Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-02
IecretaTy Meyer Of the Navy Is
Pleased on Making Inspection.
Finds the SO Ships Of The Fleet
ID FIJI in Every Particular.
ibout 100000 Persons Witnessed
Spectacle from New York Shore.

New York, Nov. 1.-The fleet has
demonstrated its preparedness for any
emergency and has shown the effec-
Veness of the present organization"
George Won l.. Meyer secretary of
he navy, smiled as he made this state
hent, this evening. on board the
Presidential yacht Mayfower. after
aving inspected 80 fighting ships of
he Atlantic fleet assembled in the
hudson river for tie greatest mobili-
alton in the history of the American
avy. President Taft win review the
Get. tomorrow. as it passes out to
ca
Leaving the Maytlower in a fast ad-
nirafs launch after having received
,n board Rear Admiral 0sterhaus. the
commander in chief. aud the division
commanders. the secretary paid visits
| 10 the flagships OF the fleet, standing
rect in the launch with his silk hat
held hard on his head and his froCk
CAT tapping as he sped from ship to
hip in the face of 50-mile nor-by-
east wind. The Mayflower fired a
galute of 10 guns as he left her side
nj this salute WAS repeated BY each
Aiit SCNAi lietSslAAii1 NGlNi nv HFeh& u
ID. beginning with the Connecticut and
Ending with the little DIXIE, tender OF
fhe torpedo fleet.
His calls completed the secretary
e-embarked on the Mayiiower which
bad steamed to the upper end of the
feven miles of warships and passed
slowly southwark along the entire line.
each ship saluted 10 times as he pass
Id. The echoes roared back from the
New York shore after an interval 50
long that it seemed as if second hon
prs were being paid him in the streets
# Harlem. 1t was ): 10 when he had
Fepassed the Connecticut on his re-
urn trip making the end of the days
ormalities.
Members of the house committee on
laval affairs followed the secretary on
bis visits to each flagship and were
honored with a salute of II guns.
rhey. too. were gratified with the APP
parent efficiency and preparedness of
he fleet and when the party re-as-
tembled on the MdyAower hope WAS
Expressed that Congress might see tit
" create the position of vice admiral.
rank of the commander in
Fhief should be commensurate with
bis great responsibilities, said Sec.
Meyer. And it is due his position
hat he should have the rank of vice
kdmiral." Rear Adfnirals Wainwright,
Hreeland. Potter aud Fletcher, acting
is the secretary's aides, endorsed this
Expression and hoped that the position
be vice admiral would be created.
This mobilization has also demon
strated," continued Sec. Meyer, that
for our reserve fleet we should have a
greater number of enlisted men.
have anticipated this in part by asking
for 2e00 more men in this years esti
mates which have now gone to the
Treasury department. These estimates
provide for the maintenance and addi-
tion of these men. but they are nc
larger than those of last year.
Besides tile congressman and other
prominent guests who We're aboard
the Mayflower the attaches of four
Foreign nations were present, Capt. G.
X. G.#Sowerby of England; Command
er Retzman of Germany; Commander
Trokutaro Hyraga of Japan ana Com
mander Vassilieff of Russia. There
wore also present Senators Root and
IO'Gornan of New York; Mayor Gay
ner, Attorney General Wickershan
Secretary of the Interior Fisher and
others. The two latter accompanied Mr.
|Meycr on his visits to the fiagships.
TWO slm-nosed destroyers, painted
Igreen. patrolled the course during the
Iinspection and there was no untoward
Iincident throughout. About 100000 per
| sons witnessed the spectacle from the
| New York shore and gaily-decked
4harbcr craft bore other thousands uT
Hand down the line. From each war
| ship rose the strains of "The Stai
ISpangled Banner when either the sec
Iretarys barge or the Mayflower DIRE"
near. the crews manned the rails ant
| those ships which he boarded hoistet
| the secretary's flag with its blue field
Lwhite anchor and four stars. 1t wa:
Iannounced early in the day that all thu
| fleet would rot salute the secretary "a
| he passed back along the line, bu
| these arrangements were changed al
the inspection progressed. The ship
did not dress in rainbow colors as hat
been expected, but reserved this homo
| for the President.