The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-12-17

TALKS ABOUT
PACIFIC CRUISE

st. Petersburg, Dec 17.-Admiral
Rojestvensky. who, during the Russo
Japanese war led the Inflated Russian
fleet around Afrca TO ultimate defeat
at the hands of the Japanese the Sea
of Japan. is keenly interested in the
cruise of the American battleship
squadron. He talked today with the
correspondent OF The Associated Press
on the matter
Judging from his own experience the
Russian naval officer said he considered
the voyage to the Pacific to be entirely
practicable. "This expedition" he said
differs from the trip of the Baltic fleet
, I'm that we were obliged to coal at sea
We were not permitted to linger for
even one day I'm the unfrequented Bay
French. government and the English
admiral to move on" Admiral Rojest-
yensky syas the chief criterion Of the
miral Evans ability TO bring every
vessel OF the squadron to the various
stopping places on scheduled time.
fects. ne said, will be hard TO over
come.
The British feet. which ranks
among the most efficient in the world,
found 1t necessary to drop the laggards
during its recent manoeuvres. This
would be fatal in war time"
Inc 0umlral AIDED. Whlle
this voyage will be valuable in welding &
, the fleet into n homogeneous weapon,
II viii have also a high strategic value
In curbing the pretensions of the Jap
anese, whose JingOism has noticeably
abated since the announcement OF the
plan"
Rojestvensky disparaged the idea OF
duplicating the battleship squadron, one
for the Atlantic and the other for the Pa
cifc He declared that one fleet would be
a1aouafa tho tart NJ hnt eta
and that its transfr could be made period
ically with advantage TO both ships and
crews The fleet should have its base al
San Francisco or some other American
port while in the Pacific he haid to station
IL in the Philippines would be expensive
and unnecessary.
Contrasting the American and Japanese
fleets. the Russian admiral said: "The
Japanese personnel man for man. Is now
undoubtedly more efficient than the Amer
lean: this is due to practice in battle. but
the American ships so exceed the Japan
ese In strength and numbers that there is
no question OF the American superiority.
I consider that the question OF war be-
tween Japan and the United States is
quite excluded"
Admiral Rojestvensky said that he was
opposed TO the rebuilding of the Russian
fleet.
on land and that the money feet would
cost could he better spent in building up
a commercial maTine
I'VE may spend four or five millions in
the next ten years" Admiral Rojestvens-
ky went on, as 1t is proposed to over
whelm Russia with debt in order to Sc
cure feet stronger than Japan's. but the
future OF our Asiatic possessions will be
determined by the army. not by the fleet
Russia is doing nothing to strengthen her
army. We are holding 10000 soldiers or
the Polish frontier. a million in Russian
Turkestan. and only 5000 in all Siberia
where the Chinese and the Japanese are
building up "A portentious military power. -
But will the Russian feet be recon-
structe6?" was asked the admiral.
Alas, Yes" he replied. Unfortunate
ly there are many people in Russia who
wish to hll their pockets and the execu-
ton Of a big naval program will give
them a glorious oportunity.'