[13] This was said in 1910, and Mr. Asquith did leave office as here predicted, in November, 1916, six years afterwards! And Sir John Jellicoe took command of the Grand Fleet forty-eight hours before war was declared, and the war with Germany did break out as predicted in 1914! [14] These are the five Battle Cruisers built on my return to the Admiralty in 1914–1915. [15] This 18-in. gun was ordered by me without any of the usual preliminary trials or any reference to any Gunnery Experts whatever. The credit of its great success is due to Major Hadcock, Head of the Elswick Ordnance Manufacturing Department, who also designed the 20-in. gun for the fast Battleship Type which was to have been built had I remained at the Admiralty in May, 1915. A model of this 20-in. gun Battle Cruiser of 35 knots speed, was got out before I left the Admiralty--three days more they would have started building. [16] See Chapter XV. [17] The Foreign Office would not permit an efficient blockade, and the outrageous release of vessels carrying war-helping cargoes caused intense dissatisfaction in the fleet. No vessels ever passed our chain of Cruisers without detention and examination. [18] See Chapter XI. INDEX A Action, 45 Adams, John Couch, 21 Admiralty House, Portsmouth, King Edward’s visit to, 24, 25 Admiralty policy: replies to criticisms, 98 _et seq._ Alcester, Lord, 30 Alderson, General, 54 Alexandria, bombardment of, 63, 256 Allan, Sir William, 88 Allenby, Lord, 241 American advance on Verdun, 246 Animated biscuits, 8 Arabi Pasha, 30 Arbuthnot, Sir Robert, 261 Archbishop and the pack of cards, the, 32 Armoured trains, institution of, 30 Ascension, the, 45 Asquith, Rt. Hon. H. H., 65, 179, 194, 214, 222, 242, 247, 269 Augé, M., 59 Automatic dropping mines for ocean use, 223–224 Aylesford, Lord, 3 B Bacon, Admiral Sir Reginald, 128, 181; on the big gun, 204–206 Baker, Mrs., Lord Fisher’s cook, 25; invited to Buckingham Palace by King Edward, _ibid._ Balfour, Rt. Hon. A. J., 56, 65, 98 Balliol College, Oxford, 2 Baltic project, the, 217 _et seq._, 236, 241 Battle hymn of the American Republic, the, 77, 78 Beatty, Earl, 269 Beaufort Testimonial, won by Lord Fisher, 255 Beaumont, Admiral Sir Lewis, 30 Beilby, Sir George, 66 Benbow, Sir Henry, letter of, to Lord Fisher, 171 Beresford, Admiral Lord Charles, on training of officers and men for the Navy, 167–170; 265 Bethmann-Hollweg, Herr von, 247 Bible, the, and other reflections, 38 _et seq._; Wyclif’s translation, 43; Tyndale’s, _ibid._; Coverdale’s, 44; Authorised, _ibid._; Revised, _ibid._; Cranmer’s “Great Bible,” _ibid._ Big gun, the, 204 _et seq._ Birthday Honours List a serial novel, 73 Black, Dr. Hugh, 38, 39, 77 Boar, Mr., 128 Board of Invention and Research, 193, 269 Bodmin, ancestral home of the Fishers, 3