Evening star., 1915-05-16
FLETCHER Is BRINGING the Fleet
Up," Is the Slogan of
Optimism.
DISCOURAGED OFFICERS
AGAIN TAKING HEART
President to Inspect Great Conclave
of War Craft With It's Reju-
venated Personnel.
.cial From a stsn Correspondent.

Special From stan Correspondent.
WITH THE ATLANTIC FLEET.
NORTH RIVER, y. Y. May ia visit
to the feet by n Washingtonian is very
much like visit to the State, War and
Navy Department building or the Army
and Navy Club building. one hears SO
much gossip of interest TO Washing
tonians.
But the remarkable thing about these
seventy-eight vessels which President
Wilson is coming here to review, Is
that beneath the glamour OF the sky
rockets. fireworks. military music OF
the bands on the ships and the kaleido-
scope of 100000 people gone crazy
about the navy, the officers of the fleet
are saying to themselves for the first
time in months.
FLETCHER is bringing the fleet up.
Admiral Fletcher, commander -in-chief
until President Wilson assumes that
command at the coming review. Is to-
night with his stan at the Ansonia
Hotel, many blocks away from the
Knickerbocker Hotel at 42d street and
Broadway. the heart of New York.
where President Wilson and his party
are to be domiciled. great dinner has
been given at the Waldorf-Astoria In
honor of the officers of the fleet At the
the Navy League. with Col X NJ.
Thompson, president, and A. II: DAD
mum, with staff of seven or eight sec
retaries from the Navy Leagues mead
quarters in the Southern building.
Washington. So that on land. as well
as on water, navy is all over New YORK
tonight. for the illuminated ships. biaz-
ing with thousands OF electric lights.
are anchored beneath the skyscrapers.
ten miles in row from way below
2sd street nearly up to Spuyten puyvil.
A Great Optimism.
Beneath all this great picture and
color in the heart of the navy is
great optimism:
Fletcher is bringing the feet up
Officers of the navy have been greatly
worried the past year They have SAID
to themselves: There is not much In
the navy any more" It Is stated to The
Stars correspondent as a fact that
designations have poured into the Navy
Department at Washington during the
last year in the hope that they might
be accepted. 1t Is stated thas many
officers have been thoroughly discour-
aged as to the prospects of the future
of the navy.
But this has now changed.
There cannot be any question but that
the international difficulties with Ger.
many in particular faced by the United
states in case Germany bubbles or
halts or tries to argue In It's possioIe
acceptance of the demands OF the
United States as outlined in President
Wilson's note have had the greatest
possible effect In bringing ABOUT 'hls
change.
wise as to allow himself to be quoted
upon a subject of international poll
nevertheless, realize that there is .
great patriotic reason why their pre-
yious spirit of pessimism should now
give place, and does. to the grea'es'
possible spirit of optimism
Two Encouragements.
In this they have been encouraged
bv two things. First and foremost,
thew have technical reasons. capable
of understanding by the lay mind, FOR
such a change Of spirit. Secondly. the
great reception with which the fieet
has met in New York has confirmed
such a viewpoint.
Since January II the fleet has been
engaged in target practice. with the
| idea of developing system OF pro-
gressive firing. beginning with re-
curing the gunners to earn the money
thew are paid and leading up to more
complicated firing for ships, both night
and day, on to group firing by d.
yisional control Gun pointers have not
only been required to qualify. but cap
tains of ships have been encourages
to show their individual resources IN
such training. i.
concerned. was brought down last year
to a range firing of 1000 yards TINS
has now been pushed to from lo'ooo 70
1900 yards. The fleet has odo been shoot n oao
| ing at targets of from 11.o00 to 1000
Yards, with good percentage OF hits
| "A good percentage OF hits ID the
modest technical phrase.
When the tabulated results OF INC
practice in which the fleet has been
engaged the past three months are
made public at the office OF target prac-
| tice, in the Navy Department annex
building. some results will be SHOWN
which are likely to please the Amerl-
can nuhlic. and II is said to be posi-
HE that they will direct attention 70
the ability of the American gunner 10
concentrate on his target with per-
hans a better result than the gunners
nr any other nation or any other navy
in the whole world have ever been
known to DO 80.
been at times what can.ann. mlgm. % oi eI low
bids for material for the navy. regard
less OF the quality of material: is
sajd that this has been so. in the Dc
lief of some officers; IN .ne case The oi onin.
ion is expressed that some OF the con-
tracts which have been placed Tor
these materials may involve a larger
exnense for repairs in the long run.
the money for which might be used for
the expense of gun practice and drill
At a time like this. when officers OF
the feet say there is possibility that
warships of the United states may be
called upon to convoy AL.erican mer-
chant ships through the submarine war
znnt established by Germany around
Craa, Britain, in case Germany should
decide not to give up her use OF sub
marines, as commerce destroyers. some
idea of the feeling in the Atlantic fleet
toward German naval accomplishments
10 expressed by Atlantic fleet officers TO
the erect that Germany is doing per
fartly magnificent shooting.
THE things the German navy has done
IN this respect are surprising to Amer
;can naval officers. The latter have
been especially surprised by the Ger
mans shooting at long range. 1t is
nointed out that the Germans opened
,lp at $4,000 yards in the naval battle
of chile. Atlantic fleet officers did not
know that the Germans could do that.
w. b