Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-04-10

TRACTORS pronts o. the several con-
tracts averaged only 29S per cent.
Air Service.
The air service has been called
upon in the past 10 months TO build
an enormous structure of the most
highly trained personnel and the most
intricate equipment with practically
no foundation TO start from.
Three large appropriations, includ-
ing the 500, 100000 act passed without
roll call, made total of S691 900, 600
available for the first year. All of this
has since been obligated.
Last April the air service had an
almost negligible force of 65 officers
and 1.120 men, 3 small flying fields.
less than 800 second-rate planes, prac
tically no aviation industry, and only
the most seanty knowledge of the ka-
leidoscopic development abroad. The
first two months of war were required
10 secure information, establish staff
ard work out the program finally
adopted, The problem was twofold-
first, personnel and. secoud, equip
ment.
Today the personnel is over 100
times that OF year ago. practically
every member q skilled man who has
gone through an intensive course Of
training. Schools of II different
kinds have been instituted. courses
of instruction laid out and instruc-
tors secured. including foreign ex-
l narfS in a cNora of I{naS 90 foItnura
For flyers at ground schools and flying
fields; for mechanics at the flying
fields and at over dozen different
factories; for photographers balloon
lists adjutantS, supply officers, engineer
officers. armorers, and instructors Of
| mechanics.
Development OF Navy.
The development o. the navy during
the first year of wsr has given the
| greatest satisfaction. Its growth and
| achievements during this period may
be epitomized in the following para
graphs:
Strength of the navy today is
nearly p 600 officers and 10000 en-
listed men; strength a year ago was
4,792 officers ard 77,946 enlisted men.
Estimated total expenditures of the
navy during first year of war Dis
| hursements and outstanding obliga-
lions. 81. ISL ,0O0.O 600.
Total naval appropriations, real and
| pending, 1888. III 665.04.
| American destroyers arrived at "a
| British port to assist In patrolling Eu-
| ropean waters IS days after the decla-
ration OF war.
There are now four times as many
vessels in the naval service as a year
ago.
Nearly $1,000 mechanics and other
civilian employees are working at
navy yards and stations.
when war was declared. 123 naval
vessels were building or authorized,
| and contracts have been placed since
| that time for $40 vessels.
More than 700 privately owned yes
sells have been purchased or chartered
! by the navy.
Six new authorized battleShips are
designed TO be Of IL 500 tons, the larg-
est battIeships In the world.
Our 35.000-ton cruisers, IS knots.
viii be the fastest in the world, their
| speed equaling the fastest destroyers.
Prompt repairs of 100 informed Ger
man ships. partially wrecked by their
crews, added more than 100000 tons
to our available naval and merchant
tonnage.
The navy has developed an Ameri-
can mine believed to combine all the
good points of various types of mines,
and is manufacturing them In quaint
ties
During the year the latest type Of
naval 16-inch gun was completed for
our new battleships: IL throws a pro-
jectile weighing 21O0 pounds
Navy has in its possession now a
stock of supplies sufficient for the
average requirements for at least one
year.
Several hundred submarine chasers.
built since the war. have been deilv-
cred to the navy by 81 private con
Germs and six navy yards many Of
/ these boats have crossed rae Atlantic.
| some In severe weather.
Naval training camps hHSe ca
! 2acity OF 10000 in summer. $4,000
/ meh in winter,
Shipping Boards Progr,sa
Up to date congress has authorized
50. O34, OO0.OC9. Of which Sl,l350hD00
has been appropriated for the
I United States Shipping board and
/ Emergency Fleet corporation: IN
March !, $3.50, 2s7 955.37 Of this sam
| had been expended.
| The Emergencg Fleet corpora ron
| had requlstionei March l. 425 steel
vessels and contracted for 100 steel
vessels, making a total Of Lac steel
| ships. Of an aggregate dead weigat
tonnage OF g. .5Gs tons; It had lea
| contracts for 400 wooden vessels, ee-
M