Arizona republican., 1909-02-15

! and there was never a deviation from | the outlined plans. The fleet had done ! exactly what the authorities at Wash
 ington said it would, but in a manner which surprised and gratified them to | the fullest extent.
 The story of the fleets visit to Hon olulu. to Auckland. Sydney, Melbourne and Albany in Australia, to Yokohama, to Annoy. to Manila and to the ports of call on the way home through the Suez are too recent to need recall. The welcomes extended in Australia and Japan left nothingf to be asked either in lavishness of entertainment or in sincerity of purpose.
 The battleships. had their schedule brought them sooner to the eastern end of the SueZ, might have played notable part in succoring the stricken people of Messina. As it was the serv- ices of the ships were offered. but the relief plans had already developed so as not to require them. In a way the battleship fleet. however, accom- plished much. Store ships laden with supplies for the fighting vessels were despatched by the home government, and officers and-men were glad to give up the solid foodstuffs and deli cacies to the earthquake sufferers. A large sum Of money was contributed from the fleet and the first division of four vessels under Admiral Sperry called at Naples to express sympathy and sorrow. The battleship Illinois was the only one of the American fighting vessels to really enter the earthquake zone. This ship went to Messina and 400 American sailors searched the ruins until they had re- covered the bodies of American Con- sul Cheney and his wife.
 After visits to various Mediterranean ports and accepting the hospitalities of half a dozen nations. the sixteen ships gathered again at Gibraltar and sailed fer home on Saturday. Feb ruary 6. They will be met at sea, about 1000 miles from shore. by the third, or home" squadron. of the At lantic fleet, consisting of four battle ships and five cruisers. Even the last leg of the famous journey is to be given over to work. There will be daily drills and maneuvers and inspector by the commander-n chief of every yes sel on the way over. President Roose- welt will greet the fleet on February %, from the bridge of the Mayflower, at the point from which he bade fare well fourteen months ago.
 There will be two strangers in the fleet when it reaches here-the Ne braska and the Wisconsin. both Pa cific- built, which replaced hte Maine and the Alabama, detached at San Francisco, and sent home in advance. The Maine will be the flagship of the welcoming squadron.
 At Manila bay the ships spent three weeks at the target, engaged in fall battle practice. Battle practice is at much longer range than record prac tice and is really a test of what the gun pointers developed at record prac- tice can do when the ships are firing under battle conditions and at battle distance. The battle practice at Ma nila, held under the new fire control system, showed an improvement in many instances of 100 per cent over the gunnery records of a year ago.
 The composition of the fleet as it returns is as follows:
 Y HSl SqutuTOIl, GedT AuinlTdl CIdS. s. Sperry, communicated chief:
 First divisiOn-Connecticut (flag- ship, Captain Hugo Osterhaus; Kan sas. Captain Charles F. Vreeland; Minnesota, Captain John Hubbard; Vermont, Captain Frank F. Fletcher.
 Second division-Rear Admiral Rich ard Wainwright, commander:
 Georgia 0lagship), Lieutenant Com mander G. w. Kline; Nebraska Cap tain Reginald F. Nicholson; New Jer- sey. Captain w. H. H. Southerland; Rhode Island, Captain Joseph B. Mur- dock
 Second squadron, Rear Admiral Cea- ton Schroeder. commanding:
 Third division-Louisiana Cflagship), Captain Kossuth Niles: Missouri, Cap tain Robert M. Doyle; Ohio. Captain Thomas B. Howard; Virginia, Captain Alexander Sharp.
 Fourth division, Rear Admiral w B. Potter, commanding:
 Wisconsin (flagship). Captain Frank F.. Beatty; Illinois, Captain John M. Bewyer; Kearsarge Captain Hamilton Hutchins; Kentucky, Captain Walter C. Cowles.