The Washington herald., 1908-02-10
SUBZ EXPECTS FLEET
PaOlO Pace, from Port Said,
Comes After Contracts.
GREAT RECEPTION IS PLANNED
Big ship Chandler Hopes 10 Get job
of RepIenishing Supplies of EEnnS'
ter General of the Navy About Ii.
Wants Months Notice.

Considerable uncertainty exists in the
mind of the public as to the destination OF
Admiral Evans fleet after it shall have
arrived in San Francisco.
1t has never been positively and official
~ stated that the armada is TO cross the
mighty Pacific. pay "a call at the Sandwich
Islands. Guam. and the Philippines and
other places in the far East, including
possibly Japan Newspaper reports have
conjectured a trip of this kind, and even
prognosticated the return of the feet by
way of the Sucz Canal. through the Med
HeTranean Sea, past Tunis. Gibraltar.
other ports. and over the Atlantic.
Suez Expects Evans Coming.
This theory has received considerably
strength by the arrival in this city yes1
terday Of Paolo Pace, of Port Said, Egypt,
head OF firm Of ship chambers at the
terminus of the Suez Canal. which has
supplied men-of-war Of the United States
passing through that waterway with
coal and provision for the last twenty-siX
years.
Mr. Pace looks a son Of the desert
swarthy with flaming dark eyes and
heavy black moustache. but dresses like
the ordinary European business man. and
speaks English fluently. with but a slight
accent He is a native of Malta, claims
20 be q Britisher and said his father was
a Scotchman.
In conversation he mentions names or
officers of the American navy he has met
al Port Said, and seems fairly familiar
with American views and sentiments. lie
is at the Raleigh.
He left his Egyptian home about three
weeks ago for the purpose of personally
perfectiug arrangements with the Navy
Department for supplying coal and pro-
visions TO the fleet when Admiral Evans
shall pass the Suez Canal on the return
10 the United States.
Here to See Paymaster General.
II thought it more satisfactory" said
Mr.. Pace, TO arrange these matters in
person. You can't attend TO transaction
Of this Importance and magnitude through
letter correspondence.
"The Paymaster General Of the Navy
has been .dvised Of my coming here. ]
viii call upon him tomorrow.
II also would like 10 meet President
Roosevelt the Commander-in-chief Of the
American navy.
THE American feet is expected in Port
Said about June or July. Preparations
/ for the event which will mark a red
+ letter day in the history Of that part Of
/ the world. are in progress even az this
time.
we don't expect the whole fleet to re-
. g4 g.. Il
preston among our people that about
waters.
Object Lesson to world.
1--WE read in the daily papers in our
country that Japan is preparing, day and
night to be in readiness if war should
/ occur. / believe the trip of the Ameri-
can war ships is intended TO show the
world that the United States has a fleet
that takes d back seat for no one and
will fight If necessary, just as Admiral
/ Evans said.
"The whole fleet cannot pass at once
through the canal At the time this
waterway was built it was evidently
never thought that such great and
/ powerful armada would ever pass
! through it.
''The canal authorities. I understand,
will stop all other traffic through the
canal while the American fleet is in
! transit. This will take about eighteen
hours.
/ ''The ships viii come up the Red Sea
! and enter the canal at SueZ but with
| out stopping there Suez is at the mouth
of the canal, and Port Said is the ter
minus. or vice versa. denominations
which depend I'm which direction the ships
/ travel
AT Port said the vessels will be coaled
and provisioned and replenished with
other necessary supplies. This viii be a
/ big undertaking. as the number OF ships
( and men is unusually great.
wants a Months Notice.
IN order to do this properly and to
/ the satisfaction of the naval authori-
Isles. I have come 20 attend 10 this mat
ter myself We would like TO have about
a months notice as 20 the number OF
vessels and men we may expect
we do not ask payment for our
services and goods until after the feet
returns to the United States. Settle
ment is to be made in your own city
Of Washington
IF any supplies should be found not
I'D 10 standard, we ask that they bC
thrown overheard, and we viii not charge
a penny. However, there is no danger
that we viii risk ruin 10 our reputation
as puryeyors Of American men-of-war
which extends over a period of twenty
six years
THE Panama Canal will do no harm
% the Suez Canal, speaking from buSi
ness standpoint. The latter is gooC
investment paying about % per cent in
terest on It's stock Go per cent of which
is held in England The canal itself !!
Inominally a French concern, with Frenct
officials. but the majority Of the stock j!
owned in England.
Egypt is prosperous under Englisl
rule. It is an accepted fact that England
will never evacuate that country. They
are in Egypt to stay. and 1 think IL!
for the best of the country