NAVAL AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 305, 21 December 1912, Page 5

NAVAL AFFAIRS.

I BRIDGEMAN'S RETIREMENTI LORD BEBESFOSB'S CHARGES. CHURCHILI/S SHABP REPLY. I _____ ißj- Cable—l-resa AssodaOon.-Copmsht.) ! (Received iv.55 a.m.) LONDON, December 20 Hon L he , H ? US * vi Lt "^on s to-day the i ine Uil 01 h "-st Sea Lord. I Admiral Lord Bedford disclaimed any pjirij uvang , Jr U.at he was not friendly wilh Adiniml Bridgeman. who objected to 1!;, [1 , creation as an Ad- ... ;il of the tWt, but there wa, mudi t-l'ling in the navy O u the matter. \d■•nral Bridgemai, w« lhc flfth S« Lord ■Wwirnl Wilson r,,,iv,.i ,:,.. saU ie sort of indent k-tter. Ik- a filed that Admin! f; I '}:-™ h«'l hoejj dismissed lecuit -uri-'/ill '"'" tt?<:fu ' iical mt "-UTS. from Mr. IV.p Kirs* Lord replied that Lord Brrrs- ! hud ,1m not mean f X- As offensive .as ; h : - really was. Ho wa s an orator who 1 m<l not know what he was going to say j His gross and scurrilous charges were unsupported by any evidence. Admiral Bndgeman had given his written assent to every act of naval policy requiring it. His health was quite unequal to "the strain, and aa attrwi of bronchitis had followed appendicitis. Mr. Churchill accordingly consulted the Premier and the Kins bvfore suggesting Admiral Bridgeman's retirement. I ■ —'