The Washington herald., 1910-10-11
FLEET ON PACIFIC
URGED BY EVANS
=" Fighting Bob" Praises Per-
sonnet of Enlisted Men.
WORLD CRUISE AN INCENTIVE
HeOrga MI atiOn Plan of Secretary
Meyer Working Out weII-ExpIa-
nation of Explosions If the Large
Guns-Accidents Due to Lack of
Money 10 Replace Old Ones.

New York, Oct 1O.-When Rear Ad-
miral Robley D. Evans, retired. delivered
lecture at Carnegie Hall a year ago
last January he had to sit on a chair
with his crutches beside him Later on
his condition was such that he could not
get about at all. and the "obit" writer's
were getting busy
AT the Plaza Hotel to-day the admiral
showed that he was physically the
Fighting Bob" of old. He had grappled
with his ancient enemy, rheumatism. and
overcome 1t. and he looked twenty years
younger than when he got through tax
ing the Atlantic battle ship fleet around
the first half Of fits globe-girdling cruise.
ASIDE from the results OF that round
the-world cruise" said he, that were
apparent al the time, or soon afterward,
there has been an important result in
regard 10 the personnel OF the enlisted
men in the navy. We are getting all the
time a better class OF men. They hope
TO be taken on a cruise to see the world
While this serves as a stimulus TO en-
llstment IL ought not 10 be necessary. for
aside from patriotic motives, the navy
man should look mainly To the rewards
for good conduct and improved efficiency.
Opportunities for Enlisted Men.
1T IS not generally known. Judging
from what I hear and read, that twelve
enlisted men are each year promoted 10
commissions, after, Of course. an exami-
nation. Some of the men who have got
their commissions IN this way are among
the best officers we have in the navy
DO I think Secretary Meyers reor-
ganiZatiOn plan has worked out we'll?
Admirably It's principal recommends
ton is that il has given the fighting ele-
ment in The navy a voice in determining
what the ships It may have 10 fight shall
be like.
:. nst do you think about the fire.
Quent explosions OF Pinch guns on our
battle ships? Is that an argument that
the guns are defective IN construction? %
The explosions are not frequent" re-
Joined the admiral But our Pinch
guns are wearing out. and Congress viii
not appropriate money that we may keep
a supply on hand. or that We can re-
place them when the limit OF their eff
cheney seems about reached, and we
have 10 take the medicine
Only Practical Test.
In the DAYS OF the old cast iron guns
it was the practice 70 take one Of each
type and shoot ii until IL was destroyed.
This was the only practical test. In this
way we were able to gauge the average
life OF such gun, which was about
loo rounds. The new built up guns are
700 expensive 70 be shot 20 destruction.
as they cost from forty 10 lfcy times
as much as the old cast iron type. We
are thus not able 20 tell exactly what
the life Of the Finch gun Is. but from
experience 7 should calculate fl at some
where around 100 rounds.
I think We must have friction with
the japanese sooner OF later" said the
admiral IN answer 20 a question. but It
Will be over the question OF dollars and
eents-in other words about the trade OF
the Pacific The population that bor-
ders upon the Pacific Is greater than that
living upon any other body Of water.
The trade Of the Pacific viii be the great
trade OF the future The japanese un-
dOubtedly will be ambitious 10 control It.
we have no merchant marine now,
but one Of these days the American peo-
pie are not going 10 be satisfied with
this state OF things, and they are going
TO force Congress 10 pass such laws that
win enable us 10 have one Then, If
any country doesn't agree 10 a peaceable
division of trade there win be trouble.
But the sooner we put fleet on the
Pacific, and keep It there. the better II
viii be for Us. FOR sooner or later friction
IS going TO come. Why the American
people DO not wake up to this fact. :
can't guess"