Evening star., 1919-03-15
SMALL j. s. NAVAL .
UNITS BIG FACTORS
Perform Wonderfully Varied
and important Work in
European Waters.
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.
to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1919.

Cablegram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1919.
LONDON. England, March r.
Facts and figures obtained from
we'll informed quarter show that
while the American naval forces in
European waters were relatively
small they performed wonderfully
varied and important work.
Our naval aviation force comprised
5000 officers and 10000 men distrib-
uted along the coast line of Europe
from the North sea to the Adriatic,
operating sixteen seaplane stations,
four dirigible stations, three kite bal
loon stations. two large assembly and
repair bases and a strong bombing
group in northern France. This or
ganization was built up rapidly from
a nucleus of officers and 100 men.
Operates Sixty-Seven Ships.
Our fleet operated sixtY-seyen ships
carrying coal from Cardiff and the
American Army to France. 1t assist
ed in carrying out the surrender of
the German feet and the armistice
conditions with Germany and Austria.
Its aid was felt in obtaining neutral
ships to carry troops. 1t advised and
assisted Herbert c. Hoover in oper-
ating food ships and establishing
naval organizations in every port in
Europe where American merchant
shipss call. This latter it did in or
der to assist our merchant vessels in
every way.
1t established and operated nine
shore bases to support cruising ships
and thirty-nine aviation bases in
England. Ireland, France and Italy
for bombing enemy submarine bases
and executing convoy patrol. Our
charges in large numbers. 1t escort
ed 81 per cent. or about 100000. OF
our troops to Europe. and escorted 21
per cent of all the United States and
allied neutral shipping in carrying
cargoes to France, England and Italy
from April, 1917, to November, 1918.
1t laid 80 per cent of the northern
mine barrage from the Orkneys to
Norway. For this new mines were
designed and made at home. shipped
abroad, assembled and tested in two
large plants of American construc-
tion in Scotland. These mines were
handled entirely by our own men and
laid from squadron of United States
ships converted into special
mine layers. In one operation a field
of $500 mines was laid in less than
twenty-four hours-a feat unparal-
leled in the history of mining.
Used as Training Schools.
All our ships in European waters
were used as training schools
throughout the war for new men
while carrying out their actual war
operations. Our Navy accomplished
and wounded. 1t established ten reg
ular naval hospitals. four with more
than 500 beds. In these hospitals
more than 5000 patients could be
cared for at one time. All these hos
pitals had full outfits of surgeons.
medical men and specialists such as
orthopedic surgeons. x-ray operators,
The dead of the Navy were looked
after with high consideration. A
large number were ernbalmed on the
spot and returned to their relatives at
home. This was done in practically
all cases where the local laws or in
h lbit the removal. Ever since the
declaration of the armistice American
hospital ships and transports have
been returning the Army sick and
wounded to the United States in large
numbers.
and men was one of great weight and
complexity. 1t was found early that
only special measures on large
scale could prevent the indefinite de-
lays to letters addressed to the men,
Such addresses as these were used !:
"Billy Smith, seaman, care Admiral
Sims, Europe" There We're many ad-
dresses almost illegible. Admiral
Sims laid down the rule that illegible
or imperfectly addressed letters were
just as important as those perfectly
written and addressed and his post
Office organization solved the naval