Evening star., 1943-09-05
BY DUKE sHoOP.

! ~ Ao 0oabOA b4 ~ cAly pCl OOll Ill illC
world. holding job of responsibility
comparable to that of Admiral Err
nest j. King, commander in chief
of the worlds largest feet and chief
of naval operations, leads such q
disciplined life.
| Certainly President Roosevelt,
Prime Minister Churchill and others
also engaged in winning the war,
would be unable to stick to the
rigid routine followed by Admiral
King.
Before every morning he is hit
ting the deck of his yacht, u. S. S.
Dauntless, which is anchored at the
Washington Navy Yard. For years
Admiral King has chosen to live
aboard ship and he prefers to con-
tinue. The Government provides
the chief of naval operations a fine
home in Observatory Circle. Now
and then he has dinner with his
family there, but he knows if he
lived there he would be engulfed in
family affairs to the exclusion of
naval affairs. So he lives aloof on
his ship.
With typical King punctuality he
arrives at his Office at $40. His
aides are there well ahead OF him
to sort communications received
during the night and have ready
only those that demand his atten-
ton.
Meets Knox at $3.50 am.
Promptly at $50 Admiral King
goes to the operations room to meet
with Secretary OF the Navy Knox.
| This meeting usually lasts an hour,
with bureau heads reporting on
their work and the various sub
ordinates of Admiral King reporting
to Secretary Knox the latest de-
velopments in the global war.
At 12:45 members of the admiral's
staff accompany him to private
dining room near his Office. The
meal Is light, usually only a soup
and salad. On Tuesdays Admiral
King lunches across Constitution
avenue in the former Public Health
Building that now houses the offices
Of the United Nations joint chiefs
of staff. At these affairs the heavy
strategy is discussed. Besides Ad-
miral Kings air and submarine
officers there will be Gen. George
C. Marshall, Admiral William D.
Leahy, chief of staff to President
Roosevelt, and Gen. Henry H. Ar
mold, chief of the Army Air Forces.
At these meetings the plan of battle
takes form. Usually these meetings
have to do with military action that
is strictly an American affair,
joint Army-Navy attack.
Meets with Allied Chiefs.
On Friday afternoons Admiral
King Is back in the Public Health
Building again, this time with the
British admirals and generals who
represent their superior officers who
are either on the fighting fronts
or at their offices in London. These
officers move directly under Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Prime Minister
Churchill. The African and Sicilian
invasions were born at a series of
these meetings. The Burma cam
paign may be next.
The admiral leaves the Navy De-
partment late. At this time his
self discipline again is manifest:
On most evenings he goes direct
to his ship for dinner and con-
ferences with staff officers.
Like as not, many of the hero
worshippers of this war never heard
of Admiral King. And that is all
right with the admiral Without
doubt he is a strange character of
a man, "a man nobody knows"
yet possessed with such ability,
forthrightness and judgment to
mark him as one of the top military
geniuses of the world. The writer
has heard Admiral Kings class
mates describe him as cold, wholely
lacking in heart and soul Yet
agreement is had on every side
that he is the man for the job he
holds