking Off
GERS to make an intensive study o.
aviation. In 1927, at the age Of 49
he qualified as a naval aviator. Fo
the next IL years, until he becam,
a member of the Nays all-im.
portant General Board. he was II
some sort Of aeronautical command