Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-14
UNDER ONE COMMAND
Consolidation of Vessels in the
Pacific.
BR0WNS0N IN CONTROL
Orders Sent Out by the Navy De-
partment.
NOT A NEWLY CHOSEN POLICY
Follows Action Adopted on the At
lantic Side-Increase of the occi-
dental Fleet Not Contemplated.

Orders have been sent by the Navy De-
partment to Rear Admiral w. H. Brownson,
U. S. N, directing the consolidation under
one administrative command Of all cruising
vessels in the Pacific ocean. Rear Admiral
Brownson will be the first commander-in-
chief of the new Pacific fleet, which will be
composed Of the present Asiatic fleet and
the Pacific squadron combined, the limits
of the station comprising what Is now as
signed to both stations. The order will go
into effect on its receipt by Admiral Brown
son, or as soon he makes the necessary
arrangements, and the date is expected to
be about the end of March. Rear Admiral ].
H. Dayton, U. s. N, will become the COM
mander of the third squadron Of the Pacific
fleet, and Rear Admiral w. T. Swinburne
U. S. N, will be the commander of the sec
ond squadron.
The Pacific fleet organized as described,
will be available, in whole or in part, for
service In any part of the Pacific ocean. but
Important strategic changes of squadrons
or divisions from one side of the station to
the other will not be made except by drec-
ton Of the Navy Department.
1t is the intention to have such squadrons
as are available meet at appropriate times
during the year for fleet drills and exercises,
including battle tactics and competitive tar
get practice.
The movements Of squadrons and divisions
VIII, where possible, be so arranged that
the necessary important repairs of all larger
vessels of the fleet may be made in the
nome navy yards of the Pacific coast not
oftener than once a year. Docking and
waters will be made as far as practicable at
Cavite and Olongapo.
Not New Policy.
This consolidation Of command Is in pur-
suance Of a well-defined policy which was
on full
chief Of the bureau of navigation in October
last, and no particular considerations of
the present time have contributed In any
way to the proposed organization. The
groups OF ships will remain in the general
localities where they are now, and will per
form the same duties that they are doing
now: ihey may. however. under the order,
meet Tor general drills and exercises any,
where on the station, and the effort will be
made. so FAR as the duties Of the ships will
permit, to repair all the larger ships in the
navy yards of the Pacific coast
The concentration of command thus Ar
complished in the Pacific follows what has
been effected in the Atlantic ocean by q hoI
ishing the South Atlantic and European
stations and concentrating all vessels in
Atlantic waters under one command.
Increase Not Contemplated.
The department does not contemplate
sending any of the battleships now in At
lantic waters to the Pacific in the near fu-
ture, nor until the number of battleshins
available for actual service Is much in
creased. The effort is now being made to
catcher sixteen battleships in the Atlantic
fleet in order to carry on tactical exercises
with sufficient vessels to afford adeouate
training for the subordinate flag officers and
captains. number Of new battleships are
now breaking in and will shortly jojn the
Atlantic fleet. AS further battleships be-
come available they viii join the fleet and
the older battleshirs will be placed in re-
serve or out of commission for repair or
general overhauling. The policy will be- In
making changes in the battle fleet and with
drawing the older battleships from active
service, to secure in all divisions homo
geneous vessels for tactical reasons
Besides the vessels of the Pacific fleet
soon to be under the command of Rear Ad-
miral Brownson, there are number of
vessels available for service in the Pacific
should they be needed.
The batleships Wisconsin and Oregon are
out of commission at Bremerton, the battle
ship Nebraska Is nearing completion at
Seattle and the armored cruisers Califor-
mia and South Dakota are nearly completed
at San Francisco.
Personnel Of Division.
The first squadron of the Pacific fleet will
be made up of the following vessels: First
division-West Virginia, Colorado. Mary
land and Pennsylvania. Second division
Chattanooga, Galveston and two others of
the same class The second squadron will
consist of these vessels: Third division
Charleston, Milwaukee, st. Louis and Chi
cago. Fourth division-Albany, New Or
leans. Cincinnati and Raleigh. The third
squadron will consist of: Fifth division
Rainbow. Concord. Helena and Whining
ton. Sixth division-El Cano, Callao, Quiros,
Villalobos, Paragua, Pampanga, Panay and
Arayat. The coast defense vessels Mon
terey and Monadnock and a number of sub
marines will be in this division, also two
torpedo f1otillas, including the cambridge,
Barry. Dale. Decatur, Chauncey, Paul Jones
and Preble.