THE PACIFIC CRUISE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 74, 20 December 1907, Page 7

THE PACIFIC CRUISE.

1 ' RETURN BY SUEZ. SI rWEGBAI'H-'-FBESS..- ASSOCIATION"—COPYMGBT.(Rec. Deo. 19, 1015 p.m.) I 'Now. York, December 19., - The United States fleet, under Admiral Evans, when, returning from the Pacific, will come by way-,.pf: ; : Suez.. . Our American correspondent writes:—"When the U.S. Squadron comes lo : the' Pacific Coast and,-makes its,port San Francisco, there will be a flood Of 'money, circulated here. It will bfc : "clear'■'■gainVtoKthe .community,- and worth riiore than dll tho tourist traffic,, great as that is; The' pay., alone of the' officers and men,, numbering nearly .. .10,000, will amount .< to 4,000,000 dcile. . a -year, and the fleet is expected to remain in theso waters for at,least throe years. It is not, unlikely that a certain •amount of fuel and snp'plifs may. comofrom British/Columbia v fthd Australia" ■ Onr correspondent 'also doals with America's maritime limitations,' both as regards men and ship-coristrUction./. Ho' writes' The Chicago ' Inter-Ocean,' .thinks; thiit,because in all ages the.rulors of, the'isea have been the masters of the • world, it is well thW the American people- should cliiig. to their books of the ocean ahtf admire the ideeds iof seamen. All of' which is truai. but;-it must be-somewhat discouraging to' thorn to think of the' impossibility of ? manning their present warships, .with American, seamen, because the present genoration do not take kindly to lifo on tlie ocean wave. It is too slow for them, and the almighty dollar, comes in at' too laggard - a pace to' shit 1 ' tho -'[swift-coursing American blood. Even in peaceful' nautical pursuits on tho Eastern Coast;: it; is said' tho native Americans *aro' soniowhat' scariie. ... Foreigners man;, thfe yachts of ■ the American,' millionaires,' and the glory of th6';Ncw.;England'skipper, whose ! vessel, was;.woritV,to. show, ;h6r stern to the ci'aftof the ■Sydi , ldj':-h6.th forever-departed. The British system of training sailors' will' have to ; bB resorted to,, if , there is ; to bo any . revival, of ah American i.marine , manned by . American, seamon—nnlcs3. tho day is nearer at hand than is generally supposed, wheu tho , industrial conditions become more strenuous than at present,, and'men shall be glad to •turn their na'nds tp anything. Thoro aro forces at. work. inl.tihc United States which do not portend that all is harmony internally, but that tho Republic will endure them there a» few who; Vavfc aiiy'mifegivings.' ', -".There: aro manyi other -lessobs the American Navy Department might : lcam. from , the British; .for;"instance,' they launched, -with'' 'much parade the other day, the ship Chester. ■This is not a warship in the ordinary sense, but is-;intended,, because of hor unusual speed,' ;to act. as a sajutrimd .Screen, for the-fleet., ITor speed in St knots.- On* the day she was' launChed tho British Admiralty committed' to the water- the- fighting ship Inflexible, with a speed of . 125 > knots. If a scout is hot- faster than' ' the . ."enemy's' fighting ships, sho . pould •. be. safe only tmdor the guns or sOme 1 fortifled'. pOrt." Thoy Usually take eight years to ' build -'a l 'battleship in tho United States. :lTho /Nebraska, built at -Pitget Sound yard; a; late addition -to the > fleet, -took seven .i'cars .to complete.- But they do imanage' to' get a ship (Wished in.fivo years when they put on/ a. spurt, but,they, tinker ■ plans so persistently that,• whml,at list a; ship is launched, she is out ,of;'d.ate.'.:The great,.English Dread-' nougnt'.was completed'in-less than tiro years."