The Washington herald., 1919-12-08
NAVAL STANDARD WILL
STAY, SAYS DANIELS
coNrrNuEp FROM PAGE ONE.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
which Mr.. Daniels says established
the capabilities of lighter-than-air
craft. In this latter field, the United
States having purchased from Great
Britain sister ship of the R-34. and
now building another monster d.
rigible, the navy is soon to have two
of the greatest dirigibles of its own.
The navy now has a reserve fly
ing corps of 1000 officers and 5000
men. 1t was thus able after the war
to assign a fleet air detachment to
the U. s. Atlantic fleet at GuantanmO
during its maneuvers. consisting of
six twin-motored flying boats. three
single seat scout aeroplanes and a
division of kite balloons with the U.
s. ship Shawmut as mother ship.
Mr.. Daniels describes the building
at Lakehurst, N. j., for the construc-
ton of the navy's future dirigibles
and the helium plan at Fort Worth,
Tex. The helium plant will cost S.
100000 with a contemplated output Of
1000 to 5000 cubic feet of gas per
day. This Is the gas that was to be
used in dirigibles in the European war
for an attack on Berlin by American
forces. Helium gas is noninfiammable.
Pnys Tribute TO strauss.
Mr.. Daniels pays high tribute to
Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss and the
naval forces under him, which laid
and swept so per cent of the mine
barrage which stretched 80 miles
from the Orkneys to Norway. Mr.
Daniels says that the laying down Of
this barrage was one CT the most
effective instrumentalities in break
ing the morale of the German navy
and ending the U-boat campaign.
Mines were laid at such great depths
as go to 800 feet that new apparatus
and methods Of sweeping had 10 be
devised"
There were eighty-two mine ships
employed in these operations during
which two officers and nine men were
killed and twenty-three ships dam
aged. The trawler Richard Buckley
was sunk by a mine with the loss Of
her commander. p. r. King. and six
men of the crew. Lieut.. Frank Bruce,
by the explosion Of a mine.
Most of ships Return.
On the day of the armistice the
navy had in European waters 5,S52
officers and 1913 enlisted men, the
whole force being distributed among
400 vessels. OF a grand total of 500
vessels that served in foreign waters
there were only los there last October
and of these sixty-eight we're under
orders to return home: seven are to
be sold in Europe, two to be returned
to British owners and two badly dam
aged mine sweepers are being re-
paired.
During the twelve months ending
October !, 1919. there have been con-
structed by the navy. one battleship.
lOs destroyers, thirty-two submarines,
fifty-two Eagle boats. thirty-six sub
marine chasers, thirty-one mine
sweepers and three sea-going tugs.
When eighteen new ships are COM
pleted. Mr.. Daniels says, We will have
a fleet motive power of 1906, 900 horse
power. which is eight times. as great
as that of all the Passenger ships
that ply across the Atlantic. includ-
ing the former big German liners.
In order to supply the new capi-
tai ships, the navy is constructing
guns larger than any now afIoat,
the 16-inch caliber. of which 100 are
to be manufactured The projectiIe
of a 16-inch gun weighs 2.100
pounds. A salvo from these guns
would lift a battleship to the
height of the Washington Monu-
ment or 555 feet.
Mr.. Daniels refers to his esti-
mates for the coming year. stating
that, as to the Pacific Coast, he has