I felt that the feat reflected even more credit upon the navy than did the circumnavigation of the big ships, and I wrote the flotilla commander the following letter: May 18, 1908.
My dear Captain Cone: A great deal of attention has been paid to the feat of our battleship fleet in encircling South America and getting to San Francisco; and it would be hard too highly to compliment the officers and enlisted men of that fleet for what they have done.

Yet if I should draw any distinction at all it would be in favor of you and your associates who have taken out the torpedo flotilla.

Yours was an even more notable feat, and every officer and every enlisted man in the torpedo boat flotilla has the right to feel that he has rendered distinguished service to the United States navy and therefore to the people of the United States; and I wish I could thank each of them personally.

Will you have this letter read by the commanding officer of each torpedo boat to his officers and crew?
Sincerely yours, THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HUTCH.

I.CONE, U.S.N., Commanding Second Torpedo Flotilla, Care Postmaster, San Francisco, Cal.
There were various amusing features connected with the trip.