THE COMMAND OF THE PACIFIC.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 122, 21 May 1909, Page 2

THE COMMAND OF THE PACIFIC.

In the course of an interview which he granted to a newspaper reporter after the return of the United States Atlantic fleet from its round-the-world trip, Rear-Admiral Sperry gave his opinions very freely and forcibly upon the necessity for America possessing a Pacific fleet powerful enough to defy every nation. He strongly deprecated the proposal to divide the present fleet into two portions, one for the Atlantic and one for the Pacific. "With our fleet cut in twain," he said, "Germany could come over and smash the everlasting daylights out of us." He went on to say that America would be a secure and peaceful nation only when her navy exceeded Great Britain's, in numbers, men, guns and ships, and until that time arrived ihe would be in constant danger. In recent years the safety of the western coast had been threatened for the first time, and though Japan was now practically crippled as a naval power, and was fully occupied patching up her ships, certain questions had arisen that might cause friction in the future. "On both the Atlantic and the Pacific," he continued, "it was vitally necessary that America shoald

have fleets—not threatening fleets to steam about with a chip on their shoulder, but commanding fleets, powerful enough to go out and make the others run like scared wolves." Admiral Sperry was greatly impressed by the reception the fleet met with in New Zealand and Australia. "Never in my life," he said, "did I observe so much enthusiasm for a foreign flag," "and," he added, ""if the Unite.d States ever got into trouble west of the 7 Hawaiian group, Australasia would come running along to its aid with the speed of« the iwind." The Admiral wound up with a piece of "characteristic "spread-eagleism." "Our present navy, 3' he said, "isn't1 half, big enough, but with these men who have brought it around the world with me, I think I could take, it, as any other could take it and make an offensive Power feel that the United .States was a Government that had more powder, more shot, and more men to fire them, than were ever created since the dawn of time."