Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-09-06
TWO FLEETS WILL
NOT Be- CREATED
Navy Department Regards it
Better Policy to Have One
That is PreteotIy Equipped
TWENTY-EleHT BATTLESHlPS.
Proposed To Increase Atlantic Fleet
To That Numbcr--Sun Planning
For Voyage 10 Pacific.

Washington. SEPT. st Is authorize
lively stated az the navy department
that Prest Roosevelt does not cone
template the creation Of two nat1le-
ship Aeeta. Nor does secy. Metealt'
nor even the general board when Is
supposed 20 represent the eNtieh'
view in naval development favor ei'h-
or the division OF the present magm-
ficent feet under Admiral Evans COM
mand or the creation OF another use'
an order that there may be a formd-
able American navy I'M both oceans
the Atlantic and Pacific. on the con-
trarv. Il is regarded at the navy u.-
partmcnt as better policy 20 MAINTAIN
one perfectly equipped. well-drilled meet,
free 20 move az win 10 any part or
the globe at short notice and the ples
ont mans contemplate the increase OF
the strength OF the existing Atl'I''''
fleet. from rs to IS battlcships.
This win afford command az Iarse
as can be properly directed by any
one officer and 10 Will moreover aboul
mark the capacity or ports and liy
dockg m any particular section OF the
world. So Il is asserted positively ar
the department that there ls NOT the
least Intention % keeping the hati'e-
ships which win go TO the Paclnc Pel
manently In those waters. Ihat M
II is added. win surely return g. ths
Atlantic seaboard after It has ful lllei
its mission and demonstrated the tea--
Utility Of transferring such a vast nav
al force between oceans, .
n is suggested at the navy depart
ment that before the gathering Ok =
similar number OF naval vessels in lnS
Pacific becomes necessary, the pt"pt.Lh
viii bo eoived by the completion or tht
Panama canal. IL Is pointed out al t.,e
department that even we're the plN7,
dent or the department 30 disposed u
would he impossible for them 70 pro
vide for another such fleet as Admli"l
Evans present command without COLI
gressional authority. A..
Several hattleships. notably the new
Hanpshire. Idaho and Mississippi anu
the three fee scout cruisers Salti
piruinqham and Chester are unae'
,,,nstructior on the Atlantic seab1ard,
hut naval officers say that before any
81 these ships will be IN commission,
the Atlantic fleet probably VIII nave
returned 20 eastern waters.
II IS stated at the navy department.
that beyond his determination 70 nave
the Atlantic fleet return TO It's home
station PresL. Roosevelt has not u.-
cfded how the Meet shaI iNNulH
the east. The general board and Ad-
niral Evans. with his stan, have pre-
pared plans and fun itinerary 20 re-
furn by way OF the Straits ~ Megel-
Ian. and by the Good Hope route. Two
months notice viii be sufficient 20 enc
able the navy department bureau 20
execute all Of the prcliminaries. such
as accommodating ample supplies OF coal
at convenient points for the execution
OF any OF these itineraries so that the
president has until probably next July
20 decide
secy. Metcalf left San Francisco last
evening for Bremerton naval station on
Puget sound: and after he had com
pleted the examination Of that station
and ascertained how many Of the bat
tleships can conveniently be accom-
modated there. he viii return 20 Wash
ington and begin the preparation OF
his annual report devOtlng special at
tention 10 the problem of the new naval
construction 10 be recommended 20
Congress at tho approaching session.
The understanding Is at least two bat
tleships will be suggested.