22 FEBRUARY 1919, Page 3

The Admiralty published a note in Thursday's papers dis- posing

of the unpleasant rumours about Sir Berkeley Milne, who has just retired. It was said that Admiral Milne had been denied the command at the Nore, to which he was appointed before the war, because during his term of service in the Mediterranean the ' Goeben ' and ' Breslau' escaped from our fleet and reached Constantinople, where their presence was a deciding factor in Turkey's declaration of war. The Admiralty has reminded the public that Admiral Milne was exonerated from all blame at the time, and has stated that it " has been solely owing to the exigencies of the Service that the Admiral has not been fully employed." In justice to Sir Berkeley Milne, this statement deserves full publicity.