LORD CHARLES BERESFORD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 67, 17 September 1906, Page 5

LORD CHARLES BERESFORD.

4S. REPORTED FRESH APPOINTMENT. COMMAND OF THE HOME WATERS. LPKISSS ASSOCIATION.] (Received September 17, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, 16th September. Tho Daily Mail states that Lord Charles Boresford will bo appointed to the supreme command of the Home \vater3 in Apri' next, commanding t-weniy-four first-class battleships, exclusive of tho reserve fleet. The above announcement, if true, will clear up a matter concerning which there has been considerable speculation in late London papers It was unexpectedly notified last July that Lord I Charles Beresford intended to resign the command of tho Mediterranean Fleet. The announcement lacked official confirmation, and a number of explana tions were nazarded regarding the statement. Lord Charles has only held his present position barely a year, and the command is a three years' appoint- j ment. Until comparatively recently the Mediterranean has been the most powerful battleship fleet afloat, arid the command has always been hold by an admiral, but owing to the strategic redistribution of tho battleship strength which has taken place in the last few years, the strength of the command has diminished as compared with both the Channel and Atlantic Fleets. However, as Sir Lewie Beaumont, the Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth, and Lord Charles Beresford, Commandor-in-Chief in tho Mediterranean, wero, when appointed to their rospective commands in February and May of 1906, tho senior and second senior on tho vice-admirals' list, and were succeeded to appointments previously held by admirals, botli received the acting rank of Admiral for the tenure of their appointments, or until the rank came to thorn in tho ordinary course. Any one of three causes, it was said, might account for Lord Charles Boresford's decision to relinquish what till a short time ago was the bluo ribbon of sea command. First, it was urged that it might bo purely private reasons that necessitated tho admiral's return to England ; tnat ill-health ■ might be a cause is possible, but to thoso who know tho admiral, and in what a splendidly "fit" condition ho has always boen, it will be considored as hardly likely. Lord Charles was 60 last February, and not ono man in a hundred of his ago could compare with him in physical condition. Secondly, it was suggested — and if to-day's cablod announcement is authoritative tho suggestion had somo foundation in fact — that his services aro required to tako up a inoro important command than that which ho holds at present. Against this it was urged that his return would be somewhat premature, for neither tho commonder-in-chiefship of the Channel or Atlantic, nor any of tho threo Homo poits — Portsmouth, Plymouth, and tho Norc — would bo vacant before next year, tho earliest being the Noro, whore Admiral Sir Hugo Poarson will ceaso to be cotn-mandor-in-chief on Ist January, 1907. There remained, then, only tho third reason, namely, that Lord Charles did not givo hi 3 full approval to recent Admiralty policy. It is generally assumed (wrote tho Tribune) by thooo most likely to know that with the prosest system of entry and training, as modified by oho Cawdor Memorandum, Lord Charles is not in complete accord, and as his past career, which has been largely political, has shown, Lord Charlos might; feel it his duty to come Home, and from tho vantage ground of a seat in Parliament, put boforo the country the views on tho question held by that section of naval opinion of which ho would bo such an able and influential mouthpiece.