The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-18
Sec. Daniels Announces
Plans for Distributing
Navy During Peace
WILL CONTEST WITH
EACH OTHER YEARLY
Admiral Wilson to Command in the Pa
cifc ocean and Admiral Rodman in
the Atlantic = Will Also Have an
Asiatic Fleet.

ASiatic Fleet
WASHINGTON, June 1.-Two fleets,
as nearly equal in strength as it is pos
sible to make them, one the Pacific fleet
and the other the Atlantic fleet. with
an Asiatic fleet as the third main division
OF the United States naval forces, will be
the peace-tlme disposition of the navy, ac-
cording to. an announcement made by See
rotary Daniels.
The Pacific fleet will be under com
mand of Admiral Hugh Rodman. the At
lantlc fleet under Admiral Henry B. Will
son, and the Asiatic fleet under Admiral
Albert {. Gleaves. The vice admirals of
the Atlantic and Pacific fleets will be an
nounced next week, but Rear Admiral W.
J.. Rogers, now in command of the Asiatic
fleet, will be the vice admiral of that fleet
President Wilson approved the selec-
ton OF these officers for the rank of adj
miral.
Admiral Benson, chief of operations,
who Is returning from abroad, will arrive
the latter part of the present week Sec
rotary Daniels will take up the plan with
him, and will then give final approval
of the assignment of ships to the two
fleets.
Secretary Daniels stressed the fact that
one of the purposes, possibly the para
mount one, for having these two strong
fleets was to encourage and stimulate to
the highest degree the spirit of COMPETE
ton and keen rivalry between them,
which will be a big factor in keeping the
| whole navy up to the topnotch point in
efficiency.
1T Is planned" he said, that at least
! once a year, and cftener if possible, these
two fleets of practically equal strength
VIII simulate warfare, carrying it out on
a greater scale than ever before. They
will also get together periodically, first
one and then the other visiting the other
ocean"
Admiral Wilson was in command of the
United States naval forces in France. with
his headquarters at Brest, acting under
the general command of Admiral Sims,
who mad command OF the United States
naval forces in European waters In ex.
ercismg this command, Admiral Wilson
was called upon to work out and solve
problems of operations, involving CO. CD.
Grafton with the French naval forces. He
also was charged with the protection Of
conveys OF troops and cargo ships enter.
ing the French ports.
Rear Admiral Rodman was in command
of the division of our battleships which
was assigned as a unit of the British
Grand fleet, and operated with this fleet
IN the North sea. In performing this
/ duty Admiral Rodman and the ships o
his division gained the admiration anG
confidence of Admiral Beattie and the
other commanding officers of the British
iieet, who have spoken in terms Of high
est praise of Admiral Rodman and the
American ships under his command.
! Vice Admiral Gleaves has been in com
mand OF the cruiser and transport force
OF the navy, and had charge of the op
Grafton and protection of the large force
OF naval transports which gained the adj
miration of the world in the successful
transportation Of our army to Europ,
during the war, and the return of troops
to America since the armistice was signed