Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-10-09
WORLD CRUISE Of
OUR B%ATTLESH|PS
A Significant History-Making Move
ment by the United States.
Pacific Ocean Saved to America by
Robust Policy Of Republican
Party.

AHS present WOrlu cruise or Ameri-
can warships Is one OF the most inter.
esting, important and far reaching per.
of any administration since
the Civil War. History rides upon the
PROV Of the flagships Of this feet.
Eighty-fiye millions OF people have for
months been attempting to interpret
the movement and solve the problem
our government Is attempting to prop.
erly adjust by this circumnayigation OF
the globe. When President Roosevelt
iirst announced that the feet of battle.
ships was to make the long journey
from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
the Democrats turned prophets of evil
and predicted many disastrous things
would follow as G consequence OF this
unprecedented move.
Armada and World Cruise.
The armada took It's departure from
Hampton Roads, Dec. Is, 1907, and
after a wholly successfulyoyage around
the Horn, Of about twelve thousand
miles, ii dropped anchor In San Fran
cisco Harbor May 9, 1908. The ships
that form tho four divisions Of the feet
In this record-making cruise are: The
Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Mis-
souri,, Georgia, New Jersey, Rhode ISL
and, Virginia. Alabama, Illinois, Kear-
sarge, Kentucky, Ohio, Minnesota, Kan
sas and Vermont. To which were add
ed the Nebraska and the wisconsin, al
ready IN Puget Sound, thus making a
feet Of eighteen irst-class modern
battleshIps In perfect condition.
There were already in the Pacific
and Oriental waters the fine armored
cruisers West Virginia, Colorado, Ma
ryland ard pennsylvania. Their two
sister ships, the California and South
Dakota, were also on the Pacific, and
the powerful Washington and Tennes-
see went from the Atlantic to join the
armada, thus making eight armored
cruisers to be added to the eighteen
battleships. In addition there were In
the Pacific several protected cruisers.
gunboats and other lesser craft. All
told there were ten hundred and fifty
officers and nineteen thousand five hun
dred men.
In due time the main fleet Of war
ships resumed Its western course and
VIII touch at the leading ports OF China
and Australia, passing on east by way
OF the west, and coming finally TO NAL
ia and Gibraltar, where 1t will coal
and ultimately return to It's starting
point at Hampton Roads, some time
early next February.
In this expedition the Republican
party has a policy which projects itself
far into the future, but it Is an entire
misunderstanding OF the whole scheme
TO suppose that 1t is aimed narrowly
or definitely at any single power. 1t is
one of those robust constructive poll
Giles Of the party gagged on world lines,
III Is more of a notification than a
threat, to all existing governments.
welding North and south Amerlca.
The eyes OF the world have followed
our feet with absorbing interest. One
of the great advantages gained by this
cruise il the cordial welcome and close
acquaintance which it has evoked from
the governments and peoples OF the
chief republics OF Latin America. TO
the Brazilians, the A~rgentines, the Chi
lians and the Peruvians, the mighty re-
public Of the north had been merely a
name or a dim figure. powerful and
honored perhaps, but not actually
known. For years there had been lit
tie or no visible evidence OF the wealth,
authority Of the United States, IN
the chief South American ports. But
they were all visited by swift and
stately liners, flying the Tags Of the
maritime powers OF Europe.
at every South American port the
feet. u navy. our government. our In
stitutions, our people, u aims, Jul
Industries, our trade-every conceivable
thing that is ours, have been discussed
as they never were before, and that
without suspicion OF our political and
diplomatic intentions. One business
house In New York states that Its
South American correspondence has IN
fourfold since the feet visited
Rio Janeiro. In this case II seems that
trade may follow the battleships.
President Roosevelt Explains Move-
ment.
In q statement In a speech he made
st. Louis, President Roosevelt took
the public into his confidence to a de-
gree when he said: california. Ore
goii and washington have a coast line
which is our coast lire just as emphat-
Ically as the coast line Of New York and
Maine. Of Louisiana and Texas. Our
IL going to its W home waters
III the Pacific and after a stay there ii
Will return to its own home waters
n the Atlantic. The best place for thu
naval cf]cer to learn his duties is at
by performing them. and only BY
.sctually putting through q voyage or
tiis nature. q voyage longer than any
enc before undertaken By as large 4
neet OF any nation, can we 1nd out
lust exactly what y necessary for rs to
know as to our. naval needs and prac-
HE our otlcers and enlisted men III
he highest duties Of their profession. ?
x-~1<o.fm~ - fho Ov1aut