Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-05
RETURN FROM THE PACIFIC
Vessels May Come Back the Same
Way They Go.
TWO FLEETS NOT PROJECTED
Authoritative Contradiction at the
Navy Department Of Publication
of Department. Intention.

1t is authortatively stated at the Navy
Department, in relation to certain pubica
tiOns In New York today that President
Roosevelt does not contemplate the creation
of two battleship fleets. Nor does Secretary
Metcalf, or even the general board, which
Is supposed to represent the extreme view
in naval development, favor either the divi-
sion of the present magnificent fleet under
Admiral Evans command or the creation
of another feet in order that there may be
formidable American navy in both oceans
the Atlantic and the Pacific On the con-
trary, it is regarded as better policy to
maintain one perfectly equipped and well
drilled fleet. free to move speedily to any
part of the globe at short notice; and the
present plans contemplate the increase Of
the strength of the existing Atlantic fleet
from eighteen to twenty eight battleships.
This will afford a command large as can
be properly directed by any one officer, and
1t WILL moreover, about mark the capacity
of the ports and drydockS in any particular
section of the world.
So it is asserted positively at the depart
ment that there is not the least intention
of keeping the battleships which will go
to the Pacific permanently in those waters.
That fleet will surely return to the Atlantic
seaboard after 1t has fulfilled it's mission
and demonstrated the feasibility of safely
transferring such a vast naval force from
one ocean to the other and back again.
Probab bly, before it will again become neces-
sary to gather an equal number of naval
vessels In the Pacific the Panama canal will
have been completed and the problem will
be an easy one
Too Big Fleets Not Proposed.
1t is pointed out at the Navy Depart
ment that even were the President or the
department so disposed, it would be i'm
possible for them to provide for another
such fleet as Admiral Evans present COM
mand without congressional authorization.
1t is true that several batleships, notably
the New Hampshire, the Idaho and the
Mississippi, and the three feet scout cruisers
Salem, Birmingham and Chester, are now
under construction on the Atlantic sea-
board, but it is impossible that any of
these should serve as the nucleus of new
fleet. According to the naval officials, 1t
will be very many months before any Of
these ships will be In commission-infact,
long time will elapse that it is prob
able that the Atlantic fleet will have re-
turned to eastern waters before the new
ships are ready.
The periodic reports of the naval in
spectors at the ship yards where these
vessels are being constructed show that
they are but little more than 81 per cent
advanced toward completion. The last
stages of shipbuilding are the slowest and
the average rate of progress is below 2
per cent monthly. But even after the ves-
sci is reported as completed very much
more remains to be done before 1t is in ac-
tive service under commission. In some
cases the builders private trials occupy
months and involve considerable changes
in the machinery to realize the contract
speed, and even after the vessel is ac-
tuaily in commission another long period
must elapse before she Is shaken down"
and ready to take her place in the battle
ship line without danger of breaking down
smashing into some of the ships.
In fact according to the 6ep9rfment'S
statement, these new ships will probably
be completed and turned over to the
government just about in time to replace
some of the vessels now in the fleet
which will then be regarded as of obso-
lete type and fit only for reserve pur-
poses. Certainly, even without this with
drawal of old ships the new vessels are
not sufficient in number to bring the At
lantic fleet up to the desired quota of
twenty-four battleships.
Return Route of the Fleet.
1t is again stated at the Navy Depart
ment that beyond his determination to
have the Atlantic fleet return to its home
station. President Roosevelt has not de-
cided how the fleet shall return to the
east The general board and Admiral
Evans, with his staff. have prepared plans
and full itineraries for return cruises by
way of the Straits Of Magellan, by the
Cape of Good Hope route and by the
North Pacific route via Manila and the
Indian ocean and Suez. Two months
notice will be quite sufficient TO enable
the Navy Department bureaus to exc
cute all of the preliminaries, such ls ac-
cumulating ample supplies of coal at the
convenient points. for the execution of
any of these itineraries, SO that the Pres
ident has all of the time between the
present and probably next July to reach
a decision on this point
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