Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-11-21
Statements About Navy
And Its Lack OF
Preparation
TARGET SCORES DO NOT
MEAN ALL THEY Seem
New York World Assemblies Com.
ment Against Trip and Tells
Of Many Alleged
Failings


The New York World devotes its
columns to criticism of the trip OF
the battleship feet to the Pacific. 1t
is interesting as showing the other
side. A recent issue contains the fol.
lowing:
The one thing which puzzles naval
officers in the Brooklyn Navy Yard
and elsewhere is the object of the ma.
val iunket to the Pacific. Although
these officers do not dare take the re.
sponsibility Of their utterances, one
and all sum up the situation about as
follows:
If the President has secret informa.
ton that Japan contemplates armed
action against this country his deter.
mination to send all of our battleships
to the Pacific Coast Is taken six
months too late; IL II Is merely to be
cruise of instruction to educate OH.
GERS in sea duty, It is ill-advised as a
cruise to Brazil and back. or to the
Mediterranean and back would accom-.
plish every purpose.
Another criticism made by officers
of all ranks is that. in either event,
Rear Admiral Robley d. Evans is an
illogical choice for commandment.
chief. The reason advanced for this
opinion is that he is about to retire,
and the experience, If the cruise Is for
the purpose of giving officers expert.
ence, as declared by the President,
had better be offered a younger Off.
GER who might stand in need OF such
experience later They also point to
the fact that Admiral Evans is In III
health-so seriously under the weather
that not long ago he contemplated ask.
ing to be sent before a retiring board.
Think Assignment Is Temporary
All naval officers believe that the
assignment of Evans to chief com.
mand Is u personal matter on the part
of the President, who Is fond of the
Admiral and desires to honor his last
year in the service; also that the as.
Slgnment is temporary and that Ad
miral Evans will be superseded by a
younger and more active man as soon
as he reaches the Pacific Coast.
These officers expect to see Rear
Admiral Goodrich, now in command
Of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, sent to
the Golden Gate to relieve Fighting
Bob" no matter what the real desti.
nation of the fleet shall be- Neverthe.
less, Evans is about the only ranking
officer who ever made the voyage
through the Straits of Magellan, and
his experience as leader around the
south end of the southern continent
may be considered to compensate for
his short active term and his III
health.
Naval men say that there Is not to.
day in the navy an officer who has
commanded n squadron, let alone a
feet, in actual service Rear Admiral
Schley, who directed the fight against
the Spanish Admiral Cervcra off San
tlago, Is retired for age, and the con
trOvcrsy over his share in the honors
of that victory render 1t impractical to
l ecall him to active duty as II com.
mandor.
Sampson, the actual commander,
who to the regret of his friends was
absent during the actual fighting at
Santiago, is dead.
Admiral Dewey alone remains in nc.
tive duty and 1t Is considered his age
and infirmities preclude his selection
to command the fleet in an exigcncy.
Moreover, 1t Is maintained by naval
officers that he has not the necessary
experience in actual battle.
While no officer dctraCts from nc
glory Of Dcwcy's achievement, they
say that the American fleet so greatly
the Spanish in effective.
ness and manning and the victory was
achieved with such unprecedented
case, that the Admiral had no oppor.
tunity to display signal tactical ability.
Dewey Fought On Old Lines
As matter of fact, Dewey, they say,
fought his battle on the old Farragut
lines, in the up Guards, and at EN-"
style. Dash and Dam the torpedoes!"
they say, We're all right in the days of
wooden ships, before torpedoes be-
came the marine terrors of the pres.
ont time. In other words, they say,
with all admiration for the Admiral,
that he has not had the opportunity OF
fighting a valorous, well.armed and
scientific enemy while in command Of
= fleet.
This idea is put into terse sentences
by Rear Admiral Coghlan, retired. I'VE
haven't got an Admiral on the active
list who ever fought squadron" he
said what do any Of us know about