FLEET COMMANDER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8303, 23 November 1915, Page 5

FLEET COMMANDER.

ADMIRAL JELLICOE

In his summary (in Land and.Water) of the naval sido of tho war, i\Er A. H. Poikin'^ys it was admitted that thoro was-only-!one commander for the Grand jj'leet."'Admiral o ellicoo'hold tlio unique position of having been a thick-and-thin supporter of Lord Fisher without once .: antagonizing a single individual amongst Lord Fisher's opponents. .bow men had better combined :'a,^nius tor civil administration with the,power to command ailoat. It is more/than possible that ■ his experience in tho first helped him greatly in tho second, tor a naval officer of original ideas and retentive of thorn needs a very considerable gift for tho diplomatic handling of opponents if he is to succeed at Whitehall. Ho must master not only the art of working, with others, but that of making others work lor him. Sir John Joilieoe's periods of omco as Director of Naval Ordnance and as Controller, of tho Navy had been quit© exceptionally fruitful of results. If the advance of the Navy m tho art ot (ire control-represented by tho diitorence between the -1000 yards winch was considered to be an extreme range in 1904 to the 18,000 yards at which hittiiv befan at the Dogger Bank—can be Considered in any special way owin<r to any single man, then it is to Sir John Jeliieoe that it is due. If the common! opinion of the, Navy made his selection as Conimander-m-Chiet oi the I Navy an obvious one, it is nevertheless | true that in war neither men nor plans always com:- up to expectation. But | Sir ' Joint .tellicoe's reputation grew ; with every day of the war, and as the j weeks went it- camo to be known that j like Nelson, he had made tho fleet a J "Band of Brothers." ■ . i