Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-05
BATTLESH|PS MAY
COME TO PACIFIC
BIG FLEET DUE ON COAST
NEXT WINTER
Secretary of Navy MetcaIf Announces
Plan for Long Cruise Around
Cape Horn-Not Warlike
Demonstration
BY Associated Press.

OAKLAND, July 4.-Secretary of the
Navy Victor H. Metcalf, in an inter
view this morning, confirms the repor
that a large part of the United States
navy will be seen in Pacific waters
next winter. Eighteen or twenty OF
the largest battleships will come arount
Cape Horn on a practice cruise anc
will be seen in San Francisco harbor
MANY false impressions have gained
circulation about the proposed move
ment of this part of the United States
navy" said Secretary Metcalf 81
have said all along that there was
absolutely no significance to this move
ment from a military standpoint.
might have stated before leaving Wash
| ington exactly what l am saying now
thought as the news concerned the
people of the Pacific coast today would
| be an appropriate time to announce the
exact plans.
"It is the policy of the navy depart
ment at the present time to keep the
fleet in American waters as much as
possible. 1t is also our policy, as has
been stated, to keep as large number
of battleships together as possible. We
may as we'll be spending the money
that is devoted to our navy in Amer
lean ports as abroad. In the past we
have sent squadrons to various Euro
pean stations with less advantage than
we might keep them at home.
IT have planned this cruise around
Cape Horn for the practice of the
squadron. How long they will spend
in these waters I cannot say at present.
can promise the people of Oakland
and San Francisco that they will see
one of the finest naval spectacles ever
witnessed in Pacific waters.
Ar11r To- C-n
troubles and of international differ
ences may be dropped by all of the
newspapers of the country. There is
nothing to produce any feeling except
| this talk of the newspapers. 1t Is
without foundation. The story that
Ambassador Aoki is in disfavor with
his own government 1 believe purely
an invention. l know of no reason
at the present time why Japan and
the United States should not be on the
friendliest of terms"
OYSTER BAY, N. Y, July Am Of
fetal statement was made public at
the executive office here today regard
ing the report of a battleship fleet Wis
iting California.
The statement, as given out by Sec
retary Loeb, follows
There is no intention of sending a
fleet at once to the Pacific. For the
last two years the administration has
been perfecting it's plans to arrange for
long ocean cruise of the battleship
fleet when a sufficient number of war
ships are gathered. This cruise may be
to the Pacific, but might possibly be
only to the Mediterranean or the South
Atlantic. 1t may possibly take place
next winter, but, on the other hand,
| it may not be convenient to arrange it
until later. In any event, after few
months the fleet will be brought back
together to the Atlantic coast.
whether the voyage is made or not,
whether the fleet stays in the Atlantic
| or goes to the Pacifis, will be deter
mined simply as a matter of routine in
the management and drill of the navy.
1t is not part of the settled policy of
| the navy department in its effort to
keep the navy up to the highest point
| of efficiency, always to keep the bat
| tleships together, maneuvering as a
fleet composed of several squadrons
and it is desirable that this fleet
should from time to time take long
voyage.
1.-THE relations between the United
States and all other powers never were
more peaceful and friendly than at the
present time, and if the fleet were sent
| to the Pacific the fact would possess
| no more significance than the further
! fact that three or four months later
it would be withdrawn from the Pacific
Both would merely be part of the or
binary routine of the naval administra-
| ton"
Late tonight the statement of Secre-
| tary of the Navy Victor H. Metcalf
given out at Oakland Cal, in which
he said, without qualification, that the
great Atlantic fleet of eighteen or more
battleships would make the voyage tC
San Francisco, was shown to Secretary
Loeb. Mr. Loeb would not comment
on Secretary Metcalfs announcement
further than to say that his own state
ment of the cruise covered that made
by the secretary of the navy at Oak.
land.