Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-20
Washington Takes Effort 10 Brighten
Public al What it is aIarth.
NO EXTRAORDINARY PREPARATIONS
Ships Now in the Yards Being over
hauled, Would Be There Anyway,
Even il Orders For the CRUISE Had
Not Been Issued.

WASHINGTON, ID. C.. Oct 1g-Ef-
iorts to raise Il Japanese war DOGGY
IN the hope that it may Brighten the
public into demanding that President
Roosevelt revoke his orders sending
the battlcship fleet to the Pacific are
accepted in Washington for Just what
hey are wo.th Newspaper reports
from here that preparations for a
hostile emergency in the Pacific are
absorbing the attention of military
and navy authorities to the exclusion
OF everything else arc taken as all.
snrd. aud they are regarded simply
MS tactics in Il familiar campaign OF
ATTEMPTED embarrassment of the ad-
minlstration
ANY person who takes the trouble
TO stroll through the War ana Navy
departments can easily see how far
this country is from war hustle. The
! Secretary OF War Is absent from
| Washington ON mission to give civ.
| II administration in the Philippines.
rho Secretary of the Navy Is in New
| York trying to unravel a legal snarl
| between the government and conteac.
| tors The chief of the bureau of nav.
ieation who has direction of all ma
| val personnel and the movement OF
| slips. has recently found time for a
vacation, while the chief of the hu.
reau of equipment, under whose III
rection comes the Installation of a
new hattlcship fire control system.
described as being an emergency
move. has left for his country home
in New England The commanderin.
| clief OF the battleship fleet, whose
cruise Is Denoted as about to lrine
war about the ears of peace loving
people. is in Washington to have his
teeth mended by his favorite dentist
Commander in Chief Not Worried
Inc Commandcr-inC Chief of the Ar
my and Navy, who ms an Assistant
Secretary of tho Navy before the
SpanishAmerican war scarcely slept
or ate Is ON n hunting trim in Louis
iann. He has not been bothered with
| a detail OF military or naval policy
since he announced that the ships
| would be sent on practice cruise 10
| the Pacific in December. On his
/ feccnt Western trip to test the publl,
/ sentiment he referred nuhlicly to tn,
cruise. Instead Of finding fear ri
war he heard bursts OF enthusiast,
approval.
The vessels of the lnttleship flee
I hre IN Atlantic coast navy yasds I'm
I, dergong the repairs needed TO main
iain the efficiency required for ser
vice either in annual West Indian
mnnoenvres or in Pacific cruise
Even had no orders to the Paclfi,
been issued these ships would hav,
gone 10 the navy Yards just the sam,
IN the yearly routine Installation q
a new fire control system fills tn,
needs developed in target practice. |
ANYTHING We're Required to prove tina
inc fire fleet is not being ovcrhaulet
4 with warlike purposes IL would II,
the fact that the fire control system
viii not he installed before the flee
departs. The equipment will he sen
overland to the Pacific coast and th,
installation completed when the flee
mas finished its cruise
Recital of the efforts which tn,
army and navy are making in recruit
ing sounds below their peace footing
because the youth of the Country cal
get two or three times ms much mono,
on farms and in the cities. The shin
ment of ordnance to the ships Is tn,
tardy fufllment OF harbor defenc,
policy recommended by Admiral Dew
ey lust after tha Spamsh-Americar
War. but ignored for years in the an
| preparation ~ Congress-