Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1917-03-23
PREPARE FOR WAR
WITH GERMANY
PRESIDENT AUTHORIZES ExPENp-
ITuRE OF MILLIONS TO SPEED
UP NAVAL CONSTRUCTION.
Sixty New Submarines to be compIet-
ed In Next Sixty Days, Private
Builders Having Agreed to
Rush Work at Top Speed.

Observation-Disclosures for ag.
gressive action by the navy against
the German submarine menace has be-
gun at the direction of President VIII
son.
The president on March 10, author
ICED the expenditure of the $115,000,-
900 emergency fund provided by con-
gress to speed up naval construction
and pay for special additional war
craft and the suspension OF the
eight-hour law in plants engaged on
navy work.
Immediately afterward Secretary
Daniels ordered the New York navy
yard to begin building sixty submar-
inc chasers of the 110-foot type, to be
completed in from sixty to eighty
days.
With the presidents approval, the
secretary also ordered the graduation
of the first and second classes at the
naval academy. The first class will
go out March 20, releasing 172 junior
officers to fill existing vacancies, and
the second in September, furnishing
202 more, full year before they
otherwise would be available.
While the energies of the navy
will be concentrated for the present
on efforts to get into commission craft
designed particularly to destroy sub.
marines and guard the coast, warship
building generally will be speeded up
under the recent agreement with pri-
vate builders and with the funds now
made available.
The announcements of the depart
ment followed an hours conference
between Secretary Daniels and the
president, who walked over from the
White House to the state, war and
navy building for the purpose.
Engines for the "chasers," to be
turned out by the New York plant,
will be bought from private manu-
facturers, in time to have them in
stalled promptly upon completion of
the bulls. Bids for 200 or more addi-
tional craft of the same type, coast
patrol boats" as they are designated,
will be opened at once. Mr.. Daniels
has called upon the entire small
boat industry to submit figures as to
the number that could be turned out
at high speed. He plans to monopol
ize the market with government or
ders.
A large number of privately owned
motor craft available for navy use
may be drawn upon at any time. Re
tired naval officers have been at work
along the entire Atlantic coast sur
veying boats for a month. Contracts
have been made for their purchase
and a telegraphic order will make
them government property owe
night.
Volunteer crews for the boats have
been enrolled among yachtsmen and
others along the coasts. Commanders
of naval districts are ready to begin
patrol work with virtually no delay.
Navy officials estimate that within
four months 1000 patrols and chasers
will be ready for action. 1t is planned
to assemble the volunteers within 9
few days to begin actual operations al
matter of training, pending orders
from the president for complete mob
ilization of the navy.
In this connection officials say II 1!
| planned to establish submarine-proo
patrol off the American coast. Since
| the visit of the German submarine
| U-53. to Newport last summer. 1t 1,
believed necessary to provide for pro
lection Of American harbors in thu
event Of war.
The enlisted personnel Of the nav!
is being recruited rapidly at present
total of $4,000 men being attained a
present Congress has authorized I
total strength of $4,000 and given thu
president authority to increase that t
$1,000 In emergency. That power will
not be exercised, however, until
strength of 10000 has been reached.
On the surface, the war department
is taking no steps toward making
ready for war The facts are, however
that very complete plans for remot
ilization of the guard have been pre-
pared and that provision has beef
made to obtain promptly enough ad
ditional officers to organize fore
of 100000 volunteers. No move t
call out such an army can be made
however. without congressional al
thorization.