Posted by John Wilson on August 11, 2006 at 00:26:24 from 202.154.130.146 user hugo.
In Reply to: Re: RN College Dartmouth posted by Allan_Lang on August 10, 2006 at 16:46:00:
The American “Great White Fleet” went round the world in 1907-1909, including Melbourne, Sydney, & Albany (Australia) and Auckland (New Zealand) in 1908.
In Auckland the sailors marched off to see a pantomime “Mother Goose” by J C Williamson (and went to other amusements too, eg dinners and race meetings). Some of the local “wowsers” eg Rev Palmer alleged there was a Bacchanalian orgy with hundreds of drunken men in the streets. Though a report on a melee said that the locals were horrified to see the way American shore patrols laid into some drunken sailors with their batons. The 16 ships totalling 226,500t carried 614 officers and 13,504 men.
America had just defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War, and the cruise was thought to be a show of naval strength for the benefit of Japan. A local entrant in an Auckland competition for a welcoming ode wrote:
But should the cloud of war arise,
And darken the commercial skies,
Is’t selfishness to turn our eyes,
Appealing to America?
To Briton’s heart it would be dear
To find in battle you were near;
We’d show the world there’s naught to fear
Were you with us, America.
In times to come, our isles, mayhap,
May be attacked by Master Jap.
Would you appear like thunder-clap?
We think you would, America.