of energy, were all hidden behind that veil of secrecy which obviously
must be more closely drawn over naval than over army operations.

From the flagship the campaign was directed. One would think that
many offices and many clerks would be required. But the offices and
the clerks were at the Admiralty. Here was the execution. In a room
perhaps four feet by six was the wireless focus which received all
reports and sent all orders, with trim bluejackets at the keys. "Go!"
and "Come!" the messages were saying; they wasted no words.
Officers of the staff did their work in narrow space, yet seemed to
have plenty of room. Red tape is inflammable. There is no more place
for it on board a flagship prepared for action than for unnecessary
woodwork.

At every turn compression and concentration of power were like the
guns and the decks, cleared for action, significant in directness of
purpose. The system was planetary in its impressive simplicity, the
more striking as nothing that man has ever made is more
complicated or includes more kinds of machinery than a battleship.
One battleship was one unit, one chessman on the naval board.

Not all famous leaders are likeable, as every world traveller knows.
They all have the magnetism of force, which is quite another thing
from the magnetism of charm. What the public demands is that they
shall win victories, whether personally likeable or not. But if they are
likeable and simple and human and a sailor besides--well, we know
what that means.

Perhaps Sir John Jellicoe is not a great man. It is not for a civilian
even to presume to judge. We have the word of those who ought to
know, however, that he is. I hope that he is, because I like to think
that great commanders need not necessarily appear formidable.
Nelson refused to be cast for the heavy part, and so did Farragut. It
may be a sailor characteristic. I predict that after this war is over,
whatever honours or titles they may bestow upon him, the English are
going to like Sir John Jellicoe not alone for his service to the nation,
but for himself.

Admiral Jellicoe is one with Captain Jellicoe, whose cheeriness even
when wounded kept up the spirits of the others on the relief
expedition of Boxer days. "He could do it, too!" one thought, having in
mind Sir David Beatty's leap to the deck of a destroyer. Spare, of
medium height, ruddy, and fifty-seven--so much for the health
qualification which the Admiralty Lords dwelt upon as i