The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-03
PRESIDENT TAFT
REVIEWS FLEET
READY FOR WAR
Finest Array Of Sea-FighterS
Ever Assembled Salute
Head of Nation
TWENTY-FIVE SHIPS
OF BATTLE IN LINE
Commander-in-Chief Issues
Statement Of Naval Needs
Before Leaving New York
for Virginia

NEW YORK, Nov standing
bareheaded in whipping gaze VII
nam Howard Taft, President OF the
nited Skates, and COMMUNICATIVE
chief OF the army and navy. to-day
reviewed the greatest mobilization Of
Uncle Sans marine ngnting forces
ever assem- Dled.
President Taft and 10000 officers
and men OF the lighting fortressea
wrote an epic into the history OF the
navy that will endure forever stand
Ing on the bridge OF the Mayfiower,
anchored of Twenty third street the
President braved d sixty-miie gale to
receive the homage or twenty-five
great steel-clad leviathans. steaming
down the river along the shore of tho
second largest city In the world.
1t was a scene of vast historical
signiflcance--a panorama that called
to mind such immortal names as
John Paul Jones, Stephen Decatur.
Samuel Chester Reid and the memo
rabie events intellectually linked with
such names as Dewey. Schley. HOB
son. Sampson and Wainwright
scene which touches the universal
! heart of America. which is patriot
| ism.
| The stunt was to the west. setting.
/ but still strong and broad
To the east and am.dships the Slows
| ly rising dusk and tiny decks of sky
| clouds cleaned like diamond day
stars
And then the portentous vessels OF
war. steaming in majestic column
| down the fore vista. prIsmatic PEN
| nants and fiags haunting proudly
| from every mast and spar Battle-
ships, dreadnoughts. superdread-
noughts. subtle submarine, swift tor
pedo boats, meteor-iike destroyer
green wasps OF the sea: 1.-the scout
cruisers. huge GOLFERS. sable A.
though possessed with the spirit or
Pluto.
spirit Of Henry Hudson.
In the minds OF the thousands who
witnessed the wondrous pageant was
the thought Of a mystic morning In
September three centuries ago, when
a clumsy two-masted craft called the
Half Moon.' a dutch galiot Of less
than 100 tons and a crew of twenty
men under one Hendrick HUDSON.
timidly skirted the same shore which
the lords of the ocean cEurned 20
proudly, to-day
As the line Of twenty-five warsntps
swept past the Mayfiower on which
| stood Mr. Taft and poomed the pres
idential salute of twenty-one guns.
the three tiers OF men manning tho
port rail were in rigid salute AS the
New Jersey seventeenth Vessel IN
line. swept by. everyone on the Pres
ident's Yacht uncovered in silent re-
spect to the memory OF one OF tne
brave array of bluejackets who maoo
to-day's demonstration possible.
The tiny space left vacant IN tne
first tier OF men on the New jersey
had been assigned to Gustav Frey.
able seaman. Frey, one OF the unit
OF the vast machine, had lost Ms nae
an hour before. The seaman iost NJ
footing while assisting ut the stA1-
board Eangway OF the Sew jersey
and plunged into the raging river.
Before his gurging gasp ror help oioo
! FOUR boats were on the water. ana
, two life preservers whistieo tntouA
the air. But the seaman was seiAe0
NV the strong tide and sucked GOWN
J by the raging cross current
Armada Held Up.
Tar an hour the vast armada wa
held up white boats from !
Jersey and the neighboring ships os
the fourth division. the Nebraska an0
,ha virginia, made vain SeS1cn
! for the unfortunate sailor.
p.cause OF the delay the presidents
WA forced to leave Secretary 0ecy0I
In sole occupancy Of the MAJ
after the last of the wars,p go
na.sed. Tho president departed rom
, tha Mayflower at 4:40 p. M. He ieas
: Jersey city at sos for Hot SjrinSas
-Rafara his departure the preatoenS
iet n ~, known that he will eonttuu0
| 10 urge upon Congress the necessaty
t of building at least two new SUPER
: dreadnoughts zach year unu -
panama canal Is In actual operauoas
the canal. he declared, would double
: the efficeiency Of the navy and from
, a That time on one battleship yea
I would suffice to keep the American
. navy in the foreground OF the wofide
I military powers. .,
, Following the review OF the No.
y statement:
) Statement Of President
: Those who saw the lighting neee
= which was assembled in New YORK
harbor to-day could not fail TO -
struck with its preparedness and with
Its high military efficiency and mus
have been proud OF It's personnei.
THE demonstration has had an edu-
cational value in arousing patriottau1
increasing the general knowledge g.
and interest In the navy, In tilustrexe
! tnr the ability to mobilize on 1h0I~
: notice, and showing the skill Of tn
q officers who turned the whole heNq
: In the narrow river and sent u 70 -
. at the rate OF II knots an hour.
+ THE equipment Of the heet p ~
!. cellent, except as to the number g.
d .destroyers, and cruisers and colllera
a in proportion TO tbs whole numnsfA
q We had In the feet to-day ~ d.
!. stroyer and to meet the full Required
: ments Their should have bssn apDf0vt-
mately 100 dsstYoyers. o. m AyerAGe
Iof four 70 each battslshtp. u = 0Ne
that there has been . marked ims
prcvement In the type OF colliaFa -
: last cru1sers In our navy. but Mzl
9 also true that We have NOT sn0lcae99
- i~urnhAp 5s9aS&
9 High Speed Crn1naGA u
y I'm addition % bnQatug GrNAe ~
4 tlsshopA other natlcne - ~