The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-16
Wonderful VOyage Of
 The American FIee1
Sixteen Great Bateshps Will Soon Anchor Hampton Roads After Voyage Surpassing in Spectacular Display Any Previous Event in History-After Cruise of 45,00O
 Miles the Warships Are Still in Fighting Trim.

Old Point Comfort, Va, February 15.- Half way across the Atlantic ocean on the last long reach of their spectacular cruise around the world, the sixteen bat tleships of the United States Atlantic fleet are steaming today in leisurely fash ion towards the anchorage grounds of Hampton Roads from whence they sailed just 14 months ago. During these months of record zsteaming the heavily armored fighting vessels have travelled approNi- mately 45,000 miles and are returning in condition still fit for "a frolc or fight The cruise has been yeritabe eXpedi- tion of the seven seas and tasks hereto fore deemed impossible for the modern ironelad have been accomplished with an ease bordering on the commonplace.
 Test of the Men.
 The stories of the cruise have been sue eeeding chapters of receptions, banquets, balls and merrymaking, but back of all this relaxation and entertaining in the hospitable ports of the two hemispheres has been a test of men and material which has placed the American navy in an en- vlable position before all the world. The
  of the journey-developing a new and un- expeetedly wide steaming radius Tor bat tleshps; the facility in following the mo- tions of the flagship in the fleet, squad ron and divisional maneuvers- which came with constant experience at sea- and above all the marvellous records made It the targets in Magdalena and Manila bays tell of the real work and the sub stantial accomplishments that have mark ed this most notable of peace demonstra- tions among the navies of the world.
 Schedule Followed.
 The previously arranged schedule of the journeys from port to port had been adhered to in remarkable manner except 1 in two instances when violent storms made full speed too dangerous and un- comfortable. To offset these lapses from punetuality the fleet has made some of | it's largest runs two whole days ahead | of time. None of the undertakings inn posed upon the ships or the men has been too difficult. The cruise, however, was not inaugurated without serious misgiv- .ings at home and abroad Victor M. Metcalf of California was Secretary of 1 the Navy when the cruise began After the ships had set sail from Manila with homeward bound pennants flying, MT. Metcalf said:
 Metcalfs Ideas.
 When the purpose of giving this as semblage of battleships the privileges and advantages, of a practical cruise was announced, criticism from high technical quarters were heard. It was suggested that the undertaking was too monumental; that a battleship is too vast and eompli cated a piece of mechanism to send around the globe on any ordinarys occa- sion; that dangers more than multiplied with numbers in such a case; that dis aster lurked on every submerged ledge and was borne on every unknown tidal | current; that the skeleton of some of the 1 ships would doubtless be left in the Straits i of Magellan; that, if the fleet should | succeed in rounding South America it | was reasonably certain that the individual 1 ships would, one by one, arrive with ma chineries loose and almost unserviceable, with crews rehecting the demoralized con dition of the material and that woeful spectacle of failure would thus be pre- sented.
 "As to the material. the cold facts are that the ships have practically taken care of their own repairs on this cruise. The repair lists turned in at the Cavite naval station were negligible"
 Much Experience Gained.
 That the experience gained on the 1 cruise will be of intending benefit to | the navy is indicated from the fact that ] probably one-half of the entire personnel ! of the naval establishment participated ! in the epoch making trip. Three of the . l6 captains who sailed in command of i vessals are returning home as rear ad- 1 mirals Eight other captains are return ing in command of the same ship on ! which they began the journey of the world From rear admiral down to mid | shipman the training has been such as i no other naval cruise ever afforded. Among the enlisted men the training has been even more valuable Landsmen ! shipped just before the start and utterly green in the ways of the deep, are com ing home an integral part of wonder full fleet efficiency and loyal believers in all that the American navy stands for. Desertions on the trip have been few. The men have taken pride in the cruise and it will be constant boast with them | that they started to the west from Hamp- l, ton Roads and came home with prows | still turned in that direction. They knew l