The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-04-09
A COMPLETE REPUTATION
Miami Herald)

morning gives publicity to fuii anu
complete official report of the doings
of the United States government with
reference to the prosecution of the
war for the past year.
This publication is timely, for it
was one year ago, yesterday, that the
president signed the declaration
which recognized a state of war be-
tween the United States and Ger.
many. At that time it was said that
we were totally unprepared for war,
and in some quarters it was asserted
that we could not become prepared
in time to be of any service in the
European war, granting that we could
be prepared at all.
This report, which The Herald be-
lieves will deserve and secure care
full reading, refutes every criticism
that has been made against the gov
eminent that it was not functioning
properly and that it was carrying on
a kid glove war. 1t shows that the
government went to work. promptly,
when war was declared and it gives
resume of what has been accom-
plshed within the twelve months, a
resume that will hearten the patriots
who have been discouraged, more or
less, by the continued criticism of
those who would impede the govern
ment if they could.
A brief scanning of the report will
reveal that the government and the
country have been reasonably prompt
in entering on the great task of rails
ing an army and that training has
proceeded with remarkable celebrity.
Among the items of the report re-
lating to the raising of an army are
these
In less than three weeks after
enactment of selective-service
law the male population of the
country within draft age, approx
imately 100000 men, presented
themselves before some 1000
boards and registered
Two weeks after war was de-
clared contracts had been made
covering the requirements of an
army of 100000 men, this mate
ial comprising 100000 items.
OF 63,2O3 candidates for Off
GERS commissions at two officers
training camps, 44,57S were sue
ceshful; third series is now In
progress with $4,000 attendance.
About $4,000 officers and men
are engaged in coast patrol work
of the navy.
These all relate to the new national
army At the same time the regular
army and navy service has been large
~ increased, as the report shows:
During the first year of war the
United States army has increased
in actual strength from 1924 of
ficers and 2O2,51O enlisted men to
123,S0l officers and 1925. 924 en-.
listed men
Strength of the navy today is
nearly $1,000 officers and 5000
enlisted men; strength a year ago
was 4,792 officers and 77946 en-. /
listed men. The total number of
persons now in the naval estab,
lishment exceeds 425oOO.
Air personnel increased from i
siXty-fve officers and 1920 men to !
one hundred times that number !
in first year of war. Eleven
kinds of schools have been in. /
stalled,
But the navy had, also. to be aug.
mented by merchant marine that
would insure the delivery of supplies
to our army abroad and to our faith.
full allies That the country has gone
about that task with ability is shown
in the report, which says: /
The Emergency Fleet corpor-
alton had reQuisitioned March |.
425 steel vessels and contracted /
for 720 steel vessels, making
total of Las steel ships, of an
aggregate lightweight tonnage Of /
S,l64,5OS tons; it had let con.
tracts for 400 wooden vessels. ag. /
gregating approximately 1.7l5OOO /
lightweight tons; it had repaired 7
and put in operation $4,000 dead. I
weight tonnage seized from Ger. /,
many and Austria.
And in addition to all that tho 70.