Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-12-18
Secretary Daniels Story of Our
Sea TriumphS.
STILL HAS BIG TASK AHEAD
Declares the Men Did the Seemingly
Impossible-Did Not Lose Single
East Bound Troopship-
Armament Powerful

iels couples, in his annual report, an
urgent recommendation for continued
naval expansion to meet the demands
of peace for national and information
al work On the sea.
Through nearly all of the IA print
ed pages the secretary tells in brief
phrases Of the navy's part in the war,
of the doings of the seemingly impos-
stole through team work.
He spoke of the mighty accom-
plishment of transporting 100000
men to France without the loss of an
east-bOund troopship through enemy
action, and he devotes a graphic chap
ter to the marine brigade, which, as
all the world knows, blocked the las
Prussian advance on Paris and start
ed the German retreat that ended with
the war.
This reference to the future con-
cludeS the report:
THE day is not far distant when
the world will witness an end of
competitive building between ma
tons Of mighty weapons of war
In the peace treaty there undOubted-
~ will be incorporated President Will
sons proposal for a reduction of
armament to the lowest point con-
sistent with domestic safety
U. S. to Police Seas.
"Navies will stin be needed as an
international police force to COM
pei compliance with the decree of
an international tribunal which will
be set up to decide differences be-
tween nations. Naval vessels will
have large peace tasks of survey
and discovery and protection in adj
ditiOn to police duty of an interna-
tiOnal as well as of a national char
acter
"Inasmuch as the United States
is the richest of the great nations
and has suffered less in war than
any of the allied powers, it will de-
volve upon this country to make a
contribution to the navy to pre-
serve the peace of the worl d COM
mensurate with its wealth, its COM
merce. its growing and expanding mer-
chant marine and it's leadership In
the council OF free people.
1T is, therefore, our duty now not,
indeed TO enter upon any new and
ambitious navy program, but to go
forward steadily upon the lines of
naval increase to which the country
committed itself by the adoption three
years ago of the first far-reaching ma
val program in the history of the re-
public.
II have recommended to this con-
gress the adoption of another three
year program substantially like the
one authorized in 1915. But the vic
tory of the allies and the United
States should, and will. 1 sincerely
trust, within few years, make it no
longer necessary for any nation under
whip and spur TO burden its taxpay-
erS TO undertake to build, in cOmpeti-
tive construction, bigger fighting ships
and more of them than any other ma
ton can construct"
Plans $50 New Navy Ships.
Mr.. Daniels shows that the new
5000, 100000 three-year building pro-
gram he has proposed will provide
156 additional naval ships, ten of
them dreadnaughts and six battle
cruisers and the others to be in such
distribution of approved types as the
department may deem best.
Taking up his story of the navy
and the war, the secretary declares
the service was ready from stem to
stern" when the United States en-
tered the conflict
Teamwork has been the navy's slo-
gan for five years, and it continued
to be the war motto both at home and
abroad.
The striking success of the navy is
ascribed to this fact by Mr.. Daniels,
who continues:
Apparently there have been times
when a secretary of the navy seemed
TO find friction and lack of co-opera-
ton among the officers around him.
IL that spirit ever existed in the Unit
ed States navy, 1 can state with con-
fidence and pride that there is now no
yestige of ii. and / firmly believe from
my experience, not only during the last
year, but during the last FIVE years
preceding. 1t never will return"
Marines Heroic Record.
Writing with pride of the record of
the marine brigade in France, the Sec
rotary shows That with only 5000 men
of the corps engaged, the casualties
numbered 90 officers and 1881 men
dead, IS officers and 1854 seriously
wounded, while but 81 marines are re-
ported officially as captured by the en-
envy, Illustrating the desperate char.
acter of the fighting in which the bril-
gade participated, and the fact that
Il was always advancing.