The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-04-12

building the Panama canal. The con-
tractors profits on the several CON
tracts averaged only 2.9S per cent.
Air Service.
The air service has been called
upon In the past u months to build
an enormous structure of the most
highly trained personnel and the most
intricate equipment with practically
no foundation to start from.
Three large appropriations, includ-
ing the S64O,0000O0 act passed without
roll call, made total of $691, 000,0O0
available for the first year. All Of this
has since been obligated.
Last April the air service had an
almost negligible force of 90 officers
and 1,120 men, small flying fields,
less than 300 second-rate planes prac-
tically no aviation industry, and only
the most scanty knowledge of the ka- +
leldoscopic 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-
/ I'm In Inn n.y.
perts in a score of lines, as follows:
For flyers at ground schools and flying
fields; for mechanics at the flying
fields and at over a dozen different
factories; for photographers, balloon
lists, adjutants, supply officers, engineer
officers, armorers, and instructors of
mechanics.
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 is
nearly 21,000 officers and 100000 en-
listed men; strength year ago was
| 4,792 officers and n ,946 enlisted men.
Estimated total expenditures of the
navy during first year of war: Dis
bursements and outstanding obliga-
lions, 1881 100000.
Total naval appropriations, real and
pending, 1888, III ,665.04.
American destroyers arrived at a
ffSh nrt fn CT In
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, 123 naval
vessels were building or authorized,
and contracts have been placed since
that time for $40 vessels.
More than 700 privately owned ves-
sells have been purchased or chartered
by the navy.
Six new authorized battleships are
designed to be of 41,500 tons, the larg-
est battleships in the world
Our 35,0O0-ton cruisers, 35 knots,
will be the fastest in the world, their
speed equaling the fastest destroyers.
Prompt repairs of 100 interned 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; it throws pro-
jectile weighing 2,100 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,
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 a ca
pacity of 100000 in summer, $4,000
men in winter.
Shipping Boards Progress.
Up to date congress has authorized
! $2,034, 100000, of which $1,135, 900, 900
has been appropriated, for the
United States Shipping board and
Emergency Fleet corporation; on
: March /. 1888, PAT .e55.37 Of this sum
had been expended.
4 The Emergency Fleet corporation
had requisitioned March l. 425 steel
> vessels and contracted for 100 steel
Z vessels making a total OF 1,145 steel
n ships, of an aggregate dead-weight
a tonnage OF s,i84,50S tons; it had LEI
!. contracts FOR 400 wooden vessels, ag
i gregating approximately 1,715,OOC
!. lightweight tons; 1t had repaired and
put in operation 7sS0O0 dead-weight