Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-01-21

sembling of Fleet Scheduled For
March 24-Many Foreign Vessels TO
Take Part In Celebration Incident to
Opening of Waterway.
Plans for the journey Of President
Wilson TO the isthmus OF Panama and
the use OF the navy for the formal
opening of the canal were announced
by Josephus Daniels, the secretary of
the navy.
Under these plans the proposed re-
view OF the Atlantic fleet at Hampton
roads about the LIST of March has been
abandoned under compromise reach
ed with Senator Swanson of Virginia.
who was insisting upon the holding of
the Hampton Roads review as directed
by congress. Senator Swanson had
threatened 10 block any attempt to
prevent by legislation doing away with
the review. Under the compromise
Secretary Daniels has given assurances
that when the fleet returns from San
Francisco there will be substitute re
to which foreign warships will be in
vited.
President Wilson will go TO Panama
on board the New York. which will be
escorted by the Texas. The president
is to leave Hampton Roads on March
and arrive at Colon on March 10.
He will review the feet off the west
81, NJ
and is scheduled TO arrive at San
Francisco on March "A. The plans con
template assigning separate warships
for the use OF eX-Presidents Taft and
Roosevelt if they accept the invitations
to participate in the opening. The Dip
lomatic corps and members of congress
will be conveyed TO the canal zone OF
board army transports. Panama rail
way steamers and chartered steamers.
Daniels Announcement.
Secretary Daniels announcement OF
the schedule of operations of the AT
lantic fleet and preliminary arrange
ments for the cruise is as follows:
The battleShips of the Atlantic feet
and the destroyer hotilla will proceed
TO Guantanamo and Guacanayabo bay.
Cuba. on Jan II for extended feet
exercises and target practice, seven
teen battIeships participating in the
maneuvers; the Georgia. Texas. South
Carolina and Minnesota will remain at
their home yards undergoing overhaul
ing until Feb. 10
The Texas will remain ut Hampton
Roads to escort the president 20 Pana-
ma in the New York. the New York
proceeding To Hampton Roads from
Cuban waters about Feb. 10. prepared
to receive the president on March ).
IL is intended that the Washington
relieve the Delaware in Mexican wa
ters as soon as practicable and that
the Delaware and Rhode Island will
join the feet in Cuban waters. The
Rhode Island has been ordered from
New Orleans 10 Norfolk for docking
and on the completion of docking
about Jan. %. will proceed to Guam
tanamo 10 join the feet.
The battleships and the destroyers Of
the active 6otilla about twenty-three)
will remain i'm Cuban waters. carrying
on drills and exercises. until Feb -
and will then proceed TO Panama. all
twenty-one battleships going through
the canal to San Francisco
No Parade Through Canal
There can. Of course. be no parade
Of the feet as a whole through the ca
nal This would result in congestion
in Colon and in the canal with serious
delay.
The oregon and Olympia will take
part and are 20 be in Colon prior to
March filed with coal and ready TO
proceed.
Besides the twenty-one battleships
of the Atlantic feet. all vessels of the
Atlantic torpedo flotilla. including the
Birmingham. Dixie and Arethusa. will
accompany the feet TO San Francisco
The reserve torpedo flotilla. Atlantic
feet. will MOI proceed TO San Fran
cisco
The reserve ,orpedo fotilla, the sub
marine fotilla, mine layers and aux
iliaries will conduct exercises at Pen
sacola during the months of Febru-
airy. March and April. 1t is possible
that the reserve torpedo hotlla will
proceed to Guantanamo for exercises
with the feet before proceeding to
Pensacola.
The following foreign vessels are ex-
pected 10 take part in the celebration
incident to the opening Of the canal:
Argentina will send the battleshlp
Moreno. flying the flag OF Vice Admiral
Onofre Betbeder: Cuba will send the
cruiser Cuba: Portugal will send the
cruiser Almirante Refs and the dispatch
boat Cinco de Outubro; Spain will send
tho hHtt'cshi9 Fsnc.1 Vice A1miral
Don Ramon Estrada Catoiya has been
appointed by the Spanish government
as its naval representative.