Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-11-02
FLEET IN REVIEW
Secretary Of Navy Says Ours Is
Second Navy Of The World.
THE SHIPS SALUTE CHIEF
What Secretary Meyer Thinks OF The
Atlantic Fleet.

Yesterday in New York harbor the
| great Atlantic fleet demonstrated
that this country has right to class
itself as the greatest naval power
in the world after England, says the
New York Sun.
That was the judgment of the
navy builder, Secretary George Won
Lengerke Meyer, after he had passed
up and down six and a half miles of
great and little ships, sweeping them
with keen and knowing eye. A
magnificent fleet, ready to fight at a
word from the country, was the Sec
retary's conclusion.
After the inspection was over and
the last three-pounder saluting gun
had hammered echoes against the
Manhattan skyscrapers, the Secretary
of the Navy wirelessed the newspaper
men 20 come aboard the Mayflower.
Mr.. Meyer, with a company of rear
ADM ais, was waiting in the cabin
of the yacht. 1t would have been
hard to find more satisfied man. He
didn't gush. lie didn't run to un-
necessary words. But his plea sure
over the day showing was unm TAX
able.
"This mobilization in thirty days
notice, he said crisply, has Z mon
strated our preparedness for any emer-
gency. 1t has developed that ships can
be assembled in a short time. 1t has
shown the effectiveness of the present
organization. That organization has
resulted in both efficiency and econ
omy. The ships are becoming more
self-sustaining. For example, the
New Hampshire and Michigan will
require no assistance in repairs.
at has demonstrated also that for
our reserve fleet we should have an
increased number of enlisted men.
I've anticipated that in part by ask
ing for 1000 more men in my esti-
mates this year, estimates to cover
pay and maintenance of these men and
which are no larger than last years
estimates.
1T has been my expectation and
no oe that the mobilization has enabled
many hundreds of thousands of people
to realize the extent of the navy and
what enormous strides the navy has
made since the Columbian review of
1892, when the pride of the American
navy was the cruiser Philadelphia
Today we had twenty-four battleships
among the 100 vessels that covered
about six and half miles. Of these
battleships the Utah and the Florida
are the most powerful in the world.
With the Delaware and the North
Dakota they will make up a division
of superdreadnaughts.
"The inspection has gone off with
out any hitch. The programme was
carried out according to schedule.
That the feet is able to make such
demonstration is due to the team work
of aids and bureau chiefs working
with the commander in chief, Rear
Admiral Osterhaus, and the aid of
operations, Rear Admiral Vain
wright.
"The rank of commander in chief of
the Atlantic fleet should be commen-
surate with the enormous fleet he COM
mands. Today he ranks with division
commanders. He should have at least
the title of vice-admiral.
Mr.. Meyer said also that the fleet
had properly demonstrated the right
of the United States to rank as the
worlds second naval power and that
the mobilization inspected by him
exceeded in power thatssof the German
Empire at Kiel or of the French Re-
public at Toulon. 1t was exceeded,
said he, only by the mighty array of
British warships that gathered in the
Solent when George v. was crowned.
A salute of $50 guns was fired in
honor of the Secretary of the Navy
during his inspection of the fleet,
making in all six miles of salutes.
The President reviews the fleet to-
day.