Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-01-04
THE NAVY WAS READY

The Navy was ready When Ine war
began. Like Won Moltke's army in
the Franco-Prussian war, it had only
to go ahead with plans arranged in
advance 1t has not had to change
its organization. 1t had simply in
creased in size in every point, and
gone over the top.
The number of ships in the war
construction program of the Navy is
| 787, including some ships recently
completed. This is considerably more
than twice the total number of ships
| in commission on the day war was
declared on Germany.
In the past year the Navy has ex-
panded from $4,000 enlisted men to
more than 100000, including marines,
reserves and others in service. In
January, 1917, there were 4,500 off
GERS Now there are more than 49,
900.
At the beginning of the year there
were 300 naval vessels of all types
in commission; now there are many
more than a thousand" Ships that
were on the stocks then have been
hurried to complexion. Ships that
were laid up in the navy yards be-
cause there were not men enough to
man them have been reftted and
manned and sent to sea. Scores of
yachts and power boats have been
taken over from private owners to
be set at work searching for subma-
rineS.
In the past 18 months Congress has
appropriated for naval purposes ST.
905, ,410,930. This is more money than
was spent on the navy in the entire
period from 1883 to 1911-the first %
years of the existence of the "New
Navy" And that period includes the
years of rapid naval expansion that
followed upon our war with Spain.
But the Navy has done more in the
past year than merely to expand. 1t
has been engaged day after day for
months in the actual business of ma
val warfare. 1t has sunk submarines
how many the Department is not
telling.
The first American forces to lane
in France for service against the
Germans were units of the nava
aeronautic corps. They were LANDED
at French port early in June.
The Navy has ID times as man,
flying boats as it had at the begin
ming Ol Ill0 year, dIlO oO CliIlCo a
many men in its aircraft forces. l
r has built its own aircraft factory i
+ Philadelphia. Ninety days afte
, ground was broken for the plant, tn
keel of flying boat was being LAID
5 Five private plants are devoting thei
S entire resources to Navy aircraf
s work.
r There never was a war in which
s was so important as it is in the pres
, ent conflict to invent new ways c
fighting-and to keep them secre
, One invention may be worth 2
> dreadnoughts. What our Navy hs
done in this way must be left fo
- time and results to show. But Thoms
70 A. Edison is in Washington, givin
:, his entire time to his country as hes
of the Naval Consulting Board. Ths
fact, to most Americans, will be tt
lE best possible guarantee that tt
yl money voted for the navy is bein
expended not only wisely, but wit
the utmost ingenuity of which HI
IN man nature is capable.
Is A TRIBUTE OF LOVE
FROM THE w. C. T.
In the passing of our sister, MAJ
1 gle Briggs, we have lost a faithf1
us. and loyal member of our Union. Fl
re- many years she was worker in tt
W. c.. T. u and the cause of Ten
est perance was dear to her heart. v
mt, shall miss her presence in our NEE
ter ings. Her words of encouragemel
not not and her many acts of kindness al
me sympathy have endeared her to l
49,, ALL
10y ars We etxend to her children our sil
tiff cere sympathy, and recommend thi
eu- this tribute Of respect to her memol
the be published in the papers of our cit
les, and also recorded in the minutes
of our Union.
ial P. C.. COMMITTEE.