The Dermott news., 1918-04-11

highly trained personnel and the most J
intricate equipment with practically
no foundation to start from.
Three large appropriations. includ-
Ing the $3.50, 100000 act passed without
q roll call, made total of 1851. 600. 900
available for the flrst year. All Of this
has since been obligated
Last April the air service had an
almost negligible force of IS officers
and 1.120 men, 8 small flying felH,
less than 400 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 q staff,
and work out the program finally
adopted. The problem was twofold--
first. personnel; and, second. equip
>ment
TODAY the personnel 10 over 100
times that Of a year ago. practically
every member skilled man who has
gone through an intensive course Of
training Schools Of II different
kinds have been instituted courses
of instruction laid out and in
tors secured. including foreig
perts In n score of lines. ~.
Development OF Navy.
The development Of the navy during
the first year or 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 70
nearly 81 900 officers and 10000 en-
listed men strength year ago was
4,192 officers and 1896 enlisted men.
Estimated total expenditures Of the
navy during first year OF war: Dis
bursements and outstanding obliga-
lions. 81 .Ss1 900 900
Total naval appropriations. real and
pending. S3,333 III ,665o4
American destroyers arrived Mt q
British port to assist in patrolling Eu-
ropean waters 2S 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 Mt
navy yards and stations.
When war was declared. 123 naval
vessels were building or authorized.
and contracts have been placed since
that time for ai9 vessels
More than 700 privately owned ves-
sells have been purchased or charterSd
by the navy.
Six new authorized hattleships are
designed To he of IL 800 tons, the lnre-
est tattleships In the world.
our 1900 ton cruisers. 3s knots.
will be The fastest In the world, their
speed equaling the fastest destroyerA
Prompt repairs 81 100 informed Ger
man ships. partially wrecked by their
crews. added more than 100 900 tons
to our available naval aud merchant
tonnage.
The navy has developed an Ameri-
cen mine believed 70 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-inch gun was completed for
our new hattleshIps: II throws pro-
jectile weighing :. 100 pounds.
Navy has In It's possession now .
stock OF supplies sufficient for the
average requirements for ut least one
year
Several hundred submarine chasers.
built since the war have been deilv-
cred 10 the navy by ~ private con-
Germs and six navy Yards; many Of
these boats have crossed the Atlantic.
some In severe weather.
Naval training camps have ca
pacltv Of l0o. 600 In summer. - 40
men I'm winter.
Shipping Boards Progress.
TIP Ia date congress has authorised
81 o34 600 600. OF which 81. 135, 0OO. 900
has been appropriated. for the
United States shipping board and
Emergency Fleet corporation; on
March |. S353.247 .a55.S7 of this sum
had been expended
The Emergency Fleet corporation
had requistioned March l. AS steel
vessels and contracted for 100 steel
vessels making n total OF Las steel
ships. Of an aggregate lightweight
tonnage Of S.I6+ sos tons: II had let
contracts for 400 wooden vessels. AZ.
gregating approximately 1,71S,OO0
lightweight tons: II had repaired and
put In operation 7ss,0oO lightweight
tonnage seized from Germany and
Austria
On March 3 the building progIam
OF the Emergency Fleet corporation
was being carried on In 151 plants.
First Years War Cost
Total estimated expense of tas
United States government In the nrst
year OF war without loans to the
allies. is ST.. O67. 2Ts.e7907.
To help meet this expense. the treas
ury department hoated $6,6l6.532. 800
subscriptions 10 Liberty bonds.
Bonds certificates OF indebtedness