Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-04-11

slightly more than twice the cost Of
building the Panama canal. The con-
tractors profits on the several con-
tracts averaged only 4.ee per cent.
Air Service.
The air service has been called
upon in the past IL 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; O00 600 act passed without
9 roll call, made total OF 1901 ,00O, 900
available for the hrst 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 400 second-rate planes, prac-
tically no aviation industry, and only
the most scanty knowledge Of the ka-
leidoseppic development abroad. The
FIRST two months Of war were required
to secure Information, establish staff,
and work out the program finally
adopted. The problem was twofold-
hrst. personnel; and. second, equip
ment.
Today the personnel Is over 100
times that Of year ago. practically
every member 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 score Of lines, as follows:
For flyers at ground schools and flying
helds; for mechanics at the flying
fields and at over 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 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 2l,000 officers and $4,000 en-
listed men; strength year ago was
1892 officers and 77,946 enlisted men.
Estimated total expenditures Of the
navy during first year Of war: Dis
bursements and outstanding obliga.
lions, 1851, 100000.
Total naval appropriations, real and
pending. $3,333, III ,865.O4.
American destroyers arrived at
British port to assist In patrolling Eu-
ropean waters % days after the decla-
ration of war.
There are now four times as many
vessels in the naval service as year
ago.
Nearly $1,000 mechanics and other
civilian employees are working at
navy yards and stations.
When war was declared, 1923 naval
vessels were building or authorized,
and contracts have been placed since
that time for $40 vessels.
More than TOO privately owned ves-
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 S5,OO0-ton cruisers, IS knots,
will be the fastest In the world, their
speed equaling the fastest destroyers.
Prompt repairs Of 100 interned Ger.
man ships. partially wrecked by their
crews, added more than zoe, 600 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
our new battleships; 1t th.evs a pro-
jectile weighing 2,1O0 pounds.
Navy has in It's possession now
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 ca
pacity of 100000 in summer, $4,000
men In winter.
Shipping Boards Progress.
Up to date congress has authorized
5000. 100000, Of which 81, 1876, OOO, 900
has been appropriated, for the
United States Shipping board and
Emergency Fleet corporation; on
March /, $3.50, "a, e55.37 of this sum
had been expended.
The Emergency Fleet corporation
had requisitioned March 1, 425 steel
vessels and contracted for 72O steel
vessels, making total Of 1,145 steel
ships, Of an aggregate lightweight
tonnage Of s,184.50S tons; 1t had let
contracts for 400 wooden vessels, az.
gregating approximately 1,715,0O0
daod.waicht tone n hod rnnoirad ond