The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-06
MIXUP OYER PACIFIC FLEET
uErCiLF RESERVED THE NEWS
ron 4 JULY 4 SURPRISE.
Feeling I'm Washington That the Mystery
Made Abou II Has Done Harm ships
Won't 60 for Some Months Ict--N viii
he a Costly T~rIp-Evans { Command.

won't go for Some Months Ict--It viii
he a Costly TrIp-Evans 10 Command.
WASHINGTON, July 5-There evidently
vas a alipCp IN the apparent arrangement
rado between President Roosevelt and
Secretary Of tho Navy Mctcalf for the
srnchroaoGs announcement OF the inten-
ron Of the Government to send the entire
Atlantic battleship fleet to the Pacific const
Of the United States. William Loeb, Jr.,
secretary to the President. was n little less
definite than Mr.. N~Ictcalf. for he said.
s.eaking for Mr.. Roosevelt. that the feet
was merely going m a cruise and might
60 elsewhere ,han to the Pacific. 1t il
impossible, however. TO ignore the definite
chara ~ter of Mr.. Metcalf's statement that
nc feet was going to a Francisco.
Mr. Metcalf is a cautious man, and no.
body who knows him believes that he would
declare that San Francisco was the fleets
destination unless an absolute determine
non 70 that effect had been reached and
ne was authorized to make it known. Mr..
Metcalf must have thought that he had
the Presidents authority to make O pos.
i've. definite statement. The announce
mem Of Secretary Loeb indicates that the
President was not willing TO tell the whole
story AZ this time, and Mr.. Metcslf must
have had an unpleasant moment when he
read what Mr.. Loeb had said and COM
ro-oI /, with kiG own rAparka
There is a feeling in Washington that a
tad tactical error was made by the Ad-
ministration in denying the story that the
feet would 60 to the Pacific and then by
a quick change about acknowledging that
il was true. Through this course, IL ia
sid, a significance has been given the
natter that would not otherwise have
appeared. 1t is contended by those dis
rcsed TO c~riticise this inexplicable policy
that if announcement had been mad when
The MINORS about the fleet first appeared
rhs, the rumors were true inc that the
movement was in accordance with a policy
adopted by the naval administrator a
louS time ago and had no relation TO the
japanese question his country and Japan
would rave accepted the explanation.
The theory advanced here Of the Admins
i%-ation's range behavior is that the delay
IN making the announcement was u to a
desire on the part Of Secretary Metcalf to
have the pleasure Of giving out the news at
his own home. Oakland. Cal. Said Mr..
Metcalf at Oakland last night:
Knight have stated before leaving Wash
ington exactly what I am saying now. but
Thought. as the news concerned the people
Of the Pacific Coast, to-day (the Fourth Of
july would be an appropriate time TO
announce the plans"
Before leaving Washington, Mr.. Metcalf
might have added. that he denied knowledge
Of the report which he confirmed last night.
Then he started across the continent with
his big news carefully planned and marked
Not to be opened until Independence
Day" II was old news, Of course. when
he opening day came but il had an ad-
ditional interest in view of the previous
Efforts made by those high in official life to
show that the idea Of sending sixteen or
more battleships from the Atlantic TO the
Pacific was ridiculous.
1t is quite true that the proposal to send a
battleship feet on a long cruise had been
under consideration long before the Japan
fN NndlOW HDVtdTeu Oh tne nOTiNOu. IL II
true also that the Government had reached
the conclusion seven or eight years 9 that
the interests OF the United States in the
Pacific demanding protection by warships
were equal TO those in the Atlantic, and in
the last few years il was agreed that our
interests of that character in the Pacific
we're superior TO those in the Alta 7tic.
Naval ~strategists have urged hat there
should he two fleets of sixteen battleships
each, one in the Atlantic and the other in
the Pacific. Such a distribution. they con-
tended, would do more than anything else
70 preserve peace with some Of Americas,
Sisters IN tho family OF nations. The idea
Of sending the Atlantic battleship squadron
to the Pacific has been a perfectly natural
deveopment. but il h stories told here
are TO be believed the acute cause OF the
declsion 10 make the transfer was the
agitation in Japan over the discrimination
against Japanese in a Francisco.
One Of these stories. which was told in
naval circles to-day as a piece OF gossip.
Is TO the effect that President Roosevelt
suggested the transfer OF the battleship
fleet from the Atlantic to the Pacific at a
Cabinet meeting held just before he left
""NHktOi iOl cybttt 10y Az SuSSV'
ton, according to the story. did not meet
vithfayor, and some members Of the Cabinet
expressed themselves as opposed to il on
the ground that Japan would get ready for
war the minute the plan became known.
Iothis objection the President. so the gossip
ran, responded that Japan would not oppose
any such course. and sven il she we're to
view the transfer Of the battleships to the
Pacific as a hostile act the United States
would then be prepared to meet her.
Whether the story is true there is no way
OF ascertsining, and il is given merely for
what IL is worth. The view attributed
TO the President that Japan would have no
objection if an American battleship fleet
vas sent to the Pacific has since been in
dorsed by Viscount Aoki. the Japanese
Ambassador in Washing ton. who declared
m eject that Japan could see nothing I'M
friendly in the movement.
When the Atlantic feet will start on its
long cruise TO the Pacific has apparently
not been determined, but the understand
ing is that the ships will not be ready until
late fall or early winter. MANY golfers