76
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ADMIRALTY
AI
MINISTRATION
[BRITISH
transport and auxiliary services. A large amount of infor- Queensferry, Greenock, Kingstown, Limerick, Holyhead, mation concerning mobilization—as indeed concerning all Portland, and Southampton. The officers and men of the other naval subjects—will be found in Ihe British Fleet, coastguard would go afloat comparatively early in the by Commander Charles K Robinson, R.N., from which operations, and, in fact, a number of them go to. sea some of the following notes are taken. He remarks that annually during the manoeuvres. Meanwhile, the officers mobilization is the point to which everything naval tends. and men of the royal naval reserve and the pensioners It is the duty of the Admiralty to provide ships m would have been set in motion to their respective drill-ships efficient condition, with ammunition, coal, stores, and and barracks, and having been embodied would be consupplies, complete in every material respect—this implying verged upon the special naval ports where their services of course adequate naval bases and coaling stations—and were required. In this way the ships in other classes of the mobilization of the personnel is the bringing of every the reserve would receive their complements, as well as the merchant marine. As man in due time to the ship and the duties for which he auxiliary cruisers taken up from the u is appointed. The mobilization for the naval manoeuvres Commander Robinson remarks: It is impossible to say is only a partial operation, for a complete mobilization where, in a great national crisis, the mobilization of men would dislocate our sea-faring life in a manner that would would end ; for all the sea-faring manhood of our islands, be justifiable only by actual war. Thus, the auxiliary all our artisan population — boilermakers, engine-fitters, cruisers of the mercantile marine are not mobilized, nor electricians, engineers, carpenters, and a host of others, the pensioners, nor the men of the. royal naval reserve, would render their best in the empire’s need.” The work though large numbers of the latter are, of course, afloat would not end with the provision of complements for the ships, and a hundred other considerations would during the manoeuvres. They would be The Admiralty is the central authority which sets the occupy the mobilizing authorities. operation of mobilization in motion, but the duties in- engaged in passing men through the special training volved fall to the naval commanders-in-chief at the ports ships to form the eventual complements of ships, or to and to the admiral superintendent of naval reserves. replace those killed in action, and they would also have “ These high and important functionaries are collectively to supply efficient men for the signalling stations and for as the brain of the maritime body in direct communication, other duties. A word has been said about the material requirements through various active sub-centres, with its outermost limits? From them emanate the instructions which give of the fleet upon mobilization. These are largely centred effect to the order to mobilize.” The first step is to in the branches of the director of stores and the director complete in any details the complements of the ships of victualling. The former is concerned with the supply actually in commission, and in practice young officers of a vast array of objects and necessaries, including coal, from Greenwich and other training establishments are boats, oil, rope, candles, paint, varnish, and a host of other attached to them. By a recent arrangement, however, things. Adequate supplies are kept at the depots, and the reserve squadron, consisting of the coastguard and the the work of replenishment in case of mobilization would portguard ships at the various ports, is maintained with go forward steadily. The director of victualling being complete complements, and assembles periodically for responsible under the junior Naval Lord for regulating training. The order to mobilize sets in motion many the proper supply, care, and preservation of all victualling officers and men of the coastguard, and opens the gang- and clothing stores for the fleet, including mess-traps and ways and doors of the training establishments, depots, seamen’s utensils, and having charge of the victualling barrack, and harbour ships. From these come the seamen, yards and depots, maintains constantly adequate quantities gunners, torpedo men, signalmen, and stokers, who have at the various stations ; and it may be useful to say that been undergoing special courses, as well as the boys from the chief victualling yard at home is that at Deptford, the training ships, the men who have had charge of the others being at Portsmouth and Devonport, with a machinery of ships in reserve, and, indeed, all classes of smaller establishment at Haulbowline (Queenstown), while men required for ships commissioned, who are effective at there are depbts abroad at Gibraltar, Malta, Halifax, Bermuda, Jamaica, the Cape of Good Hope, Trinthe various quarters. The arrangements made are admirably complete, and comalee, Hong-Kong, Esquimalt, Bombay, Ascension, every man as he leaves his ship or depot is provided with Coquimbo, and Sydney. All these, of course, are supa card indicating his ship, station, and duties, so that he plied with a great quantity of stores that would play a knows exactly where he is to go and what to do, and he most important part during a complete mobilization of falls into the plan precisely in the place which the careful the fleet. VII. Naval Finance: The Accountant-GeneraTs Departpaper scheme has provided for him. In this way the ships in the first division of the fleet reserve are provided ment.—The subject of naval finance is one of great comwith complements. These are the ships lying, at the plexity and of vast importance. The large sums of dockyards in every respect complete except for their crews, money with which the Admiralty deals both in the way of officers, stores, and ammunition. Meanwhile, the various estimates and expenditure, amounting recently to about victualling and store departments have been actively £30,000,000 annually, implies the existence of the engaged in supplying every detail necessary for the ships, great organization which is found in the department of whose complements are completed by the embarkation of the accountant-general of the navy. Under the authority non-continuous service men, such as stewards and cooks. of the First Lord, the parliamentary and financial This is the point at which the annual mobilization secretary is responsible for the finance of the Admiralty in generally stops short. But in case of hostilities it would, general, and for the estimates and the expenditure, the of course, go much further. ’ Then the superintendent of accounts and the purchases, and for all matters which naval reserves would be charged with the duty of supply- concern the relations of the Admiralty to the Treasui j and ing successive contingents of men to the naval ports to to other departments of the Government; and in all the take the place of those sent afloat, these contingents to practical and advisory work the accountant-general is his embark in their turn in the ships brought forward for officer, acting as his assistant, with the director of naval commission, and to be succeeded again by others, according contracts who, under the several Lords, is concerned with as the need arose. This work would begin from the head- the business of purchase. The organization of the accountant-general’s department quarters of the coastguard divisions at Harwich, Hull,
