The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-09-16

on the Pacific Ocean. That will work
for the encouragement of our Or1ental
trade.
The popular impression was allowed
to go forth that no fleet OF WarshlpS
would be maintained on the Pacltlc Tor
the present, but that there would be
hut one battle fieet--a feet of 10 hrst
class battleships which would be man
tanned upon the Atlantic. The battle
feet of 16 ships has been organized
with the highest possible efficiency ana
has been engaged at target practice
and battle maneuvers for several
weeks. Other battleships on the At
lantic have been sent to navy yards
for repairs or placed in reserve. The
eyes of the world, as far as they are
interested in the Navy have been cen
tered upon this Atlantic fleet.
In reality there has been organized
a Pacific battle feet. half as large as
that on the Atlantic and quite as ell
cient. The eight strong armored cruls-
ers-Tennessee, California, South Da-
kota Washington, West Virginia,
Colorado, Maryland and Pennsylvania
which have just set sail from San Fran
cisco for a voyage across the Paclhc
and which are scheduled to be IN Ho-
noulu September IL, might just as
well be styled eight frstclass battle
ships. The term armored cruiser IS
not quite so terrifying as battleshlp,
but it has long been recognized at the
Navy Department that in time Of war
the new armored cruisers would be to
all intents and purposes as good as
batt1eships. The Tennessee and Wash
ington have a displacement of l4,500
tons, the others of 1850 tons, which
is something more than some of the
ships of the Atlantic battle fleet. In
dimensions they are larger than any
of the ships of the battle feet. They
are each 500 feet long, which is 80
feet longer than the biggest and new
est of the battleships. such as the 49,
000-ton New Hampshire, Connecticut,
Louisiana, Minnesota and Kansas. The
Tennessee and the Washington are al
most 73 feet beam. about as much as
the heaviest of the battleships. Their
draft is "a feet, about the same as
the battleships. Their guns and arma-
ment are not as formidable as in the
newer battleships but all in all the
eight armored cruisers comprise a very
powerful battle fleet. They have a
speed of % knots and, as a feet are
about FIVE knots faster than the At
lantic battle feet.
No one questions that the Pacific
battle feet is going on peaceful mis-
sion and for nothing else. 1t is vir-
tually practice cruise for the ships
will be engaged in maneuvers much of
the way across the Pacific, will have
a month of hard work off Manila, then
disperse by twos for brief visits at
Chinese ports, reassembling again for
the voyage home at Yokohama Janu-
airy 10. Their voyage in way dupli
Gates the round the world voyage of
the battle fleet during the closing
months of the Roosevelt administra-
ton. The armored cruisers will sail
quite as far, the practice will be quite
as rigorous, and in all probability the
Pacific fleet will return under a dis
cipline that approximates the fighting
edge. Because of the greater distances
on the Pacific ocean the armored cruis-
es are much better suited for a Pa
cifc feet than for an Atlantic feet.
There is little doubt in the minds of
those who keep informed about Navy
plans that the armored cruisers are to
remain in the Pacific ocean and that
the Pacific fleet is now a permanent
affair. There are two more armored
cruisers of the 1880 ton class, fit for
service-the Montana and the North
Carolina. It is not unlikely that they
will .,1% 81 ho l. ~ L.
Pacific ocean and added to the fleet.
The coming of Senator Aldrieh, of
Rhode Island, to the summer capital,
just before he sailed for Europe was
rated as one of the most noteworthy
visits of the vacation period The
President had two reasons for invit-
ing the senator here. One was to find
out how the Monetary Commission,
which recently met in New York City,
is progressing in the preparation of
recommendations for a comprehensive
financial system. Senator Aldrich in
formed him that the Monetary Com
mission, composed of senators of the
finance committee and representatives
of the banking and currency commit
tee, and certain ex-members of those
SOhiii1t1COoJ SOuiu uOb ISpOIG UtlOT6 Il
year from this autumn. The President
also wanted to consult with Senator
Aldrich about administrative features
of the Payne tariff law, which Sena-
tor Aldrich himself drew and which
the Treasury Department is now put
ting into operation. These include the
maximum and minimum provisions that
become operative in March, and the
Foreign Tariff Board, as the so-called
tariff commission will probably be
called, whose members President Taft
will soon appoint. Secretary Mae
Veagh, as the head of the Treasury
Department, came down from Dublin
n. H., to be present at the conference
Senator Aldrich wants to avoid an
extra session of Congress for the inan
cial legislation, which adds to the
prospects that there will be no fnan
| cial legislation prior to the next ad
ministration. If the Monetary Com
mission is able to report in the autumn
| of 1910, that will be just prior to tbs
short session, which viii be the last
session of the present or 61st Con
gress. 1t is automatic, that practical
y nothing outside of appropriation
bills can be passed at a short session
But in 1911, when the new Congress
has been chosen the country will b,
| approaching another presidential cleo
| ton and it is questionable whetbe