He was close to many people in power, most notably Fisher (who left retirement to return to his former position as First Sea Lord soon after the start of the conflict), Lloyd George, and Winston Churchill, and he enjoyed considerable influence during this period.
Er stand in der Nähe vieler Machthaber, vor allem Fisher (der kurz nach Beginn des Konflikts seinen Ruhestand als First Sea Lord verlassen hatte), David Lloyd George und Winston Churchill, die in den Ruhestand gegangen waren, und hatte in dieser Zeit großen Einfluss.