The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-04-12

Intricate equlpment with practically
no foundation TO start from,
Three large appropriations, lnclud
ing the SG4000O,00O net passed. without
roll call, made Il total of SG9l ,0O0,00u
available for the first year. All of this
has since been obligated.
Last April the air service had an
almost negligible force of Go officers
and 1,l20 men, 3 small dying fields
less than 300 second-rate planes, prac'
tically no aviation industry, and only
the most scanty knowledge OF the ka'
leidoscoplc development abroad. The
first two months Of war We're required
TO secure information, establish a stall
and work out the program finally
adopted. The problem was twofold-
first, personnel; and, second, equip
ment.
Today the personnel Is over Joe
times that of a year ago, practically
every member a skilled man who has
gone through an intensive course OF
training. Schools of IL different
kinds have been instituted, courses
Of instruction laid out, and instruc'
tors secured, including foreign eS
perts in score Of lines.
Development of Navy.
The development of the navy during
the first year OF war has given the
greatest satisfaction. It's growth and
achievements during this period may
be epltomized in the following para
graphs:
Strength of the navy today is
nearly 21.000 officers and 100000 en-
listed men; strength a year ago was
4,T92 officers and 77,946 enlisted men
Estimated total expenditures Of the
navy during first year of war: Dis,
bursements and outstanding obllga-
tions, S1,SS1 100000.
Total naval appropriations, real and
pending $3,333, III ,G6504,
American destroyers arrived Mt n
British port TO assist in patrolllng Eu-
ropean waters 2S days after the decla-
ration of war.
There are now four times as many
vessels In the naval service rs a year
ago.
Nearly 10000 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 949 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 Al 800 tons, the larg-
est battleships in the world.
Our 35,000-ton cruisers, 80 knots,
will be the fastest in the world, their
speed equalinG the fastest dcstroyers.
Prompt repairs Of 100 intcrned 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 Amcri-
can mine believed TO combine all the
good points of various types Of mines,
and is manufacturing them in quanti-
ties.
During the year the latest type Of
naval 1G-inch gun was completed for
our new battleships; it throws Il pro-
jectile weighing 2,1OO 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 deliv-
cred to the navy by 81 private con-
Germs and six navy yards; many Of
these boats have crossed the Atlantic,
some in severe weather.
Naval training camps have ca
pacity Of 1O2, 900 in summer, $4,000
men in winter.
Shipping Boards Progress.
Up to date congress has authorized
S2,O34OO00O0, Of which 81, 1,135,O00,000
has been appropriated, for the
United States Shipping board and
Emergency Fleet corporation; on
March /, S353,247,95537 of this sum
had been expended.
The Emergency Fleet corporation
had requisitioned March l, 425 steel
vessels and contracted for 72O steel
vessels, making a total Of 1,145 steel
ships of an aggregate lightweight
tonnage Of S,16450S tons; it had let
contracts for 400 wooden vessels, ag-
gregating approximately 1,715,OOO
dead-weight tons; It had repaired and
put in operation 7SS,000 dead-weight
tonnage seized from Germany and
Austria.
On March the building program
Of the Emergency Fleet corporation
was being carried on in 151 plants,
First Years War Cost.
Total estimated expense Of the
United States government in the first
year of war, without loans to the
allies, is $12, ,067, ,27S,679.07.
To help meet this expense, the treas
ury department f1oated $6,616,532 300
subscriptions to Liberty bonds.
Bonds, certificates Of Indebtedness,
War Savings certificates, and Thrift
stamps issued by the treasury up to
March II, totaled SS,56O, ,sO2, ,O529e.
The United States government had
loaned to foreign governments asso-
ciated in the war on March II, 1918,
"a, ,436, ,329, $50.
To March - the war risk insur-
ance bureau had issued policies for
total of SO, ,465, ,116,500 to the armed
forces.
~J~~~ON~-o~-~~O~~-~
A large number stepped out; and now