| Show NAVY RECRUITS C mT i 1 I filliNG u up r i i 1 I iI i I Author Authorized zed Strength tre Will Be I IJ J Reached by P arch 1 l I Is Belief I II I I Ii AS I Nov Recruiting G. 5 I i t for tor the navy is progressing so satis satis- satisfactorily I y that thai naval officials believe it so soon n will bo be possible to send ta to sea a I large number of or vessels of all ajl classes now carire on paper as part of or the fleets but actually tied up at navy j yards for tor lack of lt crews crews I Recruits are entering g the service at ata ia I Ia a r rate te exceeding 2300 a w week k and the I training stations ar are ara dally daily sending large numbers of men to the fleets after aCter the usual four months of train- train I Ing I I REACHING STRENGTH On November 1 the navy was only men short of the authorized strength of approximately and it is believed at the department that the full strength will be bc reached be before before before be- be fore March 1 I Eighteen battleships arc are now with the Atlantic and Pacific fleets on r cruising duty while others have re reI reduced reduced re- re crews Thirteen of the older types arc are out of commission en en- en- en Of the modern destroyers completed completed completed com com- j and turned over to the navy only sixty-five sixty are now now in full commission commission com com- I mission and of or these twenty-five twenty are in European waters or arc aro outfitting for service abroad Of or the remainder remainder remainder remain remain- der are laid up with crews of thirty men aboard and the others are out ut of commission entirely DESTROYERS STAND BY lt Jt is explained at the navy department department depart depart- ment that there is no expectation of ever ever placing full tun crews aboard all j destroyers In time of peace as the now has a su superabundance of or this type of or vessel About 50 per cent of the destroyers eventually will be kept kep fully llly manned and on duty with the fleets and and the others given only large enough crews to keep them ready for fur duty in time of or emergency The naval reserve force naval officers officers cers cers say can always be depended upon to provide trained crews for both de destroyers destroyers destroyers de- de and battleships in reserve when occasion demands SUBMARINES SHORT No Xo modern submarines are out of commission according to naval officials offid d als but thirty these vessels of the older types ar are without fun full crews Difficulty has been experienced iri hi iri training men for the submersibles due to the peculiar I technical nature of the duty Of Ot the five fifty eagle boats on the naval list thirty-one thirty are fully manned with twenty-six twenty cruisers cruisers' and gunboats in full commission and twenty four r in reduced commission or laid up The sub substantial increase in pay granted the navy at the last session of or congress together with the recent announcement of or an extended cruise by the Atlantic and Pacific fleets this winter top orts in South America Africa Australia ant and New Zealand have lave served to greatly stimulate enlistments en enlistments enlistments en- en officials at the department sa say |
