The Washington times., 1904-01-31
FLEETS OF WORLD
IN ONE SQUADRON
Grand Naval Exhibition at
Jamestown Fair.
GREAT THEATER OF HISTORY
Some General Plans of Ter-CentenniaI
of the First English
Colony.

fitting celebration Of the ter-cen-
tennial of the settlement Of jamestown
appealed to the General Assembly Of
Virginia as worthy cause. Any elab-
crate display at the scene of the or
iginal settlement was out OF the ques-
ton by reason of the dilapidated and
abandoned condition of the island AS
II was recoGned that the memorial must
occur elsewhere various localities put
forth their advantages and the Legis-
lature decided in favor OF the Hampton
Roads communities.
In the charter which was granted to
the Exposition Company there was A
clause constraining the corporation to
raise the sum Of 100000 before the
cnarter became permanently operative.
ano hiking the date before which the
amount would have to be secured as
January 1. 1904
Ihis proviso was by no means an
easy one 10 satisfy. In a large center
S1.OOO.O0 is an inconsiderable sum hut
tnere are no great cities near Hampton
hoads-the largest, Norfolk. had a
population of less than $1,000 people. and
no other city near by had more than
half as many citizens. However. the
SUBSCRIPTION reached the reoui-ed total
ana the permanent organization has
been effected. Gen Fitzhush 10
was elected president: ID T,overhar,,
director general; Nathaniel Reaman
treasurer; G. T. Shepperd. secretary. and
Barton Myers. auditor The roster or
directors is a very strong one contain
ing the names Of the leading citizens NJ
the State. "a
Cannot Be Forecasted.
IL Is too early to forecast with any
oesree OF accuracy what the James.
town Exposition will be- In a broad
ana general way II is easier to prophesv
Ior this celebration than for most of
me others. The site offers an or,,oy-
tunity for water display which ~ 1ro,,i5
De iolly 10 ignore. The magnificent bar-
Dor which fronts the exposition sro,,nds
mas had memorable history, but the
action which made il famous through
OUT the world was the fight between the
Merrimac and Monitor. which took place
WITHIN easy sight of the exposition. and
the reproduction of which will form
one Of the most interesting features ~
the fair. A Presidential procIan,a tior
inviting the nations to send representa-
uves of their war marine would no
doubt receive a ready welcome. NOT
onlv by reason of the amity existing be-
foreign
but because the navies of the present
time date from the event mentioned
aoove-the first struggle between IRON
clads
Grand Waterway.
In the waterway comprising the
Roads there Is room for 500 or more
ships Of line. besides innumerable small
er craft These can find ample space
for evolution without disturbing the
channel necessary for normal com
merce- This event offers an opportunity
10 the country which IL must seize
There is never a naval appropriation
bill entered in Congress which has not
opposition, and the only way to i'm
press upon the people at large the abs
lutte necessity for a well equipped navy
Ia to give them a view of our ships
and the war machines of other lands
at close range. to let them visit the
floating forts and for themselves esti-
mate their potency.
The Secretary Of the Navy said re-
Gently:
THE plan Of a great naval review in
Hampton Roads appeals 10 me as hay
ing possibilities not only Of a magnif-
cent spectacle. but of great usefulness
In behalf OF the navy"
Even those who object 70 an increase
OF the navy are anxious TO inspect the
ships Other expositions have made the
aquatic feature an incident The 1907
1907 celebration viii be, on the contrary,
largely naval
Dominantly Historic.
The jamestown Exposition will be
donfnantly historic. and will appeal to
al who love their country's record. In
tidewater Virginia, within a short ra-
dius from the grounds. are grouped a
large proportion Of the famous places
OF the land At jamestown. English
supremacy on the Continent commenced.
at Yorktown II ended: each OF these
places is less than twenty miles away
from the exposition site. Smithfield.
Suffolk, Gloucester Point, Hampton,
Norfolk. Newport News, the Peninsula
Fort Munroe, hundreds OF places are
near. every one of which is historic.
The section is a national one II was
the scene OF many conflicts before and
during the Revolution and in II the Revo-
luton terminated. II was the theater
for some land fights, and several naval
engagements Of the war Of 1872. Within
its boundaries some of the most famous
struggles OF the civil war occurred In
this time when sectionalism is practi-
cally nonresident when the country is
more closely bound than ever before,
and in this exceptionally historic locality
there will be held the three hundredth
anniversary Of our country's inception.
and IT will appeal not only TO the Cen
eral Government for support but to all
of the States forming the Union.
DENTISTS SIGN FOR BULLDOG.
Police Commissioner McAdoo Al