BEATTY DID NOT LIKE RECEPTION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14049, 20 July 1916, Page 3

BEATTY DID NOT LIKE RECEPTION.

CAME HOME WITH A VICTORY A.xD FOUND PEOPLE TALKING OF DISASTER. LONDON, June 9.> A naval official speaks regretfully of the impression made on the officers and men of the British fleet by the first newspaper reports of and comments upon the Jutland battle. A report has it that Admiral Beatty wrote his wife complaining that instead of being received with flags flying and other demonstrations of rejoicing over a victory, his squadron returned home to find long viaces and talk, as one paper had ex"^pressed it, of a disaster. The firßt impression created by the way in which the result of the "battle were announced, has not yet been eradicated, even here. Naval men accurately judged tho meaning of the two admiralty announcements, but their opinions were carefully kept from the public till harm had been done. A conspicious instance of this was an interview with a British admiral in London, who, both in and out of his profession, is very highly considered. On Friday night, he pointed out clearly that a British victory had been won and put the whole matter in a proper perspective. This interview was referred to the press bureau, where it was held until shortly after midnight Friday, London time, so long that it failed to be cabled in time for publication Saturday morning. Several other despatches were similarly held up. The indications are that the press bureau was not directly responsible for these delays, and simly acted under instuctions.