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Show Will II ASSEMBLE AT IIIPTOi ROADS International Fleet to Rendezvous Ren-dezvous at Cristobal for Trip Through Canal. FLOTILLA TO DRILL Maneuvers and Target Prac-! Prac-! tice Will Be Held at Guantanamo Bay. WASHINGTON, Jan. 13. Plans for the cruise Qf the Atlantic fleet and visiting foreign war craft to San Francisco in , celebration of the opening of the Panama cinal were announced tonight by Secretary Secre-tary Daniels. The proposed great International Inter-national rendezvous at Hampton Roads I has been abandoned and instead the pro-pramme pro-pramme provides that the ships shall proceed directly to Cristobal, at the eastern east-ern entrance to the canal, to be passed through to the Pacific side at stated intervals. in-tervals. Consent of congress will have to be obtained ob-tained for t!ie change, as the law authorizing author-izing the cruise expressly set forth that the United States should invite the maritime nations of the world to send naval vessels to Hampton Roads for the event. Secretary Daniels said, however, that he had no doubt the necessary legislation legis-lation would be enacted at once. He pointed out that the European war had made Impossible a rendezvous of the international in-ternational character contemplated by congress and that the isthmus would be a more convenient gathering place, both for the American fleet and the few visiting visit-ing vessels that would participate. Only Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Cuba so far have indicated their intention of sending send-ing ships. Date of Passage. The programme has been worked out in the confident belief that passage through the canal will be possible, although al-though Colonel Goethals has given notice that he cannot guarantee it on account of difficulties occasioned by earth slides. February is fixed as the date for the passage of the vanguard of the Atlantic fleet. Other vessels will go through day bv day until March 10, when President Wilson la due to arrive on the battleship battle-ship New York and transfer to the old Oregon for the trip through the canal. The following foreign vessels are expected ex-pected to take part in the celebration incident in-cident to the opening of the Panama canal: Argentina will send the battleship Moreno, firing the flag of Vice Admiral Ad-miral Onofre Betbeder; Cuba will send tbe cruiser Cuba; Portugal will send the cruiser Almirante Rets and the dispatch boat Cinco de Outubro; Spain will send the battleship Espana. Vice Admiral Don Ramon Estrada Catoiva has been appointed by the Spanish government as Its naval representative. rep-resentative. Fleet to Practice. The battleships of the Atlantic fleet and the destroyer flotilla will proceed to Guantanamo and Gtiacanayabo bay on January 17 for extended fleet exercises exer-cises and target practices, seventeen battleships participating in the maneuvers. ma-neuvers. The Georgia, Texas. South Carolina and Minnesota will remain at their home vards undergoing oerhau1 until February ifj. These vesels will proceed to southern v. aters the latter lat-ter part of February. The Texas will remain at. Hampton Roads to escort the president to Panama in the New York; the New York proceeding to Hampton Roads from Cuban waters about February i, prepared to receive the president on March 6- It is Intended that the Washington relieve the Delaware in Mexican waters wa-ters as soon as practicable, and that the Delaware and Rhode Island will join the fleet in Cuban waters. The Rhode Island has been ordered from New Orleans to Norfolk for docking a nd on the completion of docking, about January 22, will proceed to Guantanamo to join the fleet. May Change Plans. The battleships and the destroyers of the active flotilla (about twenty-three) twenty-three) will remain in Cuban waters, carrying on drills and exercises until February 25, and will then proceed to Pajiama. all twenty-one battleships going through the canal to San Francisco. Fran-cisco. The schedule of movements from Guantanamo, February 25, Is in general gen-eral as follows, subject to such changes as may be directed: February 26 Vestal, Yankton, Solace So-lace and tugs arrive at Colon ; proceed pro-ceed to Gatun lake, coal and proceed to Panama. February 2S Fleet flagship, first and second divisions arrive at Colon; proceed to Gatun lake, coal, thence to Panama, arriving March 2 and 3. March 3 Third and fourth divisions arrive Colon and follow first and second sec-ond divisions through canal, arriving at Panama March 5 and 6. March 4-8 Foreign men of war arrive ar-rive Colop and pass through canal, coaling at Gatun lake from colliers. President Starts. March 5 President leaves Hampton Roads on New York ; Texas as escort. es-cort. March S Celtic arrives Colon, coal at Gatun lake and arrives Panama March 10. March 10 New York and Texas arrive ar-rive Colon; proceed to Gatun lake; coal, oil and go to Panama. (President (Presi-dent transfers to the Oi egon and goes through the canal.) March 1 0-12 Functions in canal zone and at Panama. March 12 The Oregon, Olympia, Yankton and Celtic proceed to anchorage off San Francisco. Marcli 1.1 The president, on the New York, accompanied by the Texas and one division of destroyers, steams through the fleet and proceeds to &un Dieyo. The fleet, flotilla and train steam to San Francisco. Foreign For-eign vessels proceed independently. March LM The president, New York, Texas, one division of destroyers and the I'cicii'ic Jleet will arrive at San Francisco. The president steams through the fleet. , No Parade. There can, of course, be no parade of the fh'ct as a whole through the canal. This would result in congest con-gest ion in Colon and in the canal, wit b tiortous delay. The Oregon and Olympia will take part, to be in Colon prior to March 5. titled with coal and ready to proceed. pro-ceed. Besides tbe twenty-one battleships of the Athmtic flet, all vessels of the Atlantic torpedo flotilla, including the Birmingham, I'lxie and Arethusa. will accompany the fleet to San Francisco. Fran-cisco. The reserve torpedo flotilla, Atlantic fleet, will not proceed to yan Francisco. The auxiliaries accompanying accom-panying the ha ttleship fleet will be t he Vestal, Critic, Yunkton, Solace, Sonoma, Ontario, Patnpsco, Patuxent and the colliers Cyclops, Orio, Neptune, Nep-tune, Jupiter and Vulcan. |
