Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-12-13
THOSE AMERICAN Marines
EI0ht Thousand Men Suffered Over
-Four Thousand Casualties
BODIES BLOCKED ROAD TO PARIS
Report Of Secretary Daniels as to the
Work of Navy Shows Splendid Work
of That Arm Of the Service-Ihe
Prooramne for Next Three Years.


Programme for Next Three Years
Wth q story Of brilliant achieve
rnents of the American navy IN 'he
war. Secretary Daniels couples IN MS
animal rcport. an urgent rccommenda-
,ion for continued naval expansion 10
meet the demands Of peace for nation
al and international work on the sea
Through nearly all Of the ia PRINT
.d pages the secretary tells in brlef
r,hrases OF the navy's part In th' "di'
nf the doing Of the seemingly impossi-
bic through teamwork. He speaks OF
the mighty accomplishment OF trans
porting 1000. 900 men TO France WIN
out the loss Of an eastbound troop snip
through enemy action. and ne deFot'S
a graphic chapter TO the Marine bri-
gade, which, as all the world KNOWS
blocked the last Prussian advance on
Paris and started the German retreat
that ended with the war.
This reference to the future CLOSES
the report.
"The day is not far distant when the
world will witness an end OF competl-
tive building between nations oil
mighty weapons OF war. In the peace
treaty there will undoubtedly be in
corporated President Wilson's proposal
for a reduction of armament TO the
,oyest noint consistent with domestic
safety"
Large Peace Talks In store.
"Nayics will still be needed as an in
ternational police force to compel
compliance with the decree OF an IN
ternatinnal tribunal which will be set
ND TO decide differences between ma
tions. Naval vessels will have large
peace tasks Of survey and discovery
and protcction, in addition to police
duty of an international as well as OF
"a national character.
"Inasmuch US the United states Is
the richest Of the great nations ana
has suffered less in war than any OF
the Allied powers, 1t will devolve upon
this country to make contribution 10
the navy to preserve the peace OF the
world commensurate with its wealth.
its commerce. it's growing and expand
ing merchant marine, and its leader
shin I'm the council of free people. 1t
is therefore our duty now, not indeed
TO enter upon any new and amoitious
naval programme, but TO go forward
steadily upon the lines OF naval IN
crease TO which the country commit
ted itself by the adoption three years
ago of the first far-reaching construct
i've naval programme in the history OF
the republic.
"I have recommended to this con-
rrcss the adoption Of another three
ycar-programme substantially ike the
one authorized in 1915. But the victory
of the Allies and United States should
and will. sincerely trust. within few
wears make il no longer necessary Tor
any nation under whip and spur 10
burden its taxpayers TO undertake TO
build, in competitive construction,
bigger lighting ships and more Of them
than any other nation can construct
Mr.. Daniels shows that the new
$500, 900, 900 three-yCar building pro-
gramme he has proposed will provide
1b6 additional naval ships. ten Of them
dreadnoughts and six battle cruisers
and the others to be in such distribu-
ton Of approved types as the depart
ment may deem best.
Taking up his story of the navy and
the war. the secretary declares the SER
vice was ready from stem to stern"
when the United States entered the
conflict. From the day when the first
three year programme was adopted In
1916, he adds. Congress has given ev-
erything that could he desired to in
sure the effectiveness of the naval
arm"
The report shows that Vice Admiral
Sims. who was on his way to London
as head OF the American naval estah-
lishmcnt in the war zone even before
war was declared. Is soon TO be named
full admiral by the president in rccog-
milton Of his services. the high charac-
y
too early to give proper place.
As concrete evidence of what was
accomplished. the report shows that on
October there were 33S United States
naval ships abroad. with 5000 officers
and 10000 enlisted men. or a greater
force than the total strength Of the
navy when war was declared. while the
American fighting craft had steamed
an average of 626 900 miles per month
In the war zone. This did not include
the cruisers and battleships on escort
duty. OF the first destroyCrs 20 go
over. the Porter steamed 64,+T3 miles.
the Connynham 63.952, and the Davis
63.Ol5.
The major naval operations Of the
war so far as the United States is con-
cerned is given rs the conveying OF
more than 100000 troops to Europe
without the loss by enemy action of
single eastbound transport. This ac-
complishment. the report says. will
stand as q monument to both the army
and the navy as the greatest and most
difficult troop transporting effort
which has ever been conducted across
seas Up to November /. 1t was shown,
s24.57S troops had been carried TO
France in American transports under
American convoy with no losses out
bound and only three vessels sunk on
the road home. From November l to
date OF the report there had been 2Ss
additional sailings Of American troop
and supply ships. the average being
one ship every five hours.
Writing with pride OF the marine
brigade in France. the secretary shows
that with only 5000 men Of the corps
engaged, the casualties numbered 60
officers and 1881 men dead. IS officers
and 2.435 seriously wounded, while but
81 marines are reported officially as