Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-24
GREAT DEEDS
ACHIEVED BY
NAVY IN WAR
Daniels Sums Up Outstanding
Work Accomplished in
Limited Time.
100000 MEN IN NAVY
BY JosEPHUs DANIELS,
Former Secretary of the Navy
1918 to 1921.
ARTICLE 81.

ARTICLE 81.
Let me tell you a few of the big
things the Navy did in the World
War, some of which you may not
realize.
Even In peace times the Nays op-
erations extend over a considerable
portion of the globe, with fleets in
the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Far
East
During the war our ships operated
from Archangel and the White Sea,
in northern Russia, to the Adriatic
and the Mediterranean; in the North
Sea, in English and Irish waters, all
along the coast of France, Spain and
Portugal, in Italian waters, in the
Azores; patrolled our own coasts and
the western Atlantic, the Gulf OF
Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, the
South American coast, guarded the
Panama Canal, and maintained vast
feet of troop ships, cargo transports
and conveying vessels carrying
troops. munitions and supplies from
America to Europe.
Guarding against possible raiders and
German activities in the Pacific, our op-
erations extended from our own west
coast TO Hawaii. Guam and the Philip
pines. and the few vessels left in the
Orient cooperated with the japanese and
other allied naval forces from Manila
to Vladivostok.
ACTIVITIES BELTED
THE WORLD.
When we were pressing into service in
the war zone" all available anti-sub-
marine craft, a flotiIla of our small de-
. stro Is stationed at Cavite made the
voyage from the Philippines through the
straits, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea,
through the Suez Canal and the Mediter-
ranean to Gibraltar. where they did yeo-
man service in convoy duty from that
center OF ocean traffic. Thus, during the
war the Nays activities literally belted
the globe.
Before hostflities ended we had in serv-
\ ice In European waters 37S vessels, in
cluding 20 destroyers, gunboats coast
! guard cutters, 10 submarine chasers %
armed yachts, IL submarines, 13 mine
sweeps, 10 mine planters.<S battIeships
cruisers, 16 tugs, cross channel trans
ports, 30 vessels, carrying coal for the
army, is tenders and repair ships and
vessels OF miscellaneous types In addi-
ton, there were thirty other vessels as
signed to the European force then un-
dergoing repairs or being prepared to go
into commission. So that the total num-
Der assigned to the European forces was
over 400.
sc. 1000 OFFICERS AND
MEN IN EUR0PE SERVICE
Over $1,000 officers and men Of the
Navy were in service in Europe. Thirty
thousand marines were sent overseas for
service with the Army and 1,6OO for
naval duty ashore. That makes a total
y Of over $4,000 officers and men Of the
Navy and marine corps that were in
service in Europe
But that by no means covers all the
service we performed for the allies and
our own forces in Europe. The entire
cruiser and transport force, with its
eighty three vessels manned bv O0O Of
hcers and Al 600 men; and the naval
overseas transportation service with 37s
vessels in operation, manned by 1892
oHlcers and 29l15 meI, were in trans
Atlantic service, carrying troops and
supplies to our armies and our allies
Practically all the merchant ships and
others which carried naval armed guards
and navy guns were carrying food. ma
terials and other articles to allied coun-
tries. The navy armed 3s4 merchant
and cargo ships, and 3tOOo of the
Navy personnel were, at one time or an
other, engaged in this service
100000 OFFICERS
AND MEN.
Thus. total Of s34 vessels and approx.
Imately 100000 officers and men Of the
United States Navy and marine corps
were engaged either in actual European
service or IN trans-Atlantic service to
and from Europe. That is almost three
times as many as were in the entire
Navy and marine corps before the war.
But that was not nearly all we were
preparing 10 do, and would have done. if
the war had continued into 1919 as was
expected. Many thousands OF men were in
training to man the new destroyers and
other vessels we were building and the
hundreds the Shipping Board had under
construction Our war building program
included a thousand vessels Of all types
from battleships to submarine chasers
We contracted for 275 destroyers in 1917.
The builders were breaking all records
In construction; a number had been
completed and put into service before the
l armistice. But We were just reaching
< the peak OF production when they would
be turned out by the score. Thes Ship
ping Board was building cargo ships so
rapidly that the total number of vessels
already assigned to the naval overseas
transportation service was 400, which
would bring that feet up to a total of
$4,000 deadweight tons. And we would
have been called upon to man hundreds
more, had the war continued another
year.
The Navy had grown by the time OF the
armistce, to & force OF over 6OOOOO in
GLIDING marines. Beginning with 4,316
officers and 62667 men in the regular
Navy when war was declared. and 1900
reserves and naval militia, the total in
creased 10 $50. .931, including the 6.OOO OF
the coast guard.
The marine corps grew from Is, FPS to
a total force Of $4,000.
Recruiting and training this immense
personnel, the largest by many thou
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