Show IU U. U S S. S NAVY SOON TO TOBE BE THE WORLDS WORLD'S GREATEST So Says Secretary Daniels at Motion Picture Show of War Work Work By John Edwin Nevin International News Service Service Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON Feb 9 Behind 9 Behind the necessary curtain of censorship the United States navy today Is creating a fighting machine which will electrify tho the entire nation when all the facts about it can be revealed in safety Its Us scope can call only be hinted at today but the recurring stories of impending devastation of ot Atlantic coast cities should the German fleet eventually manage to evade the British grand brand fleet and its American aiding units and andreach andreach andreach reach the high seas in safety were causing little serious alarm today The he navy is working night and day on its protective plans They will not fail fan under unde- the test If called upon officials say I The capital was discussing with deep Interest today a very brief statement state statu- I ment made last night by Secretary of i ithe the Navy Josephus Daniels DUlIng the showing of ot motion e reels at atthe atthe atthe the National Press club of ot the Making of at a a. Navy the secretary was invited to give a brief briet address He praised the spirit spirU of the navy its loyalty purpose and devoted self sacrifice e and then added I IThe The supposed dream which lay be behind behind behind be- be hind President Wilsons Wilson's declaration in St. St Louis two years ears ago that we must have incomparably the greatest navy in n the world will soon be true It was the first open reference to what has been done since the European war began and what is now being done Mr Daniels had nothing to add dd to his statement It went as it was uttered He would not elaborate upon it at this time but It U showed that of offIcials officials officials of- of realize that with the con construction construe construe- truc- truc tion of the great merchant marine marne now being created naval development which will protect it will keep pace with It U. Already the navy is is directing all aU movements of army anny and navy supply ships passing overseas through the medium of ot the overseas transportation service Its authority is supreme over overall overall overall all these vessels and they are manned by members of the naval reserve The Tho shipping board hoard for some unnamed unnamed unnamed un un- un- un named reason has not seen fit to take advantage of this arrangement It has hasan hasan hasan an agreement with the International Seamen's union whereby members of that organization are given preference in employment and the provisions of the La l Follette seamen's law are rigidly rigid rigid- J- J ly enforced Under this agreement many aliens remain in the transport and overseas service of ot the United States There has been sharp criticism of ot this agreement by naval officers appearing appearing ap ap- before the house commerce committee who have flatly charged that it interferes with the efficiency of ot the transport service Admiral Palmer declared that the records show that a very great percentage percentage percentage per per- of ot the vessels lost to submarines submarines sub sub- marines were victims bec because use of ot Utterly ut utterly utterly ut- ut terly inefficient management Because of ot his testimony Representative Hicks is preparing a bill which he says he will push making it mandatory that American merchant ships be manned by naval reservists and commanded by naval officers during the war |