The Evening Star THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1935. THE LATE LORD JELLICOE.

Evening Star, Issue 22192, 21 November 1935, Page 10

The Evening Star THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1935. THE LATE LORD JELLICOE.

Though it does not come as a sudden shock—for some time it had been known that he was in failing health — news of the death of Lord Jellicoe will be received by; almost everybody-in this country with something of the sense of a personal loss. He was not only the foremost sailor of his day, the victor of Jutland, but he was the first of a great succession of Governors-General of this Dominion who have raised the lustre and popularity of that office, to theii highest plane. It was a signal honour paid to New Zealand • when the man who had directed the Empire’s naval strength in its greatest test for more than a hundred years was sent to stand hero in the King’s place, and notably, as the King’s own heart would have approved,, did he fulfil that duty, making it, indeed, his pleasure. The great man, in this far quarter of the earth, found nothing too small for him. In every interest he played his part, mixing with everybody, making hijpsolf one with every healthy interest and pastime. Lord Jellicoe, sailing his own boat in competitions, playing cricket, or laying down,, the wisest, simplest maxims to school boys, won the affections of all without ever surrendering the least fraction of his dignity. His addresses to schoolboys, - we have heard it y stated, at the beginning could he almost a nervous ordeal to him—it was something very different from addressing a man of war’s crew—and not a few of them were models. Lord Jellicoe was a “ Fisher’s man,” and Lord Fisher, a naval genius with some streaks of eccentricity of his own, was the man who, following the days of “ spit and polish,” inaugurated a new regime of hard efficiency for the British Navy. Everybody felt that the chief defence of the Empire was hr good hands when, at the outbreak of the war, Lord Jellicoe was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet, a position which he held till November, 1916, when he became First Sea Lord. His career, before the supreme test arose for him, had been that of a pattern officer, distinguished in every examination, deeply versed in every branch of the service. Of his previous twelve years more than half had been spent in varied administrative posts. The latest historian of the war, Mr C. E. M. F. Cruttwcll, has described him as ‘‘ a man of the highest character, deeply religious, modest, and incapable of intrigue. He had a most orderly, exact, comprehensive mind, with great mastery over detail. His natural caution was enhanced by

the knowledge of the ■ tremendous issues always involved in his decisions.” There were times when his reluctance to take risks was contrasted with the impetuosity of the commander of his battle cruisers, Beatty, but the correctness of Lord, Jellicoe’s policy, wo are reminded, “ has received many sour tributes from the enemy, who was forced to admit that Jellicoe’s inactivity provided for Groat Britain almost all the essentials of * a fleet in being.’ ” » There was much, controversy over the one great naval battle of the war, Jutland, which was disappointing as a victory, the Germans even claiming it as a British defeat. That discussion, with the outcome of it, justifying Lord Jellicoe, is reviewed in our memoir of him, Mr Cruttwell writes: “If the cruiser action had stood alone, it would have been beyond dispute one of the severest defeats recorded in the annals of the British Navy. It cannot, however, be separated from its sequel, 'the [German] High Seas Fleet proved impotent in offensive power when confronted with its overmastering adversary. it registered only two hits upon one of Jellicoe’s twenty-five battleships. Its escape was brilliantly carried through, but it was a deliberate escape.” After Jutland, the German navy “gradually deteriorated in spirit, as more and more of the best officers and petty-officers were taken for the U-boats; and from the mutiny' in July, 1917, it moved downhill on an inclined plane.” The principles on which the battle was fought hud ■ been endorsed beforehand in every detail by the Admiralty, which, in the conditions of this war, had more prompt information of the intentions ,of the enemy than was possible to the Commander-in-Chief and his staff. The U-boats made a fearful strain for Great Britain, and for the man who, at their climax, was First Sea Lord. The American Admiral Sims has recorded his first conversation with Lord Jellicoe, when, upon America’s coming into the war, ho learned of the destruction that was taking place. ■“ X was fairly astounded, for I had never imagined anything so ■terrible. I expressed my consternation to Lord Jellicoe. ‘ Yes,’ he said, as quietly as though he /was discussing the weather and not the future of the British Empire. ‘lt is impossible for us to go on with the war, if losses like this continue.’ ” And at, that time, as Lord Jellicoe admitted, no plan had been discovered which gave promise of solving the problem. It was solved, by , a combination of plans. The rewards were well earned which, at the conclusion of the war, the nation gave to Lord Jellicoe. But perhaps his best reward was the long eventide which has now closed.