The Alaska daily empire., 1918-12-31
The Navy.
(New York World.)

Not yet can the great part of the Navy played in the be fully described, but in his annual re from many details that will not lessen the just pride Americans have always taken in their war service at
 The armistice found the Navy personnel just short of 500, 900 sous while its active work abroad employed men than its entire strength when we entered the No element monopolized it's fleets from the air, while it's Marines won deathless fame at Belleau Woods. Nor did it shine in action while fumbling preparation the House Committee of Inquiry found it's war-work shore "a remark able record of achievement.
 Whether in laying S5OOO mines in the vast sea barrage that shut Germany in, rushing dry dock and navyyard expansion at home, or repair ing German ships with amazing speed, devel- oping electric propulsion in the biggest cruisers or adding niceties of detail to depth bomb prac- tice, placing its huge guns on railroad cars to batter down German defense far toward Metz, the Navy every day doing it's bit, more. And the nature of its delicate tasks was such that even now not too much be said about all that has been done beyond landsmens sight
 AS agent in social progress the Navy has con- tinued its school work among enlisted men, and has worked improvement in their physical con dtion which is attested by remarkable showing of health statistics while the novel task of rehabilitat ing convicted of grave charges has drawn to the Portsmouth Naval Prison under Thomas M. Os- borne the praise of naval and prison-re -reformers both continents.
 What the Navy is in future to be must depend upon circumstances. MT. Daniels foresees an end of competitive building" We hope he may be right. For the present there is to continue with the program of construction which he recommends If in the long have mainly to provide for Survey and discovery and protection. in addition to police duty of international well of national character" much the better.
 Toward that desired goal the Navy has already given some impetus. It has promoted smaller League of Nations afoat by the teamwork to which Secretary Daniels referred in Springfield "One out standing blessing of the the sympathy and comradeship between the American and British, ' in close cooperation with other Allied Navies" Such intimate relations his report de- scribes with British, French, Italian and Japanese have had parallel on land and must greatly aid international uderstanding.
 That is looking ahead; far ahead, perhaps. We look back upon the great service which the Navy has rendered to the world it's paramount service and possibly deciding factor in the mighty struggle Every troopship that enters harbor crowd ed with cheering soldiers should remind again of the sleepless vigilance that watched con- voys the perilous road to France. The Kaiser sneered at Army a wooden sword" It could in the end have cut his battle-ne and cowed his veterans but for the ships that ferried it and the international police" that taught the lurking U- boat its place.
 This was. MT. Daniels says, "a shining dem- of the Navys capacity for the team work essential to victory" And victory was essential to the world.