Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-21

review of the president of Chile in the har-
Dor of Valparaiso. sweeping in a great
curve into the harbor and out again be-
fore the ,admiring eyes of a deeply i'm
pressed people. No stops were made be-
tween Punta Arenas and Callao, where
again the entertainments offered the Wis
itors taxed every days time to the utmost.
After Calloa came Magdalena bay, where
for a month the ships were out of touch
with the world except by wireless tele-
graphy. Drills and record target practice
filled the time at Magdalena. II was a
month of real work-a month of work en-
Joyed by all. Record target practice Is
eagerly anticipated every year. 1t is a
time that every sailor. no matter how new
he may be in the service, gets a chance
at the guns, provided he has shown any
sort Of aptitude in the "ping-pong'' trials
which are continued aboard the men-of-war
In port and out. II Is at record practice
that the men attain the rank OF gun
pointer" and get a white star and crossed
circle on their blouse-sleeve II they make
g certain mark. To be a gun pointer means
extra pay each month, according to the
class attained. and there is prize money
for all, II the ships guns as a whole make
a deserving record. The record practice
Of last spring developed an accuracy and
rapidly of fire never before attained.
Social Fetes in California.
After Magdalena came the excursion Of
the fleet to the California resorts and
there was apparently a never-ending pro-
gram of merrymaking. At San Diego
Coronado beach,; at the ports OF Los
Angeles, at Santa Barbara, at Monterey,
Santa Cruz and San Francisco, the people
OF California received the fleet with wild
acclaim. 1t was the first time that such
an array of fighting vessels had been
seen on the Pacific coast and California
celebrated with a hospitality for which the
people OF the state are noted. A trip to
Puget sound took the fleet to Seattle,
Tacoma and Bellingham and these cities
offered an entertainment which ranked
with the very best of the entire trip.
When the ships set sail out OF San Fran
cisco for the return trip there were many
predictions that they would be left In the
Pacific and that events might make such
a course desirable. Invitations had been
accepted for visits to Australia, to China
and Japan and there was never a deviation
from the outlined plans. The fleet had
done exactly what the authorities at Wash
ington said II would, but In a manner
which surprised and gratfied them to the
fullest extent.
The story Of the fleets visit to Honolulu,
to Auckland. Sydney. Melbourne and AL
bany in Australia; to ~Yokohoma, 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 nothing to be
asked either in l~avishness of entertain
ment or in sincerity OF purpose.
The battleships. had their schedule
brought them sooner to the eastern end Of
the suez, might have played a notable part
In succoring the stricken people OF Mes
sina. AS Il was the services OF the ships
we're offered. but the relief plans had al
ready developed so as not 70 require them.
In a way the battleship fleet. however. ac-
complished much Store ships laden with
supplies for the fighting vessels were de-
spatehed by the home government and Off
GERS and men were glad to give up the solid
foodstuffs and delicaeies to the earthquake
sufferers. A large sum Of money was con
tributed from the fleet and the firgt divi-
sion Of four vessels under Admiral spsrry
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
vent to Aessina and 100 American sailors
searched the ruins until they had recovered