SUPREMACY AT SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18565, 24 November 1923, Page 9

SUPREMACY AT SEA.

CHURCHILL MEMOIRS.

ADMIRALTY'S REGARD.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF A YEAR,

BY THE ET. EON. WINSTON 8. CHURCHILL-. -

(Copyright). The formation of the new Government proceeded haltingly. It was, during this interval that I had the honour of a visit of ceremony from Lord Kitchener. After some general remarks he asked ma whether it was settled that I should leave | the Admiralty. I said it was. He asked what'l was going to do. I said I had no idea; nothing was He spoke very j kindly about our work together. He evidently had no idea how narrowly he had escaped my fate. ! As he got up to go he turned and said, in the impressive and almost majestic manner which was natural to him x "Well* there is one thing at any rate they cannot take - from you. The fleet was ready." After that he was gone. During the nSonths that we were still to serve! together iu the new Cabinet I was condemned often to differ from him, to oppose him and to criticise him. But I cannoij forget the rugged kindness and warmhearted courtesy which led him to pajj me this visit. Admiral Wilson Obdurate. By May 21 it was decided that Mxw Bailout was to or>me to the Admiralty* in accordance with what I knew were the Prime Minister's wishes I endeavoured to persuade Sir Arthur vvilson 'to serve under him. He remained obdurate. No arguments would move him. He was at some pains to explain that his decision arose out of no personal consideration for me, but solely because he feJt he could not, undertake the burden without my aid. i. All' • the same there seemed to be a quite unwonted element of friendliness in his demeanour, and this was proved a year later during the Parliamentary inquiry into the Dardau* olles. On the evening of the 21st , I reported to* the Prime Minister:"l have tried very hard but without success, to persuade Sir Arthur Wilson to hold himself at Mr. Balfour's disposition. In these cir* oumstances I would advise : Sir Henry Jackson."

This proposal was adopted and mean* while the . process of "Cabinet-making gratb ually completed itself. > Mr. Asquith was good enough to offer me the Chancellorship of ' the Duchy of Lancaster.: ;■ This office is a 'sinecure of much dignity. I should certainly not have felt «■: able ta accept it but for the fact that he coupled with it: the promise that "I: should'. v 3af member of the War Council or War Committee of the Cabinet. ' I, felt thafi thus situated I should be ' able ;to bring whatever knowledge I - had acquired .to the service of the Dardanelles expedition, : and that ,it was my duty to aid and suocotu; it by any, effective means still left to me. I remained in the - new ' Government :*8 §' long as this condition ; was , observed.. - - Sea Command Complete. ; • . r Thus,; ended my administration of the. Admiralty. For / thirty-four months of ; preparation and ten months' of war, I had' borne the prime responsibility and had wielded the main executivo power. The reader who has persevered thus fas in this account will realise -the difficulties that f • were v.- coped with, ; the Xi hazard* that were encountered, the mistake! f that were made; * and the ; work that was; dona* c' Dubious days, many misfortunes, enon mous toils, bitter disappointment*, still la]] before the Royal Navy. • But I am em titled at this point of the story to place on record the situation and condition in which ' the mighty - instrument ■; of . dor sea . power , and of our salvation passed intc| the hands of my successors. L At no moment during V all the . iron ofi, Britain' had our;command; of ,the seas .5 been mere complete, ' and in no previous war had that command been Asserted : aion|. rapidly or with so little loss." : v Not only.;had the -surface ships of : tint enemy been extirpated from the oceans I the world not-; only, irt the North Soil had § his fleets and squadrons 3% been- ; beaten, :l cowed and driven into port hut even the new arid barbarous submarine warfare had been curb arid checked. For mors than a year to come the German High Seas Fleet k scarcely quitted its harbours, and " even ; ' when • they did . so, •it was with no inten- ; tion of fighting a v battle hut in the mis*; placed hope ; that V they could t return un- ;_j perceived ;or unmolested. - - - For : eighteen months, their submarine >V campaign was virtually suspended. Seas Free tor Allies. - v S In spite •of ; modem complications which have been explained, the economic block*' ade of Germany was established and* main- ■. tained, go far as it rested with the Navy, with 1 the v utmost' strictness; scarcely : any '; ship that the Navy had authority to touch ever; passed f our far-spread cordons. The maintenance of ,the' armies' in | France arid % in 'the East proceeded every month on a Vaster ft scale, without thu slightest substantial £ hindrance i • upon t their ? communications becoming "apparent to our commanders iat the 5 Front, The •. mercantile fleets of § Britain % and '. of * her f Allies; moved with > freedom in all directions f about], the seas 'arid oceans; £ arid? an insurance rate of ? 1 per cent, left a substantial profit ;to . the Government Fund. These conditions lasted' during fall | the; year '191 ft 'arid up to , the last quarter of the : year 1916. There never was in ; ail the history of war such- an unchallenged 1 reign of sea power. Meanwhile the British Navy was grow* ing continually ; arid rapidly instrength. The fruits of the exertions which had been > made before and \ since the ■ outbreak of the War were; being reaped with each successive month, battleships, battle cruisers, light cruisers in dozens, submarines 'in scores, - destroyers in ' indreds, small craft > J thousands, were being, armed and built arid were coming into commission in an ' nnoeasing and -broadening tide. _. - ''" . • • The manning arrangements to meet this enormous new construction were perfected for a year in advance. Every rrequirement known to the navaL science of thq dav in guns, in torpedoes, in shells, in explosives, in propeDants, in c°al,moi!, and in auxiliary service- had been Ifereseen and provided/for in lation to the expansion of our aava| P oWer « pursuit of Sew Ideas. At the Admiralty we were in hot pur* suit of most of the great key inventions and ideas of the war ,* and this long in advance of every other nation, friend or foe. Tanks, smoke, torpedo-seaplanes,, directional wireless, cryptography, mine ' fenders, monitors, torpedo-proof ships, paravanes— all were being actively driven for. ! ward or developed. Poison gas alone we put aside—but not from".want of. comprehension. Even for' the new submarine campaign, not to burst upon us for nearly eighteen months, the principal safeguarding measures had already been devised; the multitudes of vessels were building the decoy ships were already at work.. . Moreover, the true war leaders -of • the navy had already - emerged from the ranks ' of peace-time merit and in Beatty, Keyesi ; rwlritt,-: i Pakenh am, and I must add Lewis: Bayly—though under a temporary cloud —we" had'masters of the storm "cap-] able of mailing upon the seas and against - the enemy's coasts the exploits . of ' the . famous,, sailor figures of the past. "There remained only to deviso and perfect those schemes of naval offensive which iin spite, and indeed by means, of modem v science and invention would have liberated the pent-up skill arid daring of our .officer#and men. There was - also ;at hand , that prolonged interlude of ease and tranquility upon 'salt ; water in. which every | plan could be worked out with i euro and . deliberate study. From' all thas reward and opportunity Fisher, >by his own impulsive, fatal act,, and I, through cants os which these pages expose/- were r for ever disinherited ; W» lingered on, helples* spectator*, anWJbs period of weatharasa»