Show FEET FLEET WILL COME GOME VIA SUEZ CANAL CM CANALI Result May Demand Heavy I Defenses For the Pacific I Coast PRESIDENTS PRESIDENT'S CONFERENCE Will WillBe WillBe Expenditure Wil Be Recommended by Secretary T Taft af I Washington Dec Dee 23 If J If tho the fleet of Admiral Evans E shall be bo ordered to come home from om San Francisco by the eastern eastern east east- em ern route the coast coast defenses of oC tho the Pacific must bo be amplified and ant strength strength-i ened The Oe fleet t of tf Admiral Evans E will wi come home b by the Suez route These are propositions which naval experts think warranted by an Important Import Import- ant conference held hele this morning in tho White House Houge In which there were present Senator Flint and members of or ort t e California delegation and Representative Representative Humphreys of or Washington The general sense of or the tho conference was the need of or as large Jarge a L fleet leet as possible for Pacific ports Later Inthe in inthe inthe the afternoon It I was W va stated that two submarine boats now being constructed construct construct- ed In the Fore River works are to besent bo be sent to San Sn Francisco and thence to the tho East Bast the ultimate destination beIng beIng boIng be- be Ing Ing bay The fact that the President ent discussed the tho subject and allowed Its object ct to become known was not regarded h by naval experts as indicating an emergency emergency eme- eme emer emer- gency genc of oC the near future but neVertheless nevertheless nevertheless never neVer- a showing that an Interesting contingency has to be provided for tor Stead's Ic No naval officer would comment for quotation on the statement of Mr lr Stead to the effect that the tho United States might be be running Itself Into the Ja Ja-anese lions lion's Jaws If Ir the Pa- Pa chIc cle fleet Heet went as a menace Into the tIle I North Pacific By fly some the lions lons jaw was construed construed construed con con- as ns meaning the British lion lon Great Grent Britain being the tho nl ally offensive and defensive of Japan Jaan Most officers however looked upon the expressions of or Mr Stead as aR his personal views and not based eu on an annew any new development de either cither In England or 01 Japan The most moat interesting view of the Presidents President's renewed rene Interest in the Pacific coast was vas that ampie ample ample am am- pie defenses would naturally be n needed if It It I were determined to scull senJ the tile fc fleet t thome home vl vi via the thc Suez canal In that event O the status would b ba precisely the same as before tile the fleet neet left the Atlantic for forthe forthe the Pacific and tid nd tho safety of or the tho Pacific Pa Pa- cle const coast would depend on 01 Its He ml mines n OH mortars and high 1111 power conEt defense n It Is obvious 1 that fE f- f t Ui J l of 01 1 b b.- b. j- j t t nl d nc l tl he pow ow e Uld-op Uld op ra la Ia tta ti hp ho Q kept c cM M 3 tJi ln a position of r W d defense It the Uw r ht fleet wore to o bo be kept on on tile the Pacific station there thoro would b be no l need d for lor extra extra precautionary precaution ury ary measures 6 Mine tae m J r t. t Therefore arguing Inferentially some of or the naval officials said tola today that the tho conference with wib the President meant to a certainty that tho the fleet feet would como come home homo by the Suez route rute and th that t the coast must In th that event vent be lefty left ler In an unassailable condition The war department record shows that the harbor defenses of or San Francisco Pu Puget et sound San Diego San Pedro and certain Inlets whose names are not given were wen surveyed b by experts expert with t the e view of locating tho the proper mine felds fields In the reports which were closed about a month ago the const coast defense authorities held that the S system H tem tern was t No damage was wa an anticipated anticipated an- an In P PUtt Puget get sound and San Sn Francisco Francisco Fancisco Fran Fran- Fan Fan- cisco was regarded el as ns Impregnable So Sotar far tar as the thE naval officers understand tho the proceedings s today In the White WhiteHouse House It is tho the Intention of the President President Prest- Prest dent to urge th the appropriation of or more money mone for the extension of the mines system and for the emplacement of or I more guns The problem of or the te further further fur fur- ther tiler fortification of San Diego has hns been before all aJ boards since tho the time of or the tile Endicott EndIcot board bord It I was admitted Inthe in inthe inthe the war department toda today that It could be made a first class frt class point of defensive character with wih a reasonable expendi expendi- tu ture i-c. i Liberal Appropriation Senator Flint In his talk tola today said that could be well wen expended In this way The first frt specific recommendation of or the additional cost will come from Secretary of ot War Var Taft The budget for coast defense purposes will willbe willbe wil wilbe be about and It I Is plainly the Intention of or the President to ad advise advise ad- ad vise those those specially In Interested ter sted to see seo that the most liberal appropriation shall bo be made Of course a a large lane part of or orthe the tho mule appropriations will wi ge go gt to Manila Manlia Hawaii HawaI and bay and ond to the proper propel equipment of the 32 coast de defenses defenses de- de lenses stationed from rom the mouth of ot the Kennebec Kenn bec river in Maine to Puget sound The Tho coast defense posts according to Colonel Colon l' l John Johnson on Hapgood who has mn made o a 0 study of oC the tho s system under General Murray of tho the artillery corps still sti need men and ane proper roper barracks barracks barracks bar bar- racks in many of or the he coast defense stD stD- sta sta- tons General CrozIer in a r recent cent talk said that tha coast defense guns of or th the tt United States Stares wore were of as ns good a n type as those of an any other nation notion I.- I. |