Evening star., 1921-04-29
PRESIDENT RETURNS
FROM SHIP REVIEW
Feeling Great" and Deeply
Impressed With Trip to
Hampton Roads.

President and Mrs HaHding re-
turned to the White House this morn
iIg at 9 o'clock from the review of
the three score of fighting ships of
the Atlantic fleet in Hampton roads
yestertay.- The executive was feel
ing -great." as he expressed it. and
was,.impressed deeply by all he saw
ana thoroughly enjoyed the Journey
on the presidential yacht Mayfiower to
and. from the review.
The ship docked at the navy yard
wharf at 1:20 o'clock this morning.
although. the presidential party did
not come ashore until $50. when the
President and Mrs. Harding were
driven directly to The White iouS.
Less than half an hour later he was
az his desk and entered upon the days
business.
President Harding's review of the
great fleet was brought to close
yesterday afternoon. when in a speech
aboard the flagship Pennsylvania he
praised the Efficiency of the Navy and
gave positive assurance that there
shall be peace only with honor and
that America $ rights shall not be
sacrificed.
Wants Peace With Honor.
You. the Navy are the first lin.
u.
Il wish you might never be called
on to fire gun in war. and be-
Heve that if every government on
earth was impelIed by the same mo-
tives as our own the world would be
at peace for all time. But | would
not want peace without honor. l
would not want peace without the
consciousness that America is doing
right and protecting it's citizenship
in the most efficient way"
The declaration of the new COM
mander- -in-chief of the Army and
Navy brought ringing cheers from
the thousand bronZed officers and the
wall of blue clad enlisted men who
formed Il background against the
guard rails
The President had for his plat
form a hatch directly beneath the
muZzles of the three fourteen-inch
rifles in the superdreadnaught's
after turret. His was d message of
peace. delivered from almost the same
spot Where President Wilson made
his much-discussed war address to
the fleet at nearby Yorktown soon
after the United States entered the
world war.
Persuaded to Make Address.
when he boarded the Pennsylvania
to return the call of Admiral Henry
3. Wilson. the fleet commander. and
receive the officers of the ships as
signed to defend the Atlantic coast.
the President had not expected to
deliver an address. He was persuaded.
however. by the enthusiasm Of the
officers to address them informally.
Il am especially happy to come and
speak to you of America and those
who stand for it's naval defense" he
said. 1T emharra ss.s me to speak
as your comma nder-in chief. ! have
h.,.. lain n6 in
have been doing. following Admiral
Wilson's commands. ! want to tell
you men how deeply Interested and
thoroughly confident America is in
you. / have no thought in my mind
except that / can say with all the
sincerely of my heart that America
will never ask anything of you not
in perfect accord with the best con-
science of the freest people on earth.
but when do ask We will expect
of you the best defense that human
beings can give.
Il am confident that you live and
breathe. the spirit of this republic.
The United States of America does
not want anything on earth that does
not belong 10 it. il does not want any
thing that is not r!2htfully our own
no territory. no payment. no tribute
We do want thar which is righ teously
our own. and. by the elernals. We will
have that
Inspects MayhOwer.
On the way back from Hampton
roads the President inspected the
MaytioW%r from stem to stern. spend
ing some time in the eng ne room and
asking many questions about the de
tails of the vessels operation. He
shook hands with every member of
the crew. and told them all that he
was wei satisfied with his frs: trip
aboard the yaChr and hoped to get
better acquainted with her soon.