New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-10-19
NO MENACE In CRUISE.
TEST OF ATLANTIC FLEET.
No0dI officers GiUe Reasons for
Trip to the Pacific.
From The Tribune bureau. l

cials of the administration have been led by the
misconception Of the object of the Pacific cruise
which appears to exist in the minds OF a few
persons whose sources of information are evil
Gently limited, 10 elucidate to a greater extent
than has hitherto been their custom the purpose
of the administration and the language of the
Navy Department. For instance while the
somewhat broad term practice cruise" has
been used in referring TO the voyage of the
Atlantic feet to the Pacific, it is explained that
the term is far more comprehensive than seems
TO have been generally understood.
Attention is called to the fact that in the past
the Atlantic fleet has rarely or never. been
tested under conditions where it was compelled
TO be as self-sustaining as VIII be the case on
its trip around South America and while in the
Pacific Ocean.
Material advancement is believed 70 have been
made in the construction and equipment of
pair ships. but as long as the fleet was within
easy access of the navy yards along the At
lantic coast the ability of these vessels to make
more than minorg repairs has not been thor
oughly tested. on the Pacific Coast, where navy
yard accommodation is extremely limited. the
4 repair ships presumably will be called upon to
demonstrate to the full the dependence which
can be placed upon them when the fleet IS far
from its base.
To a considerable extent the same conditions
which will present problems quite different from
those which attend the provisioning of a small
squadron. The capacity of these ships to main
tain a continuous supply Of healthful provisions
on long cruise also VIII be tested to a degree
hardly possible while the feet was maintained
within easy access of abundantly stocked mar
kets on which the supply ships could draw prac-
ticaly at will
From strategic point of view it is also re-
garded as OF the utmost importance to demon
strate beyond a doubt the availability of the
Atlantic fleet for the defence of the Pacific
Coast
TO GIVE EXPERIENCE
The cruise is expected to supply the theorists
of the Navy Department with practical expert
ence and while the cruise will not be conducted
at anything approaching the speed which could
and would be developed in an emergency, the
progress of the entire feet, even at moderate
speed viii prove valuable criterion for future
estimates of the rapidity with which a feet of
this size be moved n radically different
proposition from that with which the COM
mander of Il squadron or n single vessel has to
deal.
opinion IN the navy concerning the difficulties
which will confront the commander of a fleet Of
sixteen battleships. a torpedo hotilIa, repair
supply and other auxiliary vessels on voyage
around South America, has always covered a
wide latitude Some officers maintain that they
VIII not prove serious, while others believe that
many new and perpleXing problems will be pre-
sented, and all are agreed that nothing but
actual experience Will determine
OF course all these phases Of the voyage were
comprehended by the term practice cruise" but
a failure to understand how much IS embraced
IN that expression seems to navy officers to af-
ford the only explanation Of the determined. al
though n
dictated the proposed cruise some deeper mean
ing, some hidden diplomatic purpose or some
international menace, dscernible only by a
Sherlock Holmes of the pen.
The practice Of actually confronting the diff
ficulties which might in time of war operate
against the highest efficiency of either the army
or the navy and Of learning from experience the
best solution Of these problems has all along
constituted the policy of this administration I'm
the conduct Of the military establishment
Practice marches protracted periods of camp
service, extensive target practice and even rid
ing tests for field officers on staff duty have
formed part of the undertaking course Of the
administration. 1t is policy which has re-
ceived the cordial support and cooperation OF
the officers Of all arms of the service, and Of
which the Pacific cruise is but the logical de-
velopment.
NOT AIMED AT JAPAN
incidentally, it is authoritatively asserted that
attempts to establish any connection between
the Pacific cruise and the relations of the United
States and Japan are not only the product Of a
fevered imagination but that they unquestion-
ably emanate from a lack Of knowledge or a
failure to comprehend the perfectly obvious and
answering policy Of the administration
The fact that the United States is at perfect
peace with all nations is declared to have been
a controlling factor in the selection Of this time
for the cruise which. had there existed strained
relations with any nation, might thereby have
been rendered inopportune. The apparently un-
contrOllable fear that the practice cruise" will
precipitate international complications 1t is fur
ther asserted, will promptly yield to a saner
foreign relations.
Newport, r. l., Oct. 18.-After the departure
of the batteships Of the Atlantic feet for the
Pacific, ii is talked in naval circles here that a
home squadron will be created under the COM
mand Of Captain Richardson Clover president
of the board of inspection and survey who will
reach the grade Of admiral on November s.
This squadron, it is said will include the
batteships South Carolina. Idaho Mississippi,
North Carolina and Montana. which are expect
ed 10 be put into commission about the first Of
next year and the cruisers Minnea polls Colurn-
bia. Olympia San Francisco and Atlanta, the
monitors Arkansas Nevada and Florida, torpedo
boats and the first and second notillas of sub
marines
AUTOS FALL OYER CLIFF.