The Washington herald., 1912-06-03
LEAVES
TO GREET GERMANS
Executive Goes to Hampton Roads
to Welcome Kaiser's Squadron.
Officers to Visit Capital.
TAFT AND OFFICIALS TO
VISIT GERMAN FLAGSHIP
Extensive Entertainment Planned
by Government Officials for
Visitors.

President Taft left Washington last
night on the Presidential yacht, May
flower for Hampton Roads, where he will
/ squadron
/ On the Maytiower with the President
| besides Mrs. Taft, are Secretary Of the
! Navy Meyer, Count Won Bernstorff. Am
bassador from Germany. Admiral Bad
ger, special naval aid to the President
4 Capt Templin Potts, special aid to the
! Secretary Of the Navy, Secretary to the
President Hilles, and 4 number Of naval
| officers.
The Mayhower IS due TO drop anchor
in Hampton Roads at noon to-day. Then
will follow the ceremonies Of extending
welcome to the war ships OF the Kaiser.
The Presidents yacht will review the
three German ships, and the eight
American battle ships, constituting the
first and second divisions Of the Atlantic
feet, and tie official convoy to the Ger
man vessels. Rear Admiral Rebeur-
PsschwitE cOmmandeT-in-chief OF the
German squadron, will be received. with
his staT on board the Mayfower. and
presented TO the President. Secretary
Meyer. and other members of the Of
ticial party. II time permits, It is eX-
pected that the President will personally
visit the German ships, or at least the
flagship Moltke-
The Mayfiower will leave Hampton
Roads at o'clock this afternoon for
Washington, arriving here early to-mor-
row morning.
The arrival Of the German war ships
at Hampton Roads aroused fresh interest
among naval men in Washington in the
Kaiser's navy. For a decade there has
been a race for naval supremacy between
Germany and the United States, and
America will now be able to see what the
Germans have accomplished in the way
Of building war ships.
The. tremendous growth Of the German
navy in late years has been due in part
to a change in training the officers. The
visiting squadron has brought two grad
yates Of the new method in the persons
Of Prince Henry XVII Of Reuss and
Prince Christian Won Hesse-Philippsthal-
Barchfeld. These Junior officers arouse
particular interest in Germany's system
Of naval education.
Navy SuPPIRnts Army.
For many years the officers Of the
German army represented the fighting
aristocracy Of the empire. and every
thing was done TO make them valuable
military units and to impress their i'm
portance upon the beholder by the we'll
nigh theatrical uniforms in which the
different branches Of the service were
clothed. The navy was quite subordinate !
in both military and social prominence. !
This was before Emperor William II de- |
clared that Germany's future lay upon |
the sea
To-day all this is changed. Not only Is |
the naval officer a rather picturesque
looking person in his full dress togs, but |
even the German sailor is Tesplendent !
with shimmering braid and the bright |
hUrE#
is still another change which has been |
wrought through the Haiser's concern in !
the uplifting Of his fleet of war-he has ,
encouraged the social uplift of the serv- |
ice by putting his own family in the |
navy and by appointing some Of the |
princes Of the empire 10 that arm Of the |
national defense.
Reach Capital "wednesday.
The German visitors will be enter
tained tomorrow by the officers and men |
of the United States war ships in Hamp-
ton Roads.
A chartered steamer will bring the |
German officers 10 Washington Wednes-
day morning. where. during the fore
noon, they will make official visits and
be guests of honor at a luncheon given
by Count Won Bernstorff at the Embassy
in Massachusetts, Avenue, to which 100
invitations have been issued.
They will pay their respects to Presi-
dent Taft at the White House later in
the day, and in the evening will be
guests of the President and Mrs. Taft at
dinner.
The Naval Academy at Annapolis will
be visited Thursday morning, and in the
evening the visitors will be entertained
at dinner by Secretary Of the Navy
Meyer.
Friday they will make a pilgrimage to