The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-10-09
WORLD CRUISE Of
OUR BATTLE-SHIPS
"A Significant Eilstory-Msklng Moye-
msnt BY the United statea.
PaolAe Ocean Haved ID America BY
II Robust Policy 81 Republican
Party.


sstins, important and tar reaching per-
formaDces Of any administration since
the ciyil War History rides upon the
PROV of the iagahips Of thls feet.
ElShty.nye millions of people have FOR
months been attempting 10 interpret
the movement ana aolvs the problem
our government Ia attempting ID prop.
erly adjust by this cIrcumnavigation of
the globe When President Roosevelt
Hrst announced that the fleet Of battle
ships was 10 make the long journey
from the Atlantic 70 the Pacific Ocean.
the Democrats turned prophets of evil
and predicted many disastrous things
would follow IN consequence Of this
unprecedented move,
ArmadM and sg1Fid Cruise.
The armada took III departuFe from
Hampton Roads, Dec. 10, 1907, and
after wholly successful voyags around
the Horn, Of about twelve thousand
miles, II dropped anchor In San Fran.
cisco Harbor May ., 1908. The ships
that form the four divisions of the feet
IN thia record.mRklng cruise are The
Connecticut. Louisiana, Maine. Nils.
souri,. Georgin, New Jersey, Rhode lal.
and. Virginia, Alabama, Illinois, Kear.
sarge. Kentucky. Ohio, Minnesota, Kan.
sas and Vermont TO which we're add.
I'd the Nebraska and the Wisconsin, al-
ready In Puget Sound, thus making q
Sect Of eighteen hrst-clasa modern
battleahIps III perfect condition.
There were already Ia the Pacific
and Oriental waters the nne armored
cruisers West Virginia, Colorado, Ma.
ryland and Penngyiyania, Their two
sister ships, tho California and South
Dakota, were also on the Pacific, and
the powerful Washington and Tannss-
zee went from the Atlantic 70 join the
armada, thus making eight armored
cruisers to be added TO the eighteen
battleshipa, In addition there were IN
the Pacific several protected cruisers,
gunboata and other lesser craft All
told there were ten hundred and lifty
officers and nineteen thousand Giye hun.
dFed men.
In due time the main 6eet Of war
ships resumed lta western course and
will touch At the leading ports % China
and Australia, passing on east by way
Of the west and coming finally 20 Mall
IA aud Gibraltar. whore II win coal
and ultimately return to Its starting
point al Hampton Roads, some time
early next February,
In this expedition the Republican
party has a policy which projects itself
far into the future, but II IA an entire
Misunderstanding of the whole scheme
10 suppose that II Is aimed narrowly
or definitely At any single power II Is
one Of those robust constructive poll
Giles Of the party sauged on world lines.
1t IL more Of a notification than
threat, to all existing governments
welding North and south Amesica.
The eyes Of the world have followed
our feet with absorbing interest, One
OF the great advantages gained BY this
cruise 10 the cordial welcome and close
acquaintance which II has evoked from
the governments and peoples Of the
chief republics Of Latin America. TO
the Brazilians, the Argehtines, the Chi
lIans and the Peruvians the mighty re-
public OF the north had been merely q
name or dim figure, powerful and
honored perhaps, but not actually
known. For years there had been lit
tie or no visible evidence Of the wealth.
or authority Of the United States. In
the chief South American ports, But
they were all visited BY swift and
stately liners, dying the flags Of the
maritime powers Of Europe.
AT every South American port the
feet, our navy, our government our In
stitutions, our people, our aims, our
Industries, our trade every conceivable
thing that N ours. have been discussed
40 they never were before, and that
without suspicion OF our political and
diplomatic intentions. One business
house IN New York states that Its
south American correspondence has In
creased fourfold since the feet visited
Rio Jansire. In this ease It seems that
trade may follow the battleships
President Taocasvsit Explains Agova-
mnna.
In statement In speech he made
In st. Louis, President Roosevelt took
the public into his confidence to de-
gree when he said: California, Ore
gon and washington have a coast line
which ID our coast line Just al emphat-
ically as the coast line Of New York and
Maine, Of Louisiana and Texas, Our
fieut II going to Its own home waters
III the Pacific and after d stay there 1t
win return to Its own home waters
IN the Atlantic, The best place for the
naval tfIlcer to learn his duties il Mt
sea, BY performing them, and only By
actually putting through voyage or
this nature, d voyage longer than any
one before undertaken hv Ag large