The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1915-02-05

coxnagOeO 81 FLETCHER


on Guantanamo. on the North coast Of
Cuba. for . month Of the hardest kind
of drilling. II will be great spectacle
for the few civilians who will see Il,
but for the more than one thousand
officers and $4,000 enlisted men II
means work. unceasing labor. TO At the
American navy for battle.
Yet every Jack Tar 10 glad he ID
there. Great fascination surrounds the
Insneuvers. 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 wiswag just ~ i'm
plicitly and readily as a squadron Of
well-drilied cavalry.
The nring Of the great guns 10 fun
for ofFicer and man. too. Target prac'
tice 10 great game. Every nerve Il
strained to make the enormous rifea
do their best. and hot rivalry 10 exhib.
Tied by the gun crews. Business ID
pleasure when the heart 10 In Il.
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 u
not the greatest We should have the
best navy In the world
II the navy up to scratch?
This 10 the question the maneuvers
may solve and 1t the same time do
great deal toward making II possible
to answer In the Affirmative. The navy
needs maneuvers. just ~ IN army
needs drills. A feet viii be awkward
in forming In battle line In time Of
war n the superior officers have not
performed all the evolutions often In
time Of peace.
Much praetieins Necessary.
Partly due to the use Of the big
ships on the coast Of Mexico, the
maneuvers have been neglected This
10 the nrst time In three years that the
entire feet viii be assembled for bat.
tie practice. Three years means =
long while when one considers how
fast the art Of naval warfare 10 de-
vcloping. Just to mention one item:
Naval guns OF ll-inch caliber were car
rled on no ship In the world three
years ago. Now the Texas and the
New York carry these mammoth
rincs. snd II h currently reported
that Great Britain's new Queen Eliza.
beth class. now building. viii have Is.
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. Il 10 easy to see that
the United States must do \ lot Of
practicins eveA TO approximate the de-
gree Of efficiency to which the lighting
navies Of the world are arriving.
The Guantanamo maneuvess viii be
the most extensive target and feet
practice the American navy has ever
gone through. They viii last through
the greater part Of the month. and
will be followed By the Panama canal
opening exercises. which may involve
some mansuvcrs OF value. too
The armored feet THE biggest
shipsD will be In four divisions Of ~
vessels. Ten viii b Of the so-called
"dresdnsught" 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 b. pres
ent
Never before did the feet contain
practically two complete divisions Of
the dreadnausht class. The FIRST divi.
sion consists Of drcadnaughts OF the
most powerful type and the second
division b made up Of these powerful
vessels except one battleship.
In addition TO the battlsships, ave
Of the seven divisions OF torpedo.
boat destroyers viii have Q part In
the exercises. This means 81 more
craft. There Will BE- ten AlxiliAriss
and the scout cruiser Birmingham.
which 10 tho flagship Of tho torpedo
notiiia.
Directs tos Vessels.
This DOES not mean that ell the
vessels under Admiral Flstchsr's CON.
mAnd viii b. at Guantanamo. There
viii be missing all the submarines.
% well - al the smaller cruisers
and gunboats and two divisions Of the
destroyer notilla. Admiral Fletcher
Directs i05 vsssels. OF which IS will
be n Guantanamo
Il wAs figured BY naval oe,csr
here Inst The i3inch guns Of the beet
caA ers . brosdslde Of ioS.So0 peun1s
anl ne llIash guns brtns this W 10
tSs.4ee DcunAs Thsss are ~ u.
- guns = ~ ssessasiss1 assa.
"a q vbtsA ~ plaes1 % thas thsy
- - oes1 = . sla0is beea1sl1s
- No. ysss - ~ rssss -