Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-09-22
TAFT GIVES ORDERS
FOR PANAMA TRIP
Two Armored Cruisers to Be in
Readiness on Nov, 8 TO
Garry Him to Canal

WASHINGTON. ID. c.. Sept. 10.
President TAFT has ordered the
Navy Department to put two cTuis-
crs In readiness to carry him To Pa
mama ON November s. This Ia the
irst designation Of the day IN which
he will sail. although It has been
known for gone time that he in
tended 10 make the trip before the
end OF the year ana that an armored
cruiser won d be detailed as convoy
to the one on which the President
will take passage.
Today's decision seems to have
been reached after the President and
his advisers had thrashed out diner
ences of opinion as to the wisdom
Of the trip in year when the for
tunes of his party are in peril. The
date chosen intimates that he may
have deferred to the views of 9th
ers by putting of the trip until aft
err the elections. when the worst. will
be known and brief absence from
the country may divert his mind
from the unpleasant reflections that
would certainly beset him at home
should the party go down.
Reports that reach here say that
Vice President Sherman and Senator
Aldrich We're specially persistent in
urging him not TO quit the country
at all this year. Political condi-
lions were the reasons behind their
arguments. His replies to these OBJ
iections are said to have been that
political conditions ought to have no
bearing whatever on the trip. and
should not influence him.
His own view was that he ought
to go to Panama as an official duty.
Probably. the dirt would continue
TO n.y." he said, whether he went or
not, but he believed at the same time
that the canal officials and men
would be encouraged by visit from
the President, to show his interest
in their work.
II is early to say by which cruis-
er he Will take passage. Only the
North Carolina. Montana and Ten
nessee are at present available in
Atlantic waters. He made pre-
inaugural trip on the North Carolina
with the Montana as convoy.
That assignment for him is not
unlikely TO be made again. II Re-
publican divisions develop, as now
threaten. his disposition to do things
in his own way will doubtless be
strengthened. Those two ships have
served only himself for an official trip
TO Panama. while the Tennessee was
one of the conveys OF the Louisiana
when Mr.. RoossNelt made a Prcsi-
deatialayirtfi 10 Abe Isthmus. Re-
minders of Roosevelt will naturally
be excluded at this time.
The Roosevelt trip occurred in No
vember, 1908. Besides the Louisi-
ana, on which he sailed, the cruiser
Washington went along as convoy.
as well as the Tennessee. The deci-
sion now to 20 with two ships in
stead OF three follows President
Taft's own pre- inaugural precedent,
and is presumed to have no relation
to Mr.. Roosevelt's ampler sense of
the dignity of the Presidents
travels.
Naval officers say that If the i'm
portance of the Presidency was
gagged for such an occasion by the
wealthy, political strength or popu-
lation of the country. the order
would have been given for more than
three ships. In their view the Pres
ident doesn't choose to look to Mr..
Roosevelt for an example in any
thing AFFECTING his Office, and he
doubtless thinks that the dignity OF
the voyage will be sufficiently assert
ed by single convoy.