At the time the changes made were considered to be startling. Mr. Winston Churchill, the new broom, practically made a clean sweep of the old Board. It was a case of putting youth (as youth is counted in the Senior Service) at the helm--and youth had the courage to give youth, allied with experience, a chance--for Mr. Churchill himself was at the time only thirty-seven years of age. Sir Francis Bridgeman was sixty-two, Prince Louis of Battenberg fifty-seven and Captain Pakenham fifty. Jellicoe's age was fifty-two. Mr. Churchill in his speech in the House of Commons explained that the changes on the Board were necessary, and said it would lead to a more effective working in the interest of administrative efficiency. All former precedents had been observed. As to the question whether the Sea Lords had resigned or been removed he had to say that when he apprised them of the fact that His Majesty had given his assent to certain changes on the Board they accepted those changes in the true spirit of the Naval Service. CHAPTER IX 1911-1913 In December of 1911 Vice-Admiral Jellicoe was back in Gibraltar, which thanks to the presence of the Fleet and its Commander's popularity experienced quite the most successful season it had ever known. The American cruiser _Chester_ was in port and did her share in the round of balls, dinners and sports which were held. The Gibraltar Jockey Club held its winter meeting on the picturesque North Front racecourse and attracted a remarkable and cosmopolitan gathering. It was on December 13th that the Peninsular and Oriental steamer _Delhi_, conveying the Princess Royal and the Duke of Fife and their family to Egypt, ran ashore on the Moroccan coast off Cape Spartel. The _Delhi_ left London on December 8th, and just outside the Straits of Gibraltar she encountered a terrific gale. The Atlantic Fleet should have left the Rock on the thirteenth, but when news was received of the disaster Jellicoe immediately sent battleships and cruisers to the assistance of the _Delhi_. Great anxiety had been felt at Gibraltar throughout the previous night at the non-arrival of the _Delhi_, which was due the previous day, and arrangements had been made by the Governor and Admiral Jellicoe to visit the Princess. The French cruiser _Friant_ was the first to learn of the wreck, by wireless, and she was immediately sent to the scene: the sea was running very high, but at ten o'clock in the morning a steam launch put out from the _Friant_ and succeeded in taking off twenty women and children and transferring them to the cruiser _Duke of Edinburgh_, which had arrived.