The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-21
GREAT FLEET
Will ATTEND
PORTOLA FETf
Federal Government Will Send
Request to Nayies OF the
Foreign Powers
Commissioners Delighted With
Success They Have Met in
Washington
Especial Dispatch to The Call

lSpecrdt Dispatch TO The Call
WASHINGTON, May 2o.-Comnlis-
sioner Charles c. Moore. representing
the Portola festival committee, put in
a very busy day today, advancing the
cause of the festival and enlisting the
support of government officials His
success was greater than he had ex-
pected. He obtained assurance from
the state department that San Fran
cisco's invitation to foreign nations to
SEND warships to San Francisco next
october would be heartily approved by
the national administration 1t is more
than probable that the government it
self Will convey this invitation TO the
nations in question. This will mean, of
course, request that will be needed,
and will afford the nations an oppor-
tunity to join in celebrating the re-
mobilization of San Francisco.
MAY CHANGE FLEET SAILING
Letters had been sent from the navy
department to members of the Cali
fornia delegation and the Portola COM
mlttee stating that plans for the Pa
cine fieet had been fixed, requiring the
ships to depart in August or Septem-
: q
that 1t would be impossible to defer
sailing in order to participate In the
festival
Senator Perkins was not aware of
this decision by the department, and
When informed of it today by Commits
sioner Moore he expressed the opinion
that the department might be induced
to change its mind. He spoke in such
way as to convince Moore that he
lnfannal n n &c inf
ward that end.
As Perkins is chairman of the senate
committee on naval affairs, it is very
probable that he will succeed. Sem
ator Flint is working with him in this
matter and both of them are sanguine
of success.
At a luncheon today, attended by
Commissioner Moore, Bruce Bonny and
members of the California delegation,
Representative Kahn suggested that
the treasury department and the de-
partment of commerce and labor could
be prevailed upon to detail revenue cut
ters and lighthouse tenders for the fes-
tival.
Moore has received assurances from
the influential colony of Californians
in New York that they will send a
strong delegation to Washington at
any moment to interview President Taft
and members of the cabinet in behalf
of the celebration.
Senator Perkins said tonight: you
can say that the California delegation
is unit in this matter, all of us anx-
ious to do our best to make this cele-
bration a national success. We are
meeting with the most cordial response
from all government officials,
Senator Flint was equally emphatic.
INVITATION TO JAPANESE
Today Commissioner Moore had the
satisfaction of notifying Secretary
Knox that the San Francisco chamber
Of commerce and all affiliated chambers
of commerce in California unanimously
joined in the movement to invite a
delegation of Japanese merchants, to
visit the Pacific coast.
The administration had been embar-
raised in this matter because of an
apparent failure of Pacific coast COM
mercial bodies to unite in this invita-
ton. Seattle, Tacoma and Portland
had decided to issue the invitation,
but the government hesitated in join
ing in the move so long as the Cali
fornia organizations had not acted.
Todays news was received with great
pleasure by Secretary Knox, who told
Commissioner Moore that President
Taft had been worried over the sub
ject because of the hitch that might
have occurred in extending hospitality
to the Japanese.
Bonny left today for New York and
Moore will ofllow tomorrow, after an
other series of interviews with officers
of the state navy and treasury de-
partments. I-a--I IfE