It Is interesting to note that "many of the men concerned in the Tnvergordon mutiny did not realise that their' actions amounted "to mutiny until this was pointed out to them by. the officers. By that time, however, they had acted, and were already ullly of mutiny, so that the know: ledge had ttle or no deterrent effect." Men who took part in the. mutiny averred afterwards were not disloyal or mutinying, but Aghting for our rights"
The author, who is net sparing of criticism in his account of the official handling of naval personnel problems. in the post-War period, and who attributes to such mistakes the state of dissatisfaction and unrest among naval ratings in 1931, points out that onfributed' tothe casts oF the rear siting at Toveryondon Cause and Effect The carlier chapters of the book, after indicating how, on account of official reticence, misleading or exaggerated reports of the mutiny were Mashed.around the world, go on to suggest that prime causes of the deterioration in the Navy's morale were to be found in the measures of retrenchment of the disarmament. period, the substitution of of Parliament for the mi officers as a channel for the presentation of grievances, the use of subversive propaganda inspired both from home and abroad, and the growth of the influence' of trades unionism in the Navy which finally resulted in the collective protest—which was in fact clearly an act of mutiny—in September, 1931.
The Lost Signal That there was a mutiny, at all 'e*|_may, according to the author, be attributed largely to the unfortunate combination of circumstances that resulted in the news of the cute in naval pay being received by the men _at Invergordon from reports in the Press before the Admirally letter explaining the reductions reached them. 'The Admiralty realized that it was essential that emeers in command should have full knowledge of the measures of, economy contemplated by the Government, and a Signal demanding personal attention was accordingly sent to' the naval Commanders-in-Chief all over the world explaining the financial state of. the country and indicating that heavy sacrifices were to be required of the officers and men of the Navy.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.