The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-28
New Rank Is Proposed for Evans, Who Will Command
JAPAN DOES NOT THREATEN
Secretary Root Issues Statement That There Is Nothing Improper in Sending Fleet to the
 Pacific.

tleE5 { eet which is about to make it's W,So n the Atlantic to the Pacific prob 9S Q i'll be commanded by a vice ad-
 Q and that officer Is now Rear Ad- C% Evans. Of course. this is conditional } Congress giving it's sanction to the
 ,posal that will be made by the ex-
 .utive to establish this new rank in the American navy
 Rear Admiral Evans is going to sail in command of tho most powerful fleet that ever gathered under the American flag. He commands more battleships of modern type than any other naval off eer in the world and the only officer whose blue pennant floats over more numerous fleet of all kinds of warships is Lord Charles Beresford, and he is of greater rank than vice admiral, even an admiral like Dewey.
 On this cruise the American fleet is to touch in many foreign ports and is to exchange courtesies with foreign fleets and in several places-in Brazil, in Chile, in Argentina, the American commander, supposing he is retaining his present title Of rear admiral, would be outranked, for the navies of all of these countries contain officers of the grade of vice admiral, which would make the American commanders position hu- initiating.
 As Admiral Evans retires next August, the office will be of short duration.
 Relations Amicable.
 No such relations exist between Amer ica and Japan as would make it improper to send the American battleship fleet into the Pacific. If there were, the relations between America and Great Britain and the relations between America and France which the the same, would forbid the maintenance of the battleship fleet in the Atlantic ocean.
 This was the reply returned by Secre- tary Root to- the s9lrect Anestion as to whether Japan had epter6d any protest against the dispatch of Admiral Evans fleet to the Pacific next December. The statement was made at the conclusion of a long conference between Secretary Root and Ambassador Aoki of Japan at the state department yesterday.
 Secretary Root was particularly desir- ous to have it understood that the rela- tions between the two countries-America and Japan-were not only at present har- monious but that they had never been otherwise and that there had not been the slightest friction between the govern mentS Ot the two cOuntileS. IL WIS Sldltu at the conclusion of this conference tha { the government of Japan was co-operat- ing to the best of it's ability with out own government to secure the proper enforce ment of the immigration laws of America, so far as they relate to the treatment of Japanese with and without passports.
 No attempt was made to open negotla tions for a new treaty between America and Japan to prohibit the immigration from Japan to America of coolie labor and to sanction the passage of exclusion laws by the United States. Although the status of the Japanese in the United States was discussed, it was simply in the light of the application of the existing rules and laws and not in connection with any proposed treaty changes.
 It is understood that the matter is h shape and that the President was thor oughly informed on all important items in the itinerary. Admiral Evans, who had been confined 10 his apartments on account of an indisposition, looked and declared himself ot be much improved m health Secretary Metcalf stated that the question of allowing newspaper corre- spondents to accompany the fleet was dis cussed and the conclusion reached not to allow newspaper men aboard, but that officers of the fleet would be designated to send such news as might be thought desirable to make public.