The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-10-12
WORLD CRUISE OF
OUR BATTLE.SH|PS
A Significant History-MaSing Move
ment by the United States.
Pacific Ocean Saved to America by
Robust Policy of Republican
Party.

The present world cruise of Ameri-
can warships is one of the most inter.
esting, important and far reaching per
iormances of any administration since
the Civil War. History rides upon the
PROV of the fasships of this feet.
Eighty-five 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 decentralization of
the globe. When President Roosevelt
first announced that the fleet 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 a consequence Of this
unprecedented move
Armada and World Cruise.
The armada took it's departure from
Hampton Roads, Dec. 16. 1907, and
after wholly successful voyage around
the Horn. of about twelve thousand
miles. 1t dropped anchor in San Fran
cisco Harbor May 6, 1908. The ships
that form the 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
I ed the Nebrask and the Wisconsin. al
ready in Puget Sound. thus making a
fleet of eighteen first-class modern
battleships in perfect condition.
1 There were already in the Pacific
and Oriental waters the fine armored
cruisers West Virginia, Colorado, Ma
7 ryland and Pennsylvania. Their two
sister ships, the California and South
I 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
will touch at the leading ports of China
and Australia, passing on east by way
OF the wes., and coming finally to NAL
ta and Gibraltar, where it will coal
and ultimately return to its starting
point at Hampton Roads. some time
early next February.
In this expedition the Republican
party has 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
cies of the party gagged on world lines.
It is more OF notification than a
threat, to all existing governments.
Welding North and south America.
The eyes of the world have followed
eur fleet with absorbing interest. One
Of the great advantages gained by this
cruise is the cordial welcome and close
acquaintance which 1t has evoked from
the governments and peoples of the
chief republics of Latin America. To
the BraZilians. the Argentines, the Chi
lians and the Peruvians. the mighty re-
public of the north had been merely a
name or dim figure powerful ard
honored perhaps. but not actually
known. For years there had been lit
tie or no visible evidence Of the wealth
or authority OF the United States, In
the chief South American ports. But
they were ell visited by swift and
stately liners, flying the flags of the
maritime powers of Europe.
At every South American port the
fleet. our navy. our government, our In.
stitutions. our people. our aims, our
industries our trade-cvery 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
creased fourfold since the feet visited
Rio Janeiro. In this case it seems that
trade may follow the battleships.
President Roosevelt Explains Move.
ment.
In q statement in a speech he made
In St Louis President Roosevelt tool
the public into his confidence to a de
gree when he said California Ore
gon and Washington have a coast line
which is our coast line Just as emphat
ically as the coast line of New York and
Maine, of Louisiana and Texas Oul
feet is going to Its own home warer.
il, the Pacific and after stay there 1
will return to its own home water
IN the Atlantic. The best place for tn,
nava! officer TO learn his duties is n
cen. by performing them, and only b,
actually putting through a voyage o
this nature, voyage longer than an,
one before undertaken by as large
feet of any nation. can we find GU
lust exactly what is necessary for us t
know as to our naval needs and prac
Z <&oo orr oHicars and enligtad mon 4,