New-York tribune., 1907-11-03
FAREW ELL TO ADMIRAL
Dinner to Fighting Bob" Who
Takes BattIeship Fleet to Pacific.

/ N0''So NNSeeOo''SH " Il ttCC ~ Il CtttjtCs
A farewell dinner was given to Rear Admiral
RObiey D. Evans last night by the Lotos Club be-
fore he sails with the batteship fleet for the Pa
! cifc next month. When Fighting Bob" arose TO
! speak in response to the toast of Frank r Law
renee, the president of the club. who referred to
him as zone of the bravest and most accomplished
officers of the American navy" he was applauded
with vim
Mr.. Lawrence said the admiral was about to take
! to the Pacific sixteen of the powerful and
| heavy armored messengers of peace" Bishop
Potter said that the fleet would be to the peoples
| of the Pacific the symbol of the most advanced
Christian civilization of modern times Chauncey
| NJ. Depew ridculed the thought that the American
| navy is not free to go any part of the globe
without injuring the feelings of some nation.
ut is difficult thing to make a speech when the
regulations forbid your talking about the only
| thing you know anything about said Admiral
Evans; but will say that our fleet of sixteen
| battleships, half a dozen torpedo boats and a
| number of coIliers sails from Hampton Roads
December 16 and don't think anybody will
! to stop it, You won't be disappointed in the fleet,
whether it proves to be a feast frolic or fight.
1t would please very much to take the feet into
Yokohama haTbor. know the Japanese. and have
| lived with them enough to know that we would get
| a hearty welcome there"
| The admiral then told of the remarkable results
of the target practice of his fleet this year.
passing the records of all nations. he said. The
only ditnCult the TRIP around cape horn, ne
| said. going through the Strait of Magellan.
! Ex-Secretary Leslie NJ Shaw deplored the lack
of large merchant marine. He was followed by
Chauncey NJ. Depew, who said In part:
The late William c. Whitney. when Secretary of Of
the beginnng alpo Of the ' buiidhg of feet which
| should be commensurate with our position and
under the influence Of President Roosevelt, until
] now we no are hery o not grte SfSoc 6 8
| its country and its commerce. Our the
colonial possessions are dependent upon our navy
but but we are alone among the great industrial Peo- %
| eign commerce under the American flag.
port in the he World Rhee RS %e were % no %
| represented, and now the American traveller can
belt the globe and go in and out Of its oceans. and
! its seas. and in and out of the ports of Asia,
! his country. The supremacy of the to
Deutschland and to France in La savoie. The
Vees and are b Stl aTseT ana syn iaSrer
| ceive the applause of the Germans and the cheers
| of the Americans. But where are we? Even Nor
| way ana Belgium our superiors. We are a pro
| teStQnist country. protecting every article in
which Is invested capital or labor but free
admTa mpon his Is h2I 8dv5F and ia TO the gallant
| The commotion which this expedition has created
world are one of the eccentricities of the times
we, We have miles Of coast on the Atlantic. and its
harhoTS are familiar with fleet - have an
tlulVaIent number Of miles the Pacific. and
battleship or known the inspiration and education
OF an AMERICAN man-of-waT at their docks Mid
] nearest 10 the Orient the Philippines China the
go, market or the future for industrial countries
rp,"nErns -, surplus from its workshops. feels
more friendly TO us than all others because in
7or tho losses in Boxer War the tinted states
tIone t kept only what was due and honorably re-
! as asa a merchant is the most honorable trader in the
/ i.dS'. MS word is as good his bond. and moth
| lns reaches or impresses MIN so much as com
merclal honesty in other nations and peoples And
and girls might be inspired with patriotism bv the
! taL@.'h'e a. OF an American fleet. must not see the
,.c,5 Honolulu and the Philippines which can be pro-
! .tc'td and maintained in case OF trouble only bv
| an American fleet. must not know bv observ3tio11
f Inat we we nave one But the Orient which believes
mat the United States is second among the naval
w, Why, why can our fleet sail only on the Atlantic
@ atyrr ST ~ p hot san on The Pacific Ocean? The an
OF & the new power in the East-Japan In the first
zoo nlieVr tnat the japanese statesmen are
Such feeling or to desire trouble with the INIT.
IN me next place. where any fleet OF any
! Is no one IS business but our own Curiously enough
among naval nations for wn-3gp as rs tne n yGgngest
| seas. We Wer" told during the Revolutionary war
would be treated pirates and their officers hanged
! umphanuy by the father of the American nav,
| Commodore Paul Jones.
In 1872 Great Britain disputed the equal privi-
leFes Of the United states upon the Atlantic ocean
! uBI.odNrc Ferry on Lake Erie and Decatur, Hull
| forever the unquestioned right Of the American
I nag, on llS SHpS on war and on Its merchantmen
! 70 he unmol"stcd on the Atlantic And now IN
thls year or grace 1901, after century OF prepara-
tlon. Of production II progress and Of power n IS
| proposed 10 close the Pacific, in which have as
! great interests as has any other nation. Gentle
| men, there will he no war After This exnaI5t,or
| the American navy will be able to sail where n Is
ordered ana when the United States government
| thinks II eXpedient without any question being
raised on any preteX of sensitiveness or hostility
| DR. j. Fl. Buckley, editor of The Christian Ad-
| vocate.' said that thero might be some question
| as To the ultimate outcome of the cruise of the
| battleships
| We never can tell what is going TO happen" he
| said That is strange man who sits on the
! throne I'm Germany. You know what happened
! during the peace congress He might do ninety
| nine things right. just like the head OF our own
nation. and then do the thing wrong"
| Ex-MayOr Seth Low. Colonel II. L. Scott Super
| intendent Of the Military Academy; Rear Admiral
! J. b. Coghlan and w. II. McElroy also spoke