Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-07
MUST HAVE DRY
DOCKS TO TAKE
CARE OF FLEET
RETIRED SECRETARY OF NAVY
PLEADS FOR PATIENCE
PACIFIC NOT YET PREPARED TO
KEEP BATTLESHlPS
Mr.. and Mrs MetcaIf Visit Sick Sen
During Brief Stay Here, and
Will Inspect San Pedro
Harbor
UICToR H. METcALF, now a plain

Il
Y citizen of California, who has just
resigned the navy portfolio in
Washington, told The Herald last night
that it would be impossible to keep
the battleship fleet on the Pacific per-
manently until more dry docks and
repair facilities were installed on the
coast.
Mr.. and Mrs. Metcalf are bound
homeward to Oakland from the ma
tion's capital, and remained in Los
Angeles to see their son, Victor, jr..
who is a patient at Dr. Pottinger's
sanitarium at Monrovia. Their head
quarters will be at the Alexandria no
tel until Tuesday night, when they
will start on the last lap of their home
ward journey.
They announced last night that they
found their son much improved and,
with the expert care surrounding him,
hope to see the young man entirely re-
covered soon. On account of his ILL
mess young Metcalf resigned his COM
mission in the navy after he had passed
for lieutenancy. He had suffered two
attacks of hemorrhage.
The fleet station problem is evidently
uppermost in Mr.. Metcalf's mind He
referred to the question himself almost
as soon as he settled in one of the CONF
Portable settees at the Alexandria-Mrs.
Metcalf near by-and told how glad he
was to unload the burden of depart
mental life and be back in dear old
California.
1.-THE people on the Pacific coast want
the battleship fleet out here perma-
nently," said the late cabinet MEM
ber. "They know it well in Washing
ton. But until we get dry docks in
the west I don't see how it is feasible.
VWhen the fleet was at San Fran
cisco we sent half to Hunters point
and half to Bremerton for overhauling.
There was not much to do fortunately,
no extensive repairs. With the float
ing dry dock Dewey at Olongapo and
the development of Pearl harbor we'll
under way we will have made a good
start, but no more. Another liberal
appropriation has been made to con-
tinue the expenditures and work at
Pearl harbor.
Separation Undesirable
eve cannot separate the battleships.
They must be kept together. If Rus
sia, in its struggle with Japan, had kept
it's battleship fleet intact the story per-
haps would have been different in the
last war.
so. until we have arranged to care
for the big fleet in the way of docking
facilities it will be hard to keep the big
fighters on the Pacific coast perma-
nently as they see 1t in Washington.
LAS matter of fact the battleships
are not really needed. They can be
moved swiftly. The world cruise de-
monstrated that. It is not a question
of keeping them on the Pacific or the
Atlantic. 1t is question of keeping
them at sea.
1--WE are at peace with the world
now. International relations were
never friendlier The eastern clouds
have all settled themselves. Patience
is needed and further work, to prepare
for the growth of the navy in all it's
phases.
IT wonder if the people in the west
realize how much the navy department
has done for them.
"There have been added to the Pa
cific fleet eight armored cruisers three
protected cruisers and six torpedo de-
stroyers. There are the Chicago, Mil
Waukee, st. Louis, protected cruisers;
the South Dakota, California, West
Virginia Colorado, Pennsylvania.
Maryland and other armored cruisers,
besides the destroyers.
1.-THE big cruise demonstrated that
our ships could go 10000 miles without
serious hindrance. 1t showed that their
steaming radius had increased 20 per
cent. By the economical use of coal
the SLednlQB rdQluS is Ildue 6ldSIlc.
The fact is there is as much rivalry
now between crews to cut down the
use of fuel judiciously as there is COM
petition in target practice"
OIL for Fuel
Use of oil was suggested by the in
terviewer as having changed fuel con-
ditions in the navy.
1T has," continued Mr.. Metcalf. 1--WE
find that instead of xUafar in O11F. dOuhla
bottoms we can carry oil. That adds
to the fuel capacity and maintains ball
last as well. OF course, we cannot rely
on oil solely, but as an auxiliary it
will answer well. Our boilers are being
equipped so that coal or oil can be used
Interchangeable.
"All torpedo destroyers, however, will
use oil for fuel exclusively. For battle
ships which will carry 400 or 500 tons
of oil special appliances must be de-
vised for getting the oil aboard at sea,
just as we get coal aboard.
"The Union Oil company is now
shipping oil across the isthmus and the
problem of supplying ships is not a
serious one. They are burning oil ex-
Gently ordered to sea for testing from
Mare island"
Watching San Pedro
Mr.. and Mrs. Metcalf both expressed
a desire to see what had been done in
the matter of San Pedro harbor i'm
provement. I'VE shall try to go down
there Tuesday," they said.
"TheI is no doubt that we need har-
bors," said Mr.. Metcalf. 1--WE are thou
sands of miles awae from other mar
kets, and we must build up coast in
terests harmoniously. What is good
for one section should be good for an
other. All divisional and sectional
jealousies should be abandoned.
"San Francisco and Los Angeles are
linked by common ties and should work
for each others interests. We must
develop our own markets.
rLos Angeles has never missed
trick, and she will see that San Pedro
will not get the worst of it, Los An
geles requires no promotion commit
tee. She is the best advertised city
anywhere. Her section does not need
fCouffnrad nm Page TWOl