The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-04-12

highly trained personnel and the most
intricate equipment with practically
no foundation to start from.
Three large appropriations. includ-
ing the $64O, 900 act passed without
a roll call, made Il total OF $691 100000
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 1,120 men, 3 small flying fields,
less than 300 second-rate planes, prac-
tlcally 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 a 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 Il 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.
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 81 200 officers and $4,000 en-
listed men; strength a year 6 was
1872 officers and 77,946 enlisted men.
Estimated total expenditures of the
navy during first year OF war: Dis
bursements and outstanding obliga-
lions. 81, 1881 100000.
Total naval appropriations, real and
pending. 3 1888, III, 1865. O4.
American destroyers arrived mt a
British port to assist in patrolling Eu-
ropean waters % days after the decla-
ration Of war.
There are now four times as man,
vessels In the naval service as q year
ago.
Nearly Z 1900 mechanics and other
civilian employees are working ut
navy yards and stations.
When war was declared, 1913 naval
vessels were building or authorized,
and contracts have been placed since
that time for $40 vessels.
More than 700 privately owned YES
sells have been purchased or chartered
by the navy.
Six new authorized ~battleships are
designed to be Of Al. 800 tons, the larg-
est battleships in the world.
Our 35,OOO-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-
q 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 batleships; 1t throws a pro-
jectile weighing. 2.1OO 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 10000 In summer, "a, 600
men in winter.
Shipping Boards Progress.
Up to date congress has authorized
S2.O34. 200, 1000. of which $1.135,OO0,O OO
has been appropriated, for the
United States Shipping board and
Emergency Fleet corporation; on
March l. $353,o47 .955.37 Of this sum
had been expended.
The Emergency Fleet corporation
had requisitioned March l, 425 steel
vessels and contracted. for 72O steel
vessels, making a total Of 1,145 steel
ships. Of an aggregate dead-weight
tonnage Of 8.164,5O8 tons; It had let
contracts for 400 wooden vessels, ag-
gregating approximately 1,715.000
lightweight tons 1t had repaired and
put in operation $4,000 lightweight
tonnage seized from Germany and
Austria.
On March 5 the building program
OF the Emergency Fleet corporation
was being carried on in Isl plants.
First Years War Cost.
Total estimated expense Of the
United States government in the first
year Of war, without loans to the
allies, Is $4,000. 27S. 679.O7.
To help meet this expense, the treas
ury department floated $6,616, $50 800
subscriptions to Liberty bonds.
Bonds, certificates Of indebtedness,