Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-07

Over 100 Warships and $4,000 or,
ficers and Men Are on Other
Side, Says Daniels.
INFLICT TELLIN ssEs
Secretary OF Navy Declares Our Yes
sells Have Played Important Part
in Destroying SubnariDcs-Four
Rear-Admirals With Sims.
fBy Associated P!es,.l

CLEVELAND. OHIO, April s.-A
great fleet Of American warships. num-
bering more than $50 vessels. and in
GLIDING. in addition to the far-famcd
dcstroycrs, battleshipS. cruisers. sub
marines, gunboats, coast guard cutters,
converted yachts, tugs and other
auXiliaries. is operating in the war
zone.
Manning this ncct and the many
small chascrs which are not reckoned
in the total and doing duty on air
patrol and at the supply stations
ashore. are 5000 officers and men.
half the navy's personnel when the
na,ion entered the war just ycar ago.
These hitherto carefully guarded
facts were disclosed here to-day BY
SECRETARY 'ranicls in an address at
a celebration marking the opening Of
tho third Liberty loan campaign. Mr..
I Daniels said that while he was not at
| liberty TO tell the toll the fleet has
taken OF German submarines, the ma
t:on could rest assured that our forces
have inflicted telling losses upon tho
enemy"
AS an instance OF naval activity"
said the secretary, Il may cito the
work OF one detachment OF dcstroycrs
lOE a Ola IHONtnS pCT!On.
Total miles steamed in war areas,
100000: submarines attacked. 81; sin
sic vcsscla escorted, III: conveys cs-
cortcd. Sc; total number OF days at
sea $500
The navy has furnished every aid
possible that the countries aligned
with us in the war have requested or
suggested. and has worked in the
closest cooperation with them Our
forces have played an important part
in the war against the submarines.
and have aided materially in the
marked reduction in sinkings of mer-
chan,mcn, as compared with tho mum :
Der sunk in the corresponding period
a year ago, and in the no less notable
increase in the number of subma rine s
Destroyed
Under Vice Admiral Sims. who Is in
! supreme command OF all the Ameri-
can naval forces in tho war zone, are
four rear admrals with stations in
Europe, said the Secretary. They
arc Henry IS. Wilson. in France: Albert
T. Niblack, in the South; Hugh Rod
man. in command Of battleships, and
Herbert Q. Dunn. on special duty.
AMERICAS FIGHTING SHIPS
WERE SELE-SUSTAINING
Americas fighting ships, Mr.. Daniels
asserted, have been self-sustaininS,
with the assistance of repair ships,
except for major repairs and docking.
Schools and barracks have been cs-
tablished to house the men who, when
trained. go aboard snip, relieving;
nucleus crews OF men OF long service,
who arc sent homo 10 bring out new
units. Commanding officers trained in
the war zone are returned to America
! to take new vessels into the war as
quickly as possible.
a torpedo station and aviation bases
| also have been established abroad and
the secretary announced that American
naval aviators are cooperating with
those OF England, France, Italy and
Portugal.
The navy has made record OF
which we may we'll be proud" de.
! clared Mr.. Daniels, but much more
must be done. Ours has been modest
accomplishment in comparison with the
achievements OF our allies, but our
contribution has been considerable and
! iS ranilly increaSiDrp