, 1908-07-07
UNDER WAY FOR
ITS LONGEST CRUISE

idlu, view LeaIdnu. IL is Dy special
invitation of the New Zealand gov
eminent that the American ships go
there, and al this port the Yankee"
sailors will receive their first greet
ings from a foreign people since leav-
Ing South America.
Magnificent Entertainment
This greeting Will be particularly
cordial and the entertainment arrang-
ed for officers and men promises to
be magnificent. The fact that this
greeting will come at the end Of the
longest leg of the voyage around the
world, when the men are worn by
a stretch of seventeen successive days
cut of sight of land. will Tend to make
it all the more welcome.
To Cost Half Million.
Perhaps the greatest of all the enter
tainments to be given the men of the
fleet in any foreign city, however, will
be waiting their arrival at Sidney, the
great port of Australia, where the war
ships, after leaving Auckland on August
Is, will arrive on August 20. Half a
million dollars is the sum the govern
ment of Australia and the people OF
Sidney have appropriated for the en-
t~ertainment of the American sailors.
Pleasures In Store.
Varied and many are the pleasures
the Australians have planned and
placed in store for them, during the
nine days of their stay at that port.
The government will take an active
part in these entertainments, those
In the official life Of the colony vieing
with private citizens in efforts to dis
play their hospitality. A series of
elaborate social functions for the Of
ficers, and parades and excursions and
sports for the enlisted men comprise
the program.
Manila BY October.
Melbourne and Albany are two 9th
er ports of Australia where the feet
will stop, and where open-handed hos
pitality, and lavish entertainment will
be given the men. From the port OF
Albany the feet will steam on Sep
tember II for Manila, and it will ar
rive In those American waters, the
last home port until Hampton Roads,
on October 1.
Cordially at Philippine Capital.
The reception to be accorded the
fleet in Manila will be a striking one,
and the entertainment of the officers
and men ashore will be as cordial and
heartfelt, If not as elaborate, as the
receptions at other places. The Amer
lean colony in Manila is looking for
ward to the event with fervent an
ticipation. A large fund has been SUBJ
scribed, and committees r at work
on the preparations.
In Japanese Waters.
Great interest is felt in the fleets
visit to Japan. Proceeding to Yoko-
hama from Manila, the fleet will ar
rive there on October IT. Here on
October "a It will be divided, the first
squadron returning October 81 to
Manila, where it will arrive November
goth.
On Invitation Of Emperor.
The promise Is that the welcome to
be given the Americans in Yokohama
will not be second, in -graciousness, at
least, to anything met with at any
port previously touched; for it is upon
the special invitation of the emperor
of Japan that the fleet goes there.
Elaborate functions at court and so
cial affairs will be held for the officers
of the fleet.
One Squadron in China.
At Annoy, China, the reception will
doubtless be the occasion of a great
celebration characteristic of the Chi
nese. The two s%ouadrons of the feet
will be brought together again at Ma
Mia on November 7, and the departure
the Suez will take place within the
following few days, the exact date not
yet having been determined.
Pacific Fleet Remains.
The ships of the Pacific fleet, which
assembled here previously to the de-
parture of the ~battleships for Hamp-
ton Roads, will remain in this harbor
until August 6, at which time they will
start for Samoa and the Philippines,
with the little black bCats comprising
the Atlantic and Pacific torpedo flo
tilla in tow.
A Test of Towing.
Preparatory to this summer voyage
of the Pacific fleet, a squadron of the
cruisers will take some of the torpedo
boats in low and steam down the Pa.
ciic coast as far as San Diego by way
of a test of the possibility Of towing
the little craft for long distances<The
towing to Samoa and the Philippines
is contingent upon the success of this
experiment.
Dayton To Retire.
Admiral Dayton, now in command
of the Pacific fleet, will retire August
!, and it is considered probable that
Admiral Swinburne will succeed him
in command of the Pacific fleet and
take it across the Pacific and back.
Following is a complete list OF the
Atlantic fleet, the commanding officers
and the formation of the various d.
visions:
Atlantic Fleet.
Rear Admiral Charles 8. Sperry,
commander-in-chief.
First Squadron.
First Divislon-Connecticut, alag
Continued on o. n a.