OCR Text |
Show GREAT LAKES NAVAL STATION f , it-- i ; ' '' The Great Lakes naval training station will be maintained as the most important of its kind in the United States, Chairman Padgett of the house committee on naval affairs announced in Chicago the other day. His statement state-ment set at rest a number of conflicting conflict-ing reports, from Washington and elsewhere, else-where, as to the station's fate. "The peace strength of Groat Lakes," Mr. Padgett said, "will be about 13,000 men, but all its quarters, providing accommodations for about 50,000, will be kept available. Whether $1,500,000 will be spent upon improvements, improve-ments, as the commandant and Chicago Chica-go civic organizations desire, depends upon an inspection to be made by me and my associates in about six weeks." "Only four naval stations will be retained," Mr. Tadgett explained "Great Lakes, Newport, R. I. ; Hampton Hamp-ton Roads, Va., and one on the Pacific coast, which we are en route to select. Great Lakes will be the largest, since none of its equipment will be junked. Mr. Padgett, in a short address, following dinner at the Chicago Athletic club, implied that the $1,500,000 appropriation probably would be made. "The record of Great Lakes," he said, "entitles It clearly to whatever in reason it may ask. The country will never forget the service of the station in supplying men to the ships which rendered such signal service abroad. "Those men represented the finest type of our citizens, and Chicago and the entire middle West may well feel proud to have sent them to war." |