The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-03

Tn the closing days of the year there occurred the most tragic happening or all yeats. The year 1908 will go down into history as the year of the great tI3aiian Earth quake" in which 2oo.ooe unf3rtunate people lost their lives. Even as the New Year begins the full magnitude of that disaster is not known.
 America and American principles had an especially potent influence throughout the entire civilized worio during the year just ended.
 The alobe-encirciing voyage of the American fleet. America's financial crisis, made the more tense by hotiy contested Presidential election, and the latest triumphs of American genius in the fields of science and invention. as, for example. the perfection Of the flying machine by the wright broth- CTS. have all brought the United States into the foreground of international afrairs more prominently than in many year past.
 But not only has America herself been involved in many momentous matters. She also has been the more or less direct cause of numerous hts- tory making events in far distant countries.
 The same spirit of freedom. for ex- ample, which won American indepen- dence. has given liberty to Bulgaria, compelled the old-time tyrant of Tur- key to grant a constitution; and in Russia, Persia, and even China forced long-established autocracy to recog- nize the rights of the people.
 Tn Portugal. however. as in France at the time of the fall of the Bourbon monarchy, American principles of iib- erty have driven men mad. making criminals out of patriots, and horrify-- ing mankind with deeds of blood. At Lisbon King Carlos and the Grown Prince of Portugal were slaughtered in frenzied effort to establish a re- public. Instead, the monarchy con- tinues, with the boy Rink, Manuel IL, on the throne. Similar misguided att tesnpts to obtain freedom through as- sassination were made in Persia and WoFf&wide Triumphai Procession of
 The Yankee Fleet.
 < Despite the froebodings which filled many American and foreign news papers at the time the American fleet left the Atlantic coast of the United States. bound for the Pacific. it's voy- aga has proved success. diplomatic ally as well as nauticaliy. Many WNN1 LkAG war NAAC Ah kiAO OC~ ginning of the dangers of clash with Japan. who accept the fleets visita- tion to Asiatic waters as a challenge. Such views appeared especially prom insnt in the German press But Ja- pans reception of the American squad rons proved conciusively how litle ground there was for such jingo talk. Few times in naval history has one country paid such signal honor to an- other as did Japan to the United States during the week that the Yankee ships fingered in Japanese waters.
 When the American batleship fleet sailed into the harbor of Yokohama on the morning of October IS the popula- ton of the port had been doubled by the crowds Of visitors from all parts of the empire. The unusual honor of ''consort escort" had been prepared for the Americans by the Japanese Admiralty. every American ship being accompanied by Japanese vessel of the same class.
 A long list of entertainments and fetes had been prepared for Rear Ad- miraI Sperry and his men, and the en- tire program was carried out with out a single discordant note. One of the evidences of Japanese friendship which particularly impressed the American sailors was the assembling of 10000 Japanese school children in one of the Tokio parks. who sang "Hsil Columbia" in English.
 Enthusiastic also was the reception accorded the fleet along the South American coast.
 Sailing from Hampton Roads on De- cember l6. 1907, in command of Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, the ships reached Rio Janeiro on the twelfth day of 1908. President Penna made his welcome especially gracious by announcing a reduction of import du- ties in accord with the Brazilian tariff law of June, 1908.
 Argentina sent out a guard of ships to bid the passing fleet "bon voyage, ;, as 1t could not visit Buenos Ayres, be- cause of shallow water. At Punta Arenas, the most southern city in the world, the fleet was welcomed by high Gillian officials on February l. The Pacific was reached on February 6, and Valparaiso, February 14. On Feb r1ary 19, at Callao, Peru. a great re- ception was given the Americans by Peruvians and Ecuadorian officials.
 After a short stay at Magdalena Bay, on the Mexican coast. where most of the ships beat their records at target practice, the vessels sailed into home waters on April 14, drop pAh@ dhcHoE m |oTondoo Bay. Up to that point they had covered 13,5s9 knots without a mishap.
 Then began triumphal receptions at the California cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco, the people of the State turning out by the tens of thousands literally. to welcome and entertain both officers and men of the grim peacemakers. It is not putting it too strongly to say that the coast went wild over the ships and the men When the ships reached San Francisco Rear Admiral Evans was succeeded by Admiral Charles s. Sperry, the for mer being compelled to give up com