The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-05-28
FOR STRONG NAVY
PRESIDENT URGES ITS NEEDS N
SPEECH AT TACOMA.
Believes That Is the Surest Wav -
Secure Peace-Speech Came as
Surprise---Tacoma I'm Gala Dress
to Welcome Him.--His Trip On
the Sound.

Tacoma, May g. AS the precedent
stepped from his train in this CITY At
4 o'clock this afternoon his saltue of q
guns, not heard on Puget Sound for
many years, doomed forth from the
revenue cutter McCulloch.
Then he and his party drove tn
Wright park, where the commander.
in-chief Of the army and navy deliver.
ed speech which has attracted moro
attention through his advocacy of q
strong navy than almost any speech de-.
livered on his Western tour. Before
crowd which numbered many thons.
ands, for Tacoma turned out en- mass to
welcome the president, he made
strong plea for an ever-increasing fight.
ing force in the navy.
That President Roosevelt should re.
serve the topic of the navy until he
reached Puget Sound is regarded az
most significant, not alone by the peo.
pie of Tacoma, but by those who form
members of his party. The speech
which he delivered here today came as
a surprise to those who have been fol.
lowing him since he left Washington.
The weight of his words is great and
they were delivered in stirring man.
ner.
When he had finished speaking the
president recognized Otto Winters, who
had been in his regiment during the
Cuban campaign, and greeted him most
affectionately before those in whose
ears the speech was still ringing. As
special favor to himself, and one, be
said, which he seldom asked, the lead
er of the Rough Riders requested that
Winters be permitted to accompany
him in his carriage to the hotel, and
that he be member of the party which
will board the steamer Spokane to visit
the navy yard OH the way to Seattle.
President Roosevelt. at the conclusion
of the Wright park speech, laid the
cornerstone of the new Masonic temple,
after which he drove to his apartments
in the Tacoma hotel and rested for
short time before preparing for an in
formal dinner at the home of Senator
Foster. The enthusiasm of the people
was shown in the cheering at the presi.
dents utterances, and at the sight of
his person in his carriage along the
street, but the demonstration was of an
orderly nature. The decorations in his
honor were many, and the pretty homes
of the city along the line of march were
in gala dress. The lawns were set with
words of welcome and curious devices,
and the drive to the park through the
avenues of trees was most pleasant.
The president remarked the beauty Of
the scene as he closed his address, and
stood gazing at the throngs of brightly
decorated people in the beautiful sun
light, scattered about the lawn and
partly hidden among the trees.
Probably 10000 people we're on the
streets when the special train pulled in
at the Nineteenth street stat ion. Crowds
had been pouring into the city from
different parts of the surrounding coun-
try all day, and the Grays Harbor trains
brought in large contingent from the
western part of the state. People began
thickening on the streets in the fore
noon, and Immediately after the noon
hour tho crowds became go densse In
the business districts that there was
perfect jam an hour before the presi'
dent was due to arrive.