The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-09-13
UNCLE SAM WILL NOT
Be CAUGHT NAPPING|
Government Preparing For a Clash
With JaDan.
ALL READY FOR THE Big FLEET.
Extensive Arrangements on the Pacific
Coast for the Care and Equipment
of the Warships That Are to Be
Sent There-A Strategic Move of
Vast Significance.

Washington, D. G. Especially Adj
miral Cowles, chief of the Bureau of
Equipment of the Navy Department,
and Admiral Caps, chief of the Con-
struction Bureau of the same depart
ment, have just returned from the
Pacific coast, where they have been
making arrangements for the care
and equipment of the big battle
ship fleet when it arrives on the Pa
cific coast after its cruise of $4,000
miles from ocean to ocean.
Admiral Cowles, who has charge
of the bureau of the department
which is looking after the coal sup
ply for the great fleet on its long
cruise, paid especial attention while
on the Pacific coast to arranging
for sufficient amount of coal to fill
the empty bunkers of the big ships
when they arrive at the end of their
journey.
Admiral Capps paid especial attGN-
ton to the condition of the various
naval stations and drydocks, espec-
tally those at San Diego, Los An.
geles, San Francisco, Cal, and Brem-
erton, in Washington state. He
found that at all these places the
officers in charge were making good
progress in carrying out the instruc
tions already received from Washing
ton, and that everything would be
ready for the systematic docking OF
the vessels and making such repairs
as will be necessary when the fleet
arrives on the Pacific coast. In
fact, both the naval officers reported
to the department that everything
would be ready for the fleet and for
its care, whether the ships make
short or long stay on the Pacific
coast The only trouble anticipated
was the present difficulty in procur-
ing labor on the Pacific coast, but
even despite this the officers found
all the naval stations to be in salts
factory condition.
While the Navy Department has
been preparing for the arrival of the
fleet in the Pacific, the War Depart
ment has not been neglectful, and
while the officials all scout the idea
of any trouble with Japan or other
foreign nations, the officials have
made preparations for an inspection
of the Notifications and defenses of
the ports in the Philippines.
An order was issued to Lieuten-
ant Colonel Frederick V. Abbott,
Corps of Engineers, and Capt. Stan
ley B. Embick, Coast Artillery Corps,
to proceed at the earliest practicable
date to the Philippine Islands for
the purpose of carrying out instruc-
lions pertaining to the constructions
for Notifications at Manila and
Subig Bays. AS these officers will
arrive in Manila when Secretary of
War Taft is in the Philippines, their
inspection of the Notifications and
the starting of the contraction of
such work at Manila and elsewhere
will no doubt be done under his per-
sonal supervision.
The United States has leased, ac-
cording to statements from Shanghai,
coaling station in Novik Bay, south
of Vladivostok, for a term of five
years, and from the same source
comes the report that this govern
ment had leased the floating dry
dock at Vladivostok for the coming
winter.
The officials at the department
took especial occasion to deny that
any such transaction had taken
place, but as one officers significantly
remarked, that Secretary Taft was
coming home from the Philippines via
Vladivostok, and that on his arrival
at that place it would not be diff
cult for him to stop there long
enough to inspect the coaling sta
ton and the drydock. Furthermore,
the United States cruiser Chatta-
nooga had recently visited Vladivos-
tok and her officers had no doubt
inspected the port and reported its
availability to this government for
a naval station.
Despite the perfunctory denials at
tho department in Washington that
the visit of the batleship feet to the
Pacific means anything but cruise
for instruction and experience, the
feeling is gradually growing in
Washington that 1t is a stategic move
on the part of the administration,
which while it does not indicate any
fear of immediate hostilties, is
move to prevent any such in the near
future