The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1918-12-19
UNCLE SANS BIG
SEAFICHTINC SHIPS

was operating a total Of 1859 vessels
of descriptions, of which 264 carrying
$4,000 men were actively participating
in the war in European waters.
These figures were disclosed today
in the annual report of Rear Admiral
Griffin, chief of the bureau of steam
engineering. Daily expenditures of the
bureau during the war covered by the
report exceeded $777,OOO.
Admiral Griffin said the regular
navy on the date report consisted of
| go ships supplemented by SO vessels
from the Coast Guard, Lighthouse
Service, Coast and Geodetic Survey
and Fish commission. In addition the
navy was then operating 937 convert
ed merchant craft, yachts and the
like, and the Naval Overseas Trans
port service, consisting of 247 Ship
ping Board and other supply vessels,
| with 112 more about to be commission
ed. Construction under way for the
regular navy at that time included
376 new ships of all kinds and So tugs.
"Since the United States became a
belligerent" the report states, "the
magnitude of the engineering work of
the navy both mechanical and electri-
cal, not only it's actual amount but in
the rapid development of facilities for
| it's execution-has been without paral-
lie for the same period of time in the
history of the worlds navies."
To keep up the fleet aboard, three
repair bases were established in
France, one in Great Britain, one at
Gibraltor and two in the Mediterra-
mean. This were supplemented by six
repair ships which achieved remark
able results in repairing vessels at
sea.
Previous to July /, there were two
devices for submarine detection in
service. One was the Fessenden oscil-
lator, primarily intended for sending
and receiving underwater sign the
other was a device developed by the
General Electric Company. Since then
eight other devices for submarine de-
lection have been developed and
made in quantity, not only for our
own navy, but for the British admiral
ty and the French Ministry of Marine
Modified forms Of these devices have
also been designed for use in protec-
ton of the Atlanta coast of the United
States"
Taking up naval radio development
Admiral Taylor shows that through
the new high power plant at Annapo-
lis and the station built by the navy
in France and nearing completion,
provision had been made which
would have kept the United States
government in touch with it's forces
in Europe constantly even if every
submarine cable had been cut. The
radio communication system has been
extended vastly, "a additional main
stations having been built during the
year.
Striking achievements are noted in
development of radio outfits for naval
aircraft. Communication from machin-
es in flight to shore stations in now
possible at distance of 200 miles,
the report says, while the land station
can communicate with a machine in
air so miles away. Through the radio
telephone, the aircraft can talk to
stations 60 miles away and receive
verbal instructions form station Is
miles distant. Both system have en-
ployed with the coastal patrol main
tanned by aircraft.
Tables annexed to the report show
that the battleship Mississippi, twelve
destroyers, eight of which are &c.
knot boats, and IA submarines had
been delivered prior to the first of
last July At that time destroyers Nos.
70 to S44 inclusive were under con.
struction, all but the first two being
35-knots craft. The chief difficulty to
be overcome in carrying out the huge