THE AMERICAN FLEET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9322, 24 August 1908, Page 3

THE AMERICAN FLEET.

FELICITOUS MESSAGES. "United Press Association — By .Electric Telegraph — Copyright. (Received August 24, 9.19 a.m.) SYDNEY, August 24. Lord Northcote, tlie Governor-Gene-ral., sent the following message to President Roosevelt on Thursday: — '* AusI tralians, hundreds and thousands of | Avhom are gathered on the shores of Sydney Harbour to welcome the battleship fleet of the United States, at this moment entering the eastern gateway of this continent, unite in cordial greetings to President Roosevelt. The people of the Commonwealth gratefully appreciate. tho generous response to their invitation by the President and citizens of the great Republic, and rejoice in the opportunity afforded by this demonstration of the might of the American naval power to express their sincere admiration for your sailors and their esteem and affection for the country whose glorious flag they hop© to see always floating beside that of their Motherland." President Roosevelt replied: — "I desire to express to the Governor-General and Government, and through them to the entire people of the mighty Commonwealth of Australia, the appreciation which the American people feel for their generous hospitality to the American fleet. The people of this Republic hold in peculiar esteem and admiration the people of Australia, and it is a very real pleasure for me, on behalf of the nation, to accept the generous hospitality proffered by Australia to the fleet on its voyage of peace, for the American Navy is a menace to no Power, but is/ oil the contrary, as we believe, an asset of high importance in securing peace and justice throughout the world." THE GRAND REVIEW. (Received August 24, 10.12 a.m.) SYDNEY, August 24. The weather is fine to-day for the grand' review of the British, American and Commonwealth naval forces, which will subsequently march through the city. A boat race will take place between the crews of the Illinois and the Louisiana, and a very large amount of money depends on the result. Fifteen thousand persons inspected the fleet yesterday. Two sailors of the fleet were drowned, one ,by the capsizing of a boat, and tho other by falling off the wharf. AN INVITATION DECLINED. (Received August 24, 10.22 a.m.) MELBOURNE, August 24. The Political Labour League has declined an invitation to participate in tho reception of the American fleet, considering that- the money could be better spent in relieving the unemployed. RESULTS. OF THE VISIT. (Received August 24, 10.35 a.m.) SYDNEY, August 24. The " Sydney Morning Herald " says that one result of the cruise of the American fleet is sure to he a quickening of the imagination of Australia, or Canada, and of South Africa to a sense of their part in the eea jxnver of the Empire. The " Herald " adds :— t: It would be a shrewd and sound policy, worthy of a great statesman, to contrive that a great British fleet should in a similar way visit the King's dominions beyond the seas, and though from an Imperial aspect such a visit would be fraught with deep meaning, perhaps what would be uppermost in tho minds of the majority is the happy parallelism between America and Australia as Pacific States. In a dim way wo realise what the future of the Pacific must be, that the centre of gravity of thfc world's commerce is moving towards a point within it. and that bound up with this is a manifest destiny of amity and concord beween America and Great Britain."