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。