The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-10-11

nv official per. ro,SI
mission. however. l IA su.e to DIS.
close the magnitude OF some OF the
tasks accomplished.
70 date, the army activity has
been solely In preparation The
navy. however. from the very day
OF the declaration OF war has been.
out on the firing line. first Ia de
fcnRlye coast patrol. then IN man
ming guns on armed linera. next In
the submarine hunt and finally IN
conveying ships and soldiers TO
France.
Patrol Maintained
In home defense constant pa
troll has been maintained OF the
Atlantic coast from Newfoundland
10 Brazil.
Hundreds Of small seagoing
craft had 20 be taken over Tor
this. manned by trained navy
crews and armed
In addition 10 this coast patrol
battieHhip fleet made n visit TO
the Atlantic ports 81 South America.
so cemcnting relations between
the United states and Latin Amer.
lea that brazil took over the patrol
work from Brazil TO Argentine.
Great steel nets have been
placed across the entrances 20 all
important harhors
In foreign service. however. the
navy has shown lie most effective
work
In less than one month after the
declaration OF war a noiilia OF
American dcstroyern reported Mt
an English port ready for instant
duty.
These have since been Increased
BY several additional fiotillas. and
by American warhhlpa 81 other
types. As result there are sew
eral fewer German submarines.
Naval Filters on JOB
In iust two months after the dee
lhration OF war Aflrnt contingent
az United States Naval filters and
hydro acroplancs arrived In France.
In the meantime. tremendous
work has been done In arming and
manning American merchant YES.
sells for soifdefcnse We have to.
DAY guns. and gun crews 81 from
10 10 30 men each on more than
400 merchant ships. their effective
ncss proved In more than dozen
battles with submarines.
Meanwhilc organization 81 n con
voy and transport system for our
oyerpeas armies and their supplies
was ready 10 begin business within
three months after We declared war
Tens OF thousands ~ men
more than wer. In the whole Unit.
ed States army year ago-have
been transported 20 France and
Enrland without tho loss OF sin
gls man by hostile attack.
On the question OF materials. the
whole naval establishment has
been apeeded up and enlarged.
U-Boa, Fleet Built
We needed fast boats OF the
chaser" type for inShore work.
More than 300 are nov under con
s,ruotlon ard many already have
been completed.
The destroyer was found 10 be
tho most efficient arm against sub
marines. Those under way we're
rushed TO completion. and work be-
gun on more than $50 more
With an eve 20 the future. work
was pushed on a U-boat fee, Of
our own
Navy yard equipment has been
doubled and quadrupled.
The nnvy's ordnance factories
have been enlarged and a new pro
jectile plant Is being constructed
AZ Chariestown. W. Va. where an
armor plate plant viii be built
later. ny April our production Of
navy guns and proicctlles will Be
double that Of year ago.
Navy Has cartonmen's
New naval training stations have
been built and old ones enlarged
until the navy has today Is canton.
ments and camps that compare IA
forably in sire with those built for
the army.
These navy canionments will
handle 100. 900 men. This number
IA 10 be increased 10 e.
Every major ship in the fleet
also has become a training ship.
The battleshlp Texas. for instance.
which has n normal complement Of
about 900 men. now has | 800.
And the whole work has gone
along so smoothly. and with so
little friction and racket that
the average American has got
the idea that the navy wasn't
doing much OF anything at ALI
Also. In lts whole program OF de-
velOpment. the navy has been get
ting It's steel. It's coal. its oil at
prices 30 10 100 per cent cheaper
than other government depart.
ments
when steel men and coal barons
tried 10 hold Secretary Daniels up.
he told them just what he'd pay
and then told them II they didn't
want TO produce AT that figure he'd
take over their plants and produce
for them.
They surrendered
In every instance his judgment
on what prices were fair has been
confirmed by the prices later fixed
by the federal trade commission