New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-28
ATLANTIC FLEET TO
GO THROUGH CANAL
Effect on Sentiment OF
Japan Not Least of
Suspected Motives.
BUT PLAN WAITS ON
MEXICAN SITUATION
Great Waterway To Be Ready for
Commerce of World by JULY
According to Goethals.
rr-on The Tribune Bureau. ]


From The Tribune Bureau
washington. April 27-In the near
culture II conditions in Mexico will per
-, The United states is going TO seho
ultra Atlantic feet TO the Pacinc
Coast
IN tho surface this might look Tx" "
.,oro excursion, but in we'll mioii''u
o,,o,os there is strong opinion '"A'
Earring the cruise to the Pac'"o
administration will not be blind 10
.uo .eec, Of such move OH pOO''
sentiment in japan.
r,oso close TO the administration
naturally disclaimed any knowledge oi
INV such purpoce. as did the Roosevelt
characterization at the time the circur-
navigating trip of the Atlantic heo'
as undertaken. but students OF the
s,tuat,on have little doubt as TO what
is in the mind Of the administration
Incidentally the assembling Of the
entire feet in the Pacific will afford az
oncs an exhibition Of the naval
strength OF the United States ana a
demonstration Of the usefulness OF the
Panama Canal.
Some days ago Colonel Goethais re-
ror,ea IN the government in Wash
ington that he could put the largest
battleship in the fleet through INC
canal. Little publicity was given 10
his report, as It was decided that IL
would be wiser, conditions In Mexico
permitting, TO put the fleet through
rather than talk about 1T In advance
At the one point in the Culebra CUT
where the channel has been narrowed
by the Cucaracha slide. two battleshlps
could not pass. but even this has neeh
dredged TO a width which would make
II possible for line Of the largest
ships to pass through single file, ana
there is. of course. no occasion for SHIPS
to pass at this particular point.
The canal. according to Colonel Goe-
thals. will be ready TO receive the COM
merce Of the world by July l. II could
handle II now were there any pressing
occasion. But Il is the desire OF the
administration that the first large
number Of vessels TO pass through the
canal shall be the Atlantic fleet, and
that is what will be done unless condi-
tions in Mexico make it an impossible
ity.
The news that the entire fleet would
go TO the Pacific Coast came out to-day
simultaneously with the return OF
Franklin d. Roosevelt, Assistant Sec
rotary Of the Navy. from the coast.
Mr.. Roosevelt left here on April 3, and
has spent the greater part Of his time
making arrangements for greatly in
creased facilities for coaling, docking
and handling large fleet. When the
suggestion OF Mr.. Roosevelt is carried
out the United States will be in posi-
ton 10 handle its ships on the Pacific
Coast with a facility practically equal
to that obtaining on the Atlantic
Coast.
One Of the important achievements
OF MIR. Roosevelt's trip was his ar
rangement for the completion of q
wireless service from the tip Of Alaska
TO the southern end OF California. Par,
Of this is now in operation.
The Assistant Secretary also made
arrangements for strengthening great
" the government wireless plant a.
San Diego, so that continuous com
munication can be maintained with tn,
American ships in Mexican waters.
Mr.. Roosevelt looked over Puge
Sound. and went into the problem Their
from the point OF view OF offence ant
defence based on its use as nava
base. He visited the Mare Island Nav,
Yard. which. outside OF Brooklyn, 1
the only navy yard constructing larg
vessels. While there he Inspected tn
oil supply ship Maumee and the Kama
wha, now in course OF construction.
Among the other things accomplished
by Mr.. Roosevelt on the coast was tn
establishment OF an advance base 70
marines. along the same lines as tina
now established at Pensacola.