NEWSPAPER COMMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1912, Page 7

NEWSPAPER COMMENT.

(Received January 9, 8.25 a.m.) LONDON, Bth January. The newspapers generally comment on the Admiralty now Wai' Staff. The effect of the recenfr appointments of three new Sea Lords to the' Admiralty Board, which were explained by Mr. Churchill on the motion for adjournment in the House of Gommops on 28th November, is practically lo> reconstitute the naval side of the Board of 'Admiralty, sajs Th© Time?. Three out of the four Sea Lords. — namely, Sir Arthur Wilson, Sir George E'gerton, and Admiral Madden — disappear from Whitehall. Tho only naval member of tho Board to retain his position is Admiral Briggs, whose special charge as Controller in the provision 6f the materiel of tho Fleet. It may be assumed that the necessity of preserving continuity in this technical and cotiplicated department, which in not affected by | considerations of policy and stategy, was held to outweigh any desire on v the part of the new L^rst Lord to start his career at the Admiralty with a body of advisers which \yduld not be liable to further changes in the ordinary course of events. The ebse-nlial fact lo he remembered in estimating the new appointments is that certain changes were imminent in any .case. Sir Arthur Wilson's term oi" office expires next March and Admiral Maddens next January. In other words, the Board of Admiralty was liable to be reconstituted pieoemeal just at the end of that period of the year when estimates are prepared and plans of lievr construction settled. To wait for thft natural expirty of the existing appointments was virtually to postpone for twelve months tho existence of a board with any reasonable nrospect of working together for a considerable period of time. In these circumstances the Government has apparently decided that it is in tho interests of the Navy to mako all the inevitable changes together and at once. At the same time it is impossible, ol course, to dissociate the new changes altogether from the rumours, ' which have gained currency since Mr. Churchill's appointment, of certain developments of Admiralty policy. It is commonly understood, in particular, that the formation of a Naval War Staff is engaging the attention of th© present First Lord. If this is the case it is additionally easy to understand that Mr. Churchill may wish to undertake his work with a set of new aclvisei'B and men of recent sea experience. The formation of such a staff has been consistently been recommended by The Times <for several years as essential to the real efficiency of the Navy. Its development by Mr. Churchill will be awaited with tho utmost interest 'and sympathy.