The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-07-08
Naval Hero Believes That a
Squadron to the West
VIII! Aid in Peace.
WON'T CATCH UNCLE SAM.
UNEASINESS HAS BEEN CAUSED
IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT AND
1T is GETTING BUSY IN PREPA-
RATION.

Utica. n. \ =. july 8 II Is q pity we
have not ships enough to keep power
full fleets in both oceans. but since we
terests of peace. it is best at this time
that our fleet should be in the Pacific :"
In this comprehensive and signifi-
cant sentence Admiral George Dewey.
chairman of the general navy board
and the hero o. Manila Bay. summed
up the reason and necessity of sending
the United States battle ship fleet six
teen powerful naval fighters. from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. the longest
cruise of the sort in naval history
There was no mistaking his meaning
Admiral Dewey dictated the all-mean-
ing phrase and it was his first utter
ance on the subject since the navy
board took up the startling project of
transferring the Nations sea fighting
force around the horn. The author of
the peace cruise''-for some such title
is surely coming to him-tore off the
flimsy cloak which had been officially
thrown around the movement since it
was announced June 10
Admiral Dewey Laughs.
To him the $1,000 mile cruise is not
an experiment in naval mobility 1t
is for the purpose of keeping peace in
all the Pacific by securing as quickly
as possible the balancing of power.
Though Admiral Dewey does not be-
lieve that this country is likely to be-
come seriously involved with any pow
er he believes it necessary for the Unit
ed States navy to be paramount in the
ocean which bIs jumped into such
strategic importance since the Spanish
and Russian-Japanese wars.
Reasons founded on his own expert
ence in the Philippines he gave for pre-
ferring the Pacific coast to Manila as
a permanent naval base. From which.
one can safely surmise that Admiral
Evanss tremendous fleet will go by
Magellan instead of Suez and that the
majority of the big battle ships will
shortly say goodbye to the Atlantic
for years to come. He laughed at the
dangers and difficulties conjured up by
those who oppose the transfer.
Not Caught Mapping.
Washington, July S-While Uncle
Sans Representatives are at The
Hague, seeking for the abolition of all
war and striving to coax down the
dove of peace with offers of the corn
of Cancellation, Uncle Sam is determ-
ined not to be caught mapping if the
Mikado casts envious eyes on his pos
sessions in the Pacific Although the
Navy Department is striving to mini
'miZe the Importance of the announce
ment that the sixteen big battle ships
in the Atlantic squadron are to be
transferred to the Pacific coast, the
matter is of such moment that Wis
count Aoki, the Japanese ambassador,
has publicly expressed the opinion that
his Government would not regard it as
an unfriendly move.
There is the strongest reason for be-
lieving that this program was fully
mapped out and adopted, and it is
known that work on the new battleship
Nebraska, which was placed in COM
mission this week at the Premerton
Naval Station in Puget Sound, was hur-
ried with almost feverish haste How
ever, in view of the publicity given
the program it is regarded as not un-
likely that President Roosevelt will or
der that the transfer of the ships be
made quickly and unobtrusively, and
not in squadron as was first contem-
plated.
1t is considered practically settled
that the United States naval force in
Pacific waters will be strengthened
so that it may cope with any eventual
ity.
The condition in the navy is causing
much uneasiness in the department.
There is a woeful lack of officers and
men, and this week the Indiana and
Iowa were placed out of commission
because there were no crews to man
them. These fighting crafts have gone
to join the Texas. which long since
was placed in reserve, and the Mas
sachusetts. the Oregon and the New
York, all of which are out of commits
sion.