New Britain herald., 1919-07-19
PACIFIC SQUADRON
 BEGINS LONG TRIP
Leaves for Service Along Western Coast Of United States
 J MARKS NEW NAVY EPOCH

Along Pacific Slope Can Sec For
 Themselves the Strength of Amer | lea s Dogs of War"
 1 Old Point Comfort Va, July 19.- 1 The vanguard of the Pacific fleet ! sailed from it's anchorage here at l S:3O o'clock this morning, bound for
 the western coast via the Panama 1 Canal. No unusual ceremonies marked the departure of the six i superdreadnought and 30 destroyers ! and tenders which are leading the 1 way for the 200 naval craft now as- signed to Pacific waters
 | Marks New Epoch The beginning of the voyage marks 1 an epoch in American naval history ; For the first time the fleet has been divided with exact half of it's power assigned to guard the western sea- board. For the first time also the strategic value of the canal is to be fully tested when Admiral Hugh Rod man moves his armada through to Pacific waters. And for the first tinc Americans of the far west are to see with their own eyes the full prompt and power of the navy that has been their pride for years.
 Crowds Wave Farewell. Daybreak brought a colorful sunrise poklng long crimson fingers of light past the capes to wake the ships to the eventual hour. Ashore little groups Of Wet-eyed women, sailors wives or sWeethearts, crowded dockhoId and Vcrandas to wave God-speed.
 At o'clock the bugles called soft ly from the fleet, The hurrying white figures on each wide deck were sud denly still. It was "colors" and as the strains of the distant bands rose and fell on the breeze, af1oat and ashore men in the white of the navy or in army khaki stood rigidly at at tention facing the bridge flags flung from every staff in the gray fleet.
 Destroyers Start or.
 Promptly at. 8:30 a destroyer stole slowly out from it's place in line be- hind the battleships. A donble string of signal flags on the New MeXico where Admiral Rodman's four starred emblem Tapped lazily above the hood ed top of the tall cage mast, showed that the order had been given to be- gin the voyage. The destroyer swung toward the sea tripping smooth down the channel Another followed and then another, spaced at perfect inter- vals. They formed lane toward the sea, drawn up in two columns
 New Mexico Leaves.
 First to leave her anchorage, the flagship New Mexico circled slowly and swung into the water lane be- tween the destroyers.
 On her heels came the Mississippi, looking like a sister ship with long over hanging brow. In order, the Wyoming, Arkansas, New York and Texas steamed down the moving lane, the tenders closed in behind and the whole fleet moved off across the bay to the open.
 Big Boats Guarded. Once at sea, the destroyers will form form 8 triangle about battle ship divisions which will steam in dou- ble column inside this protection at a 12 knot gait. At sea, also, somewhere along the line the great dreadnoughts Idaho and Arizona will join as will the | scout cruiser Birmingham, flagship of { the active Pacific destroyer force Naval Policy Changed. | The sailing of the great fleet today | marks a complete change in naval | policy a change growing out of the l defeat of Germany in the Great war l Not while the German fleet existed l nor while German eyes were leVelled | covetously at the rich and undeveloped l resources of South and Central Amer | ica could American naval strength | have been divided
 1 The composition of the Pacific fleet i tells it own story. The three most 1 modern ships of the Iii . in the navy | the New Mexico, Idaho and |, esssip- l pi, are headed west. The people of | the western coast are to see for the
 first time ships of this type and size.
 Are All Big Boats.
 Not since President Roosevelt sent l have the people of California, Oregon l and Washington seen in their harbors
 a more powerful and modern fightin 2 l craft than the old hero ship Oregon, | long out of date and holding her place
 on the navy list only because of her
 valiant record. Beside the 5000 ton i flagship of the Pacific fleet the Ore | gon will be almost a pigmy; and 1 against even the speed of more than | IT knots which made the old ship
 queen of the navy for years, Rodman's s
 main fleet, his eight big ships, can 1 maintain about 21 knots for hours at
 a time, while his destroyers. can turn
 mp 35.