February 10, 2015

First Lord of the Admiralty

In September Clementine visited her austere grand- mother in Scotland while Winston conversed with the King at Balmoral. He then motored in his new red Napier (which had cost ยฃ610) to the Prime Minister’s home on the East Lothian coast of Scotland. This was not an unusual event since WSC was a favourite of Asquith and a friend of his daughter, Violet. It was, however, not to be a normal visit. During the visit he was advised that he was to be the new First Lord of the Admiralty. His elation and determination are reflected in his comment to Violet: “This is a big thing – the biggest thing that has ever come my way – the chance I should have chosen before all others. I shall pour into it everything I’ve got.”

“This is a big thing – the biggest thing that has ever come my way…”

Just as he could not refrain from involvement in military matters when he was in the Home Office, now, as he prepared to take over the Admiralty, he immersed himself in domestic issues, particularly in opposing the extension of the franchise to women. Fearing that the government would “go down on Petticoat politics,” he stated that he would be willing to abide by the results of a referendum. He told the owner of News of the World that “we already have enough ignorant voters and we don’t want any more.”
Home Rule also drew his attention and support, partly because it was a natural part of the evolution from Empire to Commonwealth: “. . . we are now in the full-tide of a successful experiment in regard to self-government. South Africa and Canada are the fruits of the lmperialism of peace and freedom . . .”  But the Admiralty attracted most of his inexhaustible energies and for assistance he turned to a retired First Sea Lord, Baron (Jackie) Fisher; thus began a tempestuous relationship which would alter the history of the world.

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