Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-03


haven't a sufficient number
in addition to building great bat
tlesnips. other nations are building
enormous high-speed oruisers-2S knots
per hour-and ii is believed that our
navy should be similarly equipped
| Unless a navy is maintained at the
| highest possible state of efficiency, il
is needless extravaganza.
| II am more than ever convinced OF
the desirability of the comforting on
the commanding officer of our fleet the
title Of admiral or at least of vice ad-
mird. At present the ranking officer
| is rear admiral, and this title is not
commensurate with the Importance OF
I the fleet. At the review of the German
! fleet at kiel. d smaller number of
! ships was under the command of a
| fun admiral; two squadrons were
comma nded Ivy vice admirals, and each
of four divisions was commanded by Il
| rear admiral"
President Taft left, tonight. for Hot
Springs, Va, where he will arrive,
early tomorrow morning. for four
DAYS recreation before going to Gin
cinnati, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Washington, Nov. For the second
time in as many days President Taft
passed through Washington, tonight
The Presidents private car Ideal, at
tached to the regular New York ex-
press, arrived here at 1886 P. N. It
was Immediately attached to a train
which left 10 minutes later for Hot
Springs, Va. The President vii spend
:, IT,
Miss Helen, before resuming his trip To
Cincinnati. The President had no call
ers during his brief stop.
New York, Nov. president Taft,
today. had his first real view of the
American navy 1t had so happened
since he entered the White House
that the fleet, which was so greatly
admired by his predecessor. Colonel
Roosevelt. had been on widely scat
tered duty for the greater part of
the time And while the President
had reviewed two divisions of the At
lantic fleet in Provincetown harbor
in the summer of 1910, and a little
mora than two weeks ago in San
Francisco, had stood upon the quar-
ter deck of the flagship California of
the Pacific fleet, he had never until
| today come into his own as command
er-ia-chief of the fighting forces of
the country.
From the bridge of the Presidential
yacht Mayfiower. MIR. Taft reviewed
! the gray armada that for nearly
week Rad swung at anchor in the Hud-
son river awaiting his inspection. As
| the little white Mayfiower picked her
| way in and out among the giant craft
of the battleship line, the guns of the
, fleet roared in a reverberating chorus
of salutes. Accepting these tributes as
:, matter of course and disdaining TO
reply to envy of them, the yacht with
! the Presidents blue crested flag at
| the main truck sailed gracefully along
the seven-mile column of fighting
| ships, turned at the end and headed
again down the river. Late, this after
| noon. the entire fleet 80 vessels in all,
/ will get under way and pass in re-
view of the President, while the May
| flower lies at anchor off the Statue
| of Liberty.
| President Taft planned to spend the
| entire day upon the water and not
! once during his visit to the fleet was
| he IL touch Manhattan island. His
| train arrived in Jersey City from
Washington shortly after O'Clock
and a few minutes later he was being
| transferred To the Mayfiower. As he
went aboard, mis- flag was broken from
| the masthead and the usual honors
| were paid to him. As rule. MIR. Taft
requests that all ceremonies on the
Mayflower he suspended
hing Yttrnlt official
however, the ceremonials prescribed in
The navy regulations we're followed to
1.-The letter. The party aboard the
Presidential yacht also was strictly Of
fetal Secretary of the Navy Meyer
the Presidents aides and Secretary
Iiillcs went aboard with Mr.. Taft. n
large party OF invited guests includ-
ing senators, representatives and for
cign military and naval attaches from
Washington. were aboard the dispatch
boat Dolphin, which followed in the
wake of the Mayfiower. where she
went
When President Taft had taken his
place in the bridge, the Mayfiower got
under way and headed up the Hud-
son. 1t was quite q sail to the foot
of 59th street. where the head of the
battleship column rested. on board
the flagship Connecticut. sharp look
|out had been kept down the harbor
and as soon as the Presidential flag
was made out, in the distance, the
flagship let go with her saluting gun
The white puff from the first gun had
hardly cleared the muzzle when the
|other vessels in the line, following the
motions of their leader, had begun mr.
ing the Presidential salute of Il
rounds. The last 6Sing echoes of the
salute were drifting down the river
| from the far end Ct the line, as the
MayAower erept to an anchorage place
| near the Connecticut. Her engines
had scarcely stopped turning when
| half a score of sturdy little steam
barges were headed for her starboard
gangway. The admirals of the fleet
We're on their way personally to pay
| their respects to the President Rear
Admiral Hugo Osterhaus. command
err in chief of the feet. sailing from
the Connecticut, was first to board
the Mayfower. He was attended by
his aides and as he PASSED uD the