"LORD CHARLES."

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 116, 14 May 1909, Page 6

"LORD CHARLES."

A STRIKING CHARACTER

SKETCH

(By H. W. Wilson.)

The parting of an admiral from his fleet and flagship is always a sad and touching ceremony. Never is it more touching than when an officer who has won the affection of his followers takes leave of them for the last time. This and the belief that he has been not too kindly treated by the powers that be explains the singular demonstration at Portsmouth when Lord Charles Beresford hauled down his flag, and passed ashore, after nine years of almost continual service in high command, during which he has won the confidence and admiration of all under him.

Born in 1846, his years of service in the Navy number fifty. In his early days he distinguished himself repeatedly by acts of signal gallantly in saving life at sea. Hut, 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 the nation's eye. The story of the Condor is familiar to all. Wth this little gunboat, absolutely unprotected, he dashed in under Fort Marabout, and, pouring in a fire from his machine guns and his heavier weapons, so distracted the gunners in the fort that they were unable to work any mischief. When the signal of recall was made his gunboat was cheered by the j whole fleet, the signal, "Well done, Condor," was made, and Lord Charles was specially promoted and mentioned in despatches. Though of distinguished birth, Lord Charles has won every step in his profession by sheer merit. In 1884 he commanded the naval brigade in the expedition sent to rescue Gordon—the expedition which arrived too late. His name again figured always in the despatches. At Abu Klea, where the dervishes made their fierce rush, he was outside the square, clearing a jammed machine gun, as the dervishes closed. He escaped by a sheer miracle; all the naval officers at his side were killed or disabled. FIGHTING THE DERVISHES. Then followed his rescue of Sir Charles Wilson in the crazy old steamer Safieh. Khartoum had fallen; Wilson was wrecked on an island in the Nile, between which and Jberesford intervened miles of river commanded by a dervish fort. How he carried the Safieh up to the fort;' how she was struck in the boiler and disabled; how Benbow mended the boiler Tinder fire while Beresford fought the deivishes from the deck is recorded in history and in despatches. Never was a more thrilling tale told to the public, yet not till long years afterwards did it become known that to the exploit the relief column owed its escape from disaster. Impressed by Beresford's conduct the dervishes came to the conclusion that the. British were invulnerable near the water, and withheld an attack in great force. The British started suddenly from the Nile, moved with expedition,, and made good their retreat. Entering Parliament for the second time, on his return, Lord Charles called for a largo naval programme. The First Sea Lord of that day, Sir Cooper Key, had tamely permitted the strength of the Navy to decline until in the words of his biographer and defender, it was no stronger than the fleet of France. Lord Charles's demana was rejected amid the usual assurances that all was for the best. In Lord Salisbury's first Administration he became Junior Sea Lord, and immediately pressed for the creation of a Naval Intelligence Department. There was then no organisation for war and no preparation for mobilisation. The Government would not give him what he wanted, and he resigned with an utter indifference to his personal prospects. Of course, he was treated with scorn—but the Naval Intelligence Department was created. His next act was to call for an expenditure of twenty millions on the Navy. Again his demand was refused; again, some months after it had been peremptorily refused, the money was voted m the Naval Defence Act— that great monument of British pariotism," as an Italian writer of the day described it. The fleet .thus provided kept the peace in 1896, when Germany at the time of the Jameson Uaid proposed to the European Powers joint action against England, and despatched the Kruger telegram THE NORTH SEA INCIDENT. In 1893, at a great city meeting, in the naval crisis caused by the refusal of the Liberal Government to introduce an adequate programme, he pressed for more ships. When the Russian special programme was announced in 1898, he once more made a

demand for a supplementary programme, and seeued an additional eight armoured ships—we laid down fifteen in all that year. These were the very ships which kept the world s peace in the trying'days of 1904, when the North Sea incident all but caused European war. 'In January, 1900, Lord Charles began the long period of service afloat in high command, which gave him such unrivalled experience, and which recently closed. Though Lord Charles was never permitted by the authorities to train a large fleet, such as he must have handled in war, though his ships were often reduced to eight, ten or twelve armoured units, he made the Channel Fleet a great school of tactics, a train-ing-ground for admirals. Every captain was required to handle the whole fleet from time to time, and to execute some tactical exercise. Junior officers were required to take charge of battleships. War conditions were studied with zeal, pertinacity, and splendid intelligence. In war it may well be that captains will fall at the post of duty, and the charge of great ships pass to young lieutenants. That they might be prepared for that contingency was the aim of Lord Charles' training. Of his relations with his otneers and men it is almost unnecessary to speak. "Other admirals are obeyed," said an ex-Channel officer to me; "Lord Charles Beresford is loved." Between him and those he led, as between Nelson and that immortal band of seamen who followed .him to such boundless glory, was the tie of close personal affection, the conviction that in the hour of encounter he would support them to the last, and that, whatever dispositions those in authority might ordain, and whatever difficulties they might place in the way of success, the Channel Fleet would leave a deep mark on any enemy, and would sink it if he could not win. In his presence and under his kindling touch, men felt the ineffable influence of a great personality;' in his simplicity and generous impulsiveness they saw renewed on earth something of the spirit of Nelson.

Lord Charles's future none can predict. But such a career has not ended. There is work on shore for him to do in this moment of crisis.—Daily Mail. * ' ■