Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-24
WARSH|PS THE MECCA
Million Sightseers Have Visited
the Squadron.
CROWDS TAX RAILROADS
Each Vessel Has 10000 Callers
Daily.
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Sailors Tour the City in 500 Auto
mobiles-0Mcers Kept on
the Go Constantly.

LOS ANGELES, Cal, April 24.-Fleet
week in Los Angeles is drawing to a
close to a perfect whirl of entertainment.
amazing in It's extent and variety. The
ships were open to visitors all day yes
terday, and thousands of people crowded
the electric and steam lines to the beaches
and boarded the craft plying between
ships and the shore. Boats of every de-
scription were loaded with passengers
throughout the day. The decks of the
warships were black with people from 10
o'clock and at o'clock in the afternoon.
the closing hour for visitors. many hun
dreds still remained aboard waiting an op-
portuni:y to return ashore.
It is estimated that between 5000 and
10 600 people had visited each of the ships
of the first division daily at San Pedro
since they anchored last Saturday. Ihe
ships of the other divisions have proved
equally popular, and the officers have
been put to much effort in caring for
the immense crowds. Never before in the
history of Los Angeles has the elaborate
system of rail communication with the
beaches been put to such tests In carrying
crowds as this week. The number of peo-
pie that have been handled both ways by
all the various lines reaching the dli1erent
to the estimate OF railroad off1cer To-Day
Ships Denuded Of Men.
The ships have been almost denuded Of
officers from the day OF their arrival.
Function follows function so fast that
the men have had scarcely an opportu-
nifty to return to the ships for quarters.
Many of the commanding officers have
remained in the city during the entire
week and scores of others have been able
to pay only the most perfunctory visits to
their vessels. Only scattering number
of officers are aboard the ships during
the day.
The men, too have had the largest
amount OF liberty since their arrival in
ashore each day for twenty-four hours,
beginning at o'clock In the morning.
They have been transported to and from
the beach cities by the railroads free OF
charge. and have also been carried with
out charge on all city lines.
The sailors OF the fleet lave been over
whelmed with entertainment. So busy
have they been that they have hardly had
an opportunity to get to the downtown
district The best order has been main
tanned and the local peace authorities
speak in the highest terms Of the manner
in which the enlisted men have observed
the rules Of good conduct.
The men are to haYe their final round
II,
$500 of them are TO be taken on an auto
mobile tour of the city. Admiral Thomas
has granted liberty to that number for
the occasion. They will arrive at 5th
street and Broadway, in the center of the
city, at 10 o'clock, where more than 500
automobiles will meet them and take
them through the streets Of the city for
four hours. Following the tour in the
automobiles they are to be given a bar
becue luncheon. the same as has been
Fx&x- @Afg 20 Ah@ - D.
after which they will see the last per-
formance Of the wild west show at Ag-
rtcultural Park.
Want Fleet Kept From Chinese Ports
PEKING. April 24.-American official
influence in Pekins is strongly opposed to
the proposal that the American fleet OF
battleships call at Chinese ports. because
during the last few weeks the conditions
In Manchuria have created an interna-
tional situation which Is regarded here as
dangerous.
furthermore. the spontaneous alignment
Of the powers. for the first time since the
conclusion of the Russo-Japanese war,
and the attitude Of announcement to
China discerned in this proposed Ameri-
can naval demonstration have aroused
suspicion.
Germany. France and the other pow
ers support the coming of the fleet and
Gfedt BRITAIN acQuleSCeS 10 the proposal,
but the final position of Russia is uncer-
tain. This Is by reason Of the Russo
Japanese unity on the question of the
government of Russian and Japanese SUBJ
jects in Manchuria, as we'll as Russia g
self-confessed dependence on a recast OF
the RussO-Japanese relations to insure
peace in the Pacific.
China Is convinced that the United
States will not be able to retire from it's
position In the matter of the control of
the municipality of Harbin and she,
therefore, hopes for favorable considera-
ton from Washington of her plan China
Is apprehensive lest the United States
should now weaken on the realization Of
the principal clause of the Portsmouth
treaty. for this would permanently defeat
administration Of Manchuria.
Because of this apprehension it would
take only trif1e to precipitate a crisis.
and In this connection 1t is interesting to
note that both Japan and the United
States minimiZed so far as possible the
recent occurrence at Mukden, when sew
eral Japanese attacked the native staff
of the American consulate there.
The recalling by Japan. few days ago.
of Baron Hayashi, the Japanese minister
to China, is taken here to show that ia
pan recognizes the advent Of a new phase
in the Manchurian question. The powers
are aware that the policies of Russia and
Japan are based upon secret agreements
and memoranda instead of upon actual or
past treaties. a fact that has been re-
vealed by the developments Of the present
situation. 1t Is said here that an effort
Is thus being made to establish the prin-
ciple Of secrecy In important agreements.