New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 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 II 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 $640. 900 900 act passed without
a roll call. made a total of $69l 600. 900
available for the first year. All Of this
has since been obligated.
Last April the air service had an
almost negligible force of 65 officers
and 1,12O men. 3 small flying fields.
less than 300 second-rate planes. prac-
tically no aviation industry. and only
the most scanty knowledge Of the ka-
leidoscopic development abroad. The
first two months Of war were required
to secure information, establish q 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 a 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-
tors secured, including foreign ex-
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 var has given the
greatest satisfaction. It's growth and
achievements during this period may
be epitomlzed in the following para
graphs:
Strength Of the navy today Is
nearly 21,0OO officers and 10000 en-
listed men strength a year ago was
4,792 officers and 77,946 enlisted men.
Estimated total expenditures Of the
navy during first year Of var Dis
bursements and outstanding obliga-
lions, 1881 ,OOO, 900.
Total naval appropriations, real and
pending. 1898. III .665.04.
American destroyers arrived at a
British port to assist In patrolling Eu-
ropean waters % days after the decla-
ration of a
There are now four times az many
vessels in the naval service a. q year
ago.
Nearly 1900 mechanics and other
civilian employees are working at
navy yards and stations.
When a was declared, 1923 naval
vessels were building or authorized,
and contracts have been placed since
that time for $40 vessels.
More than 700 privately owned yes
ociS nave ucCA PuiCiAuScu VI SHuEtcEcu
by the navy.
Six new authorized battlsships are
designed to be of 1850 tons, the larg-
est battleships In the world.
Our 35,OO0-ton cruisers, IS knots.
will be the fastest In the world, their
speed equaling the fastest destroyers.
Prompt repairs Of 100 informed 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 Quanti-
ties.
During the year the latest type Of
naval 16-inch gun was completed for
new battleships; It throws a pro-
%jectile weighing 2,1OO pounds.
Navy has in its possession nov 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.
In severe weather.
Naval training camps have a ca
pacity Of 1902, 900 In summer. $4,000
men In winter.
Shipping Boards Progress.
Up to date congress has authorized
50. O34,OOO,O 900, Of which 81. 135, OO0, 900
has been appropriated, for the
States Shipping board and
Emergency Fleet corporation; or
/. 1858. 4 1851. Of this sum
had been expended.
The Emergency Fleet corporation
had requisitioned March 1, 425 steel
and contracted for 720 steel
vessels, making a total Of 1.145 steel
Of an aggregate lightweight
tonnage Of s,1e4,5O8 tons; 1t had let
contracts for 400 wooden vessels. az
.gregating approximately 1,715,O00
tons; 1t had repaired and
put in operation $4,000 lightweight
tonnage seized from Germany and
On March 5 the building program
Of the Emergency Fleet corporation
was being carried on in 151 plants.
First Years War Cost.
Total estimated expense Of the
States government in the first
year Of war. without loans to the
allies, is $12, S,679.O7.
To help meet this expense. the treas
ury department floated $6,616, So, 300
subscriptions to Liberty bonds.