The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-29
May HEAD THE
ATLANTIC FLEET
Fletcher Likely to be Rewarded
For Services In Mexico

present exercising the supreme naval
command in Mexican waters Until re-
Gently ii was generally understood that
| the officer who was To- succeed Rear
Admiral Charles j. Badger would be
Rear Admiral Cameron MGR. Winslow,
who was recently relieved of the COM
mand of the First Division of the At
lan'ic fleet. y few days aso, how
] ever, Admiral Winslow was ordered To
Newport for duty at the Naval War
College, which is taken 10 mean that
| he has been eliminated from considera-
ton for the highest naval command
in The gift of the government, that OF
the Atlantic feet.
II was stated on high authority that
,he only thing that now stands be-
| tween Fletcher ana the Atlantic fleet
assignment is the possibility that it
may be Necessary To keep him in Mex
lean waters for many months To come.
| in which event the appointment of a
successor to Admiral Badger may be
! dcloyed or else Badger Will he asked
To retain command until Mexican con-
ditiOns have reached that point where
! ii will he possible to bring Fletcher
home and assign him 20 the feet flag
/ ship Wyoming as Commander in chief.
Shows Worth in Mexico.
The fact that Admiral Fletcher now
stands the best chance Tor the Atlantic
feet command is another instance of
| The unexpected in naval affairs. Cntil
| hc was ordered to Mexican waters
many months ago his name had never
been mentioned among the possible
successors If Admiral Badger. But in
| Mexico Fletcher quickly grasped the
J situation. and within "A few weeks the
newspapers began To print stories of
| the tact and ability OF the man who
was exercising what is admittedly the
most important command held hv any
officer since the Spanish war. The time
came for Fletcher To lie relieved and
brought back To home waters. but SO
! wei had he handled the delicate situa-
! ,lons that had arisen at Vera Cruz and
rampicu that the Navy Department
! told him to stay, not caring To trust the
command 70 an officer who might fail
to live up To the standard that Fletcher
| had set. And so Fletcher has remain
cd switching his Nag from ship To ship
IS each squadron sailed back home and
:; new squadron came To take its place.
! Vt least seven times Admiral
/ Fletcher has switched his flag since he
vert To Mexico FIRST il was the bat
| tl.gIi,, I f,. a. iph Ia a..
starred pennant flutterrd then il was
the virginia. next the Rhode Island,
ana So ON down the list. lienceforth,
however, IL may not bc necessary for
the Admiral To move every time the
| ships are changed. This has been made
possible by the sending Of the naval
dispatch boat Dolphin To Vera cruz.
The Rolphin will remain in Mexican
waters until the present troubles are
! ended, and will be the vessel from
which the Admiral will direct Ameri-
can naval operations in Mexican wa
| tiers.
Rear Admiral FIetcher's Career.
The man who will probably he the
next Commander in chief of the At.
lantic feet was born in Oskaloosa.
Iowa, Nov. 23, 1855. He entered the
naval service as a cadet MidsEipman
from the Fourth Congressional District
Of Iowa Sept. %, 1870, graduating
from the Naval Academy in June, 1875.
re was promoted to the rank of En-
sign July Is, 1876; to Lieutenant Gun-
Tor grade) April !, 1882 To Lieutenant
Feb. ~. 1889; to Lieutenant Comman.
der March 3, 1899.
During the Spanish american war he
served as Assistant Chief Of the Blu
reau OF Ordnance from April >, 1898, To
July :, 1855 on board the st. Louis
from July s, 1898, to July Is, 1898; in
command Of the Kanawha from July
-. 1895, to oct. g. 1898, and i'm COM
mand of the Eagle from oct. %, 1898,
until after the close of the war.
He was promoted to Commander on
March II, 1904. serving in that grade
as Inspector of ORDNANCE in charge of
the torpedo station from Nov. 10, 1904
To March IL, 1905 as Chief of Stam To
Commander in Chief Asiatic fleet from
MAJ IL, 1905, to Nov. IL, 1905; in COM
mand of tie Raleigh from Nov Is,
1905. to FEB. 4, 1907; at the Naval War
College from June /, 1907. to oct. IL,
1907; as member of Special Board on
Naval ordnance from oct IL, 1907, to
Sept. "a, 1905.
He was promoted to Captain on May
-, 1905, serving i'm that grade in COM
mard of the Vermont from Nov. .,
1908. to Feb. %. 1910. and as Aid To the
Secretary of the Navy for Division of
Material from March lC, 1910, To July
% 1912.
lie was promoted TO Rear Admiral
Oct. Il, 1911, serving in that grade in
command of the fourth division of the
Atlantic feet from Aug. |. 1912. to Jan
t. 1918; IN command of the second di-
vision of the Atlantic fleet from Jan. 4.
1912. to Nov. 6. 1913, and in command
Of the third division OF the Atlantic
ilect from Nov. &. 1913. on which duty
he is serving at the present time This
is the division assigned To duly In
Mexican waters.