Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-28

complete details as TO what had been
done and then icily asks, "Why?" If the
subordinate has done his best, he is
credited with having done his best.
He insists that his own orders be car
ried out without question. When his
flagship was taking President Roosevelt
to the Newfoundland banks to meet
Prime Minister Churchill, he asked
whether the radio telephone had been
hooked up. The subordinate officer be-
came ratified and unfortunately asked
whether the admiral wanted to use it.
What do you think wanted 1t for"
he shouted, ito sing Happy Birthday to
somebody?"
He can also be kindly tn his criticism
Late in life he became an enthusiastic
duck hunter, going as often as possible
to the Maryland Eastern Shore with his
friend, Admiral Land Of the Maritime
Commission. Not a particularly good
duck shot himself, he has chided the
gunnery officers Of a ship after bad
showing by observing that there are
not enough duck shooters on this ship"
Decided on Academy.
This determination and singleness Of
purpose apparently was inherited from
and encouraged by his father. Here is
an example of the parental influence.
King left the Lorain high school to take
job in a Cleveland iron pipe fac
tory. After few weeks he decided that
he would have better future If he re-
turned to school. His father, however,
insisted that he stick to the Cleveland
Job for year.
Back in Lorain, he was attracted to
the Naval Academy at Annapolis by an
article in the Youths Companion and
he decided on naval life. He buckled
down to his work and won the appoint
ment In competitive examination. He
was graduated in the class Of 1901, rank
ing fourth. AS an Annapolis student. he
was on the cruiser San Francisco during
the attack on Havana during the Span
ish-American War. In the World War,
as assistant chief of staff to Admiral
Mayo, he watched the bombardment of
Ostend
The f1ippant remarks in the Annapolis
Lucky Bag gave this description of the
future admiral:
Almost Married Mems Club. Gle was
then counting Martha Egerton of Balti-
more, whom he married four years after
graduation) Spoons occasionally. Tenn
per? Don't fool with nitroglycerin."
King had the usual Navy assignments,
always working upward During the
World War he began friendship with
young Assistant Secretary of the Navy,
Franklin D. Roosevelt. His big chance
came in 1926, when the Ssh sank off
Block Island in 1872 feet of water, depth
from which no ship had been salvaged,
King did the job in six months and re-
ceived the Distinguished Service Medal.
Then came the job which was really
preparatory for his present high station.
In 1927. when he was 40 years old, he
volunteered for instruction as pilot at
the Naval Air Station at Pensacola. After
winning his pilots wings he returned to
the airplane tender u S. S. Wright as
commander. About this time he salvaged
the submarine S-4, for which he received
the gold star, equivalent to a second
D. S. M.
Triple Threat Officer
His Pensacola service gave his detrac-
tors an opportunity to call him mere
Pensacola admiral" with the implica-
ton that he knew little or nothing about
actual flying and air command AS a
matter OF fact, this service, plus his sub
sequent IA years experience with the
Naval Air Force made him a triple
threat officer, trained in surface, sub
marine and air tactics
1t Is interesting to note that the same
sneering description has been applied to
Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, jr., now
commanding the naval forces in the
South Pacific, who won his pilots wings
at Pensacola 80 years after graduation
from the academy.
Kings experience with aircraft was
responsible for his appointment as chief
of the Bureau of Aeronautics in 1893.
A list Of possible appointees had been
handed President Roosevelt, but when he
found no officer on the list who could
fly plane, he remembered his friend
Ernie" King, threw the list into the
wastebasket and gave King the job
Under King the Naval Air Force got it's
start to a great expansion, particularly
in patrol and dive bombers.
Even before Hitler invaded Poland,
King became a member of the Nays
General Board and was later commander
OF the patrol force. which had instruc-
tons to shoot at sight" If Nazi U-boats
approached our shores. From this post
he was advanced to commander in chief
Of the Atlantic Fleet, in February, 1941.
fPrtntsd By special Grrdngsment Utth Ths
St. Louie Post- Dfspdtch.)