New-York tribune., 1907-12-16
FOREIGN TIEW OF CRUISE.
Various Opinions Expressed m the
Ewopean Capitals.

London Dec 15-The daily newspapers are pun
Fishing long accounts from their New fork CORE
spondents of The preparations for the cruise Oh
Rear Admiral EVans'S feet, but refrain from coin-
mentng upon its significance. except IN thelr hdtai
columns in which experts discuss the adFlsaoil'y
of testing the resisting power Of ships TO the wear
and tear eff a long voyage Naval oflclals esree
that this although expensive, is deslrabie, anu
also that the cruise of the American battiesiHps
will afford good training for the officers ana men,
The Outlook a weekly publication on the other
hand returns to the discussion Of the political sig
nihcance Of the movement In a long article II
says:
The building up of the states the Pacific Slope.
the annexation of Hawaii the growth Of american an
Philippines and the rise of Japan have reacted upon
sitv AS a possible battle-ground In the future II
IS longer the Atlantic but the Pacihc that cidliS
American thought
On these grounds. and the fact that it would
demonstrate the strategic necessity of the Panama
Canal and that 1t would serve as warning to
the American Congress that the present forces are
not sufficient to protect the two coast lines the
cruise is held 10 be defensibie hut stl. II is
impossible to separate IL from the tension tnat
exists between the United States and Japan"
THE Sunday Observer says that II is difficult
10 believe that the Pacific cruise of the American
feet is dictated by purely professional reasons and
continues:
reconnaissance of force in view the rise of Japan
The feet bears the American flag to the Pacific
W that ff i VIII efed a sn6 develop i American n
terests. Its dispatch looks singularly Ike a bluff
have made profound mistake if they presume too
much japanese patience. 1t is undenlabe that
there is element Of potential Peril in the voyage
The Sunday Times dwells upon the personality
of Count Hasash;. the japanese Foreign Minister,
TO vhcn the full recognition OF japanese immi-
grants is matter of life death. He is not the
man 10 be frightened at the dispatch OF the Pacific
feet. says the Times and it adds: IF he ig-
nores the for The time being he will plod on
until he succeeds with peaceful rernonstrances or
can see no issue hut 10 fight"
There Is 10 change notfceab1e in the view taken
by the nlerrshg nhwspapars Of the Pacific cruise,
which they declare cannot be regarded a mem
to japan. Willie they insist upon its historic i'm
portance marking the rise Of the Pacific question
The Daily Mall edtoraIly describes the cruise
a movement the full significance of which Will
only be nnderstaos by posterit..
The Daily ITeiesrarh"- admits that nobody can
foresee the date the circumstances of the fleets
return. It say. -t4lat weak points naturally
will be DISCLOSED but that it, wifi bs surprise if
the American revy falls short Of the highest stand
ard of efficiency and ADDS:
The policy that has dictated the cruise may be
binary degree the Presidents firm conviction of the
States and Europe. otherwise he would never Vent
ure TO send the whole available naval strength of
earth.
observing for time with the greatest
the preparations for the departure of the American
fleet which is regarded here as the most unusual
naval experience of modern times. The only trip
which is considered comparable 10 this cruise of
the American -battIeships the Pacific is the
passage Of the Russian feet from the Baltic around
20 the Sea of Japan.
Although the Russian feet started on this voyage
under circumstances involving much greater dam
ger owing TO a state OF actual existing. yet
the American feet comprises greater number OF
fighting ships and they of vastly more impor-
fsnse
Expert opinion among naval men is that il Will
be splendid practice for the fleet While most
rfaries Bave worked such problem theoreti-
caiy. It is thought likely that the practical carry
fig out of such 2 lengthy voyage will reveal many
things that ought &c be known and bring to light
weaknesses. If they exist.
Paris Dee. l5.-The departure tomorrow of the
American armada is made the occasion for few
fresh comments here American-Japanese rela-
,ions French opinion from the first has been d.
x;ded into two camps The majority in France
shares the. official view that japan cannot take
:,mbrage al the cruise. and that, while the situa-
sion contains elements of danger, the differences
hef.een the two countries sure TO be amca bly,
adjusted
The other carp. supported by a section of the