Madden was due to become Third Sea Lord in 1914, but instead became Jellicoe's chief of staff. He acted as an intermediary with politicians and the press before moving into senior fleet command. His later committee work addressed stronger Royal Marines formations and retaining capable officers during personnel reductions. As First Sea Lord, he confronted a requirement for at least seventy cruisers during negotiation of the London Naval Treaty. His compromise accepted lower modern tonnage while relying on useful overage ships, preserving practical strength without satisfying the competing interests around him. Its arithmetic rested on modernizing C-, D-, and Emerald-class cruisers and gambling that the United States would not build to its full treaty allowance.
Chapter · 3:07:34-3:27:08
Charles Madden balances cruiser needs against treaty limits
Madden used staff experience and treaty compromise to preserve cruiser coverage under pressure to reduce naval spending.