The National tribune., 1907-12-12
THE PACIFIC FLEET.
CONTINUED from page one.)

iicll udiiy1 oi SihS ocihC AiASoouiS 'i
relief; but the money available for the
| EN- ployment of mechanics has been
| largely spent on the great operations
| for moving the fleet, and the Depart
ment has no alternative. In the course
| of few months there may be plenty
of employment for these mechanics on
the Pacific Coast. When the fleet gets
around to San Francisco the yards at
Mare Island and Bremerton will be
| taxed to their capacity. But the me-
chanics cannot easily transfer them
selves and families to points 5000
miles distant on a chance of securing
work.
When the flotilla of prows return up
the Potomac a period of great naval
ment is looking forward to a very calm
Winter, during which there will be lit
tie except to watch out for good things
and bad things from Congress and also
to trace the progress of the big fleet
around South America. Usually the
Department has a lot to do looking
after the warships in the Atlantic, but
there will be no warships in the Allan
tic this Winter except the big fleet that
is sailing south. A little musketo fleet
of submarines and torpedo boats will
be organized and maintained in the
North Atlantic, but that will not give
the Navy Department much concern,
nor take the time of it's Admirals and
Captains from the round of pink teas
and dinners which absorb the attention
of most of them during the Winter
months.
Diplomatic Outlook.
Possibly the State Department Is
more concerned than the Navy Depart.
ment nowadays about the movements
of the fleet. An uneasy feeling about
the attitude of Japan prevails, notwith
;,Ia
the subject. Just when We are sending
bigger fleet to the Pacific than the
entire navy of Japan the War Depart
ment is asking for larger appropria-
tions than ever for coast defenses in
Hawaii and the Philippines, and work
is being rushed there on the planting
of emplacements and the putting of big
guns into position.
1t may be sufficiently serene for a
few months, while the fleet is rounding
the Horn and going thru the pictur
esque Straits of Magellan and steaming
up the west coast of South America,
but lot of people in Washington would
like to know whether there will be any
international incidents, which overnight
might make war between the two Ma
tions imminent.
The recall of Count Aoki, as Japanese
AMBASSADOR, and the appointment of
Mr.. Takihara, the En- mbaSsador at Rome,
in his stead, has quickened the appre-
hension in inner official circles, for
Count Aoki has been the friend of the
United States, and only a few weeks
ago had arranged a plan of settlement
for the difficulties between the two
countries, which was satisfactory to
the United States. 1t was rejected, how
ever, by Japan, and Count Aoki's recall
soon followed.
In some respects, however, Count
Aoki's service here has been far from
satisfactory. In the first place, he can
not speak English, except in a very
broken way. That has been great
handicap to him in transacting busi-
ness with the State Department and
also in the communications which he
has given out for the American news
papers and which were calculated, in
part, to allay the anti-Japanese senti-
ment on the Pacific Coast. He is much
disappointed at the failure of his mis-
sion here as ambassador, and goes back
to Tokyo with some bitterness. He is
an old man, had attained high station
in his own country as Minister of For
eign Affairs, but was unable to take up
the duties of an ambassador with the
grace that was required.
Japan, like China, is going to send
an old representative back to Wash
ington. Mr.. Takihara was here sew
eral years, and served very acceptably.
China sends back Mr.. WI, who, altho
a spectacular citizen, popular for the
silly things he does, is really less ac-
ceptable to official Washington than his
predecessor, Sir Chentung Liang-Cheng.
Quiet as things are likely to be in the
Pacific for two or three months, it is
highly probable that there will be some
thing doing when the fleet gets around
there. Not only is the work on the
fortifications being rushed in Hawaii
and the Philippines, but the War De-
partment has asked Congress to aprro-
pirate unusually large sums for con-
tinuing the work next year.