ROYAL OAK INCIDENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16612, 30 March 1928, Page 7

ROYAL OAK INCIDENT

PENDING COURT-MARTIAL ANSWERING THE CHARGES (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.; GIBRALTAR, March 29. Captain Dewar : and Commander Daniel are charged under section 29 of the Naval Discipline Act, whereby a person guilty of an act of disorder or of neglect, prejudicing good order or naval discipline, shall be dismissed from the services with disgrace, involving forfeiture of pensions, medals, decorations and incapacity to serve in any navy, army, air force or-; civil service. It may be modified to dismissal from the service or to dismissal from the ship. v ; :

Captain Dewar and Commander Daniel spent 11 hours preparing an answer to the charges. The authorities are affording them every facility, and have provided them with accommodation aboard the Valiant, which is stationed near the Royal Oak. The witnesses required wore conveyed to the Valiant. SILENT NAVY . ' “THE JEST OF EUROPE” LONDON, March 22. The traditional dignity of the British Navy is in danger of being shattered when the court martial inquires into the dispute between Admiral Collard, Captain Dewar, and Commander Daniels, of H.M.S. Royal Oak. ; The Admiralty is watching the affair with anxiety, and it is hoped that Captain Dewar will not insist upon bringing lower-deck ratings in support of his case. The special representative of the Sun understands from the highest authority that the Admiralty is. seriously perturbed. It is still ignorant of the real grounds of Captain Dewar’s complaint. The matters at present reported are so trivial that the Admiralty can scarcely believe they are the real cause of such a serious conflict, involving three senior officers. , . The feeling in the highest circles is that Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, who is in charge of the Mediterranean Fleet,, should have settled jhe matter within the four walls of his cabin, and not have allowed it to develop into a situation which is making the Navy the laughing-stock of Europe. It is believed that the court martial may develop along either of two. lines. It may he restricted to an investigation of trivial; personal differences between Captain Dewar and Admiral Collard, such as the. reference to the jazz hand, and the alleged comments of Admiral Oollard on the condition of the ship within hearing of the lower ratings. This is regarded as regrettable, as the name of the Navy would become the subject of jest in, Continental countries. But it is preferable to the alternative course, in which ? the court martial would establish his right to insist upon an inquiry by recording his complaint m the shape of a letter addressed to asuperior officer. Wo may have the spectacle of a captain of a battleship calling upon the bandmaster and other lower deck ratings to give evidence in support of his complaints against the Admiral. . This is considered to be fatal to dis-, cipline, and the Admiralty, therefoie, is awaiting the outcome with considerable misgiving.