FYI. Note the reference to the USA.
There has been some discussion lately of the Jellicoe Mission and its
implications on the development of the RCN (or perhaps more precisely, the
lack thereof), following the first war. In light of this, I thought some
fellow listers might be interested in having the following 2 publications
brought to their notice. I received copies of both relatively easily a few
years ago, (see below).
1. Report of Admiral of the Fleet, Viscount Jellicoe of Scapa on his Naval
Mission to the Dominion of Canada, Nov-Dec 1919, 44pp, (legal size ).
Chapter Headings: 1) Naval Requirements of Canada, 6pp; 2) Administration,
8pp; 3) Personnel, 7 pp; 4) Discipline, 7pp. (plus an 11-page introduction
by the man Himself).
2. William Tatley, “The Jellicoe Mission to Canada: Canada and Imperial
Naval Defence, 1919-23”, MA thesis, University of Guelph, Ontario, April
1974, 206 pp.
The abstract:
“The Jellicoe mission to Canada from November 1919 to January 1920 was the
first and most impressive post-1918 British initiative to revive pre-1914
plans for a unified imperial naval force. The admiral’s visit was
representative therefore of many political and military trends in
Anglo-Canadian relations, for Britain had long sought dominion involvement
in economic, constitutional, and defence federation schemes.
The Admiralty and Jellicoe were agreed on the need for dominion naval
support to maintain the safety of the Empire with the Royal Navy, against
the USA, Japan, and (mischievous) talk of disarmament. Canada, as Jellicoe
soon discovered, seemed surer of her economic and geographic security than
did Britain, and chose to abstain from an imperial naval commitment. The
dominion had internal problems which precluded such involvement. In
addition, the country was unwilling to subordinate itself entirely to
British leadership, preferring to develop a new international personality.
Jellicoe did leave a blueprint for the development of a distinctive Canadian
navy behind him, although economic stringency and public opinion in Canada
meant the shelving of such plans. The navy was reduced to reserve status
and removed from the political arena it had occupied since 1910. Slow
national growth was then possible. Imperial naval defence remained a
British responsibility and Jellicoe’s report became a forgotten symbol of a
British naval initiative.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. Canada & the Concept of Imperial Naval Defence: 1867-1918 (28pp)
2. The Admiral and the Mission, (28pp)
3. A Permanent Policy Postponed, (27pp)
4. Broader Considerations: Imperial Defence & the Imperial Conference 1921,
(29pp)
5. The decision to Disarm, (30pp)
6. Defence by Cooperation: Canadian Naval Defence 1923 (26pp)
7. Conclusion: The Willingness and the Need to Arm, (7pp)
Appendices:
George Foster’s Resolution 1909
The Laurier Resolution, 1909
Occasional Papers
Ministers of Marine and Fisheries and of the Naval Service
Suggested Fleets for Canadian Naval Defence
Jellicoe’s Naval Plans
As mentioned, I easily received the first on inter-library loan. The copy I
received came from the National Defence Headquarters Library in Ottawa,
(which I now think is under the tutelage of the Director of History/NDHQ or
Director of Military Heritage/NDHQ, (I forget what they’re calling it this
month).
I obtained the second one for a relative pittance, from the National Library
of Canada, (in Ottawa, of course) on three microfiches. By the way, the
National Library’s collection of theses is a wonderful — but strangely
often overlooked — source of intell, since many of the works, (each one of
which often represents years of research), never see the light of day after
the author’s formal schooling has been completed. Moreover, I think by “law”
(or at least some sort of universally accepted tradition) a copy of all
theses written in Canada are sent there, once approved by the university
granting the degree. I therefore highly recommend it as a research tool.
Too bad they don’t put them out on CD-ROM instead of bloody microfiche!!
(Oops..let’s not start this one again!)
Cheers,
Glen
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Glen “I-was-a-teenage-fogey” Hodgins
A Medal Collector and Commonwealth/Empire Naval Historian
temporarily imprisoned at:
Her Canadian Majesty’s C/O Po Box 500 (CLMBO)
High Commission for Sri Lanka Station A
6 Gregory’s Road OTTAWA, Ontario, K1N 8T7
(PO Box 1006) Dominion of CANADA
Cinnamon Gardens
Colombo 7, Sri Lanka [still Canada’s OFFICIAL title!]
Fax, (from overseas): 94-1-687-815