JUTLAND AGAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 136, 13 June 1927, Page 15

JUTLAND AGAIN

JELLICOE DEFENDED

VILIFICATION AND ABUSE

THE REAL 'MLSON TOUCH"

Iv every naval officers' mess where dinner is a formal meal, two, three, or sometimes four decanters are placed before the president when tho last savoury has been eaten and the last crump swept up, writes LieutenantCommander C. H. Eolleston, E.N.,,.retired, in tho "Sydney Morning Herald." The decanters circle ' the table, and when every glass is filled with port, madeira, or marsala, according to the financial resources of the individual, the King's health is drunk. Oh occasions there is a second round at the expense, perhaps, of a member of the mess celebrating a birthday or an engagement,, or the arrival of an offispring; any excuse is better than none; sometimes a mess rule has been broken, and the delinquent pays the time-honoured penalty by "passing the wine." National days are sometimes observed in this way, as is also the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. But many naval messes must have found a now excuse to observe the custom on Thursday, 2Gth May, 1927, tho day on which Rear-Admiral J. B. T. Harper published his book, "The Truth About Jutland," containing the famous Harper report, which has for so many years graced a pigeon-hole at the Admiralty.

A TARGET FOB ABUSE.

Never, probably, has a great man, a really great mail that is to say, had to bear so much vilification and abuse, to put up with so.-much misunderstanding, and to submit to ;o much ignorant criticism as has Admiral-of-the Fleet Viscount Jellicoe since 31st May, 1916. For eleven years the public all the world over has been reading at intervals, so i dously recurring that oue suspects a guiding brain in the background, the opinions of "naval experts" giving analysis of the conduct of the Jutland action, and piling abuse—there is no other word —on the man who gave the Geririan fleet,its quietus on that day just eleven years ago. Till recently only one voice of any influence had been raised in defence of England's greatest admiral, for such Jellicoo undoubted ly was and is, transcending even Nelson. That voice belonged to Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon, the author of "The Scandal of Jutland," and the obvious sincerity of his language and the clarity of his, till then .the only, technically expert version, caused many people to revise the opinions fathered on to them by ritcrs like A. H. Pollau, Filson Young, H. AY. Wilson, and others, including Winston Churchill, a forme;-. First Jj°r<i of^tho Admiralty. The Navy itself still argues at times about the tactics of Trafalgar, and opinions on many points connected with Nelson's victory are divided. It is not surprising, therefore, that oven the service itself should hold varying views about the much more recent action; but a fair estimate would say that at least 90 per cent, of naval ollicers hold that Jollicoe's conduct was beyond criticism'while regretting that the magnitude of the responsibility that devolved upon him—and them—on 31st May, 191 C, prevented a more spectacular victory. The other 10 per cent, havo had their opinions coloured by thuir allegiance, to Admiral Beatty, who lias a very strong personality, and more generally by a misconception of the "Nelson touch." The latter is generally understood to stand for the line of action which, seeing an enemy, says "go for him at all costs." Nelson never did that, every action that he fought having been' carefully thought out and worked out beforehand. The real "Nelson touch" is that of the man who studios the strategical position, and devises in the quiotuie of his own cabin improvements in tactics and methods of attack or defence likely to caus surprise to the enemy and consequent confusion. The Battle of the Nile is a particularly good example. Nelson know not whore the French had gone, but a process of reasoning, involving the exclusion of improbable and impossible theories, pointed to Egypt, so Nelson headed for Aboukir Bay—and there found them. His liieticiil theory involving the abandonment of .slii|i-foi-s!ii|> lighting he also first tried at the Kile, and proved successful, though complicated by Hie fiict that the French fleet was found at anchor.

THE MODEBN NELSON.

Jellicoo, not Beatty, us many believe, is the .modern Nelson. But it was not Admiral Harper's task to comparo the ono with tlic other; ho wns merely 1o roport on the Battle of Jutland sis it was fought, not as it niiglit havo boon fought had another man bceu in Jellicoo's place or in Boutty's, or had the ono replaced tho other. Harper was selected for the task for many reasons. First, he was a navigator, and thereforo appropriately chosen for work involving v study of tactics, manoeuvring and tho positions and relativo positions at different stagos of ships and squad-, rons on both sides. Second, ho was not present' at the action, and was not known to bo prejudiced through personal contact in favour of any prominent participant therein. -Third, ho was by birth a New Zealander, and therefore the moro likely to bo impartial. In substance, Harper bears out everything written by Bacon, but his report is tho more valuablo because Bacon is understood to bo greatly attached to Jellicoe. It was eleven years ago that Jutland was fought, and it is fair to say that. Jollieoe has not celebrated a' happier anniversary of tho event, coinciding as it does so nearly with the well-timed pub lication of Harper's book. Wo also may perhaps be pardoned if wu look back with satisfaction over those eleven

years, and while actually, or in imagination drinking a "second round of P° ♦ i °J h ° toasb ot "Admiral Viscount Jellicoe," it will not be out of place to reflect on the character of the man w« honour. Never before, or since, had anyone been so viciously vilified, and never before has anyone been so magnificently justified. And the justification is the more complete because its central figure has not spoken one -word, or inspired ducers^ I-.*"l'" 00 in re^ *>•*» traw-« i> temptation to do so must have been very great, but like every thioulrh n,i 1S exoneration to come thiough others, unprompted by himself. ™Vte° at? a -the P^Heation of Bacon a book whoso proofs, though sent to festlv \Z \ repf tinS ex<™sion maniand th Pn f° t0 .rfit the circumstances, and then from New Zealand as Goverme^Pk a "fil»shiW' appointadulation T a Pedestal o£ P°P^ mand «^ W 1 WaS his »eeona-in-eoni-™rifl -i Whom ni "e-tenths of the Zco W f° nla have bee» in his that hn mT v' from Beat*y himself on totaVJo^ • haVe fou«ht the aotion on totally different lines. Tho iusti TemZiZn S?T e iS «'-ef Ol .f the'eon: elwen vp,r Bl atty« who ll;ls llot for de7en ace y:fa^ s Stt echre'f C W W » hiir'hpo6'B attitud° »»ia. behaviour nerfect I su.P^el y chivalrous, and in