Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-11-03
NAVAL FORCES ARE
REVIEWED BY TAFT
WHILE GUNS BOOM
Presidential Yacht Sails Past
7-MiIe Column of Fighting
Ships Amid Reyerberating
Chorus From Guns
nv Associated P-ess. !,

.cBy Associatsd P-ess.)
NEW YORK. Nov. From the bridge
Of the Mayflower. where Theodore Roose-
welt had stood TO bid God-speed to the
departing, and then a welcome to the
homecoming battleship fleet. that cir
cled the globe three years ago. President
Taft today reviewed the most notable
assemblage of warships in the history OF
the American navy There was not the
thrill of possible adventure at hand at
todays splendid spectacle. as there was
at the departure OF the fleet on its periI-
Gus journey around the horn. but from
the standpoint of fighting power the
number of ships of the line and specular
setting, the review presented marine
picture Of unsurpassed beauty and inn
pressiveness.
NINETY-NNE IN LINE.
In three long columns. stretching as
far as the eye could see UP the Hudson
river the grim. gray ships-s9 in all
had awaited the presidents coming. In
his honor they were dressed from stem
to stern in fluttering flags, as if at
tempting for this gaia occasion to con-
ceaI the mules Of the death-deaiiug
guns
The gay bunting lent color to scene.
but the meaning of the dull gray. hulls
and the polished rifles that protruded
from turret mouths could not be mask
ed
READY FOR EMERGENCY.
The significance of the mobilization and
review of the fleet at this time was
simply to demonstrate the preparedness
of the American navy for any emergency
To further impress this fact upon the
president and the nation. to say nothing
OF the world at large. the naval authorf-
ties were not content with the usual
plan Of a review of the fleet at anchor
But in addition the orders provided
thai after the Mayflower had steamed
through the several columns. the fleet
should get under way and pass out 70
sea This double spectacle made the re-
view unique in the, annals of naval dis
plays throughout the world and at
tracted to New York the military and
naval attaches of most of the powers OF
President TAFT today had his frst
real review OF the American
navy. II had so happened sinc9.
| he = entered the White House that
| BY his predecessor. Colonel Roosevelt.
had been on widely scattered duty, for
the greater part of the time. While
the president had reviewed two divisions
Of the Atlantic fleet in Provincetowa
harbor in the summer of 1910 and a little
more than two weeks ago in San Frau
cisco had stood upon quarter deck of
the flagship California. of tho Pacific
feet. he had never until today come into
ouur, ~r,r4,rr, r,d of fflS1t
lighting forces of the country.
From the bridge of the presidentiaf
yacht Mayfiower. Mr.. Taft reviewed tho
gray armada that for nearly a weeA.
had swung at anchor in the Hudson
river awaiting his inspection. As this
little white Mayfiower picked her wow
in and out among the giant craft of tlls
battleship line, the guns of the feet
roared in a reverberating chorus az
salute. Accepting these tributes as u
matter of course and disdaining to reply
to any of them, the yacht with the
presidents blue-crested flag at the mai.l
truck. sailed gracefully along the severn
mile column of lighting ships. turned at
the end and beaded again down tise
river. Late this afternoon the entire
feet. se vessels In all. viii get under
while the Mayhower lies at anchor of
! the Statue of liberty.
ENTIRE DAY ON WATER
President Taft planned Il spend the
entihe day upon the water and not onct
during his visit to the feet was he sd
touch Manhattan Island. His train arr
rived IN Jersey City from Washington
shortly, after z O'Clock and a few mir
utes later he was being transferred to
the Mayfiower. AS he went aboard his
+ flag was broken from the In@st head,
Z he
As rule Mr. Taft requests that al
ceremonies on the Mayfiower be su.s-
pended. Today's events being purely OK
fetal, however, the ceremonials prescri3-
ed in the navy regulations were follow
ed to the letter.
The party aboard the presidential
yacht also was strictly official. Secre-
taIy Of the Navy Meyers. the presidents
aide and secretary Hilles went aboard
with Mr.. Taft. A large party of Invita-
guests. including senator's, represents
tives and foreign military and naval AZ
taches from Washington were aboard
the dispatch boat Dolphin, which fe
owed In the wake of the Mayfower
wherever she went.
When President Taft had taken lis
place on the bridge the Mayflower got
under way and headed up the Hudson. 1T
was quite sail to the foot Of 9Th
street, where the head of the battIeship
column rested. On board the flagship
Connecticut sharp lookout had been
kept down the harbor and as soon AS
tn epresidential flag was made out In
the distance, the flagship let 20 win
her sauting guns. The white puff fr3n
the first gun had hardly cleared the
muzzle when the other vessels in the line.
following the motions of thtir leader had
begun the firing of the presidential salute
of q rounds.