The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-04-12
highly trained personnel and the most
intricate equipment with practically

AAAsAANe&tS S4hAPhiGAt WIN PAAA~~A~eAAS
| no foundation to start from.
Three large appropriations, includ-
| ing the 10000, 600 act passed without
roll call, made q total OF $691, 600, OO0
available for the first year. All of this
has since been obligated
Last April the air service had an
almost negligible force of 50 officers
and 1,120 men, 8 small flying fields,
less than 300 second-rate planes, prac-
tically no aviation industry, and only
the most scanty knowledge of the ka-
leidoscopic development abroad. The
first two months of war were required
to secure information, establish staff,
and work out the program finally
adopted. The problem was twofold-
first, personnel; and, second, equip
ment.
Today the personnel is over 100
times that of 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 ex'
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 epitomized in the following para
graphs:
Strength of the navy today is
nearly $1,000 officers and 100000 en-
listed men; strength a year ago was
4,792 officers and 77,946 enlisted men.
Estimated total expenditures of the
navy during first year Of war: Dis
bursements and outstanding obliga-
tions, 1881, 100000.
Total naval appropriations. real and
pending, 1888, III. 665.04.
American destroyers arrived at
British port to assist in patrolling Eu-
ropean waters % days after the decla-
ration of war.
There are now four times as many
vessels in the naval service as year
ago.
Nearly $4,000 mechanics and other
civilian employees are working at
navy yards and stations.
When war was declared, 1913 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 1900 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 destroyers. |
Prompt repairs of 100 informed 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 Ameri-
can mine believed to combine all the |
good points Of various types of mines,
and is manufacturing them in quaint |
ties.
During the year the latest type of
naval 16-inch gun was completed for
our new battleships; 1t throws a pro-
jectile weighing 2,10O 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, |
civ, he oil l
cred to the navy by 81 private con-
.erns and six navy yards; many of
hese boats have crossed the Atlantic,
'ome in severe weather.
Naval training camps have a ca
,acity of 100000 in summer, $4,000
men in winter.
Shipping Boards Progress.
Up to date congress has authorized
2. 034 100000, of which 81, 100000
las been appropriated, for the
United States , Shipping board and ,
Fleet corporation; on
farch 1, $3.50, PAT, 955.37 of this sum ,
ad been expended. Il
The Emergency Fleet corporation \
ad requisitioned March 1, 425 steel .
essels and contracted for 720 steel 0
essels, making a total of 1,145 steel b
hips. of an aggregate lightweight il
of 8,164.50S tons; it had let a
for 400 wooden vessels, ag
regating approximately 1,715,000
tons; it had repaired and C
ut in operation 7s8,0OO lightweight 0
image seized from Germany and W
ustria.- p
On March 5 the building program n
the Emergency Fleet corporation
as being carried on in ISL plants.
First Years War Cost. n
Total estimated expense of the f
nited States government in the first j
,ar of war. without loans to the N
lies. is S12067. 27S,6 79.07. 81
To help meet this expense, the treas
v department f1oated S6,616, $50, 800
descriptions to Liberty bonds. d
Bonds. certificates of Indebtedness, Il
ar Savings certificates, and Thrift Dl
amps issued by the treasury up to M
arch u. totaled $500 S02, 052. 90. W
The United States government had
,ned to foreign governments asso-
tied in the war on March r.. 1918. ~
1876, 329, $50. tn
To March II the war risk insur- III
ce bureau had issued policies for q
al of SIC, 465, 500 to- the armed
ICES. m
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