JELLICOE—THE MAN

Waipa Post, Volume 36, Issue 2145, 17 April 1928, Page 7

JELLICOE—THE MAN

BRITISH LEGION'S NEW LEADER Lord Jellicoe's acceptance of the presidency of the British Legion of ex-service men in succession to the late Earl Haig will be hailed with satisfaction by all former sailors and soldiers in Australia. It is fitting that a great sailor should follow a great soldier as the leader of the Empire-wide organisation of men who fought for a common cause.

When Lord Jellicoe was in Victoria in 1924, on the completion of his term as Governor-General of New Zealand I had the pleasure of a long and intimate conversation with the great little man who shouldered such tremendous responsibilities during the early months of the war. We chatted, in shirt sleeves, in his private car on the train coming down from Albury, with the temperature well over 100 degrees. Below average height, with not an ounce of superfluous flesh, rugged yet possessing a personal charm, Jellicoe revealed a personality at once impressive and simple. There was nothing cold or stiff in his make-up. He knew what I wanted of him as the special representative of The Herald, and expressed genuine sorrow that he could not supply material for a front page story. Still he talked on a variety of subjects, punctuating the conversation with frequent reminders that not only did he still belong to the the Silent Service, but also retained the King's commission as Go-vernor-General of New Zealand.

In manner, there is in him a certain modesty and reticence. But this quiet reserve is displaced, immediately he speaks by a warm geniality, and a humour that sparkles. During his term as Governor-General of New Zealand he won his way into the hearts of the people. His personal character, his uniform kindness, willingness to help every cause and respond to calls upon his time and strength, his remarkable aptness of speech, and above all his kindly disposition, were qualities New Zealanders will long remember. When the Dominion Government brought down a bill to retrench the civil service Jellicoe sent a note to the Prime Minister, suggesting that £SOO a year should be deducted from his salary. The judges of the Supreme Court followed his example. This action served as an index to the character of the man. He never allowed anything to stand between himself and his duty. In the Navy he won, rather than exacted, the best that every effort could give to the service. For the reason that he was,the,pattern.of all. that is best in the Navy, he was beloved by officers and men who served under him. Although, the smallest man in the service on the outbreak of war, and the tiniest Admiral of his day, Jellicoe was a great martinet. For all his size, in his young days he was a famous footballer and a ban-tam-weight boxer of no mean order. Always a friend of the ex-service men, Lord Jellicoe now becomes their chief. From the fund of his human sympathy those who have fallen by the wayside will be encouraged to strive on. The great legion of warriors, of whom there are tens of thousands in this country, will be inspired afresh by a sense of comradeship.—D.H.C. in Melbourne Herald.