The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-12-09


demands Of peace for national and inter
NATIONAL work on tho sea.
Through nearly all Of IA printed
pages the secretary tells in brief phrases
Of the ravy's part in the war. Of the
doing Of tho seemingly impossible
through teamwork. He speaks Of tho
might accomplishment Of transporting
two million men to France. without tho
loss Of an castbound troop ship through
enemy action. and hc dcvotes A graphic
chapter to tho marine brigade. which. as
all the world knows, blocked the last
Prussian advance on Paris. and started
tho German retreat that ended with tho
war
This reference to the future concludes
the report:
The day is not far distant when the
world will witness an end Of competitive
building between nations OF mighty Wea-
pons Of var. In the peace treaty there
will undoubtedly DC incorporated Fresi-
dent Wilson's proposal for a reduction
OF armament TO the lowest point con-
sistcnt with domestic safety
''Sayies will still be needed as an in
tcrnational police force to compel COM
pliance with tho decree Of an !nterna-
,ionnl tribunal which will be set up to
Naval vessels will have large peace
tnsks Of survey and discovery and pro-
lection in addition 10 police duty Of an
international MS well as Of national!
character.
"Inasmuch as the United States Is the
richSgT OF thr great nations. and mas
suffered less in war than any of the nj
lied powers. il Will dcvolvc unon this
country 10 mako a contribution 10 the
navy TO preserve tho peace OF the world
commensurate with It's wealth, It's com
mcrcc. !ts growing and expanding mcr-
chant marine, and its leadership In the
council Of free people. 1t Is therefore.
our duty now. not indeed. 10y enter upon
any new md ambitious navnl program,
but TO go forward steadily upon the
lines OF naval Increase TO which tho
country committed itSeif by the Adop-
ton thrco years HEO OF tho FIRST far-
reaching constructive naval program IN
tho history of the republic.
Il have recommended tn congress the
| adoption OF another thr""-yenr program
substantially like the ON" authorized IN
1918. Rul tho victory Of III. allies md
| tho United States should. and Will. !
sincerely trust. within II few years mnk"
it no longer necessary for. any nation
| under ghir and spur ,n burden It's tax
! payers To undertake. 10 build, In cnmpcti'
! two construction. bigger fighting ships
and moro or them thnr any other nation
| can construct
Mr.. Daniels shows that the now
$500. 900. onn. rhrco-ycar building pro-
gram was adopted In l?l6, he ndds'
! CONGRESS has given everything that
could bc desired 10 insure tho effective
ness Of the naval arm.
Team work had been tho nRvy's slo'
gan for flvc years. and II continued 10
b. the war motto both at home and
abroad. Tho striking success OF thu
| navy. Is ascribcd to this fact oy Mt
| Daniels. who continues:
"Arparently there have been times
when a secretary of the navy seemed TO
ind friction and lack OF cooperation
among the officers around him. II that
spirit ever existed In tho United States
navy. can state With confidence and
pride that there Is now no vesttge OF II
land l frmly hrlcvc. from my expert
Iencc. not only during tho last year nut
during tho five years preceding. 1t Will
never return.
The report shows that Vice Admiral
Sims, who wa9 OH his way 10 London
head IF tho American naval establish
mont in the war zones before was was
declared is soon to BE- named full adj
his services tho high character of which
the secretary says il is yet too carly tc
| give proper place. The sending OF Al
miral Sims was tho rirSt step in Il pro-
gram of which the secretary says:
The outstanding accomplishment o.
| the navy abroad in this war. outside u
| rigorous and valo-ous service IN inc
danger zonn. has been ;ho character ana
degree Of cooperation and practical con-
| solidatinn for tho time being Of our scr
ri,.es with those services with which
| we have hrrn associated. The navy. nc
ginning with the arrival Of the iirSt SNIP
! abroad. has stood out for unity ht @o'"-
n,and even though this in some Instances
involved sacrificing temporarily S"lhc-
thing Of our identity as an independent
service This has not he"n An easy task.
II is believed 10 he safe statement that
,hc degree Of accomplishment Of our
! service in this respect is without precc-
dent in allied warfare.
As concrctn evidence of what was ac-
complishcd. the report shows mat on
October thcru3wcrc 3"S United states
naval ships abroad with. 1900 ofticcrS
and "a. nnn enlisted mon. or greater
force than the total strength Of the navy
! when war WAS declared. while the Amer
lean fighting craft has steamed an aver
ago Of sec .0oh miles per month IN thr
! war zonr. This did not include tho
cruisers and .hattlcshirs on escort duty.
Ono Of the first dcstroycrs In co oyer.
tho Porter, steamed 6t.$T3 miles: the
lConnynSham 6S.95@ and the Davis G3.nlo.
Tho major naval operation Of the war
| co far AZ the United States is concern
| cd is given as the conveying q? more
| than 1000 Nhn troops 10 Europe without
| tho loss hv enemy action Of SlnEIc
| cas- bound transport. This accomplish
| mrnt the report says, VIII STAND rs
| monument IN both tn" army and the
navy as tho greatest and most dlitlcult
trcop transporting effort which has ever
been conducted. across seas. Up 10 NO.
vcmhcr !. il is shown. ?24.5lA troops mad
I.bccn carried TO France in American
transpnrts under American convoy, with
! no lnssc. outward bound and only three
| vcssrls sunk on tho road home. From
! November | Ia the date Of tho report.
! tberc had been $50 additional SaIlingS OF
| American troop and supply ships. tho
average being about ono shin every ilvc
hours.
Writing with pride Of the record or
| tho marine brigade In France tho sec
rotary elbows that with only a,hhh mon
of the corps engaged. the casualties
numbered 80 officers and 1.5S mon
dead. - officers and "2.435 seriously
wounded Will" but 81 marines arc re-
ported officially rs captured by "thc on
cmy. illustrating the desperate caarac-
ter OF tho fighting in which tho brigade
participated md tho fact that II was
always advancing.
''rn the United Sttacs marines" MIR.
Daniels says. Fighting side by side
with equally brave and equally courage
Gus men in tn" American army I" that
! faithful Goa and land force or the navy.