Evening star., 1918-06-03

1
been undergoing the test Of war for
a little more than year.
Our Navv Its record so far is one
:. -. of increasing power, OF
az "ai' developing resourceful-
ness and of cooperative achieve
ments which the American people
may well survey with national pride.
For the very reason that we arc at
war officials OF the Navy Department
are unable to make public many OF
the interesting things that are taking
place from day to day with our sailor
boys, and 1t will only be at the ter
mination Of the war that the public
| will come to a full realization of the
| our Navy.
The spirit Of the Navy of today was
| tersely expressed by q young officer.
the senior in command of our first
fotilla Of destroyers sent abroad to
combat the submarine menace When
asked by the English admiral. upon
the arrival Of the ships in England.
lean officer answered, I'VE are ready
now" This was not the language Of
! boasting. 1t was the prophecy and
pledge ofeur service with those fight
| ing months that have followed the
readiness and fitness of our men and
ships have been tested and established
amid perils more insidious and baf-
fling than those that ever before con-
fronted q nation at war.
The declaration Of war found many
naval dispositions already made in
anticipation of possible DEVELOPMENTS.
No ships had been sent abroad, but
when we began to arm merchant
ships a distinguished officer with a
small staff was on the other side of
the Atlantic available for consulta
ton as to general operations and
| ready to take charge Of any force to
be sent.
The United States soon assumed its
part in the anti-submarine operations
being conducted in the European
waters. On April 16 six destroyers
| were directed tc be prepared for pro-
longed distant service. and they
oath. Since that date other vessels
of various types have been dispatched
from time to time and are rendering
constant and useful service. How
is will be the subject of reports when
victory is celebrated.
The most difficult problems before
the Navy Department since the begin
ming OF the war have grown directly
or indirectly out Of the great expan-
From a force Of $500 officers and
5000 enlisted meh in January, 1917,
the Navy has expanded to $4,000 offi-
GERS and 254.000 enlisted men, includ-
ing regulars. reserves and national
are inevitable. The Navy had 1870
stations of all kinds on January l.,
1917. 1t now has 1853. The number
OF employees at regular navy yards in
the United States has increased from
$4,000 to over 10000. On shore and
afoat. including civilians and sailors.
the naval establishment embraces
At the beginning Of the fiscal year
1917 the monthly expenditures for all
naval purposes were about $4,000, 900;
they are now about $60.000.000.
In war time countries fall back upon
their reserves. Corn is the food re-
serve of Americans
Calling on the "a tried and true
Corn Reserve line: Did it not
colonfsts to win their wars with the
Indians. the people who taught them
not only how to grow this food but
how to- eat 1t? And did not George
w o1uii6 tOH . dTAlSS ukHI our uISL
war for democracy eating "hasty pud-
din" no-cake, samp and all the rest
Of those famous corn meal dishes?
Why not give this veteran American
food a chance in the great war for
democracy?
Officials Of the Department of Agri-
culture say that it is time to call the
corn reserves to the colors. That
duty devolves upon American house,
wives, but the department intends to
office Of corn Investigations, has
taken steps calculated to restore
| meal making on farms SO situated
that satisfactory qualities of corn
| meal at reasonable prices cannot be
had. Where commercial mills are dis
tant it is believed that home grinders,
| owned comparatively IL not individ-
| ually, would furnish a fresh and
wholesome food product and save
transportation costs. Accordingly
sued instructions to its field men.
Among other things the agents are
being told that they should consider
the various ways in which farmers
and communities remotely situated as
regards grinding mills and fresh sup
| plies of good corn meal can prepare
and utilize corn for food. The de-
partment feels that 1t should be able
to give practical directions that would
diminish transportation and the re-
purchasing of corn in the form of
| meal and other corn products at prices
| many times that of the corn from
which they are made. Econ6mic con-
| dttions Will cause considerable sub
| stitution of corn for wheat as food,
making this. the officials feel, the op-
perfume time to demonstrate that by
prompt and proper preparation of new
corn, the substitution causes no sacri-
hces, not even Of palatableness.
| X
* X
The most important work Of the bu-
reau Of education in negro education
| during the past year was
Colored the completion of the re-
| c1. port on colored schools.
0cAooAs. With the publication of this
report. the bureau brought to a close
the first step in a project of increasing
national observation-disclosures educa-
ton Of the colored people Of the United
States.
This report was the result of three
years first-hand study of existing negro
schools in the southern states under
taken by the bureau in cooperation
with the Phelps-S Stokes fund. founda-
ton established by the late Caroline
Phelps-stokes for the improvement OF
the condition Of negroes and other ra-
colored schools may be said to have
transferred the problem of negro educa-
ton from the field of guesswork to that
of science II ia not only the most inn