BERESFORD, LORD, British admiral: b. Ireland, 10 Feb. 1846. Charles William de la Poer Beresford, second SOT1 of the 4th marquis of Waterford, was for many years known by his courtesy title of °Lord Charles." On his elevation to the peerage in 1916 he adopted the title of Baron Beresford of Metemmeh and of Curraghmore. He entered the navy in 1859 and rose rapidly through all grades by force of a 'strong personality, a fiery enthusiasm in his work and a reckless courage that made him the idol of his comrades. On three occasions he sprang overboard at sea to the rescue of drown ing men. He commanded the gunboat Condor during the bombardment of Alexandria in 1882. By running his vessel close under the forts he succeeded in silencing the most formidable bat tery opposed to the British squadron. After the landing of troops he organized an efficient police force for the protection of the city, and later served on Lord Wolseley's staff in the Nile Expedition (1884-85), and subsequently commanded the naval brigade in the battles of Abu Klca, Abu Kru and Metemmeh. For the second time he was specially commended for gallantry. He was in command of the expe dition which rescued Sir Charles Wilson's party in the Sofia, when her boilers were repaired under fierce fire. For this action he received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. He was a lord commissioner of the admiralty from 1886 to 1:*:. when he resigned, owing to what he regarded as inadequate provision for the needs of the fleet In 1893-96 he commanded the naval reserve at Chatham; was commander in-chief of the Mediterranean squadron 1905 07; of the Channel fleet in 1907-09, and retired from the navy in 1911. He was a persistent critic of the administration of Sir John (now Lord) Fisher while the latter was First Sea Lord. Beresford's book, (The Betrayal,' issued in 1912, was withdrawn by request of ffie govern ment. It led, however, to the formation of an
Imperial naval war staff. At various times Beresford sat in Parliament for different con stituencies; his last one, Portsmouth, he repre sented till 1916. In the House he was nick named the °stormy petreP and °M.P. for the Navy." Like Lord Roberts, he was one of the few British public men who foresaw a gigantic conffict in the not distant future, and openly proclaimed it on every possible occasion. As the one spent 10 years in pleading for a powerful army with which to face the coming storm, so the other at all seasons insisted on the main tenance of the °two-power standard" for the navy, propounding the fundamental truth that battleships are clteaper thhn battles. Already in 1905 he wrote, °Great Britain must watch the activity of the German Navy League with the greatest attention." Early in the war Lord Beresford was appointed honorable colonel of the Marine Brig-ade in the Royal naval division organized for land service. In a letter to the president of the American Navy League Lord Beresford expressed the opinion that Germany could have won the war had she promptly at tacked British commerce without any declara tions of war (New York Evening Sun, 30 Oct. 1916). In 1898 he visited China at the request of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Great Britain to make a study of the compli cated commercial conditions existing there; and on his return, in 1899, he passed through the United States and was received with distin guished honors by official and commercial bodies. He has done much to promote the °open door" policy in China. His publications include