The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-06-03

than salutes and dinner parties. the
feet under the command of Rear Ad-
miral Evans came 10 the ports Of the
Pacific Coast States TO receive a well
come more enthusiastic in spirit and
more catholic in extent than ever feet
received before. II IL had returned un-
scathed from a victorious sea battle, the
million throats could not have swelled
the volume Of cheers that greeted it.
The cities from San Diego to Seattle
could not have increased the show of
bunting. the myriads of flowers, the null
tiplicty Of entertainments for officers
and men. Why did this peaceful cruise
create such wonderful interest?
IL was because the people Of the Pa
clhc slope had feared the coming Of an
other navy flying the flag OF the Rising
Sun. The fact that the great feet had
come from the waters OF the Atlantic to
the Pacific seaboard and had arrived
In better fighting condition than when It
set out. seemed TO these people TO be a
guarantee OF peace and protection With
every cheer there was deep breath of
relief. If the people who live to the
east OF the Hudson River fail TO under
stand why the Pacific Coast feared the
aggression of an Asiatic power, the peo-
b. pie who live TO the west OF the great
divide are equally unable to understand
why the Pacific Ocean should be looked
upon as foreign waters"
But the influence OF the cruise OF the
great feet does not end with its relief
OF fears OF attack. It has given the peo-
pie OF the Pacific Coast States n sense
OF sharing in the destinies of the future
Of this great nation which they did not
u 4 ~
first act OF the long-predicted campaign
for the supremacy Of the United States
in the Pacific Ocean. II is looked upon
as an earnest for the future that the
Pacific fleet OF the American navy will be
treated with as much consideration as
the Atlantic fleet, that the Pacific Coast
Will be considered as much a part Of the
United States as the Atlantic seaboard.
The influence Of the fleet. think these
Western patriots. will more than over
come the influence of Eastern statesmen
and editors, who seem TO look upon San
Francisco Bay as a foreign port.
The half-mlllon dollars spent by the
people Of the Pacific cities in entertain
ing the officers and men OF the fleet. the
S2,000,000 spent by people Of the interior
who came to the port cities to join in
the welcome. the many thousands Of dol
lars spent in private entertainments ag-
gregate a prlncely fortune. But dollars
and cents cannot measure the real extent
Of good accomplished by the cruise Of
the fleet in allaying the approximations OF
the people Of the Golden West.
A little more than month from now
the great feet will sail from San Fran
cisco to visit the ports on the other side
OF the Pacific. 1t will be welcomed with
even greater enthusiasm by the people
Of Hawaii and the Philippines, whose
safety and protection il guarantees.
Honolulu already looks forward 10 its
coming as the greatest event since an
nexation Of the islands to the United
States. It is construed by the Hawaiians
as evidence that at last the United States
has come TO a realization Of the I'M
pOrtance Of the Pacific, and that Hawaii
is the key 10 the supremacy OF that great
ocean.
But the full measure OF the active in
huence OF the cruise Of the fleet will be
noted in the foreign ports at which the
great ships viii call That influence
reached those ports long ago, months IN
advance Of the coming Of the ships. 1t
win remain. potent for American welfare
long after the echoes Of the saluting guns
In Japan the fleet probably will receive
welcome which will equal, II Il does not
surpass. any OF the official receptions Of
the whole cruise. The polished and cos
mopolite diplomatists. ministers. and MILL
tary officers Of the Empire will employ
every art or a people trained for two
thousand years In courtesy TO make the
stay Of the American seamen pleasant
And. what is more important, the Japa-
nese foreign Office will carefully abstain
from writing any notes 70 the American
government In the arrogant tone which
was employed IN discussing the San Fran
cisco incident. The influence of the feet
has already manifested itself In the diplo-
matte communications Of the Mikado's
ministry. It's full force viii be felt later
on.
In China the influence Of the feet will
be wholly different. Already the Chinese
look upon the coming fleet as a physical
guarantee Of that territorial integrity
which John Hay preserved eight years
ago Then China feared European ma
tons, whose mutual jealousy prevented
war. MCKinley's Secretary Of State saved
China by diplomacy Now China fears
the insidious encroachments Of Japan.
The Chinese believe that the demonstra-
ton Of force made by the presence Of the
from carrying out its designs. The Chi
nese newspaper press, which has come
into existence since the Boxer trouble OF
1900. has told the people all over the en-
pire that the American Emperor has sent
his great fleet 10 protect China from the
Mikado. Americans at home may smile
at this chld-like faith in a Chinese
American alliance, but the Chinese take
comfort in It. Furthermore. they viii cite
some corroborative testimony In the form
Of Secretary Taft's Shanghai speech. That
speech had much wider circulation In
Asia than it had In America.
The Chinese fear the Japanese. japan
is threatening Chinese territory on the
Korean border. Japan Is ignoring the
chinese rights in Southern Manchuria
Japan is putting obtaCles in the way OF
Chinese railroad construction Japanese
ships are bringing japanese army rifles
Into China 70 arm Chinese revolutlonists
The genuine reform party in China looks
TO the United States as its best friend
1t Is the nation that returns unearned
indemnities. the only great power that
has not tried TO grab rich Chinese ter
ritory, the great power which prevented
others from grabbing. The United States
battle-ship fleet viii have the effect In
China Of bringing the Chinese to real
ization Of the great power Of the Ameri-
can nation. All Chinese are from Mis-
souri," They want to take a look see
before they accept any tale. The feet
will give them concrete material upon
which TO base a continuance OF their
faith in American good intentions.
In the Philippines the fleet will have
the influence Of assuring the Filipinos OF
a determination on the part of the United
States 20 protect its insular possessions