Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-04-12

highly eiained personnel and the most
intricate equipment with practically
no foundation to start from.
Three large appropriations, includ-
ing the $640, 5000 act passed without
a roll call, made Il total of $691, 600, O00
available for the first year. All of this
has since been obligated.
Last April the air service had an
almost negligible force Of IS officers
and 1,120 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 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 a year ago, practically
every member a skilled man who has
gone through In 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 $1,000 officers and 100000 en-
listed men strength a year ago was
4,792 officers and 77,948 enlisted men.
Estimated total expenditures of ths
navy during first year of war: Dis.
bursements and outstanding obliga-
lions, 81, 1881, 100000.
Total naval appropriations, real and
pending, 1888, III, 665.O4.
American destroyers arrived at a
British port to assist in p~atrolling Eu.
ropean waters % days after the decla-
ration of war.
There are now four times as many
vessels in the naval service as a year
ago.
Nearly $4,000 mechanics and other
civilian employees are working at
navy yards and stations.
When war was declared, 123 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 1880 tons, the larg-
est battleships in the world.
Our 35,O00-ton cruisers, 35 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 quaint.
ties.
During the year the latest type OF
naval 16-inch gun was completed for
u new battleships; 1t throws a pro-
jectile weighing 2,100 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 100000 In summer, $4,000
men in winter.
Shipping Boards Progress.
Up to date congress has authorized
S 2,034, 100000, of which $1,135, 0O0,0O(
has been appropriated, for the
United States Shipping board ant
Emergency Fleet corporation; or
March 1. s353,247 ,955.37 of this sun
had been expended.
The Emergency Fleet corporation
had requisitioned March 1, 425 stee
vessels and contracted for 720 stee'
vessels, making a total of 1,145 stee
ships, Of al aggregate dead-weigh'
tonnage Of S,164,50S tons; it had le
contracts for 400 wooden vessels, ag
gregating approximately 1,715,00t
lightweight tons 1t had repaired and
put in operation $4,000 dead-weigh'
tonnage seized from Germany ant
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 tn,
United States government in the frs
yenr Of war, without loans to tn
allies, is $12, 8,679.O7.
To help meet this expense, the treas
ury department hoated Sc, 616 ,532 30
subscriptions to Liberty bonds.
Bonds, certificates Of Indebtedness
War Savings certificates, and Thrift
stamps issued by the treasury up t
March II. totaled $500, SOP, 052.ee
The United States government ha,
loaned to foreign governments asso
ciated in the war on March II, 1e1e
$4,436. 329, $50.
To March IL the war risk insur
ance bureau had issued policies for
total of So, 465, 116,5o0 to the arme'
forces.