The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-18

powers and their sovereigns, and to
the President.
l. AT the conclusion of the luncheon
the officers returned to their ships
AT 12:2S o'clock the President left the
Mayf1oWer in barge FOR the flagship
hearsarSe, to return the call of Rear
Admiral Barker.
The Mayflower fired a presidential
salute, as the barge. cleared the ship.
AS the President went aboard the
hearsarge, his flag was broken out
at the main peak and every one of the
twelve saluting ships in the fleet fired
a presidents salute. After chatting
with Admiral Barker and casually in
speeding the Kearsarge, the President
before visiting the other flagships to
return the calls of the rear admirals,
addressed the enlisted men and officers
OF the ship. When they had been
Drawn up on the gun deck he said:
Addressed Officers and Men.
I'm doing your work here, every bit
should be done with an eye toward the
day when upon every man, from the
admiral to the lowest in ranks. may
rest the responsibility and duty as to
whether or not a new page of honor
in American history shall be turned.
AS passed the Olympia l remem-
bered her grand victory of May l,
.
enc Of renown in our history But
all aboard her, from admiral down to
the newest enlisted man, had been
equipped for the work by days and
years of what must have been many
times irksome duty
In speaking to all of you I want a
chance to say a word of special recog-
milton to the gun pointers. The shots
that hit are the shots that tell. They
are what make the navy prove itself
equal to any need. / am happy to say
that the American seamen have never
been found deficient in the fighting
edge, the first requisite of the fighting
man.
Il do not praise you for being brave;
that is expected. The coward is to be
condemned rather than the brave man
to be praised. 1 expect every one to
show a perfect willingness to die
rather than to see the slightest stain
put upon the American flag, but in
addition, you must know how to fight
as well as know how to die; then you
will be what I believe you are, the
most efficient fighting force in the
world"
Tribute to Dewey.
When the President spoke of Ad-
miral Dewey he turned toward him
anu DONCds 1AtG <AOltllA al dilSWCiOu
the bow. The men interrupted to
cheer, first the President and then the
Admiral. At the conclusion of the
ceremony, the band played the "Star
Spangled Banner"
The President asked the name and
birthplace of each of the gun point
ers. They included men from all
states in the Union, California, Texas,
North Carolina, Maine, Indiana, Mich
igan, Minnesota and Washington, as
we'll as from Germany and Ireland,
Norway and Sweden. The President
was especially struck with the large
proportion Of men from the Middle
West. 49, - -
On the Olympia he again was re-
quested to say a word to the enlisted
men. He said in substance:
Whether the service is rendered in
the coming tower or In the gun tur-
rets, or in the engine room, it matters
not so long as the service itself is of
the highest possible kind. This ship
commentaries forever the name of
Admiral Dewey as the Hartford COM
memorates that of Admiral Farragut.
And 1 ask you all as Americans proud
of your country, from the admiral
down to the enlisted landsnan, or the
youngest apprentice, to appreciate
alike the high honor and heavy re-
sponsibility of your positions.
AL the conclusion the men cheered
the President and then Admiral
Dewey. When the President went to
the Yankee, where he met the lands
men in training, he was particularly
interested in the fact that all the crew
consisted of landsmen.
The President returned to the May
flower at 2:45 and his flagship imme-
diately fired a salute to Rear Admiral
Barker, commander of the fleet. The
Mayflower steamed down the sound for
a short distance and then lay to while
the fleet, headed by the Kearsarge,
with the destroyers at the rear of the
line, passed the May1ower in single
column, saluting the President. This
concluded the ceremonies. The fleet
continued on to Portland, Me-, and
the Mayflower returned to Oyster Bay,
bringing the President home to Saga
more Hill. 49,