The San Francisco call., 1908-03-17
WILL FLASH CITY'S
WELCOME TO FLEET
Aer0gram Will Precede Visit OF
Committeeman to Arrange
All Details
Auto Parade to Be Abandoned
to Keep Line of March
Free From OdOr

Here Is the message Of welcome that
will be flashed by wireless this morn
ing to Admiral Evans at Magdalena
bay:
"a hearty welcome from the citizens
of San Francisco awaits your arrival
here. Il shall visit you by the steamer
Cuigoa to discuss plans proposed by the
official committee for entertainment of
officers and men of the feet.
CRANK j. SINMES,
chairman Committee on Reception and
Parade
Over 1.50o intervening miles of water,
this aerogram will be sent just before
Symmes leaves San Francisco today,
bearing in person the congratula tions
of Mayor Taylor and the keys of the
city Symmes will arrive in San Diego
tomorrow, where he will take passage
on the supply ship Culgoa. direct for
the flagship Connecticut He will sub
NIT to the admiral all plans for the en-
tertainment of the sailors and before
he leaves the fleet on his return home
viii arrange the thousand details that
must be understood and perfected be-
fore the battleships file through the
Golden gate.
On what hours the ships will be
each biuejacket will don his best uni
form and most cheerful at home
manner for the reception of thousands
OF San Francisco school children. how
many men will get shore leave at one
time. and the number that can take
part In the big psrade-al1 these things
will be discussed and settled.1
FLASH FROM SOUTHLAND
AS the wireless station at Mare ISL
and is only occasionally. then almost by
accident, in direct communication with
the neet, the welcoming message will
hrst be relayed TO Los Angeles and
from there sent on by wireless
Contrary to first plans, there will be
no automobiles in the parade if q de-
cislon of the committee made yesterday V
is kept. Fifty automobiles driven in
line of four abreast, it was learned
after conference with L. P Lowell.
president of the California automobile
association, would cause an odor of
gasoline likely to detract sadly from
the effectiveness of the occasion. And
so the 20 fleet captains will be taken
along the route in the good old fash
Toned horse and carriage mode of con-
veyance.
During Symmes' absence Captain
Robert H. Fletcher will act as chair
man OF the committee on reception and
parade
The mayors reception to officers of
the fleet at the Fairmont directly after
the parade on May S. the committee
decided, will be a strictly military and
diplomatic affair. Only officers and re-
tired officers of the navy and army,
members of the San Francisco diplo-
matte corps and city and state off,
cials will be invited 10 attend This
VIII be the most formal event in the
nine days Of entertainment
Members of the Mexican war veter-
ans. who felt themselves aggrieved
that no place had been set aside for
them in the line of march, will be
pleased to learn that they have been
assigned position at the very head
OF the parade. In the place of honor
at the right of the column they will
precede all other veterans Not un-
derstanding the arrangement, spirited
letter Of protest in behalf of the Mexi
can war men was sent to the commit
tee yesterday by Major Edwin T. Sher-
man.
FRATERNITIES TO HAVE PLACE
Because many of the $4,000 officers
and men of the squadron are members
of various fraternal organizations. the
committee is anxious to give these or
ganizations a place on the official pro-
gram for entertainments they NAV
desire to give. To avoid conflicts in
dates, secretaries have been requested
to write to the chairman of the COM
mittee on press and publicity. Califor-
MIA building, Union square, outlining
their plans. These will be published
in the official program.