Norwich bulletin., 1911-11-02
Navy Ready For
 Any Emergency
VERDICT OF SECRETARY GEORGE
 voN L. MEYER.
AFTER INSPECTING FLEET
Believes Congress Should Create Rank of Vice Adnirai-Says Number of Enlisted Men Should Be Increased.

New York, Nov. 1-ssThe fleet has demonstrated it's preparedness for any emergency and has shown the effec- tiveness of the present organization" George Won l.. Meyer secretary of the Davy, smiled ne made this state ment this evening board the pfesi dential yacht Mayfiower, after having inspected nineIy-nine fighting ships of the Atlantic fleet assembled in the Hudson river for the greatest mopil- ization in the history of the American navy. President Taft will review the fleet tomorrow as it passes out to sea and the New Jersey Palisades and Manhattan will echo back greater number of salutes than were given to the secretary today. yet, although the more spectacular event is to come, MT. Meyer says that he is satisfied with what he saw today
 The Flassnips Visited.
 Leaving the Mayf1ower in a fast ad- mi-2l's launch after having received on boaIG Rear Admiral tOsterleaus, the . commander in chief and the division commanders, the secretary paid visits to the flagships of the fleet, standing erect in the launch with his silk hat held hard on his head and his frock coat Tapping he sped from ship to ship in the face of q twenty mile wind. The Mayfiower fired salute of 19 guns as he left her side. and this salute was repeated by each of the sev- en fIagshiDs which he boarded, begin- ming with the Connecticut and ending with the little Dixie, tender of the torpedo fleet |
 Sauted by Each Ship.
 His calls completed, the Secretary re re-eInbarked on the Ns yf1ower, which l had steamed 10 the upper end of the i seven miles of warsaips. and passed l slOwi- southward along the entire line. Each ship sa1uted nineteen times IS 1 he passed It was 5.10 D. m- when he ] had re-passed the Connecticut on his l return 1rip, marking the end of the l days forTnalities Members of the l house committee on natal affairs fol- l lowed the secretary on his visits to l each flagship and were honored with ] salute of I7 guns They. too. were i sratified with the apparent efficiency i and preparedness of the fleet and when i the party Ie-assembIed on the May i flower, hope was expressed that con gress might see it to create the posi- i ton of vice admiral.
 Rank Of Vice Admiral Needed.
 The rank of the comma nder in chief | should be commensurate with his greaS i er And it is due his position that | he should have the rank of vice ad- | miral'' Rear Admirals Wainwright, i Nreeland. Potter and Fletcher acting | as the secretary's aides, endorsed this | expression and hoped also that the | position of vice admiral would be ere ated. This mobilization has also demonstrated continued Secretary
 
 should have a greater number of en- listed men. have anticipated this in part by asking for 2.O00 more men in this years estimates which have 1 These estimates provide for the main | tenance and addition of these men. l but they are no larger than those of last year"
 Besides the congressman and other prominent guests who were aboard the Mayflower the attaches of four for eiGn nations were present. They were Capt. C. r. G. Sowerby of England, conl1ander Rctzmann of Germany, Commander ToSutaro Hiraga oi Jap an and Commander Vassilieff Of Rus sia. There were also present Sena tors Root and O'Gorman of New York. Mayor Gaynor, Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Fisher and others. The two latter ac- Mir. Meyer on his visits to the flagships.
 Two slim -nosed destroyers, painted green, patrolled the course during the inspection and there was no untoWard incident throughout. Arout 2OO.00o witnessed the spectacle from the New York shore and gaiIy decked harbor craft bore other thousands up and nown the line. From each war ship rose the strains of "The Star barge or the Mayflower irew near, the crews manned the rails md those ships which he boarded loisting the secre1ary's flag with it's blue field, white anchor and four stars. It was announced early in the Iay that all the fleet would not ss ute the secretary as he passed back llena the line, but these arra ngements were changed as the inspection pro sressed- The ships did not dress in coIors, as had been expected, put reserved this honor for the presi- lent.
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