Eric Campbell Geddes Sir Eric Campbell - Geddes GCB , GBE , PC ( 26 September 1875 – 22 June 1937 ) was a British businessman and Conservative politician . He served as First Lord of the Admiralty between 1917 and 1919 and as the first Minister of Transport between 1919 and 1921 . Background and education . Born in British India , Geddes was the son of Auckland Campbell Geddes , of Edinburgh , Scotland , and the elder brother of Auckland Geddes , 1st Baron Geddes . He was educated at Oxford Military College and Merchiston Castle School , Edinburgh . Business career . Geddes worked in lumbering in the United States and in the railway business with Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Rohilkund and Kumaon in India . After returning to England he joined the North - Eastern Railway , and rose to be Deputy General Manager in 1911 . Political career . During the First World War Geddes was one of the " " men of push and go " " brought into government service by Minister of Munitions David Lloyd George , and served as Deputy Director - General of Munitions Supply between 1915 and 1916 . His administrative ability was so impressive that he was appointed , despite being a civilian , Director - General of Military Railways and Inspector - General of Transportation with the British Expeditionary Force in 1916 , with the rank of Honorary Major - General . His task here was to improve communications behind the lines , a question which had then become urgent . He was knighted in 1916 and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 1917 . The latter year he moved to the Admiralty as Controller with the rank of Honorary Vice - Admiral , charged with developing and utilizing the shipbuilding resources and concentrating them under one authority . In July 1917 Geddes entered Lloyd George ' s cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty , despite having no previous parliamentary experience . He entered the House of Commons for Cambridge and was sworn of the Privy Council the same month . The " Daily Telegraph ' s " naval correspondent , Sir Archibald Hurd , later wrote of Geddes and Lloyd George , " No men more ignorant of naval affairs were ever associated together than the Prime Minister and Geddes " . During his tenure the British mercantile fleet suffered greatly from German submarine warfare , and in 1918 he informed the House of Commons that the output from British shipbuilding years would have to be nearly doubled before the monthly sinking figures were made good . He appointed the Belfast shipbuilder Lord Pirrie as controller - general of merchant shipbuilding . He left the Admiralty in January 1919 and was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath the same month . Lloyd George then instructed him to organize a new Ministry of Transport . Until the bill for setting up this new office was passed in May 1919 , he remained a member of the cabinet as Minister without Portfolio . In May 1919 he was so appointed the first Minister of Transport . The new ministry was given control over railways , roads , canals and docks but was criticized by both houses of parliament as it was considered giving in to nationalization . The size of the ministry was also heavily criticized in regards to the constrained economic circumstances after the First World War . In the autumn of 1921 the handing back of the railways from state control to the companies was under review , and put the Ministry of Transport under further scrutiny . Geddes consequently resigned in November 1921 . He also chaired the committee on National Expenditure which formulated the controversial government policy of heavy cuts in public expenditure , the policy being known as the " Geddes Axe " . From 1924 until his death he was chairman of Imperial Airways . Geddes is famously known for his quote " We shall squeeze the German lemon until the pips squeak ! " which was uttered during a rally before the Versailles Peace Conference in order to stir up support for harsh restitutions . Family . Geddes married Gwendolen , daughter of Reverend A . Stokes , in 1900 . They had three sons , including Sir Reay Geddes , former chairman of the Dunlop Rubber Company . Sir Eric died in June 1937 , aged 61 .