The sun., 1919-09-02
GLEAYES TAKES HIS
RANK AS ADMIRAL
GObs Cheer and Guns Roar
Salute at Ceremonies in
North River.

A new Admiral was added to the navy
list yesterday morning when former
Vice-Admiral Albert Gleaves hoisted the
four starred blue flag emblematic of the
highest rank in the service at the fore.
top of the dreadnought South Dakota,
and in conformity with orders from the
President assumed command of the Ash.
attic fleet. The new Admiral will leave
Friday aboard his flagship for a two
years. cruise in Asiatic waters.
Yesterdays ceremonies were simple
but impressive. While the officers Of
the South Dakota were gathered on the
quarterback and her crew manned the
rails in long ranks of spotless white, the
orders from the President and the Assist.
ant Secretary of the Navy detaching
Admiral Gleaves from command of the
cruiser and transport force of the Allan
tic fleet and assigning him to his new
command were read. The Admral's flag
was hoisted to the accompaniment OF
cheers from the officers and crews OF
the flagship and the other men of war
lying in the North River while the sec
ondary batteries of the North Dakota
and the other vessels began to bark out
an admirals salute of nineteen guns
At the close of the ceremony jewelled
sword was presented to Admiral Geayes.
1t was the gift of the Tennessee Society
of New York. The Admiral then sent the
following message to Franklin D. Roose-
velt Assistant Secretary of the Navy, in
Washington:
AT 1O:45 A. NJ. this date I broke out
my flag as Admiral and assumed COM
mand of the Asiatc feet"
Admiral Gleaves is the first Admiral
to command the Asiatic feet During
the war against Germany he served as
commander of the cruiser and trans
port force OF the Atlantic fleet, an or
ganization which he built up from the
nucleus of destroyers which he com
manded at the start of hostilities and
which attained high efficiency In spite
of the fact that the great majority OF
the enlisted personnel and large pro-
portion of the officers were recruited
from landsmen. More than one COB
who served aboard the transports and
their convoy of destroyers had never
seen the ocean until he was ordered
aboard ship at some Atlantic port. The
Naval Training Station at Great Lakes,
ILL.,, and other smaller stations through
out the country gave the men a few
weeks rudimentary instruction, and their
seafRring education had to be completed
while they were performing the vital
duties incident to the transfer abroad OF
nearly a million American soldiers
The new commander of the Asiatic
fleet was born in Nashville, Tenn IN
1857, and was graduated from the Naval
Academy In 1877. His commands ahoat
have included the torpedo boat CUSHING
the Dolphin. the Mayhower, the dread
noughts North Dakota and Utah ana
the destroyer fiotilla OF the Atlantic
feet. In his service ashore he has been
In charge OF the torpedo station al New
port, r. l., where he established the first
Government torpedo factory; on special
duty abroad aid to the Assistant SecTe-
tary of the Navy; member of the gen,
eral board; commander of the Naval
station NsErsgansett BAY, and Io...IIsh-
dant of the New York Navy Yard he
is known in the service as a strict as
ciplinarian and is generally regarded az
a specialist in gunnery and torpedo mat
ters. He is also writer of distinction
on naval affairs and is the author OF
life of James Lawrence.
lie married Miss Evalina NJ Heap Of
Washington in 1883. They have Two
the elder formerly Miss Anes
Gleaves, now the wife of Lieut.. T. b.
Van Metre, and the younger Miss LVA'
lima Porter Gleaves.