The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1921-05-20
MIGHTY j. S.ELEET
IN FAR EAST
Four Dreadnoughts, Five Cruis-
ers and Thirty Destroyers to
Constitute Asiatic Division.
EW NAVAL ACTIVITY.
Array Is Biggest Since Spanish War.
Florida to Sail Soon as Flagship.
Utah, North Dakota, Della
ware Also.

Washington.-Conc Of q
real fleet in Asiatic waters is to be
the next move by the American Navy
Department, it became known. This
outpost of the United States navy
the guardian of the Philippine Islands
and defender Of the open door policy
in the Far East-which heretofore has
been nothing stronger than cruisers of
almost obsolete design, is to be aug
mented by an entire division of first
line dreadnoughts, and will have thirty
sometimes eighteen that have been as
signed to it in the past.
This new evidence Of a naval ac-
tivity, plans for which have been au-
thOrized, although the sailing orders
have not been actually issued, marks
the first big change in the greater nav
al policy of the Harding administra-
tiOn. 1t means that the United States
government will have a stronger nav
al force in numbers in Asiatic waters
than at any time since the Spanish
American war and fighting unit up
to the efficiency of that sent to the
former Spanish islands in 1898.
The first move in this new scheme
of naval defense will be the dispatch
Of the dreadnought Florida to the Ash
attic feet to serve as the flagship of
Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss, who is
now using the cruiser Huron. The de-
partment program, however, does not
stop there, but includes later orders
which will send the Utah, the Della
ware and the North Dakota to the
same waters. This means that the en-
tire fifth division of the Atlantic fleet
and one-fourth of the first line dread
noughts of the navy will be assembled
within easy steaming distance of the
Philippine Islands.
Until recently there were in Asiatic
waters two divisions of destroyers,
composed of six vessels each. The
breaking up of the Adriattc squadron,
which was kept in close proximity to
Fiume for more than year, released
three more divisions. Division 35, six
vessels strong, already is subject to
Admiral Strauss commands and Di-
visions 81 and 40, adding twelve more
vessels, have been ordered to report
to him.
This action by the Navy Department
is regarded as a long step in the direc-
ton of concentrating the fleet in the
Pacific.
The Pacific fleet as it stands today
includes twelve dreadnoughts, three
cruisers and more than fifty Destroy
ers. 1t would have to work in con-
junction with the Asiatic fleet, and the
combined power of the Pacific and Ash
attic forces would be virtually as great
as any that this country has ever put
to sea as a unit 1t would be headed
by the latest naval fighting machine,
the Tennessee, which will go to the
Pacific very shortly, and in few
months it will be augmented by the
California, rapidly being made ready
for commission.
The detailed makeup of the Asiatic
fleet, when all additions have been
made, will be:
Dreadnoughts-(4 Florida, Utah,
Delaware, North Dakota.
Cruisers-(5) Huron, New Or
leans, Albany, Helena, Pampanga.
Mine detachment-Five vessels.
Destroyers-(3O): Divisions 13, q,
26, So, 40.
Submarines-Q2): Divisions Il,
49,
Submarine tenders-Two.
. Auxiliary vesselsVFourteen.