Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-07-20
BIG TIME F1SI'
SAILORS II
ANT|PODES
ELABORATE RECEPTION
IN BRITISH COLONIES
Australians And New Zealand
erS Busy Planning Enter
tainment for the officers and
Men of American Fleet,

IBy Morning journal Special I.sased wIFe.l
Melbourne, Australia. July 20.-The
stars and stripes have witnessed sights
and achievements in bygone years on
that wide and lonely ocean the South
Pacific, which will be readily revived
in the general mind by the cruise to
the antipodes of the American battle
ship fleet. American ships are grow
ing more and more infrequent In the
southern ocean, but something of the
old nautical prestige remains and this
decadent renown the big men-of- war
will doubtless reanimate.
The fleet will practically follow the
regular mail route from Honolulu to
sydney, but Pago Pago. the harbor
and coaling station in the Samoan
group, will not be touched by the bat
tleships. Only some of the fleets aux
iliaries will stop there. From Homo
lulu to Auckland. n, H., the distance
is 3,764 miles from Auckland to sgd
ney. N. $. w, across the Tasman
sea, the distance is 1881 miles. from
Sydney to this city, the metropolis of
Victoria, through Bass strait, il is 567
miles, and from Melbourne to Albany,
West Australia. across the Great Aus
tralian Blight, It Is 1870 miles. Ad-
miral Sperry's command is due at
Auckland August TO- and is to spend
four days with the New zealanders,
It is due at Sydney August l6, where II
will stay a week; on August 29 1t will
reach here for another weeks soiourn.
and on September 1t will leave for
Manila, stopping at Albany only long
enough to coal
On August 10 Vice Admiral Sir
Richard Poore, commander-in-c chief of
the Australian station, will leave sgd.
ney for Suva, capital of the Fiji Is
lands, which lies close to the route of
the Americans, and then he will inter-
cept them with two British warship'
and officially greet them prior II
their reaching New Zealand, The
third class cruisers Cambridge and
Pronethues have been detailed to this
duty and will accompany Admiral
Sperry's ships to Auckland At Auck-
land the Americans will be further
welcomed by the flagship Of the Aus
tralian squadron. the armored cruiser
Powerful.
The New Zealanders have made
crate preparations for entertaining the
Americans, short though their stay
will be Auckland will be decorated
with flags and Illuminated at night.
Parliament will adjourn for ten
days to the members can participate
I'm the festivities. The government
has arranged for the entertainment of
1000 officers and sailors, including
the crews OF the three British war
ships Six hundred and fifty Amer
lean and British officers will be guests
at an official banquet, and there will
be a state ball which will be attended
by upward of 1900 persons. A beau
tiful casket will be persented to Adj
miral Sperry, containing addresses tc
himself and President Roosevelt. A
conspicuous part OF the entertainment
will be jaunt OF the American offi'
GERS to Rotoura, in the heart of the
famous Thermal lake region of New
| Zealand. There scores of New Zea'
lands big strapplng natives will &C
through their rhythmic and graceful
dances for the visitors
At Auckland Admiral Sperry will
meet Thomas T. Ewing. minister OF
defense of the Australian common
wealth. who will consult with him
about the reception.