Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-10-01
WORLD CRUISE OF
OUR BATTLE-SH|PS
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-fve 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 its departure from
Hampton Roads, Dec. 16, 1907, and
after a wholly successful voyage around
the Horn, of about twelve thousand
miles, II dropped anchor In San Fran
cisco Harbor May O, 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
I'd the Nebraska and the Wisconsin, al
ready in Puget Sound, thus making
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.
yunboats 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 feet 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, and coming finally to NAL
IN and Gibraltar, where 1t will coal
md ultimately return TO its starting
l.oint 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 II Is an entire
misunderstanding OF the whole scheme
to suppose that II is aimed narrowly
or definitely at any single power. 1t is
one OF those robust constructive poll
cies OF the party gagged on world lines.
II Is more OF notification than a
threat, to all existing governments
Welding North and south America.
Tho eyes OF the world have followed
our feet with absorbing interest One
OF the great advantages gained by this
cruise is 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 Argentines, the Chi
lians and the Peruvians, the mighty re-
public of the north had been merely a
name or a 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, flying 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 trode-every conceivable
thing that Is ours, have been discussed
as they never we're 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 Janeiro In this case it seems that