New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-03

The most impressive and signincdnt
feature of the naval pageant was the
sailing OF the feet. II was great thlng
to see the clustered warships lying at
anchor In the Hudson, beneath the very
windows of the city. 1t was impress
sive TO have SO great display OF naval
mower I'm the waters in which the
cxerticn Of that power might III an
emergency be most needed. 1t was ~
valuable object lesson to have displayed
70 the public the achievements Of Anerl-
can engineering skill. in contrast to the
former exhibitions Of the fleet which
these waters have seen, 10 REMIND US
that our naval constructors are m"
peers Of any in the world in ability 10
design and build and equip the most
powerful of w3rships. 1T was immense
" interesting to have a demonstration
Of the rapidity with which so numerous
and complex feet could be mobilized
and assembled. and the facility WIN
which il could be manpuvred within
the comparatively CONSTRUCTED compass
of the herbor waters. Yet I'm the fleet *
deliberate passing out 10 sea yesterday
afternoon there was a suggestion when
transcribed all Of these in Signifying
the real value and purport of the pa
Eeant
For the function of the feet is not to lie
secure in sheltered waters and to he the
cynosure of million admiring eyes, 10
be a-futter with bunting by day and
ablaze with lights by night; and 70
thunder salutes 10 the commander in
chief. All these things are well, for
purpose and at time. But the real ser
vice of the ships is far different, and in
waters far removed from the shadows or
the Palisades They passed ont Of he
Narrows Yesterday, literally far
called" perhaps never TO he assembled
again. to diversity Of places, Of duties
and Of dangers. 1t is nearly two thou.
sand miles from New York TO Galveston.
and in those figures is a suggestion O.
the extent of this one coast of ours
which is TO be patrolled and guarded. 1t
is more than thirteen thousand miles to
San Francisco. as much on our coast as
New York II is more than twelve thou
sand miles 10 Manila, where orr ships
are still needed 10 continue the work
which our ships there began. 1t is from
fifteen 10 eighteen thousand miles 10
parts of the Alaskan coast. 1t Is early
autumn here. as the ships depart, but
it Is early spring at Samoa, while it s
perpetual summer or perpetual winter
In places TO which they are or may be
called.
It was the thought of the vast extent
and almost infinite diversity of our
maritime interests that these vessels are
to serve and 10 safeguard which came
.ccnvincingly 10 mind as ship after ship
filed by. outward bound. The world
power" phrase has been worn thread
bare. chiefly in misuse, but it contains
a great truth We are. aS We have been
for a century and third, world power
i'm interests. in rights. in responsibilities,
IN sympathies and as in these years the
world itself has greatly grown. and the
separate and mutual and common inter
ests Of the nations have increased, so The
farreaching needs Of this nation have in
creased, the needs which demand imper-
atively an exercise of that sea power
which has been so influential in the so
cigl and commercial as well as in the
military and political history Of ;he
world.