The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-06
TAFT SMASHES
 TRAVEL RECORDS Is Greatest Traveller of All the
 National Rulers. HIS FUTURE PROGRAMME l Wants to Visit Alaska This Summer, But May Not Go I'll Next Year. Naval Experts Have Big Problem.
HIS FUTURE PROGRAMME
By JONATHAN WINFIELD.

has smashed the traveliEg records of his 1 predecessors, despite the fact that Pres ident Roosevelt was strenuous in his I touring of the country. When the rail- roads were by law prevented from giving | free transportation to the executive MT. Taft was instrumental in having special annual appropriation of s25.ooo made for the Presidents trips.
 President Taft has made F individual trips from Washington since his inaugu- ration less than one year ago. One jour ney took him practically over the entire I country and lasted 26 days. "Fond of travelling is the reason given by one of the Presidents personal attaches. He has the fever; has it bad
 Before his inauguration the President held the worlds record for covering ground He has been around the world, to Panama and Cuba many times, to the Philippines four times, to Italy and many countries, and always as the official rep resentative of the United States.
 Since becoming President Mir. Taft has been just as active A sleeping car Is very attractive to him. In fact, 1t is said, 1 he accomplshes a great amount of work while journeying. Fourteen days after his inauguration President Taft visited New York city and also New Haven, Conn. Thirteen days later he spent two days in Philadelphia. From May 1s to 2l he was in Petersburg, Va, and Char lotte, N. c. Returning to Washington on the 22d, he left immediately for Hampton Roads, Va, for three days visit. Three days later he went to Pittsburg, Pa, and from there to the Gettysburg battlefield | The Yale commencement exercises. June | 29-July l. were attended and returning to Washington the President, on July g. accompanied Mrs. Taft to the new pres- idential summer home, Beverly, Mass. From Beverly he went to the celebra- ton at Lake Champlain, July re- turning to Washington July g. August
 he joined his family at the summer home. and September 15 started on his
 transcontinental journey, returning to Beverly November 10. The next day he was off again visiting Middletown and Hartford, Conn, on the 18th.
 Five days more and he was at Norfolk Va, and in December journeyed to New York and New Haven. On the 17th of the month he went to Watertown, Conn.
 A visit planned to New York on De- cember 27 was cancelled, owing to the fact that severe snow storm had par alyzed the railroads, but three days later the President was in the metropolis, at tending the marriage of his niece. Janu- ary was a month in which the President did not have any engagements During February he visited New York twice and Newark, N J.
 trip of a weeks duration has been planned for March. The President will leave here on the 18th, going to Chicago where he will participate in St. Pat rick's day celebration on the 17th. From | Chicago he will go to Rochester, N. Y. | then to Albany, where he Is to be the guest of Governor Hughes, and from there to a meeting of the Yale corporation at New Haven. Conn, before returning home.
 A trip to Alaska has been contemplat- cd. the President being desirous of going to the territory during the summer, but as Congress is dragging along slowly and an early. adjournment would necessi- tate the administration abandoning it's legislative programme, the President has practically given up the idea. He prom ises himself, however, to visit Alaska in the summer of 1911. l It Is possible that President Taft will take conspicuous part in the home coming celebration to be accorded Form CT President Roosevelt in New York in June. During that month he will also take part in the commencement exer- cses at Yale. his son being a member of the graduating class. The summer is to be spent at Beverly. There is an en- gagement recorded for the President to Der he will go to San Antonio, Tex, to participate in a Mississippi congress | proceedings.
 The naval experts are now confronted with one of the most interesting prob | lems which has engaged their attention | for several years. It is one which may revolutionize the main battery of vessels of battleship type. and thereby give to | the United States the largest battleships | in the world--craft of 30.000 tons displa ce- ment as, compared with the 26,000-ton warships most recently designed. the Florida and Utah. now in the course of construction Up to this time the largest modern | naval rifle in effective use has been 1e- inch caliber. The 14-inch gun. one of which has just been built and tested at tho naval proving ground Rear Ad- mral N. F. Mason, chief of ordnance of the navy. has made a report to the Sec retary of the Navy describing the re- suits of this test and showing that the gun in it's efficiency realizes the expecta- tions of the designers. Rear Admiral Mason does not undertake to recommend the adoption of the new gun as a feature of the main battery of the next battle ship to be designed. because that question involves many clements which are not confined to ordnance. If tie next battle ships are of 25,00o tons displacement 1t is probable that not more than that as against the 12-inch guns now carried by warships of that size. There are nd- vantages in having as many 14-inch guns as there are now 12-inch guns on a bat tleship and this can be accomplished only by increasing the displacement, proba- bly, to 5000 tons. This increase in the size of the nations sea fighters raises all sorts of technical questions In the hull and engineering departments and has to do with such chief characteristics as weight of engines. with its influences upon speed. bunker capacity for coal with It's relation to radius of action and means of resistins attack
 The new gun shoots shell of 1890 pounds, which is of greater weight and destructive powers than the 1000 pounds shells of the 12-inch gun. r f One of the serious objections to build ing 30,0oo ton warships is that there arc no docking facilities in this country for such mammoth engines of destruction It will have to be taken into considera- ton that battleships designed hereafter must have no greater beam than what can be accommodated by the Panama