The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-10-21
WORLD CRUISE Of
our BATTLE-SHIPS
A Significant History-Making 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-
formances of any administration since
the Civil War. History rides upon the
Prov of the fiagships of this feet.
Eighty-hve 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 circumnavigation 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. IS, 1907, and
after wholly successful Voyage around
the Horn, of about twelve thousand
miles, it 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
ed the Nebraska and the Wisconsin, al
ready in Puget Sound, thus making a
fleet Of eighteen first-class modern
battleships in perfect condition.
There were already in the Pacific
and Oriental waters the fine armored
cruisers West Virginia, Colorado, Ma
ryland and 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 it's western course and
will touch at the leading ports Of China
and Australia, passing on east by way
of the west. ard coming finally to Nal
ia 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 a policy which projects itself
far into the future, but it is an entire
misunderstanding of the whole scheme
to suppose that it is aimed narrowl!
or definitely at any single power. 1t Il
one of those robust constructive poll
cies of the party gagged on world lines
It is more of a notification than ;
threat, to all existing governments.
Welding North and south America
The eyes of the world have followed
our feet with absorbing interest. On
of the great advantages gained by thi
cruise is the cordial welcome and clos
acquaintance which it has evoked from
the governments and peoples of tn
chief republics of Latin America. t
the Brazilians, the Argentines, the Chi
lians and the Peruvians, the mighty re
public of the north had been merely
name or q dim figure, powerful an
honored perhaps, but not actuall
known. For years there had been Lii
tie or no visible evidence of the wealth
or authority Of the United States, i
the chief South American ports. Blu
they were all visited by swift an
stately liners, flying the flags of tn
maritime powers of Europe.
At every South American port tn
feet, our navy, our government, our il
stitutions, our people, our aims, on
industries, our trade-every conceivabl
thing that is ours, have been discusse
as they never were before, and tina
without suspicion of our political an
dinIomatic intentions. One bushes
house in New York states that il
South American correspondence has il
creased fourfold since the fleet visite
Rio Janeiro. In this case it seems tha
trade may follow the battleships.
President Roosevelt Explains Move
ment.
In a statement In speech he mad
IN st. Louis, President Roosevelt too
the public into his confidence to d,
gree when he said: California, Or
gon and Washington have coast liz
which lis our coast line just as empha
ically as the coast line Of New York an
Maine, of Louisiana and Texas. o.
nect IL going to its own home water
In the Pacific and after stay there
will return to its own home water
IN tho Atlantic. The best place for tt
naval ofjcer to learn his duties is ;
sea, by performing them, and only
actually putting through voyage I
this nature, a voyage longer than ar
one before undertaken by as large
feet of any nation, can we find o.
inst exactly what is necessary for us
tnow as to our naval needs and pra