Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-22
PRESIDENT WILL BE THERE
win Set Forth His Views to More
Than Hundred Officers
OF the Navy.
Merits of Various Plans VIII be Dis.
cussed and Criticisms of Con-
struciion Gone Over.

Newport r. L., July 22. With the ar
rival of President Roosevelt here this
morning there will begin at the naval
war college on Coaster Harbor Island,
the picturesque site of a number ~
naval institutions overlooking the
waters Of Narragansett bay the most
important conference Of naval Officers.
affecting the futures construction Of
American battleships and cruisers in
the history of the sea lighting estah-
lishment. For several weeks two score
OF officers comprising the staff Of the
war college. the members Of summer
conference and the personnel of the
newly appointed "batueship commits
sion" have been struggling with plans
for future battleships, without sn'i,-
| ing ut an agreement
PRESIDENT TO TALK
Today a conference Of more than 100
officers Of the navy, together with a
large representation from the army,
will be addressed by President Roose-
welt. The pesident afterward will par
ticipate in discussion on the merits
Of various plans with the officers and
win also take up the criticisms that re-
Gently have been made upon American
naval construction. He viii speak ex-
temporaneOusly and without notes, eN-
pressing the views that he formulated
as a result of his consultations with
naval authorities and critics during the
past six months. A large part of the
remarks will be public, some 200 guests
made up Of officers and their wives,
having been invited but whatever OF
confidential nature is attached. Will
be delivered behind closed doors, the
only auditors being the officers who
actually are concerned in the discus
sion and makeup of plans for the ar
mored ships of the line that are TO be
| laid down In the near future. The con-
! ference OF today is unique and naNa.
! officers who have arrived here say
| that q few years ago such gathering
! for an exchange of professional views
Including as il does a variance of
rank from senior rear admiraIs 10 jun
Tor lieutenants, would have been i'm
possible.
NO SOLUTION TODAY.
II is not expected that a definite So
luton Of any one problem will be
reached today Conferences will con-
tinue after the president has returned
to oyster Bay late in the afternoon.
and II IS believed that whatever the
concensus of opinion of the boards now
here may ultimately be- the whole
problem of warship designs will be re-
ferred back To the war college and tho
board OF construction at Washington
for determination. With President
Roosevelt as the final arbiter. II has
been said that criticism OF the placing
Of the five turrets on the new battIeship
North Dakota, recently laid down as ~
sister ship to the 20000-ton Delaware
had 10 do with the calling of today's
conference. but this is denied at thu
war college. where IL Is said that the
president believes the time TO be rips
for Il general discussion of battleship
problems by all officers OF the active
list of the navy available ut this time,
A PRESIDENTIAL SALUTE.
When the white hulled president
cruiser yacht, the Mayfower, was made
out rounding Castle Hin below the city
there was a boom Of cannon from the
station ship Constellation the begin
ming OF a presidential salute from att
the naval craft in The harbor. After
the Mayhower anchored, the president
put of In a launch and landed at tho
Mercedes dOck su-called because OF tho
fact that the Reina Mercedes OF the
Spanish Santiago fleet was nbored there
when AZ Newport.
The president was met at the dock
by Rear Admiral j. +. Merrill. conf
mCndng the war college, and by the
officers of the college staff brigade
OF apprentice seamen from the naval
training station with band and bugle
squad was formed at the dock.