of-war’smenaseverlookedthroughaporthole,gameforafightorafrolic,butwithalsoself-respectingandwithsuchasenseofresponsibilitythatinalltheportsinwhichtheylandedtheirconductwasexemplary。Thefleetpracticedincessantlyduringthevoyage,bothwiththegunsandinbattletactics,andcamehomeamuchmoreefficientfightinginstrumentthanwhenitstartedsixteenmonthsbefore。
Thebestmenofcommandrankinourownservicewereconfidentthatthefleetwouldgoroundinsafety,inspiteoftheincredulityofforeigncritics。Eventhey,however,didnotbelievethatitwaswisetosendthetorpedocraftaround。Iaccordinglyacquiescedintheirviews,asitdidnotoccurtometoconsultthelieutenants。Butshortlybeforethefleetstarted,IwentintheGovernmentyachtMayflowertoinspectthetargetpracticeoffProvincetown。Iwasaccompaniedbytwotorpedoboatdestroyers,inchargeofacoupleofnavallieutenants,thoroughgamecocks;andIhadthetwolieutenantsaboardtodineoneevening。Towardstheendofthedinnertheycouldnotrefrainfromaskingifthetorpedoflotillawastogoroundwiththebigships。Itoldthemno,thattheadmiralsandcaptainsdidnotbelievethatthetorpedoboatscouldstandit,andbelievedthattheofficersandcrewsaboardthecockleshellswouldbewornoutbytheconstantpitchingandbouncingandtheeverlastingneedtomakerepairs。Mytwoguestschorusedaneagerassurancethattheboatscouldstandit。Theyassuredmethattheenlistedmenwereevenmoreanxioustogothanweretheofficers,mentioningthatononeoftheirboatsthetermsofenlistmentofmostofthecrewwereout,andthemenwerewaitingtoseewhetherornottoreenlist,astheydidnotcaretodosounlesstheboatsweretogoonthecruise。IansweredthatIwasonlytoogladtoacceptthewordofthemenwhoweretodothejob,andthattheyshouldcertainlygo;andwithinhalfanhourI
sentouttheorderfortheflotillatobegotready。Itwentroundinfineshape,notaboatbeinglaidup。Ifeltthatthefeatreflectedevenmorecredituponthenavythandidthecircumnavigationofthebigships,andIwrotetheflotillacommanderthefollowingletter:
May18,1908。
MydearCaptainCone:
AgreatdealofattentionhasbeenpaidtothefeatofourbattleshipfleetinencirclingSouthAmericaandgettingtoSanFrancisco;anditwouldbehardtoohighlytocomplimenttheofficersandenlistedmenofthatfleetforwhattheyhavedone。
YetifIshoulddrawanydistinctionatallitwouldbeinfavorofyouandyourassociateswhohavetakenoutthetorpedoflotilla。Yourswasanevenmorenotablefeat,andeveryofficerandeveryenlistedmaninthetorpedoboatflotillahastherighttofeelthathehasrendereddistinguishedservicetotheUnitedStatesnavyandthereforetothepeopleoftheUnitedStates;andIwishIcouldthankeachofthempersonally。Willyouhavethisletterreadbythecommandingofficerofeachtorpedoboattohisofficersandcrew?
Sincerelyyours,THEODOREROOSEVELT。
LIEUTENANTCOMMANDERHUTCH。I。CONE,U。S。N。,CommandingSecondTorpedoFlotilla,CarePostmaster,SanFrancisco,Cal。
Therewerevariousamusingfeaturesconnectedwiththetrip。Mostofthewealthypeopleand“leadersofopinion“intheEasterncitieswerepanic-struckattheproposaltotakethefleetawayfromAtlanticwaters。ThegreatNewYorkdailiesissuedfranticappealstoCongresstostopthefleetfromgoing。TheheadoftheSenateCommitteeonNavalAffairsannouncedthatthefleetshouldnotandcouldnotgobecauseCongresswouldrefusetoappropriatethemoney——hebeingfromanEasternseaboardState。However,IannouncedinresponsethatIhadenoughmoneytotakethefleetaroundtothePacificanyhow,thatthefleetwouldcertainlygo,andthatifCongressdidnotchoosetoappropriateenoughmoneytogetthefleetback,why,itwouldstayinthePacific。Therewasnofurtherdifficultyaboutthemoney。
ItwasnotoriginallymyintentionthatthefleetshouldvisitAustralia,buttheAustralianGovernmentsentamostcordialinvitation,whichIgladlyaccepted;forIhave,aseveryAmericanoughttohave,aheartyadmirationfor,andfellowfeelingwith,Australia,andIbelievethatAmericashouldbereadytostandbackofAustraliainanyseriousemergency。ThereceptionaccordedthefleetinAustraliawaswonderful,anditshowedthefundamentalcommunityoffeelingbetweenourselvesandthegreatcommonwealthoftheSouthSeas。Theconsiderate,generous,andopen-handedhospitalitywithwhichtheentireAustralianpeopletreatedourofficersandmencouldnothavebeensurpassedhadtheybeenourowncountrymen。ThefleetfirstvisitedSydney,whichhasasingularlybeautifulharbor。Thedayafterthearrivaloneofourcaptainsnoticedamemberofhiscrewtryingtogotosleeponabenchinthepark。Hehadfixedabovehisheadalargepaperwithsomelinesevidentlydesignedtoforestallanyquestionsfromfriendlywould-behosts:“IamdelightedwiththeAustralianpeople。Ithinkyourharborthefinestintheworld。Iamverytiredandwouldliketogotosleep。”
ThemostnoteworthyincidentofthecruisewasthereceptiongiventoourfleetinJapan。Incourtesyandgoodbreeding,theJapanesecancertainlyteachmuchtothenationsoftheWesternworld。IhadbeenverysurethatthepeopleofJapanwouldunderstandarightwhatthecruisemeant,andwouldacceptthevisitofourfleetasthesignalhonorwhichitwasmeanttobe,aproofofthehighregardandfriendshipIfelt,andwhichIwascertaintheAmericanpeoplefelt,forthegreatIslandEmpire。Theeventevensurpassedmyexpectations。
IcannottoostronglyexpressmyappreciationofthegenerouscourtesytheJapaneseshowedtheofficersandcrewsofourfleet;andImayaddthateverymanofthemcamebackafriendandadmireroftheJapanese。
AdmiralSperrywrotemealetterofmuchinterest,dealingnotonlywiththereceptioninTokyobutwiththeworkofourmenatsea;I
herewithgiveitalmostinfull:
28October,1908。
DearMr。Roosevelt:
MyofficialreportofthevisittoJapangoesforwardinthismail,buttherearecertainaspectsoftheaffairsosuccessfullyconcludedwhichcannotwellbeincludedinthereport。
YouareperhapsawarethatMr。DenisonoftheJapaneseForeignOfficewasoneofmycolleaguesatTheHague,forwhomIhaveaveryhighregard。Desiringtoavoideverypossibilityoftroubleormisunderstanding,IwrotetohimlastJuneexplainingfullythecharacterofourmen,whichtheyhavesowelllivedupto,thedesirabilityofamplelandingplaces,guides,resthousesandplacesforchangingmoneyinorderthattheremightbenodelayingettingthemenawayfromthedocksontheexcursionsinwhichtheydelight。Veryfewofthemgointoadrinkingplace,excepttogetarestingplacenottobefoundelsewhere,payingforitbytakingadrink。
Ialsoexplainedoursystemoflandingwithlibertymenanunarmedpatrol,properlyofficered,toquietlytakeinchargeandsendofftotheirshipsanymenwhoshowedtheslightesttraceofdisorderlyconduct。ThisletterheshowedtotheMinisteroftheNavy,whohighlyapprovedofallourarrangements,includingthepatrol,ofwhichIfearedtheymightbejealous。Mr。Denison’sreplyreachedmeinManila,withamemorandumfromtheMinisteroftheNavywhichremovedalldoubts。Threetemporarypierswerebuiltforourboatlandings,each300feetlong,brilliantlylightedanddecorated。Thesleepingaccommodationsdidnotpermittwoorthreethousandsailorstoremainonshore,buttheamplelandingspermittedthemtobehandlednightanddaywithperfectorderandsafety。
AtthelandingsandrailroadstationinYokohamatherewereresthousesorbooths,reputablemoneychangersandasmanyasathousandEnglish-speakingJapanesecollegestudentsactedasvolunteerguides,besidesJapanesesailorsandpettyofficersdetailedforthepurpose。InTokyotherewereagreatmanyexcellentrefreshmentplaces,wherethemengotexcellentmealsandcouldrest,smoke,andwriteletters,andinnoneoftheseplaceswouldtheyallowthementopayanything,thoughtheyweremorethanreadytodoso。Thearrangementsweremarvelouslyperfect。
AssoonasyourtelegramofOctober18,givingtheaddresstobemadetotheEmperor,wasreceived,IgavecopiesofittoourAmbassadortobesenttotheForeignOffice。ItseemsthattheEmperorhadalreadypreparedaverycordialaddresstobeforwardedthroughmetoyou,afterdeliveryattheaudience,butyourtelegramreversedthesituationandhisreplywasprepared。I
amconvincedthatyourkindandcourteousinitiativeonthisoccasionhelpedcausethepleasantfeelingwhichwassoobviousintheEmperor’sbearingattheluncheonwhichfollowedtheaudience。
X。,whoisreticentandconservative,toldmethatnotonlytheEmperorbutalltheMinisterswereprofoundlygratifiedbythecourseofevents。Iamconfidentthatnoteventhemosttriflingincidenthastakenplacewhichcouldinanywaymarthegeneralsatisfaction,andourAmbassadorhasexpressedtomehisgreatsatisfactionwithallthathastakenplace。
OwingtoheavyweatherencounteredonthepassageupfromManilathefleetwasobligedtotakeabout3500tonsofcoal。
TheYanktonremainedbehindtokeepupcommunicationforafewdays,andyesterdayshetransmittedtheEmperor’stelegramtoyou,whichwassentinreplytoyourmessagethroughourAmbassadorafterthesailingofthefleet。Itmustbeprofoundlygratifyingtoyoutohavethemissiononwhichyousentthefleetterminatesohappily,andIamprofoundlythankfulthat,owingtotheconfidencewhichyoudisplayedingivingmethiscommand,myactivecareerdrawstoaclosewithsuchhonorabledistinction。
Asfortheeffectofthecruiseuponthetraining,disciplineandeffectivenessofthefleet,thegoodcannotbeexaggerated。Itisawargameineverydetail。Thewirelesscommunicationhasbeenmaintainedwithanefficiencyhithertounheardof。BetweenHonoluluandAuckland,3850miles,wewereoutofcommunicationwithacablestationforonlyonenight,whereasthree[non-
American]men-of-wartryingrecentlytomaintainachainofonly1250miles,betweenAucklandandSydney,wereonlyabletodosoforafewhours。
Theofficersandmenassoonasweputtoseaturntotheirgunneryandtacticalworkfarmoreeagerlythantheygotofunctions。Everymorningcertainshipsleavethecolumnandmoveoffsevenoreightthousandyardsastargetsforrangemeasuringfirecontrolandbatterypracticefortheothers,andatnightcertainshipsdothesamethingfornightbatterypractice。Iamsorrytosaythatthispracticeisunsatisfactory,andinsomepointsmisleading,owingtothefactthattheshipsarepaintedwhite。AtPortland,in1903,IsawAdmiralBarker’swhitebattleshipsunderthesearchlightsofthearmyatadistanceof14,000yards,sevenseamiles,withoutglasses,whiletheHartford,ablackship,wasneverdiscoveredatall,thoughshepassedwithinamileandahalf。Ihaveforyears,whileamemberoftheGeneralBoard,advocatedpaintingtheshipswarcoloratalltimes,andbythismailIamaskingtheDepartmenttomakethenecessarychangeintheRegulationsandpainttheshipsproperly。
Idonotknowthatanyonenowdissentsfrommyview。AdmiralWainwrightstronglyconcurs,andtheWarCollegeConferencerecommendedityearafteryearwithoutadissentingvoice。
Intheafternoonsthefleethastwoorthreehours’practiceatbattlemaneuvers,whichexciteaskeeninterestasgunneryexercises。
Thecompetitionincoaleconomygoesonautomaticallyandreactsinahundredways。Ithasreducedthewasteintheuseofelectriclightandwater,andcertainchiefengineersaresaidtokeepmenrangingovertheshipsallnightturningouteverylightnotinactualandimmediateuse。Perhapsthemostimportanteffectisthekeenhuntfordefectsinthemachinerycausingwasteofpower。TheYanktonbyresettingvalvesincreasedherspeedfrom10to111/2
knotsonthesameexpenditure。
Allthishasbeendone,butthefieldiswidening,theworkhasonlybegun。