The Spectator., 1915-02-02
MONSTER FLEET NOW ASSEMBLED
 FOR MANEUvERS
Unted States Warships in for Month of Hardest Kind
 of Drilling.
COMMANDED BY FLETCHER
Largest and Most Powerful Fleet Ever Assembled Under the Stars and Stripes-May Solve Efficiency
 of Our Navy.

Washington.-The largest and most powerful fleet ever assembled under the Stars and Stripes is now gathered off Guantanamo, on the North coast of Cuba, for a month of the hardest kind of drilling. It will be a great spectacle for the few civilians who will see 1t, but for the more than one thousand officers and 25,000 enlisted men it means work, unceasing labor, to fit the American navy for battle.
 Yet every Jack Tar is glad he is there. Great fascination surrounds the maneuvers, the orderly marching and counter-marching over the parade ground of the ocean, dreadnaughts and cruisers taking the place of individual soldiers. but obeying the orders sent by wireless and wigwag just as i'm plicitly and readily as a squadron of well-drilled cavalry.
 The firing of the great guns is fun for officer and man, too. Target prac- tice is great game Every nerve is strained to make the enormous rifles do their best, and hot rivalry is exhib- ited by the gun crews. Business is pleasure when the heart is in it.
 The eyes of the whole United States are directed to Rear Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher and his ships today. A great wave of criticism has swept over the country. The European war has created interest in the army and navy; and every patriot feels that if not the greatest we should have the best navy in the world.
 Is the navy up to scratch?
 This is the question the maneuvers may solve and at the same time do a great deal toward making it possible to answer in the affirmative. The navy needs maneuvers, just as an army in forming in battle line in time of war if the superior officers have not performed all the evolutions often in time of peace.
 Much Practicins Necessary.
 Partly due to the use of the big ships off the coast of Mexico, the maneuvers have been neglected. This is the first time in three years that the entire fleet will be assembled for bat tie practice, Three years means a long while when one considers how fast the art of naval warfare is de veloping. Just to mention one item: Naval guns of 14-inch caliber were car ried on no ship in the world three years ago. Now the Texas and the New York carry these mammoth rifles. and it Is currently reported that Great Britain's new Queen Eliza beth class. now building, will have 15- inch guns
 When one considers that the fleets of Great Britain. Germany, France. Austria. Russia and Japan are now engaged in actual war work every day in the year. it is easy to see that the United States must do a lot of practicing even to approximate the de- gree of efficiency to which the fighting navies of the world are arriving.
 The Guantanamo maneuvers will be the most extensive target and fleet practice the American navy has ever gone through. They will last through the greater part of the month. and will be followed by the Panama canal opening exercises, which may involve some maneuvers of value, too.
 The armored fleet (the biggest ships) will be in four divisions of 2l vessels. Ten will be of the so-called "dreadnaught" class and II of the pre- dreadnaught type. Besides these, two of the four armored cruisers of the fleet and all of the torpedo fiotillas. except those in reserve. will be pres ent.
 Never before did the fleet contain practically two complete divisions of the dreadnaught class. The first divi- sion consists of dreadnaughts of the most powerful type and the second division is made up of these powerful vessels except one battleship.
 In addition to the battleships, five of the seven divisions of torpedo boat destroyers will have part in the exercises. This means 2l more craft. There will be ten aaxiliaries anu tue scout CTuiSeT SUPPLEMENTARY, which Is the flagship of the torpedo fiotilla.
 Directs 103 Vessels.
 This does not mean that all the vessels under Admiral Fletcher's com mand will be at Guantanamo. There will be missing all the submarines. as we'll as all the smaller cruisers and gunboats and two divisions of the destroyer fotilla. Admiral Fletcher directs 103 vessels. of which 55 win be at Guantanamo.
 It was figured by a naval officer here that the 12-inch guns of the fleet can fire broadside of l05, 400 pounds and the l4-inch guns bring this up to lS3.400 pounds. There are l24 l2- inch guns in the reorganized fleet, all of which are placed so that they ,an be fired in a single broadside.