The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-04-12


NO foundation to start from.
Three large appropriations. insaud-
ing the $40 000. 900 act passed without
q roll call. made q total Of ooo1. .000.oo0
available for the flrst year. Al of thAs
has since been obligated.
Last April the air service had n
almost negligible force Of % omeers
and LILO men. 3 small flying nslds.
less than 800 second-rate planes. prac-
tically NO aviation industry. and only
the most scanty knowledge Of the IA
leidoscopic development abroad. 1hs
first two months Of war were required
to secure information, establish stan.
and work out the program finally
adopted. The problem was twofold-
hrst. personnel; and. second. equip
ment
Today the personnel 10 over 100
times that Of Q year ago, practically
every member a 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 instruc-
tors secured. including foreign sx-
perts In a score Of lines.
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 10
nearly q 900 officers and $50, 900 en-
listed men strength q year ago was
4.702 officers and 77.o46 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. $s.sSS. III. .e65.04.
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 a. 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. 123 naval
vessels were building or authorized,
and contracts have been placed since
that time for 949 vessels.
More than TOO privately owned vss-
sells have been purchased or chartered
by the navy.
Six new authorised battisships are
designed to be Of Al, 500 tons, the larg-
est battleships in the world.
Our S5.0O0ton cruisers, IS knots,
will be the fastest in the world. their
speed equalinE the fastest destroyers.
Prompt repairs Of 100 interned Ger
man ships. partially wrecked by their
crews, added more than 100 600 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 IL manufacturing them In quant1-
ties.
During the year the latest type Of
naval 16-inch gun was completed for
our new battleships: II throws . pro-
jectile Weighing 2.100 pounds.
Navy has in its possession now
stock Of supplies sufficient for the
average requirements for at least one
year.
Several hundred submarine chasers,
built since the war, have been deliv-
cred to the navy by 81 private con-
Germs and six navy yards; many Of
these boats have crossed the Atlantic.
some in severe weather.
Naval training camps have q ca
pacity Of 102, 900 In summer, $4,000
men in winter.
Shipping Board's Progress.
Up to date congress has authorized
81. .Os4, 600 600, Of which $1.135, ,OO0, 900
has been appropriated. for the
United States Shipping board and
Emergency Fleet corporation; on
March I, $353. .247, ,955.37 Of this sum
had been expended.
The Emergency Fleet corporation
had requisitioned March 1, 425 steel
vessels and contracted for 72O steel
vessels. making 4 total Of 1.145 steel
ships. Of an aggregate dead-weight
tonnage Of e,1e4.5OS tons; It had let
contracts for 400 wooden vessels. AZ
gregating approximately 1,715.000
dead weight tons 1t had repaired and
put in operation $4,000 dead-weisht
tonnage seized from Germany and
Austria.
On March the building program
Of the Emergency Fleet corporation
was being carried on in ISL plants.
First Years War Cost.
Total estimated expense Of the
United States government In the dfst
year Of war. without loans to the
allies, 10 S12,O67. .278. .07o.O7.
To help meet this expense the treas
ury department hoated $3.50. .532 800
subscriptions to Liberty bonds.
Bonds. certificates Of Indebtedness.
War Savings certificates. and Thrift
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