MR. BALDWIN OR-- r - ?
[To the Editor of THE Set:crawl'. I Sum,— In the last issue of The Spectator your Parliamentary Correspondent writes : " Sir Austen's .criticism would be intelligible if there was any possible alternative Prime Minister. But there is ma."
While Mr. Baldwin is highly regarded, even to affection, and the influence lie exercised in winning the General Election unquestioned, I doubt if many people will agree with your Correspondent's reasoning. Surely no personal feelings, even for the highest in the land, should stand in the way of maximum measures being taken for the protection of the State. On the other hand, I can conceive a danger lurking in the possibility of the eminence attained by certain dis- tinguished Statesmen giving more weight to their decisions than the reasons they may submit in substantiating them.
Over a year ago, an influential deputation sought an inter- view with the Government in order to lay before them evidence, supported by practical data, of the appalling risk the country is incurring by entirely discarding coal (which safely reposes in the earth to our hand) in favour of precarious supplies of, foreign oil fuel for the Navy. Furthermore, the members of the deputation were fortified with the broad reasons upon which they believe the authorities justify the present dangerous course being followed, and therefore felt the suggestions they had to make were of the greater moment. They were blankly refused a hearing. Mr. Baldwin wrote :
" It is the settled policy of the Government to rely 011 oil fuel. If any new expedients can be discovered which might 1 .ad to a modification of this policy, this is primarily a matter fur examination by the Admiralty, and you would, no doubt, approach the depart- ment accordingly."
Unfortunately, the gravamen of the deputation's anxiety appertains to material evidence outside of the Admiralty's sphere altogether, being largely political in character. If the dictum of your Parliamentary Correspondent, however, is well founded, it seems to me that all efforts to obtain a hearing should be abandoned. It must not he overlooked that, while the Admiralty stand high in all matters of seaman- ship, naval strategy, their record is not so brilliant ;n, many other directions. They opposed the transition from sail to steam battleships ; also the .change over from wood to iron ships... They turned down Admiral Sir Percy Scott's famous rangefinder until after it had been adopted by the American Navy ; thus we lost the exclusive use of its in- valuable secret. In the Great War they opposed, to the last, the convoy system, and had not Mr. Lloyd George overruled them, many experts are of opinion that the War would have been lost. I feel reasonably certain that history will record the adoption and stubborn adherence to foreign oil fuel for use in the Navy as the most disastrous misjudgement of all.
—I am, Sir, your obedient servant, . Joins Larr.s.
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