Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-07-08
M|KUP OVER PACIFIC FLEET
METcALF RESERVED NEWS
FOR A SURPRISE.
Feeling IN Washington That the Hysiery
Made Ab0nt il Has D0ne Harm
Ships won'f GO for Some
M0nfhs YET

There evidently was a sIipup in the
apparent arrangement made bets cen
President Roosevelt and Secretary -
tbe Navy Metealf for the synehronous
| announcement ~ the Intention 81 the
Government 70 send tbe entire Allan
tie baftiesbip deet 10 the Pacific coast
~ the United States.
William IDeb. Jf.. secretary 90 The
| President, was a little less dehnite
Than ar. Metcalf. FOR be- asid, speak-
| ing for Sir. Roosevelt. that the feet
| was merely going on a cruise and
i might 60 elsewhere than - the Pa
cinc. "a Is impossible. however. 10
ignore fle definite character ~ SIR.
1 Netealfs statement that fbe neet was
going b. San Francisco.
SIR NetcaIf ls n caufiOus man and
nobody - ho knows him believes that
| Ie would declare that San Frane5aeo
| vas the deet's destination unless an
/ absolute determination 10 that effect
bad been reached ard Dc vas author
| ized to make IL known. ~. Nefeaif
mnst have thought that be bad lie
Presidents authority - make . posi-
live, definite statement. The Announce
ment ~ Secretary L0eD indicates that
the President vas not willing g. tefl
fbe whole story ~ ibis fiDe. and sfr.
| Hefcalf must have bad an unpleasant
moment when ie read what Nf. Loci
bad said and compared - with bIs
own remarks.
There IL feeling 10 Wasbingfon
that bal tactical error uas made ~
| fbe Administration ~ denying fbe
story that the fleet would 20 ~ fhe Pa
ciGe and then, - = quick change
a.
Through this course. "a is sail. q
significance has been given fiIe naf-
Ter That would moi Otberw ise have ap-
peafed. "a - c0Biepded ~ those dis
posed - cfificise this ipeHplicaDie
policy tifat IL announcement bad been
made when the rumOrs about tbe feet
Grst appeared tbat the rgmOfg we're
frDe and that the movement vas in ae
eOFdance v ltb q policy adopted ~ the
naval administration = long time aH0
and had no relation ~ the Japauess
question this country aud Japan would
have accepted the explanation.
Tie theory advanced IN WasbiHgfCu
~ tbe Adminlgtfatf0uf strange be-
bayiOr IL that fiie delay in making She
announcement vas due - desire
on the part ~ Secretary Meteaif -
haze the pleasure ~ giving out tbe
news a bis own home. Oakland. Gal.
said Ir.sNetoalf At Oakland ~af1r-
day night. = might have stated De-
fore leaving Washington exactly what
I am saying nov 'bDt thought. a.
tie news concerned the people - the
Pacific Coast, today ftiis rourth -
july would BE- as appropriate time -
announce the plans
Before leaving Washington NT. Net
calf might have added that BE- denied
knOwledge ~ the report which be con
frned that night. Then he started
across the continent with bis big nerxs
carefully planned and marked .'Ncf t0
be opened until fndepeudenee bay"
20 vas old news, u course, when the
opening day came, bat IL had an all
ditiOnai interest IN view u the pre-
giOus efforts male by those high en-
Official life to show that the idea -
ssnding sie1eeD Or more baifIsships
from tiIe Atlantic 10 the PaciGc vas
ridiculous.
u - 4nife irne that the proposal -
send a battiesbip feet on a long cruise
had been under consideration long
before the japanese shadow appeared
Oh the horizon. n j. ffue also that
the Government bal reached the con
clmsi0n seven Or eight years sgO that
slse interests ~ the United States IN
the Pacific demanding protection ~
warshfps were equal - those in Tire
Atlantic, and in the last few years
Il was agreed that our interests ~
that character in the Pacific were
superior 70 those in the Atlantic
Naval sfrategists have urged that there
should be tao fleets of sixteen battle
ships each, one In the Atlantic and
the other in the Pacific. Such a dis
tributiOn. they cOntended. would do
more than anything else 70 preserve
peace with some ~ Ameiea's sisters
il the family ~ nations. The idea -
sending the Atlantic batflesbip squad
ron to the Pacific has been n perfectly
natural development but II the st0rf les
| told in Washington are to be beIiae ed
| the acute cause ~ the decision to
make the transfer was the agitation fn
| japan over the Discrimination against
japanese in San Francisco.
one of these stories which vas told
| in naval circles the other day As a
piece of gossip is 70 the effect that
| President Roosevelt suggested the
| transfer 0f the baitleshfp feet from the
| Atlantic 10 the Pacific AZ a Cabinet
/ meeting.beld just before be left Wash
1 iBgton for oyster Bay. The sugges-
tion according - the story did not
meet with favor and some members ~
| the Cabinet expressed themselves as
opposed 10 i on the ground that JapAu
would get ready for var the minute
1 the plan became known To this OBJ
| lection the President. 50 the gossip
1 ran. responded that Japan would not
| oppose any such course. and even n
| she were TO view the transfer ~ the
| battIesbips 10 the Pacific as host lie
act the United States would then -
prepared 70 meet her. Whether the
story istrIe there j. no way - ascer-
| tanning. and II is given merely for
whaf il is WORTH The view attributed
10 the President that Japan w0uld
have no objection II an American bat
4 tieship feet was sent to the Pacific
/ has since been indorsed by Efsc0unt
1 A0ki, the japanese Ambassador -
4 Washington, who declared IN effect
that japan could ses nothing snfrisnd-
Il L. - So. a4rrszrer~a