Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-22
LANDS AT FORT MONROE
His Vessel Narrowly Escapes Dis
aster on Homeward Trip.
GERMAN SHIP ACROSS BOWS
President Going to Richmond To-
night. But Will Reach Wash
ington Late Tomorrow.

| FORT MONROE, Va. November %
President Tafts Panama cruise came, to
an end here today. The armored cruis-
| ers Tennessee and Montana, with thu
presidential party aboard, dropped anchor
at 11.2) am. The President remained
aboard the Tennessee for luncheon and
will leave late this afternoon for Rich
mond, where he stops overnight, reach
ing Washington late tomorrow.
The President and all the members OF
his party are well. The trip up from
Panama was filled with incidents. On
Friday night last, about 40 miles south
of Guantanamo. Cuba, the Tennessee
narrowly averted collision with Ger
man training ship supposed to be the
Freya. heavy squall had shut in
around the presidential squadron, the
weather being so thick that the steers
man could hardly see ships length
ahead.
German Ship Sighted.
The storm was brief and as it cleared
away the big German ship was cutting
directly across the Tennessee's steel
bows, not a quarter of a mile away. 1he
helm of the Tennessee was put hard over.
The Freya continued on her course.
There was no exchange of signals.
Saturday the President spent three
hours at Guantanamo looking over the
American naval base and the rifle ranges
there. 1t was the first time an American
President had set foot on the Island of
Cuba. The territory visited by Mr. Taft,
however is under American sovereignty.
Monday morning brought the only dis
agreeable weather of the voyage. OF
the north Florida coast the presidential
cruiser ran into the tail end Of a cyclonic
disturbance. The sea was very rough
and for hours the big cruisers were ship
ping green water over their forecastles.
Reduction of Speed Necessary.
Speed was reduced to almost nothing
for time, matches were battened down
and ventilators and all other gear lashed
to the decks. The height of the storm
was passed about ) am, and tie sea did
not moderate until well toward noon.
President Taft is splendid sailor and
did not mind the shaking-up In the least.
The President spent three Of the Ave
days of the homeward voyage at work
on his message to Congress and dictated
the first draft of the major portion of it.
Mr.. Taft Is anxious to get back to
Washington, and is ready to plunge into
the winters work. His stop in Richmond
is TO make a speech before the Virginia
educational conference there at noon to-
morrow. During tomorrow forenoon the
President will motor over some of the
Virginia battlefelds outside of Richmond
The Mexican situation is still being ham
died wholly by the State Department at
Washington. Mr.. Taft has had but mea
ger details.
Gratified With Panama Conditions.
The President is deeply gratiiied over
conditions in Panama. The canal is TAX
ing form rapidly, and its successful COM
pletion is no longer looked upon by the
executive with the slightest degree of
doubt. Mr.. Taft has absolute faith in
Col. Goethals. the chief engineer and
the members of his staff. His personal
inspection of the Gatun dam, the two
flights of locks and the Culebra cut great
~ impressed the President, and he de-
clared that If all American citizens could
see these great works there no longer
would be any misgivings of any sort as
tn the fuflIra Of the canal