The Cairo bulletin., 1908-12-12
BATTLE SHIPS
GREAT CRUISE
SECRETARY OF NAVY SAYS IT
HAS PROVEN IAN EPOCH
MAKER"
WANTS COAST DEFENSE
And More Big t,eships-Improve.
ment in Workmanship Shown
in Practice BY Battle
ships.

@ Washington, Dec 1l.-Secretary
Metcalf, of the Navy Department, in
his annual report, discusses, as the
most notable event Of the past year
the voyage of the battleship fleet
which has proven an epoch-making
cruise"
Late. In the spring of 1907 it Was
decided to send the Atlantic Fleet on
practice cruise to the Pacific When
the purpose of giving this assemblage
of f6 battleships such a practice
cruise, under severe conditions, was
announced, he states criticism from
high technical quarters was heard.
The undertaking 1t was said, was too
monumental; dangers more than null
tiplied with numbers in such a case :
battieships should not be sent around
the globe on any ordinary occasion; +;
the skeletons of some of them would
doubtless be left in the Straits of
Magellan; and, if the ships should
round South America, they would,
one by one, arrive with machineries
loose and unseryiceable, and with
crews rejecting the condition of the
material.
The facts are, Secretary Metcalf
says. that the ships maintained sched.
ule time. and have practically taken
care OF their own repairs on this
cruise. The repairs list sent in at
the naval station, Cayite p L., have
just been received, and are signifi-
cant. They show that after the yoy
age to the distant borders of the Pa
cific, the needed repairs are negli-
gible. The performance of the Ore
gon In 1898 has, it seems, been sub
stantially repeated
This cruise, as yet hardly half over,
he declares has given us an oppor-
tunity to get better acquainted with
the Republics to the south of us. with
our own island possessions. with the
new and vigorous branch OF the
British Empire in Australia, and par
ticularly with Japan; and has given
10 these countries a better opportu-
nifty to get acquainted with us. 1t has
been eevrywhere understood and ac
cepted, as 1t was intended, as the
reaching out of a strong hand in
friendly greeting on the part of Am
erica and the cordial hospitaIities
extended to our feet will be long re-
membared and have powerfully in
fuencad feeling in this country, Be-
tween the United Staes and every
country visited there is a feeling of
deeper interest and friendship than
existed before the feet sailed.
Passing TO certain recent criticisms
of the new and larger battheships now
building. the secretary sayss that at
the conference, eonvehes and opehed
by the presiGent at Newport. the. gen.
eral matter otJdesiTt pf these ships
vas approved. after forty-three days
Consideration, by this assemblage of
the best, authorities available IN the |
navy consisting of about sixty, Off, |
GERS ali but seven of whom were line
officers Of the seagoihg branch of tho
service.
Workmanship he says has imnroy-
ed on the practice cruise. With re.
spect to the assertion that our IL.
nch guns are inferior TO those of 9th
pr powets. the facts are found to be
hat the actual muzzle energy OF these
l2inch guns, which form the main
armament ~ our eight latest battle
ships in commission. is somewhat
greater than that of any gun afioa.
n any other navy.
a. al. A Greater Navy.
Secretary Metcalf recommends tina,
be nayy.yards at New York. Philadel-
,hia. Norfolk. Puget Soan,l.. AMI Mare
Island be developed. 30 their fpll
'apscity for the repair and mainten-
ancc. of Ships. bur says IL is not furth-
r. desirable 20 develop other navy.
ards. at least until that at Guan-
ausmo shall have been equipped, .ihe
asst named station being regarded as
If the hrse .niHtafy impoftanee and +
ls a natural strateeeuc base 4
II is deemed. hishiy desirable s1dt
Icquire 81 purchase or to constrtrtt
dock IN San Francisco hsrbor. Tfth
he acquisition Of such a dock. and
he bringing MP to high efficiency Of
he yards at Bremerton and Mare Is (
and. another navy-yard on the Pa.
ifc coast will not be necessary for1
ome tine 10 come. 4,
The secretary recommends that
,ongrsss authorize at its approach
ng session the construction Of four
lattIsl ips. four scout cruisers. 10 de-
trOyers. four submarines. three col
lers. one repair ship, one smmuni-