The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1907-07-11
JUST TO SHOW WE'RE
A NAVAL POWER
ksaI Meaning Of the Big Fleet
Demonstration.
AS A GUARANTEE OF PEACE
The Raid Transfer of Our Fighting
Strength--President Roosevelt Desires
the Far East and Whole World to
See What the Newer and Greater
American Navy Is Like.


Oyster Bay. N. Y. Especially The
significance of Rear Admiral Brown
sons addition to the somewhat
meager information which has come
from President Roosevelt regarding
the contemplated two-ocean maneu-
vers of the Atlantic battleship fleet,
Is regarded here as having been over
looked In the comment, expert and
otherwise, which has since been in
dulged In on both continents.
Admiral Brownson come to Oyster
Bay Friday to take lunch with the
President, protesting entire ignor-
ance OF the maneuver plans. When
be left Sycamore Hill to take the
train for Washington, the Admiral
had one thought which he wished
emphasized - that it was desirable
and important to demonstrate to the
world how quickly the American
Navy could transfer it's fighting
strength from one ocean to the
other.
This was distinctly an addition to
the Presidents previous statement
Issued through Secretary Loeb,
wherein the object of the maneuvers
was said to be an exercise movement
for the benefit of the Navy, to per-
feet its training in fleet exercises on
an extended scale, the purpose and
effect Of the plan being for the ben
eft OF the Navy alone.
The Presidents View.
What came from President Roose-
welt through Admiral Brownson is
decidedly q different and much
broader design. President Roose-
welt has been consistent in advocat-
Ing large navy as the surest guar
antee of peace between the United
States and all foreign powers. Here
tofore q large navy has been reckon
ed solely from the point of view of
the number of ships, their tonnage,
armor, guns and fighting capacity.
With this idea the American Navy
has grown steadily, ship by ship.
To the somewhat uninteresting ar
ray of ships and tonnage President
Roosevelt now proposes to give the
world q somewhat startling demon
stration of what the American Navy
is capable of doing TO protect either
or both of the extended shore lines
OF the United States.
AS Admiral Brownson said, There
Is no time like the present for such
q demonstration" time when the
United States is at perfect peace
with every nation.
In everything that has come from
the President regarding the move
meEt it has been indicated that the
fleet, wherever it may go, is to be
brought back to the Atlantic, and
that the return is to be as much
a demonstration OF speed as the
outward journey.
a Guarantee or Peace.
While 1t Is asserted with all pos
sihie emphasis that there Is no. foun-
dalton for apprehension of trouble,
either Ammcdiate or future, between
reunited States and Japan, the pro-
posed demonstration with the fleet
can be looked upon IN no other light
than that President Roosevelt in
tends to use the American Navy for
exactly that purpose for which he
has advocated its augmentation
guarantee of international peace.
1t was stated here Sunday that
Ambassador O'Brien, who has been
invited TO Sycamore Hill the latter
part of the present week, will not
be able to confer with the President
before going to his new post in
Toxic. The Ambassador finds 1t
necessary to devote some time to
his personal affairs in Michigan, and
Will not find 1t convenient to return
TO the East before departing by way
of San Francisco for Japan. 1t was
remarked that there was no occasion
for conference between the Presi-
dent and Ambassador O'Brien other
than the formality of official ETH
quette.