ARRIVAL TO-DAY.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18457, 11 August 1925, Page 6

ARRIVAL TO-DAY.

Arrangements for a Hearty Welcome. OFF LYTTELTON HEADS AT 9.30 A.M. The light cruiser Omaha, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Schofield, and thirteen destroyers of the United States Navy, will reach the entrance to Lyttelton Harbour at 9.30 - this morning. This torpedo-boat division forms part of the American armada which has come on a long cruise across the Pacific, having halted on the way to test the defences of the Hawaiian Group. A radio message has been received from the Omaha by Mr H. P. Bridge, American Consular Agent, to the effect . that that vessel and 13 destroyers will arrive at the entrance to Lyttelton Harbour at 9.30 a.m. to-day. The Omaha will enter first, followed by the Litchfield. The Altair and Chase \s#ll probably arrive to-morrow. The message bore the name of Rear-Admiral Schofield. Six aeroplanes from t the Wigram aerodrome will go out to meet the vessels this morning when they arrive off God- », ley Head, and provided that the weather is favourable, will circle above them, for about half an hour before returning to the ' drome.» . The Lyttelton Squadron will comprise:— Tons. Officers. Men. Omaha (flagship) 7500 49 525 Altair (tender ship) . 33 535 Fourteen destroyers, each eight officers ■ H2 1610 Total .. ..'".. .. . 194 2670

ately the train arrives. The dredge will leave No. 3 wharf. From the Lyttelton-Sumner road and from other liillside positions the general public will have a good view of the squadron coming upi the harbour. From near the wharves the berthing operations may be witnessed in detail. Official Calls. When the ships are berthed various , official calls will be made on the Admiral. The American Consular agent at Christchurch (Mr H. P. Bridge) will go out in "the tug—otherwise reserved for the pilot staff only. When the flagship is at the wharf the chairman of the Harbour Board, Mr W. J. Walter, will pay his call, and he will be followed by Mr F. B. Sutton, Mayor of Lyttelton. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr J. K. Archer) will then go aboard, and he will be followed by Colonel Commandant R. Young, O.C. Southern Command. Rear-Admiral Schofield will return the calls durinothe day. ° Salutes. ; No salutes will be tendered to the American Fleet when it arrives at Lyttelton, as Lyttelton is not. a fortified port. When Colonel-Commandant loung pays his official call on the Rear-Admiral on board the Omaha, he will be accompanied by a guard of h °n° llr from the First Canterburv Battalion. The Consular agent is entitled to a courtesy salute of five guns. .When the Admiral arrives ashore at Lyttelton a detachment from the first Canterbury Regiment will accord him a general salute and the land of the regiment will play 'The StarSpangled Banner." The leave men ' and officers will aTT A Ve •» J Chr l stch «™fc later in the day and will be free to participate in the entertainments provided for them. The full programme is set out below. Civic Reception. A civic reception to the Admiral and senior officers will be held in the CitZ Council Chamber, starting at 730 ?£ Formal invitations have been J™"," only to the Admiral and officers tS members of the City Council and fluX wives and the members of the Iw Executive committee. et f n o o » er^- ae the *««*«<» will T,e open to all citizens who care to attend. The seating capacity of the Chamber i a a „ proximately 350. a P" Billeting and Guides. . The local branch of the YMPi working in conjunction with the Biiw' xng Committee, will provide accom ffioda tion for 500 men nightly at the Boy? High School, Worcester street. 7 Over one hundred Y.M C A «, Class .membera have beenT listed m an honorary patrol who will supplement the work of the enonT™ bureau, by befriending sailors, £7 mg them round the city, and at £2l directing them to the billeting cent™ An unambitious motor patrol ha* Ji been arranged. The "friendly pJiX" wjH be stationed at Lyttelton, at A« Christchurch railway station in +£ Square, and at the Y.M.C.A. building 6

Berthing Arrangements. The Omaha, which will be Rear-Ad-miral iSchofield's flagship, is 555 ft in length, 55ffc beam, and its -draught is 19ft. The berthing plan is as follows: The light cruiser Omaha (flagship) at west side of No. 3 wharf; the tender ' Altaire, east side of No. 3 wharf. Four destroyers at east side of No. 2 wharf. Four destroyers at No. 1 breastwork (near Harbour Board's No. 5 shed). Six destroyers at the Gladstone Pier (three abreast). The Harbour, Board authorities suggested that the flagship Omaha should berth first, to permit of official calls being made immediately after berthing, and Admiral Schofield agreed. All the ships will be kept at the eastern end of the Inner Harbour, the ferry steamer intervening, thus leaving the western end of the waterfront for the ordinary working of the nort. Each vessel will ; be piloted in by members of the Harbour Board pilot staff, the i whole of the arrangements being in charge of the Harbourmaster, Captain T. M. Hunter. The actual berthing oft so large a number will occupy several hours. Safety of the Public. With regard to the six destroyers to be berthed at the landward end of Gladstone Pier, there is some doubt as to whether the Harbour Board will permit the public to have access to them. The Gladstone Pier is under reconstruction and the decking where the destrovers are to lie has been only partially completed. It is considered that the admission of large crowds to this part might prove dangerous. Members of the public will not 'be allowed on any of the wharves whilst the ships are being berthed, the only exception being that the children of the Lyttelton schools, in. charge of the teachers, -will take up a position in the middle of No. 3 wharf to give a suitable demonstration of welcome. Only members of the Harbourmaster's staff will be allowed on the tug Lyttelton. The tug will meet the fleet at the Heads, at 9.30 a.m., where the pilots will board the first three ships. As each ship is berthed the pilot will be taken out again to board the next ship; the destroyers by this time should bo well up the Harbour. The inner line of the destroyers will be berthed first, giving them time to make fast and get fenders out, and the berthing of the outer line will then commence. Harbour Board's Party. Arrangements have been made by the Lyttelton Harbour Board; with the Railway Department to run a train to Lyttelton this morning to convey ths guests of the Board and the general public, a3 far as the accommodation of the train will allow, to the port in time to see the arrival of the Fleet. The train will leave Christehurch at 8.30, and the Board's guests will embark on the dredge Canterbury immedi-

AT THE HEADS. THE TUG'S PROGRAMME. At 8.30 o'clock this morning the Harbour Board's tug will go out to the Heads to meet the flagship and the other vessels of the portion of the Fleet visiting Lyttelton. Only Messrs C II Clibborn (assistant secretary ot the Harbour Board), H. P. Bridge (Consular Agent for the U.S.A. in Christchurch), a representative of Colonel U. Young (O.C. Southern Command), and the Health Officer will go out on the tug to the Heads. Mr Clibborn -rill arrange with Rear-Admiral Schofield, or his secretary, regarding the official visit to be paid by the members of the Board to Kea'r-Admiral Schofield. On returning from the flagship, Mr Clibborn will board the dredge Cantorbury, and communicate the arrangement's made to the members of the Board. From the time that the tug goes out to the Heads until all the vessels are berthed she will be engaged giving towage service to the vessels as they arrive. The harbourmaster and other officer's of the Board will be conveyed to the other vessels .of the Fleet by launches. PROGRAMME STANDS. FINE WEATHER HOPED FOR. The American Fleet Entertainment Committee deckled yesterday that the arrangements for the visit should stand $ as there was a N fair chance of fine weather to-day. The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) explained that he thought it best to summon the members of the committee in order to consider the position, and, if necessary, make preparations for some alternative form, of entertainment if : the races should be put off-. ; Mr H. IS. S. Kyle expressed the j opinion that there was no chance of I the races at Ricrarton being put off. ; Tho effect of postponing the trots till j Monday next wouM really be to give | the men of the Fleet an extra. day's j racing. i Mr W. E. Leadley said the picture : shows would admit the men free to j their afternoon sessions. With regard | to the extra day's trotting on Monday j next, he pointed out that arrangements i had been, made for the Otira excursion | on that day. It .was a question : whether that should be altered or j whether the should J be adhered to. . • • j It was decided to adhere to the pro- i gramme as already drawn up. ■ "Enough of Arms." i Mr Leadley reported that,, with re- ■ gard to the ceremonial march, Mr His- ■ lop had intimated that there was no : i objection to the men carrying arms. It . • was' solely a matter in tho discretion ■ of the admiral.in charge. E Mr W. Machin: I hope you will not jj , press it. I think we have seen enough jj of arms in the last few years. U'e : are not entertaining the men as a Z military unit but as representatives of • America. * The Mayor: The only thing is it ; makes the march mere spectacular if 2 they have their arms. ; Mr Machin: We should not go put 2 ■ of our way to press for arms. 2 1 Mr Dougall: Without the arms you i might as well have no procession at 2 all. £ The matter was not, further dLs- E cussed. ' 2 SCHOOL CHILDREN. [ MAY SEE SHIPS ON THURSDAY, jj School children will visit the ships ■ on Thursday afternoon. Teachers will E require to apply to the Railway Depart- 2 ment for the approximate number of E tickets required. Ilie&e will be sold 2 by committees and teachers, and ac- E counted for to tho Railway subse- 5 quently, , ' 5 Trains, will run as follows : —Leave 2 Christchurch: 1 p.m., 1.25 p.m., 2 E p.m. 'Arrive Lyttelton: 1.15 p.m., 1.40 ■ p.m., 2.15 p.m. Leave Lyttelton: 2.45 5 p.m., 3.10 p.m., 3.49 p.m. S School trains.will pull up opposite E Gladstone Pier acd the children there » drafted to the different ships; Teachers £ are requested to watch the newspapers i for information as to the trains by 2 which their schools will travel and for S other details as to airangements at r Lyttelton. 5 The railway fares will be:—Children S under 15, sd; committees, teachers and 2 other adults m charge of the children, s Bd. . ' =j MORE POLICEMEN. | TO CONTROL CROWDS. | The City Police Force has been Sj strengthened by men from country dis- S tricts and from the West Coast for = National Week. 5 On Thursday, when the ceremonial Ej march takes place, a force of over fifty jj: constables will be engaged controlling = the crowds. Each evening a detail of ~ police Will be on duty regulating traffic « at the various place.s where Fleet enter- ( = tainments are being held. . s; The miblic will not be admitted to S Armagh street between Roileston s avenue and the bridge on Thursday, «S as this site will be occupied by tho S school children. •» THE NAVAL PATROL. | While the members of tho Fleet are S here the Naval Patrol will consist of s nine officers and 30' men. Arrange- ~ menta are being made through the 22 Y.M.C.A. to have the patrol billeted 22 at the Barracks. S