, 1918-04-11

bhoANo VII IHt BtNtTAI GULL
tracts averaged only 2.9S per cent.
Air Service.
The air service has been called
upon in the past IL months to build
an enormous structure of the most
mighty trained personnel and the most
intricate equipment with practically
no to start from.
Three large appropriations. includ-
Ing the $640, 900, 900 act passed without
a roll call, made a total of 1901. 100000
available for the first year. All of this
has since been obligated.
a April the air service had an
almost negligible force of 65 officers
and 1,120 men, 8 small flying fields,
less thar 300 second-rate planes, prac-
ucaily no aviation industry. and only
the most scanty knowledge of the ka-
ieidoscopic development abroad. The
first two months of war were required
to secure Information, establish a staff,
and work out the program finally
adopted. The problem was twofold-
nrst, personnel: and. second, equip
ment.
Today the personnel is over 100
times that Of a rear ago. practically
every membe 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 ex-
perts In a score Of lines, as follows:
For flyers at ground schools and flying.
helds; for mechanics at the flying
fields and at over a dozen different
factories; for photographers, balloon
lists, adjutants, supply officers, engineer
officers, armorers, and instructors Of
mechanics.
Development Of Navy.
The development Of the navy during
the first year of war 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 21,0O0 officers and 8 5000 en-
listed men; strength a year ago was
4,7e2 officers and 77,946 enlisted men.
Estimated total expenditures of the
navy during first year of war: Dis
and outstanding obliga-
lions, s1,ss1. 900, 900.
Total naval appropriations, real and
pending, s3.333, III, 665.O4.
American destroyers> arrived at a
British port to assist in p~atrolling Eu-
ropean waters % days after the decla-
ration of war;.
There are now four times az many
vessels in the naval service as q year
ago.
Nearly $4,000 mechanics and other
civilian employees are working at
navy yards and stations.
When war was declared, 128 naval
vessels were building or authorized,
and contracts have been placed since
that time for $40 vessels.
More thar TOO privately owned YES
sells have been purchased or chartered
by the navy.
Six new authorized battleships are
designed to be of 1880 tons, the lars-
est battieships in the world.
Our 35.000-ton cruisers, IS knots,
will be the fastest In the world, their
speed equallng the fastest destroyers.
Prompt repairs Of 100 informed Ger
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 quanti-
ties.
During the year the latest type Of
naval 16-lnch gun was completed for
our new battleships; 1t throws a pro-
weighing 2,100 pounds.
Navy has in Its possession now a
stock of supplies sufficient for the
requirements for at least one
year.
Several hundred submarine chasers,
since the war. have been deliv-
cred to the navy by 81 private con
and six navy yards; many Of
these boats have crossed the Atlantic.
In severe weather.
Naval training camps have a Ca
pacity of 100000 in summer. $4,000
men in winter.
Shipping Boards Progress.
Up to date congress has authorized
50, O34,000 900, of which 81, 135, 100000
has been appropriated, for the
States Shipping board and
Emergency Fleet corporation; on
1. 1858, PAT, 955.37 Of this sum
had been expended.
The Emergency Fleet corporation
had .requisitioned March I, 425 steel
and contracted for T20 steel
vessels, making a total of 1,145 steel
of an aggregate lightweight
tonnage of S,184.50S tons; 1t had let
for 400 wooden vessels, az
gregating approximately 1,71o,eo0
tons; IL had repaired and