The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1917-03-21
Uncle Sam Chary About TeUno
People Where His Fight
ing Vessels Are.
PRESENT STRENGTH Of NAVY
There Are $50 Vessels Of All Kinds
Fit for Service and So Vessels Of
Different Glasses Under construe-
tion-Recruiting for Navy.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK,

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK,
washington Correspondent of Western
Newspaper Union.)
WaShingtOn.-Uncle Sam makes no
secret of the number and the kind OF
ships which he has for the protection
of his possessions. Just now, however.
Uncle Sam is chary about telling
people where his ships are. The word
concerning their whereabouts might be
heard by someone who would know
what to do with the information"
Within two years. and possibly I'M
der the spur of need, the United States
government will have a good many
more men of war of various degrees OF
offensive and defensive strength than
1T has today. Next years naval apprO-
priation bill probably will make pro-
vision for a total expenditure of $685.
100000.
Today there are 359 vessels Of all
in behalf of the colOrs which they
carry. In addition to these there are
50 vessels of different classes under
present construction. To these must
be added 63 ships authorized and for
which appropriations have been made.
Then again must be added the shops
for which congress made provision in
the last hours of the present session.
There are II battleShips of the first
class now in commission, and five are
under construction, while the building
Of four more already has been author
lied. Nowadays they call these first
class battleShips. .'battleShipS, single
caliber." The second-class battleships
are called "battleships, mixed caliber.
OF these latter there are % fit for serv-
ice.
Is Guarded Secret.
In a general way the public knows
that SO many of our battleships are in
the Atlantic and that so many of them
are in the Pacific. No one today, how
ever. is allowed to say definitely, ever
if he knows, just where the Atlantic
feet is sailing or harboring. 1t can bt
said, because the Information is public
matter. that good many of our bat
tleshipS of the second class are in har
hors along the Atlantic coast. wher
they are being made ready for possibl
hard service.
Today there are no battle cruisers O
the kind possessed by both the Births
and the German navy. carried on GU
list of active service ships. Four battl
cruisers, however. already have bee
authorized. and the money has bee
appropriated for their construction
The time when they will be ready 70
cruising has not been disclosed. Q
. other ships of all classes the Unite
, States has today in the service or 500
| to be ready for the service these YES
sells: Armored cruisers. 9: firSt-claS
: cruisers. +: Second-class cruisers. 8
| third-claSS cruisers. IS: monitors.
: tiestroyers, 10; coast torpedo vessel:
: IS: torpedo boats. II: submarine:
lO5; tenders to torpedo vessels. 8; gur
/ boats. %; transports, >; supply ships
:: hospital ships. ,; fuel ships. %
), converted yachts, Il; tugs. 70: specif
type vessels. 8: and vessels unservic,
able for war purposes, 20.
!. To these must be added the ship
provided for in the present naval al
preparation bill Battleships, 3; bait
cruisers. 3 destroyers, Is; deStroyt
! tender. 1; submarines, IS: submarir
tender. /.
4 The Navy League of the Unite
= States furnishes the following info
nation concerning recruiting for Il
navy:
IN the summer Of 1916 there we
$1,000 enlisted men in the navy Co
greSs then authorized an increase !,
70 1886 But despite the efforts
he department and its officers. the g
y listed force is now only $500
4 2io0o short of even our peace-tir
!, complement Not only i the AtlanI
10 feet short Of saamen hut the Is battl
n ships in the reserve force Of our ca:
x ern coa>t have only about - per &c
. Of their needed crews.
II Completes for Men.
> SIN recruiting the navy completes f
men against Industrial concerns a
civil employment. where high wag
= now prevail. Further. men in civil Ii
10 not know the navy. and shun it
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