RETIRED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 11 February 1911, Page 5

RETIRED.

LORD CHARLES BERESFORD. HIS' LIFE STORY. j By Tclcjraph-Frcss Assoclatlon-Copyrlfnl. I (Rcc. February 10, 10.15 p.m.) London, February 10. Lord Charles Beresford lias retired from tho Navy, having readied tho ago limit. "LORD CHARLES." Mr. H. W. Wil»n, in the "Daily Mail,' gives the following interesting sketch of tho career of Lord Charles Beresford :— in 1846, his yenrs of service in the Navy number fifty. In his early days lie distinguished himself repeatedly by acts of signal gallantry in savins life at sea. But, though known within the ranks of the Navy as an audacious and capable officer, it was not until the bombardment of Alexandria that he came before tho nation's eye. The story of the Condor is familiar to all. With this gunboat, • absolutely unprotected, he dashed in under Fort Marabout, and, pouring in a fire -frop his machine gnns and his heavier weapons, so-distracted-the gunners in the fort tnar they were unablo to work any miscluet. When tho signal of recall.was m ? , "'SRunboat was cheered by the wholp fleet, tho signal, "AVell done, Coli,dor, was made, and Lord Charles was specially -promoted and mentioned' In dispatches. ~. . ■ 'though of distinguished birth. Lord t-narles has won every step in. his .profession by sheer merit. In 1884' he commanded the naval brigade in the expedition sent to rescuo Gordon-the expedition which arrived too late. ,His name again figured always in the.dispatches. At Abu Klea, wlicro tho Dervishes made their fierce rush,' ho was outside tho square, clearing a jammed machino gun, as the Dervishes closed. He escaped by a sheer miracle; all tho naval officers at his side were killed or disabled. . Fighting the Dervishes. ■, r T . u « n flowed his'rescue of' Sir Charles I'hiT ■ , \ t s°. c ! , , a *>' old steamer Safieh. Khartum had fallen; Wilson was wreck■ti,.-^ n - a '!i 'A land , '" tho Nile, between rivi. » nd intervened miles of mer commanded by. a dervish fort. How M carried the Safieh up to tho fort; how she was struck m the boiler and disabled; liow Benbov jnended tho boiler undor fire while Beresford fought'tho dervishes irom the deck is recorded in history, and )'i dispatches. Never was a more thrilling tale told to the public, yet not fill long years afterwards did it become known that to the exploit tho relief column owed its escape from disaster. - Impressed by Beresford s conduct the dervishes came to tho. conclusion that the British wcro lnvulnerablo near the water, and withheld an attaok in great force. The British started suddenly from the Nile, moved with expedition, and' made good their . ■ .• : ~ * Entering- Parliament for the second time, on his return. Lord Charles called for a largo naval programme. The First Sea Lotd of that day, Sir Cooper Key; had tamely permitted tho strength of tho ■Aavy to decline until, in the words of his, biographer and defender. 1 it wa<s no stronger than thn fleet of 'France. Lord Charles s demand ■ was rejected amid tho usual assurance.'! that all was for tho best. In Lord Salisbury's first .Administration he became Junior, Sea Lord, and immediately pressed for tho creation of a Naval Intflligeneo Department. ' There was then no-organisation for war and no preparation for mobilisation. The Government would not give him what ho wanted, and he resigned, with an utter indifference to his personal prospects. Of course, he was treated with .scorn—but ; tbo ! Naval Intelligence Department was created. .. His,next aotivas in call.formn exnandi-: 'Wffl .pfiitwenty millions on the -Navy; Again his demand-was refused; again, .sr.me months after it had been peremptor»'v .»f»wd; the .money, was voted in tho Naval Defence'Aot-"that great menument of British patriotism,'' ni nn'-IMl-ian writer, of the day, described' it... The' »«« thus; provided kept', tho. peace in IS9O, who" Germany at the timn of the Jameson Raid proposed to the, European Powers joint.ortion against England and dispatched the Kruger telegram. The North Sea Incident. '' In 1893, at a great city mc'oting.'in the naval crisis caused by tho refusal of the Liberal Government to introduce an adequate pronramme, he pre«ed fdr more ships. .: When the ltussian special programmeiwas announced in 1898. he bnco moro made a demand for a Supplementary programme'and secured aii additional eight armoured ships—wa laid down fifteen in.all that year. These were the very ships which kept tho world's pence in the trying days of 19M, when the North Sea incident nil but caused European war. In January, 1900, Lord Charles began tho long period of service afloat in high command, ..which gavo him such unrivalled experience. First came two vears as second in command in the Mediterranean, where ho loyally .supported Sir John Fisher, his Commander-in-Chief, in Ins efforts to reform tho organisation of the Mediterranean Fleet end strengthen it for war. In April, 1903, he passed to tho position of Commander-in-Chief of the old .Channel Fleet. His personal exertions saved the Prince. George, which was rammed in night manoeuvres without lights. He went on board her with his staff when 1 she seemed in danger of (sinking and carried her into safety. When the North Sea incident came; his was the only oue of three great British Fleets whioh was ready and concentrated; which he took were admirable, and had there been war would probably have ensured prompt .success. Ho commanded in chief in tho Mediterranean from May, 1905, to January, .1907, proceeding Home in 190" to take Command of the new Channel Fleet. Ho found this had been so woakencd by alterations in its organisation that he considered it unequal to the task of securing Britain's safety. Ho' was made responsible for tho security of these islands, and was promised the command of all ships in Homo waters in the ovsnt of war. But under tho system in forco ho was unable to train his ships for war. His fleet numbered only eighteen armoured vessels, with three small cruisers. • It had no destroyers and no fast scouts. Possibly, as the result of his protest, this state of affairs was changed.