Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-18


George Won L. Meyer, secretary of
the navy, arrived in Los Angeles early
yesterday morning, was given a tour
about the city in an automobile during
the morning, and under the pilotage
of the board of harbor commissioners
and committee from the chamber of
commerce, made an inspection of the
inner and outer harbors at San Pedro
in the afternoon. He left yesterday
at AIS aboard the torpedo boat Perry
for Avalon, Catalina island. Mr. Meyer
strongly intimated that at the COM
pletion of the Panama canal and the
installation of adequate drydock and
harbor facilities for the accommoda-
tion of big battleships a fleet will be
maintained along the western coast.
"Will San Pedro be utilized as one
of the harbors to accommodate this
fieet?" he was asked.
THAT cannot say" he replied, "as
I have not thoroughly studied the
adaptability of San Pedro for such a
purpose"
At the conclusion of the tour around
the harbor, a trip which was replete
with repeated questionings from him
In regard to the depth of the harbor
at certain points. Secretary Meyer said
he was much impressed with what he
had seen.
"Of course" he continued, "the har-
Dor of San Pedro is still in its infancy.
There seems to be a future for it,
The breakwater is magnificent piece
of work"
DISCUSSES HARBORs
do you consider 1t a safe port?"
was asked.
The secretary of the navy looked at
the rippleless waters and replied, Eyes,
it is safe-today."
fp
the chances of San Pedro being Sc
lected as base for the torpedo flo
tilla, Mr.. Meyer would not youchsafe
an answer
1.-THE government is not greatly ex-
ercised," he said yesterday, sin finding
harbors for it's fleets, for we desire to
keep our ships at sea in practice as
much as possible. We do not believe
in allowing vessels to lay at anchor
for long stretches of time, the ships
gathering barnacles and the men
ennui, but purpose to keep the navy
at sea in practice-shooting and man
euvers
"Our only need for harbors is the
possession of places where our ships
may run in and be repaired. On the
Atlantic coast we have too many har-
bors. We have more harbors than
England, whose navy is three times
greater than ours"
do you consider Seattle good har-
bor?" was asked.
Seattle" he replied, "has lots of
water"
"Do you consider the run of over 100
miles from the ocean to Seattle an un-
favorable feature toward the main
tenance of big naval station there?"
On this point he was silent.
MAY IMPROVE VALLEJO BAY
IL
presence of salt in the basin at the
Mare Island yard, thus destroying VAL
lejo's bays efficiency as a place for
battleshipS to moor, Mr.. Meyer said:
1.-THE government engineers tell me
this defect can be remedied for $1,000,-
600, and the government is considering
the plan of having the channel
cleared
Accompanied by his naval aide de
camp, Secretary Meyer arrived in Los
Angeles yesterday morning and went
to the Alexandria. After breakfast he
was taken for a trip about the city in
an auto.
LOS Angeles" he said after reaching
the California club, ''is a wonderful
city 1t is my first visit here, and
am greatly impressed by the rapid
growth of the city.
"The climate of the southland is
grand A very noticeable feature about
the people here is the great vim and
energy with which they seem to go
about business.
Los Angeles is destined to be
great city, for it has numerous natural
and acquired advantages to make 1t
such"
GUEST AT LUNCHEON
At noon Mr.. Meyer was rendered a
luncheon at the California club, at
which the following We're present:
Capt. Andrews, Lieutenant Comman-
der Richardson, in command of the
torpedo fiotilla in these waters; Lieut.
Hayne Ellis, Lieut.. Stayton, Lieut.
Audolph H. Miner, Gen. Adna r. Chat
fee, Capt w. P. Stoley, Joseph Scott,
William D. Stephens, J. S. Torrance
John D. Miller Bishop Thomas J.
Conaty, Stoddard Jess, Capt William
Banning, e. J. Marshall James Slau-
son, M. ]. Connell and M. II. Flint.
At 2:15 Secretary Meyer and a dele
cation from the chamber of commerce
boarded a special electric car at the
Pacific Electric depot en- route to San
Pedro. The run to the harbor was
made at a speed which at times
reached sixty miles an hour.
Arriving at San Pedro, the party was
welcomed by w. c. Miller, E. B.
Moores, Jess Stevens, Ed Mahar and